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Jesus Anointed at Bethany
1 Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened
Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the
teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest
Jesus and kill him. 2 “But not during the festival,” they
said, “or the people may riot.”
3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in
the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster
jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke
the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one
another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been
sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the
poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.
6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you
bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The
poor you will always have with you, and you can help them
any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She
did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand
to prepare for my burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the
gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done
will also be told, in memory of her.”
10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the
chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were
delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he
watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
The Last Supper
12 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened
Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb,
Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and
make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go
into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet
you. Follow him. 14 Say to the owner of the house he enters,
‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat
the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 He will show you a large
room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us
there.”
16 The disciples left, went into the city and found
things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the
Passover.
17 When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve.
18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said,
“Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is
eating with me.”
19 They were saddened, and one by one they said to
him, “Surely not I?”
20 “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who
dips bread into the bowl with me. 21 The Son of Man will go
just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who
betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had
not been born.”
22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when
he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his
disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”
23 Then he took the cup, and when he had given thanks,
he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
24 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured
out for many,” he said to them.
25 “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again of the
fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the
kingdom of God.”
26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the
Mount of Olives.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
27 “You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it
is written:
“ ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be
scattered.’
28 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into
Galilee.”
29 Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will
not.”
30 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today—yes,
tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will
disown me three times.”
31 But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to
die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others
said the same.
Gethsemane
32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus
said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took
Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be
deeply distressed and troubled.
34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of
death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”
35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and
prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.
36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible
for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but
what you will.”
37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them
sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Could
you not keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that
you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing,
but the flesh is weak.”
39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing.
40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because
their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.
41 Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you
still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look,
the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 42
Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
Jesus Arrested
43 Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve,
appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs,
sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and
the elders.
44 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them:
“The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away
under guard.” 45 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said,
“Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46 The men seized Jesus and
arrested him. 47 Then one of those standing near drew his
sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off
his ear.
48 “Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you
have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? 49 Every
day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you
did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” 50
Then everyone deserted him and fled.
51 A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment,
was following Jesus. When they seized him, 52 he fled naked,
leaving his garment behind.
Jesus Before the Sanhedrin
53 They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the
chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came
together. 54 Peter followed him at a distance, right into
the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the
guards and warmed himself at the fire.
55 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were
looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put
him to death, but they did not find any. 56 Many testified
falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.
57 Then some stood up and gave this false testimony
against him: 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this
temple made with human hands and in three days will build
another, not made with hands.’ ” 59 Yet even then their
testimony did not agree.
60 Then the high priest stood up before them and asked
Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony
that these men are bringing against you?” 61 But Jesus
remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest
asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed
One?”
62 “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of
Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming
on the clouds of heaven.”
63 The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need
any more witnesses?” he asked. 64 “You have heard the
blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as
worthy of death. 65 Then some began to spit at him; they
blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said,
“Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.
Peter Disowns Jesus
66 While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the
servant girls of the high priest came by. 67 When she saw
Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. “You also
were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said.
68 But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what
you’re talking about,” he said, and went out into the
entryway.
69 When the servant girl saw him there, she said again
to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” 70
Again he denied it. After a little while, those standing
near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are
a Galilean.”
71 He began to call down curses, and he swore to them,
“I don’t know this man you’re talking about.”
72 Immediately the rooster crowed the second time.
Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him:
“Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three
times.” And he broke down and wept.
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