Luke 22:7–38

Jesus Prepares to Eat the Passover Meal

⁷The day came during the Festival of Unleavened Bread when the lambs for the Passover meal were to be killed. ⁸Jesus sent off Peter and John with these instructions: “Go and get the Passover meal ready for us to eat.”

⁹“Where do you want us to get it ready?” they asked him.

¹⁰He answered, “As you go into the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters, ¹¹and say to the owner of the house: ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the room where my disciples and I will eat the Passover meal?’ ¹²He will show you a large furnished room upstairs, where you will get everything ready.”

¹³They went off and found everything just as Jesus had told them, and they prepared the Passover meal.

The Lord’s Supper

¹⁴When the hour came, Jesus took his place at the table with the apostles. ¹⁵He said to them, “I have wanted so much to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer! ¹⁶For I tell you, I will never eat it until it is given its full meaning in the Kingdom of God.”

¹⁷Then Jesus took a cup, gave thanks to God, and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. ¹⁸I tell you that from now on I will not drink this wine until the Kingdom of God comes.”

¹⁹Then he took a piece of bread, gave thanks to God, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.” ^20*In the same way, he gave them the cup after the supper, saying, “This cup is God’s new covenant sealed with my blood, which is poured out for you.^z

^21*“But, look! The one who betrays me is here at the table with me! ²²The Son of Man will die as God has decided, but how terrible for that man who betrays him!”

²³Then they began to ask among themselves which one of them it could be who was going to do this.

The Argument about Greatness

^24*An argument broke out among the disciples as to which one of them should be thought of as the greatest. ^25*Jesus said to them, “The kings of the pagans have power over their people, and the rulers claim the title ‘Friends of the People’. ^26*But this is not the way it is with you; rather, the greatest one among you must be like the youngest, and the leader must be like the servant. ^27*Who is greater, the one who sits down to eat or the one who serves? The one who sits down, of course. But I am among you as one who serves.

²⁸“You have stayed with me all through my trials; ²⁹and just as my Father has given me the right to rule, so I will give you the same right. ^30*You will eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom, and you will sit on thrones to rule over the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

³¹“Simon, Simon! Listen! Satan has received permission to test all of you, to separate the good from the bad, as a farmer separates the wheat from the chaff. ³²But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you turn back to me, you must strengthen your brothers.”

³³Peter answered, “Lord, I am ready to go to prison with you and to die with you!”

³⁴“I tell you, Peter,” Jesus said, “the cock will not crow tonight until you have said three times that you do not know me.”

Purse, Bag, and Sword

^35*Then Jesus asked his disciples, “When I sent you out that time without purse, bag, or shoes, did you lack anything?”

“Not a thing,” they answered.

³⁶“But now,” Jesus said, “whoever has a purse or a bag must take it; and whoever has no sword must sell his coat and buy one. ^37*For I tell you that the scripture which says, ‘He shared the fate of criminals,’ must come true about me, because what was written about me is coming true.” ³⁸The disciples said, “Look! Here are two swords, Lord!” “That is enough!”^a he replied.