Christ's Father was an infinite and eternal being. Christ's mother was a fallen mortal. What do we learn about the nature of Jesus Christ from this parental combination? My thoughts are on the following verse:
John 10:17-18
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.
It seems from this verse that Jesus had the power to choose to lay down his life. If he didn't choose to do so, no mortal man could take it from him. Evidently from his mother he had the ability to choose to die. However, as a sinless being, he was still an infinite and eternal being. I imagine that if he had sinned, he would have become a fallen man and been like us. But the scriptures tell us that he was infinite and eternal.
Alma 34:14
14 And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.
It seems to me that because Jesus never sinned and was an infinite and eternal being, no man had the power to kill him unless he chose to lay down his life. But being a sinless and an infinite and eternal being, he also had the power to take up his life again. To me Christ wasn't just a mere mortal whose life was taken from him by evil men, but he voluntarily layed down his life. He allowed that to happen through the acts of evil men. He then had the power to take it up again.
It is also interesting that Jesus had the strength to go through the atoning sacrifice in the Garden of Gethsemane. No mere mortal could have gone through the suffering that he did and live. My thoughts are that because of him being an infinite and eternal being, he was able to go through all the pain and suffering in the garden and survive.
What are your thoughts on this?
John 10:17-18
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.
It seems from this verse that Jesus had the power to choose to lay down his life. If he didn't choose to do so, no mortal man could take it from him. Evidently from his mother he had the ability to choose to die. However, as a sinless being, he was still an infinite and eternal being. I imagine that if he had sinned, he would have become a fallen man and been like us. But the scriptures tell us that he was infinite and eternal.
Alma 34:14
14 And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.
It seems to me that because Jesus never sinned and was an infinite and eternal being, no man had the power to kill him unless he chose to lay down his life. But being a sinless and an infinite and eternal being, he also had the power to take up his life again. To me Christ wasn't just a mere mortal whose life was taken from him by evil men, but he voluntarily layed down his life. He allowed that to happen through the acts of evil men. He then had the power to take it up again.
It is also interesting that Jesus had the strength to go through the atoning sacrifice in the Garden of Gethsemane. No mere mortal could have gone through the suffering that he did and live. My thoughts are that because of him being an infinite and eternal being, he was able to go through all the pain and suffering in the garden and survive.
What are your thoughts on this?