The Death and Resurrection of the Son of Man (22:1-24:53)

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus (1-6)

Judas, having watched all the resentment and hatred brewing toward Jesus, combined with his own disappointment in Jesus as the Messiah, began to lose affection for Jesus. In that moment of disappointment and greed, satan entered Judas's heart. Because of Jesus’ popularity among the populace, the Jewish leaders could not arrest Him publicly without risking a riot. 

Two feasts ran together in what would be our March and April season. The Passover Feast was celebrated beginning on the fourteenth of the month of Nissan, when at noon the sacrificial lambs were killed. The beginning of the fifteenth began in the evening when the lambs were eaten at the Passover meal. Beginning on the fifteenth was also a seven-day feast called Unleavened Bread, where no leavened bread would be eaten for those seven days.

This feast was making it impossible to catch Jesus alone to arrest Him.

The chief priests and officers were putting out feelers to see if they could find someone among Jesus' followers to betray Him. They offered money in exchange for providing a quiet location for Jesus' arrest. They found a willing subject in Judas, who consented to their deal. From the moment the deal was hatched, Judas sought to find a moment to betray Jesus (1-6).  

The Passover Meal (7-23)

Luke explained that the day to sacrifice the Passover lamb had arrived. In reviewing the chronology of this week, one aspect is likely apparent: Jesus celebrated the Passover meal a day early, while on the actual Passover day, He was going to be sacrificed as the actual Passover Lamb (7). Peter and John were sent to prepare the meal in a private, pre-arranged place. They would identify a man carrying water who would meet them and then lead them to his private guest room, where they could eat the meal in safety and privacy. It would appear that Judas was out of the loop concerning where and when this was all to take place. They came, found the room ready, and began the meal preparations (8-13).  

When the time came, Jesus and His disciples arrived at the guest room and gathered around the table. Jesus interrupted the dinner with an out-of-place announcement. He had been desiring to eat this particular Passover with them before His suffering, and this was the last time He would eat it with them until it would be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God. Because Jesus used the word “fulfilled,” it is likely He was pointing to what is called the Lord's Supper, which would happen after His death and Resurrection as the Church gathered (14-16).

The whole dinner from here was off-course. Usually, the meal would begin with an opening prayer, followed by the first of four cups of wine served with some herbs and sauce. The story of the Exodus would be told, including how the first Passover Meal was instituted. Usually, they would sing Psalm 113 and drink the second cup of wine. Someone would offer another prayer, and then they would eat the roast lamb and unleavened bread with bitter herbs. After eating the lamb and bread, someone would recite a third prayer, and they would drink the third cup of wine. Then, they would sing Psalms 114-118 and drink the final cup of wine. 

Jesus altered the dinner format. 

He took the first cup and reaffirmed He would not drink wine again or share the meal until after the Kingdom had arrived. He took that cup and then gave it to His disciples to divide among themselves (17-18). Jesus then took bread, likely while they were eating the lamb, gave thanks for it, broke it, and distributed it to the disciples, claiming it as His body, and commissioning them to eat the bread as such to remember Him when they would gather in the future (19).

Jesus then came to the third cup and claimed the cup of wine as His blood poured out in a New Covenant for the world (20).

Jesus was obviously instituting a new Passover meal for a new exodus to deliver Israel, even the world, from captivity to sin (Exodus 24:8; Jeremiah 31:31-34). As Jesus gave the bread and the wine to His disciples, it would seem He did not partake of them Himself. He was to drink His cup later in the garden and mostly on the cross through death, but not as a glass of wine, until He had fulfilled being the sacrifice for the world. Lastly, in the other Gospels, it seems they then sang their song and did not drink the last cup of wine; Jesus was leaving the meal unfinished, for it was a meal to continue on through His death, communion, and finally, the ultimate banquet at the end of the age. 

As the disciples drank the third cup, Jesus rehearsed the fact that He was going to be betrayed and explained the woe and curse the betrayer would experience. Judas had already left, and the disciples seemed to have no clue who the betrayer was until later in the garden (21-23).  

A Dinner Dispute (24-30) 

The disciples were completely out of step with what was going on. They had visions of Jesus becoming a great king as they watched His popularity rise in Jerusalem. 

At the meal, they discussed which of them would hold the highest Cabinet position (24). Jesus put their discussion into perspective by telling them they were talking like those in the world who seek for authority and position over others (benefactors) (25). Jesus told His disciples His Kingdom would function differently. It would not be filled with people seeking to buy positions over others with money. The greatest among them would be like the eldest, who would normally take honor but would instead find honor in serving the younger, as though the younger were in charge. The greater would be a person served at table but who would leave his place and position there to serve the one waiting on him. The greatest in His Kingdom were not those seeking position over others but service to others (26-27).

Jesus went on to say it was not as though they would not have any honor, for they would, but it would not be a positional honor for glory; rather, it would be the honor of serving with Jesus and being at fellowship around His table at the end of the age (28-30).

Predicting Peter's Denial (31-34) 

Jesus then told Peter that satan had been trying to get him to turn away from allegiance to Jesus. Maybe Peter was also offered money for an opportunity to arrest Jesus in private. Jesus told Peter He had prayed for him that his faith would not yet fail, and when he did stumble and turn away from Him, Jesus prayed Peter would be restored to the 12. Jesus prayed for Peter, that his faith would not shrivel to the point of failing the test of being sifted. In those days, farmers would take grain and shake it in a sieve. Sand and dirt particles would fall from the screen along with the shriveled heads of grain. The shriveled heads represented hearts with no allegiance-fruit of life. Satan had asked, or rather demanded, of Jesus to allow Peter’s shriveled fidelity to be sifted out with the dirt and sand through the sieve. Jesus was encouraging Peter to be restored to allegiance after stumbling and then with,  “when you have turned again,” Jesus gave Peter this simple idea: when you have reverted to a previous way of life, the way of allegiance, strengthen your brothers to do likewise (31-32).

Peter insisted he was ready for such treatment, but Jesus forewarned Peter that he was not as strong as he thought and would deny knowing Him three times before the rooster announced the next day (33-34).  

Removing Protection (35-38) 

Jesus then reminded His disciples of the time He had sent them out without anything except His word and protection, and He asked if they had lacked anything. The disciples silently affirmed they had not, but their silence also hinted at their confusion regarding everything Jesus was telling them (35).

Jesus told them to load up in the future their money-bag, knapsack, and even a sword (36). He told them it was time for Him to be numbered among sinners and that how others treated them was going to change (37). They showed Jesus they had two swords, not understanding Jesus was speaking in metaphors. He wanted them to know they were going to need to be a bit more self-protection in His absence, not that they were to start a revolutionary military movement. With their misunderstanding, Jesus simply said, “It's enough,” and dismissed the conversation as being beyond their understanding at that moment (38).  

Praying at the Mount of Olives (Gethsemane) (39-46)

Jesus led His disciples to the foot of the Mount of Olives to a garden there called Gethsemane. He came to the place of prayer and urged His disciples to pray that they would not enter into the temptation that was just ahead of them. Jesus went about as far as one could throw a stone and began to pray, a distance of up to 30 to 40 feet. “Stone’s throw” is not a precise measurement, as Matthew indicated just a bit further. It is known that Jesus was in earshot of Peter, James, and John (39-41).

Jesus was entering a moment of great horror, for the hour of darkness was reaching a historic pinnacle (53). In this prayer, Jesus took a moment to see if God had another way. Maybe, like with Isaac, God would provide an alternative sacrifice at the last minute. In the end, the cup of the New Covenant in His blood, the one He had not drunk at supper, was God's will for Him to drink (42).  

When it was affirmed that Jesus must drink the cup of suffering, angels came to strengthen Him, most likely pouring in God's word (43). Darkness was crowding in; agony was overwhelming Jesus as His fate was settling into His heart. He began to pray more earnestly; He became so distressed that He began to sweat drops of blood. Jesus was not distressed over the agony and pain about to be thrust upon Him—the scourging, the mocking, the thorns, spikes, the thirst He was ready to face as the martyrs faced their demise. Jesus lay prostrate, His sweat like drops of blood, His soul in torment, and His being filling with reluctance; He was horror-struck not because of the pain but because of the cup He would need to drink from to save sinners. This cup meant the Father had to step back as the sins of the world climbed on the back and then into the soul of Christ. The Father would withdraw and let the wages—the wrath—of sin spill over on Jesus and envelop His being, separated from the Father. This is how God expresses His wrath: He merely steps back and the wrath of sin does violence and evil. It was not the pain, for many a man has faced torture and execution with peace. Jesus would need to experience execution as an innocent man with the sins of the world hoisted upon His back. Thus, Jesus sweated drops of blood (44). 

He completed His prayer time and returned to His sleeping disciples, asked them why they were sleeping and commissioned them to arise and pray, not to enter into temptation (45-46).  

The Betrayal (47-53)

While they were talking about prayer, Judas arrived with his legendary kiss of betrayal (47). Jesus asked Judas if he was really going to betray Him with a kiss (48). The Temple Guard who came to arrest Jesus must have been small because someone among the disciples assumed it was time to go revolutionary and started swinging his sword, but not at one of the armed men. Instead, he chopped off the ear of the High Priest’s servant. Jesus put an immediate stop to his impulse for a fight and healed the servant’s ear (49-51).  

Jesus then revealed the cowardice of the arresting guards by telling them they had not come in the full light of day. Further, knowing He was no criminal, they had come with the arrest force they would have used against a common thief. He then told them they were going to get away with what they were doing because it was the hour for the power of darkness to prevail (52-53).  

Peter's Denial (54-62)

The guards seized Jesus and brought Him to the home of the High Priest, Peter following at a distance (54). In the courtyard, Peter sat down and warmed himself by the fire with those associated with service to the High Priest (55).  

• While warming himself by the fire, the light hit his face just right and a servant girl to the High Priest recognized him as someone who had been with Jesus. Peter denied it, declaring he “did not know Him” (56-57).

• A bit later, someone else picked him out as being “one of them”; Peter asserted, “I am not” (58).

• An hour later still, someone else came to the fire and insisted Peter was Galilean and was with Jesus' company. Peter, in the strongest terms, denied knowing anything they were talking about. The rooster crowed (59-60).

At that moment, they were leading Jesus from the High Priest's residence to the guards' barracks through the courtyard where Peter was sitting. Luke recorded that at the moment of Peter's third betrayal, “The Lord turned and looked at Peter.” Right then, Peter remembered what Jesus had told him a few hours earlier concerning the crowing rooster and his three denials. Peter left the courtyard to weep (61-62). In the end, weariness and fear had sapped Peter of all his resolve. The one who had wanted to be faithful unto death failed. Endurance would become one of the great challenges of those following Jesus. 

The Mocking of Jesus (63-65) 

Not only was Jesus betrayed with a kiss and denied by a friend of even knowing Him at any level, but He was also mocked and beaten by the Temple Guards. They blindfolded Him and sought to make Him guess who had struck Him, speaking all kinds of curses against Him. These guards, who should have shown some restraint, treated Jesus in unconscionable ways (63-65).  

The Trials of Jesus (66-71) 

At daybreak, the High Priest hastily assembled the Sanhedrin for a trial. This was the great Council that had boasted of being able to bring God's justice to the world. Yet, their goal with Jesus was never justice, but murder (66). Luke decided to omit all the preliminary trial issues and instead went to the heart of the question asked: “If You are the Christ, tell us.”  

Jesus replied with three statements.

• If He were to tell them who He was, they would not believe Him (67).

• If He were to ask them who they thought He was, they would not answer, meaning they were getting ready to condemn a man without knowing who He was (68).

• Jesus then told them that the next time they saw Him, He would be seated at the right hand of God's power (69).  

Jesus had worded His statement to solicit from them a statement of truth, although they put it in a questioning tone. They said to Jesus in the form of a question, “Are you the Son of God?” Jesus then told them their question had proclaimed Him so. Jesus was implying God had put the truth on their tongues, although they had not intended it that way (70). The Council felt they had heard enough, and Jesus' testimony was enough to condemn Him, so the perversion of justice was complete (71).