Matthew 26:1-46

After Jesus finished saying all these things, he told his followers, “You know that the day after tomorrow is the day of the Passover Feast. On that day the Son of Man will be given to his enemies to be killed on a cross.” Then the leading priests and the Jewish elders had a meeting at the palace of the high priest. The high priest’s name was Caiaphas. At the meeting, they planned to set a trap to arrest Jesus and kill him. But they said, “We must not do it during the feast. The people might cause a riot.” Jesus was in Bethany. He was at the house of Simon, who had a harmful skin disease. While Jesus was there, a woman came to him. She had an alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. She poured this perfume on Jesus’ head while he was eating. His followers saw the woman do this and were upset. They asked, “Why waste that perfume? It could be sold for a great deal of money, and the money could be given to the poor.” But Jesus knew what happened. He said, “Why are you troubling this woman? She did a very beautiful thing for me. You will always have the poor with you. But you will not always have me. This woman poured perfume on my body to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth. The Good News will be told to people in all the world. And in every place where it is preached, what this woman has done will be told. And people will remember her.” Then 1 of the 12 followers went to talk to the leading priests. This was the follower named Judas Iscariot. He said, “I will give Jesus to you. What will you pay me for doing this?” The priests gave Judas 30 silver coins. After that, Judas waited for the best time to give Jesus to the priests. On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the followers came to Jesus. They said, “We will prepare everything for you to eat the Passover Feast. Where do you want to have the feast?” Jesus answered, “Go into the city to a certain man. Tell him that the Teacher says, ‘The chosen time is near. I will have the Passover Feast with my followers at your house.’” The followers did what Jesus told them to do, and they prepared the Passover Feast. In the evening Jesus was sitting at the table with his 12 followers. They were all eating. Then Jesus said, “I tell you the truth. One of you 12 will turn against me.” This made the followers very sad. Each one said to Jesus, “Surely, Lord, I am not the one who will turn against you. Am I?” Jesus answered, “The man who has dipped his hand with me into the bowl is the one who will turn against me. The Son of Man will die. The Scriptures say this will happen. But how terrible it will be for the person who gives the Son of Man to be killed. It would be better for him if he had never been born.” Then Judas said to Jesus, “Teacher, surely I am not the one. Am I?” (Judas is the one who would give Jesus to his enemies.) Jesus answered, “Yes, it is you.” While they were eating, Jesus took some bread. He thanked God for it and broke it. Then he gave it to his followers and said, “Take this bread and eat it. This bread is my body.” Then Jesus took a cup. He thanked God for it and gave it to the followers. He said, “Every one of you drink this. This is my blood which begins the new agreement that God makes with his people. This blood is poured out for many to forgive their sins. I tell you this: I will not drink of this fruit of the vine again until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” They sang a hymn. Then they went out to the Mount of Olives. Jesus told the followers, “Tonight you will lose your faith because of me. It is written in the Scriptures: ‘I will kill the shepherd, and the sheep will scatter.’ Zechariah 13:7 But after I rise from death, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter said, “All the other followers may lose their faith because of you. But I will never lose my faith.” Jesus said, “I tell you the truth. Tonight you will say you don’t know me. You will say this three times before the rooster crows.” But Peter said, “I will never say that I don’t know you! I will even die with you!” And all the other followers said the same thing. Then Jesus went with his followers to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He told Peter and the two sons of Zebedee to come with him. Then Jesus began to be very sad and troubled. He said to Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, “My heart is full of sorrow and breaking with sadness. Stay here with me and watch.” Then Jesus walked a little farther away from them. He fell to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, do not give me this cup of suffering. But do what you want, not what I want.” Then Jesus went back to his followers and found them asleep. Jesus said to Peter, “You men could not stay awake with me for one hour? Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. Your spirit wants to do what is right. But your body is weak.” Then Jesus went away a second time. He prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this painful thing to be taken from me, and if I must do it, then I pray that what you want will be done.” Then Jesus went back to the followers. Again he found them asleep, because their eyes were heavy. So Jesus left them and went away one more time and prayed. This third time he prayed, he said the same thing. Then Jesus went back to the followers and said, “You are still sleeping and resting? The time has come for the Son of Man to be given to sinful people. Get up. We must go. Here comes the man who has turned against me.”