Matthew 26

The Plan to Kill Jesus 1Jesus finished saying all these things. Then he said to his disciples,

2“As you know, the Passover Feast is two days away. The Son of Man will be handed over to be nailed to a cross.” 3Then the chief priests met with the elders of the people. They met in the palace of Caiaphas, the high priest. 4They made plans to arrest Jesus secretly. They wanted to kill him.

5“But not during the feast,” they said. “The people may stir up trouble.”

A Woman Pours Perfume on Jesus 6Jesus was in Bethany. He was in the home of Simon, who had a skin disease.

7A woman came to Jesus with a special sealed jar of very expensive perfume. She poured the perfume on his head while he was at the table. 8When the disciples saw this, they became angry. “Why this waste?” they asked.

9“The perfume could have been sold at a high price. The money could have been given to poor people.” 10Jesus was aware of this. So he said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11You will always have poor people with you. But you will not always have me. 12She poured the perfume on my body to prepare me to be buried.

13What I’m about to tell you is true. What she has done will be told anywhere this good news is preached all over the world. It will be told in memory of her.”

Judas Agrees to Hand Jesus Over 14One of the 12 disciples went to the chief priests. His name was Judas Iscariot. 15He asked, “What will you give me if I hand Jesus over to you?” So they counted out 30 silver coins for him.

16From then on, Judas watched for the right time to hand Jesus over to them.

The Lord’s Supper 17It was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The disciples came to Jesus. They asked, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover meal?” 18He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man. Tell him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover at your house with my disciples.” ’ ”

19So the disciples did what Jesus had told them to do. They prepared the Passover meal. 20When evening came, Jesus was at the table with his 12 disciples.

21While they were eating, he said, “What I’m about to tell you is true. One of you will hand me over to my enemies.”

22The disciples became very sad. One after the other, they began to say to him, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord, do you?” 23Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will hand me over.

24The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But how terrible it will be for the one who hands over the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

25Judas was the one who was going to hand him over. He said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Teacher, do you?” Jesus answered, “You have said so.”

26While they were eating, Jesus took bread. He gave thanks and broke it. He handed it to his disciples and said, “Take this and eat it. This is my body.” 27Then he took a cup. He gave thanks and handed it to them. He said, “All of you drink from it. 28This is my blood of the covenant. It is poured out to forgive the sins of many people.

29Here is what I tell you. From now on, I won’t drink wine with you again until the day I drink it with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

30Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Says That the Disciples Will Turn Away 31Jesus told them, “This very night you will all turn away because of me. It is written that the Lord said, “ ‘I will strike the shepherd down. Then the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

32But after I rise from the dead, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

33Peter replied, “All the others may turn away because of you. But I never will.”

34“What I’m about to tell you is true,” Jesus answered. “It will happen tonight. Before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you don’t know me.”

35But Peter said, “I may have to die with you. But I will never say I don’t know you.” And all the other disciples said the same thing.

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane 36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him. He began to be sad and troubled.

38Then he said to them, “My soul is very sad. I feel close to death. Stay here. Keep watch with me.”

39He went a little farther. Then he fell with his face to the ground. He prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, take this cup of suffering away from me. But let what you want be done, not what I want.” 40Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter.

41“Watch and pray. Then you won’t fall into sin when you are tempted. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

42Jesus went away a second time. He prayed, “My Father, is it possible for this cup to be taken away? But if I must drink it, may what you want be done.” 43Then he came back. Again he found them sleeping. They couldn’t keep their eyes open.

44So he left them and went away once more. For the third time he prayed the same thing. 45Then he returned to the disciples. He said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look! The hour has come. The Son of Man is about to be handed over to sinners.

46Get up! Let us go! Here comes the one who is handing me over to them!”

Jesus Is Arrested 47While Jesus was still speaking, Judas arrived. He was one of the 12 disciples. A large crowd was with him. They were carrying swords and clubs. The chief priests and the elders of the people had sent them. 48Judas, who was going to hand Jesus over, had arranged a signal with them. “The one I kiss is the man,” he said. “Arrest him.”

49So Judas went to Jesus at once. He said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him.

50Jesus replied, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then the men stepped forward. They grabbed Jesus and arrested him.

51At that moment, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword. He pulled it out and struck the slave of the high priest with it. He cut off the slave’s ear. 52“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “All who use the sword will die by the sword. 53Do you think I can’t ask my Father for help? He would send an army of more than 70,000 angels right away.

54But then how would the Scriptures come true? They say it must happen in this way.” 55At that time Jesus spoke to the crowd. “Am I leading a band of armed men against you?” he asked. “Do you have to come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courtyard teaching. And you didn’t arrest me.

56But all this has happened so that the words of the prophets would come true.” Then all the disciples left him and ran away.

Jesus Is Taken to the Sanhedrin 57Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest. The teachers of the law and the elders had come together there.

58Not too far away, Peter followed Jesus. He went right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see what would happen. 59The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for something to use against Jesus. They wanted to put him to death.

60But they did not find any proof, even though many false witnesses came forward. Finally, two other witnesses came forward.

61They said, “This fellow claimed, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God. I can build it again in three days.’ ” 62Then the high priest stood up. He asked Jesus, “Aren’t you going to answer? What are these charges that these men are bringing against you?”

63But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, “I am commanding you in the name of the living God. May he judge you if you don’t tell the truth. Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

64“You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But here is what I say to all of you. From now on, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One. You will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65Then the high priest tore his clothes. He said, “He has spoken a very evil thing against God! Why do we need any more witnesses? You have heard him say this evil thing.

66What do you think?” “He must die!” they answered. 67Then they spit in his face. They hit him with their fists. Others slapped him.

68They said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah! Who hit you?”

Peter Says He Does Not Know Jesus 69Peter was sitting out in the courtyard. A female servant came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.

70But in front of all of them, Peter said he was not. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

71Then he went out to the gate leading into the courtyard. There another servant saw him. She said to the people, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

72Again he said he was not. With a curse he said, “I don’t know the man!”

73After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter. “You must be one of them,” they said. “The way you talk gives you away.”

74Then Peter began to curse and said to them, “I don’t know the man!” Right away a rooster crowed. 75Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said. “The rooster will crow,” Jesus had told him. “Before it does, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Peter went outside. He broke down and cried.