I lay down my life

I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father." – John 10.14-18

Jesus begins His statement here with the idea that a good shepherd cares so much for his sheep that he would even die for them. He would risk life and limb to see them safe. I have heard anecdotal tales of this kind of thing happening on a pretty regular basis.

Here Jesus makes a profound application – ‘just like a good shepherd will lay down his life for His sheep I will lay down my life for my sheep.’

The truth is that if Jesus did not go to the cross on His own no one could have made Him go. Jesus went to the cross and laid down His life as a willing sacrifice. The Father loved the Son and the Son loved his people (and other’s not of his fold, but that’s a story for later) so much that He laid His life down for them and us.

Why would He do that? 

‘I lay my life down so that I can take it up again.’

He had to die in order to conquer death. He had to conquer death to give eternal life. It was all in His power.

Praise God for the laying down and the taking up. Because of that death has lost its victory and the grave has lost its sting. Now I have assurance of eternal life because of His sacrifice.

What great love. We only love Jesus because He first loved us. He proved that love when He laid down His life for us, because ‘greater love has no man than this, that he lays down his life for his friend.’