Luke 22

1 The feaste of swete breed drue nye whiche is called ester

2 and the hye prestes and Scribes sought how to kyll him but they feared the people.

3 Then entred Satan into Iudas whose syr name was Iscariot (which was of the nombre of the twelve)

4 and he went his waye and comuned with the hye Prestes and officers how he might betraye him to them.

5 And they were glad: and promysed to geve him money.

6 And he consented and sought oportunite to betraye him vnto them when the people were awaye.

7 Then came ye daye of swete breed when of necessite the esterlambe must be offered.

8 And he sent Peter and Iohn sayinge: Goo and prepare vs the ester lambe that we maye eate.

9 They sayde to him. Where wilt thou yt we prepare?

10 And he sayd vnto them. Beholde when ye be entred into the cite ther shall a man mete you bearinge a pitcher of water him folowe into the same housse yt he entreth in

11 and saye vnto ye good ma of ye housse. The master sayeth vnto ye: where is ye gest chamber where I shall eate myne ester lambe wt my disciples?

12 And he shall shew you a greate parloure paved. Ther make redy.

13 And they wet and foude as he had sayd vnto the: and made redy ye ester lambe.

14 And when the houre was come he sate doune and the twelve Apostles with him.

15 And he sayde vnto them: I have inwardly desyred to eate this ester lambe with you before yt I suffre.

16 For I saye vnto you: hence forthe I will not eate of it eny moore vntill it be fulfilled in the kingdome of God.

17 And he toke the cup and gave thankes and sayde. Take this and devyde it amonge you.

18 For I saye vnto you: I will not drinke of the frute of the vyne vntill the kingdome of God be come.

19 And he toke breed gave thankes and gave to them sayinge: This is my body which is geven for you. This do in the remembraunce of me.

20 Lykewyse also when they had supped he toke the cup sayinge: This cup is the newe testament in my bloud which shall for you be shedde.

21 Yet beholde the honde of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.

22 And ye sonne of man goeth as it is appoynted: But wo be to yt man by whom he is betrayed.

23 And they began to enquyre amoge them selves which of them it shuld be that shuld do that.

24 And ther was a stryfe amoge the which of them shuld be taken for the greatest.

25 And he sayde vnto them: the kynges of the getyls raygne over them and they that beare rule over them are called gracious lordes.

26 But ye shall not be so. But he that is greatest amonge you shalbe as the yongest: and he that is chefe shalbe as the minister.

27 For whether is greater he that sitteth at meate: or he that serveth? Is not he that sitteth at meate? And I am amoge you as he that ministreth.

28 Ye are they which have bidden with me in my temptacions.

29 And I apoynt vnto you a kyngdome as my father hath appoynted to me:

30 that ye maye eate and drynke at my table in my kyngdome and sit on seates and iudge the twelve tribes of Israell.

31 And the Lorde sayde: Simon Simon beholde Satan hath desired you to sifte you as it were wheate:

32 bnt I have prayed for the that thy faith fayle not. And when thou arte converted strengthe thy brethre.

33 And he sayd vnto him. Lorde I am redy to go with the in to preson and to deth.

34 And he sayde: I tell the Peter the cocke shall not crowe this daye tyll thou have thryse denyed yt thou knewest me.

35 And he sayde vnto them: when I sent you with out wallet and scripe and shoes? lacked ye eny thinge? And they sayd no.

36 And he sayde to them: but nowe he that hath a wallet let him take it vp and lykewyse his scrippe. And he that hath no swearde let him sell his coote and bye one.

37 For I saye vnto you that yet that which is written must be performed in me: even with the wycked was he nombred. For those thinges which are written of me have an ende.

38 And they sayde: Lorde beholde here are two sweardes. And he sayde vnto them: it is ynough.

39 And he came out and went as he was wote to mounte olivete. And the disciples folowed him.

40 And when he came to the place he sayde to the: praye lest ye fall into temptacio.

41 And he gate him selfe from them about a stones cast and kneled doune and prayed

42 sayinge: Father yf thou wilt withdrawe this cup fro me. Neverthelesse not my will but thyne be be fulfilled.

43 And ther appered an angell vnto him from heaven confortinge him.

44 And he was in an agonye and prayed somwhat longer. And hys sweate was lyke droppes of bloud tricklynge doune to the grounde.

45 And he rose vp from prayer and came to his disciples and foude them slepinge for sorowe

46 and sayde vnto them: Why slepe ye? Ryse and praye lest ye fall into temptacion.

47 Whill he yet spake: beholde ther came a company and he that was called Iudas one of the twelve wet before them and preased nye vnto Iesus to kysse him.

48 And Iesus sayd vnto him: Iudas betrayest thou ye sonne of man with a kysse?

49 When they which were about him sawe what wolde folow they sayde vnto him. Lorde shall we smite with swearde.

50 And one of them smote a servaut of ye hiest preste of all and smote of his right eare.

51 And Iesus answered and sayd: Soffre ye thus farre forthe. And he touched his eare and healed him.

52 Then Iesus sayde vnto the hye prestes and rulers of the temple and the elders which were come to him. Be ye come out as vnto a thefe with sweardes and staves?

53 When I was dayly with you in the teple ye stretched not forth hondes agaynst me. But this is even youre very houre and the power of darcknes.

54 Then toke they him and ledde him and brought him to the hye prestes housse. And peter folowed a farre of.

55 When they had kyndled a fyre in the middes of the palys and were set doune to geder Peter also sate doune amonge them.

56 And wone of the wenches behelde him as he sate by the fyer and set good eyesight on him and sayde: this same was also with him.

57 Then he denyed hym sayinge: woman I knowe him not

58 And after a lytell whyle another sawe him and sayde: thou arte also of them. And Peter sayd man I am not.

59 And aboute the space of an houre after another affirmed sayinge: verely even this felowe was with hym for he is of Galile

60 and Peter sayde: ma I woote not what thou sayest. And immediatly whyll he yet spake the cocke crewe.

61 And the Lorde tourned backe and loked apon Peter. And Peter remembred the wordes of the Lorde how he sayde vnto him before ye cocke crowe thou shalt denye me thryse.

62 And Peter went out and wepte bitterly.

63 And the men that stode about Iesus mocked him and smoote him

64 and blyndfolded him and smoote his face. And axed him sayinge: arede who it is that smoote ye?

65 And many other thinges despytfullye sayd they agaynst him.

66 And assone as it was daye the elders of the people and the hye prestes and scribes came to gedder and ledde him into their counsell sayinge:

67 arte thou very Christ? tell vs. And he sayde vnto the: yf I shall tell you ye will not beleve

68 And yf also I axe you ye will not answere me or let me goo.

69 Herafter shall the sonne of man sit on the ryght honde of the power of God.

70 Then sayde they all: Arte thou then the sonne of God? He sayd to them: ye saye yt I am.

71 Then sayde they: what nede we eny further witnes? We oure selves have herde of his awne mouthe.

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.