1When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he told his disciples,
2“You know that the Passover celebration is in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
3At that time, the chief priests, the religious lawyers, and the leaders of the people met together in the courtyard of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas.
4They made a plan to cleverly arrest Jesus and kill him.
5But they said, “Not during the festival, or the people might riot.”
6While Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon, who had leprosy,
7a woman came to him with a bottle of very expensive perfume. She poured it on his head while he was eating.
8When his disciples saw this, they were upset and asked, “Why this waste?
9This perfume could have been sold for a lot of money and given to the poor.”
10Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me.
11You will always have poor people with you, but you will not always have me.
12When she poured this perfume on my body, she was preparing me for burial.
13I tell you the truth, wherever this good news is preached anywhere in the world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
14Then one of the twelve disciples, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests
15and asked, “What will you give me if I hand Jesus over to you?” They offered him thirty silver coins.
16From that moment on, he looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
17On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?”
18He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time is near. I will celebrate the Passover at your house with my disciples.’”
19The disciples did as Jesus commanded and prepared the Passover meal.
20When evening came, Jesus was at the table with his twelve disciples.
21As they were eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me."
22They were very sad, and each one began to ask him, "It isn't me, is it, Lord?"
23He answered, "The one who dips his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me.
24The 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 if that person had never been born."
25Judas, who was going to betray him, asked, "It isn't me, is it, Rabbi?" Jesus told him, "You have said it yourself."
26While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it. He gave it to the disciples and said, "Take and eat; this is my body."
27Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and offered it to them, saying, "All of you drink from it,
28because this is my blood, which confirms the new covenant. It is poured out for many people so that their sins may be forgiven.
29I tell you, I will not drink this wine again until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom."
30After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
31Then Jesus told them, "Tonight, all of you will turn away because of me, for it is written: 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'
32But after I rise from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee."
33But Peter answered him, "Even if everyone else turns away because of you, I never will."
34Jesus said to him, "I tell you the truth, tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny knowing me three times."
35Peter told him, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you." All the other disciples said the same thing.
36Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane and told his disciples, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."
37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him and began to feel deep sorrow and distress.
38Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
39He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, take this suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine."
40He came back to his disciples and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, "Couldn't you stay awake with me for just one hour?
41Stay awake and pray so that you won't be tempted. Your spirit is willing, but your body is weak."
42He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if this suffering cannot be taken away unless I drink it, then may your will be done."
43He came back again and found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.
44He left them again, went away, and prayed a third time, saying the same words.
45Then he came to his disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinful people.
46Get up! Let's go! Look, here comes the one who is betraying me."
47While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived. With him was a large crowd carrying swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and the elders of the people.
48The one who was betraying him had given them a signal: "The man I kiss is the one; arrest him."
49Immediately, Judas went to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him.
50Jesus said to him, "Friend, why are you here?" Then the men came forward, grabbed Jesus, and arrested him.
51Suddenly, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, pulled it out, and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his ear.
52Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back in its place, because all who live by the sword will die by the sword.
53Don't you think I could call on my Father, and he would immediately send me more than twelve armies of angels?
54But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?"
55At that time, Jesus said to the crowd, "Are you coming to get me with swords and clubs, like you would a criminal? Day after day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you didn't arrest me.
56But all this has happened so that the writings of the prophets would come true." Then all the disciples deserted him and ran away.
57Those who had arrested Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had gathered.
58But Peter followed him at a distance, all the way to the high priest's courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards to see what would happen.
59The chief priests, the elders, and the whole council were looking for false evidence against Jesus so they could put him to death.
60But they couldn’t find any. Many false witnesses came forward, but they still couldn't find any. Finally, two false witnesses came forward
61and claimed, “This man said, ‘I can destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
62The high priest stood up and asked Jesus, “Don't you have anything to say? What about these accusations they are making against you?”
63But Jesus remained silent. The high priest then said to him, “I demand by the living God that you tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
64Jesus replied, “You have said it yourself. Nevertheless, I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of the sky.”
65Then the high priest tore his clothes and exclaimed, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need more witnesses? You have now heard his blasphemy.
66What do you think?” They answered, “He deserves to die!”
67Then they spit in his face, hit him with their fists, and some slapped him,
68saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who hit you?”
69Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard when a servant girl came up to him and said, “You were also with Jesus, the Galilean!”
70But he denied it in front of everyone, saying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
71When he went out to the entrance, another person saw him and said to those standing there, “This man was also with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72Again, he denied it with an oath, “I don’t know the man.”
73A little while later, those standing nearby came up and told Peter, “You are definitely one of them, because your accent gives you away.”
74Then he started to curse and swear, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately, a rooster crowed.
75Peter remembered what Jesus had told him: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” He went outside and cried bitterly.