7 I AMs of Jesus

We're gonna have our bible reading now, and it's from John 18, and we're gonna read the first 14 verses. This is the final I am. In this series that we've been doing. When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side, there was a garden and he and his disciples went into it.

Now, Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns, and weapons. Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, who is it you want? Jesus of Nazareth, they replied, I am he, Jesus said.

And Judas the traitor was standing there with them. When Jesus said, I am he. They drew back and fell to the ground. Again, he asked them, who is it you want? Jesus of Nazareth, they said.

Jesus answered, I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go. This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled. I have not lost 1 of those you gave me. Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest servant, cutting off his right ear.

The servant's name was Malthus. Jesus commanded Peter, put your sword away shall I not drink the cup the father has given me. Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him and brought him first to Annis who was the father in law of Qiaphas to high priest that year. Qiaphas was the 1 who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if 1 man died for the people.

Peter's gonna preach God's word to us this evening. Alan Titch March. Now, I don't think anyone would think I would start a sermon with saying Allen Titch March. But Allen Titch March is a celebrity TV gardener, and he was on the radio being interviewed this week. And he said this, the garden is a savior.

And he was commenting really on the good news that this suite garden centers have reopened and people can go and get flowers and and that will bring a lot of relief. But the garden is a savior. And then there's that old saying that we perhaps have seen in national trust properties. You know, you're nearer to god in the garden than anywhere else on earth. Well, actually, when you open the bible, you see there is a lot of God and God and going together.

The first meeting of humans with God is in the Garden of Eden. And there we see that God is relational and he walks with them and there's joy and creativity. So God reveals himself in a garden. And here in this passage that we've just read, Jesus is in a garden and he's revealing himself who he is. So if we walk in this garden in the pool of the day to to tonight, we're gonna meet Jesus who is the savior in the garden.

He reveals himself. In this passage, It is all about who who Jesus is. He asks the question twice in this passage. Who is it you want? Who do you seek?

Who is it you want? Who do you seek? Now that that those questions themselves we could spend a lot of time on. And they're great questions. Who do you want?

Who do you seek? But actually, what he's doing here in this garden of a rest is actually showing who he is and really who you need to seek. So let's enter the garden. Let's get into the garden and we get closer to the heart of God because we're going to see in this place of arrest, this wonderful savior. Here's my first point, the scene then, the garden itself.

John 18 verses 1 to 3. When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side, there was a garden and he and his disciples went into it. Now, Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas came to the Garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees.

They were carrying torches, lanterns, and weapons. So Jesus had finished his private meeting with his disciples in the upper room in Jerusalem. Judas had slipped out and been known to the other disciples to be tray to sell Jesus for some money, so disappointed with Jesus. And then we're told that Jesus and the other disciples get up at night and they cross the Piedron Valley. Now that's a valley, a sort of ravine, very deep ravine that between the temple war in Jerusalem and this place called the mount of Olives where he was going.

So they cross this or go down and then up this rather deep ravine to the garden in the mount of Olives. The other gospel writers tell us that the garden is called gethsemane. And gethsemane means oil press because that's where they would have pressed the olives. In the oil press. Kidron in the Kidron Valley means Dusky and gloomy.

Because the water in that stream in that ravine was often stained with blood that came from the Temple Animal sacrifices. You got to remember this this scene is also placed at the time of Passover, so there were lots of animal sacrifices So lots of blood in the Kidron Valley. So that's that's the place of the scene. It's night, it's dark, because we're told that the arrest those who came to arrest Jesus had torches and lanterns. It's cold because if you carry on the story, you see the Peter warmed himself by a fire at night.

Judas This betrayer is leading the way for a for a very large group of people. That phrase, a detachment of soldiers, most experts believe that the word detachment of soldiers would mean at least 200 Roman soldiers. I mean, get that at least 200 Roman soldiers. Some believe many, many more. And then you add to that, the number of officials the chief priests, the Pharisees, these religious leaders, religious groups.

So what you've got here is the religious lot the religious leaders of the day at this place and the secular lot, the sacred and the secular coming together against Jesus to arrest him. So this is a scary scene. In the dark, cold night, the smell of blood and oil in the air, 200 Roman soldiers, plus the other officials, Coming with torches and lanterns up this ravine to this garden with weapons. Led by the traitor, Judas, or to arrest 1 carpenter. Jesus of Nazareth.

All to arrest 1 carpenter and his sort of rag tag bunch of followers the 11 disciples. And yet, it's not just the scene. When you read the scene, you see who's in control here Who's the 1 sort of in control of everything? Well, you can't help but see that it's Jesus. Even though he's the 1 being arrested, Jesus is in control.

If you look at verses 1 and 2, you see that Jesus goes to a known location. Jude just knew this location because they went there many times. So he's not hiding. He hasn't gone to hide at night. In verse 4, we told that Jesus knew what was going to happen to him.

Again, in verse 4, we're told that Jesus comes out and says who are you looking for? He he confronts his captors. And then he demands the release of his disciples in verse 8. We'll look at that in a minute. And then we're told he's intentionally following a script, a plan.

Look at verse 9. This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled, I have not lost 1 of those you gave me. So do you get the scene? It's it's horrific in many ways. The smell of blood and oil in the air these soldiers coming to arrest, but Jesus is in control.

And he's the main character and the main fulfilling of the script of God, the prophecy the plan, the play of God. Here are these men climbing up this ravine, full of power and strength and might thinking they're in control feeling this will be an easy job. Judas with money in his pocket, feeling powerful, not realizing that they're minor actors and the main character is Jesus. They feel so big, but they're small. At best, at best, they're supporting actors.

In the plan and play of God. That's the scene. It's the first point. Second point. The claim the claim.

Now it's here in this garden in the dark during his arrest that Jesus tells us who he is. It's interesting, isn't it? Often when we're hard pressed, we're like, you know, an olive press. We're being squashed. Often, when we're hard pressed or stressful or or in a dangerous situation, our real character is revealed, isn't it?

What we what we really like? And it's here at this arrest that you see Jesus clearly identifies himself. Look at verse 3. So Judas came to the Garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. And they were carrying torches, lanterns, and weapons.

Jesus knowing all that was going to happen to him went out and asked them, who is it you want? Jesus of Nazareth, they replied. I am he. Jesus said, So his identity is all bound up in this phrase, I am he. And it said 3 times, if you read this passage, 3 times I am he.

I am he. I am he. Actually, the word he isn't there. Jesus actually steps forward out of the dark do these people with all these weapons and lanterns into their sort of frail light and he says, I am. I am.

Now as we've seen in this series, he is taking the name of God. You go right back to Exodus chapter 3 where God appeared to Moses in the, what I always call it, the not burning bush. It's sort of on fire, but it doesn't burn up. God said, out of the burning bush, go to pharaoh, that's the king, the power of the day that broke he thought he was ruling the world. And tell him let my people go.

And Moses says, well, yeah, if I'm gonna go to Ferro, the great ruling power of the day, the 1 who has his plans, What is your name? You know, who who can I say who sent me? And God says from the from the burning bush. I am. Say, I am sending you.

And what why does this say, I am this or I am that? Because what he's showing is that that god is god. You know, there is no beginning or no ending. He's not dependent on anything or anyone. Everybody else is dependent on him for their existence, but not he on anything or anybody.

He's just I am. This is the last in a series, as I say, we're we're doing on the IAMS of Jesus, founded in John's gospel. And we've been seeing that Jesus, when he uses that phrase, I am, hasn't come to teach us how to Find God. He hasn't come to do that, but he is, I am, come to find us. He's God who's come to find us.

And that is totally different to everything else in the world. Totally different. He's not just a prophet that has words of God. He is the word of God. Himself.

He is the I am. And all of those, listen back to the series and see what he's saying there. So there's the scene. There's the claim. God is in the garden.

Thirdly though, look at the reaction. Verse 4, Jesus knowing all that was going to happen to him went out and asked them who it is? Who who is it you want? Jesus of Nazareth, they replied. I am.

Jesus said, and Judas the traitor was standing there with them. When Jesus said, I am he. He drew back. They drew back. And fell to the ground.

They drew back and fell to the ground. That is amazing. Over 200 trained men from 1 of the best, if not the best army in the history of the world fall back. They have come to arrest him a carpenter from Nazareth and his 11 followers But before they can arrest him, they're surrendering to him. It's extraordinary.

Now if you're in a battle, and you lose your footing, you will probably die. That's why the Roman soldiers were plaid with very good shoes. It was 1 of the things that marked them out as as soldiers. They had these these shoes with with nails or lumps on the bottom to to actually hold so they could hold their ground and stand firm. But here, before Jesus, this whole Roman detachment fall over.

They're in the position of a loser. They're in the position of surrender. They're in the position of mercy. They need mercy. These are imperial troops.

These are battle hardened tough blokes. And here is Jesus, meek and mild, mannered carpenter from Nazareth. A rabbi, a teacher of religion, of God. And they can't even stand before him when he says, I am. And this entire Roman detachment is knocked back.

But actually, do you notice? Judas who had been with him for 3 years and now was disappointed in Jesus and betrays him for 30 pieces of silver, even he falls back. Everybody's on their face. Actually, when you look through the bible, you often find this type of scene. When people realize who God is, they fall down.

And the prophet is equal. He was a prophet is equal. He fell on his face. Saw who became 4 that poor, he fell off his horse. Peter, the disciple, when he saw Jesus fell down and said, I'm a sinful man.

John gained 1 of the disciples and the apostles of Jesus says he falls at his feet as though dead, like, you know, what else is there to do when you see who Jesus is. Over and over again, you get this when people understand who Jesus is. Isaiah, the great prophet Isaiah, and chapter 6 sort of sums all of this up when he when he comes into the presence of God. He he suddenly sees who he is, but he actually is not just a nobody, but a sinful failing nobody. His plans are rotten to the court.

He says, Woe to me. I am ruined. For I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips and my eyes have seen the king, the lord almighty. When people come into the presence of God, They understand who God is, and they understand that they're not the center of of everything. In fact, they're the failure in the sinful 1.

And they they're undone. It's traumatic to be in the presence of the living God. That's what's going on here. Your plans are seen for what they are, selfish, little means, sinful plans. When you're in the presence of the infinite, someone infinitely bigger and grander than than you, you lose your footing.

Because the world doesn't revolve around you and so you're dizzy and you fall over. Jesus, flexes muscle with this little word I am and everybody's on there. On the floor. The scene, the claim, the reaction to that claim. Fourthly, I want you to see the work the work of Jesus.

Now here we see that this God, who everybody falls down before, is in fact a god who's come for us. Quite amazing. Look at verse 8. Jesus answered, I told you that I am he. If you were looking for me, then let these men go as his disciples.

This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled. I have not lost 1 of those you gave me. Now there's so much going on here. We've no time for it all. I mean lots and lots and lots of references to other bible passages going on here, I think.

But what is very clear is that he is saying that he is Jesus of Nazareth Nathath, but he is the I am. That's the Christian teaching of of Jesus. He's both God and man. Fully god, fully man. Then you you get it there.

And Jesus is clearly saying, I've come to do a work because why doesn't he walk away? Because he's 1, doesn't he? I mean, he's the last man standing. Yeah? And who surrenders before an army that have surrendered to you?

But he does. He lets himself be arrested because he knows that if he didn't surrender to them he wouldn't actually fulfill the plan of God and therefore he wouldn't save anyone. He wouldn't save his people. And in a in a Moses like fashion, he says, I am he. Let my people go.

Let my people go. If you wanna know, if God is for you, then look at this flower in this dark garden. Jesus answered verse 8. I told you that I am he. If you're going, if you were looking for if you were looking for me, then let these men go.

This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled. I've not lost 1 of those you gave me. Jesus deliberately is saying, take me, let them go, and the word that is used for let them go is the word forgiveness. That is an extraordinary thing being said here. Take me, forgive them, me for them.

This really is the teaching of substitution. Jesus is saying, I will take this. I will go to my death. So that they could be forgiven. And then and then look what happens in verse 10 and 11.

See then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest servant, cutting off his right ear, the servant's name was Melchus. There's no time to go into that bit of the story. Then verse 11, look, Jesus commanded Peter, put your sword away, then this is what he says. Shall I not drink the cup the father has given me? Shall I not drink the cup the father has given me?

He's talking about the cross And if you follow through that, that's why I say there's a lot in this passage. If you follow through that cup the father has given to me, it's the cup of wrath. It's the cup with poison in it. It's the cup where he will drink the judgment against sin on our behalf. It's a cup that I am very happy for him to take from me.

And drink for me. The cup of the wrath of God so that I can be forgiven. That is what he's going to do on the cross. He is the 1 who is deliberately voluntarily and he has to be because he just won the Roman army. He deliberately and voluntarily is going to be crushed like an olive in the wine press.

Yes, Emily. Or like a a grape in the wine press. Blood is going to flow It's a symbol of the judgment of God when you're crushed in 1 of those presses. He's the 1 that's going to be the passover lamb, the blood that will flow in the Kidron Valley. Right there in Christ, you're going to smell judgment and blood.

And of course, if you follow us through again, Olav Oil is seen as a blessing that comes out of the crushing. Why so that not 1 of those that God had given him will be lost, he'll save them. They'll be forgiven. And just to make the point, if you carry on in the story and look at verse 14, when Jesus is finally arrested in these before the religious leaders, we're reminded about QIAFUS, the chief priests saying of earlier on. It says this in verse 14.

Creyfus was the 1 who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if 1 man died for the people. You see that? 1 man dying for his people, taking the wrath, the cup, being crushed in the wine press, blood flowing under the judgment. So that no 1 will be lost who are his people. It's all about the cross.

See, he's revealing who he is in this night garden So here's my fifth point. It's over to you. It's over to you. You've come into the night garden through this passage in the scriptures. You've seen some pretty wild thorns and thistles and wild plants in all the different people that are represented there.

But in the middle is this beautiful life giving flower. Unique in its beauty. Be careful if you've seen something of who Jesus is, this beautiful layer that you don't step on Be careful you don't crush him in your life. Let him bloom. When I was in Florida, I think it was last year on holiday, I was traveling with Anne, and we went to this metabolical gardens and outside the botanical gardens was a tree with a woman who who was sitting under this tree and it was an extraordinary tree And I asked her, what what on earth is, what what is this tree?

And she said it's called the Queen of the Knight. The Queen of the Knight. It comes out in this amazing bloom. I mean, it was amazing once a year for only 1 night between 8 PM and 10 AM. And at 10 AM, those flowers are all gone.

We got there just before 10 AM. We just took the opportunity and saw this. Here is an opportunity for you to see this incredible flower in this garden. How will you leave? Will you have bowed down to majestic beauty and seen who Jesus is?

That he is the king bringing in god's kingdom so that you could be forgiven and be part of this greater plan. Will you give up your little plans and surrender to the king of kings? I mean, it's interesting, isn't it? The Roman soldiers, the chief priest, the pharises, and Judas, were blown away and fell to the ground when they saw something of the majesty of Christ. But they missed the opportunity, didn't they?

They got up and arrested him and beat him up. Now, they again thought they were in power and fulfilling their plans, but course, they were fulfilling God's plans, but it doesn't mean to say they weren't responsible. They missed this magnificent opportunity. Will you? Jesus is the I am.

He is god come into this world. He's God. Will you surrender to him and stay surrendered to him? Will you let God be God? Will you let him come into all the compartments of your life as the life maker and the life giver and the life bringer and the beautiful presence of the living god, this majestic flower growing in every area of your life, or will you now trampol on the evidence that you have and walk away for a few pennies like Judas.

Or an expression of your own plan and power, like the religious and the secular people. God isn't just a neighbor that you can occasionally wink at. He's not the NHS that you come out and just clap every Thursday. He's not someone that on Sunday that you just bow to a little bit. No.

No. No. Surrender your life to and know the king in your life. Judas and the rest, They saw who he was, but they would not accept it and deny it. The opportunity was gone for them.

Second thing is, versus will you bow, second is will you stand. On the day of judgment, You can stand because Jesus has stood for you. Was crushed for you, and you can become the people of God. And the third thing is, will you praise him? Wouldn't you thank him for this?

Won't you worship him? Won't you say you are the king within a magnificent plan not to lose me. Not to lose. You're the king of everything. You're the king of lockdown.

You're the king that I will worship in lockdown. Or worship in the garden, or worship at night, or worship when I'm feeling crushed. Because you were crushed for me I can stand and I can praise a bigger plan than my little plans. Jesus said, I am. Father, we thank you for the things that you showed us in this past message.

And we thank you that the lord Jesus Christ is is the great I am. And we thank you that just just for a moment in this garden, he revealed something of who he really was. And even the strongest, most elite fighting force of the day could do nothing except fall on their faces before him. And we thank you lord Jesus that you were in this in this wine press, this oil press, that you were there in order to be crushed. So that we might find forgiveness and blessing.

And we pray lord that we would take this challenge away, that we would that we would gladly bow before you, the great I am, that we wouldn't, as it were, arrest you, and throw you away, and trample you down. But that we would submit to you and and receive your love and forgiveness in Jesus name. Amen?