Matthew 26:50–27:50

⁵⁰“Friend,” ^bJesus asked him, “why have you come?” ^c

Then they came up, took hold of Jesus, and arrested Him. ⁵¹At that moment one of those with Jesus reached out his hand and drew his sword. He struck the high priest’s slave and cut off his ear. ^d

⁵²Then Jesus told him, “Put your sword back in its place because all who take up a sword will perish by a sword. ^e53Or do you think that I cannot call on My Father, and He will provide Me at once with more than 12 legions ^fof angels? ^g54How, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled ^hthat say it must happen this way?”

⁵⁵At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as if I were a criminal, ⁱto capture Me? Every day I used to sit, teaching in the ^•temple complex, and you didn’t arrest Me. ^j56But all this has happened so that the prophetic Scriptures ^klwould be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples ^mdeserted Him and ran away.

Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin

⁵⁷Those ⁿwho had arrested Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas ^othe high priest, where the scribes and the elders had convened. ⁵⁸Meanwhile, Peter was following Him at a distance right to the high priest’s courtyard. ^pHe went in and was sitting with the temple police ^qto see the outcome. ^rs

⁵⁹The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus so they could put Him to death. ^t60But they could not find any, even though many false witnesses ^ucame forward. ^vFinally, two ^wwho came forward ⁶¹stated, “This man said, ‘I can demolish God’s sanctuary ^xand rebuild it in three days.’ ”

⁶²The high priest then stood up and said to Him, “Don’t You have an answer to what these men are testifying against You?” ⁶³But ^yJesus kept silent. ^zThen the high priest said to Him, “By the living God I place You under oath: ^atell us if You are the Messiah, the Son of God!” ^b

⁶⁴“You have said it,” ^cJesus told him. “But I tell you, in the future ^dyou will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” ^ef

⁶⁵Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! ^gWhy do we still need witnesses? Look, now you’ve heard the blasphemy! ^h66What is your decision?” ⁱ

They answered, “He deserves death!” ^j67Then they spit in His face ^kand beat Him; others slapped Him ⁶⁸and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah! Who hit You?” ^l

Peter Denies His Lord

⁶⁹Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. ^mA servant approached him and she said, “You were with Jesus the Galilean too.”

⁷⁰But he denied it in front of everyone: “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

⁷¹When he had gone out to the gateway, another woman saw him and told those who were there, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene!” ⁿ

⁷²And again he denied it with an oath, ^o“I don’t know the man!”

⁷³After a little while those standing there approached and said to Peter, “You certainly are one of them, since even your accent ^pgives you away.”

⁷⁴Then he started to curse ^qand to swear with an oath, “I do not know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed, ⁷⁵and Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” ^rAnd he went outside and wept bitterly.

Jesus Handed Over to Pilate

27When daybreak came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. ^s2After tying Him up, they led Him away and handed Him over to Pilate, ^tthe governor. ^u

Judas Hangs Himself

³Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was full of remorse and returned the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. ^v4“I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said.

“What’s that to us?” they said. “See to it yourself!”

⁵So he threw the silver into the sanctuary ^wand departed. Then he went and hanged himself.

⁶The chief priests took the silver and said, “It’s not lawful ^xto put it into the temple treasury, ^ysince it is blood money.” ^z7So they conferred together and bought the potter’s field with it as a burial place for foreigners. ⁸Therefore that field has been called “Blood Field” to this day. ⁹Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

They took the 30 pieces of silver, the price of Him whose price was set by the Israelites, ¹⁰and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me. ^ab

Jesus Faces the Governor

¹¹Now Jesus stood before the governor. ^c“Are You the King of the Jews?” the governor asked Him.

Jesus answered, “You have said it.” ^de12And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He didn’t answer. ^f

¹³Then Pilate said to Him, “Don’t You hear how much they are testifying against You?” ¹⁴But He didn’t answer him on even one charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. ^g

Jesus or Barabbas

¹⁵At the festival ^hthe governor’s custom was to release to the crowd a prisoner they wanted. ¹⁶At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. ⁱ¹⁷So when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Who is it you want me to release for you—Barabbas, ^jor Jesus who is called Messiah?” ^k18For he knew they had handed Him over because of envy.

¹⁹While he was sitting on the judge’s bench, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for today I’ve suffered terribly in a dream because of Him!” ^l

²⁰The chief priests and the elders, however, persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to execute Jesus. ²¹The governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?”

“Barabbas!” they answered.

²²Pilate asked them, “What should I do then with Jesus, who is called Messiah?”

They all answered, “Crucify Him!” ^mn

²³Then he said, “Why? What has He done wrong?”

But they kept shouting, “Crucify Him!” all the more. ^o

²⁴When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, ^pbut that a riot was starting instead, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. ^qSee to it yourselves!” ^r

²⁵All the people answered, “His blood be on us ^sand on our children!” ²⁶Then he released Barabbas to them. But after having Jesus flogged, ^the handed Him over to be crucified. ^u

Mocked by the Military

²⁷Then ^vthe governor’s soldiers took Jesus into headquarters and gathered the whole company around Him. ^w28They stripped Him and dressed Him in a scarlet military robe. ^x29They twisted together a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and placed a reed in His right hand. And they knelt down before Him and mocked Him: “Hail, King of the Jews!” ³⁰Then they spit on Him, took the reed, and kept hitting Him on the head. ³¹When they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the robe, put His clothes on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him. ^y

Crucified Between Two Criminals

³²As they were going out, they found a Cyrenian man named Simon. They forced this man to carry His cross. ^z33When they came to a place called Golgotha ^a(which means Skull Place), ³⁴they gave Him wine ^bmixed with gall to drink. But when He tasted it, He would not drink it. ³⁵After crucifying Him they divided His clothes by casting lots. ^cd36Then they sat down and were guarding Him there. ³⁷Above His head they put up the charge against Him in writing:

THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

³⁸Then two criminals ^ewere crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. ^f39Those who passed by were yelling insults at ^gHim, shaking their heads ^h40and saying, “The One who would demolish the sanctuary and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” ⁱ⁴¹In the same way the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, ^jmocked Him and said, ⁴²“He saved others, but He cannot save Himself! He is the King of Israel! ^kLet Him ^lcome down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him. ⁴³He has put His trust in God; let God rescue Him now—if He wants Him! ^mFor He said, ‘I am God’s Son.’ ” ⁴⁴In the same way even the criminals who were crucified with Him kept taunting Him. ⁿ

The Death of Jesus

⁴⁵From noon until three in the afternoon ^odarkness came over the whole land. ^pq46About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá ^rsabachtháni?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken ^sMe?” ^tu

⁴⁷When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling for Elijah!”

⁴⁸Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, fixed it on a reed, and offered Him a drink. ^v49But the rest said, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to save Him!”

⁵⁰Jesus shouted again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. ^w