Matthew 28:18
“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
After His resurrection, Jesus meets the eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee that He had appointed. This declaration introduces the Great Commission that immediately follows.
What Does Matthew 28:18 Mean?
Here the risen Jesus declares that all authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Him -- the sweeping claim on which He then bases the command to make disciples. He speaks these words on a mountain in Galilee to His gathered followers after the resurrection.
The scope of the claim is total: "all power... in heaven and in earth." Nothing lies outside it. The word translated "power" means authority -- rightful, delegated dominion -- and Jesus says it has been "given" to Him, pointing to the Father who bestowed it. This is the exalted Lord speaking, the one who suffered and died now raised and invested with universal rule over every realm, seen and unseen. The placement of this declaration is deliberate. It comes immediately before the commission to go and make disciples of all nations, supplying the foundation for that mission. Because Jesus holds all authority, His followers can go to any nation with confidence, knowing they act under the rule of the one to whom heaven and earth belong. The verse both magnifies Christ and steadies His people: the mission is not undertaken in human strength but under the authority of the risen Lord who reigns over all.
In the Original Language
The Greek "exousia" means authority or rightful power, the legitimate right to rule. It is described as "edothē" (was given), a passive pointing to the Father, and its reach is "en ouranō kai epi gēs," in heaven and on earth.
Cross References
“And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him.”
- Daniel 7:14
“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.”
- Philippians 2:9
“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.”
- Ephesians 1:21
Application
Live and serve under the authority of the risen Christ, drawing confidence for obedience and mission from the truth that all power in heaven and earth belongs to Him.