Matthew 26
26
The plot to kill Jesus
(Mark 14.1,2; Luke 22.1,2; John 11.45-53)
1When Jesus had finished teaching, he told his disciples, 2“You know that two days from now will be Passover. That is when the Son of Man will be handed over to his enemies and nailed to a cross.”#Ex 12.1-27.
3At that time the chief priests and the nation's leaders were meeting at the home of Caiaphas the high priest. 4They secretly planned to have Jesus arrested and put to death. 5But they said, “We must not do it during Passover, because the people will riot.”
At Bethany
(Mark 14.3-9; John 12.1-8)
6Jesus was in the town of Bethany, eating at the home of Simon, who had leprosy.#26.6 leprosy: See the note at 8.2. 7A woman came in with a bottle of expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus' head.#Lk 7.37,38. 8But when his disciples saw this, they became angry and complained, “Why such a waste? 9We could have sold this perfume for a lot of money and given it to the poor.”
10Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said:
Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me. 11You will always have the poor with you, but you won't always have me.#Dt 15.11. 12She has poured perfume on my body to prepare it for burial.#26.12 poured perfume on my body to prepare it for burial: The Jewish people taught that giving someone a proper burial was even more important than helping the poor. 13You may be sure that wherever the good news is told all over the world, people will remember what she has done. And they will tell others.
Judas and the chief priests
(Mark 14.10,11; Luke 22.3-6)
14Judas Iscariot#26.14 Iscariot: See the note at 10.4. was one of the twelve disciples. He went to the chief priests 15and asked, “How much will you give me if I help you arrest Jesus?” They paid Judas thirty silver coins,#Zec 11.12. 16and from then on he started looking for a good chance to betray Jesus.
Jesus eats the Passover meal with his disciples
(Mark 14.12-21; Luke 22.7-13; John 13.21-30)
17On the first day of the Festival of Thin Bread, Jesus' disciples came to him and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal?”
18Jesus told them to go to a certain man in the city and tell him, “Our teacher says, ‘My time has come! I want to eat the Passover meal with my disciples in your home.’ ” 19They did as Jesus told them and prepared the meal.
20-21When Jesus was eating with his twelve disciples that evening, he said, “One of you will hand me over to my enemies.”
22The disciples were very sad, and each one said to Jesus, “Lord, you can't mean me!”
23He answered, “One of you men who has eaten with me from this dish will betray me.#Ps 41.9. 24The Son of Man will die, as the Scriptures say. But it's going to be terrible for the one who betrays me! That man would be better off if he had never been born.”
25Judas said, “Teacher, surely you don't mean me!”
“That's what you say!” Jesus replied. But later, Judas did betray him.
The Lord's Supper
(Mark 14.22-26; Luke 22.14-23; 1 Corinthians 11.23-25)
26During the meal Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this and eat it. This is my body.”
27Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He then gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this and drink it. 28This is my blood, and with it God makes his agreement with you. It will be poured out, so that many people will have their sins forgiven.#Ex 24.8; Jr 31.31-34. 29From now on I am not going to drink any wine, until I drink new wine with you in my Father's kingdom.” 30Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
Peter's promise
(Mark 14.27-31; Luke 22.31-34; John 13.36-38)
31Jesus said to his disciples, “During this very night, all of you will reject me, as the Scriptures say,#Zec 13.7.
‘I will strike down
the shepherd,
and the sheep
will be scattered.’
32But after I am raised to life, I will go to Galilee ahead of you.”#Mt 28.16.
33Peter spoke up, “Even if all the others reject you, I never will!”
34Jesus replied, “I promise you that before a cock crows tonight, you will say three times that you don't know me.” 35But Peter said, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never say I don't know you.”
All the others said the same thing.
Jesus prays
(Mark 14.32-42; Luke 22.39-46)
36Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. When they got there, he told them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
37Jesus took along Peter and the two brothers, James and John.#26.37 the two brothers, James and John: The Greek text has “the two sons of Zebedee”. See 27.56. He was very sad and troubled, 38and he said to them, “I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me.”
39Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, don't make me suffer by making me drink from this cup.#26.39 making me drink from this cup: In the Scriptures “to drink from a cup” sometimes means to suffer. See the note at 20.22. But do what you want, and not what I want.”
40He came back and found his disciples sleeping. So he said to Peter, “Can't any of you stay awake with me for just one hour? 41Stay awake and pray that you won't be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak.”
42Again Jesus went to pray and said, “My Father, if there is no other way, and I must suffer, I will still do what you want.”
43Jesus came back and found them sleeping again. They simply could not keep their eyes open. 44He left them and prayed the same prayer once more.
45Finally, Jesus returned to his disciples and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting?#26.45 Are you still sleeping and resting?: Or “You may as well keep on sleeping and resting.” The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners. 46Get up! Let's go. The one who will betray me is already here.”
Jesus is arrested
(Mark 14.43-50; Luke 22.47-53; John 18.3-12)
47Jesus was still speaking, when Judas the betrayer came up. He was one of the twelve disciples, and a large mob armed with swords and clubs was with him. They had been sent by the chief priests and the nation's leaders. 48Judas had told them beforehand, “Arrest the man I greet with a kiss.”#26.48 the man I greet with a kiss: It was the custom for people to greet each other with a kiss on the cheek.
49Judas walked right up to Jesus and said, “Hello, teacher.” Then Judas kissed him.
50Jesus replied, “My friend, why are you here?”#26.50 why are you here?: Or “do what you came for.”
The men grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 51One of Jesus' followers pulled out a sword. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
52But Jesus told him, “Put your sword away. Anyone who lives by fighting will die by fighting. 53Don't you know that I could ask my Father, and straight away he would send me more than twelve armies of angels? 54But then, how could the words of the Scriptures come true, which say that this must happen?”
55Jesus said to the mob, “Why do you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like a criminal? Day after day I sat and taught in the temple, and you didn't arrest me.#Lk 19.47; 21.37. 56But all this happened, so that what the prophets wrote would come true.”
All Jesus' disciples left him and ran away.
Jesus is questioned by the council
(Mark 14.53-65; Luke 22.54,55,63-71; John 18.13,14,19-24)
57After Jesus had been arrested, he was led off to the house of Caiaphas the high priest. The nation's leaders and the teachers of the Law of Moses were meeting there. 58But Peter followed along at a distance and came to the courtyard of the high priest's palace. He went in and sat down with the guards to see what was going to happen.
59The chief priests and the whole council wanted to put Jesus to death. So they tried to find some people who would tell lies about him in court.#26.59 some people who would tell lies about him in court: The Law of Moses taught that two witnesses were necessary before a person could be put to death. See verse 60. 60But they could not find any, even though many did come and tell lies. At last, two men came forward 61and said, “This man claimed that he would tear down God's temple and build it again in three days.”#Jn 2.19.
62The high priest stood up and asked Jesus, “Why don't you say something in your own defence? Don't you hear the charges they are making against you?” 63But Jesus did not answer. So the high priest said, “With the living God looking on, you must tell the truth. Tell us, are you the Messiah, the Son of God?”#26.63 Son of God: One of the titles used for the kings of Israel.
64“That is what you say!” Jesus answered. “But I tell all of you,#Dn 7.13.
‘Soon you will see
the Son of Man
sitting at the right side#26.64 right side: See the note at 22.44.
of God All-Powerful
and coming on the clouds
of heaven.’ ”
65The high priest then tore his robe and said, “This man claims to be God! We don't need any more witnesses! You have heard what he said.#Lv 24.16. 66What do you think?”
They answered, “He is guilty and deserves to die!” 67Then they spat in his face and hit him with their fists. Others slapped him#Is 50.6. 68and said, “You think you are the Messiah! So tell us who hit you!”
Peter says he doesn't know Jesus
(Mark 14.66-72; Luke 22.56-62; John 18.15-18,25-27)
69While Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, a servant girl came up to him and said, “You were with Jesus from Galilee.”
70But in front of everyone Peter said, “That isn't so! I don't know what you are talking about!”
71When Peter had gone out to the gate, another servant girl saw him and said to some people there, “This man was with Jesus from Nazareth.”
72Again Peter denied it, and this time he swore, “I don't even know that man!”
73A little while later some people standing there walked over to Peter and said, “We know that you are one of them. We can tell it because you talk like someone from Galilee.”
74Peter began to curse and swear, “I don't know that man!”
At once a cock crowed, 75and Peter remembered that Jesus had said, “Before a cock crows, you will say three times that you don't know me.” Then Peter went out and cried hard.
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Matthew 26: CEVUK
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012
Matthew 26
26
The Plot against Jesus
(Mk 14.1–2; Lk 22.1–2; Jn 11.45–53)
1When Jesus had finished teaching all these things, he said to his disciples, 2#Ex 12.1–27“In two days, as you know, it will be the Passover Festival, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
3Then the chief priests and the elders met together in the palace of Caiaphas, the High Priest, 4and made plans to arrest Jesus secretly and put him to death. 5“We must not do it during the festival,” they said, “or the people will riot.”
Jesus is Anointed at Bethany
(Mk 14.3–9; Jn 12.1–8)
6Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon, a man who had suffered from a dreaded skin disease. 7#Lk 7.37–38While Jesus was eating, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar filled with an expensive perfume, which she poured on his head. 8The disciples saw this and became angry. “Why all this waste?” they asked. 9“This perfume could have been sold for a large amount and the money given to the poor!”
10Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? It is a fine and beautiful thing that she has done for me. 11#Deut 15.11You will always have poor people with you, but you will not always have me. 12What she did was to pour this perfume on my body to get me ready for burial. 13Now, I assure you that wherever this gospel is preached all over the world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
(Mk 14.10–11; Lk 22.3–6)
14Then one of the twelve disciples — the one named Judas Iscariot — went to the chief priests 15#Zech 11.12and asked, “What will you give me if I betray Jesus to you?” They counted out thirty silver coins and gave them to him. 16From then on Judas was looking for a good chance to hand Jesus over to them.
Jesus Eats the Passover Meal with his Disciples
(Mk 14.12–21; Lk 22.7–13, 21–23; Jn 13.21–30)
17On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, “Where do you want us to get the Passover meal ready for you?”
18 “Go to a certain man in the city,” he said to them, “and tell him: ‘The Teacher says, My hour has come; my disciples and I will celebrate the Passover at your house.’ ”
19The disciples did as Jesus had told them and prepared the Passover meal.
20When it was evening, Jesus and the twelve disciples sat down to eat. 21During the meal Jesus said, “I tell you, one of you will betray me.”
22The disciples were very upset and began to ask him, one after the other, “Surely, Lord, you don't mean me?”
23 #
Ps 41.9
Jesus answered, “One who dips his bread in the dish with me will betray me. 24The Son of Man will die as the Scriptures say he will, but how terrible for that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would have been better for that man if he had never been born!”
25Judas, the traitor, spoke up. “Surely, Teacher, you don't mean me?” he asked.
Jesus answered, “So you say.”
The Lord's Supper
(Mk 14.22–26; Lk 22.14–20; 1 Cor 11.23–25)
26While they were eating, Jesus took a piece of bread, gave a prayer of thanks, broke it, and gave it to his disciples. “Take and eat it,” he said; “this is my body.”
27Then he took a cup, gave thanks to God, and gave it to them. “Drink it, all of you,” he said; 28#Ex 24.8; Jer 31.31–34“this is my blood, which seals God's covenant, my blood poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29I tell you, I will never again drink this wine until the day I drink the new wine with you in my Father's Kingdom.”
30Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial
(Mk 14.27–31; Lk 22.31–34; Jn 13.36–38)
31 #
Zech 13.7
Then Jesus said to them, “This very night all of you will run away and leave me, for the scripture says, ‘God will kill the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32#Mt 28.16But after I am raised to life, I will go to Galilee ahead of you.”
33Peter spoke up and said to Jesus, “I will never leave you, even though all the rest do!”
34Jesus said to Peter, “I tell you that before the cock crows tonight, you will say three times that you do not know me.”
35Peter answered, “I will never say that, even if I have to die with you!”
And all the other disciples said the same thing.
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
(Mk 14.32–42; Lk 22.39–46)
36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee. Grief and anguish came over him, 38and he said to them, “The sorrow in my heart is so great that it almost crushes me. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39He went a little farther on, threw himself face downwards on the ground, and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, take this cup of suffering from me! Yet not what I want, but what you want.”
40Then he returned to the three disciples and found them asleep; and he said to Peter, “How is it that you three were not able to keep watch with me even for one hour? 41Keep watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42Once more Jesus went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cup of suffering cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43He returned once more and found the disciples asleep; they could not keep their eyes open.
44Again Jesus left them, went away, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45Then he returned to the disciples and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look! The hour has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to the power of sinners. 46Get up, let us go. Look, here is the man who is betraying me!”
The Arrest of Jesus
(Mk 14.43–50; Lk 22.47–53; Jn 18.3–12)
47Jesus was still speaking when Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs and sent by the chief priests and the elders. 48The traitor had given the crowd a signal: “The man I kiss is the one you want. Arrest him!”
49Judas went straight to Jesus and said, “Peace be with you, Teacher,” and kissed him.
50Jesus answered, “Be quick about it, friend!”#26.50 Be quick about it, friend!; or Why are you here, friend?
Then they came up, arrested Jesus, and held him tight. 51One of those who were with Jesus drew his sword and struck at the High Priest's slave, cutting off his ear. 52“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “All who take the sword will die by the sword. 53Don't you know that I could call on my Father for help, and at once he would send me more than twelve armies of angels? 54But in that case, how could the Scriptures come true which say that this is what must happen?”
55 #
Lk 19.47; 21.37 Then Jesus spoke to the crowd, “Did you have to come with swords and clubs to capture me, as though I were an outlaw? Every day I sat down and taught in the Temple, and you did not arrest me. 56But all this has happened in order to make what the prophets wrote in the Scriptures come true.”
Then all the disciples left him and ran away.
Jesus Before the Council
(Mk 14.53–65; Lk 22.54–55, 63–71; Jn 18.13–14, 19–24)
57Those who had arrested Jesus took him to the house of Caiaphas, the High Priest, where the teachers of the Law and the elders had gathered together. 58Peter followed from a distance, as far as the courtyard of the High Priest's house. He went into the courtyard and sat down with the guards to see how it would all come out. 59The chief priests and the whole Council tried to find some false evidence against Jesus to put him to death; 60but they could not find any, even though many people came forward and told lies about him. Finally two men stepped up 61#Jn 2.19and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to tear down God's Temple and three days later build it up again.’ ”
62The High Priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Have you no answer to give to this accusation against you?” 63But Jesus kept quiet. Again the High Priest spoke to him, “In the name of the living God I now put you on oath: tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
64 #
Dan 7.13
Jesus answered him, “So you say. But I tell all of you: from this time on you will see the Son of Man sitting on the right of the Almighty and coming on the clouds of heaven!”
65 #
Lev 24.16
At this the High Priest tore his clothes and said, “Blasphemy! We don't need any more witnesses! You have just heard his blasphemy! 66What do you think?”
They answered, “He is guilty and must die.”
67 #
Is 50.6
Then they spat in his face and beat him; and those who slapped him 68said, “Prophesy for us, Messiah! Guess who hit you!”
Peter Denies Jesus
(Mk 14.66–72; Lk 22.56–62; Jn 18.15–18, 25–27)
69Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard when one of the High Priest's servant women came to him and said, “You, too, were with Jesus of Galilee.”
70But he denied it in front of them all. “I don't know what you are talking about,” he answered, 71and went on out to the entrance of the courtyard. Another servant woman saw him and said to the men there, “He was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72Again Peter denied it and answered, “I swear that I don't know that man!”
73After a little while the men standing there came to Peter. “Of course you are one of them,” they said. “After all, the way you speak gives you away!”
74Then Peter said, “I swear that I am telling the truth! May God punish me if I am not! I do not know that man!”
Just then a cock crowed, 75and Peter remembered what Jesus had told him: “Before the cock crows, you will say three times that you do not know me.” He went out and wept bitterly.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.