Jesus Foretells His Betrayal

(Gospel of John 13:18 - 13:38)

"I do not speak to all of you; I know the ones I have chosen.  This is a fulfillment of the scripture that says, 'He with whom I have shared my food will turn against me.'  I tell you this in advance, so that when it happens you will believe that I am the One.  I tell you truly that whoever receives someone I have sent receives me, as anyone who receives me, receives the one who sent me."

Jesus then become deeply perturbed.  He announced, “Truly I must tell you -- one of you will betray me!"

The disciples looked querulously at each other, wondering which one of them he meant.  One of them, the disciple Jesus loved most, was reclining at the table next to him.  Simon-Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus who it was he was talking about.  That disciple, leaning closely to Jesus, asked of him, "Master, who is it?"

"It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread after I have dipped into the bowl," Jesus replied. Jesus dipped the piece of bread into the bowl and gave it to --- Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.  As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan took possession of him.  “Do quickly what you are to do."  Jesus bid him.  (None at the table knew what Jesus meant; some thought that since Judas was their treasurer, Jesus was instructing him to go out and buy food for the festival or make a donation to the poor.)  After Judas had taken the piece of bread, he immediately departed into the night.

After he had left, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified and God has been glorified through him.  Since God has received glory from his son, he will give glory to his son. ... Dear children, I will be with you only a little while longer.  You will search for me, but I will tell you what I told the Judean people, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.'  But I am giving you a new commandment: love one another.  As I have loved you, so must you love one another.  Your mutual love will show to the world that you are my disciples."

Simon-Peter asked him, "Master, where are you going?"

Jesus answered, "Where I am going, you will not now be able to follow, but will do so later on."

"But why can't I follow you now, Master?" he demanded.  "I'm ready to give my life for you!"

"Will you really give your life for me?" Jesus asked.  "I tell you truly that the cock will not crow this morn before you have denied even knowing me -- three times!"

Notes
1.  Jesus has foreknowledge of the disciple who will betray him, yet there is no explanation why he persisted in tolerating the company of a disloyal disciple.  Would such a one not hinder his efforts, undermine his teachings, and bring disgrace upon the loyal followers?  Why does Jesus allow, if not abet the act of betrayal, if it is not in his interests?  And if it is in his interests, why should the betrayer be vilified if he is actually acting in accordance to Jesus' will? 

2.  Upon taking the bread, Judas becomes possessed by Satan -- metaphorically or literally?  If the latter, then this simply means that Judas had just then changed sides, defected to those oppose Jesus and has become an antagonist, which is what the word Satan or Shaitan means. When Judas takes the bread and leaves their company, he departs into the night, as one would expect since they are partaking of the evening meal.  The night, the darkness, is probably mentioned as a symbolic reference.  Judas is leaving the light of Jesus' company and his enlightened teachings to go into the spiritual darkness.

3.  The best-loved disciple, the one sitting, or rather reclining (on one’s left side) next to Jesus at the table, who is availed upon by the disciple-leader Simon-Peter to ask Jesus who the betrayer is, is not here named, but is generally thought to be John, the presumed author of this gospel.  Jesus tells him the betrayer is the one who will take the piece of bread Jesus has dipped into the bowl.  (Bread would have been used in lieu of dinner utensils: a piece of bread would scoop up pieces of food like a spoon or fork and convey them to the mouth or be used as a sop to soak up a sauce.  What was in the bowl was not mentioned and, apparently, not of any significance, symbolic or otherwise.)  Obviously this remark had to be a confidential one, not heard by the other disciples, especially by Judas, who takes the bread, presumably eats it, and then leaves.  The fact that Judas departs without explanation but on what seems to be a cue from Jesus suggests that the whole act of betrayal has been contrived by Jesus.

4.  Jesus prophecies the denial of Peter, but it seems only a put down of that disciple's enthusiastic support of Jesus and the claim that he would willingly die for him.

5.  Jesus makes clear he is leaving them to rejoin his Father in Heaven, but hints that at some future point the disciples will able to be with him there.  One surmises that this would be after the resurrection of the dead and the Day of Judgment.