John 13:29 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.

NIV: Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor.

NASB: For some were assuming, since Judas kept the money box, that Jesus was saying to him, 'Buy the things we need for the feast'; or else, that he was to give something to the poor.

CSB: Since Judas kept the money-bag, some thought that Jesus was telling him, "Buy what we need for the festival," or that he should give something to the poor.

NLT: Since Judas was their treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some money to the poor.

KJV: For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.

NKJV: For some thought, because Judas had the money box, that Jesus had said to him, “Buy those things we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.

Judas' role in the inner circle was that of treasurer. At some point in the future, the disciples will learn he was embezzling money for his own use (John 12:4–6). At this moment, the other men have no idea that Judas is a false believer, and has already made plans to betray Jesus (Matthew 26:14–16; John 13:2). Lost amid the chaos of Jesus' emotional prediction (John 13:21), Judas has been confronted and dismissed by Jesus (John 13:26–27; Matthew 26:23–25).

Those who heard Jesus telling Judas to "hurry up," or to "act quickly" assume nothing negative. Had Judas simply gotten up and left, it probably would have aroused immediate suspicion. But since he's leaving at Jesus' request—or so it seems—the other men would have presumed he had a good reason. As John explains, the other disciples weren't entirely sure what that task was, but they supposed it was legitimate.

As much as Judas' name has become a synonym for "traitor," it won't be until later this evening when the truth comes out. At this point in time, none of Jesus' followers have reason to suspect anything. Worse, for Peter, Jesus will soon predict Peter's denial (John 13:38). In the minds of the other men, that would have made Peter seem like the betrayer, not Judas!

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 gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 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”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.