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Jesus had finished saying all these things, He said to His disciples, 2 “You know that the Passover takes place in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4 and they plotted to arrest Jesus by devious means and kill Him. 5 “Yet not during the Feast, they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”
6 When Jesus was at Bethany in the house of a man known as Simon the leper, 7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very expensive fragrant oil. She poured it on His head as He was reclining at the table.
8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant and said, “Why this waste? 9 This fragrant oil could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”
10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to Me. 11 For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have Me. 12 In pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she has done it to prepare Me for burial. 13 I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will be told in memory of her.”
14 Then one of the Twelve—the man called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16 So from that time on he sought an opportunity to betray Him.
17 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?”
18 He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover with My disciples at your house” ’.” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
20 When evening came, He took His place at the table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, He said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray Me.”
22 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to Him one after the other, “Surely not I, Rabbi?”
23 Jesus replied, “The one who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl will betray Me. 24 The Son of Man will go, as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”
25 Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered, “Surely not I, Rabbi?”
“You have said it,” Jesus told him.
26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it, and He gave it to the disciples and said, “Take and eat; this is My body.”
27 Then He took a cup, and after He had given thanks, He gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you, I will not again 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 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all be made to fall away because of Me this night; for it is written:
‘I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered’.
32 But after I have been raised up, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”
33 Peter answered Him, “Even if they all fall away because of You, I will never fall away.”
34 “I tell you the truth, Jesus said to him, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
35 Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And all the disciples said the same.
36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow, even to death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.”
39 Going a little further, He fell with His face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”
40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He asked Peter, “Could you not keep watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, so you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 Again He went away from the second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Thy will be done.”
43 Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So He left them, and went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words.
45 Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up; let us be going! See, here is My betrayer.”
47 While He was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48 The betrayer had given them a signal: “The One I kiss is the man; arrest Him.” 49 Going at once to Jesus, he said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
50 Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come here?”
Then they came up, told hold of Jesus, and arrested Him. 51 At that moment one of those with Jesus reached for his sword, drew it out, and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
52 Then Jesus told him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take up the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Do you think that I cannot now appeal to My Father, and He will at once send Me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”
55 At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as though I was criminal, to arrest Me? Day after day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest Me. 56 But all this has taken place, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled.
57 Those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had assembled. 58 But Peter followed Him at a distance, right to the courtyard of the high priest. He went in and sat with the guards to see the outcome.
59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they could put Him to death. 60 But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.
Finally two false witnesses came forward 61 and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days’.”
62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Won’t You give an answer? What is it that these men testify against You?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to Him, “I charge You under oath before the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God!”
64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, you have now heard His blasphemy. 66 What do you think?”
They answered, “He deserves death.” 67 Then they spat in His face and beat Him. Others slapped Him, 68 and said, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that hit you?”
69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came to him and said, “You were also with Jesus of Galilee.”
70 But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Peter said.
71 When he went out to the porch, another servant-girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72 But again he denied it with an oath. “I do not know the man!” he said.
73 After a little while, those standing there came up and said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for your accent betrays you.”
74 Then he started to curse and to swear with an oath, “I do not know the man!”
Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.