Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake.
At the Passover meal on the night He was betrayed as He instituted the memorial of His sacrifice, Peter did not ask Jesus directly who would betray Him but silently signaled to John, who was leaning on Jesus' breast in close love and intimacy, to ask for him. Jesus had been troubled in spirit by declaring that one of them would betray Him, and the disciples looked on one another in fear, self-distrust and deep distress to learn whom He meant. He identified the betrayer as the one sharing the dish with Him, the one to whom He would give the dipped sop, and He gave it to Judas Iscariot, after which Satan entered Judas and he went out immediately into the night. Though He alone could read Judas's secret purpose, He gave no rebuke and did not expose him, but treated him with goodness, humility and love, washing his feet and letting him remain at the table and share the sacrament as a tender final appeal to repent. His long patience with false believers warns against striving for first place or betraying the Lord, and calls all believers to live with genuine faith in Christ as a personal Saviour and to bear patiently with the faulty since hearts cannot be read.
Passover Supper Exchange
The setting is the Passover meal on the night Christ was betrayed, when He instituted the Lord's Supper to commemorate His sacrifice. Peter did not ask Jesus directly who the betrayer was but silently beckoned to John, the disciple lying on Jesus' breast beside Him, to ask for him. John's place leaning on Jesus' breast shows his close love and intimacy with Jesus, and his eagerness to receive His teaching and companionship.
After Jesus was troubled in spirit and said one of the disciples would betray Him, the disciples looked on one another doubting whom He meant. They searched one another's faces and in fear, self-distrust and deep distress sought to learn who it was. At Peter's prompting the disciple on His breast asked, Lord, who is it.
Jesus identified the betrayer as the one sharing the dish with Him and dipping his hand with Him in the dish. More specifically, He said it was he to whom He would give a sop when dipped. He then gave it to Judas Iscariot the son of Simon, after which Satan entered Judas and Jesus told him to do quickly what he did, and Judas went immediately out into the night to carry out his plan.
Judas's silence while the others sought the betrayer's identity, together with Jesus' answer, exposed his guilt. Judas then asked whether he was the one, which revealed his guilt to the disciples and led him to leave the room.
Christ's Patient Knowledge of Judas
None of the disciples knew the purposes of Judas, for Jesus alone could read his secret. Peter's silent beckoning to learn who the betrayer would be arose from that shared ignorance among the eleven. Judas did not look or act like a villain, but was regarded by his fellow disciples as a man of great capabilities, with breadth of knowledge and valuable qualifications.
Though He knew Judas would betray Him, Jesus gave him no word of rebuke and did not expose him. He treated him with goodness, humility and love, washing his feet, even washing them first, and letting him remain at the table. The touch of Christ's hands thrilled his heart with an impulse to confess. His dealings with Judas at the supper showed He knew the hidden purpose and gave him a tender, final appeal of love and opportunity to repent through His ministry to the disciples. Judas was surprised and alarmed but did not repent.
He braced his soul against light, fought away from the working of the Holy Spirit, rejected the appeal, and went out to betray Jesus. Jesus thus revealed to Judas that He knew his intent, so that when Judas came to the garden he knew Jesus was not ignorant of his action. Jesus knew Judas, one of His chosen apostles, would betray Him, yet washed his feet and allowed him to share in the sacrament. The scene shows Christ's long patience with human perversity and His willingness to bear patiently with false believers rather than lose a soul.
Warning and Example Today
John 13:24 belongs to the account where Peter signals to the disciple beside Jesus to ask who He means when He says one will betray Him, and that chapter calls for careful study of Christ's example and warns against striving for first place or acting like Judas in betraying the Lord. Jesus knew Judas, one of His chosen apostles, would betray Him and still bore patiently with him, showing that even those who know another's heart should treat people at fault with patience. Jesus knew Judas would betray Him, yet washed his feet and allowed him to share in the sacrament at the final meal where Judas was present among the disciples, showing that those who claim to be Christians should not be excluded from the service, since people cannot read hearts or reliably distinguish the unfaithful from the faithful. Working out salvation with fear and trembling means youth and all believers live with genuine religious influence and unwavering faith in Christ as a personal Saviour so they will never betray Him as Judas betrayed his Master.
At the Passover meal on the night He was betrayed as He instituted the memorial of His sacrifice, Peter did not ask Jesus directly who would betray Him but silently signaled to John, who was leaning on Jesus' breast in close love and intimacy, to ask for him. Jesus had been troubled in spirit by declaring that one of them would betray Him, and the disciples looked on one another in fear, self-distrust and deep distress to learn whom He meant. He identified the betrayer as the one sharing the dish with Him, the one to whom He would give the dipped sop, and He gave it to Judas Iscariot, after which Satan entered Judas and he went out immediately into the night. Though He alone could read Judas's secret purpose, He gave no rebuke and did not expose him, but treated him with goodness, humility and love, washing his feet and letting him remain at the table and share the sacrament as a tender final appeal to repent. His long patience with false believers warns against striving for first place or betraying the Lord, and calls all believers to live with genuine faith in Christ as a personal Saviour and to bear patiently with the faulty since hearts cannot be read.
Passover Supper Exchange
The setting is the Passover meal on the night Christ was betrayed, when He instituted the Lord's Supper to commemorate His sacrifice. Peter did not ask Jesus directly who the betrayer was but silently beckoned to John, the disciple lying on Jesus' breast beside Him, to ask for him. John's place leaning on Jesus' breast shows his close love and intimacy with Jesus, and his eagerness to receive His teaching and companionship.
After Jesus was troubled in spirit and said one of the disciples would betray Him, the disciples looked on one another doubting whom He meant. They searched one another's faces and in fear, self-distrust and deep distress sought to learn who it was. At Peter's prompting the disciple on His breast asked, Lord, who is it.
Jesus identified the betrayer as the one sharing the dish with Him and dipping his hand with Him in the dish. More specifically, He said it was he to whom He would give a sop when dipped. He then gave it to Judas Iscariot the son of Simon, after which Satan entered Judas and Jesus told him to do quickly what he did, and Judas went immediately out into the night to carry out his plan.
Judas's silence while the others sought the betrayer's identity, together with Jesus' answer, exposed his guilt. Judas then asked whether he was the one, which revealed his guilt to the disciples and led him to leave the room.
Christ's Patient Knowledge of Judas
None of the disciples knew the purposes of Judas, for Jesus alone could read his secret. Peter's silent beckoning to learn who the betrayer would be arose from that shared ignorance among the eleven. Judas did not look or act like a villain, but was regarded by his fellow disciples as a man of great capabilities, with breadth of knowledge and valuable qualifications.
Though He knew Judas would betray Him, Jesus gave him no word of rebuke and did not expose him. He treated him with goodness, humility and love, washing his feet, even washing them first, and letting him remain at the table. The touch of Christ's hands thrilled his heart with an impulse to confess. His dealings with Judas at the supper showed He knew the hidden purpose and gave him a tender, final appeal of love and opportunity to repent through His ministry to the disciples. Judas was surprised and alarmed but did not repent.
He braced his soul against light, fought away from the working of the Holy Spirit, rejected the appeal, and went out to betray Jesus. Jesus thus revealed to Judas that He knew his intent, so that when Judas came to the garden he knew Jesus was not ignorant of his action. Jesus knew Judas, one of His chosen apostles, would betray Him, yet washed his feet and allowed him to share in the sacrament. The scene shows Christ's long patience with human perversity and His willingness to bear patiently with false believers rather than lose a soul.
Warning and Example Today
John 13:24 belongs to the account where Peter signals to the disciple beside Jesus to ask who He means when He says one will betray Him, and that chapter calls for careful study of Christ's example and warns against striving for first place or acting like Judas in betraying the Lord. Jesus knew Judas, one of His chosen apostles, would betray Him and still bore patiently with him, showing that even those who know another's heart should treat people at fault with patience. Jesus knew Judas would betray Him, yet washed his feet and allowed him to share in the sacrament at the final meal where Judas was present among the disciples, showing that those who claim to be Christians should not be excluded from the service, since people cannot read hearts or reliably distinguish the unfaithful from the faithful. Working out salvation with fear and trembling means youth and all believers live with genuine religious influence and unwavering faith in Christ as a personal Saviour so they will never betray Him as Judas betrayed his Master.