The leading priests and teachers of religious law were plotting how to kill Jesus, but they were afraid of the people’s reaction. Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples, and he went to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard to discuss the best way to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted, and they promised to give him money. So he agreed and began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus so they could arrest him when the crowds weren’t around. Luke 22:2-6 NLT
We know quite a bit about what Jesus did every other day of Holy Week, except for Wednesday. Some call it Silent Wednesday, and many others call it Spy Wednesday because it appears to be the day Judas met with Jesus’ enemies to figure out how to best betray Jesus, in hopes it would accomplish his goal to force Jesus’ hand. The biblical accounts can be confusing, because in some the placement of Jesus being anointed by the woman at Simon’s house appears closely to the account of Judas leaving and setting up the deal to betray Jesus. But John's account of the anointing at Bethany (John 12.1-11), which takes place “six days before the Passover,” has been assumed to be on the Monday of Holy Week as far back as the 7th or 8th centuries. It is certainly worth your while to go back and read John’s account of this beautiful event.
While Judas was planning to betray Jesus, what might Jesus have done? We all know that in an ordinary week, Wednesday is known as Hump Day, signaling we’re halfway there and are entitled to both weariness and anticipation. Perhaps Jesus took Wednesday for that. He was staying at the home of very close friends. He had even raised Lazarus from the dead, and people hated Jesus so much that He and his dear friend were both targets of death threats. Jerusalem was about two miles away, and Jesus and the disciples had been walking there and back every day, plus all the walking in the city, dealing with the tension.
The Passover meal was the next day. Did Jesus perhaps help prepare for that? Maybe He was watching it all with quiet grief that He would never be this way with His friends again. Maybe He was praying for them and for Judas who would soon betray Him. He must have had such deep sorrow for this friend whom He loved who had left the path to peace. For sure, He must have spent the day talking to His Father, remembering His mission, and thinking about what was to come. He had experienced life as a human, but a torturous death, abandonment by His closest friends, public humiliation, and, worst of all, separation from His Father while bearing the sins of the world was unthinkable. How heavy this day must have been.
- This Wednesday, has someone you love left the path of peace? Are you carrying a burden only God can understand? Are there Easter preparations you need to make? Is your heart afraid? Grieving? Talk to your Father. Jesus did.