Matthew 26-28

Evangelical Heritage Version

The Plot to Kill Jesus

26 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, ² “You know that after two days it will be the Passover, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”

³ Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas. ⁴ They plotted together how to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. ⁵ But they said, “Not during the Festival, or else there might be a riot among the people.”

Mary Anoints Jesus

⁶ When Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, ⁷ a woman approached him holding an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume. She poured it on his head as he was reclining at the table. ⁸ But when his disciples saw this, they were upset and said, “Why this waste? ⁹ This perfume could have been sold for a lot of money and given to the poor.”

¹⁰ Jesus was aware of this and said to them, “Why are you causing trouble for this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me. ¹¹ You are always going to have the poor with you, but you are not always going to have me. ¹² When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³ Amen I tell you: Wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.”

Judas Plans to Betray Jesus

¹⁴ Then one of the Twelve, the one named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶ From that time on Judas was looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

Jesus Celebrates the Passover

¹⁷ On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

¹⁸ He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him the Teacher says, ‘My time is near. I will observe the Passover with my disciples at your house.’”

¹⁹ The disciples did as Jesus commanded them and prepared the Passover. ²⁰ When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve.^[a]

One Will Betray Jesus

²¹ As they were eating, he said, “Amen I tell you: One of you will betray me.”

²² They were very sad and began to say to him one after another, “Surely, not I, Lord?”

²³ He replied, “The one who dipped his hand in the bowl with me will betray me. ²⁴ The Son of Man is going just as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born.”

²⁵ Judas, who betrayed him, replied, “Surely, not I, Rabbi?”

He said to him, “Yes, you are the one.”^[b]

The Lord’s Supper

²⁶ While they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples. He said, “Take, eat, this is my body.” ²⁷ Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it all of you, ²⁸ for this is my blood of the new^[c] testament,^[d] which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹ I tell you that I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” ³⁰ After they sang a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

³¹ Then Jesus said to them, “This night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’^{[e] 32} But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

³³ Peter answered him, “Even if all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.”

³⁴ Jesus said to him, “Amen I tell you: Tonight before the rooster crows you will deny me three times.”

³⁵ Peter said to him, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you.” And all the disciples said the same.

Gethsemane

³⁶ Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane. He told his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and he began to be sorrowful and distressed. ³⁸ Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to the point of death. Stay here, and keep watch with me.”

³⁹ He went a little farther, fell on his face, and prayed. He said, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

⁴⁰ He came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “So, were you not able to stay awake with me for one hour? ⁴¹ Watch and pray, so that you do not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

⁴² He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to pass from me^[f] unless I drink it, may your will be done.” ⁴³ Again he returned and found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴ He left them again, went away, and prayed a third time. He said the same words as before. ⁴⁵ Then he returned to his disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Rise. Let us go. Look, my betrayer is near.”

The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

⁴⁷ While Jesus was still speaking, suddenly Judas (one of the Twelve) arrived. With him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. ⁴⁸ Now the betrayer had given them a sign: “The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him.” ⁴⁹ Immediately he went to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.

⁵⁰ Jesus said to him, “Friend, why are you here?”

Then they advanced, took hold of Jesus, and arrested him. ⁵¹ Suddenly, one of the men with Jesus reached out his hand, drew his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. ⁵² Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place, because all who take the sword will die by the sword. ⁵³ Do you not realize that I could call on my Father, and at once he would provide me with more than twelve legions^[g] of angels? ⁵⁴ But then how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?”

⁵⁵ At that same time Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out to arrest me with swords and clubs as if I were a robber? Day after day I was sitting in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. ⁵⁶ But all this has happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Jesus’ First Trial in the Sanhedrin

⁵⁷ Those who had arrested Jesus led him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the experts in the law and the elders were assembled. ⁵⁸ Peter was following him at a distance and went as far as the courtyard of the high priest. He went inside and sat down with the guards to see how it would turn out.

⁵⁹ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death. ⁶⁰ They found none, even though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward ⁶¹ and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

⁶² The high priest stood up and said to him, “Have you no answer? What is this that these men are testifying against you?” ⁶³ But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, “I place you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God!”

⁶⁴ Jesus said to him, “It is as you have said. But I tell you, soon you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? See, you have just heard the blasphemy! ⁶⁶ What do you think?”

They answered, “He is deserving of death!” ⁶⁷ Then they spit in his face and punched him. Some slapped him ⁶⁸ and said, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who hit you?”

Peter Denies Jesus

⁶⁹ Meanwhile Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came to him and said, “You were also with Jesus the Galilean.”

⁷⁰ But he denied it in front of everyone, saying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

⁷¹ When Peter went out to the entryway, someone else saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

⁷² Again Peter denied it with an oath and said, “I do not know the man.”

⁷³ After a little while those who stood by came and said to Peter, “Surely you are also one of them because even your accent gives you away.”

⁷⁴ Then he began to curse and to swear, “I do not know the man!” Just then the rooster crowed. ⁷⁵ And Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

27 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people reached the decision to put Jesus to death. ² They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pontius Pilate, the governor.

The End of Judas

³ Then when Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he felt remorse. He brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders ⁴ and said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? That’s your problem.”

⁵ He threw the pieces of silver into the temple and left. Then he went out and hanged himself. ⁶ The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put these into the treasury, since it is blood money.” ⁷ They reached a decision to buy the potter’s field with the money, as a burial place for foreigners. ⁸ So that field has been called The Field of Blood to this day. ⁹ Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:

Jesus’ Trial in Pilate’s Court

¹¹ When Jesus stood in the presence of the governor, the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.”

¹² When he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. ¹³ Then Pilate said to him, “Don’t you hear how many things they are testifying against you?”

¹⁴ But he did not answer him—not even one word, so that the governor was very surprised.

Barabbas or Jesus?

¹⁵ At the time of the Festival the governor had a custom to release to the crowd any one prisoner they wanted. ¹⁶ At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. ¹⁷ So when they were assembled, Pilate said to them, “Which one do you want me to release to you? Barabbas—or Jesus, who is called Christ?” ¹⁸ For Pilate knew that they had handed Jesus over to him because of envy.

¹⁹ While he was sitting on the judgment seat, Pilate’s wife sent him a message. “Have nothing to do with that righteous man,” she said, “since I have suffered many things today in a dream because of him.” ²⁰ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus put to death. ²¹ The governor asked them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”

“Barabbas!” they said.

²² Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus, who is called Christ?”

They all said to him, “Crucify him!”

²³ But the governor said, “Why? What has he done wrong?”

But they kept shouting even louder: “Crucify him!”

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing and that instead it was turning into a riot, he took water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, “I am innocent of this righteous man’s blood. It is your responsibility.”

²⁵ And all the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!”

²⁶ Then he released Barabbas to them, but he had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified.

Soldiers Mock Jesus

²⁷ Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole cohort^[i] of soldiers around him. ²⁸ They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. ²⁹ They twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand, knelt in front of him, and mocked him by saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ³⁰ They spit on him, took the staff, and hit him repeatedly on his head.

The Crucifixion

³¹ After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

³² As they were going out of the city, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon. They forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. ³³ They came to a place called Golgotha, which means “The place of the skull.” ³⁴ They offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. ³⁵ After they had crucified him, they divided his clothing among themselves by casting lots. ³⁶ Then they sat down and were keeping watch over him there. ³⁷ Above his head they posted the written charge against him: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

³⁸ At the same time two criminals were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁹ People who passed by kept insulting him, shaking their heads, ⁴⁰ and saying, “You who were going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”

⁴¹ In the same way the chief priests, experts in the law, and elders kept mocking him. They said, ⁴² “He saved others, but he cannot save himself. If he’s the King of Israel, let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now, if he wants him, because he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴ In the same way even the criminals who were crucified with him kept insulting him.

Jesus’ Death

⁴⁵ From the sixth hour until the ninth hour,^[j] there was darkness over all the land. ⁴⁶ About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”^[k]

⁴⁷ When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “This fellow is calling for Elijah.”

⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran, took a sponge, and soaked it with sour wine. Then he put it on a stick and gave him a drink. ⁴⁹ The rest said, “Leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

⁵⁰ After Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. ⁵¹ Suddenly, the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and rocks were split. ⁵² Tombs were opened, and many bodies of saints who had fallen asleep were raised to life. ⁵³ Those who came out of the tombs went into the holy city after Jesus’ resurrection and appeared to many people. ⁵⁴ When the centurion and those who were guarding Jesus with him saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this was the Son of God.”

⁵⁵ Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and who had served him were there, watching from a distance. ⁵⁶ Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

Jesus’ Burial

⁵⁷ When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered that it be given to him. ⁵⁹ Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰ and laid it in his own new tomb that he had cut in the rock. He rolled a large stone over the tomb’s entrance and left. ⁶¹ Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there sitting opposite the tomb.

The Guard

⁶² On the next day, which was the day after the Preparation Day, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered in the presence of Pilate ⁶³ and said, “Sir, we remembered what that deceiver said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise again.’ ⁶⁴ So give a command that the tomb be made secure until the third day. Otherwise his disciples might steal his body and tell the people, ‘He is risen from the dead.’ And this last deception will be worse than the first.”

⁶⁵ Pilate said to them, “You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you know how.” ⁶⁶ So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and posting a guard.

Jesus’ Resurrection

28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. ² Suddenly, there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, and going to the tomb, he rolled away the stone and was sitting on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so terrified of him that they shook and became like dead men. ⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid! I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here. He has risen, just as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. ⁷ Go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead! And look, he is going ahead of you to Galilee. There you will see him.’ See, I have told you!”

⁸ They hurried away from the tomb, with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly^[l] Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!”

They approached, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him.

¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go, tell my brothers that they should go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

The Guards’ Report

¹¹ As they were on their way, there were some members of the guard who went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. ¹² After the chief priests had assembled with the elders and had reached a decision, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers ¹³ and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came at night and stole him away while we were sleeping.’ ¹⁴ If the governor hears about it, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” ¹⁵ After the soldiers took the money, they did as they were instructed. And this story has been repeated among the Jews until this day.

“Go and Gather Disciples”

¹⁶ The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some hesitated because they were uncertain.^{[m] 18} Jesus approached and spoke to them saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and gather disciples from all nations by baptizing them in^[n] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and by teaching them to keep all the instructions I have given you. And surely I am with you always until the end of the age.”