Matthew 26

The Plot to Kill Jesus

1 “After Jesus finished telling them all this, He said?”

2 “‘You all know Passover is in two days, and the Son of Man is about to be handed over to be crucified.’”

3 “The top priests and elders met up at Caiaphas’s crib (he was the high priest).”

4 “They plotted to catch Jesus on the low and kill Him.”

5 “But they said, ‘Not during the festival, or the people might riot.’”

A Woman Anoints Jesus

6 “While Jesus was chilling at Simon the leper’s house in Bethany,”

7 “A woman came in with a jar of expensive perfume and poured it on His head while He was eating.”

8 “When the disciples saw it, they got mad and said, ‘What is up with this waste?’”

9 “‘We could have sold that perfume for a lot of money and given it to the poor!’”

10 “Jesus knew what they were saying and told them, ‘Why are you all bothering her, She did something beautiful for Me.’”

11 “‘You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have Me.’”

12 “‘She poured this perfume on Me to prepare My body for burial.’”

13 “‘I am telling you all, wherever this gospel is preached in the world, people will remember what she did.’”

Judas Betrays Jesus

14 “Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests.”

15 “He asked, ‘What will you all give me if I hand Jesus over?’ They counted out thirty pieces of silver for him.”

16 “From that moment, Judas was looking for a chance to set Jesus up.”

The Last Supper

17 “On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples asked Jesus, ‘Where do You want us to set up for the Passover meal?’”

18 “Jesus said, ‘Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, “The Teacher says: My time is near. I will celebrate Passover at your house with My disciples.”’”

19 “So the disciples did what Jesus told them and got the meal ready.”

20 “When evening came, Jesus was at the table with the Twelve.”

21 “While they were eating, He said, ‘One of you all is going to betray Me.’”

22 “They were shook and started saying, ‘Lord, is it me,’”

23 “Jesus said, ‘The one who dips his hand in the bowl with Me, that is the one.’”

24 “‘The Son of Man will go as it is written, but woe to the one who betrays Him. It would be better for that man if he had not been born.’”

25 “Judas, the one who was about to betray Him, said, ‘Surely it is not me, Rabbi,’ Jesus replied, ‘You said it.’”

Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper

26 “While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is My body.’”

27 “Then He took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you.’”

28 “‘This is My blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’”

29 “‘I am telling you all, I will not drink wine again until I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.’”

30 “After they sang a hymn, they headed to the Mount of Olives.”

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

31 “Jesus told them, ‘Tonight, all of you all are going to fall away because of Me. The Scriptures say: “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will scatter.”’”

32 “‘But after I rise, I will meet you all in Galilee.’”

33 “Peter said, ‘Even if everyone else falls away, I will never do it!’”

34 “Jesus said, ‘I am telling you, Peter, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’”

35 “Peter said, ‘Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You!’ And all the disciples said the same thing.”

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

36 “Then Jesus went to a place called Gethsemane and said to His disciples, ‘Sit here while I go pray.’”

37 “He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He started feeling real heavy and troubled.”

38 “He said, ‘My soul is crushed with sorrow. Stay here and keep watch with Me.’”

39 “Jesus went a little farther, fell on His face, and prayed, ‘Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. But not what I want, what You want.’”

40 “He came back and found His disciples asleep. He said, ‘Peter, could you not stay up with Me for one hour,’”

41 “‘Stay alert and pray so you do not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’”

42 Jesus went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, let Your will be done.”

43 When He came back, He found them sleeping again because their eyes were heavy.

44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed a third time, saying the same thing.

45 Then He returned to the disciples and said, “Are you all still sleeping and resting, Look, the time has come. The Son of Man is being handed over to sinners.”

46 “Get up. Let us go. The one betraying Me is already here.”

Jesus Arrested

47 “While Jesus was still talking, Judas showed up with a mob armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and elders.”

48 “Judas had arranged a signal: ‘The one I kiss, that is the man. Arrest Him.’”

49 “He went straight to Jesus and said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi,’ and kissed Him.”

50 “Jesus said, ‘Do what you came to do, friend.’ Then the mob grabbed Him and arrested Him.”

Peter Defends Jesus

51 “One of Jesus’ crew pulled out a sword, swung it, and sliced off the ear of the high priest’s servant.”

52 “Jesus said, ‘Put that sword away. Anyone who lives by the sword will die by the sword.’”

53 “‘Do you not think I could call on My Father, and He would send more than twelve armies of angels to handle this?’”

54 “‘But if I did that, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say this has to go down,’”

55 “Then Jesus turned to the crowd and said, ‘Am I leading a rebellion, You all came at Me with swords and clubs like I am some criminal. I was teaching in the temple every day, and you all did not arrest Me then.’”

56 “‘But all this is happening to fulfill what the prophets wrote.’ Then all His disciples bailed on Him and ran away.”

Jesus Stands Before the Council

57 “The mob took Jesus to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the religious leaders and elders had gathered.”

58 “Peter followed Him at a distance and ended up sitting with the guards, trying to blend in.”

59 “The chief priests and the whole council were looking for false witnesses to pin something on Jesus so they could kill Him.”

60 “They could not find any legit witnesses, even though a bunch of people came forward with lies. Finally, two guys stepped up.”

61 “They said, ‘This guy said, “I can destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.”’”

62 “The high priest stood up and asked Jesus, ‘Are You not are going to say something about these accusations?’”

63 “But Jesus stayed silent. Then the high priest said, ‘I charge You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Messiah, the Son of God.’”

64 “Jesus said, ‘You said it. And I am telling you, from now on, you will see the Son of Man sitting at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.’”

65 “The high priest tore his clothes and said, ‘He is speaking blasphemy! We do not need any more witnesses, you all heard it yourselves!’”

66 “‘What is your verdict?’ They all said, ‘He deserves death!’”

67 “Then they spit on Him, punched Him, and slapped Him.”

68 “They mocked Him, saying, ‘Prophesy to us, Messiah! Who hit You,’”

Peter Denies Jesus

69 “Meanwhile, Peter was sitting in the courtyard when a servant girl said, ‘Hey, you were with Jesus of Galilee!’”

70 “But Peter denied it in front of everyone, saying, ‘I do not know what you are talking about.’”

71 “Then he went out to the gateway, and another servant girl saw him and said, ‘This dude was with Jesus of Nazareth.’”

72 “Again, Peter denied it, this time with an oath: ‘I do not know the man!’”

73 “A little while later, some people standing there said, ‘You are definitely one of them. Your accent gives you away.’”

74 “Peter started cussing and swearing, saying, ‘I do not know the man!’ Immediately, a rooster crowed.”

75 “Then Peter remembered what Jesus had told him: ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ He went outside and cried his eyes out.”