Jesus said, “…I have come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

These words should cause our eyes to widen with anticipation.  Jesus is offering us a lifestyle and source of power that is beyond the normal human mind’s ability to even comprehend. And, it can only be obtained as we recognize that we are totally inadequate and undeserving of it. This lifestyle and power cannot be obtained with human cleverness nor might.

The disciple John verifies the above. The most powerful and clever religious leaders just witnessed something that illustrated the incredible power of Jesus. He had just restored the eyesight of a man blind from birth. You would think that astounding miracle in itself would speak volumes to them. But that was not the case. Instead, they confronted Him. You see, they were familiar with only one form of power, theirs. They were not familiar with another greater form of power, a capacity to comprehend spiritually.

John’s writings validate for us that no one automatically receives the capacity to comprehend things of a spiritual nature.   Jesus’ miracle could not register in the minds of those religious leaders because it was spiritual in nature. It involved a spiritual power that was foreign to them.

Even today, too many religious leaders are so because men yield that title to them. Too many people, not experiencing the power that Jesus is offering here allow others, instead of Christ, to have spiritual reign over them. It’s easier to relinquish one’s responsibility than to diligently, consistently search for godliness and the spiritual power offered here.

Let’s examine the text in John 10:10 to see if we can uncover this great power Jesus is making available to us.

COME (Greek. Erchomai, er-khom-ahee) to come or go. (A decision must be made before action takes place.)

MIGHT (Greek. Dunamai, doo-nam-ahee) to be able or possible, can do, have power to accomplish.

LIFE (Greek. Zoe, dzo-ay) from, zao, dzah-o, to live, life (the time involved in that) alive, lively, quick. And, comparable to, psuche, psoo-khay: breath (that is in) your spirit (the spiritual being).

MORE (Greek. Epischuo, ep-is-khoo-o) from; epi: to superimpose. And, ischuo: to have, through the exercise of force.

So as a paraphrase, John 10:10 could read this way:

Jesus said, I have made a decision to come to you because I want you to be able to have power in your life. But here’s what I want you to understand: this is a power to accomplish much more within your spiritual being. It will be superimposed through the exercise of force against your flesh/sin nature. I intend to introduce your human spirit to a life in the spiritual realm (where God dwells), and as a result you will experience a superabundance (in quantity) and a superiority (in quality) as you live life.

This superabundant and superior spiritual lifestyle and source of power is only possible, though, when we let Him become our spirit’s Shepherd! Our spirit’s Keeper! Our spirit’s Master!

This kind of spiritual power comes only after we receive Christ as our personal Savior. Then, when we accept Christ as Savior, God’s Holy Spirit indwells our human spirits. The Holy Spirit is where we get the power and motivation to work at letting Christ become Lord of our lives. To have Christ reign as Savior and Lord means we must work at discovering our flesh/sin nature and daily “put it to death.”