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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Matthew 26: FBV
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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
Matthew 26
26
The Plot to Kill Jesus
1When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2“As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man#26:2 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself. will be handed over to be crucified.”
3At that same time the leading priests and elders were meeting at the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest, 4plotting how to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. 5“But not during the Passover celebration,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
6Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. 7While he was eating,#26:7 Or reclining. a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head.
8The disciples were indignant when they saw this. “What a waste!” they said. 9“It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”
10But Jesus, aware of this, replied, “Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me? 11You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. 12She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial. 13I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
14Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests 15and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. 16From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
The Last Supper
17On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?”
18 “As you go into the city,” he told them, “you will see a certain man. Tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.’” 19So the disciples did as Jesus told them and prepared the Passover meal there.
20When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table#26:20 Or Jesus reclined. with the Twelve. 21While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”
22Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one, Lord?”
23He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. 24For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!”
25Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?”
And Jesus told him, “You have said it.”
26As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.”
27And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant#26:28 Some manuscripts read the new covenant. between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. 29Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”
30Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
31On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say,
‘God will strike # 26:31 Greek I will strike. Zech 13:7. the Shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
32 But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.”
33Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.”
34Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
35“No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
36Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” 37He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
40Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”
42Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away#26:42 Greek If this cannot pass. unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open.
44So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. 45Then he came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”
Jesus Is Betrayed and Arrested
47And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. 48The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.” 49So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.
50Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.”
Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear.
52 “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. 53Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands#26:53 Greek twelve legions. of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? 54But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?”
55Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. 56But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.
Jesus before the Council
57Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and the elders had gathered. 58Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest’s courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end.
59Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council#26:59 Greek the Sanhedrin. were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death. 60But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone’s testimony. Finally, two men came forward 61who declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
62Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” 63But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
64Jesus replied, “You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand#26:64a Greek seated at the right hand of the power. See Ps 110:1. and coming on the clouds of heaven.”#26:64b See Dan 7:13.
65Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. 66What is your verdict?”
“Guilty!” they shouted. “He deserves to die!”
67Then they began to spit in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him, 68jeering, “Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?”
Peter Denies Jesus
69Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.”
70But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
71Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.#26:71 Or Jesus the Nazarene.”
72Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said.
73A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.”
74Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed.
75Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly.
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