Read the Gospels in 40 Days
Chapter 21
The Poor Widow’s Offering.[a] 1 Looking up, Jesus saw wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury, 2 and he also noticed a poor widow putting in two copper coins. 3 He said: “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has given more than all the rest. 4 For the others have all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has given all that she had to live on.”
The Destruction of the Temple and the Return of Christ[b]
Jesus Announces the Destruction of the Temple.[c] When some people were talking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and votive offerings, Jesus remarked, 6 “As for all these things that you are gazing at now, the time will come when not one stone here will be left upon another; everything will be thrown down.”The Signs of the End.[d] 7 They then asked him, “Teacher, when will this happen? And what will be the sign that it is about to take place?” 8 He answered, “Take care not to be deceived. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9 And when you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified, for those things are bound to take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.”
10 Then he added, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be tremendous earthquakes, famines, and plagues in various places, as well as dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.
12 The Coming Persecution.“But before all this happens, they will seize you and persecute you. You will be handed over to synagogues and imprisoned, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. 13 This will give you an opportunity to bear witness to me. 14 But do not even consider preparing your defense beforehand, 15 for I myself will give you a depth of wisdom and eloquence that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
16 “You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends, and some of you will be put to death. 17 You will be hated by all because of my name, 18 but not a hair of your head will be lost. 19 By standing firm you will gain life.
20 The Great Trial.[e]“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, you may be certain that her desolation is near. 21 Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are within the city must escape from its boundaries, and those who are in country areas must not return. 22 For those will be days of retribution when all that is written will come to pass.
23 “Woe to those who are pregnant and those who are nursing infants in those days. For there will be great distress on the earth, and terrible wrath shall afflict this people. 24 They will fall by the sword and be carried away as captives among all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles have been fulfilled.
25 The Coming of the Son of Man.[f]“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in great distress, bewildered at the roaring of the sea and its waves. 26 Men will grow faint with terror and apprehension at what is coming upon the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, look up and hold your heads high, because the time of your redemption is drawing near.”
29 The Parable of the Fig Tree. Then he told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree or indeed at any other tree. 30 As soon as it begins to bud, you know that summer is already near. 31 In the same way, when you see these things come to pass, know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.[g] 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
34 Exhortation To Be Vigilant.[h]“Be on your guard lest your hearts be weighed down by carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of this life and that day will catch you unawares, 35 like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone in the world. 36 Be vigilant at all times, praying for the strength to survive all those things that will take place and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man.”
37 Jesus’ Last Days in Jerusalem.[i] Each day Jesus was teaching in the temple, but every evening he would go forth and spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives. 38 And all the people would rise early every morning to listen to him in the temple.
The Passion and Resurrection[j]
Chapter 22
The Conspiracy against Jesus.[k] 1 Now the feast of Unleavened Bread, known as the Passover, was drawing near, 2 and the chief priests and the scribes were looking for some way to put Jesus to death, for they were afraid of the people.
Judas Betrays Jesus.[l] 3 Then Satan entered into Judas, called Iscariot, who was one of the Twelve. 4 And he went to the chief priests and temple guards to discuss how he might betray Jesus to them 5 They were delighted and agreed to give him money. 6 He accepted their offer and began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was present.
The Last Supper[m]
The Preparations for the Passover.[n] When the day of the feast of Unleavened Bread arrived, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed, 8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make the preparations for us to eat the Passover.” 9 They asked him, “Where do you want us to make the preparations?”10 He replied, “When you enter the city, a man will meet you carrying a jug of water. Follow him into the house that he enters 11 and say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says this to you: “Where is the room where I can eat the Passover with my disciples?” ’ 12 Then he will show you a large upper room that is furnished. Make the preparations there.” 13 They went forth and found everything just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.
14 The Last Supper.[o] When the hour came, Jesus took his place at table along with the apostles. 15 He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you that from this moment on I shall never eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
17 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from this moment I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
19 Jesus Gives His Body and His Blood.[p] Then he took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you. Do this in memory of me.” 20 And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be poured out for you.
21 The Betrayer Foretold.[q]“But behold, the hand of the one who will betray me is here with me on the table. 22 The Son of Man goes on his appointed path, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed.” 23 Then they began to question among themselves as to which one of them might do this.
24 The Disciples Are To Serve on Earth.[r] Then a dispute also broke out among them as to which one of them should be considered the greatest. 25 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who exercise authority over them are given the title of ‘Benefactor.’[s]
26 “But it must not be so with you. Rather, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the leader must be like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater—the one seated at table or the one who serves? Surely, the one who sits at table. And yet I am in your midst as one who serves.
28 Judges of the Twelve Tribes.[t]“You are the ones who have stood by my side in my trials, 29 and now I confer on you a kingdom just as my Father has conferred one on me. 30 In my kingdom, you will eat and drink at my table, and you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.[u]
31 Peter’s Denial Foretold.[v]“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has desired to sift all of you like wheat. 32 But I have prayed that your own faith may not fail. And once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brethren.” 33 Simon said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus replied, “I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
35 Instructions for the Time of Crisis.[w] Then Jesus said to them, “When I sent you forth without a money bag or sack or sandals, were you ever in need of anything?” They answered, “No, not a thing.” 36 He then remarked, “But now, the one who has a money bag should take it with him, as well as a sack. And if you do not have a sword, sell your cloak and purchase one.
37 “For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘He was numbered with the wicked.’ Indeed, everything written about me is being fulfilled.” 38 They said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.” He said to them, “That is enough.”
The Passion
39 The Agony in the Garden.[x] Jesus then went forth and made his way, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 When he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 After withdrawing from them about a stone’s throw, he knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me. Yet not my will but yours be done.”
43 [y]Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. 44 In his anguish, he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like great drops of blood falling on the ground.
45 When he rose from prayer and returned to the disciples, he found them sleeping, exhausted by grief. 46 He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
47 Jesus Is Betrayed and Arrested.[z] While he was still speaking, a crowd of men suddenly approached, and the one called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He came up to Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus said, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”
49 When Jesus’ disciples realized what was about to happen, they asked, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” 50 And one of them struck a servant of the high priest, slicing off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, “Stop! No more of this!” He then touched the servant’s ear and healed him.
52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders who had come for him, “Why are you coming forth with swords and clubs as though I were a bandit? 53 When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not raise a hand against me. But this is the hour for you and the power of darkness.”[aa]
54 Peter Denies Jesus.[ab] Then they arrested Jesus and led him away. They brought him into the house of the high priest, and Peter followed at a distance. 55 Lighting a fire in the middle of the courtyard, they sat around it, and Peter sat with them.
56 A servant girl saw him sitting by the fire, looked closely at him, and said, “This man also was with him.” 57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58 A short time later, someone else saw him and said, “You too are one of them,” but Peter replied, “No, I am not.”
59 About an hour later, another person strongly insisted, “This man was unquestionably with him, for he is a Galilean.” 60 Peter said, “My friend, I do not know what you are talking about.” At that very moment, while he was still speaking, a cock crowed, 61 and the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter recalled the word that the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept uncontrollably.
63 The men who were guarding Jesus began to mock him and to beat him. 64 They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” 65 And they continued to taunt him with insult after insult.
66 Jesus before the Sanhedrin.[ac] When the dawn came, the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the scribes, assembled, and they brought him before their Sanhedrin.[ad] 67 Then they said, “If you are the Christ, tell us!” He replied, “If I tell you, you will not believe; 68 and if I question you, you will not answer. 69 But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”
70 All of them asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “It is you who say that I am.” 71 Then they said, “What need do we have for any further testimony? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”
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