Matthew 26:47-27:31

Contemporary English Version

Jesus Is Arrested

(Mark 14.43-50; Luke 22.47-53; John 18.3-12)

⁴⁷ Jesus was still speaking, when Judas the betrayer came up. He was one of the twelve disciples, and a large mob armed with swords and clubs was with him. They had been sent by the chief priests and the nation's leaders. ⁴⁸ Judas had told them ahead of time, “Arrest the man I greet with a kiss.”^[a]

⁴⁹ Judas walked right up to Jesus and said, “Hello, teacher.” Then Judas kissed him.

⁵⁰ Jesus replied, “My friend, do what you came for.”^[b]

The men grabbed Jesus and arrested him. ⁵¹ One of Jesus' followers pulled out a sword. He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.

⁵² But Jesus told him, “Put your sword away. Anyone who lives by fighting will die by fighting. ⁵³ Don't you know that I could ask my Father, and he would at once send me more than twelve armies of angels? ⁵⁴ But then, how could the words of the Scriptures come true, which say this must happen?”

^55 (A) Jesus said to the mob, “Why do you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like a criminal? Day after day I sat and taught in the temple, and you didn't arrest me. ⁵⁶ But all this happened, so that what the prophets wrote would come true.”

All Jesus' disciples left him and ran away.

Jesus Is Questioned by the Council

(Mark 14.53-65; Luke 22.54,55,63-71; John 18.13,14,19-24)

⁵⁷ After Jesus had been arrested, he was led off to the house of Caiaphas the high priest. The nation's leaders and the teachers of the Law of Moses were meeting there. ⁵⁸ But Peter followed along at a distance and came to the courtyard of the high priest's palace. He went in and sat down with the guards to see what was going to happen.

⁵⁹ The chief priests and the whole council wanted to put Jesus to death. So they tried to find some people who would tell lies about him in court.^{[c] 60} But they could not find any, even though many did come and tell lies. At last, two men came forward ^61 (B) and said, “This man claimed he could tear down God's temple and build it again in three days.”

⁶² The high priest stood up and asked Jesus, “Why don't you say something in your own defense? Don't you hear the charges they are making against you?” ⁶³ But Jesus did not answer. So the high priest said, “With the living God looking on, you must tell the truth. Are you the Messiah, the Son of God?”^[d]

^64 (C) “That is what you say!” Jesus answered. “But I tell all of you,

^65 (D) The high priest then tore his robe and said, “This man claims to be God! We don't need any more witnesses! You have heard what he said. ⁶⁶ What do you think?”

They answered, “He is guilty and deserves to die!” ^67 (E) Then they spit in his face and hit him with their fists. Others slapped him ⁶⁸ and said, “You think you are the Messiah! So tell us who hit you!”

Peter Says He Doesn't Know Jesus

(Mark 14.66-72; Luke 22.56-62; John 18.15-18,25-27)

⁶⁹ While Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, a servant girl came up to him and said, “You were with Jesus from Galilee.”

⁷⁰ But in front of everyone Peter said, “That isn't so! I don't know what you are talking about!”

⁷¹ When Peter had gone out to the gate, another servant girl saw him and said to some people there, “This man was with Jesus from Nazareth.”

⁷² Again Peter denied it, and this time he swore, “I don't even know that man!”

⁷³ A little while later some people standing there walked over to Peter and said, “We know you are one of them. We can tell it because you talk like someone from Galilee.”

⁷⁴ Peter began to curse and swear, “I don't know that man!”

Right then a rooster crowed, ⁷⁵ and Peter remembered that Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows, you will say three times you don't know me.” Then Peter went out and cried bitterly.

Jesus Is Taken to Pilate

(Mark 15.1; Luke 23.1,2; John 18.28-32)

27 Early the next morning all the chief priests and the nation's leaders met and decided that Jesus should be put to death. ² They tied him up and led him away to Pilate the governor.

The Death of Judas

(Acts 1.18,19)

^3 (F) Judas had betrayed Jesus, but when he learned that Jesus had been sentenced to death, he was sorry for what he had done. He returned the 30 silver coins to the chief priests and leaders ⁴ and said, “I have sinned by betraying a man who has never done anything wrong.”

“So what? That's your problem,” they replied. ⁵ Judas threw the money into the temple and then went out and hanged himself.

⁶ The chief priests picked up the money and said, “This money was paid to have a man killed. We can't put it in the temple treasury.” ⁷ Then they had a meeting and decided to buy a field that belonged to someone who made clay pots. They wanted to use it as a graveyard for foreigners. ⁸ This is why people still call that place “Field of Blood.” ^9 (G) So the words of the prophet Jeremiah came true,

Pilate Questions Jesus

(Mark 15.2-5; Luke 23.3-5; John 18.33-38)

¹¹ Jesus was brought before Pilate the governor, who asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“Those are your words!” Jesus answered. ¹² And when the chief priests and leaders brought their charges against him, he did not say a thing.

¹³ Pilate asked him, “Don't you hear what crimes they say you have done?” ¹⁴ But Jesus did not say anything, and the governor was greatly amazed.

The Death Sentence

(Mark 15.6-15; Luke 23.13-26; John 18.39—19.16)

¹⁵ During Passover the governor always freed a prisoner chosen by the people. ¹⁶ At that time a well-known terrorist named Jesus Barabbas^[g] was in jail. ¹⁷ So when the crowd came together, Pilate asked them, “Which prisoner do you want me to set free? Do you want Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” ¹⁸ Pilate knew the leaders had brought Jesus to him because they were jealous.

¹⁹ While Pilate was judging the case, his wife sent him a message. It said, “Don't have anything to do with that innocent man. I have had nightmares because of him.”

²⁰ But the chief priests and the leaders convinced the crowds to ask for Barabbas to be set free and for Jesus to be killed. ²¹ Pilate asked the crowd again, “Which of these two men do you want me to set free?”

“Barabbas!” they shouted.

²² Pilate asked them, “What am I to do with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?”

They all yelled, “Nail him to a cross!”

²³ Pilate answered, “But what crime has he done?”

“Nail him to a cross!” they yelled even louder.

^24 (H) Pilate saw that there was nothing he could do and that the people were starting to riot. So he took some water and washed his hands^[h] in front of them and said, “I won't have anything to do with killing this man. You are the ones doing it!”

²⁵ Everyone answered, “We and our own families will take the blame for his death!”

²⁶ Pilate set Barabbas free. Then he ordered his soldiers to beat Jesus with a whip and nail him to a cross.

Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus

(Mark 15.16-21; John 19.2,3)

²⁷ The governor's soldiers led Jesus into the fortress^[i] and brought together the rest of the troops. ²⁸ They stripped off Jesus' clothes and put a scarlet robe^[j] on him. ²⁹ They made a crown out of thorn branches and placed it on his head, and they put a stick in his right hand. The soldiers knelt down and pretended to worship him. They made fun of him and shouted, “Hey, you king of the Jews!” ³⁰ Then they spit on him. They took the stick from him and beat him on the head with it.

Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross

(Mark 15.22-32; Luke 23.27-43; John 19.17-27)

³¹ When the soldiers had finished making fun of Jesus, they took off the robe. They put his own clothes back on him and led him off to be nailed to a cross.