Matthew 26:1-35

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.