John 13:26Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Probably Christ spoke quietly, so that no one heard. For this reason John, leaning upon His breast, asked almost in His ear, so as not to make the betrayer manifest. Christ answered in the same manner, so that even then He did not make him manifest.

So you too, if you are likewise guileless, will be counted worthy to lean upon Jesus' breast. This is a sign of theological dignity. For Scripture assures us that the words of the Lord are hidden in the heart (Ps 119:11).

In this way the whole mystery will be opened to you, and also the betrayer of the Word. For to him who is entrusted with the grace of theology, the betrayer of the Word becomes manifest, that is, the one who does not think according to the right faith.

For the heretic, who substitutes something for the word of truth, which is bread, is shown to possess it not without admixture, but soaked and altered.

The betrayer was exposed, and the hiding places of darkness were uncovered. What he received was good, but he received it to his own evil, because an evil man receives a good thing in an evil way.

Yet concerning this morsel of bread, which was given to the false Apostle, and concerning what follows, much must be said. This requires more time than we now have at the end of this discourse.

In the same way, the Lord separated Judas from the disciples by means of water when He gave him bread dipped in water. Judas was unworthy of that bread which, together with wine, was distributed to the twelve Apostles.

For it was unfitting that the one who betrayed Him to death should, through bread, receive within himself the One who saves from death.

All drew near and drank from the cup, that is, only eleven of them. When Jesus offered the bread to all eleven, Judas also approached like his companions. They came and received.

But Jesus dipped the bread and gave it to Judas in that form. He washed away the blessing and thus marked the criminal. In this way the Apostles learned that it was he who would betray Him.

Jesus dipped the morsel and gave it to him so that the blessing would not remain on the bread. Judas did not partake of the blessed bread and did not drink from the cup of life.

He was disturbed that Jesus had dipped the bread, because by this he learned that he was unworthy of life. Then fury kept him from drinking from the cup of Jesus' blood.

He went away to the torturers and no longer saw the holy cup. Satan hastened to lead Iscariot away from his companions, lest he share with them in the living and life-giving mystery.

To this they received the answer, "He who has dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me." Matthew alone adds that afterward Judas also asked the Lord, "Is it I, Rabbi?" and received an affirmative answer.

Finally, John says nothing about the questions each disciple put to the Lord. He relates how John, who was reclining at that time on Jesus' breast, asked the Lord at Peter's sign and received the answer, "It is he to whom I shall give this morsel when I have dipped it."

The end of this history belongs to John alone. Clearly the Evangelists relate different circumstances of the same event.

Luke, shortening the account, gives only the prediction of the betrayer and Jesus Christ's warning to him. Concerning the disciples, he gives their first confusion and their conversation with one another.

Matthew and Mark give the questions which each of them then addressed to the Lord. They also give the first indication of the betrayer, still general and unclear, together with a warning to him.

One may think that the fulfillment of this indication occurred at the same time as the indication given to John. Judas, striving either to be unconstrained and bold, or to appear so, turned to the Lord with the question, "Is it I, Rabbi?" He received the quiet answer, "Yes, you."

The disciples probably did not hear this last answer. They understood the Lord's words, "He who has dipped his hand with Me in the dish," in the most general sense. It meant, "one of the twelve," or, "the hand of him who betrays Me is with Me at the table" (Lk 22:21).

Then Peter turned to John and gave him a sign to ask Jesus who it was. If this happened during that part of the supper when the master of the house broke the bread and distributed it to those present, the revelation of Judas as the betrayer may be understood in this way.

Jesus Christ answered John, "It is he to whom I shall give this morsel when I have dipped it." This was the moment when, passing the portions of bread in order, He was to give a portion to Judas.

Judas's agitated state, and his effort to mask that state of soul, made him move his hand toward the dish too early. The Lord was still only lowering His hand into the dish with the morsel of bread intended for him.

Since we do not admit contradiction in the Evangelists' accounts, we must recognize that Jesus first said, as it were to all, that the one who would betray Him was he who would put his hand into the dish at the same time as He did.

But the troubled Apostles were probably so occupied by the news that had struck them that they did not even follow which of them stretched out his hand to the dish at the same time as Jesus. Therefore, in answer to John's question, Jesus gave another indication.

At the Paschal supper, besides the roasted lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs, a thick sauce of dates, figs, and other fruits was served on a separate dish. Forks and knives were not then used. Food was taken simply with the hands.

They ate unleavened bread by dipping its pieces into the dish with the sweet sauce.

But His gaze fell upon Judas, and His spirit was troubled. Seeing that the disciples had not noticed His earlier hint, Christ now declared openly, for all to hear, "Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me."

This declaration struck them like thunder. Fear seized them, and each, feeling a certain uncertainty within himself, turned to the Teacher with the question, "Is it I, Lord?"

In order not to reveal his guilt before his brethren, Iscariot too asked unwillingly, "Is it I, Teacher?" He received the answer, "You have said it."

But again this clear answer was not noticed by the Apostles. Peter, with his usual impatience, wished to know more exactly who the betrayer was. He urged John, whose head was inclined close to the Savior's breast, to ask Him who would betray Him.

To this Christ answered, "It is he to whom I shall give this morsel when I have dipped it." Then indeed, "having dipped the morsel, He gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot." This revelation bound John's tongue with horror, and he told no one.

So heavenly Love still struggles with the hardened soul of the betrayer. So it still breathes upon him with the breath of tender meekness and sincere affection. What, then, does Judas do?

Chrysostom, Homily 72 on John. Apollinarius, in Catena Patrum on John.

From that moment a demonic power takes possession of Judas. His human will, which Judas had used for evil, ceases to be his own possession. For to the end he rejected the merciful hand, and he becomes the contemptible instrument of the enemy.

Even the Lord's last words to Judas, as Chrysostom observes, were words of love. They could have stopped the betrayer, had he not been beyond correction.

"What you do, do quickly," the Lord says with deep sorrow. He reminds Judas that the night is passing. If he does not wish to abandon his criminal design, and if he persists in malice, then the time has come for him to carry it out.