Luke 22:39-71

International Children’s Bible

Jesus Prays Alone

^39-40 Jesus left the city and went to the Mount of Olives. His followers went with him. (Jesus went there often.) He said to his followers, “Pray for strength against temptation.”

⁴¹ Then Jesus went about a stone’s throw away from them. He kneeled down and prayed, ⁴² “Father, if it is what you want, then let me not have this cup^[a] of suffering. But do what you want, not what I want.” ⁴³ Then an angel from heaven appeared to him to help him. ⁴⁴ Jesus was full of pain; he prayed even more. Sweat dripped from his face as if he were bleeding. ⁴⁵ When he finished praying, he went to his followers. They were asleep. (Their sadness had made them very tired.) ⁴⁶ Jesus said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray for strength against temptation.”

Jesus Is Arrested

⁴⁷ While Jesus was speaking, a crowd came up. One of the 12 apostles was leading them. He was Judas. He came close to Jesus so that he could kiss him.

⁴⁸ But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you using the kiss to give the Son of Man to his enemies?”

⁴⁹ The followers of Jesus were standing there too. They saw what was happening. They said to Jesus, “Lord, should we use our swords?” ⁵⁰ And one of them did use his sword. He cut off the right ear of the servant of the high priest.

⁵¹ Jesus said, “Stop!” Then he touched the servant’s ear and healed him.

⁵² Those who came to arrest Jesus were the leading priests, the soldiers who guarded the Temple, and the Jewish elders. Jesus said to them, “Why did you come out here with swords and sticks? Do you think I am a criminal? ⁵³ I was with you every day in the Temple. Why didn’t you try to arrest me there? But this is your time—the time when darkness rules.”

Peter Says He Doesn’t Know Jesus

⁵⁴ They arrested Jesus and took him away. They brought him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed them, but he did not go near Jesus. ⁵⁵ The soldiers started a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat together. Peter sat with them. ⁵⁶ A servant girl saw Peter sitting there near the light. She looked closely at Peter’s face and said, “This man was also with him!”

⁵⁷ But Peter said this was not true. He said, “Girl, I don’t know him.”

⁵⁸ A short time later, another person saw Peter and said, “You are also one of them.”

But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”

⁵⁹ About an hour later, another man insisted, “It is true! This man was with him. He is from Galilee!”

⁶⁰ But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about!”

Immediately, while Peter was still speaking, a rooster crowed. ⁶¹ Then the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. And Peter remembered what the Lord had said: “Before the rooster crows tonight, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” ⁶² Then Peter went outside and cried with much pain in his heart.

The People Laugh at Jesus

^63-64 Some men were guarding Jesus. They made fun of him like this: They covered his eyes so that he could not see them. Then they hit him and said, “Prove that you are a prophet, and tell us who hit you!” ⁶⁵ The men said many cruel things to Jesus.

Jesus Before the Leaders

⁶⁶ When day came, the elders of the people, the leading priests, and the teachers of the law came together. They led Jesus away to their highest court. ⁶⁷ They said, “If you are the Christ, then tell us that you are!”

Jesus said to them, “If I tell you I am the Christ, you will not believe me. ⁶⁸ And if I ask you, you will not answer. ⁶⁹ But beginning now, the Son of Man will sit at the right hand of the powerful God.”

⁷⁰ They all said, “Then are you the Son of God?”

Jesus said to them, “Yes, you are right when you say that I am.”

⁷¹ They said, “Why do we need witnesses now? We ourselves heard him say this!”