“While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49 And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. 52 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? 53 When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” (Luke 22:47-53)
Jesus lets Judas and the others know that he knows why they are there. His disciples think this is perhaps the time to use their swords, but when one of them cuts off the ear of a servant Jesus commands them to stop. (It seems to me they weren’t very practiced at what they were doing with swords, but it could have been a deflected blow that happened to hit the servant’s ear.) In any case, Jesus taunts them a bit at this point. He shows them that they themselves know they are up to no good. They operated under the cover of darkness to do what they would not dare do by day. But then he also lets them know that this is their hour, a time when God has made it look as if the power of darkness was in control to do what it wanted.
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