John 13:30 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

NIV: As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

NASB: So after receiving the piece of bread, he left immediately; and it was night.

CSB: After receiving the piece of bread, he immediately left. And it was night.

NLT: So Judas left at once, going out into the night.

KJV: He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.

NKJV: Having received the piece of bread, he then went out immediately. And it was night.

Jesus made an emotional prediction that He would be betrayed by one of His closest friends (John 13:18–21). In response to a question from John (John 13:25), Jesus gave a subtle sign indicating that the traitor was none other than Judas (John 13:26). In the moment Jesus confirms, to Judas, that He knows about the betrayal (Matthew 26:14–16; John 13:2), Judas becomes fully possessed and controlled by Satan (John 13:27). Jesus gave a command to Judas / Satan to leave, which the other men mistook for Jesus sending him on an errand (John 13:28–29).

John's writing makes numerous references to the idea of "light" (John 1:4; 3:19; 8:12; 12:35; 1 John 1:7; 2:9; Revelation 22:5). This is used as a reference to the ideas of life, truth, God, and goodness. When John says that Judas went out into "night," it's much more than just a minor detail thrown in for no reason. Jesus has pointed out that the one who betrays Him is utterly lost (Mark 14:18–21). Judas' own choices have brought him to the point of being utterly controlled by Satan. The symbolism of Judas stepping out into the night reflects the abject destruction he's chosen for himself (Proverbs 29:1).

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.