That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
Ephesians 1:19b-21
When we lived in Scottsdale, Arizona, it got so terribly hot. It got so hot that they closed the airport. Imagine that. Yes, it was a dry heat. But so is sticking your head in an oven.
But there was always a reminder of cooler weather. Four Peaks, located about 40 miles east, were always there. Each peak was over 7,500 feet, providing us with a view of snow-covered peak much of the year. We could be roasting, but then we could look to the east at Four Peaks and take comfort that cooler weather and better days were ahead.
One peak would have been enough. Two would have been fabulous. But four, and all together, were just magnificent. And they weren’t scattered across the desert. No, they were right together, and that made it all the more powerful.
Like the Four Peaks, Peter describes four kinds of God’s power to comfort and encourage his friends.
That Power – Operating power, working power, power in action.
Mighty – Shown or exhibited strength with results can be clearly seen.
Strength – Force that is able to overcome any immediate resistance.
Power – God’s natural power that overcomes and performs.
When God wants to do something, he does it. Period. He never starts something and then realize that he needs something more. Something else. He never says, “Well, that didn’t work. I better go get something different, some more power and try again.”:
God is so much greater and more powerful than me. Whenever I start a project around the house, it always takes multiple trips to Lowes, Walmart, and Home Depot. No matter how well I plan, no matter how carefully I work, I always wind up taking two, three, four, or more trips to the store. I always forget something. Or the unexpected comes up and I have to get something else. For one project, I made four trips to Lowes and Home Depot – all in one day.
But praise God, he’s not like that. When God raised Jesus from the dead and put him on the throne of heaven, he didn’t forget anything. He didn’t need multiple attempts and trips to get him raised and up to heaven. There were no missteps. There were no failed attempts. There were no partial victories. There was no start and stop.
God didn’t need to. He never needs to. He showed all four kinds of power in and through Jesus. He always has more than an abundance of power; he has a superabundance of power.
And why did God seem to pull out all the stops when it comes to the resurrection of Jesus? Because the resurrection of Jesus is the single most important event in the history of the world.
Yes, the creation was great. Yes, the heavens show God’s glory. But nothing, nothing even comes close to the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. It’s one of the things that sets Christianity apart from all other religions, beliefs, faiths. The resurrection of Jesus makes him so different from any other religious leader, prophet, guru, spiritual leader.
His clear claims to be God were confirmed by his predictions about his death and resurrection. It happened just like he said they would. The resurrection puts Jesus on the highest pedestal possible.
There are things in this life that will discourage us. Times when we’ll come to the end of the line. The end of the rope. There will come a day when you’re just so tired and discouraged that you’ve lost all hope. You’ll feel so beaten up by the circumstances and people of life. Your anger and frustration will boil over into uncontrollable rage. If that’s you, doesn’t Jesus deserve another look?
Or maybe you’ve turned away from God. Or any faith for that matter. You’ve turned to self-medicating with food, drugs, booze, computer games, porn. If this is you, doesn’t Jesus deserve another look?
I’m here to tell you that Jesus does deserve another look. He’s the most amazing, unique person who ever walked the face of the earth. And he says that he loves you with an unending love. He knows the kind of hurt and pain you’re going through. And as God, he died to make you and your life right again.
Yes, there’s power and then there’s power. But more importantly, there’s Jesus and then there’s everyone else. How could you not at least give him another look?
Noodling Questions
How does God show himself to you when your life is going downhill?
Describe a time when you made multiple trips to the store for something.
What stops people from giving Jesus another look?