Author: SFJ Bible

Going Deeper

No other Gospel (1-3-15)

Grab your Bible, and let’s go deeper into Galatians 1.

Read: Galatians 1:1-5

In this opening salutation, Paul gets right to preaching the Gospel to the people in Galatia.

What is the Gospel?   

-It is the truth that God reigns supreme over all created things.  Everything is from Him, through Him, to Him, and is for His glory forever and ever: that’s Romans 11.

– It is the truth that man has turned away from God’s glory in sin to make their lives about their own glory; man worships the idol of Creation instead of God: that’s Romans 1 & 3.

– It is the truth that because of our sin, we deserve the righteous eternal wrath of God: that’s Romans 6.

– It is the truth that by God’s amazing grace, He saves sinners by the perfect shed blood of His Son: that’s Romans 3.

– It is the truth that those whom God gives ears to hear and eyes to see,  who repent of sin and self and trust wholly in Jesus Christ alone for salvation and lordship, He justifies and adopts as His own for eternity: that’s Romans 8.

According to the authority of SCRIPTURE ALONE, we are saved by GRACE ALONE

through FAITH ALONE in CHRIST ALONE for the GLORY OF GOD ALONE

This is THE GOOD NEWS.   The word gospel means “News.”     THE GOSPEL OF JESUS = “THE” GOOD NEWS!

There is no other news that has been or ever will ever be bigger then this.

The scriptures teach us there is only one true GOSPEL!

The only one way to have lasting joy, real hope, total pardon from sin, and life everlasting with God is Jesus!

Only Jesus perfectly lived the life you and I failed to live;

Only Jesus paid the penalty in death that you and I should pay for eternity;

Only Jesus produces in us the redeemed life you and I could never attain on our own.

This is THE GOOD NEWS!

But the problem in Galatia is new Christians are being taught there is more to it than… Jesus!

This is a problem we still face today.

Read Galatians 1:6-7  

What is a False Gospel?  

It is any “news” that proclaims to change your life based on a savior or lord who is not Jesus Christ.

It is any “news” that proclaims to change your life with a different instruction or revelation that is not God’s Holy Word.

Some False Gospels are easy to recognize, because they are proclamations from Looney Ville.

But many are harder to discern, because they claim Scripture and Jesus to be central to their belief.

Many False Gospels are simply perversions or variations of the one true Gospel.

What they will say is, “Oh we are God’s people. We believe in the Bible too. We believe in Jesus.”

What they do is take the Scriptures and then lay another teaching or extra biblical revelation over them.

For example:

-Mormons will claim the Holy Scriptures and Jesus, but then lay the revelation of Joseph Smith over them.

-Jehovah’s Witnesses will claim the Scriptures, but lay the teachings of Charles Taze Russel and the Watchtower Society over them.

-Christian Scientists will lay the teachings of Science and Health from Mary Baker Eddy over the Scriptures.

Whatever the agenda (Socialism/Marxism, Prosperity Capitalism, Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, etc.), take your “ism,” take its primary teacher, and that team’s primary motivations or goals, and add it to or lay it over the scripture, and you have a false Gospel.

A false Gospel is any teaching that is not solely rooted in the living Word of God and the authority and work alone of Jesus Christ.

It is any teaching that doesn’t say with clarity that all of us are wicked and dead in our sin!

We are without hope for life or even the ability to pursue life apart from the atoning work of Jesus’s life, death and resurrection and the sovereign work of the living God who redeems his people for his eternal glory and our eternal Joy!

Paul is bringing a very important clarity, which is:

The Gospel of Jesus is not inclusive.  It is exclusive.  Jesus alone is the way, the truth and the life!  That is not an inclusive statement.  The cross of Christ cannot and does not “COEXIST” with or “INCLUDE” any other religion.

This is an aggressive denial of a common modern belief called Universalism or Pluralism!

Universalism says everyone who dies will go to heaven and be reconciled to God.  Pluralism says all religious paths are equally valid and can and should coexist.

The common statement by grieving people who have lost love ones is, “They are in a better place”, even though that person has no redemption for their sin by the substitutional atonement of Jesus Christ. They have no true repentance and belief in Jesus alone.

à Still, people cling to the False Gospel that their loved ones will be accepted because they were generally thought of as a good person.   Hear this today very clearly:  There is no accurate biblical teaching that a person can go on rejecting the gospel of Christ and still be saved.

There are other man-made religions besides Christianity,

and there are other man-ordained leaders besides Jesus Christ,

but there is no other Gospel,  no other good news of salvation.

This is what Paul is fired up about. People in Galatia were being lied to and led astray.

The False Gospel Paul was specifically confronting was the Judiazers’ teaching that in addition to Jesus, you need to be circumcised and act like a Jew to be right with God.

Instead of the Good News being, Jesus saves us by his power, they were teaching:

1. it is Jesus’s work 2.  and you also need to ….(fill in the blank)

This is “Jesus +” language.  This is a false Gospel!

This teaching is adding to what the Scriptures clearly teach: Jesus alone saves us and redeems us.   We can do nothing to help or assist our salvation.

Ephesians 2:8-9: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Anytime you hear someone say you need JESUS plus something else…STOP and be warned!

All we need is Jesus! Period. That is the Good News. Jesus paid it all.  It is an undeserved gift of epic proportions.

It is Jesus work for Jesus’s glory, and it is our utter privilege to be called by God into it.

There is nothing else you and I can do. The Bible says even our faith is a gift from God.

Philippians 1:29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.

God made it this way so that He gets all the glory, and not you or me.  He made it this way so we have nothing to boast in.

I encourage people all the time to stop testifying, “This is the day I accepted Jesus.”  I encourage this not only because it is not a biblical statement, but also because in the smallest way, it is a boasting in oneself.  “Let me tell you about the day that I did this.”

Instead, I encourage people to proclaim, “This is the day that God saved me.”

This way, all praise and glory goes to God!   “He pursued me while I was His enemy; God chose me and awakened my depraved heart of stone to see and savor His Gospel; Jesus did the work I could not do and claimed for me eternal victory and right standing with God.  All praise to God!”

We have nothing to brag about.  Only Jesus!

The Good News is JESUS!   Nothing else!

It is not Jesus plus something else. He is our end! Our victory! Our greatest JOY!

Jesus is not the means to another end! He is the prize!

Why is the Gospel of Jesus THE Good News?    One word: GRACE!    Look at verse 3-5 again.

-Did you and I do anything to deserve the Son of God to come to earth and be tortured in our place so we could be pardoned from our selfish rebellion against him?  NO!

-Was he obligated to do this anyway?   NO.

That’s why it is called Grace!   Grace is: An undeserved gift from an unobligated giver!

If you want to sum up Christianity, what distinguishes it from everything else is The Gospel of Grace.

We are saved by grace, which means by nothing we have done.

What the Judiazers were teaching the Galatians is that they needed to “do” something else to be in the true family of God.

They needed to get circumcised and act like Jews.

Next, Paul says we are to look very carefully for those who proclaim false gospels, even among those who claim to be in the church or who claim to be connected to God.

Read: Galatians 1:8-9 

Many modern day self-proclaimed Christian teachers, preachers, and churches are the greatest danger to true Christianity.  False teachers trying to satisfy fleshly desires will preach false gospels to gather a crowd, get rich and start a movement.

Brothers, just because it’s on TV, or just because it is a big church, or just because the leader is a famous preacher doesn’t mean the true Gospel is what is being preached.  The worst thing we could do is think, “They talk about Jesus, so it can’t be that bad.”  No, it CAN be that bad: bad enough to convince lost people who are under God’s wrath they are saved when they are not.

The testimony we are called to bring to the lost in the MC world is not one of pandering to others’ man-made beliefs that somehow they are good with God because of their (fill in the blank) point of view. Instead, our call is to testify the true, life altering, exclusive Gospel of Jesus Christ alone to them and trust in God’s perfect will and timing to set them free.

Finally, Read Galatians 1:10 

Let me ask you:  Who are you trying to please?

Often, we are working so hard to try to please someone else, to win the approval of man.

We desire to be accepted by our loved ones, our work associates, our brothers, other clubs, so we can be known and liked.

Often, we are looking to meet the approval of ourselves.  Trying so hard to get to a level of life we think we should be at, such as the way you look, your intelligence, the bike you ride, the accomplishments you have made, the success of your kids.

God is whispering to you through this passage today,  “There is no other Gospel.”

There is no other GOOD NEWS you can get from anyone else or you can tell yourself that will ultimately satisfy you and eternally save you from deserved eternal death.

Jesus is the only one who ultimately pleased God and the Good News is He satisfied God’s perfect wrath on our behalf so we could be a part of the family forever.

In Christ, we have a new identity!  We are accepted because of what Christ alone has done.

This is the Good News of JESUS!

Like Paul, the greatest joy in my life is to be a servant of Jesus: to be a solider for Jesus!

–Soldiers, hold fast to and proclaim no other gospel than “Christ alone.”

By His grace and for His glory,

-Shepherd / Soldiers for Jesus MC / Bakersfield CA

Galatians 1

Greeting

1:1 Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—2 and all the brothers¹ who are with me,

To the churches of Galatia:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

No Other Gospel

6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant² of Christ.

Paul Called by God

11 For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel.³ 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born,⁴ and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to⁵ me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;⁶ 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.

18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. 20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me.

Footnotes

[1] 1:2 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verse 11

[2] 1:10 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface

[3] 1:11 Greek not according to man

[4] 1:15 Greek set me apart from my mother’s womb

[5] 1:16 Greek in

[6] 1:16 Greek with flesh and blood

(ESV)

Luke 24

The Resurrection

24:1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

On the Road to Emmaus

13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles¹ from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish,² 43 and he took it and ate before them.

44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for³ the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

The Ascension

50 And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God.

Footnotes

[1] 24:13 Greek sixty stadia; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters

[2] 24:42 Some manuscripts add and some honeycomb

[3] 24:47 Some manuscripts and

(ESV)

Luke 23

Jesus Before Pilate

23:1 Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” 3 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” 5 But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.”

Jesus Before Herod

6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. 9 So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11 And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. 12 And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

13 Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15 Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. 16 I will therefore punish and release him.”¹

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

18 But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”—19 a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. 20 Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, 21 but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” 22 A third time he said to them, “Why? What evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.” 23 But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.

The Crucifixion

26 And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27 And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. 28 But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”² And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him,³ “This is the King of the Jews.”

39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him,⁴ saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The Death of Jesus

44 It was now about the sixth hour,⁵ and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,⁶ 45 while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. 49 And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.

Jesus Is Buried

50 Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. 54 It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning.⁷ 55 The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.

On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

Footnotes

[1] 23:16 Here, or after verse 19, some manuscripts add verse 17: Now he was obliged to release one man to them at the festival

[2] 23:34 Some manuscripts omit the sentence And Jesus . . . what they do

[3] 23:38 Some manuscripts add in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew

[4] 23:39 Or blasphemed him

[5] 23:44 That is, noon

[6] 23:44 That is, 3 p.m.

[7] 23:54 Greek was dawning

(ESV)

Luke 22

The Plot to Kill Jesus

22:1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. 2 And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him to death, for they feared the people.

Judas to Betray Jesus

3 Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was of the number of the twelve. 4 He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them. 5 And they were glad, and agreed to give him money. 6 So he consented and sought an opportunity to betray him to them in the absence of a crowd.

The Passover with the Disciples

7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 So Jesus¹ sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” 9 They said to him, “Where will you have us prepare it?” 10 He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters 11 and tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 12 And he will show you a large upper room furnished; prepare it there.” 13 And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it² until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.³ 21 But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. 22 For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” 23 And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this.

Who Is the Greatest?

24 A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26 But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27 For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

28 “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, 29 and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you,⁴ that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” 33 Peter⁵ said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus⁶ said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

Scripture Must Be Fulfilled in Jesus

35 And he said to them, “When I sent you out with no moneybag or knapsack or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.” 36 He said to them, “But now let the one who has a moneybag take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one. 37 For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.” 38 And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.”

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

39 And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.⁷ 45 And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

47 While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49 And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” 50 And one of them struck the servant⁸ of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? 53 When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”

Peter Denies Jesus

54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” 57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58 And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” 59 And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.

Jesus Is Mocked

63 Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. 64 They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” 65 And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him.

Jesus Before the Council

66 When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their council, and they said, 67 “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, 68 and if I ask you, you will not answer. 69 But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” 70 So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” 71 Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”

Footnotes

[1] 22:8 Greek he

[2] 22:16 Some manuscripts never eat it again

[3] 22:20 Some manuscripts omit, in whole or in part, verses 19b-20 (which is given . . . in my blood)

[4] 22:31 The Greek word for you (twice in this verse) is plural; in verse 32, all four instances are singular

[5] 22:33 Greek He

[6] 22:34 Greek He

[7] 22:44 Some manuscripts omit verses 43 and 44

[8] 22:50 Or bondservant

(ESV)