Matthew 21-27

The Triumphal Entry

¹As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent out two disciples, ²saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt beside her. Untie them and bring them to Me. ³If anyone questions you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.” ⁴This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: ⁵“Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” ⁶So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. ⁷They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. ⁸A massive crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!” ¹⁰When Jesus had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?” ¹¹The crowds replied, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

¹²Then Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves. ¹³And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’ ” ¹⁴The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them. ¹⁵But the chief priests and scribes were indignant when they saw the wonders He performed and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” ¹⁶“Do You hear what these children are saying?” they asked. “Yes,” Jesus answered. “Have you never read: ‘From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise’ ?” ¹⁷Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where He spent the night.

The Barren Fig Tree

¹⁸In the morning, as Jesus was returning to the city, He was hungry. ¹⁹Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. “May you never bear fruit again!” He said. And immediately the tree withered. ²⁰When the disciples saw this, they marveled and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” ²¹“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. ²²If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Jesus’ Authority Challenged

²³When Jesus returned to the temple courts and began to teach, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to Him. “By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You this authority?” ²⁴“I will also ask you one question,” Jesus replied, “and if you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. ²⁵What was the source of John’s baptism? Was it from heaven or from men?” They deliberated among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ ²⁶But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the people, for they all regard John as a prophet.” ²⁷So they answered, “We do not know.” And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸But what do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first one and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ²⁹‘I will not,’ he replied. But later he changed his mind and went. ³⁰Then the man went to the second son and told him the same thing. ‘I will, sir,’ he said. But he did not go. ³¹Which of the two did the will of his father?” “The first, ” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. ³²For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

³³Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey. ³⁴When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit. ³⁵But the tenants seized his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. ³⁶Again, he sent other servants, more than the first group. But the tenants did the same to them. ³⁷Finally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. ³⁸But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance.’ ³⁹So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. ⁴⁰Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard returns, what will he do to those tenants?” ⁴¹“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and will rent out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his share of the fruit at harvest time.” ⁴²Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’ ? ⁴³Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. ⁴⁴He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed. ” ⁴⁵When the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they knew that Jesus was speaking about them. ⁴⁶Although they wanted to arrest Him, they were afraid of the crowds, because the people regarded Him as a prophet.

The Parable of the Banquet

¹Once again, Jesus spoke to them in parables: ²“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. ³He sent his servants to call those he had invited to the banquet, but they refused to come. ⁴Again, he sent other servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ ⁵But they paid no attention and went away, one to his field, another to his business. ⁶The rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. ⁷The king was enraged, and he sent his troops to destroy those murderers and burn their city. ⁸Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited were not worthy. ⁹Go therefore to the crossroads and invite to the banquet as many as you can find.’ ¹⁰So the servants went out into the streets and gathered everyone they could find, both evil and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. ¹¹But when the king came in to see the guests, he spotted a man who was not dressed in wedding clothes. ¹²‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ But the man was speechless. ¹³Then the king told the servants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ¹⁴For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Paying Taxes to Caesar

¹⁵Then the Pharisees went out and conspired to trap Jesus in His words. ¹⁶They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You seek favor from no one, because You pay no attention to external appearance. ¹⁷So tell us what You think: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” ¹⁸But Jesus knew their evil intent and said, “You hypocrites, why are you testing Me? ¹⁹Show Me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought Him a denarius. ²⁰“Whose image is this,” He asked, “and whose inscription?” ²¹“Caesar’s,” they answered. So Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” ²²And when they heard this, they were amazed. So they left Him and went away.

The Sadducees and the Resurrection

²³That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him. ²⁴“Teacher,” they said, “Moses declared that if a man dies without having children, his brother is to marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. ²⁵Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died without having children. So he left his wife to his brother. ²⁶The same thing happened to the second and third brothers, down to the seventh. ²⁷And last of all, the woman died. ²⁸In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be of the seven? For all of them were married to her.” ²⁹Jesus answered, “You are mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. ³⁰In the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven. ³¹But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what God said to you: ³²‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’ ? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” ³³When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

The Greatest Commandment

³⁴And when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they themselves gathered together. ³⁵One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with a question: ³⁶“Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?” ³⁷Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Whose Son Is the Christ?

⁴¹While the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus questioned them: ⁴²“What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?” “David’s,” they answered. ⁴³Jesus said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord’? For he says: ⁴⁴‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet.”’ ⁴⁵So if David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how can He be David’s son?” ⁴⁶No one was able to answer a word, and from that day on no one dared to question Him any further.

Woes to Scribes and Pharisees

¹Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples: ²“The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³So practice and observe everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. ⁴They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. ⁵All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. ⁶They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues, ⁷the greetings in the marketplaces, and the title of ‘Rabbi’ by which they are addressed. ⁸But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. ⁹And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. ¹⁰Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Christ. ¹¹The greatest among you shall be your servant. ¹²For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. ¹³Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter. ¹⁵Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. ¹⁶Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁷You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes it sacred? ¹⁸And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’ ¹⁹You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes it sacred? ²⁰So then, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. ²¹And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the One who dwells in it. ²²And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the One who sits on it. ²³Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. ²⁴You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. ²⁵Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. ²⁶Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well. ²⁷Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity. ²⁸In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. ²⁹Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous. ³⁰And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ ³¹So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets. ³²Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your fathers. ³³You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell? ³⁴Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town. ³⁵And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. ³⁶Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem

³⁷O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! ³⁸Look, your house is left to you desolate. ³⁹For I tell you that you will not see Me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”

Temple Destruction and Other Signs

¹As Jesus left the temple and was walking away, His disciples came up to Him to point out its buildings. ²“Do you see all these things?” He replied. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” ³While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” ⁴Jesus answered, “See to it that no one deceives you. ⁵For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. ⁶You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁷Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸All these are the beginning of birth pains.

Witnessing to All Nations

⁹Then they will deliver you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. ¹⁰At that time many will fall away and will betray and hate one another, ¹¹and many false prophets will arise and deceive many. ¹²Because of the multiplication of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. ¹³But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. ¹⁴And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

The Abomination of Desolation

¹⁵So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), ¹⁶then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁷Let no one on the housetop come down to retrieve anything from his house. ¹⁸And let no one in the field return for his cloak. ¹⁹How miserable those days will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! ²⁰Pray that your flight will not occur in the winter or on the Sabbath. ²¹For at that time there will be great tribulation, unseen from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. ²²If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short. ²³At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. ²⁴For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive even the elect, if that were possible. ²⁵See, I have told you in advance.

The Return of the Son of Man

²⁶So if they tell you, ‘There He is, in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Here He is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. ²⁷For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ²⁸Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. ²⁹Immediately after the tribulation of those days: ‘The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ’ ³⁰At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

³²Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near, right at the door. ³⁴Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have happened. ³⁵Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

Readiness at Any Hour

³⁶No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. ³⁹And they were oblivious until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰Two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. ⁴²Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come. ⁴³But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴For this reason, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect. ⁴⁵Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time? ⁴⁶Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. ⁴⁷Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁸But suppose that servant is wicked and says in his heart, ‘My master will be away a long time.’ ⁴⁹And he begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. ⁵⁰The master of that servant will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not anticipate. ⁵¹Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

¹“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ²Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take along any extra oil. ⁴But the wise ones took oil in flasks along with their lamps. ⁵When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. ⁶At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ ⁷Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ ⁹‘No,’ said the wise ones, ‘or there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰But while they were on their way to buy it, the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. ¹¹Later the other virgins arrived and said, ‘Lord, lord, open the door for us!’ ¹²But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ ¹³Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

The Parable of the Talents

¹⁴For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions. ¹⁵To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey. ¹⁶The servant who had received the five talents went at once and put them to work and gained five more. ¹⁷Likewise, the one with the two talents gained two more. ¹⁸But the servant who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money. ¹⁹After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. ²⁰The servant who had received the five talents came and presented five more. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ ²¹His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’ ²²The servant who had received the two talents also came and said, ‘Master, you entrusted me with two talents. See, I have gained two more.’ ²³His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’ ²⁴Finally, the servant who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what belongs to you.’ ²⁶‘You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed. ²⁷Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received it back with interest. ²⁸Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. ²⁹For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ³⁰And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Sheep and the Goats

³¹When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. ³²All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. ³⁴Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, ³⁶I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’ ³⁷Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? ³⁸When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? ³⁹When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’ ⁴⁰And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’ ⁴¹Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after Me.’ ⁴⁴And they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ ⁴⁵Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’ ⁴⁶And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

¹When Jesus had finished saying all these things, He told His disciples, ²“You know that the Passover is two days away, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” ³At that time the chief priests and elders of the people assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, ⁴and they conspired to arrest Jesus covertly and kill Him. ⁵“But not during the feast,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

⁶While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, ⁷a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, which she poured on His head as He reclined at the table. ⁸When the disciples saw this, they were indignant and asked, “Why this waste? ⁹This perfume could have been sold at a high price, and the money given to the poor.” ¹⁰Aware of this, Jesus asked, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful deed to Me. ¹¹The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me. ¹²By pouring this perfume on Me, she has prepared My body for burial. ¹³Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

¹⁴Then one of the Twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests ¹⁵and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶So from then on Judas looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

Preparing the Passover

¹⁷On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” ¹⁸He answered, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him that the Teacher says, ‘My time is near. I will keep the Passover with My disciples at your house.’” ¹⁹So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

The Last Supper

²⁰When evening came, Jesus was reclining with the twelve disciples. ²¹And while they were eating, He said to them, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray Me.” ²²They were deeply grieved and began to ask Him one after another, “Surely not I, Lord?” ²³Jesus answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with Me will betray Me. ²⁴The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed. It would be better for him if he had not been born.” ²⁵Then Judas, who would betray Him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “You have said it yourself.” ²⁶While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body.” ²⁷Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in My Father’s kingdom.” ³⁰And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

³¹Then Jesus said to them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of Me. For it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ ³²But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” ³³Peter said to Him, “Even if all fall away on account of You, I never will.” ³⁴“Truly I tell you,” Jesus declared, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” ³⁵Peter replied, “Even if I have to die with You, I will never deny You.” And all the other disciples said the same thing.

Jesus Prays at Gethsemane

³⁶Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He told them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. ³⁸Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.” ³⁹Going a little farther, 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.” ⁴⁰Then Jesus returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. “Were you not able to keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter. ⁴¹“Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” ⁴²A second time He went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass unless I drink it, may Your will be done.” ⁴³And again Jesus returned and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴So He left them and went away once more and prayed a third time, saying the same thing. ⁴⁵Then He returned to the disciples and said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶Rise, let us go! See, My betrayer is approaching!”

The Betrayal of Jesus

⁴⁷While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived, accompanied by a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and elders of the people. ⁴⁸Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The One I kiss is the man; arrest Him.” ⁴⁹Going directly to Jesus, he said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. ⁵⁰“Friend,” Jesus replied, “do what you came for.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus, and arrested Him. ⁵¹At this, one of Jesus’ companions drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. ⁵²“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword. ⁵³Are you not aware that I can call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?” ⁵⁵At that time Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would an outlaw? Every day I sat teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest Me. ⁵⁶But this has all happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled.

Jesus before the Sanhedrin

⁵⁷Those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and elders had gathered. ⁵⁸But Peter followed Him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. And he went in and sat down with the guards to see the outcome. ⁵⁹Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking false testimony against Jesus in order to put Him to death. ⁶⁰But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward ⁶¹and declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’” ⁶²So the high priest stood up and asked Him, “Have You no answer? What are these men testifying against You?” ⁶³But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to Him, “I charge You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.” ⁶⁴“You have said it yourself,” Jesus answered. “But I say to all of you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” ⁶⁵At this, the high priest tore his clothes and declared, “He has blasphemed! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶What do you think?” “He deserves to die,” they answered. ⁶⁷Then they spit in His face and struck Him. Others slapped Him ⁶⁸and said, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who hit You?”

Peter Denies Jesus

⁶⁹Meanwhile, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came up to him. “You also were with Jesus the Galilean,” she said. ⁷⁰But he denied it before them all: “I do not know what you are talking about.” ⁷¹When Peter had gone out to the gateway, another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” ⁷²And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man!” ⁷³After a little while, those standing nearby came up to Peter. “Surely you are one of them,” they said, “for your accent gives you away.” ⁷⁴At that he began to curse and swear to them, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Jesus Delivered to Pilate

¹When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people conspired against Jesus to put Him to death. ²They bound Him, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate the governor.

Judas Hangs Himself

³When Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was filled with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. ⁴“I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said. “What is that to us?” they replied. “You bear the responsibility.” ⁵So Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. ⁶The chief priests picked up the pieces of silver and said, “It is unlawful to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” ⁷After conferring together, they used the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. ⁸That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. ⁹Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on Him by the people of Israel, ¹⁰and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord had commanded me.”

Jesus before Pilate

¹¹Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, who questioned Him: “Are You the King of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied. ¹²And when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He gave no answer. ¹³Then Pilate asked Him, “Do You not hear how many charges they are bringing against You?” ¹⁴But Jesus gave no answer, not even to a single charge, much to the governor’s amazement.

The Crowd Chooses Barabbas

¹⁵Now it was the governor’s custom at the feast to release to the crowd a prisoner of their choosing. ¹⁶At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. ¹⁷So when the crowd had assembled, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” ¹⁸For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. ¹⁹While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered terribly in a dream today because of Him.” ²⁰But the chief priests and elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus put to death. ²¹“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they replied. ²²“What then should I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify Him!” ²³“Why?” asked Pilate. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!”

Pilate Washes His Hands

²⁴When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but that instead a riot was breaking out, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood, ” he said. “You bear the responsibility.” ²⁵All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” ²⁶So Pilate released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

²⁷Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company around Him. ²⁸They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. ²⁹And they twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand, knelt down before Him, and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ³⁰Then they spit on Him and took the staff and struck Him on the head repeatedly. ³¹After they had mocked Him, they removed the robe and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they led Him away to crucify Him.

The Crucifixion

³²Along the way they found a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross of Jesus. ³³And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means The Place of the Skull, ³⁴they offered Him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it. ³⁵When they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments by casting lots. ³⁶And sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. ³⁷Above His head they posted the written charge against Him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. ³⁸Two robbers were crucified with Him, one on His right and the other on His left. ³⁹And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads ⁴⁰and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” ⁴¹In the same way, the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked Him, saying, ⁴²“He saved others, but He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him. ⁴³He trusts in God. Let God deliver Him now if He wants Him. For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴In the same way, even the robbers who were crucified with Him berated Him.

The Death of Jesus

⁴⁵From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. ⁴⁶About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” ⁴⁷When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He is calling Elijah.” ⁴⁸One of them quickly ran and brought a sponge. He filled it with sour wine, put it on a reed, and held it up for Jesus to drink. ⁴⁹But the others said, “Leave Him alone. Let us see if Elijah comes to save Him.” ⁵⁰When Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He yielded up His spirit. ⁵¹At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, and the rocks were split. ⁵²The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. ⁵³After Jesus’ resurrection, when they had come out of the tombs, they entered the holy city and appeared to many people. ⁵⁴When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this was the Son of God.” ⁵⁵And many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to minister to Him. ⁵⁶Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

The Burial of Jesus

⁵⁷When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who himself was a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸He went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. ⁵⁹So Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut into the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance to the tomb and went away. ⁶¹Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

The Guards at the Tomb

⁶²The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and Pharisees assembled before Pilate. ⁶³“Sir,” they said, “we remember that while He was alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ ⁶⁴So give the order that the tomb be secured until the third day. Otherwise, His disciples may come and steal Him away and tell the people He has risen from the dead. And this last deception would be worse than the first.” ⁶⁵“You have a guard,” Pilate said. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” ⁶⁶So they went and secured the tomb by sealing the stone and posting the guard.