Jesus Prepares to Die
Notes
Transcript
We have three weeks left of our series in the book of Luke. I want to remind you that we will be moving right into the book of Acts when we finish Luke. Acts was the second letter that Luke wrote to Theophilus. In Acts we will look at the church and how it began. But for now, we are towards the end of Luke.
If you have your Bible, go to the book of Luke, chapter 22. I want to begin reading at verse 1. I won’t read the entire chapter today, but I will read to verse 62.
For the next three weeks, I want you to keep in mind that Luke is a Gentile. He is writing this letter to you. The account of Jesus’ betrayal, death, and resurrection is from the stand point of a Gentile. In Matthew, you have the Jewish perspective, However, Luke is giving us the Gentile perspective.
As we go through these final three chapters, you may have more questions than what I cover. If so, please feel free to bring those to me when service is out or next week and I will try to answer those as best as I can.
Look at the first six verses. Let me point out in verse one, if Luke had been writing primarily to Jews, it would not have been necessary for him to mention the connection between the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover.
Luke 22:1–6 (NIV)
1 Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching,
2 and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.
3 Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve.
4 And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.
5 They were delighted and agreed to give him money.
6 He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.
Satan thought the best way that he could destroy Jesus and God’s plan was to kill Jesus. However, Satan did not know that Jesus’ death and resurrection were the most important parts of God’s plan all along.
When you read verse 3, it is important for us to understand that we must always be ready for an attack of the enemy. Paul warns us about this in Ephesians 6:11
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
This also shows us that you can lose your salvation. when the enemy comes and tries to attack you, you stand on the authority that you have been given and let the enemy know that he has no authority in your life, in your spouse’s life, in your kid’s life, or in your home.
But Judas was weak and the enemy knew that he was weak. So, Satan enters Judas and Judas goes to the religious leaders and offers to hand Jesus over to them. We don’t know exactly when this happened, we just know that it happened some time before Passover.
7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.
8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”
9 “Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.
10 He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters,
11 and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’
12 He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.”
13 They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.
Jesus gave them directions down to the finest detail of where to go and how to make preparations. Peter and John obeyed what Jesus asked them to do. Once they had the place prepared, they went and found the others and came back to this location.
14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table.
15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you.
18 For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
21 But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table.
22 The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!”
23 They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.
There has been much controversy over what kind of wine they used to drink at this Passover meal.
What Jesus and the disciples drank at the Passover supper is called “the cup” or “the cup of thanksgiving” and “the fruit of the vine”. Neither Luke nor any other Biblical writer uses the typical word for “wine” in referring to this occasion. Scriptural evidence supports the view that the drink from grapes was unfermented at Jesus’ last Passover meal with His disciples. For one thing, the Passover law in Exodus chapter 12 prohibited, during Passover week, the presence and use of seor, a word referring to yeast or anything that can cause fermentation. In addition, all hametz, anything that contained fermentation, was forbidden.
So, therefore this cup that they drank from was unfermented. And if you remember the text that we read when we take communion in 1 Corinthians is Paul getting onto the church Corinth because they were abusing the taking of communion. They were getting drunk off the wine. Paul was admonishing them for using the wrong type of wine and getting drunk off the wine.
When we take communion, this is supposed to be a sacred time. To eat this bread and drink this cup means to recognize and accept the benefits of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross.
The benefits you received when Jesus died for our sins was you receive eternal life. When you leave this earth you will spend eternity with the father. You all receive healing through the stripes that Jesus endured.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Every time you take communion you are to remember what Jesus did for you.
Then Jesus gives them a lesson on serving. This is one of the greatest lessons that Jesus taught on is service. You know why you serve? Because you are grateful for what Jesus did for you. Look at what Jesus told His disciples.
24 A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.
25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors.
26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.
27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials.
29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me,
30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
True greatness is not a matter of the position you have or any recognition you receive. True greatness is a matter of the inward humility you have in spirit and heart. You see true greatness in the person who expresses their love for Christ by submitting to Him.
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
When you serve God and you serve other human beings and you are willing to accept a place as the least important in God’s kingdom, that is when you have achieved greatness.
You may never be President of this great nation. And you may never be the CEO of a fortune 500 company. But if you learn to submit to the father’s will then you will receive greatness someday in glory.
If you want to receive greatness, then strive for greatness in faith, humility, godly character, wisdom, self-control, patience, love. Build your character and you will be great.
Then Jesus shifts His focus to Peter. Verse 31.
31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.
32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
34 Jesus answered, “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 purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered.
36 He said to them, “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.
37 It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”
38 The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.” “That’s enough!” he replied.
Can you imagine what might have been going through Peter’s mind when Jesus spoke these words to him? I’m sure that he thought he would never do something like that.
And I’m sure that many of you would think, as believers, that you would never betray Jesus.
But how many times do we disobey what God’s Word says. Time and again, we do the things that we know we shouldn’t do.
Paul says
15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
Paul continues that the sinful nature that is in us is what takes over.
17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.
18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
But Paul shows us who can set us free. He says…
25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Then we move right into chapter 8 of Romans with this promise.
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
With Jesus you have been set free. Jesus is preparing His disciples for a life without Him here on earth. And He warns them that it is going to get worse before it gets better. However, we have victory through the blood of Jesus and we have been set free from sin and death.
Then Jesus goes out to pray.
39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.
40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”
41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed,
42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.
44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.
46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”
Some of you have probably thought about verse 44 many times. I have heard people say that His sweat became blood. The way I interpret this verse is the sweat fell to the ground like drops of blood. I looked for clarification on this and there is some ancient texts that report the rare phenomenon of sweating blood; Luke’s variant may intend this phenomenon that is sometimes mentioned today in connection with extreme stress or it could be simply that Jesus’ sweat is profuse and dripping the way blood would.
The important thing to remember here is that Jesus knows that a time of great suffering is coming soon and just like you and I, the flesh doesn’ want to go through it, but as the Son of God, this is His time and moment. The job that He was sent to earth to do is about to be upon Him and in His agony He is surrendering to the will of God.
47 While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him,
48 but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
49 When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?”
50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.
51 But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.
52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs?
53 Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”
Jesus is still giving it to the religious leaders. He told them you have had so many opportunities and you wait till darkness to take me.
They knew it would cause a scene taking Jesus during the day. By taking Jesus at night they could set the stage and manipulate the people before they brought Jesus to trial.
They wanted to get the people to be against Jesus so that they could have Him killed.
The final part of this narrative that we want to look at is Peter disowning Jesus. To me, I believe this is one of the hardest things that Jesus had to go through. Sure the physical pain, but the emotional pain of first, being betrayed by one of your inner 12 and then second, being disowned by one of your inner 3. Look at verse 54.
54 Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance.
55 And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them.
56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”
57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.
58 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied.
59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”
60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.
61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”
62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.
We have to understand that Peter’s denial is not because of wickedness. Peter’s denial was in a moment of weakness. During this moment of fatigue, Peter found himself spiritually weak and unable to resist a strong opposition.
In a few weeks we will see that weakness turn into a boldness like no other because he will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. We will see Peter start a movement that is still going strong today. Peter will help to usher in the church.
There will be times that you will have a moment of weakness. It is all in how you handle that weakness.
Next week we will finish this chapter and move into chapter 23. We will look at the death of Jesus. Jesus died for us all and Luke gives us a picture of what Jesus said He came to do in Luke 19:10
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Let’s pray.