This transcript was generated by whisper.ai.

Welcome to day two of week five of our look together through the book of Luke,
chapter 22. Today as we walk through a chapter a day, this chapter, Luke chapter
22, any moment in this chapter could take months of study. There's a depth of
meaning and history and spirituality and understanding of who God is throughout
this chapter.

Going through this entire chapter in a few minutes together, it's a reminder to
us. We may not be getting in depth into it, but it is a reminder to us of how
these events came upon Jesus and his disciples. It was all in one night.

It all came at them at once. It was a whirlwind of activity. It begins with
something not all of them knew about.

It begins with a betrayal. Now the feast of unleavened bread called the Passover
was approaching. The chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for
some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.

Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the twelve. Judas went to the
chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how
he might betray Jesus. This chapter looks with looking forward to a betrayal of
Jesus.

In this chapter we're going to see Jesus being betrayed, but before that happens
we go from this moment of betrayal to a moment of intimacy of worship together
with his disciples. In verses seven and eight, "Then came the day of unleavened
bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed, and Jesus sent Peter and
John saying, 'Go and make preparations for us to eat this Passover. '" The
Passover was a religious and a family celebration for every Jewish boy, Jewish
girl, Jewish family.

So Peter and John, as they made these preparations, they knew exactly what to
do. It's for many of us like Christmas would be today. It was the yearly
celebration they looked forward to, and Jesus had looked forward to eating this
Passover with them.

They make all the preparations, and then in verse 14, "When the hour came, Jesus
and his apostles reclined to the table, and he said to them, 'I have eagerly
desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, for I tell you, I will
not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God. ' After
taking the cup, he gave thanks, and said, 'Take this and divide it among you,
for I tell you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the
kingdom of God comes. ' And he took bread, gave thanks, and broke it, and gave
it to them, saying, 'This is my body given for you.

Do this in remembrance of me. ' In the same way, after the supper, he took the
cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for
you, but the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. '"
What a holy moment.

These disciples gather together, and Jesus looks forward to what's going to
happen on the cross. Even as you and I, when we take the Lord's Supper together,
when we take communion together, there is this sense of holiness as we look back
to what Jesus did for us. These first disciples, this first communion, it
happened before the cross.

Looking forward with faith to what Jesus was going to do for them the very next
day, give his life on the cross. But even as Jesus is talking to them in this
holy moment, he's also being honest with them about the fact that Judas is there
ready to betray him. Now, in this holy moment, how did the disciples respond to
all of this?

Like most of us would, the focus was on them and not on Jesus. We tend to do
that. Instead of putting the focus on Jesus, we put the focus on ourselves, and
so we miss it.

Listen to what happened. Verse 23, "They began to question among themselves
which one of them it might be who would do this. Also a dispute arose among them
about which of them was considered to be the greatest.

Jesus said to them, 'The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who
exercise authority over them call themselves benefactors, but you are not to be
like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the
one who rules like the one who serves. '" So here are the disciples, just like
you and I, struggling in this very moment, arguing about who's the greatest.

Jesus understood, just like he understands me, he understands you, and we
struggle, and so he teaches them. Don't worry about who's the greatest. Really,
the greatest is the one who serves.

The greatest is the one who acts like the youngest. He talked to Peter about the
fact, as they're talking about the greatest, Peter's really, "I'm going to be
great, Lord. I am never going to struggle," and Jesus has an honest talk with
Peter about the fact there's going to come a day very soon when you deny me.

Before the rooster crows, you're going to deny me three times. They didn't
understand. There were a lot of confusion, and in the midst of that confusion
about what to do next, Jesus says, "We're going to the garden.

" They say, "Should we take some swords? " Jesus says, "All right, if you have
to. " You can tell he understands that they don't understand, and they head out
to the garden of Gethsemane.

And what happened there? Here, again, is one of those holy moments in this
chapter. In verses 39 to 45, Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and
his disciples followed him.

On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into
temptation. " He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down, and
prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me, yet not my will, but
yours be done. " An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him, and
being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of
blood falling to the ground.

When he rose from the prayer, he went back to the disciples. He found them
asleep, exhausted from sorrow. Jesus is praying this awesome prayer in the
garden of Gethsemane, knowing that he was going to die on the cross the next
day.

He still entrusts himself to the Father, and he says, "Father, if there's any
other way for the salvation of mankind, then take this cup from me. " But he
knows in his heart that there is no other way, so he says, "Yet not my will, but
yours be done. " Jesus did not want to undergo the physical torture of the
cross, but even more, he did not want to undergo the spiritual torture of the
cross, taking all the sins of mankind upon a most holy God.

If there's any other way, God, let it be, but nevertheless, your will be done.
He's asked his disciples to pray for him, and he goes back, and what happens? He
finds them asleep.

As I was reading through Luke this time, I noticed something I never noticed.
Why did they fall asleep? Did you notice?

They were exhausted from sorrow. Ever felt like that? Just exhausted from
sorrow?

The disciples fell asleep because of their great sadness. They did not
understand all that was happening, but they understood that they were on the
edge of a great loss. They understood that Judas had left their group for some
reason.

They understood that something terrible was on the horizon, and it's not long.
They're awakened, and Judas shows up with the Roman Guard, and he betrays Jesus
with a kiss. Upon that betrayal, immediately follows the arrest, the trial of
Jesus.

In verse 54, "Then seizing him," the Roman Guard, "they led him away, and they
took him into the house of the high priest. " Peter followed at a distance.
Peter, when he gets to this trial, he's out in the courtyard, and he's
challenged.

"Didn't you know Jesus? Weren't you one of his followers? " It happens three
times, and three times, and who knows why?

Because he was afraid, because he didn't want to be chased away from the trial,
because he didn't want to be identified with Jesus, because he just didn't want
to have the hassle of talking about it. Who knows the motivation? Three times,
though, Peter says, "I don't know him.

I am not one of his followers. " Three times, he denies Jesus. And then, there
comes another holy moment.

To me, one of the most emotional moments at all of the book of Luke. Peter has
denied Jesus three times. The rooster crows.

Then in verses 61 and 62, "Then the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter,
and then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him, 'Before the
rooster crows today, you will disown me three times. ' And he went outside, and
he wept bitterly. " That moment, that holy moment, in the midst of his trial, in
the midst of looking forward to his crucifixion, Jesus knows that Peter is
there, and he turns, and he looks at Peter.

I don't believe he had the look of disappointment, like, "You're never going to
be able to make this right, The look of Jesus is always a look of hope, but it
was also a look of honesty. " And Peter couldn't look him in the eye, because he
had said he'd never reject him, and yet he'd rejected him. He had to get back to
the place, and he's going to get there after the resurrection, he had to get
back to the place where he could look Jesus in the eye.

The question for you and me is, can you look Jesus in the eye right now? If he's
to turn and look at you about that situation, about that relationship, about
that thing that you said, if there's anything between you and him, make it right
with him right now. He wants to make it right.

That's why he died on the cross. That's why he's going to do what he's going to
do as we read through the rest of this chapter, so that you can look him in the
eye, forgiven because of what he's done. While Peter is outside weeping, the
mock trial of Jesus continues.

The Roman powers, in verse 63, the men who were guarding Jesus began mocking him
and beating him. They blindfolded him and demanded, "Prophesy who hit you. " The
Jewish religious leaders, in verse 66, at daybreak, the council of the elders of
the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together,
and Jesus was led before them.

"If you are the Christ," they said, "tell us. " Jesus answered, "If I tell you,
you will not believe me. " Here they are, all coming together against Jesus.

So who is it? This is the question many people have. Who is it that actually
condemned Jesus to death?

Was it the Roman powers or was it the Jewish religious leaders? It was neither.
Oh, they were part of the process.

Historically they were the ones that happened to be there, but they weren't the
ones that condemned Jesus to death. Who condemned Jesus to death? I did.

You did. Jesus died for my sin. He died for your sin.

He chose to die for those things that would have kept me from relationship with
God, not only in this earth but for all eternity. So the thought that some
people have of who is to blame, it's always made me scratch my head. I'm to
blame.

You're to blame. We're all to blame. It's really not about blame.

It's really about choice. Jesus chose to give his life for us. Jesus chose to go
through this ridicule through these trials.

Why? Because he loves you. Let's pray together.

Lord, as we think about Peter and that look from Jesus, we don't want to look
into your eyes and feel feelings of guilt or shame or rejection, and we see in
the cross that we do not have to. So I pray that if we've been feeling that way
recently, if guilt has been overwhelming, help us to go to the cross. Help us to
find new hope and new faith in you.

So Jesus, we can look you in the eye, forgiven because of what you've done. We
can look you in the eye, looking forward to the future that you have for us. In
your name we ask this.

Amen. Tomorrow, Jesus gives the greatest gift. He makes the greatest sacrifice.