Matthew 26:1-46

When Jesus had finished teaching, he told his disciples, “You know two days from now will be Passover. This is when the Son of Man will be handed over to his enemies and nailed to a cross.” At that time the chief priests and the nation's leaders were meeting at the home of Caiaphas the high priest. They planned how they could sneak around and have Jesus arrested and put to death. But they said, “We must not do it during Passover, because the people will riot.” Jesus was in the town of Bethany, eating at the home of Simon, who had leprosy. A woman came in with a bottle of expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus' head. But when his disciples saw this, they became angry and complained, “Why such a waste? We could have sold this perfume for a lot of money and given it to the poor.” Jesus knew what they were thinking, and he said: Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me. You will always have the poor with you, but you won't always have me. She has poured perfume on my body to prepare it for burial. You 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 Iscariot was one of the twelve disciples. He went to the chief priests and asked, “How much will you give me if I help you arrest Jesus?” They paid Judas 30 silver coins, and from then on he started looking for a good chance to betray Jesus. On 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?” Jesus 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.’ ” They did as Jesus told them and prepared the meal. When Jesus was eating with his twelve disciples that evening, he said, “One of you will surely hand me over to my enemies.” The disciples were very sad, and each one said to Jesus, “Lord, you can't mean me!” He answered, “One of you men who has eaten with me from this dish will betray me. The 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.” Judas said, “Teacher, you surely don't mean me!” “That's what you say!” Jesus replied. But later, Judas did betray him. During 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.” Jesus 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. This 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. From now on I am not going to drink any wine, until I drink new wine with you in my Father's kingdom.” Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives. Jesus said to his disciples, “During this very night, all of you will reject me, as the Scriptures say, ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I am raised to life, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” Peter spoke up, “Even if all the others reject you, I never will!” Jesus replied, “I promise you before a rooster crows tonight, you will say three times that you don't know me.” But 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 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.” Jesus took along Peter and the two brothers, James and John. He was very sad and troubled, and he said to them, “I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me.” Jesus 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 drinking from this cup. But do what you want, and not what I want.” He 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? Stay awake and pray that you won't be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak.” Again 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.” Jesus came back and found them sleeping again. They simply could not keep their eyes open. He left them and prayed the same prayer once more. Finally, Jesus returned to his disciples and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners. Get up! Let's go. The one who will betray me is already here.”