“When Jesus said to them, I am He, they went backwards (drew back, lurched backward) and fell to the ground” John 18:6 (Amplified). This verse is taken from the passage where they come to arrest Jesus. It stood out to me because when Jesus spoke His name they fell to the ground. The first name that God revealed for Himself was in Exodus 3:14 when He told Moses that He was I Am. When Jesus said the words, “I am He”, the soldiers that had come to arrest Him fell to the ground at the power of His name.
I love the name I Am. He is I Am. This means that everything I need, I will find in Him. He isn’t the great I used to be or I was. He is the great I Am. He isn’t the great I might be or maybe someday I will be. He is the great I Am. He is everything we need right now. He is always here and ready to help us. He is the all-powerful and wonderful God. My friend, I believe there is power in the name of Jesus.
Jesus said that if we had seen Him, we had seen the Father (John 14:9). Jesus was God in the flesh. He had every characteristic of God. By following Jesus and learning from Him, they were learning from the great I Am. What a great privilege and honor His disciples had! Thankfully, we have the Bible, God’s Holy Word to teach us how to follow Him. We also have His Holy Spirit to guide us and teach us. We too are privileged to learn from the great I Am.
I have digressed a little from my original point. I get so distracted at the wonder of God’s name that I have to remind myself that I was also amazed at the power of God’s name is. Can you imagine what it must have been like that night in the garden? All those soldiers were knocked to the ground at the name of Jesus. I am reminded of the verse in Philippians 2:10-11, “That in (at) the name of Jesus every knee should (must) bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, And every tongue [frankly and openly] confess and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
One day, all the occupants of earth will fall to the ground at the name of Jesus. The question we need to ask ourselves is whether we will bow in loving worship or in fear of the One we have spurned. I am looking forward to seeing Him face to face because I will finally look into the eyes of my Savior, the One Who loves me. I will be meeting a loving Father; I will not be facing the God I never knew. Praise God, I am His redeemed child.
Dear heart, I pray that if you are reading this, you too have made the choice to accept Him as your Lord and Savior. I hope and pray you have surrendered your heart to the One that died to set you free. Please turn to the Name that is above all names. Repent of your sins and make Him Lord of your life. You will find all you need in the great I Am. Let Him set you free today. Just trust in Him and He will give you new life in Him.
Katrina Douglas
