The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

  19:47 chief priests. See note on Matt. 2:4. The rulers of the temple. scribes. Mostly Pharisees, experts in the law and traditions. leaders of the people. Prominent Jewish laymen with influence in temple affairs. By bringing His ministry to the temple, Christ had walked into the very heart of the opposition against Him. sought to destroy Him. I.e., kill Him (cf. 22:2; Matt. 26:3, 4; John 5:16–18; 7:1, 19, 25).

  Luke 20

  20:1 one of those days. Probably Tuesday of Passion Week. The triumphal entry was on Sunday, and the cleansing of the temple on Monday. The events in this chapter best fit Tuesday in the chronology of that week. This chapter features a series of carefully coordinated attacks on Christ by the Jewish leaders. chief priests…scribes…elders. See note on 19:47. Each of these groups played a unique role in the various attacks that follow. Each was also represented in the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council (see note on Matt. 26:59)—suggesting that the council had met to orchestrate the attack against Him. Their attacks came in the form of a series of questions designed to entrap Him (see notes on vv. 2, 22, 33).

  20:2–8 See notes on Matt. 21:23, 25.

  20:2 This was the first in a series of questions designed to entrap Him. This question was raised by the chief priests, scribes, and elders—evidently representatives of the Sanhedrin. See notes on vv. 22, 33.

  20:5 ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ John had clearly testified that Jesus was the Messiah. If John was a prophet whose words were true, they ought to believe his testimony about Christ. On the other hand, it would have been political folly for the Pharisees to attack the legitimacy of John the Baptist or deny his authority as a prophet of God. John was enormously popular with the people, and a martyr at the hands of the despised Herod. For the Pharisees to question John’s authority was to attack a national hero, and they knew better than that. So they pleaded ignorance (v. 7).

  20:8 Neither will I tell you. Jesus exposed the hypocrisy of the question, unmasking their evil motives. He wasted no truth on them (cf. Matt. 7:6).

  20:9–19 See notes on Matt. 21:33–45; Mark 12:1–12.

  20:9 the people. Luke alone noted the parable was addressed to all the people, not just the Jewish leaders.

  20:13 beloved son. Both Luke and Mark recorded this expression, which makes clear that the son in the parable is an illustration of Christ (see note on Matt. 21:37).

  20:16 destroy those vinedressers. This probably pictures the destruction of Jerusalem (see note on 19:43). give the vineyard to others. See note on 21:24. Certainly not! Only Luke recorded this hostile reaction from the crowd. The response suggests that they grasped the meaning of the parable.

  20:17 Quoted from Ps. 118:22.

  20:18 Whoever falls…on whomever it falls. See note on Matt. 21:44. The expression was a quotation from Is. 8:13–15, which speaks of Jehovah. Like so many other OT passages applied to Christ, it proves that He was Jehovah incarnate.

  20:20 spies. The fact that the Jewish leaders resorted to such tactics is a measure of their desperation. They could not find any legitimate reason to accuse Him (cf. 6:7; 11:53, 54; Matt. 22:15; 26:59, 60). the governor. I.e., Pilate, who was in town for the coming Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread (see note on Matt. 27:2).

  20:21–26 See notes on Matt. 22:16–21; Mark 12:13–17.

  20:22 This was the second in a series of questions designed to entrap Him. This question was raised by the Pharisees and Herodians (Mark 12:13). See notes on vv. 2, 33.

  20:24 Whose image. The image on the denarius was one of the main reasons the Jews chafed at the poll tax. They claimed it was a violation of the commandment against graven images, and since Caesar pretended to a position tantamount to deity, the paying of the tax was unlawful worship—and in the minds of many, tantamount to gross idolatry. See notes on Matt. 22:19; Mark 12:16.

  20:25 Render therefore to Caesar. Christ thus recognized that all citizens have duties to the secular state, as well as duties to God—and He recognized a legitimate distinction between the two (see notes on Matt. 22:21; Mark 12:17).

  20:27–38 See notes on Matt. 22:23–32; Mark 12:18–27.

  20:27 Sadducees. See note on Matt. 3:7.

  20:28 his brother should take his wife. According to the law of levirate marriage outlined in Deut. 25:5 (see note on Matt. 22:24).

  20:33 This was the third in a series of questions designed to entrap Him. This question was raised by the Sadducees (v. 27). See notes on vv. 2, 22. Matthew 22:34–40 and Mark 12:28–34 recorded one last question raised by a scribe. Luke omitted it from his record.

  20:36 equal to the angels. I.e., like the angels in that they do not procreate (see note on Matt. 22:30).

  20:37 the burning bush passage. Ex. 3:1—4:17. In that passage God identified Himself to Moses as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—using the present tense. He didn’t say He was their God, but “I AM” their God, indicating that their existence had not ended with their deaths.

  20:38 all live to Him. Only Luke records this phrase. All people—whether departed from their earthly bodies or not—are still living, and will live forever. No one is annihilated in death (cf. John 5:28–30).

  20:39 “Teacher, You have spoken well.” Christ had given a powerful argument for the resurrection of the dead, and on that subject, the Pharisees agreed with Him against the Sadducees. This scribe, in spite of his hatred for Christ, was pleased with the answer He had given.

  20:40 they dared not question Him. The more questions He answered the clearer it became that His understanding and authority were vastly superior to that of the scribes and Pharisees. Cf. Matt. 22:46; Mark 12:34.

  20:41–44 After the Jewish leaders gave up questioning Him, Christ turned the tables and posed a question to them. See notes on Matt. 22:42–45; Mark 12:35–37.

  20:42 Quoted from Ps. 110:1.

  20:45–47 See notes on Mark 12:38–40.

  Luke 21

  21:1 the treasury. Thirteen chests with funnel-shaped openings stood in the court of the women. Each was labeled for a specific use, and donations were given accordingly.

  21:2 poor widow. The Gr. expression signifies extreme poverty. This woman was desperately poor, and more fit to be a recipient of charity than a donor. mites. The smallest copper coins in use in Palestine, worth about one-eighth of a cent, but representing all this woman had to live on (v. 4). See note on Mark 12:42.

  21:3 has put in more. I.e., more in proportion to her means, and therefore more in the sight of God.

  21:4 out of their abundance. There was nothing sacrificial about their giving.

  21:5 beautiful stones. See notes on Matt. 24:1; Mark 13:1. donations. Wealthy people gave gifts of gold sculpture, golden plaques, and other treasures to the temple. Herod had donated a golden vine with clusters of golden grapes nearly 6 feet tall. The gifts were displayed on the walls and suspended in the portico. They constituted an unimaginable collection of wealth. All of these riches were looted by the Romans when the temple was destroyed (v. 6).

  21:6–17 See notes on Matt. 24:2–10; Mark 13:2–11.

  21:8 do not go after them. Cf. 17:23. See note on Matt. 24:26.

  21:9 the end. See notes on Matt. 24:6, 14.

  21:11 signs from heaven. The cross references in Matt. 24:7 and Mark 13:8 omit this phrase. Cf. v. 25. See note on Mark 13:25.

  21:13 an occasion for testimony. Trials are always opportunities (James 1:2–4), and persecution is often an opportunity to magnify one’s testimony.

  21:14 not to meditate beforehand. See note on 12:11.

  21:18 not a hair. Cf. v. 16. This was not a promise for the preservation of their physical lives, but a guarantee that they would suffer no eternal loss. God Himself sovereignly preserves His own. See note on John 10:28, 29.

  21:19 The true sense of this verse seems to be, “By endurance you shall obtain salvation,” referring to the final aspect of salvation, namely, glorification. See note on Matt. 24:13.

  21:20 Jerusalem surrounded by armies. See note on 19:43. A comparison wi
th Matt. 24:15, 16 and Mark 13:14 suggests that this sign is closely associated with “the abomination of desolation” (see notes on Matt. 24:15; Dan. 9:27; 11:31). This sign of Jerusalem under siege was previewed in A.D. 70, but awaits its fulfillment in the future.

  21:21 the mountains. See notes on Matt. 24:16; Mark 13:14.

  21:22 vengeance. I.e., God’s righteous retribution against sin.

  21:23 pregnant…nursing. See note on Mark 13:17.

  21:24 the times of the Gentiles. This expression is unique to Luke. It identifies the era from Israel’s captivity (ca. 586 B.C. to Babylon; cf. 2 Kin. 25) to her restoration in the kingdom (Rev. 20:1–6). It has been a time during which, in accord with God’s purpose, Gentiles have dominated or threatened Jerusalem. The era has also been marked by vast spiritual privileges for the Gentile nations (cf. Is. 66:12; Mal. 1:11; Matt. 24:14; Mark 13:10).

  21:25 there will be signs. The celestial signs and wonders described here immediately precede the return of Christ. See note on Matt. 24:29.

  21:27 coming. Quoted from Dan. 7:13. See notes on Matt. 24:30, 31; Mark 13:26, 27. Cf. 2 Thess. 1:7–10; Rev. 19:11–16.

  21:28 lift up your heads. The dreadful tribulations and signs that mark the last days are a cause of great expectation, joy, and triumph for the true believer. redemption. I.e., the final fullness of redemption, when the redeemed are reunited with Christ forever.

  21:29–33 See notes on Matt. 24:32–36; Mark 13:29–32.

  21:34 that Day. I.e., the day of His return. See note on Matt. 24:37. When Christ mentions His return, he invariably enjoins watchfulness (cf. 12:37–40; Matt. 25:13; Mark 13:33–37).

  21:36 pray always. See note on 18:1. that you may be counted worthy. Older manuscripts say “that you may have strength.”

  21:37 in the daytime. I.e., during the days of that final week in Jerusalem.

  Luke 22

  22:1 which is called Passover. See note on Matt. 26:17. Passover was a single day, followed immediately by the Feast of the Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:5, 6). The whole season could be referred to by either name (cf. v. 7).

  22:2 chief priests and the scribes. See notes on 19:47; 20:1. for they feared the people. They were therefore plotting secretly, hoping to eliminate Him after the Passover season, when Jerusalem would not be filled with so many people (cf. v. 6; Matt. 26:4, 5; Mark 14:1, 2). But these events occurred according to God’s timetable, not theirs (see note on Matt. 26:2).

  22:3 Satan entered. I.e., Judas was possessed by Satan himself. Satan evidently gained direct control over Judas on two occasions—once just before Judas arranged his betrayal with the chief priests, and again during the Last Supper (John 13:27), immediately before the betrayal was actually carried out.

  22:4 captains. I.e., the temple guard, a security force consisting of Levites.

  22:5 agreed to give him money. Matthew 26:15 says 30 pieces of silver, the price of a slave (Ex. 21:32).

  22:7 the Day of Unleavened Bread. I.e., the first day of the feast season (see note on Matt. 26:17). The people from Galilee celebrated the Passover on Thursday evening (see Introduction to John: Interpretive Challenges) so the lambs were killed in the afternoon of that day. The disciples and Jesus ate the Passover meal that evening, after sundown, (when Passover officially began). Judeans would follow this same sequence one day later on Friday.

  22:8 Peter and John. Identified only by Luke. Go and prepare. This was no small task. They had to take the paschal lamb to be sacrificed, and make preparations for a meal for 13 (v. 14). But preliminary arrangements for the meal had apparently been made personally by Jesus Himself, and the owner of the upper room was taking care of many of those details for them. See note on Matt. 26:18.

  22:10 a man…carrying…water. Probably part of his work to prepare for the meal. Normally carrying water was woman’s work, so a man carrying a pitcher would stand out. It is unlikely that the water pitcher was any sort of prearranged signal. Christ’s knowledge of what the man would be doing at the precise moment the disciples arrived appears to be a manifestation of His divine omniscience.

  22:12 a large, furnished upper room. One of many such rooms for rent in Jerusalem that were maintained for the express purpose of providing pilgrims a place to celebrate feasts. The furnishings undoubtedly included everything necessary to prepare and serve a meal.

  22:14 the hour had come. I.e., sundown, marking the official beginning of Passover (see note on v. 7). sat down. I.e., reclined.

  22:15 With fervent desire. Cf. John 13:1. He wanted to prepare them for what was coming.

  22:16 fulfilled. Christ’s death on the following day fulfilled the symbolism of the Passover meal. Passover was both a memorial of the deliverance from Egypt, and a prophetic type of the sacrifice of Christ.

  22:17 Then He took the cup. Luke mentions two cups (cf. v. 20). The Passover seder involved the sharing of 4 cups of diluted red wine. This cup was the first of the 4 (the cup of thanksgiving) and was preliminary to the institution of the Lord’s Supper (see note on 1 Cor. 10:16). It represented the end of His time of eating and drinking with the disciples, particularly partaking of the Passover (v. 18; cf. 5:34, 35; Matt. 9:15; 26:29; see note on Mark 14:25).

  22:19 This is My body. I.e., it represented His body (cf. the words of 8:11, “The seed is the word of God”—and also v. 20). Such metaphorical language was a typical Hebraism. No eucharistic miracle of transubstantiation was implied, nor could the disciples have missed the symbolic intent of His statement, for His actual body—yet unbroken—was before their very eyes. See note on Matt. 26:26. do this. Thus He established the observance as an ordinance for worship (see notes on 1 Cor. 11:23–26). remembrance of Me. Passover had looked forward to the sacrifice of Christ; He transformed the seder into an altogether different ceremony, which looks back in remembrance at His atoning death.

  22:20 took the cup. This is the third (the cup of blessing) of the 4 cups in the Passover celebration (see note on 1 Cor. 10:16). after supper. Cf. 1 Cor. 11:25. These two verses are virtually identical in form. Paul stated that he had received his information about this event from the Lord Himself (1 Cor. 11:23). This cup is the new covenant. Clearly, the cup only represented the New Covenant (see note on v. 19).

  22:21 the hand of My betrayer is with Me. Luke recounted the details of the Lord’s Supper topically, not chronologically (see Introduction: Background and Setting; see note on 1:3). Matthew and Mark placed Jesus’ warning about the betrayer prior to the giving of the bread and cup; Luke put it afterward. Only John 13:30 records Judas’ departure, but John says nothing about the bread and cup. So it is difficult to tell by comparison whether Judas left before or after the institution of the Lord’s Supper. But Luke’s words here seem to imply that Judas actually shared in that event. If so, his presence at that time makes his hypocrisy and crime all the more despicable (cf. 1 Cor. 11:27–30).

  22:22 as it has been determined. Every detail of the crucifixion of Christ was under the sovereign control of God and in accord with His eternal purposes. Cf. Acts 2:23; 4:26–28. but woe. The fact that Judas’ betrayal was part of God’s plan does not free him from the guilt of a crime he entered into willfully. God’s sovereignty is never a legitimate excuse for human guilt.

  22:24 a dispute. Cf. 9:46; Matt. 20:20–24. This dispute may have prompted the episode where Christ washed their feet (John 13:1–20). It reveals how large an issue this was in the minds of the disciples, and how far they were from grasping all that He had taught them.

  22:25 ‘benefactors.’ Cf. Matt. 20:25. This title was used by the heathen rulers of both Egypt and Syria, though it was rarely a fitting description. The intent was to portray themselves as champions of their people, but it had a very condescending ring to it—especially when so many “benefactors” were actually ruthless tyrants.

  22:26 he who serves. Cf. Matt. 20:26–28. This is an apparent reference to the washing of their feet (see note on v. 24). Christ Himself had modeled such servitude throughout His ministry (v. 27; cf. P
hil. 2:5–8).

  22:28 My trials. Christ’s entire life and ministry were filled with temptations (4:1–13); hardships (9:58); sorrows (19:41); and agonies (v. 44)—not to mention the sufferings of the cross which He knew were yet to come.

  22:29 I bestow upon you a kingdom. Christ confirmed the disciples’ expectation of an earthly kingdom yet to come. It would not come in the timing or the manner that they hoped, but He affirmed the promise that such a kingdom would indeed be established, and that they would have a principal role in it (v. 30; cf. Matt. 19:28).

  22:30 judging the twelve tribes of Israel. The language identifies this as a millennial promise. See note on Rev. 20:4.

  22:31 Simon, Simon. The repetition of the name (cf. 10:41; Acts 9:4) implied an earnest and somber tone of warning. Christ Himself had given Simon the name Peter (6:14), but here He reverted to his old name, perhaps to intensify His rebuke about Peter’s fleshly overconfidence. The context also suggests that Peter may have been one of the more vocal participants in the dispute of v. 24. Satan has asked for you. Though addressed specifically to Peter, this warning embraced the other disciples as well. The pronoun “you” is plural in the Gr. text. sift you as wheat. The imagery is apt. It suggests that such trials, though unsettling and undesirable, have a necessary refining effect.

  22:32 I have prayed for you. The pronoun “you” is singular (see note on v. 31). Although it is clear that He prayed for all of them (John 17:6–19), He personally assured Peter of His prayers and of Peter’s ultimate victory, even encouraging Peter to be an encourager to the others. that your faith should not fail. Peter himself failed miserably, but his faith was never overthrown (cf. John 21:18, 19).

  22:34 you will deny. This prediction of Peter’s denial evidently took place in the upper room (cf. John 13:38). Matthew 26:34 and Mark 14:30 record a second, nearly identical incident, which took place on the Mt. of Olives on the way to Gethsemane (cf. Matt. 26:30; Mark 14:26).

  22:35 When I sent you. Cf. 9:3; 10:4.