He answered and said, “The one who dipped his hand in the dish with me is the one who will betray me.”
Jesus’ answer gives a sign, but not a name. The phrase “the one who dipped his hand in the dish with me” shows the dreadful contrast of betrayal: being at the same table, sharing the same bread, taking the same portion, and at the same time being ready to hand him over. This reveals that even the closest spiritual fellowship does not guarantee faithfulness if there is no love in the heart. Jesus knew who the betrayer was, yet he speaks in a way that makes each person look within. His word is not a sentence of condemnation, but the last silent warning to Judas, for the sake of a repentance that might still be possible. In this moment two realities collide: the boundless love of Christ and the hardness of Judas’ heart.