Study Desk

^(a)Now ^(b)the Passover and Unleavened Bread were two days away; and the chief priests and the scribes ^(c)were seeking how to seize Him by stealth and kill Him;

for they were saying, "Not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the people."

^(d)While He was in ^(e)Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very ^(f)costly perfume of pure ^[a]nard; and she broke the vial and poured it over His head.

But some were indignantly remarking to one another, "Why has this perfume been wasted?

For this perfume might have been sold for over three hundred ^[b]denarii, and the money given to the poor." And they were scolding her.

But Jesus said, "Let her alone; why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to Me.

For you always have ^(g)the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you do not always have Me.

She has done what she could; ^(h)she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.

Truly I say to you, ⁽ⁱ⁾wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her."

^(j)Then Judas Iscariot, ^(k)who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to ^[c]betray Him to them.

They were glad when they heard this, and promised to give him money. And he began seeking how to betray Him at an opportune time.

^(l)On the first day of ^(m)Unleavened Bread, when ^[d]the Passover lamb was being ⁽ⁿ⁾sacrificed, His disciples *said to Him, "Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?"

And He *sent two of His disciples and *said to them, "Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him;

and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, "Where is My ^(o)guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"'

And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; prepare for us there."

The disciples went out and came to the city, and found it just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

^(p)When it was evening He *came with the twelve.

As they were reclining at the table and eating, Jesus said, "Truly I say to you that one of you will ^[e]betray Me—^[f]one who is eating with Me."

They began to be grieved and to say to Him one by one, "Surely not I?"

And He said to them, "It is one of the twelve, ^[g]one who dips with Me in the bowl.

For the Son of Man is to go just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man ^[h]by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good ^[i]for that man if he had not been born."

^(q)While they were eating, He took some bread, and ^[j]after a ^(r)blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is My body."

And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

And He said to them, "This is My ^(s)blood of the ^(t)covenant, which is poured out for many.

Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

^(u)After singing a hymn, they went out to ^(v)the Mount of Olives.

^(w)And Jesus *said to them, "You will all ^[k]fall away, because it is written, ‘^(x)I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered .'

But after I have been raised, ^(y)I will go ahead of you to Galilee."

But Peter said to Him, "Even though all may ^[l]fall away, yet I will not."

And Jesus *said to him, "Truly I say to you, that ^[m](z)this very night, before ^(aa)a rooster crows twice, you yourself will deny Me three times."

But Peter kept saying insistently, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" And they all were saying the same thing also.