Matthew 26
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.’ (Zechariah 13:7)
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.
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Matthew 26: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Matthew 26
26
1After Jesus had said all this, he told his disciples, 2“You know that it's Passover in two days time, and the Son of man will be handed over to be crucified.”
3Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the courtyard of Caiaphas, the high priest. 4There they plotted to arrest Jesus on some deceitful pretext#26:4. Literally, “with guile.” and kill him. 5But they said, “Let's not do this during the festival so that the people don't riot.”
6While Jesus was staying at Simon the leper's house in Bethany, 7a woman came over to him carrying an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume. She poured it on Jesus' head while he was sitting eating.
8But when the disciples saw what she did, they were upset.“What a terrible waste!” they objected. 9“This perfume could've been sold for a lot of money and given to the poor!”
10Jesus was aware of what was going on and told them, “Why are you upset with this woman? She's done something wonderful for me! 11You'll always have the poor with you,#26:11. See Deuteronomy 15:11. but you won't always have me. 12By pouring this perfume on my body she's prepared me for burial. 13I tell you the truth: wherever in the world this good news is spread, the story of what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.”
14Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the chief priests 15and asked them, “How much will you pay me for betraying Jesus to you?” They paid him thirty silver coins. 16From then on he looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
17On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you to eat?”
18Jesus told them, “Go into the city and find this particular man, and tell him that the Teacher says, ‘My time is approaching. I'm coming to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” 19The disciples did as Jesus told them, and prepared the Passover meal there.
20When evening came he sat down to eat with the Twelve. 21While they were eating he told them, “I tell you the truth: one of you is going to betray me.”
22They were extremely upset. One after the other they asked him, “Lord, it's not me, is it?”
23“The one who's dipped his hand into the dish with me will betray me,” Jesus replied. 24“The Son of man will die just as it was prophesied about him, but what a disaster it will be for the man who betrays the Son of man! It would be better for that man if he'd never been born!”
25Judas, the one who would betray Jesus, asked, “It's not me, is it, Rabbi?”
“You said it,” Jesus replied.
26While they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave pieces to the disciples. “Take and eat this for it is my body,” said Jesus. 27Then he picked up the cup, blessed it, and gave it to them. “Drink from it, all of you,” he told them. 28“For this is my blood of the agreement,#26:28 Or “covenant.” poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29However, I tell you, I won't drink this fruit of the vine until the day I drink it new with you in the kingdom of my Father.” 30After they'd sung a song, they left for the Mount of Olives.
31“All of you will abandon me tonight,” Jesus told them. “As Scripture says, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the flock of sheep will be completely scattered.’#26:31. Quoting Zechariah 13:7. 32But after I have risen, I'll go ahead of you to Galilee.”
33But Peter objected, “Even if everyone else abandons you, I'll never abandon you.”
34“I'm telling you the truth,” Jesus told him, “This very night, before the cock crows, you'll deny me three times.”
35“Even if I have to die with you, I'll never deny you!” Peter insisted. And all the disciples said the same thing.
36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. He told them, “Sit down here while I go over there and pray.” 37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him, and he began to suffer agonizing sorrow and distress. 38Then he said to them, “I am so overwhelmed with sadness that it's killing me. Wait here and keep watch with me.” 39He went a little farther forward, fell facedown, and prayed.
“My Father, please, if it's possible, let this cup of suffering be taken from me,” Jesus asked. “Even so, may it not be what I want but what you want.”
40He went back to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “What, you couldn't stay awake with me for just one hour? 41Stay awake and pray, so that you don't fall into temptation. Yes, the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” 42He went away a second time and prayed.
“My Father, if this cup cannot be taken from me without me drinking from it, then your will be done,” he said. 43He went back and found them sleeping, for they just couldn't stay awake.#26:43. Literally, “their eyes were weighed down.” 44So he left them once more, and went off and prayed a third time, repeating the same things. 45Then he returned to the disciples, and told them, “How can you still be sleeping and resting? Look, the time has come. The Son of man is about to be betrayed into the hands of sinners! 46Get up, let's go! Look, the one who's betraying me has arrived.”
47As he said this, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived with a large mob armed with swords and clubs sent by the chief priests and elders of the people. 48The betrayer had arranged to give them a signal: “The one that I kiss, that's him—arrest him,” he'd told them.
49Judas came up to Jesus immediately, and said, “Hello, Rabbi,” and kissed him.
50“My friend, do what you came to do,”#26:50. Or, “What are you doing here?” Jesus said to Judas. So they came and grabbed hold of Jesus, and arrested him.
51One of those who was with Jesus reached for his sword and pulled it out. He struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his ear. 52But Jesus told him, “Put your sword away. Everyone who fights with the sword will die by the sword. 53Don't you think I could ask my Father, and he'd immediately send more than twelve legions of angels? 54But then how could the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must be like this?”
55Then Jesus told the mob, “Have you come with swords and clubs to arrest me as if I was some kind of dangerous criminal? Every day I sat in the Temple teaching and you didn't arrest me then. 56But all this is happening to fulfill what the prophets wrote.” Then all the disciples abandoned him and ran away.
57Those who'd arrested Jesus took him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the religious teachers and elders had gathered. 58Peter followed him at a distance, and went into the high priest's courtyard. He sat there with the guards to see how things would end.
59The chief priests and the whole council were trying to find some false evidence against Jesus so they could put him to death. 60But they couldn't find anything, even though many false witnesses came forward. Eventually two came forward 61and reported, “This man said, ‘I can destroy God's Temple, and rebuild it in three days.’”
62The high priest stood up and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What do you have to say in your defense?” 63But Jesus remained silent.
The high priest said to Jesus, “In the name of the living God I place you under oath. Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
64“You said it,” Jesus replied. “And I also tell you that in the future you'll see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of the Almighty, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”#26:64. See Psalms 110:1 and Daniel 7:13.
65Then the high priest tore his clothes, and said, “He's speaking blasphemy! Why do we need any witnesses? Look, now you've heard for yourselves his blasphemy! 66What's your verdict?”
“Guilty! He deserves to die!” they answered. 67Then they spat in his face and beat him. Some of them slapped him with their hands, 68and said, “Prophesy to us, you ‘Messiah’! Who just hit you?”
69Meanwhile Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came up to him, and said, “You, you were with Jesus the Galilean!” 70But he denied it in front of everyone. “I don't know what you're talking about,” he said.
71When he went back to the courtyard entrance another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72Once again he denied it, saying with an oath, “I don't know him.” 73A little while later the people standing there came up to Peter and said, “You definitely are one of them. Your accent gives you away.” 74Then he started to swear: “Curses on me if I'm a liar!#26:74. Or “he called down curses on himself.” I don't know the man!” Immediately the cock crowed.
75Then Peter remembered what Jesus had told him: “Before the cock crows, three times you will deny knowing me.” He went outside and wept bitterly.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com