2. Luke 22.24-38

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Intro: trouble ahead

In 1936 Irving Berlin wrote, perhaps his most famous song, for the Move called SLIDE “Follow the Fleet”. It’s that song called ‘Lets face the music and dance’.

In the movie a couple meet on a roof, both contemplating taking their own lives, instead they end up abandoning their plans for suicide and do a song and dance number instead (it is Hollywood after all, nobody said it was realistic).

The movie is long since forgotten but the song has lived on….

Perhaps that’s because something about the lyrics struck a chord with in the turbulent decade that was the 1930s…

Famously the first line says…

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“There may be trouble ahead”

That line turned out to be more true than Irving Berlin could know… in the midst of a Great Depression, and with a World War looming.

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There may be trouble ahead - that is not a bad summary of this passage in Lukes Gospel. We are journeying with Jesus - not towards a Great Depression or a world war… but towards an event which is actually more seismic still… we’re journeying with Jesus towards Cross in the run up to Easter this year.

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We’re calling this series ‘the coming cross’.

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There my be trouble ahead….

The only way we need to modify that line to act as a summary for this passage to remove the doubt. Jesus is saying here, to his disciples NOT “They MAY be trouble ahead…” But there WILL BE.

I think you could sum up the passage in the following way.

There will be trouble ahead…. because Jesus is going to the cross. (repeat).

You can see those are our two main headings today…. you’ll see we’re going to tease out what that means for the first disciples AND (crucially) what is means for US as disciples today.

Firstly then… the first point Jesus makes…

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1. There will be Trouble Ahead

Look with me from v24 - now the observant among you will notice we actually tackled this chunk (from v24-v30) as part of last week’s sermon as well…. this is one of those sections that, in a way belongs to last week’s passage and, in a way belongs with this weeks as well.

So have a look again - v24 SLIDE

Luke 22:24 NIV

24 A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.

What is happening here? well (letter a on your sheet) the…

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A) Votaries Vying

Votary is a bit of an odd word (I will admit) votary just means a devoted follower - I’m talking about the disciples

Except, of course, they are NOT being particularly devoted to the ways of Jesus right now… instead they are vying for power. They are contending and competing for being TOP DOG…a dispute arises as each disciple wants to be the greatest.

It’s been clear in Luke’s Gospel that…. at one level… the disciples are devoted to Jesus…. )they’ve left everything to follow him)… and yet (on the other hand) they are very much still learning… frequently misunderstanding Jesus, and getting things wrong. There is so much they don’t yet KNOW and understand.

One thing they DO know (or at least, THINK they know) is that Jesus is some sort of King… who is going to have some sort of KINGDOM.

And you can see their thinking…. ‘if Jesus has a Kingdom…’ maybe they get to be the Kings… or at least the princes… or the governors… or something. They think that partaking in the kingdom of Jesus is just like participating in the Kingdoms of this world.

And how does leadership work in the world? Jesus tells them how…

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Luke 22:25 NIV

25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors.

That is normal human leadership. But NOT in Jesus Kingdom. He radically redefines power. He turns leadership on its head. True greatness (he says) is seen not in grand displays of sovereign power… but in real displays of suffering service.

We heard last week the example he gives to press home his point (v27)

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Luke 22:27 NIV

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.

Isn’t that extraordinary? - Jesus, who alone DESERVES to BE SERVED… comes among us as one who SERVES.

And SERVICE must be the permanent state of heart and mind for US as well… as disciples of Jesus. I love the way one Bible commentator summed it up. He said…

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“Jesus is not saying that if his followers wish to rise to great heights in the church they must first prove themselves in a lowly place. [No]… he is saying that faithful service in a lowly place is itself true greatness”. MICHAEL WILCOCK

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So the Votaries (disciples) are Vying - they’re vying for power....

But there will be trouble ahead for them… struggle even… they’re going to have to re-learn what it means to lead… they (like Jesus) are going to have to become suffering servants of others.

There will be trouble ahead… (secondly) because…

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B) Satan Sifting

Read on now - v31 SLIDE

Luke 22:31–32 NIV

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.”

We saw last week the plans of Satan, who opposes Christ, who thinks he can win, who delights to draw people into sin and away from Jesus.

He has already entered Judas and cheered him on as he agreed to betray the Lord.

And now its clear Judas isnt the only “prospect” Satan is working on. He would like to sift through all the disciples… and exploit their weaknesses…. and draw them away from Jesus.

Notice though… Satan has to ASK for permission to do this. He has no ultimate power… he is only allowed to succeed in as much as that fulfils the plans of God.

Sift presumably means to search them…. to shake them…. to put them through the mill (to mix my metaphors).

There will be trouble ahead… Satan is sifting.

AND (letter C now)

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C) Disciple Denying

There’s a disciple denying…

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Luke 22:30–32 NIV

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Jesus has prayed for Peter… he will not ultimately fail an a fall like Judas, but still, a major setback is coming.

Peter will fall in some way… BUT THEN, says Jesus, he will eventually turn back (that is turn back to the Lord)… and be used to strengthen the faith of others.

Peter, of course, will have none of this… you can sense the indignity in his voice at v33

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Luke 22:33 NIV

But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”

Confident in himself… confident in his own faithfulness… Peter won’t turn from Jesus surely?! He cannot believe it.

But his confidence in himself is misplaced confidence… and Jesus reveals the devastating news, v34

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Luke 22:34 NIV

Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

The man who is convinced he’s prepared to die for Christ is about the crumble to such an extent that he\ll deny ever knowing him.

There are a couple of lessons to dwell on for ourselves here…

RIFF APP - confidence in ourselves is misplaced

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1 Corinthians 10:12 NIV

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!

RIFF APP - our fails are not final provided e keep on turning back (repentance).

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1 John 1:9 NIV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

SO there will be trouble ahead

the disciples are vying for power - and will need to learn the way of suffering service…

Satan is sifting and testing…

The disciple who you thought you could count on…. Is going to be denying.

Next you had better get procuring certain provisions says Jesus. (That’s letter D).

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D) Provisions Procuring

Things take - what might sound like - an unexpected turn in what Jesus says next - although really its more on the same theme… pick it up in v35 SLIDE

Luke 22:35 NIV

Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered.

He’s referring to their previous mission work back in chapter 9 he sent them out to take the gospel of the Kingdom to the local towns and villages - take nothing with you he said… knowing that (in many of the towns at least) the disciples would meet with a warm welcome… that they would be recieved with gladness and people would feed them and house them and give them provisions….

But now the atmosphere is changing. Those days of ease are over… read on, v36.

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Luke 22:36 NIV

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.

I think Jesus is talking figuratively about the swords. I think that because of v38, which reads….

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Luke 22:38 NIV

The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.” “That’s enough!” he replied.

When he says ‘that’s he doesn’t mean ‘two swords is sufficient’… Jesus means ‘that’s ENOUGH’ (stop talking!) you guys have missed the point. Jesus is not giving them a detailed run down of what weapons they’ll need… he’s giving them a general, metaphorical indication that, in the near future, they will NOT always be received well - that following CHrist in a world that rejects him will often bring CHrist’s followers into danger.

RIFF APP - expect suffering. We are never to take the gospel to others by force (that’s not the point of the swords) - the weapons we fight with are spiritual - the Word and prayer - nonetheless we are in a fight.

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2 Timothy 2:3 NIV

Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

The big point here, is simply this… for the disciples “there will be trouble ahead”…

And ultimately…. The ultimate reason for this is that Jesus is going to the Cross.

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2. Because Jesus is Going (to the Cross)

The trouble that’s coming is connected to the Cross… Jesus makes that point so clearly.

Look at v36

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Luke 22:36–37 NIV

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. 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 fulfilment.”

All that is about to be fulfilled. That’s a reminder of where we were last week - the priest, and Satan (and even Judas) are scheming and planning - but the one in control here is Jesus. Ultimately it’s GOD’S plans that are unfolding and taking Jesus towards the Cross.

And Jesus will go to the cross as a substitute… as an example…. And as one who is faithful.

Those are the final three things to see here.

Firstly, Jesus goes to the cross…

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A) As a Substitute

See again those words in v37…

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Luke 22:37 NIV

It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me.

And those words, you may know are from that famous Old Testament Chapter - Isaiah 53.

That chapter says Isaiah 53:4-6 MULTIPLE SLIDES

Isaiah 53:4–6 NIV

Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 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. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

And it goes on…

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Isaiah 53:10 NIV

Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin…

And then, the verse quoted here…

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Isaiah 53:12 NIV

Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,  and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many…

You can’t miss the obvious - Jesus dies as a substitute. As a lamb was sacrificed in the temple fo r the sins of the people…. So Jesus (fulfilling all of that) goes to the cross to die in our place, for our sin, as our substitute.

He was pierced for OUR transgressions…. Crushed for OUR iniquities.

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The Cross is MANY things…. There are lots of angels on it…. Lots of different thing strands to draw from it and appreciate about it. (We’re about to see two of those in our next two points).

But here’s the thing… at its heart… the Cross is about SUBSTITUTION.

We sometimes use the term penal, substitutionary, atonement.

Penal - Jesus is bearing a punishment, a penalty - the wages, the price of OUR sin is death and Judgement - that is what we deserve. And yet, in his love Jesus steps into our place. (Judge, criminal,

courtroom). The cross is Penal.

It’s Substitutionary - Jesus is taking OUR place and bearing our punishment.

And it bring atonement - it brings us back to God, we can be at one with him again.

That is the wonderful news of Penal, Substitutionary Atonement - Jesus goes to the cross as our substitute.

But also (letter B now)

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B) As an Example (of true greatness)

BREAK OFF TO ILL

In 2020, then Prime Minister BorisJohnson repeatedly addressed the nation urging people to follow strict lockdown rules—no indoor gatherings, limited social contact, working from home (etc). Many families missed weddings, funerals, and time with loved ones because of those rules.

However, it later emerged that staff in 10 Downing Street had held multiple social gatherings during those same lockdown periods. The revelations became known as the Partygate scandal. Johnson himself attended some of the events and was eventually fined by police for breaching the regulations his own government had introduced.

It stick in the throat because we hate to see people in leadership with a “Do as I say, not as I do” attitude.

But there is none of that from Jesus.

Remember how this section began? With the disciples squabbling over positions of power, privilege and prestige. But Jesus tells them NO - it must not be this way with you. To LEAD in Jesus Kingdom… is to serve.

To RULE is to make yourself a slave of all

To be a true SOVEREIGN is actually to suffer and to serve.

And Jesus is our supreme example - he i among them as one who serves… and the greatest moment of suffering service is, of course, the cross.

Out of gratitude to Jesus we do follow his example… we are told to take up our cross and follow him…

RIFF - The cross is only an example if it’s a substitution

So when we prioritise others at great cost to ourselves… we are following the servant ways of the servant King.

When we give sacrificial in a way that cots, we are following the servant ways of the servant King.

When we put others first an ourselves last… we are following the servant ways of the servant King.

Jesus is going to the cross as a substitute, as an example (of service).

And finally…

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C) As one who is Faithful (even to death)

The great irony in the middle of this passage, is Peter’s misplaced confidence - remember that? V33

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Luke 22:33 NIV

But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”

“I’ll be faithful”, says Peter, “whatever if cost me… even if it cost me my liberty or my life”…

In the end of course Peter crumbles… he is NOT faithful.

But Jesus isn’t like that.

He will go… all the way to the cross… Peter wouldn’t be know as belonging to Jesus… but Jesus is crucified as the King of the Jews.

Peter won’t risk being shunned by a servant girl around the fire… but Jesus stands firm before the religious authorities… the civil authorities - he’s punted back and forth between the Priests and Pilate and Herod… and finally to his executioners. But he stands firm. He remains faithful… even though it DOES cost him first his liberty and then his life.

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3. So what…?

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Be grateful

Jesus willingly embraces all of the trouble that lies ahead… and he does so for us. Here is a passage that should make us grateful. Should inspire in us praise for Jesus…

Unlike us he is always faithful.

He is the suffering servant who went to the cross for you. SO often when we come to applying the BIble we’re looking for something to DO. And there are things to do, of course, but considering Christ should lead us to wonder, and draw us to praise, and inspire us to great gratitude.

Be grateful. But also…

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Be repentant

We see ourselves in Peter, don’t we? How many time have you felt that bitter sting… of knowing we’ve denied Christ… let him down… broken his law… failed to speak up… fallen again.

Satan may sift us… Satan would love to tempt and deceive us… and, far too often, we respond to his tempting voice, rather than the kind commands of our saviour.

Far too often we have wanted power and prestige rather than opportunities to serve.

Too often we have been called to be faithful but shown ourselves faithless…

The cock crows for us… and we see ourselves sin.

BUT…. V32

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Luke 22:32 NIV

But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

When you have turned back. In other words, after you have repented.

For Peter his sin is not the end… he can turn back to Jesus… find mercy in him… and not only that be USEFUL for him.

Peter’s sin does not disqualify him from ministry.

The Christian life is a journey of constant repentance and faith.

Be grateful

Be Repentant

And finally….

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Be prepared

Be prepared as a witness…

Be prepared for suffering…. (there may be trouble ahead)