24 And there was an argument among them about which of them was the greatest. 25 And he said, The kings of the Gentiles are lords over them, and those who have authority are given names of honour. 26 But let it not be so with you; but he who is greater, let him become like the younger; and he who is chief, like a servant. 27 For which is greater, the guest who is seated at a meal or the servant who is waiting on him? is it not the guest? but I am among you as a servant. 28 But you are those who have kept with me through my troubles; 29 And I will give you a kingdom as my Father has given one to me, 30 So that you may take food and drink at my table in my kingdom, and be seated like kings, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
31 Simon, Simon, Satan has made a request to have you, so that he may put you to the test as grain is tested: 32 But I have made prayer for you, that your faith may not go from you: and when you are turned again, make your brothers strong. 33 And he said to him, Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death. 34 And he said, I say to you, Peter, before the cock's second cry today, you will say three times that you have no knowledge of me.
35 And he said to them, When I sent you out without money or bag or shoes, were you in need of anything? And they said, Nothing. 36 And he said to them, But now, he who has a money-bag, or a bag for food, let him take it: and he who has not, let him give his coat for money and get a sword. 37 For I say to you that these words will be put into effect in me, And he was numbered among the evil-doers: for what has been said in the Writings about me has an end. 38 And they said, Lord, here are two swords. And he said, It is enough.
39 And he came out, and went, as his way was, to the Mountain of Olives, and the disciples went with him. 40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, Make a prayer that you may not be put to the test. 41 And he went a little distance away from them and, falling on his knees in prayer, he said, 42 Father, if it is your pleasure, take this cup from me: but still, let your pleasure, not mine, be done. 43 And an angel from heaven came to him, to give him strength. 44 And being in great trouble of soul, the force of his prayer became stronger, and great drops, like blood, came from him, falling to the earth. 45 And, getting up from prayer, he came to the disciples, and saw that they were sleeping for sorrow. 46 And he said, Why are you sleeping? Get up, and give yourselves to prayer, so that you may not be put to the test.
47 And while he was saying these words, there came a band of people, and Judas, one of the twelve, was in front of them, and he came near to Jesus to give him a kiss. 48 But Jesus said to him, Judas, will you be false to the Son of man with a kiss? 49 And when those who were with him saw what was coming, they said, Lord, may we not make use of our swords? 50 And one of them gave a blow to the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. 51 But Jesus, answering, said, Put up with this, at least. And touching his ear, he made it well. 52 And Jesus said to the chief priests and the captains of the Temple and the rulers, who had come against him, Have you come out as against a thief, with swords and sticks? 53 When I was in the Temple with you every day, your hands were not stretched out against me: but this is your hour, and the authority of the dark power.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Luke 22:24-53
Commentary on Luke 22:21-38
(Read Luke 22:21-38)
How unbecoming is the worldly ambition of being the greatest, to the character of a follower of Jesus, who took upon him the form of a servant, and humbled himself to the death of the cross! In the way to eternal happiness, we must expect to be assaulted and sifted by Satan. If he cannot destroy, he will try to disgrace or distress us. Nothing more certainly forebodes a fall, in a professed follower of Christ, than self-confidence, with disregard to warnings, and contempt of danger. Unless we watch and pray always, we may be drawn in the course of the day into those sins which we were in the morning most resolved against. If believers were left to themselves, they would fall; but they are kept by the power of God, and the prayer of Christ. Our Lord gave notice of a very great change of circumstances now approaching. The disciples must not expect that their friends would be kind to them as they had been. Therefore, he that has a purse, let him take it, for he may need it. They must now expect that their enemies would be more fierce than they had been, and they would need weapons. At the time the apostles understood Christ to mean real weapons, but he spake only of the weapons of the spiritual warfare. The sword of the Spirit is the sword with which the disciples of Christ must furnish themselves.
Commentary on Luke 22:39-46
(Read Luke 22:39-46)
Every description which the evangelists give of the state of mind in which our Lord entered upon this conflict, proves the tremendous nature of the assault, and the perfect foreknowledge of its terrors possessed by the meek and lowly Jesus. Here are three things not in the other evangelists. 1. When Christ was in his agony, there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. It was a part of his humiliation that he was thus strengthened by a ministering spirit. 2. Being in agony, he prayed more earnestly. Prayer, though never out of season, is in a special manner seasonable when we are in an agony. 3. In this agony his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down. This showed the travail of his soul. We should pray also to be enabled to resist unto the shedding of our blood, striving against sin, if ever called to it. When next you dwell in imagination upon the delights of some favourite sin, think of its effects as you behold them here! See its fearful effects in the garden of Gethsemane, and desire, by the help of God, deeply to hate and to forsake that enemy, to ransom sinners from whom the Redeemer prayed, agonized, and bled.
Commentary on Luke 22:47-53
(Read Luke 22:47-53)
Nothing can be a greater affront or grief to the Lord Jesus, than to be betrayed by those who profess to be his followers, and say that they love him. Many instances there are, of Christ's being betrayed by those who, under the form of godliness, fight against the power of it. Jesus here gave an illustrious example of his own rule of doing good to those that hate us, as afterwards he did of praying for those that despitefully use us. Corrupt nature warps our conduct to extremes; we should seek for the Lord's direction before we act in difficult circumstances. Christ was willing to wait for his triumphs till his warfare was accomplished, and we must be so too. But the hour and the power of darkness were short, and such the triumphs of the wicked always will be.