AND IT WAS NIGHT

" . . . and it was night." (John 13:30)

One of the most infamous days of history occurred when our Lord was betrayed. Some exceedingly precious things took place that day. The longest recorded dialog of our Lord occurred on that occasion (John 13-16). By way of comparison, the record of the sermon on the mount (Matt 5-7) is approximately 88% as long as our Lord's words that day. He also washed His disciples feet in an unparalleled display of humility, and instituted the Lord's Supper. However, amidst this time of great grace, the one who betrayed the Lord was made known. After dipping a piece of bread in a dish, Jesus gave it to Judas saying, "What you do, do quickly."  The Scripture then records that Judas, "having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night." This is more than a mere external description of the occasion. The time involved more than a solar night–it was also a spiritual night–a time of deep spiritual darkness. Later, when Jesus was arrested in the Garden, He referred to this aspect of the time: "but this is your hour, and the power of darkness" (Lk 22:53). It is not coincidence that this exact expression depicts our former situation. We were delivered from "the power of darkness" (Col 1:13). But, for this to take place, Jesus had to submit to that dreadful power of spiritual night! The night Jesus was betrayed, hosts of spiritual depravity and darkness flooded the area around Jerusalem, converging by Divine permission upon the Son of God:"and it was night!" They came to do their worst upon the best One. They were unleashed for a controlled period in order that the Word of God might be fulfilled. It was their time, their hour, the space when they could do what they wanted to do: "and it was night." The events that followed reveals the nature of "the power of darkness." The ruthlessness and heartlessness that took place against Jesus was stirred up by these dreadful powers: "and it was night." They strongly affirm to our hearts the intent of the devil and his hosts. Had we not been delivered from His power, he would have drug us down into hell with himself.
As confirmed by this text, there are occasions when the powers of darkness are granted a period of time to do their will. The assaults on both Job and Peter, and the thorn of Paul, are revelations of such occasions. But we must take heart that such times are in the hands of the Lord. If you have faith, the "powers of darkness" will not realize their intentions against you. The reason–because Jesus fully recovered from that "night," plundering our foes.