The Plot to Kill Jesus

1 aWhen Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples,

2 “aYou know that after two days bthe Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be chanded over for crucifixion.”

3 aThen the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in bthe court of the high priest, named cCaiaphas;

4 and they aplotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him.

5 But they were saying, “Not during the festival, aotherwise a riot might occur among the people.”

The Precious Ointment

6 aNow when Jesus was in bBethany, at the home of Simon the leper,

7 aa woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table.

8 But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste?

9 “For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.”

10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me.

11 “For you always have athe poor with you; but you do not always have Me.

12 “For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it ato prepare Me for burial.

13 “Truly I say to you, awherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”

Judas’s Bargain

14 aThen one of the twelve, named bJudas Iscariot, went to the chief priests

15 and said, “What are you willing to give me 1to 2abetray Him to you?” And bthey weighed out thirty 3pieces of silver to him.

16 From then on he began looking for a good opportunity to 1betray 2Jesus.

17 aNow on the first day of bUnleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

18 And He said, “Go into the city to aa certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “bMy time is near; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.” ’ ”

19 The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.

The Last Passover

20 aNow when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples.

21 As they were eating, He said, “aTruly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.”

22 Being deeply grieved, they 1each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?”

23 And He answered, “aHe who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me.

24 “The Son of Man is to go, ajust as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! bIt would have been good 1for that man if he had not been born.”

25 And aJudas, who was betraying Him, said, “Surely it is not I, bRabbi?” Jesus * said to him, “cYou have said it yourself.”

The Lord’s Supper Instituted

26 aWhile they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and 1bafter a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you;

28 for athis is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for bmany for forgiveness of sins.

29 “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”