UST MAT Chapter 26

◄ MAT 26 ► ║ ═ ©

26 So, Jesus completed saying all those things. Then, he told his apprentices, 2 “As you know, two days from now, the Passover festival will begin. At that time, somebody will help the authorities arrest me, the Son of Man. They will have people kill me by nailing me to a cross.”

3 At that time, the ruling priests and the Jewish leaders assembled outside the house of the ruling priest whose name was Caiaphas. 4 They started to plan a clever way to arrest Jesus and have others execute him. 5 However, they agreed that they would not act during the Passover festival. Otherwise, the people who were there in Jerusalem might riot.

6 One time, Jesus and his apprentices were in the village of Bethany. They were in the home of Simon, who used to have a skin disease. 7 While Jesus was feasting there, a woman came to him. She brought with her a stone jar that contained a valuable, fragrant ointment. She poured the ointment on Jesus’ head. 8 When the apprentices noticed what the woman had done, they were very upset. They declared, “She wasted the valuable ointment! 9 She could have sold it for a lot of money! Then, she could have given that money to poor people.”

10 However, Jesus realized what they were saying. He told them, “Do not bother this woman! I say that because what she did to me was right. 11 There will always be poor people with you. So, you can help them whenever you want to. However, I will not always be with you. 12 When she poured this ointment on me, she was getting me ready for when someone buries me. 13 In every place where my apprentices proclaim the good news, they will also tell what this woman just did. That way, people remember her. What I have said is true.”

14 After that, one of Jesus’ 12 representatives visited the ruling priests. This man’s name was Judas Iscariot. 15 He said to them, “Suppose that I help you arrest Jesus. How much money would you pay me?” In response, they offered Judas 30 silver coins. 16 From that moment on, Judas tried to find a good time to help the ruling priests arrest Jesus.

17 During the first day of the Celebration of Unleavened Bread, the apprentices came to Jesus. They asked him, “Where should we set up the meal for the Passover celebration?”

18 Jesus told them, “Enter the city of Jerusalem and find a certain man. Tell him, ‘Our instructor says that something important is about to happen to him. He wants to eat the meal for the Passover celebration with us, his apprentices, in your home.’ ” 19 The apprentices did what Jesus told them to do. They went to that man’s house and set up the meal for the Passover celebration.

20 When it was evening, Jesus and his 12 representatives began to feast. 21 As they ate, Jesus told them, “One of you is going to help my enemies arrest me. What I have said is true.”

22 The apprentices became very sad. Every one of them told Jesus, “Lord, I will not do that!”

23 Jesus replied, “The one who will help my enemies arrest me is eating food here with me. 24 I, the Son of Man, will die. That is what you can read in the Scriptures about me. Nevertheless, how terrible it will be for the man who helps my enemies arrest me, the Son of Man. In fact, that man would be better off if he had never existed.”

25 Judas, the one who was going to help his enemies arrest him, replied, “Teacher, I will not do that!”

Jesus replied, “Yes you will.”

26 As they ate, Jesus picked up a loaf of bread. He thanked God for the loaf of bread. Then, he tore it into pieces and handed the pieces to the apprentices to eat. He said, “This bread is my body. Receive it and eat it.” 27 Then Jesus picked up a cup of wine. He thanked God for the wine. Then, he handed the cup of wine to the apprentices. He said, “All of you must drink wine from this cup. 28 This wine is my blood, which inaugurates the agreement God is making with you. My blood will flow from my body when my enemies kill me. That way, God will forgive the sins of many people. 29 Here is what I want to tell you: From this moment on, I will not drink any more wine until the time when I drink it again with you when we participate in God my Father’s kingdom.”

30 After they sang a song praising God, Jesus and his apprentices walked to the Mount of Olives.

31 After that, Jesus told them, “God had Zechariah write in the Scriptures,

‘I will kill the one who is like a shepherd.

Then, the people who are like sheep in his flock will flee.’

So, tonight all of you will reject me! 32 However, once God has made me alive again, I will go ahead of you to the region of Galilee and meet you there.”

33 Peter replied, “Suppose that everyone else rejects you. Despite that, I will never reject you!”

34 Jesus replied, “Tonight before male chickens crow at dawn, you will say three times that you are not my apprentice! What I have said is true.”

35 Peter told him, “I will always say that I am your apprentice, even if I die with you because of that!” The rest of the apprentices said the same thing.

36 After that, Jesus and his apprentices walked to a place whose name was Gethsemane. He told the apprentices, “Stay here. I will walk over there and pray to God.” 37 Jesus had Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, go with him. Then, Jesus started to become very sad and upset. 38 He told those three apprentices, “I am so sad that I feel like I am dying. Stay here and stay awake with me!” 39 After saying that, Jesus walked a little further. Then, he kneeled down to pray. He said, “God my Father, if there is any way to do so, please prevent me from suffering terribly. However, please do what you want to do, not what I want you to do.”

40 Then he returned to the three apprentices. He discovered that they were asleep. He woke them up and rebuked Peter, “It disappoints me that you men could not stay awake with me for just a short time! 41 You want to do what I say, but you are not strong enough. Stay awake and pray! That way, nothing can convince you to sin.” 42 Then Jesus walked a short distance away a second time. He prayed, “God my Father, there may be no way to prevent me from suffering terribly. So, please do what you want to do!”

43 Then he returned a second time to the three apprentices. He discovered that they, because they were so sleepy, had fallen asleep again. 44 So, Jesus walked a short distance away a third time. He prayed again what he had prayed before. 45 Then he returned to the three apprentices. He woke them up and rebuked them, “It disappoints me that you continue to sleep! The time when I will suffer is about to begin! Someone is about to help sinful people arrest me, the Son of Man. 46 Stand up! We are going to leave this place. The person who is helping my enemies arrest me has arrived!”

47 While Jesus was still talking to the three apprentices, Judas arrived. He was one of the 12 men whom Jesus had chosen to represent him. He brought with him a large group of people carrying swords and clubs. The ruling priests and the Jewish leaders had sent them to arrest Jesus. 48 Previously, Judas, who was helping Jesus’ enemies arrest him, told the group of people how they would know which man was Jesus. He instructed them, “The man you should arrest is the one whom I will greet affectionately.”

49 As soon as he arrived, Judas went to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Teacher!” Then he greeted Jesus affectionately.

50 Jesus told him, “My friend, I know why you are really here.”

After that, the large group of people arrested Jesus. 51 Then one of the men who were with Jesus pulled his sword out of its sheath! He attacked a man who served the ruling priest, but he only cut off that man’s ear. 52 After that, Jesus told him, “Put your sword back in its sheath! I say that because someone will kill with a sword every person who tries to kill another person with a sword. 53 You should realize that I could ask God my Father to protect me, and he would immediately send more than 12 armies of angels to do so! 54 However, if I did that, then what people wrote in the Scriptures would not come true. They wrote that what is happening to me has to occur.”

55 At that time, Jesus told the groups of people who were arresting him, “You did not need to treat me like a dangerous bandit by arming yourselves with swords and clubs to arrest me. Each day I was peacefully instructing people in the temple area. You did not arrest me then! 56 However, as all these things have happened, what the prophets wrote has come true.” After that, all of Jesus’ apprentices deserted him and ran away.

57 The people who had arrested Jesus took him to the house where Caiaphas, the ruling priest, lived. The teachers of the Jewish law and the Jewish leaders had already assembled there. 58 Peter followed Jesus, but he stayed a safe distance away. He went into the area just outside the house where the ruling priest lived. He sat there with the servants. That way, he could see what was going to happen.

59 The ruling priests and all the rest of the Jewish council tried to find people who would say what was untrue about Jesus. That way, they could have the Roman authorities execute him. 60 However, even though many people said what was untrue about Jesus, the Jewish council did not find anything that they could tell the Roman authorities about. Finally, two people came forward. 61 They said, “This man said that he could tear down God’s temple and construct it again within three days.”

62 Then the ruling priest stood up. He asked Jesus, “Are you going to reply? How do you respond to what these people have said about you?” 63 Despite that, Jesus kept quiet. Then the ruling priest told him, “I want you to have the only real God guarantee that you will say truthfully whether you are the Messiah, God’s Son.”

64 Jesus replied, “What you have called me is right. In fact, here is what I want to tell you: From this time on, you will see me, the Son of Man, ruling powerfully with God. You will see me arriving by means of clouds.”

65 When he heard that, the ruling priest was so upset that he ripped his outer garments. He said, “This man has insulted God! We certainly do not need anyone else to say anything about him. You all just heard him insult God! 66 What should we decide to do?”

The Jewish council replied, “Someone should execute him because of what he has said!”

67 After that, some of the people there spit in Jesus’ face to insult him. They struck him with their fists. They slapped him 68 and demanded, “You who claim to be the Messiah, prove to us that you speak for God! Name the people who just struck you!”

69 Meanwhile, Peter was sitting down in the area just outside the ruling priest’s house. A female servant came up to him and said, “I can tell that you were an apprentice of Jesus, that man from the region of Galilee.”

70 However, while everyone there was listening, he told them that he was not Jesus’ apprentice. He said, “I do not understand what you are talking about!”

71 Then Peter walked to the entrance into the area just outside the house. Another female servant noticed him there. She told the people who were standing nearby, “This man was an apprentice of Jesus, that man from the town of Nazareth.”

72 Peter again said that he was not Jesus’ apprentice. He solemnly promised, “I have never met that man!”

73 A little later, some people who were there came up to Peter. They told him, “When you talk, you sound like you are from where Jesus is from. So, you must really be one of his apprentices.”

74 After they said that, Peter asked God to punish him if he was lying. Then he solemnly promised, “I have never met that man!” As soon as he said that, a male chicken crowed.

75 Then Peter remembered what Jesus had told him. He had said, “Before male chickens crow at dawn, you will say three times that you are not my apprentice.” Peter left the area just outside the ruling priest’s house and cried very sorrowfully.

MAT C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28