1When Jesus had finished all he wanted to say, he told his disciples, 2“You know that in two days’ time it will be the Passover and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
3Then the chief priests and the Jewish authorities gathered together at the palace of the High Priest whose name was Caiaphas, 4and they agreed to trap Jesus and kill him. 5But they said among themselves, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uprising among the people.”
The anointing at Bethany
6While Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, 7a woman came up to him carrying a precious jar of expensive perfume. She poured it on Jesus’ head as he was at table. 8Seeing this the disciples became in dignant, protesting, “What a useless waste! 9The perfume could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.”
10But Jesus was aware of this, so he said to them, “Why are you troubling this woman? What she has just done for me is indeed a good work. 11You always have the poor with you but you will not have me forever. 12She was preparing for my funeral when she anointed my body with this perfume. 13Truly, I say to you: wherever the Gospel is proclaimed, all over the world, what she has done will be told in praise of her.”
14Then one of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went off to the chief priests and said, 15“How much will you give me if I hand him over to you?” They promised to give him thirty pieces of silver, 16and from then on he kept looking for the best way to hand him over to them.
The last supper
17On the first day of the Festival of the Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?” 18Jesus answered, “Go into the city, to the house of a certain man, and tell him: ‘The Master says: My hour is near, and I will celebrate the Passover with my disciples in your house.”
19The disciples did as Jesus had ordered and prepared the Passover meal.
20When it was evening, Jesus sat at table with the Twelve. 21While they were eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you: one of you will betray me.” 22They were deeply distressed and asked him in turn, “You do not mean me, do you, Lord?”
23He answered, “He who will betray me is one of those who dips his bread in the dish with me. 24The Son of Man is going as the Scriptures say he will. But alas for that one who betrays the Son of Man; better for him not to have been born.” 25Judas, who was betraying him, also asked, “You do not mean me, Master, do you?” Jesus replied, “You have said it.”
26While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said a blessing and broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27Then he took a cup and gave thanks, and passed it to them saying, “Drink this, all of you, 28for this is my blood, the blood of the Covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29Yes, I say to you: I will not taste the fruit of the vine from now until the day I drink new wine with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
30After singing psalms of praise, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 31Then Jesus said to them, “You will falter tonight because of me, and all will fall. For the Scripture says: I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. 32But after my resurrection I will go ahead of you to Galilee.”
33Peter responded, “Even though all doubt you and fall, I will never fall.” 34Jesus replied, “Truly, I say to you: this very night before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” 35Peter said, “Though I have to die with you, I will never deny you.” And all the disciples said the same.
Gethsemane
36Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over to pray.”
37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be filled with anguish and distress. 38And he said to them, “My soul is filled with sorrow even to death. Remain here and stay awake with me.”
39He went a little farther and fell to the ground, with his face touching the earth, and prayed, “Father, if it is possible, take this cup away from me. Yet not what I want, but what you want.” 40He went back to his disciples and found them asleep, and he said to Peter, “Could you not stay awake with me for even an hour? 41Stay awake and pray, so that you may not slip into temptation. The spirit indeed is eager, but human nature is weak.”
42He again went away and prayed, “Father, if this cup cannot be taken away from me without my drinking it, let your will be done.” 43When he came back to his disciples, he again found them asleep, for they could not keep their eyes open. 44He left them and again went to pray the third time, saying the same words.
45Then he came back to his disciples and said to them, “You can sleep on now and take your rest! The hour has come and the Son of Man is now given over into the power of sinners. 46Get up, let us go. Look: the betrayer is here.”
Jesus arrested
47 ① Jesus was still speaking when Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, who had been sent by the chief priests and the Jewish authorities. 48The traitor had arranged a signal for them: “The one I kiss, he is the man; arrest him.” 49And he went directly to Jesus and said, “Good evening, Master” and he gave him a kiss. 50But Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came for.” Then they laid hold of Jesus and arrested him.
51One of those who were with Jesus drew his sword and struck at the servant of the High Priest, cutting off his ear. 52So Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place, for he who uses the sword will perish by the sword. 53Do you not know that I could call on my Father, and he would at once send me more than twelve legions of angels. 54If Scripture says that this has to be, should it not be fulfilled?”
55At that moment, Jesus said to the crowd, “Why do you come to arrest me with swords and clubs, as if I were a robber? Day after day I was seated among you teaching in the Temple, yet you did not arrest me. 56But all this has come about in fulfillment of what the Prophets said.” Then all his disciples deserted him and fled.
Jesus before the Sanhedrin
57 ② Those who had arrested Jesus brought him to the house of the High Priest Caiaphas, where the teachers of the Law and the Jewish authorities were assembled.
58Peter followed him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the High Priest; he entered and sat with the guards, waiting to see the end.
59The chief priests and the whole Supreme Council needed some false evidence against Jesus, so that they might put him to death. 60But they were unable to find any, even though false witnesses came forward. 61At last, two men came up and declared, “This man said: I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.”
62The High Priest then stood up and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer at all? What is this evidence against you?” 63But Jesus kept silent.
So the High Priest said to him, “In the name of the living God, I command you to tell us: Are you the Messiah, the Son of God?” 64Jesus answered, “It is just as you say. I tell you more: from now on, you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Most Powerful God and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65Then the High Priest tore his clothes, saying, “He has blasphemed. What more evidence do we need? You have just heard these blasphemous words. 66What is your decision?” They answered, “He must die!” 67Then they began to spit on Jesus and slap him while others hit him with their fists, 68saying, “Messiah, prophesy! Who hit you?”
Peter disowns Jesus
69 ③ Meanwhile, as Peter sat outside in the courtyard, a young servant-girl of the house said to him, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.” 70But he denied it before everyone, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.”
71And as Peter was going out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and told the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72Peter denied it again with an oath, swearing, “I do not know that man.”
73After a little while, those who were standing there approached Peter and said to him, “Of course you are one of the Galileans; your accent gives you away.” 74Peter began justifying himself with curses and oaths protesting that he did not know the man. Just then a cock crowed.
75And Peter remembered the words of Jesus, “Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went away weeping bitterly.
- Mt 26,47 See commentary on Mark 14:43. The kiss of Judas: this was the usual way a disciple greeted his master. He drew his sword (v. 51). Peter, like other apostles who took part in resistance movements against Roman oppression, brought swords (Lk 22:49). He who uses the sword. This sentence does not condemn soldiers and policemen in a world of violence, but Jesus asserts that weapons do not establish the kingdom of God, nor do they lead to life. Force leads to death (in one way or another) for those (and for the institutions) who use it, even where it is necessary. Mt 26,57 We find two accusations against Jesus. The first: I can destroy (v. 61) is false in one sense, but it refers to the words Jesus had spoken about replacing the Temple of Jerusalem with another religion centered in his own person (Jn 2:19) and that was indeed subversive.Nothing was more sacred to the Jews than the Temple of Jerusalem, and to attack the Temple was, at the same time, to threaten the position of the priests whose power was based on the fact that they alone could perform sacrificial rites in the Temple. They also amassed wealth from offerings and taxes that the people paid to the temple. In defending the holy things, they were also protecting their own interests. For the second accusation, which is the most important, see commentary on Mark 14:53. Jesus kept silent (v. 63). Not out of contempt for those men, who were the religious authorities, but because he saw it was useless to argue with them. He remained silent and felt confident as do those who put their cause in the hands of God. It is just as you say (v. 64). Perhaps this answer of Jesus should be translated: You are the one saying it, which is to say that Jesus did not agree with the terms used by Caiaphas. The expression Son of God signified the kings and saviors of Israel, and Jesus is the Son of God in a very different sense. Jesus identifies himself with the prophecy of Daniel 7:13, announcing a Savior, a Son of Man, who comes directly from God from all eternity. Mt 26,69 This denial by Peter is most amazing. His friend John is well-known in the house of the high priest and Peter was introduced as his friend (Jn 18:16). The young girl knows very well who John is and does not say anything beyond an ironic word to Peter. Nobody is threatening him, least of all the men; instead they mock him for his provincial Galilean accent, the same as Jesus' accent! It was enough to make Peter lose his composure. In placing this episode just after the witness of Jesus in the presence of the High Priest, the Gospel intends to contrast Peter's attitude with that of his Master.
- Mt 26,47 See commentary on Mark 14:43. The kiss of Judas: this was the usual way a disciple greeted his master. He drew his sword (v. 51). Peter, like other apostles who took part in resistance movements against Roman oppression, brought swords (Lk 22:49). He who uses the sword. This sentence does not condemn soldiers and policemen in a world of violence, but Jesus asserts that weapons do not establish the kingdom of God, nor do they lead to life. Force leads to death (in one way or another) for those (and for the institutions) who use it, even where it is necessary. Mt 26,57 We find two accusations against Jesus. The first: I can destroy (v. 61) is false in one sense, but it refers to the words Jesus had spoken about replacing the Temple of Jerusalem with another religion centered in his own person (Jn 2:19) and that was indeed subversive.Nothing was more sacred to the Jews than the Temple of Jerusalem, and to attack the Temple was, at the same time, to threaten the position of the priests whose power was based on the fact that they alone could perform sacrificial rites in the Temple. They also amassed wealth from offerings and taxes that the people paid to the temple. In defending the holy things, they were also protecting their own interests. For the second accusation, which is the most important, see commentary on Mark 14:53. Jesus kept silent (v. 63). Not out of contempt for those men, who were the religious authorities, but because he saw it was useless to argue with them. He remained silent and felt confident as do those who put their cause in the hands of God. It is just as you say (v. 64). Perhaps this answer of Jesus should be translated: You are the one saying it, which is to say that Jesus did not agree with the terms used by Caiaphas. The expression Son of God signified the kings and saviors of Israel, and Jesus is the Son of God in a very different sense. Jesus identifies himself with the prophecy of Daniel 7:13, announcing a Savior, a Son of Man, who comes directly from God from all eternity. Mt 26,69 This denial by Peter is most amazing. His friend John is well-known in the house of the high priest and Peter was introduced as his friend (Jn 18:16). The young girl knows very well who John is and does not say anything beyond an ironic word to Peter. Nobody is threatening him, least of all the men; instead they mock him for his provincial Galilean accent, the same as Jesus' accent! It was enough to make Peter lose his composure. In placing this episode just after the witness of Jesus in the presence of the High Priest, the Gospel intends to contrast Peter's attitude with that of his Master.
- Mt 26,47 See commentary on Mark 14:43. The kiss of Judas: this was the usual way a disciple greeted his master. He drew his sword (v. 51). Peter, like other apostles who took part in resistance movements against Roman oppression, brought swords (Lk 22:49). He who uses the sword. This sentence does not condemn soldiers and policemen in a world of violence, but Jesus asserts that weapons do not establish the kingdom of God, nor do they lead to life. Force leads to death (in one way or another) for those (and for the institutions) who use it, even where it is necessary. Mt 26,57 We find two accusations against Jesus. The first: I can destroy (v. 61) is false in one sense, but it refers to the words Jesus had spoken about replacing the Temple of Jerusalem with another religion centered in his own person (Jn 2:19) and that was indeed subversive.Nothing was more sacred to the Jews than the Temple of Jerusalem, and to attack the Temple was, at the same time, to threaten the position of the priests whose power was based on the fact that they alone could perform sacrificial rites in the Temple. They also amassed wealth from offerings and taxes that the people paid to the temple. In defending the holy things, they were also protecting their own interests. For the second accusation, which is the most important, see commentary on Mark 14:53. Jesus kept silent (v. 63). Not out of contempt for those men, who were the religious authorities, but because he saw it was useless to argue with them. He remained silent and felt confident as do those who put their cause in the hands of God. It is just as you say (v. 64). Perhaps this answer of Jesus should be translated: You are the one saying it, which is to say that Jesus did not agree with the terms used by Caiaphas. The expression Son of God signified the kings and saviors of Israel, and Jesus is the Son of God in a very different sense. Jesus identifies himself with the prophecy of Daniel 7:13, announcing a Savior, a Son of Man, who comes directly from God from all eternity. Mt 26,69 This denial by Peter is most amazing. His friend John is well-known in the house of the high priest and Peter was introduced as his friend (Jn 18:16). The young girl knows very well who John is and does not say anything beyond an ironic word to Peter. Nobody is threatening him, least of all the men; instead they mock him for his provincial Galilean accent, the same as Jesus' accent! It was enough to make Peter lose his composure. In placing this episode just after the witness of Jesus in the presence of the High Priest, the Gospel intends to contrast Peter's attitude with that of his Master.
