Bell's Commentary on the Bible

Brian Bell

Luke 22

Verses 1–20

  1. Intro:
    1. The last meal is a traditional part of a condemned prisoner's last day. The day before the appointed time of execution, the prisoner will be given the meal.
      1. Ted Bundy was served: Steak (medium rare), eggs over easy, hash browns and coffee. (He refused it.)
      2. Timothy McVeigh: Two pints of Ben & Jerry's mint chocolate-chip.
      3. Saddam Hussein: who so bitterly opposed to American presence in the Middle East, spent his last days eating some of the foods most associated with the United States – hamburger and fries.
      4. Joan of Arc: Holy Communion.
      5. Jesus’ last meal? – bread & wine. (Wasn’t about what He ate, but w/whom He ate it with. And what it signified.)
    2. Luke shifts scenes (from Temple/City); &shifts content (teachings of Jesus, stories of Jesus)
    3. We now start into what is known as Jesus’ Passion(L. suffering)
    4. 3 parts: [1] Plot to betray & kill Jesus; Last Supper; Last teachings of Jesus [2] His arrest; trial; crucifixion; burial. [3] Res & ascension.
  2. THE PASSOVER PASSES OVER! (1-20)
    1. PREPARATION FOR THE SLAUGHTER OF THE PASVER LAMB! (1-6)
    2. The religious leaders had already plotted to kill Jesus.
      1. The plot just becomes easier when the last puzzle piece falls into place, as 1 of His own decides to betray Him to them!
    3. Problem: How could they arrest such a popular rabbi during the Passover, when the crowds might cause a riot?
      1. Judas solved their problem by turning traitor and promising to deliver Jesus to them without creating a scene.
      2. They needed to make the arrest in secret!
    4. (3) Dancing with the Devil!
      1. Judas volunteers to betray Jesus for 2 reasons:
        1. The financial reason (4-6) - The religious leaders promise $.
        2. The diabolical reason (3) - Satan entered Judas (though invited).
      2. Hey, when you need help with deception…who better to call then Satan himself!
      3. But Satan deceived Judas as well. [You just can’t trust him!]
        1. Can a man take fire into his bosom, & his clothes be not burnt?
          1. Context is “adultery” in Prov.6:27 but apropos here.
        2. Satan deceived Judas into committing suicide.
        3. It is dangerous to make deals with the devil!
    5. Satan’s taking part in Jesus’ death was actually his own downfall, for through dying Jesus conquered Satan and death.
    6. (4) Captains/officers of the Temple guard - These were not military guards, but the Levitical officers who had charge of the temple watch. (Manners & customs of the Bible.)
    7. PREPARING FOR PASSOVER! (7-13)
    8. Jesus was an obedient Jew, who kept the Law & celebrated Passover.
      1. Being aware of Judas’ plan to betray Him, Jesus kept the place of the meal secret. Peter & John didn’t even know where it was to be held, until they arrived.
      2. Don’t get upset at Jesus when He doesn’t let you in on things! 2.8.2.1. He will, when the time is right! ☺
    9. (10) A man carrying a pitcher – a very unusual site, women’s work.
    10. EATING THE PASSOVER! (14-16)
    11. He has a fervent desire to eat it with all of you this morning also! [but is it for everyone?]
    12. FROM PASSOVER SUPPER TO LORD’S SUPPER! (17-20)
    13. The Passover Passes-Over from the Passover Supper to the Lord’s Supper!
      1. A.K.A. – The Breaking of Bread; Holy Communion; the Sacrament; the Eucharist.
      2. But what does it mean?
    14. (19) Do this in remembrance of me – Remember what?
    15. Remember the Lord Jesus – that you might follow Him.
    16. Remember His death, its fact, its meaning –so you don’t forget Him during His absence.
    17. Remember Him in sickness – that you might have patience.
    18. Remember Him in persecution – that you might have gentleness.
    19. Remember Him in your service – that you remember His burning zeal in His.
    20. Remember Him in times of solitude – as you remember His midnight prayers.
    21. Remember to share your faith – as He shared His lion-like declarations of the gospel.
    22. Remember Him so He becomes our pattern – that we might be the reproduction of Himself, & thus become the best memorial of Him! (Adapted from “The Best of Spurgeon”; Luke 22:19; pg.290.)
    23. The Passover feast looked back to Israel’s deliverance from Egypt.
    24. The Lord’s Supper looks back to Christ’s death on the cross.
    25. The Lord’s Supper looks ahead to His coming again, “until it is fulfilled in the kingdom” (16).
      1. Jesus saw a future fulfillment of the feast when His people would be gathered together in His glorious kingdom.
      2. Jesus is the Passover Lamb who died, not only for the sins of a nation but for the sins of the world.
      3. Both the Passover and the Lord’s Supper were demonstrations of His love for a lost world.
    26. Bread!
    27. Note: He didn’t take the Passover Lamb, but bread & wine.
      1. Thus He was instituting a feast, not a sacrifice.
      2. 1 Cor.5:7,8 “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
    28. Remembrance – Normally we celebrate someone’s Birthday not their Death-day!
      1. Death-days are often difficult days to remember.
      2. Remember what? – That He truly was a Good Man; a Great Savior; a Loving Friend; a Living Hope; & a Coming Lord.
      3. How does the Lord’s Supper help us to remember Him?
        1. It makes us come to a restful halt in our pilgrimage; It gives us come a graphic picture of salvation; It reminds us of the reassuring promise of His Grace; It remains clear prophecy of the future.
    29. Sacrament – Sacramentum (something sacred)
      1. Originally Sacramentum was used for a Roman Soldiers oath of faithfulness on enlistment.
      2. 1 Cor.11:27 “as often as you eat this bread & drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes”.
        1. By eating the bread & drinking the cup you are proclaiming, or giving your oath of faithfulness.
        2. Therefore, it is our confession of loyalty to Him!
    30. Broke it, gave it to them –
      1. Bread broken – Christ for us; Bread eaten – Christ in us; Bread partaken together – Christ among us.
    31. Who should partake?
      1. Intended for disciples only – Only disciples can “remember”; for remembrance implies knowledge; & it is only disciples who “know” their Master.
        1. Jn.17:3 “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”
      2. Yet, each person must decide that for himself. We will not be excluding anyone from the Lord’s Table.
        1. It’s not the Episcopal Table, nor the Baptist Table; nor the Calvary Chapel Table, but the Lord’s Table! ☺
    32. Examine yourself - This isn’t proper English but…“Can you be more-bad then God is good?” [I don’t think so!]
      1. ​​​​​​​You can only sin as a man, but God can forgive as a God!
      2. You sin as a finite creature but the Lord forgives as the infinite Creator!
      3. Confess your sin to Him! - “For I will forgive their iniquity, & their sin I will remember no more.” Jer.31:34
    33. The Cup!
    34. The Passover requires 4 cups of wine (2 before the meal and 2 after)
      1. The cup of Sanctification; The cup of Instruction; The cup of Redemption; The cup of Praise. [Taken from Ex.6:6,7]
      2. The cup of wine that would have been raised during the meal that is now remembered when one commemorates “the Lord’s Supper” was the cup of redemption. This was when Jesus established the New Covenant in His own blood.
        1. It’s a New Covenant(20) – Sacred binding contract. (Jer.31:31-34)
    35. Gave thanks (17) - Thanksgiving is the expression of Joy God-ward!
      1. Believers are encouraged to abound in it!
      2. Col.2:6,7 “As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”
    36. In My blood (20) - Biblical covenants were always ratified by shed blood.
    37. After the cup of redemption, which commemorates God’s redemption of His people, comes the cup of praise.
      1. The cup of praise is the cup of wine that Jesus refused to drink from until the coming of His Father’s Kingdom! (see vs.30)

Verses 21–34

  1. Intro:
    1. The Portia(Por-sha) Spider: a jumping spider that uses deception and mimicry to catch and eat other spiders.
    2. It uses camouflage or it shows a kind of behavioral mimicry:
    3. It imitates something its intended victim finds harmless or even attractive. (i.e. it crawls on a spider's web, then plucks the web to imitate a captured insect)
    4. It varies its web signals to suit its specific victim. If it encounters a new spider species, it tries different signals rather randomly. (It was once observed to perform vibratory behavior for 3 days until the victim decided to investigate)
      1. That seems to be similar to our enemy the devil who seeks to rob, destroy, or sift us like wheat!
    5. Talk about ruining a good meal! (21)
  2. THE BITE OF BETRAYAL! (21-23)
    1. (21) In the East the worst breach of Friendship is for one to eat another’s bread & secretly betray him. (Gospel Light ; George M. Lamsa; pg.300.)
      1. To eat bread is a token of loyalty, love, & devotion.
    2. His hand is on the table - is an Aramaic colloquialism, which means, “he is eating my bread & yet he is plotting against me.”
    3. (22) Destined to die!
    4. Judas’ accountability and God’s sovereign plan for Jesus’ death are both seen together in this verse.
      1. Jesus had to die, for His death was the basis of salvation for all mankind, & the only means for lifting the curse of sin.
      2. But the betrayer was accountable for his actions.
      3. There was no other way to ultimate victory except the cross. This was God’s plan, & His death on the cross was his destiny!
      4. The death of Jesus was God’s plan for human redemption. However, those who were responsible for His death are held accountable for what they did.
    5. But woe to the man by whom he is betrayed – Judas was not a helpless pawn in a divine drama, or Jesus would not have pronounced judgment on him for his betrayal. (Shepherd’s Notes; pg.81,82.)
    6. (23) All the disciples were dipping their bread into the main dish, thus they all were asking the question, “Is it I?” (though expecting a neg response) (Mrk 14:19,20)
    7. Our Lord did not tell His disciples who the traitor was; in fact, in love, Jesus protected Judas to the very end.
      1. He washed Judas’ feet, warned him, and gave him every opportunity to repent.
      2. We must never think that Judas was forced into betraying Jesus just because it was predicted in the Psalms.
  3. I’M NUMBER 1! (24-30)
    1. REVERSING THE WORLD’S STANDARDS!
    2. I guess it’s the same as, “Who’s going to ride in the backseat & who will ride shotgun?” - “Who’s going to use the TV Tray & who will sit at the big table?”
    3. Why would the disciples be arguing over who was the greatest when Jesus had just washed their feet and talked about His suffering and death? (Warren Wiersbe; Outlines of N.T.)
      1. Come on! He’s going to be setting up His Kingdom on earth & you know he’s going to need a Chief of Staff!
      2. Henry Kissenger said, “What is causing so much disharmony among the nations is the fact that some want to beat the big drum, few are willing to face the music, and no one wants to play second fiddle!”
    4. Perhaps the arguing grew out of the order of seating at the table.
      1. Seemed Judas was given the place of honor at our Lord’s left, & John was at His right. [Explain U shaped table]
    5. Whatever the reason, their attitude was that of the world, where competition and authority are important to success.
      1. In the kingdom of God, greatness is measured by how many you serve, not how many serve you.
      2. Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s Hamburgers, wrote: “I got my MBA long before my GED. I even have a photograph of me in my MBA graduation outfit—a snappy knee-length work apron. I guarantee you that I’m the only founder among America’s big companies whose picture in the corporate Annual report shows him wielding a mop and a plastic bucket! That wasn’t a gag; it was a case of leading by example. At Wendy’s, MBA does not mean Master of Business Administration. It means Mop Bucket Attitude!”
    6. They wanted the glory but not the shame - The crown but not the cross - To be masters but not servants!
    7. It is ok to go for greatness! Well actually, it is praiseworthy when we do so!
      1. Didn’t Jesus say, “among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist.” – Jesus was into Greatness!
        1. Going after greatness is commended…it just needed to be redefined!
      2. The motivation determines its character!
    8. Picture 2 poles with a tension wire! I------------I
      1. 1st pole is 1 Tim.3:1 “If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.”
      2. 2nd pole is Jer.45:5 “do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them;” (turn to)
      3. We praise God for what Jeremiah but also for his assistant!
        1. Assistants help those for whom they work, so they can be freed to get their work done!
        2. Moses had 70 elders; David had his 600 men; Jesus had his disciples; Paul has Silas, Timothy, Titus, & others; Lone Ranger had Taunto; & Jeremiah had Baruch!
    9. God warns Baruch, not against ambition per-se, but against self-centered ambition!
      1. Any ambition that centers on & terminates on oneself…is wrong ambition!
      2. Q: Do you have ambitions for yourself…forget them!
      3. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition. Phil. 2:3
      4. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. Mark 8:35
    10. Seek for God’s work to be accomplished & God to be Glorified!
      1. Like Baruch - When you hear all your work just went up in smoke; When it seems that your witness is useless, remember for Whom you are doing them!
      2. Survey your ambitions & see if they are from God, or for Self?
    11. Jesus is the model for our ministry, and He was a servant.
      1. Jn.13:1-5 – He got all authority, & did what? Washed feet!
        1. He stooped lower & lower.
      2. You may push yourself to the top, but when you get there, you’ll find yourself farthest from His presence!
      3. See, when you serve others, you’ll look strangely like God! (Erwin McManus; Uprising; pg.251)
      4. Imagine a relationship, ministry, church, or marriage, where the battle was…Who can stoop lower, to serve the other better?
    12. When Jesus showed himself in His post-resurrection appearances, you not what he seemed to show the most? His scars! (not some crown, not new clothes)
      1. To Emmaus disciples - He was made known to them in the breaking of bread. (How? When hands broke bread?)
      2. To 10 disciples in upper room - “Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself.” Lk.24:39
      3. To Thomas – “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side.” Jn.20:27
    13. Scars seem to be the authentic marks of faithful discipleship.
      1. Who can challenge one’s love when they show you the print of the nails & the mark of the spear???
      2. Paul said, “for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus”.
      3. Do you have any servant marks? Maybe camel knees from praying so much? Or, dishpan hands from washing the feet of others?
        1. Let’s take some marks with us!
    14. 2 privileges:
      1. ​​​​​​​[1] Eat & Drink at His table (that’s Fellowship)
      2. [2] Sit on thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel (that’s Authority)
      3. So, do you want to be served food down here or up there? Do you want to have authority down here or up there?
    15. The Lord assured them that the greatest glory was yet to come (29,30).
      1. So why settle for the transient glory of this world?
  4. WHEN A BELIEVER FAILS! (31-34)
    1. ​​​​​​​Watch Jesus now pull back the veil on the unseen realm!
    2. The apostles had experienced some great blessings that evening, but danger was very near. (Warren Wiersbe; With the Word; pg.684.)
      1. Be on your guard when you have a rich spiritual experience, for Satan is ready to attack! {Beware of the Portia Spider}
      2. Especially beware when you are deciding who is the greatest!!! ☺
    3. To sift you like wheat – To test them. (i.e.) To put them through trials as he did Job.
      1. Wheat is sifted so as to separate the tares & the soil from the wheat.
      2. In this process of purification, it is constantly shaken in the sifter.
      3. Sometimes God sifts also! - Amos 9:9 “For surely I will command, And will sift the house of Israel among all nations, As grain is sifted in a sieve; Yet not the smallest grain shall fall to the ground”.
      4. Results of the sifting/shaking: Judas was separated from them; Peter was to deny him; & the other disciples were to flee.
    4. Satan already controlled Judas, but he had to ask for permission to sift the disciples
      1. Jesus uses a fan, & sifts to get rid of chaff; but the devil uses a fan & sifts to get rid of wheat!
    5. Have you considered My servant Job? – That word considered reveals the watchful eye of Satan, ever watching the saints. Searching for the weak link in the chain, the weak door in the fortress to break in & rob & destroy.
      1. Of course he couldn’t touch a flea on the back of one of Job’s camels unless God allowed it!
    6. Lessons:
    7. [1] Peter was clueless to the attack, but Christ new every detail about Peter’s denial
      1. There isn’t a single detail of your testing that Christ doesn’t already know about!
      2. Job 31:4 “Does He not see my ways, And count all my steps?”
    8. [2] He didn’t know he needed help, Jesus knew!
      1. Peter’s answer showed that he comprehended neither the serious events fast approaching, nor the reality of his own weakness
    9. [3] He needed reassurance, “when you have returned to me”.
    10. [4] He needed to be re-commissioned, “strengthen your brethren”.
      1. Last section, “serve others” now “strengthen others”.
    11. Cooperate with God’s character building process!!!
      1. God doesn’t enjoy seeing your faith come under attack. But He does long to see your faith mature!
      2. He longs to see you become more like Christ.
      3. Christ’s comparison of Simon’s test to a farmer sifting wheat, pointed to the positive outcome of the process.
        1. You can’t make bread out of wheat until the hull has been parted from the grain. That’s why sifting has to take place!
    12. Faith should not fail – [ekleipo /ek·li·po] where we get our word eclipse.
      1. Your faith won’t be eclipsed Peter, because Jesus prayed!
      2. Eph.6:16 “above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”
      3. And his faith didn’t fail, Nor his love. His courage is what failed!
        1. Peter was a courageous man, but he would fail just the same because of his self-confidence.
      4. Had he heeded the Lord’s warning, he would have spared himself a great deal of sorrow and shame.

Verses 35–53

  1. Intro:
    1. Illustration - Standing at the South Pole is like being in the eye of a hurricane…it's deceivingly calm! The quietness seems inconsistent with the fact that mighty winds originate there. How is this possible? (Bible Illustrator.)

      As warm air from the equator flows in over the polar region, it descends, becomes cold and dense, and sinks to the frigid surface. Since the ice-covered plateau tapers off toward the oceans, and no mountains of other obstacles stand in the way, gravity pulls the heavy, cold air down the smooth slopes. The wind picks up tremendous speed as it moves northward toward the equator. Gradually it is heated by the sun and begins to rise, creating a circular pattern to drive the earth's weather machine that is so vital to our existence.
      1. For Christians, quiet times of prayer and worship also give rise to great power! They might seem non-productive because nothing appears to be happening. Our urge is almost compulsive: move, do, work, worry, struggle. Yet at the heart of accomplishing things for God must be that regular experience of calm followed by an unobstructed flow of energy.
    2. 1st we’ll finish up one last short teaching at the dinner table.
  2. THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, I SHALL NOT LACK! (35-38)
    1. Last bit of instructions in the upper room.
    2. (35) On their earlier mission the disciples went w/o provisions & depended entirely on the hospitality of their hearers. (Shepherd’s Notes; pg. 82.)
      1. His promise to them was that they would not lack - Psalm 23:1.
      2. In the new situation, brought about by Jesus’ death, they must be equipped & be prepared to face hostility & persecution.
    3. (36) Bring your wallet, backpack, & Roman short sword –
      1. Standard equipment out on the road where highwaymen pose a threat to life itself.
        1. Carry a sword not for offense but for defense.
      2. Not a command to resist, but a picturesque warning of dangerous times ahead. (Search the Scriptures; Stibbs; pg.33.)
    4. (38) It is enough – Enough already! You took Me literally & missed the point.
      1. He wasn’t inventorying the disciple’s arsenal. Had that been the case 2 swords wouldn’t have been enough & He would’ve said “buy more.”
      2. ​​​​​​​So Jesus concludes the conversation after they failed to grasp His meaning in the sword metaphor.
  3. THE LORD IS MY FATHER, THY WILL BE DONE! (39-46)
    1. ​​​​​​​Now, out of the upper room to the Mount of Olives.
    2. This story is almost too sacred to explore by methods of exegesis or exposition.
      1. There are things in this that have baffled theologians for centuries.
      2. There are dim & dark mysteries hanging around this story in a olive-yard called Gethsemane(Olive press).
    3. (39) Judas knew where he would find him.
    4. (40) This account starts & ends with a warning to “pray that you enter not into temptation” (40, 46).
      1. Jesus explaining to them when you are in prayer, you will be safe from temptation.
      2. Pray – not limited to a petition, but to worship & communion with Him.
      3. We need to maintain the life of fellowship with God, however dark the day, however rough the way, for the soul at worship, is the soul who is ever guarded against temptation. (G. Campbell Morgan)
    5. (41) Key - See Him alone with God!…withdrawn from them.
      1. All the world left behind! All His friends were over there. And he passed into the place of communion with God.
      2. For there is a point where deepest human sympathy naturally fails!
        1. God has designed it to fail, He wants you to come & fall on Him.
        2. Q: Have you experienced that?
      3. It was an hour of agony, but agony in communion!
      4. Not for a single moment did He lose the sense of God, or of the nearness of God, or of the care of God in Gethsemane.
        1. Gethsemane is not Calvary!!!
      5. Quiet times of prayer and worship give rise to great power!
    6. (42) There was a back door…else would it have been a real temptation?
      1. Mt.26:53 Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than 12 legions of angels?
        1. An Angelic get away car waiting at the back of the Garden.
    7. Take this cup – here is one thick shaft of light piercing the darkness, revealing to us the terrors of the cross, maybe even clearer than standing at Calvary.
      1. Yet even still, never for a moment was there any departure from the will of God.
    8. If the dread of the cross isn’t felt…then no Sacrifice; If shrink away from the cross…no Savior.
    9. Not My will but Yours be done - George Muller speaking on prayer said, “I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. 90% of the trouble with people is just here.
      1. 90% of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord's will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is.”
    10. Many talk about “the prayer of faith” but it is usually talked about as if it was a type of positive confession.
      1. Here Jesus’ prayer of faith is, “I will believe by faith, since God’s will is always best!” – That’s a prayer of faith/believing!
      2. It’s safely putting His will above our own wishes!
      3. His answer was not removal of the load, but strength to bear it!
        1. Read Heb.5:7,8.
    11. Cup – a metaphor for Jesus’ suffering.
      1. (Herschel Hobbs) “His holy soul drew back from the horror of becoming the very essence of sin.”
        1. Any other way? (There must not have been)
    12. (43) An angel…strengthened Him – Strengthened Him physically, mentally, spiritually, in the realm of His human nature.
    13. (44) His sweat became like great drops of blood –
      1. Lev.4:25 “The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour its blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering.”
      2. Jesus, at a time where most would seek to take something unto them self, instead pours Himself out on the ground!
      3. Remember at the heart of God’s plan…was Christ’s suffering.
      4. Maybe we don’t say anything else here, maybe it was just meant to be read?
    14. (45) Sleeping from sorrow – It was a trying hour for them.
      1. Actually the last 6 months, all this talk of death & leaving.
      2. The last 6 days explaining “it must still be accomplished.”(37)
      3. Now this hour, such a trying hour…that they went to sleep!
        1. Only Luke tells us why they fell asleep. It seems to be exhaustion from the strain they were under.
    15. (46) Q: Were they asked to pray for Jesus, or for themselves? (themselves 40,46)
      1. ​​​​​​​Jesus had prayed & was yielded to the Father’s will, He was prepared for the arrest…the disciples were not!
      2. He taught the disciples that they needed to pray so their faith would not fail(32). Now they were to pray “lead us not into temptation!”
        1. ​​​​​​​Their lack of prayer at this crucial time would help Luke’s readers understand Peter’s failure in the temptation that was to follow (temptation to deny him).
  4. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​THE LORD IS MY DEFENSE, I SHALL NOT SWING! (47-53)
    1. ​​​​​​​(47,48) Unmoved, fearless, because he was made strong!
    2. Just like when Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him, & then plunged his sword into his stomach (2 Sam.20:9,10).
    3. The Kiss – which should have been the sign of friendship, but instead it was the signal of treachery.
    4. In an attempt of a last pleading of love to awaken Judas dead conscience, He uses the tenderness of his name “Judas”! (from Judah/Praise)
    5. (49-51) Peter, accustomed to nets rather than swords, just gets an ear-full!
    6. Permit even this – “Stop! No more of this resistance! - Let them do what they came to do.”
    7. The last act of divine surgery performed by the tender fingers of Jesus was made necessary by the blundering zeal of a disciple. (G. Campbell Morgan; pg.252.)
      1. I think he has been busy ever since healing the wounds made by the blundering zeal of disciples!
    8. (52,53) His only protest was against their method of arresting Him.
      1. He derides them as they have come for him with swords & club, thus showing he was not in their hands as much as in the hands of God.
    9. It’s your hour, but there’s something even deeper going on here, there’s a cosmic opposition between Satan, the ruler of this age, & God.
      1. Here is the great clash of the power of darkness & the Light of the world!
    10. Lessons:
    11. We learn what sin is: That caused such suffering.
    12. We learn what God is: In His righteousness requiring sacrifice, & in His love providing it!
    13. We learn what we’re called to do: Repent, Accept, Adore!
      1. Thus being in Christ, & with Christ, we shall become like Christ.
    14. Your prayers might be deceivingly calm,…but remember that mighty winds originate there!

The Answered Prayers
I prayed for strength, and then I lost awhile
All sense of nearness, human and divine;
The love I leaned on failed and pierced my heart;
The hands I clung to loosed themselves from mine;
But while I swayed, weak, trembling, and alone,
The everlasting arms upheld my own.

I prayed for light; the sun went down in clouds,
The moon was darkened by a misty doubt,
The stars of heaven were dimmed by earthly fears,
But all my little candle flames burned out;
But while I sat in shadow, wrapped in night,
The face of Christ made all the darkness bright.

I prayed for peace, and dreamed of restful ease,
A slumber drugged from pain, a hushed repose;
Above my head the skies were black with storm,
And fiercer grew the onslaught of my foes;
But while the battle raged, and wild winds blew,
I heard His voice, and perfect peace I knew.
I thank Thee, Lord, Thou wert too wise to heed
My feeble prayers, and answer as I sought,
Since these rich gifts Thy bounty has bestowed
Have brought me more than I had asked or thought.
Giver of good, so answer each request
With Thine own giving, better than my best.
- Annie Johnson Flint

Verses 54–71

  1. Intro:
    1. After 2nd song, Communion – Prov.15:13-15. {You may eat & drink on your own}
      1. See Poem back page.
    2. Father/Son fishing trip–3 baptized! [Eric 2 of Georges Escalante nephews, & George baptized his father]
    3. Outline: [1] Friends Deny Him! [2] Foes Debase Him!
  2. FRIENDS DENY HIM! (54-62)
    1. (55) The high priest house – Jesus was taken to Annas’ house because it was closer to Gethsemane.
      1. Annas(Caiaphas’ father-in-law) had actually been set aside by Rome, but allowed to retain his title. So he’s “called” high priest but his son-in-law is actually the recognized high priest.
    2. Peter - cold, exhausted, shivering, sleepy, glad to creep in near a fire.
    3. (57) I do not know him – 2 meanings are implicit, to refuse to recognize & to abandon & deny solidarity w/someone. (Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament(LKGNT); pg.208.)
      1. Put it in the context of an apprentice denying the Rabbi he’s been serving for 3 years.
      2. John was there & unbothered – (Jn.18:15 he knew the high priest, & let Peter in)
      3. Peter ready to fight outside, inside trembled before this saucy servant girl.
        1. Interesting – Courage, when confronted with hardships; Comfort sought when amongst the enemies of Jesus.
          1. Thank God for Hardships!
      4. But, in times past I would have taken the opportunity to rip Peter.
        1. I’m not exonerating him from blame, but if I check my own heart, I’m not surprised.
        2. Think about it…How can we criticize him…when Jesus didn’t???
        3. Jesus never gave him up!!! - Jesus never gave him up!!! ☺
          1. “I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail!”
    4. (61) Oh the power of the eye’s!
      1. 1st look at the power in the eyes of this young servant girl(56) …which caused a grown man deny his Master.
      2. Next, look at Jesus’ use of His eyes, for good.
        1. A look full of love indescribable, of infinite compassion, of pardon, of assurance, a saving look, a glance of the eye that said, I am here!
        2. And don’t forget, that the look of love of Jesus, however wonderful, would have been no good, if at the moment Peter had not been looking His way! – Peter kept his eye on Jesus, & caught the love glance in the eyes of Jesus!
      3. Appl: If the Lord will manage your eyes for you, you will find that they will be potent messengers of love for Him.
        1. May God give you sanctified eyes which can work for Him!
    5. (62) Satan in the courtyard! (like a fox in the hen house)
      1. [1] He was sifting Peter; yet it was only temporary for the apostle wept, repented, & was restored.
      2. [2] He was in the council chamber to lead the men astray.
        1. Satan had victory over the religious leaders permanently, as he blinded their eyes to truth.
        2. 2 Cor.4:3-6 “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”
    6. Q: What were the strengths & weaknesses of Peter here?
      1. Weaknesses – We simply trace the stages of his failure.
        1. [1] Lack of prayer (22:40-46) [2] He followed at a distance(54) [3] He sat among them(55) [4] And he denied him 3 x’s.
      2. Strengths – He thought about what he did(Mrk 14:72); He wept.
        1. Though Peter’s fall was lamentable, his repentance & subsequent service to Christ as recorded in Acts provides hope for all Christians. (Shepherd’s Notes; pg.84.)
      3. Q: What brought him to repentance? (22:32)
    7. Note that they recognized Peter by 2 circumstances: he had been in the company of Jesus, & he had been in the company of Jesus’ followers! (see vss.56,58)
      1. These 2 marks on a human life have always been indications of Christian discipleship, & are the same today.
        1. So, we have a sure but simple test of a true Christian Life.
        2. A Christian is united to both Christ & to other Christians.
    8. Are we quite sure we understand Peter?
      1. He’s blamed for “following at a distance”, yet others were not there at all.
      2. Didn’t the rest fall more quickly, & fall lower?
        1. See, they were all self-confident (Read Mt.26:31-35)
        2. They all denied Him, as was prophesied, & never followed at all.
        3. Peter soon stopped running with the rest from the garden, & returned.
        4. If Peter was to “strengthen” them(32), how could they be in better spiritual condition then he?
      3. What Peter did was wrong, he denied His Lord 3 times!
        1. But it’s very easy to scorn another’s failure, when we ourselves take no risk for Christ! God forbid!
      4. Listen to Mabel F. Arbuthnot Poem regarding this: With frightened lips I shall not ever say,“I know Him not,” for none will question me. I shall not need to speak a word todayTo publish to the world my loyalty.And yet a hundred times there comes the voice, “Know you this man, the Master?” and behold, A hundred times I make the fateful choice Today, as the apostle once of old.And every unkind word or straying thought, Each deed of hatred or disdainSay plainly to the world, “I know Him not,” And then the cock crows – bitter morn of pain! And would indeed today that they might be - The times I have denied him – only three!
    9. FOES DEBASE HIM! (63-71)
      1. BRUTALIZED! (63-65)
      2. (63) It was illegal to arrest any man & take him to a place of detention, unless there was some specific charge preferred against him. (which there wasn’t)
      3. Blindfolded & asked to identify who beat Him at his Jewish trial to test His Prophetic office.
        1. Roman trial was to test His Kingly office! (Are you a King then?)
      4. Q: Was this pay back/revenge for fear of Him at the time of His arrest, when they were prostrated at the knowledge of his Power?
        1. [Whom are you seeking? Jesus of Nazareth. I am He!]
      5. CHARGED WITH BLASPHEME! (66-71)
      6. (66) As soon as it was day – The morning meeting was an attempt to legitimize what they already had decided to do.
        1. The Sanhedrin could not conduct a trial on a capital case at night.
        2. This was not a trial at which evidence was being considered.
        3. And, the verdict was predetermined. They decided Christ was guilty.
          1. Now they just needed legal pretext to sentence Him.
    10. (67) Tell us – legal formula. It was the method of administering the oath to the arrested person, demanding that He answer truthfully!
    11. You will by no means believe – Jesus never unfolded truth to those about to reject Him, only to those who were sincerely inquiring.
      1. As Prisoner, He said nothing. As Judge, He will say much!
        1. Acts 17:30,31 “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
    12. (69) Jesus applies Ps.110:1 to Himself, “The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”
    13. The right hand is the symbol of power & authority.
      1. Kings would seat their loyal subjects on the right at official banquets as a token of appreciation & honor.
      2. Easterners look with suspicion on whatever is done with the left hand
        1. Your Left hand is known as your “unclean hand”(i.e. for wiping).
        2. Indonesia…if you ever passed something using your left hand you said, “sorry, left hand”.
      3. Presents are offered with the right hand.
      4. Saluting/greeting is always done with the right hand.
      5. Hearing that Jesus was going to be sitting on the right hand, meant He was claiming, all power & authority would be entrusted to Him!
    14. The Sanhedrin was a Jewish court of 70 members, plus the High Priest.
      1. They exercised authority over religious life of the Jewish people.
      2. They also operated under the jurisdiction of the Roman Authorities.
      3. So it seems Jesus points out “real authority”!!!
    15. (70,71) You rightly say that I am - The same as the modern English idiom, “You said it!”
      1. Maybe that’s why John(the other apostle there) tells us why he wrote his gospel “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God!” (Jn.20:31)
    16. His enemies were watching for opportunity to commit religious perjury!
      1. Proof again…“Dead religion is worse than no religion at all!”
    17. Looking to officially charge Him with Blaspheme, they try to get Him to admit that He was Messiah. {Greek/Christos; Heb/Mashiach} (Shiloh, Daystar, Daysman, Immanuel)
      1. We have heard it ourselves from His own lips – Their purpose had now been achieved.
      2. It did not matter to them that Jesus was convicted on the basis of His own testimony, a patently illegal procedure! (Shepherd’s Notes; pg.85.)
    18. His enemies now had quite enough to convict him.
      1. Now only Pilate could say whether he should be put to death.
    19. Jesus’ attitude: (Outlines Studies in Luke; Griffith Thomas; pg.341.)
      1. Toward the weak – look of recall, met with love.
      2. Toward the brutal – patience, prayer of forgiveness, time for repentance.
      3. Toward the malicious – appeal to judgment, warning of consequences.
      4. Toward all sinners – He offers mercy, .
        1. Is.1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together,”…“Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.”
        2. Q: Have you listened to His offer?
      5. Ask yourself the 2 most important questions(67,70):
        1. Q: If you are the Christ tell us!
        2. Q: Are you the Son of God?

Welcome To The Table (Poem by William Cowper)

This is the feast of heavenly wine,
And God invites to sup;
The juices of the living vine
Were press’d to fill the cup.
Oh! bless the Saviour, ye that eat,
With royal danties fed;
Not heaven affords a costlier treat,
For Jesus is the bread.
The vile, the lost, He calls to them;
Ye trembling souls appear!
The righteous in their own esteem
Have no acceptance here.
Approach, ye poor, nor dare refuse
​​​​​​​The banquet spread for you;
Dear Savior, this is welcome news,
Then I may venture too.
If guilt and sin afford a plea,
And may obtain a place,
Surely the Lord will welcome me,
And I shall see His face.
Olney Hymns, William Cowper, from Cowper’s Poems,
Sheldon & Company, New York