Study Desk

^(C1)When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples,

"^(C1)You know that after two days ^(C2)the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be ^(C3)handed over for crucifixion."

^(C1)At that time the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in ^(C2)the courtyard of the high priest named ^(C3)Caiaphas;

and they ^(C1)plotted together to arrest Jesus covertly and kill Him.

But they were saying, "Not during the festival, ^(C1)otherwise a riot might occur among the people."

^(C1)Now when Jesus was in ^(C2)Bethany, at the home of Simon ^(F1)the Leper,

^(C1)a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very expensive perfume, and she poured it on His head as He was reclining at the table.

But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, "Why this waste?

"For this perfume could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor."

But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why are you bothering the woman? For she has done a good deed for Me.

"For you always have ^(C1)the poor with you; but you do not always have Me.

"For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it ^(C1)to prepare Me for burial.

"Truly I say to you, ^(C1)wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her."

^(C1)Then one of the twelve, named ^(C2)Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests

and said, "What are you willing to give me ^(F1)to ^(F2)(C1)betray Him to you?" And ^(C2)they set out for him thirty ^(F3)pieces of silver.

And from then on he looked for a good opportunity to ^(F1)betray ^(F2)Jesus.

^(C1)Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the ^(C2)Passover, was approaching.

And the chief priests and the scribes ^(C1)were trying to find ^(F1)a way to put Him to death, since they were afraid of the people.

^(C1)And ^(C2)Satan entered Judas, the one called Iscariot, ^(F1)who belonged to the number of the twelve.

And he left and discussed with the chief priests and ^(C1)officers how he was to betray Him to them.

And they were delighted, and agreed to give him money.

And so he consented, and began looking for a good opportunity to betray Him to them ^(F1)away from the crowd.

^(C1)Therefore, six days before ^(C2)the Passover, Jesus came to ^(C3)Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

So they made Him a dinner there, and ^(C1)Martha was serving; and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him.

^(C1)Mary then took a ^(F1)pound of very expensive ^(C2)perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But ^(C1)Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, the one who intended to ^(F1)betray Him, ^(*)said,

"Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred ^(F1)denarii and the proceeds given to poor people?"

Now he said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he ^(C1)kept the money box, he used to ^(F1)steal from ^(C2)what was put into it.

Therefore Jesus said, "Leave her alone, so that she may keep it ^(F1)for ^(C1)the day of My burial.

"^(C1)For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me."

The ^(C1)large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not on account of Jesus only, but so that they might also see Lazarus, ^(C2)whom He raised from the dead.

But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also,

because ^(C1)on account of him ^(C2)many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus.