Introduction: No matter how many times I read it, it breaks my heart. It’s the passage about Jesus praying on the Mount of Olives and His betrayer Judas comes, kisses Him as a sign to the other conspirators, and Jesus is arrested. If one has a heart, this passage will break it.

This morning I was reading Luke’s account of these events (see Luke 22:39-53). It’s the last verse here upon which I focus in this piece. The last verse in Luke’s account reads like this: “When I [Jesus] was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness” (Luke 22:53, ESV).

The power of darkness. What interests me here is that Jesus, knowing all things, having told His disciples that He would be betrayed into the hands of sinners, having predicted His resurrection, still, amidst all of this, reminded them of what was unfolding in precise fulfillment of the Scriptures. Precise.

Right before Jesus says this, Luke records the following:

And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? (Luke 22:44-52, ESV)

It is all part of the plan. No detail is insignificant. Jesus’s prayers were evidenced via their resulting sweat being like blood. His disciples were sleeping, again. Then the crowd comes, and Judas’ role is playing out. Judas is responsible for his behavior, his betrayal, his damnation. Judas kisses the Lord Jesus. World history changes. The Holy One allows Himself to be arrested and mocked at the hands of wicked men. Holiness condescends to sin, allowing sin to run its course, as part of God judging it for the sake of His people.

It is, as Jesus says, your hour, “and the power of darkness.” But here’s the great encouragement, dear reader: A new hour was coming shortly, that even the power of darkness could not contain. You see, here’s what I mean: Light was coming, and the darkness cannot contain or overcome it.