"You know that the Passover Festival will be celebrated in two more days [Note: This was the annual Jewish festival commemorating Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage under Moses' leadership], and the Son of man will be turned over to be crucified."

About this time the chief priests, and the elders of the people, assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,

but they said, this must not be done on the feastday, for fear the people rise.

Now when Jesus was at Bethany [Note: This was a small village less than two miles east of Jerusalem], in the house of Simon, the man [who probably had been healed] of an infectious skin disease,

And [when] the disciples saw [it] they were indignant, saying, "{Why} this waste?

For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor!"

But Jesus, knowing [this], said to them, "Why do you cause trouble for the woman? For she has done a good deed for me.

(seeing ye have the poor always with you, but me ye have not always:) for in pouring this ointment on my body,

For [when] this woman poured this ointment on my body, she did [it] in order to prepare me for burial.

Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her."

About this time went one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot,

and said, "What would you give me if I turned Jesus over to you?" And they weighed out thirty silver coins [Note: This amount was equivalent to about five months of a farm laborer's wages, or approximately $7,000 in 1994], and promised [See Mark 14:11] to give him that much money.

and as they were eating, he said, 'tis indeed true that one of this company shall betray me.

They were greatly distressed at this, and each of them said to him, "Lord, surely it is not me."

And he answered [and] said, "The one who dips his hand in the bowl with me--this one will betray me.

Now [while] they were eating Jesus took bread and, [after] giving thanks, he broke [it], and giving [it] to the disciples, he said, "Take, eat, this is my body."

And taking the cup, and giving thanks, he gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of this:

for this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

But I tell you, from now [on] I will never drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom of my Father."

And after they had sung a hymn, they went up to the Mount of Olives. [Note: This was a small hill just east of Jerusalem]

Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of me during this night, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'

Jesus said to him, "Truly I say to you that during this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times!"

After this, Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemani, and said to the disciples, stay here, while I go there and pray.

And going forward a little he fell down on his face, praying and saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you [will]."

And [when] He came [back] to where His disciples were and found them asleep, He said to Peter, "What [is this], could you not remain alert with me [in prayer] for one hour?

Again for the second time he went away [and] prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will must be done."

and at his return, he said to his disciples, is this a time to sleep and take your rest? the hour draws nigh, and the son of man is betrayed into the hands of the gentiles.

now he that was to betray him, gave them this signal, the person I shall kiss, is the very man, be sure to secure him.

What! do you think I cannot appeal to my Father to furnish me at this moment with over twelve legions of angels?

How then would the scriptures be fulfilled that it must happen in this way?"

Then said Jesus to the multitudes, Ye are come out as against a thief with swords and clubs to take me, whereas I sat with you day after day teaching in the temple, and ye did not seize me: but all this is done,

But all this has happened in order that the scriptures of the prophets would be fulfilled." Then the disciples all abandoned him [and] fled.

Peter, however, followed him at a distance as far as the high priest's courtyard. He went inside and sat down with the servants to see how this would end.

[and] said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild [it] within three days.'"

The high priest stood up, and said to him, "Have you no answer? What is this that these testify against you?"

But Jesus remained silent. On this the High Priest said to him: "I adjure you, by the Living God, to tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God."

Jesus said to him, "You have said it. Nevertheless, I tell you, after this you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of the sky."

Then the High Priest tore his robes. "This is blasphemy!" he exclaimed. "Why do we want any more witnesses? You have just heard his blasphemy!

saying, "Prophesy to us, you 'Christ.' Tell us who hit you?" [Note: By this time Jesus had been blindfolded. See Mark 14:65].

And [when he] went out to the gateway, another [female slave] saw him and said to those [who were] there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazarene."

And he denied [it] again, [this time] with an oath, saying, "I do not [even] know the man."

At this he broke out cursing and swearing, "I do not know the man." At that moment a cock crowed.

The chief priests took the silver and said, "It is not lawful to put this into the temple treasury, since it is blood money."

So, they conferred together [and decided] to buy "The Potter's Field" with the money [Note: This was probably an abandoned field where clay had been obtained for making pottery], for use in burying people who were not from the local area.

(For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood until today.)

and at this time there was a notorious prisoner named Barabbas.

So when they met for this purpose, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to set free, Barabbas, or Jesus, the so-called Christ?"

He did this because he knew that they had handed him over out of jealousy.

When he was set down to give judgment, his wife sent to him, saying, "Have thou nothing to do with that just man, I have suffered many things this day in a dream about him."

So Pilate, [when he] saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but instead an uproar was developing, took water [and] washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this man. You see to [it]!"

at this all the people cry'd out, "his blood be on us, and on our children."

after this the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered all the foot-guards about him.

They stripped off His clothing and placed a scarlet robe on Him [Note: Mark 15:17 calls this a "purple" robe because in that day, any color with a mixture of "red" in it was often called "purple," so the use of "scarlet" was appropriate].

And [as they] were going out, they found a man of Cyrene {named} Simon. They forced this man to carry his cross.

And they put above his head the charge against him {in writing}: "This is Jesus, the king of the Jews."

And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a great voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani I this is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

And some of those who were standing there, [when they] heard [it], said, "This man is summoning Elijah!"

Now the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus, [when they] saw the earthquake and the things that took place, were extremely frightened, saying, "Truly this man was God's Son!"

And many women, who had followed Jesus from Galilee and had ministered to His needs, were watching [all this] from a distance.

This man approached Pilate [and] asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered [it] to be given [to him].

Now the next day after the preparation, the chief priests and pharisees went together to Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember that this impostor,

and said, "Sir, we remember that this deceiver said while he was yet alive, after three days I will arise again.

pray therefore order a guard to be posted at the sepulchre till the third day, for fear his disciples should come and steal him away, and then tell the people, "he is risen from the dead:" for this last imposture would be of worse consequence than the first.

Then run and tell His disciples, 'He has risen from the dead, and is going back to Galilee ahead of you; you will see Him there.' This is my message to you."

And they instantly left the sepulchre, with fear and joy, and ran to carry his disciples this good news.

While they went on this errand, some of the guards came into the city and reported to the High Priests every detail of what had happened.

Saying, Say this, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.

And if this [matter] is heard before the governor, we will satisfy him and {keep you out of trouble}."

So they took the money [and] did as they were told, and spread abroad this report among the Jews until this very day.

This is [how] the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, began.

And in fulfillment of this, John the Baptizer appeared in the Wilderness, proclaiming a baptism upon repentance, for the forgiveness of sins.

And this was his message: "After me there is coming one stronger than I am, one whose shoes I am not fit to stoop down and untie.

when this voice from heaven was heard, "thou art my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased."

He spent forty days in this desert where He was put to the test by Satan. He was with wild animals, and angels ministered to His needs [while there].

saying, "The time has come and the reign of God is near; repent, and believe this good news."

So, they went to Capernaum [Note: This was a city in Galilee that later became Jesus' headquarters while in Galilee. See verse

At this, the unclean spirit shook the man, cried out with a loud voice, and came out of him.

And they were all amazed, so that [they began] to discuss with one another, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He even commands the unclean spirits and they obey him."

upon this his fame immediately spread abroad over all the region of Galilee.

And he said to them, "Let us go elsewhere, into the neighboring rural towns, so that I can preach there also, because I have come out for this [very] reason."

Then a person with an infectious skin disease came to Jesus and, kneeling down before Him, begged Him, saying, "If you want to, you can heal me." [Note: Throughout this narrative the term "heal/healing" is originally "clean/cleansing" because the Jews viewed a person with such a disease as ceremonially "unclean." See Lev. 13:1-3].

When he had said this, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was made clean.

But Jesus at once drove him out of their presence, and gave him this stringent charge:

said he, how you take the least notice of this to any man: but go, show your self to the priest, and offer for your cure what Moses commanded, that this may serve as a testimony against them.

But certain of the scribes were sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies?

Why does this man say such things? he has no respect for God: from whom does forgiveness come but from God only?

And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they were reasoning like this within themselves, said to them, "Why are you considering these [things] in your hearts?

Which is easier, to say to this paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say to him, "Get up and pick up your mat and walk'?

And he got up, and straight away took up the bed and went out before them all, so that they were all full of wonder, and gave glory to God, saying, We have never seen anything like this.

Jesus hearing this, said to them, they that are in health, have no need of a physician, but they that are sick: I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.

And it happened that Jesus was walking through the grainfields on the Sabbath day and His disciples began picking off heads of grain [to eat] as they traveled along. [Note: It was an accepted custom for people in that day to be permitted to do this as they walked along the paths bordering a grainfield].

adding this observation, "the sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath."

For this reason the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath."

upon this the Pharisees withdrew, and immediately enter'd into a conspiracy with the Herodians to take away his life.

After this they went into an house, and the crowd press'd again upon them, so as to hinder them from taking their meal.

And [when] {his family} heard [this], they went out to restrain him, for they were saying, "He has lost his mind!"

And the experts in the law of Moses who had come down from Jerusalem were saying [Note: This followed the incident of Jesus healing a man with an evil spirit. See Matt. 12:22-28], "He has Beelzebub [in him]," and "He is driving out evil spirits by [the power of] the chief of evil spirits."

this was in answer to their saying, he was influenc'd by an impure spirit.

By this time His mother and His brothers arrive, and standing outside they send a message to Him to call Him.

For whoever does the will of God, this person is my brother and sister and mother."