Hey!
Apparently Jesus himself strongly disagrees with you here, though:
18 "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." (Jn. 10:18 NKJ)
Jesus also says in John 2:19: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, (2 Tim. 1:10 NKJ)
If Jesus were nothing more than helpless participant, all these verses would be written differently:
"The Father has power (authority) to take it again."
"And the Father will raise it up."
"the Father has abolished death and bring immortality to light."
It is a beautiful testament that we see all Three of the Truine God participate in his own resurrection.
Hey there, another
smorgasbord consumer of scripture. Catch the sound-bite and run with it and call it all good. I bet in class you got at least a letter D grade or a lower letter for not reading what a test question really said. I suggest you slow down on this subject and maybe listen to my post.
If there were two scriptures that required you to slow down and read the actual wider context, they are these two.
Sorry to bore you with the details although you are not the first to fall into this trap of false security and misplaced smiles.
Once upon a time the Son of God began his mission or ministry and ensured he would following his Father's words to a Tee. One of his first things he did and said was to smash things, and overturn tables in the Temple court. Jesus was beginning to exercise his spiritual muscles if you will, as he obeyed his Father in his new role of life for us and himself.
Jesus not only was fulfilling scripture, he was careful in his owns words and actions that were in full compliance with his Father's will. And in so doing he spoke to the Pharisees in this Temple court in a deliberate veiled fashion at first, to an unbelieving audience. Later his words were more clearer as his audience were getting more used to him, and Jesus himself became more bolder and confident as he was completing his mission to the Cross.
So this is a general backdrop for his words in John 2:19 and even in John 10: 17-18.
(Joh 10:17) Therefore doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again.
(Joh 10:18) No one taketh it away 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 commandment received I from my Father. (RV)
In verses John 10:17 and 18 Jesus' own will laid down his life. I believe you do understand this part quite well. His Father is not going to force him to the Cross and die for him or anyone else.
It is the second part you have taken for granted and gotten lost.
When in verse 17b Jesus says that, I may take it up again, and in verse 18 where he also says, I have the power to take it up again, he is not saying he had independent power to raise himself to life to immortality separate from his Father. I noticed you never addressed why he received this command from his Father. And why should you if you thought there was a quick ready made answer you saw in this scripture. It makes all the difference though.
As I said in the broader context, Jesus KNEW that if he always obeyed his Father, his will, and remained sinless to his death on the Cross he would fulfill the legal obligations of his Father to raise him from the dead, in three days. And thus in this way Jesus 'had the power' it was in his hands to become resurrected or remain dead if he failed in his mission. And Jesus made it very clear to his unbelieving audience that he had this power or will to succeed or fail as the Father commanded him previously. Of course his audience never knew what he was really saying. They thought he was mad or possessed. And you do not understand it either because of your blind allegiance to a man-made religion.
Jesus knew the stakes were that high and he passed the bar with ease. So his Father after knowing his Son succeeded in his mission, and met his obligations, caused him to regain life to immortality. The Father's power resurrected his Son whilst Jesus' own power to stay the course cause this to happen to him. Jesus thus had the power to raise himself, based on his perfect mission performance and the promise made by his Father to execute it, himself.
And the same context applies to John 2:19. with the same view. Jesus was raised, his own body-temple in three days because he had the power to pass the test and did, that would cause his Father to resurrect him'
(Joh 2:19) Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. (RV)
I hope you see your grave err in your judgment, in rushing to a conclusion that is only congruent with your triad model of belief....not scripture.
As Paul said:
1Co 6:14 and God both raised the Lord, and will raise up us through his power. (RV)
Paul would readily understand my post, do you, is the real question?!
