Marcan Triptych: Conspiracy against Jesus, Anointment as Messiah to be buried

14:1 Now it was two days before the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread; the chief priests and scribes were looking for a way to arrest him by stealth and put him to death. 2 They felt they could not do it during the Festival or else people would riot.¹

3 He was dining at the house of Simon the leper at Bethany when a woman² came in with a jar of priceless oil of nard--the real thing! -- she broke open the jar and poured the oil out over his head. 4 Some who were there were upset and wondered why this oil should be wasted like this; 5 surely it could have been sold for more than 300 denarii and the proceeds distributed to beggars; they were really snarling at her. 6 But Jesus said, "Let her do it! Why upset her? She's done a beautiful thing for me; 7 you have beggars with you all the time--any time you wish,you can do something for them, but you won't have me at any and every time.³ 8 She did what was in her power: in anticipation she has oiled my body for burial. 9 I assure you, in all the world wherever the gospel is proclaimed, what this woman and what she has done will be remembered.

10 Then⁴ Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to deliver Jesus into their hands. 11 When they heard what he had to say, they were delighted and promised to give him money, and from that time he began looking for an opportunity to deliver Jesus.

Passover preparations

12 On the first day of the festival of Unleavened Bread, the day on which the Passover sacrifice was customarily offered,⁵ Jesus' disciples said to him, "Where do you want us to go to arrange for you to eat the Passover?"⁶ 13 Then he sent two of his disciples with instructions, "Go into the city: you'll be met by a fellow carrying a pitcher of water; follow him, 14 and wherever he takes you, tell the master of the house that your master has asked, 'Where's the room where I am to eat the Passover with my disciples?' 15 Then he will show you an large upper room ready with couches; that's where you should make preparations for us." 16 And the disciples left, went into the city, found everything in accordance with his directions and prepared the Passover.⁷

Passover celebrated amid forebodings

17 When the day grew late Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 And while they were settled down and dining, Jesus said, "It's a fact that one of you who is eating with me is going to betray me. 19 At this they began to be grieved and to ask him individually, "It's not me, is it?" 20 He said, "It's one of the twelve, the one who is dipping his hand in the bowl beside me. 21 The fact is that the Son of Man goes his course as Scripture says of him, but woe to that person by whose hand the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that person if he'd never been born."⁸

22 And as they were eating, he took bread, blessed it, gave thanks, and gave it to them,⁹ telling them, "Take this: this is my body."¹⁰ 23 Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 He told them, "this is my covenant blood that is poured out for many.¹¹ 25 I tell you the truth: I shall not drink any of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in God's realm."¹²

26 Then they sang a hymn and left to go to the Mount of Olives. 27 Here he told them, "You will all stumble now; scripture says, 'I am going to strike the shepherd and the sheep will stampede.'¹³ 28 Yet after I have risen I'll go ahead of you into Galilee."¹⁴ 29 Then Peter said to him, "All the others may stumble, but I will not!" 30 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth: this very day before the cock crows twice you will deny me three times." 31 But Peter kept saying emphatically, "Even if I must die together with of, I'll never deny you!" And all the others made the same affirmation.¹⁵

Gethsemane: The Test¹⁶

And they came to a place called Gethsemane; there he told his disciples, "Sit down here while I pray." 33 Then he took along with him Peter and James and John and he began to be anxious and gloomy. 34 He told them, "I am deeply disturbed, even on the verge of death:¹⁷ stay here and be vigilant.¹⁸ 35 Then he went onwards a it and sank down upon the ground and kept praying, that, if possible, the critical moment¹⁹ should pass him by. 36 What he said was, "Dear Father, everything lies in your power; take this cup²⁰ away from me; and yet, may what comes to pass not be what I want but what you want." 37 And he came back and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon," are you sleeping? Couldn't you stay awake for one hour? 38 Stay awake and pray that you don't come to the Test; the will to act is forceful, but human nature cannot make it happen."²¹ 39 Then he went off again and prayed the same prayer as previously. 40 Yet again he came back and found them sleeping: their eyes were heavy with sleep and they were unable to respond to him. 41 Then yet a third time²² he came and said to them, "Go on sleeping and get your rest! Enough now! The critical moment has arrived: see: the Son of Man is being delivered into the hands of sinners. 42 Get up and let's go: see: the one who betrays me is at hand."

The Arrest

43 And even as he was saying this, Judas, one of the Twelve, was at hand accompanied by a band of men armed with swords and clubs; they had been sent by the high priests and the scribes and elders.²³ 44 The betrayer had given them a signal in advance, and said, "Whichever one I kiss is the one: seize him and take him away securely. 45 As soon as he arrived he came up to Jesus and said to him, "Teacher!" and kissed him. 46 Then the armed men seized him and held him fast. 47 One of the bystanders drew his sword and struck at the high-priest's slave, thereby slicing off his ear. 48 In response Jesus said to them, "Have you come to seize me with swords and clubs as if I were a robber ? 49 I was right before your eyes every day in the Temple teaching and you didn't seize me; but it's all right--Scripture must be fulfilled.²⁴ 50 Then all his followers deserted him and fled.²⁵ 51 But a certain young man was following who had on only a linen cloth on his bare body, and the ruffians tried to seize him, 52 but he dropped his linen cloth behind him and fled naked.²⁶

Denial by Peter, Confession by Jesus: Marcan Triptych²⁷

53 Then they took Jesus off to the High Priest, whereupon all the High Priests and Elders and Scribes convened. 54 And Peter had followed along at a distance behind right up and into the High Priest's courtyard and was seated among the servants, even warming himself at the fire.²⁸

55 Then the High Priests and the whole Sanhedrin began a quest for evidence against Jesus that would suffice to execute him, but they couldn't find any. 56 To be sure there were several who gave false evidence against him, but their evidence didn't match up. 57 Then certain others rose and gave false evidence against him, 58 "We heard him say, 'I'll destroy this Temple built by hands and after three days I'll build another not made by hands.'²⁹ 59 But even with this their evidence didn't match up. 60 Then the High Priest stood up in their midst and questioned Jesus, "Have you no response to what these men are testifying against you?" 61 But Jesus remained silent and offered no response. Again the High Priest set to questioning him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?" 62 But Jesus said, "I am he, and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven."³⁰ 63 Then the High Priest tore his robes and said, "What more evidence do we need? 64 You have heard his blasphemy: what is your pleasure? At that they all condemned him as deserving to die.³¹ 65 And some proceeded to spit on him and to blindfold him and hit him with clubs and say to him, "Prophesy!" Then the guards pummeled him and took him away.³²

66 While Peter was down in the courtyard one of the serving women of the High priest came, 67 and when she saw Peter warming himself she looked at his face and said, "You were with the man Jesus from Nazareth too!" 68 But Peter would have none of that: "I don't know and have no notion what you're talking about." Then a rooster crowed, at which point Peter left to go into the outer court. 69 Then the serving woman saw him and set to telling the bystanders yet again, "He' s one of them." 70 But again Peter said it wasn't so. Then a little later the bystanders again said to Peter, "You really are one of them--you're a Galilean as well." 71 But Peter took to cursing and swearing, "I don't know this fellow you're talking about!" 72 Then the rooster crowed a second time, and Peter remembered what Jesus had said to him: "Before the rooster crows twice you will deny me three times." Then it sank in upon him and he began to cry³³

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