Jesus' Suffering, Death and ResurrectionSampel

Jesus was treated as a criminal

“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 22:52)

Day after day, Jesus was in the temple; when He was elsewhere, the crowds just went to find Him. In large numbers, they came to listen to His words. Even the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes were present sometimes, or they sent their servants. But never did they lay hands on Jesus. They feared the crowds would be on Jesus' side and prevent His arrest.

When Jesus was finally arrested, it happened in an olive garden outside the city in the middle of the night. A whole army was sent at Him, armed with swords and clubs. It all unfolded exactly as Jesus had warned His disciples and as it had been prophesied centuries earlier in the Bible. Jesus was treated as a dangerous criminal — even though He never hurt a fly.

What is happening here cannot bear the light of day. Jesus says that “this is your hour, and the power of darkness” (Luke 22:53). In this regard, little has changed. Jesus' followers have also been unjustly condemned and treated as criminals over the centuries. And yet ... darkness will not triumph. It is precisely through Jesus' arrest and death that the power of darkness is broken. In the end, the light of life triumphs!

How do you see that the light overcomes darkness?