“So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them, “I Am.” …So when He said to them, “I Am,” they drew back and fell to the ground.” (John 18:4-6)
From the time God spoke to Moses at the burning bush, He revealed Himself as “I Am” (Exodus 3:14). This sacred name implies both God’s eternity and unsearchableness. Throughout the Old Testament (OT) the Hebrew words frequently used for this name were “Ani Hu” (“I am He”) and in the Greek translation of the OT by the words, Ego Eimi (“I Am”).
In the Gospel of John, Jesus frequently applied the term Ego Eimi to Himself. For instance, we have this emphatic form of “I am” in all of Jesus’ descriptive claims: “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35, 41, 48, 51), “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12), “I am the door of the sheep” (John 10:7, 9), “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11, 14), “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25), “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), and “I am the true vine” (John 15:1, 5).
But there are also those times where Jesus applies Ego Eimi to Himself in the absolute form – and it rarely shows up in our English translations. For instance, in John 4:26, Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “I Am is the one speaking to you.” As He walked upon the stormy Sea of Galilee, Jesus called to His disciples, “I Am. Stop being afraid” (John 6:20). Three times in John 8 Jesus applied the divine name to Himself (vv. 24, 28, 55), culminating in, “Before Abraham was born, I Am.” Again, in John 13:19, Jesus speaks to His disciples, “you may believe that I Am.”
Then, here in John 18:4-6, when the Roman cohort of 500 soldiers comes to arrest Jesus, He knocks them off their feet by simply declaring, “I Am.” At no time is Jesus helpless before the godless forces arrayed against Him. He is the Almighty I Am, who by His own choosing lays down His life and takes it up again (10:18).
REFLECTION
- Jesus bowled over a cohort of soldiers by the mere mention of His name. What else does the Scripture say He could do to defend Himself (Matthew 26:53)?
- If Jesus remained the Almighty at all times, then what kept Him on the cross?
- Trust that Christ’s love will direct His power to bless you and protect you.
