John 18:2-9 records the arrival of a mob to arrest Jesus in Gethsemane. Since he customarily stood toe to toe with adversaries, Jesus “went out”—to the entrance—to meet them. What happened there characterizes him when facing issues that demanded revelation of his TRUE identity.
When he asked, “Who is it you want?”, we can be sure they fairly spat out the hated name Jesus of Nazareth. For that’s when the Master let them KNOW exactly who he IS, as he customarily did at critical junctions…John 4:26, 6:35, 41, 48, 8:58 as examples. He used the Greek translation of the Hebrew words spoken by God to Moses in Exodus 3, ego eimi. We can be sure the words hit them like a Category 5 Hurricane, driving every last one backwards:
The declaration of his Identity as God Almighty convinced them:
Then, having proved his point, and seeing them helpless on the ground, he asked again, “Who is it you want?”
And, in return, much more quietly and respectfully, “Jesus of Nazareth, sir.” “I told you that I AM—the same words quietly spoken. “If you are looking for me, then let these men go,” sweeping his arms toward the Eleven—hunched in a circle. And they left…hurriedly, frantically, like a covey of quail disturbed by footsteps of the hunter. Jesus had always been faithful to them, and they repaid hm by being faithless in the crisis. However, it served a future purpose: it released his men from being collateral damage to Christ’s arrest. More importantly for Christ, he was going…where none of his disciples could. He would do…what none of them would. He would experience… what none of them could understand. End Part I
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