John 13:21-30

John 13:21-30     The Context of the Last Meal (1) - Judas’s Betrayal

21 When he said this, Jesus was distressed in spirit.  
He explained it, saying,
"Mark my words, one of you will betray me."

This was the fourth mention within the meal setting of Judas’s betrayal [verses 2:11,18]. Obviously, it weighed heavily on Jesus’ heart. But it would also have challenged the community of the Beloved Disciple. Their response to Judas’s betrayal was to insist that it was no surprise to Jesus or an indication of his ignorance: he knew about it before it happened. Indeed, they were sure that the betrayal had been foreshadowed in prophecy.

Jesus was distressed in spirit, as he had been earlier in the narrative [12:27], both times in relation to his coming “hour”.

Though the Gospel had frequently adverted to the fact that Jesus would be betrayed, and that it was Judas who would betray him, this was the first time that Jesus himself explicitly mentioned the betrayal. Even on this occasion, he did not name the betrayer. 

22 The disciples looked around at each other,
wondering whom he was talking about.
23 One of the disciples, the one whom Jesus loved,
was reclining close to Jesus.

This was the first explicit reference in the text to the disciple whom Jesus loved, without further identification. Though never mentioned explicitly in the earlier ministry of Jesus, he would be a regular actor in the rest of the narrative. At the conclusion of the Gospel the final editor of the whole work would identify him as the one who bears witness about all these things and has written them down. The editor then added, "and we know that his testimony is reliable" [21:23].

The detail of the disciple’s posture – that he was reclining close to Jesus – served to indicate that the meal was not an ordinary meal but a significant festive occasion. The narrative would soon make it clear [verse 29] that the meal was not a Paschal Meal. It was being celebrated, however, with the Passover obviously in mind – since, according to the timing of the Gospel, Jesus would die at the same hour that the paschal lambs were being killed in the temple in preparation for the festival.

24 Simon Peter signalled to him and said,
"Ask him whom is he talking about?"
25 So he leaned back against the breast of Jesus
and said to him, "Who is it, Lord?"
26 So Jesus said to him,
"It is the one to whom I shall give the piece of food that I shall dip."
So he dipped the piece,
and took it gave it to Judas the son of Simon Iscariot.

The disciple's leaning back against the breast of Jesus reflected the intimate relationship that Jesus enjoyed with the Father [1:18], and anticipated the possibilities of all genuine discipleship.

Jesus' action picked up the detail of the prophecy he had quoted earlier [verse 18], and answered the disciples' question.

Sharing the dipped piece of food was not purely a covert way of signalling to the Beloved Disciple what he was not prepared to convey vocally. Jesus could not have courteously put a piece of dipped food into Judas's hand; he would have had to place it in his mouth – which was a clear gesture of intimacy. To have been anything less would have been cynically dishonest. Jesus still loved Judas; he was still desperately seeking to reach out to him once more, and to rescue him from the ever-tightening grip of the world's sin that had gradually taken hold of him.

Jesus' renewed offer of friendship made no impact on Judas, whose treachery had finally been confirmed.  

The narrative made no mention of the institution of the Eucharist during the meal. However, if it were assumed, Jesus' giving the piece of food to Judas would have had a greater poignancy. Certainly, the narrative had first mentioned Judas's eventual treachery in the context of Jesus' promise of the bread of life, his own flesh and blood [6:70-71].

27 After Judas had eaten the piece of food,
Satan entered into him.
Jesus said to him, "Do immediately what you are doing".

That Satan entered into Judas indicated that the drama that was about to unfold belonged to the order of cosmic conflict between Good and Evil. Judas was a pawn in that drama, but remained a free and responsible agent, even though he had no inkling of its extraordinary significance. The extraordinary power of the sin of the world to capture even an intimate friend and trusted disciple of Jesus would have deeply saddened and distressed Jesus, but would have served also to strengthen his resolve to engage once and for all with that dark power – even at the price of his own tortured death – and to overwhelm it with the life-giving force of love.

Once more, the narrative insisted on Jesus’ full presence to, and freedom within, the deeper conflict.

28 None of those reclining at table knew what he was referring to. 
29 Because Judas kept the common purse,
some of them thought that Jesus was telling him,
"Buy what we need for the feast", or, "Give something to the poor". 

Though Jesus’ comment to the Beloved Disciple (and Simon Peter) had remained confidential, obviously his words to Judas were said in everyone’s hearing. Jesus persisted in concealing the betrayer’s identity from the rest of the disciples.

30 He took the piece of food
and straight way went out.

Jesus’ final gesture of trusting acceptance and friendship may have made it psychologically impossible for Judas to remain in the company any more. He straight way went out.

… It was night.

The observation was terse, but full of foreboding. It was the hour of darkness; and Judas freely walked out into that darkness. Judas’ departure illustrated the point made earlier in the narrative: people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil [3:19].

Human treachery, the sin of the world, would seek to overpower the beauty of Jesus’ love, but would serve only to highlight it: The light shone in the darkness, and the darkness did not overpower it [1:5].

Next >> John 13:31-38