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 (krag) om 'n seun van God te word (dit geld vir beide mans en wyfies), 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)
Voorwaar, voorwaar, Ek sê vir julle, he that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, het die ewige lewe, en sal nie in veroordeling kom nie; maar word oorgegaan uit die dood na die lewe. Voorwaar, voorwaar, Ek sê vir julle, 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 het Hy aan die Seun gegee om die lewe in Homself te hê; 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) en middele (in the sense of Vermoë); privilege, dit wil sê, (subjectively) force, capacity, competency, vryheid, of (objectively) mastery (concretely magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of Beheer), delegated Invloed (KJV usage: gesag, jurisdiction, liberty, krag, 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 (O. Matteus 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) op aarde, it was Jesus Christ, Who was victorious through His obedience to God the Father and rose as a Victor from the dead (O. Merk 15:33, Lukas 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, krag, gesag, en heerskappy (O. Efesiërs 1:21, Kolossense 1:13; 2:10, 15, 1 Petrus 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, en volg agter My aan, 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 (Matteus 10:37-39, also Mark 8:34-35, Lukas 9:23-24)
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, As iemand agter My aan wil kom, laat hy homself verloën, en neem sy kruis op, en volg My. Want elkeen wat sy lewe sal red, sal dit verloor: en elkeen wat sy lewe om My ontwil verloor, sal dit vind (Matteus 16:24-25, Lukas 14:27)
Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it (Lukas 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 (Lees ook: ‘Hoe om die ou man af te stel?‘ en ‘Hoe om die nuwe man aan te trek?')
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. Maar soveel as wat Hom aangeneem het, to them gave He power (authority G1832) to become the sons of God, selfs vir hulle wat in Sy Naam glo: Wat gebore is, nie van bloed nie, ook nie van die wil van die vlees nie, ook nie van die wil van die mens nie, maar van God (John 1:10-14)
Jesus not only gave them this commandment, but also the authority (krag) 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 (gesag (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 (gesag) 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 (Lees ook: ‘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. Romeine 6; 8:2-10, 1 Korintiërs 15:34, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Efesiërs 4, Kolossense 1:13, 1 Petrus 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; En word vernuwe in die gees van jou gedagtes; En dat julle die nuwe mens aantrek, wat na God geskape is in geregtigheid en ware heiligheid (Efesiërs 4:17-24)
As julle dan saam met Christus opgestaan het, soek die dinge wat daarbo is, waar Christus aan die regterhand van God sit. Stel u toegeneentheid op die bogenoemde dinge, nie op dinge op die aarde nie. Want julle is dood, en jou lewe is saam met Christus verborge in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.
Dood dan julle lede wat op die aarde is; hoerery, onreinheid, buitensporige liefde, bose begeerte, en hebsug, wat afgodery is: Vir watter dinge’ ter wille van die toorn van God kom oor die kinders van ongehoorsaamheid: waarin julle ook 'n geruime tyd gewandel het, toe julle in hulle gewoon het. But now ye also put off all these; woede, toorn, 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; En het die nuwe man aangetrek, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created Him: Waar daar nie Griek of Jood is nie, besnydenis of onbesnedenheid, Barbaar, Skithies, Band of vry: maar Christus is alles, en in die geheel (Kolossense 3:1-11)
Jesus has given to everyone, who believes in Him and is willing to deny themselves and follow Him, Die krag (gesag) 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 (O. Merk 1:27; 3:15; 6:7; 13:34, Lukas 10:19).
If you are born again in Christ, you have received the power (gesag) to resist sin and to put off the old man and put on the new man.
Egter, 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. Net soos 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
Wat dan? sal ons sondig, omdat ons nie onder die wet is nie, maar onder genade? die Here behoed. Weet julle nie, dit aan wie julle julleself diensknegte oorgee om gehoorsaam te wees, sy dienaars is aan wie julle gehoorsaam is; hetsy van die sonde tot die dood toe, of van gehoorsaamheid aan geregtigheid? Maar God word gedank, dat julle die dienaars van die sonde was, maar julle het uit die hart gehoorsaam aan die vorm van lering wat julle verlos het. Om dan vrygemaak te word van sonde, julle het die dienaars van geregtigheid geword. Ek spreek na die wyse van mense vanweë die swakheid van julle vlees: want soos julle julle lede diensknegte oorgegee het aan onreinheid en aan ongeregtigheid tot ongeregtigheid; oorgee nou julle lidmate diensknegte aan geregtigheid tot heiligheid.
Want toe julle die dienaars van die sonde was, julle was vry van geregtigheid. Watter vrug het julle dan gehad in die dinge waarvan julle julle nou skaam? want die einde van daardie dinge is die dood. Maar nou word hy vrygemaak van sonde, en word dienaars van God, julle het julle vrugte tot heiligheid, en die einde van die ewige lewe. Want die loon van die sonde is die dood; maar die gawe van God is die ewige lewe deur Jesus Christus, ons Here,. (Romeinen 6:15-23)
En Jesus het gekom en met hulle gespreek, sê, Alle mag is aan My gegee in die hemel en op aarde. Gaan julle dan, en leer al die nasies, baptizing them in the name of the Father, en van die Seun, en van die Heilige Gees: Leer hulle om alles te onderhou wat Ek julle ook al beveel het: en, kyk, I am with you alway, tot aan die einde van die wêreld. Amen (Matteus 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 die nuwe skepping, as son of God, you shall fulfill the great commandment in the Name of Jesus (Sy gesag) en die krag van die Heilige Gees.
‘Wees die sout van die aarde’
