Jesus is betrayed by Judas
22
📚Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. 2 📚And the chief priests 📖 and scribes were looking for a way to kill him, for they were afraid of the people.3 📚Then Satan entered into Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the Twelve.
22:3 John 13:27. There are many cases of demon possession recorded in the New Testament, but it is said only of Judas Iscariot that Satan himself, the chief of demons, entered him. It means that Satan completely possessed Judas to use him for his own purposes. It is true, however, that Satan works to some extent in everyone who refuses to receive the Lord Jesus. See Eph 2:2 where Satan is called the ruler “of the power of the air”. Notes on Satan at 1 Chron 21:1; Matt 4:1-10; John 8:44; 12:31.⚜
4 📚And he went his way, and discussed with the chief priests and captains of the temple guard, how he might betray him to them. 5 📚And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 📚And he promised, and looked for an opportunity to betray him to them when the crowd was absent.
Jesus eats the last Passover with His disciples
7 📚Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread 📖, when the Passover had to be sacrificed. 8 📚And he sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare for us to eat the Passover”.
9 And they said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare it?”
10 📚And he said to them, “When you enter the city, look for a man to meet you, carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him into the house that he enters, 11 📚and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room where I will eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12 📚And he will show you a large furnished upper room. Make preparations there”.
13 📚And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. 14 📚And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles sat with him.
15 📚And he said to them, “With great longing I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
22:15 The Passover lamb signified their redemption and salvation. Because of Christ’s coming sacrifice they were the people of God, and He delighted to eat with them at this time which spoke of that, even though it meant that He would have to suffer and die very shortly. Only His great love for them could bring Him delight at such an hour. Compare Heb 12:2.⚜
16 📚For I tell you I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God”. 📖
22:16 The sacrifice of Jesus the “Lamb of God” was the spiritual fulfillment of the Passover (1 Cor 5:7). It made possible the kingdom of God in men and with men. Now His unseen presence is among those who rightly observe the “Lord’s supper” (1 Cor 11:23-26). The manifested presence of Jesus with His people will come when this age ends (Revelation chapter 19).⚜
17 📚And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves. 18 📚For I tell you 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, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me”.
20 📚After supper, he did the same with the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you.
21 📚“But, see, the hand of the one who betrays me is with mine on the table.
22:21 From this it seems certain that Judas was still there when the Lord Jesus instituted the Lord’s supper, and that he partook of it.⚜
22 📚And indeed the Son of man is going just as it has been determined. But woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!”
23 📚And they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.
22:23 Judas was so skillful a hypocrite that they never suspected him (John 13:26-29).⚜
Jesus teaches about true greatness
24 📚And a quarrel started among them as to which of them should be considered the greatest.
22:24 This was not a new dispute for them (see Luke 9:46; Matt 18:1; Mark 9:33-34). Still it is a shocking revelation of their un-spirituality and immaturity that they should renew the dispute on the very eve of Christ’s crucifixion (but can we think that we are better than they?).⚜
25 📚And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ 26 📚But you must not be like that. Instead, the greatest among you must be like the youngest, and the leader like the one who serves. 27 📚For who is greater, the one who is seated at the table, or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is seated at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. 28 📚You are the ones who have stood by me in my trials. 29 📚And I give you a kingdom, just as my Father gave it to me, 30 📚so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel”.
Jesus predicts Peter’s denial
31 📚And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon, now Satan has asked to have you, so that he can sift you like wheat.
22:31 Simon was another name for Peter. Satan’s object was to shake and confuse and destroy Peter and the other disciples (the use of the plural in Greek for “you” indicates that the other disciples were included. When addressing a single disciple Jesus used the singular of the pronoun). But Peter was a special object of Satan’s attack.⚜
32 📚But I have prayed for you, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back again, strengthen your brethren”.
22:32 Praying is something the Lord Jesus now does for all believers (John 17:9, 15; Heb 7:25; 1 John 2:1). That is the reason why they will be kept in the faith to the end. This is a great encouragement to all who understand its meaning. Compare John 6:39-40; 10:28; Phil 1:6; Heb 10:39; 1 Pet 1:5. Notice Jesus said “when” you have turned back, not “if you turn back”. Christ knew that His prayers for Peter would be answered. Doubtless His prayers for all His believers will also be answered – John 11:41-42. This is one very good reason why they will never perish.⚜
33 📚And he said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you, both to prison and to death”.
34 📚And he said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, before you will deny three times that you know me”.
35 📚And he said to them, “When I sent you without purse, bag, and sandals, did you lack anything?” And they said, “Nothing”.
36 Then he said to them, “But now he who has a purse, let him take it, and also a bag; and he who does not have a sword, let him sell his cloak and buy one.
22:36 By saying this Jesus indicated that times were changing, and that the disciples should expect more opposition and persecution and should be prepared to pay their own way (in contrast to Matt 10:11-14). By mentioning a sword Jesus was not suggesting the disciples abandon His previous instructions (Matt 5:11-12, 38-41), and go on the warpath. He doubtless used “sword” in a figurative sense here, to indicate that great trouble lay ahead. To face this they should be mentally prepared (not with a literal sword). The Christian’s armor is not physical but spiritual – Eph 6:10-18; 1 Pet 4:1. See Christ’s condemnation of violence in Matt 26:51-52.⚜
37 📚For I tell you that this which is written must still be fulfilled in me:
And he was numbered among
the transgressors,
for the things concerning me
are going to be finished”.
38 📚And they said, “Lord, look, here are two swords”. And he said to them, “It is enough”.
22:38 They took Jesus’ words literally (compare Matt 16:5-12; John 6:52). Jesus, seeing their dullness, said nothing more at the time. The matter became clear to them later.⚜
Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane
39 📚And coming out, he went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives and his disciples also followed him.
22:39 They went to Gethsemane which was on the western slope of the Mount of Olives.⚜
40 📚And when he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not get into temptation”.
41 📚And he withdrew from them about a stones throw away, and knelt down, and prayed, 42 📚saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done”.
43 📚And an angel 📖 from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him.
22:43 Only Luke records this. Jesus was passing through an experience so dreadful, a trial so great, that His human nature, body and soul, were weakened by the strain. And He needed strength for the terrible events that still lay ahead.⚜
44 📚And being in a agony 📖 he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like great drops of blood falling to the ground.
45 📚And when he got up from prayer, and came to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow,
22:45 Only Luke mentions the reason for this sleep of the disciples. Their sight of Christ’s great sorrow brought sorrow to their own hearts, and they escaped it by sleeping.⚜
46 📚and said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray so that you will not get into temptation”.
Jesus is arrested
47 📚And while he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd appeared, and the one called Judas, one of the Twelve, was coming ahead of them. And he approached Jesus to kiss him. 48 📚But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of man with a kiss?”
22:48 Only Luke records this question, and the question in v 49.⚜
49 📚When those who were surrounding Jesus saw what was about to happen, they said to him, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?”
22:49 Jesus certainly did not answer “Yes” – note at v 36. See Matt 26:52-53.⚜
50 📚And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.
51 📚And Jesus in response to this said, “Permit even this”. And he touched his ear, and healed him.
52 📚Then Jesus said to the chief priests and captains of the temple guard and the elders, who had come to him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as if against a thief? 53 📚When I was daily with you in the temple, you did not stretch out a hand against me. But this hour belongs to you, and the power of darkness”.
Peter’s denial
54 📚Then they took him, led him away, and brought him to the high priest’s house. And Peter followed at a distance. 55 📚And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 📚But a certain maid saw him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “This man was also with him”.
57 📚And he denied him, saying, “Woman, I don’t know him”.
58 📚And after a little while another saw him, and said, “You are also one of them. And Peter said, “Man, I am not”.
59 📚And about an hour later another strongly insisted, saying, “It’s the truth, this fellow was also with him, for he is a Galilean”.
60 📚And Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about”. And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 📚And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, that he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times”.
22:61 Only Luke records this. Indeed one look from Jesus was enough to break Peter’s heart.⚜
62 📚And Peter went out and wept bitterly.
Jesus before the Jewish high priest
63 📚And the men who were holding Jesus mocked him, and beat him. 64 📚And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, “Prophesy, who is it that struck you?”
65 📚And they spoke against him many other blasphemous things.
22:63-65 Matt 26:67-68. Jesus was also mocked by Herod and his soldiers (Luke 23:11), and later by many others when He was on the cross (Luke 23:35-36).⚜
66 📚And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their Council, and said, 67 📚“Are you the Christ? Tell us”.
And he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe it. 68 📚And also if I ask you, you will not answer me, or let me go. 69 📚From now on the Son of man will be sitting at the right hand of the power of God”.
70 📚Then they all said, “Then are you the Son of God?”
And he said to them, “You rightly say that I am”.
71 📚And they said, “What need do we have of any more testimony? For we ourselves have heard it from his own mouth”.