The Gospel of Matthew 26
26
Preparations for Jesus’ death
1So this is how it finally happened.
When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, 2“In two days’ time, as you know, it’ll be Passover! That’s when the son of man will be handed over to be crucified.”
3Then the chief priests got together with the elders of the people, in the official residence of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas. 4They plotted how to capture Jesus by some trick, and kill him.
5“We’d better not try anything at the feast,” they said. “We don’t want the people to riot.”
6While Jesus was at Bethany, in the house of Simon (known as “the Leper”), 7a woman came to him who had an alabaster vase of extremely valuable ointment. She poured it on his head as he was reclining at the table.
8When the disciples saw it, they were furious.
“What’s the point of all this waste?” they said. 9“This could have been sold for a fortune, and the money could have been given to the poor!”
10Jesus knew what they were thinking.
“Why make life difficult for the woman?” he said. “It’s a lovely thing, what she’s done for me. 11You always have the poor with you, don’t you? But you won’t always have me. 12When she poured this ointment on my body, you see, she did it to prepare me for my burial. 13I’m telling you the truth: wherever this gospel is announced in all the world, what she has just done will be told, and people will remember her.”
Passover and betrayal
14Then one of the Twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests.
15“What will you give me,” he said, “to hand him over to you?”
They settled the deal with him at thirty pieces of silver. 16From that moment on, he was watching for an opportunity to hand him over.
17On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples said to Jesus, “Where do you want us to get the Passover ready for you to eat it?”
18“Go into the city,” he said, “to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The teacher says, “My time is very close. I’m going to keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.” ’ ”
19So the disciples did as Jesus had told them, and got the Passover ready.
20When evening came, he settled down with the Twelve. 21As they were eating, he said, “I’m telling you the truth: one of you will betray me.” 22They were extremely upset, and began to say one by one, “It’s not me, is it, Master?”
23“It’s one who’s dipped his hand with me in the dish,” Jesus replied. “That’s the one who will betray me. 24The son of man is on his way, as the Bible said it would happen, but it’s misery for the man who hands him over. It would be better for that man if he’d never been born.”
25At this, Judas, who was planning to betray him, said, “It isn’t me, is it, Teacher?”
“You’ve just said so,” he replied.
The Last Supper
26As they were eating, Jesus took some bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to the disciples.
“Take it and eat it,” he said, “this is my body.”
27Then he took a cup; and, after giving thanks, he gave it to them.
“Drink this, all of you,” he said. 28“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29But let me tell you this: I will not drink any more from this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom of my father.”
30They sang a hymn, and went out to the Mount of Olives.
31Then Jesus said to them, “You are all going to stumble and fall tonight because of me. This is what the Bible says, you see:
I shall strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.
32“But after I am raised up, I shall go on ahead of you to Galilee.”
33“Even if everyone else trips and falls,” said Peter in reply to him, “I’m never going to do that!”
34“I’m telling you the truth,” said Jesus to him, “this very night, before the cock has crowed, you will deny me three times.”
35“Even if I have to die with you,” said Peter to him, “I won’t ever deny you!”
And all the disciples said the same.
Gethsemane
36So Jesus went with them to the place called Gethsemane.
“You sit here,” he said to the disciples, “while I go over there and pray.”
37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him, and began to be very upset and distressed.
38“My soul is overwhelmed with grief,” he said, “even to death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
39Then, going a little further on, he fell on his face and prayed.
“My father,” he said, “if it’s possible—please, please let this cup go away from me! But . . . not what I want, but what you want.”
40He came back to the disciples and found them asleep.
“So,” he said to Peter, “couldn’t you keep watch with me for a single hour? 41Watch and pray so that you don’t get pulled down into the time of testing. The spirit is eager, but the body is weak.”
42Again, for the second time, he went off and said, “My father, if it’s not possible for this to pass unless I drink it, let your will be done.”
43Again he came and found them asleep; their eyes were heavy. 44Once more he left them and went away. He prayed for the third time, using the same words once again. 45Then he came back to the disciples.
“You can sleep now,” he said, “and have a good rest! Look—the time has come, and the son of man is given over into the hands of wicked people! 46Get up and let’s be going. Look! Here comes the one who’s going to betray me!”
Jesus is arrested
47While Jesus was still speaking, there was Judas, one of the Twelve. He had come with a large crowd, with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48The one who was intending to betray him gave them a sign: “The one I kiss—that’s him! Grab hold of him!”
49So he went up at once to Jesus and said “Greetings, Teacher!” and kissed him.
50“My friend,” said Jesus, “what have you come to do?”
Then they came and laid hands on Jesus, and arrested him.
51At that, one of the men with Jesus reached out his hand, drew his sword and hit the high priest’s slave, cutting off his ear.
52“Put your sword back where it belongs!” said Jesus to him. “People who use the sword die by the sword! 53Don’t you realize that I could call on my father and have him send me more than twelve legions of angels, just like that? 54But how then can the Bible come true when it says this has to happen?”
55At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you really come out with swords and sticks to arrest me, as if I were some kind of brigand? I sat there teaching in the Temple every day, and you didn’t lay hands on me! 56But all this has happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.”
Then all the disciples abandoned him and ran away.
Jesus before Caiaphas
57The people who had seized Jesus took him off to Caiaphas the high priest. The scribes and elders had already gathered at his house. 58Peter, however, followed him at some distance, all the way to the high priest’s residence. He went in and sat with the servants, to see how things would work out.
59The high priest and the whole council tried to produce false evidence against Jesus, to frame a capital charge and have him killed. 60But even though they brought in plenty of lying witnesses, they couldn’t find the evidence they wanted. Finally two people came forward 61and declared: “This fellow said, ‘I can destroy God’s Temple and build it again in three days!’ ”
62Then the high priest stood up.
“Aren’t you going to answer?” he said to him. “What are these people accusing you of?”
63But Jesus remained silent.
Then the high priest said to him, “I put you on oath before the living God: tell us if you are the Messiah, God’s son!”
64“You said the words,” replied Jesus. “But let me tell you this: from now on you will see ‘the son of man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.’ ”
65Then the high priest tore his robes. “He’s blasphemed!” he said. “Why do we need any more witnesses? Look—you’ve heard his blasphemy, here and now! 66What’s your verdict?”
“He deserves to die,” they answered.
67Then they spat in his face and hit him. Some of them slapped him, 68and said, “Prophesy for us, Mr. Messiah! Who was it who hit you?”
Peter’s denial
69Meanwhile, Peter sat outside in the courtyard.
One of the servant-girls came up to him.
“You were with Jesus the Galilean too, weren’t you?” she said.
70He denied it in front of everyone.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
71He went out to the gateway. Another girl saw him, and said to the people who were there, “This fellow was with Jesus the Nazarene!”
72Once more he denied it, this time swearing, “I don’t know the man!”
73After a little while the people standing around came up and said to Peter, “You really are one of them! Look—your accent makes it obvious!”
74Then he began to curse and swear, “I don’t know the man!” And then, all at once, the cock crowed.
75And Peter remembered.
He remembered the words Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.”
And he went outside and cried like a baby.
Currently Selected:
The Gospel of Matthew 26: NTFE
Highlight
Copy
Compare
Share
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
a. The New Testament for Everyone, Third Edition. Copyright © 2011, 2018, 2019 by
Nicholas Thomas Wright, The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. All rights reserved. Published by Zondervan, 2023.
Learn More About The New Testament for Everyone
