Matthew 26
26
The Plot to Kill Jesus
1When Jesus had finished saying all this, # Mk 14:1-2; Lk 22:1-2; Jn 11:47-53 He told His disciples, 2“You know # Or Know (as a command) that the Passover takes place after two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” # Jn 11:55; 13:1
3Then the chief priests # Other mss add and the scribes and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, # Ps 2:2; Mt 26:57; Lk 3:2; Jn 11:47; 18:13,15; Ac 4:6 4and they conspired to arrest Jesus in a treacherous way and kill Him. # Mt 21:46; Jn 11:53 5“Not during the festival,” they said, “so there won’t be rioting among the people.”
The Anointing at Bethany
6While Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon, # Mk 14:3-9; Jn 12:1-8 a man who had a serious skin disease, 7a woman approached Him with an alabaster jar of very expensive fragrant oil. She poured it on His head as He was reclining at the table. 8When the disciples # Mt 10:1; 26:56; Mk 3:7; 16:20; Lk 6:13; Jn 12:16 saw it, they were indignant. “Why this waste? ” they asked. 9“This might have been sold for a great deal and given to the poor.”
10But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a noble thing for Me. 11You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me. # Dt 15:11; Jn 12:8 12By pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she has prepared Me for burial. 13I assure you: Wherever this gospel # Mt 24:14; Mk 1:1; 13:10 is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.”
14Then # Mk 14:10-11; Lk 22:3-6 one of the Twelve — the man called Judas Iscariot — went to the chief priests # Mt 10:4; Jn 6:71; 12:4; 13:30; Ac 1:16 15and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you? ” So they weighed out 30 pieces of silver for him. # Ex 21:32; Zch 11:12-13; Mt 27:3 16And from that time he started looking for a good opportunity to betray Him.
Betrayal at the Passover
17On the first day of Unleavened Bread # Mk 14:12-16; Lk 22:7-13 the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare the Passover so You may eat it? ”
18“Go into the city to a certain man,” He said, “and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time is near; I am celebrating the Passover at your place # Lit Passover with you with My disciples.’ ” # Jn 7:6,8; 8:20; 13:1; 17:1 19So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. 20When evening came, He was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21While they were eating, He said, “I assure you: One of you will betray Me.” # Mk 14:17-21; Lk 22:21-23; Jn 13:21-26
22Deeply distressed, each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord? ”
23He replied, “The one who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl — he will betray Me. 24The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, # Dn 9:26; Mk 9:12; Lk 24:25-27; Ac 17:2-3; 26:22-23; 1Co 15:3; 1Pt 1:10 but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”
25Then Judas, His betrayer, replied, “Surely not I, Rabbi? ” # Lk 22:70; Jn 1:38
“You have said it,” He told him.
The First Lord’s Supper
26As they were eating, # Mk 14:22-25; Lk 22:17-20: 1Co 11:23-25 Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, # Mt 10:1; 26:56; Mk 3:7; 16:20; Lk 6:13; Jn 12:16 and said, “Take and eat it; this is My body.” # Mt 14:19; 1Co 10:16 27Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. 28For this is My blood that establishes the covenant; # Other mss read new covenant it is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. # Ex 24:8; Mt 20:28; Mk 1:4; Heb 9:20 29But I tell you, from this moment I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it in a new way # Or drink new wine ; lit drink it new in My Father’s kingdom # Mt 4:23; Mk 1:15; Ac 20:25 with you.” 30After singing psalms, # Pss 113–118 were sung during and after the Passover meal. they went out to the Mount of Olives. # Mt 21:1; Lk 22:39; Jn 18:1
Peter’s Denial Predicted
31Then Jesus said to them, “Tonight all of you will run away # Or stumble because of Me, for it is written:
I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. # Zch 13:7; Mt 11:6; Jn 16:32 # Zch 13:7
32But after I have been resurrected, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” # Mt 28:7,10,16; Mk 16:7
33Peter told Him, “Even if everyone runs away because of You, I will never run away! ”
34“I assure you,” Jesus said to him, “tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times! ” # Mt 26:75; Lk 22:34; Jn 13:38
35“Even if I have to die with You,” Peter told Him, “I will never deny You! ” And all the disciples said the same thing.
The Prayer in the Garden
36Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, # A garden east of Jerusalem at the base of the Mount of Olives; Gethsemane = olive oil press # Mk 14:32-42; Lk 22:40-46 and He told the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. # Mt 4:21; 17:1 38Then He said to them, “My soul is swallowed up in sorrow # Or I am deeply grieved, or I am overwhelmed by sorrow ; Ps 42:6,11; 43:5 — to the point of death. # Lit unto death Remain here and stay awake with Me.” # Ps 42:5-6; Mt 24:42; Jn 12:27 39Going a little farther, # Other mss read Drawing nearer He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” # Mt 20:22; Jn 5:30; 6:38; Php 2:8; Heb 5:7
40Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He asked Peter, “So, couldn’t you # = all 3 disciples because the verb in Gk is pl stay awake with Me one hour? 41Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this # Other mss add cup cannot pass # Other mss add from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” # Mt 26:39; Mk 14:36; Lk 22:42; Jn 6:38 43And He came again and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open. # Lit because their eyes were weighed down
44After leaving them, He went away again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 45Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? # Or Sleep on now and take your rest. Look, the time is near. The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. # Jn 12:27; 13:1 46Get up; let’s go! See, My betrayer is near.”
The Judas Kiss
47While He was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, suddenly arrived. # Mk 14:43-50; Lk 22:47-53; Jn 18:3-11 A large mob, with swords and clubs, was with him from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48His betrayer had given them a sign: “The One I kiss, He’s the One; arrest Him! ” 49So he went right up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi! ” and kissed Him.
50“Friend,” # Mt 20:13; 22:12 Jesus asked him, “why have you come? ” # Or Jesus told him, “do what you have come for.” (as a statement)
Then they came up, took hold of Jesus, and arrested Him. 51At that moment one of those with Jesus reached out his hand and drew his sword. He struck the high priest’s slave and cut off his ear. # Lk 22:38; Jn 18:10
52Then Jesus told him, “Put your sword back in its place because all who take up a sword will perish by a sword. # Gn 9:6; Rv 13:10 53Or do you think that I cannot call on My Father, and He will provide Me at once with more than 12 legions # A Roman legion contained up to 6,000 soldiers. of angels? # 2Kg 6:17; Dn 7:10; Mt 4:11; Lk 8:30 54How, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled # Mt 1:22; 26:24 that say it must happen this way? ”
55At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as if I were a criminal, # Lit as against a criminal to capture Me? Every day I used to sit, teaching in the temple complex, and you didn’t arrest Me. # Mk 12:35; Lk 21:37; Jn 7:19; 8:2; 18:20 56But all this has happened so that the prophetic Scriptures # Or the Scriptures of the prophets # Mt 26:54; Rm 1:2; 2Pt 1:20 would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples # Mt 10:1; 26:56; Mk 3:7; 16:20; Lk 6:13; Jn 12:16 deserted Him and ran away.
Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin
57Those # Mk 14:53-65; Jn 18:12-13,19-24 who had arrested Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas # Mt 26:3; Jn 11:49 the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had convened. 58Meanwhile, Peter was following Him at a distance right to the high priest’s courtyard. # Or high priest’s palace He went in and was sitting with the temple police # Or the officers, or the servants to see the outcome. # Lit end # Jn 7:32; 18:15
59The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus so they could put Him to death. # Mt 5:22; Ac 6:11 60But they could not find any, even though many false witnesses # Dt 19:15; Ps 27:12; 35:11; Ac 6:13 came forward. # Other mss add they found none Finally, two # Other mss add false witnesses who came forward 61stated, “This man said, ‘I can demolish God’s sanctuary # Mt 27:40; Jn 2:19; Ac 6:14 and rebuild it in three days.’ ”
62The high priest then stood up and said to Him, “Don’t You have an answer to what these men are testifying against You? ” 63But # Lk 22:67-71 Jesus kept silent. # Is 53:7; Mt 27:12,14; Jn 19:9 Then the high priest said to Him, “By the living God I place You under oath: # Lv 19:12; Nm 30:2; Dt 23:21; Mt 5:33; 14:7; 23:16 tell us if You are the Messiah, the Son of God! ” # Lv 5:1; 1Sm 14:24,26; Mt 16:16
64“You have said it,” # Or That is true, an affirmative oath; Mt 27:11; Mk 15:2 Jesus told him. “But I tell you, in the future # Lit you, from now you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” # Ps 110:1; Dn 7:13; Mt 16:27; 24:30; Rv 1:7 # Ps 110:1; Dn 7:13
65Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! # Mk 3:29; Jn 10:33 Why do we still need witnesses? Look, now you’ve heard the blasphemy! # Nm 14:6; Mk 14:63; Ac 14:14 66What is your decision? ” # Lit What does it seem to you?
They answered, “He deserves death! ” # Lv 24:16; Jn 19:7 67Then they spit in His face # Mt 27:30; Mk 10:34; Lk 22:63-65; Jn 18:22 and beat Him; others slapped Him 68and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah! Who hit You? ” # Mk 14:65; Lk 22:64
Peter Denies His Lord
69Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. # Mk 14:66-72; Lk 22:55-62; Jn 18:16-18,25-27 A servant approached him and she said, “You were with Jesus the Galilean too.”
70But he denied it in front of everyone: “I don’t know what you’re talking about! ”
71When he had gone out to the gateway, another woman saw him and told those who were there, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene! ” # Mk 14:67; Ac 6:14
72And again he denied it with an oath, # Lv 19:12; Nm 30:2; Dt 23:21; Mt 5:33; 14:7; 23:16 “I don’t know the man! ”
73After a little while those standing there approached and said to Peter, “You certainly are one of them, since even your accent # Or speech gives you away.”
74Then he started to curse # To call down curses on himself if what he said weren’t true and to swear with an oath, “I do not know the man! ” Immediately a rooster crowed, 75and Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” # Mt 26:34; Jn 13:38; Ac 3:13-14 And he went outside and wept bitterly.
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Matthew 26: HCSB
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© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.
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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