Have you ever heard words that simply bowled you over?  They come at you like a sixteen pound ball racing down that hard wood alley quickly getting closer and closer until it hits just in the right spot and then there’s that burst of noise as the ball collides with the pins and they scatter everywhere.

            Once the impact has been made you pick yourself up and how you feel after that depends on how you have received those words.  If they have been absorbed and imbedded into your life you will get up feeling perhaps a bit weak but good that you have heard something that will make a difference in you.  On the other hand, if you have been offended by them you may pick yourself up ready to fight back.

            One has said that the pen is mightier than the sword, and how true that statement is.  With the pen we write words.  Words may not physically cut us and make us bleed out like a sword does, but words can make a profound impact on our lives changing us forever, either for the good or the bad, depending on what has been said, and how we have received it.

            In John 18 we read the story of Judas coming with the rag-tag temple soldiers to take Jesus.  They seemed prepared for a fight.  They were ready to do battle in order to capture this man.  The only one on Jesus’ side who actually struck a blow was Peter.  For some reason he had a sword.  He drew it and swung it cutting off the ear of a man by the name of Malchus.  We are told that Jesus picked up the ear and restored it to the man then told Peter to put his sword up.  There was to be no fight.  Besides, the way Peter swung that sword, going up against even a rag-tag team like the temple soldiers would have proven disastrous.

            Instead the Bible records in John 18 that Jesus asked them, “Who are you looking for?”  They responded, “Jesus of Nazareth.”  In most of our translations it is written that Jesus answered, “I am he.”  But if you’ll look closely the word “he” is in italics which meant that it was added by the translators for clarity.  What Jesus really said was “I AM.”  The Bible tells us that Jesus spoke these words with such authority and power that all those soldiers along with Judas, the priests, and their entire company, fell down backwards.  They stumbled back and fell to the ground.  In two words, had they been looking for a physical fight, Jesus would have already defeated them.  But He wasn’t trying to win a battle to decide whether they would take Him or not.  He was ready to go to fulfill His mission. 

            What He was really telling them was “You are looking at the I AM – The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the God who powerfully led the people of Israel out of Egypt with a mighty hand.  I AM – I am becoming the fulfillment of all the promises of God to all on the earth who will accept them.  I AM becoming the Savior of the world.  I AM becoming the conqueror of death and hell.  I AM becoming the victor over the grave.  I AM becoming the redeemer who will restore this world back to what God wanted it to be.  I AM becoming all things to all men and I AM becoming the way to eternal life with God.

            When you look at those two words in that light it would be enough to knock anyone off their feet.  Jesus was the I AM then and He’s still the I AM.  What He was preparing to do by willingly yield His life at that point in time is yet being fulfilled today.  He still wants to be the I AM for each of us in all of those things.  He is freshly becoming these things to all who will turn to Him and acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior.

            That’s enough to sweep you off your feet isn’t it?  He is the I AM!

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.?  Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.