Mark 14:21
The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born. The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born.
At the Passover meal when the Lord's Supper was instituted, Jesus foretold that one of the Twelve would betray Him, speaking with full knowledge of Judas's hidden purpose so the disciples examined themselves, while Judas remained silent at first and then was identified as the betrayer and left to carry out his plan. The woe upon the betrayer was spoken with touching forbearance to give Judas a last chance to repent by proving all his thoughts were known, and to give the disciples crowning evidence of divine foresight so they would not think their Master was deceived or surprised and their faith would be strengthened. His going as it is written means His death fulfilled what was written of Him and was foreordained, yet that fulfillment did not excuse the betrayer, who remained responsible and faced terrible judgment, so that it would have been better for him never to have been born. The same terrible loss falls on anyone who brings ruin to another soul by taking Christ's place to control minds and turn them from the word, by knowingly undermining a message God sends to correct wrongdoing, or by teaching vile practices and leading others into sin. Birth itself is of little consequence compared with life, since daily living either honors or dishonors the day of birth, and the lives of many show nonexistence would be preferable, whether in betraying God's cause, in a life ruled by impatience and irritability that loses heaven, or in exalting self to oppose God's purposes.
Passover Setting and Foreknowledge
The words were spoken at the Passover meal on the night of the betrayal, when the Lord's Supper was instituted. At that supper they foretold that one of the Twelve would betray him. They were spoken with full knowledge of Judas's hidden purpose. The announcement led the disciples to examine themselves.
Judas, though specially favored and close to Jesus, remained silent at first. His silence and evasive question about whether he was the betrayer drew attention to him. The answer identified him as the betrayer. He then left to carry out his plan.
The woe on the betrayer was spoken with touching forbearance and mercy. It was meant to give Judas one last chance to repent. It did so by proving that all his thoughts were known and by giving final proof of divinity before repentance was too late. But he hardened in his plan.
The woe was also spoken to reveal Judas's hidden purpose. It was meant to give the disciples crowning evidence of Messiahship and of divine foresight and foreknowledge. Thus they would not think their Master was deceived or surprised by the mob. Their faith would be strengthened during his humiliation. After Judas came to his dreadful end they would remember the warning and believe.
Written Course and Accountability
The going of the Son of man as it is written means His death fulfilled what was written about Him and was foreordained beforehand. That fulfillment did not excuse the betrayer, for guilt and doom rest on him, and he remained responsible for his betrayal and faced woe and terrible judgment.
The declaration that it would have been better for that man never to have been born shows the terrible consequence of his chosen treachery. Acting as Judas did includes betraying God's cause, and those who do so will wish they had never been born when they face their account in the day of judgment.
Birth itself is of little consequence compared with life, since daily living either honors or dishonors the day of birth. The lives of many show it would have been better for them if they had never been born.
Warnings for Present Conduct
It would be better never to have been born than to bring ruin upon another person's soul, for the loss involved is terrible beyond measure. This applies to anyone who puts himself in Christ's place by seeking to control the minds of those who belong to Christ, turning them away from the word and placing their eternal life in peril. Such a course brings punishment, and unless there is repentance and confession the one who follows it will lose eternal life.
It would be better never to have been born than to take upon oneself the guilt of betraying the Son of man. The same woe rests on those who knowingly stand against a message God sends to correct a wrongdoer, by excusing his refusal and helping him to continue in wrongdoing. They become partakers in the transgressor's guilt and will suffer with him unless they humble themselves and truly repent.
The same warning reaches those who teach others corrupt practices and lead them into sin, for their suffering will include not only their own sins but also the sins into which they led others. It reaches also a life governed by impatience and irritability, for unless those defects are overcome the life will prove a failure and heaven will be lost, so that never to have existed would be preferable. To persist in evil brings condemnation so fearful that nonexistence would be better, a principle applied conditionally to one who exalts self and exerts a deceptive influence over others. Those who uphold such a delusion and reject warning will likewise be judged for their own actions, and whoever exalts himself in opposition to God's purposes and refuses to change would be better off never having been born.