“No one takes my life from me. I give it up willingly! I have the power to give it up and the power to receive it back again” (John 10:18)
The context here is that the basis for God raising Jesus is that Jesus – uniquely – has earned that resurrection by having broken the precedent of sin and death. It still requires God to raise Jesus, as Hebrews 5:7 makes clear.
In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence (Hebrews 5:7)
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Statements in Acts
The message proclaimed by the apostles Peter and Paul puts heavy emphasis on God having raised Jesus.
- Peter: God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. Acts 2:24
- Peter: This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Acts 2:32
- Peter: and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. Acts 3:15
- Peter: God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.” Acts 3:26
- Peter: let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. Acts 4:10
- Peter: The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. Acts 5:30
- Peter: but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, Acts 10:40
- Paul : But God raised him from the dead, Acts 13:30
- Paul : but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. Acts 13:37
These are emphatic and consistent. God raised Jesus. Jesus did not raise himself.