Luke 22:28

The Bible says in Luke 22:28-30, “You are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” In these verses the word that is translated “temptations” can also be translated as “trials.” In a way a temptation is a trial and a trial is a temptation. When you are tempted it definitely is a trial, and when you are tried it definitely is a temptation to react in the wrong way to the trial.

Here Jesus is probably not just talking about the time when He was tempted of the devil in the wilderness, but He is talking about all of the trials and difficulties that He and the disciples experienced in the three years previous. Of course, the disciples had not experienced the same spiritual opposition that Jesus did, but they had experienced some of it. Jesus is letting them know, as He lets all of His believers know, that their efforts will be rewarded. “Be you steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” Jesus is very generous with us and with the disciples. In their service the disciples had weaknesses and failures and were very much unlike Christ, and yet Jesus promises to share His kingdom with us.

Jesus told the apostles that they would sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. When you are a judge, you are a very powerful person. Some of the most powerful people in our society are judges. There will be rewards and benefits handed out for serving Christ in this world. One of the main reasons that some people do not serve Him is because they fear the hardships that will result. That’s one of the lessons of the parable of the sower. Christians should be aware that even though salvation is by grace alone without works, rewards will be based upon our works. Paul looked forward to rewards that he anticipated receiving for serving Christ. He said in Second Timothy 4:7-8, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” A crown is symbolic of authority. Evidently the rewards that we will win or lose will involve the amount of authority we possess as we rule with Christ in eternity. Some will even be in a position of power at His right hand.

Jesus commended the disciples because they “continued” with Him in His trials. There are people in this world who start following Christ at some time in their lives, but for one reason or another they do not continue to follow Him. They get sidetracked, or something happens to them and they stop. Usually it involves sin. We are all sinners and we are still sinners after we get saved. We must remember that we can only walk in fellowship with God and with Christ because of His grace and mercy. It’s all based upon His grace and mercy towards us when we get saved, and it’s still all based upon His grace and mercy towards us after we get saved. First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

In order to continue to walk in fellowship with Christ, every Christian must learn the importance of the daily confession of sin. No one walks in fellowship with Christ because of how good they are. There is none good but God. Who is the Christian that is the most consistent at walking in fellowship with the Lord and staying in fellowship with Him? Is it the strongest Christian? No, it’s the Christian who is the most faithful at asking for forgiveness when needed. Even the strongest Christian will still sin. That’s why the strongest Christian will eventually stop walking in fellowship with the Lord, if such a person stops confessing sin. Our relationship with the Lord is never and will never be based upon how good we are, but is based upon and will always be based upon His unconditional love and mercy towards us through Jesus Christ.

Jesus said to the disciples in Luke 22:29, “I appoint unto you a kingdom.” All through the three years of His ministry, Jesus had a lot to say about His kingdom. He is the King and He has a kingdom. His kingdom is not of this world. Most people live as if the world is permanent, but it’s only temporary. The Kingdom that will last forever is the Kingdom of Christ. Jesus told us to look forward to being in His kingdom and to pray, “Thy Kingdom come.” Jesus was now close to His death, and so He wanted to remind the disciples of things that were important. The turmoil and difficulties of this world should not bother us so much, if we would only remember what He taught us about His Kingdom.

One of the difficulties of this life is the spiritual opposition that we must face if we walk with the Master. Just as Jesus was opposed, we will also be opposed. The Bible says in Luke 22:31-32, "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” The reason that we will be opposed is because in this world there is a great competition going on between good and evil. Jesus told Peter, “Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.”

Even though Satan was more powerful than Peter, and even though Satan is more powerful than we are, there is a victory possible from another source. Notice that the victory is directly connected to two things: the person of Jesus Christ and the faith of the believer. Jesus purchased the victory over sin and the devil by dying for our sins on the cross. We enter in to this great victory through faith. “This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.”

Jesus told Peter, “I have prayed for you.” If the prayers of humans can move mountains, just think what the prayers of Jesus can do! It’s no wonder that the weak and unstable Simon became the mighty and faithful Apostle Peter. Jesus prayed for Peter, and thank God that He prays for each of His believers. First John 2:1 says, “We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” An advocate is someone who speaks on your behalf, like a lawyer in a court of law does for his clients. The devil wants to condemn you. The word “devil” means slanderer. But the devil’s condemnations against you do not work in the presence of God because Jesus is there speaking on your behalf, and pointing out that He is your Savior. He has already paid the price for your sins, and you are forgiven, and there is nothing that can be held against you. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.”

Notice what Jesus told Peter to do once Peter was delivered from the power of Satan. Jesus said, “When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” This is similar to what Jesus said to Peter after the resurrection when Jesus said to him, “If you love me, feed my sheep.” Jesus has given gifts to His believers. The purpose of the gifts is to do the work of God in this world. One of the great works of God is to teach the truth so that those who believe will be strengthened and encouraged and will be able to go out and do the works that God has given to them. In order to accomplish all of this, some of the gifts that God has given are pastors and teachers.

The purpose of preaching and teaching more than anything else is to strengthen the brethren. The purpose of preaching and teaching is not to complain about weak Christians or to complain about the sins and excesses of the world, but the purpose is to strengthen the brethren. Someone is strengthened by being built up, and they are only built up when good and positive things are said. They are also only built up when the Word of God is used. Someone’s illustrations or stories about themselves will usually not build up the brethren. It’s the Word of God alone that has the power to do this. “The Word of God is alive and powerful.”

Jesus said to Peter, “After you are converted, strengthen your brethren.” One of the purposes of life is to learn that which is important, and then after you have learned to teach others. Some people do not learn, at least they do not learn the most important things. Others learn, but keep what they have learned to themselves. Because of peer pressure or the fear of persecution, they do not spread the truth, because the truth is not always popular. Jesus told Peter to avoid both of these mistakes. Learn what is true and then find ways to communicate what you have learned to others if you are going to fulfill the purpose of life.

Peter’s answer to Jesus is given in Luke 22:33. The Bible says in Luke 22:33-34, “And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. And Jesus said, I tell you, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that you shall three times deny that you know me.” Peter gave the right answer, or did he? Surely everyone who loves the Lord would say what Peter said and be willing to do what Peter said he was willing to do: to follow Christ to prison or even to death. But notice that Peter said, “I am ready to go with thee.”

Maybe Peter should have said, “God willing, I will go with thee, both into prison, and to death.” Everything that we do or plan to do should always be conditioned by the knowledge that we can only do it if it is the will of God. Even Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but thine be done.” James 4:15-16 says, “For that you ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this or that. But now you rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.” Peter said that he would follow the Lord to prison and to death, but what if it was not God’s will for him to do so? Actually, that was the case. It was the will of God for Jesus to suffer and die alone for the sins of the world. No one was worthy to be a part of that work, and no one but Jesus could do it. He died alone for you and me. It had to be that way, because He alone was the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. No mere mortal would be strengthened by God to join with the Christ in His great redemptive work on the cross, not even one of the apostles, and not even Peter.

Peter would not accompany the Christ to the cross. And he would do worse than failing to keep his promise. Peter would end up doing one of the worst things that any Christian could do: he would end up denying Christ in the face of pressure from the unbelievers. Of course, when we think about Peter and His denial of Christ, we should not think of the failure of man so much nor should we be surprised. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” “There is none good but God.” The biggest lesson to learn from Peter’s failure is the kindness and the mercy of Christ towards His believers. Peter had a lesson to learn about his own self-will and boastfulness, and about the great love of Christ for him no matter how greatly he failed. Peter learned his lesson, and spent the rest of his life as one of the great apostles, and eventually Peter followed the Lord to die on a Roman cross, but not until it was God’s will and God’s time.

The Lord taught Peter a great lesson that all believers must never forget. Without Him we can do nothing. We have nothing to boast about because He is everything. He is our righteousness, He is our life, and He is our salvation. We have nothing to boast about. We were saved by grace, and we serve Him only because of His grace and mercy towards us. Peter needed to learn this lesson, and we need to be reminded of it. Whoever forgets this lesson usually falls into one of two extremes. They either become discouraged about their own failures, or they fall into the error of the Pharisees falsely thinking that religion is based upon human goodness.

In Luke 22:35-38 the Lord taught another lesson to His disciples. The Bible says, “And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked you anything? And they said, Nothing. Then said he unto them, But now he that has a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that has no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, it is enough.”

Why did Jesus tell the disciples to take up a sword, and why did He tell them that two swords were enough? Certainly, Jesus did not want the disciples to protect Him from being arrested. Probably Jesus wanted the disciples to learn once for all that in serving Him, they were not going to use the weapons of this world. Two swords would not have protected Jesus, and a hundred swords would not have protected Him. He was going to be arrested because it was the will of God. The kingdom of Jesus is not of this world, and His kingdom will not be advanced using the weapons or the methods of this world. This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.

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