“BETRAYAL, FAILURE, AND HOPE”
LUKE 22:21-38

I. Introduction
Skiing and golf! Some of you here this morning ski. Some of you play golf. Some of you are rather good at both skiing and golf. I am good at neither. When I was young and tried skiing, I quickly learned that lesson. I was, however, good at falling. In fact, I wasn’t just good at it; I became quite proficient at it. I was a “natural.”

I’ve since read that in skiing, if you seem to be going too fast and losing control, you can solve the problem by leaning forward. But most people’s natural inclination is to lean back, thereby gaining even more speed, and losing the ability to steer.

Then there’s golf. As a golfer I made a good stand-up comedian. At least those who took me out for my first eighteen holes thought so. I had one of them laughing so hard that he doubled over, tripped, and fell off the edge of a sand trap. It seems that my natural swing was just naturally terrible. It felt all right to me, but it wasn’t right at all.

One golfer said, “In golf, you never do the thing that feels right.” Only someone who actually plays golf would know how valid that statement really is, but I think I get the point. Things that feel right (or “natural”) are very often anything but right. In fact, John Calvin taught that those things that come to us naturally are the wrong things to do. Really?

Think for a moment of all the opportunities that have come your way, or all the obstacles that have stood in your path. How have you handled them? Chances are pretty good that you’ve applied natural or worldly thinking in accomplishing a particular goal or dealing with a difficult situation. How have those things worked out for you?

But now consider this: What if you did the very opposite? What if you jettisoned worldly thinking and conventional wisdom? What if you applied biblical principles to your oppor-tunities and obstacles? If worldly thinking and conventional wisdom – that is, doing things like a natural man – have gotten you in trouble, how would biblical thinking and the wisdom that comes from above have changed things? It’s worth considering, isn’t it?

Listen, the things that feel right, the things that human logic says are right, the wisdom of this world – are wrong. Why would you expect them to be otherwise? We live in a fallen world where God’s truths and God’s principles are mocked, ignored, or virtually unknown. And too often, even where they are known, they aren’t embraced or believed. A fallen man, living in a fallen world, surrounded by other fallen men, does not think like God, does he?
Isaiah 55:8-9
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts (higher) than your thoughts.”

Let me give you just a few concrete examples of this truth. Jesus said that the meek will inherit the earth. He said that those who mourn will rejoice. He said that you acquire wealth by giving it away. He said that the first shall be last and the last shall be first. And He said that you will gain your life by losing it. Are those truths and principles that the world we live in embraces or believes? Not hardly! This world summarily rejects all of that.

In this morning’s text in Luke we are going to see God’s ways rejected by the use of some very strong human reasoning – reasoning that is based on things like greed, a struggle for power, personal ambition, pride, and massive egotism. It all may come naturally, it all may feel right, but none of it reflects God’s ways. Yet today these things are found everywhere, even in the Church of Jesus Christ.
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II. Review
In Luke 22:7-20 it is Thursday night in Jerusalem. Jesus has taken part in His final Passover celebration and meal before He goes to the cross. He has instituted the “Lord’s Supper,” and told us to remember Him. Judas Iscariot has already betrayed Jesus to the Jewish reli-gious leaders who are at this very moment plotting to take Him and have Him murdered. And that brings us to today’s text.
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III. Text
As we work our way through Luke 22:21-38, I want you to keep this in mind: We serve a sovereign God who can and who does use both saints and sinners, and both good and evil to accomplish His divine plan and eternal purpose. No one and nothing can stand in His way.
Deuteronomy 32:39
39 “See now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides Me; it is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded, and it is I who heal; and there is no one who can deliver from My hand.”

Isaiah 46:9b-10
9 “…for I am God and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me,
10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure…’”

The evil that God allows may appear to thwart His plans, but, of course, it does not. It can-not because His “purpose will be established.”
*Luke 22:21-38 (Please stand with me in honor of reading God’s Word.)
21 But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Me on the table.
22 “For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”
23 And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing.
24 And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be (the) greatest.
25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’
26 “But not so with you, but let him who is the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader (as) the servant.
27 “For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table, or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.
28 “And you are those who have stood by Me in My trials;
29 and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you
30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;
32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, (will) strengthen your brothers.”
33 And (Peter) said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!”
34 And (Jesus) said, “I say to you, Peter, the cock will not crow today until you have denied three times that you (even) know Me.”
35 And He said to them, “When I sent you out without purse and bag and san-dals, you did not lack anything, did you?” And they said, “No, nothing.”
36 And He said to them, “But now, let him who has a purse take it along, like-wise also a bag, and let him who has no sword sell his robe and buy one.
37 “For I tell you, that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘And He was numbered with transgressors’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.”
38 And they said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”

This lengthy passage can be broken down into four distinct segments. The first three verses (21-23) focus on Judas’ betrayal. The next seven verses (24-30) are about worldly thinking as it is seen in personal ambition and the struggle for power in Jesus’ own disciples. Then come four verses (31-34) that expose Peter’s pride and his huge ego. But where is the good news? The last four verses (35-38) reveal the hope that we all have in Jesus Christ. On our own we would be just like the world.
But in Him we have victory and we can triumph over this world. Now with that in mind, let’s go to the text.
*Luke 22:21-23 (they are still at the Communion table)
21 But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Me on the table.
22 “For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”
23 And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing.

More than this world has gotten into Judas. Satan has possessed him. Could any evil be more vile than what is about to happen? Satan, the ultimate evil himself, is about to achieve what will appear to be a great victory.

The question is often asked, “Why does God permit evil?” I believe that there’s one answer that makes more sense than any other. God allows evil to prosper for a certain period of time – even evil that seems to oppose His plan and purpose – so that when God chooses to bring it to an end, to overcome it, to triumph over it, His glory and His alone will be on dis-play. Just think of Job. In short, God permits evil in order that evil might accomplish His plan and purpose. The apostles acknowledge this in their prayer in Acts 4.
*Acts 4:27-28
27 “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gen-tiles and the people of Israel,
28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. (Luke 22)

In the first century, much as it is today, sharing a meal with someone symbolized friendship and peace. But Jesus exposes Judas’ betrayal over a meal. Doing so served to emphasize the evil intent of Judas’ heart. It also fulfilled another messianic prophecy from the OT.
Psalm 41:9
9 Even my close friend, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.

In all of this there is no doubt that Judas thinks he is acting under “his own free will.” But as Acts 2:23 so clearly states, he is merely delivering Jesus up “by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God.” Judas is thinking like the natural man that he is. He assumes that he is acting for his own benefit. And it is quite a benefit. The thirty pieces of silver he has gotten is roughly equal to six months wages for a common laborer.

What a picture this is! Judas’ heart is on full display. He’s been able to rationalize his greed and his subsequent actions. He thinks he has it all covered. But he doesn’t know that his own hard heart is completely blinded and driven by Satan, who now has control of his every move. And you can be sure that he has no idea that God is controlling Satan.
Yet Judas is fully responsible for what he is doing. In v. 22 Jesus says, “…woe to that man by whom (the Son of Man) is betrayed.” “Woe” means that Judas is cursed, he will be sent to hell, and he will perish for his sin. Is this because God chose him for destruction? No, it is not. In what is probably the single greatest paradox in biblical Christianity, it is because Judas wanted to do what he did. His heart was bent that way from the beginning. And so God used Judas and the desires of his own sinful heart to accomplish God’s own purpose.

Why do we have such a hard time understanding and accepting that paradox? Hasn’t Isaiah told us what God has said? “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts (higher) than your thoughts (55:8-9).”

In Luke 22:23 the other disciples, beginning to come to grips with their own weakness and sinfulness, wonder if they might somehow be a part of this betrayal. But in almost no time at all they seem to forget about Jesus and refocus solely on themselves. Betrayal is no long-er the issue. Now it is about personal ambition and the quest for power.
*Luke 22:24-30
24 And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be (the) greatest.
25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ (influential people)
26 “But not so with you, but let him who is the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader (as) the servant.
27 “For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table, or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.
28 “And you are those who have stood by Me in My trials;
29 and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you
30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

If the first few verses of this passage disturb us, they ought to. While we don’t think like Judas – no true Christian ever could – we could find ourselves thinking like the other eleven men reclining at the table. And sadly, we sometimes do. These other eleven men are not about to betray Jesus, but they are about to fail him. You and I can’t relate to Judas and what he did, but you and I can relate to these eleven and what they’re about to do.

In v. 24, even though they know Jesus is being betrayed, their concern is for themselves. What are they going to get out of it? How is this going to benefit them? They begin to won-der “…which one of them was regarded to be greatest.” But where is their sympathy for Jesus? Where is their care and compassion for Him? I can tell you exactly where it is. It is buried beneath their own selfishness, pride, personal ambition, and quest for power.
And to make matters worse, this was not the first time these men had engaged in such self-serving conduct.
*Luke 9:46-48
46 And an argument arose among (the disciples) as to which of them might be the greatest.
47 But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side,
48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for he who is least among you, this is the one who is great.” (back to 22:24)

What a lesson for us! If you and I are not convicted by this, we just aren’t paying attention. Listen, it isn’t only the “godless crowd” that lives to put itself first. If we’re willing to be honest with ourselves, we see that our flesh is bent in the same direction. We see that when we’re left to our own devices, we can be just like the world. This is not something that we want to hear about ourselves, but in our hearts we know it is true.

And in the same way that Jesus’ disciples failed Him on the night before His crucifixion, so too do we fail Him when we allow ourselves to be driven by self-interests and personal ambition. That is what the world does, but we are not of this world.

How does Jesus respond? Shouldn’t He rebuke them? Shouldn’t Jesus be frustrated, angry, come down hard on them, and say something like, “What’s the matter with you people? Have you paid no attention to the last three years of my example and my teaching?”

But Jesus won’t do that. Rather, He will have compassion on them and demonstrate the love of God, unconditional love. Look again at vv. 25-26. He tells them that they are thinking like the world thinks. And He reminds them of one of His great paradoxical teachings – the first shall be last and the last shall be first. The humble shall be lifted up and the proud shall be taken down. And the least of us shall be the greatest.

Jesus has demonstrated God’s unconditional love and mercy. They deserve a strong rebuke, but in His mercy He does not deliver one. Instead, He pours out God’s grace by reminding His disciples that God is not going to give them what they deserve. On the contrary, God is going to give them something they most certainly do not deserve – grace.

In v. 27 Jesus once again explains what true greatness in God’s sight really is. In v. 28 He pays them a compliment. Here they have been focused on themselves, but Jesus reminds them that in times past they have been faithful to Him; they have stood by Him in His trials. And Jesus remembers their faithfulness. Right here, right now, on this Thursday night before the crucifixion, the disciples’ flesh may be causing them to stumble, but there have been better days. And there will be better days in the future. The Apostle John tells us of one of the disciples’ best days.
Jesus had just concluded a teaching on election and predestination. It was not a teaching that was readily accepted by the masses and as a result of it, people were walking away from Him. As it is now, so it was then.
John 6:66-69
66 As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew, and were not walking with Him anymore.
67 Jesus said therefore to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?”
68 Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have (the) words of eternal life.
69 “And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” (back to Luke 22:29)

In vv. 29-30 Jesus pours out incredible grace upon the disciples. He has complimented their faithfulness. Now He promises them a kingdom. How amazing is this? In a matter of hours they will abandon Jesus, run for their lives, and hide away in fear. But by God’s matchless grace they will be restored. And when the Holy Spirit comes upon them at Pentecost, the church will be born and they will find themselves to be among the most faithful, courageous, and influential men in human history.

Can you say, “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!”? But there is still some rough ground to cover. Peter has a hard lesson to learn. And so do we.
*Luke 22:31-34
31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;
32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, (will) strengthen your brothers.”
33 And (Peter) said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!”
34 And (Jesus) said, “I say to you, Peter, the cock will not crow today until you have denied three times that you (even) know Me.”

It is so easy for us to relate to Peter. We want to do what is right. We think we can do what is right. But when we rely on the flesh we’re just like Peter – and we invariably fail Jesus. I think it is instructive for us to take a closer look at v. 31. The words translated “demanded” and “you” are “ĕxaltĕŏmai” and “humas” respectively. Used together, as they are here, they indicate that Satan was demanding God’s permission to “sift” not only Peter, but all of the other disciples as well. Sifting all of Jesus’ disciples includes us. And that makes what our Lord says in v. 32 that much more applicable to you and to me.

Think of it! Jesus is our intercessor. He is our high priest. He is praying for us. And He prays for us according to God’s will for us. So His prayers are perfect. And His prayers are always answered. So while Satan may seem to win a few battles, he can never win the war.
Romans 8:33-34
33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;
34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

And we, just like Peter, are in desperate need of that intercession. In Luke 22:32 we see his self-assurance, his pride, and his massive ego in full bloom. But over the course of the next few days Peter’s self-assurance, pride, and ego will be crushed. He will become a truly humble man before God. He will preach the first sermon in the first church, and later he will extol God’s grace in 1 Peter, and warn us about the lies of false teachers in 2 Peter.

So we have seen the betrayal of Judas and the failure of Peter and the other disciples. But what about the hope; where is that? Look back at v. 32 because that’s where Jesus says, “I have prayed for you (and) when once you have turned again (you will) strengthen your broth-ers.” There’s the hope!
*Luke 22:35-38
35 And He said to them, “When I sent you out without purse and bag and san-dals, you did not lack anything, did you?” And they said, “No, nothing.”
36 And He said to them, “But now, let him who has a purse take it along, like-wise also a bag, and let him who has no sword sell his robe and buy one.
37 “For I tell you, that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘And He was numbered with transgressors’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.”
38 And they said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”

In these verses Jesus talks about the strength they’ll need to face an unbelieving world. He reminds them of their initial successes when He had sent the seventy out to preach back in Luke 10. “And the seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name (v. 17).’” But the successes they had then would not be so easy to come by from now on.

In v. 36 Jesus makes it clear that from this point forward they would have a hard time. The world that they would be taking the gospel into would be far less likely to receive their mes-sage and welcome them than it would be to reject their message and persecute them.

When Jesus tells them to sell their robe and buy a sword, it seems that He is speaking figuratively. I believe He is saying – and this fits the context of the first part of the verse – “You’re going to need to fend for yourselves now.” That interpretation also fits with Jesus’ later command to Peter to put away his sword when they come for the Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Why would they have such a hard time in this world? It would be because they would be following Christ.
And in v. 37 Jesus reiterates His deity and quotes from Isaiah 53:12.
Isaiah 53:12b (the Father speaking of the Son)
12b …because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgres-sors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.

But in v. 38 the disciples have yet to wrap their minds around what is about to happen. They are still thinking about acquiring weapons. “Lord, look, here are two swords.” There is much speculation over exactly what Jesus’ words “it is enough” actually mean. But the best interpretation seems to be that He is essentially saying, “Enough of that. From now on you will be depending on God.”

And so, this extended passage in Luke concludes with hope. We may fail Jesus again and again. We may think we can handle ourselves in any situation and defend ourselves against any enemy. But we cannot. Our hope is not in ourselves. Our hope is in Him and in Him alone.
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IV. Conclusion
Do you sometimes find yourself struggling to live the Christian life? What can you take with you from this passage about betrayal, failure, and hope? Why not take these words of Jesus: “I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

In a moment Tim will lead us in two verses of “My Hope Is in the Lord.” Where else?

~ Pray ~