Gospel of Luke. NT-Commentary on the Gospel of Luke (Luke) Commentary on the Gospel of Luke 22
1 The Feast of Unleavened Bread, called Passover, was approaching.
2 And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might destroy Him, because they were afraid of the people.
3 And Satan entered into Judas, who was called Iscariot, one of the twelve,
4 And he went and spoke with the chief priests and rulers, how to betray Him to them.
5 They were glad and agreed to give him money;
6 And he promised, and sought an opportune time to betray Him to them, not in the presence of the people.
7 Now the day of unleavened bread came, on which the Passover lamb was to be slaughtered,
8 And Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, Go, prepare us to eat the Passover.
9 And they said to Him, “Where do you tell us to cook?”
10 He said to them, “Behold, as you enter the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him to the house that he will enter,
11 And say to the owner of the house: The teacher says to you: Where is the room in which I can eat the Passover with My disciples?
12 And he will show you a large upper room furnished; cook there.
13 They went and found as he had told them, and prepared the Passover.
14 And when the hour had come, He lay down, and the twelve Apostles with Him,
Last Supper. Artist Peter Paul Rubens 1632
15 And he said to them, “I have greatly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer,
16 For I tell you that I will eat it no more until it is completed in the kingdom of God.
17 And taking the cup and giving thanks, he said, Take it 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 the bread and 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 Also the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the New Testament in My blood, which is shed for you.”
21 And behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me at the table;
22 However, the Son of Man goes according to his destiny, but woe to the man by whom He is betrayed.
23 And they began to ask each other which of them would be the one who would do this.
24 And there was a dispute between them as to which of them should be considered greater.
25 And he said to them, “Kings rule over the nations, and those who rule over them are called benefactors,
26 But you are not so: but the greatest of you must be like the youngest, and the ruler like the servant.
27 For who is greater: the one who reclines or the one who serves? isn't he reclining? And I am in your midst as one who serves.
28 But you remained with Me in My troubles,
29 And I will bequeath to you, as My Father has bequeathed to Me, a kingdom,
30 That ye may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
31 And the Lord said: Simon! Simon! Behold, Satan has asked to sow you like wheat,
32 But I prayed for you, so that your faith would not fail; and you, having once turned, strengthen your brothers.
33 He answered Him: Lord! I am ready to go with You to prison and to death.
34 But He said, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you do not know Me.”
35 And he said to them, “When I sent you out without sack, without scrip, or sandals, did you lack anything? They answered: nothing.
36 Then He said to them: But now, whoever has a bag, take it, and also the scrip; and whoever does not have it, sell his clothes and buy a sword;
37 For I tell you that this which is written must also be fulfilled in Me: I am numbered with the evildoers. For what is about Me comes to an end.
38 They said: Lord! behold, here are two swords. He said to them: enough.
39 And going out, he went as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.
Prayer on the Mount of Olives. Artist Duccio di Buoninsegna 1308-1311. 40 When he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you do not fall into temptation.”
41 And he himself went away from them a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed,
42 saying: Father! Oh, that You would deign to carry this cup past Me! however, not My will, but Yours be done.
43 An angel appeared to Him from heaven and strengthened Him.
Christ on the Mount of Olives. Artist Francisco Goya 1819 44 And while he was in agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
45 Rising from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping with sorrow.
46 And he said to them: Why are you sleeping? stand up and pray that you will not fall into temptation.
On the Mount of Olives. Artist G. Dore 47 While He was still saying this, a crowd appeared, and ahead of them walked one of the twelve, called Judas, and he came to Jesus to kiss Him. For he gave them this sign: Whomever I kiss, He is the one.
48 Jesus said to him: Judas! Do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?
Betrayal of Christ. Artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio 1603 49 But those who were with Him, seeing where things were going, said to Him: Lord! Shouldn't we strike with a sword?
50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.
51 Then Jesus said, “Leave it, that’s enough.” And touching his ear, he healed him.
52 And Jesus said to the chief priests and rulers of the temple and the elders who were assembled against Him, “As if you came out against a thief with swords and staves to take Me?”
53 Every day I was with you in the temple, and you did not raise your hands against Me, but now is your time and the power of darkness.
54 They took Him and led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest. Peter followed from afar.
55 When they had lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter also sat down among them.
56 One maid saw him sitting by the fire and looked at him and said, “This one too was with Him.”
57 But he denied Him, saying to the woman, “I don’t know Him.”
58 Soon afterwards another man saw him and said, “You too are one of them.” But Peter said to the man: No!
59 About an hour passed, and someone else urgently spoke: “Surely this one was with Him, for he is a Galilean.”
60 But Peter said to the man, “I don’t know what you are saying.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
61 Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter, and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
62 And he went out and wept bitterly.
Peter's denial. Artist Y. Sh von KAROLSFELD 63 The people who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him;
64 and covering Him, they struck Him in the face and asked Him: Prophesy, who struck You?
65 And they uttered many other blasphemies against Him.
Making fun of Christ. Artist Matthias Grunewald 1502 66 And when the day came, the elders of the people, the chief priests and the scribes, assembled and brought Him into their Sanhedrin
67 and they said: Are you the Christ? tell us. He said to them: If I tell you, you will not believe it;
68 But even if I ask you, you will not answer Me and will not let Me go;
69 From now on the Son of Man will sit at the right hand of the power of God.
70 And they all said, “Are you then the Son of God?” He answered them: you say that I am.
71 And they said, What more testimony do we need? for we ourselves have heard from His mouth.
Penitent Saint Peter. Painter El Greco 1604 Conspiracy of religious leaders against Jesus
(Matt. 26:2-5; Mark 14:1-2; John 11:45-53)
1 The Feast of Unleavened Bread, called Easter, was approaching.2 The chief priests and teachers of the Law were looking for a way to deal with Jesus without causing indignation among the people.
Judas decides to betray Jesus
(Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11)
3 Then Satan entered into Judas, who was called Iscariot, one of the twelve.4 Judas went and conspired with the chief priests and the commanders of the temple guard to betray Jesus to them.5 They were delighted and promised to pay him.6 Judas agreed and began to look for an opportunity when there would be no people with Jesus to betray Him.
Preparations of the disciples for Easter
(Matt. 26:17-19; Mark 14:12-16)
7 The Day of Unleavened Bread had arrived, when the Passover lamb was to be slaughtered,8 and Jesus sent Peter and John with a mission:
– Go and prepare Easter dinner for us.
9 – Where do you want us to cook it? - they asked.
10 He replied:
– When you enter the city, you will meet a man carrying a jug of water. Follow him into the house where he enters,11 and say to the owner of the house: “The teacher asks you: Where is the guest room in which I will eat the Passover dinner with My disciples?”12 He will show you a large room upstairs, in which everything is already prepared; cook dinner there.
13 They went and everything happened as Jesus told them, and they prepared the Passover dinner.
Jesus' last supper with his disciples
(Matt. 26:20-29; Mark 14:17-25; John 13:21-30; 1 Cor. 11:23-25)
14 When the time came, Jesus and His apostles gathered around the table.15 Jesus said to them:
– I really wanted to eat this Passover with you before My suffering.16 I tell you that I will no longer eat it until it is completed in the Kingdom of God.
17 Taking the cup and thanking God for it, He said:
– Take it and divide it among yourselves.18 I tell you that I will no longer drink from the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God comes.
19 Then, taking the bread and thanking God for it, He broke it and gave it to them with the words:
– This is My body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.
20 He also took the cup after dinner and said:
– This cup is the new covenant, sealed by My blood, which is shed for you# 22:20 Wed. Ref. 24:8; Heb. 9:18-20.. 21 But the hand of the one who betrays Me is on the same table with Mine.22 With the Son of Man everything will happen as it was intended, but woe to the man who betrays Him.
23 Then the disciples began to ask each other which of them could do this.
Don't dominate, but serve
(Matt. 20:25-28; 19:28; Mark 10:42-45)
24 Then they began to argue which of them should be considered the greatest.25 Jesus then said to them:
– The kings of the pagans rule over them, the rulers of the people are called “benefactors”,26 but don't be like them. On the contrary, let the greatest among you be like the least, and the ruler like a servant.27 After all, who is more important: the one who reclines at the table, or the one who serves? Isn't he the one who reclines? I am among you as a servant.28 You were with Me in all My trials,29 and just as My Father gave Me royal power, so now I give it to you,30 so that you too may eat and drink at My table in My Kingdom, and you will sit on thrones to rule# 22:30 Or: “to judge.”twelve tribes of Israel.
Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial
(Matt. 26:33-35; Mark 14:29-31; John 13:37-38)
31 – Simon, Simon, Satan asked thatAllyou were scattered like wheat,32 but I prayed for you so that you would not lose faith. And you yourself, when you turn to Me, strengthen your brothers.
33 Peter answered:
– Lord, I am ready to go with You to prison and to death!
34 But Jesus said:
“I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know Me.”
35 Then Jesus asked them:
– When I sent you without a purse, without a bag, without sandals, did you need anything?
“Nothing,” they answered.
36 – Now, if you have a wallet, take it, take the bag, and if you don’t have a sword, then sell the cloak, but buy a sword# 22:36 Most likely, the meaning of the words spoken here is that His followers must prepare themselves for the upcoming spiritual struggle, for deprivation and persecution for the faith. A literal understanding would conflict with the words of Jesus (see Matt. 26:51-53; Luke 22:49-51; John 18:36; 2 Cor. 10:3-4).. 37 I tell you that what is written in Scripture must be fulfilled with Me: “He was numbered with the transgressors.”# 22:37 Isa. 53:12.. Everything that has been written about Me will soon be fulfilled.
38 The students said:
– Look, Lord, we have two swords.
- Enough about it, - Jesus answered.
Jesus praying on the Mount of Olives
(Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42)
39 Jesus went to the Mount of Olives as usual, and His disciples went with Him.40 Arriving at the place, Jesus said:
– Pray that you will not give in to temptation.
41 He walked away from them about a stone's throw away, knelt down and began to pray:
42 – Father, if You want, carry this cup past Me, but let everything be not according to My will, but according to Yours.
43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven and strengthened Him.44 In agony, Jesus began to pray even more fervently, and His sweat became like drops of blood flowing down to the ground.45 When He rose from prayer and returned to the disciples, He found them sleeping, because they were exhausted by sadness.
46 – Why are you sleeping? - Jesus asked. – Get up and pray that you will not give in to temptation.
Jesus betrayed and arrested
(Matt. 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-50; John 18:3-11)
47 He was still speaking when a crowd approached, at the head of which was one called Judas, one of the twelve disciples. He approached Jesus to kiss Him.48 Jesus said:
– Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?
49 When those who were with Jesus saw what was happening, they asked:
– Lord, what if we hit with a sword?
50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.51 But Jesus said:
– Stop it, enough!
He touched the servant's ear and healed him.52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the commanders of the temple guard, and the elders who had come for Him:
– What am I, a robber# 22:52 Or: “rebel.”Why did you come with swords and staves?53 I was with you every day in the temple, and you did not seize Me. But now is your time, now is the power of darkness.
Peter's denial
(Matt. 26:67-75; Mark 14:66-72; John 18:15-18, 25-27)
54 They grabbed Him and took Him to the house of the high priest. Peter, keeping a distance, followed them.55 A fire was lit in the middle of the high priest's courtyard, and Peter, along with other people, sat down to warm himself with it.56 One of the maids, seeing Peter in the light of the fire, peered closely at him and said:
1. JUDAS EXPRESSED WILLINGNESS TO BETRAY CHRIST (22:1-6) (MAT. 26:1-5,14-16; MAR. 14:1-2,10-11: JOHN 11:45-53)
Onion. 22:1-6. Luke recorded that Christ was crucified on Passover, an annual festival commemorating the slaughter of lambs in Egypt, from where God had once brought the Jews out, freeing them from slavery and punishing their Egyptian oppressors (Exodus 12:1-28). On the connection between the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover in the commentary on Luke. 22:7 and John. 19:14.
Although the religious leaders were afraid of the people (Luke 19:47-48; 20:19), they still decided to destroy Jesus. Judas initiated the betrayal. Satan entered into him (compare John 13:27) and seduced him with the money that was promised to Judas for his betrayal. But Satan’s complicity in the murder of Jesus Christ predetermined his own defeat, for through the death of the Son of God victory was won over the devil and death as such (Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14).
2. JESUS' PREPARATION FOR DEATH (22:7-46)
In Luke's account, Jesus' preparation for death includes His final ministry to His closest disciples at the Passover supper (verses 7-38) and His final solitary prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane (verses 39-46).
A. Passover Supper (22:7-38) (Matt. 26:17-35; Mark 14:12-31; John 13:1-38)
All the Synoptic Gospels record that Jesus celebrated the Passover supper with his disciples. However, the Gospel of John (John 19:14) says that Jesus died on the cross on the Friday before Easter (with a more accurate translation - “on Easter Friday”; in other words, the evangelist emphasizes that the slaughter of God’s Lamb, His “preparation” , was similar to the preparation (slaughter) of the Passover lambs - from the editor). The apparent "discrepancy" between John. 19:14 and Luke. 22:7 can be explained in two ways.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread, which lasted seven days and preceded Passover, was sometimes also called “Passover” (Luke 2:41; 22:1; Acts 12:3-4), or this entire week was called “Passover Week.”
In the first century AD, Jews followed two calendar systems when celebrating Passover. So Jesus and His disciples could celebrate the Passover according to one calendar, while the majority of the people, including the Pharisees, celebrated it according to another calendar, a day later, and then they slaughtered their Passover lambs on the very day when Jesus died on cross (John 19:14).
1. The disciples prepare the Passover meal (22:7-13).
Onion. 22:7-13. Even in these last hours of His earthly life, Jesus continued to perform miracles. So, He told Peter and John how and what would happen on their way when they went to prepare the Passover for them. His predictions naturally came true. It was not difficult to recognize the “man carrying a pitcher of water”, since it was usually women, not men, who carried water.
The disciples had to say to this man, following him into the house: The teacher says to you: where is the room in which I can eat the Passover with My disciples? In all likelihood, the owner of the house was one of the believers in Jesus Christ, because he immediately provided the disciples with an upper room in his house, prepared for the festive dinner.
2. Jesus' teaching at the Easter supper (22:14-38).
Onion. 22:14-20. Jesus made it clear to those close to Him that His death would be marked by the coming into force of the New Testament. For this, His body and blood were necessary, which is conveyed in the symbolism of bread and the fruit of the vine and the “incorporation” of Christ’s followers into them.
At the Passover supper, Jesus taught for the last time about the Kingdom of God. It was a festive dinner, and celebration, feasting is always a symbol of the Evangelist Luke. Jesus and His disciples, here called Apostles (compare 6:13; 9:10; 17:5; 24:10), reclined at the table during this teaching.
The Lord rejoiced in fellowship with these people who believed His gospel of the Kingdom. They followed Him, they knew that He really was the Messiah. And in order to become His disciples, they abandoned everything that they had become accustomed to, that was dear to them. The discipleship to which He called them also broke their usual ideas.
Jesus announced to them that this was the last Passover that He would eat with them until it was completed in the Kingdom of God (22:16 compare with verse 18). (In the English text of the Bible, the corresponding line in verse 16 is translated as follows: “until all that it (Easter) signifies is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”) Many things in the Old Testament, including Easter, pointed to the ministry of Jesus Christ and foreshadowed the kingdom that He would establish. And when this happens, the meaning of Easter will be realized, for nothing will hinder God’s communication with His people, whom He will lead into His eternal rest.
Bread and wine were attributes of everyday life - not just Easter ceremonies. But here, we repeat, they symbolized His body, which was sacrificed for all Israel, and His blood. He was the sacrificial Lamb who was to take away the sin of Israel and the whole world (John 1:29). The New Testament, mentioned many times in the Old Testament Scriptures and quite unequivocally in Jer. 31:31-34, was a necessary prerequisite for the Age of the Kingdom, and Jesus Christ - through the sacrifice of Himself - established this Covenant (Luke 22:20). They opened the path for Israel to revival and the infusion of the Holy Spirit into individual representatives of the people. Believers of the Church Age are also partakers of the same spiritual blessings (rebirth from above through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit) (1 Cor. 11:25-26; 2 Cor. 3:6; Heb. 8:6-7).
Onion. 22:21-23. Jesus made it clear to the disciples that one of them participating in this Passover meal would betray Him. God's decision regarding Jesus' death and Judas' decision to betray Him "came together" (verse 22). Christ had to die, because only in this way could the salvation of all mankind be accomplished, only by His death could the curse of sin be “deprived of power.” And, nevertheless, this did not relieve the traitor of responsibility for what he did. Apparently, the other disciples completely trusted Judas, judging by the perplexed questions they asked each other: which of us would be the one to do this? (verse 23).
Onion. 22:24-30. Oddly enough, after Christ warned that one of them would betray Him, the disciples began to argue about which of them should be considered greater. Kings rule over the nations (meaning over the pagans), the Lord remarked to them about this. But the followers of the Messiah cannot base their thoughts on this. Among them, he who strives to be greater must be like the lesser... like a servant.
For He Himself, Jesus Christ, is in the role of minister among them (verse 27). Students should imitate their Teacher. In the end, they will be awarded places of honor in His Kingdom because they remained with Him in His adversities. The followers of Christ will become partakers of “His table in the Kingdom”; they will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel (compare Matt. 19:28).
Onion. 22:31-34. The Lord warns Peter that he will deny Him three times that night before the rooster crows. He says this in response to Peter’s assurances that he is ready to follow Him into prison and to death. Christ's words that Satan would like to sow them like wheat mean that he asked God for permission to lead Christ's disciples through difficult and painful circumstances to test their faith (this is comparable to the situation of Job).
Jesus here resorts to the image of wheat being sifted (as in the English text of the Bible) through a sieve to separate it from the chaff. The Lord also utters words of consolation: But I prayed for you (in the Greek text there is a plural number, so it would be more correct, apparently, to read it as “about you”), so that your faith (yours) would not fail. He directly makes it clear to Peter that after denying Him, he will return to the path of faith (and you, once converted, will begin to strengthen his brothers in the faith.
Onion. 22:35-38. Jesus reminded the disciples that they lacked nothing while He was with them and sent them out to minister in His name (9:3). But now, when He is taken from them, they themselves will have to take care of everything necessary for their ministry: the bag... the scrip and the sword. To protect yourself. Because He will not only die, but “will also be numbered among the evildoers” (quoted from Isaiah 53:12).
When the disciples said that they had two swords, Jesus responded: Enough. There are no less than four interpretations to this “answer” of His: 1) The Lord did not want to continue the conversation on this topic. 2) And two swords were “enough” to demonstrate the inability of people to prevent the implementation of God’s plan, which provided for the death of Christ.
Swords cannot prevent this. 3) Jesus simply meant that two swords were enough to protect eleven people. 4) Christ’s answer must be considered in connection with the above-mentioned words of the prophet Isaiah, i.e. Christ meant that His disciples, armed with two swords, would be “counted among the villains,” just like Himself. The fourth point of view seems closer to the truth.
b. Jesus on the Mount of Olives (22:39-46) (Matt. 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42)
The prayer of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane is recorded in the three synoptic Gospels, but John only says that Jesus “went out with his disciples beyond the brook Kidron, where there was a garden... and Judas, his betrayer, knew this place, because Jesus often gathered there with His disciples" (John 18:1-2). The fact that in his last hours on earth Christ struggled with temptation in the garden may be symbolic (Luke 22:46). In the garden, man fell into sin through temptation (Gen. 3). And now the liberation of humanity from sin took place again in the garden - through overcoming temptation. For Jesus, “the last Adam” (1 Cor. 15:45), did not succumb to it, but fulfilled the will of God, which the first Adam failed to do.
Onion. 22:39-44. Luke says that Jesus and the disciples went to the Mount of Olives. Matthew and Mark call this place "Gethsemane" (meaning "olive press"). The “Garden of Gethsemane” was a grove of olive trees located on the slope of the Mount of Olives or Mount of Olives (John 18:1).
There, moving away from the disciples to the distance of a thrown stone (a stone's throw), Jesus began to pray fervently. At some point, a strong temptation to ask the Father to deliver Him from the coming trial seized Him. This would mean abandoning God's plan for the salvation of mankind, according to which the Son was to take upon Himself the sin of the world and die for it.
From Christ’s prayer it is clear that in the very next moment He overcame temptation and expressed his readiness to fulfill the will of the Father (Luke 22:42). Only Luke records that an angel came from heaven and strengthened Him (verse 43). The mental anguish of Christ and the strain of all His strength were so great during these hours that bloody sweat fell from His face to the ground.
Onion. 22:45-46. Rising from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping... They fell asleep, overcome by sadness. The thought of the inevitability of the Teacher’s death plunged them into this sadness. They themselves were also in danger - not only the physical one that was approaching them, but also the spiritual one, for the very atmosphere of the garden was, like thunderstorms, “saturated with temptations.” This is why Jesus twice called on them to pray so that they would not fall into temptation (verses 40,46).
3. BETRAYAL (22:47-53) (MAT. 26:47-56; MAR. 14:43-50; JOHN 18:3-11)
Onion. 22:47-53. Luke highlights three moments in the scene of the betrayal and arrest of Jesus Christ. First. Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him (verses 47-48). He led a crowd of people behind him, which included religious “leaders” (verse 52) and Roman soldiers (John 18:12). The agreed sign for those who came to take Jesus was to be the kiss of Judas. From the words of Christ addressed to Judas (verse 48), it is clear that He knew in advance both about the upcoming betrayal and about the secret sign of the kiss.
Second. Jesus' compassion for people did not change even at the time of his arrest (verses 49-51). When Peter, using one of the two swords they had, cut off the ear of the high priest's servant (named Malchus; John 18:10), the Lord healed him.
Finally, third. Christ bitterly reproached his enemies for hypocrisy (verses 52-53). They did not take Him openly, during the day, when He was teaching in the temple, but...as if they were a thief, they came out against Him with swords and stakes to seize Him secretly (19:48; 20:19; 22:2). Filled with the meaning of His word: but now is your time and the power of darkness. For they not only appeared under the cover of “darkness,” but also acted as forces of spiritual darkness, thirsting for the death of the Messiah.
What was happening in the Garden of Gethsemane had to end no later than 2:30 a.m., since by morning all six “trials” of Jesus were over, and at 9 a.m. He was already crucified.
His arrest in Gethsemane, although it was carried out with the sanction of the Sanhedrin, was not legal in the sense that it was carried out secretly, based on the denunciation of a paid traitor.
4. THE TRIAL OF JESUS (22:54 - 23:25)
So, in the case of Jesus, six trials took place - three were conducted by the Jewish spiritual authorities, and three by representatives of the Roman administration (the corresponding Table is in Matt. 26:57-58). Luke writes about only two trials carried out by the Jews.
A. In the house of the high priest (22:54-65) (Matt. 26:57-75: Mark 14:53-54,65-72; John 18:12-18, 25-27)
Onion. 22:54. They took Him and led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest (Caiaphas) - Matt. 26:57; John 18:13, and also comments on Luke. 3:2 and the Table of the Family of Hannah given in the commentary on Acts. 4:5-6. First, however, as follows from the Gospel of John (John 18:13), Jesus was taken to the house of Annas, the influential father-in-law of Caiaphas. We can say that the Apostle Peter remained true to his word up to a certain point (Luke 22:33), since, although from afar, he followed Christ, despite the fact that this was fraught with mortal risk for Him.
Onion. 22:55-62. Within a few hours, Peter, as Jesus had predicted, denied Him three times (verse 34). Moreover, each time he did it more and more hotly (compare verses 57-58, 60). And suddenly a rooster crowed... and the Lord, turning, looked at Peter... The combination of circumstances and this look of Jesus forced Peter to remember the words spoken to him by Christ at the beginning of the night, and Peter realized the full significance of what had happened. When he came out, he cried bitterly.
Onion. 22:63-65. In the house of the high priest, the people who took Jesus into custody mocked Him and beat Him. In particular, they mocked His prophetic gift (verse 64).
b. In the Sanhedrin (22:66-71) (Matt. 26:59-66; Mark 14:55-64; John 18:19-24)
Onion. 22:66-67a. The Sanhedrin was the highest legal authority among the Jews. The decisions he made were final. If the Sanhedrin found Jesus guilty, it would mean that all of Israel found Him guilty. The Sanhedrin could meet only with the onset of day; this is what the judges expected. They wanted to find out one question - is He Christ? That is, did Jesus really present Himself as the Messiah.
All other charges initially faded into the background. By asking this question, the answer to which they knew, because they knew that He presented Himself as the Messiah, the members of the Sanhedrin were perhaps giving Him a chance to renounce His claims. Or maybe they thought in this way to “shame” Him in front of His followers.
Onion. 22:67b-70. Jesus Christ confirmed that He is the Messiah, who, after His death, resurrection and ascension, will sit at the right hand of the power of God (Ps. 109:1; Acts 2:33; 5:31; Eph. 1:20; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; 1 Pet. 3:22). In front of the Sanhedrin, He openly declared that He was the Son of God.
Onion. 22:71. From the point of view of the “elders of the people, the chief priests and the scribes,” the proof they were looking for of Jesus’ guilt had been obtained. For, in their opinion, Jesus committed blasphemy. Now they considered themselves entitled to hand Him over to the Roman authorities. The fact is that only they could carry out the death sentence; the Sanhedrin did not have such a right and could only declare a person guilty.
So, despite all the miracles performed by Christ, despite the truly messianic signs given by Him, the leaders of the people refused to believe Him. Acting on behalf of all Israel, they rejected Christ.
1 The Feast of Unleavened Bread, called Passover, was approaching.
2 And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might destroy Him, because they were afraid of the people.
3 And Satan entered into Judas, who was called Iscariot, one of the twelve,
4 And he went and spoke with the chief priests and rulers, how to betray Him to them.
5 They were glad and agreed to give him money;
6 And he promised, and sought an opportune time to betray Him to them, not in the presence of the people.
7 Now the day of unleavened bread came, on which the passover must be slaughtered lamb,
8 and sent Jesus Peter and John, saying: Go, prepare for us to eat the Passover.
9 And they said to Him, “Where do you tell us to cook?”
10 He said to them, “Behold, as you enter the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him to the house that he will enter,
11 And say to the owner of the house: The teacher says to you: Where is the room in which I can eat the Passover with My disciples?
12 And he will show you a large upper room furnished; cook there.
13 They went and found as he had told them, and prepared the Passover.
14 And when the hour had come, He lay down, and the twelve Apostles with Him,
15 And he said to them, “I have greatly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer,
16 For I tell you that I will eat it no more until it is completed in the kingdom of God.
17 And taking the cup and giving thanks, he said, Take it 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 the bread and 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 Also the cup after supper, saying, This cup There is The New Testament is in My blood, which is shed for you.
21 And behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me at the table;
22 However, the Son of Man goes according to his destiny, but woe to the man by whom He is betrayed.
23 And they began to ask each other which of them would be the one who would do this.
24 And there was a dispute between them as to which of them should be considered greater.
25 And he said to them, “Kings rule over the nations, and those who rule over them are called benefactors,
26 But you are not so: but the greatest among you must be like the youngest, and the ruler like the servant.
27 For who is greater: the one who reclines or the one who serves? isn't he reclining? And I am in your midst as one who serves.
28 But you remained with Me in My troubles,
29 And I will bequeath to you, as My Father has bequeathed to Me, a kingdom,
30 That ye may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
31 And the Lord said: Simon! Simon! Behold, Satan has asked to sow you like wheat,
32 But I prayed for you, so that your faith would not fail; and you, having once turned, strengthen your brothers.
33 He answered Him: Lord! I am ready to go with You to prison and to death.
34 But He said, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you do not know Me.”
35 And he said to them, “When I sent you out without sack, without scrip, or sandals, did you lack anything? They answered: nothing.
36 Then He said to them: But now, whoever has a bag, take it, and also the scrip; and whoever does not have it, sell his clothes and buy a sword;
37 For I tell you that this which is written must also be fulfilled in Me: I am numbered with the evildoers. For what is about Me comes to an end.
38 They said: Lord! behold, here are two swords. He said to them: enough.
39 And going out, he went as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.
40 When he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you do not fall into temptation.”
41 And he himself went away from them a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed,
42 saying: Father! Oh, that You would deign to carry this cup past Me! however, not My will, but Yours be done.
43 An angel appeared to Him from heaven and strengthened Him.
44 And while he was in agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
45 Rising from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping with sorrow.
46 And he said to them: Why are you sleeping? stand up and pray that you will not fall into temptation.
47 While He was still saying this, a crowd appeared, and ahead of them walked one of the twelve, called Judas, and he came to Jesus to kiss Him. For he gave them this sign: Whomever I kiss, He is the one.
48 Jesus said to him: Judas! Do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?
49 But those who were with Him, seeing where things were going, said to Him: Lord! Shouldn't we strike with a sword?
50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.
51 Then Jesus said, “Leave it, that’s enough.” And touching his ear, he healed him.
52 And Jesus said to the chief priests and rulers of the temple and the elders who were assembled against Him, “As if you came out against a thief with swords and staves to take Me?”
53 Every day I was with you in the temple, and you did not raise your hands against Me, but now is your time and the power of darkness.
54 They took Him and led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest. Peter followed from afar.
55 When they had lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter also sat down among them.
56 One maid saw him sitting by the fire and looked at him and said, “This one too was with Him.”
57 But he denied Him, saying to the woman, “I don’t know Him.”
58 Soon afterwards another man saw him and said, “You too are one of them.” But Peter said to the man: No!
59 About an hour passed, and someone else urgently spoke: “Surely this one was with Him, for he is a Galilean.”
60 But Peter said to the man, “I don’t know what you are saying.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
61 Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter, and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
Comments on Chapter 22
INTRODUCTION TO THE GOSPEL OF LUKE
A BEAUTIFUL BOOK AND ITS AUTHOR
The Gospel of Luke has been called the most delightful book in the world. When an American once asked Dennay to recommend one of the biographies of Jesus Christ for him to read, he replied: “Have you tried reading the Gospel of Luke?” According to legend, Luke was a skilled artist. In one Spanish cathedral, a portrait of the Virgin Mary, allegedly painted by Luke, has survived to this day. As for the Gospel, many researchers believe that it is the best biography of Jesus Christ ever compiled. According to tradition, it has always been believed that Luke was its author, and we have every reason to support this point of view. In the ancient world, books were usually attributed to famous people, and no one contradicted this. But Luke never belonged to the prominent figures of the early Christian Church. Therefore, it would never have occurred to anyone to attribute this Gospel to him if he had not really written it.
Luke came from the Gentiles. Of all the authors of the New Testament, he was the only one who was not a Jew. He is a doctor by profession (Col. 4:14), and perhaps this is precisely what explains the sympathy he inspires. They say that a priest sees the good in people, a lawyer sees the bad, and a doctor sees them as they are. Luke saw people and loved them.
The book was written for Theophilus. Luke calls him "Venerable Theophilus." This treatment was reserved only for high-ranking officials in the Roman government. There is no doubt that Luke wrote this book to tell the serious and interested person more about Jesus Christ. And he succeeded in this, painting Theophilus a picture that undoubtedly aroused his great interest in Jesus, about whom he had already heard.
SYMBOLS OF EVANGELISTS
Each of the four Gospels was written from a certain point of view. Evangelists are often depicted on church stained glass windows, usually each with their own symbol. These symbols do vary, but the most typical are the following:
Symbol Brand is Human. The Gospel of Mark is the simplest, most laconic of all the Gospels. It has been well said of him that his distinguishing feature is realism. It most closely corresponds to its purpose - a description of the earthly life of Jesus Christ.
Symbol Matthew is a lion. Matthew was a Jew, and wrote for Jews: he saw in Jesus the Messiah, the lion “of the tribe of Judah,” whose coming all the prophets predicted.
Symbol Joanna is eagle. The eagle can fly higher than all other birds. They say that of all God's creations, only the eagle can look at the sun without squinting. The Gospel of John is the theological Gospel; the flight of his thoughts is higher than all other Gospels. Philosophers draw themes from it, discuss them throughout their lives, but resolve them only in eternity.
Symbol Bows is Taurus. The calf is meant to be slaughtered, and Luke saw Jesus as a sacrifice made for the whole world. In Luke's Gospel, moreover, all barriers are overcome, and Jesus becomes accessible to both Jews and sinners. He is the savior of the world. With that in mind, let's look at the specifics of this gospel.
LUKA - AN EXCITING HISTORIAN
The Gospel of Luke is primarily the result of careful work. His Greek is elegant. The first four verses are written in the best Greek in the entire New Testament. In them, Luke states that his gospel was written "after careful research." He had great opportunities and reliable sources for this. As Paul's trusted companion, he must have been well acquainted with all the major details of the early Christian Church, and they undoubtedly told him everything they knew. For two years he and Paul were in prison in Caesarea. During those long days he undoubtedly had many opportunities to study and explore everything. And he did it thoroughly.
An example of Luke's thoroughness is the dating of the appearance of John the Baptist. At the same time, he refers to no less than six contemporaries. “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar (1), when Pontius Pilate was in charge of Judea (2), Herod was tetrarch in Galilee (3), Philip his brother was tetrarch in Ituraea and the Trachotnite region (4), and Lysanias was tetrarch in Abilene (5), under the high priests Annas and Caiaphas (6), the word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness." (Onion. 3.1.2). Undoubtedly, we are dealing with a diligent author who will adhere to the greatest possible accuracy of presentation.
GOSPEL FOR THE PAGENTS
Luke wrote mainly to pagan Christians. Theophilus, like Luke himself, was a pagan; and in his Gospel there is nothing that a pagan would not realize and understand, a) As we see, Luke begins his dating Roman emperor and Roman governor, that is, the Roman style of dating comes first, b) Unlike Matthew, Luke is less interested in depicting the life of Jesus in the sense of the embodiment of Jewish prophecies, c) He rarely quotes the Old Testament, d) Instead of Hebrew words, Luke usually uses them Greek translations so that every Greek can understand the content of what is written. Simon Kananit becomes his Simon the Zealot (cf. Mat. 10,4and Luke. 5.15). He calls Golgotha not a Hebrew word, but a Greek one - Kranieva mountain, the meaning of these words is the same - Execution Place. He never uses the Hebrew word for Jesus, rabbi, but the Greek word for mentor. When Luke gives the genealogy of Jesus, he traces it not to Abraham, the founder of the people of Israel, as Matthew does, but to Adam, the forefather of mankind (cf. Mat. 1,2; Onion. 3,38).
This is why the Gospel of Luke is easier to read than all the others. Luke did not write for the Jews, but for people just like us.
GOSPEL PRAYERS
The Gospel of Luke places special emphasis on prayer. More than anyone else, Luke shows us Jesus immersed in prayer before important events in His life. Jesus prays during His baptism (Luke 3, 21) before the first clash with the Pharisees (Luke 5 16), before the calling of the twelve apostles (Luke 6, 12); before asking the disciples who they say He is (Onion. 9.18-20); and before he predicts his death and resurrection (9.22); during the transformation (9.29); and on the cross (23.46). Only Luke tells us that Jesus prayed for Peter during his trial (22:32). Only Luke gives a parable-prayer about a friend coming at midnight (11:5-13) and a parable about an unjust judge (Onion. 18.1-8). For Luke, prayer was always an open door to God, and the most precious thing in the whole world.
GOSPEL OF WOMEN
Women occupied a secondary position in Palestine. In the morning the Jew thanked God that He had not made him “a pagan, a slave, or a woman.” But Luke gives women a special place. The story of the birth of Jesus is told from the point of view of the Virgin Mary. It is in Luke that we read about Elizabeth, about Anna, about the widow at Nain, about the woman who anointed the feet of Jesus in the house of Simon the Pharisee. Luke gives us vivid portraits of Martha, Mary, and Mary Magdalene. It is very likely that Luke was a native of Macedonia, where women occupied a freer position than elsewhere.
GOSPEL OF PRAISE
In the Gospel of Luke, glorification of the Lord occurs more often than in all other parts of the New Testament. This praise reaches its climax in three great hymns that have been sung by all generations of Christians - the hymn to Mary (1:46-55), the blessing of Zechariah (1:68-79); and in the prophecy of Simeon (2:29-32). The Gospel of Luke spreads a rainbow light, as if heavenly radiance would illuminate the earthly vale.
GOSPEL FOR ALL
But the most important thing about Luke's gospel is that it is a gospel for everyone. In it, all barriers were overcome, Jesus Christ appeared to all people, without exception.
a) The Kingdom of God is not closed to the Samaritans (Onion. 9, 51-56). Only in Luke do we find the parable of the Good Samaritan (10:30-36). And that one leper who returned to thank Jesus Christ for healing was a Samaritan (Onion. 17.11-19). John cites a saying that Jews do not associate with Samaritans (John. 4.9). Luke does not block anyone's access to God.
b) Luke shows Jesus speaking favorably of Gentiles whom orthodox Jews would consider unclean. In him, Jesus cites the widow of Zarephath of Sidon and Naaman the Syrian as exemplary examples (4:25-27). Jesus praises the Roman centurion for his great faith (7:9). Luke quotes the great words of Jesus: “And they will come from the east and the west, and the north and the south, and will sit down in the kingdom of God” (13:29).
c) Luke pays great attention to the poor. When Mary offers a sacrifice for cleansing, it is a sacrifice for the poor (2:24). The culmination of the answer to John the Baptist is the words “the poor preach the good news” (7:29). Only Luke gives the parable of the rich man and the beggar Lazarus (16:19-31). And in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught: “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” (Matthew 5:3; Luke 6, 20). The Gospel of Luke is also called the gospel of the dispossessed. Luke's heart is with every person whose life is unsuccessful.
d) Luke best portrays Jesus as a friend of exiles and sinners. Only he talks about the woman who anointed His feet with ointment, wet them with tears and wiped them with her hair in the house of Simon the Pharisee (7:36-50); about Zacchaeus, the chief of publicans (19:1-10); about the repentant thief (23.43); and only Luke cites the immortal parable of the prodigal son and loving father (15:11-32). When Jesus sent his disciples out to preach, Matthew indicates that Jesus told them not to go to the Samaritans or the Gentiles (Mat. 10.5); Luke says nothing about this. The authors of all four Gospels, reporting the preaching of John the Baptist, quote from Is. 40: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God”; but only Luke brings the quotation to its triumphant end: “And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” Is. 40,3-5; Mat. 3,3; Mar. 1,3; John 1,23; Onion. 3.4. 6). Of the Gospel writers, Luke teaches more emphatically than others that God’s love is limitless.
BEAUTIFUL BOOK
When studying the Gospel of Luke, you should pay attention to these features. Somehow, of all the authors of the Gospels, I would most like to meet and talk with Luke, because this pagan doctor, who amazingly felt the infinity of God’s love, was in all likelihood a man of a beautiful soul. Frederic Faber wrote about the boundless mercy and incomprehensible love of the Lord:
God's mercy is limitless,
Like a boundless ocean.
In justice unchanged
A way out has been given.
You can't comprehend the love of the Lord
To our feeble minds,
Only at His feet do we find
Peace to weary hearts.
The Gospel of Luke clearly demonstrates the truth of this.
AND THE DEVIL ENTERED JUDAS (Luke 22:1-6)
At Easter time, Jesus arrived in Jerusalem to die. In its own sense, the Feast of Unleavened Bread is not quite the same as Passover. The Feast of Unleavened Bread was celebrated for a week, from the 15th to the 21st of Nisan (April), and the Passover itself was eaten from the 15th of Nisan in memory of the liberation of the people of Israel from Egyptian slavery. (Ex. 12). That night the angel of death struck the firstborn son in every Egyptian family; but he passed by all the houses of the Jews, because the doorposts and lintels of the doors of the houses were anointed with the blood of the lamb. That evening the Jews were in such a hurry to finish their last meal that they did not have time to bake the leavened bread. And they ate unleavened bread, unleavened bread.
We carefully prepared for Easter. They repaired roads, strengthened bridges, whitewashed tombstones along the roads so that pilgrims could see them clearly and not touch them by mistake, and thereby become unclean. Already a month before the holiday, the history and meaning of Passover was taught in synagogues. Two days before Easter, a ritual search for leaven was carried out in all homes. The head of the family took a candle and solemnly walked around the house in silence, looking into every corner and nook and throwing away the last crumb of yeast.
Every Jew who had reached a certain age and lived within 25 kilometers of Jerusalem had to be a participant, and anyone living in any part of the world dreamed (and still dreams) of spending Easter in Jerusalem at least once in their life. And today, when Jews celebrate Easter in some country, they pray to God to spend the next Easter in Jerusalem. And therefore, during Easter, huge masses of people gathered in Jerusalem. Emperor Nero sought to downplay the importance of the Jewish religion and Cestius, who was at that time the procurator of Judea, in order to convince Nero of this, carried out a census and counted the skins of lambs slaughtered during Passover. According to Josephus, their number was 265.5 thousand.
According to Jewish law, there must be at least ten participants in Passover. This means that, apparently, more than 2.7 million pilgrims took part in the Easter celebration. It was in this crowded city that the drama of Jesus’ last days played out.
The atmosphere of the Easter holiday has always been explosive. The residence of the Roman ruler was in Caesarea and usually there was a small detachment of Roman troops in Jerusalem, but during the celebration of Easter a large number of troops were gathered here. The Jewish authorities were faced with the problem of how to arrest Jesus without causing a riot from the crowd. The betrayal of Judas helped them solve this problem. The devil possessed Judas. The following two points are obvious:
1. Just as God is looking for people to carry out His will, so the devil is looking for them. A person can become an instrument of good or evil, an instrument of God or the devil. Thus, the followers of Zoroaster's teachings imagine this world as a battlefield between the god of light and the god of darkness, and in this struggle a person must choose which side he is fighting on. We also know that a person can become a servant of light or darkness.
2. But it is clear that the devil could not have taken possession of Judas if the latter had not let him in. A person's heart can only be opened from the inside - there is no keyhole from the outside.
They open up to everyone
The path is high and earthly;
And everyone here decides
Which path to follow?
Only we ourselves can decide whether we will be an instrument in the hands of God or an instrument of the devil. We can serve either Christ or the devil. May God help us make the right choice!
THE LAST SUPPER (Luke 22:7-23)
Again, Jesus took care of everything in advance; He had His plan. In the houses of wealthy people there were two rooms: one of them was above the other and the house looked as if a smaller cube had been placed on top of a large cube. The upper room was reached through a staircase located on the outer side of the house wall. During Passover, lodging in Jerusalem was free. The only payment that the owner of the house could receive for the pilgrims' quarters was the skin of the lamb eaten during the holiday. Often the upper room was used by rabbis to meet with their favorite students, discuss various problems and pour out their souls. Jesus took the necessary steps to have such a room. He sent Peter and John into the city to find a man carrying a jug of water. Carrying water was the task of women. The man who carries the jug with water, it was as easy to recognize as, for example, a man walking on a rainy day under a lady’s umbrella. This was a sign agreed upon in advance between Jesus and His disciples.
The holiday arrived and Jesus used ancient symbols and gave them new meaning.
1. About bread He said: “This is My Body.” This is what we mean by sacrament. A sacrament is an action that is common under normal conditions, but takes on a completely different meaning for a person who has eyes to see and a heart to understand. There is nothing specifically theological or incomprehensible about this.
In the house of each of us there is a box with all sorts of, one might say, rubbish, but we do not throw it away, because every time we pick up this or that thing, or look at it, different people and different events emerge in our memory. These are ordinary things, but they have acquired a completely different meaning, much greater than their original meaning. This is the sacrament.
When, after the death of Sir James Barry's mother, they began to sort out her things, it turned out that she had been saving all the envelopes in which her noble son regularly and lovingly sent her money orders. They were just old envelopes, but they meant so much to her. This is the sacrament.
During Admiral Nelson's funeral at St. Paul's Church in London, a group of sailors carried the coffin. One of those who observed this scene left the following note: “Orderly and respectfully they lowered the body of the greatest admiral into the crypt and then, as if fulfilling a command sharply given from the deck of the ship, at the same time they grabbed the English flag with which the coffin was covered, tore it into pieces and everyone took a piece for yourself as a souvenir of the illustrious deceased." And all their lives this piece of colored material will remind them of their beloved admiral. This is the sacrament.
The bread we eat at communion is ordinary bread, but to the person who has a heart that can understand, it is truly the Body of Christ.
2. Concerning the cup He said: “This cup is the new covenant in My blood.” In biblical meaning covenant represents the relationship between man and God. God generously turned to man; and man committed himself to obedience and keeping His law. All this is outlined in Ref. 24.1-8. The operation of this law depends on a person’s compliance with his vow and fulfillment of the law. Man could not and cannot fulfill this law: human sin terminates this relationship between man and God. The entire Jewish sacrificial system was aimed at restoring this relationship through sacrifices to God to atone for sin. Jesus said this: “By My life and My death I have made possible a new relationship between you and God. You are sinners. But because I died for you, God is no longer an enemy, but a friend.” To restore the relationship of friendship between God and man, Christ had to pay with His life.
3. Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” Jesus knew how forgetful human memory is. The Greeks had a special adjective for time. “Time,” the ancient Greeks said, “erases everything,” as if human memory is a slate board, and time is a sponge that wipes everything clean off it. In other words, Jesus said: “In the whirlpool of life you will forget Me. Man forgets because he has to forget, not because he wants to. Come hour by hour into the peace and quiet of My house, and do it again with My loved ones, and you will You will remember Me."
The fact that there was a traitor at the table during the supper made this tragedy even more terrible. At every communion, in every community, there is a traitor who will betray Jesus Christ, because if we make a vow to Him in His house, and then, when we go out, we refute Him with our lives, we also betray Him.
DISPUTE AMONG THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST (Luke 22:24-30)
That Jesus' disciples could argue about which of them should be honored more when He was immediately in danger of crucifixion is one of the most tragic events in the entire Gospel. The location of places on the Jewish holiday was strictly established. The table was a square with one free side. The owner sat at the head of the table in the center. On his right hand sat the most important guest, on his left the second most important, second on the right hand of the host sat the third most important guest, second on his left was the fourth, and so on around the table. Jesus' disciples argued about where everyone should sit because they had not yet gotten rid of the idea of an earthly kingdom. Jesus directly told them that the standards of His kingdom are radically different from worldly standards. The king of the earth is judged by the power he possesses. One of the most typical titles of an eastern king was Eurgetes, which corresponds to the Greek benefactor. Jesus said, “It is not the king, but the servant who will receive this title in My kingdom.”
1. The world needs service first. It's strange, but people in the business world understand this. Bruce Barton notes that gas station signs are common along highways. Each says, "We'll get under your car more often and are less afraid of getting dirty than any of our competitors." It’s a strange thing, but in the church there is more debate about the importance and veneration and the “place” of a person than anywhere else. The world needs service, and it recognizes only service.
2. Only those who are willing to serve more than others can truly achieve greater heights. A simple worker often goes home at 4 o'clock and forgets about his work until the next morning, while in the office the lights are on until late. Very often, passers-by saw the light in the office of John Rockefeller, when the light had long gone out in all the windows of the company. The law of life is that service leads to greatness, and the higher a person rises in the ranks, the more service he must be prepared for.
3. A person can build his life in different ways: some prefer only to take, others are ready to give; but a person who bases his life on only taking, is deprived of both the friendship of people and the reward of God, for people who care only about their own have never aroused love from anyone.
4. Jesus finished His warning, promising His disciples that all who stood steadfast with Him to the end would be with Him in the Kingdom of God. God will not remain in debt to anyone. Those who helped Christ bear the cross will share the crown with Him in heaven.
TRAGEDY OF PETER (Luke 22:31-38 and 54-62)
We will look at the entire history of Peter's tragedy at once. Peter's behavior and character are full of strange contradictions.
1. Even having verbally renounced Christ, he remained faithful to Him. H.G. Wells once said: “A man can be a bad musician and at the same time love music passionately.” A person driven by devotion; even though he has sinned, he is not yet lost.
2. Peter was thoroughly warned. Jesus warned him directly and indirectly. Verses 33-38, which sound like the blow of a blade, are a very strange passage. But its meaning boils down to the following: “Until now I have been with you. Very soon you will be left alone and you will have to measure your strength. What will you do then? The danger is not that you will have nothing left, but that that you will have to fight even for your existence." This was not an appeal to the troops with a call to perseverance, but a lively Eastern manner of showing the students that their lives were in immediate danger. No one could deny that the seriousness and danger of the situation and the extent of his own responsibility were not explained to Peter.
3. Peter was too self-confident. If a person says: “I will never do this,” then most often this is exactly what he should be afraid of. Fortresses fell repeatedly only because the besiegers chose a path that seemed insurmountable and impassable, and appeared in the very place that was not at all guarded by the defenders of the fortress. The devil is cunning and skillful. He approaches a person where the person is completely confident in himself, because it is there that he is least ready for resistance.
4. But we must give Peter justice: he was one of those two disciples (John. 18:15), who had the courage to follow Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. Peter succumbed to a temptation that could only come to a brave man. A brave man is always exposed to greater danger than one who strives for serene security. Responsibility for temptation is the price that a person pays who is recklessly bold in his thoughts and actions. Sometimes it is better to fail in a noble cause than to run away without even trying your deeds.
5. Jesus did not speak to Peter angrily, but only looked at him sadly. Peter would have been able to bear it if Jesus had turned away from him and scolded him, but that silent, sorrowful look pierced Peter's heart and brought forth a flood of tears.
After all, it would be better if he burned
In the flames of hell,
Why stand and look Him in the face?
And see His gaze.
The punishment for sin is not to see the wrath of Jesus, but to see His heart-tearing gaze.
6. Jesus said something very important to Peter: “When you have turned, strengthen your brothers.” Jesus seemed to be saying to Peter: “You will deny Me and weep bitterly, but then you will be able to better help your brothers who must also go through this.” We cannot truly help a person until we ourselves have gone through the crucible of sadness or the abyss of shame that he went through. It is said about Jesus: “For just as He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted.” (Heb. 2.18). By enduring the shame of failure or infidelity, a person not only loses something, but he also gains compassion and understanding for others whom he could never help without suffering himself.
THY WILL BE DONE! (Luke 22:39-46)
There was so little space in Jerusalem that there were no gardens or parks. Therefore, many wealthy people had their gardens outside the city walls on the Mount of Olives. One of his wealthy friends gave Jesus the use of such a garden, and He went there to fight his battle alone. He was in the struggle. The Greek word agony means a person struggling with terrible fear. There is no other scene like it in all history. It is a major turning point in the life of Jesus. After all, at that time He could still refuse the cross. The salvation of the world was at stake the moment bloody sweat covered the brow of the Son of God; and He won.
One famous pianist once said this about Chopin’s nocturne: “I must tell you that Chopin told Liszt about it, and Liszt told me. Everything in it is sorrow and grief. Oh, such sorrow and such grief, until then, until he started talking to God and praying; then suddenly everything was fine." It was the same with Jesus. He went to the Garden of Gethsemane in grief and sorrow, but returned from there with bright determination, because He spoke with God. He went into the Garden of Gethsemane in agony, but came out victorious and with peace in his soul, because He spoke With By God.
The whole point is in the tone in which a person pronounces these Words: “Thy will be done.”
1. He can pronounce them in a tone of helpless resignation, like a man who finds himself at the mercy of a force against which he is absolutely helpless to fight. In this case, these words sound like the death knell of all hopes.
2. He can pronounce them in the tone of a man subdued by power. Then these words may be an admission of complete defeat.
3. He can pronounce them in the tone of a person who has suffered complete failure and realized the impossibility of realizing his dream. Then these words may sound like gloomy disappointment or painful anger, even more painful because the person himself is unable to change anything.
4. He can say them with complete confidence. And that's exactly how Jesus said them. He turned to the Father, He turned to God, whose omnipresent hands extended both above Him and around Him. He submitted because he trusted his loving Father:
He's on his knees; holy face
He bent down to the damp ground,
And the groan of a praying soul
Came out in the slumbering silence:
"Let the cup of torment pass over me,
But my will is not Yours,
Father, let it be, I am coming!"
But everything was quiet in the garden;
And sweat dripped from the face of Christ,
Like drops of blood from the cross,
and the angel of God stood here
And he strengthened the Son of God.
This is how I prayed, according to I.S. Prokhanov, Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. And for us, the most difficult thing is to accept that which we cannot comprehend with our minds, but which is possible if we seek God’s will and love through diligent prayer and struggle. Therefore, every follower of Him can pray in complete confidence: “Thy will be done.”
THE TRAITOR'S KISS (Luke 22:47-53)
Judas managed to give Jesus away so that the authorities could capture Him when the crowd was not with Him. He knew that Jesus usually went late in the evening to the garden on the Mount of Olives and he led the envoys of the Sanhedrin there. The head of the temple, that is, the sagan, as he was called, was responsible for maintaining order in the temple; in this case, his officers were tasked with arresting Jesus. When a student met his beloved rabbi, he would place his right hand on his left shoulder and his left hand on his right shoulder and kiss him. Judas used this kiss as a treacherous sign. Four groups were present at the arrest; the actions and reactions of each are different.
1. First, there was the traitor Judas - a man turned away from God and entered into an alliance with the devil. Only a person who replaces God with the devil can stoop so low as to betray Christ.
2. Secondly, there were Jews who came to arrest Jesus. They were blinded and did not recognize God. When the God-man came to our land, they thought of only one thing - to lift Him to the cross as soon as possible. They walked so long and stubbornly in their own way, closing their ears to the voice of God and not wanting to see His guiding right hand, that in the end they could no longer recognize Him. To be deaf to the voice of God and blind to His signs is terrible. As Elizabeth Barrett Browning put it:
"And I have enough strength,
Strength to see Him and not admire Him,
Strength is to retreat from Him and not cry out to Him."
May God deliver us from such power!
3. There were also students here. At the moment they have forgotten God. Their world was collapsing, and they thought that the end was coming. The last thing they thought about was God; They thought about the terrible situation they suddenly found themselves in. Such people are then overcome with horror and complete confusion; they no longer have the strength to look life in the eye and fight it. In a moment of testing, life becomes unbearable if a person does not turn to God.
4. And finally, Jesus was here. He alone remembered God. The most striking thing about Him is His complete calmness, which took possession of Him after prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Even at the moment of His arrest, He was the only one who did not lose control; during His trial, He, in fact, was the judge. A person who follows God's path can cope with any situation and face any enemy unbendingly and fearlessly. He, and only he, can ultimately say:
In the cruel grip of trials
I didn't scream or shout;
In the midst of torture and suffering
The bloody head did not give way.
No matter how narrow the gate may be,
No matter how long the list of punishments is, -
I am the ruler at every hour
Your soul, a gift from God.
Only a person who has submitted to God can speak and act as a conqueror.
MOCKEY, blasphemy and judgment (Luke 22:63-71)
That same night Jesus was brought before the high priest. This was a private and unofficial investigation. They arranged it with the goal of gloating and mocking Jesus and, if possible, catching Him at his word, and thereby substantiating the accusation against Him. After this, Jesus was handed over to the temple guards, who indulged in terrible jokes. When morning came, He was brought to the Sanhedrin.
The Sanhedrin was the supreme court of the Jews. In particular, cases concerning religious and theological matters fell under its exclusive jurisdiction. It consisted of seventy members, and was represented by scribes, rabbis and Pharisees, priests, Sadducees and elders. The Sanhedrin could not meet in the dark, which is why Jesus was kept until the morning without trial. The Sanhedrin could meet only in a hall called Hazzit, in one of the temple courtyards the high priest presided over the Sanhedrin.
The procedural norms of the Sanhedrin are at our disposal. They may represent an ideal that was never fully realized, but at least from them one can see what the Jews thought the Sanhedrin should be, and how much they departed from it during the trial of Jesus. The court sat in a semicircle so that everyone involved could see each other. The accused stood before the court, dressed in mourning dress. Behind him sat rows of students and disciples of the rabbi. They could speak in defense of the arrested person, but not against him. The vacant seats in the court were replenished, apparently, from among students. All charges had to be supported by the testimony of two witnesses heard separately. A member of the court could initially speak out against the arrested person, and then change his mind and speak in his defense, but not vice versa. When a verdict was passed, each member of the court, from the youngest to the most senior, had to express his own judgment. Enough to justify was simple majority of one vote; a majority of at least two votes was needed to convict. A death sentence could never be carried out on the day it was pronounced; The night had to pass first, because during this time the members of the court could change their minds and pardon the condemned man. The whole procedure was supposed to serve the implementation of mercy. But it is clear from Luke's account that the Sanhedrin was far from adhering to its own rules and due process when questioning Jesus.
It must be emphasized that the Sanhedrin ultimately brought charges of blasphemy against Jesus. A man who claimed to be the Son of God was thereby insulting the majesty of God, which was blasphemy and punishable by death.
The deep tragedy is that Jesus, while loving them, did not even receive justice from them. The triumph of Jesus lies in the fact that after a night of vicious interrogations, bullying, scourging and ridicule, He was absolutely sure that He would sit at the right hand of the power of God and His victory was inevitable. His faith is above circumstances. He did not admit for a minute that evil would ultimately triumph over Divine plans.
Commentary (introduction) to the entire book of Luke
Comments on Chapter 22
"The most beautiful book in existence."(Ernest Renan)
Introduction
I. SPECIAL POSITION IN THE CANON
The most beautiful book in existence is highly praised, especially from a skeptic. And yet, this is precisely the assessment that the French critic Renan gave to the Gospel of Luke. And what can a sympathetic believer, reading the inspired masterpiece of this evangelist, object to these words? Luke is perhaps the only pagan writer chosen by God to record His Scripture, and this partly explains his special appeal to the heirs of Greco-Roman culture in the West.
Spiritually, we would be much poorer in our appreciation of the Lord Jesus and His ministry without the unique expressiveness of Luke the physician.
It emphasizes our Lord's special interest in individuals, even the poor and outcast, and His love and salvation, which He offered to all people, not just the Jews. Luke also places particular emphasis on doxology (as he provides examples of early Christian hymns in chapters 1 and 2), prayer, and the Holy Spirit.
Luke, a native of Antioch and a physician by profession, was Paul’s companion for a long time, talked a lot with the other apostles, and in two books left us samples of the medicine for souls that he received from them.
External evidence Eusebius in his “History of the Church” about the authorship of the third Gospel is consistent with the general early Christian tradition.
Irenaeus extensively quotes the third Gospel as being from Luke.
Other early evidence supporting Luke's authorship includes Justin Martyr, Hegesippus, Clement of Alexandria, and Tertullian. In Marcion's extremely tendentious and abridged edition, the Gospel of Luke is the only one accepted by this famous heretic. Muratori's fragmentary canon calls the third Gospel "Luke."
Luke is the only evangelist to write a sequel to his Gospel, and it is from this book, the Acts of the Apostles, that Luke's authorship is most clearly seen. The "we" passages in the Acts of the Apostles are descriptions of events in which the writer was personally involved (16:10; 20:5-6; 21:15; 27:1; 28:16; cf. 2 Tim. 4, eleven). Having gone through everyone, only Luka can be recognized as a participant in all these events. From the dedication to Theophilus and the style of writing, it is quite clear that the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles belong to the pen of the same author.
Paul calls Luke “the beloved physician” and speaks of him specifically, not confusing him with Jewish Christians (Col. 4:14), which points to him as the only pagan writer in the NT. The Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles are larger in volume than all of Paul's letters combined.
Internal evidence reinforce external documents and church traditions. The vocabulary (often more precise in medical terms than that of other New Testament writers), along with the literary style of the Greek, confirms the authorship of a cultured Gentile Christian physician who was also well and thoroughly acquainted with Jewish characteristics. Luke's love of dates and precise research (eg 1:1-4; 3:1) places him among the first historians of the Church.
III. WRITING TIME
The most likely date for writing the Gospel is the very beginning of the 60s of the 1st century. Some still attribute it to 75-85. (or even by the 2nd century), which is caused by at least partial denial that Christ could accurately predict the destruction of Jerusalem. The city was destroyed in 70 AD, so the Lord's prophecy must have been written down before that date.
Since almost everyone agrees that Luke's Gospel must precede the writing of the Acts of the Apostles, and Acts ends with Paul in Rome around 63 AD, an earlier date seems correct. The great fire in Rome and the subsequent persecution of the Christians, whom Nero declared to be the culprits (64 AD), and the martyrdom of Peter and Paul would hardly have been ignored by the first church historian if these events had already occurred. Therefore, the most obvious date is 61-62. AD
IV. PURPOSE OF WRITING AND TOPIC
The Greeks were looking for a person endowed with Divine perfection and at the same time combining the best features of men and women, but without their shortcomings. This is how Luke represents Christ, the Son of Man: strong and at the same time filled with compassion. It emphasizes His human nature.
For example, here, more than in other Gospels, His prayer life is emphasized. Feelings of sympathy and compassion are often mentioned.
Perhaps this is why women and children occupy such a special place here. The Gospel of Luke is also known as the missionary Gospel.
This gospel is directed to the Gentiles, and the Lord Jesus is presented as the Savior of the world. And finally, this gospel is a manual for discipleship. We trace the path of discipleship in the life of our Lord and hear it detailed as He instructs His followers. In particular, it is precisely this feature that we will trace in our presentation. In the life of a perfect Man we will find elements that create an ideal life for all people. In His incomparable words we will find the path of the Cross to which He calls us.
As we begin to study the Gospel of Luke, let us heed the call of the Savior, leave everything and follow Him. Obedience is a tool of spiritual knowledge. The meaning of Holy Scripture will become clearer and dearer to us when we delve into the events described here.
Plan
I. PREFACE: LUKE'S PURPOSE AND HIS METHOD (1:1-4)
II. THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN AND HIS FORECAST (1.5 - 2.52)
III. PREPARING THE SON OF MAN FOR MINISTRY (3.1 - 4.30)
IV. THE SON OF MAN PROVES HIS POWER (4.31 - 5.26)
V. THE SON OF MAN EXPLAINS HIS MINISTRY (5.27 - 6.49)
VI. THE SON OF MAN EXPANDS HIS MINISTRY (7.1 - 9.50)
VII. GROWING RESISTANCE TO THE SON OF MAN (9.51 - 11.54)
VIII. TEACHING AND HEALING ON THE ROAD TO JERUSALEM (Ch. 12 - 16)
IX. THE SON OF MAN INSTRUCTS HIS DISCIPLES (17.1 - 19.27)
X. THE SON OF MAN IN JERUSALEM (19.28 - 21.38)
XI. THE SUFFERING AND DEATH OF THE SON OF MAN (Ch. 22 - 23)
XII. VICTORY OF THE SON OF MAN (Ch. 24)
XI. THE SUFFERING AND DEATH OF THE SON OF MAN (Ch. 22 - 23)
A. Conspiracy to kill Jesus (22:1-2)
22,1 Feast of Unleavened Bread refers to the period that begins on Easter and continues for another seven days, during which you should under no circumstances eat leaven. Passover was celebrated on the 14th of the month Nisan, the first month of the Jewish year. The seven days, from the 15th to the 21st, are known as Feast of Unleavened Bread, but in verse 1 the whole festival is designated by this name. If Luke had written primarily for Jews, there would be no need for him to mention the connection between the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover.
22,2 High Priests and Scribes continuously plotted, searching for how to destroy Lord Jesus, however, they understood that they needed to do this in a way that would not cause disturbances, because they were afraid of the people. They knew that many held Jesus in high esteem.
B. Betrayal of Judas (22.3-6)
22,3 Satan entered into Judas, who was called Iscariot, one of the twelve. John (13:27) says that this happened after Jesus gave him a piece of bread during the Passover supper. We come to the conclusion that this either happened in successive stages, or that Luke records a fact rather than an exact time of occurrence.
22,4-6 Be that as it may, Judas made a deal with the chief priests and rulers, that is, the commanders of the Jewish temple guard. He carefully developed a plan to betray Jesus into their hands without causing unrest among the people. The plan was quite acceptable, and they agreed to give him money- as we know, thirty silver coins. So Judas left to work out the details of his betrayal plan.
B. Preparation for Easter (22.7-13)
22,7 There are certain problems associated with the various time periods mentioned in these verses. Day of Unleavened Bread usually associated with the 13th of Nisan, when Jews were to remove all leavened bread from their homes. However, it says here that this was the day on which the Passover lamb had to be slaughtered, which already applies to the 14th of Nisan. Leon Morris, as well as other scientists, believe that two calendars were used for Easter: the official one and the one followed by Jesus and others. (Leon Morris, The Gospel According to Luke, pp. 302-304.) We believe that the events of Last Thursday begin here and continue until verse 53.
22,8-10 Lord sent Peter and John to Jerusalem to prepare for the celebration Easter supper. By giving them instructions, He showed that He had complete knowledge of everything. At the entrance in town had meet them a man carrying a jug of water. This was an unusual occurrence in an eastern city; Women usually carried water jugs. The man here is a good illustration of the Holy Spirit, who leads thirsting souls to where they will have fellowship with the Lord.
22,11-13 The Lord not only foreknew the location and direction of movement of this man, but He also knew that a certain owner of the house would want to provide Him and His for the disciples a large upper room furnished. Perhaps this person knew the Lord and completely devoted himself and his property to Him. There is a difference between room for guests and a large furnished room. The generous owner prepared a better room than the students expected. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, there was no room for Him in the inn (Greek: kataluma). Here He told His disciples to ask room(Greek "kataluma"), but they were given something better - a large, furnished upper room. Everything happened as He predicted, and the disciples prepared Easter.
D. Last Easter (22.14-18)
22,14 For many centuries, the Jews celebrated Passover, commemorating their glorious deliverance from Egypt and from death through the blood of an innocent lamb. How vividly all this must have come to the Savior’s mind when He lay down and twelve apostles with Him to celebrate the holiday one last time. He was the true Passover Lamb, whose Blood would soon be shed for the salvation of all those who believe in Him.
22,15-16 This specific Easter had an inexpressible meaning for Him, and He passionately wished taste it before Your suffering. He will not eat the Passover again until His return to earth and the establishment of the glorious Kingdoms. Expression "I really wanted" contains the idea of ardent, passionate desire. These revealing words invite believers of all times to consider how passionately Jesus seeks fellowship with us all at His table.
22,17-18 When he took the cup with wine, which is part of the Easter ritual, He thanked for her and handed it over to the students, reminding them once again that He shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until His Millennial Kingdom will not come. The description of the Passover supper ends with verse 18.
D. The Lord's Supper (22:19-23)
22,19-20 The last Passover was immediately followed by the Lord's Supper. The Lord Jesus established this sacred memorial so that His followers would remember His death throughout the ages. First of all He gave them bread- a symbol of His bodies, which will be soon betrayed for them. Then cup- an eloquent testimony of His priceless blood, which will be shed on the cross of Calvary. He spoke of her as cup of the new covenant in His the blood that is shed for those who belong to Him. It means that New Testament, which He originally entered into with the people of Israel was ratified by Him blood. The full fulfillment of the new covenant will occur during the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ on earth, but we as believers enter into its blessings at this time.
It goes without saying that bread and wine are images, or symbols, His body and blood. His body had not yet been given, nor had His blood been shed. Therefore, it would be absurd to assume that these symbols miraculously turned into reality. The Jewish people were forbidden to eat blood, and the disciples therefore knew that He was not talking about literal blood, but about what is prototype His blood.
22,21 This verse makes it clear that Judas was indeed present at the last supper. However, John 13 is equally clear that the traitor left the room after Jesus gave him a piece of bread and dipped it in gravy. Since this occurred before the establishment of the Lord's Supper, many believe that Judas was not present when Jesus distributed the bread and wine.
22,22 The suffering and death of the Lord Jesus were intended, however, Judas betrayed Him voluntarily. That's why Jesus said: "Behold, the hand of him that betrayeth Me..." Although Judas was one of the twelve, he was not a true believer.
22,23 This shows some surprise and distrust of the students towards themselves. They did not know, which one of them could be guilty in that meanness act.
E. True Greatness in Service (22:24-30)
22,24-25 The fact that immediately after the Lord's Supper a dispute arose among the disciples about which of them should be considered greater, makes a serious accusation against people's hearts. Lord Jesus reminded them, that in His domain greatness is exactly the opposite of human ideas. Kings, who rule over the pagans peoples recognized as great people; in fact their are called benefactors. But this is only in words; in fact they are cruel tyrants. They bear the name of benefactors, but their personal qualities do not correspond to this.
22,26 Not this way followers of the Savior must have. He who is to be great must be like less. And the one who is to be in charge must humble himself by humbly serving others. These unusual establishments radically overturned the generally accepted traditional ideas that the younger is lower than the elder, and the superior shows his greatness in dominance.
22,27 In people's minds, being a guest at a feast meant more than being a server of food. However, the Lord Jesus came to serve people, and all who follow Him must become like Him in this way.
22,28-30 The Lord graciously praised the disciples because they stayed with Nim V His adversity. They had just quarreled among themselves. Very soon they will all leave Him and run away. Yet He knew that in their hearts they loved Him and would endure persecution for His name's sake. As a reward they they will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel, when Christ returns to sit on the throne of David and rule the earth. Just as the Father promised the Kingdom to Christ, so He promised the disciples that they would reign with Him over a renewed Israel.
G. Jesus predicts Peter's denial (22:31-34)
These verses describe the last of a series of three darkest chapters in the history of human infidelity. The first was the betrayal of Judas. The second is the selfish ambitions of students. And now we see Peter’s cowardice.
22,31-32 Repeating the name "Simon! Simon!" speaks of the love and heartfelt attitude of Christ towards the wavering disciple. Satan asked get all the students to dispel their, like wheat. Jesus turned to Peter as the representative of the disciples.
He prayed for Simone, so that faith does not become scarce his. ( "I prayed for you"- amazing words!) No time by contacting to the Lord, Peter had to approve the brothers theirs. This conversion does not indicate salvation, but rather restoration after the falling away.
22,33-34 Peter expressed his willingness to accompany Jesus with inappropriate self-confidence to prison and death. However, he was forced to hear that before the morning light broke, he will deny three times, having said What even does not know Gentlemen!
Mark quotes the Lord as saying that before the rooster crows twice, Peter will deny Him three times (14:30). In Matt. 26.34; OK. 22.34; In. 13:38 The Lord said that before the rooster crows, Peter will deny Him three times. Frankly, it is difficult to reconcile these apparent contradictions. There were probably several roosters crowing, one at night and the other at dawn. It should also be noted that the Gospels record at least six different denials by Peter. He denied Christ before:
1) a young woman (Matt. 26:69-70; Mark 14:66-68);
2) another woman (Matt. 26:71-72);
3) the people who stood there (Matt. 26:73-74; Mark 14:70-71);
4) one person (Luke 22:58);
5) another person (Luke 22:59-60);
6) servant of the high priest (John 18:26-27). It was probably another man, because he said, "Didn't I see you with Him in the garden? (v. 26)."
Z. New parting words (22.35-38)
22,35 At the beginning of His ministry the Lord sent students without a bag, and without a bag, and without shoes- a minimum of things. They will only have the bare necessities. And so it turned out. They admitted that not with anything didn't need it.
22,36 Now He had to leave them; they were to enter into a new phase of His service. They will experience poverty and hunger, be exposed to danger, and will have to provide for their own daily needs. Now they must take a bag and bag(or food supply), and in the absence sword had sell clothes and buy a sword. What did the Savior mean when he told his disciples buy a sword? What is clear is that He did not intend for them to use the sword as a weapon to attack other people. This would be a violation of His teaching in passages such as:
“My kingdom is not of this world; if My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would fight for Me...” (John 18:36).
“...For all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52).
"...Love your enemies..." (Matthew 5:44).
“But whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other also to him” (Matt. 5:39; see also 2 Cor. 10:4).
What did Jesus mean when he spoke about the sword?
1. Some believe that He spoke of the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17). This is possible, but then you also need to find a spiritual prototype for the money bag, grocery bag and clothes.
2. Williams says that the sword symbolizes the defense of established government, alluding to Rome. 13.4, where the sword indicates the power of the rulers.
3. Leng says that a person needs a sword for protection from enemies, and not for attack. However, Matt. 5.39 regulates the use of the sword even for defensive purposes.
4. Some believe that the sword was needed only for defense against wild animals. It's possible.
22,37 Verse 37 explains why the disciples are now required to take a money bag, a bag of provisions, and a sword. Until this moment, the Lord was with them, providing for their immediate needs. Soon, according to the prophecy of Isa. 53:12, He had to leave them. What is about Him comes to an end that is, His earthly life and ministry were drawing to a close and ending counting His to the villains.
22,38 The disciples completely misunderstood the Lord's words. They took two swords, believing that this will be quite enough to solve any problems ahead of them. The Lord Jesus ended the conversation with the word "enough". They apparently thought that with the help of swords they could repel the enemies' attempts to kill Him. How far were their intentions from His thoughts!
I. The struggle in Gethsemane (22.39-46)
22,39 The Garden of Gethsemane is located on the western slope Mount of Olives. Jesus often went there to pray, and students, including the traitor, knew about it.
22,40 After the Lord's Supper was over, Jesus and the disciples left the upper room and went into the garden. When they got there, Jesus called them pray so as not to fall into temptation. Probably special temptation, which He meant was to forsake God and His Christ the moment they were surrounded by their enemies.
22,41-42 Then Jesus left the disciples and went into the depths of the garden, where prayed alone. In His prayer He asked that If there is a will for it Father, then let this cup passes Him by; however, He wanted to fulfill God's will, A Not My. We understand the meaning of this prayer as follows: if there is any other way to save sinners besides My ascension to the cross, then now show that way.
Heaven remained silent because there was no other way.
We do not believe that Christ's suffering in the garden was part of His atoning work. Deliverance was accomplished on the cross during three hours of darkness. However, Gethsemane was the threshold of Calvary. Here the mere thought of contact with our sins caused the Lord Jesus great suffering.
22,43-44 His human nature is clearly visible in struggle, which accompanied His toil. An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. Only Luke recorded this, and also that His sweat was like drops of blood. This last detail attracted the attention of the caring doctor.
22,45-46 When Jesus has come to the students They slept - not out of indifference, but rather out of woeful exhaustion. And again He called them stand up and pray, because the critical hour was approaching when they would be tempted to deny Him before the authorities.
K. Jesus is betrayed and captured (22:47-53)
22,47-48 By this time I came Judas with a group of high priests, elders and temple leaders to capture the Lord. According to the preliminary agreement, the traitor was to point to Jesus by kissing Him. Stewart comments:
“It was an extremely terrible touch, the limit of villainy, beyond which the villainy of people cannot go, when there, in the garden, Judas betrayed his Lord, not with a cry, not with a blow, not with a dagger, but with a kiss.”(Stewart, Life and Teaching, p. 154.)
With deep pain Jesus asked: “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
22,49-51 The students understood what's going on, and were preparing to attack. And indeed, one of them, namely Peter, took sword and compartment the right ear of the servant of the high priest. Jesus rebuked him for using carnal means in spiritual battle. His hour has come, and God's ordained goals must be achieved. By His mercy, Jesus, touching your ear victims, healed him.
22,52-53 Turning to the Jewish leaders and elders, Jesus asked why they came after Him as if He were a fugitive robber. Didn't He teach every day in the temple? And they didn't try to take Him then. But He knew the answer: now - theirs time and power of darkness. It was approaching midnight on Thursday. The religious trial of our Lord took place in three stages. First He appeared before Anna. He then appeared before Caiaphas. And finally, He was brought to the Sanhedrin. Events from this moment to Art. 65 probably occurred between one and five o'clock on Friday morning.
L. Peter denies Jesus and weeps bitterly (22:54-62)
22,54-57 When the Lord was led to the house of the high priest, Peter followed from afar. Having arrived, he took a place near those who were warming themselves fire in the yard. One the maid saw him, exclaimed that he was one of the followers of Jesus. Excited Peter renounced saying that he did not know Him.
22,58-62 A short time later, someone else pointed an accusing finger at Peter as one of the followers of Jesus of Nazareth. And again Peter denied this accusation. About an hour has passed and someone else recognized Peter Galilean, and also a disciple of the Lord. Peter denied, saying that he did not know what the man was talking about. This time, however, his renunciation was celebrated by singing rooster In this dark moment The Lord turned and looked at Peter, and Peter remembered prediction that before the rooster crows, He will renounce From him three times. The glance of the Son of God struck Petra into the night and he bitterly cried.
M. Soldiers mock the Son of Man (22:63-65)
Jesus was detained by guards assigned to guard the sacred temple in Jerusalem. Now these so-called guards of God's holy house have begun to mock Jesus and beat Him. Blindfolding Him, they slapped Him in the face and asked Him who did it. That's not all they did, but Jesus patiently endured these attacks from sinners against Him.
N. Morning judgment before the Sanhedrin (22.66-71)
22,66-69 When the day came (5.00 - 6.00 am), the elders introduced Jesus to your Sanhedrin. The members of the Sanhedrin asked Him directly if He was the Messiah. Jesus essentially replied that it was useless to discuss the matter with them. They were not open to accepting the truth. However, He warned them that He who stood before them in humiliation would one day will sit at the right hand of the power of God(see Ps. 109:1).
22,70-71 Then they They asked Him directly Son whether He God's. There is no doubt what exactly they meant. For them God's Son was equal to God. The Lord replied: "You say I am"(see Mark 14:62). This is exactly what they wanted. Is not heard are they blasphemy from His mouth, a declaration of equality with God? What else did they need? certificate? However, there was one problem. According to their law, blasphemy was punishable by death. But the Jews were under Roman rule and did not have the authority to punish prisoners with death. They were forced to take Jesus to Pilate, who was least interested in such things religious accusation as blasphemy. Therefore they chose to move against Him political accusations.