John 10: 17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh 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 commandment have I received of my Father.
As human beings, we run on automatic basically, for we do not have to think about breathing, inhaling or exhaling. But the power to lay down His life means that Jesus could make the conscious decision to die at a specific time, and boom, He is dead. In fact, if you were to read the script carefully, Jesus died at the exact millisecond, as foretold in the Scriptures. Then again, it gives us pause for concern when He says that He has the power to raise Himself up from the grave.
It is only the Eternal God who could make a statement like that, and that’s why the dead Jesus scared the daylights out of satan, much more than the living Christ…. John 10:19 There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings. The Desire of Ages pp 785] When the voice of the mighty angel was heard at Christ’s tomb, saying, Thy Father calls Thee, the Savior came forth from the grave by the life that was in Himself.
Now was proved the truth of His words, “I lay down My life, that I might take it again.... I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.”…. [Selected messages Bk 1 pp 301] He who had said, “I lay down my life, that I might take it again” (John 10:17), came forth from the grave to life that was in Himself. Humanity died; divinity did not die. In His divinity, Christ possessed the power to break the bonds of death. He declares that He has life in Himself to quicken whom He will.
John 10:20 And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear you him?
May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!