An Exposition of The Gospel According to Luke
(Installment 43)
The Last Supper, The Quiet Talk, And the Prayer
IN OUR STUDY thus far we have seen that our Lord observed the Passover Supper at the regular time, Thursday evening of Passion Week. During the Supper, Jesus arose, girded Himself with a towel, took a basin of water, and washed the disciples' feet. This He did in order to teach the disciples wherein lay the greatness of a disciple. This was done in order to answer the contention and the strife that had existed among the disciples concerning who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. During the Supper Jesus foretold that one of the Twelve would betray Him and indicated that the traitor was the one who would dip his hand in the dish with Him, and to whom He (Jesus) would give the sop. At the proper time, having given Judas the sop, Jesus told him that what he intended to do to do quickly. At this point Judas left the house and went on his way to betray Jesus to His enemies.
The Institution of the Lord's Supper
As we have already seen in a preceding study, the record of the observance of the Passover Supper is found in Luke 22:14-18. After that was over, and Judas had left the room, Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper. Herewith is the record of the same: "19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and gave to them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. 20 And the cup in like manner after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood, even that which is poured out for you" (Luke 22:19,20). Parallel accounts of the institution of the Lord's Supper are found in Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, and I Corinthians 11:23-26. The Supper is the memorial of His death, burial, and resurrection until He returns. It should be observed by all the redeemed. As already noted, the early Church in Jerusalem partook, at the very beginning, daily of the Lord's Supper. Later, as Christianity moved out among the Gentiles, the apostolic churches partook of it on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7): "And upon the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul discoursed with them, intending to depart on the morrow; and prolonged his speech until midnight." Observing the Supper is simply an empty form unless one is motivated by love and does what he does in the spirit of love and worship.
Jesus' Farewell Talk With the Disciples
In John 13:31-38 the Lord foretold His departure from the disciples. As He told the Jews that He would go and they would seek for Him but would be unable to find Him, thus our Lord repeated the same thought to the disciples. Peter, as usual, spoke up immediately and asked why it was that he could not go with Him at the time; for, said he, "I will lay down my life for thee." The reason that he could not go then was that the new and the living way, the approach to God, had not been opened up at that time. By Christ's death, burial, and resurrection the new and living way was opened up. He made it possible that those who die in the Lord might go immediately upon death into the presence of God in heaven. Jesus revealed to Peter that that very night he would betray Him. In answer to his query concerning the place to which Jesus would go shortly, our Lord gave us the most comforting prediction to be found in the Word of God, as is recorded in John 14:1-4. Christ has gone to prepare a place for us. Since He has gone to prepare this place for us, He is coming again to receive us to Himself in order that where He is, there we may be also.
This promise of His coming again developed into one of the quiet talks of our Lord, found in John, chapters 14-16. This is one of the most sacred and holy portions--if I may thus speak--to be found in the Scriptures. Since the Lord was leaving, He said that He would not leave the disciples orphans, but that He would go to the Father. Then He and the Father would send the Holy Spirit to be their Comforter and to guide them into all truth.
This quiet talk, found in John, chapter 14, was doubtless spoken in the house where Jesus observed the Passover and instituted the Lord's Supper.
When He finished the discussion of the sending of the Holy Spirit, He said, "Arise, let us go hence" (John 14:31).
As Jesus left this place and was going to the Garden of Gethsemane, He continued His quiet talk with the disciples, the record of which is found in John, chapters 15 and 16. Somewhere near the Garden of Gethsemane, our Lord prayed that matchless petition which is properly called "The Lord's Prayer," and which is found in John, chapter 17. This chapter has been called "the holiest of the holy" of all Scripture. Here we see God the Son pouring out His soul in the shadow of the cross to God the Father and God's response to this ineffable prayer.
That this prayer was prayed somewhere near the Garden of Gethsemane is clear from John 18:1: "When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Kidron, where was a garden, into which he entered, himself and his disciples."
Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
Having thus gathered together in a general way the various incidents which occurred at this time of our Lord's ministry, as reflected in the Four Gospels, we are now ready to return to Luke's account of the life of our Lord. In Luke 22:39-46 we have an account of Him in the Garden of Gethsemane.
In verse 39 we are told that Jesus came out of the house where He had observed the Passover "and went, as his custom was, unto the mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed him." This is what is referred to by John in 14:31, which informs us that Jesus said, "Arise, let us go hence," and the statement in John 18:1, which, as already stated, says that after the prayer Jesus and the disciples crossed over the brook Kidron into the Garden of Gethsemane.
We are told that Jesus was in the habit of resorting to the Garden of Gethsemane for prayer. Judas knew this.
From Isaiah, chapter 50, we see the innermost life of our Lord as foretold in this prediction. Jesus would arise before day and go to some quiet, secluded spot and pour out His soul to God. Thus we see Him in the evening's, during Passion Week, going out there to that quiet place of Gethsemane, where He held communion and fellowship with God His Father. Prayer figured largely in the life of our Lord. Prayer changes things; prayer brings victory.
Upon entering the Garden, Jesus said to His disciples: "Pray that ye enter not into temptation" (vs. 40). Thus prayer and its efficacy were impressed upon their minds. The impression, however, was not as lasting as it should have been. Jesus then departed from the disciples about the distance of the casting of a stone and knelt down and prayed saying: "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." The heart and soul attitude of our Lord was reflected in these words. He was walking by faith, fully surrendered to do the will of God. What we see on wall mottoes, "The will of God, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else," was certainly true of the Lord Jesus Christ in the highest and the greatest sense possible. Naturally, He, being holy, spotless and pure, shrank from any contact with sin or Satan, or any evil. From the standpoint of His divine-human nature, He prayed that, if it could be possible for God to let the cup of suffering, death, and contact with Satan and sin be removed from Him, it might be thus. But He showed His absolute surrender to God in saying, "... nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."
When Jesus thus prayed, an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened Him. This incident reminds us of the fact that, when He was tempted by the devil during a period of forty days and nights, angels came and ministered unto Him. The angels have a very important part to play in the life of the people of God. They are ministering spirits sent forth to do service for the sake of them which shall inherit salvation.
Jesus was dead in earnest in His praying. The burden that was resting upon Him was, humanly speaking, all but unbearable. It was affecting His physical being and causing blood, actual blood, to ooze forth from His veins. Thus we are told that He prayed in agony, "and his sweat became as it were great drops of blood falling down upon the ground." The mind has, indeed, a tremendous effect upon the body.
When Jesus arose from His prayer, He returned to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow. They were overwhelmed with the thought of the rapidly occurring events of that Passion Week. Being exhausted, humanly speaking, they fell asleep for sorrow. When Jesus came to them, He asked: "Why sleep ye? rise and pray, that ye enter not into temptation." Satan is on hand all the time, or some of his emissaries are, to lead us into temptation. Jesus urged the disciples to rise and pray that they enter not into temptation. The same exhortation is for us today. Satan has to get permission from God to subject any of the Lord's children to temptation. He had to get permission to test Job. Jesus said to the disciples that He had made supplication for them (22:31-34). No temptation can overtake any of God's children except that which is common to man. "13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able: but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it" (I Cor. 10:13). God will with every temptation make a way of escape, that we may be able to endure it, regardless of how severe it may be.
