My Notes
What Does Luke 22:28 Mean?
On the night of His betrayal, Jesus pauses to honor His disciples with one of the most tender acknowledgments in the Gospels: "Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations." He names what they've done: stayed. Through every trial, every opposition, every difficult teaching, every moment when it would have been easier to leave—they continued. They stayed with Him.
The word "temptations" (peirasmois) encompasses trials, tests, and periods of difficulty throughout Jesus' ministry. Not just the wilderness temptation but the ongoing pressures: opposition from religious leaders, misunderstanding from crowds, the constant demand of ministry, the loneliness of being misunderstood by everyone. Through all of it, these eleven men (Judas has already left) remained.
Jesus' acknowledgment is particularly poignant because He knows what's about to happen: in a few hours, every one of them will abandon Him. Peter will deny Him. They'll scatter in fear. The continuation He's praising is about to end. And He honors it anyway—because the staying, however imperfect and however temporary, mattered to Him.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Where have you 'continued'—stayed present through difficulty when it would have been easier to leave?
- 2.Jesus honored staying, not succeeding. How does that change what you think He values in your faithfulness?
- 3.He praised them knowing they'd fail that night. Does He honor your imperfect faithfulness the same way?
- 4.Who in your life has 'continued with you in your temptations'—stayed when others left? Have you told them?
Devotional
"Ye are they which have continued with me." On the worst night of His life, Jesus pauses to say thank you. Not for great achievements. Not for impressive ministry accomplishments. For staying. For continuing. For not leaving when it got hard. That's what He honors: the people who stayed.
The word He uses—"temptations"—covers everything: the opposition, the misunderstanding, the pressure, the loneliness, the difficulty of following someone the world was rejecting. Through all of it, these men stayed. Not perfectly. Not without confusion or complaint. But they stayed. And Jesus notices. He honors presence, not performance.
The heartbreak beneath this verse is that Jesus knows they're about to stop continuing. In hours, they'll all run. Peter will deny. The rest will scatter. The very faithfulness He's praising is about to fail. And He praises it anyway. He doesn't withhold the honor because He knows the failure is coming. He gives it because the staying, however imperfect, mattered. Even temporary faithfulness is noticed by God.
If you've been showing up—if you've been staying when it would be easier to leave, continuing when every instinct says quit, remaining present through difficulty without any dramatic accomplishments to show for it—Jesus sees it. He honors it. Not because you'll never fail (you might, tonight). But because the staying itself is the thing He values. You continued. That's enough for Him to say it out loud.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And I appoint unto you a kingdom,.... Not a temporal one, but a spiritual one; and either intends that they should have…
My temptations - My trials, my humiliations, and my assaults from the power of Satan and a wicked world.
We have here Christ's discourse with his disciples after supper, much of which is new here; and in St. John's gospel we…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture