ONE OF YOU WILL BETRAY ME.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN

INTRODUCTION

IV. THE WITNESS OF JESUS’ SUFFERINGS, DEATH AND RESURRECTION,

Withdrawal of Judas
He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it.
That thou doest, do quickly. 

59. What oriental customs are recalled by Jesus last meal with His disciples?

One of You Will Betray Me

When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said,

Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.

Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.
Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.
Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake.
He then lying on Jesus’ breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?
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.
And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him,

That thou doest, do quickly.

Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.
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.
He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.

59. What oriental customs are recalled by Jesus last meal with His disciples?

Kindness To The Traitor

In the circle of the Twelve, Judas represented the carnal idea of the Messiah, which was directly opposed to the spirit just manifested in the washing of their feet. If he would not humble himself and renounce that spirit, Judas must depart; and a great sense of relief must have been experienced by our Lord, and to an extent by them all.
The people of the East lay rather than sat at table, each guest having his left arm on a cushion, so as to support the head, the right being at liberty for eating. Thus the head of each was near the breast of his companion on the left. Such was the place of John with regard to the Master at the Last Supper, and it was easy to whisper the inquiry of Joh_13:25. In the course of the Paschal meal, the father would offer to the guests pieces of bread dipped in a sauce of fruit, representing the fruits of the Promised Land. It was a sign of special attention, and was one more appeal to the conscience of Judas. He might yet have found pardon. But John saw, as his attention was attracted to him, a change pass over his features, which indicated that the traitor had finally cast the wavering balance on the side of Satan.

By Philippus Schutte

New Covenant Israelite! "And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;  Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee."  Rom 11:17 -18