Whom Do You Seek....

Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, "Whom do you seek?" They answered him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am he." Judas, who betrayed his standing with them. When Jesus said to them, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground.
So he asked them again, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth."
Jesus answered, "I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go." This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: "Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one." (John 18:4-9ESV)

Even though I have read through this passage multiple times, I never realized consciously the underlying reason Jesus asked them, Whom do you seek?  He said it to fulfill Scripture, but He also said it protect His disciples...to prevent them from being arrested.  He forced the soldiers to acknowledge that they had no authority to take His disciples. He punctuated that acknowledgement with a display of His power using the ancient name of God. I AM.  He said it to fulfill His promise to them and His Father.

And this is the will of Him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given me, but raise it up on the last day. (John 6:39, ESV)

Psalm 103 says

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.  For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.  (Psalms 103:13-14 ESV)

Jesus knew that His disciples faith was weak and that being arrested, imprisoned or executed was more than they could bear.  He made sure that this did not happen. I am thankful that my God knows my frame...that I am weak.  I am thankful that He will never allow me to temped in ways that are beyond what I or my faith can bear.  He always will provide for me a way of escape.  (1 Cor 10:13). I am eternally secure...kept by my God and under His divine protection.   Truly, He loved them...He loved us to the end...to perfection.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-39 ESV)