The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 2 — Section 188

decided the go\"erning body with RB little was, seems to point to vulgar ~reed, and to delay as possible to compass the Reformer's the idea of making friends with the domi- deRth. The temporary withdrawal of the nRnt party in the state now that his Lord after the great miracle deferred their l\Ie.ster evidently looked forw1trd to a violent purpose for s B<'a.son; after, howe\"er, s re- dGRth, as the real motives of the betra.ve.1. tirement for a few weeks, Jesus appeared The question he.s been n.sked whether again, shortly before the PassO\-er, and Christ, in hie choice of Judas as one of the taught publicly in the temple, nt a sea.son twelve, rea,l the inmost depths and issues when Jerusalem wa.s crowded with pilgrims of his charn.cter. Canon Westcott, in a pro- arri,·ing for the great feast. Nernr had his found note on John xiii. 18, writes "that teaehi:Jg excited such interest, never had the records of the gospel lead us to believe it stirred up suoh burning opposition a.s at that the Lord bad perfect human know• this juncture. This decided the Jewish ledge rcn.lizcd in a human way, e.nd there- rulers to e.arry out their design on the lifo fore limited in some sense, and separable of the Gn.liltean Teacher with as litt.le delay in consciousness from his perfect Divine a.s possible. The only thing thn.t per- omniscience. He knew the thoughts of plexed them was how this eould safely be men absolutely in their manifold possi- accomplished, owing to the favour in which bilities, and yet as man, not in their actunl he was held by the people, especially by future manifestation." These myste!'i~s the crowds of pilgrims from the provinces "underlie nil religious life, e.nd, indeed, all then in Jerusalem. finite life-for finite being includes the Yers. 3-6.-Judas Iscaric>t betrays his possibility of sin e.nd the possibility of Master. Then entered Satan into Judas fellowship between the Creator and the surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of creature. . . . Thus we may be content to the twelve. And he went his way, and have this concrete mystery e.s e.n exRmple- oommuned with the chief priests and captains, the most terrible exnmple-of the issues of how he might betray him unto them. And the two fundamental mysteries of human they were glad. Thie was their chance. existence." In the very bee.rt of the Galihean Teacher's Vere. 7-13.-The disciples Peter and own company a traitor showed himself, one Jolin are directed to prepare for the last who knew well the plans of his Master. Passover. With his help the Sanhedrin e.nd the Ver. 7.-Then ea.me the day of unleavened priestly party would be enabled to effect bread. This was the Thursday, Nise.n 18. the arrest privately. They then must trust On this afternoon e.ll len.ven we.s carefully to Roman jealousy to help them to carry out e.nd scrupulously put away; hence the their evil design. The expression, " Then name. entered So.tan into Judas,'' is a strong one, Ver. 8.-Go and prepare us the Passover, and definitely shows that, in the opinion of that we may eat. The three eynoptists these inspired compilers of the GospeL!, there unite in describing this solemn meal, for wa.s a person who bore rule over the powers which Peter e.nd John were sent to prepare, of evil. The character and history of the as the ordinary Paschal Supper. But, on faithless friend of Jesll8 is mournfully in- comparing the record of the ea.me Supper teresting. For one to whom such splendid given by St. John, we are irresistibly led to chances were offered to fall so low, is an a different conclusion; for we read that on awful mystery. It is clear that the be- the following day those who led Jesll8 into trayal WliB no sudden impulse. He set up the Prretorium went not in themselves," lest ~elf as the one object of all his thoughts, they should be defiled ; but that they might aud followed JeSUB because he believed eat the Passover" (John xviii. 28); and ngllin that, in following him, he could best serve it ie ea.id of the same day, that "it was the his own interests. His ambition was cruelly preparation of the Passover " (John xix. ,lisappointed by his Master's gradual un- 14). So the tirne of the Suppn is de- f.ilding his views respecting his kingdom, scribed by St. John (xiii. 1) as "before the ,d,ir,h was not to be of this world. lie was Feast of the Pn.ssovcr." It appears that our still further shocked by the undisguised Lord was crucified on the 14th of Nisan, on announcement on the part of his 111e.ster, the fiery day of the sacrifice of the Paschal whose greatness and power Judas recog- Lamb, a few hours before the time of the nized from the first, that he would be re- Paschal Supper, and that his own Last jected by the nation, and even pat to death. Supper was eaten the night before, thnt is, It has been suggested, as e.n explanation of twenty-four hours bcforo the general time the betrayal, that at the last he seems to have of e11ting the Passover Supper. The most fancied that he coald force the manifesta- venerable of the Fathers preserved this es tion of Christ's power by placing him in a sacred tradition. So Justin Martyr: "On the hands of his enemies; but the accept- the de.y of tbe Passover ye took him, and ance of e. reward, miserable though it ou the d.ny of the Passover ye crucified him" en. xxu.1-71.J TllE GOSPEL ACCOD.DIXG TO ST. tURB. 197