Your Lord Has All Authority Everywhere (Matthew 28:18).Thursday May 7, 2026
Mat 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”
Main idea: Despite the weakness and doubts in His disciples, Jesus draws near and propels them to service by assuring them of His Supreme Authority.
Intro:
Their weakness (and ours); their hesitation (and ours) is now approached by the Lord’s Supreme Power.
“Jesus came up…” easily overlooked but profound verb in this context.
The natural mind would expect Christ to distance Himself from them, push them away. The other option is that in shame they would run from Him. They remain as we do, in spite of our doubts and weakness, why? He is our Lord who died for us.
If we had perfect faith, why would He tell us that He would always be with us?
Jos 1:9 Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Another time this is said of Jesus is at the Transfiguration:
Mat 17:5-8 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!" 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. 7 And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, "Get up, and do not be afraid." 8 And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.
In both cases, Jesus approaches weak, fearful disciples and picks them up, like Peter out of the sea.
Heb 2:18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
1. All authority
1a. It has been prophesied.
Isa 9:6-7 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
He will not exercise the complete fulfillment of His authority until His second coming.
1Co 15:24 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.
Rev 19:15-16 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
Yet, His authority is very real since His resurrection until today. It is not fully exercised now, except in the hearts of His own who follow Him.
Eph 1:22-2:2 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air …
Heb 2:8 You have put all things in subjection under His feet.” For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.
Why is He waiting? He is calling out many sons just like He called you out.
Heb 2:10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.
1b. There is no other power next to Him.
Col 2:10 in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;
Col 2:15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
The Lord Jesus Christ: He is named as Lord and Christ 203 times after the gospels (from Act 2:36 onward).
Act 2:36 "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ — this Jesus whom you crucified."
1c. The devil offers power that cannot hold a candle to the blessings from God.
Mat 4:8-10 Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9 and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'"
Keep this in mind when you are offered blessing that is not from God.
2. All authority in heaven and on earth.
2a. Authority in heaven.
Salvation is from heaven:
Dan 7:13 And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming,
Joh 6:32 it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.
The power of heaven is in the gospel.
Jesus’ power is expressed in His ability to make people into His brethren who are willing to disciple all others. The power is the gospel.
Discipling the unbeliever:
Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
1Co 1:22-25 For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
The power in salvation is the beginning of wisdom. The cross of Christ is the wisdom of God.
And the teaching (discipling the believer):
1Co 2:3-5 I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, 4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.
Application of His supreme authority to our mission:
1. The One who sent you to that person, and those people, is the One who has all authority in heaven and earth.
2. And also, His supreme authority means that you do so with His backing.
3. It also means that we need not fear any spirit or power in the heavens.
Rom 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2b. Authority on earth.
The mockers at the cross lost power at His resurrection.
What the peoples of the world thought they had in power was taken at the resurrection.
Mat 27:39-44 And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross." 41 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, 42 "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. 43 "HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'" 44 The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words.
Illustration:
Perpetua (181-203), 22 years old and just had a child, was a noblewoman preparing for baptism in Carthage when she was arrested and imprisoned for her faith in Christ. Her father begged her to recant for the sake of her newborn son, but she responded, “I cannot be called anything other than what I am, a Christian.” She was baptized in prison and was comforted by dreams of heavenly reward, writing that “prison had suddenly become a palace for me.” On the day of her public execution, Perpetua was placed in the arena with a mad heifer. When the beast failed to kill her, a gladiator was sent to finish the job. The young soldier faltered, and Perpetua herself guided his blade to her throat. In a previous vision, Perpetua had considered the moment of her death: “I understood that I should fight not with beasts but with the Devil; but I knew that mine was the victory.”
Conclusion:
Christ approaches our weakness and doubt and tells us of His victory (not ours) and that He is sharing His all power with us.
The Supreme authority over all heaven and earth sends us on a mission.
Almighty Christ would not send us without backing us. Do not fear their intimidation.
1Pe 3:13-16 Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.
The power is in the gospel. Don’t get fancy. Just stick to the simple truth. |