I AM!
John 18:3-6 Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus, therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
As we look back on this Thursday many, many years ago in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus was arrested, we get a front-row seat, so to speak, at one of the most amazing revelations of who Jesus is and how He knew what He was going to allow to happen to Him to save you and I.
Reading the part where Jesus said, "I am He," in the Gospel of John in the original Greek, you will read the words Ἐγώ εἰμι, which means "I AM."
So get this, this is so special: the officers and soldiers of the chief priests and Pharisees were all there, approximately 600 in total, and Judas, all there for His arrest. But when Jesus said "I am," all of them, including Judas, fell backwards to the ground!
Remember how God revealed Himself unto Moses in Exodus 3:14...as "I AM"?
Well, here we have Jesus, making Himself known as "I am," the very same designation with which God introduced Himself to Moses and the whole of Israel! No wonder more than 600 men with weapons and torches all fell backwards to the ground at the revelation of who Christ is when He made Himself known! By the way, the Greek word "ἔπεσαν" means "to lose strength, to be knocked down as with a knockout blow, thus to fall uncontrolled."
No wonder His voice calmed the storm, made demons flee, raised the dead, healed the sick, and made His enemies recoil and fall!
YET ONLY THE GREAT I AM KNEW WHAT HAD TO BE DONE ON A CROSS FOR YOU AND I TO BE REDEEMED!
You see, that's why Jesus allowed His arrest and all that was to follow, for us!
How blessed aren’t we to witness the greatest word that mankind would hear from Christ, who is I Am, in less than 24 hours after this Thursday night: Τετέλεσται-It is finished (John 19:30)!"
May you be reminded today that Jesus is the great "I AM," who gave Himself for you and me, because only God Himself was able to save, redeem, restore, and position us in a brand new life in Him!
Amen