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The Plot to Kill Jesus

¹ The^(C1) Festival of Unleavened Bread,^(C2) which is called Passover,^(C3) was approaching. ² The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put him to death,^(C1) because they were afraid of the people.^(C2)

³ Then^(C1) Satan entered Judas,^(C2) called Iscariot,^(C3) who was numbered among the Twelve. ⁴ He went away and discussed with the chief priests and temple police^(C1) how he could hand him over^(C2) to them. ⁵ They were glad and agreed to give him silver.^{(F1) 6} So he accepted the offer and started looking for a good opportunity to betray him to them when the crowd was not present.

Preparation for Passover

⁷ Then^(C1) the Day of Unleavened Bread came when the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.^{(C2) 8} Jesus sent Peter and John,^(C1) saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”

⁹ “Where do you want us to prepare it?” they asked him.

¹⁰ “Listen,”¹¹ Tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks you, “Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover with my disciples?”’¹² Then he will show you a large, furnished room upstairs.

¹³ So they went and found it just as he had told them,^(C1) and they prepared the Passover.

The First Lord’s Supper

¹⁴ When^(C1) the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. ¹⁵ Then he said to them, “I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.¹⁶ For I tell you, I will not eat it again¹⁷ Then he took a cup,^(C1) and after giving thanks,^(C2) he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves.¹⁸ For I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

¹⁹ And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body,

²⁰ In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant²¹ But²² For the Son of Man will go away as it has been determined,

²³ So they began to argue^(C1) among themselves which of them it could be who was going to do it.

The Dispute over Greatness

²⁴ Then a dispute also arose among them about who should be considered the greatest.^{(C1) 25} But he said to them,^(C1) “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who have authority over them have themselves called²⁶ It is not to be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever is greatest among you should become like the youngest,²⁷ For who is greater, the one at the table or the one serving? Isn’t it the one at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.²⁸ You are those who stood by me in my trials.²⁹ I bestow on you a kingdom,³⁰ so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom.

Peter’s Denial Predicted

³¹ “Simon, Simon,³² But I have prayed

³³ “Lord,”^(C1) he told him, “I’m ready to go with you both to prison and to death.”

³⁴ “I tell you, Peter,”

Be Ready for Trouble

³⁵ He also said to them, “When I sent you out

“Not a thing,” they said.

³⁶ Then he said to them, “But now, whoever has a money-bag should take it, and also a traveling bag. And whoever doesn’t have a sword should sell his robe and buy one.³⁷ For I tell you, what is written must be fulfilled in me:

³⁸ “Lord,” they said, “look, here are two swords.”

“That is enough!” he told them.

The Prayer in the Garden

³⁹ He went out and made his way^(C1) as usual^(C2) to the Mount of Olives,^(C3) and the disciples followed him. ⁴⁰ When he reached the place,^(C1) he told them, “Pray that you may not fall into temptation.”⁴¹ Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and began to pray,^{(C1) 42} “Father, if you are willing, take this cup

⁴³ Then an angel from heaven^(C1) appeared to him, strengthening him. ⁴⁴ Being in anguish,^(C1) he prayed more fervently, and his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.^{(F1) 45} When he got up from prayer and came to the disciples, he found them sleeping, exhausted from their grief. ⁴⁶ “Why are you sleeping?”

Judas’s Betrayal of Jesus

⁴⁷ While^(C1) he was still speaking, suddenly a mob came, and one of the Twelve named Judas was leading them. He came near Jesus to kiss him, ⁴⁸ but Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

⁴⁹ When those around him saw what was going to happen, they asked, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?” ⁵⁰ Then one of them struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear.

⁵¹ But Jesus responded, “No more of this!”⁵² Then Jesus said to the chief priests, temple police, and the elders who had come for him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal?⁵³ Every day while I was with you in the temple,

Peter Denies His Lord

⁵⁴ They seized him, led him away, and brought him into the high priest’s house. Meanwhile Peter^(C1) was following at a distance. ⁵⁵ They^(C1) lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard^(C2) and sat down together, and Peter sat among them. ⁵⁶ When a servant saw him sitting in the light, and looked closely at him, she said, “This man was with him too.”

⁵⁷ But he denied it: “Woman, I don’t know him.”

⁵⁸ After a little while, someone else saw him and said, “You’re one of them too.”

“Man, I am not!” Peter said.

⁵⁹ About an hour later, another kept insisting, “This man was certainly with him, since he’s also a Galilean.”

⁶⁰ But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. ⁶¹ Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter.^(C1) So Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.”⁶² And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Jesus Mocked and Beaten

⁶³ The men who were holding Jesus started mocking and beating him.^{(C1) 64} After blindfolding him, they kept^(F1) asking, “Prophesy! Who was it that hit you?” ⁶⁵ And they were saying many other blasphemous^(C1) things to him.

Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin

⁶⁶ When daylight came,^(C1) the elders^(F1) of the people, both the chief priests and the scribes,^(C2) convened and brought him before their Sanhedrin.^{(C3) 67} They said,^(C1) “If you are the Messiah, tell us.”

But he said to them, “If I do tell you, you will not believe. ⁶⁸ And if I ask you, you will not answer.⁶⁹ But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”

⁷⁰ They all asked, “Are you, then, the Son of God?” ^(C1)

And he said to them, “You say that I am.”^(C2)

⁷¹ “Why do we need any more testimony,” they said, “since we’ve heard it ourselves from his mouth?”