READ IT! - Introduction to Luke 21-24

Readings for This Week:

Monday: Luke 21

Tuesday: Luke 22

Wednesday: Luke 23

Thursday: Luke 24

Friday: Exodus 1

Saturday: Exodus 2

Sunday: Exodus 3

Introduction to Luke 21-24 

Chapter 21

As the beginning of this chapter, we see the story of widow’s offering. Later, Jesus tells his disciples about the coming destruction of the Temple and signs of the End Times, and the distinction between the current age and the future age. Luke then summarizes Jesus’ days in Jerusalem before beginning the final part of his Gospel – the Passion Narrative.

Chapter 22

Luke says that while the priests and Torah-teachers were looking for a way to kill Jesus, Satan entered into one of Jesus’ own disciples, Judas Iscariot, and he went to them and agreed to look for a way to have Jesus arrested when no crowd was around in exchange for some money. 

Jesus eats a Passover meal with his disciples, and during the meal, Jesus tells his disciples that he has been looking forward to sharing this meal with them, and that he will not eat another Passover meal again until the promise of the Passover is fulfilled. 

He shares a cup of wine with them and tells them that he will not drink it again until the kingdom of God comes. Then he breaks the bread and distributes it, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” After the meal, he takes another cup of wine and says, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” 

When it was time for a man and woman to marry, both fathers would negotiate the bride price, recognizing that the bride would be a precious loss to her family. Taking a cup of wine, the groom drank from it and offered it to the woman, symbolically saying that he wanted to make a covenant and would be willing to give his life for her. The woman sealed the engagement by drinking from the same glass. No doubt Jesus’ disciples immediately recognized the imagery of a marriage proposal. And they were able to picture the depths of Jesus’ love — a love so deep that Jesus made a covenant with them and was willing to give his life for them.

Jesus also tells them that the hand of the one who will betray him is resting on this same table with his hand. Jesus says that it has been decreed that the Son of Man must go, but woe to the man who betrays him! 

At this point in the narrative, Luke mentions that the disciples had argued about which one of them was the greatest, which is something that Mark and Matthew talked about at a much earlier point in their Gospels. But Jesus tells them not to behave like the Gentile kings who oppress their subjects while referring to themselves as benefactors. He says that the greatest must be like the youngest and the ruler like the servant. Jesus says that he has set an example for them as they are his closest friends of how to be a servant. 

He tells them that he is giving them the Kingdom that God has given him and they will rule on twelve thrones. But then he says to Peter that Satan has asked to destroy them, but he says that he has prayed especially for Peter so that once he has turned back he may encourage the others. Peter declares that he’s ready to go to prison and to death for Jesus! But Jesus says, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” 

Jesus then says that they must be prepared for the journey ahead of them, because it is not like when he sent them out before. He says that he is about to fulfill the prophesy of Isaiah who said, “He will be numbered with the transgressors.” 

The disciples get distracted by Jesus’ mentioning of carrying a sword around for protection on this new mission, so they interrupt and say, “Hey! We’ve got two swords!” Jesus is like, “Well, that’s enough of that!” 

Jesus then takes them to the Mount of Olives and he tells them to pray that they will not fall to temptation. He goes and prays by himself, saying, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke says that an angel appeared to him and gave him strength. Luke also says that after continuing to pray with so much anguish, his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground. 

When Jesus is done, he goes back and finds the disciples asleep. He tells them again to get up and pray so they won’t fall to temptation.But as Jesus is speaking, Judas shows up with a mob behind him. 

Luke presents a slightly different picture here than Matthew and Mark: Jesus sees Judas coming, and stops him by asking: “Judas, are you betraying the son of man with a kiss?” The kiss is apparently not delivered at all. 

Having been identified, the officers arrested Jesus, although one of Jesus' disciples thought to stop them with a sword, but cut off the ear of one of the arresting officers. The Gospel of John specifies that it had been Simon Peter who had cut off the ear of Malchus, the servant of Caiaphas, the high priest. Luke adds that Jesus healed the wound. John, Matthew, and Luke state that Jesus criticized the violent act, insisting that they do not resist Jesus' arrest. In Matthew, Jesus made the well known statement “all who live by the sword, shall die by the sword.” 

Jesus is arrested and taken to the house of the high priest. Peter follows at a distance and sits by a fire in the courtyard. A servant girl sees his face in the firelight and accuses him of being one of Jesus’ disciples, but he denies it. This happens two more times and the rooster crows, and Jesus turns and looks at Peter, and Peter runs away weeping.

The guards then mock Jesus and at sunrise, the Sanhedrin finally convenes and they ask him if he is the Messiah. He says, “you said it.” and they take him away to Pilate, where they accuse him of subversion, not paying tribute to Caesar, and claiming to be the Messiah. 

Chapter 23

Pilate finds out that Jesus is from Galilee, which belonged to Herod Antipas' jurisdiction, and so he decides to send Jesus to Herod. After questioning Jesus and receiving very few replies, a disappointed Herod (who had hoped to see some miracle) sees Jesus as no threat and returns him to Pilate wearing an elegant robe. Luke says that after this event, Herod and Pilate stopped being enemies and became friends. 

Pilate says he will punish Jesus and release him since his crimes are negligible, but the crowd demands that Jesus be killed. He pleads with the people two more times before giving into their demand to have Jesus crucified in the place of a known terrorist and murderer being kept in the prison named Jesus Barabbas. 

The soldiers lead Jesus away and grab some guy named Simon who was from the north African city of Cyrene and they force him to carry the cross for Jesus. 

Luke's also describes an interaction between Jesus and the women among the crowd of mourners following him. The Gospel of Luke has Jesus address these women as "daughters of Jerusalem", thus distinguishing them from the women whom the same gospel describes as "the women who had followed him from Galilee" and who were present at his crucifixion. 

Jesus is taken to the Place of the Skull and crucified with two other criminals, one on his right and the other on his left. The rulers, the soldiers, the people, and even the criminal next to him all mock him. One criminal, however, rebukes the other, and asks Jesus to remember him when he comes into his kingdom, and Jesus promises to see him in Paradise later that same day.

Luke tells us that it was about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus then dies, calling out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” And he is buried in a tomb.

Chapter 24

Very early in the morning after the Sabbath, the women discover the tomb has been opened, and two men in shining garments come up to them and tell them not to be afraid since Jesus is risen. They say, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” They remind the women that Jesus had told them that all of this would happen ahead of time. 

The women return to the eleven disciples to tell them the news, but they don’t believe them. Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened. 

Luke states that while a disciple named Cleopas was walking towards Emmaus with another disciple, they met Jesus. They did not recognize him, and discussed their sadness at recent events with him. Not recognizing Jesus, their question of “Are you the only one who does not know about what recently happened in Jerusalem?” is ironic since Jesus knows better than anyone else what had recently happened in Jerusalem.

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. 

They persuaded him to come and eat with them, and in the course of the meal, when Jesus took the bread and broke it, they recognized him. But when they did, he disappeared. They immediately get up and go back to Jerusalem to tell the news to the eleven disciples, and when they get there, the eleven tell them that they have already heard the news because Jesus has already appeared to Simon Peter. 

While they are talking, Jesus suddenly appears in the room with them, saying, “Peace be with you.” Everybody jumps, thinking they just saw a ghost. Jesus tells them to not be disturbed or doubtful. He tells them to look at his hands and feet. He tells them to touch him and see that he truly is flesh and bone, and not a ghost. The disciples still can’t believe their eyes, so Jesus asks for something to eat, and they give him a piece of broiled fish and eats it.

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” 

Luke ends his Gospel by saying that when he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. 

Read Luke 21

As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.”

“Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”

He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”

Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.

“But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. And so you will bear testimony to me. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. Everyone will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. Stand firm, and you will win life.

“When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

“Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives, and all the people came early in the morning to hear him at the temple.