Luke 22

The Plot to Kill Jesus

1 The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called Passover, was drawing near.

2 The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Him to death, because they were afraid of the people.

3 Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, who was numbered among the Twelve.

4 He went away and discussed with the chief priests and temple police how he could hand Him over to them.

5 They were glad and agreed to give him silver.^[a]

6 So he accepted [the offer] and started looking for a good opportunity to betray Him to them when the crowd was not present.

Preparation for Passover

7 Then the Day of Unleavened Bread came when the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.

8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover meal for us, so we can eat it."

9 "Where do You want us to prepare it?" they asked Him.

10 "Listen," He said to them, "when you've entered the city, a man carrying a water jug will meet you. Follow him into the house he enters.

11 Tell the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks you, "Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover with My disciples?" '

12 Then he will show you a large, furnished room upstairs. Make the preparations there."

13 So they went and found it just as He had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

The First Lord's Supper

14 When the hour came, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him.

15 Then He said to them, "I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.

16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again ^[b] until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."

17 Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He said, "Take this and share it among yourselves.

18 For I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."

19 And He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, "This is My body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me."

20 In the same way He also took the cup after supper and said, "This cup is the new covenant [established by] My blood; it is shed for you. ^[c]

21 But look, the hand of the one betraying Me is at the table with Me!

22 For the Son of Man will go away as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"

23 So they began to argue among themselves which of them it could be who was going to do this thing.

The Dispute over Greatness

24 Then a dispute also arose among them about who should be considered the greatest.

25 But He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles dominate them, and those who have authority over them are called ^[d] 'Benefactors.' ^[e]

26 But it must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever is greatest among you must become like the youngest, and whoever leads, like the one serving.

27 For who is greater, the one at the table or the one serving? Isn't it the one at the table? But I am among you as the One who serves.

28 You are the ones who stood by Me in My trials.

29 I bestow on you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one on Me,

30 so that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom. And you will sit on thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel.

Peter's Denial Predicted

31 "Simon, Simon, ^[f] look out! Satan has asked to sift you ^[g] like wheat.

32 But I have prayed for you ^[h] that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."

33 "Lord," he told Him, "I'm ready to go with You both to prison and to death!"

34 "I tell you, Peter," He said, "the rooster will not crow today until ^[i] you deny three times that you know Me!"

Money-Bag, Backpack, and Sword

35 He also said to them, "When I sent you out without money-bag, traveling bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?" "Not a thing," they said.

36 Then He said to them, "But now, whoever has a money-bag should take it, and also a traveling bag. And whoever doesn't have a sword should sell his robe and buy one.

37 For I tell you, what is written must be fulfilled in Me: And He was counted among the outlaws. ^[j] Yes, what is written about Me is coming to its fulfillment."

38 "Lord," they said, "look, here are two swords." "Enough of that!" ^[k] He told them.

The Prayer in the Garden

39 He went out and made His way as usual to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed Him.

40 When He reached the place, He told them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."

41 Then He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and began to pray,

42 "Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me-nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done." [

43 Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.

44 Being in anguish, He prayed more fervently, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.]^[l]

45 When He got up from prayer and came to the disciples, He found them sleeping, exhausted from their grief.^[m]

46 "Why are you sleeping?" He asked them. "Get up and pray, so that you won't enter into temptation."

The Judas Kiss

47 While He was still speaking, suddenly a mob was there, and one of the Twelve named Judas was leading them. He came near Jesus to kiss Him,

48 but Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"

49 When those around Him saw what was going to happen, they asked, "Lord, should we strike with the sword?"

50 Then one of them struck the high priest's slave and cut off his right ear.

51 But Jesus responded, "No more of this!" ^[n] And touching his ear, He healed him.

52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, temple police, and the elders who had come for Him, "Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal? ^[o]

53 Every day while I was with you in the temple complex, you never laid a hand on Me. But this is your hour-and the dominion of darkness."

Peter Denies His Lord

54 They seized Him, led Him away, and brought Him into the high priest's house. Meanwhile Peter was following at a distance.

55 They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, and Peter sat among them.

56 When a servant saw him sitting in the firelight, and looked closely at him, she said, "This man was with Him too."

57 But he denied it: "Woman, I don't know Him!"

58 After a little while, someone else saw him and said, "You're one of them too!" "Man, I am not!" Peter said.

59 About an hour later, another kept insisting, "This man was certainly with Him, since he's also a Galilean."

60 But Peter said, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed.

61 Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter. So Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, "Before the rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times."

62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Jesus Mocked and Beaten

63 The men who were holding Jesus started mocking and beating Him.

64 After blindfolding Him, they kept^[p] asking, "Prophesy! Who hit You?"

65 And they were saying many other blasphemous things against Him.

Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin

66 When daylight came, the elders^[q] of the people, both the chief priests and the scribes, convened and brought Him before their Sanhedrin.

67 They said, "If You are the Messiah, tell us." But He said to them, "If I do tell you, you will not believe.

68 And if I ask you, you will not answer.

69 But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the Power of God." ^[r]

70 They all asked, "Are You, then, the Son of God?" And He said to them, "You say that I am."

71 "Why do we need any more testimony," they said, "since we've heard it ourselves from His mouth?"

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Images for Luke 22

Luke 22 Commentary

Chapter 22

The treachery of Judas. (1-6) The passover. (7-18) The Lord's supper instituted. (19,20) Christ admonishes the disciples. (21-38) Christ's agony in the garden. (39-46) Christ betrayed. (47-53) The fall of Peter. (54-62) Christ confesses himself to be the Son of God. (63-71)

Verses 1-6 Christ knew all men, and had wise and holy ends in taking Judas to be a disciple. How he who knew Christ so well, came to betray him, we are here told; Satan entered into Judas. It is hard to say whether more mischief is done to Christ's kingdom, by the power of its open enemies, or by the treachery of its pretended friends; but without the latter, its enemies could not do so much evil as they do.

Verses 7-18 Christ kept the ordinances of the law, particularly that of the passover, to teach us to observe his gospel institutions, and most of all that of the Lord's supper. Those who go upon Christ's word, need not fear disappointment. According to the orders given them, the disciples got all ready for the passover. Jesus bids this passover welcome. He desired it, though he knew his sufferings would follow, because it was in order to his Father's glory and man's redemption. He takes his leave of all passovers, signifying thereby his doing away all the ordinances of the ceremonial law, of which the passover was one of the earliest and chief. That type was laid aside, because now in the kingdom of God the substance was come.

Verses 19-20 The Lord's supper is a sign or memorial of Christ already come, who by dying delivered us; his death is in special manner set before us in that ordinance, by which we are reminded of it. The breaking of Christ's body as a sacrifice for us, is therein brought to our remembrance by the breaking of bread. Nothing can be more nourishing and satisfying to the soul, than the doctrine of Christ's making atonement for sin, and the assurance of an interest in that atonement. Therefore we do this in rememberance of what He did for us, when he died for us; and for a memorial of what we do, in joining ourselves to him in an everlasting covenant. The shedding of Christ's blood, by which the atonement was made, is represented by the wine in the cup.

Verses 21-38 How unbecoming is the worldly ambition of being the greatest, to the character of a follower of Jesus, who took upon him the form of a servant, and humbled himself to the death of the cross! In the way to eternal happiness, we must expect to be assaulted and sifted by Satan. If he cannot destroy, he will try to disgrace or distress us. Nothing more certainly forebodes a fall, in a professed follower of Christ, than self-confidence, with disregard to warnings, and contempt of danger. Unless we watch and pray always, we may be drawn in the course of the day into those sins which we were in the morning most resolved against. If believers were left to themselves, they would fall; but they are kept by the power of God, and the prayer of Christ. Our Lord gave notice of a very great change of circumstances now approaching. The disciples must not expect that their friends would be kind to them as they had been. Therefore, he that has a purse, let him take it, for he may need it. They must now expect that their enemies would be more fierce than they had been, and they would need weapons. At the time the apostles understood Christ to mean real weapons, but he spake only of the weapons of the spiritual warfare. The sword of the Spirit is the sword with which the disciples of Christ must furnish themselves.

Verses 39-46 Every description which the evangelists give of the state of mind in which our Lord entered upon this conflict, proves the tremendous nature of the assault, and the perfect foreknowledge of its terrors possessed by the meek and lowly Jesus. Here are three things not in the other evangelists. 1. When Christ was in his agony, there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. It was a part of his humiliation that he was thus strengthened by a ministering spirit. 2. Being in agony, he prayed more earnestly. Prayer, though never out of season, is in a special manner seasonable when we are in an agony. 3. In this agony his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down. This showed the travail of his soul. We should pray also to be enabled to resist unto the shedding of our blood, striving against sin, if ever called to it. When next you dwell in imagination upon the delights of some favourite sin, think of its effects as you behold them here! See its fearful effects in the garden of Gethsemane, and desire, by the help of God, deeply to hate and to forsake that enemy, to ransom sinners from whom the Redeemer prayed, agonized, and bled.

Verses 47-53 Nothing can be a greater affront or grief to the Lord Jesus, than to be betrayed by those who profess to be his followers, and say that they love him. Many instances there are, of Christ's being betrayed by those who, under the form of godliness, fight against the power of it. Jesus here gave an illustrious example of his own rule of doing good to those that hate us, as afterwards he did of praying for those that despitefully use us. Corrupt nature warps our conduct to extremes; we should seek for the Lord's direction before we act in difficult circumstances. Christ was willing to wait for his triumphs till his warfare was accomplished, and we must be so too. But the hour and the power of darkness were short, and such the triumphs of the wicked always will be.

Verses 54-62 Peter's fall was his denying that he knew Christ, and was his disciple; disowning him because of distress and danger. He that has once told a lie, is strongly tempted to persist: the beginning of that sin, like strife, is as the letting forth of water. The Lord turned and looked upon Peter. 1. It was a convincing look. Jesus turned and looked upon him, as if he should say, Dost thou not know me, Peter? 2. It was a chiding look. Let us think with what a rebuking countenance Christ may justly look upon us when we have sinned. 3. It was an expostulating look. Thou who wast the most forward to confess me to be the Son of God, and didst solemnly promise thou wouldest never disown me! 4. It was a compassionate look. Peter, how art thou fallen and undone if I do not help thee! 5. It was a directing look, to go and bethink himself. 6. It was a significant look; it signified the conveying of grace to Peter's heart, to enable him to repent. The grace of God works in and by the word of God, brings that to mind, and sets that home upon the conscience, and so gives the soul the happy turn. Christ looked upon the chief priests, and made no impression upon them as he did on Peter. It was not the mere look from Christ, but the Divine grace with it, that restored Peter.

Verses 63-71 Those that condemned Jesus for a blasphemer, were the vilest blasphemers. He referred them to his second coming, for the full proof of his being the Christ, to their confusion, since they would not admit the proof of it to their conviction. He owns himself to be the Son of God, though he knew he should suffer for it. Upon this they ground his condemnation. Their eyes being blinded, they rush on. Let us meditate on this amazing transaction, and consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself.