Luke 22-23 Christ Descends

The Condescension of Christ: He is Betrayed

Luke 22:1-6 (CSB) The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called Passover, was approaching. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put him to death, because they were afraid of the people.

Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, who was numbered among the Twelve. He went away and discussed with the chief priests and temple police how he could hand him over to them. They were glad and agreed to give him silver. So he accepted the offer and started looking for a good opportunity to betray him to them when the crowd was not present.

  1. Why did people hate Jesus so much?

  2. Why do people hate Jesus now?

The Condescension of Christ: He is the Sacrifice

Luke 22:7-23 (CSB) Then the Day of Unleavened Bread came when the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”

“Where do you want us to prepare it?” they asked him.

“Listen,” he said to them, “when you’ve entered the city, a man carrying a water jug will meet you. Follow him into the house he enters. Tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks you, “Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ Then he will show you a large, furnished room upstairs. Make the preparations there.”

So they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

When the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. Then he said to them, “I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. But look, the hand of the one betraying me is at the table with me. For the Son of Man will go away as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!”

So they began to argue among themselves which of them it could be who was going to do it.

  1. What was the Passover? What did God do for his people when they were enslaved by the Egyptians?

  2. What is Christ about to do for his people?

  3. Why did Christ tell us to do "this in remembrance"?

The Condescension of Christ: He Became The Least

Luke 22:24-30 (CSB) Then a dispute also arose among them about who should be considered the greatest. But he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who have authority over them have themselves called ‘Benefactors.’ It is not to be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever is greatest among you should become like the youngest, and whoever leads, like the one serving. For who is greater, the one at the table or the one serving? Isn’t it the one at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves. You are those who stood by me in my trials. I bestow on you a kingdom, just as my Father bestowed one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. And you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Matthew 16:24-28 (CSB) Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it. For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each according to what he has done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Romans 6:1-11 (CSB) What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

  1. Why did Christ call us to die?

  2. What are we to die to?

The Condescension of Christ: He is Faithful

Luke 22:31-34 (CSB) “Simon, Simon, look out. Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

“Lord,” he told him, “I’m ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”

“I tell you, Peter,” he said, “the rooster will not crow today until you deny three times that you know me.”

Romans 8:26-27 (CSB) In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Romans 8:34 (CSB) Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.

  1. Who is contending for us and praying for us even when we fail?

  2. Who is for us always and perfectly?

The Condescension of Christ: He Has Taken Our Sin

Luke 22:35-46 (CSB) He also said to them, “When I sent you out without money-bag, traveling bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?”

“Not a thing,” they said.

Then he said to them, “But now, whoever has a money-bag should take it, and also a traveling bag. And whoever doesn’t have a sword should sell his robe and buy one. For I tell you, what is written must be fulfilled in me: And he was counted among the lawless. Yes, what is written about me is coming to its fulfillment.”

“Lord,” they said, “look, here are two swords.”

“That is enough!” he told them.

He went out and made his way as usual to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. When he reached the place, he told them, “Pray that you may not fall into temptation.” Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and began to pray, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me—nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

Then an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him. Being in anguish, he prayed more fervently, and his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he got up from prayer and came to the disciples, he found them sleeping, exhausted from their grief. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you won’t fall into temptation.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 (CSB) He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

  1. When we sin, disobey, do something bad, regretful, shameful--who is the one person we can go to give our sin to?

  2. Why? How is this possible?

The Condescension of Christ: He is Captured

Luke 22:47-53 (CSB) While he was still speaking, suddenly a mob came, and one of the Twelve named Judas was leading them. He came near Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

When those around him saw what was going to happen, they asked, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?” Then one of them struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear.

But Jesus responded, “No more of this!” And touching his ear, he healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests, temple police, and the elders who had come for him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal? Every day while I was with you in the temple, you never laid a hand on me. But this is your hour —and the dominion of darkness.”

  1. Why do you think Christ healed the ear of the servant?

  2. In saving his people, was God violent? In what way?

The Condescension of Christ: He is Denied

Luke 22:54-62 (CSB) They seized him, led him away, and brought him into the high priest’s house. Meanwhile Peter was following at a distance. They lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, and Peter sat among them. When a servant saw him sitting in the light, and looked closely at him, she said, “This man was with him too.”

But he denied it: “Woman, I don’t know him.”

After a little while, someone else saw him and said, “You’re one of them too.”

“Man, I am not!” Peter said.

About an hour later, another kept insisting, “This man was certainly with him, since he’s also a Galilean.”

But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter. So Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

  1. In what ways do we deny Christ?

  2. How can we repent and change our mind and lives about this?

The Condescension of Christ: He is Blasphemed

Luke 22:63-65 (CSB) The men who were holding Jesus started mocking and beating him. After blindfolding him, they kept asking, “Prophesy! Who was it that hit you?” And they were saying many other blasphemous things to him.

  1. What is blasphemy?

  2. When we blaspheme God and Jesus, can we be forgiven?

Matthew 12:31-32 (CSB) Therefore, I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the one to come.

John 3:8 (CSB) The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

  1. What has the Holy Spirit been sent to do?

  2. Christ spoke of the power of the Spirit as a wind that blows where it pleases. How can we blaspheme the Holy Spirit?

The Condescension of Christ: He is Falsely Accused

Luke 22:66-71 (CSB) When daylight came, the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the scribes, convened and brought him before their Sanhedrin. They said, “If you are the Messiah, tell us.”

But he said to them, “If I do tell you, you will not believe. And if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”

They all asked, “Are you, then, the Son of God?”

And he said to them, “You say that I am.”

“Why do we need any more testimony,” they said, “since we’ve heard it ourselves from his mouth?”

Why was the Son of God sentenced to death?

The Condescension of Christ: He is Mocked

Luke 23:1-5 (CSB) Then their whole assembly rose up and brought him before Pilate. They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation, opposing payment of taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.”

So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

He answered him, “You say so.”

Pilate then told the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no grounds for charging this man.”

But they kept insisting, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he started even to here.”

Revelation 19:16 (CSB) And he has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Why was the King of kings sentenced to death?

The Condescension of Christ: He is Falsely Judged

Luke 23:6-12 (CSB) When Pilate heard this, he asked if the man was a Galilean. Finding that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem during those days. Herod was very glad to see Jesus; for a long time he had wanted to see him because he had heard about him and was hoping to see some miracle performed by him. So he kept asking him questions, but Jesus did not answer him. The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. Then Herod, with his soldiers, treated him with contempt, mocked him, dressed him in bright clothing, and sent him back to Pilate. That very day Herod and Pilate became friends. Previously, they had been enemies.

Isaiah 53:7-8 (CSB)
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth.
Like a lamb led to the slaughter
and like a sheep silent before her shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
He was taken away because of oppression and judgment,
and who considered his fate?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
he was struck because of my people’s rebellion.

  1. Was Jesus perfect?

  2. Was Jesus sinless?

  3. Why was he sentenced to death?

The Condescension of Christ: He Bears Our Stripes

Luke 23:13-25 (CSB) Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, and said to them, “You have brought me this man as one who misleads the people. But in fact, after examining him in your presence, I have found no grounds to charge this man with those things you accuse him of. Neither has Herod, because he sent him back to us. Clearly, he has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, I will have him whipped and then release him.”

Then they all cried out together, “Take this man away! Release Barabbas to us!” (He had been thrown into prison for a rebellion that had taken place in the city, and for murder.)

Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate addressed them again, but they kept shouting, “Crucify! Crucify him!”

A third time he said to them, “Why? What has this man done wrong? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore, I will have him whipped and then release him.”

But they kept up the pressure, demanding with loud voices that he be crucified, and their voices won out. So Pilate decided to grant their demand and released the one they were asking for, who had been thrown into prison for rebellion and murder. But he handed Jesus over to their will.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (CSB) He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

  1. Was Jesus innocent of all crimes and all sins?

  2. Why was an innocent man sentenced to death?