The Word of the Lord

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Matthew 26

1 And it came·​·to·​·pass when Jesus had finished all these◦ words, He said◦ to His disciples,
2 You know◦ that after two days is◦ the Passover, and the Son of Man is delivered·​·up to◦ be crucified.
3 Then gathered the chief·​·priests and the scribes, and the elders of the people, into the courtyard of the chief·​·priest, who was called▵ Caiaphas,
4 and consulted that◦ they might take·​·hold of Jesus by deceit, and kill Him.
5 But◦ they said, Not◦ at▫ the festival, lest◦ there be◦ an uproar among the people.
6 And◦ when Jesus was◦ in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
7 there came unto Him a woman, having an alabaster vessel of ointment, very·​·precious◦, and poured it on His head as He sat◦.
8 But◦ when His disciples saw◦ it, they were·​·indignant, saying, For◦ what◦ purpose was this loss?
9 For◦ this ointment might have been sold◦ for much, and given to the poor.
10 And◦ Jesus knowing, said◦ to them, Why belabor the woman? For◦ she has worked a good◦ work on◦ Me.
11 For◦ you have the poor always with you; but◦ Me you have not always.
12 For◦ in that she◦ has poured◦ this ointment on My body, she has done it for My burial.
13 Amen I say to you, Wherever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, what this woman has done shall be spoken for◦ a memorial of her.
14 Then one of the twelve, called▵ Judas Iscariot, going unto the chief·​·priests,
15 said◦, What◦ are ye willing to give me, and·​·I◦ will deliver· Him ·up unto·​·you? And◦ they established with him thirty pieces of silver.
16 And from then·​·on he sought an opportunity that◦ he might betray Him.
17 And◦ on the first day of the unleavened·​·bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying to Him, Where willest Thou that we prepare for Thee to eat the Passover?
18 And◦ He said◦, Go◦ ye into the city to a man, and say◦ to him, The Teacher says, My time is near; I will do the Passover at▵ thy house with My disciples.
19 And the disciples did as Jesus directed them, and prepared the Passover.
20 And◦ when it became evening, He sat◦ with the twelve.
21 And as they were eating◦, He said◦, Amen I say to·​·you, that one of◦ you shall betray Me.
22 And sorrowing exceedingly◦, they began to say to Him, every◦ one of them, Is·​·it I◦, Lord?
23 And◦ He answering, said◦, He who dips the hand with Me in the dish, the same shall betray Me.
24 The Son of Man indeed goes◦, as it is written of Him; but◦ woe to that▵ man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good◦ for him if that▵ man had not been·​·born.
25 And◦ Judas, who was betraying Him, answering said◦, Is·​·it I◦, Rabbi? He says to him, Thou hast said◦.
26 And◦ as they were eating◦, Jesus taking the bread and blessing, broke it, and gave to the disciples, and said◦, Take, eat; this is My body.
27 And taking the cup, and giving·​·thanks, He gave it to them saying, Drink out·​·of it, all of you;
28 for◦ this is My blood, the blood of the New Covenant1, which is poured·​·out for▵ many for◦ the remission of sins.
29 And◦ I say to·​·you, that I will not▵ drink henceforth of◦ this produce of the vine, until that▵ day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom of My Father.
30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went·​·out▵ into the Mount of Olives.
31 Then says Jesus to them, All of you shall be made·​·to·​·stumble in Me in this night; for◦ it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.2
32 But◦ after I am risen, I will go·​·before you into Galilee.
33 But◦ Peter answering said◦ to Him, Though all shall be made·​·to·​·stumble in Thee, I◦ will never be made·​·to·​·stumble.
34 Jesus declared◦ to him, Amen I say to thee, that in this night, before the cock crows, thou shalt three·​·times deny Me.
35 Peter says to Him, Though I must die with◦ Thee, I will not▵ deny Thee. Likewise said◦ all the disciples.
36 Then comes Jesus with them to◦ a place◦ called▵ Gethsemane, and says to the disciples, Sit ye here▵, while going·​·away◦ I shall pray over there.
37 And taking Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to sorrow, and to be·​·in·​·agony.
38 Then He says to them, My soul is surrounded·​·with·​·sorrow unto▵ death; remain ye here, and watch with me.
39 And coming·​·forward a little, He fell on His face, praying, and saying, My Father, if it be possible◦, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I◦ will, but as Thou willest.
40 And He comes to the disciples, and finds them sleeping, and says to Peter, Had· you3 thus not ·strength one◦ hour to watch with Me?
41 Watch and pray that· you enter ·not◦ into temptation; the spirit indeed is eager, but◦ the flesh is weak4.
42 Again for a second time going·​·away◦, He prayed, saying, My Father, if this cup cannot pass·​·away from Me unless I drink it, Thy will be·​·done◦.
43 And coming, He finds them sleeping again; for◦ their eyes were heavy.
44 And leaving them, going·​·away◦ again, He prayed for a third time, saying◦ the same word.
45 Then He comes to His disciples, and says to them, Do you sleep still, and rest? Behold◦, the hour is·​·near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
46 Arise, let us lead◦ the way; behold◦, he who betrays Me is·​·near.
47 And while He was yet speaking, behold◦, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a crowd of many, with swords and wooden rods, from the chief·​·priests and elders of the people.
48 And◦ he who betrayed Him gave them a sign, saying, Whomever I shall kiss◦, is He; take·​·hold of Him.
49 And straightway coming to Jesus, he said, Hail, Rabbi; and he kissed Him.
50 And◦ Jesus said◦ to him, Fellow, why art· thou ·here? Then coming, they put their hands on Jesus, and took·​·hold of Him.
51 And behold◦, one of them with Jesus, stretching·​·out the hand, withdrew his sword, and smiting the servant of the chief·​·priest, took·​·off his ear▵.
52 Then says Jesus to him, Return thy sword into its place, for◦ all they who take the sword shall perish by◦ the sword.
53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now◦ implore my Father, and He will cause to stand·​·by Me more than twelve legions of angels?
54 How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, that so it ought to be?
55 In that▵ same hour Jesus said◦ to the crowd, Are you come·​·out as against◦ a robber with swords and wooden rods to take Me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and you did not take hold of Me.
56 But◦ all◦ this came·​·to·​·pass, that◦ the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples, leaving Him, fled.
57 And◦ they who took hold of Jesus led· Him ·away◦ to Caiaphas the chief·​·priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered·​·together.
58 But◦ Peter followed Him from afar·​·off up·​·to the courtyard of the chief·​·priest, and entering inside, sat with the attendants, to see◦ the end.
59 And◦ the chief·​·priests, and the elders, and the whole council sought false·​·witness against Jesus, so·​·that they might put· Him ·to·​·death,
60 and found none◦; though many false·​·witnesses came, they found none◦. But◦ at·​·last two false·​·witnesses, coming, said,
61 This Man declared◦, I am·​·able to undo the temple◦ of God, and within◦ three days to build it.
62 And the chief·​·priest, standing·​·up, said◦ to Him, Answerest Thou nothing? What◦ do these witness·​·against Thee?
63 But◦ Jesus was·​·silent. And the chief·​·priest answering said◦ to Him, I adjure Thee by▫ the living God, that◦ Thou tell us if Thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
64 Jesus says to him, Thou hast said◦; nevertheless I say to you, From henceforth you shall see the Son of Man sitting on▫ the right·​·hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.
65 Then the chief·​·priest rent his garments, saying, He has blasphemed; what◦ further◦ need have we of witnesses? See◦, now you have heard His blasphemy.
66 What◦ do you think? They answered and◦ said◦, He is subject to death.
67 Then did they spit·​·in His face, and hit Him, and◦ they slapped Him,
68 saying, Prophesy unto us, Christ. Who◦ is he who smote Thee?
69 And◦ Peter sat outside in the courtyard; and one◦ maid came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.
70 But◦ he denied before▵ them all, saying, I know◦ not what◦ thou sayest.
71 And◦ when he was gone·​·out▵ into the porch◦, another maid saw◦ him, and said unto those who were there, This man was also with Jesus of·​·Nazareth.
72 And again he denied with an oath: I do not know◦ the Man.
73 And◦ after a while came unto him they who stood by, and said◦ to Peter, Truly thou also art one of◦ them; for◦ thy speech betrays thee.
74 Then he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know◦ not the Man. And straightway the cock crowed.
75 And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, which He said▵ unto him, Before the cock crows, thou shalt deny Me three·​·times. And going▵ outside, he wept bitterly.

1as in AR 379:2, TCR 285, and elsewhere, but “New Testament” in AR 672:2, TCR 730, and elsewhere

2Zechariah 13:7

3Even though He is speaking to Peter, He is asking about all of the disciples. (See Luke 22:31 for a similar instance.)

4literally, “without strength”