Matthew 26:47-75

Jesus' Betrayal and Arrest

47 ¹While He was still speaking, behold, ²Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied * by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people.

48 Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, "Whomever * I kiss, He is the one; seize Him."

49 Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, "Hail, ³Rabbi!" and kissed Him.

50 And Jesus said to him, "⁴Friend, do what you have come for." Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him.

51 And behold, ⁵one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his ⁶sword, and struck the ⁷slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.

52 Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place; for ⁸all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.

53 "Or do you think that I cannot * appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve ⁹legions of ¹⁰angels?

54 "How then will ¹¹the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?"

55 At that time Jesus said to the crowds, "Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a robber? ¹²Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize Me.

56 "But all this has taken place to fulfill ¹³the Scriptures of the prophets." Then all the disciples left Him and fled.

Jesus before Caiaphas

57 ¹⁴Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to ¹⁵Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together.

58 But ¹⁶Peter was following Him at a distance as far as the ¹⁷courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the ¹⁸officers to see the outcome.

59 Now the chief priests and the whole ¹⁹Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death.

60 They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on ²⁰two came forward,

61 and said, "This man stated, '²¹I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.' "

62 The high priest stood up and said to Him, "Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?"

63 But ²²Jesus kept silent. ²³And the high priest said to Him, "I ²⁴adjure You by ²⁵the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, ²⁶the Son of God."

64 Jesus said to him, "²⁷You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter * you will see ²⁸THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and ²⁹COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN."

65 Then the high priest ³⁰tore his robes and said, "He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy;

66 what do you think?" They answered, "³¹He deserves death!"

67 ³²Then they ³³spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him,

68 and said, "³⁴Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?"

Peter's Denials

69 ³⁵Now Peter was sitting outside in the ³⁶courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, "You too were with Jesus the Galilean."

70 But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you are talking about."

71 When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and said to those who were there, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth."

72 And again he denied it with an oath, "I do not know the man."

73 A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, "Surely you too are one of them; ³⁷for even the way you talk gives you away *."

74 Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know the man!" And immediately a rooster crowed.

75 And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, "³⁸Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly.

Cross References

• 1. Matthew 26:47-56: {Mark 14:43-50; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:3-11}
• 2. Matthew 26:14
• 3. Matthew 23:7; Matthew 26:25
• 4. Matthew 20:13; Matthew 22:12
• 5. Mark 14:47; Luke 22:50; John 18:10
• 6. Luke 22:38
• 7. Mark 14:47; Luke 22:50; John 18:10
• 8. Genesis 9:6; Revelation 13:10
• 9. Mark 5:9, 15; Luke 8:30
• 10. Matthew 4:11
• 11. Matthew 26:24
• 12. Mark 12:35; Mark 14:49; Luke 4:20; Luke 19:47; Luke 20:1; Luke 21:37; John 7:14, 28; John 8:2, 20; John 18:20
• 13. Matthew 26:24
• 14. Matthew 26:57-68: {Mark 14:53-65; John 18:12f, 19-24}
• 15. Matthew 26:3
• 16. John 18:15
• 17. Matthew 26:3
• 18. Matthew 5:25; John 7:32, 45; John 19:6; Acts 5:22, 26
• 19. Matthew 5:22
• 20. Deuteronomy 19:15
• 21. Matthew 27:40; Mark 14:58; Mark 15:29; John 2:19; Acts 6:14
• 22. Matthew 27:12, 14; John 19:9
• 23. Matthew 26:63-66; Luke 22:67-71
• 24. Leviticus 5:1
• 25. Matthew 16:16
• 26. Matthew 4:3
• 27. Matthew 26:25
• 28. Psalms 110:1; Mark 14:62
• 29. Daniel 7:13; Matthew 16:27
• 30. Numbers 14:6; Mark 14:63; Acts 14:14
• 31. Leviticus 24:16; John 19:7
• 32. Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 26:67, 68; Luke 22:63-65; John 18:22
• 33. Matthew 27:30; Mark 10:34
• 34. Mark 14:65; Luke 22:64
• 35. Matthew 26:69-75: {Mark 14:66-72; Luke 22:55-62; John 18:16-18, 25-27}
• 36. Matthew 26:3
• 37. Mark 14:70; Luke 22:59; John 18:26
• 38. Matthew 26:34

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "and with him"
• [b]. Lit "extended the hand"
• [c]. Lit "took off"
• [d]. A legion equaled 6,000 troops
• [e]. Or "servants"
• [f]. Or "Sanhedrin"
• [g]. Or "sanctuary"
• [h]. Or "after"
• [i]. Or "charge You under oath"
• [j]. I.e. the Messiah
• [k]. Or "from now on"
• [l]. Or "outer garments"
• [m]. Or "beat Him with rods"
• [n]. I.e. the Messiah
• [o]. Lit "makes you evident"