The Gospel of John
Chapter 13
Part VII
26) Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped [it]. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave [it] to Judas Iscariot, [the son] of Simon.
(CEV) Jesus answered, “I will dip this piece of bread in the sauce and give it to the one I was talking about.” Then Jesus dipped the bread and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.
(GNB) Jesus answered, “I will dip some bread in the sauce and give it to him; he is the man.” So he took a piece of bread, dipped it, and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.
In regards to “when he had dipped the sop,”
“It was and is in the orient a token of intimacy to allow a guest to dip his bread in the common dish” [Robertson].
“Some say that an Eastern host gave the bread to the honored guest at a meal. By making Judas the honored guest, the Lord thus tried to win him to repentance by His grace and love. Others suggest that the bread was commonly passed in this way in connection with the Passover supper” [BBC].
“Jesus showed great love to Judas, giving him the chance to repent. Had Judas repented, his past intention would have been secret before the disciples” [Guzik].
27) And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.
(CEV) Right then Satan took control of Judas. Jesus said, “Judas, go quickly and do what you have to do.”
In regards to “Satan entered into him,”
“The devil had already put it into Judas’ heart to betray the Lord. Now Satan entered him. At first, it was merely a suggestion. But Judas entertained it, liked it, and agreed to it. Now the devil took control of him. Knowing the betrayer was now fully determined, the Lord told him to do it quickly. Obviously, He was not encouraging him to do evil but simply expressing sorrowful resignation” [BBC].
“the entrance into him, signifies Judas’s free and willing giving up of himself to the devil’s suggestions and conduct” [Poole].
“This moment was Judas’s last opportunity to renounce his treachery. If the other disciples were ignorant of Judas’s intentions, he could change the course of his action without explanation, and none but Jesus would know. Once Judas left the room to seal his bargain with the priests, he would pass the point of no return” [Zondervan].
28) Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.
(CEV) No one at the meal understood what Jesus meant.
Regarding “no man at the table knew,”
“None knew why he said this – Save John and Judas” [Wesley].
“The disciples had not yet perceived the treacherous heart of Judas” [Robertson].
29) For some [of them] thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy [those things] that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.
(CEV) But because Judas was in charge of the money, some of them thought that Jesus had told him to buy something they needed for the festival. Others thought that Jesus had told him to give some money to the poor.
Concerning the disciples misunderstanding of what was happening,
“How innocent are honest hearts! Charity thinketh no evil, saith the apostle. Although our Saviour had plainly enough deciphered him as the traitor, by telling John that he to whom he should give the sop was he, and then by giving it to Judas; yet whether they all did not hear what our Saviour said to John, or did not think of so sudden a tragedy, they do not suspect that the hour was at hand when Judas should perfect his intended villany” [Poole].
30) He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.
(CEV) Judas took the piece of bread and went out. It was already night.
In regards to “went immediately out,”
“i. ‘is act, however, was more than an incidental act of treachery; he sold himself to the power of evil.’ (Tenney)
ii. Judas is typical of many who reject Jesus, in that he had no lack of opportunity for repentance or he did not lack a good example. Judas simply shows man’s sin nature” [Guzik].
Regarding “it was night,”
“though it was night, it did not hinder or discourage him from setting out on his journey to Jerusalem” [Gill].
31) Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
In regards to “now is the Son of man glorified,”
“Now – While I speak this, the Son of man is glorified – Being fully entered into his glorious work of redemption. This evidently relates to the glory which belongs to his suffering in so holy and victorious a manner” [Wesley].
“Now the time cometh when the Son of man shall immediately be glorified, by finishing the work which God hath given him to do; by rising again from the dead, and declaring himself to be the Son of God with power; by ascending up into heaven, to be glorified with the same glory which he had with the Father before the world began” [Poole].
“Literally, was glorified. The aorist points to the withdrawal of Judas. Jesus was glorified through death, and His fate was sealed (humanly speaking) by Judas’ going out. He speaks of the death and consequent glorification as already accomplished” [Vincent].
Other Translations:
(CEV) After Judas had gone, Jesus said: Now the Son of Man will be given glory, and he will bring glory to God.
(GNB) After Judas had left, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man’s glory is revealed; now God’s glory is revealed through him.
(MSG) When he had left, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is seen for who he is, and God seen for who he is in him. The moment God is seen in him,
32) If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.
(CEV) Then, after God is given glory because of him, God will bring glory to him, and God will do it very soon.
(GW) If God is glorified because of the Son of Man, God will glorify the Son of Man because of himself, and he will glorify the Son of Man at once.”
(MSG) God’s glory will be on display. In glorifying him, he himself is glorified–glory all around!
Concerning “God shall also glorify him in himself,”
“His glory will be contained in and identified with the divine glory” [Vincent].
“Jesus here confidently anticipated that the Father would show that he was pleased with what he had done” [Barnes].
Consider These Passages:
2 Corinthians 5:19) To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Romans 1:3-4) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4) And declared [to be] the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
Romans 8:18) For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
NOTE: There is a sense in which, just as God was in Christ, He is in you in your sufferings; and He will declare, with power, that you are His child by your resurrection from the dead. JESUS SAW PAST HIS SUFFERINGS TO HIS GLORIFICATION!! Our vision isn’t near as good as His, but rest assured, beyond your sufferings lies your glorification!