Luke 22: The Night Everything Broke
I keep a set of old hand saws that I have been restoring. The teeth were rusted and the handles cracked. Some of them looked beyond saving. But I have learned that rust comes off with enough oil and patience, and the steel underneath is still good.
Luke 22 is the night everything broke with the plot against Jesus, the betrayal of Judas, the denial of Peter, sleeping disciples, an arrest, plus a mock trial. Every relationship that looked solid crumbled in a single night. But the steel underneath was still good.
The Meaning of the New Covenant in Luke 22
The chapter opens with conspiracy and ends with condemnation. But in the middle there is a table. Jesus sat with His disciples for the Passover and gave them something new.
He took bread and gave thanks and broke it. He said this is my body given for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Then He took the cup and said this cup is the new covenant in my blood which is shed for you.
The old covenant was broken. The new one would be written in blood.
This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. (Luke 22:20)
I think about this when I finish a piece of furniture that took months to build. There is a moment when the clamps come off and the finish goes on and the piece stops being a pile of parts and becomes one thing. The new covenant was that moment for the world.
Why Did Jesus Pray in Gethsemane: An LDS Perspective
After supper Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. He told the disciples to pray that they would not enter into temptation. Then He withdrew about a stone's throw and knelt.
Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. But not my will, yours be done.
The agony was so intense that His sweat became great drops of blood falling to the ground. An angel appeared to strengthen Him.
There is a lot of theology in that prayer. But what stays with me is the submission. Jesus did not want to suffer and nobody would. But He did not let His desire override His Father's will. He said the word and kept going.
The disciples fell asleep. They were exhausted from sorrow. They could not even stay awake during the darkest hour of history. And Jesus did not yell at them. He just told them to wake up and keep praying.
How to Apply the Lesson of Service From Luke 22
Right after the sacrament the disciples started arguing about which of them was the greatest. In the same room where Jesus had just given them His body and blood, they were measuring themselves against each other.
Jesus said the kings of the Gentiles exercise authority, but you are not to be like that. Let the greatest among you become as the least and the leader as the servant. I am among you as one who serves.
I am among you as he that serveth. (Luke 22:27)
I have a workbench in my garage that has been through a lot. It has saw marks and glue drips and stains from old finishes. It is not beautiful, but it holds the work and it serves.
That is what discipleship looks like. Not the person who wants to be seen. The person who holds the work while someone else does the cutting.
There is a connection here to an earlier chapter: Luke 20. In that one the leaders tried to trap Jesus with questions. Here they trap Him with a kiss.
What Does It Mean to Be Sifted as Wheat in the LDS Faith
Jesus warned Peter that Satan had desired to sift him as wheat. But He said I have prayed for you that your faith will not fail. When you are converted, strengthen your brothers.
Peter insisted he was ready to go to prison and death. Jesus said the rooster would not crow that day until Peter had denied knowing Him three times.
Sifting separates the wheat from the chaff. The wind blows and the lighter husk flies away while the grain falls back to the ground. Peter's confidence was chaff. It blew away the moment a servant girl asked him a question.
But Jesus prayed for him. That is the part I keep coming back to. Not that Peter would be spared the sifting but that his faith would survive it.
Understanding Peter's Denial in Luke 22
Peter followed at a distance after the arrest. He sat down in the courtyard. A servant girl said this man was with Jesus, but Peter denied it. Another person said the same thing and Peter denied again. A third said surely this man was with Jesus because he was a Galilean, and Peter swore he did not know what they were talking about.
Immediately the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Peter remembered the words of the Lord and went out and wept bitterly.
The look was the hardest part because Jesus did not say anything. He just looked, and Peter broke. But that breaking was what Peter needed. The chaff had to go so the wheat could remain. Peter wept bitterly and then he got back up. He would lead the church after this. The sifting made him ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the disciples argue about who was greatest during the Last Supper?
They still did not understand what was happening. Jesus was about to give everything and they were comparing résumés. It shows how hard it is to shift from a worldly view of greatness to the servant model Jesus was teaching.
What is the significance of the new covenant mentioned during the Last Supper?
This is the new covenant between God and humanity. The old covenant was based on the law and animal sacrifice. The new one is based on grace and the voluntary sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The cup represented His blood sealing that covenant.
What does it mean to be sifted as wheat?
Sifting separates wheat from chaff. Satan wanted to shake Peter's faith hard enough that the worthless parts would be exposed and the faithful parts would remain. The sifting was painful but it was not destruction. It was refinement.
Why did Jesus pray in Gethsemane if He knew what was coming?
Prayer is not about informing God of something He does not know. It is about aligning your will with His. Jesus prayed so that His human desire to avoid the suffering would submit to the divine plan. The cup was not removed. But He received strength to drink it.
How should we understand Peter's denial?
Peter was overconfident and not ready for the pressure he faced. His denial was a failure but it was not the end. Jesus prayed for him before it happened and restored him afterward. The look from Jesus was not condemnation. It was recognition and love.
I finished restoring the old saw yesterday. The handle is still cracked and the steel is still good. It cuts straight now.
The disciples were cracked that night. Peter was cracked, Judas shattered, but the steel underneath was still good.
Jesus knew that. He prayed for them before they broke. And after they broke, He put them back together.
— D.