Passover Part 2 - Who is The Greatest (Lk 22:24-30)

This lesson covers the discussion between the disciples about who will be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven when, unknown to them, Jesus is about to die!

Lk 22:24-30

The Disciples Argue About Greatness

Luke 22:24-30

24 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. 25 And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  27 For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.

28 "But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  29 And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me,  30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

The theme of these verses is the need for humility by the Christian. There are really no directly parallel passages for this section of Luke 22. However, there are passages elsewhere in Luke, Matthew, and Mark wherein Jesus addresses His disciples about this subject, as well as a passage in John 12 which I suspect may be closely tied to this. The other passages include Matthew 18:1-5, Matthew 20:20-38, Mark 9:33-37, Mark 10:35-45, Luke 9:46-48, and John 13:1-17.

During the celebration of the Passover in the upper room, Jesus told His disciples that the man who would betray Him was there at the table among them. The Greek verb translated “betray” literally means “to give into the hands (or authority) of another.” And that was what Judas intended to do: to arrange things so that the chief priest, elders, and temple guards could capture Jesus away from the crowds. Luke 22:23 tells us that His disciples immediately “began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.” Looking at Matthew’s and John’s accounts of the Passover meal, it may seem surprising, on first inspection at least, that the disciples did not realize who Jesus’ betrayer would be.

Look first with me at the account in Matthew 26:20-25:

20 When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. 21 Now as they were eating, He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me."

22 And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, "Lord, is it I?"

23 He answered and said, "He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me.  24 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born."

25 Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, "Rabbi, is it I?"

He said to him, "You have said it."

Now look also at 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.

Scripture does not record that the disciples reacted to Jesus’ interaction with Judas. Indeed given what scripture tells us about Simon Peter, his loyalty and bluster, and the “sons of thunder” James and John (Mark 3:17, Luke 9:56), it seems out of character that these men heard and understood what Jesus said but simply sat quietly, without saying or doing anything about it. We might expect Peter to slice off one of Judas’ ears and James and John to offer to call down fire from heaven to consume Judas. At least we would expect the other disciples to do something: interrogate Judas, seize him, prevent him from leaving, or follow him when he left. But despite all that Jesus will say that evening about His imminent betrayal, the disciples appear caught completely off guard when it happens. How can we explain this?

The Gospel accounts do not seem to indicate that what transpired between Jesus and Judas is done in secret, even though they were seated within an arm’s reach of one another. Rather I believe they suggest that what transpired was done openly and was seen and heard by the other disciples. Jesus and His twelve disciples were probably alone in the upper room and the setting was most likely quite intimate. Although many Bible versions read that Jesus and His disciples sat down and ate, we should not imagine them sitting in chairs around a table as we are tonight.  The Greek verbs translated as “sat” in Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s accounts mean ”to recline, to recline at the table, to lie down, or to lie back.” Jesus and His disciples probably reclined or sat on rugs with pillows around a low, round or horseshoe-shaped table, known as a triclinium, while they dined, allowing normal conversation to be heard by everyone around the table. From the passage quoted from John 13 above, it is clear that the disciples were able to hear one another and Jesus.

Assuming then that the other disciples witnesses the interactions between Jesus and Judas, what then? It might be that the interaction between Jesus and Judas either went completely over the disciples’ heads, that they chose not believe it, or that God arranged things so that hearing, the disciples did understand (Isaiah 6:9-10). It might be any – or all – of these. John 13 records that although the disciples heard what Jesus said to Judas – “What you do, do quickly” – they did not however understand the significance of Jesus’ words. We read that after Jesus told them that one of them would betray Him, the disciples one by one asked Jesus, “Is it I?” The Gospels preserve only Jesus’ response – “You have said it” (or “It’s as you say”) – to Judas’ question.

Let us examine Jesus’ response to Judas to see whether it might be in any way ambiguous or unclear. Remember the scene in the upper room. Jesus’ is surrounded at the table by His twelve disciples, His friends, who up to now have stuck by Him through thick and thin. Judas is sitting close to Jesus because He is able to hand him the bread dipped in the stew. The places next to the host were reserved for honored guests. (Recall that the mother of James and John asked Jesus that her sons would sit at His right and left hands in His kingdom. Mattjew 20:20-21) Similarly, a piece of bread dipped in the stew was considered a choice morsel that would be given only to the guest of honor. Furthermore, Jesus placed Judas in charge of the money box, indicating that He trusted him.

Like the other disciples, Judas asks Jesus “Is it I, rabbi?” “Am I the one who will betray you?” Now in his heart Judas knew he would soon betray Jesus, and Jesus knew this as well. Jesus’ answer treats Judas’ question as if it were a statement, as if Judas had said “I am the one who will do this.” Judas had not said this with his lips but He had purposed to do so in his heart. So when Jesus replies, “You have said it,” I believe it was only Jesus and Judas who really understood what He had said. I can see how the other disciples might be confused by Jesus’ reply. All the disciples had asked Jesus the same question. Was Jesus somehow suggesting that each disciple was capable of betraying Him? Did Jesus’ answer to Judas cause each of the disciples to pause and evaluate their hearts?

Although Judas alone handed Jesus over to the Jewish authorities, there is a sense in which each of the other eleven disciples, and not just Simon Peter, denied Jesus within the next 34 hours. When Jesus allowed Himself to be taken into custody, all the disciples fled. Although John would return to be at Jesus’ side as He hung on the cross, none of the disciples was there with Jesus during His trials, beatings, and scourging. All had fled, like sheep without their shepherd, seeking to save themselves. 

Furthermore, from an earthly perspective, Jesus’ treatment of Judas seems to run contrary to His words. If Judas was truly Jesus’ betrayer, why was He honoring him with the best seat and the best morsel? From a spiritual perspective, however, what Jesus does makes perfect sense: He behaves in love even toward the one who will betray Him to the scribes and Pharisees, even toward those who spitefully use Him and persecute Him.

Jesus’ action is completely consistent with what scripture says about how we should treat our enemies. In Proverbs 25:21-22 we read:

21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; 22 For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the Lord will reward you.

And in Matthew 5:43-45, during the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Himself tells the crowds:

43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'  44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,  45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Whatever the disciples may have understood about Judas betraying Jesus, they did not stay on that subject very long. Jesus’ disciples quickly go from asking who will betray their Master [in verse 23] to arguing among themselves which among them should be considered the greatest [verse 24]. In verses 25-30 Jesus sets them straight on what constitutes greatness in the kingdom of heaven. This dispute is not found in the parallel accounts of the Last Supper in the Gospel of Matthew or Mark. However I believe it can be found albeit in a slightly different and fuller form in John 13:1-20.

Before we look either at the account in John 13 or what Jesus has to say here in Luke 22 about servant leadership, I’d like to point out that this was not the first time that the disciples argued among themselves about this matter. If we look through the Gospels, we can see two other occasions where the disciples argued among themselves about who was the greatest: when Jesus placed a child in the midst of the disciples (Matthew 18:1-5, Mark 9:33-37, and Luke 9:46-48), and when the mother of James and John asked that they might sit at Jesus’ right hand (Matthew 20:20-28 and Mark 10:35-45).

What does Jesus tell them here in Luke 22? That in the world, kings and those who exercise authority tell their subjects what they must do and are held to be ‘benefactors,’ literally “those who do good.” The world see ruling over others as a good thing, one to be praised, admired, and rewarded. Rulers are obeyed by their subjects; the word “subject” itself implies that, for a “subject” is one who is under (or subject to) the authority of another. The relationship between a master and his slaves is an example of this kind of leadership. As we look around us at the world, this is indeed the style of leadership that we are familiar with in the world, even within democracy. We might have a voice in electing our political leaders, and praise God, their actions are somewhat constrained by the laws of the land, but they for the most part determine the many of our laws and policies, which we are obligated to obey.

But among Jesus’ disciples, things were to be the other way around. As Jesus and His disciples were making their way towards Jerusalem, either James and John, or their mother, depending on whether you read Mark or Matthew’s account, ask Jesus if He will grant that they sit at His right and left hand in His glory. When the other disciples became displeased by James and John’s request, Jesus addressed them all in Mark 10:43-45 with these words, which closely resemble our passage in Luke 22:

 43 Yet it shall not be so among you [that you lord it over the ones over which you rule]; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.  45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

In the kingdom of heaven the first will be last, and the last first (Mark 9:35). He who wishes to be greatest among the disciples is to behave like a younger person toward his elders, being respectful toward and obedient of his fellow disciples. And that person who wishes to govern in the kingdom of heaven needs to behave here on earth as a servant and serve others. He is to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and be a servant leader.

In this area, as in all others, Jesus is to be our example. We are to strive to have the attitude that Jesus had, which the Apostle Paul describes for us in Philippians 2:5-11:

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus was not content to teach by words. He “walked the talk,” so to speak, teaching by example. He did not merely encourage others to live humbly, He himself lived humbly. He did not merely encourage others to sacrifice, He sacrificed himself freely. This is part of what made Him such a great teacher. Having spoken to the disciples in the upper room about the need for those who wish to be great to be servants of all, Jesus gave the disciples a clear illustration of that principle.

Turn with me to John 13 and I would like to read you the first seventeen verses of that chapter. 

1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

2 And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, 4 rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, "Lord, are You washing my feet?"

7 Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this."

8 Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!"

Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me."

9 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!"

10 Jesus said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you."  11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, "You are not all clean."

12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?  13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.  14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.  15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.  16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.  17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Although John’s Gospel does not mention that the disciples disputed among themselves concerning who was the greatest that we see in Luke 22, I believe such a dispute such as recorded in Luke very well might have prompted Jesus actions here. Notice that in John 13:2 we learn that the washing of the disciples’ feet occurs after the supper has ended, which is completely consistent with the timing of the disciples’ dispute over greatness in Luke 22. If I am correct in how these two passages tie together – and let me hasten to add that this is simply my opinion – then the first 20 verses of John 13 gives us more detail concerning how Jesus stressed the importance of servant leadership to His disciples.

Look at what Jesus does. After supper, Jesus gets up from the table, lays aside his outer garment, wraps a towel around His waist, pours water into a basin, and begins to wash and dry the disciples’ feet. In order to understand the significance of Jesus’ actions, you need to realize that in Jesus’ day roads were very different from the streets and sidewalks of Tucson. Ancient roads were little more than dirt or at best dirt paved with flat stones. The roads were always dusty and dirty and when it rained muddy. Furthermore sanitation in Jesus’ day was not what it is today. In the cities, it was not uncommon to encounter garbage or even sewage in the streets. Furthermore, remember it was the week of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread; Jerusalem was swollen to several times its normal size, with Jews from all over flocking there to celebrate and worship.

In Jesus’ day people wore sandals without socks and, as you can imagine, their feet got dirty and smelly as they walked around Jerusalem. Although public baths did exist throughout the Roman Empire, and we know that there were pools in Jerusalem were people washed, scripture has little to say about washing as a hygienic practice. Most of what is mentioned is in the way of ceremonial washing, especially by the priests. People probably bathed and washed less than we are accustomed to do today.

Remember that people reclined at the table, the rich on couches, the poor on rugs and pillows. Your feet were out in the open, not tucked discretely under the table. If your feet stunk, people were sure to notice, and that could make mealtime much less pleasant.  It was common practice therefore to provide your guests with water and towels to wash their feet when they arrived, especially if they were going to dine with you. And if you had servants, it was the servant’s job to wash the guests’ feet.

We do not know if Jesus and the disciples had washed their feet before they dined. It really makes no difference whether they did or not, Jesus clearly embodied by His actions the principle of servant leadership. And He did so knowing who He was, that He was the Son of God, knowing, as John says in verse 3, “that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God…” The Son of God, God Himself, washed the feet of His twelve disciples, including the one who would betray Him. What a picture of a humble king!

Only Peter is recorded as speaking out that this was inappropriate but I suspect most, if not all, of the disciples must have felt a little uncomfortable with their Master, the Messiah, washing their feet. It was fitting that they felt uncomfortable. I believe that this foot washing ceremony was in some ways a picture of what Jesus would do upon the cross.  When I think about how Jesus, by His death upon the cross, paid the debt for my sins, I am greatly humbled. I know that it should have been me on that cross not Him. I understand how sinful I am, and how sinless He was. And I am so thankful for His willingness to die to save me from my sins.

You can imagine that this may not have been not exactly what His disciples desired to hear. They probably all had hoped and desired to do great things from a worldly perspective, like driving out the Romans and restoring Israel to the prominence she had held in the days of David and Solomon. Perhaps, like James and John, they desired to sit at Jesus’ right and left hand in His kingdom. Perhaps they dreamed of being Jesus’ bodyguard. Or perhaps, they had hopes of being second-in-command to Jesus, or even one day His successor. I suspect that they sat quietly, thinking about what they had seen, as Jesus finished washing, dressed Himself, and sat back down.

Listen to what Jesus said to them next:

12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?  13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.  14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.  15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.  16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.  17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

I believe that Jesus knew what was in their hearts as they first bickered among themselves. And He knew now the various thoughts that were racing through their heads. In Luke 22:28-30, Jesus speaks words of encouragement to them, promising them in heaven what I believed they had hoped for on earth. Listen to what Jesus has to say:

28 "But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  29 And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me,  30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

Just as Jesus gave up equality with God, became a man, and lived by faith a life of perfect obedience to God, for which He would be highly exalted, so too His disciples because by faith they have continued with Him in His trials, also will be exalted.  They will receive from Jesus the right to reign as kings, in His kingdom, where they will dine at His table and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus has made similar promises to them before. After His encounter with the rich young ruler, whom Jesus tried to teach the idea of being a humble leader, Jesus tells His disciples in Matthew 19:28-30:

28 So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.  29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.  30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Whenever I read a passage like this, I am always refreshed by the humanity of the disciples. We see their human frailty and how much Jesus loves them nevertheless, and both these things give us hope regarding our own condition and sinful hearts. Here are Jesus’ disciples, who sat at His feet for three years, to whom He has repeatedly lectured about the importance of humble leadership, and who still struggle not only to grasp what He is teaching them but also to implement it in their lives.

And aren’t we like the disciples in so many ways? We are quick to believe that we are innocent and look out of the corner of our eyes at others. We are quick to believe that we are doing a fine job, much better than others. And when we find ourselves face to face with Jesus, may we be quick to realize how wretched we are compared to him.

May we understand our need for a savior and may we be thankful that His mercies are indeed new each day!