Book of Common Prayer

Paul explains that the day of the Lord does not come until the departing from the faith comes first, and therefore he exhorts them not to be deceived, but to stand steadfast in the things that he has taught them.

2 We beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in that we shall assemble unto him, ² not to be suddenly moved from your mind. And be not troubled, neither by spirit nor by words, nor yet by letter which seems to come from us, as though the day of Christ were at hand. ³ Let no man deceive you by any means. For the Lord comes not unless there come a departing first and that sinful man be revealed – the son of perdition, ⁴ who is an adversary, and is exalted above all that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he shall sit as God in the temple of God and show himself as God.

⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things? ⁶ And now you know what withholds, so that he may be manifest at his time. ⁷ For the mystery of that iniquity does he already work, which only locks until it is taken out of the way. ⁸ And then shall that wicked one be exposed, whom the Lord will consume with the Spirit of his mouth, and will destroy with the appearance of his coming – ⁹ namely him whose coming is by the working of Satan, with all lying power, signs, and wonders, ¹⁰ and in all the deceptiveness of unrighteousness among those who are perishing. They perish because they would not receive the love of the truth, so that they might have been saved. ¹¹ And therefore God will send them strong delusion, so that they will believe lies; ¹² so that all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Christ is betrayed. They eat the Passover lamb. The institution of the sacrament. They dispute who should be greatest; he reproves them. He prays three times upon the mount. They seize him and bring him to the high priest’s house. Peter denies him three times, and they bring Jesus before the council.

22 The feast of sweet bread drew near, which is called the Passover. ² And the high priests and scribes were seeking how to kill Jesus, but they feared the people. ³ Then Satan entered into Judas, whose surname was Iscariot (who was of the number of the twelve), ⁴ and he went his way and communed with the high priests and officers, how he might betray Jesus to them. ⁵ And they were glad, and promised to give him money. ⁶ And he accepted, and sought an opportunity to betray Jesus to them when the people were away.

⁷ Then came the day of sweet bread, when of necessity the Passover lamb must be offered. ⁸ And Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare for us the Passover lamb so that we may eat. ⁹ They said to him, Where would you like us to prepare it? ¹⁰ And he said to them, When you have entered into the city, there a man bearing a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him into the same house that he enters in, ¹¹ and say to the head of the house, The Master says to you, where is the guest chamber, where I may eat my Passover lamb with my disciples? ¹² And he will show you a large upper room furnished. There make ready.

¹³ And they went and found things as he had said to them, and made ready the Passover lamb.