John 6:71 tells us that the Gospel writer John is naming Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, as the disciple who would betray Jesus, and he notes that Judas was one of the twelve. The verse answers the question of who Jesus meant in the sentences just before it, and it prepares the reader for the betrayal that unfolds later in the book. Jesus is speaking to a group of people who had followed him and were now being tested about whether they would stay.
Now he spoke of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for it was he who would betray him, being one of the twelve.
John 6:71 (WEB)
What John 6:71 Means
The verse opens with “Now he spoke of Judas.” John is making a clear shift. The previous verse had Jesus asking his followers a hard question about whether one of them was, in his words, a devil, and now John tells us exactly who he had in mind. The word “spoke” tells us this is an intentional reference, not a passing remark.
Next comes “the son of Simon Iscariot,” which identifies Judas by his father’s name, a common way of distinguishing one person from another in that time. Then the verse says “for it was he who would betray him.” John is looking ahead, telling the reader what Judas would later do. The verse does not explain why Judas would betray Jesus or make the betrayal happen. It only states the fact and the timing.
Finally, “being one of the twelve” stresses how painful the betrayal would be. Judas was not an outsider or an enemy who had slipped in. He had been chosen to be one of Jesus’ closest companions. The verse promises nothing about Judas’s future beyond the act of betrayal, and it does not tell us whether Judas could have chosen differently. It simply reports what John knew about the one who would hand Jesus over.
The Context of John 6:71
The Gospel of John was written, according to long-standing church tradition, by the apostle John, one of Jesus’ first followers. It was likely written for a community of believers who already knew the basic story of Jesus and needed to understand its deeper meaning. Chapter 6 sits in the middle of the book and centers on Jesus’ teaching about himself as the bread of life, which many people found difficult to accept.
Just before verse 71, Jesus has asked the twelve whether they too will leave him, and Peter answers that they have nowhere else to go because Jesus has the words of eternal life. Jesus then remarks that one of them is a devil, and verse 71 is John’s explanation of that remark. Reading verse 71 with verses 68 through 70 shows that the betrayal was already on Jesus’ mind in the middle of a moment of loyalty, which makes the verse feel heavier.
Key Phrases in John 6:71
Matthew 26:14-16
14 Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests, 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me, that I should deliver him to you?” They weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From that time he sought opportunity to betray him.
(WEB)
This passage describes Judas going to the chief priests and agreeing to hand Jesus over for money. It shows the decision Judas made in the events that John 6:71 foreshadows, giving the betrayal its concrete setting.
Psalm 41:9
Yes, my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who ate bread with me, has lifted up his heel against me.
(WEB)
This psalm speaks of a close friend who eats bread with the one praying and then turns against him. Many Christians have read it as pointing forward to Judas, showing that the pain of betrayal by a trusted companion is an old and familiar experience of God’s people.
A Short Prayer From John 6:71
Lord Jesus, you knew from the beginning who would betray you, and still you chose the twelve and kept teaching them with patience and love. Help me to take my own loyalty seriously without falling into fear or pride. Where I have drifted, bring me back, and where I see others drifting, give me a gentle and honest heart to speak to them and to pray for them. Keep me close to you in the ordinary choices of this day, and let my faithfulness rest on your faithfulness to me. Amen.
