Holy Wednesday - April 8 - Children's Devotion

Did you know that today is called Spy Day? Can you think of why it's called Spy Day? Here is the Gospel reading for today - John 13:21-32.

After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, ‘Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.’ The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him; Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, ‘Lord, who is it?’ Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’ So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, ‘Do quickly what you are going to do.’ Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, ‘Buy what we need for the festival’; or, that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night. When he had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once.

Did you figure it out - it's because today's reading is when we hear Judas betrays Jesus. Judas was a spy for religious authorities - he had to get all of the intel of where Jesus would be and what he would do Jesus could be arrested. We don't get the whole story - we have to wait until tomorrow to hear all of it. But this is the day that we remember Judas and the piece he places in the story. It's too easy to say that we're not like Judas.

Your challenge is something fun today - how can you be a spy FOR Jesus? I look forward to hearing in what ways you've found. Let's pray - God we love you and we know you love us - help us to find ways to spy for Jesus so that we share the love of Jesus in all places. Amen.