John 13:21, commentary and pictures

At the Passover supper in His last week before crucifixion, Jesus was deeply troubled in spirit as He solemnly testified that one of His own twelve disciples who shared His table and friendship would betray Him. The announcement astonished the disciples, who could not imagine treachery among themselves and each examined his own heart in doubt, while the betrayer meant was Judas Iscariot the son of Simon. He disclosed it beforehand to give evidence of His divine foreknowledge so their faith would be strengthened, and though He perfectly knew Judas's secret purpose He did not expose or exclude him but kept him at the table, washed his feet, and shared the sop with him as a final appeal of love to move him to repentance. Judas was alarmed but would not repent, and after rejecting that last appeal and twice pledging the betrayal, Satan took control of his heart and he went out immediately into the night to do his work quickly. The betrayal warns every follower that none is exempt from that danger and calls all to humble repentance and dependence on Christ, while forbidding exclusion of anyone from footwashing and the supper since none can read the heart, and calling for long patience and restoring love toward the erring instead of driving them away.

Troubled Announcement at Supper

Jesus was deeply troubled in spirit as He solemnly and sorrowfully testified that one of His own disciples would betray Him. He spoke this at the Passover supper shared with His disciples during their last week together, just before His betrayal and crucifixion when He would suffer rejection. It came right after His teaching that receiving the one He sends is receiving Him and the Father who sent Him.

The one He meant was one of the twelve who had shared His table, heard His teaching, and been treated as a beloved friend in close fellowship and love. That word was fulfilled in Judas Iscariot the son of Simon, who would betray Him into the hands of wicked men.

The announcement astonished the disciples, who could not imagine treachery from among themselves or that any of the twelve could act so toward their Teacher. They looked on one another in doubt, not knowing whom He meant, and each was led to examine his own heart and ask whether he himself was the one. Judas alone remained silent at first.

When the disciple leaning on His breast asked who it was, He answered it was the one sharing the dish with Him to whom He would give a dipped sop. He gave it to Judas, warned of woe and grave consequence upon betraying the Son of man, and answered Judas with Thou hast said. After the sop Satan entered into Judas, Jesus told him to do quickly what he was doing, and Judas left immediately, and it was night.

Foreknowledge and Final Appeal

Jesus spoke of the betrayal beforehand so that when it came to pass the disciples would believe in Him, giving them evidence of His divine knowledge, foreknowledge, and Messiahship to strengthen their faith through His coming humiliation. He perfectly knew Judas's secret purpose, hidden thoughts, and character, yet He did not expose him with rebuke or withhold His ministry from one He knew was working to betray Him. He tenderly included Judas, kept him a place at the table and did not refuse him or send him away, washed his feet and even made him first, and allowed him to share in the sacrament. Judas remained among the chosen apostles though Jesus knew he would betray Him, and Jesus bore patiently with him.

That announcement and that humbling service to the worst sinner were the last act of love He could show, a final, convincing appeal of love to break his heart, move him to shame and conviction and willingness to confess, bring him to repentance, and save him from taking that fatal step and from the snare of Satan. The warning revealed that He knew Judas's hidden plan and gave convincing proof of His divinity, while the tender service to the disciples still offered Judas one more chance to turn from his plan. Judas still had opportunity to repent even after twice pledging to betray Jesus, but when he rejected this final appeal his case was decided.

The other disciples knew nothing and still esteemed Judas as a man of great capabilities, breadth of knowledge, and valuable qualifications, with nothing villainous in appearance or deportment. He had often been deeply impressed under the working of the Holy Spirit and knew better, and his heart thrilled with an impulse to then and there confess and cast out Satan. He was alarmed by the discovery of his guilt but did not repent, and the discovery only made him more determined to carry out the betrayal. Having given up hope of temporal preferment and seeking to obliterate all he had heard, he turned the wrong way and braced his soul against light, letting the enemy persuade him the greater the love expressed that Christ was a pretense and not the Son of God, until he fought away from Jesus and became a traitor and betrayer. After that rejection his course was decided and Satan took control of his heart and mind, and he went out to carry out the betrayal.

Infinite love granted him every opportunity and left nothing undone that could be done to save him from the snare of Satan. Yet infinite love could not compel him to repent, confess his sin, and be saved. That announcement at the supper table, with its warning and pathos and meaning of woe upon the betrayer, still left hope open. Even at the kiss in Gethsemane Judas could still have been saved by yielding and confessing his traitor work, and Jesus would have freely forgiven him just as He afterward saved the thief on the cross.

Warning and Example Today

The chapter warns against following the course of Judas in betraying the Lord, calling for turning from ambition and sin through humble repentance and contrition and complete dependence on God through Christ. No follower is exempt from the danger of betraying the Master as Judas did, for the declaration that one of His own disciples would betray Him was fulfilled in Judas. Not betraying Him requires working out personal salvation with fear and trembling, with genuine religious influence and unwavering faith in Christ as a personal Saviour, and youth are to live by this principle, with the loyal experience it demands needed by all.

Foreknowledge of betrayal does not justify excluding anyone from footwashing and the supper, and the service is not to be deferred because some present are not cleansed. Even knowing beforehand that Judas would betray Him and leave the table to do it, Jesus washed his feet and kept him a place at the table and did not refuse him or send him away, and allowed him to share in the sacrament. Human beings cannot read the secrets of the soul and cannot tell who is worthy and who is not, and cannot reliably distinguish the sincere from the insincere, and participation does not prove the heart united with truth, so no one is to stay away from the ordinance because an unworthy person is present and no one is to decide who may take part, and none who claim to be Christians should be excluded. Supposed error and sin in another is no reason to divorce from him, refuse association, or drive him onto the devil's battleground, but to hold out every inducement to receive Christ, repent, and be cleansed, seeking to restore and not to destroy.

That Judas was counted among the chosen apostles teaches that false-hearted people may be found among those who serve Christ. Their presence should prompt long patience with perverse human nature rather than surprise or discouragement, as Jesus bore patiently with him though He knew he would betray Him. Outward faults do not prove someone is like Judas, since Peter often appeared worse, yet grace made his life one of service and sacrifice.

The betrayal marks the setting of Christ's prayer for unity before His crucifixion, when troubled in spirit He solemnly told the disciples that one of them would betray Him just before His betrayal and crucifixion. In that prayer unity and love are represented, and living out that prayer brings love and unity that withstand Satan's attacks.