This week we
will continue to study the Gospel of Luke.
(1) Why were the chief priest and the teachers of the law so determined to get rid of Jesus? What alternatives might they have?
(2) The need to avoid a public confrontation (when no crowd was present) is explained in vv. 1-2. Would the chief priests and the teachers of the law ever expect that an “insider” would help them and turn against Jesus?
(3) Imagine yourself being Judas:
a. What might be the reason that you followed Jesus some three years ago?
b. What have you seen and heard in the three years?
c. You have had the chance to live, eat, walk and sleep with Jesus, and discovered that He was really without sin. Who is Jesus, as far as you are concerned?
d. Money has always been important to you and, since you were entrusted with the money bag of the group, you “used to help yourself to what was put into it” (Jn. 12:6). Now knowing that the religious leaders are plotting to put Jesus to death, what options do you have? What are the “pros” and what are the “cons” of your decision? Why would you not only take the option of betraying Jesus, but also take the initiative to approach the chief priests?
(4) What is the implication that “Satan entered Judas”?
(5) Do you think Satan had also entered the hearts of the chief priests and the teachers of the law? Why or why not?
(6) Why does Luke add that Judas was “one of the Twelve”?
(7) Luke is explaining to his readers about the preparation of the Last Supper, and he highlights that it was “the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed”. How significant was the timing being mentioned?
(8) Jesus arranged to eat His last Passover feast in a place unknown even to the disciples, so that Judas could only find out the place later. He then had to sneak out during dinner to inform the chief priests. Since this was the last Passover meal that Jesus would eat on earth, can you imagine how Jesus felt as He presided over the meal, the full meaning of which He was going to fulfill almost immediately?
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread called the Passover, was approaching, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus….” (Lk. 22:1-2)
The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were looked upon as one festival . The Passover began on the first day of the festival which was on 14th of Nisan (our April), with the Feast of Unleavened Bread beginning on the 15th day and it lasted seven days (Lev. 23:5-8).
The Passover was obviously the most important of all festivals to Israel as it commemorated the deliverance of the Jews from Egypt and the establishment of Israel as a nation by God’s redemptive act, especially through the slaying of Egypt’s first-born while sparing Israel of theirs with the slaughter of the Passover Lamb. This was the reason why hundreds of thousands Jews flocked into Jerusalem at this time.
I can imagine, as chief priests and teachers of the law, how busy they would have been in preparing for and observing this festival, and the great significance they attached to such a festival:
- It was a time to remind themselves of God’s wonderful grace in delivering them from the bondage of Egypt;
- It was time to remind themselves of God’s special favor upon them as God slayed all of Egypt’s first-born. He had spared all of theirs with the slaughter and shedding of the blood of the Passover Lamb.
- It was a time to remind themselves not to lose hope, as God had saved their fathers with His mighty hand. He would do the same with the sending of their Messiah.
- It was also a time to remind them to consecrate themselves with the eating of unleavened bread and the removal of yeast in their homes.
And yet, we find them totally focused and pre-occupied with how to get rid of Jesus:
- Perhaps, all these preparations had become routine, and they had become “pros”. As a result, as important as this festival was, to them, it had lost its spiritual significance.
- Yes, Passover should be a time for them to look forward to God’s promised deliverance through the Messiah, but the many false-Messiahs, including the Maccabees, had dashed their hopes. The excitement generated by the people over Jesus, to them, was just another false hope. They had come to accept their lot under the hands of the Romans.
- As a result, instead of using this time of consecration for self-reflection, especially in examining their motive toward Jesus, they were bent on getting rid of Him for good, and at all cost!
It is quite easy for us to criticize the chief priests and the teachers of the law. However, if we also observe Lent and Easter as just another church event; if we take Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for granted; if we do not look forward to His coming and fail to use this time for self-reflection and examination, we too could fall into the same spiritual apathy.
Therefore, allow me to ask you, “What is your focus these days? What have you been pre-occupied with during this season of Lent and Easter?”
(1) What was the explanation given by Jesus for saying that He had eagerly desired to eat that Passover meal with His disciples before He suffered?
(2) In v. 16 and v. 18, Jesus emphasized that He “will not” eat or drink it (the Passover bread and cup) until the Kingdom of God. Why did He make such an emphasis?
(3) What is meant by its “fulfillment” in the kingdom of God?
(4) Luke’s account of the Last Supper contains some information unique to his gospel. Lightfoot says of the “taking the cup” in v.17: “the paschal supper began with a cup of wine…(giving) thanks, first for the day, and then for the wine (or the fruit of the vine)” (Lightfoot, Vol. 2, 346). In any case, whether it was the first or final cup of the feast, Jesus gave thanks as He did for the bread:
a. What might Jesus be giving thanks for, apart from the traditional blessings?
b. In the case of v.17, what might be the importance of to “divide it among you”?
c. He emphasized that He “will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes”. What does that have to do with the “fulfillment” of the kingdom of God? (v. 18)
(5) The breaking of the bread conveys to us at least two spiritual aspects: The sharing of the bread by the disciples, and the way He would give His body for us.
a. How does it speak to us as a body of Christ in the sharing of the bread?
b. How does it speak of His death in the giving of His body for us?
c. Before breaking the bread, what might He be thinking as He gave thanks for it?
(6) It is generally believed that v.20 depicts the last cup at a Passover meal which brought the supper to its conclusion:
a. What is that “new” covenant? In what way(s) is it new?
b. How different is it from the “old”?
c. Jesus said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood'. (Italics, mine) What does He mean?
(7) Did Jesus ask us to do this in remembrance of His act of sacrifice or to remember “Him”? Is there a difference between the two? If so, what is it?
(8) How then can you observe the Lord’s Supper in order to meaningfully remember “Him”?
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“This is my body, given for you, do this in remembrance of me.” (Lk. 22:19)
Luke’s account of the Lord’s Supper, though short, does contain some information unique to his gospel. One of them is the repeated saying that He would not eat or drink it (meaning the bread and the cup) until its fulfillment in the Kingdom of God (v. 16) or until the Kingdom of God comes (v. 18).
Both the repetition and the emphatic way He expressed it point to the finality of this Lord’s Supper or what it represented in that it did put an end to what was foreshadowed by the Passover:
1. As John the Baptist clearly points out, Jesus is "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (Jn. 1:29). Just as the blood of the lamb saved the lives of the first-born of Israel, the blood that He shed saves for eternity the souls of all those who will believe in Him. There is no need for any other path to salvation — He is "the Way, the Truth and the Life" (Jn. 14:6); and there is no need for another savior or messiah, "for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
2. There is nothing else needed to be done by Jesus in imparting salvation, apart from the giving of His body for us, and pouring His blood for us. Luke’s emphases here include:
While the act of breaking the bread might be out of simple necessity to divide up the bread, and we know what the Scripture said, “not one of His bones will be broken" (Ps. 34:20 and Jn. 19:36), yet the breaking of the bread does point to the extremes He had to go to in order to save us. Though not one bone of His was broken, His heart had already been broken for our sins. The totality of His giving was vividly symbolized by the breaking of the bread. Luke’s emphasis appears to be the repeated words, “for you”. That was the only reason He came, the only reason He lived on earth, the only reason He suffered, the only reason He died — all for us!
I believe that the Lord’s Supper should include the act of pouring of the wine into the cup, which would be a more fitting symbol of, again, the extremes He was willing to go to so as to redeem us. He did not hold back anything, but gave His all, including that which is most precious of a person, His blood — pouring it out as it were — for us, to take away all our sin. Luke’s emphasis here, like the other Synoptic Gospels, is on it being the “new covenant”. As Hebrews 10 helpfully points out, under the Old covenant, the blood of the sacrifices — bull and goats — can never take away sins, but under this New Covenant, it is not the blood of animals any more, but the blood of the sinless Christ Jesus. In this sacrifice He offered Himself once and “has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Hebrews 10:4, 14).
In instituting this Lord’s Supper, Jesus desires that we will remember Him, not just the merits of His sacrifice, but He Himself who has not held back anything but gave all of Himself to us. But I am greatly touched also by another emphasis of Luke in what Jesus said, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” (22:15)
Did He mean He was eagerly waiting to suffer and die? According to Matthew 26:36-46, Jesus loathed the thought of this suffering and death. He prayed very humanly for not having to drink this cup, although He eventually submitted to the will of the Father. However, the thought of what would be accomplished because of His death brought Him joy— “for the joy set before Him, (He) endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2).
I believe, when Jesus ate of the bread and drank of the cup that night, His intense desire was expressing the joy Hebrews 12 talks about. Through the eating of the bread and the drinking of the cup, He was showing the disciples the absolute necessity and the finality of His victory on the cross!
(1) Jesus pointed out that the one who would betray Him would be one of the Twelve and that “the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table” (22:21), or as Mark clarifies, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me” (Mark 14:20). For the disciples' question as to which one among them Jesus was referring to, Jesus was perhaps using an idiom to illustrate the gravity of the sin of Judas:
a. How grave would you say Judas' sin was?
b. The gravity of it caused Him to say, “Woe to that man who betrays me”, or as Matthew adds, “It would be better for him if he had not been born.” (Matt. 26:24) While this was Jesus’ comment on the life of Judas, what might His comment be on yours?
(2) Why did the eleven respond by asking questions among themselves? Did they not know that they were not the one? And when Judas asked the same (see Matt. 26:25), what was he thinking?
(3) Luke puts the dispute among the Twelve as to which of them might be the greatest right after the supper. What does this tell you about these disciples?
(4) If you were Jesus, what tone of voice would you use to talk to the disciples?
(5) What about Jesus? Read His response and describe His attitude towards their dispute, especially at a time like this.
(6) According to Jesus, what are the marks of a ruler in a human kingdom?
(7) Is calling oneself, “Benefactor” right or wrong?
(8) Who is the “Greatest” in God’s Kingdom? What is His mark? (v. 27)
(9) As servants of the Lord, why do we all have this tendency of wanting to be greater than others?
(10) What was Jesus trying to say in vv. 28-30 in reply to their dispute?
(11) Honestly, does Jesus’ answer have any effect on you? Why or why not?
(12) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
“The Son of Man will go as it had been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays Him.” (Lk 22:22)
As a new believer, I often wondered why Judas was not saved, since he showed his remorse to the point of suicide. But as I grew in the Lord, I have come to understand that remorse is not exactly repentance.22:31-34—Predicting Peter’s Denial
— Obviously, Jesus’
words were not so much a warning, but were said to help Peter rebound from his
failure.
(1) Peter was the name given to Simon by Jesus (see Jn.1:42). Why did Jesus call him by his old name in foretelling his failure?
(2) In trying to sift Peter like wheat, why did Satan have to ask for permission? (See Job 1:12)
(3) How does the picture of wheat being sifted tell us about our vulnerability to trials and temptations?
(4) Are we then hopelessly vulnerable? Was Peter?
(5) What does it mean to have Jesus pray for us?
(6) What should Peter do after his failure? What is the message for us today?
(7) How does 1 Corinthians 10:12 speak to Peter’s answer to Jesus?
22:35-38—Warning of Imminent Trial
(8) How did the disciples answer Jesus’ question in v. 35?
(9) What is your answer to this question?
(10) Why was it so different “now”? What did “now” refer to?
a. The imminent arrest, trial and death of Jesus
b. The post-resurrection era
(11) In talking about “now”, which OT prophecy did Jesus refer to? Why?
(12) Did the apostles lack anything in the post-resurrection era?
(13) What then was the warning about?
(14) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag, and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. It is written, ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors’…” (Lk. 22:36-37)
The quote from Isaiah 53:12 by Jesus is significant at least in two aspects:
(1) It, once and for all, silences all critics who deny that Isaiah 53 has anything to do with Jesus. Indeed, the prophecy of the suffering servant is not about Israel as a nation (as many Jewish rabbis still insist even today), but it is all about Christ’s suffering.
(2) Through this quotation, Jesus gives the most vivid warning to the disciples of the imminent danger they would be in in a few hours after their supper.
In warning them, His reminder of the fact that they lacked nothing before also serves two purposes as well:
a. It affirms that God is absolutely faithful and they will continue to experience this in the post-resurrection. They were the apostles (those being sent), and the “sender” would continue to be faithful.
b. In contrast, it also shows the grave reality of the result of the death of Jesus, even though it would only be for a short three days. For three days, the entire world was enveloped in the greatest darkness it had ever experienced since creation, it was as if the power of darkness had won (Lk. 22:53). For three days, with Jesus in the tomb, the disciples had to fend for themselves — that threw Jesus’ disciples into danger that they had never known. But the good news is, even two swords would be enough, because ultimately the power of Satan is always limited. The two swords might be the best analogy of the two days when Jesus lay in the tomb, because on the third day, He rose again from the tomb and destroyed the power of sin, of death and of Satan!
(1) Luke portrays the going to the Mount of Olives to pray as a habit of Jesus, but this time was obviously different. Jesus asked the disciples to pray as well.
a. What temptation was Jesus referring to?
b. Had the disciples listened and prayed, how differently might they have handled the imminent temptation (which is the same word for “trial” in the original language)?
c. How then does it speak to the significance of prayer in your life?
(2) Why did Jesus choose to pray by Himself, and not together with the disciples at this point of time?
(3) We understand from the other Synoptic gospels that Jesus prayed three times, each time praying “the same thing” — that the cup be taken away from Him:
a. What was the cup that Jesus had to drink?
b. Why did He pray that it might be taken away?
c. Was He “right” in so praying?
d. How did He end this prayer?
(4) Luke gives us a bit more description of how Jesus prayed:
a. An angel from heaven appeared to strengthen Him. What does this say about how draining prayers can become and how we too can be helped by angels in our prayers?
b. Jesus was in anguish as He prayed and He prayed more earnestly each time. What might be causing His anguish?
c. As He prayed, His sweat became like blood dropping to the ground. What mental and physical condition of Jesus does Luke depict?
d. How did all this speak to the horror of the cross that Jesus was about to face? What was the most horrific part of the cross?
- The physical pain and suffering He would face
- The bearing of the sins of all humankind by the one who knew no sin at all
- The taking of the wrath of God (Isa. 53:10)
- All of the above and more
(5) Why did the disciples not listen to Jesus?
a. Were they not just warned of the impending danger and trial?
b. Did they not notice how Jesus struggled in His prayer? (He was only a stone's-throw away.)
c. Why then would sorrow cause them to fall asleep in such an important time?
(6) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Why are you sleeping?” He asked them, “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” (Lk. 22:46)
True, hindsight is always 20/20. But I cannot help but think what if the disciples were able to stay awake, pray and watch with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.(1) Of all betrayals, what do you think of (or what have you experienced) as the most base and hurtful of all betrayals?
(2) How might Hebrews 2:17 help us understand why Jesus had to be betrayed with a kiss?
(3) We understand from John 18:10 that the one who drew the sword was Peter. Why was he carrying a sword? What did he expect Jesus to do while he defended him? Was Jesus forced to use His miraculous power because of Peter? Why didn’t He?
(4) Jesus stopped Peter from using violence and said, “No more of this”; He healed the ear of the high priest’s servant; and He asked those who had come for Him, “Am I leading a rebellion?”.
a. What does this say about the way and mission of Jesus?
b. How may we imitate Him?
(5) As Jesus challenged them for arresting Him in such a secretive way, He ended with the words, “But this is your hour — when darkness reigns”.
a. How would you describe the way Jesus was facing the arrest?
b. How should it impact (i) the crowds, and (ii) the fleeing disciples?
c. Why would He allow darkness to reign?
d. Did darkness really reign at the time?
(6) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And He touched the man’s ear and healed him.” (Lk. 22:51)
Reading the story of the high priest’s servant who had his ear cut off by Peter, I was reminded by the testimonies I have heard over time, from those who went through financial hardship, sickness and other kinds of disasters. Through them, they came to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, or they came to take their faith in Christ seriously. Invariably, they saw that what they had gone through was a blessing in disguise and they did not regret the pain they had to endure at the time.
While the Bible is silent about the fate of this servant of the high priest, the Apostle John cared to tell us that his name was Malchus (Jn. 18:10). That leads me to believe that, perhaps, he was known in the first church. Otherwise, why was there really a need for John to mention his name.
Some even believe that because of the use of the article “the” with “servant” by John, Malchus was the special deputy of the high priest (Expository Bible, John, 168). In any case, this Malchus had to be part of those who hated Jesus. The fact that he was the first and only one who suffered at the hand of Peter, he had to be standing closest to Jesus and was taking the lead to arrest Him.
The poor guy got the surprise of his life, because he must know that Jesus was such a gentle person. Though he carried his sword, he never even thought of drawing it, only to have his ear cut off by Peter. But that was not his greatest surprise. He must have been totally frozen as Jesus picked up the ear from the ground and pieced it back to his head.
I doubt whether he was really took part in the arrest and kangaroo court that followed. Would he not have spent the rest of the night holding his ear in bewilderment, wondering “Who really is He?”?
As much as Peter acted presumptuously and in total ignorance of Jesus’ mission, his foolish act, in the gracious hand of the Lord, had turned into a blessing in disguise for Malchus! Indeed, as long as we leave it in the hands of our Lord, all things can become a blessing.
(1) Can you choose one word to describe the atmosphere of the night?
(2) What was Peter’s intention in being there, taking enormous risks?
(3) Would he not expect that people might recognize him? Was he prepared for such a confrontation?
(4) Whether he was prepared or not, he was recognized and confronted. What might be the significance of the progressing events?
a. The progressing confrontation (according to Mark, twice by the servant girls, then by the bystanders)?
b. The progression of Peter’s response as well.
c. The progression of the rooster’s crow? (See Mk. 14:72.)
(5) Why did Jesus forewarn Peter of his denial?
(6) What impact might this denial have on Peter, both on a short and a long-term basis?
(7) Did you have any similar experience as that of Peter?
(8) What have you learned today about following Christ?
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Before the rooster crows twice, you will disown me three times.” (Mark 14:72)
It is interesting to note that our Lord forewarned Peter of his denial using the rooster’s crow as a tool to wake him up from his spiritual slumber.
The rooster’s crow is indeed very appropriate for the purpose. In the rural setting, we all know that many people depend on the rooster’s crow to wake them up from their sleep. Because of Peter’s failure to “watch and pray” (Lk. 22:46), he had fallen not only into sleep in the Garden of Gethsemane, but he had also fallen into a spiritual slumber — losing his spiritual bearing.
He might have thought that he had woken up at the arrest of Jesus, but his spiritual drowsiness prompted him to react only with human instinct — cutting the ear of the high priest’s servant with his sword which really accomplished no purpose at all.
And as Jesus was led to the court of the high priest, he thought he was courageous enough to enter into the enemy’s territory through his own strength, not knowing that he was far from spiritually prepared to face the greatest threat of his own life.
Then, according to the gospel of Mark, at the repeated queries of a servant girl, his carnality was fully exposed — denying the Lord, not only once, not only twice, but thrice — as many times as Jesus pleaded for the removal of His cup from the Father. But because Jesus watched and prayed, He was able not to deny His Heavenly Father and His heavenly call. On the contrary, because Peter did not watch and pray, even as the rooster crowed, his spiritual slumber was too deep to be awakened. Mercifully, the rooster crowed again, and Peter was able to wake up from his slumber. He broke down and wept.
Have you heard the rooster crow? How many times has it crowed already? It is never too late to wake up and weep.