6 Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, 7 a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. 8 And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” 10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. 12 In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. 13 Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
14 Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.
14 Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.
Matt 26:6-16 (ESV)
Preparing for Burial
Today is Spy Wednesday, so called because it was the day Judas set in motion the betrayal of Jesus. For the Jewish leaders, arrest was not enough. Now the opportunity to have him killed presented itself. One of his own had come forward willing to betray him. (Matt 26:14-15) And so the plan of betrayal was set in motion. (Matt 26:16) The death of the Messiah drew closer.
But Wednesday was also the day that Jesus was prepared for His burial, the day when Jesus' body was anointed with ointment. (Matt 26:12) Not knowing what lie so closely ahead, the disciples objected. It was a waste to use this expensive ointment like this. It could have been sold and the money given to the poor. (Matt 26:8-9) But Jesus knew. Jesus understood His hour drew near. His time of being with the disciples was drawing short. (Matt 26:11) For Jesus, it was time for Him to begin His preparation for His own burial. And if the disciples had understood what lie so closely ahead, they would have realized that the smell in the air was the aroma of His death. But maybe one of them did. There was only one who may have truly understood what the smell in the air was for...His betrayer.
But Wednesday was also the day that Jesus was prepared for His burial, the day when Jesus' body was anointed with ointment. (Matt 26:12) Not knowing what lie so closely ahead, the disciples objected. It was a waste to use this expensive ointment like this. It could have been sold and the money given to the poor. (Matt 26:8-9) But Jesus knew. Jesus understood His hour drew near. His time of being with the disciples was drawing short. (Matt 26:11) For Jesus, it was time for Him to begin His preparation for His own burial. And if the disciples had understood what lie so closely ahead, they would have realized that the smell in the air was the aroma of His death. But maybe one of them did. There was only one who may have truly understood what the smell in the air was for...His betrayer.