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| As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground. |
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went
forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the
which he entered, and his disciples. 2 And Judas also, which betrayed him,
knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples. 3 Judas
then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and
Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Jesus
therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said
unto them, Whom seek ye? 5 They
answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. 6 As
soon then as he had said unto them, I am he,
they went backward, and fell to the ground. 7 Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. 8 Jesus
answered, I have told you that I am he: if
therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: 9 That the saying
might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which
thou gavest me have I lost none.
(John 18:1-9)
Here we see one of the lesser recognized miracles of our Lord Jesus Christ. The
miracle centers on a certain aspect of the Eternal Nature of Christ. Though
simple in its setting, this miracle encompasses the mysteries of the ages. It
reveals a nature of God that is seldom considered by mortals who are restricted
to the boundaries of the Space-Time Continuum. Yes, we can readily admit that
God is Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent; but we have a difficult time
conceiving of His All-Present, All-Powerful, and All-Knowing nature across the
expanse of the universal time spectrum and beyond. In reading this remarkable
account in the Garden of Gethsemane, have you noted the profundity of the event
and the very oft-repeated Words of Christ…….I
AM?
Today’s text opens following the Lord’s Last Supper in the
Upper Room: “When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his
disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered,
and his disciples.” This was a night of agony and prayer for
our Lord as He contemplated the shame and humiliation that would ensue.
Moreover, one of His own chosen disciples, whom He knew to be a devil, had
betrayed Him. Judas was not chosen for the purpose of betrayal at random. Jesus
chose him from the beginning because the Lord knew his nature and his black
heart. “And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus
ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples. Judas then, having received a
band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh
thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.” Though Jesus had
never lifted a hand in anger against any man (except for the money changers in
the Temple) they now come for Him armed to the hilt. Not only was this armed
contingent comprised of a part of the Roman cohort, but also the Jewish
captains of the Temple and armed Levites – so both Jews and Gentiles are
represented as having a part in this sordid affair.
This is garden is a lovely spot – one of the most serene and
beautiful of all Jerusalem. It abounds in olive trees and cedars that are fed
by a babbling brook. Jesus often resorted to the Mount of Olives and Gethsemane
for prayer. But tonight, it is a garden of treachery and wickedness. Jesus
exercised courtesy even under such a grave circumstance as now confronted Him: “Jesus
therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto
them, Whom seek ye?” He knew ALL things, yet He asked “Whom seek ye?”
Now develops the most profound exchange of all time: “They
answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he.” The
Great I AM existed before time began in the immortal ages of
Eternity Past, and shall exist in the great Halls of Eternity Future, but
forever existing, irrespective of time, as “I AM!” What does this
Title for our Lord mean? It means far more than a simple explanation that our
Lord exists in the present moment. It means that He forever exists in the
present tense for He is the Presence that has been from ancient times and
through the millennia immeasurable, and forever! There is not a time when
Christ was not. He is in the Eternal Present Tense of God. He never WAS, or
WILL BE, but forever IS the I AM. He is, likewise, with us
always, even until the end of the world. It is His Presence that we observe in
the Holy Communion, and not a tentative visitation.
This title of Christ is so powerful that it had a miraculous
effect on His antagonists: “As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the
ground.” Just the force of such a mighty expression had the
effect and vanquishing every foe. This was not the ruse of a degenerate Benny
Hinn, but the real power of Almighty God. The contingent of soldiers are so
dazed by the power of His Word that they must be pressed again to identify
their Prey: “Then asked he them again, Whom
seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. 8 Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me,
let these go their way:”
Jesus spoke thusly “That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.”
Rather
than dwell upon this one instant of this title being uttered, let us look at
others in both the Old and New Testament. It would be impossible, within the
scope of a devotional, to cover the many times and circumstances of each
reference to our Lord as the “I AM.” But I will give some salient
examples. You will remember at the rescue of the King of Sodom in Genesis 14
that Abram would receive no reward from that unrighteous source. The Lord said
to Abram: “Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding
great reward.” (Gen 15:1)
Aside from considering the power of this name, we have a lesson in the next use
of it for the necessity of reverence in worship: “And the angel of the
LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he
looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And
Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is
not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called
unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said,
Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off
thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” (Ex
3:2-5) We learn from this passage, as well as a host of others, that we must
approach the worship of God in Holiness. We do not come dressed immodestly or
wearing shoes, for the place of worship is Holy Ground. But we also observe the
use of God’s powerful name next when Moses doubted that his message to the
children of Israel would be believed: “And Moses said unto God, Behold,
when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of
your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name?
what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he
said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto
you.” (Ex 3:13-14) Are there remaining doubts of the majesty and
intimacy of this Name of the Lord for His people?
When you consider the fullness and beauty of Christ to us, we are drawn close
to His Heart by the terms by which He is known. Here are only a few:
14.
He is the Ancient of Days: Daniel
7:9, 13, & 22
The greatest miracle of the event in Gethsemane was not the
spiritual dispersion of the soldiers before
Christ,
but the Great Name by which we know HIM. He is ever with us. He was with us at
birth, but He was also with us BEFORE birth. He is with us NOW, but there has
not been a moment when He was NOT with us. He will be with us at Death, but He
will also be with us BEYOND death into the endless ages of Eternity. That, my
friend, as they say in Alabama, is a “right smart” length of time!
