26:1 After Jesus finished saying all these things [C this is the end of Jesus’ fifth and final discourse in Matthew; see 7:28], he told his ·followers [disciples],
26:2 “You know that ·the day after tomorrow [L two days from now] is the day of the Passover Feast [C the festival during which an unblemished lamb was sacrificed]. On that day the Son of Man will be ·given to his enemies [handed over] to be crucified.”
26:3 Then the ·leading [T chief] priests and the elders ·had a meeting [assembled] at the ·palace [court] of the high priest, named Caiaphas.
26:4 At the meeting, they ·planned [plotted] ·to set a trap [to act secretly/treacherously] to arrest Jesus and kill him.
26:5 But they said, “We must not do it during the ·feast [Passover festival], because the people might cause a riot.”
26:6 Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon, ·who had a skin disease [L the leper; C for leprosy, see 8:2; Simon may have been healed by Jesus.].
26:7 While Jesus was there, a woman approached him with an alabaster ·jar [vial] filled with expensive perfume. She poured this perfume on Jesus’ head while he was ·eating [L reclining; C the posture for a banquet or dinner party].
26:8 His ·followers [disciples] were ·upset [indignant] when they saw the woman do this. They asked, “Why waste that perfume?
26:9 It could have been sold for a great deal of money and the money given to the poor.”
26:10 Knowing what had happened, Jesus said, “Why are you ·troubling [bothering; criticizing] this woman? She did an ·excellent thing [beautiful/good deed] for me.
26:11 You will always have the poor with you [Deut. 15:11], but you will not always have me.
26:12 This woman poured perfume on my body to prepare me for burial.
26:13 I tell you the truth, wherever the ·Good News [Gospel] is preached in all the world, what this woman has done will be told, and people will remember her.”
26:14 Then one of ·the twelve apostles [L the Twelve], [L who was called] Judas Iscariot, went to talk to the ·leading [T chief] priests.
26:15 He said, “What will you ·pay [give] me for ·giving [betraying; delivering] Jesus to you?” And they ·gave him [weighed/counted out] thirty silver coins [Zech. 11:12].
26:16 After that, Judas watched for ·the best time [an opportunity] to ·turn Jesus in [betray him].
26:17 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the ·followers [disciples] came to Jesus. They said, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover meal?”
26:18 Jesus answered, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: “·The chosen time is near [L My time has come/drawn near]. I will ·have [celebrate; observe] the Passover with my ·followers [disciples] at your house.”’”
26:19 The ·followers [disciples] did what Jesus told them to do, and they prepared the Passover meal.
26:20 In the evening Jesus was ·sitting at the table [L reclining; C the posture for a banquet] with his twelve ·followers [disciples].
26:21 As they were eating, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will ·turn against [betray] me.”
26:22 This made the ·followers [disciples] very ·sad [distressed; pained]. Each one began to say to Jesus, “·Surely, Lord, I am not the one, am I [Surely not I, Lord; or Is it I, Lord]?”
26:23 Jesus answered, “The man who has dipped his hand with me into the bowl [C probably not a signal, but means “one who shares close fellowship with me”] is the one who will ·turn against [betray] me.
26:24 The Son of Man will ·die [go to his fate; L go], just as the Scriptures say. But ·how terrible it will be for [L woe to] the person ·who hands the Son of Man over to be killed [L by whom the Son of Man is betrayed]. It would be better for him if he had never been born.”
26:25 Then Judas, who would ·give Jesus to his enemies [betray him], said to Jesus, “·Teacher [L Rabbi], ·surely I am not the one, am I [surely not I; or is it I]?” Jesus answered, “·Yes, it is you [L You have said it].”
26:26 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread and ·thanked God for [blessed] it and ·broke [divided] it. Then he gave it to his ·followers [disciples] and said, “·Take this bread and eat it [L Take, eat]; this is my body.”
26:27 Then Jesus took a cup and ·thanked God for it [gave thanks] and gave it to the ·followers [disciples]. He said, “Every one of you drink [L from] this.
26:28 This is my blood ·which is the new agreement that God makes with his people [or which confirms/establishes the new covenant; L of the new covenant; Ex. 24:8. Jer. 31:31–34]. This blood is poured out for many ·to forgive their [T for the remission of] sins [Is. 53:12].
26:29 I tell you this: I will not drink of this ·fruit of the vine [wine] again until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
26:30 After singing a hymn [C probably the Hallel psalms (Ps. 113—118), sung during the Passover meal], they went out to the Mount of Olives.
26:31 Jesus told ·his followers [L them], “Tonight you will all ·stumble in your faith [fall away; desert] on account of me, because it is written in the Scriptures: ‘I will ·kill [strike] the shepherd, and the sheep [L of the flock] will ·scatter [be scattered]’ [Zech. 13:7].
26:32 But after ·I rise from the dead [L I am raised], I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
26:33 Peter said, “Everyone else may ·stumble in their faith [fall away; desert] because of you, but I will not.”
26:34 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, tonight before the rooster crows you will ·say three times you don’t know me [deny/disown me three times].”
26:35 But Peter said, “Even if I must die with you, I will never ·say that I don’t know [deny/disown] you!” And all the other ·followers [disciples] said the same thing.
26:36 Then Jesus went with his ·followers [disciples] to a place called Gethsemane. He said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”
26:37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with him, and he began to be very ·sad [sorrowful] and ·troubled [anguished; distressed].
26:38 He said to them, “My ·heart [soul] is ·full of sorrow [overwhelmed with grief], to the point of death. Stay here and ·watch [stay awake; be alert] with me.”
26:39 After walking a little farther away from them, Jesus fell [with his face] to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, ·do not give me [L let pass from me] this ·cup of suffering [L cup; C suffering is metaphorically portrayed as something bitter to drink]. But do ·what you want [your will], not ·what I want [my will].”
26:40 Then Jesus went back to his ·followers [disciples] and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “You men could not ·stay awake [watch] with me for one hour?
26:41 ·Stay awake [Keep watch] and pray for strength ·against temptation [or not to fail the test]. The spirit ·wants to do what is right [is willing], but ·the body [or human nature; T the flesh] is weak.”
26:42 Then Jesus went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for ·this painful thing [L this thing; C the cup of suffering; v. 39] to be taken from me, and if I must ·do [drink] it, ·I pray that what you want [L may your] will be done.”
26:43 Then he went back to his ·followers [disciples], and again he found them asleep, because their eyes were heavy.
26:44 So Jesus left them and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing.
26:45 Then Jesus went back to his ·followers [disciples] and said, “·Are you still sleeping and resting? [or Go ahead, sleep and have your rest!] The time has come for the Son of Man to be ·handed over to [L betrayed/delivered into the hands of] sinful people.
26:46 Get up, we must go. Look, here comes ·the man who has turned against me [my betrayer].”
26:47 While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of ·the twelve apostles [the Twelve], came up. With him were many people carrying swords and clubs who had been sent from the ·leading [T chief] priests and the Jewish elders of the people.
26:48 Judas had planned to give them a ·signal [sign], saying, “The man I kiss is ·Jesus [the one]. ·Arrest [Seize] him.”
26:49 At once Judas went to Jesus and said, “Greetings, ·Teacher [L Rabbi]!” and kissed him.
26:50 Jesus answered, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then the people came and grabbed Jesus and arrested him.
26:51 ·When that happened [L And look/T behold], one of ·Jesus’ followers [L those with Jesus] reached for his sword and pulled it out. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.
26:52 Jesus said to the man, “Put your sword back in its place. [L For] All who ·use swords [L take the sword] will ·be killed with swords [L die/perish by the sword].
26:53 ·Surely [L Don’t…?] you know I could ask my Father, and he would give me more than twelve ·armies [legions] of angels.
26:54 But ·it must happen this way to bring about what the Scriptures say [L how, then, could the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?].”
26:55 Then Jesus said to the crowd, “You came to get me with swords and clubs as if I were a ·criminal [revolutionary; rebel; L robber; C the term “robber” was used by the Romans of insurrectionists]. Every day I sat in the Temple teaching, and you did not arrest me there.
26:56 But all these things have happened ·so that it will come about as the prophets wrote [L to fulfill the writings/scriptures of the prophets].” Then all of Jesus’ ·followers [disciples] ·left [deserted] him and ·ran away [fled].
26:57 Those people who ·arrested [seized] Jesus led him to the house of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the ·teachers of the law [scribes] and the elders were gathered.
26:58 Peter followed far behind to the courtyard of the high priest’s house, and he sat down with the guards to see ·what would happen to Jesus [L the end/outcome].
26:59 The ·leading [T chief] priests and the whole ·Jewish council [Sanhedrin; C the highest Jewish court] tried to find ·something false [false evidence/testimony] against Jesus so they could ·kill [execute] him.
26:60 Many people came and ·told lies about him [testified falsely], but the council could find no real reason to kill him. ·Then [Finally] two people came and said,
26:61 “This man said, ‘I can destroy the Temple of God and build it again in three days.’”
26:62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Aren’t you going to answer? ·Don’t you have something to say about their [or What about these] ·charges [testimony] against you?”
26:63 But Jesus ·said nothing [was silent; Is. 53:7]. Again the high priest said to Jesus, “I ·command you by the power of [demand in the name of; put you under oath by] the living God: Tell us if you are the ·Christ [Messiah], the Son of God.”
26:64 Jesus answered, “·Those are your words [L You have said it/so; C an indirect affirmation]. But I tell you, ·in the future [L from now on] you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God, the ·Powerful One [or the place of power; L power], and coming on ·clouds in the sky [the clouds of heaven; Ps. 110:1; Dan. 7:13–14].”
26:65 When the high priest heard this, he tore his clothes [C a sign of sorrow or outrage] and said, “This man has ·said things that are against God [blasphemed]! ·We don’t [Why should we…?] need any more witnesses; you all heard ·him say these things against God [the blasphemy].
26:66 What ·do you think [is your verdict]?” The people answered, “He ·should [deserves to; is guilty and should] die.”
26:67 Then the people there spat in Jesus’ face and beat him with their fists. Others slapped him.
26:68 They said, “·Prove to us that you are a prophet [L Prophesy to/for us], you ·Christ [Messiah]! Tell us who hit you!”
26:69 At that time, as Peter was sitting [L outside] in the courtyard, a servant girl came to him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”
26:70 But Peter denied it in front of everyone. He said, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
26:71 When he left the courtyard and was at the gate, another girl saw him. She said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
26:72 Again, ·Peter said he was never with him, saying, “I swear [L he denied it with an oath, saying,] I don’t know this man Jesus!”
26:73 A short time later, some people standing there went to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of those who followed Jesus. The way you talk shows it [C Peter’s Galilean accent gave him away].”
26:74 Then Peter began to place a curse on himself and swear, “I don’t know the man.” At once, a rooster crowed.
26:75 And Peter remembered what Jesus had told him: “Before the rooster crows, you will ·say three times that you don’t know me [deny/disown me three times].” Then Peter went outside and ·cried painfully [T wept bitterly].
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