A Dark Night

(from Luke 22, Mark 14, John 18 and The Jesus Storybook Bible) Jesus knew what was about to happen. He asked his friends to stay up and pray with him. They were too tired, and they fell asleep. So he prayed alone to his Father: "Papa!" he cried out in distress, falling to his knees. "Papa, is there any other way to get your children back, to heal their hearts?" But he knew there was no other way than for him to take their punishment, their poison, into himself.
God was going to blame his Son for everything that had gone wrong, pour into his heart every sadness and pain of our hearts, and it would crush Jesus. And even more painful than that, Jesus was going to lose his Father, which would break his heart. He was going to take the punishment of separation from God that we deserved. He cried so that his body shook. But then he was quiet. Like a lamb. "I trust you, Papa. Whatever you say, I will do."

Then, he heard heavy steps. A big group of armed soldiers, and the leaders who hated him, came out of the darkness, led by Judas. Jesus' friends woke up, and he told them, "Now is the time. Everything that was written about me, everything God promised would happen is about to happen."
Peter tried to defend Jesus, and he cut off the ear of one of the soldiers with his sword. But Jesus touched the man's ear, and it was instantly healed! Jesus said, "No, Peter, that is not the right way. If I wanted to, I could ask God to rescue me with his thousands of Angels."
Jesus' friends were afraid, so they ran away and hid in dark shadows. The guards took Jesus to the leaders, who put him on trial. They asked him, "Are you the Son of God?" Jesus replied, "I Am." "Who do you think you are, to call yourself God? You must die!" Only the Romans were allowed to kill prisoners, so they brought them to the Roman leaders. "We will tell them that this man says he is the Son of God, and that he says he is a King. They will crucify him for us."