Spy Wednesday - Prayer meeting apr23
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Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over. On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, ‘Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?’ So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, ‘Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Say to the owner of the house he enters, “The Teacher asks: where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.’ The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.’ They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, ‘Surely you don’t mean me?’
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take it; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,’ he said to them. ‘Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.’ When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Most of us know that tomorrow is called Maunday Thursday - then Good Friday,
but did you know tradiotionally today is known as
Spy Wednesday!
Cool name,
So called because it is thought that this is the day of Holy week when Judas decided he would betray the Lord Jesus.
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
Of course the chief preists were delighted.
The man who challenged their teaching and authority and power over the Jews was in their eyes nothing but a trouble maker -
undermining their control!
Judas the spy is commissioned -and for him, we read elsewhere that money seemed to be his main motivator - responsible for the money bag for the disciples - and liked to help himself it seems.
We can all relate of course to the sin of others.
Idolising money, wanting power or control at the expense of the truth.
Whatever our vice - influenced by our human nature and depravity before God - we are betraying our creator.
And of course Holy week focuses us in to the great human betrayal of our Lord.
But what is far more extraordinary - for we will never be surprised by the sinfulness of humanity,
is the unconditional, single minded determination of Jesus to keep on his path to crucifixion - ‘despite’ the miserable people he would bring to salvation!
And so He sends his disciples to prepare the upper room for His very last passover meal.
It is all in hand he tells the disciples - just go and find it.
He even shares this meal with Judas the spy present - and even tells them that one of them will betray him - and yet - he keeps going towards his sacrificial death.
Such is his love and obedience to and for the Father - and such is the Godhead’s love for a fallen people -
and so we do not foget - Jesus institutes a sacrament of remembrance in the very face of betrayal and a delighted enemy.
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take it; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,’ he said to them. ‘Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.’ When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
We too - will share this meal now.
Remembering Christ’s body broken and blood shed for our rebelion.
We too will share this meal and know it points us forward to the Lord’s second coming where he will drink again with his chosen and restored people.
We too will then sing a hymn - before going out - firstly to pray to the one we do not deserve.,
and then out to the world again - who in their rebelion - need not a great triumph of human action,
but a Lord - who despite them - keeps going - in unconditional, single minded determination. who chose death in their place.
Pray - confession
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