Skip to main content

Daily Devotion: John 18:4-6

By

John 18:4-6      "Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?  (5)  They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.  (6)  As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground."

John tells us Judas "... received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees..." Some say these were Roman soldiers. Others say they were temple guards along with the chief priests and Pharisees.  It is estimated they were anywhere between 200-600 in number. Why would they send so many to retrieve one man?  This passage tells us what took place when Judas came with the band of soldiers to take Jesus. Jesus asked them, "Whom seek ye?"  "As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground." This has always amazed me. "They drew back and fell to the ground." What were they thinking in that instance?

If I understand it correctly, every one of those who came with Judas, in one instance, fell to the ground. What were they thinking as this took place? Did they think a strong wind blew them down? Could it have been an earthquake? Were they even trying to figure out the cause? Surely someone in the crowd was wondering what took place! If there was any question, why did they proceed? Wouldn't it make sense that something supernatural just took place? I think I would have said, "Maybe we need to go home and rethink this thing."

What caused them to fall? Surely it was the voice of Jesus. The Psalmist wrote, "The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty."   (Psalm 29:4) This was the voice that drove out demons, had stilled the wind and waves, and had called Lazarus out of the tomb. Jesus simply answered, "I am he." But in this answer, He declared that He is indeed the Son of God - God in flesh, the Almighty, omnipotent God.  In response, all those hundreds of individuals fell in unison to the ground.

"And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." (Revelation 19:5-6)  Yes, there is power in the voice of the Lord. In another place, the Psalmist wrote, "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power..." There is something incredible that happens when we hear the voice of the Lord. "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet...... And when I saw him, I fell at his feet..." (Revelation 1:10,17)  May we fall at His feet in humble worship and praise.

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Daily Devotion: Enter With Thanksgiving - Psalm 100:1-5

By
One of the most beautiful Psalms of Thanksgiving is the 100th Psalm. Please turn to it and read verses one through five. With all my heart I believe we are a people and a nation that has truly been blessed by God. Of all those who “give thanks to Him and praise His name” we should be at the top!  It is not uncommon to compile wish lists at Christmas, and draw up a list of resolutions for the new year. But there is another list we often overlook - a Thanksgiving Day list of all for which we are thankful. What would your list contain? Most likely, a good part would be material possessions. I’m convinced that we would find that we have much more for which to be thankful than just our material possessions.  Like you, I’m sure my list would include the major things - life, health, family, friends, and the nation we live in, despite all its flaws. But even more than that, I’m thankful for my salvation, my Church family, and the mercy that God showers upon us each d...
Read more

Daily Devotion: Psalm 100:4-5 - Thanksgiving

By
Psalm 100:4-5     "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.  (5)  For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." Many songs have been written about these verses and with these words included. What do they mean? Today, we celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving. I've listened to many people speak about their family traditions and most of them include family, food, and football. These are wonderful and fun things that enrich the day, but is it the true meaning that was intended when the day was established?  The Psalmist instructed us to include a special action with our words of thankfulness.  We are to "enter into HIS gates." The heartfelt words of thanksgiving allow us to enter the gates of the Lord, but there is a much deeper place into which we can go. Not only are we to enter into HIS gates, but He invites us to come much closer to H...
Read more

Daily Devotion: Colossians 1:25-26

By
Colossians 1:25-26    “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;  Even   the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:” In verse twenty-four, Paul has expressed his joy in bearing hardship for the church. It is of this church, the body of Jesus Christ, that he is made a minister. Since Paul used the phrase “made a minister” in verse twenty-three of this same chapter, it seems there is something important that he wishes to convey. The Greek word translated as “made” means “to cause to be.” It was the will of God (Col 1:1) that caused Paul to become a minister. God is always the cause of true ministry. Although our fathers may be ministers, if we become true ministers of the gospel it is  not  because our fathers are ministers. True ministers of the gospel do not take that path because they seek honor for themselves, or b...
Read more