Silent Wednesday: Worship or Betrayal? | Passion Week 2025

Welcome to Day 4 of our Passion Week series. Today we reflect on Silent Wednesday, a day where the surface seems calm, but two powerful stories unfold behind the scenes: Judas' betrayal of Jesus and Mary’s extravagant act of worship.

In this short devotional, we explore Matthew 26 and John 12, where we contrast Judas Iscariot’s betrayal for 30 pieces of silver with Mary of Bethany’s costly offering. 

What does it mean to truly worship Jesus—even when it costs us everything? When following Jesus gets difficult, do we lean into surrender, or do we pull away in self-preservation?

Join us for this reflection as we prepare our hearts during Holy Week to walk closely with Jesus on the road to the cross.

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📌 CHAPTERS
00:00 - Welcome to Day 4: Silent Wednesday
00:31 - What the Bible says about Wednesday
00:41 - Judas' betrayal (Matthew 26:14–16)
01:36 - Mary’s act of worship (Matthew 26:6–7, John 12:3)
01:58 - The cost of devotion: A year’s wages
02:30 - Jesus defends Mary's worship (Matthew 26:10–12)
02:45 - Judas vs. Mary: Devotion or Betrayal?
03:04 - How do we respond when following Jesus is hard?
03:30 - What does betrayal look like in our lives?
03:58 - Jesus is worth everything
04:29 - Invitation to worship fully + closing

#PassionWeek #HolyWeek #SilentWednesday #WorshipOrBetrayal #JudasAndMary

Transcript

0:00

Hey friends, welcome back to Behind the Mike Podcast as we walk day by day through Passion Week. Today it's Wednesday, a day when everything slows down on the surface. But behind the scenes, two powerful things are happening. Number one, a plot to betray Jesus. And number two, a woman's extravagant act of worship. Here's the question. When we're faced with Jesus, do we worship or betray? Let's dive in. Wednesday is sometimes called Silent Wednesday because the Gospels don't record public teachings from Jesus that day. But a lot is happening privately. First, the dark side. The plot to kill Jesus. This comes from

Matthew 26: 0:45

14-16. And it says, then one of the 12 whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, what would you give me if I deliver him over to you? And they paid him 30 pieces of silver. And from that moment he saw an opportunity to betray him. Think about that. One of Jesus own disciples, someone who walked with him, heard his teaching, saw his miracles. Sells him out for a handful of coins. But on the flip side, there's this beautiful act of devotion. You see, Matthew

26: 1:23

6-7 tells us now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask full of very expensive ointment. She poured it on his head as he reclined at the table. John's gospel tells us this woman is Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. while Judas is plotting betrayal, Mary is pouring out worship. First, let's talk about Mary's act of worship This perfume wasn't some cheap gift. It was a worth a year's wages. Imagine taking everything you earned in a year and laying it at Jesus feet. The disciples, especially Judas. They were outraged. Matthew 26 eight says, why this waste? But Jesus defends her. She's done a beautiful thing to me in pouring this ointment on my body. She is preparing me for burial that comes in

Matthew 26: 2:24

10-12. You see, Mary got it. She understood what was about to happen even when the others didn't. Now think about Judas while Mary is giving her best honor to Jesus. Judas is selling Jesus out for the price of a slave. check out

Exodus 21: 2:46

32 for that. Two Responses to Jesus, one of total devotion and one of selfish betrayal. Here's the hard question for us today when following Jesus gets hard, what is our response? Do we worship like Mary and pour out our lives no matter the cost? Or do we pull a Judas and turn away when it doesn't serve us anymore? Sometimes betrayal isn't as obvious as Judas, as deal with the priests. You know, it's compromising truth to fit in. It's choosing comfort over obedience. It's holding back part of our hearts from Jesus instead of giving him everything. Jesus sees both. And he calls us to choose devotion over betrayal. So today I want to ask you, what are you offering Jesus? Are you pouring out your best like Mary? Or are you holding back like Judas? Jesus is worth all of us our hearts, our time, our worship, even when it cost us. And that's not always easy. Here's the beautiful part though. He gave everything for us first. Thanks for joining me for this powerful reflection on Wednesday of Passion Week. Tomorrow we're stepping into Thursday, the Last Supper, Jesus final meal with his disciples, and the beginning of his road to the cross. You don't want to miss that. Until then, let's be people who pour out worship and not hold back. Hey, if this is stirring something in your heart, like subscribe and share. And if you've never known what it means to give your life fully to Jesus, reach out. I would love to walk with you through that decision. Thanks and God bless.