Monday, April 2, 2012

The Night Before the Cross (from Luke chapter 22)

Luke 22:31-32 - 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.

Notice the change in pronouns, "you" and "thee." "You" is always plural in KJV, "thee" is singular. Satan desired to sift all the 12, which he did, and one fell out as chaff (Judas). Jesus prayed specifically for Peter, "I have prayed for thee."

See also Job 1, Job 2, regarding Satan's designs on children of God and God's sovereignty over it.

Luke 22:33 - And he [Peter] said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.

Note: "Likewise said they all," - Mark 14:31.

"Peter loved the Lord and meant every word but knew not his own weakness." - Ironside on Luke, p. 654. Same note at Matthew and Mark.

See I Corinthians 10:12; Proverbs 16:18.

See full account of Peter's pride, Matthew 26:33-35; Mark 14:29-31.

"Let us be careful not to trust in our own strength, but distrusting ourselves to rely wholly on Him, that we may ever be true to the trust committed to us!" - Ironside, Addresses on Luke, p. 658.

Luke 22:44 - And being in an agony he [Jesus] prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Fulfilling Psalm 22:14.

Luke 22:45 - 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.

Notice, Even when exhausted from grief is no time to let our spiritual guard down.

This note also at Matthew 26:41 - "A man's regenerated spirit may have good intentions, but it must control his body." - Liberty Commentary. See Romans 12:1; Romans 6; Romans 7; Galatians 5:17.

Luke 22:49-50 - 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.

Notice, they asked the Lord, but did not wait for an answer!

See Christ's rebuke of Peter (the swordsman) in Matthew 26:52-54.

Notice how quickly we turn from being asleep when we should be alert, to being hyperactive when we should be quiet, passive and forbearing.

Luke 22:51 - And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.

"How busy we keep the Lord putting on ears that we in our mistaken zeal have cut off." - Ironside, Luke, p. 649.

Luke 22:54 - Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off.

Instead of keeping close to the Lord and being plainly identified by all as a follower. Peter's attachment to Jesus would not let him drift completely away, but he followed "afar off." And so the carnal Christian or backslider. Same note at Matthew 26:58.

Luke 22:56 - 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.

Unbelievers can spot a Christian. And this question is on their mind, "Art thou one of them, or one of us?"

Luke 22:65 - And many other things blasphemously spake they against him.

Speaking against Jesus can only be called "blasphemy" if Jesus is God!

VM

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