"You know the passover is to be held two days after this; and the Son of man will be delivered up 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 kept saying, "This must not happen during the festival. Otherwise, there'll be a riot among the people."

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,

When his disciples saw that, they had indignation saying, "What needed this waste?

This ointment might have been well sold, 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,

And in that she casted this ointment on my body, she did it to bury me, withal.

Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout all the world, there shall also this that she hath done, be told for a memorial 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.

As they did eat, Jesus took bread and gave thanks, brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and 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:

This is my blood of the new testament, that shall be shed for many, for the forgiveness of sins.

I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine tree, until that day, when I shall drink it new with you in my father's kingdom."

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 said Jesus unto them, "All ye shall be offended by me this night. For it is written, 'I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.'

Jesus said unto him, "Verily I say unto thee, that this same night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice."

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 he went away a little apart, and fell flat on his face, and prayed, saying, "O my father, if it possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt."

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?

He went away once more, and prayed, saying, "O my father, if this cup cannot pass away from me, but that I drink of it, thy will be fulfilled."

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.

"Do you not suppose that I am able to appeal to my Father to furnish me at this very moment with twelve legions of angels?

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

At this point, Jesus asked the crowds, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as if I were a bandit? Day after day I sat teaching in the Temple, yet you didn't arrest me.

All this was done that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples forsook 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 fellow said, I can destroy the temple of God, and build the it again in three days."

Then the High Priest stood up, and said to Jesus: "Have you no answer? What is this evidence which these men are giving 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."

"I am He," Jesus answered; "yet I tell you that from this time on you will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming upon the clouds of heaven."

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].

When he was gone out into the porch, another wench saw him, and said unto them that were there, "This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth."

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 high priests picked up the pieces of silver and said, "It is not lawful to put this into the Temple treasury, because 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.

Wherefore that field is called the field of blood, until this day.

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."

When Pilate saw that he prevailed nothing, but that more business was made, he took water and washed his hands before the people saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this righteous person: see ye thereto."

To this all the people replied, "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 set up over his head the cause of his death written, "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?

Some of them that stood there, when they heard that said, "This man calleth for Elijah."

When the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake and those things which happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Of a surety this was the son of God."

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."

On this they ran quickly from the sepulcher, in fear and great joy, to tell the news to his disciples.

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.

and told them, “Say this, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole Him while we were sleeping.’

And if this come to the ruler's ears, we will appease him, and save you harmless.

And they took the money, and did as they were taught. And this saying is noised among the Jews unto this day.

This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.

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, insomuch that they demanded one of another among themselves, saying, "What thing is this? What new doctrine is this? For he commandeth the foul spirits with power, 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:

saying to him, “See that you tell no one anything [about this]; but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your purification what Moses commanded, as proof to them [that you are really healed].”

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

"How doth this fellow so blaspheme? Who can forgive sins, but 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 by and by he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all: insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God saying, "We never saw it on this fashion."

On hearing this Jesus said to them. "It is not the healthy who need a physician, but the 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."

On this the Pharisees withdrew and at once joined the Herodians in a plot against him, to destroy him.

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 scribes who came down from Jerusalem, said, He hath Beelzebub, and by this prince of the devils doth he cast out devils.

This was said in reply to the charge that he had a foul spirit in him.

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."