Mark 14:1-42

1It was now two days before the Passover festival. It was the time when Jews eat flat bread which has no yeast in it. The leaders of the priests and the teachers of God's Law wanted to kill Jesus. But they wanted to take hold of him secretly. So they tried to decide how they could do that.

2They said to each other, ‘We do not want to do it during the festival. If we do that, the people will be angry. Then they may fight against us.’

3Then Jesus went to Bethany, and he visited Simon at his house. At one time, Simon had had a bad disease of the skin. While Jesus was eating a meal there, a woman came into the house. She brought a small stone jar that contained expensive oil with a very nice smell. They used nard to make it. The woman broke the jar to open it. Then she poured the oil over Jesus' head.

4But some people became angry. They said to each other, ‘This woman should not have wasted the oil.

5She could have sold it and she could have given the money to poor people. She could have sold it for more than 300 coins. A man would have to work for a year to get that much money.’ So they spoke angrily to the woman.

6But Jesus said, ‘Do not speak to her like that! Do not cause trouble for her. She has done a good thing to me.

7You will always have poor people with you. You can help them at any time that you want. But you will not always have me with you.

8This woman did what she was able to do. She poured oil over my body. So now, my body will be ready for people to bury me.

9I tell you this: Everywhere in the world, people will speak about God's good news. At the same time, they will also tell people about the good thing that this woman has done. And so they will remember her.’

10Then Judas Iscariot went to the leaders of the priests. He said that he would help them to catch Jesus. (Judas was one of Jesus' 12 apostles.)

11The leaders of the priests were very happy about this. They promised to give Judas some money. Then Judas waited for the right moment to help them to take hold of Jesus.

12The first day of the festival when the Jews eat flat bread arrived. On this day, each family kills a young sheep for the Passover meal. Jesus' disciples said to him, ‘We will go to prepare the Passover meal for you. Where do you want us to do that?’

13So Jesus sent two disciples to prepare the meal. ‘Go into the city,’ he said to them. ‘A man, who is carrying a jar of water, will meet you. Follow him.

14He will go to a house. You must say to the master of that house, “The Teacher sends this message to you: ‘Where is the room for visitors? I will eat the Passover meal there with my disciples.’ ”

15Then the man will show you a large room upstairs. The room will have in it all the things that you will need. You should prepare the Passover meal for us there.’

16Then the two disciples left and they went into the city. They found everything as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover meal there.

17When it was evening, Jesus arrived with the 12 apostles.

18While they were eating the meal, Jesus said, ‘I tell you this: One of you will help the Jewish leaders to take hold of me. It is someone who is eating this meal with me.’

19The disciples became very sad. Each one of them said to Jesus, ‘Surely you do not mean me, do you?’

20Jesus said to them, ‘It is one of you 12 apostles. That man is eating from the same dish as I am.

21The Son of Man must die in the way that the Bible says. But it will be very bad for the man who gives me to my enemies. It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.’

22While Jesus and his disciples were eating, he took a loaf of bread. He thanked God for it. Then he broke the bread into pieces. He gave some of it to each of his disciples. ‘Take this bread and eat it,’ he said to them. ‘This is my body.’

23Then Jesus took a cup. He thanked God for the wine in the cup. Then he gave the cup to them and they all drank from it.

24Jesus said to them, ‘This is my blood that shows God's promise. When I die, my blood will pour out of my body. In that way God will save many people. That is the promise that God makes because of my death.

25I tell you this: I will not drink wine again until God rules in his kingdom. Then it will be new wine.’

26Then Jesus and his disciples sang a song to praise God. Then they went out to the Mount of Olives.

27Then Jesus said to the disciples, ‘All of you will turn away from me. It will happen as the Bible says: God says, “I will kill the shepherd who leads the sheep. Then the sheep will run away in different directions.” ’

28Jesus then said, ‘But after that happens, I will become alive again. Then I will go to Galilee, and you will meet me there.’

29Peter said to Jesus, ‘Even if everyone else runs away, I will not leave you.’

30Jesus replied, ‘I tell you this: Even tonight, you will say that you do not know me. You will say that three times before the cockerel sings for the second time in the morning.’

31But Peter said very strongly, ‘I will die with you if I need to. But I will never say that I do not know you.’ All the other disciples said the same thing.

32Then they arrived at a garden called Gethsemane. Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’

33Jesus took Peter, James and John with him. He started to feel very sad and upset.

34He said to them, ‘I am very sad. I feel as if I could die because I feel so sad. Wait here and stay awake.’

35Jesus went a short way beyond them. He went down on the ground. He prayed that, if possible, God would save him from this time of trouble.

36He said, ‘Abba, my Father, you can do all things. Please take this great pain away from me. But I do not ask you to do what I want. Do what you want to do.’

37Jesus returned to his three disciples. Now they were sleeping. He said to Peter, ‘Simon, you are asleep! You could not stay awake for even one hour!

38You must keep awake and you must pray. Then you will not want to do something wrong. You really want to do the right thing, but your body is weak.’

39Jesus went away again and he prayed in the same words.

40Then Jesus returned again to Peter, James and John. He saw that they were sleeping. They could not keep their eyes open. They did not know what to say to him.

41Then Jesus returned a third time to the disciples. He said to them, ‘You should not still be sleeping and resting. That is enough! The moment has arrived. Look! Someone will now give me, the Son of Man, to my enemies.

42Stand up, we will go now. Look! The man who will give me to my enemies is here.’