Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm19990224.htm
LUKE: GOSPEL OF CERTIFYING THE CHRISTIAN FAITH
Part LXXII: Certifying The Christian Faith By Its Messiah's Sovereignty Over Satan In The Passion Week
(Luke 22:1-6, 7-16)
- Introduction
- If Jesus is the Messiah and God come in the flesh, we should expect Him to be sovereign over Satan.
- Yet, one who examines the Gospel record may wonder if Satan was in some way in command during the Passion Week, for Jesus was captured, spitefully treated and crucified as a vulnerable man would be!
- Luke reveals events that occurred between the time when Satan had entered Judas to get Jesus captured and the Last Supper that reveal Jesus' sovereignty over Satan during the Passion Week events as follows:
- Certifying The Christian Faith By Its Messiah's Sovereignty Over Satan In The Passion Week.
- Luke's Gospel was written to give Theophilus insight on the credibility of the Christian faith, Lk. 1:3-4.
- He evidences this by showing that even during the Passion Week's events leading up to Christ's death, Jesus was sovereign over Satan every step of the way, Luke 22:1-6, 7-16:
- During the Passion Week, Satan made a strong bid to get Jesus captured and killed by the evil religious leaders apart from the inhibitions of the crowds who were nominally defensive of Jesus, Luke 22:1-6.
- As the feast of Passover drew near, the chief priests and scribes tried to come up with a plan to kill Jesus in private as they feared the multitudes who might side with Jesus, Luke 22:1-2.
- In accord with this effort, Luke is the only Gospel writer that tells us Satan entered Judas Iscariot before the Last Supper's events and tempted him to go to these leaders to discuss how to betray Jesus unto them, Luke 22:3-4 (cf. A. T. Robertson, A Harmony of the Gospels, p. 188).
- The leaders happily covenanted with Judas to pay him for turning Jesus over to them, Luke 22:5-6a.
- From that moment on, Judas sought to betray Jesus in the absence of the multitudes, Luke 22:6b.
- Well, Jesus strongly desired to eat the Passover with His disciples and institute the Lord's Table, Luke 22:15-16. However, had Judas known the location of the Last Supper, Satan through Judas would have blocked that mea l as Judas could have informed the leaders where to capture Jesus when he was apart from the multitudes. Jesus thus blocked Satan's effort until after the Supper was instituted, Lk. 22:7-14:
- Luke's Gospel is the only one that tells us that Jesus asked only Peter and John to go and prepare the Last Supper meal, Ibid., Robertson, p. 189 (Lk. 22:7-8). His asking these men to make plans apart from Judas' going with them would hinder Judas from knowin g where to tell the leaders to find Jesus apart from the crowds! Jesus here revealed He already knew Satan's plans involving Judas!
- When Peter and John asked Jesus in front of the others, including Jesus, just where to prepare this inner room meal (Lk. 22:9), Jesus replied in a way that would keep Judas from knowing where it was: (a) Jesus told Peter and John that while they entered the city, they would meet a man bearing a pitcher of water, something unusual as women carried the water at the time, Luke 22:10a with Ryrie Study Bible, KJV ftn. to Lk. 22:10. (b) Upon seeing this man, they were to follow him into the house where he was headed, and there ask the house owner where the Master and His disciples would eat the Passover, Luke 22:11. (c) This master would show them a large upper room furnished where they were to prepare the feast, Luke 22:12. All of this information would direct Peter and John without any of the other disciples knowing where this location was. That would keep Judas from being able to inform the religious leaders where they could capture Jesus until AFTER the meal was OVER or, as happened, until Judas had left to inform the leaders!
- Peter and John went and were led as Jesus had said, Lk. 22:13. The man with the pitcher of water could well have been an angel in disguise, a heavenly messenger sent to do some covert activity in Jesu s' move to counter Satan! At any event, Satan's plan to capture Jesus before the Last Supper was instituted was blocked until after Judas had left and the supper was over, Luke 22:14!
Lesson: Jesus is God in the flesh as evidenced that even during the Passion Week events leading up to His crucifixion, He was sovereign over Satan in regards to matters HE wanted to achieve at the time!
Application: Jesus was crucified not because Satan was sovereign over Jesus, but because Jesus sovereignly chose to submit to the Father's will to be crucified for our sins! Jesus is the Son of God!