Luke 22:3 Kommentar

All the evangelists, whatever they omit, give us a particular account of the death and resurrection of Christ, because he died for our sins and rose for our justification, this evangelist as fully as any, and with many circumstances and passages added which we had not before. In this chapter we have, I. The plot to take Jesus, and Judas's coming into it (Luk 22:1-6). II. Christ's eating the passover with his disciples (Luk 22:7-18). III. The instituting of the Lord's supper (Luk 22:19, Luk 22:20). IV. Christ's discourse with his disciples after supper, upon several heads (v. 21-38). V. His agony in the garden (Luk 22:39-46). VI. The apprehending of him, by the assistance of Judas (Luk 22:47-53). VII. Peter's denying him (Luk 22:54-62). VIII. The indignities done to Christ by those that had him in custody, and his trial and condemnation in the ecclesiastical court (Luk 22:63-71).

Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh,.... Which lasted seven days; during which the Jews eat their bread without leaven, in commemoration of the haste in which they went out of Egypt; being such, that they had not time to leaven their dough, but took it with their kneadingtroughs along with them, as it was; and as figurative of the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, with which the Gospel feast is to be kept; see Exo 12:34. Which is called the passover; because the Lord passed over the houses of the Israelites, when he slew all the firstborn in Egypt; now the time of this feast drew near, when the conspiracy was formed against the life of Christ: Matthew and Mark are more precise, and suggest, that it was two days before the passover; see Mat 26:2.

Then entered Satan into Judas,.... At the same time that the sanhedrim were sitting, and consulting about the death of Christ, Satan, or the adversary, as the word signifies, the devil, who is the enemy of the Messiah, the woman's seed, entered into Judas; not corporeally, as he did into those that were possessed by him; but he entered "into his heart", as the Ethiopic version renders it; he put it into his heart to betray him, as it is said in Joh 13:2 he stirred up, and worked upon the corruptions of his heart; suggested evil things to his mind, and baited his temptations agreeable to his malice and covetousness: and this man was surnamed Iscariot; to distinguish him from another apostle of the same name; concerning this his surname; see Gill on Mat 10:4, See Gill on Joh 13:2. Being of the number of the twelve; apostles, or disciples of Jesus, as the Persic version reads, and which is an aggravation of his sin: now this being two days before the passover, shows, that the sop which Judas took, after which the devil entered into him, Joh 13:27 could not be the passover sop, but was the sop he ate at the supper in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, so long before it.

For it is written in my Gospel that "Satan entered into Judas." According to Marcion, however, the apostle in the passage under consideration does not allow the imputation of ignorance, with respect to the Lord of glory, to the powers of the Creator; because, indeed, he will have it that these are not meant by "the princes of this world.

Jesus Christ our Savior has been crucified. The author of this crime and father of this wickedness is, without doubt, the devil. It is written: "When, however, the devil had entered the heart of Judas Iscariot that he should betray him." The devil is the father of sin. He fathered Judas as his first son in this wickedness, but Judas alone could not execute the betrayal. What then is written? "Judas departed," Scripture says, "to the scribes and Pharisees and chief priests and said to them: 'What will you give me, and I will deliver him to you?' " The third and fourth generation of sin was born from Judas.

(Hom. 80. in Matt.) St. Luke gives his surname, because there was another Judas.

What was this many-headed serpent's invention? It says, "He entered Judas Iscariot, who was one of the Twelve." Why did he not rather enter blessed Peter, James, John, or some other of the rest of the apostles? Why Judas Iscariot? What did Satan find in him? Satan could not approach any of those we have mentioned here, because their heart was steadfast and their love to Christ immovable. There was a place for Satan in the traitor. The bitter disease of greed, which the blessed Paul says is the root of all evil, had overpowered him. Satan is crafty in working evil. Whenever he gains possession of anyone's soul, he does not attack him by means of general vice. He rather searches for that particular passion that has power over him and by its means makes him his prey.

Judas lost heaven for a little silver. He missed the crown of immortality and the desirable honor of the apostleship. He missed to be numbered among the Twelve to whom Christ somewhere said, "You are the light of the world." He did not care to be a light of the world. He forgot Christ, who says, "You who have followed me in my temptations, when the Son of man shall sit upon the throne of his glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel." Judas did not want to reign with Christ. What a confusion of error blinded the mind of that greedy man! The Evangelist says, "Satan entered him." His pathway and door was the passion of greed. "There is great gain in godliness with contentment." The sacred Scripture says, "We neither brought anything into the world, nor can we carry anything out." Those who seek to be rich, fall into numerous and unprofitable lusts, which sink people in pitfalls and destruction. The disciple who became a traitor is a clear proof of this, because he perished for the sake of a few miserable coins.

Satan entered into Judas not by force, but finding the door open. For forgetful of all that he had seen, Judas now turned his thoughts solely to covetousness. And he adds, one of the twelve, since he made up the number, though he did not truly discharge the Apostolic office. Or the Evangelist adds this, as it were for contrast sake. As if he said, "He was of the first band of those who were especially chosen."

But Satan entered into Judas surnamed Iscariot, who was one of the twelve. John notes in his Gospel that when the Lord had dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, and after the morsel, then Satan entered into him. But this does not contradict Luke, who recounts that Satan had already invaded him before the morsel, because the one whom he now entered to deceive, he later entered to possess more fully as one already handed over. Now he entered to tempt as though he were still a stranger, then to drag him, as though already his own, to accomplish any harmful deeds he wished.

There is nothing contrary to this in what John says, that after the sop Satan entered into Judas; seeing he now entered into him as a stranger, but then as his own, whom he might lead after him to do whatsoever he willed.

"And Satan entered into Judas," "one of the number of the twelve," that is, one of the close and sincere disciples. Let no one rely on himself, but be attentive to his life, for he has a fearsome enemy. Some understood the words "one of the number of the twelve" thus: one who merely filled out the number of the apostles, but was not a true apostle and disciple. For what kind of true disciple is one who stole what was put into the money box? (John 12:6).

Having already said that the Chief Priests sought means how they might slay Jesus without incurring any danger, he next goes on to relate the means which occurred to them, as it is said, Then entered Satan into Judas.

The chief priests and scribes plot our Lord's destruction, Luk 22:1, Luk 22:2. Judas, at the instigation of the devil, betrays him, Luk 22:3-6. He eats his last supper with his disciples, Luk 22:7-18. Institutes the eucharist, Luk 22:19, Luk 22:20. Announces one of his disciples as the traitor, Luk 22:21-23 : The contention which should be greatest, Luk 22:24-30. Warns Peter against Satan's devices, Luk 22:31, Luk 22:32. Peter's resolution, Luk 22:33. His denial foretold, Luk 22:34. Tells his disciples to make prudent provision for their own support, Luk 22:35-37. The two swords, Luk 22:38. He goes to the Mount of Olives, and has his agony in the garden, Luk 22:39-46. Judas comes with a mob, Luk 22:47, Luk 22:48. Peter cuts off the ear of the high priest's servant, which Christ heals by a touch, Luk 22:49-51. He addresses the chief priests and captains of the temple, Luk 22:52, Luk 22:53. They lead him to the high priest's house, and Peter follows and denies his Master, Luk 22:54-60. Christ looks upon him, he is stung with remorse, and weeps bitterly, Luk 22:61, Luk 22:62. Jesus is mocked, and variously insulted, Luk 22:63-65. The next morning he is questioned before the council, Luk 22:66, Luk 22:67. He acknowledges himself to be the Son of God, Luk 22:68-70. They condemn him, Luk 22:71.

Then entered Satan into Judas - The devil filled the heart of Judas with avarice; and that infamous passion led him to commit the crime here specified. This at once accounts for the whole of this most unprincipled and unnatural transaction. None but a devil, or he who is possessed by one, could have been guilty of it: - let the living lay this to heart. A minister of the Gospel, who is a lover of money, is constantly betraying the interests of Christ. He cannot serve two masters; and while his heart is possessed with the love of self, the love of God and zeal for perishing souls cannot dwell in him. What Satan could not do by the envy and malice of the high priests and Pharisees, he effects by Judas, a false and fallen minister of the Gospel of God. None are so dangerous to the interests of Christianity as persons of this stamp.

CONSPIRACY OF THE JEWISH AUTHORITIES TO PUT JESUS TO DEATH--COMPACT WITH JUDAS. (Luk 22:1-6) (See on Mat 26:1-5.)

Then entered Satan, &c.--but not yet in the full sense. The awful stages of it were these: (1) Covetousness being his master--passion, the Lord let it reveal itself and gather strength by entrusting him with "the bag" (Joh 12:6), as treasurer to Himself and the Twelve. (2) In the discharge of that most sacred trust he became "a thief," appropriating its contents from time to time to his own use. Satan, seeing this door into his heart standing wide open, determines to enter by it, but cautiously (Co2 2:11); first merely "putting it into his heart to betray Him" (Joh 13:2), suggesting the thought to him that by this means he might enrich himself. (3) This thought was probably converted into a settled purpose by what took place in Simon's house at Bethany. (See Mat 26:6, and see on Joh 12:4-8.) (4) Starting back, perhaps, or mercifully held back, for some time, the determination to carry it into immediate effect was not consummated till, sitting at the paschal supper, "Satan entered into him" (see on Joh 13:27), and conscience, effectually stifled, only rose again to be his tormentor. What lessons in all this for every one (Eph 4:27; Jam 4:7; Pe1 5:8-9)!