Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,”
Parallel translations
- WEB Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If therefore you seek me, let these go their way,”
- KJV Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way:
- BSB “I told you that I am He,” Jesus replied. “So if you are looking for Me, let these men go.”
- NASB Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so if you are seeking Me, let these men go on their way.”
- NLT “I told you that I Am he,” Jesus said. “And since I am the one you want, let these others go.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus identifies himself again and asks that his disciples be let go. He protects his followers even as he is arrested.
Overview
Jesus reaffirms 'I am he' and intercedes for his disciples' release, putting himself forward so they may go free. This act of self-sacrificing care embodies the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep (10:11). It is a vivid picture of substitution: he is taken so that his own may be spared.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- John 10:28I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
- John 13:1Now before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his time had come that he would depart from this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
- 2 Cor 12:9He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.
- John 16:32Behold, the time is coming, yes, and has now come, that you will be scattered, everyone to his own place, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
- Mark 14:50–52They all left him, and fled.
- 1 Pet 5:7casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.
- Matt 26:56But all this has happened, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him, and fled.
- 1 Cor 10:13No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
- Eph 5:25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the assembly, and gave himself up for it;
- John 13:36Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you can’t follow now, but you will follow afterwards.”
- Isa 53:6All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 18:8 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.