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That You May Know The Certainty
Lesson 23: Jesus’s Death, Part 1 (Luke 22:39-23:12)
Jesus had spent several days in Jerusalem. During this time, He taught in the temple and spent time with His disciples, particularly in observing the Passover. He has also worked to prepare His disciples for what was about to happen.
Jesus’s Prayer And Arrest At Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-53)
22:39-46. Jesus and His disciples went to the Mount of Olives (John 18:1; about half a mile from Jerusalem; Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42), where Jesus often spent time (Luke 21:37; John 18:2). Jesus entered the garden called Gethsemane and took Peter, James, and John farther (Matthew 26:36-37). He urged them to pray that they would not fall into temptation (Matthew 6:13). Jesus went about a stone’s throw from them, knelt down, and prayed. He prayed that the cup of suffering and sorrow He was about to drink might be taken away from Him (i.e. that another way would be provided to make atonement for sin). Yet, Jesus also prayed for God’s will to be done and expressed His commitment to obey the Father (Philippians 2:5-11). Then, an angel appeared to strengthen Jesus (Matthew 4:11). Jesus prayed even more fervently in His anguish – so much that His sweat was like drops of blood (perhaps metaphorical or a medical condition brought on by extreme stress, called hematidrosis). Jesus prayed and interacted with the disciples three times, finding them asleep each time, exhausted from grief. However, Jesus urged them to get up and pray that they would not fall into temptation, indicating the willingness of the flesh but the weakness of the spirit (Matthew 26:41).
22:47-53. As Jesus was still speaking to His disciples, Judas led an armed mob to arrest Him (Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52), including chief priests, scribes, Pharisees, elders, temple police, and soldiers (Mark 14:43; John 18:3). Judas knew Jesus spent time in this place and found Jesus away from the people (John 18:2). Jesus identified Himself as Jesus of Nazareth and urged that His disciples would be let go (John 18:4-9). Judas then performed the agreed upon sign of a kiss (Matthew 26:48-49). Jesus asked Judas about betraying the Son of Man with a kiss. Seeing they had come to arrest Jesus, Jesus’s disciples asked if they should fight and Peter cut off the high priest’s servant’s right ear. However, Jesus rebuked them (Matthew 26:52-54; John 18:11) and healed the man’s ear. Jesus asked the mob why they came to arrest Him as a criminal despite the fact He had been with them every day in the temple without being arrested. Yet, this was now their hour, an hour that belonged to the darkness of Satan (Mark 14:49).
Jesus Before The Sanhedrin (Luke 22:54-71)
22:54-62. Jesus was arrested and all the disciples fled (Matthew 26:56). Jesus was brought before Annas and Caiaphas (the high priest) and the Sanhedrin (highest Jewish council) that night (Matthew 26:57, 59; Mark 14:53, 55; John 18:12-14, 19-24). Peter, though followed Jesus from a distance (along with another disciple, John 18:15) to see what would happen, into the high priest’s courtyard (Matthew 26:69-75; Mark 14:66-72; John 18:15-18, 25-27). Sitting around a fire with others in the middle of the courtyard, a servant girl of the high priest looked closely at Peter and said he was with Jesus. But Peter denied it (and a rooster crowed, Mark 14:68). A short time later, apparently at least three people (Matthew 26:71; Mark 14:69; John 18:25) joined together to question Peter as being one of Jesus’s disciples. Yet, he denied knowing what they were talking about. Then, about an hour later, another (a relative of the man whose ear Peter cut off, John 18:26) was insistent in accusing that Peter was with Jesus, being identified as Galilean (by his accent, Matthew 26:73). Once more, Peter adamantly denied Jesus. Before he finished speaking, a rooster crowed. Jesus (visible to Peter at that moment) turned and looked at Peter and Peter remembered what Jesus had said previously about denying Him (Luke 22:31-34). Peter then went outside and wept bitterly.
22:63-65. Jesus had been taken before Annas and was then led to Caiaphas, where the Sanhedrin convened overnight (John 18:12-14, 19-24; Matthew 26:57-68). Through this period, Jesus was mocked and beaten. Luke records Jesus being blindfolded and mocked to say who hit Him, along with many other blasphemous things (Matthew 26:67-68; Mark 14:65).
22:66-71. After daybreak, Jesus was again brought before the Sanhedrin (consisting of elders, chief priests, and scribes). The Sanhedrin had to wait until daybreak to legally assemble and condemn Jesus to death. They asked Jesus to tell them if He was the Messiah, to incriminate Himself. Jesus said they would not believe Him and would not answer if He asked them. So, He told them the Son of Man would be seated at the right hand of the power of God from now on (affirming Him as the Messianic King, Daniel 7:9-11; Acts 2:32-36). They understood Jesus was claiming to be the Son of God who would sit at God’s right hand (implying His Divinity) and asked Him about such. Jesus did not incriminate Himself but said they claimed such. They now concluded they had sufficient evidence (of blasphemy) to have Jesus killed (Leviticus 24:16).
Jesus Before Pilate And Herod Antipas (Luke 23:1-12)
23:1-5. Jesus was taken to the Roman governor of Judea, Pilate (Matthew 27:1-2; Mark 15:1-5; John 18:28-38). Seeing Jesus was condemned, Judas was remorseful, returned the silver, and hanged himself (Matthew 27:3-5). The Sanhedrin accused Jesus before Pilate of misleading their nation, opposing the payment of taxes to Caesar, and claiming He is the Messiah (King), knowing the charges would have to be substantial for Pilate to put Jesus to death (John 18:29-31). Pilate asked Jesus about the charge of Him being the King of the Jews. Jesus’s answer indicated that it was true but stated the spiritual nature of His kingdom (John 18:33-38). Pilate then announced before the chief priests and crowd that He found no grounds for charging Jesus! This, however, did not suffice the Jews, as they kept insisting that He had stirred up the people in His teaching throughout Judea and Galilee.
23:6-12. Hearing that Jesus was a Galilean and with Herod (Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee and Perea) being in Jerusalem at that time, Pilate apparently thought he had a solution to pass the situation on to Herod. Herod was glad to see Jesus, wanting to see Him for a long time due to what he had heard about Jesus and hoping to see some miracle performed. Despite Herod asking questions, Jesus did not answer (Isaiah 53:7). The Jewish leaders were also making forceful accusations against Him. Getting no answers from Jesus, Herod and his soldiers had Jesus treated with contempt, mocked, and dressed in bright clothing (perhaps expensive/luxurious for the purpose of mocking). Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate. Herod and Pilate became friends that day though previously being enemies.
Conclusion
The time for all Jesus had foretold was now. He had now been arrested, betrayed, denied, and forsaken. He had also been falsely accused, mocked, and beaten. Despite His innocence, Jesus was on His way to being put to death.
