The Plot to Kill Jesus
1 When Jesus had finished thisdiscourse, He said to His disciples,
2 “You know that the Passover is coming in two days, and the Son of Man is to be betrayedandhanded over for crucifixion.”
3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the courtyard of the [elegant home of the Jewish] high priest, whose name wasCaiaphas,
4 and plotted together to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill Him.
5 But they said, “It must not be during the festival (Passover), otherwise there might be a riot among the people.”
The Anointing in Bethany
6 Now when Jesus was [back] in Bethany, at the home ofSimon the leper,
7 awoman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very expensiveperfume and she poured it on Jesus’ head as He reclinedat the table.
8 But when thedisciples saw it they were indignantandangry, saying, “Why all this waste [of money]?
9 For thisperfumemight have been sold at a high price andthe moneygiven to the poor.”
10 But Jesus, aware [of the malice] of this [remark], said to them,“Why are you bothering the woman? She has done a good thing to Me.
11 For you always have the poor with you; but you will not always have Me.
12 When she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial.
13 I assure youandmost solemnly say to you, wherever this gospel[of salvation]is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her[for her act of love and devotion].”
Judas’ Bargain
14 Then one of the twelve [disciples], who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Jesus over to you?” And they weighed outthirty pieces of silver.
16 And from that moment Judasbeganlooking for an opportune time to betray Jesus.
17 Now on the first day ofUnleavened Bread (Passover Week) the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”
18 He said,“Go into the city toa certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time[to suffer and atone for sin]is near; Iam tokeep the Passover at your house with My disciples.”’”
19 [Accordingly] the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
The Last Passover
20 When evening came, Jesus was recliningat the tablewith the twelve disciples.
21 And as they were eating, He said,“I assure youandmost solemnly say to you that one of you will betray Me.”
22 Being deeply grievedandextremely distressed, each one of them began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?”
23 Jesus answered,“He who has dipped his hand in the bowl with Me[as apretense of friendship]will betray Me.
24 The Son of Man is to go[to the cross],just as it is written[in Scripture]of Him; but woe (judgment is coming) to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born.”
25 And Judas, the betrayer, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Jesus said to him,“You have said it yourself.”
The Lord’s Supper Instituted
26 Now as they were eating Jesus took bread, and afterblessing it, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said,“Take, eat; this is My body.”
27 And when He had taken a cup andgiven thanks, He gave it to them, saying,“Drink from it, all of you;
28 for this is My blood of the[new and better]covenant, which[ratifies the agreement and]is being poured out for many[as asubstitutionary atonement]for the forgiveness of sins.
29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
30 After singing ahymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
31 Then Jesus said to them,“You will all fall away because of Me this night[disillusioned about Me, confused, and some even ashamed of Me],for it is written[in the Scriptures],‘Iwill strike theShepherd,and the sheep of the flock will bescattered.’
32 But after I am raised[to life],I will go ahead of you[leading the way]to Galilee.”
33 Peter replied to Him, “Though they all fall away because of You [and doubt and disown You], I will never fall away!”
34 Jesus said to him,“I assure youandmost solemnly say to you, this night, before a rooster crows, you will[completely]deny Me three times.”
35 Peter said to Jesus, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And all the disciples said the same thing.
The Garden of Gethsemane
36 Then Jesus came with them to a place calledGethsemane (olive-press), and He told His disciples,“Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
37 And taking with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee [James and John], He began to be grieved and greatly distressed.
38 Then He said to them,“My soul is deeply grieved, so that I am almost dyingof sorrow.Stay here and stay awakeandkeep watch with Me.”
39 And after going a little farther, He fell face down and prayed, saying,“My Father, if it is possible[that is, consistent with Your will],let this cuppass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”
40 And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter,“So, youmencould not stay awakeandkeep watch with Me for one hour?
41 Keepactivelywatching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but thebody is weak.”
42 He went away a second time and prayed, saying,“My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.”
43 Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.
44 So, leaving them again, He went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words once more.
45 Then He returned to the disciples and said to them,“Are you still sleeping and resting? Listen,the hour[of My sacrifice]is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners[whose way and nature is to oppose God].
46 Get up, let us go. Look, My betrayer is near!”
Jesus’ Betrayal and Arrest
47 As Jesus was still speaking, Judas [Iscariot], one of the twelve [disciples], came up accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, [who came as representatives] from the chief priests and elders of the people.
48 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.”
49 Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, “Greetings (rejoice), Rabbi!” And hekissed Him [in a deliberate act of betrayal].
50 Jesus said to Judas,“Friend, do what you came for.”Then they came and seized Jesus and arrested Him.
51 Andone of those who were with Jesus reached out and drew his sword, and struck [Malchus] the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.
52 Then Jesus said to him,“Put your sword back in its place; for all those whohabituallydraw the sword will die by the sword.
53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will immediately provide Me with more than twelvelegions of angels?
54 How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen this way?”
55 At that moment Jesus said to the crowds,“Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me asyou wouldagainst a robber? Day after day I used to sit in the porchesandcourts of the temple teaching, and you did not arrest Me.
56 But all this has taken place so that the Scriptures of the prophets would be fulfilled.”Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled.
Jesus before Caiaphas
57 Those who had seized Jesus led Him away toCaiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) had gathered [illegally] together.
58 But Peter followed Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the [elegant home of the Jewish] high priest, and went inside, and sat with theguards to see the outcome.
59 Now the chief priests and the whole Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) tried to get false witnesses to testify against Jesus, so that they might [have a reason to] put Him to death.
60 They found none, even though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward,
61 and testified, “This man said, ‘I am able totear down the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
62 The high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Have You no answer to give? What is it that these men are testifying against You?”
63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I call on You to swear a binding oath by the living God, that you tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
64 Jesus said to him,“You have[in fact]said it; but more than that I tell you[regardless of what you do with Me now],in the future you will see[Me revealed as]theSon ofMan seated at theright hand ofPower, andcoming on the clouds of heaven.”
65 Then the high priest tore hisrobes [in mock horror] and exclaimed, “He has blasphemed [by making Himself God’s equal]! What further need have we of witnessesorevidence? See, you have now heard the blasphemy.
66 What do you think?” They answered, “He deserves to be put to death.”
67 Then they spat in His face and struck Him with their fists; and some slapped Him,
68 saying, “Prophesy to us, You Christ (Messiah, Anointed); who was it that struck You?”
Peter’s Denials
69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came up to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.”
70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.”
71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, anotherservant-girlsaw him and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.”
72 And again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.”
73 After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them too; for even your [Galilean] accent gives you away.”
74 Then he began to curse [that is, to invoke God’s judgment on himself] and swear [an oath], “I do not know the man!” And at that moment a rooster crowed.
75 And Peter remembered the [prophetic] words of Jesus, when He had said,“Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”And he went outside and wept bitterly [in repentance].