Luke 22:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.

NIV: They were delighted and agreed to give him money.

NASB: And they were delighted, and agreed to give him money.

CSB: They were glad and agreed to give him silver.

NLT: They were delighted, and they promised to give him money.

KJV: And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.

NKJV: And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.

The Pharisees and Herodians have been trying to destroy Jesus since early in His ministry (Mark 3:6). The religious leaders in Jerusalem joined the fight after He raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:45–53). Their problem is that it's Passover: Jerusalem is filled with visitors and Jesus is becoming more popular every day. The religious leaders can't figure out how to grab Jesus without antagonizing the crowds. They may be high-ranking priests, teachers, and businessmen, but they are still vulnerable to both public opinion and public violence (Luke 22:2; Matthew 26:3–5).

Their luck changes when one of Jesus' primary disciples comes with an offer: he will safely lead the temple guards to Jesus, in private, if they pay him. The chief priests are thrilled. They get more than they had hoped: an opportunity to hide their deeds from the crowd and a scapegoat if they're caught. They negotiated a price of thirty pieces of silver. This was the price of a slave in the Old Testament (Matthew 26:14–15; Exodus 21:32).

Judas consents to the price and watches for an opportunity (Luke 22:6). He knows that even though Jesus is surrounded by adoring crowds during the day, He retires to the Mount of Olives at night (Luke 21:37–38). Judas doesn't have long to wait.

That the chief priests and officers "agreed" means Judas at least suggested the payment and might have haggled for it (Matthew 26:15).

In Luke 22:1–2, the Sanhedrin prepares for Jesus' arrest. In Luke 22:3–6, Judas prepares for his betrayal. Next, Jesus will prepare for the Passover meal (Luke 22:7–13). Luke 22:1–2 is essentially a restatement of Luke 19:47–48 and a continuation of Luke 21:37–38. The leaders have lacked a secret place to capture Jesus, where crowds cannot object. Judas's betrayal is what they need. Judas will lead them to Jesus in the quiet dark of night, away from the public. Matthew and Mark also record this turn of events (Matthew 26:1–5, 14–16; Mark 14:1–2, 10–11).

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.