John 6:70 Meaning and Explanation
“Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Jesus reveals his knowledge that one of the Twelve, though chosen, carries a heart disposed to betray him.
The Context of John 6:70
Immediately after the Twelve's confession, Jesus reveals a disturbing truth about one among them. This statement would have confounded them until after Judas's defection became clear.
What Does John 6:70 Mean?
The shock of this statement cuts through the warmth of the Twelve's confession. Jesus did not choose the Twelve by accident or based on their goodness. He chose Judas knowingly, fully aware of what he would do. This is not because Jesus was deceived, but because he honored human freedom even when he knew it would lead to his death. The word 'devil' (diabolos) means accuser or slanderer—Judas will become an instrument of division and betrayal. Yet Jesus chose him. This paradox lies at the heart of the gospel: divine knowledge and human freedom are not opposites. God's foreknowledge does not erase our choices; rather, it contains them. Jesus moves toward his cross with his eyes open.
We live in this same paradox. God knows our hearts fully—our capacity for both faithfulness and betrayal. The Twelve learned that holiness is not found by surrounding yourself with the perfect, but by staying with Jesus through the depths of human brokenness and sin. Even Judas's presence among them teaches them something about grace: that Jesus walks with us even knowing what we might become, trusting that redemption is always possible if we turn.
John 6:70 in the Original Language
diabolos (διάβολος), 'devil' or 'accuser' -- not the devil of hell, but one whose actions divide and betray, sow slander and division.
Where John 6:70 Echoes in Scripture
This foreshadows the betrayal narratives in all four gospels and also recalls Psalm 41:9, which Jesus explicitly quotes later (John 13:18): 'Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.'
How to Apply John 6:70 Today
This verse teaches that following Jesus does not mean surrounding yourself with the pure or securing yourself from betrayal. It means trusting Jesus through the reality of human sin and choice, both in others and in ourselves.