#1441 Luke 22 Part 7 Started With A Little Kiss

 

47 While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49 And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? 53 When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” Luke 22: 47-53 ESV

Luke 22: 47-53 Don't be a Judas

The man called Judas - There are lots of names in this world, but hardly any that has come to stand so much as a byword. As much as Jesus means Savior, so Judas can be substituted for traitor. His use to be a common name, and in the Hebrew it meant Praise or Praised, but if I called you that now it's not because I mean to compliment you, but to state something about your character, you're a liar, a traitor, someone who pays back the utmost kindness with murderous intention. In the following paragraphs we will see the contrast between two traitors, one whose name is like Voldemort, and the other whose name has carried on, even my own brother was named for the other traitor, Peter. We are all traitors, enemies of God, born into a sin nature, raised by sinners, needing of a Savior, needing to be granted repentance before we die, needing to be born again. 

John does not describe the betrayal by a kiss but gives us more detail regarding the makeup of the crowd writing "Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. (John 18:3). A Roman cohort (battalion) (Gk - speira) normally consisted of 600 men (1/10th of a legion), this number being so large because they were probably commanded to pick up this insurrectionist who claimed to be some kind of king.  - Precept Austin

…9Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him! 10For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! 11Not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.… Romans 5: 9-11

V. 47 He drew near to Jesus to kiss Him - This was going to be the sign to the soldiers that this was Jesus, the One they were accusing of being and insurrectionist. It was a common greeting in the Middle East, a thing between friends, a sign of respect. 

…44And turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give Me water for My feet, but she wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not greet Me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing My feet since I arrived. 46You did not anoint My head with oil, but she has anointed My feet with perfume.… Luke 7: 44-46

…15Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints with them. 16Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send you greetings. 17Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them.… Romans 16: 15-17

V. 48 Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss - This is how close they were, friends, companions, Teacher and student for three years. Jesus is no ordinary Rabbi either, He has performed miracles in front of Judas and sent him out to preach and do the same. Their goals are different though, and Jesus has made His coming suffering an open thing, but I am under the impression that Judas is the only one who sort of gets it. The others probably still hold out hope, which is stupid, because it is against what Christ is saying, that the Son of Man is going to be on trial and then murdered. They are still hoping that the Kingdom as they see it is not far off, that it is going to happen soon, and maybe things will look better after a nap. The disciples don't understand the necessity of Christ in purchasing the Kingdom yet, and that will grow with time, but Judas seems to understand that the Kingdom is not tomorrow. I don't think he is even thinking ahead much farther than that, but he didn't sign up for suffering, for lack, for persecution, and so to him Jesus is a betrayal of his aim, his target of being rich and powerful. When Jesus says, "Son of Man", He is giving Judas a chance to rethink the magnitude of this, "are you sure you want to betray the Messiah with a greeting that one gives a friend?" Thirty pieces of silver, Judas was the father of Christian prosperity movements, as are all who pull you away from the simple gospel and twist the Scriptures to fit your carnality. 

…11It was revoked on that day, and so the afflicted of the flock who were watching me knew that it was the word of the LORD. 12Then I told them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” So they weighed out my wages, thirty pieces of silver. 13And the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—this magnificent price at which they valued me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD.… Zechariah 11: 11-13

…20My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant. 21His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed. 22Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.… Psalm 55: 20-22

Warren Wiersbe - Someone has defined "kiss" as "the contraction of the mouth due to the enlargement of the heart." But not all kisses are born out of a loving heart, for kisses can also be deceitful. In the case of Judas, his kiss was the basest kind of hypocrisy and treachery....Judas used the kiss as a sign to tell the arresting officers who Jesus was (Matt. 26:48-49). Jesus had taught in the temple day after day, and yet the temple guards could not recognize Him! (Borrow Be courageous Luke 14-24)

Kiss (5370)(philema from phileo = to be a friend to, to be fond of an individual or an object, to have affection for and sometimes to kiss as a mark of tenderness) refers to a kiss as a token of love or friendship. Luke used philema in Lk 7:45. The holy kiss in the first century was a physical toke of welcome or farewell. Such physical expression was normal among the same sex. - Precept Austin

V. 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear - Jesus did not ask him to do this, and in John's gospel he names Peter as the one who cut the man, and this is likely because Peter had already passed, so there was no longer any danger in naming him. The funny thing is it would have just born more testimony to the healing power of Jesus. 

Mattoon agrees writing "The disciples remembered Jesus' words about the sword (Luke 22:35-38), so they asked Him if now was the time to make use of their two swords. They totally misunderstood what Jesus said." Why did Peter resort to the sword? The answer is he was unprepared for what was happening in Gethsemane. He was unprepared because he slept when the Lord wanted him to pray. He was unprepared because earlier, when Jesus was trying to get through to him and the other disciples, Peter was talking when he should have been paying attention to Christ. He now fights, when he should have yielded. He did not discern the events of his situation with what Jesus had been saying up to this point. He was fighting the wrong enemy with the wrong weapons. Peter's real enemy was Satan, and His real weapon was the Word of God. The same truth holds true for us, too. Beloved, our real enemy is Satan. The Scriptures are the most effective way in dealing with him and our own sinfulness. - Precept Austin

…9This was to fulfill the word He had spoken: “I have not lost one of those You have given Me.” 10Then Simon Peter drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. 11“Put your sword back in its sheath!” Jesus said to Peter. “Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me?”… John 18: 9-11

V. 51 No more of this! And He touched his ear and healed him - Jesus removed the evidence of the struggle, but also calmed the situation. Satan would keep Him from the cross, keep Him from being lifted up, but Jesus corrects his followers and walks in the will of God. Peter would have the easier route, the fight, and with the sort of power that Jesus displays it shouldn't be a difficult thing. When might is on our side we would have it make right every time, but this is the state of mankind, we grope in the dark about these matters, failing to comprehend the putridness of our sin, the necessity of the cross. This can't be won by way of fists.

35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written: “ For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.… Romans 8: 35-37

…31Now judgment is upon this world; now the prince of this world will be cast out. 32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw everyone to Myself.” 33He said this to indicate the kind of death He was going to die.… John 12: 31-33

John gives more insight into the account where the soldiers, probably a group of several hundred fell back when He answered them. He had the might, He is the Son of God after all, but that would not make the world aright, that wouldn't pay to save men from death, to buy them back from the slavery of sin. It probably emboldened Peter to see this though, like, "yeah, we got this, let's kill them all."

…5“Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered. Jesus said, “I am He.” And Judas His betrayer was standing there with them. 6 When Jesus said, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7So He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered.… John 18: 5-7

V. 52 Have you come out against a robber - What had Jesus done to earn such a mob? Is this for healing people? Or is this because He flipped over your tables and threw down your unjust weights and balances? They probably had some fear of Him in that He was able to perform miracles. It was noted earlier that they feared the crowds because some thought He was the Messiah, some a prophet etc., and so this entourage along with the cover of night probably made them feel protected. He didn't have a history of violence though, He even paid his taxes and told His followers to do the same, but here is this whole posse to get Him. It's like with gangs, once you put a few hot heads in there, they get some others to join, and together they feel powerful, invincible. I have said it before, the majority can be wrong, and this is a clear case of that. 

V.53 But this is your hour, and the power of darkness - Such darkness, the kind that can probably be measured in pounds, that which these men think to be light. You can't see salvation before you, blinded by hate, the same which your parents felt when they killed His messengers, and now you rush at your only chance to kill the God who sent them. 

…4Do you not know that from antiquity, since man was placed on the earth, 5 the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary? 6Though his arrogance reaches the heavens, and his head touches the clouds,… Job 20: 4-6

…12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.… Colossians 1: 12-14

…11Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand.… Ephesians 6: 11-13