Wednesday of Holy Week
The bible doesn’t tell us what Jesus did on Wednesday. The assumption is that He stayed in Bethany with His disciples.
The liturgy focuses on the Old Testament on this day, particularly Isaiah 49: 1-7. In this passage the Lord’s Servant is commissioned. As I reflect upon these words I realise that none of what happened in Holy Week is a surprise to Jesus or God the Father. God has the advantage of an eternal perspective so for Him there is no history. But there is for us. When we see some of the language used in Isaiah 49 we can see Jesus clearly in the text. Reflect upon these words today.
A little historical background. It is generally accepted that there are two Isaiah’s. 1 Isaiah is up to chapter 39 and 2 Isaiah is chapter 40 onwards. 2 Isaiah was written after Israel was exiled by the Babylonians. To see how they felt about this take a look at Psalm 137. The people felt abandoned by God, that He had broken His promise to them. In actual fact this exile was the most productive and creative period in the history of Israel. The people were given hope by the words of the prophet, that God wasn’t finished with Israel. Just like the Easter story reminds us that God isn’t finished with us either. So on this day Jesus rested. He would need it for what happens tomorrow.