The Lamb of God

Luke 22:1-38

Main Idea: In his being betrayed, Jesus guarantees that betrayal does not have the last word.

1. The Betrayal of Jesus Was Prompted by Satan (22:1-6).
   1. Sanctified time (22:1)
   2. Sinful leaders (22:2)
   3. Satanic influence (22:3)
   4. Secret plot (22:4-6)
2. The Betrayal of Jesus Was Predicted in the Scriptures (22:7-23).
   1. In-time/temporal fulfillment (22:7-13)
   2. End-times/eschatological fulfillment (22:14-18)
   3. Christological fulfillment (22:17-22)
3. The Betrayal of Jesus Purchases Us a Kingdom (22:23-30).
   1. On Christian leadership
   2. On solidarity with Christ
4. The Betrayal of Jesus Protects Us from Satan (22:31-34).
5. The Betrayal of Jesus Provides Us a Mission (22:35-38).

Betrayal depends on the exploitation of the best virtues. Where there isn’t love, trust, and hope, betrayal cannot be effective. If we are skeptical, critical, judgmental, or not trusting, it’s not easy for us to be betrayed. So betrayal is one of those human experiences that takes the best of our humanity and exploits it in a way that produces pain. A spouse who has suffered adultery knows that the pain of adultery is doubled because of the love and trust it took advantage of and the assumption of faithfulness it exploited.

Such is the case when we think of the relationship between citizens and authority. Some were rightly concerned about the news of Secretary of State Hilary Clinton handling classified emails in a way that undermined public confidence and trust. We witness an office holder, conferred trust and respect, exploit and betray public support. Or think of the police-involved shootings of unarmed African American men. As we watch those situations unfold, we are reminded that government can only be effective insofar as its people trust it. Only when the people honor the government and the government stewards that trust by returning respect and honor can a state last. So when we watch a sworn officer of the state take a life illegitimately, we are not merely watching a tragedy on our streets. We are watching something happen to public trust and public virtue. And no matter what side you’re on, it feels like a betrayal—betrayal of officers who need our support or betrayal of vulnerable communities who need our protection.

Betrayal exploits the greatest virtues. That’s why it hurts so long and takes so long to recover from it. It’s a painful human experience.

But betrayal is not limited to human experience. We have not suffered it alone, no matter what form it takes. Christ Jesus the Son of God was himself betrayed. God himself has been betrayed by his people. Yet we find redemption in how the Lord responds to betrayal. By means of betrayal, God both teaches us about the frailty of humanity and redeems humanity itself, repairing the broken and breached trust and restoring the honor and dignity of human life. For God enters the system of our betrayal, our world of betrayal, and in his own being betrayed creates a new world, a new humanity where all things are proper and right in his control.

Recall that Jesus is in Jerusalem teaching in the synagogue every day. He has put an end to the public opposition that religious leaders express toward him. But that does not mean those leaders are done with their opposition. In Luke 22 we witness the beginning of the end of our Lord’s earthly life. We peer into Judas’s betrayal, but we also glimpse Jesus’s redemption.

The Betrayal of Jesus Was Prompted by Satan

Luke 22:1-6

Sanctified Time (22:1)

It was nearly the time for “the Festival of Unleavened Bread,” also called “Passover.” For Jewish people, this was a very sanctified or holy time. The Festival and Passover stretch back centuries to the time when Israel was in slavery in Egypt and God sent Moses to deliver them. They stretch back to the tenth plague in the Exodus when God sent forth the angel of death to strike dead the firstborn of every household except those under a particular exemption. God instructed Israel to prepare a meal of bitter herbs and to eat the meal fully dressed that night because the Passover would happen hurriedly (Exod 12:3). The Lord also commanded Israel to spread the blood of a lamb on their doorposts. God promised that when the angel of death was probing all the homes of Egypt, if he saw the blood on the doorposts he would pass over those homes to strike those not covered by the blood (Exod 12:5-13).

Verse 1 opens in this holiest of seasons. The entire nation celebrates the day when God saw the blood of the lamb and spared their firstborn sons and delivered them from slavery in Egypt. It’s a sanctified time.

Sinful Leaders (22:2)

You’d expect the religious leaders to be preparing for this time of worship. You’d expect them as holy men to be with their families, perhaps reading Exodus 12 with them. Instead, “The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put [Jesus] to death.” Holy dates are coming; hateful men are scheming. What a shocking contrast between the celebration of verse 1 and the sinister darkness of verse 2.

There’s a problem with their plot. The scribes and chief priests “were afraid of the people.” The people respected Jesus. They thought Jesus was a prophet. Early every morning they came to the temple to hear Jesus preach (21:38). So the priests and scribes were afraid to kill him outright. They needed a secret way to assassinate the Lord.

Satanic Influence (22:3)

The scribes and priests were not acting alone in their hatred for the Lord. Satan—the devil—was on the scene too. In our day of scientific fascination, I know it’s not popular to say things like this, but Satan is real. The devil actually exists.

Satan was an angel of God. He was created to serve God, but one day he decided he wanted to be God. He led one-third of all angels in rebellion against God and was thrown out of heaven. Hell was prepared for Satan and his angels.

Satan opposes Jesus and seeks to destroy him. It is Satan who “entered Judas, called Iscariot, who was numbered among the Twelve.” Judas served in our Lord’s inner circle as one of the original twelve apostles. How the devil entered Judas is not told, but it was Satan who influenced and controlled him. Satan put it into Judas’s heart to betray the Lord.

Secret Plot (22:4-6)

The result of all of this—of the priests’ and scribes’ murderous cowardice, of Judas’s betrayal, of Satan’s influence—is a secret plot to betray the Lord. The priests had an inside man and an inside job waiting to be carried out. As Matthew tells us, Judas sold out the Lord for thirty pieces of silver. That was the hit price. Now Judas looked for a secret place away from the crowd to betray Christ.

Applications

Fear God. If we fear man more than we fear God we will serve man or ourselves rather than God. If we fear man more than God then we will do some wicked things even at holy times. We will hardly even recognize God when he is incarnate among us. Christians are called to fear God rather than man. We cannot please man and God at the same time; we must serve God rather than man (Gal 1:10). The entire duty of man is to fear God and keep his commandments (Eccl 12:13). The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 19:23). So let us be a people who cultivate the fear of the Lord, a people who revere their Creator in all things. Let our households be built on the fear of the Lord (Josh 24:14-15) because “The fear of the Lord leads to life; one will sleep at night without danger” (Prov 19:23).

Resist Satan. As we said before, Satan is real. He first appeared as “the most cunning of all the wild animals” (Gen 3:1), and he comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). It is a mistake to ignore him. It is foolish to pretend he doesn’t exist. His handiwork is everywhere around us. Just think about the reality of greed and betrayal we see throughout society. Do you think greed and betrayal come from God? Of course not! Betrayal is Satan’s idea and Satan’s plan.

As those who have the Bible, we know his tricks. Beware the adversary. Resist him and he will flee you (Jas 4:7). He cannot “enter” a Christian who has the Spirit of God. Judas did not have the Spirit, but we do. Greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). So we resist with greater power. Do not give him a toehold in your life (Eph 4:27). Do not believe his lies. Do not believe his whispers. He betrayed Christ; he will betray every Christian. Resist the devil, and he will flee.

The Betrayal of Jesus Was Predicted in the Scriptures

Luke 22:7-23

This entire chapter makes many allusions to the Old Testament. It presents us the fulfillment of prophecies and themes that run throughout the Scriptures. If you’re interested in seeing the unity and trustworthiness of the Bible, Luke 22 provides a great place to settle and study.

The Scripture is fulfilled in this passage in at least three ways.

In-Time/Temporal Fulfillment (22:7-13)

First, Luke 22 fulfills the Scriptures in time. This is the temporal fulfillment of God’s promised plans. Everything that happened at that time was a fulfillment of what the Bible had predicted centuries before. We’ve already seen in Exodus 12 where, in the days of Moses, God required Israel to observe the Passover. In all of the preparation and eating of verses 7-14, we have Exodus 12 fulfilled or obeyed by Jesus and his followers in that time.

They selected a place to observe the Passover (vv. 8-13). Interestingly, even finding a place was a fulfillment of a small prophecy of the Lord. They sacrificed a lamb as the Bible required (v. 7). They sat and ate together (v. 14).

End-Times/Eschatological Fulfillment (22:14-18)

But there is also an eschatological fulfillment of the Scriptures. Eschatological is a theological term that has to do with “end times” or “last things.” Prophecy often has multiple fulfillments. So not only do Jesus and his disciples fulfill the Scriptures by eating the meal in their own time, but the Lord also points us to a future fulfillment of Scripture.

In verse 15 the Lord anticipated eating the meal with his disciples before he suffered, but the Lord also anticipates eating and drinking again when it is “fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (v. 16) and when “the kingdom of God comes” (v. 18). So Jesus looks forward to another time at the end when he will eat with us in the kingdom. The Passover gives way to the Lord’s Supper, which in turn points forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb. That is the ultimate or end-time fulfillment.

Christological Fulfillment (22:17-22)

The Lord Jesus himself gives us a third fulfillment of the Scriptures. The Scriptures are fulfilled in him. Even the Passover meal was truly about Jesus. The bread was a symbol for his body broken for us; the cup was a symbol of his blood poured out for us.

The ancient Passover in Egypt foreshadowed and symbolized the true Passover in Christ. The blood spread on the doorposts of homes, which turned away the angel of death, finds its ultimate meaning in the blood spilled on the cross, which turns away God’s wrath against sinners. The lamb slain in Egypt pointed to the Son of God, the true Lamb of God, crucified for us. So John the Baptist proclaims, “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). All the other lambs and sacrifices were but commercials, pictures, and symbols of the one true Lamb nailed to the cross and resurrected in power and glory. We rejoice and proclaim, “Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed” (1 Cor 5:7). Luke 22 records the preparation for our Lord’s sacrifice.

Even the betrayal by Judas mentioned in verse 21 was a fulfillment of Scripture. The psalmist saw a day when even his own familiar friend would betray him (Ps 41:9; see John 13:18). Jesus says David’s words were written about him (24:44). In truth, Satan influenced Judas, but God was in control. Jesus was not killed simply because he was betrayed. He was killed because he was appointed to die for our sins (Acts 4:27-28). Even the most wicked and desperate acts of men cannot overthrow the plans of God. Even the cruelest betrayals come through the sovereign hands of God. God is always at work in such suffering to bring to pass his ultimately good plans. He works through tragedy to accomplish our salvation and bless his people.

We celebrate Romans 8:28. The “all things” of Romans 8:28 includes some evil things, bad circumstances, betrayals, breaking of confidence, selling out of the Savior, and stabbings in the back. The sovereign Lord works those together for our blessing, for all those who would believe in Christ. Never, never, never think that Satan has the last word! He doesn’t even have the first word. It is God who in, through, and over our suffering speaks the truth of his love and goodness.

Beloved, if you are new to the Bible, I pray that you can see that Jesus’s fulfillment of the intricate details, the overarching patterns, and the specific prophecies of the Bible means that Jesus and the Bible’s message are trustworthy. The Bible is true.

Feel free to inspect it, challenge it, and look for discrepancies and contradictions. Here’s what you will discover: The testimony of the Bible remains consistent and accurate. It’s accurate not only within itself but also with historical testimony outside of the Bible. This book is true. Its message is true. You can trust it. If you trust it, it will point you to Jesus the Lamb of God who comes as God’s sacrifice to take away the sins of the world. On the cross, the Lord made atonement for our sins. Anyone who trusts Jesus’s sacrifice to turn away God’s wrath and follows Jesus in faith will be saved. Their sins will be forgiven. They will be counted righteous in God’s sight by faith in Christ. They will be born again to live for God.

Is there anyone you think you should trust more than Jesus?

The Betrayal of Jesus Purchases Us a Kingdom

Luke 22:23-30

In the times of these events, darkness no doubt filled the minds of all who understood what was to happen. When the Lord mentioned “suffer” (v. 15) and said his betrayer was among them (v. 21), no doubt darkness entered the room. The disciples wondered to themselves who would cross the Lord. That must have been an awkward dinner-table conversation! Can you imagine your leader or rabbi saying to you once again that he will suffer because one of you sold him out? They would all deny the charge and perhaps eyeball each other.

Then, amazingly, their conversation moves from denying they would betray Jesus to arguing which of them was the greatest (v. 24)! Isn’t pride a blinding and dangerous sin! They actually argue about the Lord’s replacement before he is gone!

The Lord’s response was so gracious in verses 25-30. He wants the disciples to think rightly about the Christian life. So Jesus boils kingdom life down to two things: service and solidarity. Jesus makes it clear that life and leadership in God’s kingdom does not look like life and leadership in the sinful world. His followers do not lead like Gentile unbelievers who “lord it over” others (v. 25). Gentiles rule one another in power-hungry, power-grabbing pride and call themselves “Benefactors.” They oppress others and try to convince others it is for their good. Jesus says, “It is not to be like that among you.”

In the kingdom of heaven the Lord Jesus himself is the only Lord. Even he does not rule harshly and “lord it over” others. Instead, the Lord Jesus is “among you as the one who serves” (v. 27). If our Lord were at a banquet he would not sit at the chief place at the table and wait for others to serve him. He would, rather, dress in a servant’s uniform and attend to all the other guests. He’s the Lord of the table, but he is the kind of Lord who wraps a towel around his waist and washes the feet of others. In the kingdom of God, the greatest people are the greatest servants. In a world full of people who would argue for their own greatness based on age, class, privilege, race, gender, education, and almost anything else, the Lord shines bright as the one who forsakes all of those prejudices and gives his life for others. The Lord turns the entire world upside down with his emphasis on service.

Beginning in verse 28, the Lord graciously commends the disciples as those who “stood by [him] in [his] trials.” When the religious leaders opposed him, they did not run away from him. They stayed in solidarity with the Savior. When his family said he was crazy, they disciples did not distance themselves from him socially. When city mobs would get out of control and riot, they did not run away seeking their own safety. They were with the Lord in his trials, sharing the danger and rejection that he faced. They expressed unity with him. In that solidarity the Lord promised to give them a kingdom. Just as the Father has given Jesus the kingdom for obeying the Father’s will and accomplishing his plans, so the Lord promised to confer a kingdom on his disciples for standing with him in solidarity. In this kingdom we will eat and drink together with Christ, enjoying the final fulfillment of the fellowship we have with him.

On Christian Leadership

Among Christians, leaders serve. The man who would lead God’s people who wishes to be served violates the very nature of leadership in the kingdom. The pastor who would accrue for himself riches and wealth, comfort and ease, fame and popularity on the backs of God’s people, that pastor betrays Christ. What we do and who we are as leaders is not for the benefit, comfort, and ease of the leader. Pastors must be among the people as those who serve.

It is wonderful to be called “pastor.” The office of pastor ought to be respected. But a “leader” betrays the office and the honor and the trust of Christ and the people of Christ if he uses that trust for his own gain. If you see that in us as your pastors, then stop following us. Call us to repentance and to account. Never follow a man who chases his own name. Never follow a man who chases his own belly. Never follow a man who lives for himself. Christ did not live that way. Christ made himself a servant. Such a man is indeed a gift to a church. Receive such a man as a gift from the Lord.

We nominate persons to serve as deacons or elders in our church who reflect our Lord’s heart and habit in this passage. Are they not the kinds of men who lay down their lives to serve the church? Do they not quietly go about their days doing good for others and building others up? We trust that in his grace God gives us pastors who not only watch over our souls but lay down their lives for us. Let us honor such men. Cherish them. Let us encourage them in their service and praise God for his gifts.

On Solidarity with Christ

Let us be Christians who stand in solidarity with Christ. I have been scratching my head trying to think through the police shootings of the recent past. I have sometimes been befuddled. I try to use social media in a way that I hope over the course of time speaks the whole counsel of God. I don’t make any pretensions of doing that well. Sometimes I write and almost with the first comment I regret not striking the correct balance or saying things well.

This past week, and for a long time, I found myself standing between legitimate desires for multiple people. It’s right for people to challenge me about whether something I’ve written duly honors good police officers or whether I’ve called into question the integrity of all officers. The challenge isn’t always done well, but I don’t bristle with the challenge. I hear the call to stand with those placed in authority over us (Rom 13:1), especially those whose actions are just and true.

It’s also right when people write and say, “We need to stand with those who have been victimized by officers who seem to go rogue in their treatment of citizens.” So we hear the call for Christians to stand in solidarity with victims, to cry out for the voiceless (Prov 31:8-9).

We stand between what can feel like competing calls to solidarity with either officers or victims. These calls go out unreflectively and uncritically without regard to the facts of each case. Have you figured out how to thread the needle of these competing calls? I certainly haven’t.

Reading this text did help me to figure one thing out: We are called to stand in solidarity with Christ. As we stand with him, as we take upon ourselves his name, as we endeavor to live as fully as we can the whole counsel of God, it’s that solidarity with Christ armed with the wisdom of his Word that helps us go as far as we need to go in solidarity with others. But we are not fundamentally expressing loyalty to man; we are most fundamentally expressing loyalty to Christ. That means we must have a critique and commendation for everyone. His word surely steps on the toes of all of us, affirming us and rebuking us, whether we think about the color of skin or the color of uniforms. Or, to put it another way, it is not the fulfillment of Christian solidarity with Christ to refuse to offer a necessary word of encouragement or rebuke to whomever is before us. We all have natural empathies with different groups in different situations, but those empathies are not to be trusted. Christ is to be trusted. We will have natural and instinctive responses, even well-formulated responses. Christ and his Word are to be trusted. We must interrogate our assumptions and our loyalties to be sure we stand with Jesus in these tumultuous times. We work out our lesser loyalties under our greater authority to the Lord. As it was for Jesus’s original disciples, the promise is a glorious, unshakeable, unending kingdom.

In all of our attempts to live faithfully in the world, we are not fundamentally fighting for control of the United States. We are not fundamentally fighting for control of human government. We are not fundamentally fighting for reform of police departments and policing or the change of local communities. Those are not ultimate things. Those are all proper things in their proper place. What we actually live for is another kingdom, another Ruler, and a city whose foundations are not laid with human hands! We live for another kingdom where we will rule with Christ. In that kingdom sorrow will have met its end. Death will be forever eliminated. Tears will be forgotten. In that kingdom we will only know his love, his grace, and his mercy. At this Last Supper Christ lifts our eyes to that day and that rule as our hope. Let’s make sure our hearts are set on that kingdom in solidarity with Christ.

The Betrayal of Jesus Protects Us from Satan

Luke 22:31-34

Jesus addresses Simon Peter in verses 31-34. He tenderly repeats Simon’s name. The Lord states a startling fact: Satan has taken a personal interest in Simon’s destruction. Indeed, Satan would like to destroy all the disciples in order to destroy the entire Christian church in its infancy.

Simon’s response is just as startling. He seems undaunted by Satan’s interest and expresses confident self-reliance. He swears he will stand with Jesus no matter what—even unto death. Perhaps he has taken the Lord’s comment about standing with him in his trial too much to heart. As they print on every mutual fund prospectus, “Past performance is no guarantee of future results.” Simon seems oblivious to that fact. Simon thinks his past performance means a future of never failing Christ.

But we know the story. Simon will hear that rooster crow, and he will know it’s the referee’s whistle catching him in the foul. He will deny the Lord three times just as Jesus predicted.

Betrayal does not belong exclusively to Satan and to Judas. We may experience or commit betrayal as Christians. All our sins are betrayals, but here is the key: Judas went on to destruction, but even as Jesus informs Simon of his coming betrayal, the Lord also says that he has prayed for Simon’s faith to stand. What a remarkable thing! The Lamb of God prays and intercedes for us. In our conflict with Satan and temptation to sin, even when we seem unable to pray, there remains one who prays for us! Christ the Lord has chosen intercessory prayer as his continuing ministry at the right hand of the Father.

During our worst failures in sin and temptation, Christ was already praying for us. He always pleads for us. His blood always intercedes for us. We have an advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1). As with Peter and Job, invisible warfare rages around us. We are not always aware of it. Satan prowls about looking for Christians to devour (1 Pet 5:8), looking for ways to steal, kill, and destroy (see John 10:10). But Christ is always on the job to pray for us and keep us. What a merciful Savior! What a wonderful God!

When he is betrayed, Jesus becomes a perfect Priest for us. He suffers what we have suffered, so he is able to identify with us and to intercede for us.

Perhaps you are a backslider. You have turned from Christ. Your heart by some degree has hardened toward Christ. For a season, perhaps you have indulged your sin. You may be reminded even now of your betrayal. The memory of his love haunts you. Perhaps you have been tempted to think that there is no way back, that you have gone too far in sin, and that Christ would not have you. Beloved, those are the whispers of Satan, not of Christ. See what the Lord says to Peter: “When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (v. 32). The Lord already anticipates Peter’s restoration and usefulness. Did not Christ come to Peter after the resurrection and three times affirm his love for Peter and Peter’s love for him?

Though it would be enough to restore Peter, the Lord goes further to make wonderful use of Peter in his kingdom. If you have backslidden, your life is not over. Your usefulness to Christ is not over. The Lord still has plans for you just as he still has love for you. If you come to the Lord, he will not crush you or reject you; he will receive you. And more than receive you, the Lord will renew you and he will reuse you for his glory and your joy. This is what the Lamb of God is like. He is the friend of sinners, and the backslider can come to him.

The Betrayal of Jesus Provides Us a Mission

Luke 22:35-38

Jesus reminds his disciples of a short-term mission trip he once sent them on. On that previous trip, our Lord provided for them supernaturally. They testify that they lacked nothing they needed.

Now, however, the Lord sends them with moneybag, clothing, and supplies. It’s not that he will no longer provide for them. He will now provide through the regular means of the church itself. So we go out into the whole world proclaiming this lamb in partnership together. This is why we want international missions in the DNA of every local church. We partner together to make Christ known to the world.

Conclusion

Praise be to God for the Lamb who was slain! In his being betrayed he guarantees us that betrayal does not have the last word. Instead, he guarantees us redemption and a home in his kingdom where our enemies cannot reach. This kingdom and our home are coming. It belongs to all those who belong to Christ.

Reflect and Discuss

1. What things come to mind when you hear the word betrayal? How would you define betrayal, and what would you say are some of its effects on people?
2. In what ways did Jesus’s early disciples betray him? Do you think this helps Jesus sympathize with us in our experiences?
3. How did God use the betrayal of Jesus to our advantage? What words would you use to describe this turn of events?
4. Do you have any family members or friends who do not think the Bible is true or historically accurate? What are their arguments? How might a chapter like Luke 22 address their concerns?
5. What do you imagine life in the final kingdom of God will be like?