Symbols of Jesus’ Suffering (preaching resource for 11/23/25, 24th Sunday after Pentecost)
This post exegetes Luke chapter 23, providing context for the Gospel reading on 11/23/25, the 24th Sunday after Pentecost, which this year is the last day of Ordinary Time known as Reign of Christ Sunday. Insights are drawn from Warren Wiersbe ("The Bible Expository Commentary"), Howard Marshall ("New Bible Commentary"), and Robert Farrar Capon ("Kingdom, Grace, Judgment").
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| "Kiss of Judas" by Giotto (publc domain via Wikimedia Commons) |
Introduction
Luke chapter 22 continues the account of Holy Week. The last part of this chapter (vv39-71) covers Jesus’ arrest and trial by the Jewish authorities—events that span late Thursday night into early Friday morning. As we proceed, we’ll note six symbols that highlight Jesus’ suffering in our place: a garden, a cup, a kiss, a sword, a rooster, and a throne.
A garden
Luke 22:39
39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.
After leaving The Last Supper, held in The Upper Room, Jesus leads his disciples out of Jerusalem, across the Kidron valley, to the foot of the Mount of Olives where there is a grove of olive trees called the Garden of Gethsemane (see John 18:1 and Mat. 26:36). Judas, knowing Jesus would go there (John 18:2), now leads a band of Roman soldiers and temple guards to the Garden to arrest Jesus. That this terrible act of treachery against Jesus occurs in a garden is significant, for the first Adam rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden, bringing sin and death to all; and now Jesus, the Last Adam (1Cor. 15:45), obediently accepts in this Garden the cup of suffering from his Father’s hand, bringing salvation and life to all.
A cup
Luke 22:40–46
40 On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." 41 He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. 45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 "Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."
Here is vivid reminder of Jesus’ full humanity. Yes, he is fully God; but through the Incarnation, the eternal Son of God laid aside his divine privileges and powers (Phil 2:6-8) to suffer for us and with us—as one of us. His intense suffering comes now to a sharp focus, as Jesus struggles in his humanity against the terror that lies before him. Yet, though struggling, he remains fully yielded to his Father’s perfect will. To struggle in this way is not sin—though it is quite human. And through this vicarious (substitutionary, representative) human struggling, Jesus bends back our deceitful and sinful human nature to the perfect will of the Father. This is a titanic struggle; and Jesus prevails on our behalf. Sadly, the disciples, like all of us are not up to the task of watching and thus battling with him. Jesus must do it all for us. So intense is Jesus’ suffering that his sweat falls to the ground “like drops of blood” (Luke 22:44). Perhaps we are being encouraged to remember that the first Adam sinned in a Garden and was consigned to living by the sweat of his brow (Gen. 3:19). And now Jesus, the Last Adam, in obedience to the Father in a Garden, sweats blood, and in so doing conquers Adam’s sin (Rom. 5:12–21). In his vicarious humanity, Jesus drinks for us this cup of suffering. Indeed, what happens to Jesus, happens to us and for us all (see 2Cor. 5:14-21).
A kiss
Luke 22:47–48
47 While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"
Disciples customarily greeted their rabbi with a kiss. Now Judas uses a kiss of greeting to identify Jesus to the arresting officers (Mat. 26:48–49). In Judas’ mind this betrayal is justified—he probably hopes that Jesus will resist arrest, perform some sort of miracle, and foment an uprising against the Romans. How little Judas understands about Jesus’ true identity as the suffering servant who has come to give his life in sacrifice for all humanity!
A sword
Luke 22:49–53
49 When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, "Lord, should we strike with our swords?" 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. 51 But Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And he touched the man's ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? 53 Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour-- when darkness reigns."
The disciples misunderstand Jesus’ earlier instruction about a sword (Luke 22:35–38), and ask if they should use theirs to defend Jesus. Without waiting for Jesus’ answer, Peter lashes out to defend Jesus—attacking the high priests’ servant (see John 18:10, 26–27). Peter is backing up his earlier boast that he will not abandon Jesus (Luke 22:33). How ironic! While Jesus yields to his accusers, Peter attacks them. How like Jesus to act in grace, as others act in malice (Psa. 103:10)! Though Jesus can summon a huge army of angels to his defense (Matt. 26:53); instead he lovingly heals the severed ear of his enemy and presents his own hands to be bound like a common criminal.
A rooster
Luke 22:54–62
54 Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55 But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, "This man was with him." 57 But he denied it. "Woman, I don't know him," he said. 58 A little later someone else saw him and said, "You also are one of them." "Man, I am not!" Peter replied. 59 About an hour later another asserted, "Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean." 60 Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times." 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Here Jesus is led away to the first of six “trials” that take him to the cross. Three trials are before Jews and three before Romans. First, Jesus is taken to Annas, the former high priest who retained his former title and influence (John 18:12–13). Annas then sends Jesus to Caiaphas, his son-in-law, the official high priest at the time (Mat. 26:57). Finally, at daybreak, Jesus is tried before the Jewish Sanhedrin and found guilty (Luke 22:66–71). Because the Jews do not have the right of capital punishment (John 18:31–32), they take Jesus to the Roman authorities to get him condemned to death. First, they take him to Pilate (Luke 23:1–4), who tries to avoid a decision by sending Jesus on to Herod (Luke 23:6–12), who then sends him back to Pilate (Luke 23:13–25). When Pilate sees that he cannot escape making a decision, he gives the Sanhedrin what they ask for and condemns Jesus to die on a Roman cross.
Peter and John follow Jesus and the arresting mob into the courtyard of Caiaphas’ home (John 18:15–16). It’s cold, and Peter seeks warmth by joining some servants and officers around a fire in the courtyard (Luke 22:55). There a servant girl accuses Peter of being a follower of Jesus. Peter denies her accusation. A little later, Peter is again accused of being a disciple of Jesus. Again, Peter denies it. However, the bystanders are not convinced, and one hearing Peter’s Galilean accent (Mat. 26:73) accuses him a third time. Peter replies with an oath: “I don’t know what you are talking about!”At this point, a rooster crows, Peter make eye contact with Jesus, and is reminded of Jesus’ earlier prediction that Peter would betray him three times before the rooster crows.
The gravity of the situation hits Peter like a ton of bricks. He is ashamed and devastated. He has failed his Master! He slips out and weeps bitterly. Only gradually over the next several hours and days will Peter come to understand that Jesus has not rejected him, but, rather is humbling and strengthening him. Though Jesus is now a prisoner, seemingly helpless before his captors, Peter is being shown that Jesus is in total control. Peter has already been shown that Jesus has authority over the fish, the winds, and the waves, and even over disease and death. Now Peter is being shown that Jesus is control of what looks like a hopeless situation. As Peter comes to understand this, he will be deeply changed, and thus able to impart strength to the other followers of Jesus (Luke 22:32).
A throne
Luke 22:63–71
63 The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. 64 They blindfolded him and demanded, "Prophesy! Who hit you?" 65 And they said many other insulting things to him. 66 At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. 67 "If you are the Christ," they said, "tell us." Jesus answered, "If I tell you, you will not believe me, 68 and if I asked you, you would not answer. 69 But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God." 70 They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?" He replied, "You are right in saying I am." 71 Then they said, "Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips."
Though not yet officially declared guilty, the soldiers are permitted to abuse Jesus. Here they mock his claim of being a prophet. Later, they mock his claim to being a king (John 19:1–3). This mockery fulfills Jesus’ prophecy (Matt. 20:19), establishing his credibility as God’s Messiah, the true King. At daybreak (Luke 22:66), the Jewish council (Sanhedrin) is hurriedly convened. They accuse Jesus of claiming to be the Messiah. This claim to divinity constitutes blasphemy, a crime punishable by death (Lev. 24:10–16). They demand that Jesus tell them whether he is or is not claiming to be the Messiah. Knowing their unbelief and dishonesty (Luke 20:1–8), Jesus first replies with an oblique reference to his identity as the “Son of man,” a messianic title found in Daniel 7:13–14. He then says that this gives him the right to sit “on the right hand of the mighty ” (Luke 22:69), a clear reference to Psalm 110:1, another messianic passage. Frustrated, by Jesus’ reply, the Jewish authorities ask him straight out: “Are you the Son of God?” Jesus answers with a clear reply, “You are right in saying I am.” Jesus thus testifies to his true identity. In doing so, he is intentionally giving them the evidence they need to condemn him. Jesus, the true king, already enthroned at the Father’s side as judge of all humanity, now intentionally places himself on the “throne” of death, the cross, as the sacrifice for all humanity. The King who is the Judge is also the Savior.
Conclusion
Jesus’ “religious trial” on Thursday night and Friday morning is now over. As Luke continues the story in chapter 24, we fine Jesus tried before the Romans, who alone can condemn him to death. Jesus’ journey of suffering on our behalf continues and intensifies. The cross lies just ahead.