What followed took place during Thursday evening and night (13: 1 and 19:31). Jesus knew that 'the hour had come for him to leave the world and go to the Father' (13: 1, 3). His love for his disciples is emphasized in 13:1.

Although the power of the Devil was broken by Christ's death (12:31) the final defeat of demonic powers will not be until the Last Day (1 Corinthians 15:24-25); the followers of Christ must continue to fight against the Devil. The readers' attention is drawn to the disciple who betrayed Christ (13:2).

The action of Jesus described in 13:4-12 has more than one meaning.

It was an acted parable of love, a perfect example of how the disciples should be willing to serve one another (13: 12-17) and signified the meaning of the Incarnation. In 13:3, the greatness and divine power of Jesus are referred to, yet the one who knew he was, from God and in the closest relationship with God, tied a towel round his waist and did the humblest task of a household slave (13:4-5). His action was a sign of the divine love in the Incarnation. For the Son of God to come amongst men as man, to accept rejection and the death of a criminal so that eternal life might be offered to mankind, was the supreme act of divine love which the disciples still did not comprehend. Only later would they understand what was symbolized in the humility of Jesus' action, as he knelt before them. When the disciples understand the meaning of Jesus' life and death, they will be sent on his behalf to take this Good News to others, 13:20. Meanwhile, at the Last Supper, they are being prepared for this future task of service but still do not understand what Jesus is showing them.

The references to Jesus' betrayer in 13:10-11 and 13:18 (quoting Psalm 41 :9) lead on to Jesus' prediction of his imminent betrayal. Jesus' action in 13:26 may be understood as a final appeal to Judas to accept the bread offered to him in love and to reject Satan's power (13:21-29). The other disciples did not understand what was happening although they were distressed and puzzled (13:21,22,28). Jesus knew the demonic battle going on in Judas' mind (13:21,27). The mysterious disciple 'whom Jesus loved' is referred to for the first time in 13:23, but whether he understood that Judas was the betrayer is not quite clear. Judas took the bread and went out. 'It was night' (13:30), literally and symbolically.