JESUS IS CRUCIFIED AND RISES AGAIN (22:1-24:53). We now come to the final Section of Luke which is also in the form of a chiasmus (see analysis below). Central in this final chiasmus is the crucifixion of Jesus. This brings out how central the crucifixion is in the thinking of Luke. As the Servant o... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Now the feast of unleavened bread drew near, which is called the Passover, and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might put him to death, for they feared the people.' Day by day the Passover or Feast of Unleavened Bread (the two feasts were seen as one and could be called by either n... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve, But in the camp of Jesus there was treachery afoot. It was actively caused by Satan (compare John 13:2; John 13:27). For Satan entered one of His disciples, who was called Judas Iscariot, one of the favoured Tw... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he went away, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might deliver him to them, and they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.' No doubt responding to promises and assurances from those who had contacted him, Judas sought out the chief priests and captains of the Templ... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he consented, and sought opportunity to deliver him to them in the absence of the crowd.' Judas accepted their terms, and from that moment on looked for an opportunity to deliver Jesus to the authorities when the crowds were absent. It was clear that it would have to be at night, for during th... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the day of unleavened bread came, on which the passover must be sacrificed.' Note here how Passover can be called ‘the day of unleavened bread' even though it is the day before ‘the Feast of Unleavened Bread' began. This was because it was the day for removing unleavened bread from their house... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS ADVANCES TO THE GUEST-CHAMBER (22:7-38). It is no coincidence that near the beginning of Luke's Gospel there was no room for Jesus in the ‘kataluma' (Luke 2:7 - place to stay, guestchamber), but now that He is to be offered up, such a room (kataluma) is to be made available for Him (Luke 22:1... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make ready for us the passover, that we may eat”.' Two prominent Apostles were sent to ‘make ready the Passover' as representatives of their group. As we have already seen the owner of the guestchamber would assist with some of the preparations, but the l... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they said to him, “Where will you that we make ready?”' Quite reasonably they asked Jesus where they must make ready. They would know that house space was difficult to obtain in Jerusalem at such a time. It is clear, however, that they were confident that Jesus would have it all in hand. He al... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he said to them, “Behold, when you are entered into the city, there a man will meet you bearing a pitcher of water, follow him into the house into which he goes.” ' It is also clear that Jesus lived up to their expectations. He told them that when they entered the city they would be met by a ma... [ Continue Reading ]
“And you shall say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?' ” Once they arrived at the house they were to say to the owner, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover... [ Continue Reading ]
“And he will show you a large upper room furnished, there make ready.” This description would suggest that Jesus had already seen the room, and was satisfied as to its suitability. Once they arrived there they were to make all the necessary preparations for the Passover meal. ‘A large upper room.'... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they went, and found as he had said to them, and they made ready the passover.' The account ends with the confirmation that they found all as Jesus had said, and that they obeyed Him to the letter. And that is how it always is for those who follow Him. All that He says He will do if we follow... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ROAD TO THE CROSS: JESUS PREPARES FOR WHAT IS TO HAPPEN AND IT INEVITABLY HAPPENS (22:14-23:33). We now come to a group of passages which form a remarkable sequence within the above sequence already described covering from Luke 22:14 to Luke 23:33. In them Jesus first prepares His disciples in... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS PROCLAIMS HIS COMING DEATH BY MEANS OF THE PASSOVER SYMBOLS. HIS COMING SUFFERING IS NOW AN ASSUMPTION. HE IS TO BE THE PASSOVER LAMB INTRODUCING THE NEW COVENANT (22:14-20). Analysis. a When the hour was come, He sat down, and the apostles with Him, and He said to them, “With desire I have... [ Continue Reading ]
CRISIS POINT IS REACHED IN THE GUESTCHAMBER (22:14-38). In this passage we have described what occurred in the Guestchamber. This divides up into five sections. OVERALL ANALYSIS. a Jesus manifests the danger that lies before Him, the suffering that He is to face, and the fact of His coming death,... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he said to them, “With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer,” ' Jesus' strong words here, which are a clear translation of an Aramaic idiom ‘desiring I have desired'), stress how important this Passover meal is to Him. There is a similarity of urgency here with Hi... [ Continue Reading ]
“For I say to you, I will not eat it, until it be fulfilled in the Kingly Rule of God.” And the reason for this great desire was that this last Passover would usher in the Kingly Rule of God. Indeed what was now to occur at this Passover, which symbolised the giving of His body and blood, was what w... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he received a cup, and when he had given thanks (eucharistesas), he said, “Take this, and divide it (share it) among yourselves, for I say to you, I will not drink from henceforth of the fruit of the vine, until the Kingly Rule of God shall come.” During the Passover feast it was customary for... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you, this do in remembrance of me.” And the cup in like manner after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, even that which is poured out for you.” And the... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WARNING OF BETRAYAL (22:21-23). Connected with His important words to do with the bread and the wine Jesus declares that among those who have received the bread and wine is one who will betray Him. Here was the second element in His suffering, that as He sat and watched, Judas had eaten the brea... [ Continue Reading ]
“But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table.” There are few ideas that chill the blood more than that of ‘treachery' and ‘betrayal'. All knew of the growing enmity of outsiders against Jesus, and now He was telling them that one of them, one of the chosen twelve, would betra... [ Continue Reading ]
“For the Son of man indeed goes, as it has been determined, but woe to that man through whom he is betrayed!” These words are undoubtedly an appeal to Judas to consider what he was doing. Let him recognise that what he was doing, he was doing to ‘the Son of Man' Who would shortly be approaching the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought him up to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male which opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”, and to offer a sacrifice according to that... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.' Such a statement as Jesus had made could only cause surprise and concern. And yet it seems that they were sufficiently aware of their own weakness to recognise that it could be true, although they may well... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And there arose also a contention among them, which of them was accounted to be greatest.' A little consideration will demonstrate how easily their questioning of themselves about their frailty could quickly lead on to an assertion by each that they at least were trustworthy, and then on to the qu... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HUMILITY WHICH IS TO DISTINGUISH THOSE WHO ARE HIS (22:24-30). Having established the basis for the future by means of the new significance of the bread and wine, and having warned that He was about to be betrayed, He now emphasised the kind of attitude that was essential in His service. The wh... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles have lordship over them, and those who have authority over them are called Benefactors.” '. So Jesus gently pointed out that their attitude was abysmal. It was the same as that of the Gentiles. Among the Gentiles their kings took up a position of lord... [ Continue Reading ]
“But you shall not be so, but he who is the greater among you, let him become as the younger, and he who is chief, as he who serves.” But it was to be different with them. They were not to be like these Gentile kings. They were to take up an attitude of humility and service. They were not to think... [ Continue Reading ]
“For which is greater, the one who sits at meat, or the one who serves? Is not he who sits at meat? But I am in the midst of you as he who serves.” And this is the reason why. It is because they were to take up His own attitude. He was here as the Servant in order to serve both God and man. He was n... [ Continue Reading ]
“But you are they who have continued with me in my temptations (distresses, afflictions),” Then He pointed out to them that up to this point they had indeed walked in this way. They had continued with Him in the lowly life that He had chosen. They too had faced insults, as He had. They too had had n... [ Continue Reading ]
“And I appoint to you (covenant to you) a kingly rule, even as my Father appointed (covenanted) to me,” And because they had continued faithfully with Him, walking in His way, and accepting His standards, He was now appointing to them a kingly rule even as His Father had appointed one to Him. He wa... [ Continue Reading ]
“That you may eat and drink at my table under my kingly rule, and you shall sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” And in this service of expanding, and ‘ruling' in humility over, the Kingly Rule of God, they would be able to eat and drink at His Table. But what does He here mean by ‘H... [ Continue Reading ]
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat,” There is an important emphasis in this passage that emphasises what has gone before. It is clear that Jesus regularly called Peter ‘Simon', for that was his original given name (Matthew 16:17; Matthew 17:25; Mark 14:37... [ Continue Reading ]
“But I made supplication for you, that your faith fail not, and do you, when once you have turned again, establish your brethren.” Notice the emphatic ‘I'. Jesus stands over against Satan and proves the more powerful. None other could have done this, only the One Who was ‘Stronger than he' (Luke 11:... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he said to him, “Lord, with you I am ready to go both to prison and to death.” Peter was appalled at Jesus' words. He had full confidence in his own ability to go through whatever was to come and to overcome it. So acknowledging Jesus' Lordship, (see in parallel John 13:37. Compare also Luke 5:... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he said, “I tell you, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, until you will three times deny that you know me.” ' But Jesus tenderly turned to him and warned him of what was to come. Note the change from ‘Simon' to ‘Peter' (a rock). This is the only time that we know of that He has actually... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he said to them, “When I sent you forth without purse, and wallet, and shoes, did you lack anything?” And they said, “Nothing.” ' His first emphasis was to draw attention to how God had provided for them in the past as they went forward in His service. Their sending forth in this way is descri... [ Continue Reading ]
THE URGENCY OF THE HOUR IS SUCH THAT IT REQUIRES SWORDS (22:35-38). The dark outlook of Jesus' words continues. He must suffer (Luke 22:15), He must be betrayed (Luke 22:21), He has endured testings and temptations (Luke 22:28), Peter will deny Him (Luke 22:34), and now He warns them that in a short... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he said to them, “But now, he who has a purse, let him take it, and likewise a wallet, and he who has none (no purse or wallet), let him sell his cloak, and buy a sword.” ' But then He indicated that those days of going forward and confidently trusting in God for provision were gone. The whole... [ Continue Reading ]
“For I say to you, that this which is written must be fulfilled in me, ‘And he was reckoned with transgressors', for that which concerns me has fulfilment.” And this was because what the Scriptures had said about the Servant of the Lord in Isaiah 53 must this night be fulfilled in Him. He must be re... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they said, “Lord, behold, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.” So at His words the blinkered, and no doubt puzzled, disciples, wondering why He had become so suddenly concerned about weapons, assured Him that they already had two swords, confident that that should be suff... [ Continue Reading ]
THE AGONY ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES (22:39-46). Jesus now went forward with His disciples to ‘the place' (Luke does not mention the Garden of Gethsemane) on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. Perhaps Luke intended his readers to gather the implication that it was the place of the olivepress where olive... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he came out, and went, as his custom was, to the mount of Olives, and the disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said to them, “Pray that you enter not into temptation.” ' Luke has learned from his sources that it was Jesus' custom regularly to go to the Mount of Olives... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he was parted from them about a stone's throw, and he kneeled down and prayed,' Then He left them, (again exhorting them to prayer as we learn from Mark 14:34) and moved a short distance from them and Himself kneeled in prayer. As it was customary for Jewish men to pray standing, this attitude... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me, nevertheless what I want, but your will be done.” ' Jesus then addressed His ‘Father'. Writing to Gentiles Luke does not use the Aramaic ‘Abba' used by Mark, but only the Greek ‘pater'. But note that He begins by subjecting His prayer t... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him, and being in an agony he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became as it were great drops of blood falling down on the ground.' The greatness of Jesus' struggle against the horror that faced Him comes out in these words. On the on... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when he rose up from his prayer, he came to the disciples, and found them sleeping for sorrow,' On returning to His disciples after His bitter struggle He discovered that they had failed to maintain their watch. Once again He suffered the bitterness of seeing and experiencing the failure of Hi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, that you enter not into temptation.” ' How conscious Jesus was of the problems of the hour, and how unconscious they were of the same, otherwise they would have remained awake as He did. So Jesus now stirred them again to rise and pray in order t... [ Continue Reading ]
‘While he yet spoke, behold, a crowd, and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and he drew near to Jesus to kiss him.' Note how Luke brings out the idea of suddenness, and the unexpectedness of such a crowd (‘behold, a crowd'). One moment Jesus was quietly speaking to His d... [ Continue Reading ]
THE APPROACH OF JUDAS. PHYSICAL SWORDS ARE NOT ENOUGH (22:47-53). Having finally satisfied Himself that the way ahead was in accordance with His Father's will Jesus awaited His fate with equanimity. The battle having been fought and won in His mind and heart from this time on He goes forward withou... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But Jesus said to him, “Judas, do you betray the Son of man with a kiss?” ' Jesus, however, knew better what was happening, and He responded by looking Judas firmly in the eye and asking him whether he really felt that such infamy could be justified. Surely even he must recognise that any other wa... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when those who were about him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we smite with the sword?” ' After a few moments of total bewilderment those who were with Jesus caught on to what was about to happen, and turning to Jesus they asked whether they should act to defend Him, so that He... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And a certain one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and struck off his right ear.' So one more impulsive than the rest did show the way, and immediately drawing his sword, and lashing out in the amateurish fashion of a man not used to swords, cut the right ear off the servant of the Hi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But Jesus answered and said, “Allow them to go thus far.” And he touched his ear, and healed him.' But Jesus stepped in on the side of the law and commanded that there be no interference with His arrest. It was after all something that they had a right to do if only they had gone about it in the c... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And Jesus said to the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and elders, who were come against him, “Are you come out, as against a robber, with swords and staves?” The party in front seemingly consisted of the leaders of the Jews and the Temple police led by the Temple captains, and Jesus now... [ Continue Reading ]
“When I was daily with you in the temple, you did not stretch forth your hands against me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” ' Jesus then turned to them and asked them why, if they had wanted so badly to arrest Him, they had they not done it openly while He was preaching in the Tem... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they seized him, and led him away, and brought him into the high priest's house. But Peter followed afar off.' So Jesus was arrested on the Mount of Olives and led away, and was brought to the house of the High Priest. The disciples meanwhile had scattered. Jesus had forbidden resistance and t... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS IS BROUGHT TO THE HIGH PRIEST'S HOUSE WHERE PETER DENIES HIM THREE TIMES (22:54-62). Jesus' actual arrest had been by the Temple guard, and He was now taken to the High Priest's house, (which would have been a very large house built around a central courtyard), in order to prepare the case ag... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the court, and had sat down together, Peter sat in the midst of them.' Introduced into the courtyard of the house by the other disciple, who was known in those circles, Peter found himself surrounded by people who were no doubt discussing the arrest... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And a certain maid seeing him as he sat in the light of the fire, and looking steadfastly at him, said, “This man also was with him.”' Thus when a maid who saw him in the light of the fire, unexpectedly stared at him and then pointed him out to those around as a companion of the accused man, his n... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But he denied, saying, “Woman, I know him not.” ' Looking the woman straight in the eye he declared that what she had said was not true, and that the real truth was that he did not know the man at all. She was quite mistaken.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And after a little while another saw him, and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” ' A short time later a man looked at him and said, “You are one of them.” His panic then grew worse and he said fiercely, “Man, I am not.” How he wished then that he was anywhere but wh... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And after the space of about one hour another confidently affirmed, saying, “Of a truth this man also was with him, for he is a Galilaean.” ' Another hour passed and then yet a third person pointed him out, and speaking confidently indicated that he was a Galilean (his accent had given him away -... [ Continue Reading ]
‘But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying.” And immediately, while he yet spoke, the cock crew.' So, at the end of his tether, Peter cried out vehemently, “I don't know what you are talking about.” And then he heard the cock crow.... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the Lord turned, and looked on Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crow this day you will deny me three times.” ' And at that moment he became aware of Jesus, possibly at this point being led through the courtyard from one trial to another... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he went out, and wept bitterly.' Broken at heart he staggered from the courtyard and found a quiet place and there he wept as though his heart would break. He knew that he had betrayed the One Whom he loved more than life itself, and that that would be Jesus' final memory of him. He would find... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the men who held Jesus mocked him, and beat him.' In those days the beating of prisoners before trial was seen as a softening up process. It was seen as making them less able to defend themselves, and as therefore more likely to tell the truth. The mockery was also typical of the vast majority... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS IS MOCKED AND BEATEN (22:63-65) What followed was now an indication of the inhumanity of man. It was quite the usual thing to have fun at the expense of those who had been arrested, and a Jewish prophet rejected by the authorities would have been seen as fair game. For in spite of the fact th... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they blindfolded him, and asked him, saying, “Prophesy, who is he who struck you?” ' These men had never had a self-proclaimed prophet in their hands before, and it was too good an opportunity to miss. They decided that they would discover whether He really was a prophet. So they blindfolded H... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they spoke many other things against him, reviling him.' And they then vented on Him all the spite that was in their hearts against Him, a spite which resulted from the perverse views that they had of His teaching. They were of the common man. It was not only the leaders who treated Jesus badl... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And as soon as it was day, the assembly of the elders of the people was gathered together, both chief priests and scribes, and they led him away into their council, saying,' The Sanhedrin consisted of chief priests, Scribes, and lay elders/aristocrats of the people. These were now all gathered tog... [ Continue Reading ]
THE OFFICIAL TRIAL BEFORE THE SANHEDRIN (22:66-71). Luke is only concerned with the official and final trial before the Sanhedrin (all the Synoptics agree that such a final trial did take place - Matthew 27:1; Mark 15:1). He is keen to establish the fact that ‘all' the Jews were involved in this tr... [ Continue Reading ]
“If you are the Messiah (the Christ), tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe,” Luke wastes no time on the preliminaries. He goes to the heart of the charge against Jesus, and involves all present in it. As far as he was concerned they were equally responsible with their... [ Continue Reading ]
“And if I ask you, you will not answer.” Jesus then pointed out to them that were He to question them about themselves and about Messiahship and about the Old Testament Scriptures, judging by past form they would not answer. Indeed He had had enough experience of them previously to know that this wa... [ Continue Reading ]
“But from henceforth the Son of man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” And then Jesus unleashed the truth about Himself, knowing full well what the consequences would be. He pointed out to them that as the Son of Man He would shortly be seated at the right hand of God. Every man... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they all said, “Are you then the Son of God?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” ' This claim that He would sit at the right hand of God in such a way could only mean one thing to them and that was that He was claiming to be more than just the Messiah. He was claiming a divine Messiahshi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And they said, “What further need have we of witness? For we ourselves have heard from his own mouth.” But it was enough for them. It is clear that they recognised in His reply a positive response. The need for witnesses had therefore now ceased. They were all witnesses to the most amazing blasphem... [ Continue Reading ]