Study Desk

When Jesus had finished saying all this,^(a) He told His disciples,

"You know^[a] that the Passover takes place after two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified." ^(b)

Then the chief priests^[b] and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,^(c)

and they conspired to arrest Jesus in a treacherous way and kill Him.^(d)

"Not during the festival," they said, "so there won't be rioting among the people."

While Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon,^(e) a man who had a serious skin disease,

a woman approached Him with an alabaster jar of very expensive fragrant oil. She poured it on His head as He was reclining at the table.

When the disciples^(f) saw it, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked.

"This might have been sold for a great deal and given to the poor."

But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a noble thing for Me.

You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.^(g)

By pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she has prepared Me for burial.

I assure you: Wherever this gospel^(h) is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her."

Then⁽ⁱ⁾ one of the Twelve—the man called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests^(j)

and said, "What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?" So they weighed out 30 pieces of silver for him.^(k)

And from that time he started looking for a good opportunity to betray Him.

On the first day of Unleavened Bread^(l) the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do You want us to prepare the Passover so You may eat it?"

"Go into the city to a certain man," He said, "and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time is near; I am celebrating the Passover at your place^[c] with My disciples.'" ^(m)

So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

When evening came, He was reclining at the table with the Twelve.

While they were eating, He said, "I assure you: One of you will betray Me." ⁽ⁿ⁾

Deeply distressed, each one began to say to Him, "Surely not I, Lord?"

He replied, "The one who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl—he will betray Me.

The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him,^(o) but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born."

Then Judas, His betrayer, replied, "Surely not I, Rabbi?"^(p) "You have said it," He told him.