(Matt. 26:30-75; Mark 14:26-72; Luke 22:31-71; John 18:1-27)

It was the night before Jesus died. He had just finished eating the Jewish Passover meal with His disciples and now they were on their way to the Garden of Gethsemane, on the side of the Mount of Olives. As they walked along, Jesus said to His disciples, "You will all fall away because of me tonight." The Peter said, "Even though all the others fall away, I will not." Jesus said to him, "Truly, I say to you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." And Peter answered, "Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!" And all the other disciples said the same thing.

When they came to the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said to His disciples, "Sit here, while I go over there and pray. And pray that you may not be tempted." Then He took Peter and James and John with Him and went on a little way. He became troubled and said to them, "I am very sad. Wait here and watch." He went a little farther on and knelt down and prayed, "My Father, if it can be done, take this cup [that is, this suffering] away from me. And yet, do not do what I want, but what you want." Then He came back to the disciples and found them asleep. So He said, "Why are you asleep? Get up and pray that you may not be tempted." He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if this cannot be taken away unless I drink it, do what you want." And again he came back to the disciples and found them asleep; they did not know what to say to Him. So He again went away and prayed a third time, saying the same words. When He came back He said to them, "Are you going to sleep and rest from now on? Enough! The hour has come when the Son of Man is to be betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up; let's go! See, my betrayer is near!"

While He was still speaking, a crowd carrying swords and clubs came from the Jewish leaders. In the front of the crowd was the man called Judas, who was one of the twelve apostles. Now he had told the people, "The one whom I kiss is the man; grab Him." So he came up to Jesus and said, "Hello, Rabbi," and kissed Him. Jesus said, "Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?" Then the men in the crowd grabbed Jesus. Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of one of them. But Jesus healed the ear and told Peter, "Put up your sword! I could ask My Father, and He would send me twelve legions [that is, 72,000] of angels. But then how would the scriptures come true, that say that this must happen?" Then all the disciples ran away.

The crowd led Jesus to the house of the Jewish high priest. Peter and John followed them there at a distance. Since the servants knew John, they let him in. Then he went back to the door and got them to let Peter in too. Peter sat down outside with the guards by the fire in the middle of the courtyard. And the woman who opened the door came up and said, "You were with Jesus too. You are not one of the disciples, are you?" And Peter denied it, saying, "I'm not. I don't know the man. I don't know what you are talking about." And he got up and went to the front door. And a rooster crowed once. Then another woman said, "This man was with Jesus." The people asked him, "You are not one of His disciples, are you?" And Peter denied it, saying, "I'm not. I don't know the man." Later a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off said, "I saw you in the garden with him, didn't I?" And the people standing around said, "Sure you are one of them; for you are from Galilee. They way you talk gives you away." And the third time Peter denied it, this time cussing and swearing and saying, "I don't know the man! I don't know what you are talking about!" Suddenly a rooster crowed again. Inside the house, Jesus turned and looked out at Peter. Then Peter remembered that Jesus had told him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." And Peter went out and started crying bitterly.

Inside the house the Jewish leaders were making fun of Jesus. They would cover His eyes and hit Him and say, "Prophesy! Who is it that hit you?" They were also looking for witnesses to testify against Him. Many people came forward and told lies about Him, but no two of them told the same thing. So the high priest stood up and asked Jesus, "Have you no answer to make? What about what these mean are testifying against you?" But Jesus was silent. So the high priest said, "I put you on oath before God to tell us the truth. Are you the Christ, the Son of God?" And Jesus said, "You said it. And after this you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God and coming on the clouds of heaven." Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "It's blasphemy. Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy from his own lips. What do you think?" And the Jewish leaders answered, "He ought to die!" And they started spitting in His face, and hitting and slapping Him. Then, because the Romans would not let them put anyone to death, they took Him to the Roman governor.