Part 2, The Last Supper: Judas Betrays Jesus

John 13:21-30 (CSB)

We are continuing in John 13, looking at some of the events that took place during the night of the Last Supper of Jesus and His disciples. Last week, we looked closely at Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. Today, we will examine Judas’ betrayal of Jesus.

Have you ever wondered how Judas, who had spent so much time with Jesus, heard Jesus’ profound teachings and saw first-hand all the amazing miracles He performed, could betray Jesus? I’ve often been baffled by this. I think we find the explanation for it, though, in John’s account of this night.

We read last week in John 13:10, how Jesus had said, “You are clean, but not all of you.” In Ellicott’s commentary, he says about those words, “This is the moral application, accompanied by the mournful thought that it was not true of all. One there was among those who had been bathed who had allowed evil to enter into his heart and pollute it. For him cleansing had been neglected, and the daily corruption of the world had remained; evil thoughts had been harboured, until at length they had made corrupt the whole man (comp. note on John 15:4).”

Ellicott is correct, and he references John 15:4, which says, “Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.” This verse is said by Jesus later that same night, as He speaks with the remaining disciples.

It would take a lot of sermons to go through all that Jesus said that evening. But looking at just this verse, we can see how it clearly applies to Judas. The key to following Jesus is contained in the words, “Remain in Me.” If we remain, or as other translations say, if we abide in Christ, then we have the promise that He will abide in us. But in order to do this, we must know who Christ is and who we are apart from Christ, so that we can become a fruitful branch of the Vine. These are things that Judas obviously had failed to understand.

With all this in mind, now let’s read the text for today. John 13:21-30 says,

“21 When Jesus had said this, he was troubled in his spirit and testified, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.’

22 The disciples started looking at one another—uncertain which one he was speaking about. 23 One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was reclining close beside Jesus. 24 Simon Peter motioned to him to find out who it was he was talking about. 25 So he leaned back against Jesus and asked him, ‘Lord, who is it?’

26 Jesus replied, ‘He’s the one I give the piece of bread to after I have dipped it.’ When he had dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son. 27 After Judas ate the piece of bread, Satan entered him. So Jesus told him, ‘What you’re doing, do quickly.’

28 None of those reclining at the table knew why he said this to him. 29 Since Judas kept the money-bag, some thought that Jesus was telling him, ‘Buy what we need for the festival,’ or that he should give something to the poor. 30 After receiving the piece of bread, he immediately left. And it was night.”

There is a lot that could be said about this moment, but I want to focus on Judas. Again, why did Judas, who was one of the twelve disciples, betray Jesus? I think Judas betrayed Jesus because he didn’t know these three important things: Judas didn’t know who Jesus was, nor who he was, nor who he would become.

Let’s look at these three things, one at a time. The first is: Judas didn’t know Who Jesus was- he didn’t know Jesus was the Messiah. To understand why I think this, let’s read about this moment at dinner from the other Gospel writers’ perspectives. Matthew 26:21-25 says: “While they were eating, he said, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.’

Deeply distressed, each one began to say to him, ‘Surely not I, Lord?’

He replied, ‘The one who dipped his hand with me in the bowl—he will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him if he had not been born.’

Judas, his betrayer, replied, ‘Surely not I, Rabbi?’

‘You have said it,’ he told him.”

Reading this moment again, but this time in Mark 14:18-21, we learn a little more: “While they were reclining and eating, Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.’

They began to be distressed and to say to him one by one, ‘Surely not I?’

He said to them, ‘It is one of the Twelve—the one who is dipping bread in the bowl with me. For the Son of Man will go just as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him if he had not been born.’”

Finally, Luke 22:21-23 says: “‘But look, the hand of the one betraying me is at the table with me. For the Son of Man will go away as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!’ So they began to argue among themselves which of them it could be who was going to do it.”

All the disciples wanted to know the answer to the question: who is the betrayer? They were all worried. But one thing that stands out to me when reading each of these accounts is the different words that the disciples used to call Jesus. Matthew 26:22&25 say, “Deeply distressed, each one began to say to him, ‘Surely not I, Lord?’” whereas “Judas, his betrayer, replied, ‘Surely not I, Rabbi?’”

This is why I think Judas didn’t know was who Jesus was. Judas calls Jesus “Rabbi,” which means teacher. However, the other disciples call Jesus “Lord,” which is the Greek word kurios, and it means, “Lord, master, owner.” In John’s account, John also uses the word Lord, and not teacher. Is this significant? I think so. Even though at other times the disciples had called Jesus “Rabbi,” I think the fact that on this night Judas did not say Lord as the others were doing is very telling. Judas did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah, otherwise why wouldn’t he call Him master? I think that is because Judas did not know who Jesus really was.

Do you know who Jesus is? I’m afraid there are a lot of people who believe that Jesus is “teacher” instead of Lord. They view Him as a moral teacher or wise prophet or profound source of wisdom, but they do not submit to Him as a servant submits to his or her master. Who is Jesus to you? Is He your master or is He just a teacher? If we want to abide in Christ, we must place ourselves under the Lordship of Jesus. The only way we will do that is if we truly know that He is not just a good teacher, but is the very Son of God.

Judas didn’t know who Jesus was, so he probably thought he could expose Jesus as a fraud. But Judas was wrong. Jesus obviously wasn’t an imposter; He truly was the Son of God. I like what Barnes’ Notes on the Bible says about this: “Judas was with him more than three years. He was treated with the same confidence as the others, and in some respects even with superior confidence, as he had ‘the bag’ John 12:6, or was the treasurer. He saw the Saviour in public and in private, heard his public discourses and his private conversation, and he would have been just the witness which the high priests and Pharisees would have desired, if he had known any reason why he should be condemned. Yet he alleged nothing against him. Though he betrayed him, yet he afterward said that he was innocent, and, under the convictions of conscience, committed suicide. If Judas had known anything against the Saviour he would have alleged it. If he had known that he was an impostor, and had alleged it, he would have saved his own life and been rewarded. If Jesus was an impostor, he ought to have made it known, and to have been rewarded for it.”

So, Judas didn’t know who Jesus was. Then, when Jesus is condemned, Judas realizes he was the one who was wrong. Full of regret, he kills himself. He dies, never fully realizing who Jesus was. 

The second thing Judas didn’t know was who he was- he was blind to himself. This is because Judas’ whole identity is a façade. He is considered a disciple, but he never truly was. John writes about the time a woman poured costly perfume on Jesus’ feet and Judas objected. John 12:5-6 tells us what happened. “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor? He didn’t say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the money-bag and would steal part of what was put in it.” At that time, the other disciples did not know what Judas was doing.

Maybe you have wondered why Jesus, who knows all things, would have even chosen Judas to be a disciple since He would have known what Judas would do. As Jesus says about him, “woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for him if he had not been born.” Why would Jesus have allowed him to be a disciple?

The common answer to this question is he was chosen because he was predestined according to what was prophesied in the Old Testament. As Jesus said, “The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him.” That means that everything Jesus did was according to God’s plan that was prophesied.

But I don’t want us to incorrectly think that Judas was an innocent victim of predestination. In choosing Judas as one of the twelve, Jesus didn’t predestine or cause Judas to betray Him. Look at what Barnes’ Notes on the Bible says. He says, “It showed the knowledge which the Saviour had of the human heart, that he could thus discern character before it was developed, and was able so distinctly to predict that he would betray him.”

So, Jesus chose Judas because He could see into Judas’ heart and knew Judas would be the one to betray Him. Jesus knew exactly who Judas was, but Judas didn’t. He was deceived; he didn’t know himself. He willingly sinned, and the devil possessed him as the text tells us: “After Judas ate the piece of bread, Satan entered him.”

In our text for today, we see an example of someone, though, who did know himself. Did you notice how John refers to himself as “the one Jesus loved”? Does that mean that Jesus loved John more than He loved the other disciples? For sure, Peter, James, and John were close to Jesus. But I don’t think we should assume that John was loved the most just because he’s the only one to refer to himself in this manner. I just think it means that John simply figured out, sooner than anybody else, that Jesus truly loved him. That’s why we see him next to Jesus at this meal, and why Peter urges him to ask Jesus this terrifying question: Lord, who is the betrayer? I don’t think John was afraid of that answer.

But we should remember that it’s John who writes those words. If you were writing an account of your experiences with the Lord, and you were doing so in the style of third person past tense, how would you describe yourself? Would you feel comfortable describing yourself as “the one Jesus loved”? If you wouldn’t, then let me encourage you: the more you lean into Jesus, the sooner you will find that you, too, are the one whom Jesus loves.

John knew who Jesus was, and because of that, he knew who he was: the one Jesus loved.

About 25 years ago, I was in a grocery store and a woman, dressed in her nun’s habit, approached me and said, “I can tell that Jesus really loves you.” Very touched by her words, I replied, “I really love Jesus.” I’ve thought about that encounter a lot over the years, for what she said to me is true. But it’s not just true of me, it’s a powerful message to share with other people. “I can tell that Jesus really loves you” is so much more affecting than only saying, “Jesus loves you.” Somehow, it personalizes this truth: Jesus sees you and loves you. If you struggle to believe that Jesus sees you and loves you, please don’t doubt it any longer. The fact you are reading this tells me that Jesus really loves you.

Judas could have been a disciple whom Jesus loved, instead he was duplicitous, so much so the other disciples didn’t even know what he was doing. He was not clean; he was not remaining in Christ the Vine. If we want to abide in Christ, we must be honest about who we are. We must let Him continually wash our feet. Otherwise, we must ask ourselves: are we just pretending to follow Christ when really, we are living a double life?

The third thing Judas didn’t know was what was going to happen to him- he didn’t know who he was going to become. When he decided to betray Jesus, I think he probably thought he was going to rise in rank and be congratulated. He didn’t know he would end up being so rejected by those he was trying to impress that he would kill himself and go down in history as the worst betrayer.

Matthew 27:3-5 tells us what happened after the betrayal. It says, “Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, was full of remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,’ he said.

‘What’s that to us?’ they said. ‘See to it yourself!’ So he threw the silver into the temple and departed. Then he went and hanged himself.”

What did Jesus say happens to those who do not remain in Him? John 15:6 says, “If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” That is what happened to Judas.

Judas didn’t know who Jesus was, and because of that, he didn’t know who he really was, and that’s why he was wrong about who he would become. If only Judas had understood.

But what if Judas had waited just a bit longer? If Judas hadn’t killed himself, what do you think would have happened?

Had Judas waited, he would have seen the resurrection.

Had Judas waited, he would have seen who Jesus really is- the Savior of the world. He would have seen Jesus’ resurrection and realized that Jesus truly is the Son of God. Then, all the things he heard Jesus say would have started to make sense.

Had Judas waited, he would have seen who he is- a sinner who needs forgiveness. And then he could have repented and received the love of Jesus.

Had Judas waited, he would have then seen who he could become- a forgiven and redeemed servant of God. He could have become a mouthpiece for God, and what a powerful testimony he would have had.

Peter, three times, denied knowing Jesus. What if he had despaired as Judas did? We know the rest of Peter’s life. We know how he repented and was restored in his relationship with Jesus. He was transformed, and he spent the rest of his life serving the Lord. I have no doubt that if Judas had waited, seen the resurrection, fell at Jesus’ resurrected body and wept in remorse and grief, then Jesus would have forgiven him. He would have welcomed Judas, just as He forgave and restored Peter.

You might be thinking that Peter’s denial was nothing compared to Judas’ betrayal, and therefore, we can’t know that Jesus would have forgiven him. If you’re thinking that, I want to tell you something: I have no doubt that Jesus would have forgiven Judas. Jesus will turn no one away who repents and cries out to Him.

If Judas had waited -seen the resurrection, repented before Jesus and been forgiven- can you imagine what Judas’ life would have been like after that? Can you image the powerful works that Jesus would have done through him? He would have had the most amazing testimony. He could have told people, “I was the worst. I betrayed Jesus. I sold Him out and He was killed. But Jesus forgave me. If Jesus can forgive even me, then He can forgive you, no matter what you have done!”

After all, that is what all our testimonies are, aren’t they? At least they should be! We all can testify that we were sinners, but Jesus has forgiven us.

If Judas had waited, he could have been forgiven. If he had waited, he could have said what Isaiah 25:9 says: “Look, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he has saved us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him. Let’s rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”

When we fall into sin, the devil wants us to give up. He wants us to stop remaining in Christ. He wants us to walk away from Jesus and sever our relationship with God. The devil speaks lies to us and tells us that “this time you’ve gone too far. This time you can’t be forgiven. This time Jesus will reject you.”

But let me tell you what I know is true: Jesus knows we are sinners. Our sins are far worse than we even think. But Jesus knows this already and He still went to the cross to die for us. As Romans 5:8 says, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. But God proves His own love for us because of that.

When we confess our sins to God, He doesn’t become aware of them at that moment. He already knows what’s been going on. He is waiting for you to confess so He can forgive you and help you get rid of that sin. He isn’t going to let you stay in that sin and keep living that way, though, either. He will set you free from that sin so you can walk in freedom and not sin in that way any longer.

If Judas had repented and been forgiven, he would not have been a deceiver any longer. He would not have stolen from the money bags anymore. He would have become a new creation, and probably more than all the others, he would have given his whole being to following Jesus with as much integrity and righteousness as he could muster. For he would have been filled with so much love for Jesus. For as Jesus said in Luke 7:47 about the sinful woman, “Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little.” Can you image how much Judas would have loved Jesus if he had waited and repented?

I want to read the rest of what Jesus said in John 15:1-8 about abiding in Him. He said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples.”

If we believe in Jesus and have repented of our sins, then we are already clean- we need only to wash our feet. But to remain in the Lord, we must produce good fruit. If we are remaining in the Lord, then, unlike Judas, we know these three things:

We know who Jesus is- He is our Lord and Master, and so we submit to Him

We know who we are- the one who Jesus loves, because we are forgiven and redeemed

We know who we can become- a fruitful branch, producing good fruit that glorifies God

All of this begins with knowing who Jesus really is. Once we know who Jesus is, then we see clearly who we are, and who we can become through Him.

Pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus to earth to be our Messiah. We believe in His work on the cross. We confess we are sinful, and we need to be cleansed and forgiven. Please help us remain in our faith in Jesus by giving us the power to resist temptations. Please strengthen us through Your Holy Spirit, so we can see clearly who Jesus is, who we are, and who we can become through Your power. We love You and praise Your holy name, amen.