TRUST IN HIS AUTHORITY
Speaking to the Pharisees about His own life, Jesus said, "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” (John 10:18)
The imagery of Christ laying His life down, of His own accord, into His Father's hands becomes vividly clear when Christ was upon the Cross and spoke these words - “'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.' When he had said this, he breathed his last." (Luke 23:46)
Within Luke 23:46 Jesus says He commits His "spirit" into the care of Father God. In the original Greek the word is Pneuma meaning breath or life force. So, Christ is delivering into the Father's hands, at the perfect moment, His sustaining energy.
In John 10:18, the phrase "lay it down" in the original Greek is the word Tithemi. This means to place; to commit for a style of inaction. So, in John 10:18 Christ tells the Pharisees and us, down through the ages, that He is Sovereign and when the time comes for His breath to be still - He will still it.
On the Cross, Jesus elaborates. He says, "'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.'" The original Greek word for commit is Paratithemi. Notice this word has the Greek word Tithemi for the placing of inaction, but the Para in front of the word renders the definition - To place alongside, that is, present; by implication deposit. This means Christ would be taking His life back...and He did - for you and for me.
Jesus gave Father God His breath to hold for safekeeping until Jesus took it back and walked out of the tomb. Father God holds all the breaths of the dead and the living in His capable hands. In His perfect timing He will restore those breaths to the appropriate bodies. He is the only One who could, the only One who will, and according to prophecy (future history) - the only One who did. Trust In His Authority.
The imagery of Christ laying His life down, of His own accord, into His Father's hands becomes vividly clear when Christ was upon the Cross and spoke these words - “'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.' When he had said this, he breathed his last." (Luke 23:46)
Within Luke 23:46 Jesus says He commits His "spirit" into the care of Father God. In the original Greek the word is Pneuma meaning breath or life force. So, Christ is delivering into the Father's hands, at the perfect moment, His sustaining energy.
In John 10:18, the phrase "lay it down" in the original Greek is the word Tithemi. This means to place; to commit for a style of inaction. So, in John 10:18 Christ tells the Pharisees and us, down through the ages, that He is Sovereign and when the time comes for His breath to be still - He will still it.
On the Cross, Jesus elaborates. He says, "'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.'" The original Greek word for commit is Paratithemi. Notice this word has the Greek word Tithemi for the placing of inaction, but the Para in front of the word renders the definition - To place alongside, that is, present; by implication deposit. This means Christ would be taking His life back...and He did - for you and for me.
Jesus gave Father God His breath to hold for safekeeping until Jesus took it back and walked out of the tomb. Father God holds all the breaths of the dead and the living in His capable hands. In His perfect timing He will restore those breaths to the appropriate bodies. He is the only One who could, the only One who will, and according to prophecy (future history) - the only One who did. Trust In His Authority.
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