46: Betrayal & Denial & Admission (Luke 22:47 – 71)

Judas betrayed his Teacher with a kiss. Peter denied his beloved Lord three times and wept bitterly. The leaders sought words by which to condemn Jesus rather than seeking to make a just judgment. Jesus alone remained truthful and willingly moved into the power of darkness. At this, we have hope.

👉 Read Luke 22:47-71

Q1. What verses in vv. 47–53 show Judas’ hypocrisy? What verses imply that those who came to arrest Jesus were doing wrong?

V48: Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss. A kiss, normally a sign of intimacy and friendship, became the means of betrayal.

V53: They had not arrested Jesus while He was teaching publicly during the day, but they came for Him at night. Their actions belonged to “the power of darkness.”

“Enough of this” — Jesus likely meant, “No more violence.”

“Allow [it] as far as this” — This could mean, “Allow them to do this to me,” or possibly, “Allow me to heal his ear.”

Q2. At what moment did Peter remember what the Lord had said about his denial?

When the rooster crowed and Jesus looked directly at him.

Jesus’ looking at Peter is recorded only in Luke.

Peter should not have followed Jesus into the courtyard because he was not yet ready to face such a test.

Q3. By what words of Jesus did they condemn Him?

“The Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”

Jesus did not directly say, “I am the Son of God,” but He described His future glory at God’s right hand. The religious leaders understood this as a claim to the glory belonging to the Son of God. Therefore, they asked, “Are you the Son of God, then?”

Jesus answered, “You say that I am.” This could mean, “That is what you say,” or perhaps, “Is that not what you want to hear from me?”

“If I tell you, you will not believe. And if I ask you, you will not answer.” Their question, “Are you the Christ?” was not a sincere attempt to know the truth but an attempt to find evidence against Jesus. As the narrative develops, it seems that they condemned Jesus not simply for claiming to be the Christ, but especially for His allusion to being the Son of God.

Notice that Jesus did not explicitly declare His identity in their terms. Instead, He described His relationship with God the Father and the mission entrusted to Him. Yet the leaders focused on His identity and used His words as evidence against Him.

While Peter was denying his relationship with Jesus, Jesus was acknowledging, though indirectly, His own identity. The leaders had already decided to kill Him and were looking for evidence against Him. Jesus willingly walked into the place of death and became a victim of the violence.