3. Luke 22.39-23.25

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In many cities, there’s a different world that only comes alive after midnight.

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Offices are empty, streets are quiet, most folk are asleep. But not everything stops.

Deals are made at night time… for drugs, for contraband… that wouldn’t by done in the cold light of day.

Messages are written and (thoughtlessly) sent that people would never dare compose in daylight. Darkness feels like cover. It gives the illusion that what is done there won’t be seen, won’t be questioned, won’t matter in the morning.

We associate darkness with secrecy. When we don’t want to be seen, we dim the lights.

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And then you come to this passage in Luke.

Key events happens at night.

Jesus goes out to pray in the dark.

A crowd comes to arrest Him in the dark.

A disciple betrays Him and another denies him… in the dark…

False accusations are shaped and sharpened in the dark…

Jesus can even say (to the mob that arrives to arrest him - v53) - Lk 22.53

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Luke 22:53 NIV

…this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”

But even when morning comes… and the cold light of day floods in… (chapter 23) already the die is cast…

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It is a chapter full of deeds done in darkness.

And yet—none of it is hidden.Because what happens in the dark is still fully seen by God. More than that—God is already at work in that very darkness.

“Luke 22 shows us not just what people do in the dark—but what God is doing in the dark at the very same time.”

We see dark deeds… but also divine plans. Those are our two headings - we have a LOT of ground to cover this morning so lets get going… firstly then…

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1. Dark Deeds

The first moment of darkness for Jesus is there on the mount of Olives it’s his DISTRESS.

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The Distress

V39 SLIDE

Luke 22:39–40 NIV

Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”

Remember the recent theme from last week? Satan is wanting to sift the disciples.. to tempt and to test them. Trouble is coming ahead… the disciples need to PRAY. Temptation is a serious business.

Do we think of temptation like that? O r have you become so used to the idea that ‘Oh God will forgive me’ that you treat temptation and sin so lightly? - Jesus says PRAY… it’s urgent.

It’s part of the Lord’s Prayer too ‘lead us not into temptation, but deliver s from evil’ - is this part of your regular prayer life? The disciples struggle to pray this way (that’s v46) - do we?

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Read on now…. Jesus own deep distress becomes clear. V41 SLIDE

Luke 22:41–42 NIV

He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

Two things are clear - the deep distress of Jesus - v44 calls it the ANGUISH - and this is the only place in the New Testament that strong word for ANGUISH or AGONY is used…

This is so striking. As Jesus now faces his death on the cross he is in agony at the prospect. The question is WHY?

Jesus has faced opposition and persecution with calmness and authority.

We tend to praise people who face their own death with the same calmness.

Most famous of all is SLIDE Socrates… you might know the story he is forced to drink his cup of hemlock and he does so with stoic calmness - he sets the tone.

Even Christian martyrs of later centuries do the same. Famously when those two great reformers of the church SLIDE Latimer and Ridley are burned at the stake by Queen Mary, Hugh Latimer is reported to have said…

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‘Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle by God’s grace in England as shall never be put out’

So here’s the question… if followers of Jesus faced death calmly, why is Jesus in aguish over the prospect.

The answer can only be that Jesus is facing something greater than death. And you can tell that from the words he uses… v42 “take this CUP” from me. Why does he call the cross a CUP? Because time and again in teh Scriptures a CUP represents God’s WRATH and Judgement. For example Isaiah 51.17

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Isaiah 51:17 NIV

Awake, awake! Rise up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes people stagger.

Jesus is facing, not merely death… but the wrath of God poured out upon the sins of the world. No wonder Jesus staggers in the garden.

AND YET… he prays “not my will but yours” be done. He goes willingly to the cross for us.

SO there’s the distress. Next in the drama comes…

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The Detention

Read on - v47 SLIDE

Luke 22:47–48 NIV

While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

Betrayal by one so close.

The disciples are non too happy and so they who out the swords (remember the swords from last week\s passage?) And an ear is sliced off.

It’s clear (if you cast an eye at v52) that it’s an armed mob who have come to arrest Jesus… and so the disciples respond in kind with force…

But later on before his accusers… who will sledge he’s raising a rebellion… he will say “my Kingdom is not of this world”… indeed he has already impressed upon his followers that the leadership they exercise is NOT to look like worldly power… and so Jesus puts s quick stop to their violence and heals the guy’s ear.

And so Jesus is seized (v54), arrested - detained.

So the distress… the detention…. Next (famously)…

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The Denial

Read on… v54… SLIDE

Luke 22:54 NIV

Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance.

That, I think is to Peter’s credit… we’re not told that any of the other disciples follow, presumably they melt away in fear, into the night. But Peter follows his master…. After all he has just VERY CONFIDENTLY declared that he is read to go to prison and even to death for his Lord. All of which, of course, is about to crumble. Read on, v55

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Luke 22:55–57 NIV

And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.

It’s hardly a high powered audience… a servant girl challenges him. And he crumbles. “I don’t know him…”

A little later someone else makes the same accusation - you are one of THEM… “Man, I am not” (v58).

And about an hour later another asserted “certainly this fellow was with him, for his Galilean” - Peter’s northern accent has, perhaps given him away. And so then, grasping for straws, he gives his strongest denial yet… v60

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Luke 22:60 NIV

Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.

And then… v62

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Luke 22:62 NIV

And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Jesus sees and knows Peter’s sin. And Peter’s conscience it greatly moved. He weeps bitterly over his sin.

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Do we?

Is you conscience sensitive in this way? When we know, when we sense our own sinfulness, do we suppress that sense? Do we tell ourselves the sweet little lies - ‘anyone else would have done the same’… ‘it’s not really my fault…’, ‘I was under pressure…’ It’s really someone else who caused it…’, ‘Oh and if I was in the wrong, it’s not that serious….’

Is that us? Or do we think soberly, and weep bitterly over our sin?

The Distress, the detention (arrest), the denial… next…

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The Derision

V63 SLIDE

Luke 22:63–65 NIV

The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” And they said many other insulting things to him.

When it comes to Jesus… around his arrest and (;after) around the cross - we see all the world’ different responses to Jesus.

Some are hostile toward him - like the religious elite they see him as a threat.

Some deny him - like Peter being connected to Jesus becomes inconvenient.

Some just mock… Jesus is a figure of fun “prophesy - who hit you?!” They mock…

Whilst the soldiers mock, more powerful figures are plotting. Now we reach the so called trial - the decision to crucify the Lord of life. That’s our next point…

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The Decision

There are two basic stages of Jesus’ trial - he comes before the Jewish religious authorities… and then before the Roman.

First…

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The Jewish Authorities

read on v66 Lk 22.66 SLIDE

Luke 22:66 NIV

At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them.

This council is the Sanhedrin. The full Sanhedrin was a council of 71 men… Priests, Scribes (that is religious lawyers trained in theology and philosophy - including some Pharisees), and elders from among the people. It wielded some power, but not total control - the Roman’s held that.

It was not lawful for the Sanhedrin to conduct its business at night… though there is little doubt that the foregone conclusion - finding Jesus guilty - has been cooked up over night… this meeting (at daybreak - most likely the earliest possible, legal time to meet) is convened to rubber stamp the conclusion. There’s questions are meant to investigate, but to trap Jesus in his words. V67

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Luke 22:67–68 NIV

“If you are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer.

You might ask (by the way) why is Jesus SO illusive in the answers at his trial? It seems he won’t give a straight answer to the Jewish authorities - likewise we’ll see in a moment, he is similarly illusive before Pilate… and before Herod he won’t speak at all. Is it that Jesus is suddenly unsure of his own identity? Well, no.. two reasons, I think, for his reluctance.

Firstly because thee are not real questions, and this is not a proper trial. Why engage in questions which are only meant to trick and to trap. These are not straight questions and don’t deserve to be dignified with straight answers.

The second reason though is, I think to do with language. Here they are is he the Messiah (the Christ). The fact is all throughout the Gospels people have misunderstood what it MEANS for Jesus to be Messiah… they imagine this is a political leader, or a military commander, but Jesus has stressed his Kingdom is not of and is not like the powers of this world.

And so, at one level if the question is ‘Jesus are you a Messiah like that…’ the answer is NO. And yet of course the straightforward answer to are you the Messiah… is YES.

But it is not worth - as Jesus says here - it is not worth him asking them what they mean by Messiah, and showing them - from their own scriptures that he IS the Messiah but not as they imagine… it’s not worth that dialogue because they are not listening… he is a blasphemer and they want hi gone.

And so the answer Jesus gives next seals his fate… v69

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Luke 22:69 NIV

But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”

The allusion here (as the Sanhedrin well know) is Daniel chapter 7 - the Son of Man is a divine figure at the right hand of God. Hence their very next question…

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Luke 22:70 NIV

They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You say that I am.”

Why the illusive response? Well again because they won’t believe him whatever he says… and their understanding of that phrase and all its implications may be very different to his.

But the die is cast… this is blasphemy… he must die for this. But there is a problem. They have no authority to take this forward… they must involve the Roman powers.. but there’s a further problem - the Roman powers are unlikely to be moved by an accusation of Jewish blasphemy - what do the Romans care about that? And so a new tack must be taken… new allegations fabricated.

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The Roman Authorities

Read on now chapter 23 verse 1… Luke 23.1-2

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Luke 23:1–2 NIV

Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”

Three new (or shall we say ‘adjusted’ charges) designed to appeal to Rome… to show this guy isn’t just a religious blasphemer but a political danger.

He’s involved in sedition - raising a rebellion they say (not true!)

He opposed taxes to Ceasar they claim (again not true, it’s actually the opposite)

He claims to be a King, the allege (again not true, at least not in the political sense - he is leading no political rebellion).

And here’s the thing… Pilate (the Roman Governor) knows it - v4

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Luke 23:4 NIV

Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”

So Pilate is in a bind.. he doesn’t want anyting to do with this. But on hearing (v5) that Jesus is from Galilee… he pounces on his ‘get-out’clause’.

If Jesus is from Galilee… he’s under Herod’s jurisdiction - and Herod just so happens to be in town, becuase of the passover festival. And so Jesus is punted off to Herod. AND (v8)

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Luke 23:8–9 NIV

8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. 9 He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer.

Herod wants Jesus as his play-thing… do a trick… perform a sign…

But Jesus will not even speak to him.

There’s a warning here too for us (again, we see every imaginable reaction to Jesus - in the people who meet him around his trial and execution… and we’re being invited to see if we see ourselves in these various individuals).

Herod wants to hear Jesus teaching… he wouldn’t mind a miracle or two… but he has no serious interest in Jesus. He DOESN’T take him seriously.

RIFF - Again - is that you? - like to hear teaching… amuses you, interests you… a miracle would be nice… but you’re not willing to orient your life around Jesus.

And so Herod punts Jesus back to Pilate. And what follows is essenrtially the Roman governor trying to make the problem go away. Jesus is clearly innocent.. but the Sanhedrin clearly won’t give him any peace until Jesus is killed.

Listen to how one commentator sums this up….

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Gospels make it plain that he tried hard to avoid making a decision. He started by trying to get the Jews to deal with the whole matter themselves (John 18:31). Later he sent Jesus to Herod (7). He attempted to get the Jews to accept Jesus as the prisoner to be released at Passover (Mark 15:6), and he offered to beat Jesus and release him (16). But in the end he could not avoid making the fateful decision. LEON MORRIS

RIFF - again, do you see yourself here?

This is a passage full of dark deeds… of deeds in the darkness. But in case you think Jesus is at the mercy of dark forces. It’s also, simultaneously a chapter full of…

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2. Divine Plans

Who is really in charge here? At one level it absolutey does NOT look like Jesus… he is arrested, he is detained, his disciples one by one betray, or abandon or deny him, he’s carted around from pillar to post, from one rulign authority to another… he LOOKS like the powerless and not the powerFUL here.

But to think that would be to miss the point entirely.

Jesus commands non-violence and non-resistance… (swords in the garden)

Jesus submits to the will of his father… (in the garden)

Jesus correctly predicts Peter’s denial…

Jesus rises above the pass times of powerful men - Hereod and his ‘miracle’…

At one level it is the vehement accusations of the Sanhedrin that make Pilate (the powerful governor) go against his every instinct and sentence Jesus to death - at one level that’s true, but at another level a deeper level - a hidden hand is at work

Jesus defines his terms… he will not answer questions as they want, he is not a Messiah in THEIR imagine, as they imagine it.

Jesus will go ‘as it has been decreed’… remember Lk 22.22 SLIDE

Luke 22:22 NIV

22 The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed…

Even in BARABBAS God is at work - painting a picture of the gospel…

Commenting on Barabbas, one preacher wrote,

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“He was the only man in the world who could say that Jesus Christ took his physical place. But I can say that Jesus Christ took my spiritual place. For it was I who deserved to die. It was I who deserved that the wrath of God should be poured on me. I deserved the eternal punishment of the lake of fire. He was delivered up for my offenses. He was handed over to judgment because of my sins…. Christ was my substitute. He was satisfying the debt of divine justice and holiness. That is why I say that Christianity can be expressed in the three phrases: I deserved hell; Jesus took my hell; there is nothing left for me but His heaven DONALD GREY BARNHOUSE

So Christ will go to his cross…. but not because the dark powers scheme (although they do), and not because the civic authorities are spineless (although they are), and not be accident but by design…. God’s design. in our place, to the cross, for our sake and our salvation.

Let’s Pray