New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Luke 22
1
The Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was near.
2
The chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for a way to get rid of Jesus. They were afraid of the people.
3
Then Satan entered Judas, who was called Iscariot. Judas was one of the Twelve.
Reference
Parallel theme
John 13:2
John 13:18
Acts 5:3
Psalm 41:9
Luke 22:21
John 12:6
Luke 6:16
Matthew 26:23
4
He went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard. He talked with them about how he could hand Jesus over to them.
Reference
5
They were delighted and agreed to give him money.
6
Judas accepted their offer. He watched for the right time to hand Jesus over to them. He wanted to do it when no crowd was around.
7
Then the day of Unleavened Bread came. That was the time the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 12:18
8
Jesus sent Peter and John on ahead. "Go," he told them. "Prepare for us to eat the Passover meal."
9
"Where do you want us to prepare for it?" they asked.
10
Jesus replied, "When you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house he enters.
Reference
Parallel theme
John 16:4
11
Then say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks, "Where is the guest room? Where can I eat the Passover meal with my disciples?" '
Reference
Parallel theme
John 11:28
12
He will show you a large upstairs room with furniture in it. Prepare for us to eat there."
Reference
Parallel theme
Acts 1:13
13
Peter and John left. They found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover meal.
15
He said to them, "I have really looked forward to eating this Passover meal with you. I wanted to do this before I suffer.
Reference
16
I tell you, I will not eat the Passover meal again until it is celebrated in God's kingdom."
Reference
17
After Jesus took the cup, he gave thanks. He said, "Take this cup and share it among yourselves.
Reference
19
Then Jesus took bread. He gave thanks and broke it. He handed it to them and said, "This is my body. It is given for you. Every time you eat it, do it in memory of me."
Reference
20
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup. He said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. It is poured out for you.
Reference
21
But someone here is going to hand me over to my enemies. His hand is with mine on the table.
Reference
22
The Son of Man will go to his death, just as God has already decided. But how terrible it will be for the one who hands him over!"
Reference
23
The apostles began to ask each other about this. They wondered which one of them would do it.
24
They also started to argue. They disagreed about which of them was thought to be the most important person.
Reference
25
Jesus said to them, "The kings of the nations hold power over their people. And those who order them around call themselves Protectors.
26
But you must not be like that. Instead, the most important among you should be like the youngest. The one who rules should be like the one who serves.
Reference
27
"Who is more important? Is it the one at the table, or the one who serves? Isn't it the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
Reference
29
And I give you a kingdom, just as my Father gave me a kingdom.
Reference
Kingdom
Matthew 25:34
2 Timothy 2:12
James 2:5
Luke 12:32
Parallel theme
Matthew 28:18
Matthew 24:47
Luke 19:17
1 Corinthians 9:25
1 Peter 5:4
2 Corinthians 1:7
30
Then you will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. And you will sit on thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.
Reference
Kingdom
Matthew 8:11
Luke 14:15
Parallel theme
Revelation 3:21
Luke 12:37
Revelation 19:9
References Israel
Matthew 19:28
31
"Simon, Simon! Satan has asked to sift you disciples like wheat.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Peter 5:8
Revelation 12:10
Amos 9:9
Luke 10:41
Acts 9:4
References Lord
Zechariah 3:1
32
But I have prayed for you, Simon. I have prayed that your faith will not fail. When you have turned back, help your brothers to be strong."
Reference
Faith
1 Peter 1:5
Luke 8:13
Parallel theme
Romans 8:34
Hebrews 7:25
2 Peter 3:14
Acts 3:19
Hebrews 12:15
Matthew 18:3
1 Peter 1:13
1 John 2:19
34
Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, you will say three times that you don't know me. And you will do it before the rooster crows today."
Reference
35
Then Jesus asked the disciples, "Did you need anything when I sent you without a purse, bag or sandals?" "Nothing," they answered.
Reference
36
He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it. And also take a bag. If you don't have a sword, sell your coat and buy one.
37
It is written, 'He was counted among those who had committed crimes.'--(Isaiah 53:12) I tell you that what is written about me must come true. Yes, it is already coming true."
Reference
40
When they reached the place, Jesus spoke. "Pray that you won't fall into sin when you are tempted," he said to them.
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 6:13
Revelation 3:10
Psalm 119:133
Psalm 17:5
1 Chronicles 4:10
Luke 11:4
Psalm 19:13
Prayer
Luke 22:46
1 Peter 4:7
41
Then he went a short distance away from them. There he got down on his knees and prayed.
Reference
42
He said, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup of suffering away from me. But do what you want, not what I want."
Reference
44
Because he was very sad and troubled, he prayed even harder. His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Reference
45
After that, he got up from prayer and went back to the disciples. He found them sleeping. They were worn out because they were very sad.
Reference
46
"Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up! Pray that you won't fall into sin when you are tempted."
Reference
47
While Jesus was still speaking, a crowd came up. The man named Judas was leading them. He was one of the Twelve. Judas approached Jesus to kiss him.
48
But Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you handing over the Son of Man with a kiss?"
Reference
Parallel theme
Proverbs 27:6
49
Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen. So they said, "Lord, should we use our swords against them?"
Reference
Word
Luke 22:38
52
Then Jesus spoke to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders. They had all come for him. "Am I leading a band of armed men against you?" he asked. "Do you have to come with swords and clubs?
Reference
53
Every day I was with you in the temple courtyard. And you didn't lay a hand on me. But this is your hour. This is when darkness rules."
Reference
54
Then the men arrested Jesus and led him away. They took him into the high priest's house. Peter followed from far away.
55
They started a fire in the middle of the courtyard. Then they sat down together. Peter sat down with them.
56
A female servant saw him sitting there in the firelight. She looked closely at him. Then she said, "This man was with Jesus."
57
But Peter said he had not been with him. "Woman, I don't know him," he said.
58
A little later someone else saw Peter. "You also are one of them," he said. "No," Peter replied. "I'm not!"
59
About an hour later, another person spoke up. "This fellow must have been with Jesus," he said. "He is from Galilee."
60
Peter replied, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.
Reference
61
The Lord turned and looked right at Peter. Then Peter remembered what the Lord had spoken to him. "The rooster will crow today," Jesus had said. "Before it does, you will say three times that you don't know me."
Reference
References Peter
Luke 22:34
63
There were men guarding Jesus. They began laughing at him and beating him.
Reference
References Jesus
John 18:22
64
They blindfolded him. They said, "Prophesy! Who hit you?"
65
They also said many other things to make fun of him.
66
At dawn the elders of the people met together. These included the chief priests and the teachers of the law. Jesus was led to them.
Reference
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."
Reference
Parallel theme
Hebrews 1:3
Psalm 110:1
Mark 14:62
Matthew 22:44
Matthew 26:64
Revelation 3:21
Hebrews 8:1
References God
Mark 16:19
Revelation 22:1
Hebrews 12:2
70
They all asked, "Are you the Son of God then?" He replied, "You are right in saying that I am."
Reference
71
Then they said, "Why do we need any more witnesses? We have heard it from his own lips."
Chapter Summary
Luke 22 describes the final Passover, the Last Supper, Judas' betrayal, Jesus' prayer in the Garden, His arrest, Peter's denial, and the beginning of His trial, making it one of the central chapters in the Gospel narrative.
The chapter begins as the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread approach.
The chief priests and scribes are looking for a way to kill Jesus but are afraid of the people, because Jerusalem is crowded with pilgrims and any public disturbance could attract the attention of Roman authorities.
Judas then approaches the religious leaders and agrees to betray Jesus, creating a secret arrangement to hand Him over when the crowds are absent.
Jesus sends Peter and John to prepare the Passover meal, giving them specific instructions that lead them to a furnished upper room.
When the appointed time arrives, Jesus sits with the apostles and tells them that He has greatly desired to share this Passover with them before He suffers.
During the meal, Jesus takes bread, gives thanks, breaks it, and gives it to His disciples, explaining that it represents His body given for them and instructing them to remember Him.
He then takes the cup and identifies it with the new covenant in His blood, establishing the foundation for what Christians later call Communion, the Lord's Supper, or the Eucharist.
The language of the new covenant connects Jesus' coming death with the promise of a new covenant found in the prophetic tradition, particularly associated with Jeremiah in the 7th–6th centuries BC.
The atmosphere becomes increasingly serious when Jesus announces that one of the disciples will betray Him.
Instead of responding with unity and humility, the disciples begin arguing about which of them is the greatest.
Jesus uses the argument to teach one of His most important principles of leadership: true greatness is expressed through service.
While rulers of the world exercise authority over others, Jesus tells His disciples that the greatest should become like the youngest and that the leader should become like the servant.
Jesus then warns Simon Peter that Satan has demanded to test the disciples like wheat.
Peter confidently promises that he is ready to go with Jesus to prison and death, but Jesus predicts that Peter will deny Him three times before the rooster crows.
This prediction is fulfilled later that same night.
Jesus then leads the disciples to the Mount of Olives, a familiar location where He withdraws to pray.
His prayer reveals the terrible reality of the suffering He is about to face.
Jesus asks the Father whether the cup of suffering can be taken away, yet submits Himself completely to God's will.
An angel strengthens Him, and Luke describes the intensity of His anguish as He prays.
Meanwhile, the disciples fall asleep because of their sorrow.
Soon Judas arrives with a crowd and uses a kiss to identify Jesus.
The authorities arrest Him, and one of Jesus' followers cuts off the ear of the high priest's servant.
Jesus immediately stops the violence and heals the injured man, demonstrating that even during His arrest He refuses to respond to violence with violence.
Jesus then points out the irony of the arrest: He had taught publicly in the Temple every day, yet the authorities came secretly at night with swords and clubs.
He explains that this is their hour and the power of darkness.
Jesus is taken to the high priest's house, while Peter follows at a distance.
Three separate people identify Peter as someone associated with Jesus, and each time Peter denies knowing Him.
After the third denial, the rooster crows.
Jesus turns and looks at Peter, who immediately remembers the prediction.
Peter leaves the courtyard and weeps bitterly, showing deep grief over his failure.
The scene is especially powerful because Peter had confidently promised only hours earlier that he would never abandon Jesus.
The chapter then returns to Jesus.
The guards mock, beat, blindfold, and insult Him.
At daybreak, the religious council gathers and questions Him about whether He is the Messiah.
Jesus explains that they have already decided what they want to believe, but He nevertheless speaks about the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God's power.
The imagery connects Jesus' coming suffering with the exaltation of the Son of Man described in Daniel 7, traditionally associated with the 6th century BC.
The council asks whether Jesus is the Son of God, and Jesus' response leaves His identity clearly before them.
The leaders conclude that they have sufficient grounds for condemnation and prepare to take Jesus to the Roman authorities.
Historical Timeline
- 2nd millennium BC: The Passover tradition originates in Israel's memory of the Exodus from Egypt.
- 7th–6th centuries BC: Jeremiah prophesies concerning a new covenant, later connected by Christians with Jesus' words at the Last Supper.
- 6th century BC: Daniel 7 provides the background for the “Son of Man” imagery concerning divine authority and future judgment.
- 20–19 BC: Herod the Great's Temple expansion is underway in Jerusalem.
- AD 14–37: Tiberius Caesar rules the Roman Empire.
- c. AD 26–36: Pontius Pilate serves as Roman prefect/governor of Judea.
- c. AD 30: Jesus celebrates His final Passover, institutes the Lord's Supper, is betrayed by Judas, arrested, denied by Peter, tried by Jewish authorities, and handed over to Pilate.
- AD 30: Jesus is crucified and, according to the Christian Gospel accounts, resurrected shortly afterward.
- AD 66–70: The First Jewish-Roman War eventually results in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple in AD 70.
Luke 22 ultimately presents Jesus moving willingly toward His suffering while fully aware of what awaits Him, establishing the remembrance of His sacrificial death through the bread and cup, teaching that true greatness is found in humble service, demonstrating compassion even toward His enemies during His arrest, and revealing through His prayer, betrayal, suffering, and trial that the apparent defeat of the cross is moving toward the greater fulfillment of God's redemptive purpose.
The chapter begins as the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread approach.
The chief priests and scribes are looking for a way to kill Jesus but are afraid of the people, because Jerusalem is crowded with pilgrims and any public disturbance could attract the attention of Roman authorities.
Judas then approaches the religious leaders and agrees to betray Jesus, creating a secret arrangement to hand Him over when the crowds are absent.
Jesus sends Peter and John to prepare the Passover meal, giving them specific instructions that lead them to a furnished upper room.
When the appointed time arrives, Jesus sits with the apostles and tells them that He has greatly desired to share this Passover with them before He suffers.
During the meal, Jesus takes bread, gives thanks, breaks it, and gives it to His disciples, explaining that it represents His body given for them and instructing them to remember Him.
He then takes the cup and identifies it with the new covenant in His blood, establishing the foundation for what Christians later call Communion, the Lord's Supper, or the Eucharist.
The language of the new covenant connects Jesus' coming death with the promise of a new covenant found in the prophetic tradition, particularly associated with Jeremiah in the 7th–6th centuries BC.
The atmosphere becomes increasingly serious when Jesus announces that one of the disciples will betray Him.
Instead of responding with unity and humility, the disciples begin arguing about which of them is the greatest.
Jesus uses the argument to teach one of His most important principles of leadership: true greatness is expressed through service.
While rulers of the world exercise authority over others, Jesus tells His disciples that the greatest should become like the youngest and that the leader should become like the servant.
Jesus then warns Simon Peter that Satan has demanded to test the disciples like wheat.
Peter confidently promises that he is ready to go with Jesus to prison and death, but Jesus predicts that Peter will deny Him three times before the rooster crows.
This prediction is fulfilled later that same night.
Jesus then leads the disciples to the Mount of Olives, a familiar location where He withdraws to pray.
His prayer reveals the terrible reality of the suffering He is about to face.
Jesus asks the Father whether the cup of suffering can be taken away, yet submits Himself completely to God's will.
An angel strengthens Him, and Luke describes the intensity of His anguish as He prays.
Meanwhile, the disciples fall asleep because of their sorrow.
Soon Judas arrives with a crowd and uses a kiss to identify Jesus.
The authorities arrest Him, and one of Jesus' followers cuts off the ear of the high priest's servant.
Jesus immediately stops the violence and heals the injured man, demonstrating that even during His arrest He refuses to respond to violence with violence.
Jesus then points out the irony of the arrest: He had taught publicly in the Temple every day, yet the authorities came secretly at night with swords and clubs.
He explains that this is their hour and the power of darkness.
Jesus is taken to the high priest's house, while Peter follows at a distance.
Three separate people identify Peter as someone associated with Jesus, and each time Peter denies knowing Him.
After the third denial, the rooster crows.
Jesus turns and looks at Peter, who immediately remembers the prediction.
Peter leaves the courtyard and weeps bitterly, showing deep grief over his failure.
The scene is especially powerful because Peter had confidently promised only hours earlier that he would never abandon Jesus.
The chapter then returns to Jesus.
The guards mock, beat, blindfold, and insult Him.
At daybreak, the religious council gathers and questions Him about whether He is the Messiah.
Jesus explains that they have already decided what they want to believe, but He nevertheless speaks about the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God's power.
The imagery connects Jesus' coming suffering with the exaltation of the Son of Man described in Daniel 7, traditionally associated with the 6th century BC.
The council asks whether Jesus is the Son of God, and Jesus' response leaves His identity clearly before them.
The leaders conclude that they have sufficient grounds for condemnation and prepare to take Jesus to the Roman authorities.
Historical Timeline
- 2nd millennium BC: The Passover tradition originates in Israel's memory of the Exodus from Egypt.
- 7th–6th centuries BC: Jeremiah prophesies concerning a new covenant, later connected by Christians with Jesus' words at the Last Supper.
- 6th century BC: Daniel 7 provides the background for the “Son of Man” imagery concerning divine authority and future judgment.
- 20–19 BC: Herod the Great's Temple expansion is underway in Jerusalem.
- AD 14–37: Tiberius Caesar rules the Roman Empire.
- c. AD 26–36: Pontius Pilate serves as Roman prefect/governor of Judea.
- c. AD 30: Jesus celebrates His final Passover, institutes the Lord's Supper, is betrayed by Judas, arrested, denied by Peter, tried by Jewish authorities, and handed over to Pilate.
- AD 30: Jesus is crucified and, according to the Christian Gospel accounts, resurrected shortly afterward.
- AD 66–70: The First Jewish-Roman War eventually results in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple in AD 70.
Luke 22 ultimately presents Jesus moving willingly toward His suffering while fully aware of what awaits Him, establishing the remembrance of His sacrificial death through the bread and cup, teaching that true greatness is found in humble service, demonstrating compassion even toward His enemies during His arrest, and revealing through His prayer, betrayal, suffering, and trial that the apparent defeat of the cross is moving toward the greater fulfillment of God's redemptive purpose.