John – Gospel 13 – Jesus Washes Feet

Before the Passover festival began, Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave the world and go to the Father. He had loved those who were his own in the world, and he loved them to the last. 2 The devil had already put the thought of betraying Jesus into the mind of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon;

3 And at supper, Jesus—although knowing that the Father had put everything into his hands, and that he had come from God, and was to return to God—4 Rose from his place, and, taking off his upper garments, tied a towel round his waist. 5 He then poured some water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel which was tied round him.

6 When he came to Simon Peter, Peter said: “You, Master! Are you going to wash my feet?” 7 “You do not understand now what I am doing,” replied Jesus, “but you will learn by and by.” 8 “You shall never wash my feet!” exclaimed Peter.

“Unless I wash you,” answered Jesus, “you have nothing in common with me.” 9 “Then, Master, not my feet only,” exclaimed Simon Peter, “but also my hands and my head.” 10 “He who has bathed,” replied Jesus, “has no need to wash, unless it be his feet, but is altogether clean; and you,” he said to the disciples, “are clean, yet not all of you.”

11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said: ‘You are not all clean.’ 12 When he had washed their feet, and had put on his upper garments and taken his place, he spoke to them again. “Do you understand what I have been doing to you?” he asked. 13 “You yourselves call me ‘the Teacher’ and ‘the Master’, and you are right, for I am both. 14 If I, then—’the Master’ and ‘the Teacher’—have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet; 15 For I have given you an example, so that you may do just as I have done to you.”

16 “In truth I tell you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor yet a messenger than the man who sends him. 17 Now that you know these things, happy are you if you do them. 18 I am not speaking about all of you. I know whom I have chosen; but this is in fulfillment of the words of scripture: ‘He that is eating my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ 19 For the future I shall tell you of things before they take place, so that, when they take place, you may believe that I am what I am.”

20 “In truth I say that you who receives anyone that I send receives me; and you who receives me receives him who sent me.” 21 After saying this, Jesus was much troubled, and said solemnly: “In truth I tell you that it is one of you who will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, wondering whom he meant.

23 Next to Jesus, in the place on his right hand, was one of his disciples, whom he loved. 24 So Simon Peter made signs to that disciple, and whispered: “Tell me who it is that he means.” 25 Being in this position, that disciple leant back on Jesus’ shoulder, and asked him: “Who is it, Master?”

26 “It is the one,” answered Jesus, “to whom I shall give a piece of bread after dipping it in the dish.” And, when Jesus had dipped the bread, he took it and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot; 27 And it was then, after he had received it, that Satan took possession of him. So Jesus said to him: “Do at once what you are going to do.” 28 But no one at table understood why he said this to Judas. 29 Some thought that, as Judas kept the purse, Jesus meant that he was to buy some things needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor.

30 After taking the piece of bread, Judas went out immediately; and it was night. 31 When Judas had gone out, Jesus said: “Now the Son of Man has been exalted, and God has been exalted through him; 32 And God will exalt him with himself—yes, he will exalt him forthwith.”

33 “My children, I am to be with you but a little while longer. You will look for me; and what I said to the Jews—’You cannot come where I am going’—I now say to you. 34 I give you a new commandment: love one another; love one another as I have loved you. 35 It is by this that everyone will recognize you as my disciples—by your loving one another.”

36 “Where are you going, Master?” asked Peter. “I am going where you cannot now follow me,” answered Jesus, “but you shall follow me later.” 37 “Why cannot I follow you now, Master?” asked Peter. “I will lay down my life for you.” 38 “Will you lay down your life for me?” replied Jesus. “In truth I tell you, the cock will not crow till you have disowned me three times.”

To read the next chapter of the Book of John, please go to The Gospel of John – 14.

This Online New Testament Gospel of John is excerpted from the book The Living Hour: The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life (with New Century Gospels). Including over 200 bookmarked citations from the canonical Gospels, this Progressive Christian book appeals to the Unitarian spirit at the heart of all faiths.

Challenge your perceptions on the Gospel of Christ, Jesus’s parables, and the Kingdom of God by purchasing The Lord’s Prayer book today. Produced by LivingHour.org, a Thailand-based small press dedicated to publishing unique Learn Thai Language books and eBooks, as well as works on progressive spirituality.

Matthew – Gospel 26 – The Last Supper

When Jesus had finished all this teaching, he said to his disciples: 2 “You know that in two days time, the festival of the Passover will be here; and that the Son of Man is to be given up to be crucified.” 3 Then the chief priests and the councilors of the nation met in the house of the high priest, named Caiaphas, 4 And plotted together to arrest Jesus by stealth and put him to death; 5 But they said: “Not during the festival, for fear of causing a riot.”

6 After Jesus had reached Bethany, and while he was in the house of Simon the leper, 7 A woman came up to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and poured the ointment upon his head as he was at a table. 8 The disciples were indignant at seeing this. “What is this waste for?” they exclaimed. 9 “It could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to poor people.” 10 “Why are you troubling the woman?” Jesus said, when he noticed it, “For this is a beautiful deed that she has done to me.”

11 “You always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. 12 In pouring this perfume on my body, she has done it for my burial. 13 I tell you, wherever in the whole world this gospel is proclaimed, what this woman has done will be told in memory of her.” 14 It was then that one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, made his way to the chief priests, 15 And said “What are you willing to give me, if I betray Jesus to you?” The priests ‘weighed him out thirty pieces of silver’ as payment. 16 So from that time Judas looked for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

17 On the first day of the festival of the unleavened bread, the disciples came up to Jesus, and said: “Where do you wish us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” 18 “Go into the city to a certain man,” he answered, “and say to him: ‘The Teacher says: My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” 19 The disciples did as Jesus directed them, and prepared the Passover.

20 In the evening Jesus took his place with the twelve disciples, 21 And, while they were eating, he said: “I tell you that one of you will betray me.” 22 In great grief they began to say to him, one by one: “Can it be I, Master?” 23 “The one who dipped his bread beside me in the dish,” replied Jesus, “is the one who will betray me. 24 True, the Son of Man must go, as scripture says of him, yet woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is being betrayed! For that man ‘it would be better never to have been born!’” 25 And Judas, who was betraying him, turned to him and said: “Can it be I, Rabbi?” “You have said it,” answered Jesus.

26 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and, after saying the blessing, broke it and, as he gave it to his disciples, said: “Take it and eat it; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and, after saying the thanksgiving, gave it to them, with the words: “Drink from it, all of you; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 And I tell you that I shall never, after this, drink of this juice of the grape, until that day when I shall drink it new with you in the kingdom of my Father.” 30 They then sang a hymn, and went out to the Mount of Olives.

31 Then Jesus said to them: “Even you will fall away from me tonight. Scripture says: ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But, after I have risen, I shall go before you into Galilee.” 33 “If everyone else falls away from you,” Peter answered, “I shall never fall away!” 34 “I tell you,” replied Jesus, “that this very night, before the cock crows, you will disown me three times!” 35 “Even if I must die with you,” Peter exclaimed, “I shall never disown you!” All the disciples spoke in the same way.

36 Then Jesus came with them to a garden called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples: “Sit down here while I go and pray yonder.” 37 Taking with him Peter, and the two sons of Zebediah, he began to show signs of sadness and deep distress of mind. 38 “I am sad at heart,” he said, “sad even to death; wait here and watch with me.” 39 Going on a little further, he threw himself on his face in prayer. “My Father,” he said, “if it is possible, let me be spared this cup; only, not as I will, but as thou willest.”

40 Then he came to his disciples, and found them asleep. “What!” he said to Peter, “could none of you watch with me for one hour? 41 Watch and pray, that you may not fall into temptation. True, the spirit is eager, but human nature is weak.” 42 Again, a second time, he went away, and prayed. “My Father,” he said, “if I cannot be spared this cup, but must drink it, thy will be done!”

43 And coming back again he found them asleep, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them, and went away again, and prayed a third time, again saying the same words. 45 Then he came to the disciples, and said: “Sleep on now, and rest yourselves. Hark! My time is close at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of wicked men.

46 Up, and let us be going. Look! My betrayer is close at hand.” :47 And, while he was still speaking, Judas, who was one of the twelve, came in sight; and with him was a great crowd of people, with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and councilors of the nation. 48 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them. “The man whom I kiss,” he had said, “will be the one; arrest him.”

49 So he went up to Jesus at once, and exclaimed: “Welcome, Rabbi!” and kissed him; 50 On which Jesus said to him: “Friend, do what you have come for.” Thereupon the men went up, seized Jesus, and arrested him. 51 Suddenly one of those who was with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and striking the high priest’s servant, cut off his ear.

52 “Sheathe your sword,” Jesus said, “for all who draw the sword will be put to the sword. 53 Do you think that I cannot ask my Father for help, when he would at once send to my aid more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But in that case how would the scriptures be fulfilled, which say that this must be?”

55 Jesus at the same time said to the crowds: “Have you come out, as if after a robber, with swords and clubs, to take me? I have sat teaching day after day in the temple courts, and yet you did not arrest me.” 56 The whole of this occurred in fulfillment of the prophetic scriptures. Then the disciples all forsook him and fled.

57 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the councilors had assembled. 58 Peter followed him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the offices, to see the end. 59 Meanwhile, the chief priests and the whole of the high council were trying to get such false evidence against Jesus, as would warrant putting him to death, 60 But they did not find any, although many came forward with false stories. Later on, however, two men came forward and said: 61 “This man said: ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.”

62 Then the high priest stood up, and said to Jesus: “Have you no answer? What is this evidence which these men are giving against you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. On this the high priest said to him: “I adjure you, by the living God, to tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 “It is true,” Jesus answered; “Moreover I tell you all that hereafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the Almighty, and coming on the clouds of the heavens.’”

65 Then the high priest tore his robes. “This is blasphemy!” he exclaimed. “Why do we want any more witnesses? You have just heard his blasphemy! 66 What is your decision?” They answered: “He deserves death.” 67 Then they spat in his face, and struck him, while others dealt blows at him, saying as they did so: 68 “Now play the prophet for us, you Christ! Who was it that struck you?”

69 Peter, meanwhile, was sitting outside in the courtyard; and a maidservant came up to him, and exclaimed: “Why, you were with Jesus the Galilean!” 70 But Peter denied it before them all. “I do not know what you mean,” he replied. 71 When he had gone out into the gateway, another maid saw him, and said to those who were there: “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth!” 72 Again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man!”

73 But soon afterwards those who were standing by came up and said to Peter: “You also are certainly one of them; why, your very way of speaking proves it!” 74 Then Peter began to swear, with most solemn imprecations: “I do not know the man.” At that moment a cock crowed; 75 and Peter remembered the words which Jesus had said: ‘Before the cock has crowed, you will disown me three times’; and he went outside, and wept bitterly.

To read the next chapter of the Book of Matthew, please go to The Gospel of Matthew – 27.

This Online New Testament Gospel of Matthew is excerpted from the book The Living Hour: The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life (with New Century Gospels). Including over 200 bookmarked citations from the canonical Gospels, this Progressive Christian book appeals to the Unitarian spirit at the heart of all faiths.

Challenge your perceptions on the Gospel of Christ, Jesus’s parables, and the Kingdom of God by purchasing The Lord’s Prayer book today. Produced by LivingHour.org, a Thailand-based small press dedicated to publishing unique Learn Thai Language books and eBooks, as well as works on progressive spirituality.

Mark – Gospel 14 – Judas Betrays With A Kiss

It was now two days before the festival of the Passover and the unleavened bread. The chief priests and teachers of the law were looking for an opportunity to arrest Jesus by stealth and put him to death; 2 For they said: “Not during the festival, for fear of a riot.”

3 When Jesus was still at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, while he was at table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of choice spikenard perfume of great value. She broke the jar, and poured the perfume on his head. 4 Some of those who were present said to one another indignantly: “Why has the perfume been wasted like this? 5 This perfume could have been sold for more than thirty pounds, and the money given to the poor.”

6 “Let her alone,” said Jesus, as they began to find fault with her, “Why are you troubling her? This is a beautiful deed that she has done for me. 7 You always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish you can do good to them; but you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has perfumed my body beforehand for my burial. 9 And I tell you, wherever, in the whole world, the gospel is proclaimed, what this woman has done will be told in memory of her.”

10 After this, Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests, to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were glad to hear what he said, and promised to pay him. So he looked for a convenient way to betray Jesus. 12 On the first day of the festival of the unleavened bread, when it was customary to kill the Passover lambs, his disciples said to Jesus: “Where do you wish us to go and make preparations for your eating the Passover?”

13 Jesus sent forward two of his disciples and said to them: “Go into the city, and there a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you; follow him; 14 And, wherever he goes in, say to the owner of the house: ‘The teacher asks, where is my room; where I am to eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 He will himself show you a large upstairs room, set out ready; and there make preparations for us.” 16 So the disciples set out and went into the city, and found everything just as Jesus had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

17 In the evening he went there with the twelve, 18 And when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said: “I tell you that one of you is going to betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19 They were grieved at this, and began to say to him, one after another: “Can it be I?” 20 “It is one of you twelve,” said Jesus, “the one who is dipping his bread beside me into the dish. 21 True, the Son of Man must go, as scripture says of him, yet woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is being betrayed! For that man ‘it would be better never to have been born!’”

22 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and, after saying the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said: “Take it; this is my body.” 23 Then he took a cup, and, after saying the thanksgiving, gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 “This is my blood of the new testament,” he said, “which is poured out on behalf of many. 25 I tell you that I shall never again drink of the juice of the grape, until that day when I shall drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 26 They then sang a hymn, and went out up the Mount of Olives;

27 Presently Jesus said to them: “All of you will fall away; for scripture says: ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 Yet, after I have risen, I shall go before you into Galilee.” 29 “Even if everyone else falls away,” said Peter, “I shall not.” 30 “I tell you,” answered Jesus, “that you yourself today—yes, this very night—before the cock crows twice, will disown me three times.” 31 But Peter vehemently protested: “Even if I must die with you, I shall never disown you!” And they all said the same.

32 Presently they came to a garden known as Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples: “Sit down here while I pray.” 33 He took with him Peter, James, and John; and began to show signs of great dismay and deep distress of mind. 34 “I am sad at heart,” he said, “sad even to death; wait here, and watch.” 35 Going on a little further, he threw himself on the ground, and began to pray that, if it were possible, he might be spared that hour.

36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “all things are possible to thee; take away this cup from me; yet, not what I will, but what thou wills.” 37 Then he came and found the three apostles asleep. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Could not you watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray,” he said to them all, “that you may not fall into temptation. True, the spirit is eager, but human nature is weak.”

39 Again he went away, and prayed in the same words; 40 And coming back again he found them asleep, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to say to him. 41 A third time he came, and said to them: “Sleep on now and rest yourselves. Enough! My time has come. Hark! the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of wicked men. 42 Up and let us be going. Look! My betrayer is close at hand.”

43 And just then, while he was still speaking, Judas, who was one of the twelve, came up; and with him a crowd of people, with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the councilors. 44 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them. “The man whom I kiss,” he had said, “will be the one; arrest him and take him away safely.”

45 As soon as Judas came, he went up to Jesus at once, and said: “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46 Then the men seized Jesus and arrested him. 47 One of those who were standing by drew his sword and struck at the high priest’s servant, and cut off his ear. 48 But Jesus interposed, and said to the men: “Have you come out, as if after a robber, with swords and clubs to take me? 49 I have been among you day after day in the temple courts teaching, and yet you did not arrest me; but this is in fulfillment of the scriptures.”

50 And all the apostles forsook him and fled. 51 One young man did indeed follow him, wrapped only in a linen sheet. They tried to arrest him; 52 But he left the sheet in their hands and fled naked. 53 Then they took Jesus to the high priest; and all the chief priests, the councilors, and the teachers of the law assembled.

54 Peter, who had followed Jesus at a distance into the court-yard of the high priest, was sitting there among the servants, warming himself by the fire. 55 Meanwhile the chief priest and the whole of the high council were trying to get such evidence against Jesus as would warrant his being put to death, but they could not find any; 56 For, though there were many who gave false evidence against him, their evidence did not agree.

57 Presently some men stood up, and gave this false evidence against him: 58 “We ourselves heard him say: ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days build another made without hands.’” 59 Yet not even on that point did their evidence agree. 60 Then the high priest stepped forward, and questioned Jesus. “Have you no answer to make?” he asked. “What is this evidence which these men are giving against you?” 61 But Jesus remained silent, and made no answer.

A second time, the high priest questioned him. “Are you,” he asked, “the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” 62 “I am,” replied Jesus, “and you shall all see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the Almighty; and ‘coming in the clouds of heaven’.”

63 At this the high priest tore his vestments. “Why do we want any more witnesses?” he exclaimed. 64 “You heard his blasphemy? What is your verdict?” They all condemned him, declaring that he deserved death. 65 Some of those present began to spit at him, and to blindfold his eyes, and strike him, saying, as they did so: “Now play the prophet!” and even the servants hit him with blows.

66 While Peter was in the court-yard down below, one of the high priest’s maidservants came up; 67 And, seeing Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him and exclaimed: “Why, you were with Jesus, the Nazarene!” 68 But Peter denied it. “I do not know or understand what you mean,” he replied. Then he went out into the porch; 69 And there the maidservant, on seeing him, began to say again to the by-standers: “This is one of them!” 70 But Peter again denied it.

Soon afterwards the bystanders again said to him: “You certainly are one of them; why you are a Galilean!” 71 But he began to swear with the most solemn imprecations: “I do not know the man you are speaking about.” 72 At that moment, for the second time, a cock crowed; and Peter remembered the words that Jesus had said to him: ‘Before a cock has crowed twice, you will disown me three times’; and, as he thought of it, he began to weep.

To read the next chapter of the Book of Mark, please go to The Gospel of Mark – 15.

This Online New Testament Gospel of Mark is excerpted from the book The Living Hour: The Lord’s Prayer for Daily Life (with New Century Gospels). Including over 200 bookmarked citations from the canonical Gospels, this Progressive Christian book appeals to the Unitarian spirit at the heart of all faiths.

Challenge your perceptions on the Gospel of Christ, Jesus’s parables, and the Kingdom of God by purchasing The Lord’s Prayer book today. Produced by LivingHour.org, a Thailand-based small press dedicated to publishing unique Learn Thai Language books and eBooks, as well as works on progressive spirituality.