Luke Chapter 22

(today's exposition is being done with a reading across the usual [NIV, NASB, KJV] but with a new addition, the TNIV - many thanks to biblegateway.com)

vs 1

Just a little snippet into Luke's background here, that he gives us two names for the passover, and says it is 'called' the passover. Gives us a bit of an idea as to who he thought would be reading his gospel too.

vs 2

So Luke is making a couple of points here - that the chief priests and law teachers want Jesus dead, that they were afraid of the people (because they liked Jesus) so they're obviously looking for a clandestine way they can get him, and also that all this is happening as the passover approaches.

vs 3

Here comes the bad guy. All those people who say that Judas was just following a cultural norm of accepting money for passing on a message, read Luke's editorial - Satan entered him. Satan doesn't enter people just so they take part in some otherwise harmless mercantile activity. Luke also introduces him as one of the Twelve, so he's a real traitor.

vs 4

It is a story of betrayal. He goes to them, he approaches them, and gets involved in the conversation. We aren't really given a motive for him, apart from Satan's involvement.

vs 5

Greed could have been part of it. That certainly is one element which has been picked up over history.

vs 6

So no we see Judas' role in the plot - he was to look out for a time when no crowd was present, and the chief priests could apprehend Jesus without the prying eyes of the crowd making judgement.

vs 7

Luke reminds us gentiles about what actually happens on the passover. He doesn't go too deep into details though - perhaps it was for gentiles that new their OT that Luke wrote his gospel.

vs 8

Jesus had every intention of celebrating the passover as normal. Well, more or less normal. At the moment, it seems normal enough.

vs 9

This means, I assume, that none of them owned property in Jerusalem, otherwise you'd assume they would just have it at their house.

vs 10

Once again, Jesus is pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Or, well, a donkey out of a town. Well, this time, it's a guest room out of a stranger. What does this prove? That Jesus is Messiah? Possibly. I mean, predicting that the person will be "the one carrying water" is pretty neat. But I think it also shows that Jesus has supporters beyond his Twelve, and his disciples. Jesus was popular enough, and there were people who might not have followed him around full time, but who supported him enough to give their house to him on passover - I mean, that's the most important festival of the season, and Jesus is asking quite a bit to use the guest room during that time. And if you really believe that these people were just press-ganged into giving up donkeys and guest rooms, well, that might be so. But I think it more likely that they gave it willingly, knowing exactly who was asking and for what purpose. (Well, the donkey thing might have been a bit out of left field.)