4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?"
5 "Jesus of Nazareth," they replied.
"I am he," Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6 When Jesus said, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground.
Unruffled and undaunted by the detachment of soldiers, though well aware of what was about to transpire, our Lord mildly meets His accusers with the simple question - "Who is it you want?" Interestingly, when the crowds were in His favor and desired to make Him king, He shunned the crown withdrawing rather alone from the throngs yet here when they were ready to crucify Him, He embraced the cross. It was why He came. Jesus’ mission into this world was to suffer; it is in heaven, He reigns. This does not warrant us to needlessly expose ourselves to harm and suffering yet when unavoidable excepting through sin we must follow the pattern of the Master. We find earlier in John:
14 After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. John 6:14-15 (NIV)
Jesus’ response - "I am he" – quite literally “I AM” – startled those opposing Him by the sheer majesty of His Word – felling them all to the ground. Can you imagine the scene - six hundred plus men drawing back and falling to the ground by the power of His Name alone. The One who spoke creation into being, the One who is the Giver of all life, the One who is the Source of all knowledge, the One Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the One who is the fountain of all goodness claims His Deity and all fall – no surprise. Even the rocks cry out at His command. This is not the first time our Lord had spoken these Words. At that time His affirmation of Deity evoked a crisis and they picked up stones to stone Him yet then His time had not yet fully come. We find earlier in John:
58 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!" 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds. John 8:58-59 (NIV)
Beth Moore terms the soldier’s actions of falling to the ground compulsory praise - a preamble if you will, a foretaste of a future event – where every knee will most certainly bow. I am reminded of Isaiah’s certain prophecy which Paul repeats in both Romans and Philippians:
22 “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. 23 By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.” Isaiah 45:22-23 (NIV)
For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. 11 It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'" 12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Romans 14:10-12 (NIV)
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death -- even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phil 2:5-11 (NIV)
Lastly, we see Scripture mentioning the turncoat – Judas – standing now with the enemy. He who once found his place among the twelve following Christ now stands with those who fought against Him. Certainly, this shows the impudence of Judas – how could he have had the confidence to face the Master unashamed? Indeed, he shows his blaring colors of despicable wickedness. Sin is an insidious monster gradually taking us down often unawares until we hit flat bottom. Remember, Judas hung himself. We must not wink at sin – God never does.
“Sin is the dare of God’s justice, the rape of His mercy, the jeer of His patience, the slight of His power, and the contempt of His love.” John Bunyan
Definition of sin according to Dr. Omar Hamada: “Sin is a living, breathing organism with will and intent seeking to destroy us. It is referred to in the Bible as crouching at our door. It is a roaring lion infecting and controlling natural man. It is alive and well.”