Luke 22:52 through Luke 22:53 (NIV)
52Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? 53Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”

I.      In the hour of darkness, His greatest pain, was our great offense. (Judgment)

It was our sin that caused His Pain.

II.   In the hour of darkness, His greatest pain was our great need. (Love)

His greatest pain was our condition.

·         While we were yet enemies, He died for us.

·         Forgive them, they know not what they do.

Although the whip tore and the nail and thorn pierced the flesh, there was a greater agony that consumed Him. The agony of what Sin had done to us. If it was not so, He would not have suffered the pain of  the crucifixion. No one suffers the worse for the lesser. The infection of sin in us was so repulsive to Him that he was willing to suffer and die rather than allow it to go un-addressed. The pain of our sin was greater to him than the pain of  that gruesome death.

III.           In the hour darkness, our greatest need was His great sacrifice. (satisfaction)

We needed His sacrifice to meet our need. None other would do. None other could satisfy. Those who see their need the least, need Him the most.

Conclusion:

We caused His pain, but the pain we caused was more than physical pain, the offense we caused to His person was greater than that. We offended His Holiness with sin. That sin caused a corruption in us and a breach in relationship with God that he could not abide. A sin that He had to heal at great cost to Himself. Without that sacrifice, we would be forever lost.