"The Father Loves Me"

Διὰ τοῦτό με ὁ πατὴρ ἀγαπᾷ ὅτι ἐγὼ τίθημι τὴν ψυχήν μου, ἵνα πάλιν λάβω αὐτήν. (Jn. 10:17 BGT)

For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. John 10:17

Text: John 10:11-21

I can think of many reasons why my father loves me and I can guess at reasons why your father loves you. However, one thing I would not mention quickly if I mentioned anything at all is that my father loves me on account of the reason that I give up my life for something specific. The truth is there are not many things that he can mention in which he could say of his daughter that she gave up her life on account of something else. In the event there was something that he could recall in which that is the case there is the next portion of being able to take up life again after giving it up. If you give something up, do you normally get it back?

Jesus speaks of a miracle. Jesus not only sacrificed His life on account of the sin that came through one man’s act and brought death to all people, but after righting that wrong that effected all people, Jesus then was able to take up His own life and continue being God’s living, breathing Son. For three days, his body lay in a grave without any breath within it. Three days later, Jesus took back His life by His own authority which was given to Him by God. We often think of that as separate events. Jesus’ death was one event. We behold Him on the cross. Jesus’ resurrection was the second event. We behold the miracle of restoration of life and of the gift of salvation through the resurrection life of Jesus Christ. Yet, these are incomplete events when we considered them separately. One cannot fully consider Jesus’ death without considering Jesus’ resurrection. The work of Jesus’ earthly ministry was completed on the cross. He said, “It is finished.” and then he died. The work of God’s plan of salvation was completed through Jesus’ resurrection and then ascension to the Father. God is at work in the lives of people He loves and John 3:16 says For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life.

The verb ἀγαπᾷ (agapa) means love and carries with it the idea of unconditional love in a general definition. It is a love based on evaluation and choice. It is a matter of will and action. This is the love that shows loyalty and is demonstrated or shown to another.

τίθημι (tithémi) means to put, place, lay, or set. Jesus set His life down. He put His life down and was consumed by death. He died voluntarily. Death is the element in which to all known we have no control and no manner of concrete knowledge of what will happen. We trust through the Word and by the revelation of the Holy Spirit that as believers we will go to be with the Lord when we die. Yet, death remains in the realm of the unknown and it is beyond our control to know the time, the date, the hour, and what happens. If we invoke death, some consider that we could bring a worse eternal fate. The process of death is at work around us while we live. Yet, Jesus submits to His Father’s plan in full obedience and for the joy set before Him, He faces death and is swallowed up. Jesus ceases to breath, ceases to live, ceases to be, according to many. Has the Father abandoned Him on the cross?

με ὁ πατὴρ ἀγαπᾷ “The Father loves me”. Even in the grave, the Father loves the Son, Jesus. He lays there in the grave, dead. The words of Jesus echo. “The Father loves me.” The religious leaders have settled down. Their job is going to be much easier since another so-called revolutionary guy has been silenced. “The Father loves me.” The disciples are going back to what they were originally doing. “The Father loves me.”

λάβω (labo) means to bring under one’s control, to take up, grasp, or receive. Jesus takes up His life. He ceases it and grasps His life. After 3 days, a split second is all it took and His eyes opened and the valves of his heart pumped blood through his wounded body. He ceased life and grasped life by His own authority and continued breathing while His body continued healing. His Father gave Him the power to grasp onto life and to cease not the day but the life of the Father within Him. The people needed a shepherd and His Father was pure ἀγαπάω, love and affection. There was no one better than Jesus, the Father’s Son, to demonstrate the love of the Father to the people scattered without a shepherd. The stone would roll away. Jesus would arise and come forth from the tomb because a new work had begun when He took up His life by His own authority, the authority the Father gave Him. His people would need a shepherd so that they to would follow in His example.

Do you need to ask Jesus to be your shepherd today? // Reflect on a time in your life when Jesus showed Himself to you as your shepherd. How is He being your good shepherd today?

John 10:11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.