Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”
On the surface, this statement might seem a bit nonsensical. After all, if Jesus knew what was going to happen then why did he have to ask, “Who is it you want?” In a mystery story, the universal clue is almost always about who benefits from what happened. Using that logic, let’s ask the question who benefits from Jesus asking, “Who is it you want?”
The first thing I see is that it focuses on the mind of the soldiers on their mission. As we see in the various descriptions of Jesus being tortured at the hands of the Roman soldiers, they are very capable of gratuitous violence. The second thing I see is that it draws attention away from Jesus’ disciples. It is a little bit like the scene in Star Wars where Obi-Wan Kenobi protects Luke and the droids from the evil Empire by his use of the Jedi mind trick: “These are not the droids you a looking for…”
As God Jesus has unlimited power. He created the world and presumably he could end it. Yet had he done so, you and I would never have had an opportunity to experience God’s love. Jesus needs to buy us back from sin and free us from condemnation. The price of purchasing our soul for God is Jesus’ death on the cross. So instead of wiping out the soldiers who have come for him, he distracts them from hurting his disciples by asking, “Who is it you want?”
Food for Thought: What does it say about Jesus that he would put himself between his disciples and the attackers?
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Continue reading “Distractions – John 18: 4”
