Luke 22:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him.

NIV: When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table.

NASB: When the hour came, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him.

CSB: When the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him.

NLT: When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table.

KJV: And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.

NKJV: When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.

The original Passover feast was eaten standing, dressed for travel as the Israelites had to flee Egypt that night (Exodus 12:11, 33–37). As with other feasts at the time of Jesus, the disciples celebrate while reclining on couches. The switch represents that the Jews are free and safe and can eat at leisure.

The "hour" is twilight. The lamb is to be slain at the temple court in the afternoon, then roasted. It is to be eaten the next "day;" since in the Jewish calendar days start at twilight, the dinner begins when the sun goes down.

When we read of Jesus' ministry and see that He is with "the disciples," that often means the greater number of followers. In Luke 10:1, He sent seventy-two to minister to people. In Acts 1, about one hundred and twenty people waited for the Holy Spirit. In some cases, Jesus is with just the Twelve. Here, Luke calls them "apostles," which is how Theophilus (Luke 1:1–4) would know them.

This verse can be taken as one of Luke's asides which introduces a section. John includes a great deal more about this night, including Jesus washing the disciples' feet, a long discourse about what His leaving means, and the High Priestly Prayer (John 13—17). Luke alone includes an argument about who is the greatest (Luke 22:24–30). Disputes over greatness occurred more than once; Matthew and Mark include similar discussions earlier (Matthew 18:1–4; 20:24–28; Mark 9:34–35; 10:41–45). Luke also records instructions for travel the other Gospel writers do not include (Luke 22:35–38).

Luke 22:14–20 records the Last Supper. Bible scholars debate at what point, exactly, Judas left this gathering, raising the unanswered question of whether he, too, participated in what we now call "communion." Jesus has warned the disciples of the hardships they will face. Yet He promises they will not perish and encourages them to remain faithful (Luke 21). The Last Supper gives them the symbols to remind them their faith is not in vain: Jesus gave His life for them, ushered in the new covenant, and rose from the dead, and He will return. The disciples' fear and doubt described in the following verses are a demonstration of our need for Jesus' work on the cross (Luke 22:21–34). Parallel accounts of the Last Supper include Matthew 26:20, 26–29; Mark 14:17, 22–25; and 1 Corinthians 11:23–26.

Luke 22 is a long chapter which records events leading to Jesus' political trials and crucifixion. He has successfully taught crowds at the temple and proved His authority over the religious leaders (Luke 19:47—20). Meanwhile the leaders have spent the week planning to arrest Jesus and have Him killed (Luke 19:47–48). This chapter records the Last Supper, the arrest on the Mount of Olives, and the trials before the Jewish religious leaders. Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 18 cover much of the same information.

Luke 23 continues Jesus' trials before Pilate and Herod Antipas. He is then led to the cross where He forgives His murderers and saves a thief before He dies. In Luke 24, Jesus rises from the dead, meets two disciples while they travel, and explains to them how the Old Testament prophesied the death of the Messiah. In the final scene of the gospel, Jesus is reunited with His disciples, blesses them, and ascends into heaven.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.