Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Luke
Book: Luke
Chapter: 22
Overview:
The treachery of
Judas.
(1-6) The
Passover.
(7-18) The
Lord's
Supper instituted.
(19,20) Christ admonishes the disciples.
(21-38) Christ's
Agony in the garden.
(39-46) Christ betrayed.
(47-53) The fall of
Peter.
(54-62) Christ confesses himself to
be the
Son of God.
(63-71)
1-6 Christ knew all men, and had
Wise and holy ends in taking
Judas to be a
Disciple. How he who knew
Christ So Well, came to
betray him, we are here told;
Satan entered into
Judas. It is
hard to say whether more mischief is done to
Christ's kingdom,
By the power of its open enemies, or
By the treachery of its
pretended friends; but without the latter, its enemies could not
do
So much evil as they do.
7-18 Christ kept the ordinances of the
Law, particularly that
of the
Passover, to teach us to observe his
Gospel institutions,
and most of all that of the
Lord's
Supper. Those who go upon
Christ's
Word, need not fear disappointment. According to the
orders given them, the disciples got all ready for the
Passover.
Jesus bids this
Passover welcome. He desired it, though he knew
his sufferings would follow, because it was in order to his
Father's
Glory and
Man's
Redemption. He takes his leave of all
passovers, signifying thereby his doing away all the ordinances
of the ceremonial
Law, of which the
Passover was one of the
earliest and chief. That
Type was laid aside, because now in the
Kingdom of God the substance was come.
19,20 The
Lord's
Supper is a sign or memorial of
Christ already
come, who
By dying delivered us; his
Death is in special manner
set before us in that ordinance,
By which we are reminded of it.
The breaking of
Christ's body as a
Sacrifice for us, is therein
brought to our remembrance
By the breaking of
Bread. Nothing can
be more nourishing and satisfying to the soul, than the doctrine
of
Christ's making
Atonement for
Sin, and the
Assurance of an
interest in that
Atonement. Therefore we do this in remembrance
of what He did for us, when he died for us; and for a memorial
of what we do, in joining ourselves to him in an
Everlasting
Covenant. The shedding of
Christ's
Blood,
By which the
Atonement
was made, is represented
By the
Wine in the
Cup.
21-38 How unbecoming is the worldly ambition of being the
greatest, to the character of a follower of
Jesus, who took upon
him the form of a servant, and humbled himself to the
Death of
the
Cross! In the way to eternal happiness, we must expect to be
assaulted and sifted
By Satan. If he cannot destroy, he will try
to disgrace or distress us. Nothing more certainly forebodes a
fall, in a professed follower of
Christ, than self-confidence,
with disregard to warnings, and contempt of danger. Unless we
watch and pray always, we may be drawn in the course of the
Day
into those sins which we were in the morning most resolved
against. If believers were left to themselves, they would fall;
but they are kept
By the power of
God, and the
Prayer of
Christ.
Our
Lord gave notice of a very great change of circumstances now
approaching. The disciples must not expect that their friends
would be kind to them as they had been. Therefore, he that has a
Purse, let him take it, for he may need it. They must now expect
that their enemies would be more fierce than they had been, and
they would need weapons. At the time the apostles understood
Christ to mean real weapons, but he spake only of the weapons of
the spiritual warfare. The
Sword of the
Spirit is the
Sword with
which the disciples of
Christ must furnish themselves.
39-46 Every description which the evangelists give of the state
of mind in which our
Lord entered upon this conflict, proves the
tremendous nature of the assault, and the perfect foreknowledge
of its terrors possessed
By the meek and lowly
Jesus. Here are
three things not in the other evangelists. 1. When
Christ was in
his
Agony, there appeared to him an
Angel from
Heaven,
strengthening him. It was a part of his humiliation that he was
thus strengthened
By a ministering
Spirit. 2. Being in
Agony, he
prayed more earnestly.
Prayer, though never out of season, is in
a special manner seasonable when we are in an
Agony. 3. In this
Agony his sweat was as it were great drops of
Blood falling
down. This showed the travail of his soul. We should pray also
to be enabled to resist unto the shedding of our
Blood, striving
against
Sin, if ever called to it. When next you
Dwell in
imagination upon the delights of some favourite
Sin, think of
its effects as you behold them here! See its fearful effects in
the garden of
Gethsemane, and desire,
By the help of
God, deeply
to hate and to forsake that enemy, to
Ransom sinners from whom
the
Redeemer prayed, agonized, and bled.
47-53 Nothing can be a greater affront or grief to the
Lord
Jesus, than to be betrayed
By those who profess to be his
followers, and say that they
Love him. Many instances there are,
of
Christ's being betrayed
By those who, under the form of
Godliness, fight against the power of it.
Jesus here gave an
illustrious
Example of his own rule of doing good to those that
hate us, as afterwards he did of praying for those that
despitefully use us. Corrupt nature warps our conduct to
extremes; we should seek for the
Lord's direction before we act
in difficult circumstances.
Christ was willing to wait for his
triumphs till his warfare was accomplished, and we must be
So
too. But the
Hour and the power of
Darkness were short, and such
the triumphs of the wicked always will be.
54-62 Peter's fall was his denying that he knew
Christ, and was
his
Disciple; disowning him because of distress and danger. He
that has once told a
Lie, is strongly tempted to persist: the
beginning of that
Sin, like strife, is as the letting forth of
water. The
Lord turned and looked upon
Peter. 1. It was a
convincing look.
Jesus turned and looked upon him, as if he
should say, Dost thou not know me,
Peter? 2. It was a chiding
look. Let us think with what a rebuking countenance
Christ may
justly look upon us when we have sinned. 3. It was an
expostulating look. Thou who wast the most forward to confess me
to be the
Son of God, and didst solemnly promise thou wouldest
never disown me! 4. It was a compassionate look.
Peter, how art
thou fallen and undone if I do not help thee! 5. It was a
directing look, to go and bethink himself. 6. It was a
significant look; it signified the conveying of
Grace to
Peter's
Heart, to enable him to repent. The
Grace of
God Works in and
By
the
Word of God, brings that to mind, and sets that home upon
the
Conscience, and
So gives the soul the happy turn.
Christ
looked upon the chief priests, and made
No impression upon them
as he did
On Peter. It was not the mere look from
Christ, but
the Divine
Grace with it, that restored
Peter.
63-71 Those that condemned
Jesus for a blasphemer, were the
vilest blasphemers. He referred them to his second coming, for
the full proof of his being the
Christ, to their confusion,
since they would not admit the proof of it to their conviction.
He owns himself to be the
Son of God, though he knew he should
suffer for it. Upon this they ground his condemnation. Their
eyes being blinded, they
Rush On. Let us meditate
On this
amazing transaction, and consider Him who endured such
contradiction of sinners against himself.