All Power Is Given Unto Me
The Authority of the Risen Christ — Matthew 28:18
"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."
— Matthew 28:18
Before the Command, a Declaration
Most readers know the verses that follow this one — the command to go, to teach all nations, to baptize. But before the Lord Jesus gives a single command, He makes a declaration. He tells His disciples who He now is and what He now holds.
Everything they are about to be sent to do rests entirely on the fact He states in verse 18. This is the hinge of the Great Commission — and if we walk past it too quickly to get to the marching orders, we send ourselves out on our own authority instead of His.
The disciples are not dispatched in their own name, on their own strength, or on their own authority. They are sent by a King who has just announced that all power in both heaven and earth belongs to Him. Understand verse 18, and the rest of the passage opens up.
Part One: The Key Word — "Power"
The English word power in the King James translates the Greek word exousia (ἐξουσία). It means authority, right, jurisdiction — the rightful prerogative to rule. It is the word you would use for a king's throne, a judge's bench, or a governor's commission.
This is a different word from dunamis (δύναμις), which means raw force, strength, or ability. Dunamis is the word behind our English "dynamite," and it is the word the Lord uses when He promises the Spirit:
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you..."
— Acts 1:8
The distinction matters. In Matthew 28:18 the Lord is not merely saying He is strong enough. He is declaring that He holds the rightful title to rule everything. It is a throne word, not a muscle word. He does not say all strength has been given to Me — He says all authority, all jurisdiction, has been given to Me.
Part Two: "Is Given Unto Me" — A Coronation, Not a Beginning
Notice the verb: this authority was given. It was conferred upon Him by the Father. And here we must be careful and clear.
As the eternal Son of God, Jesus never lacked authority. He shares the divine nature fully and completely, and has done so from eternity past. So what is given here is not something He was missing as God. What is in view is His authority as the Son of man — the incarnate, crucified, and now risen Mediator. Because He humbled Himself, took on flesh, and went to the cross, God has now exalted Him and placed all things under His feet in that mediatorial role.
This is the direct fulfillment of a prophecy given centuries earlier. Daniel saw one like the Son of man brought before the Ancient of days:
"And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."
— Daniel 7:14
The New Testament describes this same exaltation, and the language is unmistakable — given, exalted, put under His feet:
"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;"
— Philippians 2:9-10
"...and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,"
— Ephesians 1:22
Matthew 28:18 is the risen King formally taking up the dominion granted to Him. The resurrection is not merely a happy ending to the story — it is His coronation.
Part Three: "In Heaven and in Earth" — Total Scope
The reach of His authority is total. Not one sphere is left out — not the heavenly realm, not the earthly realm, not the visible or the invisible. His jurisdiction covers everything that exists in both.
And this is no incidental phrase. It is the very reason the command that follows can extend to all nations. His authority is as wide as the mission field. The disciples can be sent to every people on earth precisely because every people on earth is already under His rightful rule. The scope of the King decides the scope of the errand.
Now watch how the same total authority lands on three very different audiences — because it is the same authority, and it simply lands differently depending on one's relationship to the King.
Part Four: What It Means to Believers
For those who belong to Him, this verse is pure assurance.
The same One who commands us to go also holds all authority in both realms. This means the mission cannot ultimately fail, and the believer never goes out under his own credentials — he goes under the credentials of the King.
This truth grounds our eternal security. If all authority in heaven and earth belongs to Christ, then nothing in either realm has the authority to take His sheep out of His hand:
"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."
— John 10:28
It is also what gives weight to His final promise, three verses later:
"...and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."
— Matthew 28:20
That is not the presence of a distant well-wisher. It is the abiding presence of an all-authoritative Lord who rules everything the believer will ever face. For the believer, verse 18 means we serve a King whose jurisdiction covers every circumstance of our lives.
Part Five: What It Means to Non-Believers
The same authority that comforts the believer confronts the unbeliever.
The Father has committed judgment itself into the hands of the risen Son:
"And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man."
— John 5:27
That is the very same word — exousia, authority — now attached to judgment. The risen Christ is not one option among many; He is the rightful Lord whether He is acknowledged or not. Unbelief does not shrink His jurisdiction by so much as an inch.
And every knee will one day prove it:
"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;"
— Philippians 2:10
That is not a request or an invitation — it is a certainty. Every person will one day acknowledge His authority, whether willingly in this life or unwillingly at the judgment.
Yet the same verse that guarantees judgment also drives the offer of grace. The Commission goes out to all nations precisely because His authority already extends over all nations. So for the unbeliever, verse 18 carries two truths at once: it is a summons to accountability before the rightful King, and — right now, today — it is an open door. The King is still sending out the call. Judgment is certain, but mercy is still being offered.
Part Six: What It Means to Angels
Christ's authority is stated, explicitly and repeatedly, to be over the angelic order — both the holy angels and the fallen ones.
"Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him."
— 1 Peter 3:22
"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:"
— Colossians 1:16
For the holy angels — glad subjection and service
The unfallen angels serve under His command, and part of that service is toward us:
"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?"
— Hebrews 1:14
For the fallen angels — sealed doom
The rebel spirits do not operate as a rival kingdom outside His reach. During His earthly ministry, demons were cast out at His command and in His name. And their end is already fixed, in His own words:
"Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:"
— Matthew 25:41
Not a single spirit — in heaven or in hell — operates outside His rightful rule. When Christ says all power in heaven, He means the angelic heaven too.
Part Seven: One Authority, Three Responses
The thread that ties all three groups together is this: it is the same authority. It simply lands differently depending on one's relationship to the King.
• To the believer, it is refuge — the settled comfort of serving an all-powerful Lord who cannot be overruled.
• To the unbeliever, it is warning still mingled with mercy — a summons to accountability, and a door of grace not yet closed.
• To the angels, it is the settled order of heaven — glad service for the holy, sealed doom for the fallen.
This is why the Lord Jesus states it first, before He gives a single command. Once all power has been granted to Him in heaven and in earth, there is only one fitting response for anyone in either realm — to bow before the King.
"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."
— Matthew 28:18
Summary
| Audience | What Christ's Authority Means | Key Verse |
|---|---|---|
| The believer | Refuge — the mission cannot fail; eternal security in His hand | John 10:28; Matt 28:20 |
| The unbeliever | Accountability to the Judge, and an open door of grace | John 5:27; Phil 2:10 |
| The holy angels | Glad subjection and service under their Lord | 1 Pet 3:22; Heb 1:14 |
| The fallen angels | Sealed doom — subject to Him, judged by Him | Col 1:16; Matt 25:41 |
• 1. "Power" here is exousia — rightful authority and jurisdiction, not dunamis (raw force). It is a throne word.
• 2. The authority was given to Christ as the risen Son of man — His mediatorial coronation, not the start of His deity.
• 3. It fulfills Daniel 7:13–14 and matches Philippians 2:9–11 and Ephesians 1:20–22.
• 4. Its scope is total — heaven and earth — which is exactly why the Commission reaches all nations.
• 5. The same authority is refuge to the believer, warning-with-mercy to the unbeliever, and settled order to the angels.
• 6. Because the King holds all power, the only fitting response for anyone in either realm is to bow.
Questions for Study
1. Read Matthew 28:18–20 as one unit. Why does Jesus state His authority before He gives the command? How does that change the way we understand "Go ye therefore"?
2. What is the difference between exousia (authority) and dunamis (power/force)? Why does it matter which one Jesus claims here?
3. Compare Daniel 7:13–14 with Matthew 28:18. What did the prophet see given to the Son of man, and how does the risen Christ now take it up?
4. If Christ has "all power in heaven," what does that mean for the believer's confidence in prayer and in trial (see Matthew 28:20)?
5. How can the very same authority be good news to one person and warning to another? What decides which it is?
6. Read 1 Peter 3:22 and Colossians 1:16. What do they teach about Christ's rule over angels — and what comfort is there in that for a Christian who feels spiritually opposed?
Key Verses
Matthew 28:18–20 · Acts 1:8 · Daniel 7:13–14 · Philippians 2:9–11 · Ephesians 1:20–22 · John 5:27 · John 10:28 · 1 Peter 3:22 · Colossians 1:16 · Hebrews 1:14 · Matthew 25:41