"18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ 19 I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
21 After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. 23 One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table close to Jesus, 24 so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” 28 Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that, because Judas had the money bag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast”, or that he should give something to the poor. 30 So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.
31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterwards.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the cock will not crow till you have denied me three times."
John 13:18-38
The downward progression of Judas's experience makes terrifying reading, culminating in the words 'it was night' (20). But we should remember the basic cause of this - Judas had never really submitted himself to the Lordship and authority of Christ. How often Jesus had tried to win his allegiance. The feet-washing and the sop at the supper table were the culmination of the appeal, but these final appeals seemed to drive him frenziedly to his doom. Once resist the claims of Christ, and continue to do so, and there will eventually come a time when a man can no longer stand them, and he goes to the opposite extreme. Peter had also refused the cross, disciple though he was. And the tragedy is that he did not realise where this was leading him. He was sincere in his protestation in 37, but he did not realise that by his refusal to submit to the obedience of Christ, he was undermining all resistance he had to the powers of darkness. And when the crisis came, he went down with a terrible crash. When we look at Peter and Judas in this light, we see that they shared a common sin, and that it is to miss the mark concerning them to suppose that somehow Peter's was less heinous than Judas's. Peter is not forgiven because his sin was less heinous or terrible than Judas's, but because he repented. Peter went out and wept bitterly; Judas went out and hanged himself - that is the difference between the two men. Matthew records that Judas also said, with the other disciples, 'Lord, is it I?' when Jesus spoke of His betrayal by one of them. This adds drama to the scene, for when Jesus gave Judas the sop at the supper table - a token of favour, and usually given to an honoured guest it was a message from Christ that, in spite of the murder in his heart, he was still loved. To realise that Christ knew what was in his heart, and nevertheless still loved him and could call him friend - it was in this context that Judas deliberately turned away and went out to betray Him. This was darkness indeed, and the point of no return.