A Sad Week

We are in the middle of Holy Week. It began with Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what we know today as Palm Sunday. Most of us are aware of the “Last Supper” which takes place on Thursday, and His crucifixion on Friday. But what happened the rest of the week?

On Monday, we read in Mark 11, that Jesus, “…went into the Temple. After looking around carefully at everything, he left because it was late in the afternoon. Then he returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples” (Mark 11:11). On Tuesday, Jewish leaders “…sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested” (Mark 12:13).  They failed miserably. Jesus’ answers to their questions not only foiled their plan, but increased support for Him among the people.

In John 11, we know that the Jewish leaders and those who supported King Herod (Herodians) already had plans in place to kill Jesus, but, due to His popularity, they did not want to act during Passover. They were worried such a move may start a riot and the anger would be directed toward them. Their patience, however, was growing short so they began to look at a variety of ways to bring an end to this annoying rabbi from Nazareth.

It is important to note that Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians, were not natural allies. They believed different things, supported different policies, and endorsed different leaders. However, as the ancient Indian Sanskrit proverb says, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” These disparate groups found a common bond in their hatred of this carpenter’s son and His fisherman followers. Therefore, when they heard that the priests had someone on the inside. Someone who had agreed (for a price) to bring down Jesus from the inside, they were all jubilant! Mark tells us, “Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted when they heard why he had come, and they promised to give him money. So he began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus” (Mark 14:10-11).

Judas would betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. This was a significant amount – symbolically. In Hebrew culture, thirty pieces of silver was not a lot of money. It was the price paid to the master of a slave if his slave were to be accidentally killed by an ox. Exodus 21:32 teaches us, “…if the ox gores a slave, either male or female, the animal’s owner must pay the slave’s owner thirty silver coins, and the ox must be stoned” (Exodus 21:32). If you were to be valued at the price of a slave, you were not highly valued. 

Another “more prophetic” mention of thirty pieces of silver is from Zechariah 11.  When the prophet Zechariah went to his employers and asked them to pay him what they thought he was worth. They gave him thirty pieces of silver. He sarcastically calls this a “magnificent sum,” because he knew it was the price of a slave. It was meant as an intentional insult to Zechariah, and he understood. In response, God tells Zechariah to “throw it to the potter.” So, Zechariah tosses the money into the Temple to be given to the potter.

For this insulting amount. Thirty pieces of silver. Judas would help the enemies of Jesus find Him, arrest Him, and charge Him with sedition – the act of rebellion against the government. This is what was happening on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Before the plan is put into action, however, Judas would join Jesus and the other disciples for a Passover seder meal where Jesus tells us, “This is my body, broken for you. My blood shed for the forgiveness of sin.”

It has been a sad week, but Sunday is coming.

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