Heritage Bible Church

What was on Jesus' mind as he was led to the cross? When he was crucified? Or, rather, who was on Jesus' mind? Surely, he thought of his own sufferings. He experienced his sufferings in his full humanity. But going by what Luke records Jesus actually saying, we can only conclude that it is we who were on Jesus' mind. In Luke 23:26–43, we not only follow Jesus from his trial to his crucifixion, but hear his heart for us. Even as he was crucified, he cared.

How does a man proven innocent end up on death row? This is the stuff of political dramas and viral podcast true crime series. In Luke 23:1–25 we get the inside story on how one innocent man was handed over to death. The motivations are varied but the outcome comes down to one man's decision. Pilate caved under pressure. The voices got to him. Today he's famous for making the wrong decision. Let us learn from this failure of nerve and remember our place in this story of innocence and injustice, friendship in Jesus, and a prisoner exchange no one saw coming.

There is one thing that both Jesus and his accusers could agree on: it matters who he is. We live in a day when believing in Jesus is fine as long as it's a matter of personal faith. Universal claims remain a problem. But Jesus' claims were total, personal, and absolute. They were not a matter of opinion or preference. In Luke 22:66–71, Jesus is on trial in Jewish court. They seem to think the question of Jesus' identity is an open-and-shut case. So it is, but not as they suppose. How sure are you of Jesus' identity? What would you say in the witness stand?

Where did Peter get his boldness as a Christian? Peter has his own unique personality profile: brash, confident, impulsive, and quick to speak. But this is not Christian boldness. Which is one reason Luke records the famous and painful story of Peter's three denials of his Lord. Luke 22:54–65 retells this occasion of Peter's darkest hour, a night in which this man—the rock—crumbled under the pressure and power of darkness. But our Lord was not done with him. Peter remembered Jesus' words, he repented, and went on to a life of great boldness and usefulness to our Lord. That can be our story, too.

Final exams. The day of the big race. The job interview. These moments of great pressure won't break us if we've invested in the right kind of preparation—preparation that fits the pressure. In Luke 22:39–53, we come to what Jesus calls, "the hour and power of darkness." The arrival of his arresting party begins his passion. What kind of preparation could possibly ready Jesus for this moment? Simply, the preparation of prayer—regular, honest, and submissive conversation with the Father. What's good for Jesus is surely good for us.

The church faces great challenges in our day. What are the greatest among them? The last supper included serious disagreements around the table and Luke 22:24–38 records them for us. These disagreements—one between Jesus' disciples and one with Jesus himself—give us an answer to our question. Our challenges today aren't so different from those faced by Jesus' disciples around that first communion table. But our Lord is patient. He works with us and works on us through Luke's pen as we approach the end of the path.

In Luke 22:7–23, we arrive for supper. Not the Lord's Table to share in the sign, but to the text that describes Jesus' final meal, a pattern he established for the church to repeat. Why a meal? Why a meal at that time? Why a meal with those people, his disciples? And why a meal with bread and a cup? While his opponents lay plans for his killing, Jesus takes control of events to see that his death is remembered for all that it is: a substitutionary atonement for sin.

You know the name: Judas. He's the one who betrayed our Lord. His story recorded for us in Luke 22:1–6 seems inevitable, yet there was a time when Judas thought his life would unfold in very different terms. He took a little from the treasury and then a little more. There was likely more to his motives than the bottom line on his personal ledger and more than Satan's designs for him. Whatever the mix that moved this one from Jesus' inner circle, Judas eventually sold Jesus out to those who would crucify him. He regretted it in the end, a bitter end indeed. Are you Judas? Jesus and Luke are fine with us asking that question. In fact, each of us should.

The temple sure was beautiful. Nothing inspires hope for the future like the majesty of a 40-acre complex built with stones each weighing hundreds of tons. Their white marble and gold adornments shone in the sun, high on the hill, visible for miles and miles. But Jesus said it was all coming down. As you look to the future, what gives you hope? Is your heart weighed down with the anxieties of life? In the final days before the cross, Jesus knows what's coming for his disciples. There will be trouble ahead, but there is a present reality that can make even the most fearful of disciples stand tall and endure.

So much of life comes down to seating. First, it's sitting at the big kids table at Thanksgiving. Later it's the cool kids table at school. Then the driver's seat. Flying first class is nice. Some of this is natural. But mingled with our love of seating is a lust for status. This is a perennial problem for the human race and a real threat for those on the path of discipleship with Jesus. In Luke 20:41–21:4, Jesus warns us with his disciples and draws our attention to the very best seat. That one seat answers our need for status by putting us in our proper place.