In John 10:17-18 it is written that Jesus had the authority to lay down His life and to take it again. Jesus had received this commandment from His Father with the corresponding authority to execute the commandment of His Father. But it was up to Jesus to obey the commandment of His Father or disobey the commandment of His Father. Because Jesus had a choice to keep His life on earth or to lay down His life. But Jesus loved His Father and because of that, Jesus didn’t do His will but the will of the Father, just like Jesus prayed during the crucifixion of His soul in the garden of Gethsemane. Through His fervent prayer, Jesus overcame this heavy battle and Jesus went the way of obedience to God and obeyed the commandment of the Father and laid down His life and took it again. The same commandment that God the Father had given to Jesus Christ, Jesus has given to everyone, who believes in Him and wants to follow Him. And the same authority that God the Father had given to Jesus, Jesus has given to everyone, who receives Him. Everyone has been given this commandment and has received the authority (power) to become a son of God (this applies to both males and females), by laying down his own life and taking on his new life through regeneration in Christ and the process of sanctification, whereby the old man is put off and the new man is put on.
The commandment and authority Jesus had received from God the Father
On this account My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life in order that again I might take it. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down Myself. Authority I have to lay it down, and authority I have again to take it. This commandment I received from My Father (John 10:17-18)
Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself; And hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man (John 5:24-27)
When God gives a commandment, God always grants His authority and power to the commandment through obedience to His words and commandment.
Jesus had not only received the commandment of His Father, but also the associated authority to lay down His life and take His life again.
No one took the life from Jesus, but Jesus freely laid it down Himself and took it again.
The word ‘power’ is translated from the Greek word ‘exousia’ (G1832) and means (in the sense of ability); privilege, that is, (subjectively) force, capacity, competency, freedom, or (objectively) mastery (concretely magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of control), delegated influence (KJV usage: authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength)*.
Jesus walked in obedience in the will and authority of His Father (the Name of God) and in His power on earth and thereby brought the Kingdom of God to the house of Israel.
Jesus was fully obedient to the words of God and did what God had commanded Him to speak and do (a.o. Matthew 11:27, John 5:30; 8:38; 10:32)
When we look at Jesus’ life, we see that the authority and power of God and His Kingdom were greater than the authority and power of the devil and darkness.
The Father loved the Son because of His obedience to the commandment of His Father
Although the devil thought he gained the victory over Jesus on the cross, when God laid all the sins of the world upon Him and made Him sin and darkness reigned (for a short period of time) on earth, it was Jesus Christ, Who was victorious through His obedience to God the Father and rose as a Victor from the dead (a.o. Mark 15:33, Luke 22:53; 23:44).
Because through His obedience to the commandment of His Father, to lay down His life, and to take His life again, the power of God was manifested in Jesus through the resurrection from the dead.
Jesus rose from the dead and is alive and is now seated on the throne at the right hand of the Father and is put above all principality, power, authority, and dominion (a.o. Ephesians 1:21, Colossians 1:13; 2:10, 15, 1 Peter 3:22, Jude 1:25).
The Father had given Jesus the commandment and the authority to lay down His own life and to take it again. Because of His obedience to the commandment, the Father loved the Son.
Jesus showed His love for His Father through His obedience and knew that God the Father loved Him because of His obedience to Him.
The commandment that Jesus has given to His disciples
He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for My sake shall find it (Matthew 10:37-39, also Mark 8:34-35, Luke 9:23-24)
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it (Matthew 16:24-25, Luke 14:27)
Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it (Luke 17:33)
Jesus had given (and still gives) His disciples the commandment to deny themselves and to take up their cross and follow Him. He had given the commandment to lay down their old life and take on their new life and walk in it (Read also: ‘How to put off the old man?‘ and ‘How to put on the new man?‘)
The power that Jesus has given to become the sons of God
He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power (authority G1832) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:10-14)
Jesus not only gave them this commandment, but also the authority (power) to execute this commandment. But everyone has a choice, to either obey the words and commandment of Jesus or reject the words and commandment of Jesus.
The same power (authority (G1832)) that the Father had given to His Son Jesus Christ, has been given by God through Jesus Christ to His disciples.
To everyone, who believes in Jesus Christ and receives Him and becomes born again in Him and belongs to God, He has given the power (authority) to become the sons of God.
So many excuses are used by Christians to not have to change so that they can stay the old carnal man. But no one has an excuse to stay the old man and to take on a victim’s role and keep living as a slave of sin (Read also: ‘Whose slave are you?).
Because Jesus Christ has delivered everyone, who believes in Him, from the power of sin and death.
Jesus has redeemed everyone, who through faith and regeneration in Him has become a new creation, from the power of darkness and transferred them into His Kingdom ((o.a. Romans 6; 8:2-10, 1 Corinthians 15:34, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Ephesians 4, Colossians 1:13, 1 Peter 1:16, 1 John 3).
No one has to remain a slave and a victim of sin and death and keep obeying and serving sin through the works of the flesh.
The authority to put off the old man and put on the new man
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:17-24)
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created Him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all (Colossians 3:1-11)
Jesus has given to everyone, who believes in Him and is willing to deny themselves and follow Him, the power (authority) to lay down the old man and his works and put on the new man and his works and reign over unclean spirits of darkness (a.o. Mark 1:27; 3:15; 6:7; 13:34, Luke 10:19).
If you are born again in Christ, you have received the power (authority) to resist sin and to put off the old man and put on the new man.
However, it’s all about whether you want to lay down the old man and his works or not. Since you are the one, who puts off the old man and put on the new man. Just like Jesus, Who laid down His own life and took it again.
Jesus has given the commandment and authority to you, but you decide whether you obey His commandment or reject His commandment.
Are you willing to lay down the will and works of the flesh and follow and obey the Word and because of that put on the new man? Are you willing to do what Jesus has commanded you to do? To whom do you belong? Who do you serve? In whose service are you and in whose service do you want to remain? Who reigns in your life as king? Jesus Christ or sin?
All power has been given to Jesus and you have received all power in Him
What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romeinen 6:15-23)
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matthew 28:18-20)
If you stand in the service of God and belong to Jesus Christ and serve Him, you shall obey Him and therefore obey His words and commandments and walk in the authority He has given you
Through your obedience to Him and His words and commandments, you shall walk in the authority of Jesus Christ on earth and put off the old man and put on the new man.
As the new creation, as son of God, you shall fulfill the great commandment in the Name of Jesus (His authority) and the power of the Holy Spirit.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
