22:1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching,

22:2 and 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.

22:3 Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve.

22:4 And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.

22:5 They were delighted and agreed to give him money.

22:6 He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.

22:7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.

22:8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”

22:9 “Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.

22:10 He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters,

22:11 and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’

22:12 He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there.”

22:13 They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

22:14 When the hour [the time the group gathered to eat the Passover meal] came, Jesus and his apostles reclined [probably on low couches with their feet pointing away from the table] at the table [a low table].

22:15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly [or “fervently”] desired to eat this Passover with you [those whom He loved] before I suffer.

22:16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again [Jesus knew this would be the last time He would eat a Passover meal with His disciples] until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God [the Passover was a preview of the messianic banquet that will occur when God’s kingdom is consummated; cf. Lk. 14:15-24; 22:30; Rev. 19:9].”

22:17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this [a single cup was passed for all to share] and divide it among you.

22:18 For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

22:19 [this verse marks the transition from the Passover observance to the Lord’s Supper] And he took bread [Jesus gave new meaning to the unleavened bread that was a standard part of the Passover meal], gave thanks [Gr. eucharisteo from which we get our term Eucharist, a designation some use to refer to the Lord’s Supper] and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is [represents] my body given [sacrificed] for you; do this in remembrance of me [this is a command or ordinance for His followers to repeat this on a regular basis].”

22:20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup [Jesus gave new meaning to the cup], saying, “This cup is the new covenant [a binding agreement between two parties; established by the shedding of Jesus’ blood; cf. Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 9:15; 12:24] in my blood, which is poured out for you [he died to pay the penalty for sin that we owed; substitutionary atonement].

22:21 But the hand of him [Judas Iscariot] who is going to betray me is with mine on the table.

22:22 The Son of Man [one of Jesus’ favorite self-designations] will go as it has been decreed [or determined by God; cf. Acts 2:23], but woe to that man who betrays him.”

22:23 They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.

22:24 Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.

22:25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors.

22:26 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.

22:27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

22:28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials.

22:29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me,

22:30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

22:31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.

22:32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

22:33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”

22:34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”

22:35 Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered.

22:36 He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.

22:37 It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”

22:38 The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.” “That is enough,” he replied.

22:39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.

22:40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”

22:41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw [not completely out of range of sight] beyond them, knelt down [shows utmost attitude of submission and humility; indicates the pressure Jesus felt] and prayed,

22:42 “Father [Abba in Mk. 14:36], if you are willing [if there is another way within God’s will; all prayer is subject to God’s will], take this cup [represented Jesus’ suffering and death; a metaphor for punishment and suffering (cf. Ps. 75:8; Isa. 51:17)] from me; yet not my will, but yours be done [Jesus affirmed His submission to His Father].”

22:43 [22:43-44 do not appear in some of the early Greek manuscripts of Luke’s Gospel] An angel [angels ministered to Jesus after He had fasted and was tempted in the wilderness (Matt. 4:11; Mk. 1:13)] from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.

22:44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood [a medical condition called hematidrosis in which blood and sweat are actually mixed, a condition that can occur in instances of extreme anguish] falling to the ground.

22:45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep [cf. Matt. 26:40], exhausted from sorrow.

22:46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up [be awake and prepared] and pray so that you will not fall into temptation [means test, try, prove, examine].”

22:47 While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him,

22:48 but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

22:49 When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?”

22:50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

22:51 But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.

22:52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs?

22:53 Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”

22:54 Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance.

22:55 But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them.

22:56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”

22:57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.

22:58 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied.

22:59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”

22:60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.

22:61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.”

22:62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.

22:63 The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him.

22:64 They blindfolded him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?”

22:65 And they said many other insulting things to him.

22:66 At daybreak [they held a trial at daybreak in order for it to be legal] the council [the Sanhedrin; the council of Jewish leaders; Romans allowed the Sanhedrin to serve both as a legislature and as a judicial court for most Jewish internal matters] of the elders of the people, both the chief priests [of the Sadducees] and teachers of the law [scribes; mainly Pharisees], met together, and Jesus was led before them.

22:67 “If you are the Christ,” they said, “tell us.” Jesus [knew that the council was not interested in understanding but only in condemning] answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me [they had no intention of believing Jesus to be their Messiah],

22:68 and if I asked you [as in Lk. 20:1-8], you would not answer.

22:69 [these words are a claim to deity and that He was the Messiah…] But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand [the place of greatest honor and glory] of the mighty God.”

22:70 They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied [cf. Mk. 14:62], “You are right in saying I am.”

22:71 Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it [Jesus’ claim of equality with God (cf. Matt. 26:65; Mk. 14:64)] from his own lips.”