Luke 22

Luke 22:1

The chief priests and scribes wanted to get rid of Jesus, but they had to be careful lest they inadvertently incite the people to rally against them.

Luke 22:3

Matthew tells us the chief priests gave Judas thirty pieces of silver, the Old Testament price of a slave. This was a fitting amount, for Jesus came as the Servant of all. Where did the thirty pieces of silver come from? During Passover, the priests carried small bags of money tied to their belts in order to purchase lambs to be used as sacrifices. Therefore, it is highly likely that the chief priests used money committed to their care for the purchase of sacrificial lambs to “purchase” Jesus, the ultimate sacrificial Lamb.

Luke 22:7

Based on the number of lambs slaughtered, there were approximately 2.6 million people packed into Jerusalem to celebrate Passover.

Luke 22:8

Passover was to be celebrated by families. Therefore, in celebrating Passover with His disciples, Jesus looked at His disciples as His family. I like that because at this point, these men weren’t very spiritual. Judas would betray Him. Peter would deny Him. Thomas would doubt Him. Yet Jesus treated them as family. And if He did that with them, He’ll do it with us as well.

Luke 22:9

Carrying water was women’s work. Therefore, it would have been unusual to see a man doing so.

Luke 22:11

“And they went and found as He had said unto them…” That’s not true only for the disciples in their day, but for us as well. Whatever Jesus says, you’ll find it to be true. There are no exceptions. When Jesus says something you can be sure it’s true.

Luke 22:14

Here Jesus institutes the ordinance of Communion, saying, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” In Luke’s Gospel, this is His last commandment, if you would, His “deathbed wish” for you. I think it’s a tragedy when people start diminishing the importance of Communion, for the Lord’s Supper is much more than just a little cracker and cup of grape juice. It is much more than something we do out of obligation or tradition. Rather, at the Lord’s table, something miraculous happens. Is it that incredible that a miracle happens through Communion? After all, every time we eat bread or drink juice, a miracle takes place as they literally become part of our blood and body. I have found that stripping the ordinances of their mystery produces sterility in one’s walk. Therefore, I am simple enough to believe that if we partake of the Lord’s table in faith, saying, “Lord, I’m expecting that You truly are filling me and that Your blood is once again washing me,” we participate in a miracle and mystery. Incidentally, due to the fact that leaven and fermentation both pictured corruption, both were forbidden in the Passover ordinance. Therefore, I believe the wine was not fermented. Furthermore, I cannot believe Jesus would have equated His blood with a rotting substance. I love the fact that Jesus chose to use the most common foods possible. Bread and wine have been the most available elements to nourish mankind in virtually every culture and every society on every continent throughout history. What is bread? Grain that has been ground up and baked in the oven. Jesus, the Bread of Life, was ground up by the religious system and the sin of humanity. He was baked in the oven of adversity and absorbed the very fire of hell for you and me. What is wine? Grapes that have been crushed. When the soldier thrust the spear into Jesus’ side, the blood and water that flowed indicate that when Jesus died on the Cross, physiologically, He died from a burst, or broken, heart. Love desires unityas seen in the substances Jesus chose to commemorate His death. After being ground, individual grains of wheat are brought together into a single loaf. After they are crushed, individual grapes lose their identity and become one. So, too, when I partake of Communion, I not only intimately and mysteriously become one with my Lord, but I become one with my brothers and sisters as we eat of the same loaf and drink of the same cup. Communion actually has a three-fold aspect: It looks back in faith as it remembers the Cross. It looks ahead in hope as it waits for the day we will eat with the Lord in the kingdom. It looks ahead in love as we see Christians all around the globe and down the tunnel of history eating of the same loaf and drinking of the same cup. We may never agree on end times, the work of the Spirit, or all points of doctrine. But we will find unity at the Lord’s table, at the foot of the Cross. Of Communion, Jesus didn’t say, “Teach it.” He didn’t say, “Think about it.” He didn’t say, “Try to fit it in.” He said, “Do this.”

Luke 22:21

Although one moment the disciples were saying, “Am I the betrayer?” the next they were saying, “Aren’t I something?” This is what happens to anyone trying to live a performance-oriented faith. If you live by rules and regulationstrying to impress God with your devotion, your ministry, your pietylike the disciples, you will vacillate between feeling like a betrayer who can’t keep your own standards and a superstar when you do keep them for a day or two. If your walk has been up and down, it is probably because you are clinging to a performance-based Christianity. Instead, realize that, because, on the Cross, Jesus declared, “It is finished,” there is nothing else that can or must be done.

Luke 22:25

The world says, “Sit at the table and be served.” Jesus says, “I look for every opportunity to serve.”

Luke 22:28

Did Peter’s faith fail? No. He believed in the Lord, even though he ended up denying the Lord. Nor did his love fail. What failed? His hope. When he saw Jesus being led away in ropes, being brought to Caiaphas, his hope was lost. Maybe you’re in Peter’s sandals. You believe in the Lord. You have a definite love for the Lord. But your hope has been diminished because you can’t figure out how what’s happening to you could possibly work for good. A number of years ago, a study was done on Norwegian wharf rats. After being thrown in the open water, one group paddled for about three and a half minutes before drowning. A second group was thrown in, but plucked out right before they drowned. The next day, when the rats were thrown back into the water, scientists were astounded to find them able to tread water for forty-five minutes or moreevidently because they were hoping they would be rescued as they were the previous day. The same is true with us. If we don’t have hope that we’ll be rescued, we sink. But if we have hope that a rescue is coming, we can tread water through the hard times. I don’t think it is at all coincidental that the doctrine of the Rapture is called the blessed hope (Tit_2:13) because, although sometimes we feel we’re in a rat race and going under quickly, we know today could be the glorious day of the Lord’s return.

Luke 22:33

Cock-sure of himself, Peter was crowing about how reliable he was.

Luke 22:34

Due to their propensity to be noisy and messy, roosters were not allowed in Jerusalem during the Passover. Thus, when this rooster starts making noise, Peter will no doubt be thinking about the mess he made.

Luke 22:35

When Jesus told the disciples to buy a sword, He was using an idiom similar to our saying, “Keep your powder dry.” In other words, He was telling them the climate was changing from the days previously when they were embraced and provided for in ministry (Matthew 10).

Luke 22:39

After celebrating the Passover, after speaking very pointedly to Peter, after warning His disciples that the times would be changing, Jesus leaves the city and crosses the little creek bed of the Kidron. The word “Kidron” means “dark” or “murky” because the blood of the sacrifices would drain out of the temple and into the brook below. Therefore, only hours before His death, Jesus would be stepping over a brook that ran blood red.

Luke 22:40

Prayer is not only for procurement, but for protection. In other words, prayer is not simply to ask for things you need or wantbut also to protect you from things you don’t need or want. Stop praying, and you will be tempted unnecessarily. Stop praying, and your kids will be vulnerable to attacks of the Enemy. Stop praying, and your marriage will be attacked constantly. Jesus said one of the keys to protection from temptation or trouble is prayer. We’ll never know until we get to heaven just how important our prayers are.

Luke 22:41

Gethsemane was an appropriate place for Jesus to pray so passionately, for “Gethsemane” means “olive press,” the place where olives were crushed to release their oil. The crushing, the pressing Jesus endured in Gethsemane as He was about to feel the wrath of His Father for the sin of all humanity, so far exceeds anything we can even begin to comprehend that it is rendered incomprehensible.

Luke 22:43

Every life has a Garden of Gethsemane. But every Gethsemane has an angel. The Lord will always send an angel into your Gethsemanean unexpected person, a Bible study, a radio teaching, a bookto strengthen you in your time of need.

Luke 22:44

In the Garden of Eden, the first Adam stood in rebellion against God. In Gethsemane, the Last Adam knelt in submission to God (1Co_15:45). In the Garden of Eden, the first Adam was sentenced to work by the sweat of his brow. In the Garden of Gethsemane, the Last Adam agonized so deeply that blood flowed from His brow. I say this because perhaps you might be saying, “Life is hard. My job is not going right. My marriage is falling apart. My kids are acting up. Why should I press on in the faith? I’m tired of living by the sweat of my brow. I’m tired of dealing with rebellious kids. I’m tired of trying to make ends meet. I’m just plain tired.” When you feel tired because you’re sweating as part of fallen humanity, consider Jesus. You might be sweating it out, but have you strived so hard that you’ve actually bled from your forehead? Jesus did. Life is hard. It’s part of the curse humanity brought down on itself. We have all sinned, and the way of the transgressor is hard (Pro_13:15). But understand that although it’s hard being a Christian, it’s a lot harder not being a Christian. If we didn’t know Jesus, we would still have the same problems, but we’d have no access to the One who solves them.

Luke 22:45

It was common for a student to kiss his rabbi as a sign of submission and affection. Therefore, Judas’ kiss would not have seemed unusual. However, the language implies much more than a simple kiss. It implies that Judas was smothering Jesus’ cheeks with kisses, as if to make sure that the soldiers were able to identify the One they were to arrest.

Luke 22:48

Jesus’ final healing miracle was one of healing a hurt unnecessarily inflicted by an overzealous disciple. I think the miracle Jesus does most often is to heal the wounds inflicted by overzealous Christians who, thinking they are standing up for truth and defending the Lord by unsheathing the two-edged sword of the Word, chop off the ears of those round about them. While I do admire Peter’s courage in being willing to be outnumbered six thousand to one, his zeal was misdirected. Putting Away Your Sword A Topical Study of Luk_22:35-51 At the end of World War II, when the Americans moved on Berlin, a couple of German soldiers failed to respond to the instructions given them in German. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered they were not German at all, but were from Tibet. When an interpreter was found, they told how, completely unaware of the war going on, they simply wanted to take a journey and crossed the border into Russia. There, they were picked up by Russian military men and immediately conscripted into the Russian Army. A short time later, scared and confused, they were captured by the Nazis and taken to a German POW campuntil, in desperate need of manpower, they were sent to work on the supply lines, where they were eventually captured by American forces. “Amazing,” said the interpreter after hearing their story. “Do you have any questions?” “Just one,” they said. “What’s everyone fighting about?” Sometimes I think the Lord would ask the same thing of us. Like Peter, we are so apt to unsheathe our swords and start flailing away. Consider with me the ways in which Peter’s zeal was misdirected… Peter Fought the Wrong Enemy Not knowing what to expect, the soldiers marching behind Judas were armed and ready for war if necessary. But when Peter drew his sword, he didn’t take on any of the six hundred armed soldiers. No, he went for one of the servants who was, most likely, unarmed and defenseless. In his zeal to protect the Lord, Peter went after perhaps the weakest person in the place. You and I often do the same thing: We fight the wrong enemy. Because Ephesians tells us we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph_6:12). Therefore, any time I am wrestling or fighting a person, I am fighting the wrong enemy just as surely as was Peter. I am to wage war, to unsheathe my sword, to release my faith, to express my heart not against people but against the entities that victimize people. If you’re fighting your husband, boss, teacher, or neighbor, you’re fighting the wrong battle. Longfellow was right when he said, “If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we would find sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.” Our attack is to be leveled not against people, but against Satan and his demons through prayer, for therein lies the true battle. Peter Used the Wrong Weapon Peter used a literal swordbut it is only a spiritual weapon that can pull down the high towers the Enemy has erected in people. The sword we are to use is not a sword that cuts physically. Rather, it is the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. But because the Word is powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, we must be careful not to use it carelessly or incorrectly. All too often, Christians unsheathe their Bibles and start chopping on people mercilessly by using a Scripture or a principleusually out of contextto leave people bloodied, battered, and beaten. Just because a person is quoting Scripture does not mean it is applicable in every situation. If someone is giving you a misguided earful, it’s no different than what Peter did when he sliced off Malchus’ ear. James gives us a very simple test to know whether any given word is really from the Lord… But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.Jas_3:17 Is what’s being shared with you pure, peaceable, and without hassle and hypocrisy? Or does it cause confusion, strife, and tension? Before you unsheathe your sword or allow another to unsheathe his, be sure it’s done with this text in mind. Peter Harbored the Wrong Attitude After agonizing in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus chose to submit to the will of His Father. This meant that, at this point, He had already decided to allow His enemies to arrest Him, to try Him, to crucify Him. Yet even as Jesus was submitting, Peter was fightingcompletely out of harmony with the mind and will of Christ. Many times, we have a tendency to want to fight back when in reality, Jesus would have us mellow out. I think of David fleeing from his son, Absalom, who had launched a rebellion against him… On his way out of Jerusalem, a pipsqueak named Shimei, an enemy of David, threw rocks and dirt at him, saying, “You’re a bloody man, David. That’s why you’re being sent away from Jerusalem. That’s why you’ve lost your kingdom.” Hearing this, Abishai, one of David’s men said, “Let me lop off that dead dog’s head.” But David would not allow it. “The Lord has allowed him to say these words to me,” David said. David recognized Shimei was part of the process through which the Lord was doing a deep work of humility within him (2 Samuel 16). “Put away your sword, Peter,” our Greater than David said. “Your attitude is all wrong. Something rich is being worked out.” Jesus would emerge from this situation rich indeedfor, having purchased our salvation, we would be His treasure (Mat_13:44-46). Peter Fought At the Wrong Time Yes, Jesus’ arrest was unjust. Certainly, His trial was unfair. But there is coming a time when Peter can indeed unsheathe his sword and address these miscarriages of justice. It will be in the Second Coming, under the direct leadership of Jesus. “This person must be corrected,” we say, or, “This person must be straightened out.” Perhapsbut there will come a time when that will happen righteously, perfectly, and completely. Until then, keep your sword at bay. Peter Fought for the Wrong Reason The reason Peter drew his sword was to protect the Lord from the six hundred soldiers standing before Him. Do you think the Lord needs protecting? Has He called you to protect Him? Has He called you to straighten out a wrong situation in your own energy? “What she did is wrong,” we fume. “Therefore, I must stand up for the Lord.” Maybebut make sure He is directing you. Perhaps Peter was trying to demonstrate his sincerity, his willingness to take a stand for Jesus. Maybe he was thinking, You told me I would deny You, Lord. Well, watch this… So, too, sometimes we want to show how spiritual we are by nailing this person or that situation. Yet one of the most glorious things about being a Christian is the fact that the Lord will judge, leaving us the opportunity to simply love. We are to love, forgive, and encourage people. Yes, there are times of correctionbut only if surrounded by love. If the Lord chooses to use you as an instrument of intervention or correction, it won’t be as a sword flying indiscriminately, but as a skillful surgeon working exactingly and lovingly. Like Peter, I have been all wrong. But as I come to Him humbly, the Lord begins to heal the people I have wounded, as well as myself. Like me, you might have been all wrong. But Jesus is all right.

Luke 22:52

“Why do you come at Me with this army?” Jesus asks. “I was with you in the temple daily, but I realize this is your hour"and it’s a dark hour indeed.

Luke 22:54

Following Jesus afar off is always a dangerous place to be.

Luke 22:55

Praying in the garden, Jesus was sweating. Sleeping in the garden, Peter was cold. The difference between being hot and cold is simply prayer. To warm himself, Peter sat down at the enemy’s fire. So, too, if you’re following Jesus from a distance, you’ll feel a chill inside, and you’ll go back to the old places, the old ways to get warm. The problem is, when you warm yourself at the enemy’s fire, like Peter, you’ll get burned.

Luke 22:56

Peter was identified as a disciple of Jesus on two counts. The maiden recognized him as a disciple because he was with Jesus. The man recognized him as a disciple because he was with the other disciples. Therein are the two characteristics of a disciple. You can hang out in church all the time, but if you don’t spend personal and private time with the Lord, you’re not really a disciple. On the other hand, you can enjoy spending time with the Lord, but if you don’t want to worship with other believers, you’re not a disciple either. You will be identified as a discipleeven by the enemies of the Lordif you spend time with Him personally and with fellow believers corporately.

Luke 22:59

Peter’s accent gave him away. So, too, believers are identified by their speech. They have an accent of another kingdom. They don’t use the same expressions, tone, or vocabulary as the world (Col_3:8).

Luke 22:60

As a result of the rooster crowing, no longer would Peter ever be so cocky. Writing his Epistles, he will identify himself as Simon Peter, a servant of Jesus Christ. Simon was his name before he became a disciple. It means “shifting sand” or “unstable one.” The Lord changed Simon’s name to Peter, or “Rock.” But after this event, it was as if he said, “Yes, I’m Peter in the Lord by His grace. But I’m still also Simon because I know my tendency to fail.” I think there’s something else here. I believe in using a rooster, the Lord was telling Peter that even though he messed up, even though he committed a singularly hideous sin in denying Jesus even as Jesus was about to die for him, there would be a new day dawninga new day of humility, of brokenness, of forgiveness after which He would use Peter mightily. The same is true of you. You will find the Lord will do a mighty work in and through you if, at the point of failure, you turn to Him.

Luke 22:61

The look with which Jesus looked upon Peter was not one of condemnation, but of compassion. It was a look not of fury, but of forgiveness. And it broke Peter’s heart.

Luke 22:63

According to Isaiah, the beating Jesus endured was more brutal than that experienced by any other man. Erase the mental image of Jesus with a single trickle of blood down His face. That’s not what happened.

Luke 22:66

Every cult diminishes the deity of Jesus Christ, saying Jesus never claimed to be God. Yet the chief priests and scribes began to carry out His crucifixion for the single reason that, by the way He answered them, they understood He claimed to be God. The issue of Jesus’ deity is foundational and essential to our faith. Why couldn’t He be simply the “First Created One,” as the Mormons claim? Why could He be a good teacher, but not really God? Simply because if Jesus Christ was not God, then God did not die for me. And suddenly the gospel loses its potency. God didn’t simply create a sacrificial Son to take care of the sin of mankind.” No, God Himself died for me. That Jesus is God in the flesh moves me, breaks me, and touches me in a way nothing else possibly could. “Great is the mystery of godliness,” Timothy writesthat God became a Man (1Ti_3:16).