Luke 22 Remembering

Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.

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Luke 22:1-71

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

1The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which begins with the Passover celebration, was drawing near. 2The leading priests and teachers of religious law were actively plotting Jesus' murder. But they wanted to kill him without starting a riot, a possibility they greatly feared.
3Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples, 4and he went over to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard to discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them. 5They were delighted that he was ready to help them, and they promised him a reward. 6So he began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus so they could arrest him quietly when the crowds weren't around.

The Last Supper

7Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lambs were sacrificed. 8Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, "Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together."
9"Where do you want us to go?" they asked him.
10He replied, "As soon as you enter Jerusalem, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. At the house he enters, 11say to the owner, 'The Teacher asks, Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?' 12He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is the place. Go ahead and prepare our supper there." 13They went off to the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover supper there.
14Then at the proper time Jesus and the twelve apostles sat down together at the table. 15Jesus said, "I have looked forward to this hour with deep longing, anxious to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. 16For I tell you now that I won't eat it again until it comes to fulfillment in the Kingdom of God."
17Then he took a cup of wine, and when he had given thanks for it, he said, "Take this and share it among yourselves. 18For I will not drink wine again until the Kingdom of God has come."
19Then he took a loaf of bread; and when he had thanked God for it, he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, "This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 20After supper he took another cup of wine and said, "This wine is the token of God's new covenant to save you—an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you. F100
21"But here at this table, sitting among us as a friend, is the man who will betray me. 22For I, the Son of Man, must die since it is part of God's plan. But how terrible it will be for my betrayer!" 23Then the disciples began to ask each other which of them would ever do such a thing.
24And they began to argue among themselves as to who would be the greatest in the coming Kingdom. 25Jesus told them, "In this world the kings and great men order their people around, and yet they are called 'friends of the people.' 26But among you, those who are the greatest should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. 27Normally the master sits at the table and is served by his servants. But not here! For I am your servant. 28You have remained true to me in my time of trial. 29And just as my Father has granted me a Kingdom, I now grant you the right 30to eat and drink at my table in that Kingdom. And you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.


Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial

31"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to have all of you, to sift you like wheat. 32But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up your brothers."
33Peter said, "Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you, and even to die with you."
34But Jesus said, "Peter, let me tell you something. The rooster will not crow tomorrow morning until you have denied three times that you even know me."
35Then Jesus asked them, "When I sent you out to preach the Good News and you did not have money, a traveler's bag, or extra clothing, did you lack anything?" "No," they replied.
36"But now," he said, "take your money and a traveler's bag. And if you don't have a sword, sell your clothes and buy one! 37For the time has come for this prophecy about me to be fulfilled: 'He was counted among those who were rebels.' F101 Yes, everything written about me by the prophets will come true."
38"Lord," they replied, "we have two swords among us." "That's enough," he said.

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

39Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives. 40There he told them, "Pray that you will not be overcome by temptation."
41He walked away, about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42"Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine." 43Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. 44He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood. F102 45At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief. 46"Why are you sleeping?" he asked. "Get up and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you."

Jesus Is Betrayed and Arrested

47But even as he said this, a mob approached, led by Judas, one of his twelve disciples. Judas walked over to Jesus and greeted him with a kiss. 48But Jesus said, "Judas, how can you betray me, the Son of Man, with a kiss?"
49When the other disciples saw what was about to happen, they exclaimed, "Lord, should we fight? We brought the swords!" 50And one of them slashed at the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear.
51But Jesus said, "Don't resist anymore." And he touched the place where the man's ear had been and healed him. 52Then Jesus spoke to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard and the other leaders who headed the mob. "Am I some dangerous criminal," he asked, "that you have come armed with swords and clubs to arrest me? 53Why didn't you arrest me in the Temple? I was there every day. But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns."

Peter Denies Jesus

54So they arrested him and led him to the high priest's residence, and Peter was following far behind. 55The guards lit a fire in the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there. 56A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, "This man was one of Jesus' followers!"
57Peter denied it. "Woman," he said, "I don't even know the man!"
58After a while someone else looked at him and said, "You must be one of them!" "No, man, I'm not!" Peter replied.
59About an hour later someone else insisted, "This must be one of Jesus' disciples because he is a Galilean, too."
60But Peter said, "Man, I don't know what you are talking about." And as soon as he said these words, the rooster crowed. 61At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered that the Lord had said, "Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny me three times." 62And Peter left the courtyard, crying bitterly.
63Now the guards in charge of Jesus began mocking and beating him. 64They blindfolded him; then they hit him and asked, "Who hit you that time, you prophet?" 65And they threw all sorts of terrible insults at him.

Jesus before the Council

66At daybreak all the leaders of the people assembled, including the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. Jesus was led before this high council, F103 67and they said, "Tell us if you are the Messiah." But he replied, "If I tell you, you won't believe me. 68And if I ask you a question, you won't answer. 69But the time is soon coming when I, the Son of Man, will be sitting at God's right hand in the place of power." F104
70They all shouted, "Then you claim you are the Son of God?" And he replied, "You are right in saying that I am."
71"What need do we have for other witnesses?" they shouted. "We ourselves heard him say it."

FOOTNOTES:F100: Some manuscripts omit 22:19b-20, given for you . . . I will pour out for you. F101: Isa 53:12. F102: These verses are not included in many ancient manuscripts. F103: Greek before their Sanhedrin. F104: See Ps 110:1.

~ Lena’s Journalin’~
We have been preparing ourselves, with our local fellowship of believers that we belong to, to partake of the table of the Lord- In an appropriate manner, examining ourselves, being cleansed deeply by God’s spirit, and recognizing what it was Jesus did for each of us when He died for us, went to hell for us and rose to the right hand of the Father for us. There are 4 days before our “Passover Feast” in our homes, where we will partake as families. Are we ready yet? It is drawing near.
What if we feel we got clean before the Lord, and someone decides between now and Friday, the 10th , to “betray” us? What then? What if someone in your household is used by satan to deceive you or trick you, or sells the truth about you to someone else- maybe gossips about you, someone of your own household? What do you do then? What if it happens on Friday? Will you eat appropriately? Will you break the bread and take the cup of the Lord, remembering the forgiveness He offered for all mankind, even Judas’?
When is the proper time? It is now the appointed time, and we now are the appointed people. It is grace that we’d have any time at all to make it right and to prepare, for those who call themselves by His name; they say they remember why He died, went to hell and rose, and as they eat and drink they say they are one with those purposes, and so they eat and drink for life and health and strength. Before eating they’ve decided to do as He did, live as He did, while still on earth.
Our gospel message is good news of the kingdom of God being established by those who will eat and drink with Him, and as Him now. It is not about being rescued out of the world so we have relief from this life. There are too many perishing for us who know Him to wait a whole life long for relief and then escape. Jesus prayed God would not take us out of the world too soon, but while we are here we’d keep our faith and stay the path and do the work of His ministry which He left us here as stewards of.
Go to the upper room and partake there. It is imperative that we get a higher view. It is crucial that we come up out of our present circumstances whatever they may be, and see as He has seen. If we stay inside of our own life’s trials and tribulations, we’ll never see who needs to be loved by Him and saved, all we’ll see is the affliction of our own souls and never be the saviors of our world. Do we remember Him? What He did, who He did it for, for what purpose, and love who He loves?
If we come up higher and really see that we’ll go for it with all of the compassion in us. Bringing His peace and governing rule through us to our families, cities, counties, states, nations and the world. Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost regions! This is accomplished only by being intimate enough to know Him personally and be as He is IN this world. It cannot be seen, nor can it be accomplished by casual observation and trial and error or good religious activity!
If we have no plans to be with Him as a partaker of His kingdom work, we have no reason to eat and drink with Him. The strength, life and health are to continue in the kingdom work.
Why did He have no more need to eat and drink until the kingdom comes? The eating and drinking, fellowship and remembering are for earth, they are for here and now, they are for the work of the ministry of Christ and of God to annihilate God’s enemy’s power at work in the earth and in the hearts of men and women. He who eats and drinks the Lord’s super says I have switched allegiances. I will not live for satan, or act as he acts, for he IS NOT My father any longer. 20After supper he took another cup of wine Jesus said those who drink this cup are in covenant with God! They agree with God’s work, not a part, but a whole.
When we enter a marriage covenant we don’t say, “Hey baby I’ll make covenant with you, I’ll drink and eat with you, but only some days, really only weekdays, but my weekends are my own!” That would not go over very well. It doesn’t go over very well with God either. Your spouse may not be able to see or know what you are doing but God always knows, for He even knows the heart! So to say to God, “I’m all in Lord” is ridiculous if you’re not. You cannot put on an act with God, and He IS looking for fruit on your “matured” fig tree. You can’t just act like you’re mature or look like it, you have to have fruit, which proves you are mature.
Servants will be leaders in God’s kingdom, both now and later on.
“Satan has asked to have all of you sifted as wheat.” Is that not scriptural? The harvest, the threshing floor, the mill, the grinder, the mixture, the oven, all equal the bread? The bread is the fruit, the produce. Just being harvested is NOT enough with God, we are to be bread as He was bread, remember?
Praise God for the grace of repentance when we are mistaken! Jesus said, “I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up your brothers." Jesus knew Peter’s heart more than Peter knew it himself.
This is our prescription also, Go on towards the process, if you fail, repent, and help others go on through the processing also.
PRAY, PRAY that you will NOT be overcome with temptation. Go on with the process, become bread and PRAY you will Not be overcome with temptation.
Not my will, but Yours Lord. His will is that we continue, go the distance, grow, produce, bring forth fruit. It is hard on the heart of God when we stay put, feet in the mud and won’t go on because we have more faith in failure than in His work in us. It is hard on Him when He has to wait and watch as years of our life are used up for everything else but His great work of salvation. That’s why He came, remember? He left the responsibility in the hands of 11 and told them to go do likewise. They began back at Genesis to be fruitful, multiply, fill, rule, and have dominion. This is where every Born Again believer is at as soon as they get Born Again, it is everyone’s Co-Mission with Their Lord.
Ya know the story of Ruth? Judas was a kisser, “yeah, yeah, sure I’m with you, yeah…”, those who stay are disciples, “cleavers”, covenant keepers.
Have you ever heard the word of the Lord casually and thought, “yeah yeah, that’s great, nice or whatever”? Then later it hit you in the face, and you realized how much you did not really pay attention to it with intent to do it? This happened to Peter, 61At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered. It is time to remember His words as never before. I’m gonna throw this one at ya. What IF, the Bibles in the good ol’ US of A were burned, or taken from us? What if? This trumpet has been sounding in our midst for about 3 years now. I did not use to read my Bible everyday, but I heard a call to and finally got it, there’s reason to “get it” now. One big reason is to know Him at His word, there are other reasons, I’m not sure what, but I hear the trumpet call.
Peter was not sure why or what, but there was a reason to listen and do. Noah was a trumpet and no one had to do what he said, in fact he wasn’t God why would men listen to Him? Yet when they wouldn’t they died? Moses was a trumpet, he called for Passover lambs to be prepared, no one had to listen to or obey Him, when they didn’t their firstborn sons were sacrificed instead, for their own disobedience. How would that make you feel? Your obstinance would try to haunt you, and disobedience does, in many forms.
Jesus has said to us, know Me and know My father in His word, be baptized, receive the Holy Spirit, Go into the world, Pray, worship, etc. Yet many do not regard His words, especially when human messengers try to relate them for God or His Son. They seem like fairy tales, until…..death comes, and even then some will not pay-heed….
Holy Bible, The New Living Translation

Daily Thought to Ponder -
“Oh Give Thanks to the Lord for He is Good!”