Matthew
26
- When Jesus had finished saying all these
things, he said to his disciples,
- "As you know, the Passover is two days
away--and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."
- Then the chief priests and the elders of
the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,
- and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some
sly way and kill him.
- "But not during the Feast," they said, "or
there may be a riot among the people."
- While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a
man known as Simon the Leper,
- a woman came to him with an alabaster jar
of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at
the table.
- When the disciples saw this, they were
indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked.
- "This perfume could have been sold at a
high price and the money given to the poor."
- Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are
you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.
- The poor you will always have with you, but
you will not always have me.
- When she poured this perfume on my body,
she did it to prepare me for burial.
- I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel
is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in
memory of her."
- Then one of the Twelve--the one called
Judas Iscariot--went to the chief priests
- and asked, "What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?"
So they counted out for him thirty silver coins.
- From then on Judas watched for an
opportunity to hand him over.
- On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened
Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to make
preparations for you to eat the Passover?"
- He replied, "Go into the city to a certain
man and tell him, 'The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to
celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.'"
- So the disciples did as Jesus had directed
them and prepared the Passover.
- When evening came, Jesus was reclining at
the table with the Twelve.
- And while they were eating, he said, "I
tell you the truth, one of you will betray me."
- They were very sad and began to say to him
one after the other, "Surely not I, Lord?"
- Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his
hand into the bowl with me will betray me.
- The Son of Man will go just as it is
written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be
better for him if he had not been born."
- Then Judas, the one who would betray him,
said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?" Jesus answered, "Yes, it is you."
- While they were eating, Jesus took bread,
gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat;
this is my body."
- Then he took the cup, gave thanks and
offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.
- This is my blood of the covenant, which is
poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
- I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit
of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my
Father's kingdom."
- When they had sung a hymn, they went out to
the Mount of Olives.
- Then Jesus told them, "This very night you
will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: "'I will strike the
shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'
- But after I have risen, I will go ahead of
you into Galilee."
- Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on
account of you, I never will."
- "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered,
"this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times."
- But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die
with you, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same.
- Then Jesus went with his disciples to a
place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there
and pray."
- He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be
sorrowful and troubled.
- Then he said to them, "My soul is
overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with
me."
- Going a little farther, he fell with his
face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be
taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."
- Then he returned to his disciples and found
them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked
Peter.
- "Watch and pray so that you will not fall
into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
- He went away a second time and prayed, "My
Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it,
may your will be done."
- When he came back, he again found them
sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.
- So he left them and went away once more and
prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
- Then he returned to the disciples and said
to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the
Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
- Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"
- While he was still speaking, Judas, one of
the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs,
sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people.
- Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with
them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest him."
- Going at once to Jesus, Judas said,
"Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him.
- Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came for."Then the men stepped
forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.
- With that, one of Jesus' companions reached
for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting
off his ear.
- "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus
said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.
- Do you think I cannot call on my Father,
and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?
- But how then would the Scriptures be
fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?"
- At that time Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I
leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture
me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me.
- But this has all taken place that the
writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples deserted
him and fled.
- Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the
teachers of the law and the elders had assembled.
- But Peter followed him at a distance, right
up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the
guards to see the outcome.
- The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin
were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to
death.
- But they did not find any, though many
false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward
- and declared, "This fellow said, 'I am able
to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.'"
- Then the high priest stood up and said to
Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are
bringing against you?"
- But Jesus remained silent. The high priest
said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are
the Christ, the Son of God."
- "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.
"But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at
the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
- Then the high priest tore his clothes and
said, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now
you have heard the blasphemy.
- What do you think?" "He is worthy of
death," they answered.
- Then they spit in his face and struck him
with their fists. Others slapped him
- and said, "Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit
you?"
- Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard,
and a servant girl came to him. "You also were with Jesus of Galilee," she
said.
- But he denied it before them all. "I don't
know what you're talking about," he said.
- Then he went out to the gateway, where
another girl saw him and said to the people there, "This fellow was with Jesus
of Nazareth."
- He denied it again, with an oath: "I don't
know the man!"
- After a little while, those standing there
went up to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives
you away."
- Then he began to call down curses on
himself and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!" Immediately a rooster
crowed.
- Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had
spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." And he
went outside and wept bitterly.
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