This week we begin worship with:
No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I haveauthority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.
This was a dividing word. The very next verse reads:
John 10:19
There was again a division among the Jews because of these words.
Yes, there was already division over the resurrection. The Pharisees and the Sadducees took every opportunity to argue over it. But that was not the really tough word.
The tough word was "authority" (exousia). A rabbi taught. A priest had jurisdiction to assign the required atonement. The king had the authority to administer the death penalty. But in this verse, Jesus declared his authority over life itself.
This appeared madness to some that listened. But others saw the evidence of the miracles.
John 10:21
Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
So, in the very next chapter, Jesus proved it by using His quickening word to raise Lazarus (John 11).
Praise be to God that we too will hear that voice!
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