Spy Wednesday
Article by David Mathis
Executive Editor, desiringGod.org
Wednesday went quietly. Too quietly.
With the previous three days awash in drama —
Sunday’s triumphal entry, Monday’s temple cleansing, and Tuesday’s temple
controversies — now Wednesday, April 1, A.D. 33, comes like the calm before the
storm.
But out of sight, lurking in the shadows,
evil is afoot. The church has long called it “Spy
Wednesday,” as
the dark conspiracy against Jesus races forward, not just from enemies outside,
but now with a traitor from within.
It is this day when the key pieces come
together in the plot for the greatest sin in all of history, the murder of the
Son of God.
The Plot
Thickens
Jesus wakes again just
outside Jerusalem, in Bethany, where he has been staying at the home of Mary,
Martha, and Lazarus.
His teaching again attracts a crowd in the
temple. But now the Jewish leaders, silenced by Jesus the day before, will
leave him be. Today they will avoid public confrontation and instead connive in
private.
Caiaphas, the high priest, gathers to his
private residence the chief priests and Pharisees — two competing groups,
typically at odds, now bedfellows in their ache to be rid of the Galilean. They
scheme to kill him, but do not have all the pieces in place yet. They fear the
approving masses, and do not want to stir up the assembled hordes during
Passover.
The initial plan is to wait till after the
feast, unless some unforeseen opportunity emerges.
Enter the traitor.
The Miser and
His Money
The Gospel accounts
point to the same precipitating event: the anointing at Bethany.
Jesus was approached by a woman — we learn
from John 12:3 that it was Mary, the sister of Martha.
She took “very
expensive ointment”
and anointed Jesus. An objection comes from the disciples — John 12:4 says it was Judas — “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii
and given to the poor?”
This was, after all, “a very large sum,” more than a year’s wages for a soldier or common
laborer.
It would have been enough money to finance a
family for more than a year, and could have gone a long way for charity.
But Jesus does not share Judas’s miserliness.
Here he finds extravagance in its rightful place.
The kingdom he brings resists mere
utilitarian economics. He sees in Mary’s “waste” a worshiping impulse that goes beyond the
rational, calculated, efficient use of time and money.
For Mary, Jesus is worth every shekel and
more. The Anointed himself says what she has done is “a beautiful thing” (Matthew 26:10).
Judas, on the other hand, is not so
convinced.
And contrary to appearances, the miser’s
protest betrays a heart of greed.
Judas’s concern comes “not because he cared about the poor, but because he was
a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was
put into it” (John 12:6).
The traitor had long been on a trajectory of
sin and hard-heartedness, but the last straw is this extravagant anointing.
Satan finds a foothold in this heart in love
with money, and what wickedness follows.
Incensed about this “waste” of a year’s wages, he goes to the chief priests and
becomes just the window of opportunity the conspirators are looking for.
The spy will lead them to Jesus at the opportune
time when the crowds have dispersed.
And the greedy miser will do it for only
thirty pieces of silver, which Exodus 21:32 establishes
as the price of the life of a slave.
Why the Insult
of Betrayal?
Why would God have it
go down like this?
Jesus is truly is being “delivered up according to the definite plan and
foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23).
His enemies are doing just as God’s hand and
plan “had predestined to take place” (Acts 4:28).
Why design it like this, with one of his own
disciples betraying him? Why add the insult of betrayal to the injury of the
cross?
We find a clue when Jesus quotes Psalm 41:9 in forecasting Judas’s defection: “He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me” (John
13:18).
King David knew the pain not just of being
conspired against by his enemies, but betrayed by his friend.
So now the Son of David walks the same path
in his agony. Here Judas turns on him. Soon Peter will deny him, and then the
remaining ten will scatter.
From the beginning of His public ministry,
the disciples have been at His side.
They have learned from Him, traveled with Him,
ministered with Him, been His earthly companions, and comforted Him as He
walked this otherwise lonely road to Jerusalem.
But now, as Jesus’ hour comes, this burden He
must bear alone. The definitive work will be no team effort.
The Anointed must go forward unaccompanied,
as even his friends betray him, deny him, and disperse.
As Donald Macleod observes, “Had the redemption of the world depended on the
diligence of the disciples (or even their staying awake) it would never have
been accomplished” (The Person of Christ, 173).
He lifts “loud
cries and tears” in
the garden (Hebrews 5:7).
The heartbreak of David is added to his near
emotional breakdown: “Even my close friend
in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me” (Psalm 41:9).
He is forsaken by his closest earthly
associates, one of them even becoming a spy against him. But even this is not
the bottom of his anguish.
The depth comes in the cry of dereliction, “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew
27:46).
But more remarkable than this depth of
forsakenness is the height of love He will show.
Greater love has no one than this, that He
lay down His life
God the Father chose to send Jesus to the cross to show His love
and the seriousness of our sin.
Jesus accepted
to take our punishment, to save all who would believe.
Why not receive God's gift of
salvation and become His child?
Open your heart and say this prayer:
“Father God, I confess I am a sinner and my sins have separated me
from You.
I am truly sorry. I now want to turn away from my past sinful life and live a new
life pleasing to You.
Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again.
I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was
resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer.
I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in
my heart from this day forward. Thank You that according to Your Word, I am now
born again.
Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your
will for the rest of my life. I promise to study Your Word - the Bible.
Use me for Your glory.
In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.”
"WHOSOEVER
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved,"
(Romans
10:13).
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“We Are
The Reason”
David
Meece
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7_EhjZrq2AHeritageSingers
From the album
"Just A Little More Time," this video was broadcast on TBN's TV show
"Keep On Singing"
which featured the Heritage Singers Duet by Rhonda
Ramzy and Bill Young .
This is now available from the Heritage Singers
"Through The Years" Vol.1.
CLICK HERE . . . to view complete playlist
lyrics
As little children
we would dream of Christmas mornOf all the gifts and toys we knew we'd find
But we never realized a baby born one blessed night
Gave us the greatest gift of our lives
We were the reason
that He gave His life
We were the reason that He suffered and died
To a world that was lost, He gave all He could give
To show us the reason to live
We were the reason that He suffered and died
To a world that was lost, He gave all He could give
To show us the reason to live
As the years went
by we learned more about gifts
The giving of ourselves and what that means
On a dark and cloudy day, a man hung crying in the rain
All because of love, all because of love
The giving of ourselves and what that means
On a dark and cloudy day, a man hung crying in the rain
All because of love, all because of love
And we were the
reason that He gave His life
We were the reason that He suffered and died
To a world that was lost, He gave all He could give
To show us the reason to live
We were the reason that He suffered and died
To a world that was lost, He gave all He could give
To show us the reason to live
I've finally found
the reason for livingIt's in giving every part of my heart to Him
In all that I do, every word that I say
I'll be giving my all just for Him, for Him
And we are the
reason that He gave His life
We are the reason that He suffered and died
To a world that was lost, He gave all He could give
To show us the reason to live
He is our reason to live
We are the reason that He suffered and died
To a world that was lost, He gave all He could give
To show us the reason to live
He is our reason to live
Don't You know
that you are the reason
That He came oh, He came to save us
When He gave His life for us, He suffered and died
To a world that was lost He gave
Everything that He had He gave
To show us the reason to live
That He came oh, He came to save us
When He gave His life for us, He suffered and died
To a world that was lost He gave
Everything that He had He gave
To show us the reason to live
Don't you know
that you are the reasonThat He came oh He came to save us
When He gave His life for us, He suffered and died
To a world that was lost He gave
Everything that He had He gave
To show us the reason to live
Don't you know
that you are the reason
That He came oh He came to save us
When He gave His life for us, He suffered and died
To a world that was lost He gave
Everything that He had He gave
To show us the reason to live
That He came oh He came to save us
When He gave His life for us, He suffered and died
To a world that was lost He gave
Everything that He had He gave
To show us the reason to live
David Mathis (@davidcmathis) is
executive editor for desiringGod.org, pastor at Cities Church in
Minneapolis/Saint Paul, and adjunct professor for Bethlehem College &
Seminary. He is a husband, father of four, and author of Habits of
Grace: Enjoying Jesus through the Spiritual Disciplines.
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