Key
verse:
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is
given unto me in Heaven and in earth. (Matthew 28:18)
Introduction
God is a triune personality made up of the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit. The source of power is God the Father. God delegated power
to His Son, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit later endued believers with power
delegated by the Son. In this chapter you will learn of the power and authority
of Jesus. It was so great that the religious leaders of His time commented,
"Never a man spake as He." (John 7:46).
Born
in power
Jesus
was born in the power of the Holy Ghost:
And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost
shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:
therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the
Son of God. (Luke 1:35)
Jesus
was the visible manifestation of God's power:
But unto them which are called... CHRIST THE POWER OF GOD,
and the wisdom of God. (I Corinthians 1:24)
Baptized
in power
John
recognized the power of Jesus. He said:
... There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet
of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have
baptized you with water; but He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. (Mark
1:7-8)
When
Jesus was baptized by John in the River Jordan the Holy Spirit descended upon
Him in the form of a dove:
And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending
from Heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him. (John 1:31)
God
had told John ...
... Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and
remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. (John
1:33)
This was confirmed
when the Holy Ghost rested on Jesus in the form of the dove. Jesus was not only
filled with Holy Ghost power, He was to baptize with power.
A
proven power
Immediately
after His baptism, Jesus went into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan:
And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from
Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. (Luke 4:1)
You can read of this experience in Luke 4:1-13.
Power is proven by testing. Each temptation by Satan
challenged the power and authority of Jesus. Jesus successfully overcame each
one and...
... returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and
there went out a fame of Him through all the region round about. (Luke 4:14)
His
source of power
God
the Father was the source of Jesus' power and authority. Jesus said:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed
me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to
set at liberty them that are bruised. To preach the acceptable year of the
Lord. (Luke 4:18-19)
Jesus did not exercise power independently of God the
Father. Continually, throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus credited God as the
source of His power:
Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from
my Father. (John 10:32)
Unlimited
power
There
were no limits to Christ’s power. He was given all power in Heaven and earth:
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is
given unto me in Heaven and in earth. (Matthew 28:18)
Jesus
has power...
Far above all principality, and
power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this
world, but also in that which is to come:
And (God) hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him
to be the Head over all things to the Church. ( Ephesians 1:21-22)
Jesus
is the head of all other powers:
And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all
principality and power. (Colossians 2:10)
Jesus had unlimited power. He was
given:
Power
to teach with authority:
The scribes based their authority
on the Old Testament scriptures. Jesus based His authority on God Himself:
And they were astonished at His doctrine: for He taught them
as one that had authority, and not as the scribes. (Mark 1:22)
And they were astonished at His doctrine: for His word was
with power. (Luke 4:32)
Power
over sin:
Jesus
had power to forgive sin:
But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth
to forgive sins. (Matthew 9:6)
Power
over sickness:
When the even was come, they brought unto Him many that were
possessed with devils: and He cast out the spirits with His word. . . and
HEALED ALL THAT WERE SICK. (Matthew 8:16)
Power
over nature:
And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea,
Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. (Mark 4:39)
Power
over all flesh:
As thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should
give eternal life to as many as thou hast given Him. (John 17:2)
Power
over his enemies:
Then saith Pilate unto Him, Speakest thou not unto me?
Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release
thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it
were given thee from above... (John 19:10-11)
Power
over death:
Jesus
said:
I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in
me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. (John 11:25)
Through
His own death and resurrection, Jesus...
... having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew
of them openly, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:15)
Power
over his own life:
Jesus
explained regarding His life:
No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I
have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again... (John 10:18)
Power
to execute judgment:
God
has given Jesus power to execute judgment:
And hath given Him authority to execute judgment also,
because He is the Son of Man. (John 5:27)
Power
over demons:
Jesus
had power and authority over demonic forces:
And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves,
saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power He commandeth the
unclean spirits, and they come out. (Luke 4:36)
And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned
among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for
with authority commandeth He even the unclean spirits, and they do obey Him.
(Mark 1:27)
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and
with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of
the Devil; for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38)
Power
over all the works of the enemy:
The purpose for which Jesus came into the world was to
destroy all the works of the Devil:
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He
might destroy the works of the Devil. (I John 3:8)
Present
power
After His death and resurrection,
Jesus returned to Heaven. There He continues to minister in power and authority
at the right hand of God:
Hereafter shall the Son of Man sit on the right hand of the
power of God. (Luke 22:69)
And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of
Man standing on the right hand of God. (Acts 7:56)
Jesus also continues to minister through the power delegated
to believers. Before Jesus returned to Heaven, He delegated power and authority
to His followers. They were to do the works He had done, and even greater works
(John 14:12).
Future
power
Someday,
Jesus will return to earth in great power and glory:
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven:
and then all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man
coming in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30)
At
that time all the powers of Heaven and earth will be delivered up to
Jesus:
Then cometh the end, when He shall have delivered up the
Kingdom to God, even the Father; when He shall have put down all rule and all
authority and power. (I Corinthians 15:24)
All
the universe will acknowledge the power of God the Father and the Son, Jesus
Christ:
Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory,
and blessing. And every creature which is in Heaven, and on the earth, and
under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I
saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth
upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever. (Revelation 5:12-13)
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