The Suffering, Serving King

Jesus greatly desired to celebrate Passover with his disciples before he died. He used the occasion to announce that they will receive a kingdom.

Luke 22:14-16; 24-30

• Jesus sat at Passover with all 12 of the apostles, including the traitor Judas (v. 14).
• Introducing the meal, Jesus declared how much he wanted to enjoy this, his last meal before his suffering, with his disciples (v. 15).
• Further, he declares it to be his last until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God (v. 16). Was not Passover fulfilled with the death and resurrection of Christ? Does this say anything about the meaning of “kingdom of God”?
• Once again the disciples argue about who will be the greatest among them (v. 24). He they not learned the lesson of Matthew 18?
• Jesus points out that they are desiring to behave like Gentiles (heathen) (v. 25).
• Greatness will be assigned to him who serves most, not to him who is served most (v. 26-27).
• They have been with Jesus. They have seen him handle temptations. They have seen his lowly, humble kingdom (v. 28-29). That’s the kind of kingdom that he bequeaths to them—a lowly, temptation-filled  kingdom.
• Therein will they eat and drink at his table (v. 30).

Meditation Points:

1. If Judas agreed to be a traitor because he was disappointed that he didn’t see any grand kingdom in his future, then this announcement by Jesus would have cemented the decision.
2. To be like Jesus is to be a servant, to suffer temptations.
3. What table does Jesus mean? Is it “the Lord’s table” of communion which the church on earth enjoys? Or is the “marriage supper of the Lamb” which the church in glory enjoys? Does the statement that the apostles will judge the twelve tribes of Israel at that time help us to understand?

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Betrayal And Obedience

Judas sells out; and the other disciple make preparation for Passover.

Matthew 26:14-19

Betrayal (v. 14-16)

• Judas went to the chief priests. Note that he initiated the deal. This is worse than if he had been approached and enticed.
• What’s in it for me? If the price is right, Ill betray the man who has been my friend and mentor for three years, the man who has proven himself time again that he is the Son of God, the Messiah.
• 30 pieces of silver. How much value did that have? Generations earlier it was the price of a slave (Exodus 31:32). This shows what little value the unbelieving Jews had for Jesus and human life.
• Agreement to pay. The blood money was not paid in advance, only upon fulfillment of contract. Indeed the money was paid after Judas betrayed Jesus and before he had a chance to change his mind.
• With the approval of the Sanhedrin, Judas looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus and get paid.

Obedience (v. 17-19)

• Knowing the requirements for celebrating the Passover, some disciples asked Jesus where he wanted them to hold the dinner?  After all, they did not have a meeting place of their own.
• With authority, Jesus instructed them to find a certain man and ask for a room in his house.
• Obediently the disciples found out the man, arranged for the room and made everything ready for the Passover meal.

Meditation Point:

Had Judas become disillusioned? Was he expecting a grand earthly kingdom and himself one of the twelve ruling princes? Certainly the message that Jesus had been repeating about his upcoming betrayal and crucifixion nixed that idea. And if Jesus was to be betrayed, why not Judas for the deed, and why not make some money out of the deal?

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Jesus anointed for his burial – in advance

The disciples thought it to be a waste of resources. Jesus considered it a good work.

Matthew 26:6-13

• In Bethany (v. 6). Jesus spent much time in Bethany, the home of Lazaraus, Martha and Mary. And now we see also the home of Simon the leper. (You would expect that Simon had been a leper, whom Jesus healed).
• A woman stands beside Jesus as he sat to eat, and she opened a “bottle” of very expensive perfume and poured it all on his head (v. 7).
• The disciples object that the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor (v. 9).
• Jesus chastises them for troubling the woman with such ideas. She has done good, not evil (v. 10).
• Her good work was to anoint Jesus for his burial – in advance. His death is coming soon, and there’s not a lot of time left for such anointing. There will always be opportunity to minister to the poor (v. 11-12).
• So good is what this woman has done, that wherever the gospel is preached, the world will know of her faith (v. 13).

Meditation Points:

1. A similar, but altogether different anointing occurred 4 days earlier in Jesus’ ministry (John 12). We leave it to you to contrast the two events.
2. The alabaster box. Perhaps the best understanding is that this was an expensive container worthy of the expensive perfume within. When Mark 14:3 says that she broke the box, it might better be understood that she broke open the seal on the container.
3. The apostolic objection. Aren’t you glad that the world is not controlled by “bean counters” who are always looking for a better investment? Under their control, we’d rarely enjoy rest and relaxation, art or music, or variety in anything. The communist experiment was 80 years of such control; and anyone familiar with that regime will tell you the problems of attempting to equalize society.
4. Do we cause trouble for those who wish to do a good work for Jesus?  Why do we bother them?
5. The divine perspective. Men see it as a sinful waste; Jesus sees it as a good work. Do you always see things as Jesus does?
6. Does Jesus say that we can never eradicate poverty?  Yes, but he does not say that we shouldn’t help the poor.
7. The anointing was for his burial which the woman believed would come any day soon. The anointing was an expensive, one-use gift to the Lord. And it was spurred by her faith in his prediction that soon he would be betrayed and crucified.  Why didn’t anyone else understand his message?
8. Our reading this text is fulfillment of Jesus’ words (v. 13).

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“Not on the feast day”

What would you not do on a religious holiday, and why?

Matthew 26:1-5

• Two days before the feast, Jesus announced again that he would soon be betrayed and crucified.
• At that time the Jewish leaders met in council to plot how to arrest Jesus and kill him.
• But they didn’t want these events to take place on a feast day. In their minds killing Jesus was warranted. Why their concern about not doing it on a feast day? Would the religious day make the deed sinful?  Not at all, Their concern was that to arrest Jesus in a holiday might stir up a mass protest!  Again, these hypocrites are more interested in what men say rather than what God says.

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