Wednesday of Passion Week

A woman anoints Jesus with oil and Judas makes his deal to betray Him.

No Activities by Jesus in Jerusalem are reported on this day. He spent the day in Bethany were a woman anointed Him with expensive oil and Judas made his deal with the Jewish priest to betray Jesus. 

Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair.  The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (John 12: 1-3)

​What a beautiful image, Lazarus reclining at a meal with Jesus, the one whom Jesus had raised from the dead, and Mary washing Jesus' feet filling the room with the fragrance of perfume, while Martha served. It was custom for the feet to be washed of your guests at dinner, but Mary, unknowingly, did for Jesus more than what she realized. She, as a devotion to Jesus, washed Jesus' feet with nard, a very costly perfume that would weigh approximately 12 ounces. This same oil would be used for Jesus at his burial for Judas would make a deal with the Jewish priest to betray Jesus. 

The chief priests and the Pharisees had gathered a council to discuss what they would do with Jesus, for they were worried that if they let Jesus go on healing and raising the dead, everyone would believe in him and the Romans would take away both their place and nation. (John 11:47-48) They plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people. ( Matthew 26:4-5) It was Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, who would prophesy Jesus death. 

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not the whole nation should perish." He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So that from that day on they made plans to put him to death. (John 11: 49-53)

Judas would make a deal with the chief priests for the price of a slave and sought opportunity to betray him.
Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?" And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. The price of a slave! And from that moment on he sought an opportunity to betray him. (Matthew 26: 14-16)​