OUR AUTHORITATIVE LORD IS ALL-POWERFUL

This power is given by God.  In our Lord’s high priestly prayer in John 17:2 He said, ‘AS you have given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.’  He showed His jurisdiction over the entire human family, such authority being given Him from His heavenly Father. The Saviour acknowledges the Father’s gift in bestowing on us the inestimable life of eternity.
This reveals why from every nation, men and women are won to the same Lord.
I sat in church flanked by a Filipino pastor, a Cambodian economist and her Vietnamese engineer friend.  A mighty endowment from the Father to His Son.

The Holy Spirit empowered our Lord. Our dear Saviour endured the terrorising attack from satan in the desert, and overcame him with the powerful word of God: ‘It is written’. Luke 4. The enemy slunk away cringing in defeat.   ’Jesus returned in the power ( Greek dunamis ) of the Spirit into Galilee; and there went out a fame of him through all the region roundabout.’ v14  He returned in the Spirit-given virtue of His total victory over the enemy.    We draw vital power from the same Holy Spirit, in our daily clashes with this subtle foe.

When the lord Jesus assembled His disciples as in Luke 9:1, ‘He gave them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases, and he sent them to preach the Kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.’ An amazing commission to His followers. The Son of God gave them power or ability, which they did not possess to accomplish this remarkable calling.  Out Lord authorised them to have jurisdiction over the fallen devils, cure long-standing diseases, preach His kingly reign and heal sick ones. Our Lord endows us with such power and authority in our serving the living God.  

I practised medicine for a life time: ever looking to My Lord to use all  means available- but to heal far beyond the limited resources of medicine.  He did! Let us believe the plain statements of our commissioning Lord.

Our mighty Saviour had  power to surrender His life and revive it. In John 10:18, he stated, ‘My Father loves me, because I lay down My life that I might take it again.  He went on,’ No man takes 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, I have received this commandment from my Father.’

 Here, the ‘power’ ( Greek exousia ) speaks of the Lord Jesus‘ perfect right and might to surrender and yield His life on the cross, and to raise himself from the dead. His eternal life, His holy and sinless nature gave Him the right to yield Himself to the Father as our Substitute. His eternal Godhead resourced His might to raise Himself from the dead; and all who would follow Him. We are deeply privileged to know and love such a Saviour as Christ our Lord.

He showed His power in the marvellous creation, which we enjoy.  (John 1;3,10) ‘All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.’  He created ‘ex nihilo’, that is, from nothing.  There are no exceptions to His creative handiwork, which eliminates every thought of evolving from the goo-to-you process. The present debate of ’intelligent design’, as in the recent global articles, emphasises the all-wise Creator demonstrating His kingship in the human, animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms. My anatomy and physiology textbooks illustrate design, function, reason, architecture, and engineering. Before my powerful Lord, I bow.    

Our Lord maintains all things by His mighty Word.  In Hebrews 1;3, ‘Christ is appointed heir of all things, by whom He made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of His Person, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high.’ He is no mere maintenance figure, rather presiding over His whole universe. He redeems it with His blood, sustains it and preserves the harmonious running of the heavens and the earth. Hence, the word of his power.

Dr Werner  Moelders, a German space scientist,  loved the Lord Jesus, introduced to HIM by his cleaning lady:  the finest scientists of post-war Germany and Europe were under His surveillance, and knit together in an astounding space programme. As His unifying word was powerful, so he illustrated our beloved Lord.

Our Lord commanded the evil spirits to come out of a man; ‘His word was with authority and power.’ (Luke 4;36) Understandably, ’They were amazed’ at the miracle which the Lord performed.’ He ruled in the spiritual realm. He rules now.
 
Our Lord is authorised as the Chief Justice of the universe: ‘The Father has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of Man.’ (John 6:27).
His authority qualifies the Son of God to fairly judge all the universe.  No man can slink from the judgment bar of His presiding Lord. While this disturbs the reprobate, it comforts the believing saint. 

His power is certain for ‘He is able to save unto the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them.’  (Hebrews 7:25 )
His unlimited ability flows from His unbroken intercession for the believers. No sin-deformed life is beyond His healing. No depth of sin is beyond His recovery.  No addiction too gripping for His release.  Rejoice, ‘He is able to save to the uttermost.’

Our beloved Lord spoke of His second coming in Matthew 24:30, ’Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then shall 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.’  Our Lord chose the title, the Son of man, reminding us he was perfect man, as well as eternal God.  He will appear in the clouds of our universe, displaying His unrestricted strength, infinite power, and radiant splendour.  
We long for His call from the clouds as he gathers His beloved church to Himself.