Luke 22 Previous Chapter | Next Chapter 1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. 2 And the chief priests and scribes were seeking how they might kill him, for they feared the people. 3 Then Satan entered into Judas surnamed Iscariot, who was one of the twelve. 4 And he went and discussed with the chief priests and captains how he might betray him to them. 5 And they were glad and agreed to give him money. 6 So he promised, and sought an opportunity to betray him to them apart from the crowd. 7 Then the day of Unleavened Bread came, when the Passover lamb must be killed. 8 And he sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it." 9 And they said to him, "Where do you want us to prepare it? 10 And he said to them, "When you have entered the city, a man bearing a pitcher of water will meet you; follow him into the house that he enters. 11 And you shall say to the owner of the house, 'The Master says to you: where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 12 And he will show you a large furnished upper room; make preparations there." 13 So they went and found it just as he had said to them; and they prepared the Passover there. 14 And when the hour came, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 For I say to you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." 17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 For I say to you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." 19 Then he took bread and gave thanks, and he broke it and gave to them, saying, "This is my body that is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 20 Likewise, he also took the cup after supper and said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you. 21 But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. 22 And truly the Son of man will go as it was determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!" 23 Then they began to question among themselves, which of them would do this thing. 24 And there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them would be considered the greatest. 25 And he said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves benefactors. 26 But you shall not behave like that. He who is greatest among you, let him be like the youngest, and he who is the leader, like one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who sits at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. 28 You are those who have continued with me in my trials. 29 And I appoint a kingdom to you, as my Father has appointed one to me, 30 So that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." 31 Then the Lord said, "Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to have you all, that he may sift you like grain, 32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers." 33 And Peter said to him, "Lord, I am ready to go with you, both into prison and to death." 34 And he said, "I tell you, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before you will deny three times that you know me." 35 And he said to them, "When I sent you out without purse or bag or shoes did you lack anything?" And they said, "Nothing." 36 Then he said to them, "But now, he who has a purse, let him take it, and likewise his traveler's bag; and he who has no sword, let him sell his coat and buy one.1 37 For I say to you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors;' for what is written about me will have its fulfillment." 38 And they said, "Lord, behold, here are two swords." And he said to them, "It is enough." 39 Then he came out and went as he usually did to the mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 And when he was there, he said to them, "Pray that you will not enter into temptation." 41 Then he withdrew from them about a stone's throw and knelt down and prayed, 42 Saying, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but yours be done."2 [Jesus only did the will of the Father, and so too must we only do the will of the Father if we expect to enter the Kingdom of Heaven: as Jesus said, "only he who does the will of the Father shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven." Mat 7:21. To be able to speak and act according to the will of the Father, your selfish, sinful nature must killed on the inward cross of self denial.] 43 Then an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him. [not in early manuscripts, appears to have been added.] 44 And being in agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. [not in early manuscripts, appears to have been added.] 45 Then when he rose up from prayer and came to his disciples, he found them sleeping from sorrow, 46 And said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray, so that you will not enter into temptation." 47 Now while he was still speaking a crowd came up, with Judas, one of the twelve, leading them; and Judas came near Jesus to kiss him. 48 But Jesus said to him, "Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?" [You can call him Lord, you can call him Master, you can kiss him; but it is not what you say that makes Jesus your Lord or Master, but your deeds — your obedience to his teachings and commands. By your deeds you either acknowledge him or deny him as your Lord and Master. If you sin, you deny him as your Lord and Master. A Lord or Master rules His servant, and Jesus does not rule over commission of sin. Until you are free of sin, He is not your Lord or Master. You are the slaves of whom you obey; whether of sin that leads to death, or of obedience that leads to righteousness? Rom 6:16.] 49 When those who were around him saw what was happening, they said to him, "Lord, shall we strike with the sword?" 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. [Then said Jesus to him, "Put up your sword into its place, for all those who take up the sword will perish with the sword." Mat 26:52] 51 But Jesus answered and said, "Allow even this." And he touched his ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and captains of the temple and the elders who had come out, "Have you come out against me with swords and staves as against a thief? 53 When I was with you daily in the temple, you did not stretched out your hands against me; but this is your hour, and the hour of the power of darkness." 54 Then took they him and led him away, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed at a distance. 55 And when they had started a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 But a certain maid saw him as he sat by the fire, and intently looking at him said, "This man was also with him." 57 And he denied him, saying, "Woman, I do not know him." 58 Then after a little while still another person saw him and said, "You are also one of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not." 59 And after about an hour yet another confidently asserted it saying, "Truly this fellow also was with him, for he is a Galilean." 60 And Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are saying." And immediately, while he still spoke, the cock crowed. 61 Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, "Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times." 62 And Peter went out and wept bitterly. 63 Then the men who held Jesus mocked him and beat him. 64 And when they had blindfolded him, they repeatedly hit him in the face and asked him, "Prophesy! Who is it that hit you?" 65 And they spoke many other things blasphemously against him. 66 Now as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying, 67 "Are you the Christ? Tell us." And he said to them, "If I tell you, you will not believe. 68 And if I question you, you will not answer me or let me go. 69 But in the future you will see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God." 70 Then they all said, "Are you then the Son of God? And he said to them, "You rightly say that I am." 71 And they said, "What need do we have of any further witness? For we ourselves have heard it from his own mouth."3 Previous Chapter | Next Chapter |
1 When I sent you out without purse or bag or shoes did you lack anything?" But now, he who has a purse, let him take it, and likewise his traveler's bag; and he who has no sword, let him sell his coat and buy one. Think spiritually: just as go and buy oil, or anoint your eyes with eye salve, or buy the truth, so is sell your coat to buy a sword the use of metaphors for spiritual counsel. What sword? The sword of the Spirit, the spoken Word of God, which is the weapon of a son of God:
The sword of the Spirit is the mature Christian's ability to speak the word of God, as heard in real-time, as Jesus and the Apostles spoke the Word of God. And he had in his right hand seven stars; and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword...out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations....Repent, or else I will come to you quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Rev 1:16,2:15,9:15, A mature Son of God is the mouth of the Lord, all members of His body with one mind and one mouth, Rom 15:16. This sword cuts down deceit, pride, greed, lust, etc. in the hearts of listeners. From the Word of the Lord within:
Oh you whose bow never turned back, nor sword empty from the blood of the slain;
from the slaughter of the mighty;
who made nations and multitudes shake with the word of life in your mouth.
You were very dreadful to the enemies of the Lord, for you did cut like a razor.
And yet to the seed of God brought forth, your words dropped like oil, and your lips as the honeycomb.
You will be recorded among the valiants of Israel, who attained to the first degree,
through the power of the Lord, that wrought mightily in you in your day,
and were worthy of double honor, because of your works.
You were expert in handling your weapon,
and by you the mighty have fallen,
and the slain of the Lord have been many.
Many have been pricked to the heart through the power of the word of life.
The disciples has not yet received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and so the Lord counsels them to spare no effort to attain it, using the metaphor of sell your coat to buy a sword.
The meaning of this passage should definitely not be interpreted to excuse violence for any other than the ruler (magistrate or police), for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Rom 13:4. To his disciple, (who cut off the ear of the High Priest's servant), Jesus said, "Put up your sword into its place, for all those who take up the sword will perish with the sword." Mat 26:52. He who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Rev 13:10.
But I say to you, do not resist evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other cheek to him also. You have heard that it has been said, 'You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you; so that you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do than others? Do not even the tax collectors [or thieves] do the same? Therefore, be perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect." Mat 5:39, 43-48.
2 Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but yours be done. Even when Jesus would have preferred another way, He did the Father's will, even to dying on the cross. Notice, his will was that he would not be beaten, scourged, and crucified on the cross. But he said, not my will, but what you will. To do the Father's will is to stop making decisions for yourself, your will; and only do what the Father tells you to do, his will. This is exactly what Jesus told us that he did, and he only did; many, many times:
Some would say, well that was Jesus, but we can't be expected to do what he did. Yet, Jesus said the same applies to you and me: whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. Mat 12:50. And, realize that he told us six times that we too must deny ourselves and pick up our cross daily — long before he went to the cross himself. So he went to the horrible death of the cross as an example to us of the obedience necessary to slay our selfish spirit so that we could be reconciled to God: The world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me. John 14:31. He went to the cross to teach us that if we love God, we must obey completely. Whoever does not pick up his cross daily is not worthy of him. Mat 10:38. Jesus showed us what it means to obey his command to "daily deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow me:" to do the will of God by denying your own will and following his commands — the inward cross of self-denial. From the Word of the Lord within: "Whatever God commands, whether it be dying on the cross, we obey; however financially strait, however it affects our reputation, however ruinous."
Not only did Jesus know He was to be crucified, He also knew that He was to beaten, first by the High Priest's Jewish guards and then to be brutally beaten by the entire Roman garrison so much that he no longer looked like a man, Isa 52:14; some translations say beaten beyond any man had ever been beaten before. We know from Jesus' many statements that He fully accepted the necessity of His death by crucifixion, but perhaps He wished for an alternative to the unprecedented brutality he immediately faced; or perhaps He feared He might not be able to maintain His peace while undergoing a beating by the entire Roman garrison. But he presented His body to be sacrificed, as we are similarly advised: I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service and worship. Rom 12:1.
3 What need do we have of any further witness? For we ourselves have heard it from his own mouth. The Jews condemned Jesus because he admitted he was the Son of God. So they killed him supposedly because they said he had violated their law and blasphemed, but the real reason was they feared the loss of their religion and nation. Although the New Testament is clear that there is only one God, (despite the mistake of most of Christianity); and although Jesus said, "the Father is greater than I," John 14:28; and although Jesus said he only spoke and did as God told to him to speak and do; and although Jesus told Mary, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, 'I ascend to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God.'" John 20:17; the Jews said Jesus was claiming equality with God by stating he was the Son of God, and to claim equality with God was blasphemy. The Jews believed that the Messiah would only be a man, and they acted like they had never heard of the Son of God, yet their own Scriptures, from the Old Testament, speak of the Son.
Old Testament Book of Proverbs, says:
In the Old Testament Book of Psalms, King David spoke very, very reverently of the Son, ascribing to him the power of God:
In the Original Old Testament Book of 4 Esdras*
The bride shall appear, and he shall come forth and be seen, that now is under the earth: for my Son Jesus shall appear with those that be with him, and those who remain shall rejoice within four hundred years; and after these same years shall my Son Christ die. 4 Esdras 7:27-29
I, Esdras, saw upon the Mount Zion a great people, whom I could not number, and they all praised the Lord with songs.
And in the midst of them there was a young man of a high stature, taller than all the rest, and upon every one of their heads he set crowns, and was more exalted; which I marveled at greatly.
So I asked the angel, and said, "Sir, what are these?"
He answered and said unto me, "These are those who have put off the mortal clothing, put on the immortal, and have confessed the name of God; now are they crowned, and they receive palms."
Then said I unto the angel, "What young person is it who crowns them and gives them palms in their hands?"
So he answered and said unto me, "It is the Son of God, whom they have confessed in the world." Then began I to greatly admire those who had stood so rigidly for the name of the Lord.
Then the angel said unto me, "Go your way, and tell my people what manner of things and how great wonders of the Lord your God you have seen." 4 Esdras 2:42-48*The Book of Esdras is so unfamiliar to most. It was in the original Old Testament and King James Bible, but was later removed. Parts of the books are in Ezra and Nehemiah. This book still appears in the Latin Vulgate Bible. Because George Fox quoted from this Book, it is included on this site. See Esdras, Chapter 1 Introduction for more on Esdras.
In the Old Testament Book of Daniel, even the heathen King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, could recognize the son of God:
Further in the Old Testament Book of Daniel, Daniel himself saw Jesus coming on the clouds: I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven. Dan 7:13
Jesus referred to himself as the Son of Man:
For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels;
and then he will reward every man according to his works. (Not just a particular generation.)
Some standing here shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. Mat 16:27-8,Mar 8:38,9:1,Luk 9:26-27
Those not purified, to see Jesus' coming, (appearing in their hearts), before death, see him as they die, as all peoples, all nations, all generations do.
Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye will see him, and also those who pierced him: (also, the Jews 2000 years ago)
and all the peoples of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. Rev 1:7
2000 years ago, to the Jewish High Priest and the Pharisees at his trial, Jesus said..
you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Mark 14:62
In the Original Old Testament Book of Wisdom there is a remarkable prophecy how the Son of God would be rejected by the Jews because of their own wickedness had blinded them, and they knew not the secrets of God:
For the ungodly said, reasoning with themselves, but not correctly, "Our life is short and tedious, and in the death of a man there is no remedy; neither has there been any man known to have returned from the grave.
Let us therefore lie in wait for the righteous person because he is not for our turn; he is contrary to our doings, upbraids us with transgressions of the law, and divulges against us the sins of our way of life.
He boasts that he has the knowledge of God, and calls himself the son of God.
He has become a reprover of our thoughts.
He is grievous to us even to behold for his life is not like other men's, and his ways are very different.
We are esteemed by him as triflers, and he abstains from our ways as from filthiness, and he prefers the latter end of the just and glories that he has God for his father.
Let us see then if his words are true, and let us prove what shall happen to him, and we shall know what his end shall be.
For if he is the true son of God, God will defend him and will deliver him from the hands of his enemies.
Let us examine him with despitefulness and torture, that we may know his meekness, and prove his patience.
Let us condemn him with a shameful death for by his own saying he shall be respected."
Such things they did imagine, and were deceived for their own wickedness has blinded them.
And they knew not the secrets of God, nor hoped for the wages of justice, nor esteemed the honor of holy souls. Wisdom 2:12-22
The Jews accusations were baseless. Their own Old Testament scriptures testified in multiple of books to the existence of a Son of God and the Son of Man.
According to Jewish scripture and belief, the true Messiah must meet the following requirements:
Those in Christendom can easily look down on the Jews, incorrectly interpreting the Scriptures, and rejecting Christ; instead the Jews expected a physical King to appear and re-establish an earthly Jewish kingdom. But one hundred generations of Christendom, incorrectly interpreting the Scriptures, are doing the same thing, making the same mistake: they have rejected listening to and obeying Christ within them, expecting an outward appearance; expecting Christ to physically appear to be King of the whole world, thereby missing the possibility of preparing for his inward, individual spiritual appearance in them. This is a major deception with disastrous consequences to those so deceived.
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