Descending Darkness

Jesus instituted the Lord’s supper, a memorial to last until he returns. At the same time, Judas was plotting betrayal, the religious plotting murder and the disciples were arguing over who was the greatest. What a strange evening it had been so far, and it hadn’t even really begun.

Luke 22:31-32

It’s quite possible Peter was boasting loudest of being the greatest when Jesus told him what was about to happen. We know this was a significant even to all the disciples when we see all four gospel accounts have the account. The repetition of Simon’s name is a call to attention and adds intensity. Jesus was aware that Satan had made a request. It’s worth noting that Satan could do nothing by himself, he could only precede with his plans with permission (see also Job 1:8-12). The word for ‘sifting’ was only used here in the Greek. It is the idea of passing through a sieve to separate the course parts from the fine. It was a Hebrew idiom meaning Satan wanted to ‘pick Peter apart’. Satan wants to destroy his faith. Peter was given an assignment to strengthen his brothers when he returned. The statement implied Peter was going somewhere but that he would, in fact, return.

Luke 22:33-34

Was Peter concerned? Did this talk about Satan wanting a crack at him concern him at all? Certainly, no man is a match for Satan. Peter was among those boasting how great they were. Now, with the attention of all, and before the Master, he could state his boast and loyalty. Peter was ready to follow Jesus to imprisonment and death. And I believe Peter, that’s what he thought of himself. It’s easy to say outside of persecution, however, when we are threatened, we act differently. We say, and do, and react without thought. Peter was about to find something out about himself. These next few hours of his life were the ingredients to break a man, so that God could remake him. Profound change was coming and it would come through difficulty.

Matthew and Mark record the Lord’s prediction that all the disciples would fall away:

All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:

‘I will strike the Shepherd,

And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ (Matthew 26:31)

The thoughts of who was greatest must have suddenly been far from their minds. After speaking of all of them, he turned to Peter and predicted his denials. Peter could not imagine such a scenario in which he would do this thing. It wasn’t just one denial, but three, all before the crow of the rooster. I wonder if Peter was embarrassed at such a prediction in the presence of the others.

Luke 22:35-38

Jesus continued to prepare the disciples for His arrest. This passage is unique to Luke. Jesus asked this question as a means of reminding them of how they were cared for when on mission for the Lord. They were sent to share the good news of the Kingdom of God. They went without money, knapsack or sandals. Yet, they didn’t find themselves in need. The ‘but now’ statement marks the transition to a new time. Now, they were to take money, knapsack and buy a sword. They were entering a difficult time. The sword wasn’t to fight offensively, but to defend themselves from robbers.

Jesus quotes Isaiah 53:12 as part of what must be accomplished in Him. ‘The things concerning Me has an end” sounds so final and complete. Jesus is likely referring to his arrest and the path leading to the cross. But ‘the end’ was the fulfillment of scripture and was the completion of the work for which He came.

The disciples mistake the words of Jesus as a call to arm themselves for conflict. How could two swords be enough? They certainly wouldn’t take any earthly throne. The swords would however be enough to establish the charge of insurrection and solidify His arrest. We know Peter had the one sword. Where was the other? We don’t know. However, as competitive as Peter and John were, I can imagine John having the other.

Luke 22:39-40

Jesus came out from the upper room. The work there was done, that room would be forever remembered. Jesus went to the Mount of Olives to pray and ultimately be arrested. It was His custom to go there. It was an olive grove, across the Kidron, it was peaceful and beautiful. The actual location has been lost over time. From the mount of Olives, one could look across the city and temple from the mount. What a sight it must have been to see a mob carrying torches snake its way toward them.

Arriving at the particular place, Jesus told the disciples to pray that they not enter into temptation. I wonder if the thought of Satan sifting them passed through their thoughts. We pray ‘lead us not into temptation ‘as part of what we call the Lord’s prayer. Kidron means dark and murky. This place was called Gethsemane, as named by the other apostles. A gethsemane was an oil press; a place of crushing the olives to retrieve the oil. This night was dark and murky for spiritual reasons. This night, Gethsemane would crush men, and particularly the Son of God.

Luke 22:41-44

What Jesus was entering into had to be entered into alone. He went away from them, knelt and prayed. He was praying the Father’s will and praying for obedience. The flesh of man works hard to preserve itself. Was there another way? If there was Jesus didn’t have to die. If one could be ‘good enough’ on their own, Jesus didn’t have to die. If we could do enough good things to erase our bad, then Jesus didn’t have to die. However, we know that we are sin-fallen through and through. There was no other way. The cup of God’s wrath was about to be poured out on Him.

Jesus prayed that the Father’s will be done. We know Jesus is the second person of the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit). Jesus is God as the Father is God, as the Holy Spirit is God. While they are One God, they are three different and distinct persons. We see Jesus has a will and the Father has a will. Jesus prays, submitting to the Father’s will. Jesus’ will, first and foremost, was to do the will of the Father.

And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. (1 Cor. 15:45)

It was in a garden the first Adam rebelled against God, sinning and plunging all of mankind into a separation from God. It was, likewise, in a garden that the second Adam, submitted to the will of the father on behalf of all mankind and made a way for all to be restored to Him.

Verse 43 speaks of an angel coming to minister to the Lord and strengthen Him. He prayed more earnestly and His sweat came like drops of blood. These two verses were missing form the earliest manuscripts. It is thought they were added to support the oral tradition of the early church.

We know angels came and ministered to Jesus after the He was tempted in the wilderness. This is a similar situation, the flesh is week, but His Spirit is all powerful. The burden of all the sin of mankind was before Him; it was an awful load, ugly and still growing. Medical experts say there is a medical condition in which the extreme stress of a situation could cause the rupture of small blood vessels and cause tiny drops of blood as if it were sweat. His sweat was like great drops of blood; just how much like blood, we don’t know. We do know it was precious and it was for us. Jesus was in agony and this caused Him to pray even more.

Dr. George Morrison said, “Every life has its Gethsemane, and every Gethsemane has its angel.”

Luke 22:45-46

Lifting Himself from the burden and agony that was coming upon must have been awful. To add to this burden, He found His disciples were asleep. They had succumbed to the weakness of their flesh. Only Luke adds they were sleeping from sorrow. There would be time for sleeping soon. It was time to pray, to be on guard from temptation.

Luke 22:47-53

The sight of Judas coming with a multitude of soldiers was probably a sight the disciples never forgot. The text points out that Judas was one of the twelve. This accentuates the treachery and betrayal that was happening. He came to his master, much like he’d always done, and was going to kiss him with a normal greeting. However, it wasn’t a normal greeting. It was the sign.’ Jesus made it as clear as possible for Judas with His question. The ‘Son of Man’ was a messianic title. Judas was about to betray him with an act of friendship and love.

6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend,

But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. (Prov 27:6)

It must have been a tense moment as this multitude approached in the dark of night. They approached Jesus like a mob with swords and clubs. They brought plenty of help, treating Him and this band of disciples as if they were insurrectionists. As far as we know, there were only two swords among the twelve. It appears one discipled asked Jesus if they should draw the sword while Peter was already swinging. We don’t know what he was swinging at, but he cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. The other gospel accounts fill in a few details. Jesus said He could pray and the Father would send 12 legions of angels. Think about that! Here Peter thought he and another were going to take on a multitude of trained soldiers. Those who live by the sword would die by it. Jesus said. All this had to happen.

Peter struck this man in the head with a sword. He was a hairsbreadth of killing this man. It may be the sword got the attention of Malchus, of seeing his blood, of pain. But His heart must have been touched when Jesus healed him. Malchus may have only seen Jesus at a distance or heard rumors of Him. He was a soldier following orders, but he experienced a moment he would never forget. The Son of God made him whole again. He’d never had an enemy show love. He didn’t know what grace was until that moment. Jesus loved those who counted Him as an enemy.

Jesus did chide the leaders of this mob for their timing, tweaking their conscience and hinting at their hypocrisy. They chose to arrest Him in a secluded place, in the dark of night, instead of the temple where he taught every day. This late hour was their hour. In my younger years, I remember my mom telling me to be home at a reasonable hour because nothing good happens after midnight. This is the same idea. It’s the idea that the powers of darkness own the night and work their evil in the hearts of men to steal, kill and destroy. They were seeking to kill, to do the work of the devil. It was their hour.

Luke 22:54-62

Jesus was brough first to the house of Annas, the High Priest. Annas is called the high priest, but in another gospel (Matt 26:57), Caiaphas is called the high priest and presides over this. Caiaphas is the son-in-law of Annas who made him high priest for politics, power and political favor. Annas may have been viewed as the legitimate High priest in the eyes of the Sanhedrin.

Peter followed at a distance, already putting space between himself and Jesus. We can criticize Peter, but the others ran away, one ran away naked (Mark 14:51). Since Mark was the only one who wrote about this, it may have been information only he had since it was him. We can’t be sure, but it makes sense. They settled in the courtyard, apparently to await the high priest and maybe others and likely to await daylight. boasted of the being the greatest of followers. But now, he denied even knowing Him. Strike one, without a thought.

A short time later, another identified him as a disciple. Again, Peter denied it. Strike two. The only consideration was self-preservation. Peter was making sure he wasn’t arrested. He couldn’t help Jesus if he was arrested also. Peter was probably trying to figure out how to look a little less Galilean when a man ‘confidently affirmed’ who he was. Then, strike three. It happened so quick. The denial was still on his lips when the Lord turned and looked right at Him as the rooster crowed. That crushed Peter.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,

A broken and a contrite heart—

These, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:17)

This denial of Jesus is one of the main things we remember about Peter. However, as the denial was foretold, so was the restoration and a call to restore others. History says that later in life when Peter preached, there was nearly always someone in the background crowing like a rooster. The world would not let him forget the worst day of his life. While we analyze the denial of Peter, let’s not forget where the other disciples were. They had run away. Where do you suppose you would be? We are living in days where we may get the opportunity to confess or deny Christ before a hostile crowd. What will you do?

Luke 22:63-65

Jesus had predicted the mocking and beating. They say it wasn’t unusual for soldiers to treat a criminal this way prior to execution. However, Jewish law protected the accused from this kind of action. It shows the darkness of night. These soldiers were likely temple guard, yet acting like brute beast. They were holding the criminal; yet they were criminal in their actions toward an innocent man. When the accused has no friends, no representation of any kind, it seems those sent to do the dirty work of the wicked accusers had taken on their attitude of wickedness.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. (John 1:10-11)

The soldiers liked to play their game of whodunnit. They blindfolded Him and struck Him and mockingly told Him to prophesy and tell who hit Him. Luke adds there were many other blasphemous things they said and did. I wonder who these men were and what made them so full of hate. I wonder if they had a wife and family. I wonder if they heard of the resurrection or if they saw Jesus. I wonder if they were forgiven these sins before they died. We all have things in our life we wish we could take back or undo, but nothing to this degree.

Luke 22:66-71

An official trial could not happen until the sun came up. They may do some of their dirty work in the dark of night but the Sanhedrin still did business in the light of day, proving there were still God-fearing Jews on the council. Jesus knew they would not believe Him. He had already revealed their hard hearts and dark intentions. The ring leaders had plotted this murder. Any appearance of a fair trial is strictly for show.

Jesus had six trials. He first went before Annas, the former high priests who sent Him to Caiaphas. Then He went before the Sanhedrin where He was found guilty. However, they had limited authority and could not kill a man. So, they sent Jesus to Pilate. He deferred to Herod, who sent Him back to Pilate. All the leaders reveal a fear of Jesus they would never admit to. Each hating Him, not understanding why, but not wanting to deal with Him.

Jesus said the Son of Man will sit at the right hand of God. This is the seat of authority and supreme honor. They asked and Jesus answered. They got Him to admit it. They were proud, it wasn’t hard at all, there was no need for further discussion. He was guilty of blasphemy. He needed to die. They never even considered Jesus’ words. He said, “You rightly say that I am.” The original would be closer to, “You declare I AM!” In their fulfillment of prophecy and their actions to mock, beat and condemn Him, they are inadvertently testifying to His identity. The ‘I AM” points back to the burning bush when the Lord spoke to Moses and said to tell the people I AM that I AM. He was the eternal, self-existent One, like no other, reliant on no one. It was nearly done. The cross drew ever near.

©2020 Doug Ford