The time had come.  The Passover meal had been prepared and the apostolic team gathered around Jesus.  It was a critical moment which was to define the end of the old covenant and the beginning of the new.  It was the culmination of Israel's history which had pointed to God's Redeemer buying back sinful humanity from Satan's control.  In a few hours' time, the cross would become the torturous instrument of death. The image of the dying Jesus would be most dreadful to watch, but it needed a clear explanation, or it would remain a mystery.

There is no doubt that the death of Jesus Christ on the cross was both very bad and very good, at the same time.  It had all the marks of Satan's evil destructive malice against God; and yet it secured salvation for all who trust in the sacrifice of Jesus (see www.crosscheck.org.uk).  However, some people get confused.  They think that if the betrayal of Judas was all part of God's plan leading Jesus to His death, then surely, he should not be blamed for his thoughts and actions.
 

Having rebuked the disciples for arguing about who would be most important in Jesus' Kingdom (Luke 22:24-26), the Lord changed the metaphor from politics to serving at table.  It would have been a poignant moment.  He, their Lord and Master, had just taken the role of a slave in washing their feet before the supper (John 13:1-17).  He hosted the Passover meal serving them bread and wine which represented His body and blood (Matthew 26:26-28).  

Peter, the fisherman, was a man of action.  He liked making decisions and announcing what he intended to do.  So when Jesus told him that evil was lurking around him, and Satan wanted to destroy him (Luke 22:31-32), he thought that his own moral strength and courage would win through.  Peter wanted to prove that he was the best of all the disciples.  Even though Jesus had said that Satan's desire to ruin Peter was so strong that Jesus had to intervene, the arrogant disciple still protested that his loyalty to Jesus was rock firm.