I Lay It Down But No One Can Take It From Me

This passage speaks volumes to me about freedom, human rights and love.

John 10:17-18 ESV - "For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father."

Yes. No one should take your life either. Taking life and freedom away from people is wrong. The Father didn't do that to Jesus. The Father gave Jesus authority over His own life. We can say this is an aspect of His Messiahship but that office is a human office. It is the height of human dignity. Only the best of us could be the Messiah. He Is divinity and the pinnacle of all that is good and right.

It is interesting that Jesus says that the Father loves Him because if how He exercises His free will. It reminds me of the employee and employer relationship. A manager 'loves' the person who chooses to work well with the authority and resources they have been given. We don't have this kind of relationship with God. Jesus' favor has become our favor but at the same time Jesus humanity is our humanity. God has given us a stewardship over our life. It doesn't belong to us. It belongs to Him but we choose.

'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness...' - The Declaration of Independence

Yes. This is individual and communal. I don't have the right to take these things from you. We live together in this and find a pathway to live in dignity together.

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