Today’s passage: Luke 22:54-65

Helpful thoughts:

• “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat…” (Verse 31)
  • When identifying with Christ didn’t seem to be personally advantageous in the moment, Peter denied Him.
• It might seem easy to suspect that Peter was asked these questions in quick succession, in as little time as it takes us to read the passage.  But there was time in between each question and denial (Verse 59).  Peter had time to think about what he was doing, time for the pressure to build up to the moment the rooster crowed.
• There will be several violations of the law in how Jesus was tried as we continue to read through this account.

Questions to consider:

1. Why do we ever think it not advantageous to be identified with Christ?  What cares and concerns cause us to keep our mouths shut and our allegiance hidden?  Is hidden allegiance true allegiance (Matthew 10:33)?
2. Why do you think Peter wept bitterly?  What kind of battle was going on in his heart? How confident had he been that he could withstand any attack or temptation?  How had he responded to the warning he had received?
3. When a person denies the deity of Jesus Christ (or even the existence of God), are they simply holding a different view than ours or are they blaspheming God?  How can we respond in truth and love?

Today’s passage: Luke 22:39-53

Helpful thoughts:

• We are blind to our blindness and are often prone to think too little of our sin.  Jesus knew what he was about to go through.  He knew the judgment that was coming.  He was in agony.
  • Example: Jesus told the disciples to pray about temptation, they slept.
• God the Son (Holy and righteous) did not desire to have our sin placed on Him and to endure judgment.  He did desire and was willing to submit to God the Father’s perfect will.
  • Blood oozing from the skin is a real thing.  It is called hematidrosis and it only occurs under extreme physical and/or emotional distress.
• There were three reasons Jesus told Peter to put the sword away.  (Matthew 26:52-54)
  • ⁵² Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.
  • ⁵³ Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?
  • ⁵⁴ But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”
• The only reason they were able to arrest Jesus at this time is because it was God’s sovereign will (Verse 53).

Questions to consider:

1. What was so ironic about the manner in which Judas betrayed Jesus?  Why is flattery sinful?
2. How did Jesus treat those who had come to capture Him?  How did He embody truth and love?
3. Was Jesus captured against His will?  Were the “bad guys” winning in this passage?  Who was in control and accomplishing all He had purposed to do?

Today’s passage: Luke 22:24-38

Helpful thoughts:

• The conversation among the disciples of who would betray Jesus quickly turned into who was the greatest.  This is the natural, selfish, sinful condition of our hearts.
  • To “sit at the table” with Jesus is to be a servant.
• All of verses 31-34 will be fulfilled before the end of this chapter in Luke.
  • Christ commissions Peter to “Strengthen his brothers and to “feed my sheep” in John 21:15-19.
• Jesus did not intend for the disciples to literally take swords and fight back when they would be persecuted (See verses 50-51, or see Luke 6:29).  While Jesus was with them in His earthly ministry teaching, healing and doing miracles, they were able to move about more freely.  Now, persecution was coming.
  • When Jesus said, “It is enough” He was probably saying something more along the lines of, enough of that kind of talk.  If Jesus had intended us to fight back, two swords wouldn’t have been enough.

Questions to consider:

1. What does it mean that Jesus was “numbered with the transgressors?” (Isaiah 53:12)
2. In what way did all the disciples who engaged in that discussion in verse 24 betray Jesus for at least that moment?  What is greatness?  How will you pursue true greatness in how you serve Christ and others today?
3. How is Jesus’ lordship in view in saying that he “assigned” the apostles their place in the kingdom (Verse 29)?  Is Jesus your Lord?  How could this thinking help the maturing Christian view the nature of their obedience?  How does the promise of reward make God’s gracious kindness to us even more compelling?

Today’s passage: Luke 22:1-23

Helpful thoughts:

• Satan was at the Last Supper.  None of the other disciples had a clue.
• According to verses 16 and 18, we will celebrate the Passover with Christ in the Kingdom!
  • Every year the Jewish people have celebrated Passover since the Last Supper has been an annual confirmation of their rejection of Jesus as their Messiah.
• The bread and the wine represent the body and blood of Jesus, which was given for us.  This is substitutionary atonement.  Christ suffered the wrath of God in our place.
• We do not participate in the Lord’s Supper to receive grace.  If we think we can be saved because of the act of drinking or eating, we are working to earn our righteousness.  Christ commanded this to be done in remembrance of Him.  His work on the cross paid the price of our sin once and for all.
• Christ’s shed blood ratified the New Covenant.  Old Testament saints looked forward to the promise of God’s Messiah.  We look back to the fulfillment of that promise.

Questions to consider:

1. If Jesus’ death ensured Satan’s defeat, why would he have sought Jesus’ arrest and death?  What does Satan’s role in his own demise show about the power of sin, the lies that it speaks, and the sovereignty of God even over those who would try to fight against Him?
2. Why is the Jewish celebration of Passover today an act of rebellion and rejection?  What should they be celebrating?
3. According to this passage and 1 Corinthians 11:26, what is the purpose of the Lord’s Supper?  In what way does this ordinance communicate a similar truth to baptism, but in an ongoing way, among the church?  What are people affirming they believe when they observe the Lord’s Supper?

Today’s passage: Luke 21:29-38

Helpful thoughts:

• The generation that will not pass away is the generation that sees the “leaves” indicating that “summer” is near.
• God’s words will never pass away.  You can count on them today.  You can count on them forever.
  • He is righteous.
  • He is all-knowing.
  • He is unchangeable.
  • He is faithful.
• The cares of this world cannot prevent us from the work Christ has called us to do.
  • Dissipation refers to the crumbling apart of our lives that results from our sin (Specifically things like drunkenness).
  • No matter how bad things get, what people need most is the grace of God for salvation through faith in Christ.
    • We are the ones who must tell the world.

Questions to consider:

1. Will this world ever be “fixed” before Jesus comes?  How does a verse like John 16:33 along with this passage give us hope and purpose in trying times?
2. When there is great temptation to worry, what is our way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13)?  What has Christ called us to do in the midst of this world and for the benefit of lost souls?
3. Who does the world want everyone to run to for peace and refuge right now?  How many answers are they giving?  How are they going about disagreeing with each other?  Why is the LORD the only way, truth, and life?  Whose cause are you giving the most attention to, effort, resources, time, etc.?

Today’s passage: Luke 21:10-28

Helpful thoughts:

• Being brought before kings in persecution is an opportunity.
  • “For my name’s sake” is a reminder that when Christians are persecuted, the One the persecutors really hate is Christ.
  • Those who truly believe in Jesus “will not perish, but have eternal life.”  In the time of persecution, God will give us grace to persevere, to bear up under the load.
    • The phrase, “Not a hair of your head will perish” should not be understood to mean that nothing bad will happen to us.  Temporal bad things can and will.  But our eternal life in Christ will only be expressed more beautifully in the face of persecution.
• Jesus is not going to return after everything gets good enough for Him to come back.  They will get worse and worse, like increasing labor pains (Matthew 24:7-8).
• Jerusalem was “desolated” in A.D. 70 by the Romans.
  • We are still in the “time of the Gentiles” and will be until Christ returns.
• There will be no mistaking when Christ truly returns.  The glory that it will bring is worthy of our close attention and hopeful expectation.

Questions to consider:

1. A desire for things to get “better” is completely natural.  How do we sometimes err in our definition of “better”?  When will things truly be better and who will bring that about?
2. How does our faith in the return of Christ give us strength and hope to persevere/endure during the midst of hardship in this life?
3. Why does the true Christian shine the light of Christ in persecution?  What desires rule the hearts of true Christians, and non-Christians, that come to the surface in their actions during attack?