What would news of Jesus imminent death have meant to you? Luke 22:15-16 Jesus says, “I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Luke 22:21, “But look, the hand of the one betraying me is at the table with me. For the Son of man will go away as it has been determined. . .” Luke 22:31, “Simon, Simon, look out. Satan has asked to sift you like wheat.”
There is a little known exchange between Jesus and the Twelve in Luke 22:35-38. He said to them, “When I sent you out without money-bag, traveling bag, or sandals, did you lack anything? . . . But now, whoever has a money-bag should take it, and also a traveling bag. And whoever doesn’t have a sword should sell his robe and buy one. . . what is written about me is coming to its fulfillment.” This sounds so out of character for Jesus, don’t you agree? Grab your wallet or purse. Grab your suitcase. Grab your gun… and if you don’t have a gun, you better find one. In Luke 22:38, his disciples ask, “Lord, look, here are two swords!” To which Jesus says, “that is enough.”
After dinner, Jesus takes his Twelve to the Mount of Olives, urging them to pray. Luke 22:41-44, “Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and began to pray, “Father if you are willing take this cup away from me—nevertheless not my will but yours be done.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him. Being in anguish, he prayed more fervently, and his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground. . .” What is going on here?
Luke 22:45 gives us a clue into the psychology of the Twelve that night. Luke says, “Jesus found them sleeping… exhausted from their grief.” Can you think of a time in your life, when maybe you were filled with an overwhelming sense, that darkness was about to prevail over light? Evil over goodness and love? That the Kingdom of Satan was about to prevail over the Kingdom of God? The secular over the sacred?
This is odd. Right after telling the Twelve to go out and get swords, a mob shows up led by Judas, to betray Jesus. Luke 22:49, “When those around him saw what was going to happen, they asked, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?” And of course, they do. But Jesus scolds them. Luke 22:51-53, “No more of this!” Then Jesus said to the chief priests, temple police, and the elders who had come for him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal? Every day while I was with you in the temple you never laid a hand on me. But this is your hour—and the dominion of darkness.”
What a harrowing portrait Luke paints in Luke 22-23. Judas betrays Jesus. Peter denies Jesus. The guards start mocking and beating Jesus. They blindfold him, and take turns striking him, asking him to prophesy who hit him. They blaspheme Jesus. The Scribes convene their kangaroo court to accuse Jesus. “Jesus, are you the Son of God?” Jesus is brought before Pilate on false charges. “Jesus, are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus is brought before Herod for questioning. Herod and his solders treat Jesus with contempt, mock him, dress him in bright clothing. Jesus is whipped, then led away to the cross, executed between two criminals. Luke 23:49 says, “All who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.” His body taken off the cross, placed in a tomb cut into a rock, laid him there in burial garments, covered in burial spices and perfumes.
Luke 23:44, “It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three, because the sun’s light had failed.” Luke 23:46 ,”Jesus called out with a loud voice, Father, into your hand I entrust my spirit. Saying this, he breathed his last.” As last, the breath of Jesus has failed, and along with it, the sun’s light. Could Luke have painted a more profound portrait of despair than Luke 22-23? The disciples were exhausted from their grief, from sadness, from one stunning blow after another in which darkness now appeared to have prevailed.
Last year a couple invited me to their home near Peoria to come and give a tree in their yard a second life. They wanted me to carve an eagle and bear out of a beloved tree that had died. They had such a beautiful piece of property, out in the woods, by a lake, the woods bustling with wildlife. As I got to know them, they shared that their daughter was dying of brain cancer. I prayed with them several times—all signs indicated her time was short. I asked them if they knew God. I pointed to all the life and beauty around us, and said, “The God who created all of these things and gave us the breath of life… can just as easily breathe new life into our souls and give us a second life. Do you believe that?”
Sadly, this past weekend, I received an email from the husband. He wrote, “Jon, my life was changed forever Friday night. Pam [who is his wife] was in a terrible car accident, and she did not survive it. Would you please help us with your prayers… I am struggling mightily with her loss.” On the phone he shared he’d lost his daughter, his niece, and now his wife. No amount of money, no size of suitcase or travel bag, no sword (or swords) can help us escape, evade, nor defeat our greatest, darkest, last enemy. Salvation must come from without!
As Michael shared about his wife, my heart sank to the floor. But then I asked him, “Michael, did I ever tell you why I started carving trees?” I told him how several years back my father died—and that in no way was I comparing grief. I quickly learned how grief is like an insatiable fire. If you’ll let it… grief will consume every ounce of your time, your energy, and joy, even your relationships… until it begins to consume your very soul. I told Michael how in my grief, I looked to God for comfort.
About the time my dad died, a tree in my yard had also died. The tree died suddenly, and in a weird way. One summer day, I was out mowing, and a flow of water was draining out of the tree, and within a week it dried up and died. I had this thought in mind that somehow, I needed to give that tree a second life. Instead of being consumed by grief, I needed to create, and do something new. So, I bought a chainsaw and started carving stuff. I told Michael that I experienced God’s comfort through carving… but that carving connected me with people like Him, and his wife Pam, and their daughter Debbie who also needed comfort! I prayed that God’s comfort might become real to Him in midst of darkness. Here he was right before Thanksgiving, and Christmas… ugh.
Though our breath may fail… though the sun’s very light may fail… though darkness may sweep over the whole land, and indeed, prevail… and though our grief may begin to exhaust and consume us . . . God has not failed us.
Luke 24:1-12, “On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling clothes. 5 So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground.
“Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” asked the men. 6 “He is not here, but he has risen! Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘It is necessary that the Son of Man be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day’?” 8 And they remembered his words. 9 Returning from the tomb, they reported all these things to the Eleven and to all the rest. 10 Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them were telling the apostles these things. 11 But these words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe the women. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. When he stooped to look in, he saw only the linen cloths. So he went away, amazed at what had happened.”
Luke 24:13-53. “13 Now that same day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, which was about seven miles[c] from Jerusalem. 14 Together they were discussing everything that had taken place. 15 And while they were discussing and arguing, Jesus himself came near and began to walk along with them. 16 But they[d] were prevented from recognizing him. 17 Then he asked them, “What is this dispute that you’re having[e] with each other as you are walking?” And they stopped walking and looked discouraged. 18 The one named Cleopas answered him, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that happened there in these days?”
19 “What things?” he asked them.
So they said to him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet powerful in action and speech before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him. 21 But we were hoping that he was the one who was about to redeem Israel. Besides all this, it’s the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women from our group astounded us. They arrived early at the tomb, 23 and when they didn’t find his body, they came and reported that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they didn’t see him.”
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures. 28 They came near the village where they were going, and he gave the impression that he was going farther. 29 But they urged him, “Stay with us, because it’s almost evening, and now the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
30 It was as he reclined at the table with them that he took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?” 33 That very hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and those with them gathered together, 34 who said, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they began to describe what had happened on the road and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
36 As they were saying these things, he himself stood in their midst. He said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost. 38 “Why are you troubled?” he asked them. “And why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself! Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” 40 Having said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 But while they still were amazed and in disbelief because of their joy, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 So they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate in their presence.
44 He told them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 He also said to them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead the third day, 47 and repentance for forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.”
50 Then he led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 And while he was blessing them, he left them and was carried up into heaven. 52 After worshiping him, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they were continually in the temple praising God.
My prayer is God will meet you and carry you from great grief… to joy.