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The Plot to Kill Jesus

¹ It^(C1) was two days before the Passover^(C2) and the Festival^(C3) of Unleavened Bread.^(C4) The chief priests and the scribes^(C5) were looking for a cunning^(C6) way to arrest Jesus and kill him.^{(C7) 2} “Not during the festival,” they said, “so that there won’t be a riot among the people.”

The Anointing at Bethany

³ While^(C1) he was in Bethany^(C2) at the house of Simon the leper,^(F1)(C3) as he was reclining at the table,^(C4) a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured it on his head.^{(C5) 4} But some were expressing indignation to one another: “Why has this perfume been wasted? ⁵ For this perfume might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii^(F1)(C1) and given to the poor.”^(C2) And they began to scold her.

⁶ Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a noble thing⁷ You always have the poor⁸ She has done what she could; she has anointed my body⁹ Truly I tell you,

¹⁰ Then^(C1) Judas Iscariot,^(C2) one of the Twelve,^(C3) went to the chief priests^(C4) to betray Jesus^(C5) to them. ¹¹ And when they heard this, they were glad and promised to give him money.^(C1) So he started looking for a good opportunity to betray^(C2) him.

Preparation for Passover

¹² On^(C1) the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrifice the Passover lamb,^(C2) his disciples^(C3) asked him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare the Passover so that you may eat it?”

¹³ So he sent two of his disciples and told them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him.¹⁴ Wherever he enters, tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher¹⁵ He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.”¹⁶ So the disciples^(C1) went out, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

Betrayal at the Passover

¹⁷ When^(C1) evening came, he arrived with the Twelve.^{(C2) 18} While they were reclining and eating, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.”

¹⁹ They began to be distressed and to say to him one by one, “Surely not I?”

²⁰ He said to them, “It is one of the Twelve—the one who is dipping bread in the bowl with me.²¹ For the Son of Man

The First Lord’s Supper

²² As^(C1) they were eating, he took bread,^(C2) blessed and broke^(C3) it, gave it to them,^(C4) and said, “Take it; this is my body.”²³ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks,^(C1) he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. ²⁴ He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant,²⁵ Truly I tell you,

²⁶ After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.^(C1)

Peter’s Denial Predicted

²⁷ Then^(C1) Jesus said to them, “All of you will fall away,

²⁸ But after I have risen,

²⁹ Peter^(C1) told him, “Even if everyone falls away, I will not.”

³⁰ “Truly I tell you,”

³¹ But he kept insisting, “If I have to die with you, I will never deny you.” And they all said the same thing.

The Prayer in the Garden

³² Then^(C1) they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he told his disciples,^(C2) “Sit here while I pray.”³³ He took Peter,^(C1) James,^(C2) and John^(C3) with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ³⁴ He said to them, “I am deeply grieved³⁵ He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour^(C1) might pass from him. ³⁶ And he said, “Abba,³⁷ Then he came and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Simon,³⁸ Stay awake and pray³⁹ Once again he went away and prayed, saying the same thing. ⁴⁰ And again he came and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open. They did not know what to say to him.^{(C1) 41} Then he came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The time has come. See, the Son of Man⁴² Get up;

Judas’s Betrayal of Jesus

⁴³ While^(C1) he was still speaking, Judas,^(C2) one of the Twelve,^(C3) suddenly arrived. With him was a mob, with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes,^(C4) and the elders.^{(C5) 44} His betrayer had given them a signal. “The one I kiss,” he said, “he’s the one; arrest him and take him away under guard.” ⁴⁵ So when he came, immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Rabbi!” ^(C1) and kissed him. ⁴⁶ They took hold of him and arrested him. ⁴⁷ One of those who stood by drew his sword, struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his ear.

⁴⁸ Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as if I were a criminal,⁴⁹ Every day I was among you, teaching in the temple,

⁵⁰ Then they all deserted him and ran away.^{(C1) 51} Now a certain young man, wearing nothing but a linen cloth, was following him. They caught hold of him, ⁵² but he left the linen cloth behind and ran away naked.^(C1)

Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin

⁵³ They^(C1) led Jesus away to the high priest,^(C2) and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes^(C3) assembled.^{(C4) 54} Peter^(C1) followed him at a distance, right into the high priest’s courtyard. He was sitting with the servants,^(F1)(C2) warming himself by the fire.

⁵⁵ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin^(C1) were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death,^(C2) but they could not find any. ⁵⁶ For many were giving false testimony^(C1) against him, and the testimonies did not agree. ⁵⁷ Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, stating, ⁵⁸ “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands,^(C1) and in three days I will build another not made by hands.’” ⁵⁹ Yet their testimony did not agree^(C1) even on this.

⁶⁰ Then the high priest stood up before them all and questioned Jesus, “Don’t you have an answer to what these men are testifying against you?” ⁶¹ But he kept silent and did not answer.^(C1) Again the high priest questioned him, “Are you the Messiah,^(C2) the Son^(C3) of the Blessed^(C4) One?”

⁶² “I am,”

⁶³ Then the high priest^(C1) tore his robes^(C2) and said, “Why do we still need witnesses?^{(C3) 64} You have heard the blasphemy.^(C1) What is your decision?” They all condemned him as deserving death.^(C2)

⁶⁵ Then some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to beat him, saying, “Prophesy!” ^(C1) The temple servants^(C2) also took him and slapped him.

Peter Denies His Lord

⁶⁶ While^(C1) Peter^(C2) was in the courtyard below, one of the high priest’s maidservants came. ⁶⁷ When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.”^(C1)

⁶⁸ But he denied it: “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about.” Then he went out to the entryway,^(F1) and a rooster crowed.^(F2)

⁶⁹ When the maidservant saw him again, she began to tell those standing nearby, “This man is one of them.”

⁷⁰ But again he denied it. After a little while those standing there said to Peter again, “You certainly are one of them, since you’re also a Galilean.”^(F1)(C1)

⁷¹ Then he started to curse and swear,^(C1) “I don’t know this man you’re talking about!”

⁷² Immediately a rooster crowed a second time,^(C1) and Peter remembered when Jesus had spoken the word to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”