John 13:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking.

NIV: Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, "Ask him which one he means."

NASB: So Simon Peter *nodded to this disciple and *said to him, 'Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking.'

CSB: Simon Peter motioned to him to find out who it was he was talking about.

NLT: Simon Peter motioned to him to ask, 'Who’s he talking about?'

KJV: Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake.

NKJV: Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke.

The prior verse describes a disciple being directly next to Jesus (John 13:23). Peter wants to know which of the men present at dinner is the predicted betrayer Jesus mentioned earlier (John 13:21–22). It's interesting that Peter does not ask this question more openly—or, at least, that there is no record of him doing so. Given Peter's hot-headed nature, it might be that he wants a quiet reveal, so he can confront the person himself when given the chance.

Meals in this era were eaten in a reclined position, typically laying on the left side and eating with the right hand. The person Peter is speaking to is John himself, on Jesus' right, facing away. This is why, as the next verse shows, John will "lean back" in order to ask Jesus this question (John 13:25). This implies that John is asking in a hushed or personal way—possibly whispering. That position also explains why, though Jesus gives a sign, John does not seem to notice it being performed—he's probably facing the wrong direction (John 13:26).

This moment factors into what Jesus says to Peter later (John 13:38). No one suspects Judas, even when he leaves (John 13:28–30). When the disciples leave this room, it's possible their prime suspect is none other than Peter.

John 13:21–30 describes Jesus' awareness that Judas is a false believer. Rather than outing Judas as a traitor, Jesus simply mentions that one of the group will betray Him. That blunt statement confuses the disciples, who look at each other with suspicion. Jesus subtly identifies Judas in a comment made to John. This goes unrecognized until much later. Judas, however, knows exactly what the gesture means. At that moment, he is entirely under the control of Satan, and Jesus tells him to leave. The disciples assume Judas has been sent on a private errand.

Jesus meets with a smaller group, possibly only the twelve disciples, in a private setting. Before eating a meal, Jesus performs the work of a lowly servant, washing the feet of the disciples. He explains that this is an object lesson. Their Lord is willing to serve in humility, so they are obligated to do the same. Jesus also predicts His impending betrayal, subtly telling Judas to leave and complete His conspiracy. The disciples don't realize what's happened, however. Peter foolishly brags about his loyalty. Jesus responds with a cutting prediction: Peter will deny his relationship to Christ three times in the next few hours.

The first twelve chapters of the gospel of John describe the public ministry of Jesus. Starting in chapter 13, most of what John describes are the last private moments Jesus enjoys prior to His crucifixion. This begins with Jesus washing the disciples' feet, establishing both an example and a command for humble service. Jesus also predicts His impending betrayal and Peter's cowardly denials. Following chapters contain Jesus' last instructions to the disciples, including a rich collection of truths which are central to the Christian faith.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.