21 When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” 22 Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke. 23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. 25 Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him. 29 For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. 30 Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night.
Commentary
Vs. 21 When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”
Knowing then that His betrayer was at hand, and that the hour of His betrayal had now come, Jesus having told the disciples these things was troubled in spirit, literally He was troubled to the depths of His soul. And yet Jesus always knew who was going to betray Him, and yet not until this very time did He ever reveal these things to His faithful disciples. To carry then that burden of knowing who was going to betray Him, and yet never able to speak of it until the time of it, would ‘ve been almost as hard to bear as the betrayal itself!
Vs. 22 “Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke.”
Upon hearing Jesus say this the disciples are perplexed about whom He spoke, for none of them had ever harbored such thoughts or desires, and so for Jesus to say this now during this intimate meal with them must have seemed almost surreal to them.
Vs. 23-25 23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. 25 Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?”
During meals in ancient days people did not sit formally at tables, rather their meal time was often very relaxed and informal, where people gathered around and shared food from a common table or plate, and often they did this while sitting or reclining on couches around the low lying table or a mat which the food was placed upon. And so, it was that there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of the disciples who He loved who was John who wrote this Gospel (vs. 23). Therefore, Simon motioned to him to ask Jesus who it was of whom He spoke (vs. 24). Then John leaning back on Jesus’ breast said to him, “Lord, who is it?” (vs. 25). Clearly then by the disciples relaxed demeaner they were not really digesting completely the things which Jesus had just told them. And so, though they were initially taken aback that one of them would betray Jesus, yet none of them felt that way towards Him, and so it seems they all quickly dismissed the notion, at least the seriousness and immediacy of what Jesus had just told them.
Vs. 26-27 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”
Jesus though knows that His betrayal is now at hand, and so only now does He reveal who will do this to Him, and yet Jesus does this is in a very subtle way so as not to immediately alert His disciples to His betrayer, because it must still take place, and so in responding to John’s casual inquiry, Jesus now says, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And so, Jesus now causally dips a piece of bread and hands it to Judas Iscariot and says to him, “What you do, do quickly.” Therefore Jesus having just told how He would reveal His betrayer and then looking into the face of Judas Iscariot while reaching over to hand him the bread might’ve caused Judas to withdraw from doing what he was about to do, but as the Scripture notes, Satan entered him when he received the bread, and so for Judas there would now be no turning back from his betraying Jesus. For he himself had opened the door to Satan when he began his plot to betray Jesus long ago.
Vs. 28-29 28 But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him. 29 For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.
The disciples though did not understand what Jesus meant when He said to Judas, “What you do, do quickly.” For they thought Jesus had just sent Judas on some kind of errand, that because he had the money box that he should get some supplies for the feast, or that he should go and give something to the poor (vs. 28-29), which was a common gesture when the Jews kept and celebrated their religious feasts.
Vs. 30 “Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night.”
Judas then having received the bread (which in that moment he could’ve refused, and thus repented of his evil deed) instead he receives it from Jesus’ hand, and having received it he immediately goes out, showing that he himself was willingly and wanting to betray Jesus. Now the Scripture notes that it was night when this occurred, which seems most appropriate that in the darkness of night Judas in the darkness of his own heart and soul, which had just committed itself to Satan, went out at night to betray Jesus Christ!
Scripture Quotations
New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson.
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