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The Execution Plan

¹ Two days before the Passover and the Feast of the Flatbread, the bigwig preachers and religious lawmakers were trying to figure out a way to have Jesus killed. They all agreed that they would have to do it before the feast, and ² before the special Passover celebration, because they didn't want the people to riot.

The Perfume

³ While Jesus was staying in Bethany at the house of a fellow named Simon (who had a terrible skin disease), he relaxed at the table. A woman came by the house and had a small, but extremely expensive jar of aromatic oil. She opened it and poured the whole thing on Jesus's head (this was a great honor she was trying to give him).

⁴ But some of the people who were there took offense at the gesture. They said, "Why waste such an expensive gift on one person? ⁵ That could have been sold for three hundred silver pieces and the money could have taken care of many poor people!" Then they all started giving the woman a hard time and scolding her.

⁶ But Jesus shut them up right quick. "Y'all leave her alone. She hasn't done anything to you, but she has done something extremely nice for me. ⁷ You will always have the poor to help, but you will not always have me around. She tried to do something special for me and I appreciate it. ⁸ She has prepared my body for burial before I'm even dead. ⁹ When my story is told, when the good news is preached all over the world, the story of what she did here today will be told in honor of what she did."

¹⁰ While this was going on, Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus's cowboys, rode off to meet with the bigwig preachers and religious lawmakers for the sole purpose of double-crossing his boss. ¹¹ The scoundrels he talked to were tickled pink at the information Judas gave them about Jesus and they promised to reward him handsomely. They all concocted a plan to betray and capture Jesus.

The Flatbread Feast

¹² On the first day of the Flatbread Feast is when the Passover lamb is sacrificed. Jesus's cowboys asked him where he wanted to eat the Passover meal. ¹³ He sent a couple of his cowboys to the city and ¹⁴ said, "When you get into town, you'll see a man carrying a canteen. Follow him. When he goes into a house, knock on the door and tell the owner, 'The Boss asks, "Which room shall I stay in and eat the Passover meal with my cowboys?"' ¹⁵ He will immediately take you upstairs to a large furnished room. Get everything started and the rest of us will be along shortly."

¹⁶ The cowboys rode off and found everything just like Jesus said they would. After it happened just like he said it would, they went upstairs and started cooking. ¹⁷ When evening arrived, Jesus arrived at the house with the rest of his men, including Judas the Betrayer. ¹⁸ While they were eating, Jesus commented, "One of you eating here with me is a double-crosser."

¹⁹ You could have heard a pin drop and then one by one, each cowboy said, "It's not me, Boss!"

²⁰ Jesus had just sat a bowl down that he had passed around and everyone had dipped their bread into. He said, "The double-crosser has just dipped his hand in the same bowl as I did. ²¹ He will betray me because God said it would happen, but it would be better for the double-crossing cur dog if he'd never been born."

²² While they were eating, he took some bread, gave thanks to God for it, and shared pieces of it with all his cowboys.

After handing some to everyone, he said, "This bread is for y'all and it represents my body that I also give for y'all."

²³ He then took his cup, and after giving thanks to God for what was inside it, he shared a little with everyone else. They all drank it and he said, ²⁴ "This is my blood. My blood is the seal on God's new promise. A promise, by my blood that will be shed, for the many. ²⁵ I won't drink another drop of wine until the day when I drink it in my Daddy's place."

²⁶ They all gathered around and sang a few songs and then they struck a long trot for Olive Hill.

²⁹ Pete spoke up quickly and said, "All these boys may run off and leave you, but I won't."

³⁰ Jesus replied kindly, "Listen Pete. Today—actually, this very night—before the rooster crows in the morning, you will deny you even know me. Not just once, but three times."

³¹ Pete shook his head and argued, "Boss, even if I have to die with you, I would never say that I didn't know you."

All the other cowboys agreed and said the same thing.

Gethsemane

³² They all saddled up and rode off toward Gethsemane. When they got there, he told all the cowboys to wait there and pray. ³³ He motioned for Pete, James, and John to follow him. Jesus looked worse than they'd ever seen him and ³⁴ he told them, "I want y'all to stay here with me. I'm so full of dread that my heart feels like it's going to stop. Please keep me company. I need y'all right now, pards."

³⁵ Jesus went far enough as to be out of sight and fell down to his knees. He looked up to heaven and said, ³⁶ "Dad, you can find another way—can't you? It doesn't have to happen like this, does it? I sure don't want to drink from this cup of agony that sits before me."

After a moment's pause, he continued, "But you know what, Dad? It's not about what I want. It's about what you want."

³⁷ He got up and went back to where he'd left Pete, James, and John. They were all sound asleep. He woke Pete up and said, "Did you really fall asleep at a time like this? ³⁸ Keep a sharp lookout. Start praying so you will not be ambushed by any sinful temptations. I know you want to do what's right, but talk is cheap."

³⁹ Jesus went back to his prayer spot for a while and then returned only to find them all asleep again. ⁴⁰ They woke up and just kind of sat there, unsure what to say. They knew they had messed up again.

⁴¹ He went away again and came back a third time, only to find them asleep again. He got them up and said, "Y'all rested up now? Enough is enough. The time has come and here is the betrayer bringing the wolves into the sheep pen. ⁴² Get up, boys. It's time to go. Here comes the double-crossing cur dog now."

⁴³ Just as the words came out of Jesus's mouth, Judas arrived with a crowd of people. Among them were soldiers, religious lawmakers, and bigwig preachers. ⁴⁴ Judas had told them he would go up and kiss Jesus on the cheek. That way they would know who to grab.

⁴⁵ Judas sure enough walked right up to Jesus, just like they were good pards, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. ⁴⁶ The crowd rushed in and grabbed Jesus.

⁴⁷ Just then, one of Jesus's crew pulled out his castrating blade and took a swing at the main preacher's right-hand man, cutting off his ear.

⁴⁸ Jesus spoke above the calamity and said, "Am I some vicious outlaw that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn't you just take me while I taught in church? ⁴⁹ I was right there every day and all of you listened to me. But never mind, these things are happening because my Dad said they would."

⁵⁰ When they took Jesus away, all his cowboys hightailed it out of there, in fear for their lives. ⁵¹ One of the cowboys with Jesus was only dressed in overalls. When the mob tried to take him too, ⁵² he slipped out of the overalls that they had a hold of and ran away buck naked.

Jesus Stands before the Authorities

⁵³ They took Jesus to the main preacher's house where a bunch of the people who had plotted against him were gathered. ⁵⁴ Pete had circled around and followed them, but at a safe distance. He snuck into the yard and sat down with some of the night guard and warmed himself by the fire like nothing was going on.

⁵⁵ Inside the house, all the people who had the authority to make decisions were trying to find evidence of guilt so they could kill Jesus. ⁵⁶ Many people came and made false accusations against him, but they kept contradicting themselves with their testimonies and none of them could be used.

⁵⁷ Finally, a few men stood up and lied as they said, ⁵⁸ "We heard Jesus say he would destroy the main church and replace it three days later with one built by God himself." ⁵⁹ It sounded good, but they couldn't get their facts straight when questioned.

⁶⁰ The main preacher spoke up and asked Jesus, "What do you have to say about all of this? What do you have to say for yourself?"

⁶¹ Jesus stood there, silent and stoic. The preacher then asked, "Are you the Chosen One? Are you the Son of God himself?"

With words that held the power of God, ⁶² Jesus said, "I AM . . . and you all should know it. Soon, you will see me sitting at the right hand of God himself and riding on the clouds of heaven."

⁶³ That old preacher started frothing at the mouth when he heard Jesus say this. He said, "Why do we need anything more than the filth he just uttered out of his mouth?! ⁶⁴ You all heard his outright lies. What is your verdict?"

They all responded with a guilty verdict and sentenced him to death.

⁶⁵ People rushed Jesus and then spit on him. Others blindfolded him and then some took turns sucker punching him. They sneered and asked, "Hey prophet!? Who hit you? Tell us the truth of what you cannot see."

Then Jesus was led away, all the while people took turns punching and slapping him as he went.

Peter Denies He Rode with Jesus

⁶⁶ While all this was happening inside, Pete was by the fire trying to stay warm. ⁶⁷ One of the preacher's maids happened to walk by and she suddenly pointed at him and said, "I saw you riding with the one they call Jesus!"

⁶⁸ Pete looked around like he was shocked. "Who is Jesus? I don't have a clue what you're talking about." He started to walk away as he heard a rooster crow.

⁶⁹ The young girl followed him and began telling everyone around her, "He's one of Jesus's cowboys. I saw them riding together."

⁷⁰ Pete shook his head and denied everything.

Word spread through the crowd and many started saying, "You're definitely one of the men who rode with Jesus. You've got that Galilean cowboy look written all over you."

⁷¹ Then Pete let out a string of cuss words and he swore in front of everyone, "I do not know this man that y'all are accusing me of riding with. I've never even seen him!"

⁷² The words were no more out of his mouth when Pete heard a rooster crow for the second time. He remembered what Jesus said to him, "Before a rooster crows twice, you will say you don't know me three times."

Pete broke down and cried.