Luke 22

1 And the feast of the unleavened food was coming nigh, that is called Passover,

2 and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they may take him up, for they were afraid of the people.

3 And the Adversary entered into Judas, who is surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve,

4 and he, having gone away, spake with the chief priests and the magistrates, how he might deliver him up to them,

5 and they rejoiced, and covenanted to give him money,

6 and he agreed, and was seeking a favourable season to deliver him up to them without tumult.

7 And the day of the unleavened food came, in which it was behoving the passover to be sacrificed,

8 and he sent Peter and John, saying, `Having gone on, prepare to us the passover, that we may eat;'

9 and they said to him, `Where wilt thou that we might prepare?'

10 And he said to them, `Lo, in your entering into the city, there shall meet you a man, bearing a pitcher of water, follow him to the house where he doth go in,

11 and ye shall say to the master of the house, The Teacher saith to thee, Where is the guest-chamber where the passover with my disciples I may eat?

12 and he shall show you a large upper room furnished, there make ready;'

13 and they, having gone away, found as he hath said to them, and they made ready the passover.

14 And when the hour come, he reclined (at meat), and the twelve apostles with him,

15 and he said unto them, `With desire I did desire to eat this passover with you before my suffering,

16 for I say to you, that no more may I eat of it till it may be fulfilled in the reign of God.'

17 And having taken a cup, having given thanks, he said, `Take this and divide to yourselves,

18 for I say to you that I may not drink of the produce of the vine till the reign of God may come.'

19 And having taken bread, having given thanks, he brake and gave to them, saying, `This is my body, that for you is being given, this do ye -- to remembrance of me.'

20 In like manner, also, the cup after the supping, saying, `This cup [is] the new covenant in my blood, that for you is being poured forth.

21 `But, lo, the hand of him delivering me up [is] with me on the table,

22 and indeed the Son of Man doth go according to what hath been determined; but wo to that man through whom he is being delivered up.'

23 And they began to reason among themselves, who then of them it may be, who is about to do this thing.

24 And there happened also a strife among them -- who of them is accounted to be greater.

25 And he said to them, `The kings of the nations do exercise lordship over them, and those exercising authority upon them are called benefactors;

26 but ye [are] not so, but he who is greater among you -- let him be as the younger; and he who is leading, as he who is ministering;

27 for who is greater? he who is reclining (at meat), or he who is ministering? is it not he who is reclining (at meat)? and I -- I am in your midst as he who is ministering.

28 `And ye -- ye are those who have remained with me in my temptations,

29 and I appoint to you, as my Father did appoint to me, a kingdom,

30 that ye may eat and may drink at my table, in my kingdom, and may sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.'

31 And the Lord said, `Simon, Simon, lo, the Adversary did ask you for himself to sift as the wheat,

32 and I besought for thee, that thy faith may not fail; and thou, when thou didst turn, strengthen thy brethren.'

33 And he said to him, `Sir, with thee I am ready both to prison and to death to go;'

34 and he said, `I say to thee, Peter, a cock shall not crow to-day, before thrice thou mayest disown knowing me.'

35 And he said to them, `When I sent you without bag, and scrip, and sandals, did ye lack anything?' and they said, `Nothing.'

36 Then said he to them, `But, now, he who is having a bag, let him take [it] up, and in like manner also a scrip; and he who is not having, let him sell his garment, and buy a sword,

37 for I say to you, that yet this that hath been written it behoveth to be fulfilled in me: And with lawless ones he was reckoned, for also the things concerning me have an end.'

38 And they said, `Sir, lo, here [are] two swords;' and he said to them, `It is sufficient.'

39 And having gone forth, he went on, according to custom, to the mount of the Olives, and his disciples also followed him,

40 and having come to the place, he said to them, `Pray ye not to enter into temptation.'

41 And he was withdrawn from them, as it were a stone's cast, and having fallen on the knees he was praying,

42 saying, `Father, if Thou be counselling to make this cup pass from me --; but, not my will, but Thine be done.' --

43 And there appeared to him a messenger from heaven strengthening him;

44 and having been in agony, he was more earnestly praying, and his sweat became, as it were, great drops of blood falling upon the ground.

45 And having risen up from the prayer, having come unto the disciples, he found them sleeping from the sorrow,

46 and he said to them, `Why do ye sleep? having risen, pray that ye may not enter into temptation.'

47 And while he is speaking, lo, a multitude, and he who is called Judas, one of the twelve, was coming before them, and he came nigh to Jesus to kiss him,

48 and Jesus said to him, `Judas, with a kiss the Son of Man dost thou deliver up?'

49 And those about him, having seen what was about to be, said to him, `Sir, shall we smite with a sword?'

50 And a certain one of them smote the servant of the chief priest, and took off his right ear,

51 and Jesus answering said, `Suffer ye thus far,' and having touched his ear, he healed him.

52 And Jesus said to those having come upon him -- chief priests, and magistrates of the temple, and elders -- `As upon a robber have ye come forth, with swords and sticks?

53 while daily I was with you in the temple, ye did stretch forth no hands against me; but this is your hour and the power of the darkness.'

54 And having taken him, they led and brought him to the house of the chief priest. And Peter was following afar off,

55 and they having kindled a fire in the midst of the court, and having sat down together, Peter was sitting in the midst of them,

56 and a certain maid having seen him sitting at the light, and having earnestly looked at him, she said, `And this one was with him!'

57 and he disowned him, saying, `Woman, I have not known him.'

58 And after a little, another having seen him, said, `And thou art of them!' and Peter said, `Man, I am not.'

59 And one hour, as it were, having intervened, a certain other was confidently affirming, saying, `Of a truth this one also was with him, for he is also a Galilean;'

60 and Peter said, `Man, I have not known what thou sayest;' and presently, while he is speaking, a cock crew.

61 And the Lord having turned did look on Peter, and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he said to him -- `Before a cock shall crow, thou mayest disown me thrice;'

62 and Peter having gone without, wept bitterly.

63 And the men who were holding Jesus were mocking him, beating [him];

64 and having blindfolded him, they were striking him on the face, and were questioning him, saying, `Prophesy who he is who smote thee?'

65 and many other things, speaking evilly, they spake in regard to him.

66 And when it became day there was gathered together the eldership of the people, chief priests also, and scribes, and they led him up to their own sanhedrim,

67 saying, `If thou be the Christ, tell us.' And he said to them, `If I may tell you, ye will not believe;

68 and if I also question [you], ye will not answer me or send me away;

69 henceforth, there shall be the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the power of God.'

70 And they all said, `Thou, then, art the Son of God?' and he said unto them, `Ye say [it], because I am;'

71 and they said, `What need yet have we of testimony? for we ourselves did hear [it] from his mouth.'

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.