Hi First Presbyterian Church,

It’s time for our Mid-Week Meet-Up! Don’t forget - this week we will have our foot-washing service at 7pm on Maundy Thursday and our Tenebrae service at 7pm on Good Friday. Then, on Easter Sunday our sunrise service will happen at 7am at the Evergreen Shelter at Mendon Ponds Park at 103 Canfield Road in Pittsford. (A photo is attached of the shelter for your reference.) Our other Easter services will occur as usual - at 8:30am and 10:30am.

This is Holy Week, and today is Good Wednesday, sometimes called Spy Wednesday. It’s called Spy Wednesday, because it was the day of that first Holy Week on which Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus to the Judean supreme court.

Thinking of the betrayal of Jesus, my mind immediately goes to other famous betrayals in history, specifically the assassination of Julius Caesar by members of the Roman Senate in 44 BC. This moment is well known to us through Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and Caesar’s famous last words, “Et tu, Brutus?” Having been stabbed 22 times, Julius’ close friend Brutus applies the final blow that ends Julius’ life.

However, Julius Caesar and Jesus Christ are hardly worth comparing to one another. Julius had shed much blood through civil war in order to consolidate the power of Rome and become its first Emperor. He isn’t exactly what we would call “an innocent person.” Jesus, on the other hand, was the perfect Son of God. He “has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15). He came to earth not to be served but to serve others (Matthew 20:28). He came to teach us that the way of God does not involve consolidating power for oneself but in letting go of our pursuit of power and control in order to trust God.

The innocence and perfection of Jesus makes his betrayal by Judas so much dark and ominous. Read what Judas did:

• “Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I betray Jesus to you?’ They paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.” (Matthew 26:14-16).

• “Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, ‘The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him.’ At once he came up to Jesus and said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed him.”(Matthew 26:48-49).

It’s likely that these “silver coins” were a day’s wage each, meaning Judas betrayed Jesus for a few thousand dollars. That was what the life of the Son of God was worth to Judas? And then to betray him so personally - with a kiss?

The temptation we have when reading this part of the Gospel is to distance ourselves from Judas. “How could anyone do such a terrible thing?” we might ask. However, I think, during Holy Week, the point is to see ourselves as Judas. I find myself betraying Jesus more times than I would like to admit - in my thoughts, in my actions, in my failure to prioritize him over my own interests. The only appropriate response is to grieve my sin and place my hope in the fact that “God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Consider the great love that God has shown you in sending Jesus to be crucified... for you. Reflect on it this Holy Week, and let it change your heart.

Peace to you,
Pastor Aaron