John 10:17,18 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Therefore doth my Father love me,— "Nothing can shew the great regard I have for the salvation of mankind in a stronger light, than my laying down my life to promote and secure it; and this is so correspondent with the operations of infinite goodness, that my Father cannot but look upon me as an object of infinite love, even on that account." Instead of that I might take it again, we may render the words so as to take it again; for had our Lord laid down his life, and remained under the power of death, it could not have been concluded that he had made a sufficient atonement, or that God was reconciled to mankind by his sacrifice of himself: but as he laid down his life so as to resume it again, it was evident that his death had atoned for the sins of mankind, and that he who had conquered death, was able to save and rescue those from the power of death who died in his faith. Further we may observe, it was necessary that the sufferings of Christ should be voluntary, to become either meritorious or just; whence it is that he adds so emphatically, no man taketh my life from me, John 10:18 but I lay it down of myself: I have power to lay it down, &c. which gives us a most sublime idea of our Lord's dignity and person. But this idea is heightened, when it is considered, that he had not only power to lay down his life, but likewise could take it again. As a mortal, death was common to him with other men; but what mortal, though he should willinglysacrifice his life, could have it in his power to resume it? That our Lord voluntarily resigned his life, evidently appeared from the strong cry uttered just before his death, with which the centurion was so much affected, Luke 23:47. That he had full power to do so, will appear, because he had life in himself, Ch. John 5:26 and likewise because he resumed his life after he had quitted it. Our Lord adds, This commandment, or commission, have I received of my Father. "I do not lay down my life, or rise again from the dead, without the appointment of my Father: with respect to both, I act in strict conformity to his will." Our Lord's receiving this commission is not to be considered as the ground of his power to lay down and resume his life; for this he had in himself, as having an original right to dispose thereof, antecedent to the Father's commission: but this commission was the reason why he thus used his power in laying down his life. The present passage affords us a full answer to the infidel objection, that by allowing so much merit to the death and love of Christ, we greatly detract from the love of God the Father; for as the redemption of the world by the Son may be inferred from this verse, as in strict consistence with the dispensation of the Father, so the benevolence, goodness, and mercy of the Father appear to have conspired together for this great end; and how much soever we acknowledge as owing to the merits of the Son, we owe no less to the Father.