Chapter 14

1Passover and the Festival of Bread Made Without Yeast were two days away. The senior priests and experts in Jewish law were looking for a way to arrest Jesus by trickery and kill him.

2They were saying, “We must not do it during the festival, or the people may riot.”

3Jesus was in Bethany, eating at the home of Simon, a man with a serious skin disease. A woman came carrying an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume made from pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume over Jesus’ head.

4Some people there became angry and said to one another, “Why waste this perfume?

5It could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii—almost a year’s pay—and the money given to poor people.” They scolded the woman harshly.

6But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you causing her trouble? She has done something beautiful for me.

7Jesus continued, “You will always have poor people among you, and you can help them whenever you want. But you will not always have me.

8She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body ahead of time to prepare it for burial.

9I tell you the truth: wherever the good news is announced throughout the world, people will also tell what she has done so that she is remembered.”

10Then Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, went to the senior priests to betray Jesus into their hands.

11They were delighted when they heard his offer and promised to pay him. Judas began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus.

12On the first day of the Festival of Bread Made Without Yeast, when people sacrificed the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?”

13Jesus sent two disciples and told them, “Go into Jerusalem. A man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him.

14Jesus continued, “Wherever he enters, tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks, “Where is my guest room, where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?”’

15The Teacher continued, “The owner will show you a large upstairs room, furnished and ready. Prepare the meal for us there.”

16The two disciples left and went into the city. They found everything just as Jesus had told them, and they prepared the Passover meal.

17When evening came, Jesus arrived with his twelve disciples.

18While they were at the table eating, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth: one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.”

19The disciples became deeply sad and asked him one after another, “Surely it is not me?”

20Jesus answered, “It is one of you twelve, someone dipping food into the bowl with me.

21Jesus continued, “The Son of Man will go to his death, just as the sacred writings say about him. But how terrible it will be for the person who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for that man if he had never been born.”

22While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing over it, broke it, and gave it to them. He said, “Take this. It is my body.”

23Then Jesus took a cup, thanked God, and gave it to them. They all drank from it.

24Jesus told them, “This is my blood of the covenant—God’s binding agreement with his people—poured out for many.

25Jesus continued, “I tell you the truth: I will not drink wine again until the day when I drink it in a new way in God’s kingdom, where God rules as king.”

26After they sang a song of praise to God, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

27Jesus told his disciples, “All of you will desert me, because God says in the sacred writings, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will scatter.’

28Jesus continued, “But after I am raised from death, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

29Peter said to him, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will not.”

30Jesus told him, “I tell you the truth: today—this very night—before a rooster crows twice, you will deny knowing me three times.”

31Peter insisted even more strongly, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny knowing you!” All the other disciples said the same thing.

32They came to a place called Gethsemane. Jesus told his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”

33He took Peter, James, and John with him. Jesus began to feel deeply alarmed and distressed.

34He told them, “I am overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch.”

35Jesus went a little farther, fell to the ground, and prayed that, if possible, this coming hour of suffering might pass him by.

36He said, “Abba—Father—everything is possible for you. Take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet do not do what I want, but what you want.”

37Jesus returned and found the three disciples sleeping. He said to Peter, “Simon Peter, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?

38Jesus continued, “Keep watch and pray so that you do not give in to temptation. Your inner will is eager, but your body is weak.”

39Jesus went away again and prayed the same words.

40When he returned, he again found the disciples sleeping because their eyes were heavy with sleep. They did not know what to say to him.

41Jesus returned a third time and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The time has come. The Son of Man is being handed over to people who reject God.

42Jesus continued, “Get up. Let us go. The one betraying me is almost here.”

43Immediately, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the senior priests, experts in Jewish law, and senior community leaders.

44Judas had given the crowd a signal. He had told them, “The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him and take him away under guard.”

45Judas went straight to Jesus and said, “Teacher!” Then he kissed him.

46The crowd grabbed Jesus and arrested him.

47But one of the people standing nearby drew his sword, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his ear.

48Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come with swords and clubs to capture me as though I were a bandit?

49Jesus continued, “Every day I was there with you, teaching in the temple grounds, and you did not arrest me. But the sacred writings must come true.”

50Then all Jesus’ disciples abandoned him and ran away.

51A young man had been following Jesus with only a linen cloth wrapped around his bare body. The crowd seized him,

52but he left the linen cloth behind and ran away naked.

53They took Jesus to the high priest. All the senior priests, senior community leaders, and experts in Jewish law gathered there.

54Peter followed Jesus from a distance and entered the high priest’s courtyard. He sat with the guards and warmed himself by the fire.

55The senior priests and the entire Jewish ruling council looked for evidence against Jesus so they could put him to death, but they found none.

56Many people made false statements against Jesus, but their statements did not agree.

57Some stood up and falsely accused Jesus.

58They said, “We heard him say, ‘I will tear down this temple made by human hands, and in three days I will build another one not made by human hands.’”

59Yet even then, their statements did not agree.

60The high priest stood in front of them and questioned Jesus: “Are you not going to answer? What do you say about the charges these men are making against you?”

61Jesus remained silent and said nothing. The high priest questioned him again: “Are you the Messiah, God’s promised king and Son?”

62Jesus said, “I am. All of you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the all-powerful God and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

63The high priest tore his clothes in outrage and said, “Why do we still need witnesses?

64The high priest continued, “You have heard his insult against God. What is your decision?” They all ruled that Jesus deserved to die.

65Some people began spitting on Jesus. They covered his face, struck him with their fists, and said, “Use your power as a prophet!” The guards took him and slapped him.

66While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the high priest’s servant girls came by.

67She saw Peter warming himself, looked closely at him, and said, “You were also with Jesus from Nazareth.”

68But Peter denied it. “I do not know or understand what you are talking about,” he said. He went outside into the entrance courtyard, and a rooster crowed.

69When the servant girl saw Peter there, she again began telling the people nearby, “This man is one of them.”

70Peter denied it again. A little later, the people standing nearby told him, “You certainly are one of them, because you are from Galilee.”

71Peter began calling a curse down on himself and swearing, “I do not know this man you are talking about!”

72Immediately, the rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered that Jesus had told him, “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny knowing me three times.” Peter broke down and wept.