Section 6
went forth to meet them and said, "Whom are you seeking?" (18:4). They answered, "Jesus the Nazarene." Then the Lord said to them, "I am" (18:5). When they heard this word, "they drew back and fell to the ground" (18:6). They were frightened at this word "I am," which is the meaning of the name "Jehovah." This indicates that the One they came to arrest was Jehovah God. The Lord did not take this opportunity to flee but asked them a second time, "Whom are you seeking?" Thus, it was not they who arrested the Lord; it was the Lord who handed Himself over to them.
If He had been unwilling to die, no one could have captured Him, for He could have frightened everyone and caused them to fall to the ground. All He had to do was speak one word and His captors would have been dead. How could they have seized Him if He were unwilling to be cap tured? This proves that the purpose of John's Gospel is to show that the Lord is the Lord of life and that He was willing to die in order to release Himself as life.
TAKING CARE OF THE DISCIPLES
IN AN EASY MANNER
While the Lord was handing Himself over