Devotion:
For an audio version of this devotion, click here.
Read Luke 22:47-62.
Not only did Jesus endure the physical pain of the crucifixion but let us pause and remember the experiences he endured beforehand. Today we read that Jesus (in verses 47-48) endured being betrayed by Judas, one of his own disciples. In verses 49-51, Jesus endured seeing one of his own disciples strike a servant of the high priest with a sword. In verses 52-23, Jesus endured seeing the leaders from the temple where he had been teaching come to arrest him and added to this he would endure the time when darkness would reign. And then Jesus endured being denied three times by Peter, another of his own disciples.
Betrayal, conflict with a sword, the time when darkness reigned and denial, all delivered by the people Jesus knew and even three of these were in his inner circle of disciples. Enduring these experiences are each and all more than enough for anyone to endure. Sometimes we read over these too quickly, but today we pause to consider how easy it is to miss who Jesus came to be, and how and where we might find ourselves in these verses.
Luke’s writings continually remind us that Jesus came not to be an earthly king, but his disciples often missed this. They still wanted Jesus to claim his earthly kingdom. We don’t know Judas’ motives for betraying Jesus. We do know from the earlier verses (3-6 of this chapter 22) that this betrayal had been intentionally planned for some days prior to this time of Jesus’ arrest. Could Judas have been disillusioned because Jesus’ way of power wasn’t to become an earthly king?
Could the disciple who struck the servant’s ear with the sword have been disillusioned, too? Gaining power by the sword wasn’t the way Jesus had taught or lived.
Jesus knew how vulnerable Peter would be to his own fears. Peter denied knowing him rather than to stand by his Lord in Jesus’ darkest hour. What would we have done?
The words, “when darkness reigns” captured my attention. The commentaries tell us this reigning power can be contrasted with the “power” of Jesus’ gifts in chapters 4, 5, 9, 10, and 20 of Luke. Each of these speak of Jesus’ authority and power which has come from the Spirit of God for healing, forgiving and giving life unto others. This is an incredible contrast of power over the power of darkness which destroys others for the sake of saving self.
All of this Jesus endured before the trial, the flogging and the crucifixion for the sake of love, forgiveness and to give the gift of life and life eternal.
Personal Worship Option:
Jesus, thank you for enduring and overcoming the betrayal, the conflict, the denial and the reign of darkness to forgive us and to bring us to new life by your power, your grace and your love. Help us to walk in the light of your footsteps always, Amen.
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