2. WHAT JESUS THINKS ABOUT HIS AUTHORITY

3. If Jesus is who He said He was, then He can do what He said he can do!

4. Matthew 7:28-29 “When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching;

5. for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.”

6. When you combine the Word of God with the Spirit of God there is always authority and amazement!

7. John 17:2 “You granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those you have given him.”

8. Matthew 28:18 “All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

9. Luke 4:36 “ All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and

10. power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!”

11. Luke 9:1-2 “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all

12. demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”

13. So today I come to you in the same authority-the authority of God’s Word and the authority of His Spirit.

14. Now we can stop right there and go away from here all pumped up and excited about Easter.

15. Or we can stay and talk about the great blessing of Easter we have not talked about yet.

16. Easter is about a LOT more than the fact that Jesus was resurrected.

17. Easter is about the fact that Jesus was resurrected and because of that we can know that Jesus is WHO he said He was

18. and He can DO what He promised He could do FOR YOU!

19. John 3:3-8 “Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.’

20. ‘What do you mean?’ exclaimed Nicodemus. ‘How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?’

21. Jesus replied, ‘I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can

22. reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I

23. say, you must be born again. The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes

24. how people are born of the Spirit.’” from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.’”

25. The Jews intensely longed for the Messiah to come and PHYSICALLY deliver them, but Jesus came to deliver them SPIRITUALLY.

26. Things haven’t really changed that much today, have they?

27. But our real problems today are spiritual.

28. That’s why we need Him to bring this living, spiritual power to bear in our lives.

29. Now that’s Easter!