Matthew 26
26
Chapter 26
Those who are against Jesus want to take hold of him
1When Jesus finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2‘You know that after two days it will be the time of the Passover festival. Then those people who are against me will put me into the power of the rulers. They will fix me, the Son of Man, to a cross to kill me.’ #26:2 We can read about the first Passover meal in Exodus 12.
3Then the leaders of the priests and the important Jews met together in the house of the most important priest. His name was Caiaphas. 4They wanted to kill Jesus. But they wanted to take hold of him secretly. So they tried to decide how they could do that. 5They said to each other, ‘We do not want to take hold of him during the Passover festival. If we do that, the people will be angry and they may fight against us.’
A woman pours beautiful oil on Jesus' head
6Then Jesus went to Bethany and he visited Simon at his house. At one time, Simon had had a bad disease of the skin. #26:6 We believe that Jesus had caused Simon to become well again. Now Simon could live in his home in Bethany again.
7While Jesus was eating a meal there, a woman came into the house. She brought a small stone jar with her. The jar contained expensive oil with a very nice smell. #26:7 The oil was called nard and people made it from a plant. The plant grows in the country called India. People kept the oil in a special stone jar. The woman had to break the jar to pour out the oil. She poured the oil over Jesus' head while he sat there.
8Jesus' disciples saw what the woman had done. They became angry and they said, ‘This woman should not have wasted the oil. 9She could have sold it for a lot of money. Then she could have given the money to poor people.’
10Jesus knew what his disciples were saying. So he said to them, ‘Do not cause trouble for her. She has done a good thing to me. 11You will always have poor people with you. But you will not always have me with you. 12She has poured oil over my body. So now I will be ready for people to bury me. 13I tell you this: Everywhere in the world people will speak about this good news. At the same time, they will also tell people about the good thing that this woman has done. And so people will remember her.’
Judas Iscariot promises to sell Jesus for money
14Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus' 12 apostles. He went to see the leaders of the priests 15and he asked them, ‘How much money will you give me if I help you to take hold of Jesus?’ The priests gave Judas 30 silver coins. 16Judas then waited for the right moment to help them to take hold of Jesus.
Jesus eats his last meal with his 12 disciples
17The first day of the festival when the Jews eat flat bread arrived. #26:17 Flat bread is bread that has no yeast in it. Jesus' disciples came to him and they asked him, ‘Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you to eat?’
18Jesus replied, ‘Go to a certain man in the city and say to him, “The teacher says: This is the moment that God has prepared for me. I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples in your house.” ’ 19So Jesus' disciples did what he had told them to do. They went and they prepared the Passover meal.
20When it was evening, Jesus and the 12 apostles sat down to eat the Passover meal together. 21While they were eating, Jesus said, ‘I tell you this: One of you will help the Jewish leaders to take hold of me.’
22They were very sad about what Jesus had said. Each one of them said to Jesus, ‘Lord, surely you do not mean me, do you?’
23Jesus said to them ‘The man who will give me to the rulers is eating from the same dish as I am. #26:23 There was a dish on the table with wet food in it. They all put the end of their bread into this dish and they ate the wet food with the bread. Sometimes a person ate out of the same dish as someone else. This meant that they were good friends. 24The Son of Man must die in the way that the Bible says. But it will be very bad for the man who gives me to my enemies. It would be better for that man if he had not been born.’
25Judas was the one who would give Jesus to the Jewish leaders. But he said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, surely you do not mean me, do you?’ Jesus replied to him, ‘Yes, you have said it.’
26While Jesus and his disciples were eating, he took a loaf of bread. He thanked God for it and then he broke the bread into pieces. He gave some of it to each of them. He said, ‘Take this bread and eat it. This is my body.’
27Then Jesus took a cup. He thanked God for the wine in the cup. Then he gave it to them and he said, ‘All of you should drink some of this wine. 28This is my blood that shows God's promise. When I die, my blood will pour out of my body. In that way God will forgive many people for the wrong things that they have done. That is the promise that God makes because of my death. 29I tell you this. I will not drink wine again until I drink it with you in my Father's kingdom. Then it will be new wine.’ #26:29 Most Christians still meet for special meals to remember what Jesus did for them. They obey Jesus. They eat bread and drink wine together. And they think about when Jesus died for them.
30Then Jesus and his disciples sang a song to praise God. #26:30 People sang a special song about God at the end of a Passover meal. It helped them to remember all that God had done for them. Then they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus tells Peter what will happen
31Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Tonight, all of you will turn away from me. It will happen in the way that the Bible says:
God says, “I will kill the shepherd who leads the sheep.
Then all the sheep will run away in different directions.” ’ #26:31 See Zechariah 13:7
32Jesus then said, ‘But after that happens, I will become alive again. Then I will go to Galilee, and you will meet me there.’
33Peter said to Jesus, ‘Even if everyone else runs away, I will not leave you.’
34Jesus replied to Peter, ‘I tell you this: Even tonight, you will say three times that you do not know me. This will happen before the cockerel sings early tomorrow morning.’
35But Peter said to Jesus, ‘I will die with you if I need to. But I will never say that I do not know you.’ All the other disciples said the same thing.
Jesus prays in a garden on the Mount of Olives
36Then Jesus and his disciples arrived at a large garden called Gethsemane. Jesus said to the disciples, ‘Sit here while I go over there to pray.’ 37Then Jesus took Peter and Zebedee's two sons, James and John, with him. He became very sad and upset. 38He said to them, ‘I am very sad. I feel as if I could die because I feel so sad. Wait here with me and stay awake.’
39Jesus went a short way beyond them. He went down with his face on the ground. He prayed, ‘Father, if it is possible, please save me from this time of great pain. But Father, I do not ask you to do what I want. Do what you want to do.’
40Jesus returned to the three disciples. Now they were sleeping. He said to Peter, ‘You men could not stay awake with me for even one hour! 41You must stay awake and pray. God can help you, so that you will not do something wrong. You really want to do the right thing, but your bodies are weak.’
42Jesus went away a second time and he prayed, ‘My Father, if it is not possible to save me from this time of great pain, then I want to obey you. Do what you want for me.’
43Then Jesus returned again to Peter, James and John. He saw that they were sleeping. They could not keep their eyes open. 44So Jesus went away from them again and he prayed a third time. He said the same words to God.
45When he returned to the disciples, he said, ‘You should not still be sleeping and resting. Look! The moment has arrived! Someone will now give me, the Son of Man, to my enemies. 46Stand up, we will go now. Look! The man who will give me to my enemies is here.’
The soldiers take hold of Jesus
47While Jesus was still speaking, Judas arrived. He was one of Jesus' 12 disciples. A crowd also came with him. They were carrying swords and heavy sticks. The leaders of the priests and the important Jews had sent these people with Judas. 48Judas was ready to help the Jewish leaders to take hold of Jesus. Before this, he had told them, ‘I will kiss one of the men. You must take hold of that man.’
49Now Judas went immediately to Jesus. He said, ‘Hello, Teacher.’ Then he kissed Jesus in a friendly way. #26:49 We think that Judas kissed Jesus on the side of his face.
50Jesus said to Judas, ‘My friend, now do what you have come here to do.’
Then the crowd of men came up to Jesus. They took hold of him to lead him away. 51Then one of Jesus' disciples took hold of his sword. He hit the servant of the leader of the priests with it and he cut off the servant's ear.
52Then Jesus said to the disciple, ‘Put your sword back in its place. People who use a sword to kill others will themselves die in the same way. Someone will kill them with a sword. 53You should know that I could ask my Father God to help me. He would immediately send more than 12 large groups of angels to fight for me. 54They would save me. But then the things that God has said in the Bible about this would not happen. So it must happen in this way.’
55At that time, Jesus said to the crowd, ‘You have come out here with swords and heavy sticks to take hold of me. Do you really believe that I am leading people to fight against our country's rulers? No! I was teaching people every day in the yard of the temple. But you did not try to take hold of me then. 56The prophets wrote long ago that all this would happen to me. Now it has become true.’
Then all of Jesus' disciples ran away and left him.
Jesus stands in front of all the important rulers
57Then those men who had taken hold of Jesus took him to Caiaphas's house. Caiaphas was the most important priest. The teachers of God's Law and the important Jews were meeting there together with Caiaphas. #26:57 Caiaphas was the leader of the important Jewish rulers. There were 71 of them. They met together to decide about how to rule the people. They also decided how to punish a bad person. They had a lot of power, but they could not kill a bad person. Only the Roman rulers could do that.
58Peter followed Jesus into the yard of Caiaphas' house. But he did not go near Jesus. He sat down in the yard with the police who worked in the temple. He wanted to see what would happen.
59The leaders of the priests and all the Jewish leaders wanted to punish Jesus with death. So they tried to find some people who would say things against Jesus that were not true. 60Many people did come. And they said things against Jesus that were not true. But still the Jewish leaders could not find a reason to kill Jesus. #26:60 The Jewish leaders wanted a reason to give Jesus over to the Roman rulers. But Jesus had never said anything wrong.
Then two men stood up and they said, 61‘We heard this man say, “I can destroy the temple and in three days I can build it again.” ’
62Then Caiaphas stood up. He said to Jesus, ‘You must reply now to what these men have said against you. Are the things that they say true?’ 63But Jesus did not say anything.
So Caiaphas said to him, ‘I use the authority of the God who lives. You must promise to tell us what is true. Are you the Messiah? Are you the Son of God?’
64‘You have said it,’ Jesus replied. ‘And I tell all of you, soon you will see the Son of Man. He will be sitting in the most important place at the right side of the Most Powerful God. You will also see him coming to earth. He will be riding on the clouds in the sky.’
65Then Caiaphas tore his clothes to show that he was angry. #26:65 Caiaphas tore his coat to show other people that he was very angry. He said, ‘Jesus has spoken bad words against God. We do not need anyone else to speak against him. You have heard him speak bad words against God. 66Do you think that he is guilty?’
They replied, ‘He is guilty and he deserves to die.’
67Then some of them spat into Jesus' face. They also hit him with their fists. 68When they hit him, they said, ‘Messiah! Show us that you are a prophet. Tell us who hit you!’
Peter says three times that he does not know Jesus
69While all these things were happening, Peter was sitting outside in the yard. One of the girls who worked there went to him and she said, ‘You were also a friend of Jesus, the man from Galilee.’
70Peter said in front of everyone who was there, ‘That is not true. I do not know what you are talking about.’
71Peter then went out to the gate, and another servant girl saw him. This girl said to the people who were standing there, ‘This man was a friend of Jesus, the man from Nazareth.’
72Peter answered again very strongly. He said, ‘I promise you, I really do not know that man!’
73After a little time, other people who were standing at the gate spoke to Peter. They said, ‘We are sure that you too are one of that man's friends. We know this because you speak like people who live in Galilee.’
74Peter said to them very strongly, ‘I tell you that I do not know that man. God will surely punish me if this is not true!’
Immediately after Peter said this, the cockerel sang. 75Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, ‘Tonight you will say three times that you do not know me. You will do it before the cockerel sings.’ So Peter went out of the yard. He began to weep a lot because he was very upset.
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Matthew 26: EASY
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Matthew 26
26
The Plot to Kill Jesus
Mk 14:1–2; Lk 22:1–2; Jn 11:45–53
1When Jesus had finished all these sayings, He said to His disciples, 2#Mk 14:1–2; Lk 22:1–2“You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to be crucified.”
3#Jn 18:24; Mt 26:57–58Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4and took counsel that they might take Jesus covertly and kill Him. 5#Mt 27:24But they said, “Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.”
The Anointing at Bethany
Mk 14:3–9; Jn 12:1–8
6#Mt 21:17When Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, 7a woman came to Him having an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment and poured it on His head as He sat at supper.
8When His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “For what purpose is this waste? 9This ointment might have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.”
10When Jesus perceived it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has done a good work for Me. 11#Dt 15:11; Mk 14:7For you have the poor always with you, but you do not always have Me. 12In pouring this ointment on My body, she did it for My burial. 13#Mt 24:14; Mk 14:9Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will be told in memory of her.”
Judas’ Agreement to Betray Jesus
Mk 14:10–11; Lk 22:3–6
14#Mt 10:4; Lk 22:3–6Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15#Ex 21:32and said to them, “What will you give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16From that moment he searched for an opportunity to betray Him.
The Passover With the Disciples
Mk 14:12–21; Lk 22:7–14, 21–23; Jn 13:21–30
17#Ex 12:18–20; 12:6On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will You have us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”
18#Jn 7:6; 7:30He said, “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 at your house with My disciples.’ ” 19The disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
20#Mk 14:17–21; Jn 13:21When evening came, He sat down with the twelve. 21#Jn 13:21; 6:70–71And as they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”
22They were very sorrowful, and each of them began saying to Him, “Lord, is it I?”
23#Jn 13:18; Ps 41:9He answered and said, “He who has dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. 24#Mk 9:12; Lk 24:46The Son of Man goes as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”
25#Mt 26:64; 27:11Then Judas, who betrayed Him, answered, “Master, is it I?”
He said to him, “You have said it.”
The Lord’s Supper
Mk 14:22–26; Lk 22:15–20; 1Co 11:23–25
26#Mt 14:19As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take and eat. This is My body.”
27Then He took the cup, and after He gave thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you. 28#Mt 20:28; Ex 24:7–8For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29#Mt 13:43; Mk 14:25I say to you, I will not 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#Mt 21:1; Lk 22:39And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Peter’s Denial Foretold
Mk 14:27–31; Lk 22:31–34; Jn 13:36–38
31#Zec 13:7; Jn 16:32Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will fall away on account of Me this night, for it is written:
‘I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.’#Zec 13:7.
32#Mt 28:10; 28:16But after I have risen, I will go before you to Galilee.”
33#Lk 22:33Peter answered, “Though all men will fall away on account of You, yet I will never fall away.”
34#Jn 13:38; Mt 26:75Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you, this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
35#Jn 13:37Peter said to Him, “Though I should die with You, yet I will not deny You.” And all the disciples spoke in this manner.
The Prayer in Gethsemane
Mk 14:32–42; Lk 22:39–46
36#Mt 26:39; 26:42Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray close by.” 37#Mt 4:21; 17:1He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38#Jn 12:27Then He said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Wait here, and keep watch with Me.”
39#Mt 20:22; 26:42He went a little farther, and falling on His face, He prayed, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
40Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, could you not keep watch with Me one hour? 41#Mt 6:13; Mk 14:38Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42#Mt 26:39He went away a second time and prayed, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”
43#Lk 9:32Again, He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44#2Co 12:8So leaving them again, He went away and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
45#Jn 13:1; Lk 22:53Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Sleep on now, and take your rest. Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Rise, let us be going. Look, he who betrays Me is at hand.”
The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
Mk 14:43–50; Lk 22:47–53; Jn 18:3–12
47#Mt 26:55; Ac 1:16While He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came. And with him was a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48Now he who betrayed Him had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I shall kiss is the Man. Seize Him.” 49#Mt 26:25He immediately came to Jesus and said, “Hail, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
50#Mt 20:13; 22:12And Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?”
Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. 51#Mk 14:47Immediately, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.
52#Ge 9:6; Rev 13:10Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back in its place. For all those who take up the sword will perish by the sword. 53#Mt 4:11; 2Ki 6:17; Da 7:10Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will at once give Me more than twelve legions of angels? 54#Mt 26:24But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”
55#Mk 12:35; Jn 8:2At that same moment Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a thief to take Me with swords and clubs? Daily I sat with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me. 56#Mt 26:31; 26:54But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.
Jesus Before the Sanhedrin
Mk 14:53–65; Lk 22:54–55, 63–71; Jn 18:13–14, 19–24
57#Mt 26:3Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had assembled. 58#Jn 7:32But Peter followed Him from afar to the high priest’s courtyard and went in, and sat with the servants to see the end.
59The chief priests and the elders and the entire Sanhedrin searched for false witness against Jesus to put Him to death, 60#Dt 19:15; Ps 27:12but they found none. Yes, though many false witnesses came forward, they found none.
At last two false witnesses came forward 61#Mt 27:40; Isa 49:7and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ”
62Then the high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” 63#Lev 5:1; Mt 16:16But Jesus remained silent.
The high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
64#Ps 110:1; Da 7:13Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65#Mt 9:3; Jn 10:36Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further need do we have for witnesses? See, now you have heard His blasphemy. 66#Jn 19:7What do you think?”
They answered, “He is guilty unto death.”
67#Isa 50:6; Mt 27:30Then they spat in His face and struck Him. And others slapped Him with the palms of their hands, 68#Mk 14:65; Lk 22:63–65saying, “Prophesy to us, You Christ! Who is it that struck You?”
Peter’s Denial of Jesus
Mk 14:66–72; Lk 22:56–62; Jn 18:15–18, 25–27
69#Mt 26:71Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a 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.”
71Then when he went out onto the porch, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was also with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72Again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man.”
73#Jdg 12:6After a while those who stood by came to Peter and said, “Surely you also are one of them, for your accent betrays you.”
74Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and he swore, “I do not know the Man.”
Then immediately a rooster crowed. 75#Mt 26:34; Jn 13:38Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken, “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Then he went out and wept bitterly.
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