In Luke 22:24-38 the Man-Savior teaches the disciples about humility and foretells their stumbling. Verse 24 says, “And there was also a contention among them as to which of them was considered to be greater.” The Greek word rendered “contention” signifies a love of strife, an eagerness to contend. This verse indicates that the disciples did not have the heart or the ears to care for what the Lord was saying. While He was speaking about His body and blood, they were considering which of them was greater. Concerning this, there was a contention among them.
In verses 25 through 27 the Lord said to the disciples, “The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called benefactors. But you are not so, but let the greater among you become as the younger, and the one who leads as the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table, or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am in your midst as the one who serves.” The Lord’s word concerning serving is absolutely contrary to the natural self-seeking mind.
In verse 28 the Lord went on to say, “But you are those who have remained with Me in My trials.” Here the Lord seemed to be saying, “Do not think about the throne—think about My trials. I am about to be crucified. You need to forget about greatness and remember that you are now with Me in My trials, in My sufferings.”
In verses 29 and 30 the Lord continues, “And I appoint to you, even as My Father appointed to Me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom; and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” The table here is the feast in the parable in Matthew 22:1-4 and the marriage feast in Revelation 19:9 for the overcoming saints. The Lord wanted the disciples to care not for the throne or for being great, but to care for the kingdom, the jubilee. Eating and drinking at His table in His kingdom will be in the coming age. That will be the time for the disciples to think about the throne.
In 22:31-34 the Lord told Peter that he would deny Him. Verses 31 and 32 say, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to have you to sift you as wheat; but I have beseeched concerning you that your faith may not fail; and you, once you have turned again, establish your brothers.” The pronoun “you” in verse 31 is plural, but in verse 32 it is singular. According to verse 33, Peter said, “Lord, I am ready to go with You both to prison and to death.” The Lord replied, “I tell you, Peter, a cock will not crow today until you will deny three times that you know Me” (v. 34).
In verses 35 through 37 the Lord spoke to the disciples about buying a sword: “When I sent you without a purse and a bag and sandals, did you lack anything? And they said, Nothing. And He said to them, But now, let him who has a purse take it, likewise also a bag; and he who does not have anything, let him sell his garment and buy a sword. For I tell you that this which is written must be accomplished in Me, And He was reckoned with the lawless; for indeed that which concerns Me is having a consummation.” At that time people used to bring a sword just as they carried a purse and a bag for travel. The Savior’s word does not mean that He wanted the disciples to arm themselves to resist the coming arrest (see vv. 49-51; Matt. 26:51-54); it indicates the change in the people’s attitude toward Him.
The disciples did not understand the Lord’s word about buying a sword. They thought that they were about to fight with swords. This was the reason they said to Him, “Lord, look, here are two swords” (v. 38a). When He heard this, He said to them, “It is enough” (v. 38b). This indicates not that the two swords were sufficient, but that their conversation was enough (see 1 Kings 19:4).
Some readers of the New Testament have trouble understanding Luke 22:38. Neglecting grammar, these readers may think that the Lord is saying that the two swords were enough, when actually He was saying that the disciples’ conversation was enough, that it was sufficient. Here the Lord seemed to be saying, “Do not talk further about this. I don’t want to talk to you anymore because I have not been able to get through. When I spoke with you about My table, you did not understand anything. When I talked about your denial of Me and about your need to humble yourselves, you could not understand. Now you are telling Me that you have two swords here. Your conversation is enough. Let us go to a place so that we may pray.”
In 22:39-46 the Man-Savior prayed about the sufferings of His death and charged the disciples to pray. Verses 39 and 40 say, “And He came out and went according to His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him. And when He came to the place, He said to them, Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” The place mentioned in verse 40 was Gethsemane (Matt. 26:36). The Man-Savior charged the disciples to pray so that they might be prepared to receive His death.
According to verse 42, the Lord Jesus prayed, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; however, not My will, but Yours be done.” The “cup” here refers to the Savior’s death on the cross.
In verse 42 the Man-Savior prayed that the Father’s will would be done. The Triune God determined in His divine plan in eternity past that the Second of the Divine Trinity should be incarnated and die on the cross to accomplish His eternal redemption for the fulfillment of His eternal purpose (Eph. 1:7-9). Hence, the Second of the Trinity was ordained to be the Lamb of God (John 1:29) before the foundation of the world, that is, in eternity past (1 Pet. 1:19-20), and in the sight of God, as the Lamb of God, He was slain from the foundation of the world, that is, from the existence of God’s fallen creatures (Rev. 13:8). After man’s fall, lambs, sheep, calves, and bulls were used for God’s chosen people as types (Gen. 3:21; 4:4; 8:20; 22:13; Exo. 12:3-8; Lev. 1:2), pointing to Him who was to come as the real Lamb foreordained by God. In the fullness of time, the Triune God sent the Second of the Divine Trinity, the Son of God, to come in incarnation to take a human body (Heb. 10:5) so that He might be offered to God on the cross (Heb. 9:14; 10:12) to do the will of the Triune God (Heb. 10:7), that is, to replace the sacrifices and offerings, which were types, with Himself in His humanity as the unique sacrifice and offering for the sanctification of God’s chosen people (Heb. 10:9-10). In His prayer here, immediately before His crucifixion, He prepared Himself to take the cup of the cross. He was willing to do this unique will of the Father for the accomplishment of the eternal plan of the Triune God.