The Greatness of Jesus
Luke 22:21-27
November 8, 2020
As you know we are now in the upper room.
It was the place where Jesus selected to have
His final earthly Passover with His disciples.
As we saw last week,
It was here where Jesus explained what the Passover was really about.
• It was always about Him.
• That Lamb and that blood was always a picture of Him and how He would
save us from the wrath of God.
• It is a remarkable truth and on that night Jesus changed the way we looked at
the bread and the cup for the rest of eternity.
But there was far more that occurred in that upper room
Than just the eating of the Passover.
John’s gospel gives a lot of information that was shared there.
• Jesus washed the disciple’s feet
• Jesus gave the famous “I am the way and the truth and life” statement.
• Jesus gave the famous “I am the vine, you are the branches” analogy.
• Jesus gave great insight regarding the coming and work of the Holy Spirit.
• Jesus gave His great intercessory prayer.
It was a busy night for Jesus.
And when you read of the account among all the gospels
There are CONSISTENT THEMES that emerge throughout all of them.
Clearly it was the intention of Jesus on this night to SOLIDIFY THE HOPE of the disciples.
• Already in Luke’s gospel He reminded the disciples that the next time He will drink of the vine will be in His kingdom.
• It is John’s gospel where He told them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled…for I go and prepare a place for you…and I will come again an receive you unto Myself.”
• Later in Luke’s gospel Jesus will reveal that the disciples will (30) “eat and drink at My table in the kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Clearly one of Jesus’ main goals on this night was to solidify the hope of His followers that despite what is about to come, it ends in victory.
Another consistent theme is that Jesus meant to SOLIDIFY THEIR FAITH on this night.
Primarily their faith regarding who Jesus was
And what He was accomplishing through His death.
In just a few hours the disciples were going to see Jesus
Betrayed, Arrested, Beaten, Tried, Condemned, and Crucified.
It is the goal of Jesus to assure them ahead of time that
THIS IS ALL PART OF THE PLAN.
Even this morning we read: (21-22)”But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. “For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”
The betrayal is part of the plan.
Later on this night He will announce His rejection by Israel saying (37) “For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘AND HE WAS NUMBERED WITH THE TRANSGRESSORS’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.”
He was telling them ahead of time about all these things
So that their faith would not be shaken by unexpected events.
And finally in this room Jesus worked to SOLIDIFY THEIR ENDURANCE.
That is to say, He told them ahead of time about the coming persecution So that they would not be shocked when it happened.
Even here in Luke
• You see Him warning Simon that he is about to be sifted by Satan.
• He tells the disciples that the days of free meals and hospitality are likely over.
In John’s gospel we read:
John 16:1-4 “These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. “They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. “These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. “But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.”
He is simply preparing them for everything that is about to come.
In less than 24 hours He will be dead
And He does not want this event
To ruin their hope, their faith, or their endurance.
1. All the events that are about to occur are all part of the plan.
2. His coming rejection and death is so that He might purchase the kingdom where He will one day return and reign,
3. And all those who endure with Him will reign with Him there.
And while the differing gospel accounts
Seem to focus more on differing aspects of that night,
These truths are the consistent themes that emerge.
And THIS MORNING we certainly see that
As Jesus announces to His disciples that one of them is a traitor.
Though it is tragic
It is all prophesied…
It is all part of the plan…
But even after this announcement
Luke preserves for us something that is quite disheartening.
Luke shows us the disciple’s response to the announcement of Jesus.
And it is shameful.
But it is important to see, not to highlight the foolishness of the disciples,
But because the way Jesus answers them
SHOWS US THE GREATNESS OF JESUS.
The scene that unfolds here simply reminds us that
We serve a remarkable Savior and One
Who is nothing like the corrupt rulers of our world.
We can just break this text up into 3 points.
#1 THE ANNOUNCEMENT
Luke 22:21-22
Now for us this is not new information.
We already saw it back in the early parts of the chapter.
Luke 22:3-4 “And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them.”
Luke already showed us what was going on BEHIND THE SCENES.
And we talked about Judas and why he did what he did.
We saw the CAUSE – that Satan was using Judas, whom he owned.
• As an unredeemed sinner Judas was a slave of Satan (as are all unredeemed sinners)
• And Judas merely was used by him in this role as betrayer.
We saw the CRIME – not just betrayal, but apostasy.
• Judas was one of the 12 and he left to betray Jesus.
• And we learned that it is not familiarity with Jesus that saves a person but submission to and faith in Jesus that saves them.
We saw the CONSPIRACY – We saw Judas actually approach the religious leaders with the plan of betrayal.
• They didn’t have to approach him, he sought them out.
• We were reminded that what Judas did, he did because he wanted to do it.
• God didn’t make Judas do anything he didn’t want to do.
We saw the COMPLICITY – Judas did it.
• It wasn’t just a temptation, it became an action.
• Judas didn’t just think about sin, he actually sinned.
• Judas agreed to betray Jesus and he began looking for an opportunity.
We learned quite a bit about Judas
And so we already knew that this plan was in place.
But at the moment, the disciples did not.
They had no clue about this plot.
The only people here who did know about it where Judas and Jesus
(And Judas didn’t know that Jesus knew about it.)
But Jesus did know, which is why He went to such great lengths
To keep the location of the upper room secret.
But as the disciples sat around the table eating the Passover
They were unaware of what was brewing in the shadows.
Until Jesus announced it.
(21) “But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table.”
• WOW!
• One you…one of the 12…one of My followers
• Is currently, right now, “betraying Me”
This again was a DIRECT FULFILLMENT of what God had promised:
Psalms 41:9 “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.”
Which is what Jesus says next.
(22) “For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined;”
And I would remind you again of what we said
Regarding THE NECESSITY OF THE BETRAYAL.
It had to be betrayal because of the eternal plan of God
Regarding the salvation of Gentiles.
• Judas was merely a picture of all Israel.
• What Judas does today, they will all do tomorrow.
• And in their rejection and betrayal of their King, Israel will be broken off and the
Gentiles grafted in.
• The betrayal is a necessary catalyst in the eternal plan of God.
BUT HERE IS THE FIRST TIME THE DISCIPLES HAVE HEARD IT.
Aside from Judas, this is all news to them.
And we would also reiterate what we said a few weeks ago,
That as the betrayer Judas would be destroyed.
(22b) “but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”
• Judas was not a victim of God’s sovereignty.
• Judas was not an undercover disciple doing the will of Jesus.
• Judas was not an eventually saved person who just messed up.
• Judas was lost.
• And Jesus pronounced woe upon him.
In other gospels saying, “It would be good for that man if he had not been born.”
But as we said, we’ve covered all of that a few weeks ago
When we studied verses 3-6 of the chapter.
What we see taking place here is
The announcement of that fact to the disciples.
Jesus knows about it.
Judas knows about it.
And for the first time the disciples are told.
Jesus will be betrayed by one of the 12 men sitting here with Him.
There is a traitor in the midst.
The reason for announcing this
Is so that it will come as no shock to the disciples when it happens.
Neither Satan, nor the chief priests, nor Judas are in control here.
Jesus is.
And when the unthinkable occurs here in just a few hours
Jesus wants the rest of the disciples to know that
This was all part of the plan.
God determined this long ages ago.
It is merely about to be fulfilled.
But that is the announcement.
#2 THE ARGUMENT
Luke 22:23-24
The response here is really sad coming from the disciples.
So Jesus announces that one of the 12 is a traitor.
“And they began to discuss among themselves which one them it might be who was going to do this thing.”
Now we are familiar with the other gospel accounts here as well.
Matthew 26:21-22 “As they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.” Being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?”
Mark 14:18-19 “As they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me — one who is eating with Me.” They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, “Surely not I?”
So the initial response to His statement was obviously grief and shock.
It was a punch in the gut to hear that there was a traitor among them.
But it didn’t take long for the grief to turn into suspicion.
In fact they each quickly turn to denial.
According to Matthew “they each began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?”
We are even told by Matthew
That in order to save face and hide his true intentions even Judas joined in on that declaration.
Matthew 26:25 “And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself.”
That was obviously a private conversation between the two.
But what you have occurring is that
• After Jesus announced it,
• They all immediately denied it
• And then there began to be these sort of private conversations around the table to try and figure it out.
“they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing.”
So you can see the little whispering accounts
And semi-private conversations.
That also helps you understand what John’s gospel says:
John 13:22-27 “The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking. There was reclining on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. So Simon Peter gestured to him, and said to him, “Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking.” He, leaning back thus on Jesus’ bosom, said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus then answered, “That is the one for whom I shall dip the morsel and give it to him.” So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. Therefore Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”
So you see how it all is playing out.
• Jesus announces it.
• They all sort of quickly outwardly deny it.
• Then they sort of go on a witch hunt to try and figure out who it is.
NOW THAT’S NOT THE SAD PART.
The sad part is where the conversation ends up.
It starts with each person claiming that they are not the traitor.
But notice where it ends.
(24) “And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be the greatest.”
This is an obvious natural progression.
• Matthew says, “Hey Peter, who do you think it is?”
• Peter – “It’s not me, I’d never do that.”
• Philip overhears and says, “Yeah right, didn’t He already call you Satan once?”
• Peter – “You don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m not a traitor, I’m the most faithful.”
• James – “You’re not the most faithful, I am. My mom even worked it out where I get to sit on his right in the kingdom.”
It’s a natural progression.
It starts with self-defense and ends up with self-promotion.
At first they are on a search for who the worst among them was,
And it doesn’t take long before the conversation turns into a fight
About which one was the greatest.
That’s human nature isn’t it?
That’s just like us.
Too lofty of a view of self.
This attitude, by the way, is the greatest explanation as to
WHY every one of these men is GOING TO RUN away tonight.
Pride comes before a fall and these men are ripe for it.
But beyond that, IT’S JUST SAD if you think about.
Jesus has already routinely told them about His upcoming death
Now we find it will be at the hands of a disciple.
• But where was the compassion for Jesus?
• Where was the heart to console Him?
• Where was the gratitude for Him?
• Where was the desire to care for Him?
Jesus announces what must have been terribly grievous to Him
And all the disciples can think about
Is which one of them is the greatest.
And you know this ISN’T EVEN THE FIRST TIME the issue has come up.
Shortly after Jesus was transfigured and Peter, James, and John saw His glory on the mountain, we read:
Luke 9:46 “An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest.”
Of course it did.
Peter, James, and John must’ve been feeling pretty good about themselves.
After the incident with the Rich Young Ruler
• And Peter had asked what they would receive for following Jesus.
• Jesus had told them how they would be compensated in the kingdom.
Not long after that, on the road, we read:
Mark 10:35-37 “James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.” And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.”
We know we’re all going to sit on thrones in the kingdom,
But we want the best two.
And if that was not enough, apparently at the same time James and John got their MOTHER involved.
Matthew 20:20-21 “Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.”
It was bad enough that this was ever their thought.
BUT NOW, on this night, immediately after taking the Lord’s Supper.
Immediately after hearing that the Lord would be betrayed.
The fight breaks out again?
Again the argument as to which one is greatest?
It is sad, but it happened none the less.
The Announcement, The Argument
#3 THE ANSWER
Luke 22:25-27
Jesus hears the debate going on
And He intervenes to once again correct these immature men.
NOW, BEFORE WE GET TO THE ANSWER,
I must remind you what has already occurred in this room.
• Before they even got comfortable…
• Before they ever took the Passover meal…
• Before Jesus ever explained the Lord’s Supper…
• Before the announcement of betrayal was ever made…
I want to remind you what has already occurred in this room on this night.
TURN TO: JOHN 13:1-20
Remember that humbling scene?
• Here was Jesus, the unquestioned greatest in the room,
• Belittling himself to do the humiliating job of the lowest in the room.
And not only did Jesus wash their feet,
But He was specific about the meaning of such an event.
(13:13-17) “You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. “Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”
They’ve already been through that ceremony
And obviously forgotten everything He told them
Because they’re already fighting about who is the greatest.
SO IT’S TIME TO GIVE THE SERMON AGAIN.
And Jesus responds.
(25) “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’”
What Jesus is explaining there is simply the way of the world.
• When people are in a position of authority, it can quickly go to their head.
• It is actually one of the things we presently lament about our own government.
It was Abraham Lincoln in his famous Gettysburg Address where he summarized our government as “By The People – Of The People – For The People”
But it is rare anymore to find someone in Washington
Who we view to be one of us or actually for us.
• It doesn’t take long for lobbyists to get involved.
• And the people who are paid about $175,000 a year end up millionaires.
• And the elitist mindset immerges.
• And very few end up seeing themselves as our equals.
It’s just the way of the world.
“The kings of Gentiles lord it over them;”
And not only that, but Jesus says, “and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’”
It’s funny that most politicians today
Consider themselves to be “Public Servants”
But we are all supremely confident
That most don’t seem to rightly understand service.
“Benefactor” is a better title.
EUREGETES (your-a-gay-tace)
It speaks of one who has honor conferred upon them for doing service.
In other words, it is NOT a person who serves
For the benefit of the one they are serving.
It IS a person who serves
For the glory of being considered a servant.
Jesus has addressed this many times in His ministry.
Matthew 6:2 “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.”
And of course that warning extended on to prayer and fasting as well.
Or
Matthew 23:6-12 “They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. “But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. “Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. “But the greatest among you shall be your servant. “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”
• These men didn’t serve or give or pray or fast or teach for the benefit of others,
• They only did it for their own benefit.
• They only did it for the glory they could receive.
THAT IS THE WAY OF THE WORLD.
Every politician is going to spout the party line that
They are serving their country and they do it because they love America,
But most of the time we find their motives to be entirely different.
NOT ALWAYS, BUT OFTEN.
THAT’S JUST THE WAY THE WORLD OPERATES.
But Jesus here reminds the disciples that they are to be different.
We are not to be like the world.
(26) “But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant.”
Do you see the difference?
• In the world men seek to be servants so that they can lead.
• In the kingdom of heaven men seek the position of leadership so that they can serve.
It’s fundamentally different isn’t it?
And true greatness is NOT FOUND in the amount of honor or glory you can accumulate, BUT in how much service you can offer.
There is a necessary relinquishing of glory
So that you can benefit those around you.
Jesus said to be great you have to become “like the youngest”.
That’s because in their culture the youngest were the least important.
• In their culture, you didn’t let kids make important decisions.
• In their culture, you didn’t let kids make non-important decisions.
The important decisions were reserved for those with experience and wisdom.
The non-important decisions were reserved for those who you sought to honor.
Jesus said in order to be great you had to seek the glory of a child.
If you wanted to be a true leader, you had to be like a servant.
And then comes the question to ponder.
(27) “For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table, or the one who serves?”
The point being, in a normal situation,
• If you looked into a room and saw one guy setting at the head of the table and another guy serving him,
• Which one of the two would you think was the most important?
• Which one of the two would you assume was in charge?
And the answer is obvious.
“Is it not the one who reclines at the table?”
The reclining will always be considered greater
Than the one serving in the world.
And yet we see what Jesus says:
“But I am among you as the one who serves.”
This is the curious difference.
The disciples all know that Jesus is the greatest among them.
• Jesus is the Son of God.
• Jesus is the Messiah.
• Jesus has miracle power.
• Jesus is the teacher.
There is no question in the room as to who the leader is,
Or who is the greatest, or who is the most important.
And yet, here He was serving them.
• Here He was sacrificing for them.
• Here He was laying down His life for them.
• Here He was giving His body and His blood to them.
He didn’t use them He served them.
Now obviously Peter will pick up on this, even later in his epistle he will write:
1 Peter 5:1-4 “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”
Where to you think Peter learned that?
Jesus took everything the disciples understood about greatness
And turned it on its head.
True greatness is found in service
True service is that which benefits others, not that which glorifies self.
THIS WAS THE LESSON.
And look back at the scene.
The debate around the table was about greatness.
And everyone in there had some claim as to why they were the greatest.
But true greatness immerged in only one place – in Jesus.
Why?
Because only Jesus ascended to leadership for the purpose of service.
• Only Jesus laid aside His glory for the good of others.
• Only Jesus offered up His body and His blood for the benefit of others.
• Only Jesus subjected Himself to pain and shame and suffering for others.
• Only Jesus endured hostility and betrayal for the sake of others.
It was ONE THING to hand the disciples a roll and say “This is for you”
It was ONE THING to hand them a glass of wine and say “This is for you”
We can all make claims about what we do for others.
But only one at that table truly surrendered His glory.
Only one at that table truly served the others.
They all claimed to be the greatest
And by the end of the night they’ll all be looking out for themselves.
ONLY JESUS WILL FOLLOW THROUGH.
And so this morning we just point out again THE GREATNESS OF JESUS.
Not just because of His title – Not just because of His power
But ultimately because of His service.
• Jesus humbled Himself to take on human flesh.
• Jesus submitted to the Law He wrote in order to obtain righteousness for us.
• Jesus endured hostility and rage and wrath to pay our penalty for sin.
And while He is Lord of all, He never lorded it over anyone.
He merely came to give His life for the benefit of others.
Isaiah 50:4-7 “The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not disobedient Nor did I turn back. I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting. For the Lord GOD helps Me, Therefore, I am not disgraced; Therefore, I have set My face like flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed.”
And all that so that He might save you.
That Passover was no empty ordinance.
Jesus followed through.
And the offer to you is that
If you will repent of your sin and seek righteousness only in Him
Then you will be forgiven and justified.
There is no other Savior, but none other is needed.
For the Greatness of Jesus is obvious.
