Servants With Swords

Ever been in a room with lots of tension in it, but you are pretty much oblivious to it? That’s how it was for the disciples in the upper room.

We pick up the story in Luke 22

1Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, 2and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.

Their verdict about Jesus is already decided; the only remaining issue is how to get rid of him

3Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve.

Judas had never truly believed in Jesus, and Jesus was aware of this (see John 6:64, 70)

Judas outward behavior apparently did not give him away

But here (with the consent of Judas's sinful heart) Satan entered into Judas and thereby he exercises much greater influence over his actions.

Sin takes you further than you ever wanted to go.

We could stop there and unpack that for the next hour, but we have to keep moving. You see, we really need to get to ver 38, because that little mystery verse is the key to the whole thing. So let’s go…

4And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. 5They were delighted and agreed to give him money. 6He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.

The opportunity was provided when the crowd was not around. That’s how sin often works… in isolation.

Now the tension grows as Jesus enters this crucial time with his disciples. They have no clue. Jesus needs to give them one.

The time for the disciples to get the point has never been better…

7Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover."

The Passover was a time that the Jewish people took aside to commemorate the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt with God working in a dramatic way in a series of 10 plagues leveled on the Egyptians. Specifically the last plague involved an angel of death that was appointed to travel through Egypt and kill any first born child or animal unless the house had the blood of an unblemished lamb covering their door. When the angel saw the blood of this lamb, he would pass over the house and spare the family.

9"Where do you want us to prepare for it?" they asked. 10He replied, "As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, 11and say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 12He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there." 13They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

Peter and John aren’t the only duo working on preparing the Passover. Judas is as well.

As Pharaoh’s heart was hardened for the first Passover, Judas’ heart is overcome for this one. Satan himself enters it.

They all meet in the upper room. Including the possessed Judas.

14When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God."

17After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. 18For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." 19And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." 20In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. 21But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. 22The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him." 23They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.

We really could stop here and unpack all this over the next hour, but we need to move ahead and stay focused on the big picture of Luke 22.