What Happened in the Dark?

N.T.#649 "What Happened in the Dark?"

Oct. 10, 2025 

Luke 22-Part 6 

LET IT GLOW

A lot of things took place in the Garden of Gethsemane:

• Jesus prayed at least 3 hours, according to Matthew 26:37-46; a 3-hour prayer meeting between Jesus and God, Father and Son.
• He sought help of His 3 prayer warriors 3 times within 3 hours, but they slept instead.
• While Jesus prayed, the men dozed, an army encircled the garden in the dark.
• During that time, an angel strengthened Jesus.
• Jesus' agony was evident as His sweat was as blood dripping from His forehead.(verse 44)
• Then Judas greets Jesus with a betrayal kiss, probably on the cheek, as he identified the Son of man, saying, Hail master."(verse 48) 
• Jesus questioned Judas about this, as if to say, "Why are you betraying the Son of man with a kiss?" Then they laid hands on Jesus and took him.
• Two of the disciples had swords (verse38). One asked the Lord if they should use them. Jesus didn't answer, but Peter used one, slicing a right ear of the high priest's servant. Had Peter not missed his aim of cutting the man's head off, he would have been tried for murder and kill. Peter would not have been alive to preach the Gospel on the day of Pentecost, where 3,000 got saved.
• Jesus touched the man's ear and healed him.

LET IT GROW

Do you think it was a burdensome time for the Messiah to pray alone, be betrayed by His own, and captured by the religious group using Roman soldiers?

Jesus was treated like a thief with His captures having swords and staves. Jesus pointed out to the Jewish religious leaders that they had not come against Him in the Temple that way. Was He a dangerous revolutionary that they needed such weapons to arrest Him?

Jesus told His captures that was their hour and the power of darkness, too. (verse 53)

They took Jesus to the high priest's house, up a hill.

Peter followed from afar, and by a fire (slang far) he first denied being with Jesus. (This was the first of Peter's 3 denials of any association with Jesus.)

So much took place in the dark as darkness began attacking our Savior. This was illegal in the courts. Had their charges been legal, they would have had no problem seizing Jesus in the daytime in the Temple. The forces of evil was at work and the plan unfolded.

Do we recognize the strength Jesus got in His prayer time? What about us? Is prayer important to us?

LET IT GO

O what a Savior! Isn't He wonderful!

So much You endured because You love us sinners!