I Am He – I Am Not

SCRIPTURE:
John 18:4-5 CSB - Then Jesus, knowing everything that was about to happen to him, went out and said to them, "Who is it that you're seeking? "Jesus of Nazareth," they answered. "I am he," Jesus told them. Judas, who betrayed him, was also standing with them.

OBSERVATION:
In John chapter 18, we see the events leading up to the arrest and trial of Jesus. We see that Jesus knew exactly what was about to happen—even at the moment of His betrayal and arrest.

John 18:4 CSB - Then Jesus, knowing everything that was about to happen to him, went out and said to them, "Who is it that you're seeking? "

The author of Hebrews tells us that Jesus knew what was coming yet endured it with joy. Why? Because He loves you and me more than we will ever fully understand.

Hebrews 12:2 CSB - … For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
He endured so that we might be forgiven.

In this chapter, we encounter three men:

• Jesus – Savior
• Judas – Betrayer
• Peter – Denier

People often say Peter denied Jesus because he didn’t follow closely enough. That may be true—but where were the rest of the disciples? All except John, Judas, and Peter had fled.

John 18:8-9 CSB - "I told you I am he," Jesus replied. "So if you're looking for me, let these men go." This was to fulfill the words he had said: "I have not lost one of those you have given me."

All of this—even Judas’s betrayal and Peter’s denial—was part of God’s plan. It had to happen this way. Jesus had to be the Savior who was betrayed and denied. It was for our good, even if it’s hard to grasp.

This chapter highlights two key statements:

• “I Am He” – spoken three times by Jesus (vv. 5, 6, 8).
• “I am not” – spoken twice by Peter (vv. 17, 25).

In these statements, we see the contrast: Jesus declared Himself the Messiah, the Savior, the great I AM. Peter, on the other hand, had to learn his own weakness—he was neither the Messiah nor the Savior. He couldn’t even stand for Jesus in the moment and denied Him instead.

This takes us to what Paul said in Romans:

Romans 3:23 CSB - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;

This includes the fleeing disciples, the treacherous Judas, and the denying Peter. All fell short. All needed a Savior.

APPLICATION:
Maybe you find yourself in one of these groups:

• Like the disciples, you’ve run the other way.
• Like Peter, you’ve denied Jesus with words or actions.
• Like Judas, you’ve betrayed Him by living as if you don’t know Him.

No matter which, the truth remains the same—we are lost without Jesus. All of us need what only He offers: forgiveness.

We must reach the same conclusion as Peter: “I am not He.” I cannot save myself. I cannot pay for my sins. I cannot do enough “good” to outweigh my failures. Only Jesus can save.

When asked who He was, Jesus declared, “I Am He.”

This ties back to Exodus 3:14 CSB - God replied to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you."

“I AM” signifies The Becoming One. Jesus became what we needed most—our Savior.

Come to Him today. Don’t remain like the disciples who fled, Peter who denied, or Judas who betrayed. Come to the great I AM.

PRAYER:
Jesus, thank You for saving me. I have run. I have denied. I have betrayed. Yet thank You for being the I AM—the Savior of my soul. I am not, but You are. Be glorified in me so that others may see You as the Great I AM.