The Power of Life
John 10:17-18
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. (John 10:17)
No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. (John 10:18)
He Who Controls Eternity — Controls All Life
  The steadfastness of Christ to do the Father’s will, and to complete the course that was laid out for Him from before the foundations of the earth, is far above the understanding or comprehension of mankind to know the Creator who has the power of all life. In our text the Son of God was telling the Jews and the world to come that He has the power over His own life, and the power over all life. The Jews understood this, they knew that He was claiming to be the author, and controller of all life and this was by the commandment of God the Father. Only God could lay down His life and take it again. The Jews understood this quite well, and went into a denial mode when the Lord Jesus said that no man could make a claim on His life. For He not only was manifest in the flesh, but was in complete control of eternity. Only God had this power, and when He proclaimed that He had the power to lay down His life and to take it again, the Jews cried out ‘blasphemy.’
Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. (John 10:31)
Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? (John 10:32)
The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. (John 10:33)
Christ — The Eternal God
  The Lord Jesus was revealing Himself once again as the eternal God. The Jews would not accept this, and they took up stones to stone Him. (verse 31) Notice in verse 31 the word again, it seems that whenever the question of the Lord’s deity and supernatural power were displayed (and these powers were irrefutable) that the Jews would take up stones in an attempt to stone Him; however, His hour had not yet come. Look at the reference of John, Chapter 8, verse 59. Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. We also have a reference by the Lord’s disciples concerning the actions of the Jews. His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? (John 11:8) The Jews not only were actively seeking His life, but took counsel one with another how they would destroy Him and take His life from Him. (Psalm 2:2,3) In John, Chapter 8, the Lord Jesus declared that He was from above, and that He was not of this world. And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. (John 8:23) He also spoke of Himself in a unique way over and over in the 8th Chapter of John by using the Jewish term for the Almighty in the ‘I AM.’ They understood quite clearly that He was referring back to the writings of Moses when Moses stood at the burning bush. (Exodus 3) The Jews knew that He was declaring Himself not only as the God of Abraham, but the God of Moses as well. In verse 12 of Chapter 8 of the Gospel of John, the Lord Jesus declared Himself to be the Light of the world. And in the Light He was the author of all Life. In Genesis the first act or voice heard in the creation and in this world of darkness was And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.(Genesis 1:3) In the Gospel of John, Chapter 8 it was completely understood that only God could make this statement. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)
Light and Life — Life and Light
  We have to also compare John 1:4, In him was life; and the life was the light of men. In John 1:4, the Holy Spirit is declaring that Christ is Life and Light. In John 1:4, after reading that the Word had created all things then the Spirit of God tells us that in the Lord Jesus is both life and light. In Genesis, light comes first before life. Why? because it is describing the creatorial power of the Son of God. In the Gospel of John, it is what is in Him as the Creator (John 1:4) that all life is within the Son of God, and in that life comes forth light. The reason we take this time here is because of the continual denial of the Son of God. He not only was the power of life, but continues to be that power because this is His Being. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. Now in having the power of life, for He is Life, we go back to John 10:17 and 18. He declared to the Jews not to His disciples, His audience is very important at this point; He declared that within Himself is the power of life. Remember, this was not the first confrontation that He had with the Jews. He looked at them with those glorious divine eyes full of both glory and fire, and stressed to them that He had the power to lay down His life, and to take it again, and it was impossible for man to take His life from Him. He directed this concerning their own murderous heart, for He was well aware of what was in the heart of man.
But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, (John 2:24)
And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.(John 2:25)
And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? (Matthew 9:4)
God the Son Laid Claim on Sin
  The Jews understood completely His declaration of Being God, and the only way that He could die was to surrender His life into death. We are well aware that Adam brought sin into the world, and sin brought forth death. Adam’s death was not voluntary. He died because of sin, and had no claim on His own life. With the Lord Jesus, however, (who was life) He had to lay claim on sin for there was no sin in Him, and go into death to abolish sin, and so He did on the cross of Calvary. He laid down His life, and took upon Himself the sin of the world; thereby, submitting to the death of Adam, and doing away with both sin and death in Himself. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2) Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; (Hebrews 2:14) Then, with the power of life, He came forth as the ‘new man,’ (Ephesians 2:15) the glorified man in the fullness of life not only in Himself, but for all those who believed in Him, and who have been born by the Spirit of God. He claimed to be the great I AM over and over in Chapter 8 of the Gospel of John. As the God of Abraham He continues the thought in John, Chapter 10 as having rule over all life. In John, Chapter 10, it is though the minds of the Jewish leaders were going to explode in anger. This One had stated to them in John Chapter 8 that He was before Abraham, and He had declared to be both Life and Light, as declared by the Spirit of God in Chapter 1 of John. And the light shineth in darkness, this was the darkness of the heart of man, and the Jews could not comprehend this light. It was a supernatural spiritual light that Christ brought into the world with Him to claim the soul of man (both Jew and Gentile) out of the moral darkness of sin. This moral darkness of sin had continually brought forth death from the days of Adam. It was a cloud hanging over all humanity, but God was going to work in this cloud, as the Son of God, to redeem man unto Himself. Much like the cloud that separated the Israelites when they came out of Egypt. This cloud stood between the Israelites and the Egyptian army. And now, as the great I AM stood before the Jews they were in a dark cloud of sin and could not see that Christ was the redeeming power of God, and had brought both life and light to them. Their wicked hearts could only conceive murderous thoughts. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.(John 8:40) The Jews became obsessed with the thought of murdering the Son of God. Their sin was driving them to a murderous insanity which they would fulfill standing before Pilate when they cried out, Crucify him.
But they cried, saying, Crucify [him], crucify him. (Luke 23:21)
When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify [him], crucify [him]. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify [him]: for I find no fault in him. (John 19:6)　
But they cried out, Away with [him], away with [him], crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. (John 19:15)
  In verse 40 of Chapter 8 of the Gospel of John, the Son of God uncovers their wicked hearts. He defines them, that they have not the truth, nor do they possess the truth. There was no truth in them. These Jews, the leaders, were proud of having the keys to heaven; yet, in their delusion, and through their traditions, they had created a false path to heaven. They were more concerned with the breaking of the law of Moses then the remedy or solution for the inherent sin in their hearts. (Mark 7:9) They held both Abraham, and Moses at a higher elevation than the Son of God. They could not give up their traditions for life, and the power of life. This life and power was right before them in the Person of the Son of God. In John, Chapter 8, verses 34 thru 47, Christ is claiming that the Jews are not of God, but of their father, the devil.
Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. (John 8:34)
And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever (John 8:35).
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (John 8:36)
I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. (John 8:37)
I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. (John 8:38)
They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. (John 8:39)
But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. (John 8:40)
Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. (John 8:41)
Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. (John 8:42)
Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. (John 8:43)
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44)
And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. (John 8:45)
Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? (John 8:46)
He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. (John 8:47)
The First Peace Offering and The Last Peace Offering Compared
  The Son of God was uncovering the heart of the religious man. Cain was the first religious man, for he had decided that he would offer to God on his own terms. And, of course, he became the first religious murderer when he murdered his brother Abel. Now in the days of Christ, we have the same religious heart; in fact, we still have that religious heart in our age today. The Jews would not give up their beliefs and traditions for the Son of God. They held their ground of unbelief, and were of their father, the devil; and they could not hear the words of God. In our age, we have the written word of God as a testimony of both light and life in Jesus Christ. For He, and He alone, has the power of life. (John 10:18) When God calls a soul out of darkness, out of the womb, you enter into this world as a child of Adam. And you are Adam’s son, and the first born son of Adam was Cain, and he was a murderer. It was sin that drove Cain to envy his brother, Abel. The very first person to die on planet Earth died not from a ‘natural’ cause; yet, it was the cause of sin which is now ‘natural’ among mankind. And when sin was finished it brought forth death; he killed his brother Abel. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. (James 1:15) The first sin that is recorded in the Scripture after Adam was driven from the garden was the disobedience of Cain. Cain refused to follow the word of God, for God had declared to both Cain and Abel that they should bring an animal sacrifice (the firstling of their flock) to appease the wrath of God against sin. It was to be a peace offering which in our day is fulfilled in the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary, so making peace by the death of Himself upon the cross of Calvary. Cain’s father, Adam, also understood this peace offering. For God had covered Adam and Eve with animal skins while they were in the garden. This was the first peace offering and it was given by God. The last peace offering was given by God, on the cross of Calvary, when God offered up His only Son for the sin of the world, so making peace by His death upon the cross.
Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [even] the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, [so] making peace; (Ephesians 2:15)
  One point that we need to emphasis that Abel died, or was murdered because of his obedience to God. Cain had turned his heart against God first, then, in a deliberate assault against his brother, he slew Abel out of a wicked and willful heart. Abel was in the field, offering up his sacrifice to God, I reflect here on the words of the Jews at the cross of Christ, He saved others, himself he cannot save. He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. (Matthew 27:42) The Jews acknowledged the saving power of Christ, they knew all the supernatural miracles that the Lord had performed. The monumental one was the raising of Lazarus from the dead in Chapter 11 of the Gospel of John. The proof that He had the power of life that He declared as recorded in John, Chapter 10. Although the Jews were mocking while He was on the cross, they stated the contradiction of their own hearts; for their hearts were crying for His death; yet, ignorantly they were admitting that in Him was life in the words, He saved others. The Lord Jesus proclaimed that He had the power to lay His life down and no man could take it from Him. In the power of life in the natural man, Adam, it is God who gives the first breathe, and the life that was nourished by God in the womb breathes this breathe of life and comes into a world of darkness. Every child of Adam has the sentence of death upon him because of Adam’s transgression. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. (Romans 5:12) In this life and it’s shortness, we must find one who has a greater power of life. It must be the power of a supernatural life, which is not born of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. There is a man in heaven’s glory today who has both laid down His life and taken it again, and made peace with God for every child of God. The Lord Jesus alone has this power, all life springs from Him, whether in the natural or the supernatural realm. All life is in the power of the Son of God, both now and forever. Paul declared that he had a life that was above the world, and that he lived by the faith of the Son of God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.(Galatians 2:20) Paul lived by a supernatural life that was bonded to the man in heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It was Christ’s power, and the power of His life, and this power that Paul possessed was all of Christ, and not of man.
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12)
Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:13)
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. (Romans 5:18)
  We, the children of God, are brought into the cross and the death of the cross by our Savior, Jesus Christ. This is where our transgressions are judged, and they are judged on another, not on us. We leave the cross — free — in Christ, and we, at the cross receive the peace of God. The Book of Romans, however, tells us that it is the man coming out of the tomb in resurrection glory that justifies our new life. Our transgressions were forgiven at the cross, but we are justified in the newness of life by the new man in heaven, Jesus Christ. He gives us both life and justification by His resurrection from the dead. The Son of God declared . . . .
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. (John 10:17)
No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. (John 10:18)
Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift that in Christ we have everlasting life, for He is the power of our life. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4)
Amen.
© Copyright 2017, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)