Did Judas Partake of Holy Communion

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Did Judas Partake of Holy Communion?
By His Eminence Metropolitan Bishoy

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, One God, Amen.

Concerning this important topic, we shall examine the events that occured in the holy gospels to demonstrate that Christ the Lord did not permit Judas, the disloyal disciple, to partake of His sacred body and blood. The Lord did not permit Judas, since He had foreknowledge of what Judas had resolved in his heart to do, what he had insisted upon performing, and of his betrayal.

First – The Gospel According to Saint Matthew:

Our teacher Saint Matthew the Evangelist states, "So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover. When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. Now as they were eating, He said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.' And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, 'Lord, is it I?' He answered and said, 'He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. 'The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.' Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, 'Rabbi, is it I?' He said to him, “You have said it.” (Mat 26: 19-25).

It is apparent in these verses of the gospel, that Christ the Lord declared His betrayal by of one of His disciples (namely Judas) as they were eating the Passover meal of the Old Testament. This is evident in the words of Jesus when He said, "He who dipped his hand with me in the dish…" It is also written in the gospel, "…as they were eating…" meaning, as they were eating the Passover which they had prepared.

The Lord Jesus Christ did not wish to expose Judas before his peers, the disciples, so He told Judas secretly that he was the one who would betray Him. Jesus also informed both of His disciples John and Peter of the betrayal in a concealed manner when John the disciple questioned Him. We shall later discuss this point in our exegesis on the gospel according to Saint John.

Saint Matthew, after the previous passage, continued his narration saying, "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.' Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. 'For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 'But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.' And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives." (Mt 26: 26-30).

It is clear from this passage in the gospel that the Lord's Supper took place after Christ spoke of the betrayal of Judas, and after He spoke about Judas himself. Christ the Lord did not mention this subject after offering His body and blood to the disciples; but rather, they praised and went out to the Mount of Olives immediately afterwards.

These praises were part of the worship; it occurred directly after the sacred interval which the Lord spent with His disciples around the table of the Lord's Supper. Meanwhile, the conversation regarding the love between the disciples and on the subject of the Holy Spirit, took place (see Jn 14-16).

On the way to the Mount of Olives, until they reached Gethsemane, Jesus Christ spoke of His disciples' being made to stumble because of Him and of Peter's denial (Mt 26:31-36).

Second – The Gospel According to Saint Mark

Our teacher Saint Mark the Evangelist narrated how Judas sought to betray Christ the Lord. He wrote, "Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him." (Mk 14:10-11). This narration closely coincides with that of Saint Matthew the Evangelist on the same subject.

The events of the Passover according to Saint Mark, are identical to those in the gospel of Saint Matthew in all details. These include, the prediction of the Lord’s betrayal by one of His disciples during the Passover of the Old Testament, the institution of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, going out to the Mount of Olives, the Lord speaking about the disciples being made to stumble because of Him, and Peter's denial. Thus, the same incidents that are found in the Gospel according to Saint Matthew, are re-emphasized.

Third – The Gospel According to Saint John:

We shall discuss the gospel according to Saint John prior to our exegesis on the gospel according to Saint Luke, as Saint Luke's Gospel requires special attention.

Saint John wrote his gospel approximately thirty years after the three Synoptic Gospels were written. The Lord's Supper and the rite of the Divine Liturgy had already spread among the churches; and what Christ had said on the Lord's supper table on the eve of His suffering, was also well known.

Therefore, Saint John mentions the words of Jesus Christ regarding communion at the beginning of his gospel. They can be found in Chapter Six during the Lord’s debate with the Jews, and after the miracle of the feeding of the multitude with five loaves and two fish.

Christ the Lord told the Jews, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”(Jn 6: 51).