L3 Ministries

The only way is if he willingly gives up his life.

A Heavenly Treasure – by Eric Blick, June 27, 2025

John 10:18 – No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

I loved the way that David reminded us last time of Glenna’s quote that “either God is 100% in control, or He is 0% in control. It cannot be anything in between.” 

So how does that play out in the death of Jesus? If he is that sovereign, how does the king die? 

With only hours left in Jesus’ life, he and his disciples gather in the upper room to celebrate the Passover meal together one last time. Judas leaves early to betray Jesus. After the meal, Jesus and the disciples go to a garden just outside of downtown Jerusalem to sing from the Psalms. Judas procures a band of battle-hardened soldiers, some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and shows up in that garden with lanterns and torches and weapons. He has more than enough firepower to arrest the entire group. 

In John 18:4 we read, “Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and [speaks].”

Of course he “knew all that would happen to him”, he planned it and is still in complete control even at this moment of his imminent arrest. No one is stronger. He was not fear-panicked saying something like, “No, stop, this came a year earlier than I wanted to die.” 

John continues, “[Jesus] said to them, ‘Whom do you seek?’ [5] They answered him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am he.’ Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. [6] When Jesus said to them, “I am [he],” they drew back and fell to the ground.” 

Why do battle-hardened men fall down and crumble? When we are at the doctor’s office in the waiting room with a number of patients and the nurse rounds the corner and looking around says, “Eric Blick”, I distinguish myself from the other patients by saying I am HE. That is grammatically correct.

But in the Greek there is no “he”. Jesus just says, “I AM.” Jesus is God, and he is using the name of God “Ego EIMI” in the Greek. This name means, “I am the only self-existent One, the only truly Independent One with no beginning and no end. I am the only Sovereign.” This is the SAME Greek phrase, we hear God use of himself when he talks to Moses from the burning bush and says, “take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:1-14).

Now we know why these navy seal type men fall back: they can’t help it. They are in the presence of the Sovereign God. They are undone.

John says, “[7] So [Jesus] asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” [8] Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.”

There is no way these men are taking Jesus. They have just crumbled at his power and holiness and sovereignty. So how do they finally get Jesus? Jesus lays his life down, no one takes it from him. 

What do we learn about Jesus’ character? He uses this power to make sure his disciples are let go, v8. Even in the death of Jesus, we see he never loses control of all things. No one takes his life from him, but rather, he lays it down of his own accord. He lays his life down for his sheep, for us.

If he is sovereign, there is no other way to die other than to willing lay his life down. There is no one more sovereign to take it away. Why did he willingly give up his life? To purchase my redemption, yours. How did he do it? Exactly the way the Sovereign planned. Even in his death we see the sovereign grace of God play out over us and for his kingdom. That is who is for you. What a great God of compassion and strength!

Prayer:

Lord, we praise you as the only sovereign God. We confess we are not independent but built dependent on you for your glory and our joy. Thank you that even in death no one ruled over you. We pray that you would comfort us and lead us in your strength today as we walk this path to our forever home with you. 

Amen

end notes:

This name of God “Ego Eimi” is in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. The NASB also translates John 18:6 with HE in italics signifying that it is not in the original Greek but added to make it read more smoothly. “Jesus’ self-identification in 18:5, “I am,” probably has connotations of deity. This is strongly suggested by the soldiers’ falling to the ground in 18:6, a common reaction to divine revelation (see Ezek. 1:28; 44:4; Dan. 2:46; 8:18; 10:9; Acts 9:4; 22:7; 26:14; Rev. 1:17; 19:10; 22:8). This falling of the soldiers is reminiscent of certain passages in Psalms (see Ps. 27:2; 35:4; cf. 56:9; see also Elijah’s experience in 2 Kings 1:9–14)” (Beale, G. K., Carson, D. A., Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (Michigan: Baker Academic Publishing Group, 2007, p499).