The Power of Darkness Hour

“When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not try to seize Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” Luke 22:53

One way we think to measure freedom is in the time to do anything we want to do. (What we need of course is freedom from sin.) One power that does not have that sort of freedom is the power of darkness. We know from the Book of Job that the top dog in that power needed to get God's hedge of protection removed or loosened in order to attack Job, and even then there were restrictions. Jesus here speaking to the worldly authorities noted a particular hour when they were allowed to seize the person of the Christ. From Pilate to the lowest ranking soldier or priest, the worldly ones needed a break in the authority of the Christ in order to seize Him and do their will for that brief time. It had to be.

Those of us who believe in Jesus know that without this, no amount of force or guile could overcome the power of the Almighty, which Jesus as God in human form could have shown at any time He desired to do so. The Man who calmed the stormy waters of the Sea of Galilee surely could have sent the power of darkness packing. The One who healed so many and sent out the demons from so many others would surely not have been balked by a few men with spears and swords had He not desired first to fulfill His Father's will in the crucifixion. He submitted, but He was not weak.

For a brief time at the end of things here, the power of darkness will once more enjoy a season, a time, a few short years of power and the freedom to do some terrible things. But our Lord Jesus has already stated more than once to us that He is, "The Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End". (Revelation 21:6).

The love of the Almighty to you and yours on this day,

Bucky