💫WEB · John 13:28
What does John 13:28 mean?
"Now no man at the table knew why he said this to him."
— John 13:28 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
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.
Therefore having received that morsel, he went out immediately. It was night.
When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.
Explanation
John 13:28 falls within the account of the Last Supper, in the passage where Jesus, knowing that Judas Iscariot would betray him, makes this fact known in a subtle and sorrowful way. Just before this verse, Jesus had dipped a piece of bread and given it to Judas, saying, "What you do, do quickly" (John 13:27). The verse in question simply tells us that the other disciples reclining at the table had no idea what Jesus meant by this statement to Judas. They were left in the dark about the significance of the moment, even though Jesus and Judas both understood exactly what was happening.
To grasp the context, it helps to remember that John's Gospel is traditionally attributed to the Apostle John, writing later than the other Gospels, likely toward the end of the first century, to a community of believers who needed reassurance of Jesus's identity as the Son of God and encouragement in the face of persecution and doctrinal confusion. This scene takes place at the Passover meal, the night before Jesus's crucifixion. Earlier in the chapter, Jesus had washed his disciples' feet as an act of humble service and had already stated plainly that one of them would betray him (John 13:21), causing great distress among the group. Peter had prompted John to ask Jesus who the betrayer was, and Jesus quietly indicated Judas through the sign of the dipped bread. Yet even after this identification, the rest of the disciples still failed to understand what was unfolding right in front of them.
Theologically, this verse underscores the mysterious sovereignty and qu
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