In today's episode of Word for Word: The Bible, we read Luke chapters 22 through 24, bringing us to the end of Luke. At the Last Supper, Jesus gives the bread and cup new meaning as His body and blood given for His followers. He is betrayed, arrested, and tried by leaders who find no real fault in Him. Even on the cross He promises a repentant criminal paradise that very day. Three days later the tomb is empty, and the risen Jesus opens the Scriptures to His disciples and sends them to every nation. Join Kevin Mooneyhan for the ending that becomes a beginning.
Episode Overview
Today we finish the Gospel of Luke. It opens with Judas agreeing to hand Jesus over, and then the Passover meal. Jesus takes the bread and calls it His body given for them, and the cup the new covenant in His blood. Within minutes the disciples are arguing about which of them is greatest. Jesus tells Peter that Satan has asked to sift him like wheat, but that He has prayed for him, and that before the rooster crows Peter will deny Him three times.
On the Mount of Olives Jesus prays in such anguish that His sweat falls like drops of blood. Judas arrives with a kiss, and when a disciple cuts off a servant's ear, Jesus heals it. In the courtyard Peter denies Him three times, the rooster crows, and Luke alone records that the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Peter goes out and weeps bitterly.
Pilate finds no basis for a charge, sends Jesus to Herod, and declares Him innocent three separate times, yet releases Barabbas and hands Jesus over to the crowd's demand. On the cross Jesus prays, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. One criminal mocks Him. The other asks to be remembered, and Jesus promises that today he will be with Him in paradise. Jesus commits His spirit into the Father's hands, and the centurion declares Him a righteous man.
On the first day of the week the women find the stone rolled away and hear two men in gleaming clothes ask why they look for the living among the dead. That afternoon two disciples walking to Emmaus meet a stranger who explains Moses and the Prophets, and they recognize Jesus only as He breaks the bread. Their hearts had been burning the whole way. Jesus then appears to the eleven, eats broiled fish, opens their minds to the Scriptures, and sends them to preach repentance and forgiveness to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.
Key Themes
• A new covenant given at a Passover table
• Failure met with prayer and a look of grace
• An innocent man condemned by a crowd
• Mercy extended to a dying criminal
• The Scriptures opened and a mission to all nations
In This Episode You'll Discover
• What Jesus told Peter about being sifted like wheat
• Which detail of Peter's denial only Luke records
• How many times Pilate declared Jesus innocent
• When the Emmaus disciples finally recognized Jesus
• The major lesson: it is never too late to turn to Jesus, and His mercy reaches all the way to the cross
Today's Scripture:
Luke 22–24
About the Podcast
Word for Word: The Bible is a chronological Bible study podcast hosted by Kevin Mooneyhan that takes listeners through the entire Bible one chapter at a time. Each episode combines Scripture reading, historical context, theological insight, and practical application to help listeners understand God's Word and grow in their faith.