Matthew 26:1-25

After Jesus had completed his teachings, he said to his disciples, “You know that the Feast of the Passover begins in two more days. That’s when the Son of Man will be betrayed and handed over to be crucified.” Meanwhile, the prominent priests and religious leaders of the nation were gathered in the palace of Caiaphas the high priest. That’s when they made their decision to secretly have Jesus captured and killed. But they all agreed, “We can’t do this during the Passover celebrations or we could have a riot on our hands.” Then Jesus went to Bethany, to the home of Simon, a man Jesus had healed of leprosy. A woman came into the house, holding an alabaster flask filled with expensive, fragrant oil. She came right to Jesus, and in a lavish gesture of devotion, she poured out the costly oil, and it cascaded over his head as he was at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were offended. “What a total waste!” they grumbled. “We could have sold it for a great deal of money and given it to the poor.” Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Why are you critical of this woman? She has done a beautiful act of kindness. You will always have someone poor whom you can help, but you will not always have me. When she poured the fragrant oil over me, she was preparing my body for burial. I promise you that when this wonderful gospel spreads all over the world, the story of her lavish devotion to me will also be mentioned in memory of her.” One of the twelve apostles, Judas the locksmith, went to the leading priests and said, “How much are you willing to pay me to betray Jesus into your hands?” They agreed to pay him thirty silver coins. Immediately Judas began to scheme and look for an opportunity to betray him. On the first day of Passover, the day when all bread made with yeast was removed from every Jewish home, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where should we prepare the Passover meal for you?” He answered them, “My heart longs with great desire to eat this Passover meal with you. Go into Jerusalem and you will encounter a man. Tell him that the teacher says, ‘My appointed time is near. I am coming to your home to eat the Passover meal with my disciples.’ ” The disciples did as Jesus had instructed them, and they prepared the Passover meal. When evening came he took his place at the table and dined with the Twelve. While they were eating, Jesus spoke up and said, “One of you is about to betray me.” Feeling deeply hurt by these words, one after another asked him, “You don’t mean me, do you?” He answered, “It is one who has shared meals with me as an intimate friend. All that was prophesied of me will take place, but how terrible it will be for the one who betrays the Son of Man. It would be far better for him if he had never been born!” Then finally, Judas the traitor spoke up and asked him, “Teacher, perhaps it is I?” Jesus answered, “You said it.”