The Plot to Kill Jesus

(Matthew 26:1-5; Luke 22:1-2; John 11:45-53)

1Now it was two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The high priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus secretly and to have him put to death, 2because they kept saying, “This must not happen during the festival. Otherwise, there’ll be a riot among the people.”

A Woman Anoints Jesus

(Matthew 26:6-13; John 12:1-8)

3While Jesusa was in Bethany sitting at the table in the home of Simon the leper, a woman arrived with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume made from pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume on his head. 4Irritated, some who were there asked one another, “Why was the perfume wasted like this? 5This perfume could have been sold for more than 300 denariib and the moneyc given to the destitute.” So they got extremely angry with her.

6But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me, 7because you’ll always have the destitute with you and can help them whenever you want, but you won’t always have me. 8She has done what she could. She poured perfume on my body in preparation for my burial. 9I tell all of youd with certainty, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

(Matthew 26:14-16; Luke 22:3-6)

10Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the high priests to betray Jesuse to them. 11After they had listened to him,f they were delighted and promised to give him money. So he began to look for a good opportunity to betray him.

The Passover with the Disciples

(Matthew 26:17-25; Luke 22:7-14, 21-23; John 13:21-30)

12On the first day of the Festivalg of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, Jesus’h disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover meal?”

13He sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and you will meet a man carrying a jug of water. Follow him. 14When he goes into a house,i say to its owner that the Teacher asks, ‘Where is my room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ 15Then he will show you a large upstairs room that is furnished and ready. Get everything ready for us there.” 16So the disciples left and went into the city. They found everything just as Jesusj had told them, and they prepared the Passover meal.

17When evening came, Jesusk arrived with the Twelve. 18While they were at the table eating, Jesus said, “I tell all of youl with certainty, one of you is going to betray me, one who is eating with me.”

19They began to be very sad and asked him, one after the other, “Surely I am not the one, am I?”

20He told them, “It’s one of you Twelve, the one who is dipping his bread into the bowl with me. 21For the Son of Man is going away, just as it has been written about him, but how terrible it will be for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him if he had never been born.”

The Lord’s Supper

(Matthew 26:26-30; Luke 22:15-20)

22While they were eating, Jesusm took a loaf of bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and handed it to them, saying, “Take some. This is my body.” 23Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24He told them, “This is my blood of the covenant that is being poured out for many people. 25I tell all of youn with certainty, I’ll never again drink the product of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

26After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

(Matthew 26:31-35; Luke 22:31-34; John 13:36-38)

27Then Jesus told them, “All of you will turn against me, because it is written,

‘I will strike the shepherd,

and the sheep will be scattered.’o

28However, after I’ve been raised, I’ll go to Galilee ahead of you.”

29But Peter told him, “Even if everyone else turns against you, I certainly won’t.”

30Jesus told him, “I tell youp with certainty, today, this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you’ll deny me three times.”

31But Peterq kept saying emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I’ll never deny you!” And all the others kept saying the same thing.

Jesus Prays in the Garden of Gethsemane

(Matthew 26:36-46; Luke 22:39-46)

32Then they came to a place called Gethsemane, and he told his disciples, “Sit down here while I pray.” 33He took Peter, James, and John along with him, and he began to feel distressed and troubled. 34So he told them, “I’m deeply grieved, even to the point of death. Wait here and stay awake.”

35Going on a little farther, he fell to the ground and kept praying that if it were possible the hour might pass from him. 36He kept repeating, “Abba!r Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Yet not what I want but what you want.”

37When he went back, he found his discipless asleep. “Simon, are you asleep?” he asked Peter. “You couldn’t stay awake for one hour, could you? 38All of you must stay awake and pray that you won’t be tempted. The spirit is indeed willing, but the bodyt is weak.”

39He went away again and prayed the same prayer as before.u 40Again he came back and found them asleep, because they could not keep their eyes open. They didn’t even know what they should say to him.

41He came back a third time. “Are you still sleeping and resting?”v he asked. “Enough of that! The time has come. Look! The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42Get up! Let’s go! See, the one who is betraying me is near!”

Jesus is Arrested

(Matthew 26:47-56; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:3-12)

43Just then, while Jesusw was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. A crowd armed with swords and clubs was with him. They were from the high priests, the scribes, and the elders. 44Now the betrayer personally had given them a signal, saying, “The one I kissx is the man. Arrest him, and lead him safely away.” 45So Judasy immediately went up to Jesusz and said, “Rabbi,”aa and kissed him tenderly.

46Then the menbb took hold of Jesuscc and arrested him. 47But one of those standing there drew his sword and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his ear. 48Jesus asked them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as if I were a bandit?dd 49Day after day I was with you in the Temple teaching, yet you didn’t arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” 50Then all the disciplesee deserted Jesusff and ran away.

The Young Man who Ran Away

51A certain young man, who was wearing nothing but a linen sheet, was following Jesus.gg When the menhh grabbed him, 52he left the linen sheet behind and ran away naked.

Jesus is Tried before the High Priest

(Matthew 26:57-68; Luke 22:54-55; John 18:13-14, 19-24)

53Then they took Jesus to the high priest. All the high priests, elders, and scribes had gathered together. 54Peter followed Jesusii at a distance as far as the high priest’s courtyard. He was sitting with the servants and warming himself at the fire. 55Meanwhile, the high priests and the whole Counciljj were looking for some testimony against Jesus in order to have him put to death, but they couldn’t find any. 56Although many people gave false testimony against him, their testimony didn’t agree.

57Then some men stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, 58“We ourselves heard him say, ‘I will destroy this sanctuary made by humankk hands, and in three days I will build another one not made by humanll hands.’” 59But even on this point their testimony didn’t agree.

60Then the high priest stood up before themmm and asked Jesus, “Don’t you have any answer to what these men are testifying against you?” 61But he kept silent and didn’t answer at all. The high priest asked him again, “Are you the Messiah,nn the Son of the Blessed One?”

62Jesus said, “I AM, and

‘you will see the Son of Man

seated at the right hand of the Power’oo

and ‘coming with the clouds of heaven.’”pp

63Then the high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we still need witnesses?” he asked. 64“You have heard his blasphemy! What is your verdict?” All of them condemned him as deserving death.

65Some of them began to spit on him. They blindfolded him and kept hitting him with their fists and telling him, “Prophesy!” Even the servants took him and slapped him around.

Peter Denies Jesus

(Matthew 26:69-75; Luke 22:56-62; John 18:15-18, 25-27)

66While Peter was down in the courtyard, one of the high priest’s servant girls came by. 67When she saw Peter warming himself, she glared at him and said, “You, too, were with Jesus from Nazareth.”

68But he denied it, saying, “I don’t know—or even understand—what you’re talking about!” Then he went out into the entryway. Just then a rooster crowed.qq

69The servant girl saw him and again told those who were standing around, “This man is one of them!” 70Again he denied it.

After a little while, the people who were standing there began to say to Peter again, “Obviously you’re one of them, because you are a Galilean!”

71Then he began to invoke a divine curse and to swear with an oath, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about!” 72Just then a rooster crowed a second time.

Peter remembered that Jesus told him, “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” Then he broke down and cried.