Matthew 26
26
The Plot to Kill Jesus
1Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, 2#Matt. 27:35; Mark 14:1, 2; Luke 22:1, 2; John 13:1; 19:18“You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
3#Ps. 2:2; John 11:47; Acts 4:25Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4and #John 11:47; Acts 4:25–28plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. 5But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the #Matt. 21:26people.”
The Anointing at Bethany
6And when Jesus was in #Matt. 8:2; Mark 14:3–9; Luke 7:37–39; John 11:1, 2; 12:1–8Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. 8#John 12:4But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”
10But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. 11#(Deut. 15:11; Mark 14:7); John 12:8For you have the poor with you always, but #(Matt. 18:20; 28:20; John 13:33; 14:19; 16:5, 28; 17:11)Me you do not have always. 12For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My #Matt. 27:60; Luke 23:53; John 19:38–42burial. 13Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
14#Mark 14:10, 11; Luke 22:3–6; John 13:2, 30Then one of the twelve, called #Matt. 10:4Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15and said, #Ex. 21:32; Zech. 11:12; Matt. 27:3“What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. 16So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.
Jesus Celebrates Passover with His Disciples
17#Ex. 12:6, 18–20Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”
18And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, #Luke 9:51; John 12:23; 13:1; 17:1“My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.” ’ ”
19So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.
20#Mark 14:17–21; Luke 22:14; John 13:21When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. 21Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will #Matt. 26:46; Mark 14:42; Luke 22:21–23; John 6:70, 71; 13:21betray Me.”
22And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?”
23He answered and said, #Ps. 41:9; Luke 22:21; John 13:18“He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. 24The Son of Man indeed goes just #Ps. 22; Dan. 9:26; Mark 9:12; Luke 24:25, 26, 46; Acts 17:2, 3; 26:22, 23; 1 Cor. 15:3as it is written of Him, but #Matt. 27:3–5; Luke 17:1; Acts 1:16–20woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! #John 17:12; Acts 1:25It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”
25Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?”
He said to him, “You have said it.”
Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper
26#Mark 14:22–25; Luke 22:17–20And as they were eating, #1 Cor. 11:23–25Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; #(1 Pet. 2:24)this is My body.”
27Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, #Mark 14:23“Drink from it, all of you. 28For #(Ex. 24:8; Lev. 17:11; Heb. 9:20)this is My blood #Jer. 31:31of the new covenant, which is shed #Matt. 20:28; (Rom. 5:15; Heb. 9:22)for many for the remission of sins. 29But #Mark 14:25; Luke 22:18I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on #Acts 10:41until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
30#Mark 14:26–31; Luke 22:31–34And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
31Then Jesus said to them, #Matt. 26:56; Mark 14:27; John 16:32“All of you will #(Matt. 11:6)be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:
#Zech. 13:7‘I will strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
32But after I have been raised, #Matt. 28:7, 10, 16; Mark 14:28; 16:7; John 21:1I will go before you to Galilee.”
33Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.”
34Jesus said to him, #Matt. 26:74, 75; Mark 14:30; Luke 22:34; John 13:38“Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
35Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”
And so said all the disciples.
The Prayer in the Garden
36#Mark 14:32–35; Luke 22:39, 40; John 18:1Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” 37And He took with Him Peter and #Matt. 4:21; 17:1; Mark 5:37the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38Then He said to them, #John 12:27“My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”
39He went a little farther and fell on His face, and #Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42; (Heb. 5:7–9)prayed, saying, #John 12:27“O My Father, if it is possible, #Matt. 20:22let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, #Ps. 40:8; Is. 50:5; John 5:30; 6:38; Phil. 2:8not as I will, but as You will.”
40Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41#Mark 13:33; 14:38; Luke 22:40, 46; (Eph. 6:18)Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. #Ps. 103:14–16; (Rom. 7:15; 8:23; Gal. 5:17)The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.
44So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being #Matt. 17:22, 23; 20:18, 19betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”
Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane
47And #Mark 14:43–50; Luke 22:47–53; John 18:3–11; Acts 1:16while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.
48Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” 49Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” #2 Sam. 20:9; (Prov. 27:6)and kissed Him.
50But Jesus said to him, #Ps. 41:9; 55:13“Friend, why have you come?”
Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. 51And suddenly, #Mark 14:47; Luke 22:50; John 18:10one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.
52But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, #Gen. 9:6; Rev. 13:10for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with #2 Kin. 6:17; Dan. 7:10more than twelve legions of angels? 54How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, #Is. 50:6; 53:2–11; Luke 24:25–27, 44–46; John 19:28; Acts 13:29; 17:3; 26:23that it must happen thus?”
55In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. 56But all this was done that the #Lam. 4:20Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.”
Then #Zech. 13:7; Matt. 26:31; Mark 14:27; John 18:15all the disciples forsook Him and fled.
Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin
57#Matt. 17:22; Mark 14:53–65; Luke 22:54; John 18:12, 19–24And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58But #John 18:15, 16Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.
59Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought #Ex. 20:16; Ps. 35:11false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, 60but found none. Even though #Ps. 27:12; 35:11; Mark 14:55; Acts 6:13many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last #Deut. 19:15two false witnesses came forward 61and said, “This fellow said, #Matt. 27:40; Mark 14:58; 15:29; John 2:19; Acts 6:14‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ”
62#Mark 14:60And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” 63But #Ps. 38:13, 14; Is. 53:7; Matt. 27:12, 14; Acts 8:32Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, #Lev. 5:1; 1 Sam. 14:24, 26; Luke 22:67–71“I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!”
64Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, #Dan. 7:13; Matt. 16:27; 24:30; 25:31; Luke 21:27; (John 1:51; Rom. 14:10; 1 Thess. 4:16); Rev. 1:7hereafter you will see the Son of Man #Ps. 110:1; (Acts 7:55)sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65#2 Kin. 18:37Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His #John 10:30–36blasphemy! 66What do you think?”
They answered and said, #Lev. 24:16; Matt. 20:18; John 19:7“He is deserving of death.”
67#Job 16:10; Is. 50:6; 53:3; Lam. 3:30; Matt. 27:30Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and #Mic. 5:1; Luke 22:63–65; John 19:3others struck Him with the palms of their hands, 68saying, #Mark 14:65; Luke 22:64“Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?”
Peter Denies Jesus, and Weeps Bitterly
69#Mark 14:66–72; Luke 22:55–62; John 18:16–18, 25–27Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”
70But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”
71And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”
73And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your #Mark 14:70; Luke 22:59; John 18:26speech betrays you.”
74Then #Matt. 26:34; Mark 14:71; Luke 22:34; John 13:38he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!”
Immediately a rooster crowed. 75And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, #Matt. 26:34; Luke 22:61; John 13:38“Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.
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Matthew 26: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Matthew 26
26
Anointed for Burial
1-2When Jesus finished saying these things, he told his disciples, “You know that Passover comes in two days. That’s when the Son of Man will be betrayed and handed over for crucifixion.”
3-5At that very moment, the party of high priests and religious leaders was meeting in the chambers of the Chief Priest named Caiaphas, conspiring to seize Jesus by stealth and kill him. They agreed that it should not be done during Passover Week. “We don’t want a riot on our hands,” they said.
6-9When Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper, a woman came up to him as he was eating dinner and anointed him with a bottle of very expensive perfume. When the disciples saw what was happening, they were furious. “That’s criminal! This could have been sold for a lot and the money handed out to the poor.”
10-13When Jesus realized what was going on, he intervened. “Why are you giving this woman a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me. You will have the poor with you every day for the rest of your lives, but not me. When she poured this perfume on my body, what she really did was anoint me for burial. You can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she has just done is going to be remembered and admired.”
14-16That is when one of the Twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the cabal of high priests and said, “What will you give me if I hand him over to you?” They settled on thirty silver pieces. He began looking for just the right moment to hand him over.
The Traitor
17On the first of the Days of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to prepare your Passover meal?”
18-19He said, “Enter the city. Go up to a certain man and say, ‘The Teacher says, My time is near. I and my disciples plan to celebrate the Passover meal at your house.’” The disciples followed Jesus’ instructions to the letter, and prepared the Passover meal.
20-21After sunset, he and the Twelve were sitting around the table. During the meal, he said, “I have something hard but important to say to you: One of you is going to hand me over to the conspirators.”
22They were stunned, and then began to ask, one after another, “It isn’t me, is it, Master?”
23-24Jesus answered, “The one who hands me over is someone I eat with daily, one who passes me food at the table. In one sense the Son of Man is entering into a way of treachery well-marked by the Scriptures—no surprises here. In another sense that man who turns him in, turns traitor to the Son of Man—better never to have been born than do this!”
25Then Judas, already turned traitor, said, “It isn’t me, is it, Rabbi?”
Jesus said, “Don’t play games with me, Judas.”
The Bread and the Cup
26-29During the meal, Jesus took and blessed the bread, broke it, and gave it to his disciples:
Take, eat.
This is my body.
Taking the cup and thanking God, he gave it to them:
Drink this, all of you.
This is my blood,
God’s new covenant poured out for many people
for the forgiveness of sins.
“I’ll not be drinking wine from this cup again until that new day when I’ll drink with you in the kingdom of my Father.”
30They sang a hymn and went directly to Mount Olives.
Gethsemane
31-32Then Jesus told them, “Before the night’s over, you’re going to fall to pieces because of what happens to me. There is a Scripture that says,
I’ll strike the shepherd;
dazed and confused, the sheep will be scattered.
But after I am raised up, I, your Shepherd, will go ahead of you, leading the way to Galilee.”
33Peter broke in, “Even if everyone else falls to pieces on account of you, I won’t.”
34“Don’t be so sure,” Jesus said. “This very night, before the rooster crows up the dawn, you will deny me three times.”
35Peter protested, “Even if I had to die with you, I would never deny you.” All the others said the same thing.
36-38Then Jesus went with them to a garden called Gethsemane and told his disciples, “Stay here while I go over there and pray.” Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he plunged into an agonizing sorrow. Then he said, “This sorrow is crushing my life out. Stay here and keep vigil with me.”
39Going a little ahead, he fell on his face, praying, “My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. You, what do you want?”
40-41When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, “Can’t you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don’t wander into temptation without even knowing you’re in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there’s another part that’s as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.”
42He then left them a second time. Again he prayed, “My Father, if there is no other way than this, drinking this cup to the dregs, I’m ready. Do it your way.”
43-44When he came back, he again found them sound asleep. They simply couldn’t keep their eyes open. This time he let them sleep on, and went back a third time to pray, going over the same ground one last time.
45-46When he came back the next time, he said, “Are you going to sleep on and make a night of it? My time is up, the Son of Man is about to be handed over to the hands of sinners. Get up! Let’s get going! My betrayer is here.”
With Swords and Clubs
47-49The words were barely out of his mouth when Judas (the one from the Twelve) showed up, and with him a gang from the high priests and religious leaders brandishing swords and clubs. The betrayer had worked out a sign with them: “The one I kiss, that’s the one—seize him.” He went straight to Jesus, greeted him, “How are you, Rabbi?” and kissed him.
50-51Jesus said, “Friend, why this charade?”
Then they came on him—grabbed him and roughed him up. One of those with Jesus pulled his sword and, taking a swing at the Chief Priest’s servant, cut off his ear.
52-54Jesus said, “Put your sword back where it belongs. All who use swords are destroyed by swords. Don’t you realize that I am able right now to call to my Father, and twelve companies—more, if I want them—of fighting angels would be here, battle-ready? But if I did that, how would the Scriptures come true that say this is the way it has to be?”
55-56Then Jesus addressed the mob: “What is this—coming out after me with swords and clubs as if I were a dangerous criminal? Day after day I have been sitting in the Temple teaching, and you never so much as lifted a hand against me. You’ve done it this way to confirm and fulfill the prophetic writings.”
Then all the disciples cut and ran.
False Charges
57-58The gang that had seized Jesus led him before Caiaphas the Chief Priest, where the religion scholars and leaders had assembled. Peter followed at a safe distance until they got to the Chief Priest’s courtyard. Then he slipped in and mingled with the servants, watching to see how things would turn out.
59-60a The high priests, conspiring with the Jewish Council, tried to cook up charges against Jesus in order to sentence him to death. But even though many stepped up, making up one false accusation after another, nothing was believable.
60b-61 Finally two men came forward with this: “He said, ‘I can tear down this Temple of God and after three days rebuild it.’”
62The Chief Priest stood up and said, “What do you have to say to the accusation?”
63Jesus kept silent.
Then the Chief Priest said, “I command you by the authority of the living God to say if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
64Jesus was curt: “You yourself said it. And that’s not all. Soon you’ll see it for yourself:
The Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Mighty One,
Arriving on the clouds of heaven.”
65-66At that, the Chief Priest lost his temper, ripping his robes, yelling, “He blasphemed! Why do we need witnesses to accuse him? You all heard him blaspheme! Are you going to stand for such blasphemy?”
They all said, “Death! That seals his death sentence.”
67-68Then they were spitting in his face and knocking him around. They jeered as they slapped him: “Prophesy, Messiah: Who hit you that time?”
Denial in the Courtyard
69All this time, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard. One servant girl came up to him and said, “You were with Jesus the Galilean.”
70In front of everybody there, he denied it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
71As he moved over toward the gate, someone else said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.”
72Again he denied it, salting his denial with an oath: “I swear, I never laid eyes on the man.”
73Shortly after that, some bystanders approached Peter. “You’ve got to be one of them. Your accent gives you away.”
74-75Then he got really nervous and swore. “I don’t know the man!”
Just then a rooster crowed. Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” He went out and cried and cried and cried.
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.