Issachar_Luke22 - The Visual Bible Explorer Series

Chapter 22 Luke 22

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus (vv. 1-6)

¹ The time was near for the Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover. ^{a 2} The chief priests ^b and the teachers of the Law were afraid of the people, and so they were trying to find a way of putting Jesus to death secretly.

³ Then Satan entered into Judas, ^c called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples. ⁴ So Judas went off and spoke with the chief priests and the officers of the Temple guard d about how he could betray Jesus to them. ⁵ They were pleased and offered to pay him money. ^{e 6} Judas agreed to it and started looking for a good chance to hand Jesus over to them without the people knowing about it.

Interesting Stuff:

a Strictly speaking, the Passover referred to the meal which begins at twilight on the 14th day of the first month, Nisan (Lev 23:5-6). On the 15th day, the Festival of Unleavened Bread begins. For one week, they ate bread made without yeast or leaven. By NT times, the two separate feasts had merged and the names for the two festivals were almost interchangeable. Passover celebrates the basic act of God’s liberation of Israel from Egypt, while Unleavened Bread commemorates how the Israelites ate only unleavened bread on the eve of the exodus.

b In all the Gospels, the Pharisees were Jesus’ chief enemies throughout his ministry but the high priestly party took over at the end. It was they who had the political power. Their power, however, was not unlimited. Here their chief problem was that they feared the people. They were afraid of provoking a riot because many of the people supported Jesus.

c Luke shows that more than human schemes were at work here. Satan had been waiting for an opportune time (Lk 4:13) to act and Judas’ plan to betray Jesus coincided with Satan’s plans. Although Judas was influenced by Satan, he also acted out of his free will because of his greed for money.

d Except in rare instances, Roman soldiers were not allowed in the Temple and so the Temple had their own Jewish soldiers, mostly selected from the Levites. These were called the Temple guards. Their role was something like that of a police force, to keep order in the Temple.

e The price paid was 30 silver shekels, the equivalent of 120 denarii (the wages of a working man for four months). This was also the price of an ordinary slave (Ex 21:32).

Questions:

What were the chief priests and the teachers of the Law plotting and why was it done in secret (v. 2)?

2. When did this incident take place (v.1)?

3. What happened that made them pleased (v. 4)?

4. How did they respond to Judas (v. 5)?

5. What action did Judas take as a result of his agreement with them (v. 6)?

Summary of Section:

The time came near for the celebration of the Feast of Unleavened Bread or the Passover.
The chief priests and the teachers of the Law were afraid of the people and so they tried to find a way of putting Jesus to death secretly.
Satan entered into Judas, one of Jesus’ 12 disciples. He went to see the chief priests and officers of the Temple guard about how he could betray Jesus to them.
They were pleased and offered to pay him money.
Judas agreed and from then on, he tried to find an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them without the people knowing.

Nuggets of Wisdom

The setting of the final part of God’s purpose within the celebration of the Passover and Unleavened Bread is significant in two ways:
i. During this festival, the number of people in Jerusalem swelled considerably to include hundreds of thousands who went there to celebrate Israel’s identity as a nation that had been delivered by their God. It was a highly charged environment during the Roman period, with the Jews looking for deliverance from their oppressors. There were often episodes of unrest and so the Roman leadership, normally resident in Caesarea, was there to keep order.
ii. There is an association between the Passover and Jesus’ death that is to come. The Passover, which celebrates God’s deliverance of His people from bondage to slavery in Egypt, foreshadows the death of Jesus through which God will also deliver His people, but this time from slavery to sin.
In this section and at various other points in the events leading up to Jesus’ betrayal and crucifixion, Luke points out that more was at work than just human schemes. Satan was hard at work in opposing God and His purposes. There was thus a battle of cosmic proportions going on in the spiritual realm over God’s plan to redeem mankind through the death of Jesus.
Although Judas might be influenced by Satan, he also acted out of his own free will because he was tempted by the money offered to him.
Thus regardless of whatever may influence us, we are still ultimately responsible for making our choices. And like Judas, we will face the consequences of the choices we make.

The Last Supper (vv. 7-38)

⁷ The day came during the Festival of Unleavened Bread when the lambs for the Passover meal were to be killed. ^{f 8}Jesus sent Peter and John g with these instructions: “Go and get the Passover meal ready ^h for us to eat.”
⁹ “Where do you want us to get it ready?” they asked him.
¹⁰He answered, “As you go into the city, a man carrying a jar of water i will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters, ¹¹and say to the owner of the house: ‘The Teacher says to you, ^jWhere is the room where my disciples and I will eat the Passover meal?’ ¹² He will show you a large furnished room ^k upstairs, where you will get everything ready.”
¹³ They went off and found everything just as Jesus had told them, ^land they prepared the Passover meal.
¹⁴ When the hour came, Jesus took his place at the table with the apostles. ¹⁵ He said to them, “I have wanted so much to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer! ¹⁶ For I tell you, I will never eat it until it is given its full meaning in the Kingdom of God.” ^m¹⁷Then Jesus took a cup, ⁿ gave thanks to God, and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. ¹⁸ I tell you that from now on I will not drink this wine until the Kingdom of God comes.”
¹⁹Then he took a piece of bread, ^ogave thanks to God, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. ^p Do this in memory of me.” ^{q 20}In the same way, he gave them the cup after the supper, saying, “This cup is God’s new covenant sealed with my blood, which is poured out for you. ^r²¹ “But look! The one who betrays me is here at the table with me! ²²The Son of Man will die as God has decided, but how terrible for that man who betrays him!”^s²³Then they began to ask among themselves which one of them it could be who was going to do this.
²⁴ An argument broke out among the disciples as to which one of them should be thought of as the greatest. ²⁵ Jesus said to them, “The kings of the pagans have power over their people, and the rulers claim the title ‘Friends of the People.’ ^{t 26}But this is not the way it is with you; rather, the greatest one among you must be like the youngest, ^u and the leader must be like the servant. ²⁷Who is greater, the one who sits down to eat or the one who serves him? The one who sits down, of course. But I am among you as one who serves.
²⁸ “You have stayed with me all through my trials; ²⁹ and just as my Father has given me the right to rule, so I will give you the same right. ³⁰ You will eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom, and you will sit on thrones to rule over the twelve tribes of Israel.
³¹ “Simon, Simon! Listen! Satan has received permission to test all of you, ^vto separate the good from the bad, as a farmer separates the wheat from the chaff. ³² But I have prayed for you, ^w Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you turn back to me, you must strengthen your brothers.”
³³ Peter answered, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you and to die with you!”
³⁴ “I tell you, Peter,” Jesus said, “the rooster will not crow tonight until you have said three times that you do not know me.”
³⁵ Then Jesus asked his disciples, “When I sent you out that time without purse, bag, or shoes, did you lack anything?” ^x“Not a thing,” they answered.
³⁶“But now,” Jesus said, “whoever has a purse or a bag must take it; and whoever does not have a sword ^ymust sell his coat and buy one. ³⁷ For I tell you that the scripture which says, ‘He shared the fate of criminals,’ ^z must come true about me, because what was written about me is coming true.”
³⁸ The disciples said, “Look! Here are two swords, Lord!”
“That is enough!” ^a’he replied.

Interesting Stuff:

f The lamb had to be sacrificed on the 14th Day of Nisan between 2.30 and 5.30 pm in the court of the priests. This happened to fall on the Thursday of the Passion Week.

g Both Peter and John were, like Judas, part of the inner circle of the Twelve. Unlike Judas who chose to become an agent of Satan and betray Jesus for money, Peter and John chose to obey Jesus and serve him. They later became the leaders of the Twelve, whereas Judas hanged himself (Mt 27:5).

h The preparations would involve the purchase of an unblemished lamb and other food necessary for the meal, the sacrifice of the lamb in the Temple, roasting of the lamb, and the arrangements of the room for the meal.

i It was unusual to see a man carrying a jar of water since this was normally women’s work. j This form of address ‘The Teacher says’ might have been chosen because the owner was a follower already known to Jesus.

k The kind of room mentioned was normally on the second floor under a flat roof and was accessible by an outside stairway. It was probably furnished with the couches needed for reclining and the necessary utensils for the meal.

l As in the preparations made for his entry into Jerusalem (19:28-34), this probably indicates either the prophetic foresight Jesus had in knowing what would happen or that Jesus had probably made the arrangements beforehand. It might be that Jesus had made previous arrangements with the man in order to make sure that the Passover meal would not be disturbed. Since Jesus did not identify ahead of time where he would be observing Passover, Judas was unable to inform the enemy beforehand who might have interrupted this very important time Jesus had with his disciples.

m This was the last occasion Jesus had to observe the Passover with his disciples before he himself was slain as the perfect ‘Passover lamb’, and thus fulfil this sacrifice for all time. He would no longer eat a Passover meal until the celebration of the heavenly banquet when God’s purposes through his death would finally be completed.

n During a Passover meal, four cups of wine are drunk at different parts of the meal. It is not certain which cup this was, the first or the second.

Before the second cup is drunk, the youngest son in the family would ask why this night is different from other nights and why unleavened bread is eaten. The head of the family would then tell the story of the exodus and interpret the meal as an act of remembrance and thanksgiving to God for delivering His people.

o After the second cup is drunk, the head of the family takes the unleavened bread, blesses it, breaks it and hands it to the others. This is followed by the meal itself.

p ‘Giving of one’s body’ is an image for the giving of one’s life (in battle) for the sake of one’s people. It points to Jesus’ death for the salvation of mankind.

q Just as the Passover was a reminder and proclamation of God’s redemption of Israel from the bondage of slavery in Egypt, so the keeping of Christ’s command here would also be a remembering and a proclaiming of his delivering them from the bondage of sin through his death on the cross.

r ‘Blood poured out’ symbolises violent death and sacrifice. This new covenant that God was making with His people would be based on the forgiveness of sin through the death of Jesus, the shedding of his blood on the cross. It would no longer be based on law but grace, for now God’s Law would be written in our hearts (Jer 31:31-34) through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

s Jesus made it clear that his death was part of God’s divine purpose but that did not mean that the betrayer was guiltless for he himself chose to take that step. The expression was not so much one of vindictiveness but of grief over the consequences of Judas’ action.

t Other translations have the word ‘benefactors’. It was a common practice in the Roman Empire for the wealthy not to pay taxes but to contribute their money and time to help the cities and towns. They thus became known as benefactors and were seen as most deserving of public office and honour in the community.

u In the ancient world, it was accepted that age gave one privileges and honour. They were thus not to seek the honour given the aged but to be content to be the lowliest, like the young. v Satan has no rights here. He may ask but it is God who is supreme. Thus any trials or testing that comes to God’s people are only those which God allows. Most translations have ‘Satan has asked to sift you like wheat’. This metaphor signifies great trials that would come upon the disciples, especially Simon.

w Having experienced success with Judas, Satan now turned to attack the other apostles. The only reason Peter survived and turned back to Jesus was because Jesus prayed for him. Peter would experience ‘temporary failure’ but he would turn back. Because he had been through hard testing, he would then be able to strengthen his brothers.

x Jesus was contrasting what would happen with earlier times. When he had sent them off to preach, their resources had been few but they had experienced God’s provision and hospitality along their missionary journey. Now things were going to be different.

y Until now, the disciples had been dependent on the generous hospitality of others but in time to come, opposition would require them to pay their own way. They could no longer depend on a warm welcome but they must prepare themselves for hostility, even of a violent sort. The word ‘sword’ here was not meant literally because we know that Jesus opposed violence (see vv. 49-51). Elsewhere in the Bible, it is used as a metaphor for hostility. Jesus was thus warning them of the need to be prepared for the hostility that they would be facing.

z This quote is taken from Isa 53:12. Other translations read ‘he was numbered with the transgressors’. Jesus was telling his disciples that the words of Isaiah were about to be fulfilled in him. In his death for mankind, he would be counted as one of the sinners. He would be arrested as a criminal. His warning to them was that as his followers, they should expect no less and they must ready themselves for the hostility they would face.

a’ The disciples showed that they had misunderstood what Jesus meant by ‘sword’ and produced two swords. Jesus’ words ‘That is enough!’ were an expression of his exasperation, not of his agreement. It was his way of dismissing a subject from which the disciples had hopelessly gone astray.

Questions:

What instructions did Jesus give Peter and John for getting the Passover meal ready for them (vv. 8-12)?

2. What did they find as they obeyed Jesus (v. 13)?

3. What did Jesus tell them at the start of the Passover meal (vv. 14-16)?

4. Describe how Jesus interpreted the cup and the bread in the light of the new covenant that God was going to make with His people (vv. 19-20).

5. What comments did Jesus make about the person who was going to betray him (v. 22)?

6. What did the disciples argue about during the meal (v. 24)?

What do you think caused this argument?

7. How did Jesus respond to his disciples’ argument (vv. 25-27)?

8. Because his disciples had stayed faithful to him, how would he reward them (vv. 28-30)?

9. What was Satan going to do to the disciples (v. 31)?

What action did Jesus take to stop him (v. 32)?

10. How did Peter respond (v. 33)?

11. What was Jesus’ reply to Peter (v. 34)?

12. What warning did Jesus give his disciples about what they would face in the days ahead (vv. 35-37)?

13. Did the disciples understand him (v. 38)?

Why do you think this was so?

Summary of Section:

I. Preparation for Passover (vv. 7-13)

During the Festival of Unleavened Bread, on the day that the lambs were to be killed, Jesus sent Peter and John into the city to get the Passover meal ready.
He told them that a man carrying a jar of water would meet them and they were to follow him into a house. They were to tell the owner of the house that the Teacher wanted to know where the room was for him and his disciples to eat the Passover meal.
The man would show them a large furnished room upstairs where they were to do their preparations.
They went off and found everything as told to them by Jesus.

II. The Passover Meal (vv. 14-23)

During the Passover meal, Jesus sat at the head of the table with his disciples.
He told them that he had wanted very much to eat this last Passover meal with them before he went to his death. He would not be eating it anymore until it was given its full meaning in the Kingdom of God.
He then took a cup of wine, gave thanks to God and told them to share the cup. He said that he would also not be drinking this wine again until the Kingdom of God comes in the future.
Then he took a piece of bread, gave thanks to God, broke it and gave it to his disciples. He told them that this was his body which was given for them and they were to eat it in memory of him.
In the same way, he gave them the cup after supper, telling them that the cup was God’s new covenant sealed with his blood which was poured out for them.
Then he told them that someone from among them would betray him and he would face terrible judgment even though it was God’s purpose for Jesus to die.
The disciples then started to ask among themselves who it could be.

III. The Argument (vv. 24-30)

An argument broke out among the disciples as to which one of them should be thought of as the greatest.
Jesus told them that the pagan kings have power over their people and the rulers claim to be the people’s benefactors. But they were to be different.
The greatest must be like the youngest, and the leader must be like the servant. Jesus himself was among them as one who served.
He told them that as they had stayed with him through his trials, he would give them the right to rule just as God the Father had given him the right to rule. They would eat and drink at his table in his kingdom and would sit on thrones to rule over the twelve tribes of Israel.

IV. Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial (vv. 31-34)

Jesus told his disciples and especially Peter that Satan had received permission to test their faith like a farmer separates the wheat from the chaff.
He had prayed for Peter particularly that his faith would not fail and when he turned back to Jesus that he would strengthen his brothers.
Peter rashly told Jesus that he was ready to go to prison with him and to die with him.
Jesus told him that the rooster would not crow that night until he had denied knowing Jesus three times.

V. Jesus’ Warning (vv. 35-38)

Jesus told his disciples that before when they had gone out to preach, they had not lacked anything. But now it would be different.
He told them that whoever had a purse or bag must take it, and whoever did not have a sword was to buy one.
He quoted a Scripture verse that talked about the Messiah sharing the fate of criminals and said that the Scriptures would soon be fulfilled in him.
His disciples misunderstood and showed him two swords instead.

Nuggets of Wisdom

A. Preparation for Passover (vv. 7-13)

During the Hellenistic and Roman periods, the celebration of Passover was no longer over a simple meal eaten in haste (cf. Ex 12:11). It had become a feast eaten with couches and pillows to recline on, and therefore preparations had to be made.
Whereas Judas became an agent of Satan, Peter and John were obedient to follow Jesus’ instructions. These were the two disciples who later took on the role of leaders in the book of Acts.

B. The Passover Meal (vv. 14-23)

This is one of the rare times Luke uses the term ‘apostles’. Here he is identifying them as those chosen by Jesus to be with him and to later provide the leadership for God’s people in his place.
Jesus’ deep desire to share the Passover with his disciples was motivated by his recognition that a change was to come – his suffering and death – and after this meal, he would not again partake in a Passover meal until he meets them again at the heavenly banquet.
Jesus followed generally the order of the Passover celebration but he lingered over the bread and the cup in order to charge them with a new significance. The ‘giving of one’s body’ is an image for giving one’s life in battle for the sake of one’s people. Jesus thus was pointing towards his death on the cross for mankind. He was not enacting or acting out his death in the action of the breaking of the bread but he was interpreting and explaining to them the significance of his death.
The cup was not taken immediately but only after they had eaten the Passover meal. The ‘pouring out’ implies violent death and sacrifice and points to Jesus’ death on the cross which would establish God’s new covenant with His people. Israel was already in a covenant relationship with God set up through Moses (see Ex 24:8) but now Jesus would establish a new covenant with his blood, his sacrifice of himself.
Jesus made it clear that his death was part of God’s purpose for him. That did not mean that Judas the betrayer was guiltless. The fact that God overrules the evil that bad men do as He brings His purposes to pass does not make them any less evil.

C. The Argument (vv. 24-30)

In v. 23, the disciples had been inquiring among themselves ‘which one of them’ would betray Jesus, and now they were asking ‘which one of them’ was the greatest. At this critical point, Jesus’ message about his own self-giving seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.
Jesus again seized the opportunity to teach them that the form of leadership they were to embody must be one which is unconcerned with status and honour but which reflects the humility of table servants, those willing to serve. He pointed to himself as someone who, though he had the right to sit at the head of the table as lord and king and be served, chose to serve others.
Despite the disciples’ current failure, Jesus saw them as having been faithful, and therefore he promised them a share in his authority. They would be granted positions of leadership both now and in the future when God’s Kingdom comes.

D. Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial (vv. 31-34)

Luke is the only Gospel which tells of Satan’s part in Peter’s denial. Sometimes Satan can have a part to play in causing us to fall spiritually. He is active in resisting God’s plan and God’s people and creates occasions for failure.
However, Satan has no rights over God’s people unless he is given permission by God. Therefore as God’s people, we can take comfort in the fact that whatever testing and trials that come our way have been allowed by God. He knows and is in charge. Note that Jesus was aware of Satan’s plan to cause Peter to fall which was why he prayed for him.
To guard ourselves from Satan’s attacks, we need to pray. Note here that Jesus prayed specifically for Peter, not that he would be freed from his testing but that he would be able to go through it, and that he would later be able to help others because he had gone through it before.
Hardship and suffering are part of the Christian life but God gives the grace to overcome. His purposes are not always to keep us from suffering.

E. Jesus’ Warning (vv. 35-38)

Jesus warned his disciples that the times were changing because Scripture would soon be fulfilled and he would be going to his death. In the future they could no longer depend on a warm welcome as they go out to preach and minister in his name. He called them to prepare themselves for hostility, even of a violent sort.
The disciples did not yet understand, which was why they took out their swords because they thought they needed to possess weapons to counter the hostility they would face. Jesus’ response was one of exasperation. Even at this crucial hour, his disciples were still slow to understand what he was telling them.

Jesus Prays in Agony (vv. 39-46)

³⁹ Jesus left the city and went, as he usually did, tothe Mount of Olives; ^b’ and the disciples went with him. ⁴⁰When he arrived at the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” ^c’⁴¹ Then he went off from them about the distance of a stone’s throw and knelt down ^d’ and prayed. ⁴²“Father,” he said, “if you will, take this cup of suffering ^e’away from me. Not my will, however, but your will be done.” ⁴³An angel ^f’from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. ⁴⁴In great anguish he prayed even more fervently; his sweat was like drops of blood ^g’ falling to the ground.
⁴⁵Rising from his prayer, he went back to the disciples and found them asleep, worn out by their grief. ⁴⁶ He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you will not fall into temptation.” ^h’

Interesting Stuff:

b’ In their Gospels, Matthew and Mark identified the place as Gethsemane, and John, an olive grove. The place was probably located somewhere on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives (see chap 19, note q). According to Luke, it was a place Jesus frequently went to but it was not mentioned that it was a garden.

c’ Jesus was probably referring to the severe trial they would be going through that would test their faith.

d’ Jesus did not just ask his disciples to pray at such a time of severe trial, but he himself also prayed. The usual praying posture was to stand with eyes raised to heaven. Jesus’ kneeling down in prayer suggests not only that he was being submissive in prayer to God but that it was a time of great urgency and emotional intensity.

e’ In the OT, the ‘cup of suffering’ was a common metaphor for God’s wrath or judgment against human sin and rebellion. Here it refers to the ‘cup’ of death and of God’s wrath, the divine punishment of sin that Jesus took from the Father’s hand in fulfilment of his mission. Jesus knew the agony of the terrible death that he would be going through if he accepted God’s will, and yet he prayed that God’s will be done instead of his own. What he dreaded was not death as such, but the manner of his death as the one who was taking the sin of mankind upon himself.

f’ God’s response to Jesus’ prayer was not to remove the cup of suffering but to provide strength for the ordeal through the help of an angel. Thus strengthened, Jesus prayed even more fervently. He was so earnestly engaged in the battle that he sweated profusely. The battle was against Satan’s opposition to God’s will and that God’s will would triumph in the end.

g’ This was probably sweat in large drops like blood. Or it could be a condition called hematidrosis, the actual mingling of blood and sweat in cases of extreme anguish, strain or sensitivity.

h’ Jesus, in his compassion, did not rebuke his disciples for falling asleep and failing to pray. Instead he urged them once more to pray for themselves.

Questions:

Describe what took place at the Mount of Olives when Jesus went there with his disciples (vv. 39-46).

2. Comment on the meaning of the ‘cup’ (v. 42).

3. Mention two other occasions when Jesus prayed (6:12, 9:29).

Summary of Section:

Jesus left the city with his disciples and went, like he usually did, to the Mount of Olives.
There he told his disciples to pray that they would not fall into temptation.
Then he went off a short distance away and prayed, asking the Father to take away the cup of suffering if it was His will. He prayed also that God’s will be done, and not his own will.
An angel appeared to Jesus and strengthened him. In great anguish, Jesus prayed even more fervently and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Then rising from his prayer, he went back to his disciples and found them asleep because they were worn out by their grief.
Jesus asked them why they were sleeping. He told them to get up and pray that they would not fall into temptation.

Nuggets of Wisdom

What Luke emphasises in this section is prayer in the midst of trial – first by Jesus’ instructions to his disciples, and then by his own kneeling to pray. Since standing was the normal posture for praying, kneeling indicates submissiveness in prayer as well as the urgency or intensity of the prayer itself.
Although Jesus’ desire was that God remove ‘this cup’, his death, yet he affirmed that he would be willing to do God’s will and not his own. God’s response to Jesus’ prayer was to provide strength for the ordeal, not to remove the cup.
We get some indication of the intensity of the battle in prayer by how Jesus sweated so profusely and how God sent an angel to strengthen him. As Jesus prayed in the face of ‘testing’, so should the disciples. The way Jesus remained faithful and obedient to the divine will was through persistent, earnest and submissive prayer. And that is the only way we can remain obedient to God’s will and to triumph over Satan in times of trial.
It was on the Mount of Olives that the conflict between God and Satan reached one of its highest points. The irony of the situation was that if Jesus embraced the cup in obedience to God’s will, he would also accept the fate willed for him by Satan. It was only in the end that it became clear that Jesus’ death represented not the greatest of Satan’s achievements but Satan’s own destruction.
Jesus did not condemn his disciples for failing to pray because he repeated his instruction to them to pray that they will not fall into temptation a second time. We are to assume that their failure on the Mount of Olives was neither final nor fatal.

The Arrest of Jesus (vv. 47-53)

⁴⁷Jesus was still speaking when a crowd ^i’arrived, led by Judas, one of the twelve disciples. He came up to Jesus to kiss him. ^{j’ 48}But Jesus said, “Judas, is it with a kiss that you betray the Son of Man?”
⁴⁹When the disciples who were with Jesus saw what was going to happen, they asked, “Shall we use our swords, Lord?” ⁵⁰ And one of them struck the High Priest’s slave ^k’and cut off his right ear.
⁵¹But Jesus said, “Enough of this!” He touched the man’s ear and healed him. ^l’⁵²Then Jesus said to the chief priests and the officers of the Temple guard and the elders ^m’who had come there to get him, “Did you have to come with swords and clubs, as though I were an outlaw? ⁵³ I was with you in the Temple every day, and you did not try to arrest me. But this is your hour to act, ^n’when the power of darkness rules.” ^o’

Interesting Stuff:

i’ Only in verse 52 does Luke tell us who were in the crowd – the chief priests, the elders and the officers of the Temple guard. They came with swords and clubs ready in case there was opposition to their arrest of Jesus.

j’ The kiss was not an unusual form of greeting when men met. It normally expressed friendship and esteem but here Judas had turned it into a kiss of betrayal. In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, we are told that Judas had already prearranged the kiss as a signal to identify Jesus. It was unnecessary because Jesus identified himself (see Jn 18:5) but Judas acted out his plan anyway.

k’ His name was Malchus. Peter was the one who struck the blow (see Jn 18:10).

l’ Jesus corrected the wrong done by his follower for to have allowed such an action would be contrary to his teachings.

m’ In the other Gospels, two other groups were mentioned who were also there – the teachers of the Law and Roman soldiers.

n’ It was the time appointed for Jesus’ enemies to arrest him, the time when the forces of darkness (powers of evil) would do their worst to defeat God’s plan.

o’ Darkness is symbolic of the authority of Satan. Jesus saw the Temple authorities and the Sanhedrin as instruments through which Satan and the powers of evil were acting.

Questions:

Narrate the events and conversations that took place when Jesus was arrested (vv. 47-53).

Summary of Section:

Jesus was still speaking when a crowd of the chief priests, officers of the Temple guard and the elders came, led by Judas, one of the 12 disciples.
Judas came up to Jesus to kiss him but Jesus asked him whether he was betraying him with a kiss.
When Jesus’ disciples saw what was going on, they asked whether they should use their swords. Then one of them struck the High Priest’s slave and cut off his ear.
Jesus did not permit them to use violence and touched the man’s ear and healed him.
Then he asked the crowd why they had to come with swords and clubs as though he were an outlaw. He said that he had been with them in the Temple every day and they had not tried to arrest him.
Jesus added that this, however, was their hour to act when the power of darkness ruled.

Nuggets of Wisdom

The disciples, because they slept rather than prepared themselves in prayer for this moment, were unable to understand how God’s purposes could be served by betrayal and arrest. Thus they reacted by resorting to resistance and violence. Jesus’ sharp rebuke called attention to how far they had misunderstood his message.
Jesus’ healing of the high priest’s personal representative shows how he embodied his message of forgiving one’s enemies.
For Luke, ‘darkness’ is symbolic of the authority of Satan. In Jesus’ arrest, we see again the hand of Satan. Both the Temple authorities and Judas had become instruments of Satan’s opposition against the purposes of God. Satan was seen as triumphant at first but the end would show that what he considered as his triumph ultimately led to his defeat.

The Trial of Jesus (vv. 54-71)

⁵⁴ They arrested Jesus and took him away into the house of the High Priest; ^p’and Peter followed at a distance. ⁵⁵ A fire had been lit in the centre of the courtyard, ^q’and Peter joined those who were sitting around it. ⁵⁶When one of the servant girls saw him sitting there at the fire, she looked straight at him and said, “This man too was with Jesus!”
⁵⁷But Peter denied it, “Woman, I don’t even know him!”
⁵⁸After a little while a man noticed Peter and said, “You are one of them, too!” But Peter answered, “Man, I am not!” ⁵⁹ And about an hour later another man insisted strongly, “There isn’t any doubt that this man was with Jesus, because he also is a Galilean!” ^r’⁶⁰ But Peter answered, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about!” At once, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. ⁶¹ The Lord turned around and looked straight at Peter, ^s’ and Peter remembered that the Lord had said to him, “Before the rooster crows tonight, you will say three times that you do not know me.” ⁶²Peter went out and wept bitterly.
⁶³The men who were guarding Jesus t’ made fun of him and beat him. ⁶⁴ They blindfolded him and asked him, “Who hit you? Guess!” ⁶⁵And they said many other insulting things to him.⁶⁶When day came, ^u’the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law met together, ^v’and Jesus was brought before the Council. ⁶⁷ “Tell us,” they said, “are you the Messiah?”
He answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me; ⁶⁸and if I ask you a question, you will not answer. ⁶⁹ But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right side of Almighty God.” ^w’⁷⁰They all said, “Are you, then, the Son of God?” He answered them, “You say that I am.”
⁷¹ And they said, “We don’t need any witnesses! We ourselves have heard what he said!” ^x’

Interesting Stuff:

p’ This was probably the house of Annas, father-in-law of the High Priest Caiaphas (see chap 3, note e). This meeting seemed to have been an unofficial trial or examination of Jesus before the high priest and some members of the Sanhedrin.

q’ The fire in the courtyard was needed because the evenings are cool in springtime in Jerusalem. Peter was the only disciple who had followed Jesus.

r’ The third challenge was more serious. The man insisted on what he said as being true, bringing up the evidence that Peter was from Galilee like Jesus. This probably meant that Peter’s Galilean accent gave him away. This man was a relative of Malchus, the high priest’s slave (see Jn 18:26).

s’ We do not know where Jesus was at this point. He might have been in a room overlooking the courtyard or on his way from Annas’ house to the Sanhedrin. At any rate, he was in some place from which he could see Peter. He turned to look at Peter and that awakened in Peter the memory of Jesus’ prophecy about him.

t’ Jesus was evidently committed to a group of soldiers left to guard him until the formal session of the Sanhedrin which could only take place after daybreak. They took advantage of the opportunity to make fun of their prisoner.

u’ Only after daylight could a lawful trial take place for the whole Sanhedrin to pass the death sentence.

v’ This was the fulfilment of the prophecy made by Jesus in Lk 9:22.

w’ The right hand was the place of honour and sitting was the posture of rest. His saving work done, Jesus would then have the place of highest honour. His exaltation would finally vindicate Jesus and prove who he is.

x’ The reaction to Jesus’ reply makes it clear that Jesus must have answered strongly in the affirmative. It was a blasphemy to claim to be the Messiah and the Son of God unless, of course, Jesus’ claim was true. The sin of blasphemy not only involved reviling (speaking negatively against) the name of God but also any insult to His majesty or authority. Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God and to have majesty and authority belonging only to God was therefore regarded as blasphemy for which the Mosaic Law prescribed death by stoning.

Questions:

Where did they take Jesus after they had arrested him (v. 54)?

2. Describe the events leading up to the fulfilment of Jesus’ prophecy about Peter and the crowing of the rooster (vv.55-60).

3. How did Peter respond when Jesus turned to look at him (vv. 61-62)?

4. What did the guards do to Jesus (vv. 63-65)?

5. Describe what happened at Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin in the morning (vv. 66-71).

Summary of Section:

They arrested Jesus and took him into the house of the High Priest.
Peter followed at a distance and went into the courtyard. As he sat around the fire, a servant girl identified him as one of Jesus’ disciples.
Peter denied that he was Jesus’ disciple. Then a short while later, a man noticed him and accused him of the same thing.
Peter denied a second time that he knew Jesus. Then an hour later, another man insisted strongly that Peter was with Jesus because he was a Galilean like Jesus.
Again Peter denied knowing Jesus for the third time. While still speaking, the rooster crowed.
Jesus turned around and looked straight at Peter. Immediately Peter remembered what Jesus had told him and he went out and wept bitterly.
The men who were guarding Jesus made fun of him. They insulted him, beat him and blindfolded him, hitting him and making him guess who was hitting him.
When daybreak came, Jesus was brought to be examined before the Sanhedrin, comprising the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law.
Jesus refused to answer directly whether he was the Messiah. He told them that they would not believe him even if he told them so, and neither would they answer him if he asked them a question. He added that from then on the Son of Man would be exalted to sit at the right hand of God.
When asked whether he was the Son of God, he replied that they were the ones who said so. Immediately, the Sanhedrin took Jesus’ words as admission of his blasphemy and claimed that they had enough evidence and did not need any more witnesses.

Nuggets of Wisdom

Jesus had predicted Peter’s threefold denial in v. 34. Now Luke recounts the fulfilment of Jesus’ prophecy, with each denial increasing in intensity. With the first exchange, Peter denied personal knowledge of Jesus. In the second he went on to denounce his relationship with his fellow disciples.
In his third denial, Peter was essentially thrusting aside everything that was central to his identity as Jesus’ follower. The reference to Peter’s Galilean origins points back to Peter’s first encounter with Jesus when he left everything to follow Jesus and where he was given his name ‘Peter’ by Jesus.
Although Peter failed his Lord at this point, Jesus’ prayer on his behalf earlier would guarantee his recovery. His ‘weeping’ marked the beginning of his ‘turning back (v. 32). He repented and went on to become one of the early church’s leaders in the opening chapters of the book of Acts. God can use us despite our failures if we, like Peter, would repent and make that turn back to Him.
In calling for Jesus’ execution, the Jewish leaders thought they were acting on God’s behalf by doing away with one, who in their view, opposed God’s purposes. However, in opposing Jesus, they were actually opposing the very divine purpose they thought they were serving. Yet their being responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus, although conceived in opposition to God’s plan, actually served that plan! Nonetheless, although they unwittingly served God’s purpose, they would still be held responsible for their actions.
Luke describes Jesus’ trial in four scenes: the hearing before the Sanhedrin (22:66-71), the hearing before Pilate (23:1-5), the hearing before Herod (23:6-12), and the sentencing of Jesus (23:13-25).
The Jewish leadership had only one main issue at stake, namely Jesus’ status and identity. In seeking evidence by which to condemn Jesus, the Sanhedrin was unwittingly requesting confirmation of Jesus’ messianic status. Jesus refused to answer their question because he knew that they would not believe him.
Jesus’ reference to his exaltation that would take place soon led them to interpret Jesus as admitting to being more than the Messiah for he was claiming a place at God’s right hand. This gave rise to their next question of whether he, then, was the Son of God. What again was ironic was that they correctly inferred as to who Jesus was but that led to their rejection instead of their belief. If we harden our hearts, it would not make a difference even if God’s truth is staring us in the face – we would never believe Him.