A most revealing truth regarding the deity of the man Jesus Christ is revealed in John 18. Jesus has just agonized in prayer, sweating great drops of blood, in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas comes to betray Jesus with a detachment of Roman troops. Some believe it could have been 500-600 men. Either way, a large group of soldiers. Jesus asks them who they are seeking. They answer, “Jesus of Nazareth.” He answers with words and a phrase indicating who He was and the power and authority He walked in. He said “I Am He.” At that point all the soldiers, and Judas, fell to the ground. They could not stand in even the briefest presence of His authority being revealed.
This is often cited as the origin of the phrase “slain in the spirit.” No one could stand in the revealed presence of the Lord. John, the beloved disciple, the one who laid his head on Jesus’ breast, could not stand before His majesty and authority in Revelations 1:17. When John saw Jesus in all His power and majesty, he said “I fell at his feet as dead.” Yet the Roman soldiers and Judas still arrested Jesus after they got up. It seems incredulous that they could be this addled, but this was allowed.
From this most holy and fearful moment in time, the church used the phrase “slain in the spirit” to explain people falling under the power of the Holy Spirit, especially when the one ministering to people laid hands on them. At times, this phenomenon was quite powerful. People would be laid out for minutes to extended periods of time. They could experience extreme peace, to shaking, to heat, to trembling, to electricity coursing through their body. This was common and became an expected sign at many church meetings. People were delivered from great problems to physical healing. But after a while, some came more for the signs than for the presence of the Lord. Some even fell back to avoid having hands laid on them, and some did it out of expectation that this was what you were supposed to do. I’ve experienced this and know it was real. I’ve seen great signs and wonders during this, but it came to be misused. I’ve witnessed it being misused too often. And now it seems some of that Holy Spirit power that once seemed to be so present, has become infrequent in presence and power. Quite sad. When present, it’s glorious.
I feel what is most important to note is that all those soldiers and Judas were not ripped from their evil appointed task by sheer awareness of the presence of God. “I Am” was right before them. He touched them. Yet they continued on their hell-bent mission. And today we watch as so many who claim to know Jesus follow doctrines of demons. They have no problem with ignoring the poor or hating their neighbor. Of justifying one who sits in our oval office free and protected of crimes of sexual misconduct, lying, stealing, grifting, using the name of the Lord for his own interests, and covering up the crimes of pedophilia. We have His story before us to know the true path, yet so many follow the path of the evil one. And they do so while proudly wearing a cross. While loudly claiming to know Him.
The great “I Am” is coming soon. Many believers will spend Easter acknowledging what Jesus did. But many need to realize they’ve been following a different gospel. A Jesus of their own making. A gospel that will not stand when placed before Him. All will bow before Him. It’s best to do so now. While it is yet today do not harden your hearts or remain on a path that leads you away from His truth. Endeavor to enter His rest. To fall before Him in love and worship. He is worthy. Blessings.
Stand My Watch 