This Lesson continues the plot to kill Jesus. Religious leaders plot murder, a disciple is willing to help, and Satan gives full consent.
Luke 22:3-5
The plot to kill Jesus
Luke 22:1-5
(1) And the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, drew near. (2) And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people. (3) And Satan entered into Judas, surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the Twelve. (4) And going, he talked with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him to them. (5) And they were glad and they agreed to give him silver.
Luke tells us that the scribes and chief priests plotted among themselves how they could kill Jesus without provoking a riot. Matthew 26:3 includes the elders and the High Priest Caiaphas among the plotters and John 11:47 adds the Pharisees. In essence, many if not most of the prominent Jewish religious groups conspired together to kill Jesus.
There were certainly many reasons why the religious authorities plotted to take Jesus’ life. One of these reasons was the nature of Jesus’ message. Jesus Himself told His brothers at one point “The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.” (John 7:7) And He told His disciples not to be surprised if the world hated them because it hated Him beforehand (John 18:21). He knew that His message would not be well-received but would bring division. Earlier in Luke 12:49-53 we see Jesus addressing the crowds with these words:
49 "I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! 51 Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. 52 For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53 Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."
In addition, Jesus had reserved His harshest words for the religious authorities. We have seen how He called the scribes and the Pharisees hypocrites, foolish ones, whitewashed tombs, blind guides and murders. He had accused them of not knowing or misinterpreting the scriptures and had refuted them numerous times before the very crowds whose praises they relished.
Furthermore I believe that the religious authorities had grown accustomed to their prestige and power and now feared that if something were not done about Jesus that they would lose everything to the Romans. We can see this fear expressed clearly in the following passage from John 11:45-48:
45 Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. 46 But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. 48 If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation."
The religious authorities wished to preserve the status quo and avoid any rioting which was likely to bring about the anger of the Romans. However, the miracles that Jesus had recently performed had greatly increased His popularity among the people, even if only temporarily and superficially, and had brought matters to a crisis point.
The above passage from John makes reference to the resurrection by Jesus of Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha, which is described in great detail earlier in John 11. Lazarus had been dead for three days when Jesus brought him back to life. This miracle occurred in Bethany, which is located on the southeast slopes of the Mount of Olives less than two miles from Jerusalem. As John 11:45 above tells us, many of the Jews, who had probably come to Bethany to for Lazarus’ funeral and to mourn with Mary and Martha, “had seen the things that Jesus did, believed in Him.” Some hurried back to Jerusalem to report to the Pharisees what they had seen and heard.
After the resurrection of Lazarus, John’s Gospel tells us that a Jesus went out into the wilderness, to the city of Ephraim, about 13 miles outside Jerusalem, where He remained for some time. Six days before Passover, Jesus returned to Bethany and dined there with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. According to John, Jesus made His triumphal entry on the very next day, five days before the start of Passover. Although I do not believe we can determine how many days elapsed between the resurrection of Lazarus and the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, it is hard to imagine that the report of this miracle had not spread throughout much of the city by the time Jesus arrived, seated on a donkey colt. Indeed John 12:17-19 offers the following comment about Jesus’ triumphal entry in Jerusalem:
17 Therefore the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness. 18 For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign. 19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, "You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!"
The religious authorities found themselves in damage control mode. They needed to act, and act quickly, before they lost control of the situation completely.
At the same time, the religious authorities realized to murder Jesus without apparent provocation during the Passover would be incredibly poor form. They understood that they needed to act cautiously and carefully so that Jesus’ death did not trigger the very riot they were seeking to avoid. This concern comes across clearly in Matthew 26:3, which tells us that the plotters assembled at palace of the High Priest Caiaphas and decided “to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. But they said, ‘Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.’“ They knew that they needed to kill Jesus and kill Him in such a way that did not provoke a riot; however, at least initially, they had no idea how to accomplish this.
The cooperation of Judas
At this point, Satan steps to the front of the stage into our account. Like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, our adversary Satan is walking about, continually looking for opportunities (1 Peter 5:8). When Satan had failed to tempt Jesus while He was weak from hunger, Luke 4:13 tells us that “he departed from Him until an opportune time.” However, our adversary never gives up. And there in Jerusalem, on the eve of the Passover, with the religious authorities desperate to take action against Jesus, I believe Satan sensed another opportunity to move against Jesus.
Luke 22:3 tells us that Satan entered Judas Iscariot, who was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. Judas then sought out the chief priests and captains of the Temple (those who guarded the doors). As one of Jesus’ disciples, Judas was familiar with Jesus’ habits. He promised to seek the opportune way and time to betray Jesus to the religious authorities in such a way as would minimize the chances of an uprising. Luke 5 tells us that Judas’ offer was well-received: “And they [the religious authorities] were glad, and agreed to give him [Judas] money.” Things were beginning to look up for the plotters; they now had an insider working for them.
The Greek verb translated here as “entered” is used elsewhere in the New Testament for demons taking possession of a person (Mark 9:25, Luke 8:30). Neither Matthew’s nor Mark’s Gospel contain a reference to Judas’ possession by Satan. However the Gospel of John does in record that Satan entered Judas as part of the account of the Passover meal given in John 13:21-30:
21 When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me." 22 Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke.
23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke.
25 Then, leaning back on Jesus' breast, he said to Him, "Lord, who is it?"
26 Jesus answered, "It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it." And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, "What you do, do quickly." 28 But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him. 29 For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, "Buy those things we need for the feast," or that he should give something to the poor.
30 Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night.
Whether Satan entered into Judas only once or more than once I am hesitant to say definitively. However, in my opinion, the passages appear to point to more than one time of possession. Was Judas a believer when Satan entered into Him? Once again I cannot say definitively.
However, my personal opinion is that while a Spirit-filled believer can be troubled and tempted by Satan (after all Jesus was), an individual cannot be inhabited by both the Holy Spirit and Satan at the same time. Although the wording is a little different, 1 Samuel 16:14 tells us that the Spirit of God, which had come upon him on several occasions early in his kingship (1 Samuel 10:10, 1 Samuel 11:6), departed from King Saul and then a distressing spirit from God possessed him. Both spirits were not upon him at the same time.
In conclusion, what then should we take away from our passage tonight? Three things here strike me:
1. First and foremost, praise God that sent His Lamb of God to be the Passover sacrifice for us! For as Hebrews 10:1-4 tells us, it is not possible that the blood of animals can take away sins once and for all:
10 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.
2. Second, we need to be mindful that it was the very people who ought to have known God and appeared outwardly to know Him failed to recognize His Son and plotted to kill him. We need to examine ourselves and make sure that we are seeking after God and walking in His ways inwardly as well as outwardly.
3. And finally, we remember that we have a very real enemy in Satan who will stop at nothing to accomplish his ends. We should not be surprised that one of Jesus’ own twelve disciples betrayed Him. Scripture warns us plainly that our enemies will be the members of our household and that even those in our embrace cannot always be trusted. Micah 7:5-6 reads
5 Do not trust in a friend; Do not put your confidence in a companion; Guard the doors of your mouth From her who lies in your bosom. For son dishonors father, Daughter rises against her mother, Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man's enemies are the men of his own household.
The prophet concludes in verse 7 with these words: “Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me.” May it always be so with us that we look first to and rely upon our great God!
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