Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way:
In Gethsemane after the Passover meal and His agony, Jesus stepped out in front of His disciples to meet the Judas-led armed mob, twice asking whom they sought and, twice answered Jesus of Nazareth, identifying Himself and commanding them to let the disciples go their way. He spoke calmly and self-possessed, knowing all that would come upon Him, and at His word His captors went backward and fell powerless to the ground before divine glory glorifying His face. Though He could have escaped when the mob lay helpless before Him, He willingly remained and placed Himself in their hands to bear the sins of the world and pay the penalty of transgression. Even in that hour of trial and humiliation His thoughts were not for Himself but for His beloved disciples, shielding them because He knew how weak they were in faith and giving Himself up in their place rather than have them suffer with Him. By using His own arrest to protect them from arrest He fulfilled His saying that of those given Him He had lost none, binding the priests by a promise not to molest any of His disciples if He were delivered up.
Words and Arrest Setting
John 18:8 belongs to the betrayal and arrest in Gethsemane, where Jesus had gone with His disciples after the Passover meal and after His agony in the garden. The arrest was made by Judas, one of His professed disciples, with armed men and soldiers. It was part of the trial of betrayal, humiliation and death that tested the disciples' faith, for which Jesus had prepared His faithful followers so the fickleness of others would not surprise them or make them lose faith.
Stepping out in front of His disciples to meet the mob and pointing to them, Jesus twice asked whom they sought, twice they answered Jesus of Nazareth, and the second time He answered again that He was He and commanded that if they sought Him they let the disciples go their way. He spoke calmly and self-possessed, identifying Himself to the arresting party even with His captors prostrate and helpless around Him and His disciples too amazed to speak.
He knew all that would come upon Him and showed power to deliver Himself. For at His word, I am he, the priests, elders, soldiers and Judas went backward and fell powerless to the ground before divine glory, as the angel who had ministered in His anguish moved between Him and the mob with divine light glorifying His face in the moonlight. After the angel withdrew and the light faded, the captors rose ashamed of their weakness and fearful of His escape and closed around Him again.
Though He could have escaped when the mob had fallen powerless before Him, He willingly remained and placed Himself in their hands. He did so because He was sent to bear the sins of the world and must pay the penalty of man's transgression.
Selfless Protection of Disciples
Even in that hour of trial and humiliation His thoughts were not for Himself but for His beloved disciples, putting their safety before His own while He faced arrest and death. He stepped out to meet those who came for Him and gave Himself into their hands, willing to be taken Himself rather than have them suffer with Him. Though He had power to go free when those who sought Him fell helpless before Him, He remained and asked that if He was the one they wanted they let the others go their way unharmed. He did this to save them from any further trial of their strength, because He knew how weak they were in faith. His aim was to shield them in that moment from temptation and trial that would have overtaxed them.
He was ready to sacrifice Himself for them and to give Himself up in their place. By using His own surrender to secure their release He kept them from being taken with Him. In this He fulfilled His own saying that of those given Him He had lost none. His command that they go free protected them from arrest and held true His word of keeping.
He made their safety sure by binding the priests by a promise not to molest any of His disciples if He were delivered up to them.
In Gethsemane after the Passover meal and His agony, Jesus stepped out in front of His disciples to meet the Judas-led armed mob, twice asking whom they sought and, twice answered Jesus of Nazareth, identifying Himself and commanding them to let the disciples go their way. He spoke calmly and self-possessed, knowing all that would come upon Him, and at His word His captors went backward and fell powerless to the ground before divine glory glorifying His face. Though He could have escaped when the mob lay helpless before Him, He willingly remained and placed Himself in their hands to bear the sins of the world and pay the penalty of transgression. Even in that hour of trial and humiliation His thoughts were not for Himself but for His beloved disciples, shielding them because He knew how weak they were in faith and giving Himself up in their place rather than have them suffer with Him. By using His own arrest to protect them from arrest He fulfilled His saying that of those given Him He had lost none, binding the priests by a promise not to molest any of His disciples if He were delivered up.
Words and Arrest Setting
John 18:8 belongs to the betrayal and arrest in Gethsemane, where Jesus had gone with His disciples after the Passover meal and after His agony in the garden. The arrest was made by Judas, one of His professed disciples, with armed men and soldiers. It was part of the trial of betrayal, humiliation and death that tested the disciples' faith, for which Jesus had prepared His faithful followers so the fickleness of others would not surprise them or make them lose faith.
Stepping out in front of His disciples to meet the mob and pointing to them, Jesus twice asked whom they sought, twice they answered Jesus of Nazareth, and the second time He answered again that He was He and commanded that if they sought Him they let the disciples go their way. He spoke calmly and self-possessed, identifying Himself to the arresting party even with His captors prostrate and helpless around Him and His disciples too amazed to speak.
He knew all that would come upon Him and showed power to deliver Himself. For at His word, I am he, the priests, elders, soldiers and Judas went backward and fell powerless to the ground before divine glory, as the angel who had ministered in His anguish moved between Him and the mob with divine light glorifying His face in the moonlight. After the angel withdrew and the light faded, the captors rose ashamed of their weakness and fearful of His escape and closed around Him again.
Though He could have escaped when the mob had fallen powerless before Him, He willingly remained and placed Himself in their hands. He did so because He was sent to bear the sins of the world and must pay the penalty of man's transgression.
Selfless Protection of Disciples
Even in that hour of trial and humiliation His thoughts were not for Himself but for His beloved disciples, putting their safety before His own while He faced arrest and death. He stepped out to meet those who came for Him and gave Himself into their hands, willing to be taken Himself rather than have them suffer with Him. Though He had power to go free when those who sought Him fell helpless before Him, He remained and asked that if He was the one they wanted they let the others go their way unharmed. He did this to save them from any further trial of their strength, because He knew how weak they were in faith. His aim was to shield them in that moment from temptation and trial that would have overtaxed them.
He was ready to sacrifice Himself for them and to give Himself up in their place. By using His own surrender to secure their release He kept them from being taken with Him. In this He fulfilled His own saying that of those given Him He had lost none. His command that they go free protected them from arrest and held true His word of keeping.
He made their safety sure by binding the priests by a promise not to molest any of His disciples if He were delivered up to them.