Did You Know This? I Didn’t

Yes, I know it’s Good Friday, but I want to take you back both 48 and 120 hours. Why? Read on! Regular sufferers will be aware of the tangle regarding my holidays and overtime (and the attendant endless 5:30 am starts). Among the confusion, I was off last Sunday morning for the first time in a year and went to church for our 10 am service (fear not, when not ‘stacking shelves’, I attend the 4:30 pm).

And what a show the 10 o’clockers put on for me! Church is packed. A delighted African member of the congregation fist bumps me. A play at the altar stars Judas Iscariot, Pontius Pilate, and even the Christ himself. But here’s the point: those 120 hours before Good Friday something jumped out of the Palm Sunday parish newsletter.

Among the times, dates and places a chap like me – who (when he can) runs about after the altar servers – has to remember, ‘Spy Wednesday’, 48 hours prior to Good Friday, jumped off the page. I know of Palm Sunday, when Jesus on a donkey is welcomed into Jerusalem by crowds waving palms. We all know that Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet — morphed these days into the monarch giving money away.

Good Friday is the crucifixion, Easter Sunday, the resurrection. The day between is sometimes called Even Saturday, which I take to mean the eve of Easter Day. But Spy Wednesday is news to me. While tapping our noses, shall we address the who, what, where, when, why, and how of my newfound day? I think we should.

Holy Week is the most sacred period in the Christian liturgical calendar, commemorating the final days of the life of Jesus Christ, and within it, Spy Wednesday holds a sombre and reflective place.

The “who” of Spy Wednesday centres on Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles. Jesus is the central figure of all Holy Week observances, with Judas Iscariot playing a crucial and tragic role in the events remembered on Spy Wednesday.

He is the disciple who betrays Jesus, agreeing to hand Him over to the religious authorities in exchange for thirty pieces of silver. Other important figures include the chief priests and elders of Jerusalem, who were seeking a way to arrest Jesus with discretion and without causing unrest among the people.

The apostles as a group are also part of the narrative, though on this particular day, the focus narrows onto Judas and his secretive actions. As such Judas becomes a symbol of betrayal, moral weakness, and the dangers of placing personal gain above loyalty and faith.

The “what” of Spy Wednesday refers to the specific event of Judas’s conspiracy to betray Jesus. According to the Gospels — in particular Matthew, Mark, and Luke — this is the day when Judas goes to the chief priests and offers to deliver Jesus into their hands. The term “spy” comes from the idea that Judas acts covertly, watching for an opportunity to betray Jesus when the crowds are not present.

This act sets into motion the chain of events that leads to the Last Supper on Thursday, the arrest of Jesus later that night, and His crucifixion on Good Friday. In addition to the betrayal narrative, some Christian traditions also associate this day with the anointing of Jesus by a woman — often identified as Mary of Bethany — who pours expensive perfume over Him.

This act is interpreted as one of devotion and foreshadowing of His burial, and it stands in stark contrast to Judas’s betrayal, highlighting themes of love versus treachery, sacrifice versus greed.

The “when” is straightforward in terms of the liturgical calendar: Spy Wednesday falls on the Wednesday of Holy Week, which occurs in the final week of Lent, leading up to Easter Sunday. The exact date changes each year because it is tied to the date of Easter, which, as every Puffin knows, is calculated based on the lunar calendar and lands on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox.

Despite the shifting date, Spy Wednesday always occurs three days before Easter Sunday and one day before Maundy Thursday. In history, the events it commemorates took place just before the Jewish Passover festival in Jerusalem, around the year 30–33 AD, though the exact year is debated among scholars. For Christians, the liturgical timing is more important than the precise historical date, as it allows believers to relive the sequence of events leading to the resurrection.

The “where” encompasses both the physical setting of the biblical events and the spiritual or liturgical settings in which they are remembered. Biblically, the events of Spy Wednesday take place in Jerusalem, the central city of Jewish religious life at the time. It is within this city that Judas meets with the chief priests, likely in or near the Temple complex, to arrange his betrayal. Jerusalem thus becomes the geographical heart of Holy Week, as nearly all the major events — from the triumphal entry on Palm Sunday to the crucifixion and resurrection — occur there.

In contemporary practice, Spy Wednesday is observed in churches around the world, across many Christian denominations, including Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and some Protestant traditions. The observances may vary: some churches hold special services, Tenebrae liturgies (which involve the gradual extinguishing of candles), or moments of quiet reflection. In other places, the day may pass more quietly, without major public ceremonies, but still holds significance for personal devotion and contemplation.

The “why” of Spy Wednesday is perhaps the most profound aspect, as it addresses the theological and moral significance of the day. At its core, Spy Wednesday is about betrayal and the human capacity for sin, even among those closest to goodness and truth. Judas’s actions force believers to confront uncomfortable questions about loyalty, integrity, and the ease with which one can turn away from what is right. The day serves as a warning and a moment of self-examination: if one of Jesus’s own chosen disciples could betray Him, then anyone is capable of moral failure.

At the same time, Spy Wednesday also fits into the larger narrative of redemption. In Christian theology, Judas’s betrayal is not only tragic but a necessary step in the unfolding of God’s plan for salvation. Without the betrayal, there would be no arrest, no crucifixion, and no resurrection. This does not excuse Judas’s actions, but it places them within a divine framework in which wrongdoing can be transformed into a means of grace.

In addition, Spy Wednesday highlights the contrast between different human responses to Jesus. The woman who anoints Him offers her most valuable possession in an act of love and reverence, while Judas exchanges his loyalty for money.

This juxtaposition invites believers to reflect on their own priorities and values: what are they willing to give up for their faith, and what might they be tempted to trade it for? The day also encourages contemplation of secrecy and intention — the idea that actions done in hiddenness can have profound consequences. Judas’s quiet agreement with the authorities is not a public act, yet it changes the course of history.

In summary, Spy Wednesday within Holy Week is a symbolic observance that centres on the figure of Judas Iscariot and his decision to betray Jesus Christ. It commemorates the moment when betrayal enters the Passion in a decisive way, setting the stage for the events that follow.

Occurring on the Wednesday before Easter, rooted in the setting of Jerusalem, and comemorated by Christians worldwide, the day carries powerful lessons about human weakness, moral choice, and the paradox of redemption. Through its focus on both betrayal and devotion, Spy Wednesday invites believers not only to remember a historical moment but to engage in personal reflection about faith, loyalty, and the enduring significance of sacrifice.
 

© Always Worth Saying 2026