Matthew 26:30-56

International Children’s Bible

³⁰ They sang a hymn. Then they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus’ Followers Will All Leave Him

³¹ Jesus told the followers, “Tonight you will lose your faith because of me. It is written in the Scriptures:

³² But after I rise from death, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

³³ Peter said, “All the other followers may lose their faith because of you. But I will never lose my faith.”

³⁴ Jesus said, “I tell you the truth. Tonight you will say you don’t know me. You will say this three times before the rooster crows.”

³⁵ But Peter said, “I will never say that I don’t know you! I will even die with you!” And all the other followers said the same thing.

Jesus Prays Alone

³⁶ Then Jesus went with his followers to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ He told Peter and the two sons of Zebedee to come with him. Then Jesus began to be very sad and troubled. ³⁸ He said to Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, “My heart is full of sorrow and breaking with sadness. Stay here with me and watch.”

³⁹ Then Jesus walked a little farther away from them. He fell to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, do not give me this cup^[a] of suffering. But do what you want, not what I want.” ⁴⁰ Then Jesus went back to his followers and found them asleep. Jesus said to Peter, “You men could not stay awake with me for one hour? ⁴¹ Stay awake and pray for strength against temptation. Your spirit wants to do what is right. But your body is weak.”

⁴² Then Jesus went away a second time. He prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this painful thing to be taken from me, and if I must do it, then I pray that what you want will be done.”

⁴³ Then Jesus went back to the followers. Again he found them asleep, because their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴ So Jesus left them and went away one more time and prayed. This third time he prayed, he said the same thing.

⁴⁵ Then Jesus went back to the followers and said, “You are still sleeping and resting? The time has come for the Son of Man to be given to sinful people. ⁴⁶ Get up. We must go. Here comes the man who has turned against me.”

Jesus Is Arrested

⁴⁷ While Jesus was still speaking, Judas came up. Judas was 1 of the 12 followers. He had many people with him. They had been sent from the leading priests and the elders of the people. They carried swords and clubs. ⁴⁸ Judas had planned to give them a signal. He had said, “The man I kiss is Jesus. Arrest him.” ⁴⁹ At once Judas went to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Teacher!” Then Judas kissed him.

⁵⁰ Jesus answered, “Friend, do the thing you came to do.”

Then the men came and grabbed Jesus and arrested him. ⁵¹ When that happened, one of Jesus’ followers reached for his sword and pulled it out. The follower struck the servant of the high priest with the sword and cut off his ear.

⁵² Jesus said to the man, “Put your sword back in its place. All who use swords will be killed with swords. ⁵³ Surely you know I could ask my Father, and he would give me more than 12 armies of angels. ⁵⁴ But this thing must happen this way so that it will be as the Scriptures say.”

⁵⁵ Then Jesus said to the crowd, “You came to get me with swords and clubs as if I were a criminal. Every day I sat in the Temple teaching. You did not arrest me there. ⁵⁶ But all these things have happened so that it will be as the prophets wrote.” Then all of Jesus’ followers left him and ran away.