The Power of Darkness

Thank you so much. Beautifully read. Well, good morning again, everybody. I bring you the warm greetings of your sisters and brothers at Harper Church and Christianity Explored Ministries.

And they are praying for us today as we gather around this passage. It's a fantastic passage. Please do turn in your Bible with me to that passage.

Which your pastor's a bit of a bandit. I was sitting in Belfast Airport on Thursday and decided, right, I've got a flight delay.

Now's a chance to crack on a bit with Luke 22. So I started doing my prep and I thought, I'll just make sure I've got the passage right.

So I sent him a text saying, Graham, just to be clear, Luke 22, 39 to 65. Is that right? By reply.

Oh, mate, you're kidding. No, you're on Job 7. And then and then we only kidding.

So I've dished that one out a few times myself, so it was good to get it back.

But this is an amazing text. It is great to be in the time of year, isn't it?

And I guarantee you've said this already this morning or last week as you were coming home.

The time of year when the day's beginning to lengthen. On your way home at night, will you not say to people, look at that, it's 20 past 6 and it's light.

Or in the morning if you're up early, look at that, it's just back at 6 and it's light already.

It's great to be at that time of year.

But as we turn to Luke 22 this morning, we are descending into darkness.

Jesus said to those who came to arrest him in verse 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.

And I want to take that as a title for our study this morning, the power of darkness.

There are essentially two things I want us to think about, but of course there's going to be subheadings.

So there's about 15 things.

But we'll try and condense it to two main things as we look at it together.

Number one, the depths of this darkness.

And then in a few moments, the defeat of this darkness.

So first of all, the depths of this darkness.

Let's just try and get our bearings on the big biblical picture.

Because from the beginning of his revelation of himself to us, our God is a God of light.

The first words ever recorded of God are, let there be light as he banishes physical darkness.

Gloriously.

But we quickly find in the book of Genesis that the created order experiences spiritual darkness.

And it comes along when God's word is denied in chapter 3 of Genesis and when it's disobeyed.

And so spiritual darkness, as we talk about it, to give it a proper definition, is basically rebellion against God, rebellion against his word, rebellion against his ways.

And the arch rebel, Satan, and all his efforts are channeled into rebelling and to bringing about rebellion.

That's why we read in verse 47 about Judas' betrayal of Jesus.

Because before we get to that, we read in verse 3 of our chapter that Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the number of the twelve.

And he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them.

And they were glad, verse 5 tells us, and agreed to give him money.

So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.

I find these words at the beginning of chapter 22 that tease up our passage this morning, I find them quite chilling.

That there is a gladness in deep darkness.

That there is a celebration in deep darkness.

The authorities couldn't legally arrest Jesus, so now they're glad they celebrate the dark deal done with Judas.

And Judas himself has had a long-term problem managing his love of money.

You know, well, I'm sure 1 Timothy 6.10 famously confirms what we see here, that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.

And that's what we see worked out in Judas' life.

John 12 recounts for us that occasion when Mary poured the expensive ointment in the feet of the Lord Jesus.

And Judas Iscariot complained.

He said, why was this ointment not sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor?

And John adds, he said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief.

And having charge of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put in it.

That's a way at the beginning of the adventures of the Lord Jesus Christ with his disciples.

You've gone right through Luke's gospel.

Do you remember in Luke 11.35, Jesus says, when the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness?

When the light that is in you is darkness, then the addiction to money feels good.

And ripping Jesus off is nothing in comparison to the joy and the satisfaction that the money you'll get promises you.

And when you're a person like that, and in the presence of the Lord Jesus, and hearing all that he has to say,

and totally unaffected by it, you're only there to hold the money bag,

you're only there to pretend to be one of the disciples so that you can rip them off.

When you behave like that for long enough, one day you'll find yourself capable not only of ripping Jesus off,

but selling Jesus off.

Capable of betraying the Lord of life.

And not only betraying him, but betraying him for money and betraying him with a kiss.

So verse 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.

Here's the depths of the darkness.

Not only does he love money more than people,

not only does he use a sign of love as a means of betrayal,

but when the Lord tries to snap him back into reality,

Judas is powerless to see sense.

He can't stop himself.

Look at verse 48 with me.

Jesus said to him,

Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?

What a moment that was for Judas.

The Lord Jesus looks him straight in the face and says,

Judas.

So he names him Judas.

And he names his crime, would you betray?

And he names his victim, the Son of Man.

And he names his means with a kiss.

But the darkness has overwhelmed Judas.

And although he's been helping himself to the money,

he cannot help himself now.

He looks into the eyes of Jesus,

who knows exactly what Judas is doing.

And he goes ahead and executes his betrayal.

For Judas, the depth of darkness is to hear Jesus question,

Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?

And for Judas to think in effect,

Nevertheless, Jesus, not your will, but mine be done.

But we don't just see exceptional rebellion in this text,

as we see with Judas.

We also see typical rebellion in Peter.

The incident here with Peter is the story of a follower of Jesus

who, unlike Judas, was determined to do well.

So how did Peter end up, as we heard read to us there so helpfully,

weeping bitterly, full of regrets,

having on three instances denied that he even knew Jesus?

Well, we're going to slow the pace slightly now,

and I want us to take a little bit more time over Peter

as we trace how the darkness overwhelmed him,

and maybe compare notes with Peter

and see some parallels from our own experience.

I want to notice, I think, four things.

Notice, first of all, the problem with Peter

was his personal confidence.

We see with both Judas and Peter

that the behavior of these men is not just human frailty.

There is profound spiritual darkness at work.

Have a look back to chapter 22, verse 31.

Jesus said,

Now, can you imagine the Lord Jesus saying that to you?

Saying your name twice with a sense of urgency and saying,

Now, look, here's the issue.

Satan has demanded to have you.

Would that not make you very cautious?

Would that not make you extraordinarily careful?

But there doesn't seem to be much of that with Peter,

verse 33.

Lord, I'm ready to go with you,

both to prison and to death.

And Jesus said,

I tell you, Peter the cock will not crow this day

until you deny three times that you know me.

There's Peter imagining that imprisonment and death

won't be able to prize him from Jesus' side.

And yet Jesus knows and tells him

that before the night is out,

Peter will deny even knowing Jesus.

So his first problem is his personal confidence,

his ability to make promises to Jesus

about his love and commitment and faithfulness to him.

His second problem is what we might call his willful disobedience.

Just try and track the deterioration with me here.

At this point,

there is still strength to be found for Peter.

Jesus has a strategy to stop his followers

being overwhelmed by darkness.

He has prayed for Peter.

He has warned Peter.

And now at the beginning of our particular section,

in verse 39,

as Jesus came out and went,

as was his custom,

to the Mount of Olives,

and the disciples followed him,

and when he came to the place,

he said to them,

pray that you may not enter into temptation.

And temptation can mean either temptation to sin

or meaning a time of severe trial and testing.

And the Lord Jesus knew about the power of darkness.

He saw it as a clear and present danger.

And he says to the disciples,

pray that you will not enter into either temptation to sin

or a severe time of trial and testing

that will lead to temptation to sin.

Again,

because you know your way through Luke's gospel,

back in chapter 11,

verse 4,

in what we call the Lord's Prayer,

he gave an example.

He taught his disciples that they ought to pray,

lead us not into temptation.

And Jesus wanted his disciples to acknowledge,

as we pray to our Heavenly Father,

on a routine basis,

that we are not personally able to stand in the hour of trial.

It's the opposite of what Peter felt with his self-confidence.

The Lord Jesus wants us on our faces every day,

saying,

Lord,

we will not stand in the hour of trial.

That's the point of that clause.

And you may recall that Jesus had also

precisely warned them about this in chapter 21.

Have a quick look back to verse 33 of chapter 21.

He says,

Heaven and earth will pass away,

but my words will not pass away.

But watch yourselves,

lest your hearts be weighed down

with dissipation and drunkenness

and cares of this life,

and that a day come upon you suddenly like a trap.

He couldn't have been clearer

as he prepared his disciples

for the hour of severe trial and test.

And now,

on the Mount of Olives,

he gives them a straightforward instruction.

Pray.

Go and pray.

And Jesus himself went and prayed.

That was a straightforward instruction.

But there's no record of Peter

and any of the other disciples doing so.

In fact,

our chapter 22,

verse 45,

when he rose from prayer,

Jesus rose from prayer

and came to the disciples,

he found them sleeping for sorrow.

And he said to them,

Why are you sleeping?

Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.

The problem of personal confidence,

the problem of willful obedience,

Jesus has told them to go and pray.

He's told them to go and acknowledge

they're in dangerous times

and he didn't do it.

I wonder,

do you see yourself here as I see myself?

I have no doubt

that the failing to obey Jesus' commandment

to pray

is the unquestionable source

of my failure

in many times of tests and trials.

Just rank,

willful disobedience.

Think about it.

What we're seeing about the Lord's prayer.

He's given us a model of prayer

whereby we acknowledge every day

our need of forgiveness

and our need of provision

and our spiritual frailty

before our Father.

Lead us not into temptation.

Lord, don't let the road be

a road of trial and testing

because I will not stand in it

by myself.

We're meant to know that about ourselves.

We're meant to say that

to our Heavenly Father.

And yet,

how often on the wrong side

of a spiritual car crash

do we sit,

you know,

head in hands

reflecting on how we just

barreled into the day

blind to the spiritual danger

we may face

through an unfounded sense

of spiritual confidence

and through willful disobedience,

neglectful disobedience

in prayer.

Third thing we see,

we notice,

is Peter's careful distance.

Verse 54 of our section

this morning,

Then they seized him

and led him away,

bringing him

to the high priest's house.

And Peter was following

at a distance.

Well, good on him

that he followed at all.

But the detail

that Luke records

of the distance

that Peter kept

between him and Jesus

is very significant.

It points at least,

do you not think,

to a subconscious,

cautious self-preservation.

Peter was following

at a distance.

Can we notice this morning

how quickly

the situation changed?

Seeing Jesus

being taken into custody,

seeing Jesus

offering no resistance,

has changed

how Peter feels

about the Lord Jesus.

When they came

for Jesus,

John tells us

that it was Peter

who had been quick,

though not particularly

skillful,

with the sword.

He was part Galilean,

part Glaswegian.

And when we get to glory,

I'd love to ask him,

Peter,

was that the upstroke,

actually,

when you're lifting the sword

when you took the poor bloke's ear off?

What was going on with it?

It would be really interesting to know.

But have a look at verse 49.

When those who were around him

saw what would follow,

they said,

Lord,

shall we strike with the sword?

And it was Peter

in verse 50,

John tells us.

Didn't wait for an answer

from Jesus.

Struck the servant

of the high priest

and cut off his ear.

And Jesus said,

no more of this.

And he touched his ear

and healed him.

So get the picture.

Peter was ready

for a sword fight.

He might possibly

have been prepared

in that situation

to be arrested

and killed

in the skirmish

there and then.

I think he was being truthful

when he said,

Lord,

I'm ready to die for you.

I'm ready to go

to prison for you.

And I think

that was the context

in which Peter

saw that happening.

They won't take me alive

and they won't take you alive.

I'm your wingman,

Lord Jesus.

Peter could have coped

with that danger,

fighting with Jesus

as Jesus also fought.

But what we learn

from Peter

now walking

at a distance,

at a careful distance

from Jesus,

is that it is much

more difficult

to remain confident

in a Savior

who is willing

to suffer loss.

Much more difficult

to follow a leader

who heals those

who've come to harm him.

It's the Lord's

apparent passivity

with his enemies

and the enemies

of his people

that puts a distance

between Peter

and the Lord

and often puts

a distance

between us

and the Lord.

You know,

as Peter watched

that freshly lopped ear

being perfectly restored,

that miracle happening,

and that miracle

having zero impact

on the arrest party,

and Jesus saying,

enough with the swords,

and Jesus submissively

going with those

who were taking him

in ultimately to death,

Peter hangs back.

And the mystery is,

why doesn't Jesus

just thump these guys?

Why doesn't he,

with all the sovereign power

he has,

take the breath

out their lungs?

They're toast!

They're finished!

A thought from Jesus

and they're gone.

Why doesn't he do it?

Why does he tolerate

this nonsense?

And Luke tells us,

doesn't he,

how completely overwhelmed

Jesus looked here?

Have a look at verse 32,

sorry,

verse 63,

at the end of our passage.

Now the men who were

holding Jesus in custody

were mocking him

as they beat him.

They also blindfolded him

and kept asking him,

prophesy,

who is it that struck you?

And they said many other

things against him,

blaspheming him.

And all this was going on

when Peter sat at the fire.

So not only had he seen

Jesus passive

at the point of arrest,

he was now seeing

Jesus passive

at the hands of his enemies.

And Peter sat there

around the fire

among the group,

struggling to summon up

the same devotion to Jesus.

Jesus now bound

and blindfolded

and beaten

and bloodied.

And you know,

2,000 years later,

people are still

in that situation.

They may be personally

impressed by Jesus

but publicly embarrassed

by him.

Personally impressed

by all the things

they see that he's able

to do in the Gospels.

Personally impressed

even by his love

and self-sacrifice

but publicly embarrassed

to identify

with someone

who's prepared

to appear

so shamefully weak

as that.

They can't bring themselves

to trust in

and stand by

a Saviour

who was willing

to suffer,

to be rejected,

mocked,

spat upon,

blasphemed,

nailed to a cross.

But that is the absolute

core of the Gospel.

Listen to Paul

in 1 Corinthians 1.

He says,

Christ did not send me

to baptize

but to preach the Gospel

and not with words

of eloquent wisdom

lest the cross

of Christ

be emptied

of its power.

For the word

of the cross

is folly

to those

who are perishing.

but to us

who are being saved

it is the power

of God.

At that point

in Peter's life

this cross

experience of Jesus

which began

long before

he was actually

nailed to the

pieces of wood

looked like folly.

It looked pathetic.

It looked so

unappealing.

It looked so

hopeless,

so embarrassing.

Peter's keeping

at a careful distance.

But the day would come

and I'll tell you

about it later

when Peter

with Paul

with all of us

who know Christ

saw that that

is the power of God.

Final thing

for us to notice.

His personal

confidence

and willful

disobedience

and careful distance

and his social

acceptance.

Verse 55

When they had

kindled a fire

in the middle

of the courtyard

and sat down

together

Peter sat down

among them.

Now it's interesting

the way Luke

records it

that there's

now no distance

between Peter

and those

who arrested Jesus.

Distance between

him and Jesus

but Luke

really

draws our

mind's eye

to the point

that Peter

gets right

in among them

there.

That's a risky

thing to do.

He'd been the one

who tried to be

a bit handy

with the sword.

So it was

likely that

they clocked

him.

They knew

his face

but Peter

had perhaps

subconsciously

decided that

he was going

to settle

at least

that night

where he was

going to be

was amongst

this crowd.

He wanted

the security

of being

among them

and soon

that was put

beyond all

doubt as the

questions came.

Verse 56

The servant

girl seeing

him as he

sat in the

light looking

closely at him

said this man

was also with

him but he

denied it

saying women

I don't

know him.

A little

later verse

58 someone

else saw

him and

said you're

also one

of them.

Peter answered

man I am

not.

And after

an interval

of about an

hour still

another insisted

saying certainly

this man also

was with them

for he too

is a Galilean.

His accent

gave them

away.

But Peter

said man I

do not know

what you are

talking about.

And immediately

while he was

still speaking

the cock crowed

and the Lord

turned and

looked at

Peter and

Peter remembered

the saying of

the Lord how

he had said

to him before

the cock crows

today you will

deny me three

times and he

went out and

wept bitterly.

You see how

fast that

happened.

Now let's not

imagine that

Peter's crimes

are in a

different league

from our own.

Haven't we all

felt the inner

conflict that

Peter experienced

here as we're

forced to

decide whose

approval we

want most.

The world's

or the Lord's.

Haven't we all

felt that kind

of I just

like to be

among them.

I just like to

fit in.

I just like to

be accepted.

I just keep a

slight distance

from Jesus.

It's not going to

mean anything.

But it means I

can follow him

and still be

pals here in

the crowd.

And although

these three

denials happened

over a period

of more than

an hour,

the stunning

reality is that

it happened so

quickly.

Just as Jesus

said, remember

I read to you

chapter 21

verse 34,

watch yourselves

lest your hearts

be weighed down

with dot dot dot

cares of this

life and that

day come upon

you suddenly like

a trap.

Is that not

exactly what

happened to

Peter?

The cares of

this life,

that is the

need to belong,

the need to

fit in,

the need to

be accepted,

the need to

be approved

of by the

culture,

by our peers,

the need to

be loved in

the world that

is in rebellion

against the

Savior,

that will come

upon us

suddenly like a

trap as it

came upon

Peter.

Peter.

He couldn't

see that as

he went to

his death

offering no

resistance,

the Lord

Jesus was

fighting and

winning for

Peter and

all the others

who would put

their trust in

him.

He didn't see

it at that

point, he

did see it

later, but

not at that

point.

See, here's

the depth of

this darkness

in Judas and

in Peter.

But more

briefly,

let's finish

with the

defeat of

this darkness.

Let's see

the triumph

of the Lord

Jesus even

in this

dark session.

We get

nowhere near

resurrection

morning yet,

but there is

still triumph

of the Lord

Jesus here.

Notice a

couple of

things in the

text.

Number one,

Jesus defeated

the darkness

by his

prayerful

submission.

Back to the

top, verse

41,

he withdrew

from the

disciples about

a stone's

throw and

knelt down

and prayed,

saying,

Father, if

you're willing,

remove this

cup from

me.

Nevertheless,

not my

will but

yours be

done.

And you

know, until

this point

in history

when the

Lord Jesus

was born,

Satan had

enjoyed a

100% success

rate with

all the men

and women

who ever

lived as

they embraced

his dark

rebellion against

God to

varying degrees.

there had

never been a

human being

before who

in total

integrity and

sincerity could

go before the

Father and

say,

nevertheless,

not my

will but

yours be

done.

But notice

what is

happening here.

On that

dark night,

here is a

man born of

woman, fully

God yet fully

human.

And he's

unlike all the

others who

came before

him and came

after him.

On that

dark night,

he does not

run from

God and

his will,

but he

runs to

God and

his will.

And he

kneels and

he pleads in

the light of

his Father's

will.

And it gives

us a sense,

a clear indication,

doesn't it,

of the

inestimable

horror of

what Jesus

was about to

face, that

he asked

his Father

that if

possible there

could be a

change of

plan.

And you

and I

can be

sure that

if there

was any

other way

to destroy

Satan and

his darkness

and free

men and

women from

the grip

of sin

and reconcile

them to

God forever,

then the

Father who

so loved

the Son

would have

found it

in this

moment.

If there

was any

other way

of redeeming

sinners and

defeating the

darkness,

his Father

would have

found it

in this

moment,

but there

was none.

there was

no other

way.

Both the

Father and

the Son

are committed

to the

plan of

salvation.

Verse 43,

and there

appeared to

him an

angel from

heaven

strengthening

him.

That was

the Father's

way of

confirming to

his Son

that the

cup could

not be

removed.

Father,

is there

any way,

Son?

There's no

other way.

the

cup is

a reference

to the

experience

that the

Lord Jesus

is about

to face.

It's like

drinking a

cup.

It wasn't

just unbearable

physical

suffering,

but unimaginable

spiritual

suffering.

Jesus

describes the

contents of

that cup

just a

couple of

verses

earlier in

verse 37.

Let's glance

at it for a

moment.

He says,

So he

knew with

all that

was

happening,

all the

suffering,

all the

betrayal,

all the

denial,

he knew

that the

plan was

going split

second according

to the

will of

his

Father.

And in

Luke 22

Luke 22:37

verse 37

that I've

just read,

the Lord

Jesus is

quoting,

you recognize

it from

the end

of Isaiah

53,

probably to

say all

of Isaiah

53,

but he

just quotes

the last

part,

verse 12,

which says,

Because he

poured out

his soul

to death

and was

numbered

with the

transgressors,

yet he

bore the

sin of

many and

makes

intercession

for the

transgressors.

That's

how the

darkness

was defeated.

darkness

defeated

in the

darkness

as the

Lord

Jesus

prays

submissively

and obeys

the will

of his

Father

and is

numbered

among the

transgressors

and finds

a way by

his death

in our

place to

make

intercession

for the

transgressors,

to set

us free

from our

sin,

bearing the

sin of

many.

the

darkness

is defeated

as God

treats

his

perfect

son

in the

way that

loathsome

sin

deserves

to be

treated,

so that

he can

treat

loathsome

sinners

in the

way that

his

perfect

son

deserves

to be

treated.

And that's

happening

at that

moment in

the garden.

And this

was not

easy for

Jesus.

Look at

verse 44,

and being

in agony,

in an

agony,

he prayed

more

earnestly,

and his

sweat became

like great

drops of

blood falling

down to

the ground.

He was in

agony,

not at the

prospect of

dying,

but of

bearing in

himself the

gut-wrenching

vileness of

human sin.

We don't

find it gut-wrenching

and vileness.

We quite like

it.

We toy

with it.

But to the

Lord Jesus,

it is gut-wrenching

vileness.

You know that

experience you

get when you've

been out a

walk and you

go home and

you go in

through the

front door and

you're in the

door just a

couple of

minutes in

the home and

you suddenly

get that

revolting stench

in your nose.

And what's the

first thing you

check?

And there it

is.

And you

glance back and

there's that

beautiful pattern

over the white

wool carpet.

And some

dog has done

its business and

you've trod in

it and you've

dragged it into

the house.

Now you

know that

kind of

repulsive,

gut-wrenching,

oh,

vile.

The smell,

the look.

I don't want to

put you off your

lunch.

I'll say no more

about it other

than this.

Multiply that

sense of

revulsion a

billion times and

you're not getting

close to how God

feels about our

sin.

God's

sin.

And Jesus,

I'll come to

you,

buddy.

And Jesus,

Jesus knows and

feels it in the

midst of it.

Jesus knows and

feels that reality

in the midst of it.

He knows that he's

about to deal with

that.

It's the agony for

him of on the

cross bearing this

gut-wrenching

vileness of human

sin as he's numbered

among the

transgressors,

as he takes our

place on the

cross.

That's the

proclamation of

the gospel.

And as a

consequence of

that,

he's going to be

cut off from

fellowship with

his father.

So he is in

an agony in

the garden as he

thinks of it.

It didn't look

like it at the

time,

but this was the

defeat of

darkness.

In Colossians 2,

Paul,

speaking of the

Lord Jesus,

says that he,

in these very

moments,

disarmed the

rulers and

authorities and

put them to

shame,

triumphing over

them by the

cross.

Peter couldn't

see it.

He saw the

opposite.

He saw Jesus

being disarmed by

the rulers and

authorities.

He saw them

putting him to

shame, but no,

it was the very

opposite.

And it's

wonderful that

later Peter got

to see it.

1 Peter 2,

1 Peter 2:21

verse 21,

for to this you've

been called

because Christ

also suffered

for you.

Leave an example

that you should

follow in his

steps.

Listen to what

Peter later

rejoiced in.

He committed

no sin,

neither was

deceit found

in his mouth.

When he was

reviled,

he did not

revile in

return.

Peter was

seething at him

for that at the

point, but later

he saw it.

When he

suffered, he did

not threaten.

Peter thought

that was so weak,

but later he

gets it.

But continued

entrusting himself

to him who

judges justly.

He himself

bore our sins

in his body

on the tree,

that we might

die to sin

and live to

righteousness.

By his wounds

you've been

healed, for you

were straying

like sheep.

Oh, Peter knew

all about that,

but have returned

to the shepherd

and overseer of

your souls.

that dark

night, the

depths of the

darkness, also

in the midst of

it all, the

defeat of the

darkness.

Jesus defeated

the darkness by

his prayerful

submission.

And finally,

Jesus defeated

the darkness as

our perfect

substitute.

This is amazing.

In order to

free Peter and

me and everyone

else from the

power of darkness

over us, from

our sense of

being conquered,

completely at

ease in that

crowd, in the

depths of the

darkness, the

Lord Jesus not

only had to bear

our sin, he had

to do it as one

who had none of

his own.

He had to be

able to do

that in total

personal perfection

and that's what

we see here.

And although

we're rightly

challenged by his

straightforward

command in

verse 40,

pray that you

may not enter

into temptation,

the real take

home of this

text this

morning, is

not just that

we should pray

more, certainly

that is an

application, but

the point is to

see Jesus as our

true and only

champion.

That's what we

need to see.

He is the

champion over our

prayerlessness.

The instruction

came, the command

came, pray, and

they didn't do it

just like I didn't

do it, just like you

didn't do it.

But Jesus did it.

The true champion

over all our

sinful prayerlessness,

all our failure

and trials and

temptations, all our

rebellion against

God's will, in the

midst of that dark

night, he prevailed.

And do you know

that even as he did

that, even as he

went and prayed,

even as he went in

agony and sorrow

that we cannot enter

into, do you know

that as he was

doing that, he was

achieving something

glorious, that

before he died as our

substitute, he lived

as our substitute.

So he died for my

prayerlessness, having

not failed to be

prayerful himself.

He died for my

failure to submit to

my heavenly father's

will, having utterly

submitted to his

heavenly father's

will.

So that now as we

turn to him, risen

from the dead, we

can know beyond

doubt in this dark

world, according to

Colossians 1, that he

has delivered us from

the domain of

darkness and

transferred us into

the kingdom of his

beloved son in whom

we have redemption,

the forgiveness of

sins.

darkness.

The power of

darkness was awesome

that night.

The depths of the

power, but the defeat

of that darkness is

glorious and is

eternal.

Let's pray together.

we ask, gracious

heavenly father, as we

look at your son, as

we think about this

text, this amazing

historical record of

what happened to him

and how humans

reacted and how the

demons and Satan

reacted and how we

still struggle with the

picture of a

submissive Jesus, not

realizing what he is

accomplishing, not

realizing that by that

arrest and by that

mocking and by that

beating and by that

spitting and by that

cross, he disarmed the

rulers and authorities

and put them to open

shame, triumphing over

them by the cross.

How we thank you for the

gospel today, for its

power to deliver men and

women this morning from

the domain of darkness

and transfer us to the

kingdom of your

beloved, risen and

exalted son.

We thank you that in

him, in his

perfection, in his

substitutionary death, in

his resurrection and

reign, we have

redemption, the

forgiveness of our

sins.

Grant us to glory in

our Savior, in his

precious name we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

ULATE

I

END