On Wednesday of Holy Week — sometimes called “Silent Wednesday” or “Spy Wednesday” — the Gospels record Judas agreeing with the chief priests to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14–16), while Jesus remained in Bethany. Here’s what happened and why it matters.
Events of the Holy Week is also available on the Bible App!
“And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet. And early in the morning all the people came to him in the temple to hear him.” – Luke 21:37-38
Jesus continues teaching daily in the temple.
It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.” – Mark 14:1-2
The chief priests were in a sense of urgency because of the Passover approaching in regards to seeking out a plot to arrest and kill Jesus.
And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. – Mark 14:12-16
Jesus gives instructions to the disciples to find the guest room where they will prepare for the Passover and the Lord’s Supper.
Events of the Holy Week
Looking for more Scripture on Easter?
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called Spy Wednesday?
Because this is the day Judas became the “spy” inside Jesus’ circle — agreeing with the chief priests to betray Him for thirty pieces of silver and watching for his opportunity (Matthew 26:14–16; Luke 22:3–6). It’s also called Silent Wednesday, since Scripture records little else that day.
Why thirty pieces of silver?
It was the compensation price for a slave (Exodus 21:32) — and it fulfilled prophecy: Zechariah 11:12–13 foretold the exact sum, later thrown into the temple and used for the potter’s field (Matthew 27:3–10). Even the betrayal price testified that God was sovereign over the story.
Is the Wednesday of Holy Week the same as Ash Wednesday?
No — they’re different days. Ash Wednesday begins Lent, roughly six and a half weeks before Easter, when many Christians receive ashes as a sign of repentance (Genesis 3:19). The Wednesday of Holy Week falls just three days before Easter and is known as Spy Wednesday or Silent Wednesday, marking Judas’s agreement to betray Jesus.
Next in the series: Events of the Holy Week: Thursday | See also Scripture on Easter
