Thoughts - John 10:10b - "I"

See the introduction first - it'll help!
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“I”

OK, yes, I'm going to start by drilling down really little. It has to be done. If it makes you feel any better, though, I promise that I won't try to beat this by analyzing the period at the end of the verse. Unless the need comes about when I get to that point...

Anyway, there's a great importance in this little detail of identity. “I” is hard to mistake, since it always refers to the one speaking it. Beyond that, though, it is active – I do things, as opposed to things just happening to me. Starting the statement of mission with this one little word, Christ takes possession of it, making it absolutely clear that it's His.

“I” doesn't come automatically, however. Quite the opposite, actually: there are several prerequisites assumed by its use:

Rooted identity: before one can identify oneself as “I”, who I am must be clear. Christ knew who He was: “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). For those of us who aren't God, and thus aren't self-existent, things aren't so easy. Thankfully, Christ took care of that, giving us, through Salvation, identity in Him (see, e.g., Romans 6:5), so that we can know who the “I” is.

Uniqueness: “I” is distinct from “we”. Although community is important (that's coming later), the mission must be accepted by each person as a singular, unique human being.

Actionability: if the “I” is to be active, than it must be able to actually act. Christ, being God and thus omnipotent, had this covered. For us, Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.”

Authority: finally, even if one can make a statement of “I”, that doesn't mean that he may. I can declare that I will curtail inner-city crime, but, without the authority to muster resources to my aid, such an effort will be futile at best. Similarly, were we to embark on embracing Jesus' mission under our own authority, it would be laughable. Through His death, however, “He gave [us] the right to become children of God,” (John 1:12), lending us more than enough authority to take up that charge.

So, in summary, Jesus, being God, had all that was required to take active ownership of His mission. As humans, we wouldn't, except that through His we have access to all of it. Our acceptance of a role in His mission must be predicated on rooting our identity in Him, and through that relationship understanding the uniqueness, actionability, and authority that come through Him.