Jesus Anointed as the Priests Plot His Death
Mark 14Now it was two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might arrest him secretly and kill him. They said, “But not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot among the people.”
While he was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume from pure nard. She broke the jar and poured it over his head. But some of those present were indignant, saying to one another, “Why has this ointment been wasted? For this might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” So they rebuked her sternly.
But Jesus said, “Y’all leave her alone. Why are y’all bothering her? She has done a beautiful service for me. For y’all will always have the poor among y’all, and whenever y’all want, y’all can do them good. But y’all won’t always have me. She has done what she could. She has anointed my body beforehand for the burial. I tell y’all, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”
Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went away to the chief priests in order to betray Jesus to them. When they heard this, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he began seeking an opportune time to betray him.
The Last Supper
On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?”
He sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Y’all go into the city, and there a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet y’all. Y’all follow him, and wherever he enters, y’all say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ He will show y’all a large upper room furnished and ready. Y’all get ready for us there.”
His disciples left and came to the city, and found it just as he had told to them, and they prepared the Passover.
When it was evening, he came with the twelve. As they sat and were eating, Jesus said, “I tell y’all, one of y’all will betray me—one who is eating with me.”
They were sorrowful, and one by one they said to him, “Surely not I?”
He answered them, “It is one of the twelve, the one who dips with me in the dish. For the Son of Humanity will go just as it is written about him, but woe to that human by whom the Son of Humanity is betrayed! It would be more excellent for that human if they had not been born.”
As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had blessed it, he broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Y’all take it. This is my body.”
He took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them. They all drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell y’all, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the Empire of God.” After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Peter’s Denial and the Disciple’s Falling Away
Jesus said to them, “Y’all will all fall away because of me, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’+Zech 13:7 However, after I have been raised, I will go ahead of y’all into Galilee.”
But Peter said to him, “Even if all fall away, yet I will not.”
Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you that today, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”
But he spoke emphatically, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you.” They all said the same thing.
Prayers at Gethsemane
They came to a place which was named Gethsemane. He told his disciples, “Y’all sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James, and John with him, and began to be greatly troubled and distressed. He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to the point of death. Y’all stay here and keep watch.”
He went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass away from him. He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet, not what I will, but what you will.”
He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you keep watch one hour? Y’all keep watch and pray, so that y’all don’t fall into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. Again he returned and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they didn’t know what to answer him. He came the third time and said to them, “Are y’all still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Humanity is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Y’all get up! Let’s go. Look, he who betrays me is approaching.”
Jesus Arrested
Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived. With him was a crowd with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests, scribes, and elders. Now his betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I will kiss, he is the one. Y’all arrest him, and y’all lead him away under guard.” When he arrived, he immediately went to Jesus and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. They seized on him and arrested him. But a certain one of the bystanders drew his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his ear.
Jesus answered them, “Have y’all come out with swords and clubs to capture me like a robber? Every day I was with y’all in the temple teaching, and y’all didn’t arrest me. But this is so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled.”
Then everyone left him and fled. One young man followed him, wearing only a linen cloth around his body. When they tried to arrest him, he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.
Jesus Before the Council
They led Jesus away to the high priest. All the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes came together.
Peter followed him from a distance, until he came into the courtyard of the high priest. He was sitting with the officers and warming himself at the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin sought witnesses against Jesus to put him to death, but they did not find any. Many gave false testimony against him, but their testimonies didn’t agree. Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’” Yet even in this, their testimony didn’t agree.
The high priest stood up in the middle, and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is this that they are testifying against you?” But he kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”
Jesus said, “I am. Y’all will see the Son of Humanity sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of the sky.”
Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do have we for witnesses? Y’all have heard the blasphemy! What do y’all think?” They all condemned him to be worthy of death. Some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to beat him with fists, and to tell him, “Prophesy!” The officers also took him and beat him.
Peters Denials
As Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the maids of the high priest came When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You were also with the Nazarene, Jesus!”
But he denied it, saying, “I don’t know or understand what you are saying.” He went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.
The maid saw him and began again to tell the bystanders, “This is one of them.” But again he denied it. After a little while those who stood by said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” But he began to curse and to swear, “I don’t know this man y’all are taking about!”
Immediately, the rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter remembered the words that Jesus said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” Then he broke down and wept.