Jesus has Authority over Death and Life - John 10-12

 John 10:17-18 (ESV Strong's)

17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

Jesus has Authority over Death & Life

These two verses should be required memorization and meditation for all Christians.  Imagine the power in these two verses.    Jesus was given authority by the Father to lay His life down (in death) and to take it up again (in resurrection).  There are more than these truths in this passage but here are some things to meditate upon:

1. The Father loves mankind so much, that He was willing to sacrifice His Son to rescue us from certain peril.   (John 3:16-17)

2. The Son was willfully obedient to the Father to accomplish the task that God sent Him to do (Philippians 2:8).

3. The Son has power over death. (Acts 2:24)

4. Because the Son has power over death, He has power to forgive sins.  (Matthew 9:1-8)

5. The Son’s obedience to the Father shows us an example of he power and model to obey our Father.   (John 14)

6.  Since the Son came from death to life, He gives us power over sin, since we too, in Him, have come from death to life (Romans 6:12-14). 

It is this last one that might be the most powerful for us.  My Jesus having power over death, we IN HIM, have been given power over sin in our lives.  That is resurrection power over sin.   As the passage in Romans teaches, we no longer have to be slaves to sin, since we are under grace, and therefore have this power the the Father gave the Son to have “authority” over death.  We have been brought “from death to life” and now have power in our lives.   Resurrection power because the Son has authority.  We need to claim it by walking in faithful obedience to Him.