Albert Barnes Commentary Luke 22

Then entered Satan into Judas. It is not necessary to suppose that Satan entered personally into the body of Judas, but only that he brought him under his influence. He filled his mind with an evil passion and led him on to betray His Master. The particular passion Satan used was avarice—probably the besetting sin of Judas. To show its exceeding evil and baseness, it is only necessary to say that when it produced its appropriate effect in this case, it led to the betraying and crucifixion of the Son of God.

We may also learn that when Satan tempts people, he commonly does it by exciting their native passions and raising them to the highest pitch. He does not make them act contrary to their nature but leads them on to act out their true disposition.

Satan. This word properly means an adversary or an accuser. It is the name commonly given in the Scriptures to the prince or leader of evil spirits, and is given to him because he is the accuser or calumniator of the righteous , as well as because he is the adversary of God.

Being of the number of the twelve. One of the twelve apostles. This greatly aggravated his crime. He should have been bound by the most tender ties to Jesus. He was one of His family—long with Him, and treated by Him with every mark of kindness and confidence; and nothing could more enhance his guilt than to make use of this confidence in such a way for the commission of one of the basest crimes.

Chief priests and captains. See Matthew 26:14.

Absence of the multitude. The multitude, the people, were then favorable to Jesus. He had preached in the temple, and many of them believed that he was the Messiah. It was a hazardous thing, therefore, to take him by force, and in their presence, as they might rise and rescue him. For this reason, they sought to take him when he was away from the multitude; and as Judas knew of a place where he could be found alone, they were glad of the opportunity to secure him so easily.

When the hour was come. The hour of eating the paschal lamb, which was in the evening. (See Barnes on Matthew 26:20.)

With desire I have desired. This is a Hebrew form of expression, and means I have greatly desired. The reasons why he desired this we may suppose to have been—

1. That, as he was about to leave them, he was desirous once of seeing them together, and of partaking with them of one of the religious privileges of the Jewish dispensation. Jesus was man as well as God, and he never undervalued the religious rites of his country, or the blessings of social and religious fellowship; and there is no impropriety in supposing that even he might feel that his human nature might be prepared by the service of religion for his great and terrible sufferings.

2. He doubtless wished to take an opportunity to prepare them for his sufferings, and to impress upon them more fully the certainty that he was about to leave them, so that they might be prepared for it.

3. We may also suppose that he particularly desired it that he might institute for their use, and for the edification of all Christians, the supper which is called by his name—the Lord's Supper. All his sufferings were the expression of love to his people, and he was desirous of testifying always his regard for their comfort and welfare.

Before I suffer.

Until it be fulfilled. See Barnes on Matthew 26:29.