Who Is It You Want?
Read John 18:1-14.
Who do you seek? Who are you looking for?
Jesus knew the answer to the question. These soldiers and priests rarely worked together, and there was certainly no reason for them to be together in the olive press at night. With Judas leading the way, there's no doubt who it is they sought in the midst of this relatively young grove of olive trees.
They were looking for Jesus of Nazareth.
They wanted the carpenter. They wanted the wandering rabbi, the one who told cute stories and made people feel good. They wanted the so-called miracle worker (though, obviously, he must have had done some sleight-of-hand because they all knew real miracles didn't happen...though how he pulled off that Lazarus thing was still a mystery). They wanted the one who had gained a sizable following over the last three years, and who very often didn't follow the well-established rules—their rules, by the way, the ones they had added onto God's Law.
That's who they were looking for. That's who they came to arrest: Jesus of Nazareth.
But who they found was someone more. When they answer Jesus' question, he identifies himself, but not the way they expect. In our English translations, he says, "I am he."
In the original text, he says ego eimi, which literally translated is "I am." What's the difference? Only everything. As you may have heard before, "I Am" is the name of God—Yahweh in Hebrew (or actually YHWH, as Hebrew has no vowels). It was a name you did not speak aloud; no one did (which is why the actual pronunciation today is just a guess). Jesus, as he does throughout the Gospel of John, does speak it aloud. He claims the name of God when confronted with the powers-that-be. He's no longer "hiding." He's no longer "just another rabbi." In case they've missed it up to this point, Jesus is now in the Garden, boldly declaring that he and the Father are one (cf. John 10:30). He is God.
This makes sense of why they fall down when he says that, because the way you respond to The Name is to worship, to bow, to acknowledge that God is higher than you are. Their response is automatic and right, even if they don't intend to honor Jesus by falling down. At the very least, they are falling back so that they don't get caught in the fallout of Jesus being struck by God for blasphemy! What did it do to their worldview when Jesus, who has just spoken the unspeakable name, isn't immediately killed? What Jesus said must be true...but they've already decided it can't be! What now?
They proceed with the plan. They arrest Jesus and take him away to face his fate. But the question that was asked in Gethsemane rings in the air for us to answer—this day and every day.
Who are you looking for?
Have you found who you're looking for in Jesus?
(And suddenly, there's an old U2 song playing in my head...)
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| Gethsemane, 2017 |
Jesus knew the answer to the question. These soldiers and priests rarely worked together, and there was certainly no reason for them to be together in the olive press at night. With Judas leading the way, there's no doubt who it is they sought in the midst of this relatively young grove of olive trees.
They were looking for Jesus of Nazareth.
They wanted the carpenter. They wanted the wandering rabbi, the one who told cute stories and made people feel good. They wanted the so-called miracle worker (though, obviously, he must have had done some sleight-of-hand because they all knew real miracles didn't happen...though how he pulled off that Lazarus thing was still a mystery). They wanted the one who had gained a sizable following over the last three years, and who very often didn't follow the well-established rules—their rules, by the way, the ones they had added onto God's Law.
That's who they were looking for. That's who they came to arrest: Jesus of Nazareth.
But who they found was someone more. When they answer Jesus' question, he identifies himself, but not the way they expect. In our English translations, he says, "I am he."
In the original text, he says ego eimi, which literally translated is "I am." What's the difference? Only everything. As you may have heard before, "I Am" is the name of God—Yahweh in Hebrew (or actually YHWH, as Hebrew has no vowels). It was a name you did not speak aloud; no one did (which is why the actual pronunciation today is just a guess). Jesus, as he does throughout the Gospel of John, does speak it aloud. He claims the name of God when confronted with the powers-that-be. He's no longer "hiding." He's no longer "just another rabbi." In case they've missed it up to this point, Jesus is now in the Garden, boldly declaring that he and the Father are one (cf. John 10:30). He is God.
This makes sense of why they fall down when he says that, because the way you respond to The Name is to worship, to bow, to acknowledge that God is higher than you are. Their response is automatic and right, even if they don't intend to honor Jesus by falling down. At the very least, they are falling back so that they don't get caught in the fallout of Jesus being struck by God for blasphemy! What did it do to their worldview when Jesus, who has just spoken the unspeakable name, isn't immediately killed? What Jesus said must be true...but they've already decided it can't be! What now?
They proceed with the plan. They arrest Jesus and take him away to face his fate. But the question that was asked in Gethsemane rings in the air for us to answer—this day and every day.
Who are you looking for?
Have you found who you're looking for in Jesus?
(And suddenly, there's an old U2 song playing in my head...)
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