What happened on Holy Wednesday?
It is on Holy Wednesday when Jesus tells of His death and betrayal. Holy Wednesday is also the day that Jesus was anointed with an expensive jar of alabaster by the woman at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper. Matthew 26: 6-16
The high priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, and elders of the people were looking for any excuse to have Jesus arrested and executed because they were afraid of his influence with the people. These people were part of the Sanhedrin.
The Sanhedrin was the ancient Jewish court system. The Great Sanhedrin was the supreme religious body in the Land of Israel during the time of the Holy Temple. The job of the Sanhedrin was to judge accused lawbreakers. They could not institute arrests. Friday we will see how they play in the unfolding Holy week.
Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper. The village of Bethany was previously mentioned in Matthew 21:17; it lies east of the Mount of Olives, on the other side of the mountain from Jerusalem.
There came unto Jesus a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at to eat. This ointment was probably spikenard was very precious ointment. Spikenard was used for anointing.
Mark 14:5 says that this box of ointment was worth more than 300 pence, i.e., denarii, each of the value of seven pence halfpenny of our money, and therefore worth about 10 pounds. But if we take the denarius as the day’s wage of a laborer (Matthew 20:2), say two shillings of our money, then the whole would be worth about 30 pounds. (Easton, 1996).
When the disciples saw this woman pouring the ointment over the head of Jesus they were indignant thinking it was a waste. This ointment could have been sold for lots of money and then given to the poor.
When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, why do you trouble this woman? She has done a good work upon me. You will have the poor always with you; but me you have not always.
Jesus continued “For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.” (Matthew 26:12-13).
Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him. (Matthew 26:14-16).
Tradition states that nothing really happened in the last week Jesus walked this earth. If we recall all the teaching that Jesus did on Holy Tuesday it makes sense that He did have a quiet day.
Judas went to the leaders to betray Jesus. Judas Iscariot first conspired with the Sanhedrin to betray Jesus for thirty silver coins. Judas allowed Caiaphas, the high priest, to count out the silver coins into Judas’ hand one by one. Judas betrayed Jesus.
Walk this Holy Wednesday as our story of the Passion of Jesus Christ unfolds before your very eyes. If we understand His journey to the cross then the sacrifice He has done for us becomes more than words told by our parents or words from a book. It is a living breathing event that touches you in the midst of your very soul.
Reference:
Easton, M.G. (1996). Easton’s Bible Dictionary. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “What happened on Holy Wednesday? .” Becker Bible Studies Library Oct 2014.<https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1412,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2014, October) “What happened on Holy Wednesday?.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1412,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “What happened on Holy Wednesday?.” Becker Bible Studies Library (October), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1412, (accessed).
