John 18:8 –
As Jesus said “I AM he,” they all drew back and fell to the ground!
At this point Jesus has been betrayed and the guards are in the grove ready to arrest Jesus. Jesus feely hands himself over to the guards to protect His disciples and to do God’s will. At the moment he answers their question they are taken back and all fall to the ground. Even with this power Jesus had at his voice, He comes with them. Simon Peter attacks, but Jesus quells his anger and protects them all from the violence He is about to endure.
When you think about this it defies logic in human sense. If you knew you were about to be beaten within an inch of your life and then hung on a cross to suffer and die, would you go? Especially knowing you had easy access to the unlimited power of God! Our earthly bodies would beg not to go through the suffering. We cannot imagine the pain he endured during the time before His death and I say this having spent many a day in the ER.
The response of the soldiers really surprised me, here a man speaks and they cannot stand before him. Yet even with this power before them they continue to carry out their orders. At the same time Jesus does not try to persuade them otherwise. No He willing follows them to His gruesome death, all to save you! It puts this in a different light when you have a choice to save yourself or save mankind. Maybe then you would say, “Ok let’s go and get this done.” Would you be able to do it knowing you had the power to stop it at any time?