John 10
September 26, 2022
“I lay down my life—only to 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 authority to take it up again.” (v17-18)
Jesus dying on the cross for our sins is not the result of the Father making Him do something against His will. There is a popular theory these days that portrays the doctrine of substitutionary atonement as “Divine child abuse.” The attempt to undercut this ‘substitutionary atonement’ is done by framing ‘Jesus in our place’ as Jesus being the Father’s “whipping boy,” FORCED to take the punishment for our sins. But that theory fails to take into account Jesus’ clear words here - that He WILLINGLY “laid down his life of his own accord” (v17). Jesus wasn’t forced to do anything. He was not a helpless victim. He was a willing Substitute in the plan of salvation. His death on the cross was the agreed upon plan between the Father and Son from the very beginning (Eph 1).
Lord Jesus, I praise You that You chose to willingly take my place on the cross. And I praise You that You not only laid down Your life, but You had the authority to take it up again. Guard me from seeing You as a helpless victim. Open my eyes to see Your glory and authority, so that I understand the cross as an act of great love, not a step that You were forced to take begrudgingly.
— Pastor Joshua Brooks
Use the following steps to guide your daily time with the Lord…
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Start with prayer. Ask God to open your heart to help you understand and receive His Word.
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Read and observe the passage carefully. As needed, read a second Bible version to help with understanding.
➡️ What does it say?
What does this passage teach me about God? What does it say about my sinful nature and my need for God’s grace? How does this passage point to Jesus?
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➡️ What am I going to do about it?
Does this passage include a promise to claim, an action/attitude to avoid/embrace, or a principle to apply? How can this truth apply to my life? What could my next step be? How can I share this with others? Is there a verse or section of Scripture I need to memorize?
