“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.”

The scene in John 18 is like something out of an action movie. Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane and was agonizing over the suffering that awaited Him.

Enter the traitor, Judas, who led in a thunderous band of soldiers, likely hundreds of the fighting elite, carrying weapons and torches alongside officers and Pharisees. Jesus stepped out from the shadows to meet them and asked: “Who are you looking for?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am He.” When Jesus said this, everyone who came to accuse him drew back and fell to the ground! What power Jesus has!

Looking closer at the original text, the English translators used “He” instead of Jesus’ actual reply, “I AM.” He was declaring that the same I AM who met Moses in the burning bush and the same I AM who is the Alpha and Omega in Revelation stands before you now. The soldiers couldn’t stand under the weight of His glory — it led them to their knees. As the bewildered crowd got back up, Jesus asked them again who they were looking for and when they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Then, He said, “I told you that I AM. So, if you seek me, let these men go.”

In this very moment, we see the unrelenting love of our God. He stepped out and said, “Take Me, not them. Let my friends go.” The Almighty God of the universe willingly laid down His life for ours, taking the punishment for our sin.

But the story doesn’t end there. Three days later, just like those soldiers crumbled in the Garden when they heard “I AM,” death, hell, and the grave crumbled before Him. The empty tomb told the world who alone sits above it all. Jesus, once and for all, declared, “I AM the resurrection and the life.”

This devotional is based on an episode from the All Things New Easter Devotional Series.