The great "I am" submits to traitors

 

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.”

Treachery from so called religious rulers and a so called friend    John does not focus on the agony in the garden which is cited by others, but reveals the treachery of others, mainly of Judas, but also that of the religious rulers in handing over one of their countrymen to the Roman invaders, without any lawful charge.  Humanity sunk to its lowest depth here, with all that followed.  First we note the disdain with which they regarded Him and the determination to rid themselves of Him.  They came supported by a band, that is said to be one tenth of a legion or approximately 600 soldiers.  In addition there were officers from the Jewish authorities, and they were carrying lanterns and torches and weapons.  When Roman soldiers and temple police came to arrest Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, they were armed to the maximum!  They also brought enough search lamps and lights to light up the entire Mount of Olives! What had they heard that made them think they needed to be so heavily equipped in order to find Jesus and the three disciples who were praying with Him that night?  Search lights in case He had disappeared, lanterns so they would not stumble themselves; weapons in case He used a miracle against them.  They were afraid of Him, for His reputation was awesome, and they sent a miniature army to take a few men!  Matthew records-26v47 “…with him (Judas) a great multitude with swords and staves…”; see also Mark 14v43.  If ever there was over reaction this was it, but it reveals their determination to arrest Him, on the say so of the traitor Judas who for some time had been conspiring with the so called holy men. 

4-9) “Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon Him, went forth and said unto them, whom seek ye?  They answered Him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am He.  And Judas also, which betrayed Him, stood with them.  As soon then as He had said unto them, I am he, they went backwards and fell to the ground. Then asked He them again; whom seek ye? They said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he; if therefore ye seek me let these go their way: that the saying might be fulfilled which He spake; of them which thou gavest me, have I lost none.”

Jesus takes full control    Far from being distressed at the threat of the mob sent by the authorities, Jesus took control of the whole situation.  He went forth to meet them-v4; they needed not the torches for searching, He came to them.  He knew all things that would come upon Him, this is the culmination of supreme knowledge, a theme that has been running through this gospel, His omniscience, His awareness of all things at all times-refer chapter 2v25; 4v1, v29; 5v6; 6v15, v26, v52; 7v16, v28; 13v1, v3, v11; 18v4.  He knew all things that should come upon Him, so He was ready, there were no surprises, He is in control of everything; He asks the questions, He gives the answers.  The armed mob seem superfluous, for He makes all the running.  He says whom do you seek?-He knew already, but He would ask this, not once but twice, for He would protect those they were not seeking.  He said “if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way!”  He will take the rap (using modern language), His disciples have no part in this.  His call to free the disciples is reminiscent of the demand of Moses who challenged Pharoah, the overlord of Egypt, “Let my people go”.  He uses the title “I am”, twice, and this had a powerful effect.  The might of Rome, together with the temple police, were helpless in the presence of the great “I am”, the mighty God who delivered Israel from Egypt’s bondage, rendering the might of Egypt powerless to bring to an end 400 years of oppression.  Jesus was on a greater mission to free the slavery of His people from the beginning of time.  When He said “I am” at first, the oppressors “went backward and fell to the ground.”  The idea is that they fell backward, as if stunned, and then fell forward to the ground.  Before the great “I am”, they were nothing, and could do nothing unless He consented.  It is a picture of graceful excellence, as He allowed them to lead Him away.  They could take Him, for therefore He had come, but they could not touch the disciples.  The man in the dock was the man in control, and this is what John, writing more than 60 years later wants us to see.  As the hymnwriter has caught the mood, “T’was love that sought Gethsemane, or Judas ne’er had found thee; t’was love that nailed the to the tree or iron ne’er had bound thee!”-Wm. Dickinson.   He quotes from chapter 17v12 in illustration of this demand of Jesus to His captors “That the saying might be fulfilled which He speak, of them which thou gavest me have I lost none."  This brings to us the major biblical doctrine of the preservation of the saints.