22:31-34
Jesus knew that Judas would betray him. And he had told the disciples that one of them would. But, in this passage, he gave an even more chilling prophesy. He turned to Simon (Peter), the leader of the disciples, and said Satan had demanded to have the disciples, so that he might sift them like wheat.(31)
Satan was not satisfied with taking over Judas. He wanted all of the disciples to see if they would desert Jesus. We see this because, in this first sentence, in verse 31, the word “you” is plural both times. Satan did not want to test only Simon, but all of the disciples.
This makes sense because, if he could destroy the disciples, he could slow or stop the spread of the gospel. He could discredit Jesus by discrediting his disciples. He wanted to sift them like wheat, alluding to the threshing of wheat, where the farmer tossed the wheat into the wind and the chaff blew away.
Notice, too, that Jesus does not call him “Peter”, but “Simon”, even though he had given him the name “Peter”. Peter means rock. But Jesus will not call him the rock, knowing that he will in fact deny and desert him for a time.
This brings to mind the story of Job, doesn’t it? In that story, Satan came to God and said Job only feared God because God gave him great material wealth and protection. Satan demanded permission to attack him. And God allowed it. (Job 1) So, Satan is at it again, seeking to hurt those who love the Lord to test their faithfulness. Revelation 12:10 calls him the accuser of believers.
By the way, Satan still seeks to destroy believers. Peter himself wrote that Satan is our adversary, prowling around like a lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8) He knew this from personal experience.
Jesus knew Peter would fall. That is why Jesus told Peter he would deny him. But, he prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail and that he would return to follow Jesus. (31) Here, Jesus used the singular form of “you”. And, he gave Peter an instruction. He said, when you have turned again, strengthen you brothers. (32)
Peter, of course, protested and said he would go to prison and death for Jesus. He was confident in himself rather than in Christ. He was over-confident. But Jesus gave him a sign. He said the rooster would not crow until Peter had denied three times that he knew Jesus. (34)
Peter, in his own strength, would fail. But, in Jesus, who prayed for him, Peter would not be destroyed. He failed but he did not fall into unbelief. He did not “lose his salvation”. Peter, himself, tells us why in 1 Peter 1:3-10. Being truly saved, Peter’s salvation was held by God.
A lesson is here for all of us: don’t get cocky! Do not think you have made it, that you are mature and invincible, for then you are actually at you most vulnerable.
On the other hand, do not give up and concede defeat. Jesus still intercedes for us, as he interceded for Peter. (Romans 8:34) In the flesh, our own strength, we are weak. But, in Christ, we are more than conquerors and nothing can separate us from him. (Romans 8:37-39)
Scripture Must Be Fulfilled
22:35-39
After speaking of denial and testing, Jesus told the disciples to be prepared. When he commissioned them to go out before, he told them not to take anything with them. (Luke 9:1-6) They obeyed and all their needs were supplied. (35)
In contrast, Jesus told them they needed to be prepared this time. They were to have money and luggage. They would no longer be able to count on their fellow Israelites for support. They would face opposition.
Jesus also spoke to them about swords. The question is, did he mean for them literally to take swords, or did he mean metaphorically they should prepare and protect themselves. It would seem to be metaphorical, since Peter later brandishes a sword and Jesus stopped him from using it.
It seems more likely that Jesus means they will need to be prepared when they go out after his death. They will certainly need the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, both to witness to others and to stay strong. They would also need courage to fight for the gospel, which may be what the sword represents. There would be a battle. They would be warriors. Their weapons would be the Word and prayer, not swords and shields.
The disciples did not understand. They spoke of having two swords. When Jesus said “it is enough”, he did not mean they had enough swords. Clearly they did not. Rather, he meant, enough of your speaking of what you do not understand. (38)
Jesus further prepared them by telling them the Scripture must be fulfilled. he said “this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: and he was numbered with the transgressors”. (37) Jesus is once again speaking of his death. He is referring to a passage in Isaiah 53, specifically 53:12.
Isaiah 53 contains a great and detailed prophesy of the Messiah. Verse 12 speaks of the death of Jesus:
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressor;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Jesus would not just go and die, he would die to accomplish their salvation (and ours). He would make atonement for sins. He would die for them and for us. He bore the sin of many.
On the physical level, Jesus was crucified between two transgressors. But that is not the full meaning here. Maybe the Father had him crucified between two transgressors to symbolize what happened. Jesus took all of our sins upon himself. He who was perfect became a transgressor for us. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says “For our sake he made him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
We are the transgressors with whom Jesus was numbered.
Christ’s death for us is sometimes called “penal substitution”. It is penal because he bore the penalty of sin when he died. It is substitution because he was a substitute for us when he died. Since the wages of sin is death, we should die for our sins. But Jesus died for our sins as our substitute. Paul referred to Jesus as the Son of God “who loved me and gave himself for me”. (Galatians 2:20)
This is the orthodox view of the evangelical world. But, it is under attack. Some have called it “cosmic child abuse”. The idea is that it would be cruel for the Father to send the Son to die for sins he did not commit and no choice in the matter. But this criticism ignores the doctrine of the Trinity, that Father, Son, and Spirit work in total agreement and harmony in all of their work, including that of salvation.
A second criticism is that it portrays God as angry rather than loving, and that creates alienation in people. But the Bible shows us that God has and will pour out his wrath on sin. But, God is love and, in love, sent his Son to save us. In Paul’s words, he is both just and the justifier.
There are other theories, but as with these two, they are not Biblical. It is important that we know what the Bible teaches so that we are not led astray by non-Biblical ideas.
It is also important that we realize the great love the Father has for us and the great work Christ has done for us so that we can be saved from sin to eternal life and live for Christ.
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