Based on John 18:1-14 (New King James Version)
“When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples. 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. Then He asked them again, ‘Whom are you seeking?’ And they said, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ Jesus answered, ‘I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,’ that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, ‘Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.’ Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. So Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?’ Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.”
There are many people, including many that say that believe in God, that take the person of Jesus Christ as someone weak, secondary, and without power, in terms of strength or fortitude. There are many that have maintained only in their mind the image seen in so many paintings, sculptures, pictures, or even movies, as Jesus on the cross. But, the issue is that Jesus was (and is) much more than that, and in the affair of importance, the Holy Trinity does not have any variations or grades of power, just different functions. In other words, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are the same in importance and in power. They just do different things. And also, the Three are One in every way. As it is written: “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.” 1 John 5:7. To be able to understand this, it is necessary to get more into the detail of who Jesus was (and is) and as seen in this passage, because this is the only place where it shows more His greatness as the God He is, and also, the incredible fortitude He had to be able to fulfill what needed to be fulfilled. And of course, if we are able to understand this passage a little better, then it will be understood a little better (because our very finite mind can only understand up to a certain point) the dimensions of the Lord’s love.
To be able to understand things more clearly, we need to focus on the detail of verses 5 and 6, when the Lord said: “I am He”. John is the only one that talks about this detail, and of course, because John was always the one closest to Him. And this is a very great detail. In this solitary moment is that the Lord gives us a small glimpse of His Power, in the sense of His supernatural force. When He said, “I am He”, it was not just a mere saying, “Here I am”, or something like that. He mentioned His person as He was known in times past, as He presented Himself to Moses, and as it is written: “Then Moses said to God, ‘Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?’ And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ’ Moreover God said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’” Exodus 3:13-15.
And so, we should realize that this Jesus was also the I AM, the Lord of Hosts, and we could see that by what happened when He said His name, when all that were looking for Him drew back and fell to the ground. This event was mentioned very quickly, but some time passed here, because at the very least, some time may have passed when falling to the ground and standing up again. And also, here is where we see the Lord’s greatest power, and may He be blessed for forever and ever for what He decided to do. At this moment, He could have easily just kept going His way while here on earth. He could have said, “I am only going so far.” He could have changed what was written because you also need to remember Who He is; the Word, as it is written: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” John 1:1-3. This Jesus is the only one in the existence of the universe that in fact can change the course of all things. He has the power that Satan desires so much to have but can simply never be able to because it is a power that is part of the Lord’s Person. The Lord did not need angels, nor far less, Peter’s meager efforts to free Himself. The Lord only needed to just utter the words for something to happen, and everything would have changed in an instant. That is power! But, instead of doing that, He moved forward with what was written, and demonstrated an even greater fortitude, even while being in His human form, and that was to surrender Himself willfully to the horror that was going to happen to Him knowing exactly what was going to happen.
It is truly very difficult to understand how He being who He was and is could have had the such self-control, such fortitude, such love, to have fulfilled what He did for us, for those of us who were His enemies, for the same people that persecuted Him and treated Him the way they did. Because if we follow what is written after, the same soldiers that crucified Him were the same ones that came to believe in Him after He had died. The limits of the Lord’s love and mercy are truly incomprehensible. As it is also written: “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’” Isaiah 55:8-9. This is the thought that will follow me all the days of my life, and the reason for why I look for Him and look to be faithful to Him: God died for me, and He did it without having any obligation. I have been able to study many other religions and beliefs, and have been in different places of the world, but none of that has the foundation of which I preach, that Jesus (God) died and was raised so that I, and everyone who decides to believe and follow Him can have eternal life. With all due respect, neither Muhammad, nor Buddha, nor anyone else did what the Lord did while here on earth, and even far less, died for us all. And of course, because He is God, His tomb is empty, and now He sits at the Right Hand of the Father, as the King of kings and Lord of lords, as He always was, is, and will always be forever and ever, amen.
And so, do you understand Who is Jesus and what He has done for you, the example of His great love? Lord bless! John