Removing Protection (35-38) 

Jesus then reminded His disciples of the time He had sent them out without anything except His word and protection, and He asked if they had lacked anything. The disciples silently affirmed they had not, but their silence also hinted at their confusion regarding everything Jesus was telling them (35).

Jesus told them to load up in the future their money-bag, knapsack, and even a sword (36). He told them it was time for Him to be numbered among sinners and that how others treated them was going to change (37). They showed Jesus they had two swords, not understanding Jesus was speaking in metaphors. He wanted them to know they were going to need to be a bit more self-protection in His absence, not that they were to start a revolutionary military movement. With their misunderstanding, Jesus simply said, “It's enough,” and dismissed the conversation as being beyond their understanding at that moment (38).  

Praying at the Mount of Olives (Gethsemane) (39-46)

Jesus led His disciples to the foot of the Mount of Olives to a garden there called Gethsemane. He came to the place of prayer and urged His disciples to pray that they would not enter into the temptation that was just ahead of them. Jesus went about as far as one could throw a stone and began to pray, a distance of up to 30 to 40 feet. “Stone’s throw” is not a precise measurement, as Matthew indicated just a bit further. It is known that Jesus was in earshot of Peter, James, and John (39-41).

Jesus was entering a moment of great horror, for the hour of darkness was reaching a historic pinnacle (53). In this prayer, Jesus took a moment to see if God had another way. Maybe, like with Isaac, God would provide an alternative sacrifice at the last minute. In the end, the cup of the New Covenant in His blood, the one He had not drunk at supper, was God's will for Him to drink (42).  

When it was affirmed that Jesus must drink the cup of suffering, angels came to strengthen Him, most likely pouring in God's word (43). Darkness was crowding in; agony was overwhelming Jesus as His fate was settling into His heart. He began to pray more earnestly; He became so distressed that He began to sweat drops of blood. Jesus was not distressed over the agony and pain about to be thrust upon Him—the scourging, the mocking, the thorns, spikes, the thirst He was ready to face as the martyrs faced their demise. Jesus lay prostrate, His sweat like drops of blood, His soul in torment, and His being filling with reluctance; He was horror-struck not because of the pain but because of the cup He would need to drink from to save sinners. This cup meant the Father had to step back as the sins of the world climbed on the back and then into the soul of Christ. The Father would withdraw and let the wages—the wrath—of sin spill over on Jesus and envelop His being, separated from the Father. This is how God expresses His wrath: He merely steps back and the wrath of sin does violence and evil. It was not the pain, for many a man has faced torture and execution with peace. Jesus would need to experience execution as an innocent man with the sins of the world hoisted upon His back. Thus, Jesus sweated drops of blood (44). 

He completed His prayer time and returned to His sleeping disciples, asked them why they were sleeping and commissioned them to arise and pray, not to enter into temptation (45-46).  

The Betrayal (47-53)

While they were talking about prayer, Judas arrived with his legendary kiss of betrayal (47). Jesus asked Judas if he was really going to betray Him with a kiss (48). The Temple Guard who came to arrest Jesus must have been small because someone among the disciples assumed it was time to go revolutionary and started swinging his sword, but not at one of the armed men. Instead, he chopped off the ear of the High Priest’s servant. Jesus put an immediate stop to his impulse for a fight and healed the servant’s ear (49-51).  

Jesus then revealed the cowardice of the arresting guards by telling them they had not come in the full light of day. Further, knowing He was no criminal, they had come with the arrest force they would have used against a common thief. He then told them they were going to get away with what they were doing because it was the hour for the power of darkness to prevail (52-53).  

Peter's Denial (54-62)

The guards seized Jesus and brought Him to the home of the High Priest, Peter following at a distance (54). In the courtyard, Peter sat down and warmed himself by the fire with those associated with service to the High Priest (55).  

• While warming himself by the fire, the light hit his face just right and a servant girl to the High Priest recognized him as someone who had been with Jesus. Peter denied it, declaring he “did not know Him” (56-57).

• A bit later, someone else picked him out as being “one of them”; Peter asserted, “I am not” (58).

• An hour later still, someone else came to the fire and insisted Peter was Galilean and was with Jesus' company. Peter, in the strongest terms, denied knowing anything they were talking about. The rooster crowed (59-60).

At that moment, they were leading Jesus from the High Priest's residence to the guards' barracks through the courtyard where Peter was sitting. Luke recorded that at the moment of Peter's third betrayal, “The Lord turned and looked at Peter.” Right then, Peter remembered what Jesus had told him a few hours earlier concerning the crowing rooster and his three denials. Peter left the courtyard to weep (61-62). In the end, weariness and fear had sapped Peter of all his resolve. The one who had wanted to be faithful unto death failed. Endurance would become one of the great challenges of those following Jesus. 

The Mocking of Jesus (63-65) 

Not only was Jesus betrayed with a kiss and denied by a friend of even knowing Him at any level, but He was also mocked and beaten by the Temple Guards. They blindfolded Him and sought to make Him guess who had struck Him, speaking all kinds of curses against Him. These guards, who should have shown some restraint, treated Jesus in unconscionable ways (63-65).  

The Trials of Jesus (66-71) 

At daybreak, the High Priest hastily assembled the Sanhedrin for a trial. This was the great Council that had boasted of being able to bring God's justice to the world. Yet, their goal with Jesus was never justice, but murder (66). Luke decided to omit all the preliminary trial issues and instead went to the heart of the question asked: “If You are the Christ, tell us.” 

Jesus replied with three statements.

• If He were to tell them who He was, they would not believe Him (67).

• If He were to ask them who they thought He was, they would not answer, meaning they were getting ready to condemn a man without knowing who He was (68).

• Jesus then told them that the next time they saw Him, He would be seated at the right hand of God's power (69).  

Jesus had worded His statement to solicit from them a statement of truth, although they put it in a questioning tone. They said to Jesus in the form of a question, “Are you the Son of God?” Jesus then told them their question had proclaimed Him so. Jesus was implying God had put the truth on their tongues, although they had not intended it that way (70). The Council felt they had heard enough, and Jesus' testimony was enough to condemn Him, so the perversion of justice was complete (71).