Matthew 26:1-16

1When Jesus had finished this discourse, He said to His disciples,

2“You know that the Passover is coming in two days, and the Son of Man is to be betrayed and handed over for crucifixion.”

3Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the courtyard of the [elegant home of the Jewish] high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,

4and plotted together to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill Him.

5But they said, “It must not be during the festival (Passover), otherwise there might be a riot among the people.”

6Now when Jesus was [back] in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper,

7a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very expensive perfume and she poured it on Jesus’ head as He reclined at the table.

8But when the disciples saw it they were indignant and angry, saying, “Why all this waste [of money]?

9For this perfume might have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”

10But Jesus, aware [of the malice] of this [remark], said to them, “Why are you bothering the woman? She has done a good thing to Me.

11For you always have the poor with you; but you will not always have Me.

12When she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial.

13I assure you and most solemnly say to you, wherever this gospel [of salvation] is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her [for her act of love and devotion].”

14Then one of the twelve [disciples], who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests

15and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Jesus over to you?” And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver.

16And from that moment Judas began looking for an opportune time to betray Jesus.