No man taketh it away from me: but I lay it down of myself, and I have power to lay it down: and I have power to take it up again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

“(Hom. lx. 2) Or He says, in condescension to our weakness, Though there were nothing else which made Me love you, this would, that ye are so loved by My Father, that, by dying for you, I shall win His love. Not that He was not loved by the Father before, or that we are the cause of such love. For the same purpose He shews that He does not come to His Passion unwillingly: No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.”

“Here the Lord proves his own exposition, and first he resumes what he intends to prove; second he brings forward the proof, at the place "and I know my sheep"; third he manifests it, at the place "therefore my Father loves me." He says therefore first: "I am the good shepherd." This was expounded above. Ezekiel 34:11: "I will seek my sheep in that day, as the shepherd visits his flock." Consequently, when he says "and I know my sheep," he proves what he has said. Now he says two things about himself: namely, that he is a shepherd, and that he is good. First, therefore, he proves that he is a shepherd; second, that he is a good shepherd. That he is a shepherd he proves by two signs set down above concerning the shepherd, of which the first is that he calls his own sheep by name. And as to this he says "and I know my sheep"; 2 Timothy 2:19: "The Lord knows who are his." "I know," I say, with a knowledge not only simple, but also of approval and of love; Apocalypse 1:5: "he loved us, and washed us from our sins." The second sign is that the sheep hear his voice and know him. And as to this he says "and mine know me" — mine, I say, by predestination, by calling, and by grace; as if he were to say: they themselves, loving me, obey me. Whence this is understood of the knowledge of love, of which it is said in Jeremiah 31:34: "all shall know me, from the least even to the greatest," and so on. He shows himself to be a good shepherd by showing that he has the office of a good shepherd, which is that he lay down his soul for his sheep; and first he sets down the cause of this; second he introduces it; third he adds the fruit of the sign. Now the cause of this sign — namely, that he lays down his soul for his sheep — is the knowledge which he has of the Father; and as to this he says "as the Father knows me, I also know the Father, and I lay down my soul for my sheep." And this saying can be expounded in two ways. In one way, so that "as" signifies a likeness; and in this way the knowledge of this can be communicated to some creature; 1 Corinthians 13:12: "I shall know even as I am known," that is, as I am known without a veil, so shall I know without a veil. In another way, so that "as" imports equality; and then to know the Father as he is known by him is proper to the Son alone, because the Son alone knows the Father by comprehending, just as the Father by comprehending knows the Son; Matthew 11:27: "no one knows the Son but the Father, neither does anyone know the Father but the Son" — a knowledge, namely, of comprehension. The Lord says this for the reason that in this very fact that he knows the Father, he knows his will, in which it was that the Son should die for the salvation of the human race — in which also he declares himself the mediator of God and man. For just as he stands to the sheep as one known and one knowing, so also does he stand to the Father: because as the Father knows him, so he himself knows the Father. Consequently, when he says "and I lay down my soul for my sheep," he sets down the sign itself; 1 John 3:16: "in this we have known the charity of God, because he laid down his soul for us," and so on. But since in Christ there are three substances, namely the substance of the Word, of the soul, and of the body, it is asked who speaks when he says "I lay down my soul." If you should say that the Word speaks here, this is not true: for the Word never laid down the soul, since it was never separated from the soul. But if you should say that the soul speaks, this too seems impossible, because nothing is separated from itself. But if you should say that Christ says this as regards the body, neither does this appear to hold, because the body does not have the power of taking up the soul again. It must therefore be said to this, that in the death of Christ, the soul was separated from the flesh; otherwise he would not have truly died; but the divinity was never separated in Christ from the soul itself and the flesh, but was united to the soul descending into hell and to the body existing in the tomb; and therefore the body, by the power of the divinity, laid down the soul, and again took it up. Consequently, when he says "and other sheep I have," etc., he sets down the fruit of the death of Christ, which is the salvation not only of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles. For because he had said "I lay down my soul for my sheep," the Jews, reckoning themselves the sheep of God, according to that saying of Psalm 78:13: "but we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture," might say that he laid down his soul for them only. But the Lord adds, saying that it was not only for them, but also for others; below, John 11:51: "this he said not of himself; but being the high priest of that year, he prophesied that Christ should die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather together into one the children of God who were dispersed." Now in this fruit the Lord does three things. First he sets down the predestination of the Gentiles; second their calling through grace; third their justification. As to the first he says "other sheep I have" — namely, the Gentiles — "which are not of this fold" — namely, of the race of the flesh of Israel, which was as it were the fold; Micah 2:12: "I will gather Jacob, all of thee." For just as sheep are enclosed in a fold, so these were kept enclosed under the precepts of the Law, as is held in Galatians 3. These sheep, I say, namely the Gentiles, I have from the Father through eternal predestination; Psalm 2:8: "ask of me, and I will give thee the Gentiles for thy inheritance"; Isaiah 49:6: "it is a small thing that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to convert the dregs of Israel: I have given thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation even to the farthest part of the earth." As to the second he says "and them also I must bring" — that is, it is fitting, according to the order of divine predestination, to call them to grace. But against this: Matthew 15:24, the Lord says: "I was not sent but to the sheep that are lost of the house of Israel." Response. It must be said that Jesus was sent to the sheep of the house of Israel only, that he might preach to them bodily, according to that saying of Romans 15:8: "now I say that Christ Jesus was minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers." But the Gentiles he brought through his apostles; Isaiah, last chapter, 19: "I will send of them that shall be saved, to the Gentiles." As to the third he says "and they shall hear my voice." Here three things are set down as necessary for the righteousness of the Christian religion. The first is obedience to the commandments of God. And as to this he says "and they shall hear my voice," that is, they shall keep my commandments; Matthew, last chapter, 20: "teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you"; Psalm 17:45: "a people which I have not known" — that is, which I have not approved — "hath obeyed me at the hearing of the ear." The second is the unity of charity; and as to this he says "and there shall be one fold" — that is, out of two peoples, the Jewish and the Gentile people, one Church of the faithful; Ephesians 4:5: "one faith"; and Ephesians 2:14: "he is our peace, who hath made both one." The third is the unity of faith; and as to this he says "and one shepherd"; Ezekiel 37:24: "and there shall be one shepherd of them" — namely, of the Jews and the Gentiles. Here the Lord manifests his proof, and first he manifests the cause of the sign; second the sign, or effect, at the place "no one takes it from me"; third he shows it to be fitting, at the place "this commandment I have received from my Father." Now the cause of his death the Lord says to be the knowledge which he has of the Father, saying: "as the Father knows me, and I know the Father, and I lay down my soul for my sheep." Whence expounding this he says "therefore the Father loves me" — from which it is clear that the Father knows him with a knowledge of approval — "therefore," I say, "because I lay down my soul, that I may take it up again." But is death, then, the cause of the Father's love? It seems that it is not, because the temporal is not the cause of the eternal; but the death of Christ is temporal, whereas the love of God toward Christ is eternal, and so on. I respond. It must be said that Christ here speaks of the love of the Father toward him insofar as he is man; and thus this text can be read in two ways. In one way, so that "because" is taken causally; in another way, so that it designates the term, or sign, of the love. If indeed it is taken causally, then the sense is: because I lay down my soul, that is, I undergo death, therefore the Father loves me — that is, he gives me the effect of his love, namely the glory and exaltation of my body; Philippians 2:8: "he became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross; for which cause God also hath exalted him, and hath given him a name which is above all names." But against this it seems to stand, that good works cannot be meritorious of the divine love. For since our works are meritorious only insofar as they are informed by charity, according to what is said in 1 Corinthians 13:3: "if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing," and God anticipates even us in loving: 1 John 4:10: "in this is charity: not as though we had loved God, but because he first loved us" — it is manifest that his love precedes all merit of ours. But to this it must be said that no one can merit the very love of God itself; but we can merit, through our good works, the effect of the divine love, which is the increase of grace and the bestowal of the good of glory, which God confers upon us out of his love. Whence we can say that God therefore loves this or that man — that is, bestows on him the effect of his love — because he keeps his commandments. And thus we can say of Christ the man, that therefore the Father loves him — that is, exalted him, and gave him the brightness of glory — because he laid down his soul unto death. But if "because" imports the term of the love, then the sense is: "therefore the Father loves me," that is, to this end the Father loved me, that I should lay down my soul. As if he were to say: the Father, by his love which he has toward me, ordained that through my passion I should redeem the human race; Romans 8:32: "he spared not even his own Son, but delivered him up for us all." But if "because" designates the sign of the love, then the sense is: "therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my soul" — as if he were to say: this is a sign that the Father loves me, that I lay down my soul, that I may take it up again — that is, doing his commandments and his will, I undergo death. For it is a manifest sign of love that a man, out of charity, do the commandments of God. Here he expounds the effect of the sign — which sign indeed was that where he said "I lay down my soul for my sheep" — expounding how he lays it down; and first he excludes violence; second he adds thereto his power. He excludes indeed the violence which could be done to someone in taking away his life — which was not done to Christ. And as to this he says "no one takes it" — namely, my soul — by violence, "but I lay it down" by my own power, namely "of myself"; Isaiah 49:24: "shall the prey be taken from the strong?" But did not the Jews inflict violence upon Christ? They did indeed, as far as was in them, but in Christ there was not that violence, because, when he willed, he laid it down of his own accord. Whence above, John 8:30, it is said that the Jews, wishing to seize him, could not, "because his hour was not yet come" — his voluntary hour, namely, not one in which he was compelled to die, but one in which he deigned to be slain: as Augustine says. His power, moreover, he adds when he says "I have power to lay it down." Concerning which it must be known that, since the union of soul and body is natural, their separation is natural. And although the cause of this separation and death can be voluntary, nevertheless death in men is always natural. For in no mere man is nature subject to the will, since, just as the will, so also nature is from God; and therefore the death of any mere man must needs be natural. But in Christ, his own nature and the whole of the rest of nature is subject to his will, just as things made by art are subject to the will of the artisan. And therefore, according to the good pleasure of his will, he was able to lay down his soul when he willed, and to take it up again — which no mere man can do, although he can voluntarily bring upon himself the cause of death. And hence it is that the centurion, seeing him die not by natural necessity, but by his own will, when "crying out with a loud voice he gave up the ghost" (Matthew 27:50), recognized in him the divine power, saying: "truly this man was the Son of God." Whence also the Apostle, 1 Corinthians 1:18: "the word of the cross, to them indeed that perish, is foolishness; but to them that are saved" — that is, to us — "it is the power of God." That is, in the very death of Christ, the power of his might was manifested. Here he shows the aforesaid cause to be fitting: for the fulfillment of a commandment demonstrates love toward the one commanding. And therefore he says "this commandment I have received from my Father" — namely, of laying down his soul, and of taking it up again; below, John 14:23: "if any man love me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him."”

“No one taketh it from Me, but 1 lay it down of Myself For though the Jews are about to slay Me by force, yet this force of theirs would not avail against Me, unless I allow it of My own accord. And again, u Though I allow it, yet it is still in My power to die, or not to die. For by My Godhead I can impart such strength to My manhood, that it cannot be destroyed by any nails, blows, scourgings, or wounds which I suffer by My own will ; just as I support the bodies of the beatified, and render them impassible.” So Toletus. And hence Christ on the Cross cried aloud and gave up the ghost to show that He died without compulsion, and of His own accord, Digitized by V^rOOQie CHRIST’S WILLING OBEDIENCE. 373 when He might, had He so willed, have lived on. For He who had strength to cry aloud, had strength also to live, so that the centurion beholding this said, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matt xxvii. 54). I have power y &c. By My mighty and glorious Resurrection, which My soul will effect through the Power of My Divinity, hypostatically united to it He here signifies that He is God as well as man ; ns man He lays down His life, as God He resumes it So S. Cyril. This commandment have I received from My Father, This was the reason for laying down His life. He was so ordered by the Father, lest the Jews should object, “ You have taken this duty on yourself, that Thou mightest be worshipped, as the Mediator, Messiah, and Saviour of the world.” It is hence clear that it was a weighty commandment He received, that of suffering and dying on the Cross. “He became obedient” (to the commandment of the Father, for obedience properly so called presupposes a command, and is in fact its correlative ; for obedience is that which is ordered, and a command implies obedience, for it is the formal object of obedience) " even to the death of the cross.” So S. Cyril, S. Ambrose (de Fide , v. 5), S. Thomas, Suarez and others. But this command did not physically compel the will of Christ to obey it It left it free. But it pertained to the Person of the Word to “ prevent ” the will of Jesus by supplies of grace, to which It foresaw it would willingly consent, and obey the command. And it was in this respect, that is in consequence of the continual keeping (custodtam) of the Word, that the manhood of Christ was said to be extrinsically impeccable, not because the Word predetermined It, but because It supplied It with fitting aids, with which It foresaw it would freely obey the command. For by this foreknowledge of future conditional events the freedom of Christ’s will is fully preserved (see Suarez, part iii. Quest, xviii.) And by this generous obedience in so difficult a matter, Christ obtained salvation for us, and glory for Himself. Set then, O Religious, this command of the Father, and this obedience of Christ before thine eyes, when any difficult task is imposed on thee by thy Superior. R. Juda says admirably (Firke Digitized by V^rOOQie 374 Avoth, cap. v.), “ Be daring as a leopard, swift as an eagle, nimble as a deer, courageous as a lion, to do the will of thy Father which is in heaven.””

“No man taketh it from me,.... It was indeed taken away at the instigation of the Jews, and by the order of Pilate, and by means of the Roman soldiers, who crucified him; and the former of these are often charged with slaying him, and killing him, the Prince of life; and it is expressly said, "his life is taken from the earth", Act 8:33; and yet no man could, nor did take it away, without his Father's will, and determinate counsel and knowledge, by which he was delivered up into the hands of the above persons, and by which they did to him what they did, or otherwise they could have had no power over him; nor could any man, nor did any man, take away his life from him, without his own consent; he voluntarily surrendered himself, or he could never have been taken; he went freely to the cross, or he could never have been led there; he suffered himself to be nailed to the accursed tree, and when he hung on it, he could easily have disengaged himself, and come down; and when they had him there, they could not have taken away his life, had he not of himself given up the ghost, and breathed out his life and soul: but I lay it down of myself; of my own will, or of my own accord, as the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions render it; which was done with the greatest patience and meekness, resolution, courage and magnanimity; and with a full will, and with the greatest cheerfulness and alacrity; and that as a ransom for his people, and that they might live through him: I have power to lay it down; this was not his life as God, but as man; and was so his own, as it was not his Father's, and was entirely at his own dispose; for it was the life of that individual human nature, which was united to his divine person; and so in a sense his, as it was not either the Father's or the Spirit's; and was so his own, as ours are not, which are from God, and dependent on him, and entirely to be disposed of by him, and not by ourselves: but Christ, the Prince of life, had a power of laying down his life of his own accord, as a ransom price for his sheep: and I have power to take it again; as he was the Son of God, and truly God, and as the surety of his people; having satisfied law and justice, by his obedience, sufferings, and death, and for the ends mentioned in note; see Gill on Joh 10:17, this commandment have I received of my Father; which may respect both branches of his power, but is not the foundation of it, but the reason of is exercising it; because it was so agreeable to his Father's will, which is the same with his own, as he is the Son of God, and one with his Father, and equal to him; and what he delights in as Mediator, in which capacity he is considered as a servant; and in which he cheerfully became obedient, even unto death, to his Father's command, or in compliance with his will: the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions read, "because this commandment have I received of my Father": this is a reason why he so readily exerted his power, both in laying down his life, and taking it again, because it was his Father's command and will, and which he received from him, with the utmost pleasure; his and his Father's love, good will, gracious ends and views towards the elect, herein being the same.”

“I have power - Or, authority, εξουσιαν. Our Lord speaks of himself here as man, or the Messiah, as being God's messenger, and sent upon earth to fulfill the Divine will, in dying and rising again for the salvation of men. This commandment have I received - That is, I act according to the Divine commandment in executing these things, and giving you this information.”

“No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down myself: I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again--It is impossible for language more plainly and emphatically to express the absolute voluntariness of Christ's death, such a voluntariness as it would be manifest presumption in any mere creature to affirm of his own death. It is beyond all doubt the language of One who was conscious that His life was His own (which no creature's is), and therefore His to surrender or retain at will. Here lay the glory of His sacrifice, that it was purely voluntary. The claim of "power to take it again" is no less important, as showing that His resurrection, though ascribed to the Father, in the sense we shall presently see, was nevertheless His own assertion of His own right to life as soon as the purposes of His voluntary death were accomplished. This commandment--to "lay down His--life, that He might take it again." have I received of my Father--So that Christ died at once by "command" of His Father, and by such a voluntary obedience to that command as has made Him (so to speak) infinitely dear to the Father. The necessity of Christ's death, in the light of these profound sayings, must be manifest to all but the superficial student.”