Matthew 26
26
The Plot to Kill Jesus
1Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, 2#Matt. 27:35; Mark 14:1, 2; Luke 22:1, 2; John 13:1; 19:18“You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
3#Ps. 2:2; John 11:47; Acts 4:25Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4and #John 11:47; Acts 4:25–28plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. 5But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the #Matt. 21:26people.”
The Anointing at Bethany
6And when Jesus was in #Matt. 8:2; Mark 14:3–9; Luke 7:37–39; John 11:1, 2; 12:1–8Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, 7a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. 8#John 12:4But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”
10But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. 11#(Deut. 15:11; Mark 14:7); John 12:8For you have the poor with you always, but #(Matt. 18:20; 28:20; John 13:33; 14:19; 16:5, 28; 17:11)Me you do not have always. 12For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My #Matt. 27:60; Luke 23:53; John 19:38–42burial. 13Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
14#Mark 14:10, 11; Luke 22:3–6; John 13:2, 30Then one of the twelve, called #Matt. 10:4Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15and said, #Ex. 21:32; Zech. 11:12; Matt. 27:3“What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. 16So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.
Jesus Celebrates Passover with His Disciples
17#Ex. 12:6, 18–20Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”
18And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, #Luke 9:51; John 12:23; 13:1; 17:1“My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.” ’ ”
19So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.
20#Mark 14:17–21; Luke 22:14; John 13:21When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. 21Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will #Matt. 26:46; Mark 14:42; Luke 22:21–23; John 6:70, 71; 13:21betray Me.”
22And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?”
23He answered and said, #Ps. 41:9; Luke 22:21; John 13:18“He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. 24The Son of Man indeed goes just #Ps. 22; Dan. 9:26; Mark 9:12; Luke 24:25, 26, 46; Acts 17:2, 3; 26:22, 23; 1 Cor. 15:3as it is written of Him, but #Matt. 27:3–5; Luke 17:1; Acts 1:16–20woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! #John 17:12; Acts 1:25It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”
25Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?”
He said to him, “You have said it.”
Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper
26#Mark 14:22–25; Luke 22:17–20And as they were eating, #1 Cor. 11:23–25Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; #(1 Pet. 2:24)this is My body.”
27Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, #Mark 14:23“Drink from it, all of you. 28For #(Ex. 24:8; Lev. 17:11; Heb. 9:20)this is My blood #Jer. 31:31of the new covenant, which is shed #Matt. 20:28; (Rom. 5:15; Heb. 9:22)for many for the remission of sins. 29But #Mark 14:25; Luke 22:18I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on #Acts 10:41until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
30#Mark 14:26–31; Luke 22:31–34And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
31Then Jesus said to them, #Matt. 26:56; Mark 14:27; John 16:32“All of you will #(Matt. 11:6)be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written:
#Zech. 13:7‘I will strike the Shepherd,
And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
32But after I have been raised, #Matt. 28:7, 10, 16; Mark 14:28; 16:7; John 21:1I will go before you to Galilee.”
33Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.”
34Jesus said to him, #Matt. 26:74, 75; Mark 14:30; Luke 22:34; John 13:38“Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
35Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!”
And so said all the disciples.
The Prayer in the Garden
36#Mark 14:32–35; Luke 22:39, 40; John 18:1Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” 37And He took with Him Peter and #Matt. 4:21; 17:1; Mark 5:37the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38Then He said to them, #John 12:27“My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”
39He went a little farther and fell on His face, and #Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42; (Heb. 5:7–9)prayed, saying, #John 12:27“O My Father, if it is possible, #Matt. 20:22let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, #Ps. 40:8; Is. 50:5; John 5:30; 6:38; Phil. 2:8not as I will, but as You will.”
40Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41#Mark 13:33; 14:38; Luke 22:40, 46; (Eph. 6:18)Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. #Ps. 103:14–16; (Rom. 7:15; 8:23; Gal. 5:17)The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.
44So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being #Matt. 17:22, 23; 20:18, 19betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”
Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane
47And #Mark 14:43–50; Luke 22:47–53; John 18:3–11; Acts 1:16while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people.
48Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.” 49Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” #2 Sam. 20:9; (Prov. 27:6)and kissed Him.
50But Jesus said to him, #Ps. 41:9; 55:13“Friend, why have you come?”
Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. 51And suddenly, #Mark 14:47; Luke 22:50; John 18:10one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.
52But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, #Gen. 9:6; Rev. 13:10for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with #2 Kin. 6:17; Dan. 7:10more than twelve legions of angels? 54How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, #Is. 50:6; 53:2–11; Luke 24:25–27, 44–46; John 19:28; Acts 13:29; 17:3; 26:23that it must happen thus?”
55In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. 56But all this was done that the #Lam. 4:20Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.”
Then #Zech. 13:7; Matt. 26:31; Mark 14:27; John 18:15all the disciples forsook Him and fled.
Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin
57#Matt. 17:22; Mark 14:53–65; Luke 22:54; John 18:12, 19–24And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. 58But #John 18:15, 16Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end.
59Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought #Ex. 20:16; Ps. 35:11false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, 60but found none. Even though #Ps. 27:12; 35:11; Mark 14:55; Acts 6:13many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last #Deut. 19:15two false witnesses came forward 61and said, “This fellow said, #Matt. 27:40; Mark 14:58; 15:29; John 2:19; Acts 6:14‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’ ”
62#Mark 14:60And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” 63But #Ps. 38:13, 14; Is. 53:7; Matt. 27:12, 14; Acts 8:32Jesus kept silent. And the high priest answered and said to Him, #Lev. 5:1; 1 Sam. 14:24, 26; Luke 22:67–71“I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!”
64Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, #Dan. 7:13; Matt. 16:27; 24:30; 25:31; Luke 21:27; (John 1:51; Rom. 14:10; 1 Thess. 4:16); Rev. 1:7hereafter you will see the Son of Man #Ps. 110:1; (Acts 7:55)sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65#2 Kin. 18:37Then the high priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has spoken blasphemy! What further need do we have of witnesses? Look, now you have heard His #John 10:30–36blasphemy! 66What do you think?”
They answered and said, #Lev. 24:16; Matt. 20:18; John 19:7“He is deserving of death.”
67#Job 16:10; Is. 50:6; 53:3; Lam. 3:30; Matt. 27:30Then they spat in His face and beat Him; and #Mic. 5:1; Luke 22:63–65; John 19:3others struck Him with the palms of their hands, 68saying, #Mark 14:65; Luke 22:64“Prophesy to us, Christ! Who is the one who struck You?”
Peter Denies Jesus, and Weeps Bitterly
69#Mark 14:66–72; Luke 22:55–62; John 18:16–18, 25–27Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”
70But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”
71And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”
73And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your #Mark 14:70; Luke 22:59; John 18:26speech betrays you.”
74Then #Matt. 26:34; Mark 14:71; Luke 22:34; John 13:38he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!”
Immediately a rooster crowed. 75And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, #Matt. 26:34; Luke 22:61; John 13:38“Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly.
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Matthew 26: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Matthew 26
26
The Jewish Leaders Plan to Kill Jesus
(Mk. 14:1–2; Lk. 22:1–2; Jn. 11:45–53)
1After Jesus finished saying all these things, he said to his followers, 2“You know that the day after tomorrow is Passover. On that day the Son of Man will be handed over to his enemies to be killed on a cross.”
3Then the leading priests and the older Jewish leaders had a meeting at the palace where the high priest lived. The high priest’s name was Caiaphas. 4In the meeting they tried to find a way to arrest and kill Jesus without anyone knowing what they were doing. They planned to arrest Jesus and kill him. 5They said, “We cannot arrest Jesus during Passover. We don’t want the people to become angry and cause a riot.”
A Woman Does Something Special
(Mk. 14:3–9; Jn. 12:1–8)
6Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper. 7While he was there, a woman came to him. She had an alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. She poured the perfume on Jesus’ head while he was eating.
8The followers saw the woman do this and were upset at her. They said, “Why waste that perfume? 9It could be sold for a lot of money, and the money could be given to those who are poor.”
10But Jesus knew what happened. He said, “Why are you bothering this woman? She did a very good thing for me. 11You will always have the poor with you.#26:11 You will … with you See Deut. 15:11. But you will not always have me. 12This woman poured perfume on my body. She did this to prepare me for burial after I die. 13The Good News will be told to people all over the world. And I can assure you that everywhere the Good News is told, the story of what this woman did will also be told, and people will remember her.”
Judas Agrees to Help Jesus’ Enemies
(Mk. 14:10–11; Lk. 22:3–6)
14Then one of the twelve followers went to talk to the leading priests. This was the follower named Judas Iscariot. 15He said, “I will hand Jesus over to you. What will you pay me for doing this?” The priests gave him 30 silver coins. 16After that Judas waited for the best time to hand Jesus over to them.
The Passover Meal
(Mk. 14:12–21; Lk. 22:7–14, 21–23; Jn. 13:21–30)
17On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the followers came to Jesus. They said, “We will prepare everything for you to eat the Passover meal. Where do you want us to have the meal?”
18Jesus answered, “Go into the city. Go to a man I know. Tell him that the Teacher says, ‘The chosen time is near. I will have the Passover meal with my followers at your house.’” 19They obeyed and did what Jesus told them to do. They prepared the Passover meal.
20In the evening Jesus was at the table with the twelve followers. 21They were all eating. Then Jesus said, “Believe me when I say that one of you twelve here will hand me over to my enemies.”
22The followers were very sad to hear this. Each one said, “Lord, surely I am not the one!”
23Jesus answered, “One who has dipped his bread in the same bowl with me will be the one to hand me over. 24The Son of Man will suffer what the Scriptures say will happen to him. But it will be very bad for the one who hands over the Son of Man to be killed. It would be better for him if he had never been born.”
25Then Judas, the very one who would hand him over, said to Jesus, “Teacher, surely I am not the one you are talking about, am I?”
Jesus answered, “Yes, it is you.”
The Lord’s Supper
(Mk. 14:22–26; Lk. 22:15–20; 1 Cor. 11:23–25)
26While they were eating, Jesus took some bread and thanked God for it. He broke off some pieces, gave them to his followers and said, “Take this bread and eat it. It is my body.”
27Then he took a cup of wine, thanked God for it, and gave it to them. He said, “Each one of you drink some of it. 28This wine is my blood, which will be poured out to forgive the sins of many and begin the new agreement from God to his people. 29I want you to know, I will not drink this wine again until that day when we are together in my Father’s kingdom and the wine is new. Then I will drink it again with you.”
30They all sang a song and then went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus Says His Followers Will Leave Him
(Mk. 14:27–31; Lk. 22:31–34; Jn. 13:36–38)
31Jesus told the followers, “Tonight you will all lose your faith in me. The Scriptures say,
‘I will kill the shepherd,
and the sheep will run away.’ Zechariah 13:7
32But after I am killed, I will rise from death. Then I will go into Galilee. I will be there before you go there.”
33Peter answered, “All the other followers may lose their faith in you. But my faith will never be shaken.”
34Jesus answered, “The truth is, tonight you will say you don’t know me. You will deny me three times before the rooster crows.”
35But Peter answered, “I will never say I don’t know you! I will even die with you!” And all the other followers said the same thing.
Jesus Prays Alone
(Mk. 14:32–42; Lk. 22:39–46)
36Then Jesus went with his followers to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, “Sit here while I go there and pray.” 37He told Peter and the two sons of Zebedee to come with him. Then he began to be very sad and troubled. 38Jesus said to Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, “My heart is so heavy with grief, I feel as if I am dying. Wait here and stay awake with me.”
39Then Jesus went on a little farther away from them. He fell to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, don’t make me drink from this cup.#26:39 cup A symbol of suffering. Jesus used the idea of drinking from a cup to mean accepting the suffering he would face in the terrible events that were soon to come. But do what you want, not what I want.” 40Then he went back to his followers and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Could you men not stay awake with me for one hour? 41Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. Your spirit wants to do what is right, but your body is weak.”
42Then Jesus went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if I must do this#26:42 do this Literally, “drink this,” referring to the “cup,” the symbol of suffering in verse 39. and it is not possible for me to escape it, then I pray that what you want will be done.”
43Then he went back to the followers. Again he found them sleeping. They could not stay awake. 44So he left them and went away one more time and prayed. This third time he prayed, he said the same thing.
45Then Jesus went back to the followers and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to the control of sinful men. 46Stand up! We must go. Here comes the one who will hand me over.”
Jesus Is Arrested
(Mk. 14:43–50; Lk. 22:47–53; Jn. 18:3–12)
47While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve apostles came there. He had a big crowd of people with him, all carrying swords and clubs. They had been sent from the leading priests and the older leaders of the people. 48Judas#26:48 Judas Literally, “the one who handed him over.” planned to do something to show them which one was Jesus. He said, “The one I kiss will be Jesus. Arrest him.” 49So he went to Jesus and said, “Hello, Teacher!” Then Judas kissed him.
50Jesus answered, “Friend, do the thing you came to do.”
Then the men came and grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51When that happened, one of the followers with Jesus grabbed his sword and pulled it out. He swung it at the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
52Jesus said to the man, “Put your sword back in its place. People who use swords will be killed with swords. 53Surely you know I could ask my Father and he would give me more than twelve armies of angels. 54But it must happen this way to show the truth of what the Scriptures said.”
55Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Why do you come to get me with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal. Every day I sat in the Temple area teaching. You did not arrest me there. 56But all these things have happened to show the full meaning of what the prophets wrote.” Then all of Jesus’ followers left him and ran away.
Jesus Before the Jewish Leaders
(Mk. 14:53–65; Lk. 22:54–55, 63–71; Jn. 18:13–14, 19–24)
57The men who arrested Jesus led him to the house of Caiaphas the high priest. The teachers of the law and the older Jewish leaders were gathered there. 58Peter followed Jesus but stayed back at a distance. He followed him to the yard of the high priest’s house. Peter went in and sat with the guards. He wanted to see what would happen to Jesus.
59The leading priests and the high council tried to find something against Jesus so that they could kill him. They tried to find people to lie and say that Jesus had done wrong. 60Many people came and told lies about him. But the council could find no real reason to kill him. Then two people came 61and said, “This man#26:61 This man That is, Jesus. His enemies avoided saying his name. said, ‘I can destroy the Temple of God and build it again in three days.’”
62Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Don’t you have anything to say about these charges against you? Are they telling the truth?” 63But Jesus said nothing.
Again the high priest said to Jesus, “You are now under oath. I command you by the power of the living God to tell us the truth. Tell us, are you the Messiah, the Son of God?”
64Jesus answered, “Yes, that’s right. But I tell you, in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right side of God. And you will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65When the high priest heard this, he tore his clothes in anger. He said, “This man has said things that insult God! We don’t need any more witnesses. You all heard his insulting words. 66What do you think?”
The Jewish leaders answered, “He is guilty, and he must die.”
67Then some there spit in Jesus’ face, and they hit him with their fists. Others slapped him. 68They said, “Show us that you are a prophet,#26:68 prophet A prophet often knows things that are hidden to other people. Messiah! Tell us who hit you!”
Peter Is Afraid to Say He Knows Jesus
(Mk. 14:66–72; Lk. 22:56–62; Jn. 18:15–18, 25–27)
69While Peter was sitting outside in the yard, a servant girl came up to him. She said, “You were with Jesus, that man from Galilee.”
70But Peter told everyone there that this was not true. “I don’t know what you are talking about,” he said.
71Then he left the yard. At the gate another girl saw him and said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72Again, Peter said he was never with Jesus. He said, “I swear to God I don’t know the man!”
73A short time later those standing there went to Peter and said, “We know you are one of them. It’s clear from the way you talk.”
74Then Peter began to curse. He said, “I swear to God, I don’t know the man!” As soon as he said this, a rooster crowed. 75Then he remembered what Jesus had told him: “Before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Then Peter went outside and cried bitterly.
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