1When Jesus had finished speaking, he said to his disciples, 2”You know that in two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”
3Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the presbyters of the people were assembled in the court of the high priest who was called Caiaphas. 4They were taking counsel together in order to take Jesus by deceit and kill him. 5But they were saying, “Not during the feast, for fear that the people may cause a riot.”
A woman anoints the Lord
6Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 7a woman came to him with an alabaster jar containing very expensive fragrant oil, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. 8But when his disciples saw this, they were upset and said, “Why this waste? 9This oil could have been sold for a good amount and given to the poor.”
10However, knowing this, Jesus said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has done a good deed for me! 11You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me. 12But by pouring this oil on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13Amen, I tell you: wherever this Good News is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
Judas betrays the Lord—Preparations for the Passover
14Then one of the Twelve who was called Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests 15and said, “What are you willing to give me in order for me to hand him over to you?” They weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16From that time on, Judas355 looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus.356
17Now on the first day of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
18He replied, “Go into the city to a certain person and tell him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.”‘”
19The disciples did as Jesus instructed them and they prepared the Passover. 20When evening had come, he was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21As they were eating, he said, “Amen, I tell you that one of you will betray me.”
22They were extremely distressed, and each one of them began to ask him, “Surely not I, Lord?”
23He answered, “He who dipped his hand with me in the dish is the one who will betray me. 24The Son of Man goes, even as it is written of him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born.”
25Judas, who betrayed him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?”
And Jesus replied, “You said it.”
26As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for357 it, and broke it. He gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27Taking the358 cup, he gave thanks and gave it to them, saying, “Drink [from] it all of you, 28for this is my blood of the new359 covenant which is to be poured out for many, for the remission of sins. 29But I tell you that from now on, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.” 30After singing [the psalms], they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Peter’s denial foretold—The agony in the Garden
31Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will stumble because of me tonight, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’360 32But after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee.”
33But Peter replied, “Even if all [others] will stumble because of you, I never will!”
34Jesus said to him, “Amen, I tell you that tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”
35Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said likewise.
36Then Jesus arrived with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go there and pray.” 37He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and he began to feel sadness and anguish. 38Then Jesus said to them, “My soul is extremely sorrowful, even unto death.361 Stay here, and watch with me.”
39He went a little forward, fell on his face, and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I will,362 but what you will.”
40When he returned to the disciples and found them sleeping, he said to Peter, “Could you not watch with me for one hour? 41Watch and pray, so that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak!”
42Again, a second time he went away, and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is not possible to let this cup pass363 from me unless I drink it, let your will be done.” 43Again, he came back [to the disciples] and found them asleep 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 told them, “Sleep on now, and take your rest. Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners! 46Arise, let us go! Behold, he who betrays me is near.”
Judas’ kiss of betrayal—The Lord is arrested
47While he was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. And with him came a great crowd with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and presbyters of the people. 48Now he who betrayed Jesus gave them a sign, saying, “Whoever I kiss is the one. Seize him.” 49Immediately, he came to Jesus, and said, “Hail, Rabbi!” and kissed him.
50Jesus said to him, “Friend, why are you here?” Then they came, laid hands on Jesus, and took him away. 51But behold, one364 of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand, drew his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. 52Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place, for all those who take the sword will die by the sword. 53Do you not think that I could ask my Father, and he would even now send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen this way?”
55In that hour, Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to seize me? I sat every day with you in the temple, teaching, and you did not arrest me [there]. 56But all this has happened so that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.”
Then all the disciples left him and fled.
The Lord before the Sanhedrin
57Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest where the scribes and the presbyters were assembled. 58But Peter followed Jesus from a distance, to the court of the high priest. Having entered in,365 he sat with the officers to see [what would happen in] the end. 59Now the chief priests, the presbyters, and the whole council366 were looking for a false witness against Jesus, so that they might put him to death, 60and they found none. Even though many false witnesses were coming forward, they found none [valid]. But at last, two false witnesses came forward, 61and they said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the sanctuary of God, and to build it in three days.’”367
62The high priest stood up and said to Jesus,368 “Do you not have any answer? What is this that these people testify against you?” 63But Jesus remained quiet. The high priest told him, “I adjure you by the living God, to tell us whether you are the Christ,369 the Son of God.”
64Jesus replied, “You have said it! Nevertheless, I tell you that after this, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power,370 coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65Then the high priest tore his vestments and exclaimed, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Behold, now you have heard his blasphemy. 66What do you think?”
They answered, “He deserves death!” 67Then they spit in his face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him, 68saying, “Prophesy to us, O Christ! Who hit you?”
Peter’s threefold denial
69As Peter was sitting outside in the court, a servant-girl came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus, the Galilean!”
70But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.”
71When he had gone out onto the porch, someone else saw him and said to those who were there, “This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72Again, Peter denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man!”
73After a little while those who stood by came and said to Peter, “Surely you are also one of them, for your speech reveals that you are [a Galilean].”
74Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!”
Immediately, the rooster crowed. 75Then Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” He went out and wept bitterly.
The Lord before Pilate—Judas hangs himself
- Greek “he”
- Greek “him”
- CT and TR have “blessed” instead of “gave thanks for”
- CT reads “a cup”
- CT omits “new”
- Zechariah 13:7
- Compare Sirach 37:2
- Or “desire”
- CT reads “if this cannot pass”
- A reference to Peter (John 18:10)
- See John 18:16
- Or “Sanhedrin”
- Compare John 2:19
- Greek “him”
- Or “Messiah”
- See Daniel 7
Text: The Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible, New Testament (EOB). Used with permission.
