Matthew 26
26
The Jewish Leaders Plan to Kill Jesus
(Mk. 14:1–2; Lk. 22:1–2; Jn. 11:45–53)
1After Jesus finished saying all these things, he said to his followers, 2“You know that the day after tomorrow is Passover. On that day the Son of Man will be handed over to his enemies to be killed on a cross.”
3Then the leading priests and the older Jewish leaders had a meeting at the palace where the high priest lived. The high priest’s name was Caiaphas. 4In the meeting they tried to find a way to arrest and kill Jesus without anyone knowing what they were doing. They planned to arrest Jesus and kill him. 5They said, “We cannot arrest Jesus during Passover. We don’t want the people to become angry and cause a riot.”
A Woman Does Something Special
(Mk. 14:3–9; Jn. 12:1–8)
6Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper. 7While he was there, a woman came to him. She had an alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. She poured the perfume on Jesus’ head while he was eating.
8The followers saw the woman do this and were upset at her. They said, “Why waste that perfume? 9It could be sold for a lot of money, and the money could be given to those who are poor.”
10But Jesus knew what happened. He said, “Why are you bothering this woman? She did a very good thing for me. 11You will always have the poor with you.#26:11 You will … with you See Deut. 15:11. But you will not always have me. 12This woman poured perfume on my body. She did this to prepare me for burial after I die. 13The Good News will be told to people all over the world. And I can assure you that everywhere the Good News is told, the story of what this woman did will also be told, and people will remember her.”
Judas Agrees to Help Jesus’ Enemies
(Mk. 14:10–11; Lk. 22:3–6)
14Then one of the twelve followers went to talk to the leading priests. This was the follower named Judas Iscariot. 15He said, “I will hand Jesus over to you. What will you pay me for doing this?” The priests gave him 30 silver coins. 16After that Judas waited for the best time to hand Jesus over to them.
The Passover Meal
(Mk. 14:12–21; Lk. 22:7–14, 21–23; Jn. 13:21–30)
17On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the followers came to Jesus. They said, “We will prepare everything for you to eat the Passover meal. Where do you want us to have the meal?”
18Jesus answered, “Go into the city. Go to a man I know. Tell him that the Teacher says, ‘The chosen time is near. I will have the Passover meal with my followers at your house.’” 19They obeyed and did what Jesus told them to do. They prepared the Passover meal.
20In the evening Jesus was at the table with the twelve followers. 21They were all eating. Then Jesus said, “Believe me when I say that one of you twelve here will hand me over to my enemies.”
22The followers were very sad to hear this. Each one said, “Lord, surely I am not the one!”
23Jesus answered, “One who has dipped his bread in the same bowl with me will be the one to hand me over. 24The Son of Man will suffer what the Scriptures say will happen to him. But it will be very bad for the one who hands over the Son of Man to be killed. It would be better for him if he had never been born.”
25Then Judas, the very one who would hand him over, said to Jesus, “Teacher, surely I am not the one you are talking about, am I?”
Jesus answered, “Yes, it is you.”
The Lord’s Supper
(Mk. 14:22–26; Lk. 22:15–20; 1 Cor. 11:23–25)
26While they were eating, Jesus took some bread and thanked God for it. He broke off some pieces, gave them to his followers and said, “Take this bread and eat it. It is my body.”
27Then he took a cup of wine, thanked God for it, and gave it to them. He said, “Each one of you drink some of it. 28This wine is my blood, which will be poured out to forgive the sins of many and begin the new agreement from God to his people. 29I want you to know, I will not drink this wine again until that day when we are together in my Father’s kingdom and the wine is new. Then I will drink it again with you.”
30They all sang a song and then went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus Says His Followers Will Leave Him
(Mk. 14:27–31; Lk. 22:31–34; Jn. 13:36–38)
31Jesus told the followers, “Tonight you will all lose your faith in me. The Scriptures say,
‘I will kill the shepherd,
and the sheep will run away.’ Zechariah 13:7
32But after I am killed, I will rise from death. Then I will go into Galilee. I will be there before you go there.”
33Peter answered, “All the other followers may lose their faith in you. But my faith will never be shaken.”
34Jesus answered, “The truth is, tonight you will say you don’t know me. You will deny me three times before the rooster crows.”
35But Peter answered, “I will never say I don’t know you! I will even die with you!” And all the other followers said the same thing.
Jesus Prays Alone
(Mk. 14:32–42; Lk. 22:39–46)
36Then Jesus went with his followers to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, “Sit here while I go there and pray.” 37He told Peter and the two sons of Zebedee to come with him. Then he began to be very sad and troubled. 38Jesus said to Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, “My heart is so heavy with grief, I feel as if I am dying. Wait here and stay awake with me.”
39Then Jesus went on a little farther away from them. He fell to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, don’t make me drink from this cup.#26:39 cup A symbol of suffering. Jesus used the idea of drinking from a cup to mean accepting the suffering he would face in the terrible events that were soon to come. But do what you want, not what I want.” 40Then he went back to his followers and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Could you men not stay awake with me for one hour? 41Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. Your spirit wants to do what is right, but your body is weak.”
42Then Jesus went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if I must do this#26:42 do this Literally, “drink this,” referring to the “cup,” the symbol of suffering in verse 39. and it is not possible for me to escape it, then I pray that what you want will be done.”
43Then he went back to the followers. Again he found them sleeping. They could not stay awake. 44So he left them and went away one more time and prayed. This third time he prayed, he said the same thing.
45Then Jesus went back to the followers and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to the control of sinful men. 46Stand up! We must go. Here comes the one who will hand me over.”
Jesus Is Arrested
(Mk. 14:43–50; Lk. 22:47–53; Jn. 18:3–12)
47While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve apostles came there. He had a big crowd of people with him, all carrying swords and clubs. They had been sent from the leading priests and the older leaders of the people. 48Judas#26:48 Judas Literally, “the one who handed him over.” planned to do something to show them which one was Jesus. He said, “The one I kiss will be Jesus. Arrest him.” 49So he went to Jesus and said, “Hello, Teacher!” Then Judas kissed him.
50Jesus answered, “Friend, do the thing you came to do.”
Then the men came and grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51When that happened, one of the followers with Jesus grabbed his sword and pulled it out. He swung it at the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
52Jesus said to the man, “Put your sword back in its place. People who use swords will be killed with swords. 53Surely you know I could ask my Father and he would give me more than twelve armies of angels. 54But it must happen this way to show the truth of what the Scriptures said.”
55Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Why do you come to get me with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal. Every day I sat in the Temple area teaching. You did not arrest me there. 56But all these things have happened to show the full meaning of what the prophets wrote.” Then all of Jesus’ followers left him and ran away.
Jesus Before the Jewish Leaders
(Mk. 14:53–65; Lk. 22:54–55, 63–71; Jn. 18:13–14, 19–24)
57The men who arrested Jesus led him to the house of Caiaphas the high priest. The teachers of the law and the older Jewish leaders were gathered there. 58Peter followed Jesus but stayed back at a distance. He followed him to the yard of the high priest’s house. Peter went in and sat with the guards. He wanted to see what would happen to Jesus.
59The leading priests and the high council tried to find something against Jesus so that they could kill him. They tried to find people to lie and say that Jesus had done wrong. 60Many people came and told lies about him. But the council could find no real reason to kill him. Then two people came 61and said, “This man#26:61 This man That is, Jesus. His enemies avoided saying his name. said, ‘I can destroy the Temple of God and build it again in three days.’”
62Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Don’t you have anything to say about these charges against you? Are they telling the truth?” 63But Jesus said nothing.
Again the high priest said to Jesus, “You are now under oath. I command you by the power of the living God to tell us the truth. Tell us, are you the Messiah, the Son of God?”
64Jesus answered, “Yes, that’s right. But I tell you, in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right side of God. And you will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65When the high priest heard this, he tore his clothes in anger. He said, “This man has said things that insult God! We don’t need any more witnesses. You all heard his insulting words. 66What do you think?”
The Jewish leaders answered, “He is guilty, and he must die.”
67Then some there spit in Jesus’ face, and they hit him with their fists. Others slapped him. 68They said, “Show us that you are a prophet,#26:68 prophet A prophet often knows things that are hidden to other people. Messiah! Tell us who hit you!”
Peter Is Afraid to Say He Knows Jesus
(Mk. 14:66–72; Lk. 22:56–62; Jn. 18:15–18, 25–27)
69While Peter was sitting outside in the yard, a servant girl came up to him. She said, “You were with Jesus, that man from Galilee.”
70But Peter told everyone there that this was not true. “I don’t know what you are talking about,” he said.
71Then he left the yard. At the gate another girl saw him and said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72Again, Peter said he was never with Jesus. He said, “I swear to God I don’t know the man!”
73A short time later those standing there went to Peter and said, “We know you are one of them. It’s clear from the way you talk.”
74Then Peter began to curse. He said, “I swear to God, I don’t know the man!” As soon as he said this, a rooster crowed. 75Then he remembered what Jesus had told him: “Before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Then Peter went outside and cried bitterly.
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Matthew 26: ERV
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Matthew 26
26
The Plot to Kill Jesus
1When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, 2“You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion.”
3At that time the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the courtyard of the high priest named Caiaphas; 4and they plotted together to arrest Jesus covertly and kill Him. 5But they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise a riot might occur among the people.”
The Precious Ointment
6Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon #26:6 I.e., a nickname; the man no doubt was curedthe Leper, 7a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very expensive perfume, and she poured it on His head as He was reclining at the table. 8But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste? 9For this perfume could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” 10But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you bothering the woman? For she has done a good deed for Me. 11For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. 12For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. 13Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.”
Judas’ Bargain
14Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15and said, “What are you willing to give me #26:15 Lit and I willto #26:15 Or hand Him over tobetray Him to you?” And they set out for him thirty #26:15 I.e., silver shekelspieces of silver. 16And from then on he looked for a good opportunity to #26:16 Or hand overbetray #26:16 Lit HimJesus.
17Now on the first day of #26:17 I.e., Passover weekUnleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and #26:17 Lit saidasked, “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, “My time is near; I am keeping the Passover at your house with My disciples.” ’ ” 19The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.
The Last Passover
20Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the #26:20 One early ms twelve disciplestwelve. 21And as they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.” 22Being deeply grieved, they began saying to Him, each one: “Surely it is not I, Lord?” 23And He answered, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me. 24The Son of Man is going away just as it is written about Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good #26:24 Lit for him if that man had notfor that man if he had not been born.” 25And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Jesus *said to him, “You have said it yourself.”
The Lord’s Supper Instituted
26Now while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and #26:26 Lit having blessedafter a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28for this is My blood of the covenant, which is being poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. 29But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it with you, new, in My Father’s kingdom.”
30And after singing a #26:30 Ps 113-118 were traditionally sung at Passoverhymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
31Then Jesus *said to them, “You will all #26:31 I.e., have a lapse in faithfall away because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” 33But Peter replied to Him, “Even if they all #26:33 I.e., from the faithfall away because of You, I will never fall away!” 34Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a 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!” All the disciples said the same thing as well.
The Garden of Gethsemane
36Then Jesus *came with them to a place called #26:36 I.e., oil pressGethsemane, and *told His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37And He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with Him, and began to be grieved and distressed. 38Then He *said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”
39And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” 40And He *came to the disciples and *found them sleeping, and He *said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 41Keep watching and praying, so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is #26:41 Or eagerwilling, but the flesh is weak.”
42He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass away unless I drink from it, Your will be done.” 43Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 45Then He *came to the disciples and *said to them, “#26:45 Or Keep on sleeping for the time remaining andAre you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour #26:45 Or has approachedis at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Get up, let’s go; behold, the one who is betraying Me is near!”
Jesus’ Betrayal and Arrest
47And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came #26:47 Lit and with himaccompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign previously, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; arrest Him.” 49And immediately Judas went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. 50But Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested Him.
51And behold, one of those who were with Jesus #26:51 Lit extended the handreached and drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and #26:51 Lit took offcut off his ear. 52Then Jesus *said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword will perish by the sword. 53Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve #26:53 A legion equaled 6,000 troopslegions of angels? 54How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”
55At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a man inciting a revolt? Every day I used to sit within the temple grounds teaching, and you did not arrest Me. 56But all this has taken place so that the Scriptures of the prophets will be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left Him and fled.
Jesus before Caiaphas
57Those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. 58But Peter was following Him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and he came inside and sat down with the #26:58 Or servantsofficers to see the outcome.
59Now the chief priests and the entire #26:59 Or SanhedrinCouncil kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. 60They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, 61and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the #26:61 Or sanctuarytemple of God and to rebuild it #26:61 Or afterin three days.’ ” 62The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You offer no answer for what these men are testifying against You?” 63But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I place You under oath by the living God, to tell us whether You are the #26:63 I.e., MessiahChrist, the Son of God.” 64Jesus *said to him, “You have said it yourself. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65Then the high priest tore his #26:65 Or outer garmentsrobes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? See, you have now heard the blasphemy; 66what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!”
67Then they spit in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others #26:67 Or possibly beat Him with rodsslapped Him, 68and said, “Prophesy to us, You #26:68 I.e., MessiahChrist; who is the one who hit You?”
Peter’s Denials
69Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a slave woman came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” 71When he had gone out to the gateway, another slave woman saw him and *said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72And again he denied it, with an oath: “I do not know the man.” 73A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “You really are one of them as well, since even the way you talk #26:73 Lit makes you evidentgives you away.” 74Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the Man!” And immediately a rooster crowed. 75And Peter remembered the statement that Jesus had #26:75 Lit saidmade: “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
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