Our Lord's Last Days on Earth

1. After the supper, Christ asked His disciples to come with Him to the garden to pray. He was full of sorrow, knowing what terrible things were coming.
2. The disciples went with him, but they fell asleep. Jesus looked at them sleeping and said, "Could you not stay awake with me for one hour?"
3. But He forgave them, and prayed for them to be strong after He was no longer with them. He prayed to His Father, "Thy will be done."
4. Soon a crowd with clubs and swords came into the garden. Judas was with them.
5. Judas walked up to Jesus and kissed Him. It was not a kiss of love, but of giving Jesus over to His enemies.
6. Jesus was arrested and taken away to be questioned by the rulers of the Temple.
7. Some people testified against Jesus. But their stories were not true - they could not even agree on what had actually happened.
8. Finally the Temple rulers asked Jesus, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"
9. Jesus answered, "I am, and you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."
10. Now the rulers were ready to put Him to death, because He dared to compare Himself to God.
11. All this time, Peter had been waiting in the courtyard. One of the maids of the high priest looked at him and said, "You were with the man from Nazareth, that man Jesus."
12. Peter was frightened. He said, "I do not know or understand what you mean." Two more times, he denied knowing Jesus. He said, "I do not know the man you are speaking about."
13. As he said these words, Peter heard the cock crow. Then Peter remembered something that Jesus had said to him.
14. Jesus had said, "Before the cock crows you will deny Me three times." Peter had said then that he would never deny Jesus. But now he wept, knowing what he had done.
15. When morning came, the whole council met together. They bound Jesus and led Him to Pilate, the Roman governor in charge of Judea.
16. Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered only, "You have said so."
17. The Temple rulers again accused Jesus, but He remained silent. Pilate asked Him, "Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they are bringing against You."
18. But Jesus again remained silent, and did not answer. Pilate was amazed at this.
19. Judas knew what was happening to Jesus. He said, "I have betrayed an innocent man."
20. Judas took the money he had received for betraying Jesus, and threw it down in the Temple. Then he went and hanged himself.
21. Meanwhile, Pilate followed a custom. Every year at the Feast of Passover, he would release someone whom the crowd asked him to release.
22. One man then in jail was a murderer called Barabbas. Pilate asked the crowd, Shall I release Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?"
23. The crowd shouted for Barabbas to be released, because the Temple rulers had persuaded them to destroy Jesus.
24. Pilate then asked them, "What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" And the crowd shouted, "Crucify Him!"

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