Jesus' words broke their hearts. Matthew says "they were exceeding sorrowful," and "every one of them" asked the same thing. Gill explains their grief: that Christ should be betrayed at all, and that it would be done "by one from among themselves." None of the eleven had planned such a thing. Gill says the thing "had never entered into their hearts," yet they asked "as knowing the treachery and deceitfulness, of their hearts." Barnes pictures each one "beginning to examine himself, to find whether he was the person intended." The way the question is worded in Greek expects the answer "no," so each man was asking Jesus to clear him.

Jesus did not name anyone at first. He said, "He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me" (Matthew 26:23). He added, "The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!" (Matthew 26:24). Only when Judas asked did Jesus answer plainly, "Thou hast said" (Matthew 26:25). John records that the disciples "looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake" (John 13:22).

Each disciple's question in Greek begins with meti, a question word that expects a negative answer. The sense is close to "Surely it is not I, Lord?" (the ESV keeps the simple form, "Is it I, Lord?"). They addressed Him as Kyrie, "Lord." Judas, asking a moment later, used rhabbi instead (Matthew 26:25).

Barnes explains that at this meal the Jews "used a bitter sauce, made of bunches of raisins, mixed with vinegar," and that this "was probably the dish to which reference is made here." Jesus' sign pointed to someone sharing His own dish, someone close.

Jesus was not surprised by the betrayal. It was "written of him" (Matthew 26:24), and John records Jesus applying the Scripture, "He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me" (John 13:18). Yet He still spoke a warning of woe. God's plan did not erase the betrayer's responsibility.

The eleven show a humble heart. Barnes observes, "guilt is slow to suspect itself," while "The innocent are ready to suspect that they may have done wrong." In Matthew, Judas speaks only after the others (Matthew 26:25). Their humility did not keep them from failing that night: all of them would forsake Jesus (Matthew 26:56), and Peter, who said "yet will I never be offended" (Matthew 26:33), denied Him three times (Matthew 26:69-75). Still, their question was the right posture: in sorrow, they brought the question of their own hearts to Jesus.