Pastor Bell's Words To Live By

It was almost time for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover Feast. The leading priests and teachers of the law were trying to find a way to kill Jesus, because they were afraid of the people. Satan entered Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ twelve apostles. Judas went to the leading priests and some of the soldiers who guarded the Temple and talked to them about a way to hand Jesus over to them. They were pleased and agreed to give Judas money. He agreed and watched for the best time to hand Jesus over to them when he was away from the crowd (Luke 22:1-6).

From Luke’s perspective, Jesus’ journey towards the cross is definitely a conspiracy between the Jews (Pharisees, Sadducees and Zealots) and others to kill him. He is the servant king who was foretold by the prophet Isaiah in his writing about 800 years before his birth. Isaiah 53:3 tells us that he would be ‘despised and rejected by others, a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces, he was despised and we held him of no account’ (NRSV).

So for Luke, Jesus’ journey towards the cross is punctuated with him demonstrating his authority, power and humility and preparing his followers for his impending departure. We are told in 22:3 that Satan entered into Judas who betrayed him. We are not told the reason for Judas’ betrayal, all we are told that he was part of the conspiracy.

 Jesus is presented not as someone who is aloof and going about his business as usual, but as someone with a limited amount of time to make the final preparations before the fulfilment of his destiny. Luke records Jesus as saying ‘I have eagerly desired to eat the Passover with you before I suffer’ v.15. and so in the final days of his life, he instituted what we call the Lord’s supper or the Eucharist, gave Peter a reality check (31-34), pointed his followers back to the prophecy of Isaiah (v.37) and demonstrated to them the power and necessity of prayer (v.39-46).

The hope we have in Jesus is presented fully in Luke’s second book, the Acts of the Apostles. Here he uses the foundation of the completed work of the cross described in his gospel to propel us as believers beyond the cross to the power that is in the name and the blood of Jesus.

Today, remember that whether the death of Jesus was as a result of a conspiracy or not, the fact is he died to conquer death so that all of us who accept him as our saviour and Lord can live.

If you have not met this Jesus of the cross, pray this simple prayer: Dear Jesus I believe that you died on the cross for my wrong doing, I also believe that you rose from the grave and that you are coming again someday. I commit my life to you from today, in your name Lord, amen.

Read Luke 22