Mark 14:1-31

The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away. The chief priests and the teachers of the law were plotting to arrest Jesus secretly. They wanted to kill him. “But not during the feast,” they said. “The people may stir up trouble.” Jesus was in Bethany. He was at the table in the home of Simon, who had a skin disease. A woman came with a special sealed jar. It contained very expensive perfume made out of pure nard. She broke the jar open and poured the perfume on Jesus’ head. Some of the people there became angry. They said to one another, “Why waste this perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s pay. The money could have been given to poor people.” So they found fault with the woman. “Leave her alone,” Jesus said. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. You will always have poor people with you. You can help them any time you want to. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body to prepare me to be buried. What I’m about to tell you is true. What she has done will be told anywhere the good news is preached all over the world. It will be told in memory of her.” Judas Iscariot was one of the 12 disciples. He went to the chief priests to hand Jesus over to them. They were delighted to hear that he would do this. They promised to give Judas money. So he watched for the right time to hand Jesus over to them. It was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. That was the time to sacrifice the Passover lamb. Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover meal?” So he sent out two of his disciples. He told them, “Go into the city. A man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. He will enter a house. Say to its owner, ‘The Teacher asks, “Where is my guest room? Where can I eat the Passover meal with my disciples?” ’ He will show you a large upstairs room. It will have furniture and will be ready. Prepare for us to eat there.” The disciples left and went into the city. They found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover meal. When evening came, Jesus arrived with the 12 disciples. While they were at the table eating, Jesus said, “What I’m about to tell you is true. One of you who is eating with me will hand me over to my enemies.” The disciples became sad. One by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?” “It is one of you,” Jesus replied. “It is the one who dips bread into the bowl with me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But how terrible it will be for the one who hands over the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” While they were eating, Jesus took bread. He gave thanks and broke it. He handed it to his disciples and said, “Take it. This is my body.” Then he took a cup. He gave thanks and handed it to them. All of them drank from it. “This is my blood of the covenant,” he said to them. “It is poured out for many. What I’m about to tell you is true. I won’t drink wine with you again until the day I drink it in God’s kingdom.” Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives. “You will all turn away,” Jesus told the disciples. “It is written, “ ‘I will strike the shepherd down. Then the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I rise from the dead, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter said, “All the others may turn away. But I will not.” “What I’m about to tell you is true,” Jesus answered. “It will happen today, in fact tonight. Before the rooster crows twice, you yourself will say three times that you don’t know me.” But Peter would not give in. He said, “I may have to die with you. But I will never say I don’t know you.” And all the others said the same thing.