(NLT) Matthew 26 : 1 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples,
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 2 "As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 3 At that same time the leading priests and elders were meeting at the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest,
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 4 plotting how to capture Jesus secretly and kill him.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 5 "But not during the Passover celebration," they agreed, "or the people may riot."
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 6 Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 7 While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume and poured it over his head.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 8 The disciples were indignant when they saw this. "What a waste!" they said.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 9 "It could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor."
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 10 But Jesus, aware of this, replied, "Why criticize this woman for doing such a good thing to me?
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 11 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 12 She has poured this perfume on me to prepare my body for burial.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 13 I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman's deed will be remembered and discussed."
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 14 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 15 and asked, "How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?" And they gave him thirty pieces of silver.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 16 From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 17 On 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?"
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 18 "As you go into the city," he told them, "you will see a certain man. Tell him, 'The Teacher says: My time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.'"
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 19 So the disciples did as Jesus told them and prepared the Passover meal there.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 20 When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the twelve disciples.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 21 While they were eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me."
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 22 Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, "Am I the one, Lord?"
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 23 He replied, "One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 24 For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!"
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 25 Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, "Rabbi, am I the one?" And Jesus told him, "You have said it."
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, "Take this and eat it, for this is my body."
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, "Each of you drink from it,
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 29 Mark my words--I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom."
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 31 On the way, Jesus told them, "Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, 'God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 32 But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there."
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 33 Peter declared, "Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you."
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 34 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, Peter--this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me."
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 35 "No!" Peter insisted. "Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!" And all the other disciples vowed the same.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 36 Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, "Sit here while I go over there to pray."
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 37 He took Peter and Zebedee's two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 38 He told them, "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine."
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, "Couldn't you watch with me even one hour?
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!"
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, "My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done."
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 43 When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn't keep their eyes open.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 44 So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 45 Then he came to the disciples and said, "Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look--the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 46 Up, let's be going. Look, my betrayer is here!"
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 47 And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 48 The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: "You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss."
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 49 So Judas came straight to Jesus. "Greetings, Rabbi!" he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 50 Jesus said, "My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for." Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 51 But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest's slave, slashing off his ear.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 52 "Put away your sword," Jesus told him. "Those who use the sword will die by the sword.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 53 Don't you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 54 But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?"
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 55 Then Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn't you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 56 But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures." At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 57 Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and the elders had gathered.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 58 Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest's courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 59 Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 60 But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone's testimony. Finally, two men came forward
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 61 who declared, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.'"
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Well, aren't you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?"
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 63 But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, "I demand in the name of the living God--tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God."
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 64 Jesus replied, "You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God's right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven."
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 65 Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, "Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 66 What is your verdict?" "Guilty!" they shouted. "He deserves to die!"
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 67 Then they began to spit in Jesus' face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him,
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 68 jeering, "Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?"
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 69 Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, "You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean."
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 70 But Peter denied it in front of everyone. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 71 Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth."
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 72 Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. "I don't even know the man," he said.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 73 A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, "You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent."
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 74 Peter swore, "A curse on me if I'm lying--I don't know the man!" And immediately the rooster crowed.
(NLT) Matthew 26 : 75 Suddenly, Jesus' words flashed through Peter's mind: "Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me." And he went away, weeping bitterly.