A Betrayer Among Us

Hello everyone.

As we move through Luke 22, we are proceeding quickly toward the Cross.  Today, we will look at Jesus' announcement that one among them would betray him.  Here is my translation of Luke 22:14-23:

14 Then the time for the Passover came, Jesus and his disciples reclined at the table. 15 ‘I have really wanted to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering, 16 because I tell you, I will not eat it again until the fulfillment of the kingdom of God.” 17 Then he took the cup into his hands and gave thanks for it, saying, “Take this cup and divide amongst yourselves, 18 because I will certainly not drink this fruit of the vine, from now until God’s kingdom has come.?  

19 Then he took bread, gave thanks for it and broke it, giving it to his disciples, saying, “This is my body which is being given for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.” 

20 Similarly, after they had eaten, he took the cup, and said, “This cup is a new covenant in my blood which is poured out for you.” 

21 "But know this, the hand of the one who is betraying me is with my hand on the table. 22 The Son of Man will go away, just as it has been determined, but woe to man from whom this betrayal comes.”

23 The disciples began to question each about who might be about to do this.

I have already mentioned that Jesus announces that he is about to be betrayed, but there is more going in this passage than that.  Jesus also, having his 'last supper' with his disciples, establishes what we often call 'communion,' a time set aside to call ourselves to remembrance of Jesus. 

So, with everything set up for the Passover meal, Jesus now has this “last supper” with his disciples.  They are reclining at the table together.  He tells them in verse 15 that he has desired to have this meal with them before his suffering.  Jesus stresses his desire for this time together with his disciples. He says,Ἐπιθυμίᾳ ἐπεθύμησα (Epithymia epethymēsa) - “With desire, I have desired.” Jesus really wants this time before his arrest and crucifixion. 

Jesus tells them that he would not eat the Passover meal again until the fulfillment of the kingdom of God.  I am not sure what Jesus means by this.  Does it mean that when the fulfillment of the kingdom of God comes, Jesus will have a great Passover meal?  I'm not sure. 

Luke does something different here than the other Gospels.  In Luke, Jesus gives the cup twice.  This could be confusing, but the answer, to me, lies in the fact that, in a Passover meal there are actually four cups.  Luke is simply mentioning Jesus giving out one of these three other cups as a part of his telling of the story.  This would not be confusing to someone who observes Passover regularly.  

Within the setting of the Passover, Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper. Jesus takes some of the symbols of Passover and reinterprets them, giving them new meaning.  Verse 19, He takes the unleavened bread, breaks it and gives it to his disciples.  He declares that the broken bread now means his body which he is giving for them.  The disciples likely did not understand what Jesus was talking about here, but later would understand that he was referring to his sacfrifice of himself on their behalf. 

Verse 20, Jesus next takes the cup and offers it to them, declaring that it represents his blood of a new covenant which he is going to pour out for them.  This statement tells us a couple of things. First, Jesus’ blood will bring a new covenant.  Jesus, this sacrificial lamb, will launch a new age. We can understand now, that in dying and pouring out his blood, God’s plan of salvation is at hand and in this new covenant, we are given God’s grace and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Then, in verse 19, Jesus tells them that they are to do this in remembrance of him.  So when we take the communion, we remember Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf and declare our identification with it. 

Jesus has instituted the Lord’s Supper, but then what he is saying takes a rather dark turn.  He starts talking about how one of them would betray him.  This seems, on the face of it, to be quite a departure for what Jesus was talking about, But of course, Judas’ betrayal and Jesus’ crucifixion are obviously linked.  And Jesus’ crucifixion and this memorial service are obviously linked, as well. So this may seem like an abrupt change in topic, but it really is connected.

Jesus declares that one of them would betray him.  We all know that it is Judas.  Luke has already told us that Judas has already made the deal that would betray Jesus, but the apostles did not know that it was Judas and spent some time discussing amongst themselves who this could be.  Of course, two people knew, Jesus and Judas. 

Judas may have made a secret deal with the religious leaders, but Jesus is fully aware of it, and makes it known to the rest of the Twelve.  

Jesus could have outed Judas as the betrayer, but he doesn’t.  However, my own speculation is that  Jesus wanted Judas to know that he knew. Additionally,Jesus pronounces ‘woe’ upon Judas.  It cannot be a good thing, to have God in the flesh pronounce ‘woe’ upon you. Darrell Bock says this about this pronouncement, “οὐαὶ (ouai) can express pain or, as here, displeasure.  The betrayer must stand before God to answer for his act of betrayal and rejection.” (Bock, 1734.) 

Jesus also says in this that, “The Son of Man will go away, just as it has been determined.”  His departure has been the plan all along.  Of course, Jesus keeps telling them this, and they keep not really understanding it, as they clearly don’t understand the meaning of what Jesus is saying here, since their discussion of the betrayer might be, quickly turns into yet another discussion of which of them is the greatest (verse 24). 

      Darrell Bock, Luke, Volume 2: 9:51-24:53, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Baker Academic, 1996.