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- Luke Chapter 22 (part 3)
"When disciples followed a rabbi, they followed him closely so they would never be out of his sight, never be someplace where they couldn’t hear him speak. They followed him so closely that his sandals often kicked up dust."
May you be covered in His dust.
If this is your first time getting Covered in His Dust, WELCOME!
Read Chapter 22 before reading my notes. They’ll make more sense.
Access previous notes on Luke by signing into your account. Click 'Read Online' at the top right of this post and scroll down to find them waiting for you.
Good morning! ☀️
Chapter 22 is complete! There won’t be a Part 4 🙌🏽.
Once we finish studying Luke, we’ll take a super short break and then dive into the Book of Acts. And just as a sneak preview, the Book of Romans comes after Acts. It’s going to be an incredible ride through the New Testament. I’m glad you’re here.
Reminder: I'll be hosting a live Zoom session this Wednesday at 7 PM (Guatemala and Colorado time) and 9 PM (Eastern NYC time). I'll share what I uncovered in Cuba and its significance for Vonda and me moving forward. It was truly life-changing. This is a Zoom session you won’t want to miss!
You can join Zoom Meeting here:
Meeting ID: 861 2783 3023
Passcode: 516672
Ok, we still have a lot to cover, let’s go!
“Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
As Jesus went to the Mount of Olives to pray, “as was His custom,” He prayed they would not enter into temptation.
If it was His custom to pray, it should also be our custom.
I’ve STRUGGLED with prayer for most of my life. Praying the same prayers over and over again felt so... empty.
Honestly, I didn't feel connected to God during prayer.
Anyway...
I’m putting a summary together of Praying Scripture that has completely changed my prayer life.
If that’s something you’re interested in, let me know.
What did He mean by “temptation?”
Jesus knows the trials He and His disciples are about to face. He’s aware that He will be arrested, tried, and crucified and that His disciples' faith and loyalty will be tested.
The temptation Jesus mentions probably includes the possibility of His disciples losing faith or denying Him under pressure. He knows that Peter will deny Him three times within hours.
By urging His disciples to pray, Jesus is reminding them to stay spiritually alert and rely on God's strength to get through the tough times ahead.
Jesus is reminding you and me to stay spiritually alert and rely on God’s strength to get us through tough times ahead.
“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
Why does Jesus pray this prayer three times in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46)?
This scripture, more than any other, has shown me the humanness of Jesus. We know that He is fully human and fully God, but this highlights His vulnerability and emotional struggle.
Jesus expressed profound sorrow and distress, praying earnestly to the Father for another way, yet ultimately submitting to God's will. This scene captures His deep anxiety and the weight of what He was about to face.
Jesus was deeply distressed about His upcoming crucifixion and the burden of bearing the world's sins. Repeating His prayer shows how much He struggled and His desperate plea for relief, if possible.
Even though Jesus wants to avoid suffering, He submits to God's will every time He prays, saying, "Not my will, but yours be done." By repeating this, He shows His trust in God's plan.
Jesus' repeated prayer shows us that we should keep praying, especially when we’re in the middle of overwhelming situations or unsure.
And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Some believe Jesus experienced a rare medical condition called hematidrosis, where a person sweats blood due to extreme stress.
Others think the description is metaphorical, indicating the intense physical and emotional stress Jesus was under, comparing His sweat to great drops of blood.
Whether Jesus literally sweated blood or it was a metaphor, what's important is the depth of His suffering and fervent prayer. This passage shows His intense agony and the immense burden He faced, revealing His humanity and submission to God's will. The exact nature of His sweat matters less than recognizing the deep distress He endured.
"Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus."
There are a couple of details in the Gospel of John that are interesting.
First, the disciple who cut off the servant of the High Priest’s ear is identified as Peter. I guess it’s interesting to me because it fits his character. I’m not surprised.
John also identifies the High Priest’s servant as Malcus. Mentioning specific individuals like Malchus suggests that the Gospel writers included details that could be checked by people at the time. This adds to the credibility of the Gospel accounts by providing concrete names and events.
I don't know why, but I've always thought it was a Roman soldier's ear that got cut off and that Roman guards arrested Jesus. Turns out, that's not true.
Confirmation bias is when we only notice or remember things that support what we already believe, and we ignore or forget things that go against our beliefs. This can make us miss important information even when it's right in front of us.
As we read scripture, we must be careful with our preconceived ideas and remember that we’re reading scripture with Western eyes.
Western culture has different values, traditions, and perspectives than the ancient Near Eastern culture in which the Bible was written. This can lead to misunderstandings or misinterpretations of certain passages.
Why, then, did I think those things in the first place???
Church plays and artistic depictions of Jesus' arrest often show Roman soldiers as the primary arresting force. This can create a lasting impression, especially if you've seen these portrayals repeatedly.
The ultimate authority to carry out executions, including crucifixions, rested with the Roman officials. Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, played a crucial role in Jesus' trial and crucifixion, which might reinforce the idea that Romans were directly involved from the point of arrest.
What really happened?
According to the Gospels, Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane by a crowd sent by the Jewish religious leaders. This group included temple guards and officers. While John 18:3 mentions a "band of soldiers," it primarily emphasizes the involvement of the Jewish authorities. Jesus was then taken to the high priests for questioning before being handed over to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.
Why does it matter?
Clearly understanding scripture is crucial. If the Holy Spirit inspired it, and He did, it matters.
So, it wasn’t a Roman soldier's ear that was cut off; it was the high priest's servant. That’s an ocean of difference when you understand the position of the high priest.
The high priest was the chief religious leader of the Jewish people. He was responsible for performing the most important rituals and ceremonies, including entering the Holy of Holies in the Temple once a year on Yom Kippur to offer sacrifices for the atonement of the people's sins.
During the Roman occupation, the high priest also held significant political influence. The Romans often worked with the high priest to maintain order and govern the Jewish population.
The high priest presided over the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish court and council. The Sanhedrin dealt with major legal and religious matters and had authority over various aspects of Jewish life.
The ear being cut off of a high priest servant would have been a big deal.
It’s just a different understanding when you realize that it was the Jewish leaders who arrested Jesus in the shadows of the night.
As I read the account in all four gospels this time, without the confirmation bias, it seems more rushed and secretive than ever.
And that breaks my heart.
Despite the danger, Peter's decision to follow Jesus to the high priest's house shows his loyalty and courage. However, when confronted, his fear led him to deny knowing Jesus three times, fulfilling Jesus' earlier prediction.
My mom always warned me, “Nothing good happens after midnight.” She was right.
Since roosters typically crow before dawn, around 3:00 to 4:00 AM, this indicates that all these events—from the arrest to Peter's denials—occurred throughout the night and into the early morning hours, probably before 4:00 AM.
I want to take a second to highlight one of the most emotional scenes in Luke.
And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.”
And he went out and wept bitterly.
The Lord turned and looked at Peter.
Jesus was arrested, and all but one other disciple fled (Mark 14:50).
Jesus didn’t look at the other disciples… because they weren’t there.
When Jesus looked at Peter, both must have been heartbroken.
No words were spoken between them, but the depth of their shared pain was palpable. Peter instantly recalled Jesus' prophecy about his denials, and the weight of his actions crashed down upon him.
Overwhelmed with remorse, Peter went out and wept bitterly, realizing the extent of his failure to stand by his Lord in His darkest hour.
I am Peter
It’s easy to look at Peter’s denials and think, “I wouldn’t do that,” yet we do it every day. This is a partial list of how I’ve denied Jesus over the course of my life.
I’ve skipped regular prayer, worship, and Bible reading, which eroded my relationship with Jesus.
For most of my life in the United States, I put my career, wealth, and personal goals above my commitment to Jesus.
I STILL work on showing love, kindness, and compassion to others, especially those in need.
I’ve been the poster child for the lukewarm. I didn’t reject my faith, but I wasn’t fully committed either. I was living a life of a not-so-passive denial of Jesus.
I’ve ignored injustice and not stood up for what's right. For most of my life, I was pro-choice. How does that even line up in a Christian’s head? (I realize I may lose some subscribers here… but before you leave, message me. Let’s have a conversation.)
The “trial” begins
Even today, Orthodox Jews would say, "You can't seriously believe that what the Gospels record really happened. It couldn't have happened that way. If it did, it would have violated Old Testament law."
How was Old Testament Law violated?
Jewish law prohibited trials at night, particularly for capital cases, which should be conducted during daylight hours. The trial of Jesus, as described in Luke and other Gospels, took place at night, (Mark 14:53-65).
Conducting trials on holy days, such as Passover, was against Jewish law. Jesus’ trial and crucifixion occurred during Passover (John 18:28, John 19:14).
Trials were to be held in designated court chambers, typically in the Temple itself, not in the private residence of the high priest (Mark 14:53-54).
Jewish law requires the testimony of at least two or three witnesses to agree on the charges for a capital punishment case. The Gospels describe inconsistent testimonies against Jesus, which would have invalidated the trial (Mark 14:56-59).
Jewish legal tradition mandated a waiting period before the carrying out of a death sentence, allowing for new evidence or testimony to surface. This obviously didn’t happen.
That’s it for today ❤️
The goal is to post my notes for Chapter 23 on Monday. Be patient.
I love you,
George
Uncovering Scripture
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George Sisneros serves as a full-time missionary in Guatemala. He is the founder of Ordinary Missionaries and the El Rosario Christian Academy for Boys.
He’s been married to his wife, Vonda, for 25 years. He’s a father to nine children, five adopted.
George and his family will be expanding to Cuba in 2024.