UST MARK Chapter 14

◄ MARK 14 ► ║ ═ ©

14 At that time, it was only two days until the Passover festival, which was the first day of the Celebration of Unleavened Bread. The ruling priests and the teachers of the Jewish law were planning a clever way to arrest Jesus and have people execute him. 2 They were planning something clever because they agreed that they would not act during the festival period. Otherwise, the people who were there in Jerusalem might riot.

3 Now Jesus was in the village of Bethany. He was in the home of Simon, who used to have a skin disease. While Jesus was feasting there, a woman arrived. She brought with her a stone jar that contained nard, a very valuable, fragrant ointment. She shattered the jar and poured the ointment on Jesus’ head.

4 Some of the people there were very upset. They said to each other, “She wasted the fragrant ointment! 5 She could have sold this fragrant ointment for at least 300 coins! Then, she could have given that money to poor people.” So, they rebuked her.

6 However, Jesus told those people, “Stop rebuking this woman. Do not bother her! What she did for me was right. 7 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. 8 This woman used what she possessed to do something for me. When she poured this ointment on me, she was preparing me ahead of time for when someone buries me. 9 In every place where my apprentices proclaim the good news, they will also tell what this woman just did. That way, people will remember her. What I have said is true.”

10 Then Judas Iscariot visited the ruling priests to talk about helping them arrest Jesus. He was one of the 12 men whom Jesus had chosen to represent him. 11 When the ruling priests heard from Judas, they were very happy. They agreed to pay money to Judas to help them arrest Jesus. So, Judas tried to find a good time to help the ruling priests arrest Jesus.

12 Then it was the first day of the Celebration of Unleavened Bread, the time when people slaughter lambs for the Passover festival. Jesus’ apprentices asked him, “Where should we go to set up the meal for the Passover celebration?”

13 So, Jesus told two of his apprentices to prepare everything. He instructed them, “Enter the city of Jerusalem. There you will encounter a certain man. He will be holding a jar with water in it. Go wherever he does. 14 When he goes into a house, tell the man who owns the house, ‘Our instructor wants to eat the meal for the Passover celebration with us, his apprentices. He asks you to show us the room that is ready for him.’ 15 He will take you to a large room that is upstairs. It will already have everything that we need for preparing and eating a meal. Then, set up the meal for us in that room.”

16 So the two apprentices went away and entered the city of Jerusalem. Everything that Jesus had spoken about happened. Then they set up the meal for the Passover celebration. 17 When it was evening, Jesus arrived at that house with his 12 representatives.

18 Then, they began to feast. As they ate, Jesus told them, “One of you is going to help my enemies arrest me. This person is eating with me right now! What I have said is true.”

19 The apprentices started to become sad. One after another they told Jesus, “I will not do that!”

20 Jesus responded, “One of you 12 men whom I have chosen to represent me will do that. It is one of you who is sharing food from this dish with me. 21 I say that because 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.”

22 Then, as they ate, Jesus picked up a loaf of bread. He thanked God for the loaf of bread. He tore it into pieces and handed the pieces to the apprentices to eat. He said, “This bread is my body. Receive it.”

23 Then Jesus picked up a cup of wine. He thanked God for the wine. Then, he handed the cup of wine to the apprentices. All of them drank wine from it.

24 Then Jesus told them, “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 will help many people. 25 I will no longer drink any more wine until the time when I drink it again when we participate together in God’s kingdom. What I have said is true.” 26 After they sang a song praising God, Jesus and his apprentices walked to the Mount of Olives.

27 Then 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 will flee.’

So, all of you will reject me! 28 However, once God has made me alive again, I will go ahead of you to the region of Galilee and meet you there.”

29 Then Peter told Jesus, “Suppose that everyone else rejects you. Despite that, I will never do that!”

30 Jesus replied, “During this day, tonight, before a male chicken crows two times, you will say three times that you are not my apprentice! What I have said is true.”

31 Peter replied strongly, “I will always say that I am your apprentice, even if I die with you because of that!” The rest of the apprentices said similar things.

32 After that, Jesus and his apprentices walked to a place that people call Gethsemane. He told the apprentices, “Stay here while I pray to God.” 33 Jesus had Peter, James, and John go with him. Then, Jesus started to become very anxious and upset. 34 He told those three apprentices, “I am so sad that I feel like I am dying. Stay here and stay awake!”

35 After saying that, Jesus walked a little further. Then, he kneeled down to pray. He asked God to prevent him from experiencing what was about to happen, if there was any way to do so. 36 He prayed, “Abba (which means Father), you are able to do anything. Please prevent me from suffering terribly. However, please do what you want to do, not what I want you to do.”

37 Then he returned to the three apprentices. He discovered that they were asleep. He woke them up and told Peter, “Simon, it disappoints me that you were asleep. You could not stay awake for even a short time! 38 You men want to do what I say, but you are not strong enough. Stay awake and pray! That way, nothing can convince you to sin.”

39 Then Jesus walked a short distance away a second time. He prayed again what he had prayed previously. 40 Then he returned a second time to the three apprentices. He discovered that they, because they were so sleepy, had fallen asleep again. They did not know how to respond to him when he woke them up.

41 After Jesus walked away and prayed again, he returned a third time to the three apprentices. He woke them up and told them, “It disappoints me that you continue to sleep! You have slept enough. The time when I will suffer is beginning! Someone is about to help sinful people arrest me, the Son of Man. 42 Stand up! We are going to leave this place. The person who is helping my enemies arrest me has arrived!”

43 While Jesus was still talking to the three apprentices, Judas came. 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, the teachers of the Jewish law, and the other Jewish leaders had sent them to arrest Jesus.

44 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. Guard him while you take him away.”

45 As soon as he arrived, Judas went to Jesus and said, “Teacher!” and he greeted Jesus affectionately. 46 Then the large group of people arrested Jesus.

47 One of the men who were there 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. 48 Jesus responded by saying to the group of people, “You did not need to treat me like a dangerous bandit by arming yourselves with swords and clubs to arrest me. 49 Each day I was instructing people in the temple area, and you were there. You did not arrest me then! However, as these things have happened, what you can read in the Scriptures has come true.” 50 Then all the apprentices deserted Jesus and ran away. 51 Now there was a young man there. He was wearing only one thin garment. He had been walking around with Jesus. The people who arrested Jesus tried to arrest him too. 52 However, he escaped by slipping out of his garment, and he ran away naked.

53 The people who had arrested Jesus took him to the house where the ruling priest lived. All the ruling priests, the other Jewish leaders, and the teachers of the Jewish law assembled there. 54 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 near a fire to keep from getting cold.

55 The ruling priests and all the rest of the Jewish council tried to find something for which they could accuse Jesus. That way, they could have the Roman authorities execute him. However, they did not find anything for which they could accuse him. 56 In fact, many people said what was untrue about Jesus. However, these people did not agree about what Jesus had done.

57 Then, some other people got up to say what was untrue about Jesus. They declared, 58 “We heard him tell people that he would tear down this temple, which humans have built. Then he said that within three days he would construct another temple that God, not humans, would build.” 59 However, even these people did not agree about exactly what Jesus had said.

60 Then the ruling priest got up in front of everyone. He asked Jesus, “Are you going to reply? How do you respond to what these people have said about you?” 61 Despite that, Jesus kept quiet. Then the ruling priest asked him another question. He asked, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the God whom we praise?”

62 Jesus replied, “That is who I am. You will see me, the Son of Man, ruling powerfully with God. You will see me arriving by means of clouds.”

63 When he heard that, the ruling priest was so upset that he ripped his clothes. He said, “We certainly do not need anyone else to say anything about him. 64 You have heard him insult God! What do you think we should do?” The whole Jewish council agreed that he was guilty and that someone should execute him because of what he had said.

65 Then some of them started to spit on Jesus to insult him. They covered his eyes and then struck him with their fists. They demanded, “Speak for God!” When the servants led Jesus away, they slapped him.

66 Meanwhile, Peter was down in the area just outside the ruling priest’s house. A female servant, one of the servants who served the ruling priest, was there. 67 She noticed Peter, who was near a fire to keep from getting cold. She stared at him and declared, “I can tell that you were an apprentice of Jesus, that man from the town of Nazareth.”

68 However, he told her that he was not Jesus’ apprentice. He said, “I do not at all understand what you are talking about!”

Then Peter left the area just outside the house and walked to the place where people entered that area. 69 The female servant noticed him again, and she started to tell the people who were there, “This man belongs to Jesus’ group.”

70 However, Peter again said that he was not Jesus’ apprentice. A little later, some people who were there told Peter, “You are from Galilee, where Jesus is from. So, you really must belong to Jesus’ group.”

71 Then Peter started to ask God to punish him if he was lying. He solemnly promised, “I have never met the man about whom you are speaking!”

72 As soon as he said that, a male chicken crowed for a second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had told him. He had said, “Before a male chicken crows two times, you will say three times that you are not my apprentice.” Then Peter became very upset. He cried.

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