NOTES for Joh 13:26-27
One often hears from believers, and also from unbelievers, something like this: the main human problem is that a person cannot meet God or Christ personally. But if everyone saw with his own eyes, then there would be no unbelievers; everyone would believe. But here is the situation of the Last Supper. Judas not only sees Christ face to face, but also breaks bread with Him. How could anything be closer and clearer? And yet he does not change at all. He does not begin to trust the Teacher more than before. And he certainly does not repent of anything. On the contrary, he goes and does what he intended to do. And, strange as it is, Jesus tells him to do it quickly. What is this: a desire to put all the dots over the i's as soon as possible? Perhaps.
But another possibility exists: Judas is given one last chance. Jesus, of course, understood perfectly what Judas intended to do: He sees the human heart through and through, as God sees it. Judas's plan was no secret to Him, as it was to His disciples. But Jesus understands something else as well: a person has a chance for repentance and conversion until the very end. A face-to-face meeting with God, of course, does not by itself guarantee a good outcome. Just as communion with Jesus at one table and the breaking of bread with Him did not lead Judas to a good outcome. But such a meeting can become a moment of decision. And what that decision will be depends on the person's own choice. A meeting with God only gives shape to this choice, makes it visible and conscious for the person himself.
Then a person receives a new chance for repentance and conversion. Of course, there are no guarantees that he will use it. In spiritual life there are no guarantees at all. But if there is a chance, it must not be taken away from a person. And Jesus leaves Judas this last chance. He says to him: act. Do what you have planned. Here, of course, there is no approval of betrayal. Rather, there is a push that brings a person out of stupor. Since you have decided, do it.
Such words usually bring a person out of spiritual numbness and indecision. And he begins to act. Then there also appears a chance that the person will change his mind. Change his decision, even at the last moment. Judas did repent; he said directly to the high priest that he had betrayed an innocent man. True, he said it too late, when everything had already been done. The decision came too late, and the repentance was incomplete. This incompleteness led Judas to suicide. But he received his last chance. And used it as he wanted and as he was able.