The Easter story
Jesus prays on the Mount of Olives
Luke 22:39-46
Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and
his disciples followed him.
On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that
you will not fall into temptation.”
He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them,
knelt down and prayed, ”Father, if you are willing, take
this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
An angel from heaven appeared to him and strength-
ened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more ear-
nestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to
the ground.
When he rose from prayer and went back to the dis-
ciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.
“Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and
pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”
Jesus arrested
Mark 14:43-52
Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve,
appeared.
With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs,
sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and
the elders.
Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them:
“The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him
away under guard.”
Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and
kissed him. The men seized Jesus and arrested him.
Then one of those standing near drew his sword and
struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his
ear.
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“Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you have
come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every
day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and
you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be ful-
fi lled.”
Then everyone deserted him and fl ed. A young man,
wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Je-
sus. When they seized him, he fl ed naked, leaving his
garment behind.
Before the Sanhedrin
Matthew 26:57-68
Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas,
the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the
elders had assembled. But Peter followed him at a dis-
tance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He
entered and sat down with the guards to see the out-
come.
The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were look-
ing for false evidence against Jesus so that they could
put him to death. But they did not fi nd any, though many
false witnesses came forward.
Finally two came forward and declared, “This fel-
low said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and
rebuild it in three days.’”
Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are
you not going to answer? What is this testimony that
these men are bringing against you?” But Jesus re-
mained silent.
The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath
by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son
of God.”
“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all
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of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting
at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the
clouds of heaven.”
Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He
has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more wit-
nesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What
do you think?”
“He is worthy of death,” they answered.
Then they spit in his face and struck him with their
fi sts. Others slapped him and said, “Prophesy to us,
Christ. Who hit you?”
Peter disowns Jesus
Luke 22:54-62
Then seizing him, they led him away and took him
into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a
distance.
But when they had kindled a fi re in the middle of the
courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down
with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the
fi relight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man
was with him.”
But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he
said.
A little later someone else saw him and said, “You
also are one of them.”
“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.
About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this
fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”
Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking
about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.
The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter.
Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spo-
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