²² The disciples began looking at one another, at a loss to know of which one He was speaking.

We the readers already know what the principle support-actors in the play do not, namely which of them would betray the Master. They had no clue. In fact, the story line has revealed that individual, Judas, much earlier and prepared us for this eventuality. God’s unveiling the truth to us today, 20 centuries later comes at a different pace and sequence than to the original disciples.

Why is this important to note? Because, from a literary point of view, though the disciples were living the story in “real time,” we all learn from their experience. This is the essence of wisdom, to learn from others’ experience, which experience is moderated to us by the Divine Author through the pen of the apostle. He was not only selective in which historical material he included (John 20:31), but was also purposeful in how he arranged and conveyed those things. The goal was so that “… you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31).

We see the disciples completely dumbfounded, having absolutely no clue about who would betray Jesus. To be sure, they had argued among themselves about who was the greatest among them (Luke 22:24), but the thought that one of them might betray Jesus was unthinkable. At this point, the story is left ambiguous. Were they each searching among the others or were they looking about defensively? The former seems more likely than the latter, but things would ultimately crash down on them all when in the end they all failed Him.

At the least, their eye contact must have blindingly eclipsed everything else. How could this be? They had all expressed loyalty to the One for whom they had left all to follow. Yet, the Lord had already dropped an ominous bomb in referencing Psalm 41:9. Peter had already been rebuked by Jesus over having his feet washed. This also added to the fact that Jesus insisted that none of them were completely “clean” and needed feet washing, and this by their Master no less. Things were becoming unsettled, and fast.

Nothing more tragic can happen than when a follower of Christ turns away. The apostle Paul expressed this deeply, “For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction…” (Phil 3:18). While Judas represents the ultimate in betrayal, his story strikes sobering fear in all of us, “Is it I?”

Lord, thank You for the warning, which strikes fear in my heart. I never want to be like Judas and betray You in even the smallest way.