Never Noticed This Before

Reason #859 to keep reading your Bible: You continually find stuff you missed, even in the most obvious of places.

I mean, I'm a Southern Baptist preacher/former youth minister. How many times would you guess I've taught the stories of the Passion Week? (I'm not even going to try & count.) Still, this morning in my quiet time, a bit of journal reading from John Eldredge (the Wild At Heart Journal) sent me to this account of the Garden of Gethsemane:

Then Jesus, knowing everything that was about to happen to Him, went out and said to them, "Who is it you're looking for?"

"Jesus the Nazarene," they answered.

"I am He," Jesus told them.

Judas, who betrayed Him, was also standing with them. When He told them, "I am He," they stepped back and fell to the ground. John 18:4-6 (Holman Christian Standard Version)

They what?! Fell to the ground? Why have I never noticed this before? A bunch of armed men go after Jesus, and when they find him, they can't stand up to the unarmed prophet/rabbi. Wild. (And then, Jesus goes with them without a fight. Double wild.)

So, I'm trying to go through the rest of today with that image locked into my short-term memory: Jesus, whose mere words cause those arresting Him to fall out in fear. That's the God I follow... one who made an impact on those around.

Prayer for the day: God, help me make an impact through your power.