1It was now two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for a sneaky way to arrest Jesus and kill him.
2They said, “Not during the festival, or the people might riot.”
3While Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, who had had leprosy, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive pure nard perfume. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on Jesus’ head as he was eating.
4But some of those present were upset and said to one another, “Why was this perfume wasted?
5It could have been sold for more than three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor.” And they criticized her.
6But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me.
7You will always have the poor with you, and you can do good for them whenever you want, but you will not always have me.
8She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body ahead of time to prepare it for burial.
9I promise you, wherever this Good News is preached anywhere in the world, people will also talk about what this woman has done, and it will be a memorial to her.
10Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the chief priests to hand Jesus over to them.
11When they heard this, they were happy and promised to give him money. So he looked for a good opportunity to hand Jesus over.
12On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was sacrificed, his disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover meal?"
13He sent two of his disciples and told them, "Go into the city. You will meet a man carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him.
14Wherever he goes in, tell the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks, "Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover with my disciples?"'
15He will show you a large upstairs room, already furnished and ready. Prepare for us there."
16His disciples left and went into the city. They found everything just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover meal.
17When evening came, Jesus arrived with the twelve disciples.
18As they were sitting and eating, Jesus said, "I promise you, one of you who is eating with me will betray me."
19They became very sad and began to ask him one by one, "Surely not I?" And another asked, "Surely not I?"
20He answered them, "It is one of the twelve, someone who dips bread in the same dish with me.
21The Son of Man will die, just as the Scriptures say about him. But how terrible it will be for the person who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for that person if he had never been born."
22As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "Take it; this is my body."
23Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
24He told them, "This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many.
25I promise you, I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new in God's Kingdom."
26After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
27Jesus told them, "All of you will abandon me tonight, for it is written: 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'
28However, after I am raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee."
29But Peter said to him, "Even if everyone else abandons you, I never will."
30Jesus told him, "I promise you, tonight, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny knowing me three times."
31But Peter insisted even more strongly, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you." All the other disciples said the same thing.
32They arrived at a place called Gethsemane. Jesus told his disciples, "Sit here while I pray."
33He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he began to feel deeply troubled and distressed.
34He told them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow, even to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch."
35He walked a short distance, fell to the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, this hour of suffering would pass him by.
36He said, "Abba, Father, you can do all things. Please take this suffering away from me. Yet, I want your will, not mine."
37He returned and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Couldn't you stay awake for one hour?
38Stay awake and pray so that you won't be tempted. Your spirit is willing, but your body is weak."
39He went away a second time and prayed, saying the same words.
40Again he came back and found them sleeping, because their eyes were very heavy. They didn't know how to answer him.
41He came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? That's enough! The time has come. Look, the Son of Man is being handed over to sinners.
42Get up, let's go. Look, the one who is betraying me is here."
43Right away, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived. With him was a crowd carrying swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.
44The one who was betraying him had given them a signal: "The man I kiss is the one. Grab him and lead him away safely."
45As soon as Judas arrived, he went to Jesus and said, "Rabbi! Rabbi!" and kissed him.
46Then they grabbed Jesus and arrested him.
47But one of the men standing nearby pulled out his sword and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his ear.
48Jesus asked them, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me, as if I were a criminal?
49I was with you in the temple every day, teaching, and you didn’t arrest me. But this happened so that what the Scriptures say would come true.”
50Then everyone left him and ran away.
51A young man was following Jesus, wearing only a linen cloth wrapped around his body. The young men grabbed him,
52but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.
53They led Jesus away to the high priest. All the chief priests, the elders, and the religious scholars gathered with him.
54Peter followed him from a distance until he went into the high priest’s courtyard. He sat with the officers, warming himself by the fire.
55The chief priests and the whole council were looking for witnesses to testify against Jesus so they could put him to death, but they couldn’t find any.
56Many people gave false testimony against him, but their stories didn't match.
57Then some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying,
58“We heard him say, ‘I will tear down this temple that people built, and in three days I will build another one not made by human hands.’”
59But even their testimony didn’t agree.
60The high priest stood up in the middle and asked Jesus, “Don’t you have an answer? What about these accusations they are making against you?”
61But Jesus remained silent and said nothing. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed God?”
62Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right side of God’s power and coming on the clouds of the sky.”
63Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we need any more witnesses?
64You heard his blasphemy! What do you think?” They all decided he deserved to die.
65Some began to spit on him, cover his face, hit him with their fists, and say, “Prophesy!” The officers also slapped him.
66While Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the high priest’s servant girls came by.
67When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him and said, “You were also with Jesus, the Nazarene!”
68But Peter denied it, saying, “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about.” He went out to the entryway, and a rooster crowed.
69The servant girl saw him and again began to tell those standing nearby, “This is one of them.”
70But he denied it again. A short time later, those standing nearby again said to Peter, “You are truly one of them, because you are from Galilee, and your accent proves it.”
71But he began to curse and swear, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about!”
72The rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered what Jesus had told him: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” When he thought about this, he broke down and cried.