Luke 22:1,2
XXII. (1, 2) NOW, THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD... — See Notes on Matthew 26:1; Mark 14:1. St. Luke’s way of giving a preliminary explanation of the Jews’ Passover is characteristic of the Gentile Evangelist.... [ Continue Reading ]
XXII. (1, 2) NOW, THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD... — See Notes on Matthew 26:1; Mark 14:1. St. Luke’s way of giving a preliminary explanation of the Jews’ Passover is characteristic of the Gentile Evangelist.... [ Continue Reading ]
(3-6) THEN ENTERED SATAN INTO JUDAS SURNAMED ISCARIOT. — See Notes on Matthew 26:14; Mark 14:10. St. Luke stands alone in the first three Gospels as thus describing the origin of the Traitor’s guilt. John 13:27 shows, however, that such a way of speaking had become common, though he places the “entr... [ Continue Reading ]
CHIEF PRIESTS AND CAPTAINS. — The latter term is used by St. Luke, and by him only in the New Testament, of the officers who presided over the Levite guardians of the Temple. Here and in Luke 22:52 it is used in the plural. In Acts 4:1; Acts 5:24, we read of “_the_ captain of the Temple,” presumably... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE ABSENCE OF THE MULTITUDE. — The marginal reading, _without a tumult,_ is perhaps nearer to the meaning of the original.... [ Continue Reading ]
(7-13) THEN CAME THE DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD. — See Notes on Matthew 26:17; Mark 14:12. St. Luke, like St. Mark, writing for Gentiles, adds the explanatory note, “when the Passover must be killed,” or, better, _sacrificed._ (Comp. “Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us,” in 1 Corinthians 5:7.)... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SENT PETER AND JOHN. — St. Luke’s is the only Gospel that gives the names of the two disciples. They were together now, as they were afterwards in John 20:3; John 21:20; Acts 3:1. We may, perhaps, recognise the purpose of a loving insight in the act which thus brought the two disciples together a... [ Continue Reading ]
A MAN... BEARING A PITCHER OF WATER. — The signal is one of the details common to St. Mark and St. Luke. (See Note on Mark 14:13.)... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MASTER. — Literally, _the Teacher_ — i.e., the Rabbi whom the man acknowledged. The narrative agrees almost verbally with St. Mark’s.... [ Continue Reading ]
(14-18) AND WHEN THE HOUR WAS COME. — See Notes on Matthew 26:20; Mark 14:17. The other Gospels name “the evening.” St. Luke uses simply “the hour” as referring to the appointed time, “in the evening” (literally, _between the two evenings, i.e.,_ the close of twilight; see Exodus 12:6), for the “kil... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH DESIRE I HAVE DESIRED. — The peculiar mode of expressing intensity by the use of a cognate noun with the verb of action, though found sometimes in other languages, is an idiom characteristically Hebrew (comp. “thou shalt surely die” for “dying thou shalt die,” in Genesis 2:17), and its use here... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTIL IT BE FULFILLED IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. — The words are obviously the expression of the same thought as those in Matthew 26:29, where see Note. Here the word “fulfilled” presents a new depth of meaning. The “Passover” was fulfilled in the kingdom of God: (1) in the sacrifice on the cross; (2) i... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE THIS, AND DIVIDE IT AMONG YOURSELVES. — The cup was probably the first of the three cups of wine, or wine mingled with water, which Jewish custom had added to the ritual of the Passover. As being a distinct act from that of Luke 22:20, it is natural to infer that it had a distinct symbolic mean... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL NOT DRINK OF THE FRUIT OF THE VINE. — Better, _of the product._ (See Notes on Matthew 26:29; Mark 14:25.) Here the words precede, in the other Gospels they follow, the institution of the Lord’s Supper. It is not probable that the same words were repeated both before and after. The position wh... [ Continue Reading ]
HE TOOK BREAD, AND GAVE THANKS. — See Notes on Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22. The other two reports give “He blessed,” instead of “He gave thanks.” There is, of course, no real difference between them. Thanksgiving and blessing both entered into what we may call the Jewish “Grace,” and were so far conve... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS CUP IS THE NEW TESTAMENT IN MY BLOOD. — Better, _New Covenant._ The adjective is, in the best MSS., peculiar to St. Luke, as also is the “shed for you” instead of “shed for many.” The participle is in the present tense, _which is being shed,_ like the _being given,_ in Luke 22:19. St. Paul and... [ Continue Reading ]
(21-23) BUT, BEHOLD, THE HAND OF HIM THAT BETRAYETH ME... — See Notes on Matthew 26:21; Matthew 26:25; Mark 14:18; Mark 14:21; John 13:21; John 13:35. St. Luke’s account is here the briefest, St. John’s by far the fullest. There is again a slight discrepancy in the order of facts, St. Luke placing t... [ Continue Reading ]
AS IT WAS DETERMINED. — The word is eminently characteristic of St. Luke. (Comp. Acts 2:23; Acts 10:42; Acts 17:26; Acts 17:31.) WOE UNTO THAT MAN... — As occurring in all the first three Gospels, the words must be noted as among those that had made an indelible impression on those who heard them,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE WAS ALSO A STRIFE AMONG THEM. — The incident that follows is peculiar to St. Luke. The noun which he uses for “strife” does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament, but the corresponding adjective meets us in the “contentious” of 1 Corinthians 11:16. The dispute was apparently the sequel... [ Continue Reading ]
THE KINGS OF THE GENTILES EXERCISE LORDSHIP OVER THEM. — See Notes on Matthew 20:25; Mark 10:42. The repetition of the same words that had then been spoken in answer to the petition of the sons of Zebedee, suggests the probability that they were again prominent in the strife for pre-eminence. ARE CA... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT IS GREATEST AMONG YOU, LET HIM BE AS THE YOUNGER. — The latter word naturally carried with it, as in the old monastic rule, _juniores ad labores,_ the idea of service. In Acts 5:6, “the young men” appear as a distinct body in the society of disciples, with functions like those of the later d... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM AMONG YOU AS HE THAT SERVETH. — An obviously undesigned coincidence presents itself on a comparison of the words with the narrative of John 13:1, where see Notes. The Lord had actually on that very evening been among them, “as he that serveth,” girded, like a slave, with the linen towel, and wa... [ Continue Reading ]
YE ARE THEY WHICH HAVE CONTINUED WITH ME IN MY TEMPTATIONS. — We trace a kind of loving tenderness in this recognition of faithfulness following upon the words of rebuke. The “temptations” cannot, it is clear, be those of which we commonly speak as _the_ Temptation of the Christ, for that had been e... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I APPOINT UNTO YOU A KINGDOM. — As being the verb from which is formed the noun for “covenant,” or “testament,” the Greek for “appoint,” has a force which we lose in the English. This was part of the New Covenant with them. They were to be sharers in His glory, as they had been in His affliction... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT YE MAY EAT AND DRINK AT MY TABLE. — The promise is the same as that implied in what had been already said in Luke 22:16. AND SIT ON THRONES JUDGING THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL. — See Note on Matthew 19:28. The repetition of the promise at the moment when apparent failure was close at hand, is... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SAID, SIMON, SIMON. — The first three Gospels agree in placing the warning to Peter after the institution of the Lord’s Supper. The two-fold utterance of the name, as in the case of Martha (Luke 10:41), is significant of the emphasis of sadness. SATAN HATH DESIRED TO HAVE YOU. — Both th... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE PRAYED FOR THEE. — The individualising pronoun is significant as indicating to the Apostle, who was most confident, it may be, of his claim to greatness, that he, of the whole company of the Twelve, was in the greatest danger. In the Greek the other pronoun also is emphatic. “It was _I_ who p... [ Continue Reading ]
LORD, I AM READY TO GO WITH THEE. — There is something like a latent tone of indignation as well as devotion. The disciple half-resented the thought that a special prayer should be necessary for him. Here, again, the Greek order of the words is more emphatic than the English, “With _Thee_ am I ready... [ Continue Reading ]
I TELL THEE, PETER. — See Notes on Matthew 26:34; Mark 14:30,... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN I SENT YOU WITHOUT PURSE, AND SCRIP. — The words refer specially to the command given to the disciples in Luke 10:4; Matthew 10:9. The whole incident is peculiar to St. Luke. The appeal to their past experience is interesting as showing that on their first mission they were welcomed by those wh... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT HATH A PURSE, LET HIM TAKE IT. — The word for “purse” is the same as in Luke 10:4, where see Note. On “scrip,” see Note on Matthew 10:10. If the words had stopped short of the “sword,” we could have received their literal meaning without difficulty. They would have seemed to counsel the prud... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE WAS RECKONED AMONG THE TRANSGRESSORS. — Literally, _the lawless ones,_ or, _breakers of the law._ The distinct reference to the words of Isaiah 53:12 is remarkable as showing that the picture of the righteous sufferer in that chapter had all along been present, if we may so speak, to our Lord... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, HERE ARE TWO SWORDS. — Peter, we find, had one (John 18:10); we can only conjecture who had the other. Possibly, Andrew; possibly, one of “the sons of thunder.” IT IS ENOUGH. — Here again there is a touch of grave irony. The “two swords” were enough, and more than enough, for Him who did not... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WENT, AS HE WAS WONT, TO THE MOUNT OF OLIVES. — The words agree with the previous statement in Luke 21:37, and with John 18:2. Here, as in the parallel passage of Matthew 26:30 (where see Note), we have to insert the discourses of John 14-17.... [ Continue Reading ]
(40-46) WHEN HE WAS AT THE PLACE. — See Notes on Matthew 26:36; Mark 14:32. It is noticeable that St. Luke neither gives the name Gethsemane, nor describes it as “a garden.” It is with him simply “_the_ place” to which our Lord was wont to resort. PRAY THAT YE ENTER NOT INTO TEMPTATION. — The words... [ Continue Reading ]
ABOUT A STONE’S CAST. — The descriptive touch, implying a report coming directly or indirectly from an eye-witness, is peculiar to St. Luke. KNEELED DOWN, AND PRAYED. — Literally, _and was praying._ The tense of the latter verb implies continuous and sustained prayer.... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT MY WILL, BUT THINE, BE DONE. — See Notes on Matthew 26:39. Here there is a more distinct echo of the prayer which He had taught His disciples. He, too, could say, “Lead us not into temptation,” but that prayer was subject, now explicitly, as at all times implicitly, to the antecedent condition t... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE APPEARED AN ANGEL UNTO HIM FROM HEAVEN. — This and the following verses are omitted by not a few of the best MSS., but the balance of evidence is, on the whole, in their favour. Assuming their truth as part of the Gospel, we ask — (1) How came the fact to be known to St. Luke, when St. Matthew... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BEING IN AN AGONY. — The Greek noun primarily describes a “conflict” or “struggle,” rather than mere physical pain. The phenomenon described is obviously one which would have a special interest for one of St. Luke’s calling, and the four words which he uses for “agony,” “drops,” “sweat,” “more e... [ Continue Reading ]
HE FOUND THEM SLEEPING FOR SORROW. — It is, perhaps, again characteristic of St. Luke, that while the other Gospels state simply the fact that the disciples slept, he assigns it psychologically and physiologically to its cause. Prolonged sorrow has, at last, a numbing and narcotising effect. (See No... [ Continue Reading ]
WHY SLEEP YE? — St. Luke is here briefer than the other two records, and omits the three-fold prayer and warning, and the words, half-permissive and half of veiled reproof, which bade the disciples at last to “sleep on and take their rest.”... [ Continue Reading ]
(47-49) AND WHILE HE YET SPAKE. — See Notes on Matthew 26:47; Mark 14:43. WENT BEFORE THEM. — The tense implies, not that Judas then left those with whom he had walked before, but that he was seen walking, as he had been all along, in advance of the others. He was “guide to them that took Jesus” (A... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDAS, BETRAYEST THOU THE SON OF MAN? — The first three Gospels all record the Traitor’s kiss. St. Luke alone reports the question. In our Lord’s use of the words, “the Son of Man,” we may trace a two-fold purpose. It was the old familiar title by which He had been wont to speak of Himself in conver... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THEY WHICH WERE ABOUT HIM. — The phrase is apparently chosen as more accurate than “the disciples” would have been. Those who spoke were probably the three that had been nearest to Him, and possibly one or two others who had rushed forward.... [ Continue Reading ]
(50-53) AND ONE OF THEM. — See Notes on Matthew 27:52; Mark 14:47. It will be remembered that all the four Gospels relate the incident, but that St. John alone gives the name of the disciple. It is possibly characteristic of St. Luke’s technical accuracy that he uses the diminutive form of “ear,” as... [ Continue Reading ]
SUFFER YE THUS FAR. — The words and the incident are peculiar to St. Luke. We are. not told to whom the words were spoken. If to the disciples, they were a command to be patient, and to let things take their course. If, as is possible, to the servants and officers, they were a plea for His disciples... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN JESUS SAID UNTO THE CHIEF PRIESTS. — St. Luke stands alone in recording the presence of the men of higher rank with the officers and multitude. On the “captains of the Temple,” see Note on Luke 22:4. AS AGAINST A THIEF, WITH SWORDS AND STAVES. — Better, _as against a robber,_ and _with swords... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS YOUR HOUR, AND THE POWER OF DARKNESS. — The words are peculiar to St. Luke in this connection, but they present a point of coincidence, (1) as regards the phrase, with St. Paul (Colossians 1:13); and (2) as regards the thought, with St. John (John 14:30). In identifying the power that worked... [ Continue Reading ]
(54-62) THEN TOOK THEY HIM. — See Notes on Matthew 26:57; Matthew 26:69; Mark 14:53. Peter’s following “afar off” may be noted as a feature common to the first three Gospels.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THEY HAD KINDLED A FIRE. — The fire is mentioned by St. Luke in common with St. Mark and St. John. OF THE HALL. — Better, _of the court-yard — “_hall” with us conveying the idea of a covered space inside the house.... [ Continue Reading ]
AS HE SAT BY THE FIRE. — Literally, _by the light,_ or _blaze,_ as in Mark 14:54. EARNESTLY LOOKED UPON HIM. — The verb and adverb are both expressed by St. Luke’s characteristic word. (See Note on Luke 4:20.) THIS MAN WAS ALSO WITH HIM. — Minute as the coincidence is, it is interesting to note th... [ Continue Reading ]
MAN. — The noun so used in the vocative always implies a certain touch of anger or impatience. (See Note on Luke 12:14.)... [ Continue Reading ]
ABOUT THE SPACE OF ONE HOUR AFTER. — Literally, _about one hour having intervened,_ the verb so rendered being peculiar to St. Luke in the New Testament (Luke 24:51; Acts 27:28). CONFIDENTLY AFFIRMED. — This word also is peculiar to St. Luke (Acts 12:15).... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD TURNED, AND LOOKED UPON PETER. — The glance which was thus the turning point of Peter’s life, is mentioned only by St. Luke. As he was sitting in the porch, our Lord must have looked on the disciple as He was being led from Annas to the more public trial before the Sanhedrin. The form i... [ Continue Reading ]
(63-73) AND THE MEN THAT HELD JESUS... — See Notes on Matthew 26:59; Mark 14:55. The verbs “mocked” and “smote” are both in the tense that implies continued action.... [ Continue Reading ]
PROPHESY, WHO IS IT THAT SMOTE THEE? — On the popular view of the lower form of Judaism that identified prophecy with clairvoyance, see Note. on Matthew 26:68.... [ Continue Reading ]
(66-71) AND AS SOON AS IT WAS DAY. — See Notes on Matthew 27:11; Mark 15:2. The special mention of the hour, though agreeing with what is implied in the other Gospels, is peculiar to St. Luke. THE ELDERS OF THE PEOPLE. — Literally, _the presbytery of the people._ St. Luke uses here, and in Acts 22:... [ Continue Reading ]
ART THOU THE CHRIST? — St. Luke passes over the earlier stages of the trial, the false-witnesses that did not agree, the charge of threatening to destroy the Temple, and the silence of Jesus until solemnly adjured. IF I TELL YOU, YE WILL NOT BELIEVE. — The answer is reported only by St. Luke. It is... [ Continue Reading ]
YE WILL NOT ANSWER ME, NOR LET ME GO. — The last clause is omitted by the best MSS. The first clearly refers to the question which He had so recently put to priests and scribes, whether the Christ was the son of David only, or also the Lord of David; and which they had been unable to answer (Matthew... [ Continue Reading ]
HEREAFTER SHALL THE SON OF MAN SIT. — Literally, _From this time forth shall the Son of Man be sitting._ In St. Luke’s shorter record the immediate sequence of this confession upon an apparent refusal to answer seems hardly consistent. The narrative of St. Matthew shows that the change of purpose or... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SAY THAT I AM. — The question, as asked by the whole company of priests and elders, is given only by St. Luke. It apparently followed, as a spontaneous cry of indignant horror, on the answer which had been made to the adjuration of the high priest. The answer is complete in itself; but it implies... [ Continue Reading ]