“The reason my Father loves me is that 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. This command I received from my Father” (John 10:17-18).
In the First World War there was a young French soldier who was seriously wounded. His arm was so badly smashed that it had to be amputated. The surgeon regretted having to perform the amputation and waited beside the soldier’s bedside to tell him the bad news. When the man’s eyes opened, the surgeon said to him: “I am sorry to tell you that you have lost your arm.”
“Sir,” said the young soldier, “I did not lose it; I gave it—for France.”
Jesus didn’t lose His life. He gave it—for us. He laid it down of His own accord. The Roman soldiers drove the nails in His hands and feet. The conspiracy of the religious leaders brought Jesus to trial. Pilate allowed the crucifixion to take place. Yet, Jesus could have called an army of angels to His rescue. He didn’t die because His enemies were too strong for Him. He died on purpose because He knew it was the only way we could ever live. His death took the sting out of death for all of us and His Resurrection opened the way to life for all of us who believe in Him.
The writer of Hebrews put this entire event in perspective. “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Hebrews 2:14-15).
