John 18:5, commentary and pictures

In Gethsemane on Passover night Jesus stepped forward before His disciples to meet the armed band, asked whom they sought, and when they answered Jesus of Nazareth openly declared Himself to be Him, while Judas who betrayed Him stood with them. As He spoke divinity flashed through His humanity and divine glory lighted His face. Priests, elders, hardened soldiers and the mob, including Judas, staggered backward and fell to the ground as dead men, unable to stand in the presence of that glory. That brief answer gave them evidence that He had full power to deliver Himself from their hands and full opportunity to escape if He chose. He did not use that power but willingly allowed them to take Him in submission, because He was sent to bear the sins of the world and pay the penalty for transgression, and to turn their attention to Himself alone that His disciples might go free.

Arrest in Gethsemane

The arrest belongs to the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus had gone with his disciples, and the garden was the place of his deep sorrow and suffering. It was Passover night beneath a full moon while the city was quiet.

There he faced bearing humanity's guilt, and though without sin he was numbered with transgressors, felt deprived of God's sustaining presence, feared being shut out forever from his Father's love, and was brought to sorrow unto death.

Jesus stepped forward in front of his disciples to meet those arresting him and asked whom they sought, and when they answered Jesus of Nazareth he openly and plainly declared himself to be him. He identified himself calmly, self-possessed and without fear, having accepted the suffering before him.

Judas, who betrayed him and was one of his professed disciples, stood with the armed party that came to arrest him in Gethsemane. He stood with the band and approached Jesus as usual to salute him, yet persisted in the betrayal even after the display of divine power.

Divine Power Voluntarily Restrained

When He answered, I am he, divinity flashed through His humanity and divine glory was revealed, with divine light glorifying His face. The angel who had ministered to Him and strengthened Him in His anguish in the garden stepped between Him and the murderous throng, His face overshadowed by a dove-like form. Bright light from the angels of God present shone around Him, and when the angel withdrew the beams of glory faded.

At that revelation the priests, elders, hardened soldiers and the mob, including Judas, staggered backward and fell powerless to the ground as dead men. Their sinful hearts were filled with terror so that they could not stand for a moment in the presence of divine glory. His brief answer sent the throng reeling to the earth as if smitten, as if smitten by a bolt of wrath. It gave them evidence that He had full power to deliver Himself from their hands if He chose, with full opportunity to escape.

He did not use that power to escape but knowingly allowed them to take Him, remaining calm and glorified among them and willingly facing arrest in submission. He stood calm, self-possessed, and glorified amid the coarse band while the disciples were too amazed to speak. His refusal to free Himself and His silence under humiliation, agony and death were voluntary, because He was sent to bear the sins of the world, pay the penalty for human transgression, and give His life for the life of the world.

After the men rose ashamed of their weakness and fearful He would escape, Jesus repeated the declaration to turn their attention to Himself alone and directed them to let His disciples go. In that hour of humiliation He thought not for Himself but to save His beloved disciples from any further trial of their strength and to protect them from trial and temptation through self-sacrifice. Standing transfigured before them foreshadows His appearance as judge and gives sufficient evidence of His claims. He had prepared His disciples for this trial of arrest, condemnation, humiliation and death so their faith would not depend on changing opinions, yet His submission would lead them to question why He did not deliver Himself, and their distress at His humiliation would put them at risk of being offended and yielding to temptation.