Misunderstanding the Mission
The Apostle John opens his gospel by referring to Christ as "the Word":And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. ~ John 1:1-3, 14, 4
Even in the presence of Christ, the perfect human image of God, those around Christ could not comprehend the light He brought because of the darkness which shrouded their hearts.
Fed up with the Rabbi's teachings and blasphemous claims that he was God, the chief priests and Pharisees recruited Judas Iscariot, one of Christ's inner circle, to set up an ambush by which they could capture him and hand him over to the Romans. The Romans, they surmised, would not take kindly to someone claiming to be a king--especially one claiming the title of "Son of God". That title was reserved specifically for Caesar and any who dared use it for themselves would be promptly executed.
The Jews despised their Roman oppressors, but the religious leaders were not above calling them in if it served their own means. This was such a case if ever there would be one. Led by Judas--who was well aware of Christ's habit of going to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray in the evenings--the Pharisees sprang the trap.So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.
Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”
“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.
“I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. ~ John 18:2-6
The response of the Jewish officials and Roman soldiers to Christ's words is telling of their misunderstanding of what his mission was all about. John says that everyone "drew back" and "fell to the ground". A cursory reading of the passage might lead one to believe that Jesus' voice carried with it supernatural power that drove his would-be captors to the ground before him, but this reading might not hold water under closer inspection.
Firstly, it seems common-sensical that anyone who was stricken down by the mere voice of the man they were attempting to capture would be hesitant to carry through with their purpose. Maybe this guy really is who he claims to be after all. At the very least, he has some spiritual authority about him that is quite powerful. That's not what happened, though. They eventually seized Christ and treated him in a manner more brutal than one would treat a man who could drive a person to the ground with his voice.
They did fall back, though--both the Jewish religious leaders and the Roman soldiers. Why did they do so? It turns out there may be more to it than is gathered by a cursory reading of the text.
The Greek term translated as "fell" is a more nuanced term in the Greek than in the English. It can, in fact, carry the connotation of simply falling down, as when one trips. It can also mean to prostrate oneself as if bowing before a king or to simply go from a high position to a lower one, as when one goes into a crouching position. This more complete understanding of the term gives valuable insight into John's account of this event.
The Jews fell back in horror and repulsion at Christ's words. While the English translation reads Christ's words as "I am he," there is no "he" present in the Greek. Jesus simply stepped forward and said, "I AM." He had once again claimed to be God.
To the Jewish religious leaders, this had a very significant meaning. When Moses asked God what name he should be called by the Jewish people, God responded, "I AM". One did not simply throw this name about carelessly--it was the very name of Almighty God. Further, one certainly did not associate that name with oneself. This was blasphemy! Once again, this man was claiming that he was on par with God, indeed that he was God, Himself. For a mere man to make this claim was the epitome of disrespect to God and might result in the wrath of God being poured out upon the offender.
The Jews wanted to separate themselves from this sinful act. Seeking to be spared from any wrath which might be incurred, they fell to the ground, prostrate before God.
The Romans had no such inclination, however. They did not revere or respect whatever deity that this minor tribe of conquered people worshiped. The phrase "I AM" held no significant meaning to them and they did not fear retaliation from above, but they did fall back in fear of something else.
The leader of a contingent of Roman troops was invaluable to that body of warriors. He would be sheltered and protected by the entirety of the might of the battle group. Never would he be placed wantonly in harm's way or would he be singled out from the group where he might become a target.
The Romans came ready for a fight. The Jewish religious leaders had convinced them that they were pursuing a man setting himself up as the "King of the Jews" against the Roman order. They had arranged by sheer numbers and the subterfuge of a traitor to take the man and his followers by surprise, but there could be no guarantee that force would not be required. Resistance was expected. Then out steps a man from the darkness asking whom they seek. When they shout back the name of the leader of the rebellion against Roman rule, the man claims that he is in fact who they seek.
This is obviously a trick. A leader of a rebellion would never step forward to simply be accosted. A general would never reveal himself in such a manner. Doubtlessly, this Jesus of Nazareth had sent someone forward to divert their attention and--while they were distracted--would send attackers down upon them out of the darkness. Sensing an ambush, the Romans draw back and fall into a defensive crouch low to the ground, shields raised and swords drawn, ready for battle.
While the reasons that the two groups drew back and fell to the ground were different, both suffered from a lack of understanding of Christ's purpose.
He did not come to blaspheme the Jewish God. Rather, he came as God in the flesh to reconcile those Jews to God and fulfill the very law they misunderstood him as defying.
He did not come to bring about a political revolution against the Roman empire or to take up arms against it to defend a cause. Rather, he came to completely submit and to die under its earthly authority so that all earthy authority as well as sin and separation from God might be rendered obsolete.
He overcame their violence by non-violence. He conquered their hate with love. They stormed in with torches and lanterns and weapons, expecting to take the Son of God by force, little understanding that his entire mission was to give himself to (and for) them all along.
The Light shone in the darkness, but the Darkness did not comprehend it.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. ~ John 1:1-3, 14, 4
Even in the presence of Christ, the perfect human image of God, those around Christ could not comprehend the light He brought because of the darkness which shrouded their hearts.
Fed up with the Rabbi's teachings and blasphemous claims that he was God, the chief priests and Pharisees recruited Judas Iscariot, one of Christ's inner circle, to set up an ambush by which they could capture him and hand him over to the Romans. The Romans, they surmised, would not take kindly to someone claiming to be a king--especially one claiming the title of "Son of God". That title was reserved specifically for Caesar and any who dared use it for themselves would be promptly executed.
The Jews despised their Roman oppressors, but the religious leaders were not above calling them in if it served their own means. This was such a case if ever there would be one. Led by Judas--who was well aware of Christ's habit of going to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray in the evenings--the Pharisees sprang the trap.So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.
Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”
“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.
“I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. ~ John 18:2-6
The response of the Jewish officials and Roman soldiers to Christ's words is telling of their misunderstanding of what his mission was all about. John says that everyone "drew back" and "fell to the ground". A cursory reading of the passage might lead one to believe that Jesus' voice carried with it supernatural power that drove his would-be captors to the ground before him, but this reading might not hold water under closer inspection.
Firstly, it seems common-sensical that anyone who was stricken down by the mere voice of the man they were attempting to capture would be hesitant to carry through with their purpose. Maybe this guy really is who he claims to be after all. At the very least, he has some spiritual authority about him that is quite powerful. That's not what happened, though. They eventually seized Christ and treated him in a manner more brutal than one would treat a man who could drive a person to the ground with his voice.
They did fall back, though--both the Jewish religious leaders and the Roman soldiers. Why did they do so? It turns out there may be more to it than is gathered by a cursory reading of the text.
The Greek term translated as "fell" is a more nuanced term in the Greek than in the English. It can, in fact, carry the connotation of simply falling down, as when one trips. It can also mean to prostrate oneself as if bowing before a king or to simply go from a high position to a lower one, as when one goes into a crouching position. This more complete understanding of the term gives valuable insight into John's account of this event.
The Jews fell back in horror and repulsion at Christ's words. While the English translation reads Christ's words as "I am he," there is no "he" present in the Greek. Jesus simply stepped forward and said, "I AM." He had once again claimed to be God.
To the Jewish religious leaders, this had a very significant meaning. When Moses asked God what name he should be called by the Jewish people, God responded, "I AM". One did not simply throw this name about carelessly--it was the very name of Almighty God. Further, one certainly did not associate that name with oneself. This was blasphemy! Once again, this man was claiming that he was on par with God, indeed that he was God, Himself. For a mere man to make this claim was the epitome of disrespect to God and might result in the wrath of God being poured out upon the offender.
The Jews wanted to separate themselves from this sinful act. Seeking to be spared from any wrath which might be incurred, they fell to the ground, prostrate before God.
The Romans had no such inclination, however. They did not revere or respect whatever deity that this minor tribe of conquered people worshiped. The phrase "I AM" held no significant meaning to them and they did not fear retaliation from above, but they did fall back in fear of something else.
The leader of a contingent of Roman troops was invaluable to that body of warriors. He would be sheltered and protected by the entirety of the might of the battle group. Never would he be placed wantonly in harm's way or would he be singled out from the group where he might become a target.
The Romans came ready for a fight. The Jewish religious leaders had convinced them that they were pursuing a man setting himself up as the "King of the Jews" against the Roman order. They had arranged by sheer numbers and the subterfuge of a traitor to take the man and his followers by surprise, but there could be no guarantee that force would not be required. Resistance was expected. Then out steps a man from the darkness asking whom they seek. When they shout back the name of the leader of the rebellion against Roman rule, the man claims that he is in fact who they seek.
This is obviously a trick. A leader of a rebellion would never step forward to simply be accosted. A general would never reveal himself in such a manner. Doubtlessly, this Jesus of Nazareth had sent someone forward to divert their attention and--while they were distracted--would send attackers down upon them out of the darkness. Sensing an ambush, the Romans draw back and fall into a defensive crouch low to the ground, shields raised and swords drawn, ready for battle.
While the reasons that the two groups drew back and fell to the ground were different, both suffered from a lack of understanding of Christ's purpose.
He did not come to blaspheme the Jewish God. Rather, he came as God in the flesh to reconcile those Jews to God and fulfill the very law they misunderstood him as defying.
He did not come to bring about a political revolution against the Roman empire or to take up arms against it to defend a cause. Rather, he came to completely submit and to die under its earthly authority so that all earthy authority as well as sin and separation from God might be rendered obsolete.
He overcame their violence by non-violence. He conquered their hate with love. They stormed in with torches and lanterns and weapons, expecting to take the Son of God by force, little understanding that his entire mission was to give himself to (and for) them all along.
The Light shone in the darkness, but the Darkness did not comprehend it.