Luke 21-22: This Hour and the Power of Darkness

I don't think I've ever ruminated over this phrase in Luke 22:53. When the crowd came to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane He said these words: "This hour and the power of darkness are yours."

Jesus had been teaching publicly in the temple all week long, but they didn't come against Him in the temple for fear of the people. The people loved Jesus and His teaching. So these degenerate leaders took the coward's way and arrested Him under cover of darkness in the middle of the night. Jesus could have started a battle between His disciples and this small band of soldiers. Peter, at least, was ready to start swinging. But Jesus did not come to start a war. He came to die. He had to go with these men.

In His statement, "This hour and the power of darkness are yours," doesn't He speak as if He is GRANTING them this hour? It's like He's saying, "I'll go with you now; I'll let you take Me."

How dark were the hearts of men at this hour! They were like those wicked vineyard keepers (Luke 20:9-18) who killed the servants of the land-owner. Now they saw the Son coming, and they conspired to kill Him so the vineyard would be theirs. What do you think the land-owner (the Father) would do with these men? The answer Jesus gave in His parable was: "He will come and destroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others" (Luke 20:16). He would depose the Jews from being God's exclusive "special people." He would give that right to any who would believe in His Son - these would become "spiritual Israel."

But the great thing about the mercy of God is THIS HOUR would pass, and those who arrested Jesus on this occasion would have a future opportunity to repent and turn to the Lord! Now they were under the power of darkness, guided by Satan. God has not promised us any future hour, but how many of us have been granted time to repent? Each one of us has fallen under the power of Satan. Each one of us has given himself to the power of darkness. God has allowed us to fall into sin through our own choices. But He also grants us ways of escape and TIME to come to our senses!

Thank You, Father, for giving us time to seek You and Your kingdom.

Let's make sure we are seeking Him.

God bless,
Nathan

Tomorrow's Reading: Luke 23-24 (Finishing up Luke!)