The Greatness of His Power
Text: Eph. 1:17-23
Eph 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph 1:21 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:
Eph 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Introduction
- When the Lord created the earth, He did not demonstrate the greatness of His power
- When the Lord created the universe, the sun, the moon, and the stars, He did not demonstrate the greatness of His power
- When the Lord created other planets, some so big, they make the earth look like a pin and the sun look like a tennis ball, He did not demonstrate the greatness of His power
- When He parted the red sea that the children of Israel may go over, He did not demonstrate the greatness of His power
- When He wiped out the earth with the floods, He did not demonstrate the greatness of His power
- When He casted out Lucifer from heaven, He did not demonstrate the greatness of His power
- However, when He raised Jesus from the dead, God demonstrated the greatness of His power. And set Him at His own right hand in heavenly places.
- Why did He demonstrate the greatness of His power by raising Jesus from the dead?
-
Main Topic
- The account of the resurrection is recorded in Matt. 28:1-6
-
- Mat 28:1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. Mat 28:2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. Mat 28:3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: Mat 28:4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. Mat 28:5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. Mat 28:6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
- There was a great earthquake
- The angel of the Lord descended from heaven
- The angel of the Lord came and rolled back the stone from the door
- The angel of the Lord did not roll back the stone for Jesus
- Jesus was already out
- Mat 27:66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
- The enemy sealed the stone and set a watch on it. Thinking that will prevent His disciples from stealing His body and falsely claim that He resurrected.
- Every attempt of the enemy to limit your destiny will meet with the resurrection power of our Lord and Savior in Jesus name.
- Every stone the enemy has strategically placed to keep you down shall be uprooted in the name of Jesus.
- The one thing that sets Christianity apart from other religion, is what we are celebrating this weekend – The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ
- There is no other god that died and resurrected. They die, they are buried, and they remain buried.
- Jesus died and on the third day, He rose from the dead
How is His death different from that of Lazarus? Tabitha? or the other folks that came back to life? Afterall, Lazarus was dead for 4 days.
Let’s review what happened between His death and His resurrection.
- First, Jesus was the one that raised them from the dead and brought them back to life. They did not raise themselves from the dead.
- No one has power over death except Jesus Christ.
- Rev 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
-
- Whoever has the key, has the power.
- Adam had the key, but he gave it to Satan
- When Jesus died, He went to the depth of hell and snatch the key from Satan.
- That’s why He can say that I have come to give you life. As the key to life and death are in His hands.
- Deu 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
- The second thing He did was to restore man to God
-
- Gen 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
- The relationship between God and man was broken when sin entered the picture
- The presence of God no longer dwell with men
- His presence only dwelt with Prophets, Kings, and Priests from Genesis to the four gospels
- His presence also dwell in the place that is called the Holy of Holies in the temple.
- After Jesus died, the veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy place was rent into two
- Mat 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
- This signifies that the presence of the Lord was not only in the Holy of Holies. The presence of the Lord is now available through Jesus Christ to ordinary men and women like us
- That is the reason our bodies are now called the temple of the Holy Ghost
- The third thing He did was to restore power unto man
-
- Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
- God gave man dominion (power) over the earth
- When man sinned, that dominion over the earth was transferred to the devil
- After Jesus resurrected, He said:
-
- Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
- The power that Adam lost over all the earth
- The power that Satan attained over all the earth
- That power is now with Jesus
- That same power has been available to us in the person of the Holy Spirit.
- Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Conclusion
- As a result of the resurrection:
- Jesus has the keys of death and of hell
- Jesus restored man to God
- Jesus restored the power that man lost unto man
- The greatest demonstration of the power of God is the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
- The reason He performed that miracle was because of the love that He has for you.
- If a man went out his way to do everything in his limited ability to provide you a gift, would you accept it?
- Now, God went out His way, in His unlimited ability, to provide you the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.