What is the meaning of John 13:2? The evening meal was underway - “The evening meal was underway” (John 13:2) sets the scene during the Passover supper, the same sacred celebration commanded in Exodus 12:14. - Luke 22:14 records, “When the hour had come, Jesus reclined at the table,” confirming the timing. - This moment is intimate: Jesus is serving, teaching, and demonstrating humble love (John 13:4–5). - Everything that follows happens in real time, not in parable or symbol. The literal meal anchors the literal events that unfold. and the devil had already put into the heart of Judas - John states plainly that “the devil had already put” this dark intent in Judas’s heart. Scripture attributes the initial impulse to Satan, consistent with Luke 22:3: “Then Satan entered Judas.” - Yet Judas is not a helpless puppet. Earlier greed (John 12:4–6) and ongoing unbelief made him receptive. James 1:14–15 explains how desire, once conceived, “gives birth to sin.” - Ephesians 6:11 urges believers to “put on the full armor of God,” underscoring personal responsibility against spiritual schemes. the son of Simon Iscariot - John identifies Judas precisely—“the son of Simon Iscariot”—reminding readers this is a real man in a real family line (John 6:71). - Jesus had already distinguished him in John 17:12: “None has been lost except the son of destruction,” fulfilling prophecy. - The detail underscores accountability: lineage and proximity to Jesus did not guarantee faithfulness. to betray Jesus - The devil’s goal and Judas’s choice converge “to betray Jesus.” Psalm 41:9 foretold, “Even my close friend… has lifted up his heel against me.” - Zechariah 11:12–13 foreshadowed the thirty pieces of silver, fulfilled in Matthew 26:14–16. - Acts 2:23 later notes Jesus was “delivered up by God’s set plan and foreknowledge,” showing God’s sovereignty even over treachery. - Betrayal is the ultimate contrast to the love Jesus displays moments later when He washes the disciples’ feet. summary John 13:2 captures a tense intersection of fellowship and looming betrayal. In the midst of a holy meal, Satan exploits an open heart, Judas embraces the suggestion, and prophecy advances toward the cross. The verse warns of spiritual vulnerability, affirms Scripture’s precision, and highlights God’s unthwarted redemptive plan. |
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