This is precisely the main argument put forward by those who think that Judas took part in the Lord's Supper. Let us examine the text carefully.
In Luke, we read:
“Then he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, This is my body, which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me. In the same way he took the cup after supper and gave it to them, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you. But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me at the table.” (Luke 22.19-21)
At first sight, Luke seems to say that Judas is still present after the cup, since Jesus declares: “the hand of him who betrays me is with me at the table.”
A chronological reading
If we suppose that Luke reports the events in their exact order, the conclusion seems simple:
- Jesus institutes the bread;
- then the cup;
- then announces that the betrayer is still at the table.
In this reading, Judas did indeed take part in the Lord's Supper.
This is the traditional interpretation of many Church Fathers, such as Augustine of Hippo or John Chrysostom.
A literary reading
However, many contemporary exegetes observe that Luke does not always follow a strict chronology. His Gospel contains several thematic groupings.
A few examples:
- the threefold temptation of Jesus is presented in a different order from that of Matthew (Matthew 4.1-11; Luke 4.1-13);
- the rejection at Nazareth is placed very early in the ministry (Luke 4.16-30), probably to introduce the theme of the rejection of the Messiah;
- some sayings of Jesus are grouped together with no apparent concern for their chronological order.
Thus, several commentators consider that Luke moved the announcement of the betrayer after the institution of the Supper in order to bring two themes together:
- the gift of salvation;
- the contrast with the betrayal.
In other words, Luke would be following a theological order here rather than a chronological one.
John's testimony
This is where John's account becomes important.
John is the only evangelist to describe Judas's departure precisely:
- Jesus hands over the morsel;
- Satan enters into Judas;
- Jesus says to him: “What you are doing, do quickly” (John 13.27);
- “Judas, having received the morsel, went out immediately” (John 13.30);
- only then do the discourses addressed to the Eleven begin (John 13.31-17.26).
John gives the impression that Judas really leaves the room before the whole final part of the meal.
Which text should serve as the reference?
In reality, Luke and John should not be set against each other.
Two possibilities remain legitimate:
- Luke follows the chronological order: Judas takes part in the Lord's Supper.
- John gives the precise chronology while Luke groups the events according to their theological significance: Judas has already left when Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper.
In our view, the second solution harmonizes all the accounts more easily. John shows a particular interest in the sequence of events during that evening and explicitly points out Judas's departure before the start of the farewell discourses. Luke, for his part, seems to favor a literary construction in which the announcement of the betrayal immediately brings out the contrast between the gift of the new covenant and the betrayer's unfaithfulness.
An important exegetical remark
The text of (Luke 22.21) does not say that Judas has just received the bread and the cup. Jesus merely states:
“The hand of him who betrays me is with me at the table.”
This expression can be understood as a general designation of the betrayer present during the meal. It does not necessarily specify that Judas is still sitting at the table at the exact moment when Luke reports these words. It is precisely this ambiguity that explains why the question remains open in exegesis and why neither position can be definitively demonstrated from the biblical text alone.