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Luke 22

Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.

And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.

Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.

And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.

And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.

And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.

Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed.

And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat.

And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare?

And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in.

And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?

And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready.

And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.

And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.

And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:

For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:

For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.

And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table.

And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!

And they began to inquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.

And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.

And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.

But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.

And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me;

That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

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.

And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.

And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.

Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.

For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.

And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him.

And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.

And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,

Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

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.

And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.

But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?

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.

And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.

Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?

When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

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

And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them.

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.

And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.

And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not.

And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean.

And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.

And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him.

And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?

And many other things blasphemously spake they against him.

And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying,

Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:

And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go.

Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.

Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am.

And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.

What does Luke 22:71 mean?

Explanation

Luke 22:71 presents a crucial moment from the trial of Jesus Christ before the council of Jewish leaders. After a night of interrogation and false testimony, they ultimately seek to convict Jesus based on what they consider to be His self-incrimination.

In this verse, they express that they no longer require further testimony from others because they claim to have heard a blasphemous confession directly from Jesus' own mouth.

The "witness" they refer to is the testimony of Jesus claiming divine authority or messianic identity which, to the Jewish leaders, is deemed blasphemous and worthy of death under Jewish law.

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Historical Context

The verse is set during the Passion of Christ, specifically at the illegal nocturnal trial before the Sanhedrin, the assembly of Jewish religious leaders, which included chief priests, scribes, and elders.

Jewish trials were not to be held at night, nor during festival periods such as the Passover, both of which were the case here.

Furthermore, according to Jewish law, a person could not be condemned on their own testimony; the requirement was for at least two witnesses to establish any charge. This context highlights the irregularities and the hostility faced by Jesus.

Theological Insights

Theologically, this verse is significant for several reasons.

From a Christian perspective, it represents the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah being rejected and wrongly judged by His own people (Isaiah 53:3).

Many Christian scholars see Jesus' silence and subsequent 'self-incrimination' as an acknowledgment of His messianic and divine identity, a fulfillment of His mission which leads to the atonement for sin through his death.

From a Jewish perspective, the claim to being equal with God was blasphemous, and the response of the Sanhedrin was consistent with protecting the monotheistic integrity of their faith.

The verse reveals a clash of understandings about the Messiah's identity and purpose.

Practical Applications

The verse speaks to the idea of standing by one's convictions despite opposition or misunderstanding.

It suggests the importance of truth, even when the truth may lead to personal sacrifice.

For believers, it is also a call to discern when to speak and when to remain silent, as Jesus demonstrated throughout His trials.

Honesty, integrity, and adherence to one's beliefs in the face of adversity are practical takeaways from this narrative.

Cross-References

Matthew 26:63-66: Another account of Jesus’ trial where he affirms his identity, leading to his condemnation.
John 10:30-33: Where Jesus says, "I and my Father are one," and the Jews accuse him of blasphemy.
Isaiah 53:3: Prophecy mentioning the rejection of the Messiah.
Mark 14:61-64: Mark's account of the trial and condemnation of Jesus on the basis of his own testimony.

Language Study

In the original Greek text, key words of Luke 22:71 include:

"μαρτυρίαν" (martyrian): meaning "testimony," or "witness."
"ἀκούσαμεν" (akousamen): meaning "we have heard," indicating firsthand testimony.
"ἀυτοῦ" (autou): meaning "from himself," or "his own," emphasizing personal confession.

The term for witness, "μαρτυρίαν," is pertinent as the entire trial was an attempt to gather evidence or witness against Jesus. This declaration that no further witness was needed is an important linguistic turning point in the trial narrative.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

The trial of Jesus has parallels in various ancient myths and religious texts where holy or divine figures face persecution or death.

For instance, the Greek god Dionysus was tried by the king of Thebes in Euripides' play "The Bacchae." In these stories, the divine figure often reveals profound truths about human nature or the divine, paralleling Jesus’ trial and subsequent crucifixion revealing deep theological truths in Christianity.

Scientific Perspectives

From a scientific perspective, the verse does not discuss a natural phenomenon that can be dissected by scientific methods.

However, it illustrates human psychological behaviors such as group dynamics and the mechanics of in-group/out-group bias, which could be explored by social psychology.

The behavior of the Sanhedrin could also be studied within the ambit of conflict theory and the role of power structures in societal decision-making processes.

Commentaries

Various biblical scholars and commentators provide insights on this verse:

Matthew Henry's Commentary emphasizes the unjust nature of the trial and the malice of Christ's accusers.
The MacArthur Study Bible notes the illegality of the proceedings against Jesus and the religious leaders' determination to find a cause for execution.
The Pulpit Commentary discusses the fulfillment of prophecy and how the Jewish council's question was, in fact, rhetorical and indicative of their resolve.

Luke 22

Luke 22

What does Luke 22:71 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Luke 22:71 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?