John 13:26, commentary and pictures

At the Passover supper Jesus identified His betrayer as the one to whom He would give a morsel after dipping it in the shared dish, and He then gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. The other disciples did not grasp the meaning of the act, for He gave Judas no rebuke and did not expose him to them, though the act itself openly marked Judas and was followed by Satan entering him and his going at once out into the night. The sign was a final tender appeal of love, making clear that Jesus fully knew Judas's hidden purpose and thoughts and still gave him opportunity to turn back and be freely forgiven if he confessed. Jesus bore with him to the last with goodness and humility, washing his feet with His own hands and keeping him a place at the table, yet Judas refused to repent and left more determined to carry out his plan. His long patience with a chosen apostle who was a traitor teaches His followers to bear patiently with the false-hearted and not to judge hearts or exclude any from the sacred service.

The Betrayer Identified

At the Passover supper Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified that one of the disciples would betray Him, and while they looked on one another doubting whom He meant, He answered the quiet question from the disciple lying on His breast by saying the betrayer was the one to whom He would give a sop after dipping it. He then gave the dipped sop from the shared dish to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, thereby identifying him as the one who would betray Him. The sign of sharing the dish and giving the dipped piece of bread marked Judas as the betrayer.

The other disciples knew nothing of Judas's secret purpose to betray Him. They did not hear Jesus' words to Judas and did not understand the giving of the sop as a sign. Jesus gave him no word of rebuke and did not expose him to them.

The act nevertheless marked Judas openly as the betrayer. After it Satan entered into him, Jesus told him to do quickly what he was doing, and Judas received the sop and went immediately out into the night. Judas's silence and later question do not conceal his guilt, and Jesus answers him solemnly. The betrayal fulfills what was written about the Son of man, yet the dipping and giving of the sop was a direct personal warning to Judas of his exposed treachery and of the meaning of the woe pronounced on the betrayer, so that he could not later think Christ was ignorant of his action in Gethsemane.

Love's Final Appeal Rejected

The dipped sop was a sign that laid open hidden purpose, thoughts and plans, revealing the traitor and giving the disciples evidence of divine foresight, divinity and Messiahship. It was given so that Judas could not afterward suppose in Gethsemane that Christ had been ignorant of his action. The exposure was final and convincing proof, a tender last opportunity and appeal of love for Judas to turn back and repent. He was still included in the ministry to the disciples, and even after that revelation he was not beyond hope, for Jesus still longed to save him and would have freely forgiven him if he had then confessed his traitor's work, just as He afterward saved the thief on the cross.

Jesus bore with him patiently though He knew he would betray Him, treating him with goodness, humility and enduring divine love. He washed his soiled feet first with His own hands and wiped them with the towel, and did not refuse him a place at the table. That kindness thrilled Judas's heart with an impulse to confess his sin then and there. It was a sample of how Jesus had treated him through all their association.

Judas was not villainous in appearance or deportment, but was looked upon by the disciples as a man of great capabilities with breadth of knowledge and valuable qualifications if sanctified to God's service. He was angry that Jesus did a servant's work in washing his feet without winning his love, and seeing that Jesus would not be made king and having given up all hope of temporal preferment, he became more determined to betray Him. He turned the wrong way, bracing his soul against light he knew better and seeking to obliterate from his mind all he had heard. The greater the love Christ expressed toward him, the more powerful were the enemy's presentations that Christ was not the Son of God but a pretence, and though often deeply impressed by the working of the Holy Spirit, he fought away from Jesus and allowed himself to become the channel of darkness.

He was surprised and alarmed by the exposure but felt no fear or change, did not repent, and became more firmly set on his plan. In anger he left the supper room at once to carry out his wicked plan, his feet which Jesus had washed going out to betray Him. His going relieved everyone present, lightened Jesus' face, and lifted the shadow from the disciples.

Lessons for Believers

The giving of the dipped sop to Judas Iscariot shows that he was numbered among the chosen apostles even though he was a traitor, and that Jesus knew he would betray Him yet bore with him patiently. That experience reveals Christ's long patience with perverse human nature. His example teaches His followers to bear patiently with false brethren and with those who are false-hearted or at fault.

Though He knew Judas would betray Him, Jesus washed his soiled feet and did not refuse him a place at the table at the final meal, but allowed him to partake in the sacrament. His presence there shows that people cannot judge who is worthy to take part in the ordinance, because they cannot read another person's heart. No one should therefore be excluded from the service on the basis of judgments about hearts. Christ's words in this chapter rebuke defiling unkind talk and passing judgment, and call for the Holy Spirit to cleanse the lips as with a living coal from self-assured conversation that hurts souls and spoils God's work. To ignore these words while giving counsels is to handle strange fire, and such counsels become a savor of death unto death instead of a savor of life unto life. Since Judas betrayed his Master, all, especially the youth, must work out their own salvation with fear and trembling, keeping religious influence genuine and faith in Christ as a personal Saviour unwavering, so they will never betray Christ as Judas did, and gaining this loyal experience is what all need.