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21 But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. 22 The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!” 23 They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this. 24 A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. 28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ~ Luke 22:21-30
We come back to the events leading up to the death of the Lord Jesus. The death of the Lord Jesus was a must because sin is in every molecule of this created universe. God has long been known to overcome the evil that stands in the way of His purposes. He does not need a perfect world to achieve His ends. He will achieve His ends in an absolutely imperfect world. He will achieve His ends even though His enemies are in the way. It is the sins of all that endeavor to obstruct Him, even those sins of those who are believers. None succeed. The forgiven and the unforgiven both stand in the way, but God always achieves His purpose.
In v.21-23 we read, "21 But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. 22 The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man who betrays him!” 23 They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this."
The Lord Jesus uses this last Passover to institute the Lord's Supper. The disciples were aware of the Jewish religious leaders hatred for the Lord Jesus, but they were not aware that one of them would betray Him. And so, when the Lord Jesus says, “But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table,” it doesn't move Judas at all. It does have an effect on the others, but not on Judas. The others were too shocked to be outraged, and they were not at all suspicious of Judas.
Faith accepts, because it acknowledges that we don't have all the information, but we trust God. Reason rejects because human understanding is finite. This is why some wrestle with the fact that Judas' betrayal was predicted. Some have a hard time squaring up God's sovereignty and man's responsibility, but the words of the Lord Jesus at the end of v.22 clearly shows Judas was responsible for betraying the Lord Jesus.
In Matthew's Gospel we are given the responses of the Twelve. Peter spoke for the others when he said, "Lord, is it I who will betray you?" Judas responded with, "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?" Judas didn't think the Lord Jesus knew who would be the one to betray Him but He did. And, Judas was unmoved. That's how hard his heart had become. The heart of the Lord Jesus had not become his. It was at this point that the Lord Jesus sent Judas out of the Upper Room.
The others knew their hearts were sinful and capable of such. Even though we belong to the Lord, we know we are capable of anything. And, in a display of honesty, they struggled with their own doubting, vacillating hearts. They were moved because they had gained His heart.
Then, in v.24 we read, "A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest." When we are interested in promoting self, it doesn’t take much to start an argument. It became so intense, they turned on one another. Not a fruit of the Spirit. Instead of being captivated by the Savior’s plight, they want to argue about which of them is going to be the greatest when he sets up His kingdom.
In v.25-27 we read, "25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. 26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves."
The eleven are left wondering. They don't suspect Judas, even though he is gone by this time. Before they could enjoy His kingdom, there had to be His suffering and His dying. The world operates on dominance, but that is not the Lord's way. The Lord's way is a paradox. To be the greatest, we seek to be the least.
The Lord Jesus was and is God. He lacks nothing. Since He is defined by the Father and He lacks nothing, He is not insecure and self-centered. He does not think of self. This is His way.
Then in v.28-30 we read, "28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
The eleven endured because they belonged to the Lord Jesus. Think of that. We endure because we are His. We are not our own. And, in the end, when all history is done, these men will rule in the kingdom over the 12 tribes of Israel because the Lord Jesus made them worthy to be honored.
Instead of berating them, the Lord Jesus gave His struggling disciples a lesson on humility. And, He was and would be the prime example. His genius shows through once again as He picks a very teachable moment to show them one of the greatest principles in leadership ever. The amazing thing is that He has chosen the weak things of this world to bring about His purposes in this world. We must continue to trust Him and make ourselves responsible to Him as He brings about those purposes til He comes.
