"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (Matthew 28:18).

What a claim! One hard to argue against, though, given that the he who spoke it had been crucified, dead and buried just three days prior. It means everything that Jesus, despised by every category of human life, could not be overcome by death; could not be extinguished by any other known opinion or authority. The crucial issue for us and the world is: what does God think of this Man? Clearly, he lives at the pinnacle of God's esteem. We do well when we agree with God by giving our allegiance to Jesus.