💫WEB · John 13:26
What does John 13:26 mean?
"Jesus therefore answered, “It is he to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot."
— John 13:26 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was at the table, leaning against Jesus’ breast.
Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, and said to him, “Tell us who it is of whom he speaks.”
He, leaning back, as he was, on Jesus’ breast, asked him, “Lord, who is it?”
Jesus therefore answered, “It is he to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.
After the piece of bread, then Satan entered into him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”
Now no man at the table knew why he said this to him.
For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus said to him, “Buy what things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.
Explanation
John 13:26 takes place during the Last Supper, in the intimate final meal Jesus shares with his twelve disciples before his arrest and crucifixion. In plain terms, the verse describes Jesus answering a question about who among the disciples will betray him. Peter had prompted John (the "disciple whom Jesus loved") to ask Jesus directly who the betrayer would be, since Jesus had just announced that one of them would hand him over. Jesus responds not by naming the person aloud, but by performing an action: he dips a piece of bread and gives it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, thereby identifying him as the betrayer in a way that only the closest observers would understand at the time.
The Gospel of John was written by the apostle John, traditionally understood to be the "beloved disciple" mentioned in this very passage, likely toward the end of the first century. It was addressed to a community of believers who needed reassurance of Jesus' identity as the Son of God and encouragement in the face of doubt, persecution, and internal betrayal. This particular scene occurs within the extended farewell narrative (John 13–17), where Jesus prepares his disciples for his departure, washes their feet as an example of humble service, and teaches them about love, unity, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. The act of sharing bread at a meal was a sign of hospitality, trust, and fellowship in that culture, which makes Judas's betrayal even more striking—it viol
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