The Night Hell Plotted and Heaven Purchased: Lessons from Luke 22

Every year during Holy Week, we walk slowly through the Passion narrative, and every year Luke 22 hits like a freight train. In just twenty-five verses we watch Satan enter one of the Twelve, we watch Jesus institute the Lord’s Supper, and we watch the disciples argue about who is the greatest—all at the same table, on the same night, just hours before the cross.

That collision of darkness and light, of betrayal and redemption, of pride and servanthood is not just ancient history. It is a mirror held up to every Bible-believing church in 2025.

 1. Satan Never Stopped Wearing a Church Name Tag  

“Then Satan entered Judas, surnamed Iscariot, who was numbered among the twelve” (v. 3).  

Judas had been baptized, chosen, sent out to preach and heal, and entrusted with the money bag. Yet the devil found a landing strip in his heart because he loved money more than the Master.

Brethren, false professors have not gone extinct. They still carry Bibles, sing the old hymns with gusto, and can quote the King James flawlessly. But if there is one corner of the heart that has not bowed to Christ—if covetousness, bitterness, immorality, or pride is being coddled—Satan has legal ground. “Neither give place to the devil” (Eph. 4:27) is not a suggestion; it is a command with eternal consequences.

 2. The Lord’s Supper: The Most Subversive Meal in History  

While Judas was negotiating the price of blood, Jesus was preparing the table of grace. “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you” (v. 20).

Think of it: the same night hell thought it had won, heaven declared total victory. The priests were shouting “Crucify!” while the Lamb was saying “It is finished” before a nail was ever driven. That is the genius of sovereign grace. The cross was slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8), and the Supper is where we proclaim that victory until He comes.

If you come to this table with an unrepentant heart, you eat and drink judgment. If you come by faith alone, looking to the crucified and risen Christ alone, you feast on forgiveness, life, and unbreakable covenant love.

3. The Kingdom Where the Greatest Must Become the Least  

Minutes after receiving the bread and cup, the disciples started ranking themselves. Jesus didn’t scold them for desiring greatness; He redefined it: “Yet I am among you as the One who serves” (v. 27).

In a day when celebrity pastors build empires and followers measure spirituality by platform size, this text is a wrecking ball. The way up in Christ’s kingdom is down. Diotrophes loved to have the preeminence (3 John 9); Jesus loved to wash feet. Which one do we look like?

 A Plea as We Approach the Table Again

- Search your heart. Is there a “Judas” sin you’ve been protecting? Drag it into the light tonight.  

- Trust Christ’s blood alone. Good works, religious pedigree, and emotional experiences will not stand you in the judgment. Only the doing and dying of Jesus will.  

- Serve somebody this week. Take out a widow’s trash, send an encouraging text to a struggling brother, forgive the one who wounded you worst. Greatness in the kingdom is spelled S-E-R-V-E.

DMMC 

11-23-25

The world will keep betraying the King. But the King keeps laying down His life for traitors—and then calling those traitors to become servants.

Come to the table, sinner. The Lamb has paid your debt, and there is room at His table for one more.

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain!”

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