Matthew 26

Holman Christian Standard Bible

The Plot to Kill Jesus

26 When Jesus had finished saying all this,^(A) He told His disciples, ² “You know^[a] that the Passover takes place after two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”^(B)

³ Then the chief priests^[b] and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,^{(C) 4} and they conspired to arrest Jesus in a treacherous way and kill Him.^{(D) 5} “Not during the festival,” they said, “so there won’t be rioting among the people.”

The Anointing at Bethany

⁶ While Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon,^(E) a man who had a serious skin disease, ⁷ a woman approached Him with an alabaster jar of very expensive fragrant oil. She poured it on His head as He was reclining at the table. ⁸ When the disciples^(F) saw it, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. ⁹ “This might have been sold for a great deal and given to the poor.”

¹⁰ But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a noble thing for Me. ¹¹ You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.^{(G) 12} By pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she has prepared Me for burial. ¹³ I assure you: Wherever this gospel^(H) is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.”

¹⁴ Then^(I) one of the Twelve—the man called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests^{(J) 15} and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” So they weighed out 30 pieces of silver for him.^{(K) 16} And from that time he started looking for a good opportunity to betray Him.

Betrayal at the Passover

¹⁷ On the first day of Unleavened Bread^(L) the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare the Passover so You may eat it?”

¹⁸ “Go into the city to a certain man,” He said, “and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time is near; I am celebrating the Passover at your place^[c] with My disciples.’”^{(M) 19} So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. ²⁰ When evening came, He was reclining at the table with the Twelve. ²¹ While they were eating, He said, “I assure you: One of you will betray Me.”^(N)

²² Deeply distressed, each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?”

²³ He replied, “The one who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl—he will betray Me. ²⁴ The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him,^(O) but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

²⁵ Then Judas, His betrayer, replied, “Surely not I, Rabbi?”^(P)

“You have said it,” He told him.

The First Lord’s Supper

²⁶ As they were eating,^(Q) Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples,^(R) and said, “Take and eat it; this is My body.”^{(S) 27} Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ For this is My blood that establishes the covenant;^[d] it is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.^{(T) 29} But I tell you, from this moment I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it in a new way^[e] in My Father’s kingdom^(U) with you.” ³⁰ After singing psalms,^[f] they went out to the Mount of Olives.^(V)

Peter’s Denial Predicted

³¹ Then Jesus said to them, “Tonight all of you will run away^[g] because of Me, for it is written:

³² But after I have been resurrected, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”^(X)

³³ Peter told Him, “Even if everyone runs away because of You, I will never run away!”

³⁴ “I assure you,” Jesus said to him, “tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times!”^(Y)

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

The Prayer in the Garden

³⁶ Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane,^[i](Z) and He told the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.^{(AA) 38} Then He said to them, “My soul is swallowed up in sorrow^[j] —to the point of death.^[k] Remain here and stay awake with Me.”^{(AB) 39} Going a little farther,^[l] He fell facedown and prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.”^(AC)

⁴⁰ Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He asked Peter, “So, couldn’t you^[m] stay awake with Me one hour? ⁴¹ Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

⁴² Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this^[n] cannot pass^[o] unless I drink it, Your will be done.”^{(AD) 43} And He came again and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open.^[p]

⁴⁴ After leaving them, He went away again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. ⁴⁵ Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting?^[q] Look, the time is near. The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.^{(AE) 46} Get up; let’s go! See, My betrayer is near.”

The Judas Kiss

⁴⁷ While He was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, suddenly arrived.^(AF) A large mob, with swords and clubs, was with him from the chief priests and elders of the people. ⁴⁸ His betrayer had given them a sign: “The One I kiss, He’s the One; arrest Him!” ⁴⁹ So he went right up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

⁵⁰ “Friend,”^(AG) Jesus asked him, “why have you come?”^[r]

Then they came up, took hold of Jesus, and arrested Him. ⁵¹ At that moment one of those with Jesus reached out his hand and drew his sword. He struck the high priest’s slave and cut off his ear.^(AH)

⁵² Then Jesus told him, “Put your sword back in its place because all who take up a sword will perish by a sword.^{(AI) 53} Or do you think that I cannot call on My Father, and He will provide Me at once with more than 12 legions^[s] of angels?^{(AJ) 54} How, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled^(AK) that say it must happen this way?”

⁵⁵ At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as if I were a criminal,^[t] to capture Me? Every day I used to sit, teaching in the temple complex, and you didn’t arrest Me.^{(AL) 56} But all this has happened so that the prophetic Scriptures^[u](AM) would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples^(AN) deserted Him and ran away.

Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin

⁵⁷ Those^(AO) who had arrested Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas^(AP) the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had convened. ⁵⁸ Meanwhile, Peter was following Him at a distance right to the high priest’s courtyard.^[v] He went in and was sitting with the temple police^[w] to see the outcome.^[x](AQ)

⁵⁹ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus so they could put Him to death.^{(AR) 60} But they could not find any, even though many false witnesses^(AS) came forward.^[y] Finally, two^[z] who came forward ⁶¹ stated, “This man said, ‘I can demolish God’s sanctuary^(AT) and rebuild it in three days.’”

⁶² The high priest then stood up and said to Him, “Don’t You have an answer to what these men are testifying against You?” ⁶³ But^(AU) Jesus kept silent.^(AV) Then the high priest said to Him, “By the living God I place You under oath:^(AW) tell us if You are the Messiah, the Son of God!”^(AX)

⁶⁴ “You have said it,”^[aa] Jesus told him. “But I tell you, in the future^[ab] you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”^(AY)[ac]

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed!^(AZ) Why do we still need witnesses? Look, now you’ve heard the blasphemy!^{(BA) 66} What is your decision?”^[ad]

They answered, “He deserves death!”^{(BB) 67} Then they spit in His face^(BC) and beat Him; others slapped Him ⁶⁸ and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah! Who hit You?”^(BD)

Peter Denies His Lord

⁶⁹ Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard.^(BE) A servant approached him and she said, “You were with Jesus the Galilean too.”

⁷⁰ But he denied it in front of everyone: “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

⁷¹ When he had gone out to the gateway, another woman saw him and told those who were there, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene!”^(BF)

⁷² And again he denied it with an oath,^(BG) “I don’t know the man!”

⁷³ After a little while those standing there approached and said to Peter, “You certainly are one of them, since even your accent^[ae] gives you away.”

⁷⁴ Then he started to curse^[af] and to swear with an oath, “I do not know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed, ⁷⁵ and Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”^(BH) And he went outside and wept bitterly.