Luke 22:1-71

Luke 22:7. Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed. And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. And ye shall say unto the good man of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them. With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: for I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament

(Or, covenant)

Luke 22:20. In my blood, which is shed for you. But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.

What a shadow this revelation must have cast over that solemn feast over the Saviour's heart, and over the minds of all his attached disciples! We can scarcely imagine what pangs tore his loving spirit. He could have used the language of David, with even deeper emphasis, and said, «It was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: but it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.» «The hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.» O beloved, I pray that you and I may never betray our Master; if ever we should so fail as to deny him, may the Lord stop us where Peter fell, and never suffer us to betray him as Judas did!

Luke 22:22. And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!

The decree of God does not lessen the responsibility of man for his action. Even though it is predetermined of God, the man does it of his own free will, and on him falls the full guilt of it.

Luke 22:23. And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing. And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.

Be astonished, dear friends, as you read, in such a connection as this, «There was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.» What! while yet the anxious question as to which of them was the traitor was being passed round, «Lord, is it I?» Is it so closely followed by another question, «Which of us shall be highest in the kingdom?» Oh, the awful intrusiveness of pride sad ambition! How it will come in, and defile the very holy of holies! Nay God prevent our falling victims to it! The last question for a Christian ever to ask is, «How may I win honour among men?» The one question for a believer should be, «How can I glorify my Master ?» Very often, that can best be done by taking the very lowest place in his church.

Luke 22:25. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

Let every respect be given to the elder, and let such as God honours be honoured among us; but let no man honour himself, or seek honour for himself. After all, in Christ's kingdom, the way to ascend is to descend. Did not the Master act thus? He descended, that he might ascend, and fill all things; and so must his disciples do. Less, and less, and less, and less, must we become; and so we shall really be, in his sight, more, and more, and more, and more.

Luke 22:27. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

For he had just then taken a towel, and girded himself, and washed their feet, so becoming Servus servorum, the Servant of servants, though he was in very truth the King of kings.

Luke 22:28. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.

There is a reward to the righteous, though they serve not for reward, for the Lord says:

Luke 22:29. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink; at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Ah, but see what follows! No sooner, in this chapter, does the thought seem to rise than it is dashed down again; the brightness ever has a shadow cast across it,

Luke 22:31. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

We are thinking about thrones, and about which of us shall have the loftiest throne, but see how the Master is thinking about the necessary while we are doting upon the superfluous. He thinks of our needs while we are dreaming of something great. What a blessing it is that we have our Saviour praying for us when we ourselves may be fancying that we need not pray! Our hands are ready for the scepter, and we are anxious to sit down on the throne, when the Lord knows that our proper place is at the footstool, pleading for mercy still.

Luke 22:33. And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.

That is bravely spoken, Peter; and yet it is very foolishly said, too. He spoke out of his very heart, and he meant what he said; but Peter did not know what a poor weak body Peter really was. His Master understood him far better.

Luke 22:34. And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

And so it came to pass. Let us read a part of the sad story, beginning at the fifty-fourth verse.

Luke 22:54. Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priests house. And Peter followed afar off.

I do not think that he was to be blamed for that; I do not see how he could very well have followed any nearer, for he was already a marked man. That sword-cut of his upon the ear of Malchus had made him specially prominent amongst the apostles, even if he had not been well known before. He got into the crowd, and came after his Master at such a distance as seemed safe for him.

Luke 22:55. And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them.

I do think that he was to be blamed for that action, for it brought him into dangerous company. Better be cold, than go and warm your hands in ungodly society.

Luke 22:56. But a certain maid beheld him as he eat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him,

As the flame came flashing up every now and then, she looked at him, and Peter was troubled by her gaze: she «earnestly looked upon him,»

Luke 22:56. And said, This man was also with him. And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him; for he is a Galilaean.

For he got talking to this ill company, and his speech had betrayed him.

Luke 22:60. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest.

Another Evangelist tells us that he began to curse and to swear, as if that was the surest proof that he could possibly give that he did not know Jesus; for, when you hear a man swear, you know at once that he is no Christian, you may conclude that safely enough. So Peter thought that, to prove that he was no follower of Christ, he would use such ill language as the ungodly speak.

Luke 22:60. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter.

God has all things in his hands, he has servants everywhere, and the cock shall crow, by the secret movement of his providence, just when God wills; and there is, perhaps, as much of divine ordination about the crowing of a cock as about the ascending of an emperor to his throne. Things are only little and great according to their bearings; and God reckoned not the crowing bird to be a small thing, since it was to bring a wanderer back to his Saviour, for, just as the cock crew, «the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter.» That was a different look from the one which the girl had given him, but that look broke his heart.

Luke 22:61. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

How many there are, who sin with Peter, but who never weep with Peter! Oh, if we have ever transgressed in such a way as he did, let us never cease to weep! Above all, let us begin at once to lament it, and rest not till the Master looks again, and says by that look, «I have blotted out all thy transgressions; return unto me.»