In The Presence Of My Enemies
Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth, and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them, “I am He.” John 18:4-5
I AM – Oh, that we could only glimpse the absolute power of Jesus! That we could peek into His thoughts and actions long enough to see His total dependence and glorious submission! And the truth of His identity. It’s all here, hidden in the Greek phrases, buried from our contemporary eyes.
The first thing we notice in this cosmic encounter is that John does not use the past tense. Literally, the verses read, “Jesus says,” not “Jesus said.” John uses this literary device to heighten the presence of the action, to draw us into the event as if we were standing there with the disciples, seeing the soldiers surrounding our Master. Are your encounters with Jesus in present tense reality, or do you look to the past history for your courage now? Jesus is no past-tense hero. He is present tense power.
The second thing that jumps from the page is that Jesus is in full command of the situation. There is absolutely no attempt to delay the encounter with evil. Jesus, not the soldiers or the traitor, is the one who pushes the scene forward, demanding that those with evil intent complete their mission. Jesus knows that the will of the Father will be accomplished in this heinous moment, and He refuses to wait another second. Is that your position? Do you run to meet the enemy, completely confident in God’s sovereignty, unwilling to allow another moment to pass without redemptive purpose?
Finally, we come to Jesus’ declaration. How tragic that we have translated the Greek with a contemporary bias toward proper grammar! Jesus does not answer His own question with an off-hand indication of identity. He speaks the most important name ever revealed. Literally, the Greek is ego eimi. I AM. The great name of the personal God. The declaration of absolute divinity. The name that is above all names. Jesus knows exactly who He is, even though those who came to look for Him thought they were seeking a Nazarene. He tells them that they are standing in the presence of God Himself. Never be mistaken about this. Where Jesus is, God abides. No wonder they drew back and fell to the ground. John makes it unmistakably clear. They came to arrest a man. They met God Who allowed them to carry out their plan.
Any man who stands with the great I AM need fear no evil act. Jesus is in charge. Every step on the way to the cross was initiated, orchestrated and completed by Him. In the presence of His enemies, He reigns. Are you standing with Him in the presence of your enemies?
