John 13:22-30 (NIV)
His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”
Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”
Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.
“What you are about to do, do quickly,” Jesus told him, but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.
Jesus’ prediction that one of His closest followers would betray Him sent shock waves through the group and made each of them look at the others with suspicion. Jesus clearly knew who it was, or He would not have spoken with such certainty.
Simon Peter was sitting across from Jesus, with John (John 21:20-24) sitting right next to Jesus. From across the table, Simon caught John’s eye and prompted him to ask Jesus specifically who He was referring to. John then asked Jesus the question in hushed tones, unheard by the rest as they talked over what Jesus had said. Jesus quietly told him that He would show him by handing the guilty party a piece of bread dipped in meat juice.
Sharing food was a mark of true friendship, and this action would have been interpreted by the others as a sign of favor, not accusation. But for Judas, this was not a heart-warming moment. Instead, Jesus’ act of kindness further hardened his heart, and set his mind even more on opposing Jesus, noted by John as satan (“the adversary”) entering his heart.
Jesus sensed the hardening of Judas’ heart, and knew in that moment that nothing could be done to change it. His soft, “What you are about to do, do quickly,” was at one time both a sad acknowledgement and an ironic blessing. Even Jesus’ betrayal was part of God’s plan, and Jesus would fully submit to it, even though it broke His heart to lose one of those with whom He had lived and worked so closely over the last few years.
The other disicples, apart from John, and possibly Simon, were unaware of the significance of Jesus sharing the bread with Judas. They knew that Judas was in charge of the group’s money, so when they heard Jesus command him to act quickly, they assumed that he was being sent out to get something for the dinner, or to give a gift to the poor on Jesus’ behalf. They would fully understand in just a couple of hours when Judas showed up with a contingent of temple guards to arrest Jesus, but in the meantime, they simply continued to eat.
John’s statement that when Judas left the group it was night has both a literal and a spiritual meaning. Since the feast began at sunset, this far into the celebration it really would be dark night outside, the time when evil was typically done due to the cover it provided. But Jesus had also used the word “night” to contrast with His own claim to be the light of the world (John 9:4-5, 12:35-36). As Judas left, it was the first step toward the light of the world being snuffed out.
Father, so much was going on beneath the surface of this celebration, unseen by all but Jesus who knew what was in the heart of all people (John 2:25). Help me to keep my eyes fully open so that I am never blindsided by the events that go on around me. Instead, help me to walk in Your light every day. Amen.
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