Jesus left the city and went to the Mount of Olives, as he often did, and his followers went with him. When he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray for strength against temptation.”
Then Jesus went about a stone’s throw away from them. He kneeled down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take away this cup of suffering. But do what you want, not what I want.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to him to strengthen him. Being full of pain, Jesus prayed even harder. His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he finished praying, he went to his followers and found them asleep because of their sadness. Jesus said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray for strength against temptation.”
While Jesus was speaking, a crowd came up, and Judas, one of the twelve apostles, was leading them. He came close to Jesus so he could kiss him.
But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you using the kiss to give the Son of Man to his enemies?”
When those who were standing around him saw what was happening, they said, “Lord, should we strike them with our swords?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.
Jesus said, “Stop! No more of this.” Then he touched the servant’s ear and healed him.
Those who came to arrest Jesus were the leading priests, the soldiers who guarded the Temple, and the elders. Jesus said to them, “You came out here with swords and clubs as though I were a criminal. I was with you every day in the Temple, and you didn’t arrest me there. But this is your time—the time when darkness rules.”
They arrested Jesus, and led him away, and brought him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed far behind them. After the soldiers started a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat together, Peter sat with them. A servant girl saw Peter sitting there in the firelight, and looking closely at him, she said, “This man was also with him.”
But Peter said this was not true; he said, “Woman, I don’t know him.”
A short time later, another person saw Peter and said, “You are also one of them.”
But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”
About an hour later, another man insisted, “Certainly this man was with him, because he is from Galilee, too.”
But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about!”
At once, while Peter was still speaking, a rooster crowed. Then the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. And Peter remembered what the Lord had said: “Before the rooster crows this day, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” Then Peter went outside and cried painfully.
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