When he had said this, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, “Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, at a loss as to whom he meant. 23 One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was reclining at Jesus’ side. 24 So Simon Peter nodded to him to find out whom he meant. 25 He leaned back against Jesus’ chest and said to him, “Master, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I hand the morsel after I have dipped it.” So he dipped the morsel and [took it and] handed it to Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot. 27 After he took the morsel, Satan entered him. So Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 28 [Now] none of those reclining at table realized why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus had told him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or to give something to the poor. 30 So he took the morsel and left at once. And it was night.
In John 13:21–30, we witness a solemn moment at the Last Supper: Jesus announces that one of His own will betray Him. This disclosure reveals not only His divine foreknowledge but also the deep sorrow of One who loves even His betrayer. When Jesus gives Judas a morsel of bread—a gesture of friendship and honor (cf. Ruth 2:14)—it is not merely a sign but the very moment Satan enters Judas (v. 27), initiating the final movement toward the Cross. Jesus then says, “What you are going to do, do quickly” (v. 27), not out of resignation, but as a command that sets in motion the hour of His glorification (cf. John 12:23).
This episode is not incidental; it fulfills the Scripture: “The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me” (John 13:18; Psalm 41:10), showing that betrayal has always marked the path of God’s suffering servants. Like Joseph betrayed by his brothers (Gen. 37:18–28) and David pursued by those close to him, Jesus walks the road of rejection that leads to redemption. But unlike those figures, Jesus enters betrayal knowingly and willingly, for this is the hour for which He came (John 12:27). Even in the darkness that now falls (John 13:30), God’s plan is not thwarted but unfolding.
This moment invites us to reflect on Christ’s unwavering obedience to the Father (Phil. 2:8), His love for His enemies (Rom. 5:8), and the mystery of human freedom even amid divine providence. Judas’s act, freely chosen, becomes the means through which salvation will be accomplished (Acts 2:23). As night descends, the Light of the world prepares to offer Himself, revealing that even betrayal cannot stop the redemptive love of God.
Lord Jesus, in the shadow of betrayal, Your love did not waver. Though one of Your own turned against You, You chose the path of obedience and mercy. Help us to remain faithful when darkness surrounds us. Teach us to love even when it costs us deeply and may we never take for granted the price of our redemption. Shine Your light into the night of our hearts, and keep us close to You always. Amen!
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: The Pentateuch. Four Courts Press, 2017
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
Comments