He said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
Matthew 28:18

Before Jesus ascends into heaven, he gathers the eleven remaining loyal apostles. He tells them that all authority has been given to him. This statement from Jesus is packed with meaning. And to fully understand it, we must go all the way back to the beginning of the Bible. When God created the earth, he gave authority over it to the first human beings. Genesis tells us that our first parents surrendered that authority by eating the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

The purpose of Jesus’ coming into the world was to win back the authority that our first parents surrendered. Whereas they had chosen their will over God’s will, Jesus surrendered his will to his Father’s will — even when that meant death on a cross. Through his death, Jesus wins back authority. He wins back the authority so that we can work with him to renew and restore fallen creation so that it reflects the community and connection of the Trinity.

Acknowledge today that all good things come from Jesus’ power and authority.

Tell Jesus today that you accept his authority and power to bring community and connection to your neighborhood.