Who is Jesus?
Jesus was a man who preached love, compassion, and forgiveness. He also performed miracles and spoke wisdom. He was crucified for his beliefs. After his death, he was resurrected and ascended into heaven.
The meaning of “greater is he that is within me”
These words of Jesus Christ, spoken to his disciples in John 14:28, have often been misunderstood. Some have interpreted them to mean that Jesus is saying he is greater than the Father. But this is not what Jesus meant at all. So what did he mean?
In this verse, Jesus was speaking about the Holy Spirit, who had not yet been given to believers (see John 7:39). He was saying that the Holy Spirit, who is God, would come to live within believers and would be even greater than Jesus himself!
This is an amazing truth! The Holy Spirit, who is equal with the Father and Son, chooses to live inside those who believe in Jesus. And he does it for our good (see Galatians 5:22-23).
What did Jesus accomplish?
In the Bible, Jesus said “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13). This statement is full of meaning. First, Jesus is saying that He is God. Second, He is saying that He is the First and the Last – meaning He existed before anyone else and He will exist after everyone else is gone. Third, He is saying that He is the Beginning and the End – meaning He is the author and sustainer of life. When we understand what Jesus accomplished, we can have hope in Him.
The crucifixion
The crucifixion of Jesus occurred in 1st-century Judea, most probably between AD 30 and 33. Jesus’ crucifixion is recorded in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, attested to by other ancient sources, and is established as a historical event confirmed by non-Christian sources, although there is no consensus among historians on the exact details.
The resurrection
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important event in human history. It is the pivotal point of God’s redemptive plan for mankind. The apostle Paul wrote, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17).
In his first epistle, the apostle Peter declared that we have been “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3). The resurrection is essential to the Christian faith. It is what sets Christianity apart from all other religions.
The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ proves that He is who He claimed to be—the Son of God. It validates His teachings and His atoning sacrifice on the cross. Because He rose from the dead, we know that His death was sufficient to pay the penalty for our sins. And because He conquered death, we know that we, too, can have eternal life through Him.
What does this mean for us?
We often get bogged down by the day to day mundane tasks and forget that we are so much more than what we do or who we are in this moment. This phrase is a reminder that NO MATTER WHAT is going on in our lives, we have the power to change it because the greater power lies within us.
We have the Holy Spirit within us
This means that we have the power of God within us. We can tap into this power to help us overcome challenges and achieve our goals. This power is available to us 24/7, and it is always ready to help us. All we need to do is ask.
We have the power to overcome sin
When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the Wilderness, He said to him, “It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Just as our physical bodies need food for strength and energy, so our spiritual lives need constant feeding on God’s Word if we are to have the power to overcome sin.
In His great mercy, God has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness (2 Peter 1:3). His Word is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). When we meditate on Scripture day and night, we will be like trees planted by streams of water that yield their fruit in its season (Psalm 1:3).
The psalmist says, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word” (Psalm 119:9). If we want to overcome sin in our lives, we need to saturate our minds with Scripture. We need to meditate on God’s Word day and night so that we will not sin against Him (Psalm 1:2; Joshua 1:8). When temptation comes, we need to be ready with the truth of God’s Word so that we can resist Satan’s lies (Matthew 4:4; Ephesians 6:17).
We have the power to overcome sin because greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). When we yield our lives to Christ and allow His Spirit to dwell in us richly (Colossians 3:16), then we have everything we need for life and godliness. We have His power at work within us so that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength (Philippians 4:13).