On Tuesday, the overt attempts to stamp out Jesus have failed. Opponents of Jesus turn to a covert operation. They plot in the alleyways and shadows of the Jerusalem to scheme a way to stop his influence. 

It is helpful to remember the setting, and the Gospels are bent on reminding us of it. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all remind us that we are days away from the Passover festival (Matthew 26:1–3, Mark 14:1–2, and Luke 22:1–2). There would have been hundreds of thousands of people—possibly over a million gathering to the city at this time. Maybe this is why Jesus stayed in Bethany to this point, over a mile away. The Passover is that reminder of God's deliverance from the Egyptians, where the Israelites were spared by the blood of a lamb on their doorposts. Can you see where this is going?

During this time, various Jewish factions convened in the city, with their leaders joining together in a council called "the Sanhedrin." We don't have a lot of insight into their deliberations, but on this particular year, the conversation centered around this homeless untrained miracle-worker who claimed to be the Messiah. Jesus was a threat to the teachings of all the Jewish groups, because he taught against their gatekeeping and traditions. In Jesus, everyone had access to God. 

That is part of what makes the events of Wednesday so fascinating. The day started in Bethany with what Jesus called a "beautiful thing." A woman (John tells us it was Mary) anoints Jesus with a costly oil. We are told that this "beautiful thing" was criticized by the disciples as an overly extravagant act. They murmured that the costly oil should have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor (Matthew 26:6–13). Jesus shuts this complaint down, noting that her act was not just an acknowledgement of his kingship, but also a preparation for his burial. 

One of the grumbling disciples was his betrayer, Judas. As he postured to have concern for the poor, it becomes clear that he is more concerned about the money. What he does next makes that abundantly clear. It is on Wednesday that Judas quietly goes to the Sanhedrin—the very ones who were preying on the poor. He offers to hand Jesus over to them quietly in exchange for money.

All the behind-the-scenes plotting and scheming is not hidden from Jesus. He knows exactly what is coming. As Jesus remarks after his anointing, "The gospel is proclaimed in the whole world" (Mark 14:9). The whole world includes all of us.

So who really had the poor in mind? Was it the spies scheming in the shadows . . . or the Savior serving in the light? The Gospels are clear, Jesus came to invite all of us into the presence of God through the power of the cross. His death would be more costly to him than a bottle of oil, and worth more to us than we could ever imagine.

I love you Springs of Grace Family!

Grant Rose
Lead Pastor, Springs of Grace