November 16, 2021
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Reading along with us in Luke? Here’s today’s reading:
Luke 22 (NIV)
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
1 Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching, 2 and 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. 3 Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. 4 And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.........Continue Reading
Imagine sitting around the table with Jesus at that final supper knowing one of you will betray Him. It is no wonder that it turned into a defensive debate over which one of them is best. Jesus quickly reminds them again that it is about humility and remembering how low we are and that it is only through what He was about to do that makes us worthy at all. Peter feels so confident that he would never deny God but in actuality he did what many of us would in that situation for fear of our earthly lives. The contradiction that we would never betray him and yet so many times stay quiet when we should be shouting about our God and ALL He has done for us!
Jesus’ prayer here and the humanity He shows, the pain He shows always moves me because it is a reminder to me that He really does understand our earthly mind….fear, sadness, the hurt of betrayal from a friend. When we hurt He listens and understands because He came to earth and experienced it first hand. Jesus is our true example of a life of service and humility!
It’s an amusing illustration of our fallen human nature that the after dinner conversation at the last supper was an argument between the disciples over who was going to be considered the greatest.
Luke 22
MaYbe my all time favorite scenes in all of scripture. The last supper. Our Lord is about to suffer more pain than we can ever imagine. And hardly mentions his suffering. In John’s account. Our Lords focus is on comforting the apostles. The best scriptures for peace in this world John 14-17. There are just to many to list. Also John 15 vine and the branches. John 17. The greatest conversation ever recorded. Jesus conversing with his Father. The conversation during the last supper shows the greatest concerns of God. Comforting his apostles and US!!!! Beyond amazing
Well the end is coming upon Jesus, but He maintains composure and stays fixed on His purpose even as others conspire against Him. Judas gets the ball rolling for the chief priests who are looking for an opportunity to get rid of Jesus. But Jesus’ concern is the disciples and sharing this final Passover with them. He transforms it to talk about His body and His blood which will be the tool of the new covenant and the salvation of those who will believe. And yet in the midst of Jesus talking about sacrifice, the disciples argue about who is the greatest. How His followers fail Him in His greatest time of need….yet Jesus instructs and is concerned. He knows what Peter will do and recognizes satan’s desire to destroy him, but Jesus prays for him to be strong. He always thinks of others even when He is in anguish. And Luke is the one who shares that Jesus’ anguish is so great that His sweat fell like drops of blood.
And even as Jesus is being arrested, the disciples misinterpret His intention and then eventually leave Him alone. And Peter, the one who follows Him to the courtyard, ends up denying Him three times. How Jesus words must have rung in Peter’s ears. And although he weeps bitterly because of it, Jesus has already prayed for Him and later will restore him to strengthen his brothers. May we also think of others when the pressure is on and we are facing hardship.
I couldn’t help but think of what is going on in the spiritual realm in this time.
Satan enters Judas.
Satan asks to sift Simon as wheat.
Christ prays for him and predicts his restoration.
Jesus establishes a new covenant in His blood.
Jesus also establishes the concept of servant leadership. I think this is the concept that our founding fathers intended with representative government. I think our leaders have strayed far from this and think that their power and prosperity are the goal rather than serving “we the people”.