DEADLY
DEAL
LUKE
22:1-6
Luke
22:1-2 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the
Passover. And
the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared
the people.
Susan: The
Passover commemorated the night of the tenth plague in Egypt. God slew the
firstborn children and cattle of the Egyptians. He had Moses instruct the
Israelites how to avoid this calamity. They were to sprinkle the blood of a lamb
or goat without any defect (foreshadowing the blood of God’s perfect Lamb,
Jesus) on the doorposts and lintels of their dwelling places. When God saw the
blood, He would “pass over” that house and not kill the firstborn there. You
can read the account of this event in Exodus chapter 12 and see that God set it
up as a perpetual, commemorative celebration that is still observed by the
Jewish people today.
Susie: The
religious leaders may have been planning to wait until after the feast of
unleavened bread, the Passover, to find a way to kill Jesus when there were
fewer people in Jerusalem because they feared His supporters would riot. However, God orchestrated the timing of
Jesus’s death to be at exactly when Passover lambs were being killed. Jesus was
the final Passover Lamb whose blood saves those who trust in Him from sin and
death. Jesus’s death ended the need for the Jewish sacrificial system as no
greater sacrifice could be made.
Luke
22:3 Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of
the twelve.
John
Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible as quoted at
Then
entered Satan into Judas,.... At the same time that the Sanhedrim were sitting,
and consulting about the death of Christ, Satan, or the adversary, as the word
signifies, the devil, who is the enemy of the Messiah, the woman's seed,
entered into Judas; not corporeally, as he did into those that were possessed by
him; but he entered "into his heart", as the Ethiopic version renders
it; he put it into his heart to betray him, as it is said in John 13:2 he
stirred up, and worked upon the corruptions of his heart; suggested evil things
to his mind, and baited his temptations agreeable to his malice and
covetousness . . .
Susie: Judas
did not behave as the obviously demon-possessed people Jesus and His disciples
had encountered during His three years of ministry. However, Satan was pulling
the strings of Judas Iscariot’s heart and mind to cause him to betray the Lord.
Susan: Many
commentators speculate on the motive Judas had for betraying Jesus. Some say he
may have been trying to force Jesus’s hand to lead an uprising and declare
Himself king. Others say Judas only followed Jesus as a possible way to gain
wealth or prestige. It is noted that scripture never records Judas as calling
Jesus “Lord” but only “Rabbi” meaning “Teacher.” An excellent article on this
topic may be found at https://www.gotquestions.org/Judas-betray-Jesus.html.
Luke
22:4-6 And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains,
how he might betray him unto them. And they were glad, and covenanted to give
him money. And he
promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the
multitude.
Susan: Judas
approached the religious leaders and conspired with them to deliver Jesus to
them away from the crowds. Both the priests and Judas wanted to capture Jesus privately,
the priests to avoid a coup and Judas to minimize his own shame.
Susie: Matthew’s
gospel tells us the exact amount Judas was paid:
Matthew
26:14-15 (ESV) Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to
the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to
you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver.
Susie: Thirty
pieces of silver was the price of a slave. Judas handed Jesus, the Messiah,
over to those who would have Him killed for the mere sum it would take to buy a
slave. This exact sum was prophesied by Zechariah. Too late, Judas would regret
taking this bribe and throw it on the temple floor.
Zechariah
11:13 And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—that princely price
they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the
house of the Lord for the potter.
MacArthur
Study Bible
Zechariah
11:13 The prophet received further instruction in acting out the drama that
pictures the rejection of Christ, namely to throw the 30 pieces into the
temple. This was fulfilled when Judas Iscariot, laden with guilt, went back and
threw the blood money on the temple floor. The priests gathered the money and
used it to buy a field from a potter (cf. Matt. 27:3–10). princely price. This ultimate sarcasm from God greeted the ultimate
insult from humanity.
Ponder
this and Apply it: It is difficult for us to reconcile the fact
that Judas could walk alongside Jesus during His earthly ministry and still be
unbelieving. However, this shows us that there may be people who are only
“going through the motions” or even what the Bible calls “tares among the
wheat” (Matthew 13:24-40). There are those who have not yet trusted Jesus and
are still relying on their own good works. These we need to lovingly show the
truth. There are those who infiltrate the ranks of God’s army to try to lead us
astray. This is the reason why we must be saturated with the word of God so the
Holy Spirit may give us discernment. Since we do not know for certain who are
“wheat” (true believers) and who are “tares” (tools of Satan), we must share
Jesus with all and trust Him for the outcome. We must show His love to others
and share the Gospel with everyone.
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