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Luke 22

Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.

And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.

Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.

And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.

And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.

And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.

Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed.

And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat.

And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare?

And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in.

And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?

And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready.

And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.

And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.

And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:

For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:

For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.

And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.

And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!

And they began to inquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.

And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.

And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.

But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.

And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;

That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.

And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.

Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.

For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.

And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him.

And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.

And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,

Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow,

And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.

And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.

But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?

When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?

And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.

And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.

Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?

When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off.

And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them.

But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him.

And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.

And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not.

And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean.

And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.

And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him.

And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?

And many other things blasphemously spake they against him.

And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying,

Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:

And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go.

Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.

Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am.

And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.

What does Luke 22:49 mean?

Explanation

Luke 22:49 tells of an event in the Garden of Gethsemane, just before the arrest of Jesus.

The verse indicates that the disciples, being aware of the imminent threat to Jesus as the crowd came with Judas to arrest Him, asked if they should take violent action to defend Him.

Specifically, they questioned whether they should use swords – which were the weapons of self-defense they had at the time.

This query displays their confusion, loyalty, and a lack of understanding of Jesus' mission, as they were still thinking in terms of an earthly kingdom and resistance to oppression rather than the spiritual redemption Jesus was about to accomplish through His suffering, death, and resurrection.

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

The Gospel of Luke was written within the broader context of the early Christian community that was trying to understand and record the life, teachings, and significance of Jesus Christ.

This passage is set in the tumultuous last days of Jesus' ministry, after the Last Supper and before His crucifixion.

The atmosphere was charged with both religious and political tension, as Roman occupation loomed over Jewish society and expectations for a messianic deliverer were high.

Theological Insights

Theologically, Luke 22:49 captures a pivotal moment illustrating human inclination toward violence for self-defense versus the nonviolent attitude of Jesus. Different traditions interpret this in varying ways:

Traditional Christian perspectives see this verse as setting up a stark contrast between Jesus' kingdom, which is not of this world, and the violent means by which earthly kingdoms are defended and preserved.
Pacifist Christian groups often use this event to highlight Jesus' commitment to nonviolence.
Some scholars view the disciples' question as a failure to comprehend Jesus' frequent teachings about His necessary suffering and death, which He had foretold as part of God's salvific plan.

Practical Applications

This verse can be applied to daily life as a lesson in discernment, peace, and faithfulness. It challenges individuals to consider:

How they respond to threat or crisis: with immediate aggression or with thought for the moral and spiritual implications of their actions.
Where they place their trust in times of peril: in physical means of protection or in higher, divine providence.

Cross-References

Matthew 26:51-52: "And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear.

Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword."

John 18:10-11: "Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear.

The servant's name was Malchus.

Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?"

Language Study

Key words in the original Greek text of this verse include:

"They which were about him" (Greek: περί αὐτόν) suggests those in close physical and associational proximity to Jesus.
"Lord" (Greek: Κύριε), a term of respect and acknowledgment of authority.
"Smite" (Greek: πατάξωμεν), meaning 'to strike' or 'hit,' indicating the use of force.
"Sword" (Greek: μάχαιραν) refers to the short sword or large knife carried by the disciples, symbolic of violence and defense.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

This event can be compared to narratives in other religious and ancient texts where issues of violence and its justification occur:

Many ancient religious narratives have heroes who engage in violence as a justified defense of the divine or the righteous, which is a stark contrast to Jesus' approach in this instance.
In Buddhism, there is often an emphasis on non-violence (ahimsa) as a path to enlightenment, which reflects a similar principle demonstrated by Jesus' response to the disciples' question about violence.

Scientific Perspectives

The topic of when and how to use force in self-defense has been examined in various scientific fields, including psychology, sociology, and ethics.

While the verse itself doesn't directly engage with scientific reasoning, one can consider:

Psychological perspectives on human aggression and the conditions under which people consider it justifiable to use force.
Sociological studies on how societies institutionalize the use of force, such as through police or military, versus promoting nonviolence and peacebuilding.

commentaries

Commentaries on this verse provide various insights:

Many scholars agree that the disciples' query reveals their misunderstanding of the type of Messiah Jesus was intended to be , one who would not lead a violent revolt but would instead lay down His life.
Commentators like Matthew Henry emphasize that this is an example of the disciples' good intentions but lack of spiritual understanding, as they were too quick to resort to the sword and too slow to grasp Christ's spiritual kingdom.
Some modern scholars, such as N.

Wright, may note the political and eschatological implications of the verse, highlighting the radical nature of Jesus' mission, which went contrary to the Zealot movements of the time that sought liberation through insurrection and force.

Luke 22

Luke 22

What does Luke 22:49 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

commentaries

Want more context?

What does Luke 22:49 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

commentaries

Want more context?