The Easter Story: Spy Wednesday and Holy Thursday

Spy Wednesday

The Wednesday of Holy Week is called Spy Wednesday because on this day Judas made a bargain to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

Judas was one of Jesus’ very special friends – one of the Twelve Apostles. He, like many of Jesus’ friends and followers, had come with Him from Bethany to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Judas had seen the huge crowds welcome Jesus to the great and holy city. Judas had also noticed how jealous and annoyed the religious leaders – the high priests – were. He had seen them talking and plotting in the crowds on Palm Sunday. Three days later (on what we now call Spy Wednesday) Judas went to the high priests and said that he would tell them where and when they could easily capture Jesus. They agreed to pay him thirty pieces of silver for his help. This was a great amount of money to a poor man in those days.

On Spy Wednesday traditionally Christians all over the world gave ‘alms’ to make up for Judas’ sneakiness and betrayal. This means that they gave money to the poor and ill.  In Ireland at Easter we think especially about the people in the Third World who need our generosity and prayers. At Easter we bring our Trócaire boxes to the church or we send our donations directly to Trócaire.

Holy Thursday

Holy Thursday is a very important day in the Church year. On Holy Thursday Jesus gave us the Sacrament of the Eucharist (Holy Communion) at the Last Supper. He told us to love one another as He has loved us.

Jesus and his friends had come especially to Jerusalem to celebrate the great Jewish feast of the Passover.

 The Last Supper

On that evening Jesus and the Twelve Apostles sat down to eat their Passover Meal together. Before the meal, Jesus got up and poured water into a basin and washed the feet of his twelve friends. This was to show them how much He loved them. He told them that they too must show this same love to other people. He told them that they must love others as God loves them.

While they were eating together Jesus told them that this would be His last meal with them because He was going to die. He told them that one of them was going to betray Him. The apostles were very upset about this. They loved Jesus and did not want Him to leave them. They could not believe that any of them would betray Him.

Then Jesus took bread, blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the apostles and said, “This is my body.” Then He took a cup of wine, and when he had given thanks He gave it to them and said, “This is my blood". Jesus told them that when they eat this bread and drink this wine they would “Do this in memory of me”. He told them that He would always be with them in this way.

At this Last Supper Jesus gave His apostles and followers a new commandment. He told them to “Love one another as I have loved you”. He told His followers that if they did this everyone would know from their actions that they were followers of Jesus.

Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

It was getting late. Jesus told the apostles that He wanted to be alone and that He wanted to talk to His Father. He went to the Garden of Gethsemane. He took Peter, James and John with Him. He asked his three friends to stay at the gate and keep watch. Then He went into the garden to talk to God and to pray. He was very upset because He knew that He was going to die. He came back to the gate to His three friends, but He found that they had fallen asleep. He woke them up and asked them to stay awake and keep watch. He came out two more times and found that they had fallen asleep each time.

But as He was speaking to them on the third occasion Judas came into the Garden of Gethsemane followed by the soldiers of the high priests. Judas came up to Jesus and kissed Him on the cheek. Judas had told the soldiers that the man he would kiss would be Jesus. So when the soldiers saw this they grabbed Jesus and dragged Him away. As they were passing one of the three apostles put out his sword to protect Jesus and cut off the ear of one of the high priests’ soldiers. Jesus said “No more of this” and he touched the man’s ear and healed him.

Jesus is Taken before Caiaphas The High Priest

That night those who had captured Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where many of His enemies had also gathered. They spat in Jesus’ face, and struck Him and some slapped Him. The guards beat him and tore His clothes.