Matthew 26:1-41 ▼

1 When Jesus finished saying all these things, he told his disciples,

2 |You know that the Passover will take place in two days. At that time the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.|

3 Then the chief priests and the leaders of the people gathered in the palace of the chief priest Caiaphas.

4 They made plans to arrest Jesus in an underhanded way and to kill him.

5 But they said, |We shouldn't arrest him during the festival, or else there may be a riot among the people.|

6 Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon, a man who had suffered from a skin disease.

7 While Jesus was sitting there, a woman went to him with a bottle of very expensive perfume and poured it on his head.

8 The disciples were irritated when they saw this. They asked, |Why did she waste it like this?

9 It could have been sold for a high price, and the money could have been given to the poor.|

10 Since Jesus knew what was going on, he said to them, |Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me.

11 You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me with you.

12 She poured this perfume on my body before it is placed in a tomb.

13 I can guarantee this truth: Wherever this Good News is spoken in the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.|

14 Then one of the twelve apostles, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests.

15 He asked, |What will you pay me if I hand him over to you?| They offered him 30 silver coins.

16 From then on, he looked for a chance to betray Jesus.

17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples went to Jesus. They asked, |Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?|

18 He said, |Go to a certain man in the city, and tell him that the teacher says, 'My time is near. I will celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.'|

19 The disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

20 When evening came, Jesus was at the table with the twelve apostles.

21 While they were eating, he said, |I can guarantee this truth: One of you is going to betray me.|

22 Feeling deeply hurt, they asked him one by one, |You don't mean me, do you, Lord?|

23 Jesus answered, |Someone who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me.

24 The Son of Man is going to die as the Scriptures say he will. But how horrible it will be for that person who betrays the Son of Man. It would have been better for that person if he had never been born.|

25 Then Judas, who betrayed him, asked, |You don't mean me, do you, Rabbi?| |Yes, I do,| Jesus replied.

26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it. He broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said, |Take this, and eat it. This is my body.|

27 Then he took a cup and spoke a prayer of thanksgiving. He gave it to them and said, |Drink from it, all of you.

28 This is my blood, the blood of the promise. It is poured out for many people so that sins are forgiven.

29 |I can guarantee that I won't drink this wine again until that day when I drink new wine with you in my Father's kingdom.|

30 After they sang a hymn, they went to the Mount of Olives.

31 Then Jesus said to them, |All of you will abandon me tonight. Scripture says, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep in the flock will be scattered.'

32 |But after I am brought back to life, I will go to Galilee ahead of you.|

33 Peter said to him, |Even if everyone else abandons you, I never will.|

34 Jesus replied to Peter, |I can guarantee this truth: Before a rooster crows tonight, you will say three times that you don't know me.|

35 Peter told him, |Even if I have to die with you, I'll never say that I don't know you!| All the other disciples said the same thing.

36 Then Jesus went with the disciples to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, |Stay here while I go over there and pray.|

37 He took Peter and Zebedee's two sons with him. He was beginning to feel deep anguish.

38 Then he said to them, |My anguish is so great that I feel as if I'm dying. Wait here, and stay awake with me.|

39 After walking a little farther, he quickly bowed with his face to the ground and prayed, |Father, if it's possible, let this cup [of suffering] be taken away from me. But let your will be done rather than mine.|

40 When he went back to the disciples, he found them asleep. He said to Peter, |Couldn't you stay awake with me for one hour?

41 Stay awake, and pray that you won't be tempted. You want to do what's right, but you're weak.|