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I AM He

I AM He
Words of Faith 3-7-17
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2017
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
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John 18
[4] Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?"
[5] "Jesus of Nazareth," they replied.
"I am he," Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) [6] When Jesus said, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground.

Some who tell of the arrest and trial of Jesus portray Him as a sort of pitiful character. Some will show Him as confused and bewildered in the Garden as if His hopes were falling apart. Nothing. Repeat. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Scripture reveals a force and power quite beyond anything known in the world prior to this time. The evidence of the text shows that a detachment of about 600 Roman soldiers came accompanying the Temple officials, chief priests, and Pharisees as they arrived arrest Jesus.
But make no mistake about it. Jesus was not captured. They did not “track him down”. In fact, He asked the questions. He was running the interrogation. He was fully in charge of these events. He had allowed them to come near at the correct timing for the events that were ahead.
“Who is it you want?” He asked.
“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. What happened next is nothing short of stunning, yet it is often missed.
“I am he,” Jesus said. When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
The literal translation of this language means to “depart backward” forcefully while falling down. It is an awkward description but we don’t want to miss this. When Jesus uttered the words “I AM” there was a sudden force that knocked a detachment of 600 soldiers simultaneous onto their backsides. Get it?
This was a humiliating moment for the detachment. It was a show of force, but it was very much a force under control. This action of the spoken Word made Flesh clarified who was actually in charge of what was happening over the next 24 hours.
Remember that Jesus earlier had said, “No one takes (my life) from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father" (John 10:18).
We must remember as we observe these events unfolding that at any moment Jesus had at His command the forces of the heavenly host. “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53 NIV)
So here is a question. Do you think that the Lord does not have the matters of your life well in hand? Is He not able to command an army to fall or a legion of angels to arrive? Is He not able to put 600 or more on their backside with a word? Is He not able to change or orchestrate any matter that we will release to His care?
In modern terms, He might well whisper to you in those difficult times, “I’ve got this.” That is when we really need to get out of His way and His timing.

Father God, help me to see just how much You love me and care for me. Help me to see how You have orchestrated the timing of my life and the events that go on. Help me to see Your hand in the challenges and difficulties as well as in the blessings and joys. I trust you. You’ve got this. In Jesus’ Name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2002, 2017
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.