John 18:4-6 (NIV) "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."

It's an extraordinary scene, something you might picture coming from a movie—battle-hardened elite Roman soldiers, tough, experienced, trained for war, fully equipped, and ready to seize Jesus. Yet, at the sound of three simple words from Him—"I am he"—they collapse.

All right, so what's the deal here? Well, to really understand it, we've got to go back about 1,300 years —back to the Book of Exodus and the story of Moses and the burning bush.

In Exodus 3, Moses is out there, minding his business, tending sheep. And then God shows up—in a bush that's on fire but not burning up. And from that bush, God speaks, calling Moses into the most radical assignment of his life—to free an entire nation from slavery and lead them to the promised land.

Now, it is not your typical run-of-the-mill errand here. God's calling Moses to stand up to Pharaoh, the most powerful ruler on the planet, with nothing but his faith and the word of God to back him up.

So naturally, Moses has questions like, "Who am I supposed to say sent me?" And God replies with this profound answer:

Exodus 3:14 (NIV)God said to Moses, "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I am has sent me to you.'"

God identifies Himself to Moses as being "I am."

Now, back to our story in John's Gospel, Jesus is about to be arrested, and when they come for Him, Jesus doesn't just say, "Yeah, I'm Jesus from Nazareth." No, He uses the same divine name God spoke to Moses—"I AM." In this moment, He's making something crystal clear: He's not just a rabbi or carpenter from Galilee; He is the eternal God, standing right in front of them.

So, in this moment, Jesus is revealing His divinity; He's letting these soldiers in a not-so-secret secret; Jesus is saying, "Who am I, guys? You are standing in the very presence of God Himself."

To emphasize this point, Jesus allowed the sheer force of God's glory, the weight of His presence, to hit them like nothing they'd ever experienced before. That glory made the soldiers hit the deck.

And, this being knocked down in the presence of God stuff, this isn't an isolated event.

We see the same thing happen when people come into contact with God's presence in Ezekiel 1:28—the prophet sees the glory of the Lord, and he's instantly on his face, overwhelmed by what he's witnessing.

The same thing happens in Revelation 1:17—when John, the apostle, encounters the risen Jesus, he doesn't just stand there in awe; the Bible says, "he falls at His feet, like a dead man."

When you come face-to-face with God's full glory, human strength doesn't stand a chance. It's like trying to hold up a house of cards in the middle of a hurricane–God's presence is too powerful and overwhelming.

And this kind of authority wasn't new to Jesus, as you know. He's been walking in this power all along. Remember Mark 4:39? Jesus is on a boat with His disciples, and the storm is raging—wind howling, waves crashing—it's chaos. And what does Jesus do? He gets up and says, "Peace, be still." Just a few words, and the storm listens. The wind dies down, and the waves settle. He doesn't need to raise His voice—He speaks, and everything goes calm.

And that same authority and power was on full display in the garden. When Jesus said, "I AM he," those soldiers felt it. They were standing in the presence of the One who commands the universe, and at that moment, it became crystal clear who was really in control. Jesus wasn't just some guy they were about to arrest—He was God, and His words carried the weight of eternity.

Jesus wasn't some passive victim that day. He wasn't caught off guard. Remember what He said in John 10:18 (NIV): "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have the authority to lay it down and the authority to take it up again." Jesus was in control the whole time!

So here is what that means: He willingly laid down His life. He chose to go to the cross. This wasn't some tragedy that happened to Him—it was a decision driven by love, and He had full authority over every moment.

Jesus said it best in John 15:13 (NIV), "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." The cross wasn't forced upon Jesus—it was chosen. He chose to love. He chose to die. He chose to save you and me.

In the garden, the soldiers fell back because they encountered God's unstoppable, all-consuming power. This moment powerfully reminds us of who Jesus truly is. He is the eternal God, the Great "I AM," and His words carry divine authority. But He is also Love personified.

So, just like those soldiers fell to the ground, we, too, are called to recognize the love and power of His identity. We are called to respond with awe, worship, and submission.

When He speaks, the universe listens. Shouldn't we do the same?