Study Desk

^(C1)Now ^(C2)the Passover and Festival of Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes ^(C3)were seeking how to arrest Him covertly and kill Him;

for they were saying, "Not during the festival, otherwise there will be a riot of the people."

^(C1)While He was in ^(C2)Bethany at the home of Simon ^(F1)the Leper, He was reclining at the table, and a woman came with an alabaster vial of very ^(C3)expensive perfume of pure ^(F2)nard. She broke the vial and poured the perfume over His head.

But there were some indignantly remarking to one another, "Why has this perfume been wasted?

"For this perfume could have been sold for over three hundred ^(F1)denarii, and the money given to the poor." And they were scolding her.

But Jesus said, "Leave her alone! Why are you bothering her? She has done a good deed for Me.

"For you always have ^(C1)the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me.

"She has done what she could; ^(C1)she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.

"Truly I say to you, ^(C1)wherever the gospel is preached in the entire world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her."

^(C1)Then Judas Iscariot, ^(C2)who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to ^(F1)betray Him to them.

They were delighted when they heard this, and promised to give him money. And he began seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time.

^(C1)On the first day of ^(F1)(C2)Unleavened Bread, when ^(F2)the Passover lamb was being ^(C3)sacrificed, His disciples ^(*)said to Him, "Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?"

And He ^(*)sent two of His disciples and ^(*)said to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you; follow him;

and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is My ^(C1)guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'

"And he himself will show you a large upstairs room furnished and ready; prepare for us there."

The disciples left and came to the city, and found everything just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

^(C1)When it was evening He ^(*)came with the twelve.

And as they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, "Truly I say to you that one of you will ^(F1)betray Me—^(F2)one who is eating with Me."

They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, "Surely not I?"

But He said to them, "It is one of the twelve, the one who dips bread with Me in the bowl.

"For the Son of Man is going away just as it is written about Him; but woe to that man ^(F1)by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good ^(F2)for that man if he had not been born."

^(C1)While they were eating, He took some bread, and ^(F1)after a ^(C2)blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is My body."

And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

And He said to them, "This is My ^(C1)blood of the ^(C2)covenant, which is being poured out for many.

"Truly I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine again, until that day when I drink it, new, in the kingdom of God."

^(C1)And after singing a ^(F1)hymn, they went out to ^(C2)the Mount of Olives.

^(C1)And Jesus ^(*)said to them, "You will all ^(F1)fall away, because it is written: '^(C2)I WILL STRIKE THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP WILL BE SCATTERED.'

"But after I am raised, ^(C1)I will go ahead of you to Galilee."

But Peter said to Him, "Even if they all ^(F1)fall away, yet I will not!"

And Jesus ^(*)said to him, "Truly I say to you, that ^(F1)(C1)this very night, before ^(C2)a rooster crows twice, you yourself will deny Me three times."

But ^(F1)Peter repeatedly said insistently, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And they all were saying the same thing as well.