Mark 14:20-21

‘And he said to them, “It is one of the twelve, he who dips with me in the dish. For the Son of Man goes even as it is written of him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be good for him if that man had not been born.” '

This time Jesus' warning to Judas was stark and plain. He wanted him to know that He knew exactly what was happening, and that what he was doing would destroy his whole future. Better not to have been born than what he was going to do with its consequences.

‘It is one of the twelve.' One of these sat around. What an ominous warning. The disciples probably now realised that this was getting serious. ‘He who dips with me in the dish.' Again a reminder to Judas that he was breaking the inviolable laws of hospitality. One among them was feigning friendship and they did not know who it was.

‘The Son of Man goes --.' To His death. See Mark 8:31; Mark 9:31; Mark 10:33; John 6:52; John 8:14; John 8:21; John 13:3; John 13:33; John 13:36; John 14:3; John 14:19; John 14:28.

‘Woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed.' Compare Mark 13:17; Matthew 18:7; Luke 17:1. Not a pronounced judgment but an expression of sadness, although it contains within it the fact that God will judge.

‘Even as it is written of Him.' (E.g. Isaiah 53, and the descriptions in Daniel 7 of the sufferings from which the ‘son of man' would emerge. They too would be given into the hand of the wild beast - Daniel 7:25. Also Psalms 41:9). What was to happen was in the plan and purpose of God. But that did not excuse the traitor. He was free to act or not to act as he chose. It was only when he had finally closed his mind that he lost the ability to choose.

‘He who dips with me in the dish.' The dish was probably the Charoseth, a compound of dates, raisins and vinegar in which the bread and bitter herbs were dipped. Mark gives no idea of who the traitor was. In the other Gospels Jesus managed to get home to Judas quietly that He was not in any doubt as to who the traitor was (Matthew 26:25; John 13:26).