Have you ever met someone who really comes across as having it together and being pretty impressive? I’m reminded of that old TV show The Pretender. In it a guy named Jared could instantly become anyone he wanted: a doctor, a cop, a scientist, whatever. He wasn’t really any of those things and couldn’t really function in those areas, he just put on the uniform and talked the talk.
In a way, the first 30 verses of Luke 22 are about those who either think they have real power, or are grasping for power-contrasted with the One who doesn’t seem to have any power at all, but controls all the rest.
Verses 1 - 2
The Chief Priests (most of whom were Pharisees) thought they had the power to hurt Jesus, whom they saw as a threat to their position. But out of their fear for people they had been unable to get Jesus alone so they could murder Him. Isn’t it odd that as they prepare to celebrate God rescuing them from a tyrant in Egypt who murdered their innocent sons, that they themselves had become tyrants bent on murdering God’s innocent Son?
Help comes to them from another man who wanted power.
Verses 3 - 6
We don’t know exactly why Judas did what he did. We know that Satan inspired it, then helped Judas maybe get up the gumption to actually carry it out. It doesn’t absolve Judas of responsibility just as Pharaoh chose to have a hard heart so in the end God helped him out by hardening it even further-giving him what he wanted in the first place. (Exodus 4:21)
Some think that Jesus didn’t live up to Judas’ expectations of a political Messiah. They suggest that Judas was merely forcing Jesus’ hand-that arresting Him would make Him have to use his superpowers to overthrow Rome.
Some think that Judas simply no longer believed that Jesus was the Son of God and so he was simply removing a make-believe Messiah.
Others think that Judas was a greedy crook, and when Jesus didn’t realize Judas’ dreams of riches he decided to look elsewhere for money and didn’t really care a wit about Jesus (John 12:12 - Judas used to embezzle money from the moneybag).
Others say that he was a pawn that had no control over what he did. Acts 1:25 suggests that Judas was destined to go to hell. If he was a pawn or puppet he was a willing one.
There is an interesting reference in Acts 1:20 when the disciples cast lots for Judas’ replacement. They quote a Psalm which is fascinating if laid over the betrayal by Judas.
Psalms 109:1-8 Be not silent, O God of my praise!
2 For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,
speaking against me with lying tongues.
3 They encircle me with words of hate,
and attack me without cause.
4 In return for my love they accuse me,
but I give myself to prayer.
5 So they reward me evil for good,
and hatred for my love.
6 Appoint a wicked man against him;
let an accuser stand at his right hand.
7 When he is tried, let him come forth guilty;
let his prayer be counted as sin!
8 May his days be few;
may another take his office! ESV
So Judas conspires with the Chief priests and sells out Jesus for 30 pieces of silver - the price of a slave. The idea was to provide a time and location where no one could riot as they arrested Jesus. Here was a grab for power with the power brokers.
Verses 7 - 12
Passover (Exodus 12) commemorated God’s rescue of His people from Egypt by killing all the first born sons in the land, except those who had killed a spotless lamb and applied the blood to the doorposts of their houses. They were to eat the lamb along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. We’ll talk more about the huge significance of this on Wednesday. The Jewish Seder as, it’s called, is wonderfully and powerfully symbolic of the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus had made prior arrangements for a safe, secure place for the Passover. This was a crucial and intimate time for Jesus to spend with the disciples. John 13-17 all happens at this time when Jesus gives his last instructions. He did not want to be arrested prematurely.
It’s kind of a cloak and dagger arrangement - kind of a dead drop sort of thing. Peter and John were to look for a man carrying a jar of water. Then there is the secret pass code: "The Teacher asks …" Normally women would carry water, so a guy carrying water would have stood out from the crowd. Tradition suggests that the Passover happened at Mark’s house, so the master would have been Mark’s dad and would have known the disciples and Jesus by sight.
The preparations for the Passover would have included setting the table, buying and roasting the Passover lamb, and making the unleavened bread, sauces, and other ceremonial food and drink that were a traditional part of every Passover meal.
When necessary, Jesus controls every detail in secret. Later He will openly give himself over to the evil that swarms around Him. Who really has the power here?
Verses 14 - 23
14 - 16 There are some disagreements over when this meal took place. It could either be on Wednesday evening, which would have been the Feast of Unleavened Bread, or on Thursday, the actual Passover. Whichever day it was, this was Jesus’ last opportunity to impart instructions to His disciples. The gospel of John, as I said, spends whole chapters giving his last words before being arrested and crucified. He begins this time we learn in John by washing the disciple’s feet. And yet while their master demonstrates an attitude of servant hood, they argue about who is greatest.
Jesus says He will not eat the Passover again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. It can read "never eat it again" or "no longer eat it." The Passover is significant for what it represented in the past (the exodus), what it signified for the present (the sacrifice of THE Lamb of God) and what it fulfills in the future-a banquet where we will all gather around Jesus (Revelation 19). The gathering around a table was to signify the freedom the Jews had from Egypt. In Heaven we will gather around celebrating the freedom from the bondage of sin and from a sinful world.
17 - 20 I’ll save the discussion of how all the cups and the meal worked at Passover for Wednesday, but Jesus and His disciples drank 3 cups, then abstained from the fourth, which signified "I will take you as my people and I will be your God." In other words, the celebration would be finished when God "takes" us from this place to be with Him.
The bread represents the body of Jesus Christ and the wine His blood. Jesus allowed His body to be broken so that the power that sin had over us would also be broken. The cup represents the blood that was spilled by Jesus on the cross-a blood sacrifice that not only protects us from death (the judgment of God for all our sins) but washes us clean. It is the culmination of all the sacrifices that Israel performed. They pre-figured Jesus. Jesus said for them to do this - what we call "communion" in "remembrance" of Jesus. The Greek word means "to call to mind." That’s why we encourage you to take your time at the table to remember not only what Jesus did-but who He is. It is a sign of both His sacrifice and His friendship with us forever. By the way: it says Jesus "gave thanks" when he broke the bread, which is the Greek word where we get the word Eucharist-a word used for communion. But even in the midst of this wonderful celebration, there is the beginning of Jesus actually performing what he has demonstrated, through betrayal.
21 - 23 In John’s gospel the Apostle leans over (at Peter’s request) and asks Jesus who would betray him. Jesus shows him by dipping a bit of bread into the sauce (made of dates, raisins, and sour wine) and giving it to Judas. Normally it would be sign of esteem, respect, and friendship. Here it shows John who the betrayer that Jesus had spoken about was. John also tells us that at that point Judas made his final decision and Satan entered him. Matthew (26) tells us that Judas actually asked Jesus if it was him. Jesus replied: "you have said so." Matthew also records Jesus saying it would have been better if His betrayer had never been born.
Judas thought he had such power, but it was really Satan who thought he had power-exercised through Judas. In reality neither of them had real power-only Jesus did. The world appears to have such power but in reality it is inspired by Satan and isn’t real power at all, only an illusion or temporary power.
So the discussion over who would betray Jesus I guess led to an argument over who was the best among them, so Jesus rebukes them over it-again.
Verses 24 - 30
It’s probably pretty clear that the significance of what was happening and about to happen was lost on the disciples. They were still caught up in the worldly idea that power comes from striving for it and its measure is how much control you have over other people.
Jesus says and will demonstrate that true greatness is in serving not in being served. It is only with that kind of character can the disciples fulfill their God-given destiny of ruling and judging. It’s not just having power that matters it is having power and being like God who uses it for justice and actually for others benefit, not your own.
Conclusions
So here we have four people or groups all wanted or thought they had power:
Judas - tried to gain power by taking from the world and selling out his allegiance.
The Chief Priests - tried to keep power by wiping out the competition
The Disciples - wanted greatness by pushing others near them down
Satan - tried to get the upper hand by influencing others to make mistakes.
Now I don’t want to draw too fine a point on this, but I fear that sometimes we might find ourselves adopting one of these strategies in order to get what we want. We might adopt worldly methods and abandon faith if it stands in our way. We might subtly try to wipe out our competition by making sure we are the only viable option when we want something so bad. Similarly we might try to make sure those around us see us shining by pushing the heads of everyone else under through subtle put-downs and innuendo. Finally, we might even point people in the wrong direction to purposefully make sure we get our way at their expense.
Instead, let’s look at Jesus - the only one with the power over all. Jesus came to give, serve, lay down, prepare blessings for others, and be selfless. My prayer is that His power will course through us so that we may be like Him: living to serve and willing to die for our brothers and sisters.
Let’s finish with a wonderful character sketch of one who belongs to Jesus:
Colossians 3:12-18 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
