The Hour of Darkness
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Key word: darkness
Consider that all of this that is about to happen is the result of spiritual darkness.
This is not psychological, emotional, or rational.
It is the fruit of darkness.
Spiritual darkness is the result of being handed over to lusts by God.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, both His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened.
“God gave them over”
24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.
26 For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions; for their females exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural,
28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to an unfit mind, to do those things which are not proper,
The power of being overtaken by ignorance, lusts, and sin is that God, Himself, judges you in your lifetime and He gives you over to your passions.
This is called “darkness.”
Judas - vv. 47-48
Peter - vv.49-50
Jesus - vv.51-53
The Hour of Darkness
The Hour of Darkness
47 While He was still speaking, behold, a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was coming ahead of them, and he approached Jesus to kiss Him. 48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49 And when those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50 And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus answered and said, “Stop! No more of this.” And He touched his ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders who had come against Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as against a robber? 53 “While I was with you daily in the temple, you did not stretch out your hands against Me, but this hour and the authority of darkness are yours.”
Judas
Judas
47 While He was still speaking, behold, a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was coming ahead of them, and he approached Jesus to kiss Him.
47 Ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος ἰδοὺ ὄχλος, καὶ ὁ λεγόμενος Ἰούδας εἷς τῶν δώδεκα προήρχετο αὐτοὺς καὶ ἤγγισεν τῷ Ἰησοῦ φιλῆσαι αὐτόν.
47 And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up, and with him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.” 49 And immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
43 And immediately while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, *came up, and with him was a crowd with swords and clubs, who were from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44 Now he who was betraying Him had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away under guard.” 45 And after coming, Judas, having immediately gone to Him, *said, “Rabbi!” and kissed Him. 46 And they laid hands on Him and seized Him.
John 12–21 (1) The Fateful Meeting in the Garden (18:1–3)
This fateful, final earthly meeting of Judas with Jesus is almost presented by John as a clash between good and evil, where the traitor knows and violates the sacred place of retreat for his blameless victim. Judas’s knowledge is clearly portrayed as the special knowledge of an insider who breaks a trust and shares that knowledge with the enemy. The violating enemy is represented by the “detachment” of soldiers, the “officials” of the high priests (pl.), and the Pharisees.
All of this evil, satanic, demonic plot built upon lies, slander, accusation, greed, covetousness, power, and godless pride, hidden behind a kiss of affection…and Jesus and Judas knew it.
“a crowd”
“a crowd”
Remember: Luke 23:14
14 and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found in this man no guilt of what you are accusing Him.
Who was in this crowd?
Judas
The slave of the high priest-v.50
Chief priests (plural!), officers of the temple, and elders - v. 52
Roman cohort (up to 500 men) -John 18:3
3 Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, *came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.
The “commander” John 18:12 = a leader of up to one thousand soldiers!
12 So the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him,
“the one called Judas, one of the twelve”
“the one called Judas, one of the twelve”
Apostasy from within the ranks of the twelve.
“…was coming ahead of them, and he approached Jesus to kiss Him.”
“…was coming ahead of them, and he approached Jesus to kiss Him.”
“…approached/was coming towards...” = very emphatic, and dramatic!
NOTE: Before this action from Judas, there was another event that happened.
4 So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and *said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He *said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. 6 So when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
The effect of Jesus’ words were such that the entire “crowd” were hit with the power of Christ, and they “fell to the ground.”
Such lying false religious piety.
And such is everyone who fakes submission to Jesus and is holding back their own interests.
Notice that this is exactly the issue with Peter!
48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
48 Ἰησοῦς δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Ἰούδα, φιλήματι τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδως;
A kiss can signify many things.
It depends on the motives.
45 “You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet.
6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.
“hand over/betray”
“hand over/betray”
Used mostly in the sense of betrayal (39/119).
Its most frequent referent is Judas.
“Judas, are you using an act of affection, friendship, and intimacy to signify your darkness?
“Judas, are you using an act of affection, friendship, and intimacy to signify your darkness?
Incredulous!
The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Chapter 12: Gethsemane
Combining the notices in the four Gospels, we thus picture to ourselves the succession of events. As the band reached the Garden, Judas went somewhat in advance of them, and reached Jesus just as He had roused the three and was preparing to go and meet His captors. He saluted Him, ‘Hail, Rabbi,’ so as to be heard by the rest, and not only kissed but covered Him with kisses, kissed Him repeatedly, loudly, effusively (κατεφίλησεν). The Saviour submitted to the indignity, not stopping, but only saying as He passed on: ‘Friend, that for which thou art here;’ 1 and then, perhaps in answer to his questioning gesture: ‘Judas, with a kiss deliverest thou up the Son of Man?’ If Judas had wished, by thus going in advance of the band and saluting the Master with a kiss, even now to act the hypocrite and deceive Jesus and the disciples, as if he had not come with the armed men, perhaps only to warn Him of their approach, what the Lord said must have reached his inmost being. Indeed, it was the first mortal shaft in the soul of Judas. The only time we again see him, till he goes on what ends in his self-destruction, is as he stands, as it were sheltering himself, with the armed men.
49 And immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
Judas dared even to approach Jesus, loudly, with a greeting.
What a fake.
Peter
Peter
49 And when those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?”
49 And when those around Him saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?”
NOTE: This is how we are.
We want to fight in order to fix what we think should not be happening.
When God’s sovereignty is at work, it is sin to resist and to attempt to change it into our favor.
Peter was told that these men should carry a sword.
Peter apparently had one.
He wanted to know if now was the time to use it.
He apparently didn’t quite understand what Jesus meant or even said.
This verse was written from Peter’s point of view.
Luke tells us what Peter was thinking and observing. Interesting.
He observed the cohort, the religious leaders, the commander, etc… and he saw Judas.
Notice he didn’t attempt to strike Judas.
But, he didn’t wait for Jesus’ response.
50 And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear.
50 καὶ ἐπάταξεν εἷς τις ἐξ αὐτῶν τοῦ ἀρχιερέως τὸν δοῦλον καὶ ἀφεῖλεν τὸ οὖς αὐτοῦ τὸ δεξιόν.
Here, Peter strikes out against the Romans and the religious leaders.
It is interesting that Peter begins with the high priest’s slave.
This slave would be a servant to the high priest.
Indicates that the high priest was not there, only the chief priests.
53 Then they led Jesus away to the high priest; and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes *gathered together.
That means that he was going to attack and kill the high priest first and work his way through the leaders.
NOTE: He did not attack Judas, and Judas was in front! Neither, did he attack the Romans.
We know it was Peter:
10 Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus.
What motivated Peter to do this?
37 Peter *said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.”
33 But Peter answered and said to Him, “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” 35 Peter *said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too.
33 And it happened that as they were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three booths: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not realizing what he was saying.
Peter had insisted that Jesus cannot die and that he would die in His place.
Here, he acts on that arrogant position and attempts to go to war with the Romans and the Jews.
NOTE: the physician Luke identifies that it was his “right ear” (Colossians 4:14
14 Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas.
Jesus
Jesus
51 But Jesus answered and said, “Stop! No more of this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.
51 ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν, Ἐᾶτε ἕως τούτου· καὶ ἁψάμενος τοῦ ὠτίου ἰάσατο αὐτόν.
“Jesus answered”
“Jesus answered”
Was there a question?
Peter had asked if they should strike with a sword? ( v.49).
Notice the plural pronoun, “we.”
Notice the plural command, “you all permit...”
“And He touched his ear, and healed him.”
“And He touched his ear, and healed him.”
“ἅπτω, [in LXX chiefly for נגע;] prop., to fasten to; hence, of fire, to kindle, light: Lk 8:16; 11:33; 15:8, Ac 28:2. Mid., c. gen., to fasten oneself to, cling to, lay hold of (so in π.; MM, s.v.): Mt 8:3, 15, Jo 20:17, al.; of carnal intercourse, 1 Co 7:1; with reference to levitical and ceremonial prohibitions, 2 Co 6:17, Col 2:21; of hostile action, 1 Jo 5:18 (cf. ἀν-, καθ-, περι-άπτω).
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1922), 56.
“and he healed him.”
“and he healed him.”
Jesus took the ear, fastened it to the head of the slave, healed the incision and the hearing altogether…all this in the viewing of the cohort and religious leaders.
Talk about darkness!
A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to St. Luke 22:1–23:56. The Preparation for the Passion
Lk. the physician alone records this solitary miracle of surgery. A complete restoration of the ear is meant and required. “He touched the ear,” not the place where the ear had been. Peter’s act had seemed to place Jesus in the wrong and to justify His enemies: He was shown to be the Leader of dangerous persons. To undo this result it was necessary to render Malchus uninjured, and to surrender without resistance. This confirms the interpretation given above of Ἐᾶτε ἕως τούτου: they are a public command to the disciples not to impede the arrest
ἐάω, -ῶ, [in LXX for רפה hi., etc.;] 1. to let, permit: c. acc., c. inf., c. acc. et inf. (M, Pr., 205): Mt 24:43, Lk 4:41; 22:51, Ac 14:16; 16:7; 19:30; 23:32; 27:32; 28:4, 1 Co 10:13. 2. to let alone, leave: ἀγκύρας, Ac 27:40 (cf. προσ-εάω).†
“Permit until this” = “allow your goodness to your enemies to even go this length.”
Jesus called Judas “friend.”
50 And Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him.
52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders who had come against Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as against a robber?
52 εἶπεν δὲ Ἰησοῦς πρὸς τοὺς παραγενομένους ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ στρατηγοὺς τοῦ ἱεροῦ καὶ πρεσβυτέρους, Ὡς ἐπὶ λῃστὴν ἐξήλθατε μετὰ μαχαιρῶν καὶ ξύλων;
Then Jesus addresses the crowd: “You come out here with clubs and swords as if I were a robber (who operates in secret)?
Their actions demonstrated their darkness.
53 “While I was with you daily in the temple, you did not stretch out your hands against Me, but this hour and the authority of darkness are yours.”
53 καθʼ ἡμέραν ὄντος μου μεθʼ ὑμῶν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ οὐκ ἐξετείνατε τὰς χεῖρας ἐπʼ ἐμέ, ἀλλʼ αὕτη ἐστὶν ὑμῶν ἡ ὥρα καὶ ἡ ἐξουσία τοῦ σκότους.
The final statement shows Jesus’ clarity of mind…it is the hour of the power of darkness to cover your eyes.
22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God did through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— 23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of lawless men and put Him to death.
The plan of God requires the blindness and darkness of the enemies of God.
They are guilty, but God uses their evil for good.
20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to do what has happened on this day, to keep many people alive.
Conclusion
Conclusion