John 10:17 kjv
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
John 10:17 nkjv
"Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.
John 10:17 niv
The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life?only to take it up again.
John 10:17 esv
For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.
John 10:17 nlt
"The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again.
John 10 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 3:15 | "I will put enmity between you and the woman... He shall bruise your head..." | First prophecy of Christ's suffering and victory. |
| Psa 16:10 | "For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor allow your holy one to see corruption." | Prophecy of Messiah's resurrection. |
| Isa 53:10 | "Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief..." | The Father's will in Christ's suffering. |
| Matt 3:17 | "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." | The Father's affirmation and love for Jesus. |
| Matt 17:5 | "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased..." | Again, Father's love and approval of the Son. |
| Matt 20:28 | "the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom..." | Jesus' purpose to give His life voluntarily. |
| Matt 26:53 | "Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?" | Jesus' voluntary surrender, not weakness. |
| Luke 9:22 | "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected... and on the third day be raised." | Foretelling His death and resurrection. |
| John 2:19 | "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." | Jesus' unique power over His own resurrection. |
| John 6:38 | "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." | Christ's obedience to the Father's will. |
| John 10:11 | "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." | Precursor to v.17, explaining the "life." |
| John 10:18 | "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again." | Clarification of Christ's sovereignty. |
| John 14:31 | "But I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father." | Jesus' actions demonstrating His love for the Father. |
| Rom 5:8 | "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." | God's ultimate love expressed through Christ's death. |
| Rom 8:32 | "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all..." | The Father's sacrifice of His Son. |
| Phil 2:8 | "And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." | Christ's humility and obedience unto death. |
| Heb 5:8-9 | "Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered..." | Christ's perfect obedience achieved through suffering. |
| Heb 10:7 | "Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God...’" | Christ's pre-incarnate resolve to do God's will. |
| 1 Pet 1:19-20 | "...with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world..." | Christ's predetermined sacrifice, part of God's plan. |
| 1 John 4:10 | "In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." | The source of love is God, seen in Christ's sending. |
| Rev 1:18 | "I am the living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades." | Jesus' victory over death, confirming His authority. |
John 10 verses
John 10 17 Meaning
John 10:17 reveals the profound connection between the Father's love for the Son and the Son's obedient, voluntary sacrifice of His life, followed by His resurrection by His own authority. The Father's love for Jesus is amplified by Christ's willingness to lay down His life for humanity, a demonstration of perfect alignment with the Father's will and purpose for redemption, which includes Jesus' unique power to reclaim that life.
John 10 17 Context
John 10:17 is spoken by Jesus within the "Good Shepherd" discourse (John 10:1-21), following a debate with the Pharisees concerning His identity and authority. Jesus declares Himself the "door of the sheep" and the "Good Shepherd," contrasting Himself with thieves, robbers, and hirelings. He has just stated His willingness to lay down His life for His sheep (John 10:11, 15). This verse elaborates on why He does so and the profound divine agreement in this act. The preceding verses emphasize His intimate knowledge of His sheep and His voluntary sacrifice; the succeeding verse (John 10:18) explicitly reiterates His unparalleled authority over His own life and death. Historically, the audience would be familiar with the Old Testament imagery of shepherds and the expectation of a Messiah. Jesus' statements here directly challenge the conventional expectations of a purely conquering Messiah, introducing the necessary dimension of sacrificial death and subsequent resurrection.
John 10 17 Word analysis
- For this reason (διά τοῦτο, dia touto): This phrase points backward to the previous statement in John 10:15 that Jesus lays down His life for the sheep. It establishes a causal link: the Father's special love for the Son is deeply tied to the Son's self-sacrificing, obedient act of giving His life and demonstrating power over it. It signifies the perfect harmony and agreement between Father and Son.
- the Father (ὁ Πατήρ, ho Patēr): Emphasizes the unique and intimate paternal relationship God has with Jesus, a central theme in John's Gospel. It highlights the divine source and approval of Jesus' mission.
- loves Me (ἀγαπᾷ με, agapa me): Uses agapao, denoting a deep, selfless, and volitional love—the highest form of divine love. It's not a transactional love dependent on merit but an eternal, intrinsic love amplified by Jesus' obedience and devotion to the Father's will. This is a unique love, unlike God's love for humanity in general.
- because (ὅτι, hoti): Introduces the reason for the Father's love, clarifying that while their love is eternal, this specific manifestation or deepening of it is connected to Jesus' redemptive act.
- I lay down My life (ἐγὼ τίθημι τὴν ψυχήν μου, egō tithēmi tēn psychēn mou):
- I (ἐγὼ, egō): Emphatic personal pronoun, stressing Jesus' own volition and agency. "I Myself." It is not coerced or accidental.
- lay down (τίθημι, tithēmi): Active verb, meaning to put down, deposit. It's a deliberate act, not something passively taken from Him. This implies divine control and intent, rather than victimhood.
- My life (τὴν ψυχήν μου, tēn psychēn mou): Refers to His soul, His very being, His earthly existence, culminating in physical death. It signifies His entire essence and power to live.
- so that (ἵνα, hina): A purpose clause. The act of laying down life is not an end in itself but has a specific, intended outcome.
- I may take it again (πάλιν λάβω αὐτήν, palin labō autēn):
- take it again (λάβω αὐτήν, labō autēn): An active verb "to take, grasp, receive." Jesus doesn't wait to be raised, He takes it up Himself. This powerfully asserts His divine power and authority over death and resurrection. He possesses the inherent capacity to restore His own life.
- again (πάλιν, palin): Denotes restoration to the previous state, emphasizing the resurrection.
Words-Group Analysis:
- For this reason the Father loves Me: This highlights the specific divine appreciation of the Father for the Son's obedience unto death. It shows a unity of purpose and affection within the Godhead for the plan of salvation, emphasizing that the Father's love is intimately connected to the Son's mission of redemption through self-sacrifice and subsequent victory over death.
- because I lay down My life so that I may take it again: This phrase underscores the two fundamental aspects of Christ's unique mission: His voluntary, active sacrifice of His life, and His inherent, active power to reclaim that life through resurrection. It presents the laying down as a prerequisite and purposeful action towards the taking up, emphasizing His complete sovereignty over life and death. His death is not a defeat but a chosen act leading to triumph.
John 10 17 Bonus section
- The phrasing "I lay down My life" implies personal ownership and control over His existence, a claim no human can make. We "lose" our lives; Jesus "lays down" His.
- This verse directly counters the idea of Jesus as a martyr whose life was taken from Him; rather, He gave it purposefully. This is crucial for understanding the nature of His sacrifice and atonement.
- The agreement between the Father and the Son concerning this plan demonstrates the unified will within the Trinity regarding salvation, emphasizing divine foresight and intentionality in Christ's suffering and triumph.
John 10 17 Commentary
John 10:17 encapsulates the essence of Christ's mission and His divine nature. The Father's love for Jesus is not diminished but intensified by the Son's obedience, specifically in His willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice. This isn't a transactional deal where Jesus "earns" the Father's love, but rather the Father delights in the Son's perfect alignment with His redemptive will. The critical insight lies in Jesus' dual authority: to lay down His life and to take it up again. This highlights that His death on the cross was not a moment of helplessness or failure imposed upon Him, but a sovereign, deliberate act. Unlike any mere mortal, who is a victim of death, Jesus yields His life with the conscious intent of reclaiming it. This powerful declaration solidifies His divinity, presenting Him as the source of life with power over death, distinguishing His resurrection from any other and laying the theological foundation for Christian hope in resurrection.