Chapter 42
The Judgment of the Nations
Verse 1: “When the Son of Man returns to his glory, then he will sit on the throne of judgement. | Matthew 25:31
2 Inhabitants from all the nations across the earth will be gathered before him and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd does placing the sheep far from the goats, | Matthew 25:32
3 and he will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on the left. | Matthew 25:33
4 Then the judge will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you have toiled for your neighbour, enter the rest of the Father, for you have put your faith into action, | Matthew 25:34
5 for I was hungry and you gave me food to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me water to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, | Matthew 25:35
6 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you cared for me, I was in prison and you came and visited me.’ | Matthew 25:36
7 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and gave you food to eat or see you thirsty and gave you water to drink? | Matthew 25:37
8 And when did we see you as a stranger and took you in or naked and clothed you? | Matthew 25:38
9 And when was it that you were sick and took care of you or in prison and visited you?’ | Matthew 25:39
10 And the judge will answer them, ‘In truth I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it for me also.’ | Matthew 25:40
11 Then he will say to those on his left, ‘You who did not listen, depart from me into the eternal darkness and accept your fate, | Matthew 25:41
12 for I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, then I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, | Matthew 25:42
13 I was a stranger and you did not take me in, I was naked and you did not clothe me, I was sick and you did not take care of me, and I was in prison and you did not visit me.’ | Matthew 25:43
14 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not serve you?’ | Matthew 25:44
15 Then judge will answer them again, ‘In truth I say to you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ | Matthew 25:45
16 And these will go away into darkness and into punishment, but the righteous I shall choose you, one out of a thousand, and one out of ten thousand, and they shall stand as a single one into eternal life. | Matthew 25:46, Gospel of Thomas 23
The Plot to Kill Jesus 2
17 Meanwhile the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was fast approaching. | Luke 22:1
18 The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death, but they were afraid of the people and lacked a charge that Pilate would not simply dismiss. | Luke 22:1
19 So the officers of the temple police secretly seized Simon called the Zealot, who was one of the twelve and known to associate with those fighting the occupation.
20 They brought him before the council and threatened him with many things, but Simon stood firm and said, “Do what you will to me. I will not speak against him. No blade, no fire, no darkness you possess will move me.”
21 The chief priests conferred among themselves, and one sent word to those waiting outside.
22 Then the doors opened, and there entered a woman, and beside her a young child and when Simon saw them, the world tilted beneath him for he had never known the child existed and his sworn oath of celibacy lay shattered for all to see.
23 The high priest rose and spoke quietly, as a man discussing the weather. “You know the Valley of Ben Hinnom,” he said. “It has served many purposes over the centuries. The ancients who came before us knew it well as a place where the unbearable was done, and God looked away.”
24 He let the silence sit, then added, “We are learned men. We would never celebrate such things. But the valley still exists. And there are those in this city who are not as learned as we.”
25 Simon's hands trembled. His jaw was set, but his eyes did not leave the child.
26 Another of the priests unrolled a small scroll and read nothing aloud only held it open before Simon long enough for him to see the words where kings had burned their own sons and daughters, and God himself declared he never commanded it, yet it was done all the same.
27 Then the scroll was rolled shut again, as if it had never been opened.
28 No threat was spoken. No command was given. Only the woman's quiet weeping, and the child who did not understand, and the long stillness of men who had made their meaning perfectly clear.
29 At last Simon bowed his head, and when he raised it again something in him had gone out, like a lamp extinguished in wind.
30 “What do you need me to say,” he said. It was not a question.
31 The chief priests were greatly pleased, for now they had the political leverage required to force Pilate's hand. | Luke 22:5
32 With Simon's testimony secured, they began to look for an opportunity to arrest Jesus quietly, when no crowd was present. | Luke 22:6
The Preparation of the Passover
33 Then the day of Unleavened Bread came on which the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed. | Luke 22:7
34 Jesus asked Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations with the Passover for us, so that we may eat it.” | Luke 22:8
35 But they asked, “Where do you want us to prepare it?” | Luke 22:9
36 “Listen,” he answered, “when you have entered into the city, a man carrying a jar of water will greet you. Follow him into whichever house that he enters | Luke 22:10
37 and say to the owner of that house, ‘The teacher asks, “Where is the guest room, in order to eat the Passover with my disciples and friends?” ’ | Luke 22:11
38 He will show you a large upper room, already furnished. Make preparations for all of us there.” | Luke 22:12
39 So they went taking some women and found everything just as he told them, and they prepared the Passover meal. | Luke 22:13
Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet
40 It was now just before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that the hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. Having loved his own people who were in the world, he loved them until the very end. | John 13:1
41 The chief priests had already broken Simon the Zealot in secret, securing his forced oath to hand Jesus over. And during supper | John 13:2
42 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, | John 13:3
43 he got up from the meal, took off his upper garments, and tied a towel around himself. | John 13:4
44 Then he poured some water into a basin and started to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel that was wrapped around him. | John 13:5
45 He came to Simon Peter, who asked him, “Lord, do you wish to wash my feet?” | John 13:6
46 Jesus replied, “You do not realize what I am doing now, but later you will understand.” | John 13:7
47 Peter said to him, “Never shall you wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” | John 13:8
48 Simon Peter then exclaimed, “Lord, not my feet only but my hands and my head also!” | John 13:9
49 Jesus told him, “Whoever has already bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is entirely clean. You are clean, for your feet are free from the temple's hold. But not all of you.” | John 13:10
50 For he knew who had been seized by the temple; which is why he said, “Not all of you have been loosened from its chains.” | John 13:11
51 So after he had washed their feet, he put on his outer garments and asked the disciples, “Do you know what I have done to you? | John 13:12
52 You call me Lord and Teacher, and you are correct, because I am both. | John 13:13
53 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you should wash one another’s feet also. | John 13:14
54 For I have now set you an example, so that you should do as I have done for you. | John 13:15
55 In truth I say to you, no servant is greater than his master, nor are all the messengers greater than the one who sent them. | John 13:16
56 If you understand these things, you will be blessed if you do them. | John 13:17
57 I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it comes to pass you may believe who I am. | John 13:19
58 In truth I say to you, whoever does my works receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.” | John 13:20
59 His disciples said, “When will you appear to us and when shall we see you?” | Gospel of Thomas 37
60 Jesus said, “When you strip naked without being ashamed and take up your garments and place them under your feet like little children and trample on them, then you will see the son of man, and you will not be afraid” | Gospel of Thomas 37