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Jesus faced the power of darkness at Gethsemane—Judas’s betrayal, the arrest, and the cosmic clash of light vs. darkness—while showing that the power of darkness is limited to an “hour” under God’s sovereign plan.
Table of contents
Growing up, I read The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia. If you asked most people about popular fiction books with Christian themes, they would likely point to these stories. They are classic tales of good versus evil.
One thing I appreciate about them is that good always looks good, and evil always looks evil. You never have to guess who the good guys and bad guys are. Even when a good character like Boromir, in a moment of weakness, tries to take the ring from Frodo, or when Edmund denies Narnia’s existence to Peter and Susan to hide his relationship with the White Witch, their actions seem wrong. But I don’t think most media portrays this well, with sins like fornication and violence often being celebrated.
When Judas betrayed Jesus, there was no mistaking the distinction between good and evil. Ultimately, Jesus describes the people’s actions as “the power of darkness.”
Light and Darkness Are Metaphors for Good and Evil
Many verses in the Bible teach that light and darkness are metaphors for good and evil. Here are a few examples:
Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness!
Darkness is associated with evil, while light is associated with good.
John 3:19 The light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
People don’t reject Jesus because they don’t believe in Him. They reject Him, the light of the world, because they love darkness, referring to their sins, more than Him.
Acts 26:18 Open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.’
Paul associated salvation with turning from darkness to light.
Romans 13:12 Let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Again, darkness is used as a metaphor for evil, and light is employed as a metaphor for righteousness.1 I could provide more examples, but you get the picture.
Judas Went Out When “It Was Night”
This is the Last Supper, just hours before Jesus’ arrest. There’s a detail that’s only found in John’s Gospel:
John 13:27 Then after he (referring to Judas) had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”…30 So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he (Judas) immediately went out. And it was night.
There are seven instances of demon possession in the Gospels, but this is the only instance of Satan entering someone. The phrase “It was night” isn’t just a description of when this happened physically. It is a description of what is happened spiritually: darkness has come. Many commentaries make this point. Here are a few:
- The Moody Bible Commentary: “Darkness had descended both literally and symbolically.”2
- John MacArthur: “It was the hour for Judas to be handed over completely to the power of darkness.”3
- The Berean Study Bible: “The mention of ‘night’ is not merely a time indicator but carries deep symbolic meaning…night represents spiritual darkness and evil. Judas’s departure into the night underscores his alignment with darkness.”
Before Judas left the Last Supper, he had already agreed with the chief priests to turn Jesus over to them for 30 pieces of silver.
Jesus Knew the Hour of Darkness Was Coming
Jesus has been praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, but as we know from the last sermon, the three disciples He brought with Him—Peter, James, and John—kept falling asleep:
Luke 22:45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
Jesus was not talking about a literal hour. The hour represents the time from Jesus’s betrayal through His crucifixion, when literal darkness, representing spiritual darkness, covered the land:
Luke 23:44 There was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,
This hour of darkness has been a recurring theme in the Gospels:
John 7:30 They were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.
John 8:20 He taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
Mark 14:35 [Jesus] fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him…41 [Jesus] said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.4
In Luke’s gospel, Jesus prayed the cup would pass from Him, but Mark emphasized the hour.
A High Priest Who Sympathizes with Betrayal
The hour had finally come, and Jesus said it began when Judas betrayed Him:
Luke 22:47 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,
Judas “was leading them.” Betrayal is the most painful when it comes from someone close to us, and that’s what Jesus experienced. We all experience betrayal on this side of heaven, and we can be encouraged to bring our hurt to our Great High Priest because He can sympathize with us.
Luke 22:48 but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”
It isn’t recorded in Luke’s gospel, but from Matthew and Mark we know Judas used this kiss as a sign to the crowd to identify Jesus:
Matthew 26:48 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.”
Why did Judas have to identify Jesus, even though He was famous? First, this shows how much He looked like an ordinary Jewish man, unlike all the pictures we see of Him. Second, it was late at night, and in the darkness, it would have taken someone close to Jesus to distinguish Him from the others.
Judas’s kiss was the most hypocritical act in human history. In that culture, a kiss was a sign of respect and affection, but Judas perverted it into an instrument of treachery and betrayal. Even Jesus drew attention to Judas’s evil by pointing out that he was betraying Him with a kiss.
Also, we would expect Jesus to say, “Judas, would you betray Me with a kiss?” But He said, “The Son of Man.” I can’t say for sure why Jesus did this, but I suspect that He wanted to communicate to Judas the seriousness of his wickedness. The Son of Man is one of the strongest messianic titles:
Daniel 7:13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man (referring to Jesus), and he came to the Ancient of Days (referring to God the Father)…14 And to [the Son of Man] was given dominion and glory and a kingdom…which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
These verses reveal Jesus’s divine power and authority. It’s like Jesus said, “You’re betraying the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who has a kingdom that will never end. Horrible idea.”
Jesus’s Kindness to His Betrayer
Does Jesus’s statement seem harsh or kind? Considering Judas is committing the evilest act in all of human history against Jesus, I think He spoke kindly to him. And it wasn’t just Jesus’s kindness to Judas at this moment:
John 6:64 Jesus knew from the beginning…who it was who would betray him.
Jesus always knew Judas would betray Him.
Luke 22:22 For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” 23 And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.
We would expect the disciples to point to Judas. The disciples didn’t think Judas was the betrayer for two reasons: first, because of Judas’s ability to conceal his wickedness. But also because of how Jesus must have treated him. Jesus must have shown Judas the same love, kindness, and attention that he showed the other eleven disciples. That is incredibly convicting to me! Can we be so kind to people who mistreat or betray us?
Choosing the Physical Over the Spiritual
The rest of the disciples didn’t want to respond as kindly as Jesus:
Luke 22:49 And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?”
The disciples remembered, but misunderstood Jesus’ words from earlier when He told them they would need swords:
Luke 22:36 He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” 38 And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”
So now they ask if it’s the time to use their two swords. But Jesus was telling them to prepare for spiritual warfare, not physical combat. They were not willing to pray earlier when they should have, but now they’re eager to resort to violence.
They reveal the common human tendency to prefer physical solutions over spiritual ones. We want to rely on ourselves instead of relying on God. We want to use our strength and courage instead of using the spiritual resources God wants us to use.
I know I relate to the disciples. I don’t pray enough. I want to handle things physically instead of spiritually. I deal with things in my own strength rather than turning to the Lord. And when we do that, we usually cause problems.
Acting Hastily Often Causes Problems
Luke 22:50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.
From the parallel accounts, we know two things: first, the one who did this is Peter, and second, the one who lost his ear is Malchus, the high priest’s servant. Peter didn’t even cut off the ear of one of the armed men arresting Jesus. He cut off the ear of a poor, lowly slave who didn’t pose a threat to Jesus. Earlier:
Luke 22:33 Peter said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”
Peter made this claim, so now he must back it up. That’s one of the problems with boasting: then we have to make sure we do what we say.
I tell my kids it’s better not to say you’re going to do something and then not do it, rather than saying you might do something and not doing it. If you say you’re going to do something but don’t follow through, you don’t look bad. But if you tell people you’re going to do something and then fail to do it, you appear untrustworthy.
Did you notice the disciples asked Jesus if they should use their swords, but Peter charged forward before Jesus even answered? It doesn’t surprise me that Peter made a bad decision here: he didn’t pray earlier when he should have, and when we don’t pray, we typically act hastily.
I want to show some sensitivity to Peter by inviting you to think about his situation: he’s watching the Lord he loves be arrested by men that he knows want to murder Him. This was a difficult and desperate moment for Peter. And I point this out because this is also when we often make hasty decisions.
- People are frustrated that they’re not getting married, so they often marry the first person who shows interest.
- People really want something, so they buy it without researching to find the best deal.
- People are upset, so they send that email or text message without waiting to read it again later, when they will be glad they didn’t send it earlier.
When I think about the worst decisions I’ve made in my life, most of them were made hastily. Proverbs is the book of wisdom, and it contains many verses discouraging us from acting hastily. Here are a few of them:
Proverbs 14:15 The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.
Simple, or foolish people, believe anything and act on it, but the prudent, or wise, give thought to their steps, which in our vernacular means thinking before acting. They don’t act hastily.
Proverbs 21:5b Everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.
Hasty people end up poor because they make impulsive decisions, especially with their money.
Proverbs 29:20 Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
When we are hasty with our words, fools have a better chance of being successful than we do.
Misdirected Zeal with Peter, Josiah, and Maybe Us
Proverbs 19:2 Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.
I saved this one for last, because it perfectly describes Peter and perhaps us at times. Desire is synonymous with passion or zeal, and it suggests that desire or passion without knowledge is bad. Passion and zeal are amoral: it matters how they’re used or directed. Peter is a great example. He had a lot of passion or zeal, but it was misdirected. He should have directed it toward prayer, but instead, he directed it toward cutting off someone’s ear.
The second half of the verse says whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way. Again, we often make poor decisions when we act impulsively.
Josiah was one of the best kings in the Old Testament and definitely one of the most zealous. He was the greatest reformer, even bringing the nation back from the brink following Manasseh’s wicked rule. But most strengths have accompanying weaknesses, and the temptation with zeal is acting hastily.
Josiah went out to confront Pharaoh Neco of Egypt, who even warned Josiah about the consequences of his actions. I can’t help thinking that God was using this pagan king to turn Josiah back. But Josiah went out to battle anyway and got killed when he was only 39 years old. We wish he had lived longer, given his exceptional qualities as a king.
The simple point is this: if good men like Peter and Josiah can act hastily, we must be on guard against doing the same.
Jesus’s Composure
Luke 22:51 But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him.
This reveals the problem with being hasty and acting in our own strength: we create more work for the Lord to do.
Now contrast Peter’s hastiness with Jesus’s composure. I said this was a difficult moment for Peter, and that probably contributed to the poor decision he made. But this was a difficult moment for Jesus as well. He had been betrayed, was being arrested, and was about to be humiliated and tortured, yet He remained composed and calm.
This is not a time we would expect someone to be concerned with others, but despite everything Jesus had going on at this hour, He still performed His last recorded miracle before going to the cross. It wasn’t flashy, and, likely, very few of the men present even knew He did it. He lovingly healed this obscure slave’s ear and then presented His hands to be bound. This is probably the last thing He did with his hands while they were free: render service to someone else. The next time His hands are mentioned, it will be when nails are driven through them.
Jesus’s Rebuke to the Religious Leaders
Jesus was kind to Judas, the slave, and even most of the mob that came to arrest Him because He told his disciples not to fight them. But He had a rebuke for one group, and that’s the religious leaders:
Luke 22:52 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? 53 When I 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.”
Physically, Jesus says they were treating Him like a criminal whom they could’ve arrested any time, but they chose to do it at night to hide their actions.
Spiritually, He’s contrasting Himself with them, and it’s a contrast between the power of light and the power of darkness or good and evil. Day after day, Jesus taught in the temple, in the light, showing the righteousness of His actions. They, on the other hand, choose to arrest Him in the darkness, showing the evil of their actions.
So, the whole event looks physical, but it’s spiritual, which is why Jesus said, “This is your hour, and the power of darkness.” It appears to be a mob against Jesus’s disciples, but in reality, it’s the cosmic battle between good and evil, the power of light and the power of darkness.
The Power of Darkness Is When Satan “Bruises Jesus’s Heel”
By mentioning the power of darkness, Jesus was attributing these events to Satan. We went back to John 13 when Satan entered Judas, but we could have gone back to the Garden of Eden:
Genesis 3:15 [God told Satan], “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he (referring to Jesus) shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
The word bruise sounds mild: you bump into something and get a bruise. But the word is šûp̄ (pronounced: shoof), and it means “crush,” which is why some Bibles say crush or have a note that the word means crush. God told Satan that Jesus would crush his head. This is a fatal blow that communicates Jesus’ complete victory over Satan. But Jesus doesn’t go unscathed. God said the serpent would strike His heel, because that’s the part within the serpent’s reach after God told him he would now slither on his belly, and this looks to the crucifixion.
Ever since God told Satan that Jesus would crush his head, he has been trying to destroy Him. He entered Judas and led this mob to arrest Him, and soon he will work through the religious leaders to have Him crucified. It seems that the power of darkness is gaining the upper hand, but:
Acts 2:23 Jesus [was] delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God
This is incredible. Because God the Father chose to sacrifice His Son for our sins, even when it seems darkness is gaining the upper hand, everything is unfolding according to God’s plan. Consider what Jesus said to Peter in the parallel account when Peter struck Malchus’s ear:
John 18:11 “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”
Yes, it was Satan’s hour and the power of darkness, but Jesus knew this was going to happen and said it should happen.
The Power of Darkness Is Limited to One Hour
A few months ago, I shared the gospel with my neighbor. He argued that there was so much evil in the world that he couldn’t believe there was a God. I don’t think he was making excuses. I think he revealed one of the most common problems unbelievers have: they see the darkness around them, and it convinces them that God must not exist. And I think we can all relate to this to some extent. We don’t doubt God’s existence, but we are bothered by the darkness we see. We don’t know why evil ever prevails.
So, let me conclude by pointing out one of the most encouraging words in this entire account that we must always keep in mind, especially when it seems the power of darkness is gaining the upper hand. It’s the word hour. Jesus said, “This is your hour.” Jesus acknowledged this hour belonged to darkness. But the power of darkness only gets one hour. That’s it. It’s limited. After that, there will be light:
John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Part of living by faith is trusting that when the power of darkness seems to prevail, in ways we don’t understand and that even make us uncomfortable, it is still part of God’s plan. But as God’s people, we can trust the darkness will not last, and we can look forward to the light overcoming it.
- See also: Colossians 1:13 “[the Father] has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son.” Paul associated Satan’s kingdom with darkness and Christ’s kingdom with light. 1 John 1:6 “If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” Ephesians 6:12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” ↩︎
- Michael Rydelink, The Moody Bible Commentary New edition (Moody Bible Publishers, February 2014), 1646. ↩︎
- John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary, page 1402. ↩︎
- Also, John 12:27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. ↩︎
