Mark 14

A Woman Pours Perfume on Jesus at Bethany

1When the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, the chief priests and the teachers of the law got together to make plans to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 2“But we can’t do it during the feast,” they agreed, “or the people may riot.”

3Jesus was in Bethany, eating dinner in the home of Simon the Leper. A woman came in with an alabaster jar that contained very expensive perfume made out of pure nard. She broke the jar open and poured the perfume on Jesus’ head.

4Some of the people there got angry and said to one another, “Why did she waste that perfume? 5It could have been sold for more than a year’s pay, and the money could have been given to the poor.” And they started angrily telling the woman that she’d done something wrong.

6“Leave her alone,” Jesus told them. “Why are you criticizing her? She has done a beautiful thing for me. 7You’ll always have the poor with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you won’t always have me. 8She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body to prepare me for burial. 9Truly I tell you, what she has done will be told wherever the good news is preached all over the world, and she will be remembered.”

10Then Judas Iscariot, one of the 12 disciples, went to the chief priests and offered to hand Jesus over to them. 11They were delighted to hear this, and they promised to give him money. So he looked for the right time to hand Jesus over to them.

The Last Supper

12On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was time to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare the Passover meal for you?”

13He sent out two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and you’ll meet a man carrying a jar of water. Follow him 14when he goes into a house. Say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks, “Where is my guest room, where can I eat the Passover meal with my disciples?” ’ 15He’ll show you a large room upstairs that’s already set up with furniture. Prepare the meal there for us.”

16The disciples left and went into the city, and they found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover meal.

17When evening came, Jesus arrived with the 12 disciples. 18While they were at the table eating, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, one of you who is eating with me will hand me over to my enemies.”

19They were dismayed. One by one they asked him, “Surely you don’t mean me?”

20“It’s one of you,” Jesus replied, “one who has dipped his bread into the same bowl as me. 21The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to the one who hands over the Son of Man! It would have been better for him if he’d never been born.”

22While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take this; it is my body.”

23Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he handed it to them, and they all drank from it.

24“This is my blood of the covenant,” he told them, “poured out for many. 25Truly I tell you, I won’t drink wine with you again until the day I drink it in the kingdom of God.”

26Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Says That the Disciples Will Turn Away

27“You’re all going to abandon me,” Jesus told his disciples. “It is written,

“ ‘I will strike down the shepherd,

and the sheep will be scattered.’

28But after I rise from the dead, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

29Peter replied, “Even if all the others abandon you, I never will.”

30“Truly I tell you,” Jesus responded, “tonight—before the rooster crows twice—you’ll claim three times that you don’t know me.”

31But Peter insisted, “Even if I have to die with you, I’ll never say that I don’t know you.” And all the others said the same thing.

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

32They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus told his disciples, “Sit here while I go pray.” 33He took Peter, James, and John along with him. He became very distressed, and he said to them, 34“My soul is filled with anguish, and I feel like I might die. Stay here and keep watch.”

35He went a little farther, and then he fell to the ground and prayed that, if possible, he wouldn’t have to go through the time that was coming. 36“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup of suffering away from me. Not what I want, though. Do what you want.”

37Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? 38Watch and pray so that you won’t fall into sin when you’re tempted. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

39Once more Jesus went away and prayed the same thing. 40When he came back, he found them sleeping once again. They couldn’t keep their eyes open, and they didn’t know what to say to him.

41When Jesus came back a third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The time has come. Look! The Son of Man is about to be handed over to sinners. 42Get up! Let’s go! Here comes the one who’s handing me over to them!”

Jesus Is Arrested

43While Jesus was still speaking, Judas, who was one of the 12 disciples, suddenly appeared. He had a group of men with him who were armed with swords and clubs. The chief priests, teachers of the law, and elders had sent them.

44Judas had arranged to hand Jesus over by giving them a signal. “The one I kiss will be the man,” he’d told them. “Arrest him and have the guards lead him away.” 45Judas went right over to Jesus and said, “Rabbi!” Then he kissed him. 46The men grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 47Then one of those who was with Jesus reached for his sword. He pulled it out and slashed at the high priest’s slave with it, cutting off his ear.

48“Am I leading a rebellion against you?” asked Jesus. “Did you have to come out with swords and clubs to capture me? 49I was with you every day, teaching in the temple courtyard, and you didn’t arrest me. But the Scriptures must come true.” 50Then all his disciples abandoned him and ran away.

51A young man was following Jesus, wearing just a linen cloth. The men tried to grab him too, 52but he wriggled out of his clothing and ran away naked.

The Sanhedrin Puts Jesus on Trial

53The men took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders, and teachers of the law gathered for his trial. 54Peter followed Jesus from a distance and came as close as the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself by the fire.

55The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin (the council of elders) were looking for evidence against Jesus so they could put him to death. But they didn’t find anything they could use. 56Many witnesses said things about him that weren’t true, and their stories didn’t agree.

57Then some people stood up and gave this false testimony about him: 58“We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made by human hands, and in three days I will build another temple that’s not made by human hands.’ ” 59But even their stories didn’t agree.

60Then the high priest stood up in front of everyone and asked Jesus, “Aren’t you going to answer? What have you got to say about the charges these men are bringing against you?” 61But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.

So the high priest asked him directly, “Are you the Messiah? Are you the Son of the Blessed One?”

62“I am,” Jesus replied. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One, coming on the clouds of heaven.”

63The high priest ripped his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. 64“You’ve heard him claim that he’s God! How does it look to you?”

They all found him guilty and said he had to die. 65Then some began to spit on him. They blindfolded him, hit him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” Then the guards took him and beat him.

Peter Says He Doesn’t Know Jesus

66Peter was still down in the courtyard. One of the high priest’s female servants came by, 67and when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him closely.

“You were also with Jesus, that Nazarene,” she said.

68But Peter denied it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he insisted, “it’s nonsense.” Then he went out to the entrance to the courtyard. A rooster crowed.

69The same servant noticed him again there and she said to those who were standing around, “This man is one of them.” 70Peter denied it again.

After a little while, those who were standing nearby said to Peter, “You must be one of them, because you’re from Galilee.”

71“May I be cursed if I’m not telling the truth!” Peter said to them. “I swear that I don’t know this man you’re talking about!”

72Right then the rooster crowed for a second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had told him: “Before the rooster crows twice, you’ll say three times that you don’t know me.” And he broke down and cried.

Currently Selected:

Mark 14: RAD

Highlight

Copy