John 18:4-9

“Jesus therefore, 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 He." And Judas also who was betraying Him, was standing with them. When therefore He said to them, "I am He," they drew back, and fell to the ground. Again therefore He asked them, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus the Nazarene." Jesus answered, "I told you that I am He; if therefore you seek Me, let these go their way," that the word might be fulfilled which He spoke, "Of those whom Thou hast given Me I lost not one.”

 

First of all, Jesus was not surprised to see Judas coming His way with a horde of men. He rose to meet them, knowing all the things that were about to happen – something only God could know. He initiated the conversation, asking them whom they were seeking. Jesus was not a helpless victim. He was God, and He gave Himself up.

 

Secondly, when Jesus identified Himself to Judas and those with Judas, Jesus said, “I am.” Yes, this identified Him as Jesus of Nazareth, but Jesus was saying more than that. Jesus was identifying Himself, Jesus of Nazareth, with God. And the response of Judas and those with Him is the usual response of people who encounter God. They drew back and fell to the ground (compare Abraham in Genesis 17:1-3, 15-17; Moses in Exodus 3:4-6; the Israelites in Leviticus 9:23-24; etc.). It was not merely Jesus the man who stood up to face the cross. This was Jesus, God in flesh.

 

Thirdly, Jesus was still able to protect His disciples in this situation. He was in control in a way that no mere man could be in control. He asked the men again whom they were seeking, heard them answer again that they were seeking Him, again identified Himself, and then commanded those who had come to arrest Him. He commanded them! “If therefore you seek Me, let these go their way.” This was not the plea of a man scared for His life and the lives of His disciples. This was the command of Jesus the Nazarene, the God-man who knew all that was about to happen and who had just prayed to His Father about losing none of those given to Him. Jesus gave this command, preserving all the disciples but Judas the betrayer, who had already placed Himself into the hands of the enemy.

 

Lastly, notice that John treats Jesus’ words like Scripture here. Jesus words are God’s words. John writes that Jesus gave this command to fulfill His own words. Nowhere else in John are words said to be fulfilled that are not clearly the words of Scripture… except where they are Jesus’ own words (John 12:38; 13:18; 15:25; 17:12; 18:9, 32; 19:24, 28, 36; Jesus’ words are fulfilled in the texts that are bold).

 

This begins John’s description of Jesus’ suffering on the cross. And everything that John writes is intended to communicate two things. 1) Jesus was heading to the cross, betrayed by one of His own. However, 2) this Jesus was no mere man, but was God in the flesh, and He knew what was coming, He could have caused His enemies to withdraw, He was able to protect His disciples, and He was fulfilling His own words. This Jesus who would die on the cross was (and is) God Himself. And this truth changes everything, because God cannot be overcome by men. Therefore, God was doing something wonderful, something men could not have imagined on their own, something God Himself had chosen to do… something good.

 

Father, thank You for sending Jesus. Jesus, thank You for coming. Thank You for speaking. For introducing us to Yourself and, through You, to the Father. Thank You for voluntarily going to the cross, where You defeated sin and offered a relationship with God to everyone who trusts in You. Thank You that You are God, and that Your death was not meaningless.