SCRIPTURE READING:
Matthew 26; Mark 14
SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 26
¹ And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples,
² Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
³ Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,
⁴ And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him.
⁵ But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.
⁶ Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
⁷ There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.
⁸ But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?
⁹ For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.
¹⁰ When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.
¹¹ For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.
¹² For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.
¹³ Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.
¹⁴ Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,
¹⁵ And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
¹⁶ And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.
¹⁷ Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?
¹⁸ And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.
¹⁹ And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.
²⁰ Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.
²¹ And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
²² And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I?
²³ And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me.
²⁴ The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.
²⁵ Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.
²⁶ And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
²⁷ And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
²⁸ For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
²⁹ But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.
³⁰ And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
³¹ Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
³² But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee.
³³ Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.
³⁴ Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
³⁵ Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.
³⁶ Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
³⁷ And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
³⁸ Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
³⁹ And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
⁴⁰ And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
⁴¹ Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
⁴² He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
⁴³ And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.
⁴⁴ And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
⁴⁵ Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
⁴⁶ Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.
⁴⁷ And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.
⁴⁸ Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.
⁴⁹ And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.
⁵⁰ And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.
⁵¹ And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear.
⁵² Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
⁵³ Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
⁵⁴ But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?
⁵⁵ In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me.
⁵⁶ But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
⁵⁷ And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.
⁵⁸ But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.
⁵⁹ Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;
⁶⁰ But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,
⁶¹ And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.
⁶² And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
⁶³ But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
⁶⁴ Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
⁶⁵ Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.
⁶⁶ What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.
⁶⁷ Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,
⁶⁸ Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?
⁶⁹ Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.
⁷⁰ But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.
⁷¹ And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.
⁷² And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.
⁷³ And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.
⁷⁴ Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
⁷⁵ And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.
Mark 14
¹ After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.
² But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.
³ And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.
⁴ And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?
⁵ For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.
⁶ And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.
⁷ For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.
⁸ She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
⁹ Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.
¹⁰ And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.
¹¹ And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him.
¹² And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?
¹³ And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him.
¹⁴ And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?
¹⁵ And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us.
¹⁶ And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.
¹⁷ And in the evening he cometh with the twelve.
¹⁸ And as they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One of you which eateth with me shall betray me.
¹⁹ And they began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another said, Is it I?
²⁰ And he answered and said unto them, It is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish.
²¹ The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born.
²² And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.
²³ And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it.
²⁴ And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.
²⁵ Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.
²⁶ And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
²⁷ And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.
²⁸ But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.
²⁹ But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.
³⁰ And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.
³¹ But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.
³² And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray.
³³ And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;
³⁴ And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.
³⁵ And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.
³⁶ And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.
³⁷ And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?
³⁸ Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
³⁹ And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words.
⁴⁰ And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him.
⁴¹ And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
⁴² Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.
⁴³ And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
⁴⁴ And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely.
⁴⁵ And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him.
⁴⁶ And they laid their hands on him, and took him.
⁴⁷ And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.
⁴⁸ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me?
⁴⁹ I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled.
⁵⁰ And they all forsook him, and fled.
⁵¹ And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him:
⁵² And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.
⁵³ And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.
⁵⁴ And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.
⁵⁵ And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.
⁵⁶ For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.
⁵⁷ And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying,
⁵⁸ We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.
⁵⁹ But neither so did their witness agree together.
⁶⁰ And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
⁶¹ But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?
⁶² And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
⁶³ Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses?
⁶⁴ Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death.
⁶⁵ And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.
⁶⁶ And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest:
⁶⁷ And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth.
⁶⁸ But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.
⁶⁹ And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them.
⁷⁰ And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.
⁷¹ But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak.
⁷² And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.
DEVOTIONAL:
The movement toward the cross is surrounded by sharply different estimates of Jesus' worth. A woman pours costly ointment upon Him, while Judas negotiates a price for handing Him over. Some observers call the anointing wasteful, but Jesus receives it in relation to His burial. His defense of her does not diminish the obligation to care for the poor; Mark records that they may do the poor good whenever they will. Rather, Jesus identifies a unique moment in His saving mission. Devotion is being weighed against convenience, money, and public calculation. Before asking whether we would have stood beside the faithful woman, we should ask what advantages we are unwilling to surrender because we have not yet allowed Christ's worth to judge them (Matthew 26:1-16; Mark 14:1-11).
The meal is explicitly a Passover meal, situated within Israel's remembrance of God's deliverance. Jesus takes the bread and cup and speaks about His body and blood. In the KJV, the phrase new testament here speaks of covenant, not simply of a collection of books. Matthew gives the purpose of the shedding of His blood: the remission of sins. The Messiah is not merely providing an example of courage for people who need inspiration. He is providing the saving sacrifice sinners need because guilt cannot be cured by determination. Forgiveness rests upon what He gives. The disciples are invited to receive, remember, and trust, while His promise of drinking with them in the Father's kingdom carries their hope beyond the suffering immediately ahead (Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26).
Gethsemane reveals the cost without suggesting reluctance to love sinners. Jesus' soul is deeply sorrowful, and He brings that sorrow to the Father in prayer. His request concerning the cup is joined to submission to the Father's will. We must not turn this into a shallow instruction to stop feeling distress. The sinless Son is genuinely troubled and genuinely obedient. His prayer shows that reverent submission can include an honest plea for relief. It also reveals the uniqueness of His mission: the cup before Him belongs to the saving work He has come to accomplish. Our suffering does not atone for sin, and our surrender is never a continuation of an unfinished sacrifice. We follow because He gives Himself where no disciple can stand in His place (Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42).
Meanwhile, the disciples sleep, flee, and deny. Peter's confident promises collapse under a question he had imagined himself strong enough to face. Jesus has not been surprised. Before the denial, He has already spoken of resurrection and a meeting in Galilee. The contrast is not designed to make us despise Peter from a safe distance. It exposes the insufficiency of confidence that does not pray. Willingness and weakness can coexist within the same person. The command to watch and pray therefore calls us away from declarations about our courage and toward active dependence upon God. Tears after failure matter, but the chapter also asks whether we will receive the warning before the next temptation comes (Matthew 26:31-35, 69-75; Mark 14:27-31, 66-72).
At His arrest and hearing, Jesus refuses to rescue His mission by abandoning its character. He restrains the sword, acknowledges the fulfillment of Scripture, and answers truthfully concerning His identity while false witnesses struggle to establish their case. His claim concerning the Son of man seated in power and coming with the clouds joins suffering to royal vindication. The judges do not finally determine who He is. The One they condemn is the Messiah whose authority will outlast their verdict. Here the gospel gives both comfort and correction: our salvation rests in His faithful obedience, while our discipleship must abandon the belief that a supposedly good cause justifies deceit, coercion, or prayerless self-confidence (Matthew 26:47-68; Mark 14:43-65).
In daily life, identify the temptation for which you have been relying on your reputation instead of prayer. A long marriage does not make secrecy harmless; a trusted position does not make misleading reports acceptable; years in church do not remove the need for accountability. Name a specific vulnerability before the Father and arrange a practical safeguard, such as an honest conversation, a changed routine, or help from a mature believer. When distress comes, bring it to God without pretending to be unaffected. Teach your family that asking for relief and submitting to God's wisdom can belong in the same prayer. If you have failed, do not rename the wrong or conclude that hiding is your only future. Turn toward the Savior whose blood is shed for forgiveness, acknowledge the injury, and accept the work of repair. The Lord's Supper should deepen gratitude and sober self-examination, never become a ceremony that leaves cherished compromise untouched.
In U.S. civic life, truthful testimony is illuminated by the contrast between Jesus' faithful witness and the manufactured accusations used against Him. Pray for investigators, witnesses, journalists, and people responsible for evaluating contested claims, asking that pressure to secure an outcome not displace fidelity to evidence. Remember those harmed when reputation or influence is treated as a substitute for truth. Christians should appear in public disputes as careful witnesses who distinguish knowledge from suspicion, refuse convenient falsehoods, and insist that a desired result never makes dishonest testimony righteous.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
How do the woman's anointing and Judas' bargain reveal different judgments about the worth of Jesus, and what competing valuation needs examination in your life?
What does the Passover setting contribute to Jesus' explanation of His blood, and why is forgiveness more than an inspiring example of sacrificial love?
Compare Peter's promises with Jesus' instruction to watch and pray: what safeguard would put dependence into practice before your next predictable temptation?
Where are you most tempted to repeat a claim because it helps your preferred outcome, and what would truthful witness require instead?
PRAYER:
ADORATION:
Obedient Son, You did not withdraw when the cup brought anguish, nor surrender truth when false testimony gathered against You. We bow before the Messiah whose suffering is purposeful, whose identity is unaltered by rejection, and whose obedience accomplishes our rescue.
CONFESSION:
We have trusted our intentions more than we have sought Your help. Forgive hidden bargains, careless claims, and confident promises unsupported by prayer. Where we have denied You through conduct or speech, bring us to honest and fruitful repentance.
THANKSGIVING:
Thank You for the blood of the covenant, shed for the remission of sins. Our forgiveness does not rest upon the intensity of our sorrow or the strength of our resolve, but upon the saving gift You have provided.
SUPPLICATION – GENERAL:
Train us to bring anguish truthfully to the Father and to obey without pretending we are strong. Guard marriages from secrecy, workplaces from dishonest reporting, and churches from empty observance. Give those who have failed courage to confess and receive accountable care.
SUPPLICATION – U.S. / CIVIC:
Preserve truth among witnesses and those who examine public claims. Protect people injured by fabricated accusations or careless reporting. Grant believers the restraint to withhold unverified assertions and the courage to reject false testimony even when it would favor their desired outcome.
SCRIPTURE:
⁴¹ Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.