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The Gospel of Luke Chapter 22
Commentary by Timothy H. Burdick
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
Let’s read the first 6 Verses of
Luke 22, and then examine them.
“Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests
and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get
rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. Then Satan
entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas
went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple
guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.
They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He
consented and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over
to them when no crowd was present.”
In the first verse, we can see that
the Feast of Unleavened Bread was synonymous with the
Passover Feast, a special time for the Jews; a special meal
they celebrated every year.
It spoke of the deliverance of the
Children of Israel from Egypt. All of the elements of the
feast had special meaning, and when the children ask their
parents why they were celebrating it (since it wasn’t
practiced in any other culture), the parents were to tell
their children the story about God’s deliverance.
If you aren’t familiar with the
story, it goes something like this: The children of Israel
had been enslaved for about 400 years. They may have been
the slaves that built or helped build the great pyramids. In
any case, they were being treated with more and more
cruelty. The ruler of Egypt even told his managers to have
the Hebrews make their allotted amount of bricks without
straw.
In any case the cry of the people
reached Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and Moses pleaded with
him to let the people go back to their homeland of 400 years
on the past. After many plagues were sent to his nation,
Pharaoh finally promised that he would do let them go, but
he lied and did not release God’s people.
The last plague was when God allowed
the life of the firstborn in Egypt to be taken by death. God
told the Jews, however, to be ready to move at his command
and to sprinkle the blood of a lamb without spot or blemish
on their door posts and by doing so, the firstborn of Israel
would be spared. In the same way, as Christians, we are to
be obedient, ready and waiting for God’s call. The lamb on
the doorposts of Israel speaks of Christ. For in the same
way His blood has delivered us from death (Egypt being a
“type,” a parable of this world of sin and death).
In the second verse of Luke Chapter
22, we see that the chief priests and teachers of the law
were cowards. They were looking for a way to get rid of
Jesus when the people weren’t around. We saw last time (in
Chapter 21) that all of the people liked to listen to Jesus,
and that some thought of Him as a prophet sent from God.
The religious rulers were filled
with envy, and wanted to get rid of Jesus at any cost. In
Verses 3-6 of this Chapter in Luke, we see Judas acting as
an informant against Jesus. But before anything more took
place, the Bible says that Satan made himself at home in the
heart of Judas. While different translations may render this
phrase in different ways, this is basically what it means.
There has been much speculation about what this concept
means, but no one really knows for sure. What the Bible does
say though, is that we all are engaged in spiritual warfare
and need to live our lives ready for spiritual battle.
Ephesians: 6:13, tells us how to do it - “Therefore put on
the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes,
you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have
done everything, to stand.”
In Verses 4-6 of this Chapter in
Luke, we see Judas having a meeting with the religious
leaders. They offered him money and he agreed to their
terms. One of the other Gospels tells us that Judas was the
treasurer of the disciples, and that he would steal from the
common purse. Please look with me at John 12:6 as it spells
out the activity of Judas. “He did not say this because he
cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper
of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put
into it.”
The Bible has a lot to say about the
love of money. Money can make people do things they
otherwise would not. Please look with me at 1 Timothy 6:10 -
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some
people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and
pierced themselves with many griefs.”
Money kept in its place can be a
great thing, a useful tool. But on the other hand, when it
takes hold of a person, taking God’s place, it is a
dangerous evil! In other words, money used as a medium to
glorify God is one thing, but money is dangerous if it takes
first place in your life. How is money a factor in your
life?
Notice that after money changed
hands, there was no remorse shown by Judas at that time. On
the contrary, Luke tells us that Judas went out to do his
dirty work, and that the religious leaders were delighted
with this arrangement. Both the leaders and Judas thought
they had found a way to trap Jesus.
The Last Supper
Luke 22:7 – “Then came the day of
Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be
sacrificed.”
“Leaven” in the Bible, is used as a
symbol of evil. It is notable that Jesus was sacrificed at
Passover, the Day of Unleavened Bread. The sacrificial lamb
that the text speaks about, had looked forward to Christ
since the beginning. Please compare this verse with John
1:29 - “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward (Jesus)
and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of
the world!”
Now back to Luke 22, Verse 8 &
forward – “Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, ‘Go and make
preparations for us to eat the Passover. Where do you want
us to prepare for it?" they asked. He replied, ‘As you enter
the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you.
Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner
of the house, 'The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room,
where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' He will
show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make
preparations there. They left and found things just as Jesus
had told them. So they prepared the Passover.”
Verses 8-13 are a marvelous example
of the obedience which we are called to by God. Many times,
when the Lord asks us to do something, our first inclination
is to stall, We need to be like the disciples here, who went
out when Jesus told them to. I think the fact that the
disciples found things to be as Jesus had said can speak
volumes to us if we let it. For many times, a lack of
obedience can be motivated out of fear. It’s a fear that
things just won’t turn out right unless we help events
along. We have to remember that Jesus is with us in the same
way that He was when He was here physically. The main
difference today is that He guides us by His Spirit. To see
this, please look at John16:13 - ”But when He, the Spirit of
truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not
speak on his own; He will speak only what He hears, and He
will tell you what is yet to come.”
Like the disciples, the Lord may ask
us to do something that we don’t fully comprehend, but we
can draw strength from these verses, knowing that God has
everything under control. Please look at 1 Samuel 15:22. -
Samuel replied: ‘Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings
and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than
the fat of rams.” What part does obedience play in YOUR
life?
Now the time came for Jesus to speak
about His death in no uncertain terms to the disciples. When
that hour came, Jesus and His apostles reclined at the
table. In that culture, people typically didn’t use tables
and chairs like we do. So when the text talks about them
“reclining,” they were basically propping themselves up on
pillows to eat. “He said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to
eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you,
I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the
kingdom of God.’"
Notice that Jesus greatly desired to
have fellowship with the disciples. This is important for us
because in the same way, Jesus desires greatly to fellowship
with you and me. To see this, please look at Revelation
3:20. - “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone
hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat
with him, and he with Me.”
We can fellowship with Christ today
through prayer and He very much longs for that time with us.
Many think of prayer as a time of going before God with
wants and desires. But prayer is also a time of listening.
Think about the following Scripture - Psalm: 46:10, where it
says, "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted
among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
What I am trying to say is that
prayer is a dialogue. Just like you would carry on a
conversation with a friend, God wants to carry on a
conversation with you. But too many of us don’t have that
kind of dynamic communion with Him, and His heart aches for
relationship with us. Do you know that you are precious in
the sight of God, and that He wants to enjoy a time of
communion with you?
Jesus talked about His suffering and
about the Kingdom of God in the same breath. This was still
strange to the disciples; because suffering and God’s
Kingdom, were exact opposites from their point of view.
I have noticed that we as people try
constantly to eliminate suffering from our lives. We are so
used to taking medicine when something hurts, that when God
uses something like pain to speak to us, we often walk away
- figuratively speaking, of course.
We all, however, do have to face
suffering. Let’s look and see what the Bible tells us our
response as believers should be to such suffering. In 1
Peter 4:19, we are taught - ”So then, those who suffer
according to God's will should commit themselves to their
faithful Creator and continue to do good.”
Now compare this concept with Isaiah
53:3-5 ---
“He was despised and rejected by
men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one
from whom men hide their faces. He was despised, and we
esteemed Him not. Surely He took up our infirmities and
carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God,
smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our
transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the
punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His
wounds we are healed.”
I have also noticed that like the
disciples, we continually try to figure God out. If
something doesn’t fit into our little world, we don’t know
what to do with it. In light of this, please look at this
Scripture - Isaiah 55:8, where the Lord teaches - "’For My
thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My
ways,’ declares the Lord.” Will you depend upon God to sort
out the circumstances that you don’t understand?
Remember that the Old Testament
Scriptures were the only Scriptures that these disciples
had, and Even though they had been raised on them, they
still didn’t understand the intense suffering that the
Messiah would have to undergo. Have you tried to conceive of
the suffering that Christ went through for us? What is our
role in His suffering?
Now let’s return to Luke 22:17-19 –
“After taking the cup, He gave thanks and said, ‘Take this
and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink
again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God
comes.’ And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and
gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body given for you; do
this in remembrance of Me.’"
Notice that even though Jesus was
giving out the bread and cup which spoke of His death, He
gave thanks. Most of us don’t think about what a painful
time this would have been for Jesus. He was going to have to
leave close friends that He had spent three years of His
life with, and one of them would betray Him. Being God, He
knew about the painful death that He would suffer, and was
aware of the events leading up to it. My point is that the
Bible tells us to have an attitude of thanksgiving in good
times and bad. Thanksgiving is a discipline that we all need
to practice, for the Bible says that when we complain, we
are really complaining against the Lord. Please compare this
with 1 Thessalonians 5:18. - “Give thanks in all
circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ
Jesus.”
Notice that the Bible doesn’t tell
us to give thanks FOR all things, but it does tell us to
give thanks IN all things. Do you look for things to thank
God for? How are thanksgiving and the obedience that we
spoke of earlier related?
Now let’s look at Luke 22:20. “In
the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying,
‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured
out for you.’”
Doing this in the “same way,” just
means that just like He had given thanks for the bread, He
now gave thanks for the cup in the same manner. After
supper, the Jewish custom was to take the cup. But we see
that Jesus gave it a whole new meaning. It was to speak of
giving His precious blood.
Too many of us have never thought
about what the blood of Christ really means. Please look at
Leviticus 17:11 - “For the life of a creature is in the
blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for
yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes
atonement for one's life.” What does the shedding of
Christ’s blood, mean to you? Does it mean that Christ gave
His life personally for YOU?
Like the Passover lamb, Christ did
not have spot or blemish. In other words, Christ was without
sin so that He could redeem sinful humanity. This is why the
Virgin Birth is so important. Since He was God in the flesh
and therefore perfect, He could not have been fathered by
sinful man. See how the Virgin Birth was foretold in the Old
Testament Scriptures, as in Isaiah 7:14 - “Therefore the
Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with
child and will give birth to a son, and will call him
Immanuel.”
Returning to the Book of Luke, Jesus
was now speaking about the betrayal that will be done to Him
– “The hand of him who is going to betray Me is with Mine on
the table. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed,
but woe to that man who betrays Him" (Luke 22:21-22). When
Jesus said that His betrayal had been written down, He was
again referring to the Old Testament Scriptures. In order to
see this, please look with me at Psalm 41: 9 - “Even My
close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared My bread, has
lifted up his heel against Me.”
Think about the action of Judas.
Jesus spoke of the solemn consequences of this terrible act
of betrayal.
In Luke 22:23, we can see the
response of the disciples to the words of Jesus – “They
began to question among themselves which of them it might be
who would commit this terrible act.” They were confused and
shaken.
Look at how Jesus addresses their
confusion in the next verse, as He discussed what servant
hood is all about. “A dispute arose among them as to which
of them was considered to be greatest” (Luke 22:24).
We have two different topics being
argued about by the disciples. They must have been both
fearful and sad as they wondered who it was that would
betray their Lord and friend. But just like children, their
minds were easily shifted onto something else, and they
began questioning each others importance. Do you look at the
importance or seeming lack of importance in another person
and then compare yourself to them?
Jesus, however, only answered their
second question. He wants us to know that God has a unique
plan for each one of us. But In the following verses, we can
see some absolutes which govern God’s plan for us. Jesus
said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them;
and those who exercise authority over them call themselves
benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the
greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one
who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the
one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the
one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who
serves” (Luke 22:25-27).
In verses 25-27, Jesus is talking
about the lifestyle of servant hood that we all should be
willing to adopt. When Jesus says that we should act as the
“youngest,” He is talking about the humility that should
govern our lives. But unlike many leaders, Jesus did not
just tell us what we are to do, He modeled it for us. The
mark of a good leader is someone who will show by their own
lives what they are saying with their words.
I think that putting what we do and
say together is one of the biggest challenges to our
Christian walk.
One example of this comes from
something that I have experienced. There have been times
when I needed a helping hand as a blind person, and somebody
went out of their way to help me. There have been other
times when people gave lip service to their beliefs, but
their actions said something else altogether.
Many times people want nothing to do
with Christians because we say one thing and do something
else. Compare this passage in Luke with Mark 10:42-45. -
“Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those
who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles, lord it over
them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great
among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be
first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not
come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a
ransom for many."
Also look at John 13:13-16 - "You
call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is
what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed
your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have
set you an example that you should do as I have done for
you.”
Again, Jesus modeled what He was
talking about. In seminary, we had a saying that “more is
caught than taught.” What is Christ teaching YOU in this
section of Scripture? What are you saying by your actions?
What are some creative ways that you might serve? Meditating
on these Verses, ask yourself if you have to do something
great in the world's eyes in order to serve God?
In Luke 22:31-32, Jesus said
something to Simon that also directly applies to us: "Simon,
Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have
prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And
when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
Just like Jesus prayed for Simon,
the Bible says that He also prays for us. Look with me at
John 17:20-21 - "My prayer is not for them (the apostles)
alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through
their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as
You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in Us so
that the world may believe that You have sent Me.”
Like Simon, Satan also desires to
“sift (us) as wheat,” or in other words to make a mess out
of our lives. But Jesus intends to strengthen us so that we
can speak for Him, by our words and lives. Look at Matthew
28:18-20. ” Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And
surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Think about the fact that Christ is right there with you. No
matter what you may be facing, He intends to impart strength
to you. How does that make you feel?
Simon Peter did “strengthen” many
others by becoming an outspoken leader in the church and in
the community of that time. His work for the Lord, after his
rescue from failure, in itself should encourage us as we try
to serve God in the world. For just as Jesus modeled
behavior that He wanted to teach us, His disciples did the
same through the Spirit.
Compare this thought, with Acts
2:14-18. – “Peter stood up with the Eleven raised his voice
and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who
live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen
carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you
suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No, this is what was
spoken by the prophet Joel: 'In the last days, God says, I
will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and
daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both
men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and
they will prophesy.’”
That’s quite a change wouldn’t you
say? Peter went from someone who denied the Lord, to someone
who spoke out in boldness. God wants the same for you and
me, and the secret in all this is that we are being filled
with the Spirit of God. Please look at Ephesians 5: 18-20 -
”Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.
Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another
with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music
in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the
Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ.”
Whatever our calling in life, Jesus
has in mind that we will be able to strengthen one another
in the power and love of God. Please look at Ecclesiastes
4:9-10 - “Two are better than one, because they have a good
return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can
help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to
help him up!” How can YOU strengthen another brother or
sister in Christ today?
Look at the word picture about Peter
which is drawn for us: “He replied, ‘Lord, I am ready to go
with you to prison and to death.’”
Notice the first two words of this
verse very carefully. They are “Lord,” and then the pronoun
“I” follows. Many times in our prayers, we start out by
addressing Jesus as “Lord” like Peter did, but then also
like Peter, we tell Him What we are going to do, and this is
when, like Peter, we tend to get into trouble.
“Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, Peter,
before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times
that you know Me’" (Luke 22:34). Notice the response of
Jesus. He did not get into a debate with Peter; He simply
told him what was going to happen. We can learn from this.
There are times, when for the sake of what is more
important, we simply need to drop what is actually a minor
issue.
“Then Jesus asked them, ‘When I sent
you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?’
‘Nothing,’ they answered. He said to them, ‘But now if you
have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have
a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.” (Luke 22:35-37).
Jesus was telling them in figurative
language just how hard it was going to be. When He
ministered with them physically, He had taken them under His
“wing,” but now He would be going to the cross. It was a sad
confusing time for these men. Try and put yourself in their
place. They felt frightened and alone, as they faced the
unknown. Can you talk to God about what you are going
through in life? He intends to be with you and lead you
through.
In Luke 22:37, Jesus again refers to
the Old Testament, trying to impress on them the hatred He
was about to face. “It is written: 'And He was numbered with
the transgressors' and I tell you that this must be
fulfilled in Me. Yes, what is written about Me is reaching
its fulfillment.” Please look at this passage in the Book of
Isaiah with me. In Isaiah 53:8-9, it says, “By oppression
and judgment He was taken away and who can speak of His
descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of My people He was stricken. He was
assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His
death, though He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in
His mouth.”
Now Luke continues in Chapter 22,
Verse 38 - The disciples said, "See, Lord, here are two
swords." "That is enough," He replied.
Although Jesus had been speaking
about swords in metaphorical terms, it is clear that the
disciples again didn’t understand His message. He was simply
saying that there was no need for swords in the events that
were about to follow. “I am giving my life willingly for
mankind,” He was trying to tell them. I have heard people
who almost sound smug when they talk about the disciples and
their misunderstanding. But unfortunately, we also often
misunderstand our Lord. How can you better understand what
Jesus is saying to you?
Look at Acts 17: 11 - ”Now the
Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians,
for they received the message with great eagerness and
examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said
was true.” please meditate on this Scripture in Acts, as you
think about the need of people everywhere to understand the
Lord more completely.
Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives
Luke 22:39-40 - “Jesus went out as
usual to the Mount of Olives, and His disciples followed
Him. On reaching the place, He said to them, "Pray that you
will not fall into temptation."
Once again, in Verses 39 and 40, we
hear about the kind of leadership that Jesus exhibited. In
other words, we see Him modeling this leadership again as He
takes the lead and takes them to the Mount of Olives. Though
physically and spiritually drained, He took the initiative
to commune with His Father by going to a place that was well
known to him. Even when things seem “usual” in our lives, we
need to follow Christ. Too many times in our
sensationalistic culture, we leave the tried and true, for
what is exciting. We need to return to those times and
places in which we are likely to meet our Lord.
In Luke 22:41, Jesus’ command is to
“watch and pray,” but we will see in the following verses,
that His disciples didn’t do this. Like us many times, they
didn’t have a clue about what was going on. Also like us,
they let their feelings dictate to them, rather than
trusting in God.
So before we point our fingers at
them in the next few Verses, we need to take a look at our
own lives. The idea of “watching and praying” so that we
don’t fall into temptation, has direct application to all of
us. To see this, please look with me at 1 Thessalonians
5:17, where it says, “pray continually.” While this is one
of the shortest verses in Scripture, it is also one of our
greatest needs. The church has yet to see what would happen
if we finally become able to make prayer a continual
lifestyle. How can you embark on this journey today? What
does it mean in YOUR daily life, to “watch and pray?”
Now in the next couple of verses,
Luke goes on to tell us even more about the Lord’s prayer
life – “He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt
down and prayed, ‘Father, if You are willing, take this cup
from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done" (Luke
22:41-42). I think it’s very interesting that Jesus removed
Himself from His disciples before He prayed. It would appear
that He was removing Himself from all distraction. Sometimes
we too have to remove ourselves from certain situations so
that we can more fully focus on God.
I once hosted a radio program named
“Creative Focus.” In that program, I interviewed people and
we talked about creative ways that Christ can help us
surmount barriers. We need this same creativity in our
prayer life, so that we can find dynamic new ways to
overcome spiritual barriers, and be alone with God. How can
you more intently focus on God in your life? In the next
verse of Scripture, we will see Jesus praying with the same
attitude of submission that He taught His disciples.
To see this in action, look at
Mathew 6:10. Jesus said, ”Your kingdom come, Your will be
done on earth as it is in heaven.” Unless you are unlike me,
you can find this kind of submission to God to be very
difficult. How can we more fully submit to Christ?
Such submission to God should play a
key role in our prayer life. Too many people are afraid of
God, not realizing that He has our ultimate good in mind.
Too many people are afraid of the word “submission,” when
they don’t have to be. It is a voluntary act born out of
respect. It is not the term that we should fear, but rather
the misuse of the term. For as I said above, fear can hold
us back from God’s best.
Now, please focus with me on Luke
22:43. Here Luke gives us a glimpse in a small way at the
part of angels in Christ’s earthly ministry - “An angel from
heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him.” The angels
played a large part in the ministry of Jesus. Here we see
them imparting supernatural strength to Him because in a few
hours He would be facing the cross. To see more about the
part that angels played in Christ’s ministry see also
Matthew: 4:11 - ”Then the devil left Him, and angels came
and attended Him.”
Now, let's look at Luke 22:44 - :And
being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat
was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”
Try to imagine the pain and agony
that Christ went through for us. It is impossible to
completely understand, for He carried all the sin of man
kind on His shoulders. I was at a Sunday night church
service once where the people debated what it meant for
Christ’s sweat to be “like drops of blood.” Some thought
Christ’s sweat was real blood, while others said that the
Scriptures said it was only “like” blood. Frankly I think
that they were missing the entire point. The fact of the
matter is that the suffering He underwent for us, is
incomprehensible to the human mind, and we can only give
thanks for what He did.
What we can learn from though, is
that when the hours grew darker, Christ prayed “more
earnestly.” No matter what pain or sorrow you are going
through; let it drive you ever closer to God, rather than
away from Him. Do you ever feel that God has abandoned you?
Have you talked to God about it?
Compare your situation with how
David felt in Psalm 13:1-5. “How long, O Lord? Will you
forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have
sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes,
or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, ‘I have
overcome him,’ and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I
trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your
salvation.”
In the next two Verses in Luke
Chapter 22, Luke shows us the human condition, as reflected
in the disciples – “When He rose from prayer and went back
to the disciples, He found them asleep, exhausted from
sorrow. ‘Why are you sleeping?’ He asked them. ‘Get up and
pray so that you will not fall into temptation’” (Luke
22:45-46).
Have you ever been “exhausted from
sorrow?” I have, but again, Jesus tells us that these are
the times when we need to shake ourselves and pray with more
fervor . See what James 5:16 has to say about this -
”Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each
other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous
man is powerful and effective.”
Jesus Arrested
“While He was still speaking a crowd
came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the
Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss Him,
but Jesus asked him, ‘Judas, are you betraying the Son of
Man with a kiss?’ (Luke 22:47-48).
The kiss in the Middle Eastern
culture was a term of endearment, much like a modern hand
shake.
“When Jesus' followers saw what was
going to happen, they said, ‘Lord, should we strike with our
swords?’ And one of them struck the servant of the High
priest, cutting off his right ear (Luke 22:49-50).
It is interesting to me that the
disciples ask Jesus a question in these two verses, but they
didn’t wait for the answer. Many times, we take our
figurative swords and lash out, without waiting to hear from
God. Compare this impulsive action with what Paul says in
Galatians 5:23 – He said about “gentleness and self-control
(that) against such things there is no law.”
To see who it was that drew the
sword, look at John 18:10.”Then Simon Peter, who had a
sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting
off his right ear.” (The servant's name was Malthus).” Are
you like Peter? How in contrast to his behavior, can you
live the kind of Spirit-controlled life that Paul often
talked about?
Take time to stop and meditate on
the next Verse in Luke. What do you think God is saying to
you here? “But Jesus answered, ‘No more of this!’ And he
touched the man's ear and healed him” (Luke 22:51).
Think for a minute about the
compassion that Jesus exhibited. He was undergoing, more
than anyone in human history would or ever will have to go
through, yet He thought about the need of someone else. We
to are to be healing agents in the world. How can we think
of others more, especially in painful times? Look at what
Jesus said about this - Matthew 5:7 records the words,
”Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
Now Luke records a conversation of
Jesus with the religious leaders – “Then 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? Every day I was
with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on
Me” (Luke 22:52-53).
We have already seen that Jesus
taught in the temple daily and that these religious leaders
were afraid of the people. To see the power that Jesus could
have called down upon His enemies at that moment, look at
Mathew 26:53 - “Do you think I cannot call on My Father, and
He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions
of angels?” Then Jesus continued, “But this is your hour -
when darkness reigns."
Can you imagine the terrible nature
of this hour? All of the forces of Satan were being
unleashed against the Son of God.
Peter Disowns Jesus
“Then seizing Him, they led Him away
and took Him into the house of the high priest. Peter
followed at a distance. But when they had kindled a fire in
the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter
sat down with them. servant girl saw him seated there in the
firelight. She looked closely at him and said, ‘This man was
with Him.’ But he denied it. ‘Woman, I don't know Him," he
said. A little later someone else saw him and said, ‘You
also are one of them.’ ‘Man, I am not!’ Peter replied. About
an hour later another asserted, ‘Certainly this fellow was
with Him, for he is a Galilean.’ Peter replied, ‘Man, I
don't know what you're talking about!’ Just as he was
speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked
straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord
had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will
disown Me three times.’ And he went outside and wept
bitterly” (Luke 22:54-62).
Look with me at some reasons why
Peter might have denied the Lord. First, Luke 22:54 says
that Peter followed Jesus “at a distance.” There are many
people who do the same thing today. They have one foot in
the world and one foot in the Kingdom of God. Look at what
Jesus said about this in Mathew 6:24. - "No one can serve
two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other,
or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”
Also look at what James has to say in James 4:8 - “Come near
to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you
sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
What kind of lifestyle are you
living? Is it one of following Christ at a distance? Also,
Luke 22:55 tells us that Peter sat down with his enemies.
Many people play with fire. They “sit” or have fellowship
with those who are at odds with the cause of Christ.
Look at Psalms 1:1-3 - 1 “Blessed is
the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or
stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he
meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by
streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose
leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”
I would like to clarify what I meant
above. While the Lord DOES want you to love people who do
not know Him, He also does NOT want you to be negatively
influenced by them. Please look at Matthew 5: 14-16 - "You
are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be
hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a
bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light
to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light
shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and
praise your Father in heaven.”
What is your relationship to those
who don’t know Christ?
Now going back to Luke 22:61 and
forward, we find some commentary on what happened after
Peter’s denial. In Verse 61, we see the Lord giving Peter a
loving look, which brings everything that Jesus had told him
back to his remembrance. Then in verse 62, we see the
repentance of Peter as unlike Judas, he “wept bitterly.” The
Guards Mock Jesus in Verse 63 – “The men who were guarding
Jesus began mocking and beating him.” And the Scripture
continues, “They blindfolded him and demanded, ‘Prophesy!
Who hit you?’ And they said many other insulting things to
him” (Luke 22:64-65).
We see in these verses how cruel
these men really were. For as they made fun of Him and hit
Him, the text tells us that they blindfolded Him. This would
have been significant, because not being able to see would
have rendered his human protective instincts to become
useless.
Isaiah 53:7-8 says this about the
beating and trial of Christ - “He was oppressed and
afflicted, yet He did not open his mouth; He was led like a
lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is
silent, so He did not open his mouth. By oppression and
judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his
descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken.”
Pilate and Herod
“At daybreak the council of the
elders of the people, both the chief priests and teachers of
the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. ‘If
You are the Christ,’ they said, ‘tell us.’ Jesus answered,
‘If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you,
you would not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will
be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.’ They all
asked, ‘Are you then the Son of God?’ He replied, ‘You are
right in saying I am.’ Then they said, ‘Why do we need any
more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips’" (Luke
22:66-71).
I have heard people ask, where in
Scripture does Jesus talk about being the Christ? This would
be a good example, so let’s examine these final verses.
But before this, notice that these
leaders held their trial at daybreak when the people
couldn’t interfere. By the response of Jesus to the leader’s
questions, we can see that He sought the approval of God
rather then of man. When He talked about how He would be
“seated at the right hand of God,” this spoke of power and
authority. For in the Bible the “right hand” always refers
to majesty when it is in reference to God. When Jesus told
them they were right in saying that He was God’s Son, They
pounced upon this. They had been waiting for such a
declaration. So, they now falsely accused Him of blasphemy.
What does it mean in your life that
Christ sits on the right hand of God? As you think about
this look at, Revelation 19: 16 - “On his robe and on His
thigh He has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF
LORDS.” Let His majesty transform you, and conform you into
His image. These Scriptures show that these leaders new
exactly what Jesus was claiming, but instead of just saying
it outright, Jesus had these men say it. They could never
forget what came from their own lips. Thank you for reading
this.
We have discussed many things in
this chapter, but none is so apparent as the deity of
Christ. This is shown not only by His words, but by the
fulfillment of scripture. Please join me next time, as we
look at Luke 23.
Friday Study Ministries
The First Church On The Net
www.FridayStudy.org
www.FirstChurchOnTheNet.org
"While
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
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