CHAPTER 14
Now
the
Passover
and
the
Feast of Unleavened Bread
were
two
days
away,
and
the
chief priests
and
scribes
were looking for
a covert
way
to arrest
Jesus
and kill Him.
While
Jesus
was
in
Bethany
reclining at the table
in
the
home
of Simon
the
leper,
a woman
came
with
an alabaster jar
of expensive
perfume,
made of pure
nard.
She broke open
the
jar
and poured it on
Jesus'
head.
It
could
have been sold
for over
three hundred
denarii
and
the money given
to the
poor.”
And
they scolded
her.
The
poor
you will always have
with
you,
and
you can
help
them
whenever
you want.
But
you will not
always
have
Me.
And
truly
I tell
you,
wherever
the
gospel
is preached
in
all
the
world,
what
she
has done
will also be told
in
memory
of her.”
They were delighted
to hear this,
and
they promised
to give
him
money.
So
Judas began to look for
an opportunity
to hand Him over.
On the
first
day
of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
when
the
Passover lamb
was to be sacrificed,
Jesus’
disciples
asked
Him,
“Where
do You want
us to prepare
for
You to eat
the
Passover?”
So
He sent
two
of
His
disciples
and
told
them,
“Go
into
the
city,
and
a man
carrying
a pitcher
of water
will meet
you.
Follow
him,
and
whichever house
he enters,
say
to the
owner,
‘The
Teacher
asks:
Where
is
My
guest room,
where
I may eat
the
Passover
with
My
disciples?’
So
the disciples
left
and
went
into
the
city,
where
they found
everything as
Jesus had described.
And
they prepared
the
Passover.
And while
they
were reclining
and
eating,
Jesus
said,
“Truly
I tell
you,
one
of
you
who
is eating
with
Me
will betray
Me.”
The
Son
of Man
will go
just as
it is written
about
Him,
but
woe
to that
man
by
whom
He
is betrayed!
It would be better
for him
if
he
had not been born."
While they were eating,
Jesus took
bread,
spoke a blessing
and broke it,
and
gave it
to them,
saying,
“Take it;
this
is
My
body.”
Truly
I tell
you,
I will no longer drink
of
this
fruit
of the
vine
until
that
day
when
I drink
it
anew
in
the
kingdom
of God.”
Then
Jesus
said
to them,
“You will all fall away,
for
it is written:
‘I will strike
the
shepherd,
and
the
sheep
will be scattered.’
“Truly
I tell
you,”
Jesus
replied,
“this
very
night
before
the rooster
crows
twice,
you will deny
Me
three times.”
But
Peter kept insisting,
“Even if
I have
to die with
You,
I will never deny
You.”
And
all the others
said
the same.
Then
they came
to
a place
called
Gethsemane,
and
Jesus told
His
disciples,
“Sit
here
while
I pray.”
And
He told
them,
“My
soul
is
consumed with sorrow
to the point of
death.
Stay
here
and
keep watch.”
Going a little farther,
He fell
to
the
ground
and
prayed
that,
if
it were
possible,
the
hour
would pass
from
Him.
“Abba,
Father,”
He said,
“all things are
possible
for You.
Take
this
cup
from
Me.
Yet
not
what
I
will,
but
what
You will.”
Then
Jesus returned
and
found
them
sleeping.
“Simon,
are you asleep?”
He asked,
“Were you not able
to keep watch
for one
hour?
Watch
and
pray
so that
you will not enter
into
temptation.
For
the
spirit
is willing,
but
the
body
is weak.”
And
again
He returned
and found
them
sleeping,
for
their
eyes
were
heavy.
And
they did not know
what
to answer
Him.
When
Jesus returned
the
third time,
He said,
“Are you still sleeping
and
resting?
That is enough!
The
hour
has come.
Look,
the
Son
of Man
is betrayed
into
the
hands
of sinners.
While
Jesus was still speaking,
Judas,
one
of the
Twelve,
arrived,
accompanied by
a crowd
armed with
swords
and
clubs,
sent from
the
chief priests,
scribes,
and
elders.
Now
the
betrayer
had arranged
a signal
with them:
“The One
I kiss
is
the man;
arrest
Him
and
lead Him away
securely.”
And
one
of the
bystanders
drew
his
sword
and struck
the
servant
of the
high priest,
cutting off
his
ear.
Jesus
asked
the crowd,
“Have you come out
with
swords
and
clubs
to arrest
Me
as
you would
an outlaw?
Every
day
I was
with
you,
teaching
in
the
temple courts,
and
you did not arrest
Me.
But
this has happened that
the
Scriptures
would be fulfilled.”
One
young man
who had been following
Jesus
was wearing
a linen cloth
around
his body.
They caught hold
of him,
They led
Jesus away
to
the
high priest,
and
all
the
chief priests,
elders,
and
scribes
assembled.
Peter
followed
Him
at
a distance,
right
into
the
courtyard
of the
high priest.
And
he sat
with
the
officers
to warm himself
by
the
fire.
Now
the
chief priests
and
the
whole
Sanhedrin
were seeking
testimony
against
Jesus
to
put Him to death,
but
they did not find any.
“We
heard
Him
say,
‘I
will destroy
this
man-made
temple,
and
in
three
days
I will build
another that is
made without hands.’”
So
the
high priest
stood up
before them
and questioned
Jesus,
“Have You no answer?
What is it
these men
are testifying against
You?”
But
Jesus remained silent
and
made no reply.
Again
the
high priest
questioned
Him,
“Are
You
the
Christ,
the
Son
of the
Blessed One?”
“I
am,”
said
Jesus,
“and
you will see
the
Son
of Man
sitting
at
the right hand
of
Power
and
coming
with
the
clouds
of
heaven.”
You have heard
the
blasphemy.
What
is your
verdict?”
And
they all
condemned
Him
as
deserving
of death.
Then
some of them
began
to spit on
Him.
They blindfolded Him,
struck Him with their fists,
and
said
to Him,
“Prophesy!”
And
the
officers
received
Him
with slaps in His face.
and
saw
him
warming himself there.
She looked at
Peter
and said,
“You
also
were
with
Jesus
the
Nazarene.”
But
he denied it.
“I do not know
or even
understand
what
you
are talking about,”
he said.
Then
he went
out
to
the
gateway,
and
the rooster
crowed.
There
the
servant girl
saw
him
and
again
said to
those
standing nearby,
“This man
is
one of
them.”
But
he denied it
again.
After
a little while,
those
standing nearby
said
once more
to Peter,
“Surely
you are
one of
them,
for
you too are
a Galilean.”
And
just then,
the rooster
crowed
a second time.
Then
Peter
remembered
the
word
Jesus
had spoken
to him:
“Before
the rooster
crows
twice,
you will deny
Me
three times.”
And
he broke down
and wept.