Matthew 26
The Plot Against Jesus
It happened, when
Jesus had finished all these words, that he said to his disciples, "You know
that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be
delivered up to be crucified."
Then the chief
priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people were gathered together
in the court of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas. They took counsel together that
they might take Jesus by deceit, and kill him. But they said, "Not during
the feast, lest a riot occur among the people."
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
Now when Jesus was in
Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to him having an
alabaster jar of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as
he sat at the table. But
when his disciples saw this, they were indignant, saying, "Why this
waste? For this ointment
might have been sold for much, and given to the poor."
However, knowing
this, Jesus said to them, "Why do you trouble the
woman? Because she has done a good work for me. For you always have the poor
with you; but you don't always have me. For in pouring this ointment on
my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Most certainly I tell you,
wherever this Good News is preached in the whole world, what this woman
has done will also be spoken of as a memorial of her."
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
Then one of the
twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests, and said, "What are you
willing to give me, that I should deliver him to you?" They weighed
out for him thirty pieces of silver. From that time he sought
opportunity to betray him.
The Lord's Supper
Now on the first day
of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying to him,
"Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?"
He said, "Go into the city to a certain person, and tell him, 'The
Teacher says, "My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your
house with my disciples."'"
The disciples did as
Jesus commanded them, and they prepared the Passover. Now when evening had come, he
was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples. As they were eating, he said,
"Most certainly I tell you that one of you will
betray me."
They were exceedingly
sorrowful, and each began to ask him, "It isn't me, is it, Lord?"
He answered, "He who dipped his hand with me in the dish, the same will
betray me. The Son of
Man goes, even as it is written of him, but woe to that man through whom
the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not
been born."
Judas, who betrayed
him, answered, "It isn't me, is it, Rabbi?"
He said to him, "You said it."
As they were eating,
Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it. He
gave to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is
my body." He
took the cup, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, "All of you drink it, for this is my blood of the new
covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins. But I tell you that 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.
Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial
Then Jesus said to
them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of
me tonight, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep
of the flock will be scattered.' But after I am raised up, I will
go before you into Galilee."
But Peter answered
him, "Even if all will be made to stumble because of you, I will
never be made to stumble."
Jesus said to him,
"Most certainly I tell you that tonight, before the
rooster crows, you will deny me three times."
Peter said to him,
"Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you." All of the
disciples also said likewise.
Gethsemane
Then Jesus came with
them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go there and pray." He took with him Peter and the
two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and severely troubled.
Then he said to them,
"My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.
Stay here, and watch with me."
He went forward a
little, fell on his face, and prayed, saying, "My
Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless,
not what I desire, but what you desire."
He came to the
disciples, and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What, couldn't you watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray, that you don't
enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is
weak."
Again, a second time
he went away, and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this
cup can't pass away from me unless I drink it, your desire be
done." He
came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. He left them again, went away,
and prayed a third time, saying the same words. Then he came to his disciples,
and said to them, "Sleep on now, and take your rest.
Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands
of sinners. Arise, let's
be going. Behold, he who betrays me is at hand."
Jesus Arrested
While he was still
speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great
multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priest and elders of the
people. Now he who
betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, "Whoever I kiss, he is the
one. Seize him." Immediately he came to Jesus,
and said, "Hail, Rabbi!" and kissed him.
Jesus said to him,
"Friend, why are you here?" Then they
came and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. Behold, one of those who were
with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck the
servant of the high priest, and struck off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place, for all those who take
the sword will die by the sword. Or do you think that I couldn't
ask my Father, and he would even now send me more than twelve legions of
angels? How then would
the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must be so?"
In that hour Jesus
said to the multitudes, "Have you come out as against
a robber with swords and clubs to seize me? I sat daily in the temple
teaching, and you didn't arrest me. But all this has happened, that
the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."
Then all the disciples left him, and fled.
Before the Sanhedrin
Those who had taken Jesus led
him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders
were gathered together. But Peter followed him from a
distance, to the court of the high priest, and entered in and sat with the
officers, to see the end. Now the chief priests, the
elders, and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus, that
they might put him to death; and they found none. Even though
many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false
witnesses came forward, and said, "This man said,
'I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three
days.'"
The high priest stood
up, and said to him, "Have you no answer? What is this that these
testify against you?" But Jesus held his peace. The
high priest answered him, "I adjure you by the living God, that you
tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God."
Jesus said to him,
"You have said it. Nevertheless, I tell you, after
this you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and
coming on the clouds of the sky."
Then the high priest
tore his clothing, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need
any more witnesses? Behold, now you have heard his blasphemy. What do you think?"
They answered, "He is worthy of death!" Then they spit in his face and
beat him with their fists, and some slapped him, saying, "Prophesy to us,
you Christ! Who hit you?"
Peter Disowns Jesus
Now Peter was sitting
outside in the court, and a maid came to him, saying, "You were also
with Jesus, the Galilean!"
But he denied it
before them all, saying, "I don't know what you are talking
about."
When he had gone out
onto the porch, someone else saw him, and said to those who were there,
"This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth."
Again he denied it
with an oath, "I don't know the man."
After a little while
those who stood by came and said to Peter, "Surely you are also one
of them, for your speech makes you known."
Then he began to
curse and to swear, "I don't know the man!"
Immediately the rooster crowed. Peter remembered the word which
Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me
three times." He went out and wept bitterly.
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