HAVE YOU RECEIVED A COMMANDMENT FROM GOD?
John 10:17-18
Morning Meditation 7/6/2015
Verses 17-18 say, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 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.”
The words “Therefore doth my Father love me” mean that Jesus knew he was loved by his Father even though he was separated from him in a way through the incarnation that he had never been before. The words “doth love” (agapao) translate the highest form of love known in the Bible. It is a present active indicative verb. The present tense represents a continuing action in the present. I believe Jesus is saying “My Father continues to love me now as he did before the incarnation. There has nothing happened in my life since I have become a man that has even slightly disappointed the Father’s love of me.” God is love. But the love of God can be disappointed when it is directed toward sinful man. Man will take advantage of that love to do wicked things. He will take advantage of that love to justify a life style that is anything but appropriate for the Christian.
There are bumper stickers and other advertised sayings that have a certain amount of truth in them but they are blasphemous at the point that they are indicating that God is winking at sin in the life. For instance, a man of God stands in the pulpit and preaches against adultery. There is a couple who sits in the congregation who have the same address but they are not husband and wife. This is happening constantly today. Now these people have adopted a life style that is forbidden in the Word of God. They leave the service not a little upset and remark, “That preacher needs to realize God loves me and accepts me just like I am.” It is true that God loves them. It is a lie directly out of hell that God accepts that person’s life style. Don’t make the blasphemous mistake of accusing God of condoning sin. God calls for repentance. But the person does not want to look at the second half of that truth. God loves me but He does not love my life style and demands an immediate change. This is what repentance is. It is a change of mind that ultimates in a change of direction.
Jesus says, “Therefore doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it up again.” The words “lay down” is a present active indicative verb. The present tense means that His life on the way to the cross was a part of a continuing “laying down” of His life. He laid it down before the foundation of the world. Peter said in 1 Pet. 1:20, “Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” The moment the Word (Logos) became a Man his life was laid down. The words “Because I lay down my life, that I might take it up again” declare what His mission was about. It is not just the laying down of the life but the taking it up again that is the purpose of His coming.
God loves willful obedience. God made us to act in obedience to Him. We were not made for independent action. Jesus is the one perfect man who never acted independently of the Father. John 5:19 says, “Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” You say, “I can’t do that..” This is the reason that we will enter heaven not only on the basis of the cross where Jesus made the substitutionary atonement but also on the basis of His perfect life. Jesus becomes, in salvation, all that God requires of me. 1 Cor. 1:30 says, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”
Then we have verse 18: “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.”
Jesus was not a Victim of a terrible mistake. He came to die. This was the purpose of His coming. This was a plan being worked out from before the foundation of the world. Jesus said, “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself.” It couldn’t get much plainer than that. He did not have to die. He did it willingly. You say, “What if Jesus had not died?” Then your destiny would be hell forever. There is no other way. You cannot be a Bible believer without arriving at this conclusion. You say, “I don’t believe in hell?” Then I ask you, “Do you believe in heaven? Do you believe that God became a Man to die for man’s sins?” If you do, I ask you, “Why do you believe this?” There has to be some reason for your belief that goes beyond your imagination. I’m going to guess that you believe in heaven and life beyond the grave because you learned this in the Bible. If this is true, I have another question. “Why would you accept the Bible on the subject of heaven and life beyond the grave and not accept the SAME BIBLE on the subject of hell? Do you believe the Bible is just inspired on the subjects that you take to your liking? On the grounds of logic like that, a homosexual could remain a homosexual, a thief could remain a thief, a robber could remain a robber, a wife beater could remain a wife beater and the prodigal could remain a prodigal. If you believe something, there has to be some authority for that belief. The Catholic Church believes in the infallibility of the Pope so that the word of God can be added to by him as a belief for millions of Catholics. An example of that is purgatory. They do not use the Bible as a basis for this belief simply that it is not taught in the Scriptures. There are a host of us who believe that authority does not extend beyond the Bible itself. In other words, the Bible is our authority and we take it literally and if you prove to us that the Bible says something, we must accept it. I am not talking about human interpretations of Scripture, I am talking about what the Bible says.
Jesus said, “I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” The word “power” is “exousia” which means “authority.” It is translated in our KJV “power 69, authority 29, right 2, liberty 1, jurisdiction 1, strength 1; for a total of 103 times.” Strong defines this word as “power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases.” Jesus is saying that he had authority concerning both his death and resurrection. No other man ever had that power. You may lay your life down but your resurrection is completely out of you hands.
Then the Lord gives the reason why He has this awesome power. Jesus says, “This commandment have I received of my Father.” The verb “have I received” is an aorist active indicative. It means that at a point of time in the past He received this commandment of the Father. This goes back before the foundation of the world. From the time Jesus stepped out of eternity into time there were no “oop’s” or “huh oh’s”. He had a commandment and acted obediently to that command. All the Christian’s actions should be acting in response to God’s command. There is where faith is exercised and miracles take place. You never miss the will of God when you act in response to a command..
Our Lord’s response to His Father’s command is how He obtained eternal salvation for us. Our response to His commands is how we show our love and gratitude for the gift of salvation.
May The Lord bless each of you.
In Christ
Bro. White
