Matthew 26:1–29

The Religious Leaders Plot to Kill Jesus

Mark 14:1, 2; Luke 22:1, 2

26Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, ^2a“You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”

^3bThen the chief priests, ¹the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, ⁴and ^cplotted to take Jesus by ²trickery and kill Him. ⁵But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the ^dpeople.”

Mary Anoints Jesus for Burial

Mark 14:3–9; John 12:2–8

⁶And when Jesus was in ^eBethany at the house of Simon the leper, ⁷a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. ^8fBut when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? ⁹For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”

¹⁰But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. ^11gFor you have the poor with you always, but ^hMe you do not have always. ¹²For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My ⁱburial. ¹³Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

Mark 14:10, 11; Luke 22:3–6

^14jThen one of the twelve, called ^kJudas Iscariot, went to the chief priests ¹⁵and said, ^l“What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.

The Passover is Prepared

Mark 14:12–16; Luke 22:7–13

^17mNow on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

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

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

The Passover is Celebrated

Mark 14:17–21; Luke 22:14, 21–23; John 13:21, 22

^20oWhen evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. ²¹Now as they were eating, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will ^pbetray Me.”

²²And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, “Lord, is it I?”

²³He answered and said, ^q“He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. ²⁴The Son of Man indeed goes just ^ras it is written of Him, but ^swoe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! ^tIt would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”

²⁵Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?”

He said to him, “You have said it.”

The Lord’s Supper is Instituted

Mark 14:22–25; Luke 22:19, 20; 1 Cor. 11:23–26

^26uAnd as they were eating, ^vJesus took bread, ³blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; ^wthis is My body.”

²⁷Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ^x“Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸For ^ythis is My blood ^zof the ⁴new covenant, which is shed ^afor many for the ⁵remission of sins. ²⁹But ^bI say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on ^cuntil that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”