Luke 22–24

Judas Becomes an Enemy of Jesus

22It was almost time for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover Feast. ²The leading priests and teachers of the law were trying to find a way to kill Jesus, because they were afraid of the people.

³Satan entered Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ twelve apostles. ⁴Judas went to the leading priests and some of the soldiers who guarded the Temple and talked to them about a way to hand Jesus over to them. ⁵They were pleased and agreed to give Judas money. ⁶He agreed and watched for the best time to hand Jesus over to them when he was away from the crowd.

Jesus Eats the Passover Meal

⁷The Day of Unleavened Bread came when the Passover lambs had to be sacrificed. ⁸Jesus said to Peter and John, “Go and prepare the Passover meal for us to eat.”

⁹They asked, “Where do you want us to prepare it?” ¹⁰Jesus said to them, “After you go into the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters, ¹¹and tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says: “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover meal with my followers?” ’ ¹²Then he will show you a large, furnished room upstairs. Prepare the Passover meal there.”

¹³So Peter and John left and found everything as Jesus had said. And they prepared the Passover meal.

The Lord’s Supper

¹⁴When the time came, Jesus and the apostles were sitting at the table. ¹⁵He said to them, “I wanted very much to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer. ¹⁶I will not eat another Passover meal until it is given its true meaning in the kingdom of God.”

¹⁷Then Jesus took a cup, gave thanks, and said, “Take this cup and share it among yourselves. ¹⁸I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine ⁿ until God’s kingdom comes.”

¹⁹Then Jesus took some bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to the apostles, saying, “This is my body, ⁿ which I am giving for you. Do this to remember me.” ²⁰In the same way, after supper, Jesus took the cup and said, “This cup is the new agreement that God makes with his people. This new agreement begins with my blood which is poured out for you.

Who Will Turn Against Jesus?

²¹“But one of you will turn against me, and his hand is with mine on the table. ²²What God has planned for the Son of Man will happen, but how terrible it will be for that one who turns against the Son of Man.”

²³Then the apostles asked each other which one of them would do that.

Be Like a Servant

²⁴The apostles also began to argue about which one of them was the most important. ²⁵But Jesus said to them, “The kings of the non-Jewish people rule over them, and those who have authority over others like to be called ‘friends of the people.’ ²⁶But you must not be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the leader should be like the servant. ²⁷Who is more important: the one sitting at the table or the one serving? You think the one at the table is more important, but I am like a servant among you.

²⁸“You have stayed with me through my struggles. ²⁹Just as my Father has given me a kingdom, I also give you a kingdom ³⁰so you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. And you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Don’t Lose Your Faith!

³¹“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to test all of you as a farmer sifts his wheat. ³²I have prayed that you will not lose your faith! Help your brothers be stronger when you come back to me.”

³³But Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and even to die with you!”

³⁴But Jesus said, “Peter, before the rooster crows this day, you will say three times that you don’t know me.”

Be Ready for Trouble

³⁵Then Jesus said to the apostles, “When I sent you out without a purse, a bag, or sandals, did you need anything?”

They said, “No.”

³⁶He said to them, “But now if you have a purse or a bag, carry that with you. If you don’t have a sword, sell your coat and buy one. ³⁷The Scripture says, ‘He was treated like a criminal,’ ⁿ and I tell you this scripture must have its full meaning. It was written about me, and it is happening now.”

³⁸His followers said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.”

He said to them, “That is enough.”

Jesus Prays Alone

³⁹Jesus left the city and went to the Mount of Olives, as he often did, and his followers went with him. ⁴⁰When he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray for strength against temptation.”

⁴¹Then Jesus went about a stone’s throw away from them. He kneeled down and prayed, ⁴²“Father, if you are willing, take away this cup ⁿ of suffering. But do what you want, not what I want.” ⁴³Then an angel from heaven appeared to him to strengthen him. ⁴⁴Being full of pain, Jesus prayed even harder. His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. ⁴⁵When he finished praying, he went to his followers and found them asleep because of their sadness. ⁴⁶Jesus said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray for strength against temptation.”

Jesus Is Arrested

⁴⁷While Jesus was speaking, a crowd came up, and Judas, one of the twelve apostles, was leading them. He came close to Jesus so he could kiss him.

⁴⁸But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you using the kiss to give the Son of Man to his enemies?”

⁴⁹When those who were standing around him saw what was happening, they said, “Lord, should we strike them with our swords?” ⁵⁰And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.

⁵¹Jesus said, “Stop! No more of this.” Then he touched the servant’s ear and healed him.

⁵²Those who came to arrest Jesus were the leading priests, the soldiers who guarded the Temple, and the elders. Jesus said to them, “You came out here with swords and clubs as though I were a criminal. ⁵³I was with you every day in the Temple, and you didn’t arrest me there. But this is your time—the time when darkness rules.”

Peter Says He Doesn’t Know Jesus

⁵⁴They arrested Jesus, and led him away, and brought him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed far behind them. ⁵⁵After the soldiers started a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat together, Peter sat with them. ⁵⁶A servant girl saw Peter sitting there in the firelight, and looking closely at him, she said, “This man was also with him.”

⁵⁷But Peter said this was not true; he said, “Woman, I don’t know him.”

⁵⁸A short time later, another person saw Peter and said, “You are also one of them.”

But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”

⁵⁹About an hour later, another man insisted, “Certainly this man was with him, because he is from Galilee, too.”

⁶⁰But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about!”

At once, while Peter was still speaking, a rooster crowed. ⁶¹Then the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. And Peter remembered what the Lord had said: “Before the rooster crows this day, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” ⁶²Then Peter went outside and cried painfully.

The People Make Fun of Jesus

⁶³The men who were guarding Jesus began making fun of him and beating him.

⁶⁴They blindfolded him and said, “Prove that you are a prophet, and tell us who hit you.” ⁶⁵They said many cruel things to Jesus.

Jesus Before the Leaders

⁶⁶When day came, the council of the elders of the people, both the leading priests and the teachers of the law, came together and led Jesus to their highest court. ⁶⁷They said, “If you are the Christ, tell us.”

Jesus said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe me. ⁶⁸And if I ask you, you will not answer. ⁶⁹But from now on, the Son of Man will sit at the right hand of the powerful God.”

⁷⁰They all said, “Then are you the Son of God?”

Jesus said to them, “You say that I am.”

⁷¹They said, “Why do we need witnesses now? We ourselves heard him say this.”

Pilate Questions Jesus

23Then the whole group stood up and led Jesus to Pilate. ^{n 2}They began to accuse Jesus, saying, “We caught this man telling things that mislead our people. He says that we should not pay taxes to Caesar, and he calls himself the Christ, a king.”

³Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Jesus answered, “Those are your words.”

⁴Pilate said to the leading priests and the people, “I find nothing against this man.”

⁵They were insisting, saying, “But Jesus makes trouble with the people, teaching all around Judea. He began in Galilee, and now he is here.”

Pilate Sends Jesus to Herod

⁶Pilate heard this and asked if Jesus was from Galilee. ⁷Since Jesus was under Herod’s authority, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, who was in Jerusalem at that time. ⁸When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, because he had heard about Jesus and had wanted to meet him for a long time. He was hoping to see Jesus work a miracle. ⁹Herod asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus said nothing. ¹⁰The leading priests and teachers of the law were standing there, strongly accusing Jesus. ¹¹After Herod and his soldiers had made fun of Jesus, they dressed him in a kingly robe and sent him back to Pilate. ¹²In the past, Pilate and Herod had always been enemies, but on that day they became friends.

Jesus Must Die

¹³Pilate called the people together with the leading priests and the rulers. ¹⁴He said to them, “You brought this man to me, saying he makes trouble among the people. But I have questioned him before you all, and I have not found him guilty of what you say. ¹⁵Also, Herod found nothing wrong with him; he sent him back to us. Look, he has done nothing for which he should die. ¹⁶So, after I punish him, I will let him go free.” ¹⁷Every year at the Passover Feast, Pilate had to release one prisoner to the people. ⁿ

¹⁸But the people shouted together, “Take this man away! Let Barabbas go free!” ¹⁹(Barabbas was a man who was in prison for his part in a riot in the city and for murder.)

²⁰Pilate wanted to let Jesus go free and told this to the crowd. ²¹But they shouted again, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

²²A third time Pilate said to them, “Why? What wrong has he done? I can find no reason to kill him. So I will have him punished and…