Luke 22

The Betrayal Agreed

1The Festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was drawing near, 2and the chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to do away with him, for they were afraid of the people. 3Then Satan entered into Judas, called Iscariot, who was one of the Twelve. 4He went off and discussed with the chief priests and the temple officers how he might hand Jesus over to them. 5They were delighted and agreed to give him money. 6He accepted, and from then on he looked for a good moment to hand him over to them away from the crowd.

The Last Passover

7The day of Unleavened Bread came, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed, 8and Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us to eat.” 9They said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare it?” 10He told them, “Listen: as you enter the city a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house he goes into, 11and say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks you: Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12He will show you a large upstairs room, furnished. Prepare it there.” 13They went off and found everything just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. 14When the hour came, he took his place at table, and the apostles with him. 15And he said to them, “How I have longed to eat this Passover with you before I suffer! 16For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17Then he took a cup, gave thanks and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18For I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, given for you. Do this in memory of me.” 20And in the same way the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, poured out for you. 21But look: the hand of the one betraying me is with mine on the table. 22For the Son of Man is going his way as it has been determined; but how terrible for that man through whom he is betrayed.” 23And they began to argue among themselves which of them it could be who was going to do this.

Greatness and Service

24A quarrel also broke out among them about which of them should be considered the greatest. 25So he said to them, “The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those who hold power over them are called benefactors. 26You are not to be like that. Rather, the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves. 27For who is greater, the one at table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at table? Yet here I am among you as the one who serves. 28You are the ones who have stood by me through my trials, 29and I confer a kingdom on you, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Simon Warned

31Simon, Simon, listen: Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat. 32But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” 33He said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have three times denied knowing me.” 35Then he said to them, “When I sent you out without purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they said. 36He told them, “But now, whoever has a purse must take it, and a bag as well; and whoever has none must sell his cloak and buy a sword. 37For I tell you, what is written must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was counted among the lawless.’ For what is written about me is coming to its end.” 38They said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” He answered them, “That is enough.”

On the Mount of Olives

39Then he went out and made his way, as he always did, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40When he came to the place he said to them, “Pray that you may not come into temptation.” 41Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down and prayed: 42“Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Yet let your will be done, not mine.” 43An angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength.* 44And in his anguish he prayed all the more earnestly, and his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground. 45When he rose from prayer and came to the disciples, he found them asleep, worn out by grief, 46and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into temptation.”

The Arrest

47While he was still speaking, a crowd appeared, and the man called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He came up to Jesus to kiss him, 48and Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49When those around him saw what was about to happen, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51But Jesus said, “Stop! No more of this.” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him. 52Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the temple officers and the elders who had come out against him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs, as against a bandit? 53Day after day I was with you in the temple, and you never laid a hand on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

Peter Denies Him

54They seized him and led him away, and brought him into the house of the high priest. Peter was following at a distance. 55When they had lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. 56A servant girl saw him sitting in the firelight, looked hard at him and said, “This man was with him too.” 57But he denied it: “Woman, I do not know him.” 58A little later someone else saw him and said, “You are one of them too.” “Man, I am not,” Peter said. 59About an hour later another kept insisting, “It is true — this man was with him; he is a Galilean.” 60Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And at once, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. 61The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Before the Sanhedrin

63The men who were holding Jesus mocked him and beat him. 64They blindfolded him and kept demanding, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” 65And they said many other insulting things to him. 66As soon as it was day, the council of elders of the people gathered — chief priests and scribes — and they led him away to their Sanhedrin. 67“If you are the Christ,” they said, “tell us.” He answered them, “If I tell you, you will not believe me; 68and if I ask you, you will not answer. 69But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” 70They all said, “So you are the Son of God?” He said to them, “You yourselves say that I am.” 71And they said, “Why do we need any further testimony? We have heard it ourselves from his own mouth.”