On the night in which he was betrayed, Jesus of Nazareth unabashedly revealed his divine identity. The dark of that night was pierced by lanterns and torches lit by the false light of fear, accusation, and death. The calm of that night was disturbed by the rumble of more than 600 men marching to extinguish the true light of life, the light which does more than merely pierce the darkness, the light which overcomes the darkness, the light which enlightens everyone, the light which is Christ the Lord, Jesus the great “I AM.” In the darkness of this terrible night, amidst the raging shouts of his captors, Jesus identity is unequivocally revealed. Two simple words, “Ego eimi.” I am.
This declaration does not simply convey to Jesus’ captors that they have found the right criminal. The English translation, “I am he,” in response to the question “Whom are you looking for,” is misleading. Jesus’ words as written in the original Greek are none other than the name of God as spoken by God, “Ego eimi,” I AM. No, this declaration is not made to assure the captors that this man is indeed the one for whom they are looking. This declaration is the revelation of Jesus’ identity. It is at the very hour of his betrayal and capture that Jesus identifies himself as God incarnate. His identity is not made fully clear in front of a crowd of adoring fans, after a great sermon to his disciples, or in the middle of a healing or sign. Rather, Jesus reveals that he is God in the dark of night, in the hour of uncertainty and fear, and to a crowd of captors amongst whom stands his very betrayer. The crowd to whom Jesus reveals his identity is not a friendly one. The narrator has told us in verse 3 that they are coming with weapons, and she makes clear the fact that Judas was among them (v. 5). Yet, this group of captors and Judas seems to react appropriately as they fall to the ground in response to Jesus’ proclamation. It is almost as if they are caught in awe by these words and Jesus must remind them of what they must do in verses 7-8.
It is to his captors and the one who would betray him that Jesus reveals his divine identity. So today, Jesus reveals his divine identity to an imperfect people. A people often guided more by fear, mob mentality, and uncertainty than by the light of life. This does not occur in some glorious hour but in the dark of night amidst the chaos of mob rule and in the hour of his sealed fate. So today, Jesus is revealed in the frailty and chaos of our human experience. On the night in which he was betrayed Jesus unabashedly proclaimed, “Ego eimi,” I AM.
