After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.
When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Comment: Obviously Jesus’ statement that one of the 12 disciples who had been with Him for several years was going to betray Him shook them. It seems as if they didn’t have a clue who it was going to be – that is except Judas Iscariot. John, who was close to Jesus (remember that they weren’t probably sitting on chairs but seated on the floor – in which case ‘table’ means ‘meal’ – easily leant over, encouraged by Peter to ask Jesus to indicate whom He meant! Judas was given a small bit if the meal and told to do what he planned to do quickly. Does ‘Satan entered into him’ mean that in his accepting the morsel Judas sold his soul to the devil? Does it mean that he could have refused to take it? His mind had been made up but he fixed his mind on betrayal and in a very real sense sold his soul to the devil. The others still had difficulty to understand what it all meant! This was truly a black night in history summed up by John ‘It was night’.
Think about this – Jesus said that in His betrayal and the coming events both God the Father and He, the God-Man, as He passed through the next harrowing period of time would both be glorified! And the thing which was to convince the watching world of this glorification was how we, His followers, displayed His Character of LOVE. Not sloppy sentimental emotional erotic love, or even filial love, but God-like steadfast caring and sometimes even discipling caring-concern. That is agape love – as described in 1 Corinthians chapter 13:1-8a). The Way of Love
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends.
Prayer: Do You really expect this of me, Lord? I know You do! Please strengthen me by Your Holy Spirit to live This Way, Your Way.
As I read it! 