Chapter 26

  When Jesus had ended all these discourses, He said to His disciples,

  'You know that in two days' time the Passover comes. And the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.'

  Then the High Priests and Elders of the People assembled in the court of the palace of the High Priest Caiaphas,

  and consulted how to get Jesus into their power by stratagem and put Him to death.

  But they said, 'Not during the Festival, lest there be a riot among the people.'

  Now when Jesus was come to Bethany and was at the house of Simon the Leper,

  a woman came to Him with a jar of very costly, sweet-scented ointment, which she poured over His head as He reclined at table.

  'Why such waste?' indignantly exclaimed the disciples;

  'for this might have been sold for a considerable sum, and the money given to the poor.'

  But Jesus heard it, and said to them, 'Why are you vexing her? For she has done a most gracious act towards me.

  The poor you always have with you, but me you have not always.

  In pouring this ointment over me, her object was to prepare me for burial.

  In solemn truth I tell you that wherever in the whole world this Good News shall be proclaimed, this deed of hers shall be spoken of in memory of her.'

  At that time one of the Twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the High Priests

  and said, 'What are you willing to give me if I betray him to you?' So they weighed out to him thirty shekels,

  and from that moment he was on the look out for an opportunity to betray Him.

  On the first day of the Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus with the question, 'Where shall we make preparations for you to eat the Passover?'

  'Go into the city,' He replied, 'to a certain man, and tell him, 'The Teacher says, My time is close at hand. It is at your house that I shall keep the Passover with my disciples.''

  The disciples did as Jesus directed them, and got the Passover ready.

  When evening came, He was at table with the twelve disciples,

  and the meal was proceeding, when Jesus said, 'In solemn truth I tell you that one of you will betray me.'

  Intensely grieved they began one after another to ask Him, 'Can it be I, Master?'

  'The one who has dipped his fingers in the bowl with me,' He answered, 'is the man who will betray me.

  The Son of Man is indeed going as is written concerning Him; but alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It had been a happy thing for that man if he had never been born.'

  Then Judas, the disciple who was betraying Him, asked, 'Can it be I, Rabbi?' 'It is you,' He replied.

  During the meal Jesus took a Passover biscuit, blessed it and broke it. He then gave it to the disciples, saying, 'Take this and eat it: it is my body.'

  And He took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, 'Drink from it, all of you;

  for this is my blood which is to be poured out for many for the remission of sins--the blood which ratifies the Covenant.

  I tell you that I will never again take the produce of the vine till that day when I shall drink the new wine with you in my Father's Kingdom.'

  So they sang the hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

  Then said Jesus, 'This night all of you will stumble and fail in your fidelity to me; for it is written, 'I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered in all directions.'

  But after I have risen to life again I will go before you into Galilee.'

  'All may stumble and fail,' said Peter, 'but I never will.'

  'In solemn truth I tell you,' replied Jesus, 'that this very night, before the cock crows, you will three times disown me.'

  'Even if I must die with you,' declared Peter, 'I will never disown you.' In like manner protested all the disciples.

  Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane. And He said to the disciples, 'Sit down here, whilst I go yonder and there pray.'

  And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zabdi. Then He began to be full of anguish and distress,

  and He said to them, 'My soul is crushed with anguish to the very point of death; wait here, and keep awake with me.'

  Going forward a short distance He fell on His face and prayed. 'My Father,' He said, 'if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou willest.'

  Then He came to the disciples and found them asleep, and He said to Peter, 'Alas, none of you could keep awake with me for even a single hour!

  Keep awake, and pray that you may not enter into temptation: the spirit is right willing, but the body is frail.'

  Again a second time He went away and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if it is impossible for this cup to pass without my drinking it, Thy will be done.'

  He came and again found them asleep, for they were very tired.

  So He left them, and went away once more and prayed a third time, again using the same words.

  Then He came to the disciples and said, 'Sleep on and rest. See, the moment is close at hand when the Son of Man is to be betrayed into the hands of sinful men.

  Rouse yourselves. Let us be going. My betrayer is close at hand.'

  He had scarcely finished speaking when Judas came--one of the Twelve--accompanied by a great crowd of men armed with swords and bludgeons, sent by the High Priests and Elders of the People.

  Now the betrayer had agreed upon a sign with them, to direct them. He had said, 'The one whom I kiss is the man: lay hold of him.'

  So he went straight to Jesus and said, 'Peace to you, Rabbi!' And he kissed Him eagerly.

  'Friend,' said Jesus, 'carry out your intention.' Then they came and laid their hands on Jesus and seized Him firmly.

  But one of those with Jesus drew his sword and struck the High Priest's servant, cutting off his ear.

  'Put back your sword again,' said Jesus, 'for all who draw the sword shall perish by the sword.

  Or do you suppose I cannot entreat my Father and He would instantly send to my help more than twelve legions of angels?

  In that case how are the Scriptures to be fulfilled which declare that thus it must be?'

  Then said Jesus to the crowds, 'Have you come out as if to fight with a robber, with swords and bludgeons to apprehend me? Day after day I have been sitting teaching in the Temple, and you did not arrest me.

  But all this has taken place in order that the writings of the Prophets may be fulfilled.' At this point the disciples all left Him and fled.

  But the officers who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the High Priest, at whose house the Scribes and the Elders had assembled.

  And Peter kept following Him at a distance, till he came even to the court of the High Priest's palace, where he entered and sat down among the officers to see the issue.

  Meanwhile the High Priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking false testimony against Jesus in order to put Him to death;

  but they could find none, although many false witnesses came forward. At length there came two

  who testified, 'This man said, 'I am able to pull down the Sanctuary of God and three days afterwards to build a new one.''

  Then the High Priest stood up and asked Him, 'Have you no answer to make? What is it these men are saying in evidence against you?'

  Jesus however remained silent. Again the High Priest addressed Him. 'In the name of the ever-living God,' he said, 'I now put you on your oath. Tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God.'

  'I am He,' replied Jesus. 'But I tell you that, later on, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Omnipotence, and coming on the clouds of the sky.'

  Then the High Priest tore his robes and exclaimed, 'Impious language! What further need have we of witnesses! See, you have now heard the impiety.

  What is your verdict?' 'He deserves to die,' they replied.

  Then they spat in His face, and struck Him--some with the fist, some with the open hand--

  while they taunted Him, saying, 'Christ, prove yourself a Prophet by telling us who it was that struck you.'

  Peter meanwhile was sitting outside in the court of the palace, when one of the maidservants came over to him and said, 'You too were with Jesus the Galilaean.'

  He denied it before them all, saying, 'I do not know what you mean.'

  Soon afterwards he went out and stood in the gateway, when another girl saw him, and said, addressing the people there, 'This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.'

  Again he denied it with an oath. 'I do not know the man,' he said.

  A short time afterwards the people standing there came and said to Peter, 'Certainly you too are one of them, for your brogue shows it.'

  Then with curses and oaths he declared, 'I do not know the man.' Immediately a cock crowed,

  and Peter recollected the words of Jesus, how He had said, 'Before the cock crows you will three times disown me.' And he went out and wept aloud, bitterly.