It was night

During the Passover seder, which commemorates the night of Passover in Egypt, it is traditional to recite a poem that enumerates all the works of God that were accomplished on this night, from the battle of Abraham against the coalition of kings until the story of Queen Esther and which all announce the eschatological night and the final redemption. Each of the strophes of the poem ends with the refrain “It was in the middle o the night”.

Even though the poem was composed in the 7th century, the Christian reader who is familiar with Jewish tradition cannot ignore the similarity between the refrain and an indication given by Saint John in his Gospel. During the Last Supper, after announcing that Judas will betray Jesus, the Gospel tells us: “So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night” (John 13:30). The narrative continues with the words: “When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him” (verse 31).

As Judas is swallowed up in the night, Jesus is plunged into the shadows of his passion and death but this night announces another, the one which, three days later, will result in his disciples discovering that the tomb is empty.