The disciples did not know what to expect as they met in the Upper Room, but it turned out to be an evening of painful revelation. Jesus, the Host of the supper, met them with the traditional kiss of peace (He kissed Judas!), and then the men reclined around the table, Judas at our Lord’s left and John at His right (John 13:23).
Jesus revealed His love (vv. 14–16). He did this by what He said and by what He did. He told His friends that He had a great desire to share this last Passover with them before He suffered. Passover commemorated the Exodus of Israel from Egypt centuries before, but He would accomplish a greater “exodus” on the cross. He would purchase redemption from sin for a world of lost sinners (Luke 9:31).
Then He arose, girded Himself with a towel, and washed the disciples’ feet, including Judas’ (John 13:1–20). Later that evening, the Twelve would argue over which of them was the greatest, so this lesson on humility and service did not penetrate their hearts. Perhaps Peter had this scene in mind when years later he admonished his readers to “be clothed with humility” (1 Peter 5:5; and see Phil. 2:1–11).
Our Lord’s words in Luke 22: indicate that there would be no more Passover on God’s calendar. The next feast would be the great “kingdom feast” when He would return to establish His rule on earth (Luke 22:28–30; 13:24–30; Matt. 8:11–12). He saw beyond the suffering to the glory, beyond the cross to the crown, and in His love, He reached out to include His friends.
Jesus revealed the presence of treachery (vv. 21–23). He had already hinted to His disciples that one of their number was not truly with Him (John 6:66–71), but now He openly spoke about a traitor in their midst. However, He did not do this just for the sake of the disciples, but more for the sake of Judas. Jesus had kissed Judas and washed his feet, and now He was giving Judas another opportunity to repent. It is most significant that Jesus did not openly identify Judas as the traitor but protected him until the very end.
If Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him, why did He choose him in the first place? And, if somebody had to betray the Lord, why condemn Judas? After all, he simply did God’s will and fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy (see Ps. 41:9; 55:12–14; compare Ps. 69: and 109: with Acts 1:15–20).
Before He chose His twelve apostles, Jesus spent a whole night in prayer (Luke 6:12–16), so we must believe that it was the Father’s will that Judas be among them (John 8:29). But the selection of Judas did not seal his fate; rather, it gave him opportunity to watch the Lord Jesus closely, believe, and be saved. God in His sovereignty had determined that His Son would be betrayed by a friend, but divine foreknowledge does not destroy human responsibility or accountability. Judas made each decision freely and would be judged accordingly, even though he still fulfilled the decree of God (Acts 2:23).
The fact that the disciples were puzzled by this strange announcement reveals that they did not know Judas’ true character, their own hearts (“Which of us could do such a terrible thing?”), or the prophecies in the psalms. Nor did they remember the Lord’s statements that He would be betrayed into the hands of the enemy (Matt. 17:22; 20:18). If Peter had fully understood what was happening, he might have used his sword on Judas!
Much about Judas remains a mystery to us, and we must not speculate too much. Judas is certainly a witness to the sinlessness of Jesus Christ, for if anybody could have given witness against Him, it was Judas. However, the authorities had to find false witnesses in order to build their case against Jesus. Judas admitted that he had “betrayed innocent blood” (Matt. 27:4).
At this point, Judas left the Upper Room to go to the religious leaders and get ready for the arrest of Jesus in the garden. Judas went out “and it was night” (John 13:30), for he was obeying the prince of darkness (Luke 22:53). Alas, for Judas, it is still night and always will be night!
Jesus revealed the disciples’ worldliness (vv. 24–30). This was not the first time the disciples had committed this sin (Matt. 20:20–28; Mark 9:33–37; Luke 9:46–48), but in the light of what their Lord had said and done that evening, this latest exhibition was inexcusable. Perhaps the argument grew out of their speculating over who would betray Him, or there may have been some jealousy over the way they had been seated at the table. When you are interested in promoting yourself, it doesn’t take much to start an argument.
Jesus had to explain that they were thinking like the unsaved Gentiles and not like God’s children. The Romans in particular vied for honors and did all they could, legally and illegally, to win promotion and recognition, but they are not the examples for us to follow. As in all things, Jesus is our example, and He has completely reversed the measure of true greatness.
True greatness means to be like Jesus, and that means being a servant to others. A servant does not argue over who is the greatest, because he knows that he is the least, and he accepts this from the hand of God. Since all Christians are to be servants, there is no reason for us to compete with one another for honors and recognition. It is too bad that this competitive spirit is so strong in the church today as people promote themselves and their ministries as “the greatest.”
Jesus closed this lesson on servanthood by reminding them of their future reward in the kingdom (Luke 22:28–30). In spite of their weaknesses and failures, the disciples had stood by Jesus during His earthly ministry, and God would honor them for their faithfulness. We should not mind being servants today, for we shall sit on thrones in the future kingdom! For that matter, our faithful service today is preparing us for the rewards we shall receive. Jesus has set the example: first the cross, then the crown.
Jesus revealed Peter’s denial (vv. 31–38). It is interesting that this word of warning followed the dispute over who was the greatest! Imagine how the disciples must have felt when they heard that not only would one of their number betray Him, but that their spokesman and leader would publicly deny Him! If a strong man like Peter was going to fail the Lord, what hope was there for the rest of them?
The word you in Luke 22: is plural; Satan asked to have all the disciples so he might sift them like wheat. These men had been with Jesus in His trials (Luke 22:28), and He would not forsake them in their trials. This was both a warning and an encouragement to Peter and the other men, and our Lord’s prayers were answered. Peter’s courage failed but not his faith; he was restored to fellowship with Christ and was greatly used to strengthen God’s people.
Peter’s self-confident boasting is a warning to us that none of us really knows his own heart (Jer. 17:9) and that we can fail in the point of our greatest strength. Abraham’s greatest strength was his faith, and yet his faith failed him when he went down to Egypt and lied about Sarah (Gen. 12:10—13:4). Moses’ strength was in his meekness (Num. 12:3), yet he lost his temper, spoke rashly with his lips, and was not allowed to enter Canaan (Num. 20). Peter was a brave man, but his courage failed him and he denied his Lord three times. “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10: nkjv).
The word converted in Luke 22: means “turned around.” Peter was already a saved man, but he would soon start going in the wrong direction and would have to be turned around. He would not lose the gift of eternal life, but he would disobey the Lord and jeopardize his discipleship. Actually, all of the disciples would forsake Jesus, but Peter would also deny Him. It is a humbling lesson for all of us.
Our Lord’s counsel in Luke 22:35–38 was not fully understood by the disciples, because they interpreted what He said quite literally. Peter’s use of the sword in the garden is evidence of this (Luke 22:49–51). The point He was making was this: “You are now moving into a whole new situation. If they arrest Me, they will one day arrest you. If they treat Me like a common criminal (Isa. 53:12), they will do the same to you; so, be prepared!”
During their ministry with Jesus, the disciples had been sent out with special authority, and they were treated with respect and appreciation (Luke 9:1ff.; 10:1ff.). At that time, Jesus was still a very popular rabbi, and the authorities were not able to attack His disciples. But now “his hour had come” and the situation would change radically. Today, God’s people are aliens in enemy territory, and we must use our faith and sanctified common sense as we serve the Lord. This is a good warning to zealous people who foolishly get themselves into tight spots and then expect God to perform miracles for them. The apostle Paul knew how to use the “sword” of human government to protect him and the gospel (Acts 16:35–40; 21:37–40; 25:11; Rom. 13).
Their words, “Here are two swords!” must have grieved the Lord, for they indicated that the disciples had missed the meaning of His words. Did they think that He needed their protection or that He would now overthrow Rome and establish the kingdom? “It is enough!” means “Don’t say anything more about the matter” (Deut. 3:26). His kingdom does not advance by means of men’s swords (John 18:36–37) but by the power of God’s truth, the Word of God that is sharper than any human sword (Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12).