Luke 22
1 Now the feast of unleavened bread, which is called the Passover, was approaching.
2 The chief priests and the scribes sought how they might put him to death, for they feared the people.
3 Satan entered into Judas, who was also called Iscariot, who was numbered with the twelve.
4 He went away, and talked with the chief priests and captains about how he might deliver him to them.
5 They were glad, and agreed to give him money.
6 He consented, and sought an opportunity to deliver him to them in the absence of the multitude.
7 The day of unleavened bread came, on which the Passover must be sacrificed.
8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.”
9 They said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare?”
10 He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered into the city, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him into the house which he enters.
11 Tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’
12 He will show you a large, furnished upper room. Make preparations there.”
13 They went, found things as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
14 When the hour had come, he sat down with the twelve apostles.
15 He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer,
16 for I tell you, I will no longer by any means eat of it until it is fulfilled in God’s Kingdom.”
17 He received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, “Take this, and share it among yourselves,
18 for I tell you, I will not drink at all again from the fruit of the vine, until God’s Kingdom comes.”
19 He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.”
20 Likewise, he took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
21 But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table.
22 For the Son of Man indeed goes, as it has been determined, but woe to that man through whom he is betrayed!”
23 They began to question among themselves which of them it was who would do this thing.
24 There also arose a dispute among them about which of them was considered to be greatest.
25 He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’
26 But not so with you. But one who is the greater among you, let him become as the younger, and one who is governing, as one who serves.
27 For who is greater, one who sits at the table, or one who serves? Isn’t it he who sits at the table? But I am in the middle of you as one who serves.
28 But you are those who have continued with me in my trials.
29 I confer on you a kingdom, even as my Father conferred on me,
30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. You will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
31 The Lord said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat,
32 but I prayed for you, that your faith wouldn’t fail. You, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
33 He said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death!”
34 He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you deny that you know me three times.”
35 He said to them, “When I sent you out without purse, wallet, and sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.”
36 Then he said to them, “But now, whoever has a purse, let him take it, and likewise a wallet. Whoever has none, let him sell his cloak, and buy a sword.
37 For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in me: ‘He was counted with transgressors.’ For that which concerns me has an end.”
38 They said, “Lord, behold, here are two swords.” He said to them, “That is enough.”
39 He came out, and went, as his custom was, to the Mount of Olives. His disciples also followed him.
40 When he was at the place, he said to them, “Pray that you don’t enter into temptation.”
41 He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and he knelt down and prayed,
42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done.”
43 An angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him.
44 Being in agony he prayed more earnestly. His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.
45 When he rose up from his prayer, he came to the disciples, and found them sleeping because of grief,
46 and said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
47 While he was still speaking, behold, a crowd appeared. He who was called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He came near to Jesus to kiss him.
48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”
49 When those who were around him saw what was about to happen, they said to him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?”
50 A certain one of them struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.
51 But Jesus answered, “Let me at least do this”—and he touched his ear, and healed him.
52 Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and elders, who had come against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs?
53 When I was daily with you in the temple, you didn’t stretch out your hands against me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”
54 They seized him, and led him away, and brought him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed from a distance.
55 When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard, and had sat down together, Peter sat in the middle of them.
56 A certain servant girl saw him as he sat in the light, and looking intently at him, said, “This man also was with him.”
57 He denied Jesus, saying, “Woman, I don’t know him.”
58 After a little while someone else saw him, and said, “You also are one of them!” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”
59 After about one hour passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Truly this man also was with him, for he is a Galilean!”
60 But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
61 The Lord turned, and looked at Peter. Peter remembered the Lord’s word, how he said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”
62 He went out, and wept bitterly.
63 The men who held Jesus mocked him and beat him.
64 Having blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck you?”
65 They spoke many other things against him, insulting him.
66 As soon as it was day, the assembly of the elders of the people was gathered together, both chief priests and scribes, and they led him away into their council, saying,
67 “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you won’t believe,
68 and if I ask, you will in no way answer me or let me go.
69 From now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”
70 They all said, “Are you then the Son of God?” He said to them, “You say it, because I am.”
71 They said, “Why do we need any more witness? For we ourselves have heard from his own mouth!”
Luke 22 Commentary
Chapter Overview
Luke 22 begins with religious leaders seeking a quiet way to kill Jesus while Judas agrees to betray him. Jesus deliberately prepares the Passover with his disciples, and the meal interprets what is about to happen: his body will be given, his blood will establish the new covenant, and his death will become the saving center of Christian remembrance.
The disciples respond to Jesus’ warning of betrayal by questioning themselves, but they soon argue about which of them is greatest. Jesus contrasts worldly rule with his own pattern of service and promises a kingdom to those who remain with him. He then warns Peter that severe testing is coming, while also assuring him that intercession, failure, repentance, and future ministry all lie ahead.
The final movement takes Jesus from the Mount of Olives to arrest, denial, abuse, and examination before the council. He prays in anguish yet submits to the Father, refuses violent resistance, heals an enemy, and speaks truth under accusation. Human treachery and spiritual darkness are real, but neither removes Jesus’ willing obedience or God’s sovereign purpose.
Key Themes
The Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover remembered Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Luke places Jesus’ death within that story of rescue. He is not caught by events he failed to anticipate; he enters the feast knowing he will suffer. The exodus pattern is reaching a deeper fulfillment as deliverance from sin is accomplished through his self-giving death.
Satan’s entrance into Judas reveals a spiritual dimension behind the betrayal, but it does not erase Judas’s responsibility. Judas goes to the authorities, accepts their arrangement, and looks for a private opportunity. Scripture can describe demonic influence and accountable human choice together. Evil works through willing decisions, while God remains able to accomplish redemption without approving the treachery that serves it.
Jesus directs Peter and John to a furnished upper room through carefully specified circumstances. The preparation shows quiet authority in a dangerous city. Whether the room was arranged beforehand or identified through miraculous knowledge, Luke emphasizes that Jesus governs the setting of his final meal. His passion unfolds according to divine purpose, not merely according to the plans of his enemies.
Jesus says he has earnestly desired to eat this Passover before suffering. His words combine affection and resolve. The meal is a final fellowship with the Twelve and a sign of the Kingdom banquet. As betrayal approaches, Jesus gives himself and looks beyond death toward God’s reign.
The bread signifies Jesus’ body given for his followers, and the cup signifies the new covenant in his blood. Christian traditions differ over precisely how Christ is present in the Lord’s Supper, but the passage clearly joins the meal to his sacrificial death. Communion is not a celebration of human achievement; it receives, remembers, and proclaims what Jesus gives.
The command to remember Jesus is rooted in Passover remembrance, which made God’s saving act central to Israel’s identity. Christian remembrance is more than recalling information. The church returns to Christ’s death as the basis of forgiveness, fellowship, hope, and obedience. The meal also points forward, because Jesus speaks of future fulfillment in the Kingdom of God.
The new covenant language recalls God’s promise to forgive sin, transform hearts, and establish renewed relationship with his people. Jesus declares that this covenant is inaugurated through his blood. The disciples do not secure it through loyalty—they will fail within hours. Its foundation is Christ’s faithful self-offering, which creates a people who live by received mercy rather than spiritual boasting.
Jesus identifies betrayal at the table without treating divine foreknowledge as an excuse for the betrayer. The Son of Man goes according to God’s determined purpose, yet woe remains upon the person who hands him over. God’s sovereignty can incorporate sinful actions into redemption while preserving moral accountability. Mystery should not be resolved by denying either truth.
The dispute over greatness exposes how slowly the disciples understand the cross. At the table where Jesus gives himself, they compare status. He rejects the pattern of rulers who dominate while styling themselves benefactors. Greatness in his community is expressed through humble service, not titles, public importance, or the ability to make others serve one’s ambitions.
Jesus presents himself as the one who serves, even though he is rightly the master of the table. His authority is not diminished by service; its true character is revealed through it. Christian leadership therefore follows a cruciform pattern. It accepts responsibility, uses power for others’ good, and refuses to confuse visibility, control, or privilege with spiritual maturity.
The promise of a kingdom, a table, and thrones assures the apostles that present humiliation will not be the final verdict. Their future role rests on Jesus’ appointment and grace. The language also reminds readers that participation in Christ’s reign follows companionship with the suffering Messiah. Kingdom honor cannot be separated from faithful endurance and servant-shaped discipleship.
Satan demands to sift the disciples like wheat, but Jesus tells Peter that he has prayed for him so his faith will not finally fail. Peter’s confidence in himself collapses, yet Christ’s intercession preserves him through the collapse. Failure is serious, but it need not be final. When Peter turns back, he is to strengthen others from the humility of restored faith.
Jesus’ earlier mission instructions sent the disciples with unusual dependence and hospitality, but circumstances are changing. Purse, bag, and sword language announces approaching hostility and the fulfillment of Scripture that counts Jesus among lawbreakers. Two swords cannot represent a military strategy, and Jesus soon stops their use. The passage prepares them for danger, not revolt.
At the Mount of Olives, Jesus tells the disciples to pray so they will not enter temptation. The command links spiritual vigilance with dependence on God. Their sleep is partly explained by sorrow, yet grief does not remove the need to pray. Pressure can dull attention, making prayer especially necessary when the heart feels least capable.
Jesus asks that the cup be removed, revealing the genuine horror of the suffering before him. He does not approach death with emotional detachment. Yet his prayer ends in willing submission: the Father’s will, not his own immediate desire, must be done. Biblical faith can express anguish honestly while entrusting the final outcome to God.
Judas uses a kiss, a sign of friendship, to identify Jesus. The betrayal is therefore personal as well as political. When a disciple strikes the high priest’s servant, Jesus ends the violence and heals the wound. His Kingdom does not advance through panic-driven force, and even in arrest he shows mercy to someone aligned with those seizing him.
Jesus names the arrest as the opponents’ hour and the power of darkness. Their secrecy contrasts with his public teaching in the temple. Darkness appears to gain control, but its hour is limited. Luke holds together the ugliness of evil and the purpose of God: the authorities act unjustly, yet Jesus continues toward the redemption he has freely embraced.
Important Verses
Luke 22:19 says, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.” The verse interprets Jesus’ death as a voluntary gift for others and establishes a continuing act of remembrance. The church comes to the table not merely to admire Jesus’ example but to receive again the announcement that salvation depends on his given body.
Luke 22:20 calls the cup “the new covenant in my blood.” Jesus connects his death with covenant-making sacrifice and promised forgiveness. The cross is not an accidental interruption of his ministry; it is the means by which a renewed people of God is formed. Communion joins gratitude for accomplished redemption with hope for the Kingdom still to come.
Luke 22:26 says that the greatest should become like the youngest and the leader like one who serves. Jesus overturns status systems without abolishing responsibility. Authority remains, but its purpose changes. A Christian leader does not use people to enlarge personal importance; leadership is measured by faithful service, protection of others, and conformity to Christ.
Luke 22:32 records Jesus’ prayer for Peter and his command, “Once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Jesus anticipates both denial and restoration. Peter’s future usefulness will not rest on an unbroken record but on grace that brings him back. Restored believers can strengthen others when they speak with repentance, gratitude, and dependence rather than superiority.
Luke 22:42 gives the heart of Gethsemane: “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” Submission does not mean Jesus feels no conflict or pain. He names his desire and then entrusts himself to the Father. The verse models prayer in suffering: honest request, reverent surrender, and continued obedience when the answer is costly.
Luke 22:46 repeats the call to rise and pray against temptation. The disciples’ danger is not solved by good intentions or physical nearness to Jesus. They need spiritual wakefulness. Prayer does not make believers incapable of failure, but it turns them toward the One who supplies strength, exposes self-confidence, and enables obedience under pressure.
Luke 22:51 records Jesus saying, “Let me at least do this,” before healing the servant’s ear. The final healing before the cross is given to an enemy injured by misguided defense. Jesus refuses to let his arrest become the beginning of a violent uprising. Mercy remains active even when he is being treated with profound injustice.
Luke 22:61 says the Lord turned and looked at Peter after the third denial. Luke does not describe the expression, but the remembered word breaks Peter’s self-deception. The look brings conviction without ending the relationship Jesus has already promised to restore. Peter leaves weeping bitterly, the necessary sorrow that will precede renewed service.
Luke 22:69 declares that the Son of Man will sit at the right hand of God’s power. The prisoner speaks as the coming ruler. The council may judge Jesus in the present, but God will vindicate him and reverse the verdict. His identity cannot be settled by mockery, political expedience, or religious consensus; final authority belongs to God.
Application
Come to the Lord’s Table with gratitude, self-examination, and hope. Remember that Jesus gives himself for sinners before the disciples prove faithful. Communion should deepen trust in his sacrifice, repair fellowship, and renew expectation of the Kingdom. It should never become either an empty routine or a badge of spiritual superiority.
Measure leadership by service. Whether influence is exercised in a church, family, workplace, or ministry, reject the desire to be treated as a benefactor whose importance must be celebrated. Use authority to protect, equip, listen, and bear burdens. Jesus’ example asks not merely whether a leader gets results, but whether people are served in a Christlike way.
Respond to failure with repentance rather than despair or denial. Peter’s story warns against confident promises built on self-knowledge, but it also reveals Christ’s restoring grace. When sin is exposed, remember Jesus’ word, grieve honestly, return to him, and accept the responsibility to strengthen others without pretending the failure was harmless.
Pray before pressure becomes crisis. The disciples sleep while temptation approaches, but Jesus repeatedly directs them toward prayer. Build habits of dependence in ordinary days so fear, sorrow, or exhaustion does not entirely govern difficult ones. In anguish, bring specific desires to God and join them to the deeper request that his wise will be done.
Reject the use of violence or coercion to defend Jesus’ Kingdom. The sword stroke misunderstands the way of the Messiah, and Jesus repairs the harm it causes. Christians may debate civic force and personal protection in other contexts, but this scene clearly forbids advancing Christ’s mission through retaliatory aggression, intimidation, or hatred of opponents.
Remain truthful when loyalty becomes costly. Judas hides betrayal behind affection, Peter protects himself through denial, and the council seeks confirmation for a verdict already desired. Jesus alone speaks and acts with steady integrity. Discipleship calls for honest allegiance in private arrangements, public questioning, and fearful moments, trusting that God’s final judgment matters more than immediate approval.