Passion Week Day 4

So we have come to Wednesday of Holy Week and as we search the four Gospels for what Jesus did on this day, we find nothing but silence. 

The only references to this day’s activity are to record Judas as he steals away to the chief priests and offers to hand Jesus over to them for a sum of money. 

As I read the passages from yesterday, I notice that this betrayal by Judas follows a full day of Jesus teaching and countering every attempt thrown at Him to trip Him up by those who were supposed to be shepherds of God’s people.

In Matthew 22: 15, it says the Pharisees went and plotted ways they could entangle Him with His words. 

They were going to trick The Word who spoke Creation into stumbling over His spoken words…wow.

It didn’t work. 

But Satan joins the party and enters Judas. 

It is interesting to note in two of the Gospels this follows a dinner the night before where Jesus is anointed by a woman. 

She breaks open a bottle of expensive oil and pours it on Him and her extravagant gift is criticized by some for it could have been sold and the money used for the poor. 

We have to wonder if one of the grumbling voices was Judas…who we also know from John 12:6… liked to dip into that money bag for his own personal needs. 

Like a movie where we watch two scenes unfold, we are only privy to the details of one for Wednesday.

Judas scurrying down the back streets of Jerusalem, with a heart full of disdain and hate and greed… the chief priests with their own hearts darkened by the same sin sickness as Judas…plotting…planning…agreeing to betray. 

And somewhere in Bethany, perhaps? We don’t know…but Jesus quietly waiting. 

Perhaps spending time with Lazarus whom He had recently called forth from the tomb? 

Perhaps alone in some isolated place praying?

Perhaps fishing one more time with His disciples or walking the dusty roads and remembering their stories together?

Perhaps enjoying Martha’s hospitably with Mary sitting at His feet?

We do not know. 

And this not knowing makes my heart want to know Him more. 

So today I pray in the quiet moments where we just don’t know what He’s doing, that we would rest in knowing that He is…that He IS…that He exists and that He lives and that He is always doing His Father’s work…even today <3 

Scriptures for Wednesday:

• Matthew 26: 14-16 (in context of 14-35)

• Mark 14: 10-11 (in context of 1-31)