14:1 It was two days before the Passover
and the festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were
looking for a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him;
14:2 for they said, "Not during the festival,
or there may be a riot among the people."
14:3 While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon
the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very
costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on
his head.
14:4 But some were there who said to one another
in anger, "Why was the ointment wasted in this way?
14:5 For this ointment could have been sold for
more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor." And
they scolded her.
14:6 But Jesus said, "Let her alone; why do
you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me.
14:7 For you always have the poor with you, and
you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have
me.
14:8 She has done what she could; she has anointed
my body beforehand for its burial.
14:9 Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is
proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance
of her."
14:10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the
twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them.
14:11 When they heard it, they were greatly
pleased, and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an
opportunity to betray him.
14:12 On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when
the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, "Where do you
want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?"
14:13 So he sent two of his disciples, saying to
them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you;
follow him,
14:14 and wherever he enters, say to the owner of
the house, 'The Teacher asks, Where is my guest room where I may eat the
Passover with my disciples?'
14:15 He will show you a large room upstairs,
furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there."
14:16 So the disciples set out and went to the
city, and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover
meal.
14:17 When it was evening, he came with the
twelve.
14:18 And when they had taken their places and
were eating, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me,
one who is eating with me."
14:19 They began to be distressed and to say to
him one after another, "Surely, not I?"
14:20 He said to them, "It is one of the
twelve, one who is dipping bread into the bowl with me.
14:21 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of
him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have
been better for that one not to have been born."
14:22 While they were eating, he took a loaf of
bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said,
"Take; this is my body."
14:23 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks
he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it.
14:24 He said to them, "This is my blood of
the covenant, which is poured out for many.
14:25 Truly I tell you, I will never again drink
of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of
God."
14:26 When they had sung the hymn, they went out
to the Mount of Olives.
14:27 And Jesus said to them, "You will all
become deserters; for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the
sheep will be scattered.'
14:28 But after I am raised up, I will go before
you to Galilee."
14:29 Peter said to him, "Even though all
become deserters, I will not."
14:30 Jesus said to him, "Truly I tell you,
this day, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three
times."
14:31 But he said vehemently, "Even though I
must die with you, I will not deny you." And all of them said the same.
14:32 They went to a place called Gethsemane; and
he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray."
14:33 He took with him Peter and James and John,
and began to be distressed and agitated.
14:34 And said to them, "I am deeply grieved,
even to death; remain here, and keep awake."
14:35 And going a little farther, he threw himself
on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from
him.
14:36 He said, "Abba, Father, for you all
things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what
you want."
14:37 He came and found them sleeping; and he said
to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour?
14:38 Keep awake and pray that you may not come
into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is
weak."
14:39 And again he went away and prayed, saying
the same words.
14:40 And once more he came and found them
sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to
him.
14:41 He came a third time and said to them,
"Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come;
the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
14:42 Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is
at hand."
14:43 Immediately, while he was still speaking,
Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; and with him there was a crowd with swords
and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders.
14:44 Now the betrayer had given them a sign,
saying, "The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away
under guard."
14:45 So when he came, he went up to him at once
and said, "Rabbi!" and kissed him.
14:46 Then they laid hands on him and arrested
him.
14:47 But one of those who stood near drew his
sword and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
14:48 Then Jesus said to them, "Have you come
out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit?
14:49 Day after day I was with you in the temple
teaching, and you did not arrest me. But let the scriptures be
fulfilled."
14:50 All of them deserted him and fled.
14:51 A certain young man was following him,
wearing nothing but a linen cloth. They caught hold of him,
14:52 but he left the linen cloth and ran off
naked.
14:53 They took Jesus to the high priest; and all
the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes were assembled.
14:54 Peter had followed him at a distance, right
into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the guards,
warming himself at the fire.
14:55 Now the chief priests and the whole council
were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death; but they found
none.
14:56 For many gave false testimony against him,
and their testimony did not agree.
14:57 Some stood up and gave false testimony
against him, saying,
14:58 "We heard him say, 'I will destroy this
temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not
made with hands.'"
14:59 But even on this point their testimony did
not agree.
14:60 Then the high priest stood up before them
and asked Jesus, "Have you no answer? What is it that they testify
against you?"
14:61 But he was silent and did not answer. Again
the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed
One?"
14:62 Jesus said, "I am; and 'you will see
the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power,' and 'coming with the
clouds of heaven.'"
14:63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and
said, "Why do we still need witnesses?
14:64 You have heard his blasphemy! What is your
decision?" All of them condemned him as deserving death.
14:65 Some began to spit on him, to blindfold him,
and to strike him, saying to him, "Prophesy!" The guards also took
him over and beat him.
14:66 While Peter was below in the courtyard, one
of the servant-girls of the high priest came by.
14:67 When she saw Peter warming himself, she
stared at him and said, "You also were with Jesus, the man from
Nazareth."
14:68 But he denied it, saying, "I do not
know or understand what you are talking about." And he went out into the
forecourt. Then the cock crowed.
14:69 And the servant-girl, on seeing him, began
again to say to the bystanders, "This man is one of them."
14:70 But again he denied it. Then after a little
while the bystanders again said to Peter, "Certainly you are one of them;
for you are a Galilean."
14:71 But he began to curse, and he swore an oath,
"I do not know this man you are talking about."
14:72 At that moment the cock crowed for the
second time. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, "Before
the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times." And he broke down
and wept.
15:1 As soon as it was morning, the chief priests
held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They
bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.
15:2 Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of
the Jews?" He answered him, "You say so."
15:3 Then the chief priests accused him of many
things.
15:4 Pilate asked him again, "Have you no
answer? See how many charges they bring against you."
15:5 But Jesus made no further reply, so that
Pilate was amazed.
15:6 Now at the festival he used to release a
prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked.
15:7 Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with
the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection.
15:8 So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to
do for them according to his custom.
15:9 Then he answered them, "Do you want me
to release for you the King of the Jews?"
15:10 For he realized that it was out of jealousy
that the chief priests had handed him over.
15:11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd
to have him release Barabbas for them instead.
15:12 Pilate spoke to them again, "Then what
do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?"
15:13 They shouted back, "Crucify him!"
15:14 Pilate asked them, "Why, what evil has
he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Crucify him!"
15:15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd,
released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be
crucified.
15:16 Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard
of the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters); and they called together
the whole cohort.
15:17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and
after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him.
15:18 And they began saluting him, "Hail,
King of the Jews!"
15:19 They struck his head with a reed, spat upon
him, and knelt down in homage to him.
15:20 After mocking him, they stripped him of the
purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify
him.
15:21 They compelled a passer-by, who was coming
in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of
Alexander and Rufus.
15:22 Then they brought Jesus to the place called
Golgotha (which means the place of a skull).
15:23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh;
but he did not take it.
15:24 And they crucified him, and divided his
clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.
15:25 It was nine o'clock in the morning when they
crucified him.
15:26 The inscription of the charge against him
read, "The King of the Jews."
15:27 And with him they crucified two bandits, one
on his right and one on his left.
15:29 Those who passed by derided him, shaking
their heads and saying, "Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build
it in three days,
15:30 save yourself, and come down from the
cross!"
15:31 In the same way the chief priests, along
with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, "He
saved others; he cannot save himself.
15:32 Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come
down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe." Those who were
crucified with him also taunted him.
15:33 When it was noon, darkness came over the
whole land until three in the afternoon.
15:34 At three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud
voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my
God, why have you forsaken me?"
15:35 When some of the bystanders heard it, they
said, "Listen, he is calling for Elijah."
15:36 And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour
wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, "Wait, let
us see whether Elijah will come to take him down."
15:37 Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his
last.
15:38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in
two, from top to bottom.
15:39 Now when the centurion, who stood facing
him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, "Truly this man
was God's Son!"
15:40 There were also women looking on from a
distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the
younger and of Joses, and Salome.
15:41 These used to follow him and provided for
him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up
with him to Jerusalem.
15:42 When evening had come, and since it was the
day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,
15:43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of
the council, who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God,
went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
15:44 Then Pilate wondered if he were already
dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for
some time.
15:45 When he learned from the centurion that he
was dead, he granted the body to Joseph.
15:46 Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking
down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had
been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the
tomb.
15:47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses
saw where the body was laid.
