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Death Plot and the Anointing in Bethany

^1 (C1)It was now two days before ^(C2)the Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread, and the chief priests and the scribes ^(C3)were searching for a deceitful way to arrest Jesus and kill Him; ^(VR1)2 but they were saying, "Not during the festival, for the people might riot."

^3 (C1)While He was in ^(C2)Bethany as a guest at the home of ^(F1)Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, a ^(F2)woman came with an alabaster vial of ^(C3)very costly and precious perfume of pure ^(F3)nard; and she broke the vial and poured the perfume over His head.⁴ But there were ^(F1)some who were indignantly remarking to one another, "Why has this perfume been wasted?⁵ "For this perfume might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii a laborer's wages for almost a year, and the money given to the poor." And they scolded her.⁶ But Jesus said, "Let her alone; why are you bothering her and causing trouble? She has done a good and beautiful thing to Me.⁷ "For you always have ^(C1)the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do something good to them; but you will not always have Me. ^(VR1)8 "She has done what she could; ^(C1)she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.⁹ "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, ^(C1)wherever the good news regarding salvation is proclaimed throughout the world, what she has done will be told in memory of her."

^10 (C1)Then Judas Iscariot, ^(C2)who was one of the twelve disciples, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. ^(VR1)11 When they heard this they were delighted, and promised to give him money. And he began looking for an opportune time to betray Jesus.

The Last Passover

^12 (C1)On the first day of the festival of ^(F1)(C2)Unleavened Bread, when as was customary they ^(C3)sacrificed the Passover lamb, His disciples asked Him, "Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?" ^(VR1)13 And He sent two of His disciples, saying to them, "Go into the city, and a ^(F1)man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him;¹⁴ and say to the ^(F1)owner of the house he enters, 'The Teacher asks, "Where is My ^(C1)guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'¹⁵ "He will show you a large upstairs room, furnished and ready with carpets and dining couches; prepare the supper for us there."¹⁶ The disciples left and went to the city and found everything just as He had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

^17 (C1)When it was evening, He came with the twelve disciples. ^(VR1)18 While they were reclining at the table, Jesus said, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you that one of you will betray Me—one who is eating with Me." ^(VR1)19 They began to be grieved and deeply distressed and to say to Him one by one, "Surely not I?"²⁰ And He replied, "It is one of the twelve disciples, one who is dipping bread in the bowl with Me.²¹ "For the Son of Man goes to the cross just as it is written in Scripture 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."

The Lord's Supper

^22 (C1)While they were eating, Jesus took bread and ^(F1)(C2)blessed it giving thanks and praise, and He broke it, and gave it to them and said, "Take it. This is My body." ^(VR1)23 And when He had taken a cup of wine and ^(F1)given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. ^(VR1)24 And He said to them, "This is My ^(C1)blood of the new ^(C2)covenant, My blood which is being poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.²⁵ "I assure you and most solemnly say to 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 (C1)After they had sung a ^(F1)hymn, they went out to ^(C2)the Mount of Olives.

^27 (C1)Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away and be ashamed and be afraid to be associated with Me as disciples, because it is written, '^(C2)I WILL STRIKE THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP WILL BE SCATTERED.' ^(VR1)28 "But after I have been raised from the dead, ^(C1)I will go ahead of you to Galilee."²⁹ But Peter said to Him, "Even if they all fall away and desert You, ashamed and afraid of being associated with You, yet I will not do so!"³⁰ Jesus said to him, "I assure you and most solemnly say to you, ^(C1)this very night, before ^(C2)a rooster crows twice, you will deny that you even know Me three times." ^(VR1)31 But Peter kept saying insistently, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And they all were saying the same thing as well.

Jesus in Gethsemane

^32 (C1)Then they went to a place called Gethsemane; and Jesus said to His disciples, "Sit down here until I have prayed." ^(VR1)33 He took Peter and James and John with Him, and He began to be deeply ^(C1)distressed and troubled extremely anguished at the prospect of what was to come.³⁴ And He said to them, "^(C1)My soul is deeply grieved and overwhelmed with sorrow, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch."³⁵ After going a little farther, He fell to the ground distressed by the weight of His spiritual burden and began to pray that if it were possible in the Father's will, ^(C1)the hour of suffering and death for the sins of mankind might pass from Him.³⁶ He was saying, "^(F1)(C1)Abba, Father! All things are possible for You; take this cup of judgment away from Me; ^(C2)but not what I will, but what You will."³⁷ And He came back and found them sleeping, and He said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Were you unable to keep watch for one hour?³⁸ "^(C1)Keep actively watching and praying so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the ^(F1)body is weak."³⁹ He went away again and prayed, saying the same words.⁴⁰ And again He came back and found them sleeping, because their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know how to answer Him.⁴¹ He came back a third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough of that! ^(C1)The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.⁴² "Get up, let us go. Look, my betrayer is near!"

Betrayal and Arrest

^43 (C1)And at once, while He was still speaking, Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, came up, and with him a crowd of men with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the Sanhedrin. ^(VR1)44 Now the betrayer had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away safely under guard."⁴⁵ When Judas came, immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "^(C1)Rabbi (Master)!" and he ^(F1)kissed Him forcefully.⁴⁶ They laid hands on Him and seized Him.⁴⁷ But one of the bystanders Simon Peter drew his sword and struck Malchus the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. ^(VR1)48 Jesus said to them, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me, as you would against a robber?⁴⁹ "Day after day I was with you, teaching ^(C1)in the courts and porches of the temple, and you did not seize Me; but this has happened so that the Scriptures would be fulfilled."⁵⁰ Then all of His disciples abandoned Him and fled.

⁵¹ A young ^(F1)man was following Him, wearing only a linen sheet over his naked body; and some men seized him.⁵² But pulling free of the linen sheet, he escaped from them naked.

Jesus before His Accusers

^53 (C1)They led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) gathered together. ^(VR1)54 Peter had followed Him at a distance, ^(C1)right into ^(C2)the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers guards and servants and ^(C3)warming himself at the fire.⁵⁵ Now the chief priests and the entire ^(C1)Council (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court) were trying to obtain testimony against Jesus which they could use to have Him condemned and executed, but they were not finding any.⁵⁶ For many people were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimonies were not consistent.⁵⁷ Some stood up and began to give false testimony against Him, saying,⁵⁸ "We heard Him say, '^(C1)I will destroy this temple (sanctuary) that was made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.'" ^(VR1)59 Not even in this respect was their testimony consistent.⁶⁰ The high priest stood up and came forward and asked Jesus, "Have You no answer to give in response to what these men are testifying against You?"^61 (C1)But Jesus kept silent and gave no answer at all. ^(C2)Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, "Are You the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of the ^(F1)Blessed One?"⁶² Jesus said, "I am; and you will all see ^(C1)THE SON OF MAN SEATED with authority AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER (the Father), and ^(C2)COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN." ^(VR1)63 Then ^(F1)(C1)tearing his robe to express his indignation, the high priest said, "What further need do we have of witnesses? ^(VR1)64 "You have heard the ^(C1)blasphemy that is, His claim to be the Son of God. What is your decision?" And they all condemned Him to be guilty and deserving of death. ^(VR1)65 And some began to ^(C1)spit on Him, and ^(C2)to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, "^(C3)Prophesy by telling us who hit you!" Then the officers took custody of Him and struck him in the face.

Peter's Denials

^66 (C1)While Peter was down below in ^(C2)the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came, ^(VR1)67 and when she saw Peter ^(C1)warming himself, she looked intently at him and said, "You were with Jesus the ^(C2)Nazarene, too."⁶⁸ But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you are talking about." Then he ^(C1)went out of the courtyard to the porch, ^(F1)[and a rooster crowed.]⁶⁹ The servant-girl saw him, and began once more to tell the bystanders, "This man is one of them."⁷⁰ But again ^(C1)he denied it. After a little while, the bystanders again said to Peter, "You are in fact one of them, ^(C2)for it is clear from your accent, that you are a Galilean, too."⁷¹ But he began to ^(F1)invoke a curse on himself and to swear an oath, "I do not know this man you are talking about!"⁷² Immediately a rooster crowed the second time. And Peter remembered what Jesus said to him: "Before ^(C1)a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." And thinking of this, he began weeping in anguish.