24 Within minutes they were bickering over who of them would end up the greatest. 25 But Jesus intervened: "Kings like to throw their weight around and people in authority like to give themselves fancy titles. 26 It's not going to be that way with you. Let the senior among you become like the junior; let the leader act the part of the servant. 27 "Who would you rather be: the one who eats the dinner or the one who serves the dinner? You'd rather eat and be served, right? But I've taken my place among you as the one who serves. 28 And you've stuck with me through thick and thin. 29 Now I confer on you the royal authority my Father conferred on me 30 so you can eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and be strengthened as you take up responsibilities among the congregations of God's people.
31 "Simon, stay on your toes. Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from me, like chaff from wheat. 32 Simon, I've prayed for you in particular that you not give in or give out. When you have come through the time of testing, turn to your companions and give them a fresh start." 33 Peter said, "Master, I'm ready for anything with you. I'd go to jail for you. I'd die for you!" 34 Jesus said, "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, Peter, but before the rooster crows you will have three times denied that you know me."
35 Then Jesus said, "When I sent you out and told you to travel light, to take only the bare necessities, did you get along all right?" "Certainly," they said, "we got along just fine." 36 He said, "This is different. Get ready for trouble. Look to what you'll need; there are difficult times ahead. Pawn your coat and get a sword. 37 What was written in Scripture, 'He was lumped in with the criminals,' gets its final meaning in me. Everything written about me is now coming to a conclusion." 38 They said, "Look, Master, two swords!" But he said, "Enough of that; no more sword talk!"
39 Leaving there, he went, as he so often did, to Mount Olives. The disciples followed him. 40 When they arrived at the place, he said, "Pray that you don't give in to temptation." 41 He pulled away from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and prayed, 42 "Father, remove this cup from me. But please, not what I want. What do you want?" 43 At once an angel from heaven was at his side, strengthening him. 44 He prayed on all the harder. Sweat, wrung from him like drops of blood, poured off his face. 45 He got up from prayer, went back to the disciples and found them asleep, drugged by grief. 46 He said, "What business do you have sleeping? Get up. Pray so you won't give in to temptation."
47 No sooner were the words out of his mouth than a crowd showed up, Judas, the one from the Twelve, in the lead. He came right up to Jesus to kiss him. 48 Jesus said, "Judas, you would betray the Son of Man with a kiss?" 49 When those with him saw what was happening, they said, "Master, shall we fight?" 50 One of them took a swing at the Chief Priest's servant and cut off his right ear. 51 Jesus said, "Let them be. Even in this." Then, touching the servant's ear, he healed him. 52 Jesus spoke to those who had come - high priests, Temple police, religion leaders: "What is this, jumping me with swords and clubs as if I were a dangerous criminal? 53 Day after day I've been with you in the Temple and you've not so much as lifted a hand against me. But do it your way - it's a dark night, a dark hour."
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.