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