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Gift of
MISS SARA LOUISE FURNALD
1930

HANDBOOKS

BIBLE CLASSES
AND PRIVATE STUDENTS.

EDITED BY
REV. PROF. MARCUS DODS, D.D.,
.A.ND
REV. ALEXANDER WHYTE, D.D.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN.
BY GEORGE REITH, M.A., D.D.

PART SECOND.

EDINBURGH:
T. & T. CLARK, 38 GEORGE STREET

PRINTED BY MORRISON AND GIBE LIMITED.
FOR
T. & T. CLARK, EDINBURGH.
LONDON : SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT, AND CO. LIMITED.
NEW YORK ; CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS.
TORONTO : FLEMING H. EEVELL COMPANV.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO

ST. JOHN,

WITH INTRODUCTION AND NOTES.

PART II.
Chapter VIII. ver. 12 to XXI.

GEORGE REITH, M.A, D.D.,
GLASGOW.

EDINBURGH :
T. & T. CLARK, 38 GEORGE STREET.

CONTENTS.

PART II.
T T T ' PAGE
II. The History of Christ's Manifestation of His Glory as
the only-begotten Son — continued, . 9
A. — In Public, i. 19-xii. — continued, . . 9
9. Results : Jesus raises Lazarus, and the Sanhedrim
resolve on His death, ch. xi., 51
10. Jesus anointed at Bethany — Enters Jerusalem —
Greeks desire to see Him — He foretells His
universal sovereignty through death — General sum
mary, ch. xii., ... 63
B. — Christ's Manifestation of His Glory in Private
TO His OWN, XIII.-XVIL, ... . 79
Alone with His Own. He washes their feet, exposes
the traitor, and then comforts and instructs the
eleven in view of His departure ; finally, when they
make a complete confession of their faith, He turns
to the Father and commends Himself and His dis
ciples and Church to His care, chs. xiii. -xvii., . 79
III. Christ's Betrayal, Trial, Condemnation, and Death,
Chs. xviii., xix., . ... ... 129
I'V. Resurrection and Appearance to His Di^^ciples in Jeru
salem, Ch. XX., . ... . 155
V. Epilogue — Appearance in Galilee — Simon Peter restored
TO Office, Ch. xxi., ... . . 169
5

COMMENTARY. PART IL
Chapter VIII. ver. 12 to XXI.

THE GOSPEL BY JOHN.
PART II.

CH-A.P. VIII. 12. ""PHEN spake Jesus again unto them, say-
-•- ing, I am the hght of the world : he that
II. The History of Christ's Manifestation of His Glory
AS THE ONLY-BEGOTTEN SON — Continued.
12-59. These verses contain, perhaps, the continuation of Christ's discourses
on the last day of the feast. The feast of Tabernacles recalled the life in the
wildemess, with its two marks of God's special grace — the rock that gave
water, and the pillar of cloud and fire that gave guidance. Jesus having
already declared that He is the true, eternal source of satisfaction for human
thirst, now identifies Himself with the true guiding Light. The occasion
may have been the custom of lighting two brilliant lamps at the Temple, to
commemorate and symbolize the pillar of fire. " Two colossal golden
candlesticks . . . only on the first day ... in the forecourt of the women"
(Meyer). This was also where the " treasury " was, ver. 20. The divisions
ofthe chapter are these — (l) 12-20. The witness Christ bears to Himself;
(2)21-30. Christ's Personality; (3) 31-end. Christ addresses those who pro
fessed faith in Him.
(l.) 12-20. The subject of these verses is, the witness borne by Jeeus on
behalf of Himself.
12. 1 am the Light of the world, Isa. ix. 2, xiii. 6; Luke ii. 32; Num.
xxiv. 17. The emphasis being placed on the personal pronoun, Jesus
contrasts Himself with all other lights ; cp. i. 4 f. arid 9. He is the light,
not of Israel only, but of mankind. Divine Truth an ¦ purity are summed
up in Him, ver. 45 f. There is the suggestion of the figure of the
wilderness applied to the world — "wherein there is no way." Christ is
the way, because He is the Light. We, though sinners, have access through
Him to the Father by a new and living way which He has consecrated for
us through the veil, that is to say. His flesh. Without Him men are
fugitives, wandgrers, Cains. He is the complete Revelation of the will ol
GodTb man. He is the truth ; without Him men are shrouded in darkness,
— darkness of theTnitellect and darkness of the affections, Eph. iv. 17 ff. ;
Rom. i. 18 ff. But He has not merely given men truth, He has given them
life, .ffe is their life. "The life was the light of men." Life alone can be
a light to life ; and Christ's life is the ideal to which men's_aspirations rjse.
The claim to be personally tlTeTight must be noted. This is one" of those
remarkable assertions of Christ about Himself commented on before, vi. 35.

IO THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [vill. 1 3.
followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have
13 the light of life. The Pharisees therefore said unto him.
Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.
14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record
of myself, yet my record is true : for I know whence I
came, and whither I go ; but ye cannot tell whence I come,
/The facts, that light comes from a source outside of and above ourselves ;
that it reveals darkness ; that it awakens sympathy with itself, — are implied.
He that followeth me shall not walk in ike darkness, xii. 46. y To have Christ
as our light is to be a follower of Christ^' In following Christ there is no .
uncertainty, and no perhaps. \ We know that '(tjie darkness is past, and
the true light now shinetlj^ I John ii. 8. In following Ck^rist we are
possessed vvith this assurance. lUntil we follow we cannot know, y Walk;
see on vii. i. The darkness, see i. 5. Shall kave tke ligkt of life : shall
not live in the ignorance of God and under the dominion of a will opposed to
God; shall not wander aw.iy, or -stumble, or lose himself; shall not follow
any delusive leading of his own imagination or desire. Observe, the antithesis
is so put as to express the injier possession of the light I and not simply, shall
walk in the light, etc. Believers are themselves "light in the Lord," Eph.
V. 8 ; hence their certainty of salvation (i John iv. 10) through the indwelling
Spirit of Christ. The light of life; cp. i. 4, "The Ufe was the light."
Either^ the light which human life requires,"^r the light which is the true
ideal life itself; probably the latter. Observe the three promises to believing
men : ver. 12, light to walk by ; vers. 31-36, freedom and dignity of sons ;
ver. 51, endless life.
13. The Pharisees reply that self- witness cannot be accepted. Tkou of
thyself bearest witness. It did not however follow that their conclusion was
justified, Tky witness is not true. Perhaps they were reminding Him of
His own previous utterance, v. 31, ^If I bear witness of myself, my witness
is not true ; " see on that passage.
14-18. Christ reasons thus: His testimony of Himself is to be accepted,
because — ( i ) His knowledge of Himself is adequate ; and (2) His unity with
the Father is perfect. ,
14. Even if I bear witness of myself, etc.! Light is its own witness ; but an
eye capable of perception is necessary. Tne revelation of God in Christ com
mends itself to men by its own character and their need of it, and can have no
external proof. To doubt or deny it argues lack of spiritual and moral vision
or defect. \The ground on which Christ claims truth for His witness of Him
self is singular. I know whence I came, and whither I go, xiii. 3, xvi. 28.
/\^ His own origin and destiny He knows ; therefore also the origin and destiny
of man. Hence He alone is the Light of men. "^ Man's origin and destiny
arc clear in Christ, and clear nowhere else. He came from the Father with
a message of fatherly reconciliation and love to prodigal sons ; He has gone
to the Father to prepare a place for the prodigals who come back through
Him to the Father. We know in Christ that we are sons of God — though
prodigal sons. ''^ We know in Christ that we can, if we will, have the old
place in the Father's heart and home. \ Past and future lay unveiled to
Christ's eye. Our faith in Him reposes on this self-consciousness of Christ,
and His own testimony. But you do not know, etc. Jesus' knowledge of
God was in one respect perfect sympathy with God, and with God's truth

VIU. 17.] CHRIST'S WITNESS TO HIMSELF. 11
15 and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no
16 man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true; for I am
17 not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. It is also
and holiness. t)_The Pharisees knew not the Divine imprint in Jesus, because
they were not m sympathy with its nature.
15 f. Their method of judgment contrasted with Christ's. You according
to the fiesk judge: I judge no one; cp. vii. 2\.^Flcsk here is to be inter
preted by the passage quoted, i.e. the outward ^pearance.^ They judged
\ Jesus according to His apparently humble antecedents and position : by the \
' circumstances, in short, of His life, not by the truths which He_uitered.
Men who live according to the outward see nothing but the outward ; cannot
appreciate that which is within — tjiej:eality. Their judgment rfmen is not by
tlieir~tme worth ; but by their wealth, or show, "oT^retensions, and theTike :
jtist-by ihe^andardTIiat hasTTo ablSing value. (Jesus judges no one : neither
according to the fiesh, nor in any such way as at all to bring His judgment
of men wilhin the same category as that of the Pharisees. \It was the con
stant business of these Pharisees to judge and condemn other people";^ cp.
vii. 49 f. \They judged, but did not try to save, men.. Deeming themselves
superior, the verypattern of perfection inrejigion and morals, they con
stituted themselves_the~censors__ot their bretEfen. iSo they riow'juciged Jesus,
told Him He spoke what \vas~talse. ~~By condemning others, we escape from
self-condemnation. Jesus — the one competent judge — the one who alone has
the right to judge men (v. 27), refrains; see iii. 17 and xii. 47. \ It is ever
V the case that the most righteous is the most lenient in passing sentence on —
n his fellow-men. \ In Christ's case there was the higher law at work of Divine
salvation for the lost and hopeless./ Jesus might have held men up to ridicule,
for He knew what was in man ; He might have been the severest critic and
satirist.\If He had judged as the Pharisees judged, salvation had been out
of the question for any man."^ And if, kowever, I judge, my judgment is true.
The other side of the truth :\Jesus could not help judging by the life He lived,
the character He exhibited, the words lie spoke, the cross on which He
died, xii. 47 ff. His appearance on earth was the world's judgment, xii. 31.
\ Being the Light of the world, He could not but reveal the world's darkness,
and so judge it.\ And this revelation of the darkness is but one needful stage
in the process of^salvation. No judgment — no salvation. Sin is judged in
the soul as the soul is conscious of the redemption of Christ. \ My judgment
is true,\i.e. ideally true (xix. 35), the one true and etemal judgment : the
judgment that is final and self-evidencing. And the reason of this is His
perfect unity with the Father. I am not alone, btit I and tke Father wko sent
me. — His judgment is God's, because He is in such communion and
__ union with God that nothing He does or says is without God. It is
the glory of Christ that He is not alone, morally ; for self-sufficiency and
independence are isolation. Pluman glory is " the mind, free and inde
pendent," and the like. Christ's honour is dependence on the Father.
Observe how the words not alone comprehend the mystery of the inbeing
of the Persons of the Trinity in one another ; also how Jesus in full
consciousness of Godhead can venture to say, "/ and the Father,"
etc. ; cp. vii. 29, and the discourse in v. 30 ff. , which is closely parallel ;
also X. 30. — Jesus therefore is not a revealer of Divine truth. He is
the revelation of God : He is God Himself to us, in being, knowledge, will.

12 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [vlll. 1 8.
written in your lavir, that the testimony of two meu is true.
i8 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent
19 me beareth witness of me. Then said they unto him, Where
is thy Father ? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my
Father : if ye had known me, ye should have known my
20 Father also. These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he
taught in the temple : and no man laid hands on him ; for
21 his hour was not yet come. Then said Jesus again unto
them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in
purpose, Heb. i. 3 ; Col. i. 15. Observe, also, the subordination in respect
of the work of salvation to be done, in the words : " Who sent me."
17 f. Cp. V. 37, on which this is an advance in argument. In that
passage Jesus refers to the witness borne to Him by His Father, both in the
works He did, and the word in Scripture and in conscience. He here refers
to the O. T. law of evidence requiring two or three witnesses to verify a fact
(Deut. xvii. 6, xix. 15), and declares that it is satisfied in His own case. /
am He that bears witness of inyself, and tke Father that sent me bears witness
of vie.\'pae. fact that He was not a solitary man — speaking for none but for
Himself — was plain. V He was ever speaking on behalf of the Father ; and as
the Son showing and stating that He was sent by the Father to tell men, and
to enable men, to beUeve in God as their Father, and return to Him in
repentance and faith, and claim in Himself to -be sons. This was the double
witness: a Father seekingln and tffiough Hiih, the Son, His wandering.
rebellious children. It is a witness that appeals to all who feel that their
deepest need is to have a Father made known and reconciled to them, and
a son's heart bestowed on them. That the Father speaks and pleads through
Him, the Son, is the chief evidence to the Divineness of Christ's mission.
Hence He says, " He that hath seen me hath seen the Father," xiv. 9 ff.
19. Where is thy Father? Either spoken with a sneer, or to press Christ
to say God was His Father, in order to arrest Him for blasphemy. They
might mean. When can we hear this witness in your favour? Jesus replies :
Ye neither know me nor my Faiher. If ye knew me, ye would know my
Falkei- also.^li men do not see the Father in Christ, they can see Him no
where else, XIV. 9 ff. \The Father is visible only in the life of the Son.\ A
son's heart will recognise the Father's words and love. \ They could not
respond, not having the heart of a son. \ They had no sympathy with Jesus as
the Son, because they did not desire a Father in God,, and did not strive
after a son's loving obedience and trust. Show us fKy God ! is a cry met by
the counter cry," Show us thy man X' The Father is known only by and in
the Son — the Sofl' made man. And men who do not recognise in the Son
made man the very expression and embodiment of their own feelings, hopes,
desires, aspirations towards God, have no capability of recognising God at all ;
" No man cometh to the Father but through me," xiv. 6.
20. See vii. 30, 44. Tke treasury, where thirteen brazen chests received
the taxes and charitable offerings (Meyer). .¦' "— '
(2.) 21-30. A new scene. The discourse of Jesus in these verses, interrupted
by the Jews, turns on His personality and His relation to the Father,
the warning being given that they will find out who He is only too late.
21. Ye shall seek me : in despair, not in penitence and faith. Matt. xxv. 1 1.

VIII. 24.] CHRIST'S PERSONALITY. I3
22 your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. Then said the
Jews, Will he kill himself ? because he saith, Whither I go,
23 ye cannot come. And he said unto them. Ye are from
beneath ; I am from above : ye are of this world ; I am not
24 of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in
your sins ; for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in
Cp. vii. 33 f. ; the warning is repeated with the still more tragic addition :
^Ye shall die in your sin (not sins, as in A.V.). -Their sin was rejection of
,^ Himself, and that is the root and essence of all sin, xvi. 9 ; and because of— .
that sin they should die without salvation, its comfort or hope.— Christ's
reference is partly national, partly individual. ^To die in sin is to die with sin
unrepented of and un forgiven < sin the permanent element ofthe soul : death
spiritual leading on to death eternal.
22. Will he kill himself ? He is not to kill himself — is he? A still more
ignominious suggestion than the previous one (vii. 35) of going to the Diaspora.
'~«23 f. Jesus, disregarding the insult, explains His meaning in that enig
matical saying. He and they are of two different origins, so far as the
principles of their lives go, and must therefore have different destinies.
They move in different spheres of thought, of feeling, of aspiration, and
action. He has already asserted His knowledge of His own origin and
destiny, ver. 14, and implied what these are, ver. 16. He now states them
plainly. \ye are ofthe things beneatli ; I am of the things above : ye are of
this world ; I am not of this world. \ See I John iv. 4 ff. ; Matt. xvi. 23 ;
ch. iii. 31. He speaks of "this world" as the embodiment of resistance
and hatred to the will of God. To be "of this world," therefore, is to have
the will enslaved to evil, to things beneath, to darkness, to death ; and to have
the life drifting downwards in sin to death. Hence the chasm separating Him
from men simply as men, mortal and eartlily ; and then from all men whose
aims, hopes, desires, thoughts are "of this world." Jesus, as conformed
with absolute perfectness to God's will, and having no personal end but His
Father's glory as aim, is "of the things above," Col. iii. I. But His
previous existence with God and as God is impUed. The principle of
separation is in men themselves ; and it is in all men ; these Jews were not
singular in this respect. But they were rejecting the God-given deliverance
from the bondage of this evil world. Though all men are by nature " of the
things beneath," their wills being " bondsmen to the dark," yet faith in
Him (iii. 15 f., vi. 40 ff. ) who came from above, and who is of tke things above
— absolutely separate from sin and sinners — and who, because He is so, is able
to rescue us from the thraldom of things beneath, and draw us upwards to
God, delivers them from the power and the doom of this world, and unites
them to the Person and the holiness and the destinies of the Son of God.
If ye believe not, etc., they should die in their sin ; but need not.^ That I
am (or That I am ke). The R.V. has the former in marg. ; but the American
Revisers object to the change, both here, in ver. 28 and xiii. 19. It is
tempting to make this change, in order to take advantage of the allusion,
which would be natural, to the great O. T. affirmation of Jehovah (Ex.
iii. 14), "I am that I am;" cp. Isa. xii. 4, xliii. 13, xlviii. 12, etc. The
importance of the passage is equally conserved by supplying the words :
--.That I am He who is of the things above A.He who is not of this world : He
who has come to save you from the power of the things benegtlj : in short.

14 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [vill. 25.
25 your sins. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And
Jesus saith unto them. Even the same that I said unto you
26 from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge
of you : but he that sent me is true ; and I speak to the world
27 those things which I have heard of him. 'They understood
28 not that he spake to them of the Father. Then said Jesus
the very One you are seeking — the Christ. This belief which Christ
demanded in Himself was not simply an intellectual one. Their unbelief
was due to moral causes ; and to believe that Jesus was the Christ would
imply a moral and spiritual regeneration. They must cease to be under the
infiuence of "things beneath." Then the certainty of life through faith is as
emphatic as that of death through unbelief.
25. Ikey say to Him — wko art thou ? Ht. You ! wko are you? \They wish
to make Him say plainly out that He is the Christ. ^See x. 24. This was
not Christ's way. Just wkat I have heen saying to you. Not by direct state
ment, but by the inferences to be drawn from character, words, and works ;
inferences which they could have easily drawn if they would. (But these words
have been a great problem to expounders. The R.V. has in marg., " How is
it that 1 speak to you at all ? " and Meyer favours — " What I from the very
beginning also say to you," nearly identical with the translation given
above. )
26. Many things I have concerning you to speak and to judge. ,^.^uch. things
as He had been just saying, ver. 24. (f Perhaps there may be an exposure of
the feelings in part prompting their last question, aSv^f they were resenting _
His right to judge them so.\ Or the sequence of thought may be this : You
ask me who I am, and you thmk that you are my judges. On the contrary,
I am your judge, and could say much to show you how well I know your _
character and state of mind (ver. 15 f. ). —
Many things — but He that sent me is true. And how many soever, and
how severe soever, the things I might utter of you, — they are all true. Trugf^
.¦opposed to false, as vii. 18, not vii. 28. God is true, alike in His promises
of mercy and threatening of judgments. And I — wkat I heard from Him,
these things I speak unto the world, if The Sender being true, the sent is also
true, i. 18, iii. 34, \' He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of
God." The Son, personally as well as by word, is the declaration of the
whole truth of God to the world ; see Heb. i. 2 ; truth which saves men, and
at the same time judges them. The greater the salvation, the greater the
judgment. What I heard, points to pre-existence and intimate fellowship.
27. They perceived not, etc. \Their want of perception arose from their
infinite remove from the self-renunciation of the Songf_fisd. That one
could speak of God so simply, as of a life-as_sociate, an^yet sp reverently, as
of one without whom no_ thoiight, no word, iio step could"T55~conceived,
spoken, or taken, was ^tonishing. Great claims they could understand,
because they were theras"elVes- ruled by the fle.sh/ but this self-effacing
dependence on God they could not understand.' J^us was taking them into
a region (moral, not intellectual) where they could not and would not
follow. 28 f. Iherefore [K.V. '\ Jesus said. Jesus speaks to their state of mind, and
warns them. Their moral and spiritual ignorance would lead them to make
away with Him ; and then they should know when too late for them, (1) that

VIII. 31.] Christ's personality. 15
unto thera, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then
shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself;
but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
29 And he that sent me is with me : the Father hath not left me
30 alone ; for I do always those things that please him. As he
31 spake these words, many believed on him. Then said Jesus
to those Jews which beUeved on him. If ye continue in my
— He was He, their very Christ, the very One they needed ;[ (2) that He was
— sent from the Father, and not self-sent ; (3) that He was the very revelation
ofthe Father, teaching what the Father taught M'ira.K When ye have lifted
up the Son of man. Cp. iii. 14, xii. 32. ^Vhether they knew what He
meant now by "lifting up the Son of man" we cannot say.\ Note how it is
always the Sonofjnan who is spoken- of as being lifted up^ The results of
the cross, ThE^ory at the right hand of Go'371ind gifTTif tHe Spirit, through
which Divine power went with the preaching of His name, are all included.
The knowledge of Jesus was perfect as to all that should happen. The
highest act of self-renunciation became the clearest proof that Jesus was all
., He claimed to be, the Son obedient unto death, even the death of the cross,
and therefore hi^gtl^i-eKalted, Phil. ii. 8 f. ""Snd not only has Jesus come
from such communion with God — He abides in it. He who sent me is witk
me (the preposition witk signifying union of interest and of action). He
has not left me alone, see ver. 16. (Omit "the Father.") For I do always
the things that are pleasing to Him. The^jnetaphysical goes hand in hand
with the moral. Jesus is one in essence with God. Jesus, as Son of man,'
*- is humble and obedient, and grounds the Father's constant presence and
alliance with Him on the fact of His perfect doing of His will. ^Jhis is the
greatest humility for the Son of God. But it is the most astounding claim
for mem, a son of man, to make, unless He be the Son of man. The deepest
self-abasement and the grandest self-exaltation here kiss each other. The
importance of such a testimony from Christ's own self-consciousness goes
without saying. Either He was holy, harmless, and sinless, as He here claims,
or the greatest impostor.
30. Many believed on Him. It is to be remarked that, as at vii. 40, the
highest claims of the Son of God are always responded to by many who feel
that this personal testimony of Christ, calm, clear, unwavering, is the
strongest ground on which to base their own personal trust.
(3.) 31-59. Jesus speaks to those who believe Him, exhorting them to
abide in His word, and assuring them that if they do so, they shall have the
knowledge and the freedom of the truth. On their replying that they were
Abraham's seed, and were never bondgjnen to any one, Je^us explaips that
He refers to the freedom of the will from the dominion of sin, and proceeds to
show lEow"the claimTcTSe Abraham's seed in any true sense is inconsistent
with their desire to put Himself to death. There are two fatherhoods, God
and the devil, to the one or the other of which they must belong, and these
are known by their fruits.
3 1 f. Wko had ielieved Him. Observe the important distinction between
believing on Christ, ver. 30, and believing Christ, as here. This distinction is
so clearly defined that we are almost shut up to conclude that those to whom
Jesus now chiefly turned His attention were not those who had believed on

1 6 the gospel by JOHN. [viIL 32.
32 word, then are ye my disciples indeed ; and ye shall know
the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
33 They answered him. We be Abraham's seed, and were
never in bondage to any man : how sayest thou, Ye shall be
Him, i.e. the genuine believers of ver. 30, but those who were half-way, believ
ing that Jesus spoke truly, and was a good man, perhaps a prophet, but who
had not yet surrendered heart and will to Him. This conclusion would then
be confirmed by the otherwise unaccountable change which takes place in
the attitude of those to whom Jesus speaks. Jesus accordingly applies the
test of a fuller disclosure of His person. If ye (emphatic) aiide in my word,
cp. v. 38, " His word abiding in you ; " xv. 7, " If ye abide in me, and my
words abide in you ; " xii. 47 ; 2 John 9. The effect of these, with different
shades of signification and different appUcations, is the same. Surrender of
mind, heart, and will to the power of Christ's doctrine must be complete and
enduring. There must be more than a mere recognition of the striking
personality of Jesus, there must be the reception of His word into conscience
and heart, and a trial of the life in the light of it. Truth would be known in
their inward life, it would penetrate their whole being. They would not be
eagerly looking without for signs. Ye are truly my disciples. The test of
Christian discipleship is continuance in Christ and in His word. If the
supposition above be correct, the application to the hearers is obvious. They
believed that Jesus spoke honestly and truly, and that He was a sincere man ;
as yet, however, there was no saving impression on conscience or heart.
Two great results shall follow, knowledge of the truth a-nd liberty, (i) You shall
know tke truth. The truth, — one of John's great conceptions, reaching its
climax in xiv. 6 ; see i. 14, 17, v. 33, ver. 46, and I John throughout. The
perception of the full and absolute truth of God follows surrender to its
influence, and perception of Jesus as the Christ of God would follow
obedience to the words which Jesus spoke, for the word of Christ is the revela
tion of eternal truth. (2) Wherever there is truth there is liberty. And the
truth shall make you free, James i. 25. Jesus explains immediately in what
this freedom consists. The occasion and connection do not at first seem clear.
Perhaps Jesus sought simply to make them realize their actual condition, moral
and spiritual. Absolutely speaking, no one is a free man who is ignorant of
truth, much less so who fears or shrinks from the disclosure of truth, or whom
truth condemns. Ignorance is the mother of slaves, slaves in the understand
ing and in the will. As that is the truth which a man has when he is him
self true, that is liberty when he is freed from the dominion of his own
passions. 33. The seed of Airaham are we, and to no one kave we ever been in bondage.
See Isa. xii. 8 ; Gal. iii. 29. They did not, realize their need of such
blessings, who claimed to be the salt of the earth, to be the custodians of
Divine truth, to be the free-born children of Abraham. >, Their pride is
touched,\and that pride was passionate and deep ; apparently trying to
shelter a nistorical, palpable falsehood under religious claims. Ideally free, as
the heirs of the great promises of God to Abraham, they were actually a
subject people.N.They had Abraham's blood in their veins, but not his faith
in their hearts. Matt. iii. 9. How dost tkou say, etc. — with a shade ol
contempt.!^ Perhaps also they mean, we claim to be disciples of a greater
than you.

VIII. 36.] CHRIST AND ABRAHAM'S SEED. 1 7
34 made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto
35 you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And
the servant abideth not in the house for ever ; but the Son
36 abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye
34-38. Jesus replies that the evil-doer is the slave i and the son, not the
slave, has a recognised and sure place in the house. \ They must obtain the
son's privileges from Him who alone has the right to confer them. He
J admits that they are Abraham's descendants outwardly ; inwardly — their deeds
disprove any true connection, as they seek to put Himself to death. Whence
their origin there can be no doubt, for as Christ's words reveal His paternity,
their deeds reveal theirs.
34. Verily, verily. See i. 51. Every one wko iloetk sin, iii. 20 f., v. 29,
and especially i John iii. 4, 8, 9. The habitual practice of sin is implied in
the words. Jesus explains that the freedom He means is freedom from the
bondage of a corrupt heart, to which the will Viecomes enslaved. Every
one, etc. He appeals to individual conscience ; no matter whether the man
be of Abraham's seed or not, he cannot escape this charge. National descent
had not made it possible for him to break this spiritual and moral thraldom.
A slave of sin. 'The sinner thinks sin is his tool, but he himself is the tool of
sin. vSin obtains the mastery of his affections and will, and when the galling
chains are felt, and efforts made to break through them, the awful tyranny is
realized.
.,_35. The positions of son and slave in the household are contrastedr^The
slave has no assured privilege or right^ He is the creature of the will and
pleasure of his master. " Between slave and master there is no one point in
common," Aris. Elk. viii. II. \He may be sold, turned adrift, or put to
death at the merest caprice__ When old and useless, slaves were often cast
out to die.\ The son has his own place, second only to that of the head of the
house ; he is the heir of all, and the object of affectionate care and pride.
But tkeslave does not abide in the kouse for ever, the Son abidesfor ever.
_The house is the kingdom of God,\ though the figure is not to be pressed in
its details. The chief point of contrast is the temporary place and the
enduring place of the slave and the Son respectively in the house. As regards
the Jews, the application was obvious. The kingdom was, so far as outward
principles went, to be taken from them because they would reject the Sonship,
the real and eternal privilege of the kingdom offered them, and remain in the
slavery of sin.'^iJ^o one with the heart of a slave towards God can possibly be
within His eternal house \ and the heart of a sinner unpardoned is the heart
of a slave. ^ The Son, etc. , may be taken as a general principle, though its
highest and unique application is found in Jesus Christ, Heb. iii. 5, 6. And
Jesus has all the powers of the house entrusted to Him. —
36. If, therefore, the Son shall make you free, really free shall ye be. The
Son of God makes free all who beUeve on Him, by delivering the conscience
from the sense of guilt, and the will from the power of sin, and inspires fhe
Spirit of Sonship to His Father, the law of the Spirit of Ufe in Christ Jesus
which sets us free from the law of sin and death, Rom. viii. 2. In Him, too,
we have the Son's standing and privilege. See Gal. iv. 4 f. The kingdom
of God is a kingdom of sons. Jesus has gained for us the son's footing in the
Father's house by His merits. He has also put the son's heart into us by
His Spirit. Confidence toward God, joy of access, assurance, and deliver-
VOL. II. B

1 8 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [vill. 37.
37 shall be free indeed. I know that ye are Abraham's seed :
but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father ; and ye do
39 that which ye have seen with your father. They answered
and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto
them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works
40 of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath
told you the truth, which I have heard of God : this did not
ance from the love and power of sin, all follow this twofold work of Christ for
us and in us. And as the standing in the house is not precarious, the service
is that of a son, serving not for place or acceptance, but from love and for
love. Cp. ver. 32. Jesus the Son is ilie Trutk which makes free. And the
freedom is therefore not in outward things, but in the sense and spirit of son-
ship itself. God is known and trusted and obeyed as a reconciled and loving
Father, Rom. v. 5. Love is the law that binds. God is not honoured but
as loved ; and not loved except through filial hearts. Eph. ii. 18 (ch. xv. 15
on the distinction between a servant and & friend).
-> 37 f. The question turned on their spiritual parentage. Lineage goes by
character as revealed and determined in acts. Their connection with Abraham .
was an outward and physical one, not inward and spiritual. '\/ know, etc.
Thoughts of hate and of murder were in their souls. Because my word does
not have place in you (or, has not free course in you., R.V. ). They were not
abiding in it, nor letting it abide in them. \ Unlike Abraham, who believed
God's wordV" against hope believing in ho^e," with much less ground for
faith than they had ; believed it and acted on it, with nothing to show for its
truth, and a great deal to suffer in obeying it ; who went out not knowing
whither he went ; who received with reverence the messengers of God.
Neither in righteousness nor in faith were they the children of Abraham.
Whose children then were they ? Their murderous intent proclaimed their
paternity ; even as Christ's words proclaimed His. What I kave seen witk
my Fatlier I speak ; a-nd you, therefore, what ye heard from your fatker are
fl'ozw^.^vThere is a spring feeding the motives and impulses, welling up in the
individual actions : the spring of the nature derived from a fatherhood. Our .
life betrays to what home we belong, and to which our habits continually
ally us. Jesus Himself is no exception to that rule. Their father was the
devil. .
39-41^. They reply that Abraham is their father. ' Jesus answers again,
that their desire to liill Him proved them to be no tnie children of Abraham.
But they had a father, the real parent of their deeds. If ye are children of
Abraham, ike works of Abrakam ye would be doing. (There is some un
certainty about the grammar, but the sense is clear. ) The works of Abraham
were faith, self-sacrifice, absolute self-juxiender jto, and profound reverence
for^ the word aiKTwill^flf GpcTV But now ye seek to kill me. Our Lord's
repetition of this charge is remarkable. Underneath even the half-belief
there lurked a feeling that had more or less kinship with murder. Jesus lays
bare the essence and ultimate fruit of sin : rejection of Himself, which is
rejection of God.^C.,4 man wko has spoken the truth to you, wkick I keard
from God, xii. 44. \, They were, therefore, not in sympathy with the God of
truth, or with the truth of God,\ Ye do the works of yottr fatker. Solemn

VIII. 43.] CHRIST AND ABRAHAM'S SEED. I9
41 Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they
to him, We be not born of fornication ; we have one Father,
42 even God. Jesus said unto them. If God were your Father,
ye would love rae : for I proceeded forth and came frora
43 God ; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye
not understand my speech ? even because ye cannot hear my
reiteration of the charge of a paternity very different from that which they
claimed. Character is known by deeds, and character is the prorluct of our
spiritual and moral affinities. In all we do we are the children of our
parents. 411^. We were not born of fornication ; one Father kave we, God: appa- '~
rently considering Christ's words to be an imputation on their pure descent,
attested in their pure worship, on which they prided themselves, contrasted
with the mongrel Samaritans, iv. 22. Perhaps a reminiscence of Mai. ii. 10 f.,
-i^Have we not all one Father ? hath not one God created us ? .'^ . Judah hath
married the daughter of a strange god. '.'/' They make claim thus to a higher
paternity even than Abraham's. ¦»>
42-47. Jesus has disproved their right to call themselves children of
Abraham, by showing them that they did not receive the word of God and
obey it, even though failing to comprehend its purport, and at great cost to
self, as did Abraham. He now proceeds to disprove their claim to have God
as Father, by the fact that they were withholding their faith and love from
Himself, the perfect exposition of God^s trutk, and the perfect exposition of
God's holiness. And tlien He ascribes their paternity directly to the devil.
42. If God were your Father, ye would love me : on the principle, though
with higher application, of I John v. I, "VEvery one who loveth Him that
begat, loveth Him also that is begotten of Him )" as Jesus now asserts (i) that
personally God is the source of His existence ; and (2) that God is the author
of His mission to earth. VThey should love Him instead of hating t»»;ft-
seeking to slay Him. > Even n they felt it difiRcult to believe, they might fi^Lk
have this affection of love excited in their hearts. One needs must love the
highest when he sees it. \ The cogency of this Jesus brings out a few verses
farther on. For I ozit of God came forth, and ain come. The origin of the
personal existence of the Son must be intended in these simple but profound
words; see xvi. 27 and 28. The preposition " out of " (different from the
" from " of clause second) is that which denotes closest relation, and here that
of father and son. The words "came forth" refer, therefore, to what is
called the etemal generation of the Son of God; the following "and am
come " seem to refer also to this, with the implicit meaning, " and so, such
being my origin, I am here ; " so that this remarkable expression would cover
both facts of the Eternal Generation and the Incarnation. Veiled in human
form though He was, they might know, and would if God were their Father,
that His connection with God was something unique. For neither from (or
of) myself have I come, but He sent me ; cp. vii. 28 f. The test of a self-assumed
mission He has already spoken of. The distinction of prepositions in the
two clauses is important.
43. Why do ye not know my speech ? Admitting there was that in it
which made it hard to understand. Because ye cannot kear my word :
cp. vi. 60, denying that it was impossible to receive, though hard. Observe

20 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [vill. 44-
44 word. Ye are oiyour father the devil, and the lusts of your
father ye will do : he was a murderer from the beginning,
and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in
the distinction between speech and word. Had they given free course to the
word of Jesus that searched conscience and heart ; the word that told them
they were slaves of sin, and could not abide in the house of God for ever ;
the word that exposed their inmost thoughts and intentions ; the secret hate
and murder that lay there ; the word, in short, about themselves, — they would
have known His speech about Himself, would have recognised under the
mysterious dark manner of it the very tones of God. That they did not,
proved that God was not their Father, they had no moral or spiritual
kindredness with Him.
44. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will to
do : he was a manslayer from the beginning, and stood not in the truih, for
there is not truth in him. When ke speaks a lie, ke speaks of his own : for ke
is a liar, and the father of it. If God were not their Father, this was the
one alternative, and Jesus expresses it plainly. Their hatred of Him and
desire to slay Him, their hatred of the truth that laid bare their love and
practice of a lie, these lusts linked them in direct lineah descent with the
devil, the primal source of them. The law of heredity, like father like son,
receives from Christ's lips its most solemn vindication. There is a personal
source of light, and life, and love, and truth. Q^I came forth out of God."
There is a personal source of darkness, death, hate, falsehood. 'Ni' Ye are of
your father the devil. '\^ However in words it 'may be disowned, every one who
commits sin and is sin's slave is bound by this law, belongs to this father./
This is true of all men until grace regenerates them, which is the truth 01
ch. iii., and placed in the forefront of this Gospel, i. 12, 13. From this
father came the lusts that war against the soul. "Ye will to do ;" cp. vu. 17,
" If any man willeth- io do His will," etc. Not the fact of such paternity
makes a man's case helpless, but the free surrender of his will to the will of
this power of darkness. There is no fatalism in sin. Men are responsible
for their volitions, and as sin is not the direct offspring of their own wills,
but the offspring of surrender of their wills to this mysterious will behind them,
the deliverance from this personal influence is possible, and is the result of
Christ's salvation. No man is simply and entirely given over to this evil
spirit but by his own free will. In all men there struggle the will of the
flesh and the will of God ; but to receive Christ is to be born of the Spirit of
God, and to be brought into the liberty of sons by the Son Himself. The
will then is subject to the will of God. A manslayer from the beginning :
see Gen. iii. and i John iii. 8, 12, and 15. The devil compassed man's sin,
and so his death, by the lie against his Maker. He stands at and is the
source of all the perversity in the world, none of which had its origin in God,
who made all things originally very good. And stood not in the truth.
It is impUed then that the devil once existed in the truth, and is not an
originally and eternally evil personality or principle. He fell from a true
condition. Because there is not trutk in him. The untrue in act must
proceed from the untrue in thought and in will. Of no man living can it be
affirmed that there is not truth in him, for in no case, so far as we can tell, is
that surrender made of the will absolutely into the possession of sin, that no
possibility is left for its conquest by Christ. But of the devil Jesus says not

VIII. 46.] CHRIST AND ABRAHAM'S SEED. 21
hirrL When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own : for
45 he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the
46 truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of
only that he does evil, that he hates and lies, but that he begets these lusts,
wherever found ; for in him truth is not. / He is not simply untrue, he is the
untrue one ; not wicked only, but the wicked one. He has therefore
surrendered his will over to evil, so as to have his nature simply and solely
evil, r When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his ozon : for he is a liar, and
tke father of it. Perhaps with Gen. iii. in view. This distinguishes the
devil from all other evil persons, men at least, that his opposition to the
truth of God is nothing accidental in him, but his own peculiar mark, is he
kimself, so far as human histoiy goes at least. SlThe lie has become his
nature, it is his o-wn ; he has made it so by identifying his will with it.
Jesus affirms that the devil is both a liar and the father of lies, and hence the
lie is his own. As a liar, he is like every other being who gives his will up I
to sin, and follows his heart's lusts. And the next step is, the production of \
the lie in others, for sin propagates itself. Only as " the devil sinneth from
the beginning," all sin owes its existence to him, "the father of it." The
words may be fairly taken to cover the fall of the devil himself from rectitude,
and then his'relation as author to the historic evil in the world.
45. But I \as for me\ because I say the trutk, ye do not believe me.
They believe the devil's lie, not the Saviour's truth. VNot only so, they
reject the truth because it is the trutk.\ Had Jesus spoken to their ear, to
their taste, to their national vanity and pride of descent and the like, had He
flattered them by seeking His own glory, they would have believed Him.
_ As He says Himself : /*' I have come in the name of my Father, and ye
receive me not\if another come in his own name, him ye will receive^' v. 43.
Because He told them they were slaves of sin in doing it, they were offended.
This profound saying of Christ settles the question whether one can best
perceive the truth when he has an interest in finding it to be so, or whether
the mind ought not to be strictly impartial. If the latter were the case, it
would mean that we have not a constitution originally fitted for the truth,
with sympathies more or less clearly working towards it, unless prevented
by yielding to our lusts. Whereas the startling assertion of Christ here is
that we have this ; the dislike to the truth proves not an unfitness in us for
it, but a corruption of nature, a perverted judgment, a blinded understanding.
Otherwise, why should men reject it? The heart rejects what strikes at its
lusts. Hence an impartial attitude towards the truth in the endeavour to
find and obey it is impossible. (Observe the belief is the belief in the word
of Jesus simply, not the belief in Himself.)
46 f. Even if they stumbled at the truth which Jesus spoke, they might
nevertheless have yielded to the singular purity of His character. Their
rejection of the Sinless One was a greater condemnation to them than rejec
tion of the Truthful One. Wko of you convicts me of sin? A direct
challenge to His opponents to point out any flaw in His conduct, and an
implied affirmation of His sinlessness ; see xiv. 30, "The prince of this world
cometh, and hath nothing in me." And this sinlessness is a guarantee for
the truth which He speaks. This self-consciousness of Christ, as absolutely
an unconsciousness of personal evil, is sublime ; it alone raises Jesus to a height
that is out of all possible comparison with the highest of His saints, whose

22

tHE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [vill. 47.

sin ? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me ?
47 He that is of God heareth God's words : ye therefore hear
48 them not, because ye are not of God. Then answered the
daily confession is: "I am a sinful man, O Lord." The ground of His
sinlessness is explained in His eternal pre-existence ; see ver. 58. The relation
of this impossibility of sinning to the facts and moral inferences of the
temptations of Jesus, as brought out specially in the Epistle to the Hebrews,
is one that has always exercised the spiritual mind, and always will. We
must hold, on the one hand, that Jesus being God could not have sinned ;
and, on the other hand, that the development of His human nature was
normal. It is usual to say that Jesus felt the pain and suffering of temptation
inseparable from a pure spirit, though not the seductiveness of sin in it, having
no sinful principle in Himself. But no explanation can go down to the bottom
of the mystery of God manifest in flesh. If I speak trutk, wky do ye not
believe me? If they could bring no charge against His moral character,
could they not believe that He spoke truth? If not believe in Him,
at least believe that He was an honest, a true man ? Perfect goodness was
before them, and they hated it, and sought to kill it. They did not " love
Him," ver. 42 ; thus exposing the fact that they had no sympathy with
goodness themselves. No doubt the perfect ideal of human character as
embodied in Jesus Christ does draw many to Him, draws them so that
though they may have at first rebelled at some of the aspects of His person
and His work, they are in spite of themselves brought to deeper insight into
these. Jesus answers His own question, in fact there could be but one answer :
Rejection of the truth and holiness of God meant on the part of those who
did so that they were not of God in sympathy and heart. ( He who is of God
hears God's words ; for this cause ye hear them not, because of God ye are not.
Although the preposition is the same as Jesus uses to describe His relation
to God in ver. 42, the words "I came forth out of God" express evidently
something different from the thought here. To be "of God" is to be
interpreted by such other passages as vi. 37-44, the drawing of the Father ;
and xviii. 37, to be of the truth. They claimed that God was their Father.
\ Jesus tells them that they have not the nature of God in them, that they have
mot kindredness with Him in any wayxjheproof of kindredness with God
being the receptive hearing of His words^ "To be of God," "to be of the
truth," according to John's mode of presenting Christ's doctrine, must mean
the preparatory work of the Spirit of God, that drawing of the Father by
which there is a certain susceptibility awakened for the full disclosure of
Divine life in Christ. 'SAU men are of God in the sense of having His image.

and therefore having so far a capacity for the truth of Christ X for if it were
not so, the gospel could not appeal to them. \ And (ver. 44) all men are of tie z
^ devil in the sense of having a principle of evil in them, that mars and tends to
obliterate the image of God. There are not sorts of human natures. Accord
ingly, it is the moral attitude men take up, when conscious of the opposing
forces that war within them, the determination of will toward one side or
other, which marks them as being, or not being, of G^d — ofthe trutk ; cp. iii.
21, "SHe that doeth truth is coming to the Ught." Though, of course, the
mystery remains unsolved, that viz. of the freedom of our will, with personal
responsibility for our self-determination, and of a superhuman power back of
what we are ourselves. The crowning act of this preparatory lep<ling is the

VIII. 53.J CHRIST AND ABRAHAMS SEED. 23
Jews, and said unto him. Say we not well that thou art a
49 Samaritan, and hast a devil? Jesus answered, I have not a
devil ; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour nie.^
50 And I seek not mine own glory : there is one that seeketh
51 and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep
52 my saying, "he shall never see death. Then said the Jews
unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is
dead, and the prophets ; and thou sayest. If a raan keep my
53 saying, he shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than
our father Abraham, which is dead ? and the prophets are
" being born of the Spirit," or, " of God."/ These men could not reject Christ
without doing injury to their own consciences. / They were suppressing their
natural instincts of right and wrong.-v Recognition of Christ must follow
sympathy with truth and purity. ¦ —
48-end. Last phase of this controversy. Jesus, the Sinless and True, is also
Ihe Eternally Existent. — The Jews retort on Jesus that it is He who has a devil
ish origin. Do we not well say that a Samaritan art thou, and hast a demon ?
^_ They meant a moral Samaritan, one who had a Samaritan nature : a demon
of hate, malignity, and opposition against themselves. The expression has a
positive badness, here and in x. 20 ; not so marked in vii. 20.
^^ • 49 f. / kave not a demon ; but I honour my Father, and ye dishonour me ;\
but I do not seek my own glory, there is who seeks and judges ; cp. vii. 18,
v. 44 f. Jesus gives a calm denial to their impious charge. He was seeking
His Father's glory, which no demon could do, and no one possessed with a
demon. \Though they dishonoured Him, He could leave His honour safely
in the Father's hands, who shall judge both Him and them. N,The Father's
judgment on the Son was pronounced in the resurrection, Rom. i. 4, and the
effect was the judgment of the world ; see xii. 31 f., xvi. 11. This forms
the transition, apparently, to the next statement, introduced by Christ's usual
more solemn formula.
-^ 51. Verily, verily, I say unto you. If any one keep my word, ke shall not
see death for ever [i.e. never die], yi Death will be the judgment of men out -^
of Christ. ^ The abiding in His word brings knowledge of the truth and
Uberty; the keeping of His word, i.e. its fulfilment in gospel obedience, ~.
result of abiding in it, brings eternal life J see on v. 24 ff. , "He that
believeth my word, and believeth Him that sent me, hath eternal life,"
etc., "hath passed out of death into lifej^ This blessing also seems to
stand as the crown of the series in this section ofthe book, chs. vii., viii. .
Water of life — guiding light — freedom of sons in the Father's house — endless
life. Jesus prepares the way for the great utterance of ver. 58. Union with
Himself, implied in keeping His word, is union with the " I am."
52 f. The Jews, supposing, or \\ illing to suppose, that He refers to
.» natural death, are convinced Jesus is possessed. \ All their great fathers
have died in ordinary course of nature. Who is he, that he should claim not
.  only to have an endless life, but even to bestow it on others ? Thou sayest he
shall never taste of death, Matt. xvi. 28 ; Mark ix. I ; Luke ix. 27 ; Heb.
ii. 9. Why the change of word ? Probably to render the absurdity more
evident by accentuating the expression. Thou art not greater than our father
Abraham? cp. iv. 12, the same phrase, " I hou art not greater than our

24 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [viII. 54.
54 dead: whom makest thou thyself? Jesus answered, If I
honour myself, my honour is nothing : it is my Father
that honoureth me ; of whom ye say, that he is your God.
SS Yet ye have not known him ; but I know him: and if I should
say, I know him not, I shall be a Har like unto you : but I
56 know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham
rejoiced to see ray day; and he saw it, and was glad.
57 Then said the Jews unto hira, Thou art not yet fifty years old,
S8 and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them. Verily,
S9 verily, I say unto you, Before Abrahara was, I am. Then
father Jacob?" The repetition betrays excitement and clamorous voices.
What kind of person dost thou make thyself?
54-56. Jesus disclaims desire to exalt Himself, still continuing calmly.
Not Himself, but His Father glorifies Him; see xvii. i. The Father glorified
the Son by giving Him the Spirit not by measure, iii. 34 ; by giving Him
equal power of work, v. 19 ff. ; by bearing witness through Him in works and
words, V. 37. VThey claim His Father to be their own God, but they know
Him not. But I know Him. The two words rendered /otoot — appUed to the
Jews and to Jesus respectively — are different ; the former, knowledge of outwards.
perception ; the latter, absolute comprehension ; see on vii. 28 f. To say He
was ignorant of God, would be a Ue equal to their claim of knowledge of God.
/ keep His word ; see ver. 29. The continual theme of Jesus is His
dependence on the Father, and His loving obedience to His will, vi. 57,
V. 36, 17, 19. This claim to know God with a thorough knowledge, and to
be and become obedient to His word, fittingly prepares the way for the great
truth which follows, ver. 58.
Your father Abraham rejoiced greatly to see my day, i.e. in the anticipation
of witnessing its dawn on the earth. And he saw it, atui was glad. Christ's
day was the day of promise fulfilled ; when the new age of gospel grace
began in the advent of the Son of God in flesh. More or less consciously,
Abraham rejoiced in the Messianic hope ; and his joy grew deeper, truer,
just in proportion as by the discipline of his faith other hopes clinging to this
were stripped off, and the Messianic reality stood out. In heaven he saw its
realization in Christ's descent to earth; cp. Luke ix. 31. If not this, the
seeing of Christ's day must refer to some vision of faith at some one or other
crisis in his life, such as Isaac's sacrifice, that struck out new channels of
aspiration in Abraham's breast. We must be content with the general way.
in which Jesus refers to this wonderful experience of the father of Ihe
faithful. It was in the faith of Christ substantially he was justified ; and in
the vision of Christ incarnate and crucified, the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world, that he was glad.
57. Thou art not yet fifty years old, etc. A general statement, conveying
that Jesus did not appear to be past the prime of manhood, but was decidedly
on the younger side of it.
58 f. Verily, verily, I say to you. Before Abrakam was iom, I am. The
culminating point of the discourse, and ultimate ground of Christ's claim in
ver. 12. He is the Light ofthe woild, because He is the "I am." The verb
used of Abraham denotes a coming into existence, whereas that which Christ
uses of Himself denotes absolute continuous existence, not beginning — not

IX. 2.] CURE OF MAN BORN BLIND.

25

took they up stones to cast at him : but Jesus hid hiraself,
and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them,
and so passed by.
Chap. IX. i. And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was
2 blind frora his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying.
Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was
ending (Ex. iii. 14). He thus answers their question, ver. 53. And they
recognise all that the answer means, — equality with God, and endeavour to
deal out to Him the usual penalty of blasphemy. Was hid, or kid Himself,
not necessarily by n miracle ; cp. Luke iv. 30. The words going through,
etc., are probably not genuine.
Ch. IX. Cure of the man blind from birth. — (i) 1-7. The cure.
(2) 8-12. The surprise occasioned among the man's acquaintances. (3) 13-34.
What the Pharisees think and do. (4) 35-end. The man confesses Jesus to
be the Son of God.
(I.) 1-7. The Cure. 1-5. Passing iy. The inference is that this incident
followed immediately after the events of ch. viii. (^The vicinity of the Temple
was the resort of beggars and maimed or diseased personsJ^Acts iii. I, etc. It
is rather difficult, however, to believe that the record from viii. 12 onwards to
the close of this chapter is that of a single day, and that day the Sabbath,
ver. 14. In order that he should ie born blind. The question of the disciples
implies knowledge of the man's antecedents (possibly the man himself appealed
to passers-by as the born blind), and acceptance of the prevailing belief that
attributed special misfortune, disaster, sickness and the like to special sin in
those visited with them ; cp. Luke xiii. 4. The pecuUarity of this case precluded
sin in the subject himself, unless, indeed, on tlie supposition of the possibility
of siu in the embryo state, or ofthe fact of pre-existence of souls, — doctrines
which appear to have been held by the Rabbins. The prominence which
the inexorable laws of moral and physical heredity receive in the Old
Testament (Ex. xx. 5 ; Deut. v. 9), tiiough the great truth of individual
responsibility rose clear out of that of the solidarity of the family or nation
(Deut. xxiv. 16; Ezek. xviii.), taken together with the facts of life, suggests
to the disciples the one alternative ; the manifest impossibility of applying
this principle in every individual case of suffering or penalty, suggested the
speculation of the Rabbis. The other alternative, the exaggeration of the
trath that sin means suffering, that a man must reap what he has sown, or
what has been sown for him, in many respects, led to this false specific
connection of a particular penalty with a particular sin. Jesus, not
denying that sin means suffering, or that a man's infirmities of body may arise
from parents' sins, rejected the idea that this blindness was due to specific sin
in those directly concerned, asserting that its purpose was the manifestation
of God's works ;\He then speaks of the urgency pressing on Him to do the ¦
works of God while the day lasted, for the night comes when none can work.-^
And, lastly. He repeats His claim to be the light of the world (viii. 12). The
Lord turns the thoughts of His disciples away from inquiry as to the cause of
this affliction, and bids them reflect rather on the purpose which it is meant to
serve. V Or He gives them a cause embracing every lesser one, and applicable
to every case of suffering. The spectacle to Jesus was a call for help, not a
call to profitless speculation ; a call to prove Himself the light of the world,
and that the works of God, of which He had also said that they testified His

26 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [iX. 3.
3 born blind ? Jesus answered. Neither hath this man sinned,
nor his parents : but that the works of God should be made
4 raanifest in him. I raust work the works of hira that sent me,
while it is day ; the night cometh, when no man can work.
5 As long as I ara in the world, I am the hght of the world.
Father had sent Him, were works of pitiful concern for suffering men. And
He sought to inspire His disciples with the same feeUngs at the sight of life's
miseries and sorrows, these being occasions for God's servants to manifest
God's works in the reflection of Divine mercy, pity, love for all. In view of
this life's mysteries of sadness, Je^us does not encourage His servants to ask
questions as to the origin of evil and the like, with no practical bearing.
Life is too short for such ; it is for working the works of God. Tke works
of God, ver. 3, are the same as tke works of Him wko sent me, ver. 4 (not
miracles only, but including these), and we cannot think it strange that Jesus
should connect the man's blindness with His own appearance on earth : born
blind in order that Jesus might give Him sight : when we remember how
unique that appearance from first to last was. Within the larger circle,
namely, that evil is made to serve God's purpose at last, and that all things
work together for good to them who love God, there is the lesser circle of
Christ's activity, from which He felt that all merely accidental was excluded.
In our ordinary experience, special providences, that seem to embrace the
whole scope of our lives, occur. The works of Him that sent 7ne are
works which one might look for from Him whose typical and greatest work
was sending His Son into the world to save the world, iii. 17, — proofs of
wisdom and love, 'xlf there were no suffering in life, there would be no
sympatlw awakened, no desire to relieve it, none of the best traits of human
nature. \Even Jesus felt the need of diligence in God's service arising from
the limited time at His disposal.^ The words are capable of an obvious
general interpretation. -~Day, meaning the lifetime of man ; night, its close__
<-But He too had a day of twelve hours, see xi. 9 ; He too was under necessity,
being man, to have the shortne.'^s of man's working day borne in on Him J
He who had an eternity behind Him, and an eternity before Him for Plis work,
must feel, as we do, that our opportunity (note the plural pronoun we in ver. 4,
R.V.) is short, and that the future depends on our use of the present. The
mission of Je-.us is unique. Him that sent me: I am the ligkt of tke world-
but He does not claim the monopoly of doing the works of God, which are
here those of goodness and mercy., " IVe must work," etc. It is from the
mission of Christ in fact that we know what God's works really are. The plural
of the pronoun — we — makes it emphatic. 5. Our redemption was achieved
by the Son of God on earth ; and the substance of the Gospel that sets Him
forth to men is what He did and suffered for us while here, being all He was.
When [or since, not jo tongas'] 1 am, etc. : note the return to the first person ;
Plis own personal presence among men is the source of all their illumination in
the knowledge of God and His will, and it is to His personal return that He
commands His Church to look continually. \Vithdrawn, at the right hand
of God, carrying on the work of His completed redemption through Hi's
Spirit, no less than when here. He is the world's light; but the words
express His own deep sense of what He is to the world, and of how much He
has to do to save it, rather than any contrast between His personal presence
and absence. Vlie had to shine — to kindle a light while here, Ihat men might

IX. 7.] CURE OF MAN BORN BLIND. 27
6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made
clay ofthe spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man
7 with the clay, and said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of
Siloam, (which is, by interpretation. Sent.) He went his way
therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
recognise it as the true and only light of God, and cherish it and follow itNv
— Being in the world. He is and must ever henceforth be the world's light.
Compare what Jesus says of the work of the Holy Spirit in chs. xiv., xv., xvi.
As these words refer back to viii. I2, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that
the miracle recorded here is but a practical illustration of that great truth.
He who had claimed to be the world's light was proving Himself so, not
simply by doing a miracle, but by coming in contact with the darkness of the
world's miseries, sympathizing with sufferers, relieving them ; He was thus
applying what He had said of Himself to the common and urgent needs of
men. TThough He was stoned for His claims, the sight of misery made Him —
set every consideration aside but the one that He was here to help men, and —
that His time was short.
-^ — 6 f. He spat on the ground, etc. : ' an occasional practice with Jesus in such
cases ; see Mark vii. 33, viii. 23. "vWe may be sure Jesus had some good
reason for all this outward show. \ Perhaps the reason is to be sought in the
naturalness of the action, combining touch with use of simplest appliances,
helping the faith of the blind man, more dependent than others on such
external things. And the order to wash the clay off his eyes at the pool of
Siloam must have had the same intention. The character of the man, too, has
to be taken into account, and we judge from the sequel that the exercise of
Christ's healing virtue only througli these several secondary means, and
the opportunity given to the man for his own reflections, in the absence of
Christ, were more likely to awaken his interest in Christ Himself, and afford
a test as to whether he would be satisfied with power of outward vision, and
not rather seek contact with the person of the Healer. Jesus, like God, -
veiled His power under such a cloak of subordinate causes. One who sought
glory for himself would have made hifnself more prominent ; cp. the miracle "¦
of feeding Ihe thousands with a few loaves and fishes, where a charlatan
would have made a pile of loaves, if he could, out of the few.s And we are not
going astray from the line of inference here when we see in this careful, even
elaborate process of cure, honour put by Christ on our use of all subordinate
means in respect of the work of grace, while we know that the power is
above them all in the living will of the Son of God. And surely there is
a proof in it too ofthe tenderer, more personal interest of Jesus in the case
before Him than if He had said, "Be whole ! " and passed on His way.*^ Every
man must be dealt with so as to feel that Jesus loves him, and binds him to
Himself by special bonds. \Perhaps the more direct and personal the
expression of faith, the more direct the cure ; see Matt. ix. 27 ff., xx. 29 ff.
— iHere the man asked nothing, expressed nothing ; and if Christ's compassion '^
were touched, it needed, notwithstanding, an element of individual faith to
make it effectual. The moral and spiritual sensibilities of the man were
touched when he was set on a course of obedience and faith. Expectation,
hope, trust, were aroused. Siloam, wkick is interpreted [i.e. in Greek] Sent.
The evangelist seems to see (by a slight change in the etymology) in the name
' Tlie medicinal use of saliva was recognised in old times.

28 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [iX. 8.
8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen
him that he was blind, said. Is not this he that sat and
9 begged ? Some said. This is he : others said. He is like him :
IO 3?^^ he said, I z.m. he. Therefore said they unto him, How
1 1 were thine eyes opened ? He answered and said, A man that
is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said
unto me. Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash : and I went
1 2 and washed, and I received sight. Then said they unto him.
Where is he ? He said, I know not.
13 They brought to the Pharisees hira that aforetime was
14 blind. And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the
of the pool in this connection something significantly prophetic of Christ and
Plis mission of mercy, the Sent by the Father ; cp. Isa. viii. 6 ; perhaps not
without some allusion to the water of life. (Luke xiii. 4; Neh. iii. 15.)
^ " Fifty feet long, twenty deep, and as many in width, the sides so broken
down as to render it difficult to take correct measurements. It Ues in the
moirth of the Tyropoean, and the water runs frora it under a rocky precipice
across the road to some gardens in the valley of Jehoshaphat.\It is a small
rill, which is soon exhausted among beds of radishes and cucumbers. NWater
was drawn from it for the Temple, and it was supplied by the fountain of
the virgin. " Godet says that Israelitic consciousness had been struck by the
fact of this spring flowing from the Temple hill, and had attached a Messianic
significance to it. (Westcott and Hort substitutefor " anointed his eyes," etc.,
" spread on his eyes," etc., so ver. 15 ; there is also a minor variation in the
rendering, as pointed out in R.V. marg.) Sie departed therefore, and washed,
etc. The promptness of the obedience is measured by the immediateness of
the reward. \Tlie obedience was that of faith, feeble as yet, but reaLi and the
reward that whichis always promised to faith, even feeble, if real. '^
(2.) 8-12. The snrprise and comments of the man's acquaintances. One
of those life-like scenes that are frequent in this Gospel, described to the evan
gelist probably by the man himself. 8. R.V. has the better reading, " that he
was a beggar," for "that he was blind:" he begged because he was blind.
II. Read "the man that is called Jesus," instead of "a man," etc. ; see
v. 13. This section serves as an introduction to the following.
(3.) 13-34. The inquiry and investigation by the Pharisees, and their
action. The Pharisees, not probably the Sanhedrim, cp. vii. 45, xi. 47 ; perhaps
the elders of the synagogue to which the man belonged (the kii-k-scssion), for
they finally excommunicated him, ver. 34.\ First the examination of the man
himself. Then that of his parents. Then a second examination of the man, —
with his excommunication. V It was natural in one way to report so strange
an event (x> the religious leaders.\Perhaps the motives were not friendly
altogether!\^ The man's ignorance of Christ's whereabouts may have excited
suspicion, and the mention of the Sabbath as the day on which the miracle
was wrought points to a certain officious zeal on the part of these people. It
was likely done in the spirit of men who think there is something to be
inquired into rather than something to thank God for. 14."^// was the —
\ Sabbath; cp. ch. v. 9. 15 f. The division of opinion about Jesus which
' obtained among the common people, see ch. vii. 43, appears among the

IX. 17.] EXAMINATION OF THE CURED MAN. 29
IS clay, and opened his eyes. Then again the Pharisees also
asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them.
He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.
16 Therefore said sorae of the Pharisees, This man is not of
God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said.
How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles ? And
17 there was a division araong them. They say unto the blind
man again. What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened
Pharisees themselves. After getting the man's account of his cure, one parly
held that the_circumstances of the miracle amounted to a breach of Sabbath .
law;'hence Jesus could not have a mission from God-(-read /?-()?« God). As the
carrying of his bed by the impotent man of Bethesda, ch. v., fell under
Sabbath prohibition, so, it seems, special precepts forbade anointing the eyes
with spittle ; certainly the whole process of cure would be sure to be contra
dictory to one or more of the Pharisaic traditions.- — Another party inquired
how one who had not come from God, or who was a transgressor of law, ,
could do such signs. ^^It is almost incredible that men could be found in
presence of such a marvel of power and beneficence, which they were unable
to deny, to harden their hearts, and shut their minds against entrance of the
truth ; cp. v. 16. But prejudice and jealousy can set aside cogent proofs,
and easily discover some plausible pretext for opposition in the most righteous
cause or person. The party who sympathized with Nicodemus (vii. 50) —
perhaps Nicodemus himself was the interrogator— suggest a difficulty. How
can a man who despises the law of God do such deeds — unequivocal signs of
God's power and mercy ?,^They infer from the miracle the mission and
character of the worker of it. Apart from the supernatural powers in it, the
pure beneficence could hardly be a finger-post pointing downwards for source.
The argument in favour of a Divine origin, not from the merely miraculous,
but from the design and scope of the miraculous as well, is an instinctive
sentiment ; see ver. 31 f. 17. They say therefore,^^XQs\iS>A^ the ill-
disposed to Jesus (see ver. 18), who, because of the question put by the other
section which they could not answer very well, are anxious to get the man's
own opinion of Je.sus, — What dost thou say of Him, in that? etc., with
some sinister intention doubtless to prove collusion, or to have ground
according to their decree, ver. 22, for dealing summarily with the man. He
is a prophet, and therefore from God. The man took his stand on the O. T.
revelation. Jesus was to him another Elijah or Elisha, one whose works
had the stamp of a Divine source on them. We may be inclined rather to
accept the miracle for the sake of Christ's person, as our belief in the O. T.
revelation is founded on our belief in Christ. We come to the Old Testa
ment now through Christ and the New Testament ; this man was coming
to Christ through the Old Testament. Hence the need for Jesus to establish
in these ways a connection with the old lines of belief in order to introduce
the true conception of Himself to men, who had some idea previously of what
the worker of such miracles might be, in respect of Divine authority ; but
had an imperfect conception of One who should be holy, harmless, undefiled,
and separate from sinners. This glorious conception, now that we can
grasp it, as Jesus exhibited it personaUy, embraces everything else ; the most
marvellous miracle of all : and the others are only subordinate.

30 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [iX. 1 8.
1 8 thine eyes? He said, he is a prophet. But the Jews did
not believe concerning hiin, that he had been blind, and
received his sight, until they called the parents of him that
1 9 had received his sight. And they asked them, saying, Is this
your son, who ye say was born blind ? how then doth he now
2o see ? His parents answered them, and said. We know that
2 1 this is our son, and that he was born blind : but by what
means he now seeth, we know not ; or who hath opened his
eyes, we know not : he is of age, ask him ; he shall speak
2 2 for himself. These words spake his parents, because they
feared the Jews : for the Jews had agreed already, that if any
man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of
23 the synagogue. Therefore said his parents, He is of age, ask
24 him. Then again called they the man that was blind, and
said unto him. Give God the praise : we know that this man
18-23. The Jews confront him with his parents, desiring to convict
the man of falsehood. They ask if this was their son, if he were born
blind, and how he received sight. The parents acknowledge their son, and ^
testify to his congenital blindness,! but they cautiously decline to say any
thing about the miracle. \They say they know neither how it was done nor
who did it (note the emphatic pronoun, " We do not know "), — a declaration
which, in the light of the evangelist's commentary, ver. 22, we must take as
meaning, in strict truth, only that they had not seen the miracle done, and
that their testimony could be only second-hand, and they did not wish to be
implicated in the matter. \ They felt that it was unreasonable they should be
questioned as to the case.rSi^Their son was of age to answer for himself.^ They
declined responsibiUty in denying knowledge of the circumstances. A safe and
skilful, if not altogether a courageous course. It was prudent, if not very
heroic. For a son they might have risked their own reputation. Like the
Pharisees, ch. xii. 42, they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God.
22. The Jeius had agreed: either in Sanhedrim or in secret conclave, the
former probably, as the thing was known. Put out of the synagogue, xii. 42,
xvi. 2 ; Matt, xviii. 17 ; excommunication from church fellowship, and along
with that went forfeiture of ordinary social fellowship for a longer or shorter
period. There appear to have been different degrees of severity in this
sentence, but possibly dating from after this time.
24-34. Re-examination of the man. Foiled in their attempt to convict
the man of falsehood by the testimony of his parents, the Jews turn once
again to the man himself, and solemnly adjure him to speak truth in God's ,
sight, for they know that jesus is a sinner. Give glory to God, as in Josh. vii. \
19, means "make confession before God of the Ue or deception practised."
We know, etc. Their authority must be taken as final. But the man as yet
declines one way or other to give his opinion as to Jesus' moral character ;
he keeps to the fact, the one thing he knows, that once having been blind,
now he sees. V[n the hope of still detecting some inconsistency in his story,
the Jews re-exaSpine him, requesting him to tell it again. The man's patience
is exhausted, and his indignation and contempt roused at being thought an

IX. 33-] EXAMINATION OF THE CURED MAN. 3 1
25 is a sinner. He answered and said. Whether he be a sinner
or no, I know not : one thing I know, that, whereas I was
26 blind, now I see. Then said they to him again, What did he
27 to thee? how opened he thine eyes? He answered them, I
have told you already, and ye did not hear : wherefore would
28 ye hear it again ? will ye also be his disciples ? Then they
reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple ; but we are
29 Moses' disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses : as
10 for this fellow, we know not from whence he is. The man
answered and said unto them. Why, herein is a marvellous
thing, that ye know not from whence he is, andjc^/he hath
31 opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not
sinners : but if any raan be a worshipper of God, and doeth
32 his will, hira he heareth. Since the world began was it not
heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born
33 blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.
impostor, at their suspicions, and their invincible prejudice. \He answers
with sarcasm : ^^'hy, having once heard the story and disbelieved it, do they
wish to hear it again?V It cannot be, surely, that they wish to become/
Jesus' disciplesrv Ye did not hear: a common way with this evangelist to
put the means for the effect, the hearing for the consequence of hearing,
receiving, believing, etc. ; so vi. 60, viii. 43, 47. 28 f. The words
expressing their ridicule are full of emphasis : Thou art a disciple of that
man ; btit we are disciples of Moses. We know that to Moses God has spoken :
but as for tkis man, we know not whence he is ! As in ch. viii. 33, Ihey boast
of their physical descent from Abraham — "We be Abraham's seed," so here
they boast of having Moses for spiritual teacher ; on the validity of which trust
see V. 45 ff. Whence ke is, and therefore the source of His mission is in doubt.
They could, however, when it suited their purpose, tell whence He came, vii. 27 f.
Compare His refusal to answer Pilate's interrogation, xix. 9, and viu. 14, 23.
30 ff. The man speaks out his mind at last. Why, in this is the marvel,
that ye [of all persons] know not whence he is, and-he opened mine eyes ! It
appeared more marvellous to him that men should question the source of such
power, than that such power should be manifested. The " marvel " was not
the opening of blind eyes, but the ascription of such an act to evil agency.
As we would say now, the wonderful thing is, not that proofs should exist
that there is a God who rewards those who diligently seek Him, but that
men should exist who dispute it. An unbelieving mind, an unresponsive
heart, are the enduring objects of astonishment to the faith which cUngs to
God. The man declares his creed — (t) That God does not hear sinners;-'
(2) That God does hear those who fear Him and do His will ; {3) That this
miracle is without a parallel ; and (4) Hence the conclusion follows that
Jesus was from God, otherwise no such power could have been exerted by
Him. "A God-fearing and upright man," ver. 31. The word "God
fearing " occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, but the noun occurs in
I Tim. ii. 10. He puts in a more emphatic way the sentiments of the un
prejudiced party ofthe Pharisees, ver. 16. His creed was such as one would

32 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [iX. 34.
34 They answered and said unto hira, Thou wast altogether born
in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
3S Jesus heard that they had cast him out ; and when he had
found him, he said unto him. Dost thou believe on the Son
36 of God ? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I
expect from an intelligent, true-hearted layman, faking facts as they were,
and their plain inferences, apart from subtlety or sophistry. A miracle like
that, as to its nature, pointed Godward, and the instrument could be no
sinner. No criticism could impugn these two conclusions, and they are
strong enough to bear up the whole Christian argument. Note (i) the
secondary meaning of "hear," and see above on ver. 27; (2) The Old
Testament basis on which the man's certain conviction that God hears
sincere prayer and rejects the appeal of ungodly men rests. Job xxix. 9 ff. ;
Prov. XV. 8; Isa. i. 15 ff. ; Ezek. viu. 18; Micah iii. 4; Ps. Ixvi. 18,
xxxiv. 15, etc. ; (3) Kta.& from God for of Goi, vi. 46, vii. 29, ver. 16;
signifying mission, not personal source. 34. The Pharisees could not
answer the man's argument, but they could mal<e him feel the full weight of
their resentment at his assuming any right to teach them. In sins thou hast
been born altogether, and tkou teachestus! see ver. 2. The "altogether"
includes both physical and spiritual effects. Cast him out ; see ver. 22 ;
probably a forcible bodily ejectment, signifying, of course, excommunicati^yaj''^
3 John 10.
(4.) 35-end. The man's confession of Jesus. — fesus keard — and
finding him. Time when being indefinite ; not necessarily the same day.
The " finding " implies seeking, cp. ch. i. 43. Jesus appears to have heard
through ordinary channels. 'This evangelist usually emphasizes His inde
pendence of these.
Dost thou believe on the Son of God? (Westcott and Hort read " Son of
man," and margin of R. V. mentions this as supported by many ancient
authorities. The other seeras the more probable.) The emphasis laid on
the thou suggests the contrast with the unbelieving Jews, and might be
rendered, "You believe, then, in the Son of God ! " in recognition of a fact
rather than an interrogation. Note the very liberal inference Jesus makes
from faithfulness in that which is least. As to the significance of the phrases
" Son of God " and "believe on," etc., ^ee notes on previous chapters, i. 34,
iii. 18, 36. How Westcott can say, " For the first time the Lord offers
Himself as the object of faith," with ch. vi. and even ch. iv. before him, it
is difficult to understand. The man must have been acquainted with the
general conceptions entertained about the Messiah, and the names applied to
Hira in common speech. The reply: Aimwho is he, etc., may be taken
as meaning either that the man recognised the designation as Messianic, andJ
desired simply to know to whom it was to be applied, or that he was
ignorant of the precise significance of the expression. Either where is, or
who is, the Son of Godji Probably the former, as the words, " that I may
believe in Him," seeTrito warrant the interpretation, "Were He only made
known to me, I should indeed believe in Him ! Oh that I knew where I J
might find Him I " The will to believe existed, and also the acceptance of
Jesus, at least as one who, coming from God, was able lo point the way to
the Son of God. More than this Jesus did not ask ; to have so much was
enough for the present. Thou hast both seen Him, etc. ; see iv. 26.

IX. 39-] THE BLIND M.'VN'S CONFESSION. 33
37 might believe on him ? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast
38 both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he
said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped hira.
39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world,
that they which see not might see ; and that they which see
Lord, I believe ; and ke worshipped Him. Being ready to take the testimony
of Jesus .as a prophet concerning the Son of God, the man takes Jesus'
testimony concerning Himself. How much was contained in this faith may
be -answered by Christ's own words, \' If ye had faith as a grain of mustard
seed," etc. Certainly not all that we understand by doctrinal faith in the
Son of God, which could not have been as yet, but this would have been of
far less consequence than the moral attitude of the man to Jesus Himself.
He did believe in Jesus, in the simple untechnical sense of these words, and
therefore was prepared to accept presently whatever truth Jesus might reveal
to him about God and Himself. T:\ieworskip was that, therefore, of deep
personal reverence for Jesus' character and accredited Divine mission,
perhaps not easy to be distinguished from reverence for God in the circum
stances. A solid basis for future building. (Note, this act of worship
spontaneously paid seems to tell against the suggested reading in ver. 35,
" Son of man." To say that the words " Son of man" must have suggested
to him one who being man was the "hope of man," is to transplant the man
outof his surroundings to those of the nineteenth century.) For judgment
I came into tliis world — blind. One of those profound parabolic sayings of
our Lord that cover wide reaches of application. Matt. ix. 12 f., xi. 25 ;
I Cor. i. 18. The immediate suggestion is, that the Pharisees, who boast
themselves on their spiritual knowledge and discernment — they who see — shut
their eyes to the light of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ, and their
knowledge becomes a veil, hindering light ; as for the ignorant, Uke this blind
man, called accursed and sinners by those who professed to be their spiritual
guides and despised them — they who do not see — if ready to accept the truth
which Jesus sets forth, their very ignorance becomes salvation. But the
contrast is far wider than between the enlightened Pharisees or ignorant
multitudes, it is that between those who think they need nothing, like the
Laodicean Church, and those who feel and confess their spiritual poverty.
And Jesus declares that Ilis appearance in this world has a twofold effect —
men are being sifted, separated into two great groups ; it is the means of
passing judgment on men, testing their desire and moral capacity to see ;
bringing out the power of vision in the eye blind by circumstance, but not
loving blindness ; exposing the blindness in the eye that seems to see, yet is
dark, and loving darkness (see iii. 19 ff. ). The revelation of God in Jesus
Christ appeals to the great moral instincts of mankind. ^ Where truth,
purity, and love are reverenced, Christ must be reverenced. Hence many
received Jesus, who in their own estiraate and that of others were blind,
ignorant, and far from righteousness, but whose consciences at least were not
perverted ; like this man, they were sure that Jesus must be a prophet come
from God because of His words and deeds. \' Christ was and is the Light of
God to many a dark soul living in darkngss, oppressed^with it, yet notable
to_jise'KmseIJLircmOi.^-hating it, yet, yielding. tQ_its^£owerj as to many^
one lad en~5IiS!j? ^ ^Si'l- tS^i' 'ons, labouring in vain, and to raaiiy a oiie
longing^vTth good and pure conscience for the salvation which he knows can
VOL. II. C

34 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [iX. 40.
40 might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were
with hira heard these words, and said unto him. Are we blind
41 also? Jesus said unto thera. If ye were blind, ye should
have no sin : but now ye say. We see ; therefore your sin
remaineth.
never come of himself. Matt. v. 3 ff., xi. 28. They who do not see— see.
Hence it is the condition of receiving the salvation of Christ that one has to
feel and confess that apart from Christ he is, and must remain, spiritually
blind. "^^" TheLord ppeneth the eyes of the blind^^ But where Christ is not
welcomed as the true and only Light of God', from whatever cause, intel
lectual or moral, or both, because of spiritual pride or self-righteousness ;
where utter and absolute need is not acknowledged, or need of Christ is not
admitted, — the penalty is that the moral and spiritual vision grow dark,
Isa. vi. 9. " If thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness."
" If the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness ! "A One
who does not see the sun when it shines is blind. \One who does not accept
Christ as God's full message to meri is also bUnd } and refusing to admit his
bUndness, the judgment is that ne becomes hopelesslyVmpenetrable by the
Light of God. Observe the significant change: "Those who see not" —
" Ijlind." The organ of vision, in the one case, not hopeless ; in the other,
destroyed. The judgment then is twofold, a judgment that saves and a
judgment that condemns. The darkness must be judged in one's own heart
before the heart can turn and embrace the light. We are saved by judgment.
Otherwise we must be judged as part of the darkness itself. / In no case can
il be thought that a man is saved by Christ because he personally deserves it, .
cp. I John i. 8 ff. No salvation without judgment is the invariable rulaf
CThe word for jtidgment occurs in this passage only. The word used in
iii. 19, V. 24, etc., means the process ; this, the result.) Judgment, though not
personally exercised by Christ (viii. 15, iii. 17)) followed inevitably His
appearance among men. Read, Those of the Pharisees who were with
Him. \The Pharisees felt the point of Christ's saying was against themselves.
They retort, Youdo not jnean that we too are blipd? Jesus replies by a
personal application of the eniginatic truth He had just uttered. If ye were
blind — remaineth. I In their own opinion they were the only persons who
saw, i.e. who had spiritual knowledge. '<5!hisi fact proved them to be bliyi
really, but ignorant of their_blindnessi and therefore of their sin. Jesus
makes a play on the word, meaning blind in their own_ estimatioi>t to their^
own consciousness, as they were to their own consciousness men who saw.
Ye~say, fF/TS.V All men are by nature blind until the Holy Spirit shines into
the Jieart and (jgfens the' eye of the soul 'fo the"things of God and His Son, -'
an3 the persoiial sense" of blinclness is*nothing~erse than one of His first
movements towards that end. \The words, Ye would have had no sin, are
not, of course, to be taken literally. Such profound paradoxical words of
our Lord can never be so taken. The startling, seemingly impossible anti
thetic sayings which often fell from His lips were meant to live in the minds
and memories of men, provoking inquiry as to their significance. \_If you
were blind, Christ says, if you had the consciousness of need of a light from
God to guide you, and were stripped of that sense of religious superiority which
rejects every light but your own, then, indeed, you would be feeling the
burden of your sins, and seeking the raercy and pardon of God, which would

\

IX.] THE BLIND MAN's CONFESSION. 35
not be withheld from you. Some prefer to interpret thus : If you were .
really blind, if you dilnot have the light which you do have, if you were not )
sinning against your light, you would not have sin,, the sin. of Igjecdng me. j
Lack of responsibility wouIH be" lack of guilt. But, claiming to see,
and possessing a light that ought to point you to me and draw you, yet
refusing to foUow that, your sin abides upon you. You say, We see, yet you
do not follow the Light of life. (" Blind leaders of the blind," Matt. xv. 14.)
The phrase ' ' your sin abides " would seem rather to favour the former, sin
being sin in general (sin of misleading the blind as well), not only the sin in
particular of rejecting Christ. Besides, the whole language of Christ impKes
that the sense of being without Ught leads to Himself; it is not that the
non-possession of light is an excuse for unbeUef. This is far from the
thought of the passage.
Note on the whole chapter. — i. The connection with the previous dialogue
is obvious, as already hinted at on ver. 5. It was fitting that a praciical
iUustration of Christ's power over the miseries of this Ufe should follow such
claims as those made, ch. viii. 12 ff. If the objection be raised that this
savours more of Uterary expedient than of historic fact, we refer to Christ'S(
own words, ver. 3. All that Jesus declared of Himself in ch. viu. here finds 1
an actual enforcement. He is the Light of men, to bring them to the truth |
of God, to deliver them from the darkness of spiritual ignorance and the
darkness of moral corruption, as from the darkness of aU those sufferings
which have come in the wake of sin.\ And the one is not complete without
the other. It was indispensable that the Revealer of the truth of God, of
the Father, of Sonship, of spiritual freedom, of an endless life, should be also
sympathetic with human woes, and capable of removing them. The gospel
of the kingdom embraces a man's eternal relations to God the Father, and
his relations to this present world as well. To r^eve suffering_is_the. mark —
Qf_Christ's discipleship,_ver. 4, " We must workT^T^tc.^ 2. Tlie gradiial rise

in the man's faith in Jesus is to be noted (cp. ch. vU.). His first confession _
of Jesus is that He is a prophet, ver. 17; His second, that He is from~God
in a special sense with a mission of pecuUar power, ver. 30 ff. ; His third,
that He is the Son of God, ver. 38. By little and little men are often drawn
to the full and absolute trust in Christ that gives repose to the whole^soul.
If men make the first admission, they are on the higlTfoad to the" last, and
should be dealt with gently as learners. The Spirit of God can do His own
work. The great condition is an open mind, an unprejudiced heart, and a
pure conscience. Q^. Christ's method with this man was striking. Having 1
expressed His tender interest in him, and given him directions, He left him 1
to himself. He did not Ue in wait for him as he came back from Siloam \
and urge His persSEal claims. Even the Son of God does not usurp the
Spirit's office, does not oveiFlde a man's own reflections and judgment.
Events led the man on. Opposition, suspicion, denial of his-jdentity and- —
truthfulness, denial of the mlracle]_jienial of Jesus'TDivine mission, his .-
isolatiOTTwhen even hismrents stood neuTral, and Tmally fils excommunica
tion^ combinedTobringtEe work of grace begun by Jesus to its completion
in the confession, "Lord, I believe," etc. The work of grace cannot be
hurried ; it is not hindered by the unlikeliest circumstances ; the things that /
seem to quench it are made to foster it. 4. Wonderful as was the light of '
the common day to this man, more so was the Ught of the salvation of Christ
shining into his souL The one led to the other, but it might not have done
SD. He might have forgotten the Giver in the gift, the spiritual in the

36 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [x. I.
Chap. X. i. Verily, verily, I say unto you. He that entereth not
earthly. Often in blindness he had thought of bodily vision as the best of
God's blessings. When this is given, he is himself brought to feel that it
may be a curse, and is so when the eye of the soul is fast shut against the
light of God. The very mercies of God in our lives may darken our eyes to
the Saviour's claims. 5. When cast out, Christ found him. Had men
welcomed him, congratulated him, received his story as true, raade much of
hira, all this might have been a barrier in the way to Christ, as earthly
friendship often is. At the point of our greatest need Christ finds, and
we are ready to be found. Short of extremity, we do not care to be found.
Our own great need and Christ's great love meet. He has come that
those who do not see, and know they are blind, and miserable, and naked,
and poor, may receive sight and all things from Himself. We must be cast
out of every confidence, — hope, good, strength, if we are to find Christ.
6. Christ's question is remarkable. No word of comfort for his trial, no
congratulation as if nothing mattered much since he had sight restored.
Spiritual issues were of infinitely greater moment. "Dost thou believe,"
etc. To draw us to Himself, to impress us with the value of the soul, with
the relative insignificance of the best even of earth's blessings so long as we
are not in possession of the saving grace of God, to make men feel that what
ever Ught they have shining all round thera, — light to the bodily eye, light to
the mind, light of outward joy and prosperity, there maybe gross darkness in
the heart, because the love of God in Jesus Christ is not there ; that until we
beUeve in Himself, as Son of God, we are and must remain in darkness, the
spiritual darkness that will deepen into the endless separation from the light
of God's glorious fellowship, — ^Jesus puts this question, emphatic, personal,
urgent, "Dost thou," etc. And as immediate may be our own individual
assurance of salvation if we accept Christ heartily. There was here, ol
course, a very striking preparatory work in this man's soul, leading to this
completeness of tru^t. \The great matter for each is lo see that he is going
on as the Spirit and his own conscience suggest to him, so as lo be always
ready with the needful response to Christ's call. ¦ — -
Ch. X. \The connection with the previous chapter is obvious. Jesus, in
fact, continues His remarks lo the Pharisees, occasioned by their conduct in
reference to the man born blind. They claimed to be the expounders of
God's law, the guardians of the theocracy, the holders of the keys of the
kingdom, the spiritual guides of the people. In that capacity the man was
brought before them, t In that capacity they cast him out of the communion
of the faithful. \ If tnat action of theirs were expressive of the Divine
judgment, the man was in evil case. Hejiad-forfeited his narae and place
among the living in Jerusalem, was blotted out of the book of God. But
that ecclesiastical sentence did not reflect the judgment of God. The
Pharisees were neither true S£iritual guides nor faithful exponents of God's
wiHT^Their synTpsthres were neither wiih" those wKbm they~professed to
giiide, nor with God in whose name they assumed the function. They
cursed the ignorant and out of the way, instead of helping them to find it.
They sought, not God's honour, but honour one from another.^ We might
almost say Jesus would have pardoned their rejection of Himself had they
shown sincere concern for the well-being of those of whom they were the
self-constituted leaders. The subject of vers. 1-21 is the contrast between
these false guides of the people and Jesus Himself, the true guide.* And

X. I.] THE SHEPHERD AND THE SHEEP. 37
the relations of a shepherd and his sheep are taken in allegory as a picture
of the relations of Jesus to men. The subject is unfolded in a series of
contrasts, the first (vers. 1-6) distinguishing in general the shepherd from the
thief or robber by his entering into the fold through the door, and by his
recc^ilion on the part of the porter and the sheep. ^,In the second contrast
(vers. 7-10) Jesus introduces Himself directly, not, however, as the true
Shepherd, but as the Door of the sheep, in opposii n to all who came
befLie Him. As the Door, He give; access to all the blessings of God'A-
grace, to Messianic life, in distinction from the thief, who seeks the fold to
enrich himself at the sheep's expense. And this leads to the third and chief
contrast (vers. II-I5\ in which Jesus declares that He is the Good Shepherd, ¦
in distinction from the hireling, by the two great facts of sacrificing His own
life for the sheep, and of having a personal knowledge of them aU. He then
claims for this office a. universal application, ver. 16 ; He is the only guide ,
of men ; claims a special relation to the Father in consequence of His
discharge of this ofiice, ver. 1 7 ; and claims a special value for this oflice on A
the gronnd of the unique authority which He possesses, ver. 18. At the |
close of this remarkable discourse the ordinary result foUowed, Christ's words '
sifting the hearers, vers. 19-21.
Cp. Ezek. xxxiv. ; Jer. xxiu. 1-6 ; Zech. xi. 14 ff. The words may have
been spoken on the evening of the day when the bUnd man was cured ; and
the shepherds on the hills round Jerusalem may have been seen gathering iheir
flocks home from their various pastures to their shelter for the night. But
such an occurrence is hardly needed to account for the new tum Christ gives
to His discourse. The thought lay near.
I- 6. First contrast. The shepherd in distinction from the thief or robber
is — (l) He who enters through the door ; (2) he whom the porter reccgnises;
and (3' he whom his sheep recognise.
Vcnly, verily, and at ver. 7, see on i. 51. Liicke remarks that this formula
never introduces a new discourse, but connects what foUows with what pre
cedes. He sees no exception in iu. 3, vi. 26. It was usual for a number of /
shepherds to gather their several flocks into one resting-place for tbe night
t(an enclosure surrounded by a wall), entrusung them to the care ofa watch
man or under-shepherd, the porter, whose duty it was to guard the entrance of
the fold until morning, when the shepherds pas-^ed into the enclosure again,
caUed each his own i-heep, which recognised his voice, and going on before
them, led them to their respective pas'ures for the da}'. I; is almost super
fluous to say that under the figure of the "fold ofthe sheep," Jesus describes
the Church or kingdom cf God, which in O. T. times was identified wiih
the historic people of Israel, though v.ith a forward reference to the
future. The phraseologj' is famiUar in the Old Testament, Pj. IwiY. i^,
"We Thy people and sheep of Thy pasture ; ' cp. Ps. lx.xTii. 20, xcv. 7, c. 3.
, In Ps. Isxx. I, God is appealed to as the thepherd of Israel, who leads men
like a flock; cp. Ps. xxiu. ; Jer. xxxi. 10; Ezek. xxxiv. 31 ; Micah -sti. 14;
and in Isa. Lxiii. 11, tlie human instniments are themselves called the
shepherds ofthe fleck. This title the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel apply
to the kings and rulers of I-rael (^[er. xxUi. ; Ezek. xxxiv.), their civic
chiefs; and denouncing their faiihlessness to their trust, predict the appoint
ment of shepherds according lo God's heart, Jer. iii. 15, who shaU feed the
flock, Jer. xxiii. 4 ; the assumption by Jehovah of the oflice Himself, Ezek.
xxxiv. II ff. ; the setting up, finally, by God of "one Shepherd . . . my
servant David," ver. 23. In the absence of poUtical chiefs in X. T. limes.

\

38 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [x. 2.
by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other
2 way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth
3 in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the
porter openeth ; and the sheep hear his voice : and he calleth
I the spiritual guides of the Jewish people in the synagogues were known as
\shepherds. The door, entrance by which is a note ofa shepherd, is, generally,
the way appointed by God for the giving effect to His will regarding the
interests of His people and kingdom ; and in particular the Christ Himself
("I am the door") as the way (ch. xiv. 6) to the Father, — the way by which
God's purposes with His people should be realized, in whom these were
summed up and completed. To enter by the door, therefore, is generally to
have sympathy with the aim and will of God on the part of the men who
sought to guide the people ; to seek His glory, not their own ; to rule in His
narae ; to reflect His character ; lo renounce private personal interests for
those of the kingdora, that is, of the people over whom they desire to stand ;
and in particular to accept the full and clear declaration of God's will in the
Christ. Had these self-appointed guides ever been in real sympathy with
the will aiid the glory of God, they had accepted Jesus as their complete
exponent.'NM'here never has been but one door into the kingdom of God.
Because they sought and used place and power for themselves, as lords over
\ |God's heritage, not for God and men, they are called by Jesus thieves and
//robbers. And it would be no anachronism to condemn them for not having
' entered by the door — even interpreting the door as Jesus the Christ directly.
For as the Christ has been always in the Church, and as the Scriptures ofthe
Old Testament everywhere testify of Him (v. 39), the Spirit of Christ has been
precisely that element in the past which gave light and won hearts, which
also provoked the continuous carnal resistance lo God. One is templed for
the sake of the spiritual teaching to read the fact of the incarnation, with all
ils gracious condescensions on the part of the Son of God, into the words —
he that entereth in by the door, as if the humbling of Himself to take
the place and way of the sheep, to come among them like one of themselves,
were meant. The thought is a beautiful one ; but not the thought of the
passage. Climbeth up. The Oriental sheepfolds were built with a high wall,
to prevent the incursion of beasts of prey or even of robbers. Tkief and
robber: either stealth or violence. Read, is a shepherd, or shepherd of the
sheep: the designation being general, and not as yet restricted to Christ.
The porter, see above. The resemblance between the natural and spiritual
cannot be carried into every detail ; so that it is perhaps unnecessary to ask
who is intended by the porter. At the same time, one of the most comraon
thoughts of this Gospel is the Divine seal which Jesus bears, witnessed in
various conclusive methods, i. 33, 51, v. 32, 36 f., vi. 27, 45, and ver. 36 of
this chapter. We may accordingly hold reasonably that the Divine recog
nition is to be thought of. The Spirit prepares the way of the Lord, and!
makes His paths straight ; cp. i Thess. i. 5 ff' ^nd 9 ; Mark xvi. 20 ; I Cor. j'
xvi. 9, "A great door and effectual is opened to me." Like the Mastei',j
the faithful servant can never be without the seal of the Spirit on his labour.!
To make John the Baptist Ihe " porter," is to reduce allegory to prosaic fact,!
and to confuse the whole idea ; he is but one of the sheep who recognise
the voice of the Good Shepherd. And the sheep hear his voice, etc. ; so ver.
27. Recognition by the sheep is the third note given of a shepherd. IThe

X. 6.] THE SHEPHERD AND THE SHEEP.

39

4 his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he
putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the
5 sheep follow him : for they know his voice. And a stranger
will they not follow, but will flee from him : for they know
6 not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto
relations of shepherd and sheep in the East are peculiarly intimate and tender.
The shepherd's call is recognised by his own sheep, for each of which he
has a name ; they follow him as he leads them frora the fold to the pasture,
or from one pasture to another ; and hira only they will follow : frora a
stranger's call they will flee, not recognising the voice. Hear his voice; see
note on ix. 27. The hearing implies the recognition of a familiar and loving
voice. There is no compulsion or violence, as in the case ofa thief or robber,
Ps. ex. 3. Byname. More specific than the general call of "his voice."
As all the sheep know the shepherd, the shepherd knows each sheep. The
tie is personal. The history of each sheep, its state, qualities, worth, age,
are known to the shepherd, and its special name suggests his knowledge, .
interest, and affection towards itself. Read, When he putteth fortk all his\
own; as in R.V.^he inference being that it is His care to have His entire
flock under His lead, not a single one is left behind. Referring back perhaps
to the case of the man born bUnd, — " cast out " of the Jewish synagogue, but
" found " by Christ and taken into His fellowship, — there may be in these/
two words, "leadeth out," "putteth forth," a suggestion of the separation
which Jesus was now making between the true and false in Israel. There
may be also a certain significance in the use of both words — the one implying
a gentle, the other a forcible, moving out, Jude 22 f. He goeth before
them, etc. The idea of our own familiar Scottish hill pastures, with the
sheep scattered far and near over them, and the very general oversight of a
shepherd, is to be put out of view. Conditions in the East were and are very
different. A comparatively sraall flock, all under the shepherd's eye, kept well
in hand, within moderate limits of distance, moving after him as he leads the
way to other ground, or to the fold for the night, — this is the picture we have
to imagine. It is impossible to overlook the allusion to the blind man and
the Pharisees. These were the "strangers" from whom the raan with the
instincts of Christ's sheep flees. The application of these details and of the
parable generally to Himself, Jesus makes in the sequel ; and we may omit it
here, remarking only how perfectly He sets forth the remarkable relation of
Himself and His people, tlieir mutual knowledge, love, confidence; on His
side, continual care, protection, and leading ; on their side, joyful response
and free obedience. 'The sketch is of the ideal Shepherd of raen ; but that
was filled in only by one, Isa. xl. 11. 6. This parable, taiher proverb,
as in xvi. 25, 29. The word means ; whit is out of coramon discourse (lit. a
path beside the road), and is not that usually rendered parable, which does
not occur in this Gospel : as this word used by John is wanting in the other
Gospels. In John's view, every dark, veiled utterance of Christ was a proverb.
The forra in which these sayings are couched ("I am the Door " — " the Good
Shepherd ") is perhaps more akin to the allegory than the parable ; but the
allegory pure and simple is such as xv. iff., "I am the true vine." Liicke's
distinction is good. "The parable presents the kingdom of God under some
single simple point of view — in respect of some special relation, or law, or
contrast ; while here the whole relation of Messiah to the people is presented

40 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [x. 7.
them : but they understood not what things they were which
7 he spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, I ara the door of the sheep.
8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers : but the
9 sheep did not hear them. I am the door : by me if any man
in ils manifold elements and references. They understood not — them. They
failed to perceive the drift of the utterance. They could hardly recognise
themselves under the title of thieves and robbers. But true spiritual
sympathies would have enabled them in the light of O. T. passages to under
stand Christ's meaning ; cp. ix. 40.
7-10. The second contrast, in which Jesus introduces Himself directly,
not, however, as the Shepherd, but as the Door of the sheep ; in distinc
tion from all who came before Him, who, like those (ver. i) who climb
up sorae other way into the fold, are thieves and robbers. Tlierefore (R.V. ),
connecting with ver. 6 ; again, indicating >¦ pause in the discourse. Verily,
verily (see on ver. i.), I am the Door ofthe sheep. The pronoun is emphatic.
But we should have expected Jesus to have said rather : I am that Onewho
enters by the door, and therefore the Shepherd'of the sheep. Remark-^l)
That making'entrance through_the door the prominent test of a true shepherd,
it was natural to say what that door was. (2) And in identifying Himself
with the door, Jesus elevates Himself above the general category of true
shepherds : He becomes the standard by which a shepherd is recognised as
true. He is something more than one of a class. None can be a guide of
God's flock who is not guided by Christ Himself. And the fold is the fold
because He is the Door. It is what the Door makes it, and no more. We
are thus taken back to the fundamental thought : There is no fold, there is
no sheep within it, there is no shepherd watching it, but in and through
Christ Hiraself The Church of God is founded on the promise of the coining
Christ. All who, in the days of the Old Covenant, were within the kingdom
of God were so because they were saved by their spiritual union with Christ,
as all are who now beUeve in the Christ as come. There never has been but
one and the same Door into the Church ; as never but one and the sarae
Church. (3) By calling Himself the Door — not of the /<?/(/, but of the sheep —
it is, perhaps, Christ's intention to emphasize the personal tie \^ hich binds
Him to the sheep : the fold without the sheep being nothing. Personal con
fession of Christ is the rock on which He builds His Church. He is the
Living Way, the access to the Father and to life. We become His sheep by
recognising Him as the only entrance to life, and then by entering through
Hira. All, as many as came before me, are thieves and robbers, i.e. those who
claimed an authority of their .aam over God's heritage ; who did not act as if
they were only in possession of a delegated power ; who opened the door of
the kingdom, or shut it, according to their own fancy ; Luke xi. 52 : " Ve
have taken away the key of knowledge." They robbed both God of His
prerogative and men of tlieir birthright. Any one claiming to stand between
Christ and men is therefore a thief or a robber. Ever)' true guide confesses
with the Baptist : " Ajnaiijcan receive nothing except it be .^iven him from
heaven." The sheep did not ¦~in:crr-thrmj~c^.'\cx. 5. Various meanings
can be put on this — (i) Those ord'alned to lil^e, Ihe true sheep, could not lie
misled, however others might be duped, see ver. 26 ; or (2) those who had
the preparatory work of the Holy Spirit, moving to humility, and desire to be

X. II. J THE GOOD SHEPHERD. 41
enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find
10 pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill,
and to destroy : I am come that they might have life, and
II that they might have it more abundantly. I ara the good
shepherd : the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
guided, like the blind man,^.^. / or {3) generaUy, and most probably, to indicate
the harmony between the true instinct of m.-in and Christ's voice, which is the
voice of love and self-sacrifice. From the million voices of earth His voice is
heard in the quiet of conscience, in the convictions of truth and duty, in the
hour of sickness and of death. I am tke Door. Empliatic reiteration. As He
is the Door in contrast with those who falsely claimed to be so, ver. 7, He
is the Door in special reference to the sheep, He holds this office not for His
own interests, but for theirs. Entrance through Him secures safety, libei ty of
access, and full provision ; cp. xiv. 6. — Through me if any one enter, he shall be
savejj^nd he shall go in and he shall go out, arid shall find pasture. To
enter through Christ, impUes recognition of Him as the way of salvation
appoinied by the Father, and submission to Him in penitence and faith.
Shall be saved, which includes all else ; but Ihe negative conception, salvation
from sin, is supplemented by Ihe positive, shall go in and shall go out, etc. ;
cp. " If the Son make you free," etc., viii. 36. The people of God are not
under lock and key, under legal restraints. Where the Spirit of the Lord is,
isliberfy." "We have access with' confidence to the Father in the failh of
Him." They live in a friendly familiar fellowship, as on a" footing of abiding
confidence ; and there is a fulness in Christ for all their varied needs. The
language is that of assurance, if the condition be observed. The thief cometh
not, etc. The thief's object is to get ; Christ's, to give. The gift ot Christ is
life, and abundantly, which sums up all the blessings of ver. 9. But in
order to give life to the sheep, Christ must sacrifice His own.
11-15. The third and chief contrast : Jesus as the Good Shepherd, and the
hireling. As the Good Shepherd, (l) He lays His life down for the sheep ;
and (2) He has a thorough knowledge of the sheep. The statement ofthe
object for which He had come (ver. 10) forms the transition from the
image of the Door lo that of the Shepherd. The personal access to God's
kingdom, the distributor of its blessings ; He is also the very substance of
the kingdora Himself, as personal relation to Him is the chief feature of the
sheep. To be a sheep of Christ's, to know Him, to hear Him, to follow Plira,
is the kingdom of God come within the soul. Through Christ we reach Christ ;
Christ is the Way and Door to Himself I am tke Good Shepherd. The
word rendered good (kalos) = brgjse, Scottice braw, used by John besides this
context only at ver. 32 f. and ii. 10 (" Many ^oi;;/ works," " the good v/ine"),
denotes goodness allied with beauty ; the fair soul within mirrored in the out
ward attractiveness and grace. Christy claims as Shepherd of men to embody
all high, pure, and lovely conceptions ; "see 'Ps. xiv. The first characteristic
of the Good Shepherd is that He lays His life down on behalf of the sheep.
This phrase io lay life down (to put or place the life down, to stake the life, to
pay it down), in Greek, is peculiar to John ; vers. 15, 17, 18, xiii. 37 f , xv.
13; I John iii. 16. (In Malt. xx. 28; Mark x. 45, " to give His life.")
The figure is perhaps the same as that of xiii. 4 : " He riseth from supper, and
lays aside His garments." For the sheep, i.e. on behalf of, for their benefit ;
Christ is not simply saying what any goocl shepherd will do in an emergency,

42 IfHE GOSPEL SY JOHN. [x. 12.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own
the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the
sheep, and fleeth : and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth
13 the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and
14 careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know
15 my sheep, and am known of raine. As the Father knoweth
expose his own life to save that of his sheep ; He is saying what He, as the
Good Shepherd, will do : sacrifice His own life for theirs ; for the gift of life
and life abundantly to the sheep is raade possible by the sacrifice of Christ's
own. Their true life springs out of His self-sacrificing death. Jesus does
more than preserve and protect the life already there ; He creates life by lay
ing His own down. The connection between the laying down of His life and
the gift of life abundantly to the sheep is not explained. Why their life is in
danger ; what the danger is ;' why He must die in order that they raay live ;
and why in dying He procures life for Ihem, — are questions which were left to
be answered in the maturer Christian consciousness ; cp. Isa. liii. 10, and
1 Tim. ii. 6. One explanation is ready to hand if we regard the preposi
tion for as equivalent to instead of. — 12 f. The hireling, in contrast with
the Good Shepherd. Instead of sacrificing his life for the sheep, he leaves
them unprotected when danger threatens, because he has a mercenary spirit,
and the sheep stand-in no personal relation to him ; his object is gain —
nothing more. The first application of the words would be naturaUy to all
who, like the Pharisees, claimed to be in a position of spiritual oversight,
pointing out that the vital condition of that is self-sacrifice, bearing the bur
dens of others, shielding them from hostile powers, interposing at all personal
hazard, loss of good opinion, popularity, life ; subjecting personal interests
always to the interests of others ; sharing men's sufferings and sorrows,
sympathizing with their efforts even when short of the mark ; not stand
ing aloof from them, even when their sin has brought the wolf of Divine
penalty upon them, Heb. v. 1-3. But for all, the true life is the life
ever laying itself down for others ; it is the spirit of Him who, though rich,
for our sakes became poor ; that we, through His poverty, might be made
rich. See again, i John iii. 16.
14 f. The second mark of the Good Shepherd is thorough knowledge of His
sheep, based on loving^mpathy. Read, I avi the Good Shepherd, and know
my oivn, and' my own knmv me~:'as the Father knows me: and I know tke
Fatker. An advafTce on tn2rs:-3-5, where mutiialScnewledge is also asserted
in general terms of the shepherd and his flock. Here the degree of this
intimacy is affirmed by Christ to bear resemblance to that remarkable cora
munion between the Eternal Father and the Eternal Son ; cp. vi. 57. .and
XV. 9. It is the knowledge of mutual love, trust, sympathy. The mutual
knowledge of Faiher and Son is perfect in evei'y respect. In fact, we have
no language adequate to describe it ; cp. Matt. xi. 27. Christ's knowledge
of His sheep is perfect, as are His love to them and sympathy with thera.
It is a knowledge embracing and determining all their past and future ; their
gift by the Father to Him, their call, their faith and repentance, their
experiences in search for and finding the kingdom, their present walk and
conflict, their future glory. And this knowledge is individual and dis
criminating. He kriows each one, calls each, car^for__eaph, disciplines
him, watches over him,' jJfSpares a place in glory forliim ; cp. Rev. iii. 12,

X. 15.] THE GOOD SHEPHERt). 43
me, even so know I the Father : and I lay down my life for
ii. 17. And this knowledge is in unspeakable love and tenderness, for it is
ihat of One who was Hiraself templed in all points as they. Then, on the
other hand, there is the reciprocal knowledge of Christ by His sheep. In
one sense imperfect, in another sense perfect, for it is based on the personal
experience of His grace and love by which their faith is awakened, and the
conscious relationship established between Him and them. The re.'^ponse to
His call ; the assurance that it is a call for them ; the assurance that each
responding to it has, that he himself is before the eye and under *he rod of
Him that tellelh Ihe flock ; the deepening trust ; the repose on Christ's wisdom
and love ; the sense of His indispensableness in all hours of this frail and
sinful existence ; Ihe quickened apprehension of His will and purpose in the
teaching of the Holy Spirit and of all providences ; the absolute confidence
towards which the soul strives and in measure attains, confidence even that
failure and sin will not quench Christ's love, — these are the fruits and proofs
of the knowledge of their Shepherd by the sheep. And we know ourselves
truly only in Christ's knowledge of us. A perfect faith implies a knowledge
which may be called perfect, as a child's knowledge of his father leading lo
trust, submissiveness, love, is perfect, and reaches a deeper stratum of the
character than the most critical outward beholder can reach ; as the blind
man whose eyes were opened caught a glimpse of Christ's very heart and
being when he said, " Lord, I believe," and worshipped Him. Christ's know
ledge of His people is all-embracing. Theirs of Him is all-confiding ; as
His love of His Father, when He loo had as man to be guided and to suffer,
was that springing from absolute trust, surrender, love, dependence, and
sympathy. His full assurance. His highest height of knowledge, was, "The
Father loveth the Son ; " and even so. His people's knowledge of Him is the
knowledge springing also from self-surrender, obedience, love, and the persua
sion that nothing shall separate them from the love of God which is in Christ
Jesus their Lord. And this mutual knowledge is the basis of the communion
between Christ and His people. He knows them, and they know that He
knows them, their inmost heart, so that man's imperfect communion with
man, where love fails if knowledge grows, or knowledge fails if love grows,
can be no analogy. The one analogy is : As the Father knows me, and I
know the Father. Il is the mutual knowledge, love, trust of a father and
son, who are all in all to one another, i.e. a fellowship of love. A mystery,
yet simple, too, to hira who loves ; for he that loveth not knoweth not
God, for God is love ; see Isa. xliii. I, xiv. 4, and ch. i. 35-end. This
complete oneness of Father and Son, moreover, is not an exaraple only, it
is the goal of Christian aspiration and prayer ; see ch. xvii. 20 f. Once
more Jesus repeats the first and greatest mark of the Good Shepherd,
this time saying it directly (indirectly in ver. 11), / lay my life down for
the sheep : as if it were the first and the last thing deserving to be said on
the suljject, proof of an incomparable love (xv. 13), the ruling note of the
whole, first and last act in discharge of the office of the Good Shepherd,
foundation of the office, sum and substance of il all. His knowledge of
His people is crowned in His dying for them, " tasting death for every
man ; " and their knowledge of Him is in great part the knowledge of
Him as dying for them ; as it is, indeed, because He died for them that
they know Him, and (Phil. iii. 10) that they are made conformable unto
His death.

44 'THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [x. 1 6.
16 the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold :
them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there
1 7 shall be one fold, and owe: shepherd. Therefore doth my Father
love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
iS No raan taketh it frora me, but I lay it down of myself. I
have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.
This commandment have I received of my Father.
16. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold — shepherd. The
greater shepherds had several folds where different portions of their flock
passed the night, but they were all united by day. When the night of
division is passed, Jesus will gather and unite all, Jew and Gentile, who
respoud to His call, who are "the sheep of His pasture." Jesus is led by
the mention of His death into a train of thought resembling that in
ch. xn. 32. "I, if I be lifted up," etc., see Eph. n. 14-18. He foresees and
predicts the results of His death for men, claims to be universal guide, sees
the breaking down of every " middle wall of partition," the establishment of
a universal brotherhood of men named after Himself, bound together in and
through Himself, the Elder Brother and Only Shepherd. One fiock [not
fold] and one shepherd (Ezek. xxxiv. 23 and 31). Observe (1) how all who
were yet to be gathered into the kingdom are spoken of as already belonging
to Christ : . Other sheep I have. Also (2) how He claims to be the
personal spiritual power calling and drawing men into His own fellowship :
Them also I must bring, etc. And (3) how, in universal submission to
Himself, men are spontaneously formed into a unity, the mark of which is
that of possessing, and being controlled by, one spirit. Eph. iv. 4. They
shall become one flock, etc. The source of their life and guidance is One.
17 f. Jesus claims a special relatitm to His Father on the ground of
sacrificing His life, — the leading thought of the whole passage, which begins
and ends it, and rules it. Therefore doth the Father — Father. Jesus in
these verses affirms (i) that the object of laying down His life is that He may
take it again. An advance on the previous thought of laying life down for
the sheep that Ihey might have life. The intermediate step is inserted, of
laking His life again. The sacredness of His earthly life was with the view
to the fuller, truer life beyond death, the inheritance of all who lose this
present world to gain the other. His death was no inconsiderate act of
impulsive affection. Il was not a martyrdom, not an event standing by
itself. Il reached to an incredible result and value beyond. Jesus died in
order to live again. Death was the gateway to the life He desired to
possess. And, as already seen, this li.'e on the other side of death, and gained
by and through death, is a life which the sheep share with Him, ver. II.
The life won for them by His death is a life in communion with Him, the
risen Lord, at the right hand of God. And (2) therefore, looking at this full
and adequate discharge of the office of the true Shepherd of men, their
guide from death to lile, darkness to light, from hell to heaven, from sin to
God, and not looking merely at one particular incident in it, however great.
He is the object of the Father's love. To Jesus e\erything turned on His
relation to the Father ; His Father's love sustained Him, as it was His
reward, when as yet no response had been awakened in those for whom He
suffered. Not a selfish joy either, for the Father's love to Him was reflected
in His love to those for whom He died that Ihey mighl live. The Father

X. 23. J DIVISION AMONG THE JEWS. 45
19 There was a division therefore again among the Jews for
'20 these sayings. And many of them said. He hath a devil, and
21 is mad ; why hear ye hira ? Others said, These are not the
words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes
of the blind ?
22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it
23 was winter. And Jesus walked in the teraple in Solomon's
loved Him because He loved the sheep whom the Faiher had given Him to
care for. Then (3) that His death was a voluntary self-surrender. / lay it
down of myself. No man taketh it [or took it] from me. An important
advance on ver. II. Not the mere death, but the free surrender of Himself
in love to death. He was not simply put out of the way ; His death was not
an unexpected termination of His career ; not a mistake, not a thing He had
not counted on, and would have avoided had He been able. Of His own
accord, with full consent to the will of God, knowing what He had to endure
and why, He permitted His enemies lo take His life away. It was an
offering and sacrifice of a sweet savour to God. He carae into this world
and look our human nature in order that He might die.' And (4) the
inference was clear, that He had power (right) to lay His life down, and
power (right) to take it again. None but the Lord and giver of life could
venture lo express himself in such words. No man has power over his life,
slill less power to raise it again when taken away. The forraer carries with
it the latter. " I am the Resurrection and the Life," the resurrection because
the life. His deaths therefore, could not reach His true and eternal person
ality. He is Power over life and death, the Prince of life ; and He has the
keys of Hades and of death. The value and dignity of the life He laid down
are to be inferred.'VAnd (5) that in Christ's consciousness of His position,
the most absolute power and the most absolute submission coincided. /
have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This com
mandment I received from my Father. .^^\vai He is asserting the Divine
prerogative as Prince of life and Conqueror of death, He is the obedient Son
of His Father, carrying out submissively His commandment. The glory of
God and the lowest humiliation and shame kiss each olher. " We see
Jesus, made a little lower than the angels on account of Ihe suffering of death,
crowned with glory and honour." He speaks of His rights. He speaks of His
humble duty. Supreme Lord, He yel must ever come back in loving
dependence to His Faiher and His Father's will. That to die for the
sheep was His Father's will, and that in doing it and suffering it His
Father loved Him, were the last refuge and support of the Son of God.
19-21. Sifting of the hearers. A schism again arose among the Jews, etc. ;
see ix. 16, vii. 43. He kas u, demon, and is mad, viii. 48, vii. 20. Tkese
sayings are not these of a demoniac. Can a demon open, etc., ix. 16 (" How
can a man, a sinner, do such signs?") and ix. 32; Matt. vii. 18. Fruil
corresponds to root.^
22-39. Benewal of the discourse ¦with the Jews. It is not possible to say
with certainly which events are to be ascribed to the fea^t of Tabernacles,
ch. vn. I, and which lo the feast of Dedication ; whether chs. ix. and x. are
' Through the Eternal Spirit He offered Himself to God.
2 Some expositors interpose a visit of Jesus to Galilee and Persea between vers. 21, 22.
The likelihood of its being mentioned, if fact, is a strong; argument against the supposition.

46 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [x. 24.
24 porch. Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto
him. How long dost thou make us to doubt ? If thou be the
25 Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and
ye believed not ; the works that I do in my Father's name,
26 they bear witness of me. But ye believe not ; because ye are
27 not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my
28 voice, and I know them, and they follow me : and I give
to be taken as belonging to the latter, or only from this point onwards lo the
close. The occasion (vers. 22-24) was the feast of the Dedication (or
renewal) ofthe Temple, a festival instituted by Judas Maccabasus, B.C. 167,
to commemorate the purifying of it after its desecration by Antiochus
Epiphanes (1 Mace. iv.). It was also called the feast of Lights, on
account of the brilliant illuminations attending it. The time of celebration
was about the middle of December, two months or so after the feast of
Tabernacles, and it was kept through the whole land, and lasted for eight
days. The season (winter) obliged Jesus to teach under the cover of " Solo
mon's porch" — a colonnade or portico on the east side of the Temple, and,
on the authority of Josephus, so called because it was a relic of the original
Temple built by that king. The hostile Jews, with sinister intentions, surround
Jesus, and demand a categorical answer to the question, "Art thou the
Chrisi?" (ver. 22 ; Westcott and Hort read, "At that time was the feast,"
etc. ). 24. How long dost tkou hold us in suspense, R. V. , lit. how long dost
thou raise our soul, i.e. keep it in a slate of tension? Iftkougj±4ke-C]irift,
tell us plainly^ Jesus replied, that by word and work" He Ead already told
them with Sufficient clearness, but they had not believed ; in fact, they
could not believe, because they did not belong to His sheep, vers. 25, 26.
He then mentions the marks by which His sheep are distinguished,, with
the privUeges He bestows on them, vers. 27, 28 ; and" addsthat they are
the inalienable gift to Him of His Faiher, with whom He is Himself one,
vers. 29, 30. 25. / told you, and ye do not believe, viii. 25, 45 f. The
works which I do — me, v. 36, ix. ^,- xiv.'Tf7""xv!^ 24. 26. But ye do not
believe, because, etc. (omit as I said unto you), viii. 47. The meaning
would be simpler if the clauses were inverted. Ye are not of my sheep,
because ye do not belisye. The whole thought of the passage is based on a
mutual' understandiiig between Christ and His own. When He calls, they
recognise His voice and follow Him. This recepliveness or responsiveness,
which may also be called a sense of spiritual insufficiency. Matt. v. 3-6, is
the same as the being of God (viii. 47). Why were they not receptive? What
answer can be made other than Christ's own. Ye zaill not come to me that ye
might have life, v. 40? The question arises, Who then are Christ's sheep?
27. My own sheep — me. The marks by which Christ's sheep are distin
guished are three : (i) They kear my voice (vers. 3, 4, 14); (2) A-nd I know
theni (vers. 3, 14); (3) They follow -me (ver. 4). There is (r) recognition of
Christ's voice as the voice of the true. Divine guide of life; the voice that
speaks from the life, death, and resurrection of the Son of God ; the voice of
righteousness, truth, and love, compelling assent from conscience, heart, and
mind. There is (2) the consciousness of Christ's individual knowledge of them ;
the discernment in the general call of the shepherd by each one of that which
assures each that he is meant, singled out, invited — the recognition of the

X. 30.] THE SHEEP OF CHRIST. 47
unto them eternal life ; and they shall never perish, neither
29 shall any pluck them out of my hand, y My Father, which
gave them me, is greater than all ; and none is able to
30 pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are
personal call. And there is (3) the obedience of failh that results, submission
to Christ's claims and will. Corresponding to these three marks are three
privileges. 28. And I give — hand. There is (1) Christ's personal gift to
them of life eternal. / give to them life eternal (ver. 10). There is (2)
the assurance of eternal safety, so far as they may endanger themselves.
Tkey skall never peFtsh. -And"there is (3) the assurance of being kept from
every hostile power without. No one shall snatch them^ out ^ my hand.
The parallelism of these two verses'^Tecognised by most expositors, iTiough
there is not agreement as to the exact way of coupling the various assertions.
Thus, to the recognition of Christ as the Divine guide is attached the gift of
Ufe by Christ Himself; to the assurance of Christ's personal knowledge is
attached the assurance of eternal safety ; and to the faithful following of
Christ is attached the pledge of deliverance over all the powers which would
seduce or drag them away ; see iii. 16. To the free gift of life Christ pledges
continuance in the enjoyment of all ils blessings, and conquest over all
inimical influences. The doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints may
be deduced. 29. Jesus crowns His description of the sheep and the
enumeration of their privileges : My Father, who has given [them] to me, is
greater than all ; and no one is able to snatch [tkem] out of the hand of the
Father. ' All that the sheep are, and all that they shall be, flows out of this
original gift of them by the Faiher lo the Son ; see vi. 37. ^^They are dear to
the Son as the Father's original possession and gift ; and as such they will
have all done for them that the subjects of such Divine forethought and love
deserve. ¦>, They will be weU cared for : they have the Almighty God for their
Father, and in His hands they shall ever remain. Jesus returns them to
file Father's hands, from which He received them, with the object accom
plished for which they were entrusted to Him. The allusion to the
excommunication of the man born blind is probable. 30. If such is the
relation of Christ's sheep to the Father, the relation of Jesus Himself to the
Faiher is expressed in these remarkable words, / and tke Fatlier are one
[thing\ Christ's hand is God's. This is the climax ofthe previous statements
of Jesus regarding His relations lo the Father; see chs. v. 20, 23, vi. 46, 57,
viu. 16 ff., 55, 58; cp. also xiv. 9 ff. Observe (1) the prominent place of
the personal pronoun ; (2) the distinct personalities ; (3) the unity, " one
thing." What is the unity? Unity of /ow^ (hand), to say the least. But
the power of God in such a sense can be nothing less than God. Socinians
maintain that the words simply raean, / and tke Father are at one, and quote
_, xiv. 28, "The Father is greater than I." Taking the peculiarity of the
expression, one thing, along with the plain general sense of the passages
alluded to, il can hardly be disputed that Jesus speaks frora a consciousness
of a oneness with the Faiher, which is not exhausted by such modifications
as will, purpose, aim, sympathy, and the like. This oneness of the Son with
the Father carries with it an essential condition of the Fatherhood of God
1 The Tnargin of R.V. has another rendering. That vuhich tny Father has given 7ne is
greater than all, whicli, though supported by ancient authors, and adopted by Westcott
and Hort, bears its absurdity on its face.

48 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [x. 3 1.
31 one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
32 Jesus answered them. Many good works have I showed you
from my Father ; for which of those works do ye stone me ?
33 The Jev?s answered him, saying. For a good work we stone
thee not ; but for blasphemy ; and because that thou, being a
34 raan, raakest thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not
35 written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them
itself, — no Son, no Father, — Fatherliness otherwise not being the radical mode
of Divine existence, origin of all, to which all must return : a supposition
repudiated by the truest instincts of the heart. The perfection of God as
Faiher is therefore guaranteed, as well as the perfection of the Son as God.
This oneness also carries with it the grounds on which we accept Jesus
Christ as the final and completed revelation of God and His will, and give
worship lo the Son as lo the Father. The secret of the gospel's power is in
the fact that He who was and is supreme humbled Himself to the shame of
the cross for us ; see ver. 38. This is Christ's answer to the question of ver.
24, so plain in one way thai the Jews had little doubt of His meaning. And
an answer such as the case permitted. To have replied, " I am the Christ,"
would have been misleading, fpr there did not exist a common understanding
between the Jews and Himself as to the signification of the Christ. He might
fitly have said, What kind of Christ do you mean ? do you wish ? The kind
of Christ He here claims to be — the Christ who reveals the Faiher ta
orphaned raen, and bestows life in the grace of sonship to that Faiher on all
who are willing lo be the sheep of His pasture — was very far from being the
Christ they looked for. 31. ^ke Jews took up stones, etc.. Lev. xxiv. 10 ff.
Il does not appear, however,\hal they did actually stone Him. His calra \
demeanour may have arrested them in the very act ; especially as they must j
have had to fetch them from some distance, their anger had time to cool.
The verb, in fact, has rather the signification of iearing, carrying a iurden, j
than of lifting or picking up ; cp. Matt. iii. 11 ; John xix. 17, xx. 15 ;
Acts iii. 2, and, by metaphor. Mall. viii. 17 ; ch. xvi. 12 ; Gal. -vi. 5, etc.
32-39. Close of the discussion -with the Jews. Jesus inquires why they
purpose to stone Him. • They reply. For blasphemy. Jesus argues from the v.
Old Testament, and again appeals for faith. 32. Many good works — Father.
On the meaning of the word good, see on ver. 11. For which — me? Was
Jesus affecting ignorance ? He could not but know why they sought to stone
Him ; but sorrowful irony, suggesting their cruel thanklessness, was not
unbecoming on the Ups of Chrisi, 33. For ilasphemy ; and iecause that thou,
being a man, makest thyself God. The second clause explaining the first, giving
the nature ofthe charge they bring against Him; seev. 18. Blasphemy, as thus
defined, is the arrogating by a man of Divine rights or glory, the infringement
of Divine prerogatives ; cp. Matt. ix. 3, xxvi. 65. The original significance is
injurious speech, ir which sense the word is used with reference to one's fellow-
men ; Matt. XV. 19 ; Eph. iv. 31 ; Col. iii. 8. Had the Jews been wrong in
their inference frora His words, ver. 30, it is not likely that Jesus would
have let il pass without putting them right. 34 ff. Is it not written — God? —
In your law ; law standing for the Old Testament, as xii. 34, xv. 25. Jesus
calls their attention to the passage in Ps. Ixxxii. 6, N I have said. Ye are ^
gods, and all of you are children of the Most High," and asks, if the word of

X. 36.] CHRIST AND THE FATHER — ONE. 49
gods, unto whora the word of God carae, and the scripture
36 cannot be broken ; say ye of hira, whora the Father hath
sanctified, and sent into the world. Thou blasphemest; be-
God addresses those to whom it carae as gods, whether He is a blasphemer in
calling Himself Son of God? Ps. Ixxxii. appears to be a pungent remon
strance addressed to those exercising the judicial functions in Jerusalem.
They are reminded that though their station is high, and they appear in
God's place, exercising His authorily, to ordinary men (" God standeth in the
congregation of God ; He judgeth among the gods," R.V.) their office is not
irresponsible, for God is an interested spectator of the proceedings in their
court. They are solemnly adjured to abandon corruption, and to aid the
poor against their oppressors. Yet the writer deems tliem hopeless — society
is rotten ; and closes with the significant threat that though he has called
them gods, their end shall be that of any common man. Ex. xxii. 28 ( " Ye ^.
shall not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people ") shows that men
in such high station were so named as the vicegerents of God, clothed with
His power, and representing Divine justice and truth. If the Old Testament,
with its profound sense of God's incomparable majesty, did not shrink from
calling such men gods, was He blaspheming in calling Himself Son of God ?
Christ's argument would seem to prove too much, making the dignity He
claimed not an exclusive or unique thing. His intention probably was to
arrest their attention on a passage which was in itself striking, and which
suggested a deeper, freer range of thought than they had ever cared to
explore. If it set them thinking with fresh unprejudiced minds on that
portion of .Scripture, and on every other, they might find that there were
things there surpassing their conceptions ; that they were more jealous of
God's apartness from man than God was Himself; that the scope of the
O. T. revelation was not foreign to the thought of such a relation between
God and man existing, or in ideal giving force to existing arrangements, as
amounted to personal union, or something akin to it. Besides, the reference
to a psalm containing such a solemn rebuke of men in the position assumed
by these Pharisees was not unintenfioiial! It was a significant warning they
might well give heed to. And the Scripture cannot be broken, see vii. 23,
V. 18. Chrisi implies His own faith in the unity and the Divine
infallibility of Scripture. The word is characteristic of John. The unique
and exceptional position of Jesus was sufficiently guarded by the words :
"Him whom the Father sanctified, and sent into the world," cp. xvii. 18, 19,
¦vi. 27 ; Jer. i. 5. To sanctify or consecrate, used of the Father in reference
to the Son, must mean 'thg" setting apart and endowing with all needful
qualifications and gifts for the special mission of redemption. To sanctify,
i.e. to make holy, signifies to cause to belong to God, and the nafilreef the
relation' impUed will be determinedTjy JiKatwhicffis'sanctified. In xvii. 1 8 ff.
. Jesus prays that His disciples may be sanctified in truth, and adds that for
..^their sakes He sanctifies Himself that they too may be sanctified\ The self-
devotion on the part of the Son to the great work of saving men was met on
the part of the Father by special equipment for the task. The ordinary
appUcation of the term to the cleansing the heart from the pollution of sin is
impossible here. Nor are we to Umit the thought to Christ's human nature ;
cp. -vi. 69, the Holy One of God. Sent into the world, implying pre-
existence; see iii. 17, 34, v. 30, vi. 38 ff., 57, vii. 28 f., 33, vUi. 16, 18, 29,
VOL. II. D

go THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [x. 37.
37 cause I said, I am the Son of God ? If I do not the works
38 of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe
not me, believe the works ; that ye may know and believe
39 that the Father is in me, and I in hira. Therefore they sought
again to take him : but he escaped out of their hand,
40 and went away again beyond Jordan, into the place where
41 John at first baptized; and there he abode. And many
resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle : but all
42 things that John spake of this man were true. And many
believed on him there.
42, ix. 4, xi. 42, xiii. 16, 20, xiv. 24, xvi. 5, xvii. 8, 18, 21. (Two words
are used for the idea " send," but apparently indiscriminately.) I am tke Son
of God ; see v. 17 ff. An assertion, therefore, equivalent to "I and my
Faiher are One." ^37 f. Final appeal to them to beUeve in Him on the
ground of His works, if for nothing else. \ If I do not tke works of my Father,
do not believe me ; see on v. 36 as to the meaning of works of my Fatker.
Do not believe me, i.e. do not believe what I claim when I say I am the
Son of God, and thai I and the Faiher are One. P" Faith in His word, not in
Himself, is the point of His argument. ' If you wiU not take my word for it,
then at least yield to the impression of the works. But if I do them, even
though you do not believe me, believe the works. The works of Christ con
sidered as revelations of the Father in Divine goodness and power went
hand in hand with His word considered as revelation of His holy, sinless,
perfect character ; and the two cannot be divorced. But it was quite possible
that the more striking and outward revelation might touch some natures,
perhaps more than were impressed by the other and more spiritual revela
tion ; cp. xiv. II, XV. 24. 'These different sorts of faith, or more correctly,
bases for faith, appeal continually lo different temperaments. That ye may
know and believe [understand, R. V. ]. (The same verb used in different tenses,
according lo corrected reading; rendered by Meyer aptly, "that ye may
attain to knowledge, and may permanently know," implying both the act and
the state of knowing) that in me is the Fatker, and I in tke Fatker. This is
the aim which both of these faiths must have in view. The conviction
awakened by Christ's personal character, that His word is to be relied on,
that He is faithful and true, and the conviction awakened by His miracles,
that He is God's power, are intended to lead on to a full and perfect
recognition of Hira as one with the Faiher. There is as if a threefold stage
in the formation of such complete faith. Belief in the wonderful and fatherly
works, belief in the perfect sinless character, belief in the absolute oneness
of Father and Son, in nature, in purpose, in will, xvii. 21. 39. Tkey
sought- — hand. I Pie escaped, no one knew exactly how,\ vu. 30, 44,
viii. 20. 40-42.\^Jesus withdraws beyond Jordan, but is sought after by
many who declare their conviction about Hira.V 40. He went away again,
etc. ; see i. 28, compared with iii. 23. 41 f. And'many — there. The remem
brance of the Baptist was still fresh in this district, especially of all that he had
"•"foretold about Jesus ; and their recognition of Jesus as the Christ seemed to
them only fitting as a tribute to the meraory of John, and a justification of
their forraer belief in him.\ The way, indeed, in which they expressed their
belief in Jesus appeared\to be equally an expression of reverence for the

XI. 3-j CHRIST LEARNS OF THE SICKNESS OF LAZARUS. 5 1
Chap. XI. i. Now a certain man was sick, natned Lazarus, of
2 Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that
Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his
3 feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore
SaEtist, though he did no sign, as having pointed to Jesus from the first.
Believed on Him : the full personal faith. Il may be intended to show the
contrast between the men who believed on the testimony of the Baptist,
even though no miraculous sign supported il, and those who would not
believe either the word or the work of Jesus Himself In this quiet retire
ment He was comforted by the faith of these simple-minded people, and
strengthened for the final conflict and the cross.
9. Results : Jesus raises Lazarus, and the Sanhedrim resolve on His death.
Ch. XI. While Jesus is resting in Ferjea, He is summoned to Bethany by
the distress of a family with whom He had affectionate relations. The remark
able relief which He gave them has its own special value in the record ; but
In the effect which it exercised on the intentions of His enemies, its influence
in determining the end of Christ's earthly career was ofthe greatest importance.
The chapter contains (first). The circumstances attending the miracle itself (vers.
1-44) ; and (second), the consequences, (l) as regards the Jews who witnessed it,
some of whom believed (ver. 45), others of whom, in an evidently hostile spirit,
reported il to the Pharisees, ver. 46 ; and then (2) as regards these religious
authorities in Jerusalem, who convened a Sanhedrim at which Caiaphas made a
remarkable declaration, and which resolved definitely to put Jesus lo death ;
and then last, (3) as regards Jesus Himself, who again withdrew from public
Ufe in Judea, ver. 54 ; and (third), the gathering of the Jews lo the Passover,
and the interchange of views as to whether Jesus -ft'ill be present, vers. 55-57.
The chapter opens with the mention of the sickness of Lazarus of Bethany,
and the naming of his sisters, one of whom, Mary, was well .known in the
Church through the incident recorded of her, ver. 2.
Vers. 1, 2, we are told how the sisters send word to Jesus ; of His reply, which
seemed to be reassuring; and of His delay to go to them, vers. 3-6. Then
Jesus suddenly proposes lo His disciples to return lo Judea, on which they
express their surprise, and alarm for His personal safety. Jesus returns an
enigmatical answer, implying the need for work while the day lasted, vers.
7-10. Jesus then announced to them, at first darkly and then plainly, that
Lazarus had died, and His intention to go and raise him, which His disciples
hardly understood, vers. 11-15. Thomas, fearing the worst, but loyal, called
on his fellow-disciples to go and share their Master's fate, ver. 16.
1-16. Jesus learns of Lazarus' sickness, and delays to go to him.
1 f. Now a certain man — sick. We are told the name of the man who was
sick, the \'illage where he resided, and Ihe names of his two sisters, of whom
the evangelist speaks as likely lo be well known to his readers, especially
Mary, who had paid the tribute to Jesus that should be spoken of throughout
the world for a memorial of her. It is presupposed that the incident which
John himself records in xii. 3 ff. was already famUiar in the Christian world,
and therefore the existence of al least the oral reports of which Mark xiv. 3 ff. ,
Matt. xxvi. 6 ff. , give us an authentic form ; cp. also Luke x. 38 ff. Bethany,
tke village of Mary, etc., distinguishing it from Bethany on the Jordan, i. 28
(R.V.). Wiped His feet with her hair. John alone (in ch. xii. 3) narrates

52

¦TltE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xi. 4.

his sisters sent unto him, saying. Lord, behold, he whom thou
4 lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said. This sickness
is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of
5 God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha,
this particular incident, which is wanting in Matthew and Mark ; but cp.
Luke vii. 38, where it is told of the woman who anointed Christ's feel in
Simon's house ; see further on xii. 3 ff. Bethany was on the eastern side of
the Mount of Olives, and less than an hour's walk from Jerusalera.
3. Lord, behold, ke whom Thou lovest is sick. The strongest arguraent they
could use to induce Jesus to come, and the expression al once both of their
desire and of faith in Him. They hoped and beUeved thai Jesus would
hasten to the relief of His beloved friend. The fact that the sisters knew
where Jesus was proves intimacy.
4. This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, in order that
tke Son of God may be glorified thereby, ix. 3. For the phrase, " sick unto
death," cp. 2 Kings xx. 1 ; Isa. xxxviii. i. With John aU things serve the
glory of God — Father and Son. This answer of Jesus would j>e construed
by anxious friends and by the disciples aT~airassiiraiicelhat Lazariis'shoiild
not die ;l.J)ul, as the death had taken place before, or at the least imme
diately after, the messenger's relurn,^we must believe thai Jesus, foreseeing
aljjjjal would happen, intended these words to act asconsolalioiiTo the'sisters
in the hour of "trial, when their brother had died, and as a lest of their faith th
His love and truth. He refers to this in His interview with Mary, at the
grave (ver. 4o)~recalling this message. They are words which are fitly spoken
'over every Christian death-bed, now IhaFJesus is Himself dead and risen.
The limits of the Divine and human in our Lord are not easily defined, but
the irapression left on the raind here is that of absolute omniscience, as every
where in this Gospel ; and the simplest explanation is the profoundest after all,
that Jesus spoke in full consciousness of the future, of the miracle, and of the
results in the culmination of unbelief against Himself on the cross, through
which His mission should be accomplished to the glory of His Father, xii.
23, xiii. 32, xvii. 1, 5.
5. Now Jesus loved Martha, etc. The verb is different from that used in
ver. 3 and also ver. 36 ; and is the same which is always used (with one excep
tion) of Jesus' love to John, xiii. 23, xix. 26, xxi. 7, 20. (The single exception
where the other word is used is xx. 2.) vThis is the term used also by our
Lord on the first two occasions of His putting the question to Peter : " Lovest
thou me?" see on xxi. 15 ff. The distinction between the two words is, that
whereas the one (vers. 3, 36), philein, Lat. amare, denotes nalural affection,
the love of relatives and friends, more spontaneous than otherwise, the other,
agapan, Lal. diligere, denotes the consent of the judgment and will — what we
understand by Christian love. The former is never used of the love of God to
man, or of man's love to God (John xvi. 27 and 1 Cor. xvi. 22 are scarcely to
be reckoned exceptions). The latter may include the former, but "the moral
affection of conscious deliberative will is contained in it, and not the natural im
pulse of immediate feeling." From this verb the Bible writers coined the noun
agape, to signify the pure and holy love inspired by the thought and love of God,
a word which has on that account none of the taint of the heathen classic concep
tions. There seems to be in this interjected remark something like an assurance
conveyed that Christ's apparent indifferc'^e was not owing lo lack of affection.

XI. TO.] CHRIST GOES TO BETHANY. 53
6 and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that
he was sick, he abode two- days still in the sarae place where
7 he was. Then after that saith he to his disciples. Let us go
8 into Judea again. His disciples say unto him. Master, the
Jews of late sought to stone thee ; and goest thou thither
9 again ? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the
day ? If any raan walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because
IO he seeth the light of this world. Bat if a man walk in the
night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
6. When, therefore ¦ — days. The therefore indicates that all His pro
cedure, even the strangest part of il, was ruled by love lo Plis friends. Yel,
at the same time, did He not consider how this call of mere personal friend
ship, to which His whole nature responded, had to be reconciled -Bith the
interests of that work of redemption which He had come lo effect ? If He
withdrew from Jerusalem in order lo protect His life till Ihe proper time came,
the greatest inierests raight require delay, even al the expense of sacrificing
the feelings of those He loved, and to the same extent His own. In the long
run, the private interests of His disciples and the general interests of His
kingdom must harmonize.
7. Then after this — again — and at ver. II ; see on v. I.
8. Read as R.V. : Rabbi, tut now the Jews were seeking, etc. Not anxious
about Lazarus, and not connecting their Lord's purpose with his sickness,
they wonder, and are alarmed because of the recent attempts on Christ's life.
9-11. Jesus replies lo their question in two enigmatic utterances. Remem
ber, they appeal to fear and to carnal motives.
(1.) 9 f. Are tkere not — kim. By asking if there were not twelve
hours in the day, Jesus meant lo suggest either that His Ufe was safe until
His work was done, or that the opportunity must be taken when it presented
itself, whatever the personal risk might be. ) Either, in fact, the day has
twelve hours and no fewer, or the day has tvrelve hours — no more. I shall
live out my whole day, or I have only my one day, and must catch its hours.
The former makes a good interpretation enough. [All, like Jesus Himself,
\ have their day ; all their twelve hours, however long'or short their lives rela-
' tively ; all have the full span allotted by God.^ Whether living lo old age or
prematurely removed, each has his twelve'Kouis ; s.ful[ day in God^-,pur]2.ose..
The analogy of ix. 4 favours the latter, and so do the additional words in
ver. 10. The_llday__^will accordingly mean, most probably, man's definite
but brief opportunity, and Jesus WOTld'say, " Let lis face our duly when the
tatl'of'GdiTcom'evahd' whtte'weTnay^ the opporturiityTDtrn-'flite''pasl f he
^_£^"ptnilponerdiITy"1Jct3trs'e'of fisk7~\vlreh he would do duly will find it hard.N
V Dangers are on the road by day and by night, but walk by day if you wish to \
i\ avoid them. "(The way of duty is ever the safe way ; /obedience to God's call
r is the inner ligfrt on the path. y The difference between certain, sure walking
>^ in daylight, and an uncertain, slumbling, hesitating step in the night, is the
difference between the opportunity taken, the duly done, the templation re- J
, sisled, when God presents it, though it cobis much, and the duty attempted
— to be done, the opportunity attempted to be recaUed, when the former vigour
of conscience and energy of will have been weakened, when the moral ideal is
nearly obliterated, through the consciousness of having quenched the Holy

I

54 I'HE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xi. II.
1 1 These things said he : and after that he saith unto them.
Our friend Lazarus sleepeth ; but I go, that I may awake him
1 2 out of sleep. Then said his disciples. Lord, if he sleep, he
1 3 shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death : but they
14 thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then
1 5 said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am
glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye
16 may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. Then said
Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow-disciples,
17 Let us also go, that we may die with him. Then, when Jesus
Spirit in His day of grace ; cp. xii. 35. Therefore let the day's work be done
in the day, and each hour's work at its right hour. The raorning hour has
morning work ; so with the noonday and afternoon. But woe to him who
defers his morning work until the day declines and the shadovifs are stretched
out. By tke light of this world, Jesus hardly signifies Himself directly, as in
viii. 12. The words are obviously figurative. \^ Thus if the disciples meant
there is ample time yet to allow hate to die down, Jesus would impress on
them the shortness of His opportunity ; it was needful for Him and them at
once to walk. Instead of saying \ He stumbleth because he sees not the
light, Jesus puts the antithesis m'ore sharply ; Jiscauje the light is not in
him, probably with a shading from the figurative into~tlTe ethical ; cp.
I Johnii. 9-1 1 ; certainly deepening the solemnity of the utterance. '^What
though all outward means and privileges remain as before, if the power of
benefiting by them be lost ?
(2.) II. 'The second part of Christ's reply is also enigmatic. After a
pause, silence on their part natural : Our frierul Lazarus has jallen asleep ;
but I go in order to waken him up. StiU "our friend," observe, death
being no interruption in the communion of Christ, and Divine knowledge
presupposed. Fallen asleep: the expression which was consecrated to the
Christian's death, denoting the peaceful confidence of their end, and pro
bably taken from Christ's own language regarding death, I Cor. xv. 6, 20 ;
1 Thess. iv. 13 ; Acts vii. 60. The metaphor must apply to the body's rest,
not to the spirit, see Phil. i. 23. [Were the Jews accustomed lo speak of
death as a sleep ? The Rabbins and Talmudists did so, but before or after
Christ? cp. Job iii. 13 ; Ps. xiii. 3 ; Jer. li. 39, 57.] Waken him up. The
disciples mighl have been struck with such an unusual utterance.
12 i. If^saved (marg. R.V. ; do well, A.V. ; recover, R.V.). John's ex
planation of this remark was natural after Christ's words in ver. 4.
14 f. Christ's plain announcement of the death of Lazarus, to which He
adds that He was glad on their account He was not present. For your saf^s^
is explained by in order that ye may believe. He desired th^nrfo^ connect
His voluntary absence with a purpose to strengthen their faith in Himself:
how, should immediately appear. The testing and heightening of His
disciples' faith in Himself, even through mystery and sorrow, gives Him
joy, and His joy shall be fulfilled in Ihem also, xv. 11. The training of the
children of God has something infinitely higher than the avoiding of pain and
discomfort. The bitter must come before the sweet. But Christ is glad ;
and so shaU they be presently.
16. Then said TkQmas — him, "Didvraus"is the Greek translation of

XI. 2 4.] Christ's interview with martha. 55
came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days
18 already. (NowBethany was nigh unto Jerusalera, about fifteen
19 furlongs off:) and many of the Jews carae to Martha and
20 Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then
Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and
2 1 met him : but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha
unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had
22 not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt
23 ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy
24 brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that
the Heb. Thomas, meaning "Twin." V^Failhful to the last, but despairing
and gloomy, such was Thomas ; see xiv^5 and xx. 25 ff. He has no hop&«f
Christ's^safety, but he will die with Him. "x
" 17-44. Jesus' return to Bethany; interview with Martha and Mary;
raising of Lazarus. 17 f. Four days in the tomb, so that Lazarus had appar
ently been dead when Jesus received the message. It is uncertain how long
the journey took, as well as the precise lime when the death occurred. The
Jews interred their de^ on the evening of the day they^died. 18. Fifteen
sladiaf^miorvgs) Ta stadium was about 600 feet = J of a Roman mile ; the
proportion of an English raile being somewhat less. The past tense was may
be inferred as denoting the destruction of Jerusalem (70), and possibly of
Bethany with il. The elaborate and obtrusive ceremonials of grief and
condolence, prolonged for a week, had brought many friends and acquaint
ances of the family from the city, who were not all friendly to Jesus. 'The
impression left on the reader is that the family was in easy ciicumstances..^"
20-27. Christ's interview with Martha, t The coming of Jesus was anxiously
looked for still, and announced lo the sorrowing faiaily as good news. VAs
head of the house, and most alive to outside interests, Martha first leams of
Jesus' approach, and hastens, without telling her sister, lo meet Iiimjbeyx)nd
the village; while Mary, the deeper,^ ^nderer nature, remains in the^.hpuse,
overeottie"willi'"grTef7^nd nfibi'e occupied. with llie numerous, weU-meaning
friends- who were endeavouring to console her. The implied characteristics
of "the sisters agree strikingly with those told of them in Luke x. 38-42.
21. Lord, if — died, and so at ver. 32 ; the exclamation constantly on their
lips during the agonizing hours, and after it was all over : " \{ He only were
/ here ! " Clf He only had been here ! 'j ' They believed both in the power
^-and love ra'the Lord. There could hardly be meant a gentle reproach in
these words, for she must have known that even with the delay of two days
\Jesus_cpuld not have come in time to prevent the_end. They are words of--''
DltterTegret. 22. And'no-JJ I know'thai~whatsoever Thou shall ask of God,
God will give Thee.j Calvin : ' ' She indulges her affection rather than
contains herself under the rule of faith, "f Yel at the same lime Martha has
unbounded failh in the power which Jesus had with .God ; cp. ix. 31. Not
yefgraspiiigThe uniqiie relationship of the~Hoirto the Father, she must
have known that He had restored to life some who were dead, and with His
message (ver. 4) still lingering in her memory, she may have indulged the
expectation of some great act of mercy. (Note, the Greek word for ask is_j
that used in the New Testament for man's prayers to God,^n^ver used by
Chrisi Himself of His prayers.) 23. Thy brotkei^ shall rise again. Christ's

56 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xi. 25.
he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25 Jesus said unto her, I ara the resurrection, and the life: he
that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live :
26 and whosoever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never die.
27 BeMevest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord; I
believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should
28 come into the world. And when she had so said, she went
first consolation, and the Christian's chief consolation evermore at such an
hour. Although Jesus meant the miracle He was about to perform, as He
had already foretold, ver. 1 1';, yet the words could hardly excite such a hope
in Martha's breast, and they were fitted to try her faith in Himself. Could
she trust Him wilhout a miracle, -without a special kindness?"" 24. I know
— day. The words / kno-u) suggest disappointment^ she had been told
the same thing often during these four days, but the last day'was~far-off-j-had
theMTaster no other and fresher comfort than that? For' the belief of the
Jews as to the resurrection, see ch. v. note. 25 f. / am tke Resurrection,
and the Life : he that believeth on me, thougk he die, shall live : and every one
who liveth and believeth on me shall not die for ever (shall never die).
Christ's second consolation. From the comfort of hope in a distant day of
reunion at the resurrection, Jesus leads Martha lo the comfort of faith in
Himself. The words are in a paradoxical form. The resurrection is not a
blessing apart from Him. Nor has He only power to raise from the dead
and give life (v. 21 ff. ). He is personally the substance of the resurrection
and the life. \ The word resurrection is lo be taken in its widest sense, so
that it is true to say Ufe results from resurrection, and resurrection from life,
to the believer.'' He must share Christ's life in order to have the power within
him of the resurrecfioirJrom the grave lo the endless life, "and ~by sharing
Christ's risen life now in faith,~Eie is ni fact risen with Christy and independent
of every future change, death of the bodyltself^and shall be kept from the
endless death; v. 24. On Christ's personal identification with the blessing,
cp. iv. 14, 26, vi. 35, viii. 12, x. 7, 11. Faith in Him, therefore, is a power
tiiat asserts supremacy over death ; therefore over all sin and sorrow ; see
vi. 40 and viii. 51 ; i John v. 12. Even should he die, ke skall live, i.e. his
faith links him to the living, risen Saviour, and therefore the death of his
body is but an incident in his experience, his real life continues, since the life
of faith is "union and comraunion with Christ in grace and glory," xiv. 19.
C Wkosoever liveth, i.e. in this bodily Ufe ; skall never die, i.e. shall not die
the eternal death.''^In presence of _Christ, all sin, sorrow, death are con-_.
quered, and He Himself is more than all Plis blessings. \Believest thou
this? that havirig me you have allijf'that to make sure of this life in Christ
through faith is the first and great necessitv,"tIieTIfeTIiat"oYercomes the world's
changes and' death? 27. MarTlia:'giv~eS' lier'^ftrffcbntessionT 1 liave believed
that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, He that cometk into tke world. The
perfect tense, as in vi. 69, points to past teaching, and experience, and
conviction. Note the threefold designation of Jesus ; and on cometk i-nto the
world, see vi. 14. She meant that He was the Messiah, and alljhat as a
believing Jew she hoped" for, "on the fainr'or~6-cndVpromises, here~ and
hereafter, she looked to receive in and Ihrousjh plim. "
"28-32. Christ's interview with Mary. 28. Secretly may be joined with

XI- 34-] THE RAISING OF LAZARUS. 57
her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying. The
29 Master is come, and calleth for thee. As soon as she heard
30 that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. Now Jesus was
not yet come into the town, but was in that place where
31 Martha met him. The Jews then which were with her in the
house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose
up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto
32 the grave to weep there. Then when Mary was come where
Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto
hira, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also
weeping which carae with her, he groaned in the spirit, and
34 was troubled, and said. Where have ye laid him ? They say
'. called or with saying. His life was in danger. ( The Teacher is here : not the
"ordinary word Master or Lord, used often in the Synoptics, see i. 38, iii. 2,
xiii. 13, XX. 16. 30. Still in the place — Him: wishing probably to remain
Q quietly beyond the village, and give the sisters the opportunity of meeting
Hira. privately, not embarrassed" by the crowd of sympathizers. Mourners
were accustomed to spend an interval at the grave daily. 32. Fell down
af~HtsJeet. The finer and more sensitive nature of the two, as expressed
in this action of "profound respect and attachment for the Lord, and in
her forbearing to utter the wish which Martha had not scrupled at once
to urge. -Lord, if J'hou, etc., as at ver. 21, the one thing they could
think of.
33-44. The sympathetic grief of Jesus, and the miracle. 33. Jesus —
troubled. The effect which the great grief of Mary and her sister, and the
crowd of sympathizing friends, also deeply moved, had on the Lord, is thus
expressed. He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. Tke spirit, — not the
Holy Spirit, but part ofthe Lord's human nature ; so in xiii. 21, xix. 30. It
is the inmost seat of His personality^ on the human side. The words show
the reality and the tenderness of His human nature, its responsiveness to the
sufferings and woes of Ufe, as well as to the claims of personal friendship.
No ordinary man could have been an unmoved spectator of the scene, and
how much less Pie whose nature was perfect, strung to the finest issues by the
Holy Spirit, who formed it ! It is the truth which was so precious to the
_ writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews, ii. 18, iv. 15, v. 7. Lie groaned.
k^Sorae audible utterance of visible agitation of feeling. ) The word is used in
RIatt. ix. 30 and Mark i. 43, and rendered, "He smctly (sternly) charged
~lfkem)." Also in Mark xiv. 5, " They murmured against her." There would
seem therefore to be in the term^The idea of some strong emotion uttered, or
partially uttered, in word or gesture, whether as'an" emphatic admonition
or as subdued indignation.. R.V. has the marginal alternative, "Pie was
moved with indignation." It was partly the grief of sympathy with the
sufferer, partly the grief of indignation at sin, and fhe miseries springing from
It, wEich moved the Lord ; partly, perhaps, the thought of His own death, Ihe
direct result of this miracle. 34 f. The gr.aphic simplicity of this whole
description, and the inimitable pathos, is the arllessness of the highest
art, and is the guarantee of its faithfulness to fact. Jesus wept, Pleb. v. 7 ;

58 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xi. 35.
35, 36 unto him. Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said
37 the Jews, Behold how he loved him! And some of them
said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the
blind, have caused that even this man should not have died ?
38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself, cometh to the grave.
39 It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said. Take ye
away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead,
saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh : for he hath
40 been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her. Said I not unto
thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the
41 glory of God? Then they took away the sione from the
one of the places in Scripture where we must put the shoe from off our foot.
Comment feels profane. Yet we may note here that this holy grief of Christ
consecrates all our sinless earthly sorrows as we stand by the open grave. We
might be templed to say we would rather have the tears of Jesus al Lazarus'
grave than the miracle itself, if it were not that the remembrance of His per-
sonaUty gives their value to His sympathy and His tears. Otherwise they were
but " tears from the depth of a Divine despair. " Nowhere is the Son of man
more visible, and nowhere the Son of God, see on ver. 33. 36 f. Jhe depth of—
._., Jesus' affection for Lazarus struck the friends of the family, and some thought
that one who could give a blind man sight might have prevented a sick man
from dying. \ 38. Jesus therefore again groaning in Himself. The most
minute incident of this stupendous scene is engraved on the memory of the
evangelist, so that as we read we feel as if we were spectators, following our_^
Lord's every movement and gesture with an interest strained lo the poiiit~of
tension. A cave, and a stone lay upon f^ox against) jV. / Oiily the well-to-do
had tombs hewn in the rock, see Matt, xxvii. 60. If the entrance were
perpendicular, the stone wOuld lie against it, as in the case of Christ's tomb
apparently; if horizontal, «/«« ?V. ^39- Take tke stone away ! The conscious
ness of authority is evinced in thai simple command ; also, we may infer, it
was the demand for some act on their part, which would exhibit that measure
of absolute obedience and faith toward Himself without which Jesus never
could perform a miracle. And the lest was not unnecessary. Martka —
days. Her nature was impulsive, outward, unreflecting, guided by the feeUng
of the moment. There is therefore nothing inconsistent with her former ,
utterance of unbounded faith in the Lord's power (ver. 22). She supposes ,
/ that Jesus wishes to lake a look at the remains of His friend, and, carried
! away by the circumstance, she forgets, if she really ever laid truly to heart,
what she meant in her former expression of trust and h"ope./ She was hover-'
ing between faith and despair, ^-i II is impUed in what she saysthat no embalming
had as yel taken place, though it raay have been intended | see xii. 3, 17.
^^' According lo the Jewish custom of the time, bodies were washed soon after [ \
death, besmeared and perfumed with spices, also embalmed in honey, then I
swathed in cloth, and wound round with bandages. \ The corpse was thereby '
» secured for a certain time at least from the process of decay!' (Liicke); see
xix. 40. 40. Jesus saith — God. Her faithlessness is rebuked by Jesus^
recalling the words of His message to them (ver. 4) when He first learned that
theif brother was sick ; cp. ver. 26 f, The glory of Cod, All that Christ said or

XI. 42-] THE RAISING OF LAZARUS. 59
place where the dead was laid. And Jesus Ufted up his eyes,
and said. Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
42 And I knew that thou hearest me always : but because of the
people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that
did was meant to promote this end, so at the last, xvii. I, " Glorify Thy Son, lhat__
.^hy Sonalso may glorify Thee." 41. Tken they took away the stone. Omillhe""
remainder of fliis sentence, (from the. place where the dead was laid). And
fesus lifted up His eyes, xvii. I, cp. vi. 5. A natural action, symbolizing the
exaltationjaf Gpd over all that is huraan and earihly, expressed also in the
ascension, Ps. cxxiii. i. Father, I thank Thee that Thou heardest me... On
the simple appeal, " Father," see xvii. i. To -H'Kat does Jesus refer ? To some
specific petition addressed by Him to His Father in regard to this case, of
which He had the assurance that it was granted ? We can beUeve that the
raising of Lazarus from the grave, in the foreknowledge of the Son of God,
forming as it did the crisS^of His activityahd' the cfowriing poiiit of il, could
not but be the subject of prayer to His P'ather (we can only speak after the
manner of men), more urgent prayer than even was Christ's wont, not so much
that power to perform it should be granted, but that in and with the
performance of it the glory of the Father through the Son might be made
conspicuous. There was regard in il lo the sorrow of Plis friends, to whom
He was tenderly attached ; but the idea that He had besought the Father
to grant this favour to Him for their sake is repugnant to our conception of
the Son of man. Rather, as in the case of the miracle with which He began
His ministry. He made the need of friends the occasion for the manifestation
of His glory, ii. 11, combining the private interest with the general interests
of the kingdom of God. (^Perhaps we may venture to say, then, that the very
strength of Christ's desire to bring such comfort to His friends, the intensity
of Hishuman_affeclion, might have appeared in the light of a temptation to
gratify His merely^ Tiuman inclination, making Him, as having a human
will to suTSniit to the Divine, the more, earnest in prayer for the perfect
harmony of His will with His Father's. Qle is at this moment completely
confident^ thai He has the power and the sanction of God for what He
is to do. "^Then we must remember that no miracle was performed by
Jesus apart from the strong tension of moral and spiritual sympathy. 42. But
I knew that always Thou hearest me (first personal pronoun — emphatic).
If the huraan side of Christ's personality be presented to us in the previous
clause, the Divine side is presented in this. The communion which Jesus
had with His Father was complete and continuous. Pie was ever the Son
in the bosom of the Father, i. 18. ^ It was not to be supposed that Jesus had
to ask special help in the doing of this miracle, as if it were harder for Him
( to do; the Jews ihemselves present thought differently, ver." 37 ; and there is
\ no request for aid — simply thanksgiving for the assurance that He was heard.
' It was well, therefore, that this emphatic assertion of His unbroken com
munion with God, and of His personal confidence that His will and God's
were always in accordance, should follow the utterance of thanks. He clid
not give thanks as if il were a thing specially lo be acknowledged, an unusual
thing that God had heard Him. It was the uniform consciousness of the
Son of God that He and His Father were one, x. 30. Nevertheless on
cucount of the multitude which standeth around I said it, that they may
believe that Thou didst tend me. Not being in the Jiabit of addressing any

6o THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xi. 43.
43 thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried
44 with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was
dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes ;
and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith
45 unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the
Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which
personal appeal lo His Father, outwardly at least, when about to do a
wonderful work. His doing so, even in this simple fashion of thanking God
for having already heard Him, mighl be misunderstood by His disciples and
by others present, as if special difficulty were to be encountered, or as if He
had specially to make sure that God was with Him. And so in the calm
consciousness of His unity with God, of fulfilling the Father's mission and
purpose, now as at all tiraes, and in order that the beholders may be
impressed the more with the fact that He is in such unbroken communion of
knowledge, love, and power with God ; conscious, too, of this supreme
moment in Plis Ufe, He thanks the Father for the opportunity given Him of
setting forth the glory of God. 43. And having said this, with a loud voice
He cried, Lazarus, come forth ! (lit. Laz., hither, out!). Note, Christ speaks
to the dead man, imjjlying that he exists though dead ; that it is with
him directly He deals, whatever servants of the Divine will may be
charged with giving effect to it ; thai he is not beyond the range of hearing
the Son of God (v. 28 f. ), not beyond the range of Plis dominion who has
the keys of Hades and of death. Rev. i. 18. The authorily of Christ there
fore over the unseen world is hereby proclaimed. \ He is the Lord of life and
of death, x. 18. The great antagonist of life, death, and he that has the
power of death, are (Pleb. ii. 14) subject lo Him. The word of the Son of
God was the creative word, i. 3, and it is the regenerative word, v. 24 f,
and il shall be the resurrective word, v. 28, of which the pledge is here
given. 44. He that was dead came forth bound feet and hands witk grave-
clothes ; and his face was bound about with a napkin. The h.uman spirit, the
person in the abode of the departed, heard the voice of the Son of God
calling to Hira, and reanimated the body which had been left behind, and
brought it out again, the entire personality, body and spirit, in life and
health. The mention of the grave-clothes, and especially of the bandages
that swathed the limbs, is important, as showing that there was no fore
thought on the part of the sisters of any such deliverance, no tampering with
the body, and certainly no collusion. The objection how Lazarus could
come forth from Ihe tomb with his feet cfnd hands bound (tightly swathed),
raay be safely left to answer itself. ,; The fact that he did so was a
speaking testimony lo tlie reality and genuineness of the miracle."^ y^xaj-
saith to them, loose him, and let him go. Eager, loving hands woultl soon
accomplish this, and the most sceptical spectator prove for himself that the
Creator and Redeeraer of men vvas standing before hira. The reticence of
Scripture over the feelings of Mary and Martha at this unutterably joyful
moment is admirable ; so is its reserve on the raoraenlous facts experienced
by the raised man beyond the verge of this life. (See Tennyson, In
Memoriam. )
45-53. Effect of the miracle on the beholders, aud on the Pharisees
and priests of the Sanhedrin. The usual result followed, so often recorded
ip John ;(the double lipe of belief and unbelief, accentuated in proportion to

XT. 50.] PREDICTION OF CAIAPHAS. 61
46 Jesus did, believed on him. But some of them went their
ways to the Pharisees, and told thera what things Jesus had
done.
47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council,
and said. What do we ? for this man doeth raany miracles.
48 If we let hira thus alone, all men will believe on him ; and
the Romans shall come and take away both our place and
49 nation. And one of thera, named Caiaphas, being the high
priest that same year, said unto them. Ye know nothing at all,
50 nor consider that it is expedient for us that one man should
die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
the greatness of the occasion. ' 46. But some — done, with sinister motives no
doubt, cp. ver. 37, and to curry favour. 47 f. A special meeting of the
Sanhedrin is convened lo determine what is to be done.! The chief priests
a-nd the Pharisees: the former preponderated, vii. 32 and 45, i. 19. Their
opposition to Jesus hitherto had been rested on reUgious grounds, see chs. v.,
vii., viii, ix., x., because prompted mainly by the Pharisees. \ The Sadducees,
however, think it is now time to act, and only on political grounds was it
likely that they -would ever have cared to take action. What are we doing
— nation. The question betrays the Pharisaic origin. It indicates belief in
miracles, and irresolution. Both parties, Sadducees and Pharisees, were
, afraid of a national popular movement to make Jesus Messiah-King ;' the
/ Pharisees, not because they were opposed to such a political revolution in the
I abstract, but because this was not their man ;' the Sadducees, because they were
hostile to every such programme for their tbuntry, being quite content with
existing conditions. ") Radically hostile to one another, they came lo an agree
ment regarding Jesis ; Ihey were not agreed on the premises, but reached
the same conclusion. [', This mafiivoald represent the contempt of the
Pharisees ; and tke RomSns will cffme, etc., thfi_fear of the Sadducees. Our
place, i.e. their own supremacy in reUgious things, of which the Teraple
was the embodiment, or the city Jerusalem, including the Teraple (Acts vi.
13 f. ), or simply land and people (though noi so probable). 49 ff. But a
\^__certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them. The
high priest was ex ofiicio the president.] Josephus mentions that Caiaphas
, held the ofiice for ten successive years, from 25-36 a.d. \ Considerable dis-
', cussion is implied, as from the antagonism of Pharisees and Sadducees
\ might be expected. The single protests of men like Nicodemus and Joseph
\ would be unheeded. \ Ye know nothing at all, nor take account that it is
expedient for you [us, A.V.] that one man should die for the people, and that
tke whole nation perish not. He taunts the wavering, irresolute Pharisees ;
they do not know their own mind. He knows his mind. This vigorous and
contemptuous mode of address is from the Sadducean point of view, and is
meant to convince the Pharisees present, who might be demurring to the
sentiments of their opponents in favour of putting down whatever provoked
Roman jealousy, that a propitiatory offering on that altar was absolutely
indispensable to their national continuance. Pie condemns their ignorant
prejudice, obstinate adherence to obsolete traditions, incapacity to discern
the signs of the limes, and to adjust belief and practice thereby, their

6a THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xi. 51.
51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that
year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation ;
52 and not for that nation only, but that also he should gather
together in one the children of God that were scattered
S3 abroad. Then, from that day forth, they took counsel together
54 for to put him to death. Jesus therefore walked no more
ridiculous and childish reluctance, on the score of conscience and religion, to
admit Roman supremacy, when the Roman sword is hanging by a thread
over their necks. His official position would give him facilities for judging
what the temper of the Roman authorities towards the Jews was, which all
might not be impressed with. 51. The evangelist, however, fell that this
remarkable opinion of Caiaphas was not due simply to his own power of
discernment, but to the spirit of prophecy which as high priest and God's
ofiScial representative had been for the moment bestowed on him. But this
he said not of [from] himself— nation. The death of Jesus, he believed, would
have the effect of expiating the nation's offences in the eyes of Rome, and if
brought about by themselves on the more or less ostensible ground that Jesus
was clairaing sovereignty, would be accepted by Rome as a substitute ; a
voluntary submission and surrender, an expression of entire subjection to its
rule. The Pharisees would get a man they hated out of the road. ^2. And
not for tke [that, A.V.] nation only, but in order that He might also gather
together into one the children of God scattered abroad. Is the evangelist
quoting still from Caiaphas's speech, or adding his own Christian comment ?
"The latter probably. It was not unnatural to add this world-wide reference
of the atoning death of Christ, and the peculiar form given to it, perhaps
suggested by the dispersion of many Jews through the world, and the O. 'T.
preraises ofa tirae of restoration andof unity in their own land (not, of course,
lo be limited to the Jews), reminds us of x. 16, " Other sheep I have," etc. ;
especiaUy as both there and here the laying down of Christ's life is made the
condition on which this gathering of men from all parts of the world into
the unity of His fellowship should depend. The children of God scattered
abroad, takes us across the lines of the temporary adoption of Israel, and is
explained by i. 12 f , x. 16; cp. also I John ii. 2. The high priest saw in
the death of Christ the means of securii^g and consolidating the nation as it
then was ; the evangelist saw in Christ's death the laying the foundation for
the "holy nation," the "chosen generation," the "royal priesthood," "the
people for God's own possession," composed of all called out of darkness into
God's marvellous light ; once no people — now a people, 1 Pet. ii. 9 f. There
are many children of truth, honestly striving after righteousness, who must
be sought out. 53' From that day — death. A formal decree of the "v.
Sanhedrin, which was (ver. 57) made public, though the resolution to put
Jesus out of the way had been informally agreed to long before, and the
sentiments of the Sanhedrin were apparently well known, v. 16, 18, vii. 1,
20, 25, viii. 37, 40, 59, X. 31, xi. 8. v This last and greatest miracle of Jesus
had sealed His fate. — ^
54-57. In consequence of this pronouncedly and dangerously hostile attitude
of the Sanhedrin, Jesus withdrew again from Jerusalem and its -vicinity to
the solitude of the desert.X The Passover feast again coming round. He was
sought for by the gathering crowd of worshippers, who eagerly questioned
each other as to the likelihood of His appearance ; while the rulers issued

XII. I.] JESUS AT BETHANY. 63
openly among the Jews ; but went thence unto a country
near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there
continued with his disciples.
55 And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand : and many went
out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to
56 purify themselves. Then sought they for Jesus, and spake
among themselves, as they stood in the temple. What think
57 ye, that he will not eorae to the feast? Now both the chief
priests and the Pharisees had given a coramandment, that,
if any man knew where he were, he should show it, that they
might take him.
Chap. XII. i. Then Jesus, six days before the passover, came to
Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he
warrants for Plis apprehension, and charged any one who knew of His
whereabouts to give the information. 54. Jesus — Jews, vii. 1. "A cily
called Ephraim," probably in the wild country north-east of Jerusalem, not far
off Bethel, towards and overlooking the valley of Jordan. Ihere He abode
with Ilis disciples : how long we have no means of knowing. His retirement
to the IVra:a, x. 40, look place in the middle of December, when the feast
of Dedication was held, x. 22. Thence Pie was recalled by the trouble of
Ilis friends at Bethany, but at what time we cannot say. His stay al
Bethany could not have been beyond a few days al the most, if so long, and
the remainder of the time, till the approach of the Passover in April, lie
spent in privacy al Ephraim. The weeks spent here must have been weeks
of intense prayer and comraunion with God, preparation for the coming
conflict, alternating with I irivalc inslruction to Plis disciples. 55. To purify
themselves. Cp. Num. ix. 10 ; 2 Chron. xxx. 17 f. ; and Deut. xvi. 1-4.
56. 'Ihey sought — feast? The suggestion of a negative arose from the
commands issued by the authority of the Sanhedrin, ver. 57, requesting
information that might lead to Plis arrest.
10. Jesus anointed at Bethany — Enters Jerusalem — Greeks desire to see
Him — He foretells His universal sovereignty through death — General
summary, ch. xii.
Ch. xii. The chapter is divided into the following sections : — i. The
anointing of Jesus at Bethany, vers. 1-11. 2. The public entry of Jesus into
Jerusalem, vers. 12-19. 3' Greeks at the feast desire to see Jesus; Plis
subsequent discourse, with the supernatural interlude, and final farewell lo
the Jews, vers. 20-36. 4. Summary by the evangelist of results, vers. 37-43.
Lastly, 5. An additional appeal by Jesus recapitulating Plis claims, vers. 44-
end. Jesus left Ephraim for Jerusalem, Mark x. 32, taking the road through
Persea by Jericho, where Pie called Zaccha:us, and healed Bartimseus. Then
He passed on with the Galilean pilgrims, but remained at Bethany.
I. 1-11. The anointing of Jesus at Bethany. This anointing of Jesus by
Mary is recorded also by Matthew and Mark, ch. xxvi. 6 ff., ch. xiv. 3 ff.
Luke omits it, while giving account of the previous entertainment in the
house of the sisters, x. 38 ff. I. (Omit the clause which had been dead.)
Six days before the Passover. The Passover was eaten on the day extending

64 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xil. 2.
2 raised frora the dead. There they made him a supper; and
Martha served : but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the
3 table with hira. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of
spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and
wiped his feet with her hair : and the house was filled with
4 the odour of the ointment Then saith one of his disciples,
Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him,
from the evening of the 14th Nisan to the evening of the 15th. The day of
arrival at Bethany would be therefore the 9lh or 8th, corresponding to
our Saturday or Friday. 2. Therefore tkey made Him a supper there.
According to Matthew and Mark, in the house of Simon the leper. The
inference from this evangelist alone might on the first blush seem to be the
house of his friends ; an inference, however, which melts away when we
reflect how unusual the addition in that case would be. And Martha
served, but Lazarus was one of them that sat at meat with Him. It is
tempting to a certain class of critics to rush al the conclusion that Matthew
and Mark are confusing the two anointings, see Luke vii. 36 ff., and Simon the
Pharisee with Siraon the leper ; and that John gives the correct account.
The explanation of the circumstance may well be that the villagers of Bethany
resolved to express their gratitude lo Jesus, and their veneration for Him,
in consequence of the raising of Lazarus, by entertaining Him at a banquet ;
that Lazarus, as the remarkable trophy of the power and love of Jesus, was
a distinguished guest, and that his sister Martha was, notwithstanding
her evidently good social position, proud to wait on the occasion. 3.
Then Mary, having taken a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly,
anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her kair. A Roman pound
= 12 ounces. "¦Ointment of spikenard," lit. "ointment ol pistic nard."
The meaning of pistic is disputed. It may be pure or liquid, or it may be
the name of a place or district ; see Mark xiv. 3, R.V. -margin. The
nard is an Indian plant ; its oil was enclosed in flasks, hermetically sealed,
and the neck had lo be broken when put to use, Mark xiv. 3. Matthew and
Mark mention the head of Jesus as having been anointed, and say nothing of
t}aefeet, or of Mary's wiping them with her hair. (They speak of her simply
as "a woman.") It was a custom among the Jews and Orientals generally,
Ps. xxiii. 5, to anoint the head and feet of guests as a mark of special honour.
To wash the feel was ordinary courtesy. To wipe them v?ilh the hair was extra
ordinary, Luke vii. 38, 44, as Oriental etiquette forbade a woman to appear
with unloosed hair. Mary may have anointed both head and feet of Jesus ;
but if so, John's omission of the former is striking. Perhaps he noted the
act which testified most to the unutterable love that filled Mary's heart.
Lazarus had his place, and Martha hers, at this feast. Mary contrived a
place for herself, lavishing on her Lord this costly gift ; not content with the
marks of general respect shown ; constrained, personally, to express her own
love and gratitude and honour ; devising this exquisite womanly way, not
without a secret premonition at heart, that it might be Ihe last opportunity
she should have of doing Him any service. John alone mentions that the
odour filled the house ; as is well said, a touch of "experience not of
imagination;" and not without a certain shade of symbolic appUcation.
4 f. But Judas Iscariot — poor ? (omit Simon's son). According to Matthew,
it was the "disciples"; according to Mark, "sorae"; who cavilled

xn. 8.] JESUS ANOINTED AT BETHANY. 65
5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and
6 given to the poor ? This he said, not that he cared for the
poor ; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare
7 what was put therein. Then said Jesus, Let her alone :
8 against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the
poor always ye have with you ; but me ye have not always.
at this deed. John attributes the ungenerous sentiment and its expression lo
Judas Iscariot. Probably sorae of the rest agree with him, more or less ;
some subtle envious feeling al the bottom, or sincere objection to needless
waste raoving them ; the apparently virtuous and self-denying remonstrance
of Judas taking effect. Three hundred denarii = £10 ; see vi. 7. 6. The
evangelist's comment on his brother disciple. But he said this, not
because ke cared for tke poor ; but because he was a thief, and having the bag
bore [took away, R.V.] what was put therein. "The liiag " (Glossokomon),
xin. 29; and 2 Chron. x.xiv. 8, 10, II, a box or chest. Judas had been
selected to bear the common purse, into which the charities and gifts of
friends were put for their necessities. "Jesus was a poor man" (Bengel).
The word "bore " is otherwise rendered " bore away," i.e. purloined. It is
susceptible of either meaning. It is the sarae word as that used of the Jews
when they bore stones to stone Jesus, x. 31 (see references there). It is not
probable that John knew at this time of the infidelity of Judas lo his trust.
The questions whether Jesus knew, and if He knew, why He permitted him
slill to carry the purse, must be answered by falling back on the original
question. Why did Jesus choose Judas as a disciple at all? See on vi.
70. 7- Therefore Jesus said. Let her alone ; it was in order that she might
keep it for tke day of my burial. (R.V. Suffer her to keep it against the
day of my burying.) This reading, put into the margin of R.V., seems
the likeUer of the two. The reading of A.V. is generally considered
inaccurate, "Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept
this," although it presents most clearly so fine a conception : Mary's half-
unconscious thought expressed for her by Him who could do it justice, who
can give us credit for our half-formed desires, and can give coherence to our
incoherent purposes, can bring to the birth what we are blindly and darkly
struggling to say or do. Wliichever reading be adopted, we can hardly
help feeling that this is the correct interpretation. At the sarae lime, if we
are lo be guided by the synoptic accounts, as well as by our own instincts,
we should render, " Let her alone ! it was," etc. We must beUeve that a
holy rush of indignation filled the breast of Jesus as He thought both of the
hypocrisy of the man who spoke, and his utter rottenness, and also of the
unfeeling, rude manner in which this touching, delicate act had been received.
And filly He proceeds lo show the remarkable significance and importance of
the deed for Himself A chivalrous nature itself would defend a woman in
such circumstances. To give it the meaning. Let her keep what remains of
it for Ihe day of my burial, is intolerable. Jesus can see in the service of love
somelhing finer and deeper than the offerer herself is aware of. The
impulse of pure affection can say and do the right thing at the right time.
Jesus therefore saw in this spontaneous tribute of love a necessary action,
which had to be performed on His person, that all things concerning Him
might be duly accoraplished. 8. For the poor ye have always with your
selves ; but me ye have not always ; so in Matthew and Mark. Jesus
VOL. II. E

66 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. "[xiI. 9,
9 Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there 1
and they carae not for Jesus' sake only, but that they raight
see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.
10 But the chief priests consulted that they raight put Lazarus
II also to death ; because that by reason of hira raany of the
Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.
12 On the next day much people that were come to the feast,
13 when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalera, took
branches of palra trees, and went forth to meet him, and
cried, Hosanna : Blessed is the King of Israel that coraeth in
14 the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a
makes Himself •pxovament in His reply, and defence of Mary's action, l/ He
lakes rank above all things and persons beside, as again in Matt. xxv. He
identifies the poor with Himself.t What is done lo Him out of sincere love
to Plim is precious in His &yes.\And thus the unconsidering, even
emotional outflow of soul to Him may be in His judgment an act of the
very highest order, a service with which He could not dispenso^Love to
Him is the one thing needfulrN^-il. The effect of the raising of Lazaras was
still at work, exciting failh on the one hand and deadly hostility on the other.
The common people, therefure, of the Jews (muck people, etc., A.V.). Their
instincts are, on the whole, sound ; they are not affected by the prejudices of
position, official or otherwise, and while culture broadens in many directions, il
\ tendsjto check the flow ofthe strongest emotions. There is, of course, the other
I side-^they crowd to see a wonder, not on account of Jesus only, but, etc.
I 10 f. But the chief priests consulted, etc. CThe impression made by the sight
L of Lazarus raust have been deep and widespread liefore the dominant faction
would have had recourse to this desperate plol.^It is interesting to see the fore
cast of the remarkable blossom at the day of Pentecost in this quiet undergrowth
of belief. Note how one sin leads inevitably to another. It is likely, as
Lampe suggests, that as the priests and not the Pharisees are mentioned, the
Sadducean party alone entertained this diabolical design, being specially
interested to put down the miraculous, and all that favoured belief in it ; con
trast xi. 57. It would not then be a resolution ofthe Sanhedrin formally.
2. 12-19. Public entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. 12. Tlu following
day, see on ver. 1, corresponding to our Sabbath or Monday. Much
people, A.V. Great number, R.V. ("the common people," Westcott and
Hort, as in ver. 9). Cp. carefully for full details. Matt. xxi. 1 ff. ; Mark
xi. 1 ff. ; Luke xix. 29 ff. An apparent discrepancy lies on the surface
between these three accounts and John's. In the Synoptics no break occurs in
Christ's progress from Jericho to Jerusalera. Jl'hohad come to tke feast : from
Galilee and Pera^a mostly. 13. The branches of tke palm trees. The article
expresses the fact of definite palra trees growing along the way, or conveys
Ihe fact ofthe usual custom on such festal occasions. Lev. xxiii. 40; 1 Mace.
xiii. 51 (" Simon returned to Jerusalera with thanksgiving and branches of palm
trees, and with harps and cymbals," etc. ). ^JThe neighbourhood of Jerusalem
r was rich in ¦^Axu^S^ Hosanna ; Blessed is He that cometk in the name of the
\ Lord, even the King of Israel. Taken from PSijaa£Ui;__25_Ji^ one of the
V psalms sung both at tbe feast of Tabernacles, while a daily procession walked

Xii. 19.] PUBLIC ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM. 67
15 young ass, sat thereon ; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of
Zion : behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.
16 These things understood not his disciples at the first: but
when Jesus was glorified, then remerabered they that these
things were written of him, and that they had done these
17 things unto hira. The people therefore that was with him
when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from
18 the dead, bare record. For this cause the people also met
him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle.
19 The Pharisees therefore said among theraselves, Perceive ye
how ye prevail nothing ? behold, the world is gone after him.
round the altar, and at the conclusion of Ihe Passover feast, a part of the
Great Hallel (Vi. cxiu.-cxviii.). The application to the Messiah is clear, and
the identification of the Messiah with Jesus more or less conscious on the part
of those who used the words. Expectations were kindled at least, and many
of Christ's disciples must have hoped and believed that Pie would now make
good His claims to the kingdom./ Hosanna = save now, I beseech thee ! as.,
' JiTtc— DU

translated in the O.T. loe. cit., ^S^c-nux — God save the king ! T^Having
found a young ass ; the parliculars"a7e-gisieiLin_tlie-SyTropTtCSf and familiar lo
John's readers no doubt. 15. Fear not, etc. A quotation freely taken from
Zech. ix. 9, and following exactly neither Hebrew nor LXX. The words in
the Old Testament run, " Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion . , . thy King
cometh . . . riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass."
Verbal accuracy, as if the words were sacred, so long as the sense was main
tained, did not weigh with the N. T. writers. The prophet in this passage
encourages Judah, surrounded by enemies, with the assurance that a Saviour
King was at hand. The peaceful character of the King is made prominent.
The Jews naturally interpreted the proraise as Messianic. Of course the
prophecy had not lacked fulfilment even though it had not been achieved in
this literal manner. We have to look at the spirit ofthe passage, not al the
letter. But there are occasions, as here and xix. 28, where the letter and
spirit coincide ; some minds may be impressed with the one, some with the
other. 16. Tkese things Uis disciples did not understand at first : but when
Jesus was glorified — Him. There was therefore no attempt in the proceeding
on the part of the disciples to fulfil a Messianic prophecy. The whole
seemed lo them at the time natural and spontaneous, the thought of the
momenl.lT Our Lord knew the end from the beginning, xiii. 3, xix. 28.
Glorified : a comprehensive term, including the sufferings as well as Ihe glory
that should follow, ver. 23, xvii. 1,5; see on vii. 39. They remembered :
fulfilment of Christ's promise lo them, xiv. 26.\ 17. Tke multitude therefore^^^
which were with Him — bare witness\ They borV testimony to the fact of the A
miracle, and perhaps to Messianic fulfilment in the person of Jesus. 18. For
tkis cause — sign. . The teslimony and the enthusiasm of the eye-viitnesses
excited many olhsrs. The crowds were composed of those who had seen
either the miracle or Lazarus afterwards (ver. 9), and took the leading part in
the demonstration, and of those whose eager curiosity had been roused. The
former accompanied Je^s from Bethany. The latter went out lo meet Him
when they heard of His arrival. 19. Tke Pharisees — Him. Read, Ye see

68 The Gospel by john. [xii. 20.
20 And there were certain Greeks araong them that carae up
21 to worship at the feast : the same came therefore to Philip,
which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying,
22 Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip coraeth and telleth Andrew :
and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.
that ye are of no use; cp. xi. 47. Contrast this halting, consciously weak position
with that of the Sadducees, ver. 10. The contrast between the sentiment
of the rulers and that of the common people is marked. He was " the idol
ofthe people, and the aversion ofthe privileged." This triumphal entry into
the holy city, so different from Christ's previous conduct, ver. 15, finds ils
explanation — ( i ) In the need there was for Jesus claiming publicly the Messianic
dignity, which he did by once accepting the homage and loyalty of the people.
Tliey were rightly His. (2) In the resolve of the Sanhedrin to put Him to
death. While Ihey ask information about Him, as about a criminal keeping
out of the way. He appears in the most public fashion, amid the most
enthusiastic demonstrations of the people. And (3) in the nearness of
His death. " In no other way could the blind and hardened rejection of
Him by the leaders appear so culpable as contrasted with His adoration
by the masses. The absence of any symbols of royalty, — the ass, not the
war-horse, — e.g., indicated further the nature of the Kingship which He
claimed.
¦-r^ 3. 20-36. Desire of some Greeks at the feast to see Jesus, and last
public utterances of Christ iu connection with this fact. 20. A'ow there • —
were certain Greeks. The nationality is no doubt meant, though the term is
frequently used to denote the Gentile nations as opposed lo Jews, vii. 35 (R.V. );
Rom. i. 16, ii. 9, etc. Among them that came [went} up; see on ii. 13.
To worship at the feast. \ They were therefore proselytes, not of righteous
ness, but of the gate, as were the centurions in Luke vii., Acls x., and the
eunuch. Acts viii. 27. The former were Gentiles, who, professing failh in the
God of the Jews, after elaborate examination and ceremonial, circumcision,
baptism, and the like, were admitted lo the full standing of the covenant s._
1 people. The latter, so called from the O.T. expression, "the stranger that
/ is within thy gales, " had not received circumcision, it was enough for them
to observe the "seven precepts of Noah," virtually the second, third, sixth,
seventh and eighth commandments, abstinence from flesh, " with the blood
thereof," and " obedience." The distinction was something like that in
Presbyterian congregations known as members and adherents. 21. These
/therefore came to Philip, who was of Bethsaida of Galilee; see i. 43 f.
Philip is a Greek name {Galilee was full of Greeks ; and the disciple may
have been known lo thermor their friends, or it was simply accident. Sir,
we would [wish to] see Jesus. The East came in the persons of the Magi to
see the cradle of the Son of God, the West in the persons of these Greeks
lo see tlie Cross. To see, i.e. to have a personal interview. \ The scene was
probably in sorae of the Temple courts. ^"22. Philip comes and tells Andrew
(another Greek name), and they tell Jesire> — Philip was cautious, hesitating,
undecided, see notes on i. 43 f., vi. 5 ff. Andrew was ready, see on i. 41 and
I vi. 8. Philip might not feel sure how the Master would take it, especially in
/ view of some of His pronounced utterances, "I ara not senl but to the lost /
/ sheep of the house of Israel ; " " Go not into the way of the Gentiles ; " and /
he might also be afraid of compromising Jesus in the judgment of the strict

XII. 24.] GREEKS DESIRE TO SEE JESUS. 69
23 And Jesus answered them, saying. The hour is come, that
24 the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto
you. Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it
abideth alone : but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
and hostile Jews ; cp. xiv. 9. Andrew solves his difficulty in the way in which
all difficulties of disciples are resolved, referring to Jesus Plimself.
23-36. The answer of Jesus to Philip and Andrew, being of the nature of a
solemn public declaration and testimony, implies the introduction and presence
of the Greeks, and a large general audience besides. There are three separate
stages in itV  First, Jesus recognises in this request of the Greeks the need
and unconscious craving of the world at large for a Saviour, and the arrival
of that supreme hour in His own and the world's history when He must die ;
and by a parable from nature He enforces the necessity of death for a truer,
fuller life. This principle He applies to all who would serve Him, promising
thera, however, fellowship with Himself in His coming glory, vers. 23-26.
Second, Brought face to face with this overwhelming necessity of death, Jesus
appears for a moment to stagger under the prospect. lie appeals lo Plis
Father first for deliverance, then to glorify His name. lie is answered by a
voice from heaven, which, variously interpreted by the confused bystanders,
Jesus explains as coming for their sake ; and receives it as the assurance that
His death on the cross shall be the destruction of the devil's power, and His
own elevation to universal supremacy over men, vers. 27-33. 7 hird, Jesus
is asked by some of His hearers how He can reconcUe His death with the
Messiah's promised immortality, to which Pie replies with emphatic solemnity,
that while they have light they should use it ; and then withdraws finally,
vers. 34-36.
(1.) 23-26. First Phase. 23. The hour has come that the Son of man
should be glorified, xiii. I, 31, xvii. 1 ; see on ii. 4, xi. 4. Jesus hears the
world knocking at Plis door. The door could be opened only through the
rending of His flesh : since as a Jew He had to die, that the enmity between
Jew and Gentile might be slain, Eph. ii. 14 f ; Col. i. 20. A momentous
hour for Him ; events are crowding on ; the cross is rising up in front of
Him. It is time for salvation to be accoraplished when the world is asking after
il. The name "The Son of Man" is suitable here, as denoting the Saviour
of all men, both Jews and Greeks, who should be glorified in their universal
horaage, x. 16, xi. 52 f In xi. 4, He calls Himself the "Son of God," who
should be glorified through the miracle, and then as consequence through the
sufferings and death appointed for Him. On the lerm "glorified," see on
vii. 39. 24. Ve-rily, verily, I say unto you. The emphatic, solemn assevera
tion points to the apparent conlradicloriness of what is to be said, that death
is the gateway lo fuller life. Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die,
it abideth alone : but if it die, it beareth much fruit ; cp. I Cor. xv. 36. No life in
the true sense without death. The principle has its application in the physical
and moral spheres. It is an eternal truth. In nature one seed dies and
thirty, sixty, a hundred live in its place, owing their existence to its death, as
the stripping and rotting away of the husk sets free the living principle,
which shoots up and grows and sprouts. In the domain of the will, the
sacrifice of all self-seeking desires is indispensable lo the production of the fruits
of a noble character. Selfishness is loneliness here and hereafter ; it has no
fruit of love, joy, peace. Jesus liimself, so far from being an exception to

70 the gospel by JOHN. [xii. 25.
25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth
26 his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any
man serve me, let him follow me ; and where I am, there
shall also ray servant be : if any man serve rae, him will my
this universal law, as Son of Man, comes under its application ; and is in fact
the highest, most wonderful example of its truth ; so high and wonderful as
amounts to a unique embodiment of it ; a positive interpretation and clear
reading of what nature struggles to express. lie — though Son of Man — the
one true Son of humanity ; though the grain of wheat in value infinitely out
weighing every other and all olher actual and possible grains together, must
die, in order that the life eternal in Him may become the Ufe of men. He
must offer up His own will in free, loving devotion lo God. At the same
time, we cannol but observe that this principle of "death in order to life"
had nothing on which to exert its strength in the case of Hira who was "holy,
harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners;" He could never die to sinful
self, who had no sinful self to die to ; and the need-be for His death must be
explained by the relation lo sin and sinners which was voluntarily under
taken by Hira. Also in His cross all that was limited, local, partial, Jewish,
passed away in order to make way for the universal, spiritual kingdom of the
Son of Man. 25. He that loveth kis life skall lose it [loseth it~\ ; and ke tkat
hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal ;e-^. Luke xiv. 26; Matt.
X. 39, xvi. 25 ; Mark viii. 35 ; Luke ix. 24, xvii. 33. ^ Probably one of those
deeply-suggestive paradoxical utterances which the Lord would often use : the
reading of the nalural law just enunciated into the moral sphere.^ Self-love
leads to destruction and death ; self-hatred leads to everlasting safetyj Frdm
beginning lo end of His earthly history, Jesus laid His life down for men^^
He was rich, and for our sakes becarae poor ; ste Phil. ii. 5 ff. So, whoever
shall gain the higher heavenly life raust set aside the earthly life.) The
present and temporal raust be sacrificed for Ihe future and eternal. Life is
through death : glory through suffering. The one source of moral fruitfulness
is the surrender of the will. A truth peculiarly in place for Greeks, whose
essential conception of life in ils fulness, vigour, beauty, was assertion of self.
To renounce self was for them the mark of a little, mean-souled man. Death
was a painful thought, and was hidden away. Excessive grief could not be
indulged or represented in act, implying consciousness of inability to comfort il.
26. If any man serve me, let kim follow me, elc. V Subraillin" Himself to this
law, Jesus calls those who vvould serve Hira to iimtate Hira.V Matt. xvi. 24 ;
Mark viii. 34 ; Luke ix. 23. /And He promises that they shall have for reward
His own presence and fellowship, and the Father's lionour.j Where I am,
vii. 34, viii. 23, note, see also xiv. 3, xvii. 24. The future condition of
glory, depending on and consisting, in part, in complete likeness lo the
Lord ; as it shall be the enjoyment of His immediate presence for ever.
Him shall the Father honour. The honour of Sonship in His everlasting /\
house, xiv. 2. v Christ's disciples had their minds full of thoughts about
thrones and kingdoms here. Christ bids them throw these aside and look
above, Luke xviii. 29 f. ; Malt. xix. 28 ff. ; Mark x. 29 f The words
translated serve, servant, are diakonein, diakonos ; from which deacon. It is
used of the attendants at the marriage feast of Cana, ii. 5, 9 ; also by our
Lord in Mall. xx. 26, ... let him be your minister ; Mark ix. 35, x. 43 ; in
two of which passages (and in Matt, xxii., parable of the Marriage Supper)

xn. 28.] HE VOICE from HEAVEN. 7 1
27 Father honour. Now is my soul troubled ; and what shall I
say ? Father, save me from this hour ; but for this cause
28 carae I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then
it is brought into connection and contrast with the word for bond-servant =
doulos : the most frequent term for servants of Christ ; so in xiii. 16, xv. 15.
(In xviii. 36 Jesus uses a tliird term, nowhere else employed : hyperetes
^ a rower, an official attendant ; apt in this place. See Trench's Synonyms,
who gives as the peculiarity ofthe diakonos, hii " acliwity for the work:" a
shade of significance suiting the conception of this passage.)
(2.) 27-33. Second Phase. An important contribution to the solution
ofthe mystery of Gethsemane, which, however, John does not record. 27.
Now is my soul troubled ; and what shall I say ? Ps. vi. 3, xiii. 6. The con
templation of His appoinied sufferings for the moment troubles the serenity
of liis soul. " My soul," so Mall. xxvi. 38 ; and Mark xiv. 34, ch. x. 15, 17
(my Ufe). The seal of natural emotions. Is troubled, so in xi. 33, xiii. 21.
Jesus was true Son of Man, and could be no stranger to all the simple, pure
emotions of our nature ; possessed these, in fact, in their most delicate and
tender form. Death, and such a death, with its mystery of woe known lo
Himself and Plis Father alone, was dreadful. Had it been less so, the need
for it had been less. Heb. ii. 14 f. ; cp. the agony in the garden. Wkat
skall I say? A conflict of emotion, as if He knew not what to pray for.
Natural human shrinking, struggling with Ihe recognition of the Divine
necessity. In this respect il behoved Him to be made like ourselves, Rom.
viii. 26 ; Heb. v. 7. And, Uke His brethren in their time of need. He turns
to the Father for help. Observe the threefold gradation in His prayer, vers.
27, 28, as Jesus passes frora trouble to repose, and to repose where it is only
to be found. First, the spontaneous, involuntary cry for deliverance, Father,
save me from this hour I as in Gethsemane, " O my Faiher, if il be possible,
let this cup pass away from me ! " That Jesus for even one moment could
urge a petition which could not and might not be granted by God, as it
shows the reality of His human emotions, shows also the intensity of the
struggle within by which the victory over sin and death was achieved. But
such a prayer can be regarded in its true light when it is understood as a
recoil of the whole being of the Divine Son from the necessity of undergoing
that experience which wrung frora Him the cry, "My God, my God, why
hast Thou forsaken me?" It was a prayer to be delivered from the sense of
God - forsakenness. Second, the relief of utterance brings the calming
recollection of the need-be for the ordeal of suffering. 28. But for this cause
came I unto tkis kour. The "cause" was the appointed path of suffering,
through which the glorifying should be attained. Jesus is clearly conscious
again of the greatness of Plis mission and destiny, ver. 23 and ver. 32. Third,
the return to rest in the desire that God in all may be glorified. Father,
glorify Thy name! cp. " O my Father, if this cup cannot pass away except I
drinli it. Thy will be done." The conflict becomes victory : the victory of
resignation to the will of God, al any personal cost ; of whole-hearted
sympathy with the Father's aims. It is the highest utterance of faith and
love and hope, that whatever experience of pain is ordained, the outcome
may be all to the glory of the name of God. Suffering then becomes an easy
yoke and a light burden. "Hallowed be Thy name" is the first of all our
petitions, and the crown of all Christ desires. This prayer of our Lord
reflects the experience of His servants in their hour of woe. We ask first to

72 fHE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xil. 29.
came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified
29 it, and will glorify it again. The people therefore that stood
by, and heard it, said that it thundered : others said. An
30 angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said. This voice
31 came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the
judgment of this world : now shall the prince of this world be
32 cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw
33 all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he
be spared some bitter and sore thing. Then by the appeal to God we learn
from Him to acquiesce in the need-be for such discipline. And, last of all,
we put ourselves out of view entirely, while we pray that God may get all
the glory, more glory if it must be so, through our pain. On the simple appeal,
"Faiher," see xvii. i. 2%. A voice from heaven. 'The voice which twice before
had spoken and attested the Divine mission of Jesus : at the Baptism and on
the Mount of Transfiguration. Now an appropriate time and the last time.
One would like to know what the effect was on the Greeks present. God
answers when we are prepared to receive an answer ; that is, when we say,
" Hallowed be Thy name ! " I have both glorified [it], and will glorify [it]
again. Chrisi prayed that the Father might glorify His name in all that
would happen to Himself; and the response assures Him that, as the Father
has already been glorified through His active life and work. He shall be
glorified through His suffering and death. 29 f. The multitude, elc. The sound
was heard by all ; by some as a peal of thunder, by others as an articulate
voice. As with Paul (Acts ix. and xxii.), the distinct words were probably
heard by Jesus alone. But this is not cerlain. A spiritual capacity is required
to hear and understand such a voice. Men may have different ideas about
such an event, but no one can misinterpret the fact of Christ's cross. Not on my
account has this voice happened, but on your account, see xi. 42. He did not
require the assurance, at least in such outer form, any more than He required
lo pray for power lo raise Lazarus. The voice was a supernatural fact,
a sign to the bystanders, if they would receive it, of exceptional relations
between Jesus and God. Those whom the miracles did not convince would
remain unconvinced still. It was in its way the last appeal of the kind.
31-33. The glorifying of the Father's name through Jesus has a threefold
consequence bound up with it, which, as now attested by the voice from
heaven. He proceeds to explain. The crisis of the history of the world has
come. (1) Noio is the judgment of tkis world ; cp. xvi. 11. Eternal Truth
and Goodness appeared in the world, and the world hated and slew Iiim.
That is the revelation of its moral slate : therefore its judgment. (2) Now
shall tke prince of tkis world be cast out. The world's judgment is the judg
ment of its prince. The light of Christ exposes the lie of the devil, wiio
reigns by deception ; and henceforward the world dethrones its prince. On
the narae "Prince of this world," cp. viii. 44, xiv. 30, xvi. 11 ; 2 Cor. iv. 4;
Eph. ii. 2, vi. 12. The conception "cast out" may refer simply to the
loss of the supremacy over men ; but cp. vi. 37, xv. 6, and Rev. xx. 2 and
10. (3) And I, if I be lifted up from [out of, R.V.] the earth, will draw all
men to myself. The world must have a Prince, and the crucified Christ takes
the vacant place. His rule is based on suffering and dying for the world —
" if I be lifted up : " il is universal in its extent — "all raen ; " it is spiritual.

XII. 35. J THE SON OF MAN LIFTED UP. 73
34 should die. The people answered hira. We have heard out
ofthe law that Christ abideth for ever : and how sayest thou.
The Son of man must be lifted up ? who is this Son of man ?
35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with
catholic, independent of all local earthly ties — "out of the earth ;" it is in
its nature a personal bond between the king and each subject — "to myself ; "
and it is exerted by the gentleness of moral and spiritual constraint — / will
draw, vi. 44. This is the application of the parable of ver. 24. Of course,
what is spoken of here as actually accomplished, or about to be, is only the
expression of the certainty with which the expulsion of Satan from God's
world, and the enthronement of the Son of God — a long and laborious process
— shall be done. The death of Christ was the deathblow lo Satan's kingdom,
and the foundation of Christ's own. On "Ufted up," see iii. 14, viii. 28. The
words "from (out of) the earth" occur only here. As explained before, the
expression "lifted up " conveys the double reference to the cross and to the
glory of the right hand, similarly to the expression "glorified" in ver. 23.
But the addition of these words, " from the earth," would seem to Umit the
reference, in this passage at least, to the death on the cross, as immediately
explained by John in Ihe following verse. It is as actually seated at the right
hand of power that Jesus by the Ploly Spirit and through His word draws all
lo Himself; but as the sufferings, shame, and death of the cross were the
necessary condition to this exaltation as Son of Man, and as the myslery
and marvel of redemption consist in the fact that He who was crucified in
weakness becomes the power of God unto salvation, the thought of the death
rules the passage. Christ's death was the world's judgment ; the triumph
over the devil, and the whole pomp and majesty of wrong ; and it is as
crucified that He is the drawing power over hard and sinful hearts ; His
death was the foundation of His kingdom. 33. Comment added by John:
But this He said, signifying by wkat manner of death He should die. The
evangelist saw in Christ's words more than a reference to the fact of death : he
saw a reference to the mode as well. The cross was inseparable from the thought
of Christ's death. The cross became the symbol of Christianity. Paul gloried
in the cross. The reason is obvious ; the disgrace, the cruelty, the agony, the
curse, combined to emphasize the fact of the death, to give it a peculiar and
unique character; so Phil. ii. 8, "Becoming obedient unto death, even the
death ofthe cross."
(3.) 34-36. Third Phase. The multitude therefore answered Him, We have
heard out of tlie law that the Christ abideth for ever. Such a passage,
e.g., as Dan. vii. 13 f. implied the eternity of the kingdom and also of the
King; and the general drift of psalms like the 45th, iioth, and 72nd, lies in
the same direction (especially contrast "out of Zion," Ps. ex., -with the words,
" out of the earth "). The law, put for the whole Old Testament, as in x. 34.
How dost thou say (who art thou, who pullest thy authority against Scripture ?)
tkat it is necessary for tke Son of Man to be lifted up ? as in iii. 14. They may
not have understood the reference lo the manner of death ; they did, however,
understand that Jesus spoke of being taken out of the world somehow. And,
knowing that Pie claimed to be the Messiah, they were puzzled. He called
liimself "Son of Man" in ver. 23. Who is this Son of Man? or "this one,
for Hecannotbe the Son of Man of Dan. vn. ;" seeon i. 51. -7,^. Jesus there-
fo7-e cinswered them, Yet a little while the li^ht is among you. 1, You have th?

74 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xil. 36.
you ; walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon
you : for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he
36 goeth. While ye have light, beheve in the light, that ye raay
be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and
departed, and did hide himself from them.
37 But though he had done so many miracles before them,
light only a litlle longer with you. 2. Use it to walk while you may, lest dark
ness overtake you, for the walker in darkness does not know whither he goes.
3. Believe on the light, in order to becorae sons of light. The time was past for
answering such questions when Jesus was speaking of the need be and the fruit
of His death. Events would soon teach and answer all questions ; cp. viii. 12,
ix. 5. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness overtake you, '^ex. xiii. 16.
Ifa living Jesus were an offence, how much more a crucified Jesus ? Christ's
death, resurrection, and ascension, with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit,
made the light shine over all the world ; but those who wilfully rejected Hira
when on earth were in danger of being irreparably hardened against Hira by
His death. Besides, Jesus would say. Put the light you have lo the true
use. Instead of analysing it, walk while it shines, vii. 17. The fate of the
rejecter of light is to have darkness overtake him, xi. 9, 10, viii. 12,
iii. ig-2l. (The word overtake is the sarae as that used in i. 6, rendered
comprehended.) While ye have the light, believe on tke light, in order that
ye may become sons of light. By using the light they would grow into its
holy, pure, and true character themselves. Their belief m il, moral trust
and dependence on it, would make them share its nature. "Ye were some
time darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. Walk as children of Ught,"
Eph. V. 8, 9 ; see 1 Thess. v. 4, 5 ; Luke xvi. 8. Jesus in effect says first.
You have light, do not quench it ; use it, follow its leading, no matier where it
lakes you ; and then. You have light — I am the Light ; believe on me, and you
shall have ray nature for your own ; in union with me you shall have the
principle and source of light, i.e. of all goodness, righteousness, truth, love
within you, cp. iv. 14. Faith is union vvith Chrisi, and to have Hira as Ught
is to have Him as the very source of our life (i. 4, " the life was the light of
raen "). Closer relation could not be. Then, by believing they should knaio ;
they should have the principle of knowledge within them ; should not need
to ask questions, in such sort at least as to stake their existence on the satis
factory answer. The words are tragic when we remember the impending fate
ofthe Jewish people, and their subsequent history. The tragedy is continually
re-enacted in individual souls. Sons of light : a well-known Hebrew phrase,
— " sons of thunder," " son? of consolation," " sons of peace."
4. 36 f -43. The Summary of results of the whole ministry of Jesus by
the evangelist. There was unbelief and there was belief The unbelief in
the face of so raany signs of liis Messianic dignity, could be accounted for
only as the fulfilment of the prophecy of Isa. liii. 1, vi. 10. Tlie belief, though
shared by many of the chief priests, was timid, and remained unconfessed
through fear of man.
36 f. IVas hid, or kid Himself, as in viii. 59 ; perhaps in Bethany, where
the few hours left were spent in quiet preparation for the cross. 37. So many
signs; see vii. 31, xi. 47. The nature SiS well as the ?;«w^^rmay be implied ;
see ix. 16, xv. 24. No doubt the evangelist had in view such signs as the
raising of Lazarus and the healing of the man born blind. Though John

XII. 40.] SUMMARY OF RESULTS. 75
38 yet they believed not on him : that the saying of Esaias the
prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake. Lord, who hath
believed our report ? and to whora hath the arm of the Lord
39 been revealed ? Therefore they could not believe, because
40 that Esaias s;iid again, He hath blinded their eyes, and
hardened their heart ; that they should not see with their
eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and
records few miracles, he regards the whole ministry of word and act as a
continuous series of sigtis, through which the eye of faith raay detect the glory
as of the Only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. Before tkem:
under their very eyes, so that the conditions demanded for proof of a
miracle by modern scientists were fulfilled. 38. Strange though this unbelief
was, it was but the fulfilling of the Old Testament prophecy, Isa. Uii. i. It
would be a travesty of the writer's thought to make it mean that the final
cause of such a prophecy was to produce unbelief. Vel Ihe prediction
rendered fulfilraent inevitable. The prophet bewails the universal unbelief
of the men of his time in the message of Divine grace delivered to them,
mediately or immediately, through the Servant of the Lord. And the
evangelist sees another application of the words to the generation that
rejected Christ. Perhaps also he may have felt that the words had never
reached their truest, fullest significance till now, as the passage in which they
occur is the most strikingly iles^ianic of all O.T. predictions. At least all
the results of Christ's appearance were foreknown and determined by God.
Surprising, and indeed in many respects staggering, as was the rejection of
Jesus by the rulers of the people, that rejection was foreseen by the Omniscient
God, and was simply in deplorable conformity with Ihe antecedent history ot
the Jevidbh people. As it was part of the Divine decree that the Me.-isiali
should be "bruised and put to grief," it was also part of that decree that He
should be " despised and rejected of men," Isa. liii. 3, 10, and the men who of
all ought to have welcomed Hira, i. 11. 39. Thereforetluy could not bclicz'c, etc.
The evangelist strikes a bolder note. Unbelief was foreseen and foretold,
not only so, but ordained, and belief rendered impossible. The nation as
represented by its leaders is referred to, and the unbelief of the Jew was not
only overruled, but appoinied as the necessary condilion for the admission of
the Gentiles to the benefits of the salvation of God (Rom. xi.). That this
national rejection could eorae about only as a consequence of individual
rejection is of course, and each individual must bear his own share of
responsibility for the act ; but the wider outlook softens the apparent asperity
of the Divine decree. First, they would not believe, and then they could not ;
an order verified by much sorrowful experience ; and the just judgraent of God
on wilful disobedience, whether one regards it as a law of man's moral nature,
or as the direct act of God Himself. Between these two, the modern and the
scriptural mode of viewing the same result, Ihere can hardly be a contra
diction. Sin leads to sin, deeper and more hopeless ; a natural law and a
Divine penalty join hands. 39, 40. Because that Isaiak said again — tkem.
Quotation freely taken from Isa. vi. 10, where the prophet is warned that one
result of his mission will be to harden raen against God, instead of gaining
them. This result may be ascribed to the word, as in Isaiah, or to God
through the word, as here. The unbelief of men is their own act ; they will
not be able to shift blame on circumstances or on God. God overrules tj^is

76 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xil. 41.
41 I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw
his glory, and spake of hira.
42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on
him ; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him,
43 lest they should be put out of the synagogue : for they loved
the praise of men more than the praise of God.
44 Jesus cried, and said. He that believeth on me, believeth
unbelief for His own purposes in grace, and not only so, but, mysterious as it
seems, ordains the unbelief in order that it may achieve the other (see
Rom. ix.-xi.). The freewill of raan, and his personal responsibility for his
action under the word, must be held as one half of the truth, of which the
other is the sovereignty of God. Peter puts the two together. Acts ii. 23.
Perhaps, however, there is no need to bring this conception into the words of
the evangelist. 'Writing long after the events of Christ's ministry, the objection
vvould be in his mind : Why did the Messiah's own nation then not accept
Iiim ? A stumbling-block to some. And he could say that the fact of this
rejection was foretold in the line of Divine revelation long ago, fell into its
own predetermined place in the march of God's eternal decree towards the
accomplishment of human redemption. 41. Wken [or because'] ke saw His
glory and spake of Him ; referring to the vision in Isa. vi. , possibly also to the
marvellous delineation of the suffering Servant of the Lord in Isa. liii. As to
Ihe former, theophanies were interpreted, like the angel of the Lord, of
Christ. The glory of Jehovah is the glory of the Only-begotten of the
Father, i. 14.
42 f. There was, however, a raeasure of belief. Nevertheless, however,
even of the rulers many believed on Him. Even araong the class least open
to conviction, because of position and prejudice, Christ and His word told.
The most striking testimony, perhaps, to the power of the truth, this silent
persuasion of it in unlikely conditions. But because ofthe Pharisees they did
not confess it [or llim\ lest they should be put out ofthe synagogue : for they
loved the glory of men more than the glory of Cod. It was not a faith that
meanwhile exerted any influence on the course of affairs. A minority held it,
and, unable to check the action of the majority, and afraid of consequences
to themselves, they kept quiet. Their faith was real, but, being unconfessed,
was fruitless. Their conduct was ungenerous and ignoble. They might
reason that their pronounced adhesion to Christ would do Him no good
and thera much harm ; cp. ix. 22. They were really influenced by fear; they
had regard to their reputation, aud not to their conscience. An outspoken
]3rotest in the interests of the truth can never be without effect. No doubt
there were men like Nicodemus, whose sympathies and views were quite well
known, vii. 52; but partly through sense of helplessness and partly through
cowardice, they could take no united course. It was part of the cross of
Christ that the men who knew He was right and believed on Him, dared not
speak for Plim. Confession is imperatively required of faith, Mark xvi. 16 ;
Rom. X. 10. Note how the Pharisees are specially mentioned, being the
bitterest enemies of Christ, and the makers or unmakers of men's good narae
in religion.
5. 44-50. Eeoapitulation of Christ's claims and teaching, as if from
Christ's o-wn lips. 44. But Jesus cried, and said. The indefiniteness as to

XII. 48.] Christ's last appeal. 77
45 not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me,
46 seeth hira that sent rae. I ara come a light into the world.
that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him
not : for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
48 He that rejecteth rae, and receiveth not ray words, hath one
that judgeth hira : the word that I have spoken, the same
time and place, especially after ver. 36, points to a general summing up of
all that Jesus had taught, and of all to be inferred therefrom, rather than to
some special address. Cried, vii. 37. The earnest, far-reaching gospel call.
The verses cont^ixa,. first, the relations of Jesus to God; and, second. His
relations to men. (i) First, vers. 44, 45. Faith in Hira is faith in God. He
that believeth on me — me. The paradoxical way of putting it brings out
shaiply the identity of belief in God with the belief in Jesus; see xiv. I, 7,
V. 23. Belief in the Son is belief in the Father. Recognition of the claims of
Jesus Christ therefore, in even a partial manner, is the straight road towards
the highest worship and reverence. And the converse is also true : worship
or reverence which passes over Jesus to fix on God, can give nothing but a
vague, unsatisfactory account of itself or of its object. Rejection of Jesus is
rejection of God. Second, to see Jesus is to see God. lie that seeth — me,
vi. 40. The verb denotes serious consideration (in xiv. 9, " He that hath
seen me," elc. ; it is the ordinary word which is used). That Jesus is the
perfect revelation of God, underlies the necessity of faith in Him as in God.
(2) Vers. 46-50. Relations of Jesus to men. He is their Light, for the
acceptance of whom they are responsible, and shall be one day judged by the
word He has spoken, which is the loving message of a Father, and which is
the life-giving word of God. 46. / have come a light into the world, etc., —
darkness, i. 9, viii. 12, ix. 5, and ver. 35 f. 47. And if any man hear my
words, and keep them not [believe not, A. V. ], I judge him not : for I did not
come lo judge the world, but to save the world ; see iii. 17, viii. 15 f, ix. 39.
Not only were the si.i;ns conclusive as to Jesus' mission, but His words were
such as to leave men who heard them without excuse. During His ministry
on earth Jesus sustained the single rdle of Saviour of men. He might have
exercised judgment on unbelievers ; regard to His own dignity might at times
even have seeraed to require the vindication of His clairas against those who
insulted and despised Him. But it was His mission then to endure the
contradiction of sinners against Himself, and to submit to the power of
wrong. This patient endurance of Jesus was so different from what men
might have expected, so different from the ordinary expectations of Messiah's
work, that it may have actually constituted an offence. If Jesus were all
He said, why not exercise Divine prerogatives on unbelievers? Why permit
them to prosper ? Did not the Baptist himself announce Him as holding
His fan in Ilis hand? It was well that the evangelist should emphasize
Christ's power to judge, and yet His declinature of that work for the present,
and of the summary liasly methods of men. The world's history is the
world's judgment. God can afford to wait. 48. The emphatic / of the
previous verse suggests a contrast : not /, and not now, but my word shall ;
and by and by. He that rejects me, and receives not my sayings, kath one
who judges him. Personal rejection of Jesus and the refusal of His sayings

78 THE GOSPEL By JOHN. [XIL 49.
49 shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of
myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave rae a com
mandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
50 And I know that his coramandment is life everlasting : what-
raay not necessarily be identical. In so far, no doubt, as His sayings were
concerned with His own Divine claims, the distinction is nominal, see vi.
60 ff. But there might be a personal rejection of Christ without rejection of
His teaching, in so far as this was a revelation of righteousness, truth, love ;
a Divine ideal, in short, for men. In fact, through reception of such teaching,
and the recognition of its source as Divine, men were and are led to receive
Jesus as Hiraself the Eternal Word, and deserving of worship. Not to receive
Plis sayings, therefore, would betray a greater estrangement from His Spirit
than to reject Him personally as Son of God, see viii. 45-47. Ultimately,
there is no difference between the religion of Christ and the Christian
religion. The word which I have spoken, that shall judge him. in the last day.
_Xhe change of term from the mere individual, isolated words or sayings to
the connected discourse, "the word," is significant. It is the whole pre
sentation of Christ in His gospel which is meant. " The word of the truth
of the gospel," Col. i. 5 ; "'The word of life," 1 John i. 1. The hearing of
this word, therefore, is not a mere incident in a man's life, it is the crisis of his
history. "Take heed how ye hear." In disowning present judgment of an
objective kind, Jesus warns of the subjective judgment in conscience, when
at the last Ihe word of truth, which was set aside, shall come back armed
with the scourge of evil meraories. The unbeliever bears his judgment with
him. It is written in himself, and will be inseparable from himself; he
cannot escape from it. That lie sinned against the light, the true light of
raen, and chose the darkness of raind and heart, will be the source of endless
reraorse. An objective judgment is, however, not necessarily denied.
Jesus will be judge of all, v. 22. 49. For I of myself kave not spoken ; but
tke Father who sent tne has given me a commandment wkat to say and what
to speak. The reason why tbe word of Christ shall judge raen who reject it
is, that it is no word of individual opinion, no word of temporary application
or importance, no passing phase of religious or moral sentiment. It is the
final word spoken by the Father to men through the Son ; the word giving
life, the coraraandraent to be obeyed, \i. 29. 'The gospel of Christ contains,
therefore, the absolute duty of raan. It is the message frora the Father to
His children. It is the etemal commandraent of the living God to His moral
creatures. Cp. v. 19, 30, vii. 17, 18, 28, viii. 28, 42, xiv. 10, 24, xvn. 8, 14.
(This is the only passage, however, of all these where the preposition used is
different, ek, not apo: for the distinction, see vii. 28, viii. 42.) 50. And I
know [perfect conviction, knowledge of experience] that His commandment
is life eternal. 1 John iii. 23 : " This is His commandment, that we should
beUeve on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He
gave us commandraent." Cp. also vi. 63, 68, and xvii. 3: "This is life
etemal, that they may knovv Thee,' etc. By identifying His Father's
commandment to Him, as to what He should speak to men, with eternal
life, Jesus points to the personal union and communion between the believer
and Himself, which is made good through reception of the word. Obedience
to this commandment is therefore obedience to the law of Ufe ; such life as
God has intended raan to have in His own fellowship, and offers to hira in

XlII. I.J JESUS MfASHES THE DISCIPLES' FEET. 79
soever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so
I speak.
Chap. XIII. i. Now, before the feast ofthe passover, when Jesus
knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of
the Son. What therefore I utter, as the Father hath said to me, so I utter
[it\ Nothing more — or less — or otherwise ; and in the manner of a Father's
word to His children. To be unresponsive to the love and pleading of a
Father's voice, to reject a Father's counsel, is to be self-condemned.
B. — Christ's manifestation of his glory in private to
his own, xiii.-xvii.
Alone with His oum — He washes their feet — Exposes the traitor, and then
comforts and instructs the eleven in view of His departure ; finally, when
they make a complete confession of tkeir faitk, He turns tothe Father and
commends Himself and His disciples and Church to His care, xiii.-xvii.
Chs. XIII.-XVII. The record of the public ministry of Jesus closes with the
last chapter. In the five following chapters we have an account of the last
hours Jesus spent with His disciples, in the course of which He crowned all
past self-disclosures by revealing His inmost heart towards thera, and drew
them on to the expression of coraplete faith, xvi. 30. The key to all He
now did and said is contained in the opening words : "Jesus, having loved
His own who were in the world, loved thera to the end." Of this love a
twofold proof is given : first by deed, when He condescended to wash their
feel ; and then by word, when, having dismissed the traitor. He comforted
thera in view of Plis departure by expounding to them the sublime doctrines
of the eternal relations in which He stood to the Father and to them, and
ihey to the Father through Him, and promised them another Comforter, the
Spirit of truth.
Ch. xiii. This chapter has three divisions — (l) The washing of the disciples'
feet, and its iraport, vers. 1-20 ; (2) The exposure and dismissal of Judas
Iscariot, vers. 21-30 ; (3) The consequent stateraent of Jesus, that the
purpose of God in His mission lo earth had now reached its climax ; that
He was about to withdraw from their sight ; that the test and proof of their
continued fidelity to Him should be obedience to His new commandment
to love one another, with the warning to Simon Peter of His approaching
denial of his Lord, vers. 31-38. The omission of the institution of the
Lord's Supper will not surprise us when we remember (1) that John wrote
long after this memorial was established and celebrated through the Roman
world ; and both the account of the Synoptists and the Epistles of Paul
were widely circulated ; and (2) that the evangelist presents us with the
ideas that underlie the institution and are expressed in it ; if not the
Communion, at least the Communion address.
1. 1-20. The washing of the disciples' feet. 1. The knowledge which
Jesus had that His death was at hand, was the reason why He desired
to give a proof to His disciples that His love to them was enduring,
not affected by His departure from this world. Now, before the feast
of the Passover. The words give the impression of sorae short interval
still intervening before the set time for the observance of the feast. In
all probability, therefore, the evening of the day previous, i.e. the 13th
day of the month Nisan (see on xviii. 28). jesus knowing. The word

8o THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xill. 2.
this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were
2 in the world, he loved thera unto the end. And supper being
ended, (the devil having now put into the heart of Judas
3 Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him ;) Jesus knowing that the
Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was
4 come from God, and went to God ; he riseth from supper,
and laid aside his garments ; and took a towel, and girded
for full and coraplete knowledge ; so at ver. 3. That His hour had
cotne, see on xii. 23, 27, ii. 4, xvii. 1. In order tkat He skould depart out
of this world unto the Father. Expression of the Divine purpose, and of
the consciousness on the part of Jesus that the time had come to give effect
to it, J.. 17 f His death was in His own power and at His own time.
Death was for Him, and for all who are His, a going away to the Father
frora this present outward and visible system of things. This world, indeed,
is — apart frora raan's share in it (though this, too, is overruled) — but a system
expressly ordained by the Father for the training of His children ; but the
essential feature of the training is Ihat the Father is not seen. What awaits
believers at death is a horae, their true eternal home, and the love of the
Father. More is told the responsive heart in those words about the glory of
the future than the most sublime and elaborate description could give.
Having loved His own who were in the world, to the end He loved them.
Love sums up the whole attitude of Jesus to His own, and it is crowned in the
supreme act of self-devotion. "Plis own" were, in the first application. His
loyal disciples, who had continued with Him in Plis temptations ; but are all
who should believe in Him through their word ; the subjects of His own
explicit intercession, xvii. 20 ; and they are assured hereby of their Lord's
abiding, undying love and care. Such was the heart of Jesus. Then follows the
heartof Judas ; heart of heaven, heart ofhell; heart of God, heart of the devil.
2. And while supper was going on, so R.V. ; A.V. ended, which is wrong,
see ver. 12. The devil. Frora the sublime heights of such wonderful,
Divine, eternal love we are taken to the depths of diabolic malice and hate.
Having already put [thrown, injected] into the heart of Judas [son] of Simon
Iscariot, that ke should betray Him. Cp. xii. 4, vi. 71 ; but in neither of
those passages is it said that the intention was actually formed. Simply,
Judas was the man who should betray Jesus. The rebuke at Bethany threw
disloyalty and disappointment over into desire for revenge, Luke xxii. 3.
The action is as if now taken out of the hands of the man, and the devil
rules him. His will is the slave of evil, and beyond his own control. Jesus
knows what is going on in the unhappy man's bosom. The unclean spirit
has at last entered in to dwell with seven spirits more wicked than himself.
3. [Jesus] knowing that the Father — God. Jesns was conscious of the trust
of omnipotence His Father reposed in Plira. Conscious also of His Divine
origin and destiny, and in full view of this unique glory. He proceeds to do
what is narrated of Hira, iii. 35, viii. 42, 55. 4. He riseth from supper ; cp.
ver. ¦.!,. The feet were washed before supper. Some little time had in this
case elapsed, as none of the disciples would submit to do the ofiice for the
rest. The episode, Luke xxii. 24, may fitly be taken in at this point.
Layeth aside His garments, cp. x. 11, 15. And kaving takai a towel. He girded
Himself. The remarkable contrast is to be noted between tbe facts of ver. 3
and those of ver. 4 ff.

XIII. 9.] JESUS WASHES THE DISCIPLES' FEET. 8 1
5 himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began
to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel
6 wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter :
and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet ?
7 Jesus answered and said unto him. What I do thou knowest
8 not now ; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto
him. Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered hira,
9 If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter
5. Then He poureth water into the bason— girded. To do what the others
refused in pride to do was Christlike. The action reflects the whole
condescension and love of Plis incarnation for our redemption. He did
what no other could if he would, what no other would if he could, Phil.
ii. 5 ff. Note that He must have washed the feet of the traitor with the
others. 6 f. So[K.Y .]He cometh to Simon Peter. Theconjunctionj'tf or //^^r^/or^ signi
fying a certain expectancy, as of something likely to happen when He came to
Simon Peter, as in course He would come. We seem to read the thoughts ofthe
rest : What will Simon do when the Master comes to him? Simon may
have been most vehement of all in declining the little deed of kindness to the
rest. Lord, dost Thou wash my feet ? the question rather an exclamation of
dismay and astonishment. Thou ! Wkat I do thou knowest not now, but
thou shall recognise [understand, R.V.] hereafter. Suggestion that this act of
Christ was far-reaching in its lessons and purpose. Not a hasty thing, done
partly in indignation, partly in unthinking, hasty impulse to end the strife.
But an act done in full consciousness of all He was, and was to be, which
had deeper meaning than could be thought, even by those who were the
objects of it and witnessed it, and a meaning which would appear only in the
future. The saying is applicable to all the dealings of God with His servants
in their present imperfect state. The thought of complete understanding
hereafter encourages them to endure whatever tries faith and love. Our
present ignorance is no cause of faithlessness or fainting, but a cause for trust.
8. Peter— feet. Peter's pride, sense of his own sin, sense of what was
becoming to his Master, urge him to resist. He would not be thrown on the
future for explanation. An unreflecling impulse, partly also an attempt to screen
himself; for how could he quietly allow Jesus to do what he felt was beneath
himself to do ? The false sense of dignity keeps men from being Christian.
In subjecting pride to humbling, our feelings to wounding, our hopes to dis
appointment, our desires to mortification, Christ is throwing us on the future,
pledging to do for us then all we trust Him for. Simon would learn much by
experience even in this life. Christ makes events teach. The cross opened
all eyes. With faith and patience, all things become plain. If J — me. One
of the Lord's calm, profound sayings. Submission is needful even to what
is dark and unintelligible ; obedience is the great badge of discipleship.
Submission also to Christ's personal cleansing, in order to have Christ's
personal fellowship. The sense of the need of cleansing is rauch, and the
recognition of Christ as the one cleanser of the soul is more, Ps. li. 7. How
Christ cleanses, in the great signification, Peter learned afterwards too (l Pet.
i. 18 f. ; cp. Heb. ix. 14, x. 19; Rev. i. 5) ; as he learned what it was to have a
part with Him, Ps. xxiv. 3 f , xxvi. 6 ; cp. Col. i. 12 ff. ; Rev. xxi. 8, xxii. 19.
VOL II. F

82 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [XIII. 10.
saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands
IO and my head. Jesus saith to him. He that is washed needeth
not, save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit ; and ye are
II clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him;
12 therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. So, after he had
washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set
down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done
13 to you? Ye call rae Master and Lord: and ye say well;
9. Simon Peter saith to Him — head. No thought was so terrible to him as
that of forfeiting communion with his Master. He v\'ill submit to anything,
however hard to flesh and blood, rather than lose his Lord's fellowship and
kingdom. He flies from the extreme of resistance to the extreme of compliance.
There spoke a true and noble sonl.
10. Jesus saith to him. He that is bathed needeth not save to wash his feet, but
is clean every whit. Jesus draws a distinction between the man who is bathed
and the man who is not, and between the bathing of the whole body and the
washing of ,the feet. Siraon needed the latter, not the forraer. To be
justified is to be as if bathed, clean every whit ; clean in principle, root, heart ;
because faith, laying hold of Jesus as the cleanser frora sin, works in the
element of the Holy Spirit and brings the new creation with it. " To as
many as received Plim gave He right to becorae the children of God . . . who
were born . . . of God," "born of water and ofthe Spirit," i. 12 f, iii. 5. And
this is an act of Divine grace done once for all. Sanctification is a daily process,
and a necessary process. Simon was justified ; " bathed" through his faith
in Christ ; he was a new man. Yet his conduct, as that of all the disciples,
showed that the old man was not yet dead, that a growing work of holiness
was needful upon him, freeing hira from such stains and sins as had just
been apparent in the unseemly strife. An important passage — bearing on the
difference between justification and sanctification. There is a tendency to
work away on lines of character, vvhich insensibly glides into self-righteous
ness. It is good if we are ever bringing ourselves up into this light, for " by
grace are we saved through faith." But grace is not grace if it does not do
and has not done all. We need to look at the root as well as the fruit. And
ye are clean, but not all, cp. xv. 3. This was encouraging, affirming their
acceptance with God, and banishing doubt and fear frora every true and sensi
tive heart. ¥et the encouragement had the solemn suggestion in it, solemn
for all, that it was not simply because they were so near to the Lord
outwardly, and enjoying so many privileges, that they were clean ; a searching
word at the time, a last warning to the traitor, whose heart, even the washing
of his feet by the Master he purposed to betray, could not soften. As
necessary to convince Judas he was known, as to reassure the others after the
death and resurrection that their Lord had foreseen all things.
II. For— clean, vi. 64.
12 f So wken — am. Jesus now adds the explanation of His remarkable
act, emphasizing His own position as Master and Lord to make His inference
more cogent. Humility taught often by word is here taught hyfact.
13-20. The Master's exaraple is binding on the disciples, for the disciple is
inferior lo the Master ; anil it is obedience, not knowledge, which raakes
blessed. Not that He is in doubt of all of thera; He knows His elect ones

XIII. l8.] JESUS WASHES THE DISCIPLEs' FEET. 83
14 for SO I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed
15 your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I
have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done
16 to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you. The servant is not
greater than his lord ; neither he that is sent greater than he
1 7 that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye
do thera.
18 I speak not of you all ; I know whom I have chosen : but,
well ; but there is treason in the midst of them (and He must point it out), that
the scripture raay be fulfilled, "He that," etc. That He foretells it before
the event, will strengthen their failh in Him after it. Finally, reverting to
the inferences from such an act. He assures thein that what is done to Plis
servants is done to Himself.
14 f. If tlierefore I— feet. To wash one another's feet means that there
is the obligation on the disciple of Christ to all lowliest services for his
brethren, of love and humility, especially to such as bear on their spiritual
and eternal interests. We are bound by our tie to Christ to be tender and
considerate towards our fellow-Christians, to serve them by love ; pride,
superiority, rank have no place in the Church of Christ. The only rank there
is the rank of service. What the Lord and Master condescended to do, we
may and must do, 1 Tim. v. 10 ; 1 John iii. 16 ff. Every one wants ascend
ency. Nobody wants to serve. The ecclesiastical eereraony of Maundy
Thursday is a burlesque on this command of the Lord.
15. For— you. In this act, as in a mirror, Christ's whole earthly life
is reflected in spirit and aira, and Christ's life is the believer's pattern,
cp. XV. 12.
16. Verily — him, Matt. i. 24; Luke vi. 40. Perhaps the R.V. is preferable,
one that is sent instead of apostle : the primary signification instead of
the derived. What the Master can afford to do the servant may well do ; and
if the Master does this for the servant, one servant may well do it for another.
In the kingdom of God the greater exists for the less. But one might say. The
Master is always the Master. He cannot forfeit His place. But we, the
servants, have to keep ours. That is just what Christ says they are not to
think about. Thought of this is often the cause of our failing in this duty.
17. If^them. Jas. i. 22; Ps. Ixxxix. 15. The word for full knowledge,
as that in ver. 12 is the word for less exact comprehension. Blessed are ye, etc.,
rather than Happy, etc. This sudden divergence to the danger of knowdedge
of duty unattended by conscientious effort to perform it, not unnatural after
the obvious statement of ver. 16 ; raeeting their iraplied : " Of course we all
are aware of that ! " With an undertone of sadness, too, giving a pointed hint
to the traitor. How easy to profess Christ, yet shrinlc from this typically
Christian duty ! Nothing pleases us more than the theory ; nothing harder
than to be lowly and serving in love.
18. A^ot of all of you do I speak : either referring to what was just said
about knowledge and obedience, reassuring the loyal eleven that they will
give what He expects from thera ; or going back again to ver. 10 f 1 know
whom 1 have chosen, xv. 16. The knowledge of love and trust. The Divine
foreknowledge that moved Him to choose them as the ordained instruments
of His will. The testimony of the Holy Spirit in the believer assures him

84 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xiIL ig.
that the scripture may be fulfilled. He that eateth bread with
1 9 rae hath lifted up his heel against me. Now I tell you before
it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I
20 am he. Verily, verily, I say unto you. He that receiveth
whomsoever I send, receiveth me ; and he that receiveth me,
that his Lord has " called hira by his name." And the irrevocable character
of the calUng of God into Christ's fellowship, and the conviction of prevenient
grace, become, as here to these men, in our hours of anxiety the strongest
foundation for faith. This encourages amid all defects, if we are really clinging
to Christ. It is significant that in vi. 70, where Jesus uses this word of all
the twelve. He at once expressly excludes the traitor. But in order that the
scripture may be fulfilled. Fully read, the clause would run so — "But it was
necessary that into our circle there should come one who, though with us, was
not of us, in order that," etc. ; or, "But this also is not apart from Divine
decree." The fulfilment of Scripture is an ultimate ground and reason for
what is done, according to New Testament consciousness, for Scripture
foretells simply what God had decreed to happen. The reconciliation of such
necessity with the freewill and naturalness of agents is to be found in the
historic unfolding ; see ch. xii. 38 ff. It would be too mechanical to suppose
Jesus to do a thing merely to fulfil a prophecy (see on xix. 28), and the thing
done would stand out of all Uving, free relation to the present. But Jesus
Christ being the focus of all the converging lines of hope, aspiration,
prescience, presentiment, could not but live, move, and have His being in
an atmosphere of fulfilment. The passage is from Ps. xii. 9, but the Greek
of the LXX. is handled freely, hardly a word being exactly the same. The
word translated "he that eateth" is the same as that used in ^vi. 56 ff. —
perhaps therefore intentionally used. The psalm seems to have no direct
connection with the Messiah ; is the complaint of David, or some other saint
of God, after restoration from sickness, during which he had had experience of
treachery frora one who was received and treated as a bosom friend ; one who
had broken the sacred bond of hospitality. If we bear in mind how, apart
from the coming Christ, the Scriptures of the Old Testament could not have
come into existence at all, that texts should be taken apparently at haphazard
out of it to apply to Christ need not surprise us. It is all the more remark
able that these Scriptures are the free expression of men who felt theraselves
under the training and guiding of God's Spirit.
19. From henceforth — he, vi. 64. Power to foretell events argued Divine
knowledge. The betrayal by Judas was something so astounding Ihat the
disciples otherwise raight have wondered if Jesus had foreseen it all, or raight
have made shipwreck of their own faith. It would be interesting as a study
in our Lord's huraan nature to inquire how far His deep and long-continued
acquaintance with Ihe Old Testament gave shape to Plis anticipations of Plis
own future experiences.
The connection seeras broken. Christ was discomposed by the persistent
presence of Judas.
20. Verily, etc. — mc. Matt. x. 40 ; Luke x. 16. A solemn announcement,
corresponding exactly to that of vcr. 16. Though the servant is inferior to
his lord, what is done to Christ's servant, Christ -wiU value as if done to
Hiraself; as what is done to Chiist, God values as if done to Hiraself. His
servants share His greatness. Both an incentive to them to do as their

xin. 25.] EXPOSURE OF THE tPAltOR. &§
2 1 receiveth him that sent me. When Jesus had thus said, he
was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily,
22 I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. Then the
disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.
23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples,
24 whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him,
that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake.
25 He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him. Lord, who is it ?
Master did to them, and an encouragement as they go forth on their great
work in the authority of God, Matt. xxv. 40. Pie who washed their feet
must be received as God Himself. Every brother must be received as Christ.
But He cannot say more in this line until none but friends are with Him.
2. Exposure and dismissal of Judas Iscariot, vers. 21-30. Jesus had
hoped (we must speak after the manner of men) that the traitor would take
this hint and leave — even at the last moment might he still be arrested on
the downward slope ? — but in vain. Judas was as composed as the rest, and
more so ; and made no sign. Jesus, longing to unbosom Himself to Plis
true disciples, and to feel alone with thera, proceeds therefore reluctantly to
discover the traitor, and render it impossible for him to remain. The scene
is evidently from the lips or pen of an eye-witness.
21. Troubled in the spirit ; see xi. 33, xii. 27. The spirit, as the seat of
higher spiritual sensibiUty. (In xii. 27 it is " soul.") Testified, and said. It
was a testimony to His own Divine foreknowledge, and to His own Divine
nature. Verily, verily, etc. The third time this solemn utterance occurs in
this short passage. We can hardly conceive the anguish in Christ's spirit at
this hour, having to make such a disclosure to His chosen followers. It is
wonderful to think of the restraint placed on Jesus by the presence of
Judas, and how long He bore il. Ver. 22. Doubting. All were bewildered
but one. They doubted their own hearts. Their sense of innocence was
not so reliable as the Master's word. It was a solemnizing discipline
for thera to have had such close fellowship with one who went to the pit.
None would triuraph in his own stedfastness : rather would say, " It might
have been I." The success with which Judas had hid his disloyalty is in
itself a tribute to his self-control.
23. In Jesus' bosom. The Oriental custom of reclining at meals (also the
Jewish after the exile), when the guests were close to each other, explains
this fact. And the following clause, whom Jesus loved, explains why
John was next to Ihe Master, xix. 26, xxi. 7, 20 ; see on xi. 5. The first
time John so designates himself It was left to the evangelist himself to use
this remarkable phrase~(i.) Not who loved Jesus, but whom Jesus loved,
disclosing the character of Jesus more than that of John. (2.) The contrast
to Judas is marked. (3. ) Particular affections were found in Jesus as in our
selves. He loves each disciple for what he is, with a love that is all his
own. Ver. 2^.^Sinion Peter therefore beckons ; Acts xxiv. 10. Tell us wko it
is of whom He speaks? The jairds were likely spoken in a whisper, as were
John's own question to Christ, and Christ 'Tafisxver. Ver. ~2^rHe leaning back
as he mas on'TTie breast of Jesus (R.V.); the action understood from his
position, and hardly perceptible in consequence to otheis. John himself
ignorant, as all were but one.

86 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xill. 26.
26 Jesus answered, He it is to whom I shall give a sop, when I
have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave
27 it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the sop
Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That
28 thou doest, do quickly. Now no man at the table knew for
29 what intent he spake this unto him. For sorae of tliem
thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto
26. It is he to whom I shall dip the sop and give it. A piece of the un;_^
leavened bread which Jesus, as the father of the household, dipped into some
Tund of sauce, and reached to Judas. Having dipped, therefore, the sop. He takes
and gives it to Judds^n of Stihon Iscariot ; so R.V. (Probably it was at
this juncture that Judas put the question, also softly. Is it I ? Matr. xxvi„.
25. ) "In the course of the Paschal meal the father of the family used to offer
to the guests pieces of bread or meat dipped in a sauce coraposed of fruit
boiled in wine " (Godet).
27. And after the sop, then Satan entered into him. What a moraent in
the history of a soul ! Life and death, heaven and hell, God and the devil,
contending for him ; and the scale going to eternal misery and loss ! Luke
xxii. 3. Possibly the evil conscience of Judas marked the question of John>knJ"
'the significance of this action of Jesus, which was unobserved by the rest,
rather diverting the attention of the rest V and instead of softening his heart
as he saw the proof of the Lord's kindness to him to the last, he only hardenej_
it the more, rejecting this final, unutterably tender appeal, and prepared the
way for the full Satanic indwelUng which at once followed ; or, perhaps, it is
truer to fact to say that the entering in of\Satan produced the hardening of
the heart. Satan injected the suggestionOf betrayal; see ver. 2. He per
sonally possessed the unhappy man's soul to carry out the suggestion. The
figurative expression, "to enter into," always used of this awful personal
influence in the New Testament, conveys the highest degree of moral
hardening : the absorption of the human personality in the Satanic ; and
also the idea of a foreign, alien element or influence. The Holy Spirit is
never said to " enter in ; " the symbols used of His possession of the heart —
"to pour out," "to receive," "to abide in," "to dwell wilhin," etc.,
rather imply, on the contrary, a power kindred to the spirit of man, a gentle
and gracious influence. ^Jesus therefore saith to him. That thou doest, do
[more]quickly. Jesus perceived His last appeal was in vain, that the irrevocable
resolv^ had come into the mind of Judas ; perceived that His own mercy
and kindness were fruitless ; TKaTffie soul of His disciple was sold into hands
that would never let it go. The doom of the wretched man vvas sealed.
PJesus therefore begged Him to finish his work speedily, as He desired him to
leave the corapany. foirist gave the signal for His own betrayal. /He laid
His life do'vm of HiraseTf ; and there is no more difficultv in understanding how \
lie could give the word of command to Ihe traitor, than that on the cross He I
should voluntarily eii(i.JIis sufferings and commgjid His spirit to His Father. \
28 i. Now— poor. Not even John or Peter suspected that the betrayal
was so near. They were still bewildered at the disclosure, and could not
bring themselves to believe Judas could be so bad, much less that his villany
was on the point of being consummated. vOnly Judas knew what Jesus
meant. \Against the feast : implying that the night of the Passover was not

XIII. 32.] EXPOSURE OF THE TRAITOR. 87
him. Buy those things that we have need of against the feast ;
30 or, that he should give soraething to the poor. He then,
having received the sop, went immediately out ; and it was
night.
31 Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said. Now is the
32 son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be
glorified in hira, God shall also glorify hira in himself, and
this night, but the following. The poor, cp. xii. 5- Yer. 30. He then,
having received the scp, went immediately out ; and it was nighty One
"ol those graphic touches, revealing the hand of an eye-witness. The
interview with the priests, recorded in Matt. xxvi. 14 ff., Mark xiv. 10 f ,
Luke xxii. 3 ff., may have taken place now, unless the business had been
previously arranged. It is difficult to avoid seeing a symbolic allusion in
the word night. It was_night, as Origen says, in the soul of_Judas — "This
is your hour and the power of darkness," Luke xxii. 53. The fact evidently
laid hold of the imagination of the apostle. Judas went out into his own
congenial element, that he raight go to his own place.
3. 31-38. Relieved of the presence of the traitor, Jesus announces that
His mission on earth is about to be consummated to God's glory and His
own ; that He is about to leave them ; but that their mutual love ¦will
thenceforth bear witness to Him as their Lord ; aud foretells Peter's
denial. Note the most perfect reticence of Jesus with regard to the traitor
after he left ; no vilifying or exposing of him. How Divine ! We should feel
disposed to insert the institution of the Lord's Supper at this point, but witb
the conflicting accounts of Luke, Matthew, and Mark it is not easy to
determine. 31. Now: nothing was now intervening between His betrayal and death,
so far as events lay in the will of man. Everything was in train. Judas was
in the devil's hands, and was being urged on to the fatal and irrevocable step.
Was [is] tke Son of Man glorified, and God was [is] glorified in Him. If
the past tense is adopted, which the aorist in Greek seems to require, as
well as the following future in ver. 32, the reference would be to the fact
that with the departure of Judas to betray Him — in all the circumstances
of the case — His mission on earth closes ; and as all along, so now too at
the end, — and no less though the end is what it is through the treachery
of a disciple, — the Son of Man was glorified, and God in Him. Thougli
there is a dark, diabolic side, there is also a Divine side. "Him being
delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God," etc..
Acts ii. 23. To limit the reference to the personal dealing of Jesus with
Judas at the supper-table would be too stiff; yet that marvellous forbearance
and love, when an ordinary man would have (if cognizant of the designs)
exploded into righteous indignation, or at least have exposed the traitor
belore the rest, or after his dismissal, raay be fitly regarded as crowning the
self-denying mission of the Saviour, and yielding an eternal glory to Him
self, and through Him to God. On the term "glorified," see on vii. 39;
cp. also xii. 23, 28, xvu. I. Ver. 32. The first clause. If God be glorified in
him, is omitted in R.V. on good grounds. Read, therefore, Arid God will
glorify Him [i.e. Jesus'] in Himself, and He will straightway glorify Him.
The active career of the Son of Man now closing by His free self-surrender

88 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xiII. 33.
33 shall straightway glorify him. Little children, yet a little
while I am with you. Ye shall seek me : and as I said unto
the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come ; so now I say to you.
34 A new commandment I give unto you. That ye love one
another ; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are ray disciples, if ye have
love one to another.
to death, in all of which the fulness of Divine grace and truth has been
revealed, has glorified both Himself and God through Him. In the last
tragic act of the cross, on the eve of consummation, with the agony and
sufferings leading to it, God is as if taking the matter into His own hands,
and will no less dispose all to His own glory and to His Son's through Him.
Such also is the line of thought in xvii. i, 4 f The glory of God is the
glory of the Son of Man ; and conversely.
33. Little children. The first and only occasion in the Gospel where this
word is used, and the occasion suitalile. In xxi. 5 it is a different word.
Yet a little — you, vii. 34, viii. 21. It was the same utterance to both friend
and eneray : but the moral significance of Christ's departure differed for
friend and for eneray. He does not say to His own, "Ye shall not
find me ; " cp. xvi. 7, 16. Another proof to thera after the events of the cross
that their Master knew all that would happen to Him beforehand.
34. A new commandment — one another. The fine shading of Greek
tenses attempted to be done into English in the margin of the R.V. produces
no change in the meaning ofthe passage. [Even as I loved you, tkat ye also
may love one anotlier.] The commandment vvas not entirely strange to the
Old Testaraent, Ley, xix. 18, but the example embodied in the Lord Jesus
Christ of a love seelang not its own, and going to the extreme of self-
sacrifice for its object — and its object unworthy — was new. Hence the
"as" includes both/arf, measure, manner, and motive, xv. 12 ff. He had
jiiit given thera an instance, ver. 15. To love God vvith all the heart, and
the neighbour as oneself, is the sura of the old covenant^ To love one another
as Christ has loved us, is the sum of the new covetiajiiTxhe two are essentially
one ; but Love, God's love, has been now manilested, I John iii. 16, iv. 10.
The departure of their Lord should therefore become the means of drawing
them into a closer brotherhood, as if to make some araends for their loss.
They should grow spiritually. \'rhat mutual love, after the pattern of Christ's,
should be a witness to themselves of their Lord's continual presence with
thera. \jrhe raore they loved one another for Christ's sake, and in Christ's
way, they should realize Himself as among thera. The question if this love
be not narrower in its circle than that of the Old Testament since a " dis
ciple " is more definite than a " neighbour," is more a difference in appear
ance than in reality. \For if we follow the example of Christ, what we have
before our eyes must be that love which prompted Him while men were yet
sinners to die for them, Rora. v. 8.\Besides, a "-neighbour," in the Old"-
Testament, meant a brother Israelite in the covenant of God. It was left
for Christ to widen out its application, i John ii. 8. 35. By this — another.
By this mutual self-sacrificing love — not by wonderful deeds, miracle?, and
the like — the fact and test of Christian discipleship are given to the world.
Their mutual love should also be a witness to the world of the fact,
power and nature of an unseen Lord, I John iv. 12 f —

xiv. I.] Peter's deni.al foJietold. Bg
36 Siraon Peter said unto him. Lord, whither goest thou ?
Jesus answered him. Whither I go, thou canst not follow me
3 7 now ; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. Peter said unto
hira, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now ? I will lay down
38 my life for thy sake. Jesus answered him. Wilt thou lay
down thy life for my sake ? Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied rae thrice.
Chap. XIV. i. Let not your heart be troubled : ye beheve in
36-38. Simon's blind impulse checked, and his self-confidence humbled.
An incident in the training of the individual disciple.
36. Simon Peter — afterwards, xxi. 22. Loyalty, and yet unsubmissive-
ness too, excited the question. The answer of Jesus raeant. What is not
needful for present practical use is not needful to know. The hint as to the
future implied the baptism with Christ's baptism of suffering, as well as the
share of His glory. By folloiving Him, Jesus pointed to the whole moral
and spiritual condition of Peter ; to his ability to give himself up to the
will cf God in love for Him and for men, enduring every consequence.
Simon should have thought more of His Lord's new commandraent, and of
the means of obeying it ; cp. ver. 7, to which this exactly corresponds.
Simon should have been content with the assurance of future disclosure of
all that was now dark. But he was not. 37. Peter — sake, Luke xxii. 33.
Peter was determined to prove that whatever might hinder him from
following his Lord, the cause would not be lack of love to Iiim. 38. Jesus
— thrice. A solemn and humbling warning, which, according to the other
accounts, Simon was too self-confident to take, Matt. xxvi. 35, Mark xiv.
31, and the rest were also anxious to disown disloyalty. The announce-
raent that one should prove faithless had not had its proper effect in humbling
Peter. Ch. XIV. The disclosure of treason in their number, their Master's
announcement of His departure, the humbling of Simon Peter, had filled the
disciples with a vague sense of uneasiness and disraay, as men on the verge of
an impending and unknown calamity. The Lord proceeds to comfort them
— (1) with the sure hope that, though He must leave them, Pie and Ihey shall
meet again, never to part (1-4) ; (2) with the clear intimation that Pie is the
personal revelation ofthe Father (S-ii); (3) with the assurance that their
faith in Him, because He is absent, will make them stronger men (12-15) > (4)
with the promise of another Comforter who will abide with thera for ever,
under whose guidance their knowledge, love, joy, and peace should deepen
(i6-end).
 J.. 1-4. Jesus comforts the disciples -with the prospect of an eternal re
union. 1. Let not your heart be troubled. It was their heart, as the seat of the
emotions, which was concerned in the loss of their Friend and Master. The
word troubled i^i the same as is used of Christ liimself, xiU. 21, xii. 27, xi. 33,
indicating deep agitation. Jesus furnishes them with comfort by setting
before them an object oi faith, of hope, and of love respectively. "s^. Faitk.
». Ye believe in God, believe also in me. The sense is not altered if we take the
first clause imperatively : Believe in God, etc. Jesus Himself is an object of
faith, as trustworthy as God. The faith which as pious Israelites they cherish
towards the God of their fathers and of promise, is to be transferred siraply to

90 The gospel by john. [xiv. 2.
2 God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many
mansions : if it were not so, I -svould have told you. I go to
3 prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that
4 where I am, there ye raay be also. And whither I go ye
their Master. The claira of equality with God is obvious. The first and highest
ground of comfort lo the Christian disciple is therefore to trust Christ as his God.
2. Hope. 2. In my Father's house — you. There is a Father, and there is a
Father's home, and in that home many dwellings (" abodes " or dwelling-places
only here and ver. 23), awaiting them in tfii^tlTer worjd^ And Jesus therefore,
in leaving them, is going to His home and their home, H^b. ii. 10. Heaven
is the true home-life, with the Father's heart the spring^ot all the affection,
and the Father's presence the pledge of its permanence. All that we yearn
for of a love that will never fade or disappoint, — the love that we feel we are
made for, a resting-place that shall never cast us adrift, our own place, our own
home, love answering love, heart responding to heart, — is there. As the heart
after a lifetime turns back to the home and parental affection that shielded
childhood, so the heart of the Christian disciple yearns for the Father's
house. With every home comfort and feeling, there is to be also in that
better life an amplitude of blessing, a sphere for every capacity, a congenial
task for each ; all the tender love of home; all the infinite wealth and variety
of a world. In adding that if such hopes were baseless He would have told
them, Jesus seems to guarantee those deep instincts of human nature as
correct interpreters of God's raind toward man, as well as to confirm every
hope which Ilis own words raay raise. And the reason He gives : For I go to
prepare a place for you (for in R.V. ), cp. the analogous thought in Pleb. vi. 20,
ix. 28, — indicates as it were a right on their part to know and to be interested
in all that He is doing ; as it implies that whatever engages Hira in the other
world is only on their behalf He and they are for ever identified.^. While
the Master cannot take His disciple into fullest confidence as yet on all
points, nothing which serves his true interests will be hid frora hira. The
preparation of a place for them in the Father's house is the opening of the
kingdora of heaven to all believers by His mediation and intercession. It is
also the preparal ion of believers for the inheritance, through the application to
them of the merits of His atoning death, and the continuous work in thera of
His Holy Spirit. /"Without the forerunner's preparation there is no entrance
for men into the Father's house, ver. 6^ 3. Love. 3. And if I go— also.
Notice the repetition, so frequent an occurrence in John's writings. R.V.
reads, I come again, in jJace of, I will come again: a change which makes
the thought raore lively. \^ Christ's return is as certain as His departure was :\
If I go, I will, etc. But note the different points of view frora which His \
second coming is regarded here as compared with the other Gospels, \jesus is
[ to come to carry His own with Hira to His horae and glory.>^ He is not to
j come to set up a kingdom on earth, and reign over His own herg^ Of course
these are two differing points of view ; not contradictory truths. The future-
destiny and glory of the servant of Christ are to be with his Lord for ever. A
place in heaven would be nothing unless it meant this. \ Jesus interprets the
deepest wants of His disciples' hearts in saying. That where I am, there you
may be also. The coming again of Christ, and the gathering round Plira of
His disciples, is the end of this dispensation of grace ; the death of the indi-

XIV. 5.] CHRIST COMFORTS HIS DISCIPLES. 9 1
5 know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord,
we know not whither thou goest ; and how can we know the
vidual Chrisiian is a going home to the Father (xiii. l), a departing to be
with Christ ; but all that lies between the present going away of Jesus and
His return is foreshortened. " I go away, and I come again to you" (ver.
28). The death and resunection 'of the Lord Jesus, and His second coming
to reign for ever over men, are the two great landmarks in Christian experi
ence. Ver. 4i.^A}iil whither I go, ye know ike way. Omit with R.V. the first j/s
know.S^ovi might be doubtful of others — not of me. The words are enig
matical; intended to lead simply to another and deeper view of His own
Person and work, as He iraraediately explains, ver. 6. As a place in the
Father's house is identified with personal fellowship with liimself, so the
participation in the joys of the life above is identified with the knowledge of
the way leading to it. Heaven is Christ, and the way to heaven is also
Christ. They are not to be translated to heaven at once ; and so the know
ledge ofthe way to it, and assurance that they are travelling on it, — sure of
reaching the end, — are even more important for them to contemplate. Jesus
goes by the way in which Pie lived ; a kind of life unmistakeably pointing
towards God as source and goal. We conjecture where a man is going by
the Ufe he lives. The end is shrouded up in darkness ; but it must be con
sistent with all that we can see. The place to which Jesus was going out of
their sight they knew well must be such as the way He walked on daily
before them would naturally end in. Such a. life as His could not be a
failure — it must have results.
2. 5-1 1. The second ground of comfort is the fact that their Lord is the
personal revelation of tie Father. 5. Thomas saith — way (How know we tke
way? R.V. ). ^Thomas was one of those men who always keep well within
the limitg of tHgir knowledge. Some would be silent ; some trying to beUeve
they knew what Christ said they knew ; some 3oubtful, but afr.iid to confess
it. It is always well to have a Thnq^as, who speaks for others bluntly what
others would foip..fxpress. Thomas was always desponding. 6. Jesus — me.
' 1 am tke way, etc. \io "know Him is to know all I Christ is the way ; Christ
is the end. " Christ is the end, for Christ is the beginning ; Christ the begin
ning, for the end is Christ " (Myers). lie reveals, procures, confers the way
and benefits of salvation. The disciples had not hitherto discovered that
their Lord was final: they looked on to something else to which He was ,
to conduct them. "I am," n.ot "I reveal. "\ Jesus Himself taken into our f
hearts is our life,j He is more than a mere prophet of truth ; more than the
pointer-out ofthe way. Having Iiim, we know we have all God's truth,
^^nd share God's life, vjie is the Way from this world to the other^ the \
reconciler of things on earth and things in heaven : the new and living way
thi'ough Plis blood, Heb. x. 19 f He is the Way, so that those who are on it
know whither it leads them, and are assured of its safety and their certainty of
reaching the Father as they walk by it.f So He is the Truth: truth for raind,
heart, and will ; in Him God is revealed in holiness and love as the Father,
I John V. 20. He is not simply a teacher of truth. CTruth is in Plim. We
have truth only as being in personal relation to Him the True One, Rev.
iii. 7. Hence truth in tlie sphere of morals as in that of mind. The whole
man becomes true. C Jesus is the Life, see xi. 26, i. 4, iii. 16, 36, v. 26, and
vi. 33, X. 10, 28 ; the highest relation of all ; life in the fullest sense ; the
life which God intended man to have, and made man capable of enjoying ;

92 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xiV. 6.
6 way ? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, and the truth, and
7 the life : no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye
had known me, ye should have known my Father also : and
8 from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip
saith unto hira, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufiSceth us.
its source in God ; its support in His fellowship ; and in duration etemal as
God's own, see xx. 31 ; i John v. 12 ; cp. Paul's, " I Uve no more, but Christ
Uveth in me," Gal. u. 20. Perhaps it is permissible to see an allusion in these
three relations to the priestly, prophetic, and kingly offices of Christ respec
tively, as Christ is the revealer, procurer, and bestower of the salvation and
life of God. "Without the way there is no going, -without the truth there is
no knowing, without the life there is no living," De Imitatione Ckristi,
ch. Ivi. No man cometk to tke Fatker but by [througli] me. The Father
then is the End, whither the way leads. \ The life of Christ was that of Son-
ship ; and the faith in Him that constitutes us sons will bring us, through our
sonship, which is love, trust, obedience, self-sacrifice, to the Father at last.
None but sons shall come to the Father's house or to the Father's fellowship
now ; and none are sons who do not, through faith and the regenerating
spirit (i. 12 f), share the life of sonship in the only-begotten Son of God.
¦Phe negative form of expression is instructive. Men are tempted to forget the
necessity and nature of the mediation of Christ. Christ has revealed the
Father : He has revealed the true life of sonship : He has made and merited
our access to the Father, Eph. ii. 18. 7- If ye — Him; see vui. 19, and cp.^
ver. 1. If lo believe in Himself was the same as to believe in God, to know
Him was the same as to know the Father. From henceforth. Jesus had not
spoken so plainly before. If knowledge of the Son is knowledge of the
r'ather, the Church's conclusions as to the Godhead of the Son are justified.
1 The sura of Christ's answer is : /am the way, and the Father is the end ; but
\ I am more than the way, I am the fulness of truth and life. Beyond me
you have no discovery to raake, no deeper fulness of life to enjoy. No dis
ciple need .say in my presence that there is anything he does not know. For
I ara the only means of reaching the Father ; and, indeed, to have known and
seen me is to have known and seen the Father. 8. (Thoraas remains silent, but
\ Philip puts a question, which reveals the slow, cautious disciple we already
iknow. vi. 7, xii. 21 ; the maji who v/ants proof positive of everything, and
'will believe only what he sees. Lord — Kj-.^Jesus had just said that knowledge
of Himself was equivalent to knowledge of the Father.^ Philip missed the
wonderful inference. Jesus was bringing them to the revelation ol character ;
/Philip thought of a revelation of outer glory, like that given to Moses or
EUjah. Though his apprehension was de.'eclive, he would not have asked
his Lord to do this great thing if he had not had much faith in Him./ His
state of mind, more or less, reflected that of most of the disciples.\ Snfiiceth^
IUS : as proof that 'thou art all Thou hast said, as firm ground of our faith
and hope: even though Thou leavest us.^ We want no more. 1 To see the
Father is all we need. \ And if Thou canst show Him, Thou art all we take
Thee to be.\ Yet it is the pathos of the heart's instinctive yearning for a
Father — a Father's heart, a Father's home — in God. Sight not faith, in
i short, that will indeed suffice, and nothing else can. Philip wanted some
thing tenderer than the God of hosts, yet in the same form of revelation.
9. Jesus saith — Fatker ? R. V. , dost tkou not know me ? for hast tkou iwt

XIV. 1 2. J CHRIST THE REVELATION OF THE FATHER. 93
9 Jesus saith unto hira. Have I been so long time with you, and
yet hast thpii not known me, Philip ? he that hath seen rae
hath seen the Father ; and how sayest thou then. Show us the
10 Father ? Believest thou not that I ara in the Father, and the
Father in me ? the words that I sus^^^£nto you, I speak not
of myself ; but the Father, that a^Iletlila me, he doeth the
II works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father
12 in me : or else believe rae for the very works' sake. Verily,
known me? (Not, "Have you been so longwith me?" which would lead
the thought to His own power of self- disclosure, rather than to Philip's
power of discernment.) How could you see me and hear me so long
without feeling that you were in the presence of ultimate reality and life?
Philip had failed to grasp the significance of such a personality as that
of His Lord. Christ's method was such that those looking for a theophany
or brilliant effects might easily miss "the glory as ofthe Only-begotten from
the Father, full of grace and truth. " So it is still. He that hath seen me hath
seen the Father. One of the greatest assertions of the Gospel. The revela
tion of Christ is the full revelation of God; and the revelation of the fulness
of Godhead, namely, the Fatherhood and love. It is but Ihe inference
from the other great assertion: "I and the Father are one," x. 30. The
true apprehension of Christ is the apprehension of God. " Plow dost tkou
s.ay," etc., of whom I would have expected more, and who didst once say, We
have found the Messiah I 10 f. Believest thou not that 1 am in the Father,
and the Father in me? x. 38, vi. 57. A mode of personal relation inexplic
able except on the supposition of the closest possible union and communion ;
and therefore of essential equality. The words which I speak [say, R.V.]
unto you, I speak not [from] myself, viii. 26, 28, 38, 40, 47, vii. 16, iii. 34.
But the Father, abiding in me, doeth His works (so R. V.), x. 25, 37 f, i>:- 4,
V. 19 f , 36, XV. 24. 'The essential union ofthe Father and Son is witnessed
both by the words.^spoken, including generally Christ's character, and the
works done by 'S\va.\Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Faiher in me,
i.e. take my word for i\(contrast the expression for full saving faith in ver.
12, "lie that believeth on me." See on iv. 50.) \Iiut if not, believe for tke
very works' sake. \ Jesus argues that on sufficient grounds He can call thera to
believe His own personal testimony for the truth of His assertion of essential
oneness with God. But if they should waver, He asks thera to draw the infer
ence from the remarkable works done in Ilis ministry. The impression left by
the personal character and teaching of Jesus is the highest evidence ; and yet a
certain order of minds is affected more powerfully by the miraculous. The
totality of Christ's witness to liimself lies in both. In thus replying to Philip,
Jesus points out to hira where he should look for the true and full disclosure
ofthe Father; and attempts to get hira to perceive that the glory he desires
to see is to be seen in liimself, i.e. the glory ofa stainless character ; of true
human relations to God and to man ; of words that were spirit and Ufe ;
the disclosure continually made through all the days of fellowship ; and the
glory, though Christ did not emphasize this so sharply, of works of super
human power and fatherly goodness exerted on men. No spectacular display
could be more God-like, more convincing, more fatherly, than the whole life
and ministry of Jesus Christ. This is the true, final theophany.

94 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xiV. 1 3.
verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works
that I do shall he do also ; and greater works than these shall
13 he do ; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye
shall ask in my narae, that will I do, that the Father raay be
3. Their faith in Him will make them stronger men, because He is
absent, vers. 12-14.^ Jesus promises them an increased power ?'« twr.^, ver. 12,
and in prayer, vers. 13, 14. As Jesus is the manifestation of the Father,
their faith in Hira will make them manifest the sarae Divine glory and power.
As the Father is seen in what Jesus is and has done, so He will be seen in
v/hat they are and shall do, through faith in His name. The disclosure
which Philip seeks shall be made, not outside of him and the rest, but actually
through them, as and because through their Lord. And again, one evidence
that Jesus is the personal revealer of the Father is to be found in the
manifestation of His power and love through His disciples. (l) Increase of
power in ¦vioxi'i.'KVerily, verily : solemn and weighty utterance, which raight
not at first be credited. He tkat believetk on me; see previous verse ; the
entire surrender of mind, heart, and will to Christ. \ Tke works wkick I do
shall He do also ; and greater works than tkese skall He do ; because I go to the
Fatker. Faith in Christ makes His disciples sharers in His life, and there
fore in His power. They should be in Hira and He in thera, as He is in the
Father and the Father in Him. Understand by tke works which I do, the
whole revelation of tlie grace and truth of God for men in Christ's earthly
ministry. The call of the Christian disciple is to transmit this as disclosed to
himself, revealed in himself (Gal. i. i6j through faith in the Lord Jesus ;
and the Holy Spirit gives hira the needful endowraent. - The disciples al this
hour might think more of the outward acts of miraculous power than of the
continuous testimony to a Divine spring of life within — of love, truth,
holiness, self-devotion. But they would learn the deep meaning of Christ's
manifestation in course of time, and wherein the real power lay. And that
the power of Christ was not to leave the world with Hira, liut to go on
propagating itself through the disciples in virtue of their faith in Him, was a
proof of His unity with the Father. Vrithout faith in Christ, however, there
is neither experience of His power nor ability. Greater works, etc. fNot in
higher measures of miracle or teaching, for who could surpass those of JesuS ?
/¦The preaching of the apostles, having for its subject a dying and a_risejj-.
I Christ, seated at God's right hand, was more effectual than Christ's personal
' ministry, as matter of course involving the foundation and building up of the
Church, conversion of individual souls, the spiritual miracles of regeneration,
the whole work of the Spirit in preparing men for coramunion with God
hereafter, saving them from sin, and sanctifying them. A personally present
Christ is accordingly less powerful than aChrist invisible, but reigning at the right
hand of God, and revealing His Spirit in a Christian man. Then the contrast
is not so much between Jesus and His disciples as between Jesus here on
earth, Jesus in humiliation, and Jesus in heaven with the Father, Jesus in
exaltation, since the greater works of His disciples depend on His going to
the Father. V(2) Increase of power in prayer. 13. And whatsoever ye shall
ask [pray] in my name, that will I do ; see xv. 7, xvi. 23, 24, 26. To ask in
J tke name of one, is to use His name as_a^l^aj_as a recomraendation why
f our request should be granted. It is sinking personal clainis"and advancing
the claims and merits of another. It is as if this other were speaking through

XIV. 15.] PROMISE OF THE COMFORTER. 95
14 glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name,
I will do it.
15, 16 If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will
/j us, and we can ask in another's name what we would shrink from asking in
I our own.r Christ lends us His name, all His personal influence with the
Father iV our favotir.^ And that influence is oranipotent, with all the
influence in the mention of it that arises from His personal merit as our
t Mediator and Intercessor. Then, "as He is, so are we in this world. '/T' But
we must be identified ourselves with the spirit and interests of Christ, so
that in naming this name we are departing from iniquity, and are as sensitive
ya5^_Clltist Himself to all that aSects the honour of His name. ("Further,
the right to hear and answer is in His own hands. ^ If the idea of doing
greater works than their Lord filled them with searching thoughts of their re
sponsibility and their inability, this promise reassures them.Qlf they feel their
need, they have but to ask, in His narae, and pie -will supply their need.
Tkat the Father may be glorified in tke Son. Not to make them think
highly of themselves, to foster vanity or the like, but to advance the glory of
the Father in the Son by their means, to make them reaUze this great obif ct
of their endowment with spiritual power to serve God, not themselves. ( A
I rule for guidance as to prayer is also given in these words, to ask nothing
.whereby, if granted, the Father would not be glorified in the Son. /14. If ye
skall ask [pray] [me] anytliing in my name, I will do it. The promise is so
iwonderful, that, as if in answer to their secret surprise of heart, Jesus says,
(jYes, it is true, I really mean it. These three verses (12-14) ^^Y ^^ called
(the Magna Charta of the disciples of Christ, acting together for the interests
of His kingdom. V-By prayer in the name of Jesus the apostles brought forth
the Church. "N. ^
4. The fourth-ground of comfort is the promise of the Holy Spirit,
15-end. There are various stages in this part of Christ's discourse, (i) 15-17.
/ Obedience is the proof of love to Hira, and to help them another Comforter,
the Spirit of ti-uth, will be sent. I (2) 18-21. The presence of the Spirit of
truth implies His own spiritual presence and self-disclosure, with great results
for them. (3) 22-24. -A- question by Judas, not Iscariot, who does not under
stand a disclosure to disciples which is withheld from others, leads to the
repetition, with greater emphasis, of Christ's spiritual manifestation and its
effects. (4) 25, 26. So much He can tell them now ; as to the rest, the
promise is renewed of the Holy Spirit, and His effective teaching of all that
is now dark. (5) 27-end. His legacy to them is Plis own peace. They
would rejoice at His going away did they know all it meant fur Him and
them. "The event of the future will confirm faith in Hira. Pie has all but
finished what He has to say, for the prince of this world is preparing for His
last deadly assault, which will be in vain ; to which, however, Plis love and
obedience to the Father induce Him to submit.
(l.) 15-17. 15. If— commandments. [JTheix love to Hixn is pxovedhytbeix
obedience. The connection of this verse may be with the foregoing, as if to
remind them that, after all, not such wonderful power in work and prayer,
but simple, hearty obedience to His will, was the best proof of love. Or it
m£iy,be the introduction to the great promise that follows, a promise which
could be fulfilled only to love and obedience.^ Note the connection between
love and tke Spirit, the existence of love among Christians, one toward another

96 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xiV. 1 7.
pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter,
1 7 that he may abide with you for ever ; even the spirit of truth ;
whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not,
neither knoweth hira : but ye know him ; for he dwelleth
and toward God, and the possession of the fulness of the Spirit's blessed
influences being coincident. The life of power and prayer is that of loving
obedience, and the promise of the Holy Spirit is bound to the whole
conception ; because if He is needful for strength in work and prayer, He is
no less needful to cherish love and maintain obedience. The commonplace
obediences of love testify to Him quite as much as the higher reaches of
spiritual work. 16. And I will ask tke Father. The R.V. retains /raj/, as
in A.V., putting make request of in the margin (not the same word, note, as
in 13 f , — prayer of a suppliant, of an inferior). The word in Greek, to quote
Trench, " implies on the part ofthe asker a certain equality, as of king with
king (Luke xiv. 32), or, if not equality, familiarity with him from whom the
gift or favour is sought, which lends authority to the request " (Synonyms of
tke Nett) Testament). Cp. xvi. 26, xvii. 9, 15, 20. The request is made as of
right. And He skall give you anotlier Comforter [Advocate, Helper =Parculete
in Greek] ; cp. ver. 26. f Perhaps Advocate is nearest in significance. Christ
Himself is called by Ihe same woriPin 1 john ii. 2, ^An Advocate with the
I Father. " fThe literal raeaning is, one suraraoned to aid, Ps. xliii. By calling
Hira ' ' another," Christ virtually asserts the personalityof the Holy Spirit, and
His essential equality in the Godhead. The ideas of an impersonal Divine
influence, or of an inferior nature, are inadequate to explain the statement
here and in the other passages of this section of the Gospel. This other
Comforter is the Father's gift to Christ's disciples by Christ's request ; He is also,
therefore, Christ's own gift, xv. 26. The Father who gave the Spirit not by
measure to the Son, iii. 34, gives Hira through the Son to His believers.
This promise was visibly fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. fThat He may be
[abide, K.N .] with you for ever.^Y^e will not leave you, as I mustV The
continual presence of the Spirit in the Church is the pledge of the conflnuance
and prosperity of the Church. But the Church is not a certain fixed quantity,
to be mapped out with exactnessN. To one single believer this promise holds
equally valid. 17. The Spirit of truth. Truth is the sphere or element
in which He works, and truth is the effect He produces on the mind of the
receiver ; see ver. 26, xv. 26, xvi. 13 ; i John ii. 20, 27. As to the nature of
this truth, see on ver. 5 ^.nd viii. 32 ff. But there is also a spirit of error,
1 John iv. 6 and ch. viii. 44.
Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knowetk
Him. The power of the world, therefore, to save itself by its own wisdom,
to lift itself out of evil and misery, to apprehend truth, the truth of God, is
hereby denied. As John says, 1 John ii. 16, there are two spirits, that of
the Father and that of the world ; cp. 1 Cor. ii. 14. r The world believes in
fwhat it sees — in that only ; hence it is the dupe of nfany spirits of error and
falsehood. It recognises the spirit of art, of science, of literature, of social
and poUtical advancement ^3feut disconnecting these from the Spirit of God, it
j begets error in truth, sec i Cor. ii. 11, 12, 14, 15. Ye know Him, for He
I abideth with you, and shall be [is, Westcott and Hort] in you. '\ 'The per-,
1 manent abode of the Spirit of God is in believers in ChristC Thff worlcrSn
receive Hira only through their means, j The Church, i.e. believers in Christ,

XIV. 21.] PROMISE OF THE COMFORTER.

97

1 8 with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfort
19 less; I will come to you. Yet a httle while, and the world
seeth me rro more ; but ye see me : because I live, ye shall
20 live also. At that day ye shall know, that I am in ray Father,
21 and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my command
ments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me ; and he that
loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him,
/ exists in the world for the purpose of p.ropagating the Spirit of God's influence ;
it can always rely on His presence. He is its exclusive possession, and He
inhabits each individual Christian. 1 The" world can become a Christian world,
so far as individual men in it have the Spirit of Christ, and no further.^ There
, is a cUmax in the thought, abideth with you — is in you ;1 the Spirit is to be /
I found where the people of God are — nay, He is inhabiting each of them, y
(2.) 18-21. The presence of the Spirit of truth implies their Lord's presence
in another form, — a form invisible to the world, but so real to them that life,
and knowledge ofthe Father and of Christ, and assurance of their love, shall
spring out of it fon them. iZf I will not leave you comfortless [orphans] ; /
am coming to you.\ They might feel that no other friend could take the place
of their Lord, hence He assures them that the coming of the Spirit and His
own return to them are the same.' It will be noticed that nowhere does
John present the second coming of his Lord as a function of judgment in the
raanner of the Synoptists, but only as a spiritual power and presence to com
fort the believers. The relation of this fact to the destruction of Jerusalem
and the Jewish polity generally, with the wider conceptions resulting of what
was involved in the coming of Christ, is obvious. 19. Yet a little wliile, and
the world seeth [beholdeth] me no more; but ye see [behold] me; cp. ver. 17, and
see 2 Cor. v. 16 f.\ Christ is seen bythe-irtiier eye, i.e. faith. Because I live,
ye shall live also (or, and ye shall live). \fn either case meaning that their
/life depends on, and is derived from. His lifa.. \ Their vision of Him wUl
therefore be something more than a reminiscence, and their relation some
thing closer than that produced by a mere posthumous influence, even if
unforgetable. \ The life they live, so far from being a vacant and dead thing,
because He has disappeared, shall be the continuous evidence to them that
He lives, and lives in and with thera. V 20. At ihat day ye shall know —
_)/tf«.y:^Christ's coming shall be the souTt?e to thera of a full knowledge of all
\ that Ufe in His life impUes, both as to His Ufe and their own life ; His own
union and coraraunion with the Father, and of theirs with Him ; cp. vi. 56 f. ,
XV. 3, 5. 2ViiHe tkat kath — me. Return to the thought of ver. 15; perhaps
to prevent misconception. ^Obedience to His plain comraands is the proof
of love. Nothing alters that fundamental principle. In the midst of
mysterious truths opening on them, they raust remember that love to Iiim
is not to be measured by knowledge of mysteries, or by great privileges to be
conferred ; siraply, as ever, by obedience. Not only so, the common walk of
obedience and love leads on to the higher disclosures of which Jesus has been
speaking. And he that lovetk me skall be loved of my Faiher, and I will love
him, and will manifest myself to him. In ver. 7, knowledge of the Father is
/' The efficacy of the exalted Chrtst and of the Spirit fs co-ordinated by Paul ; cp. 2 Cor.
iii. IT, ''The Lord is the Spirit;" see i Cor. xv. 45; Rom. viii. 9, to. The "powerfrom
on high," promised in Luke xxiv. 49, is the perpetual presence of Christ in Matt, xxviii. 20 ;
see Thoma, p. 625, Die Genesis des fnhannes-Evangeliuin.
VOL. II. G

98 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xiV. 2 2.
2 2 and will manifest rayself to him. Judas saith unto him, (not
Iscariot,) Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto
23 us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto
hira, If a raan love me, he will keep ray words : and my
Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make
24 our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my
sayings : and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the
25 Father's which sent me. These things have I spoken unto
26 you, being ^?/ present with you. But the Comforter, zeJ/^/f/^ w
the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he
spoken of ; here it is the experience of the Fatker's love, and as the reward
of love to Jesus. And as there is a manifestation needful to awaken love^
there is a higher manifestation which is pfyen to love. Thus the fellowsiiip
is in life, knowledge, and lo^g— , /
(3.) 22-24. Judas does not understand, and asks an explanation. This
question being much the same as that of Philip, ver. 8. 22. Judas, not
Iscariot, saith to Him, Lord, [what has happened] how is it that Thou wilt
show Tkyself to us, and not to the world? The disciple who is otherwise

called Thaddaeus and Lebbaeus. f Judging of the promised disclosure by the
past, not yet ended, he could not conceive how Jesus should be hid froja.
the world, all the more that a greater outward glory would be attachedjo

the second appearancgj/' 23. If a man — Him (word, not words). The Lord
repeats what He had just said, making if' plain that the manifestation is
spiritual and individualjf and given only to the loving hear>; cp. Ex. xxix.
45 f ; EzC'lt. -gitxvii. 2b ff. ; Rev. xxi. 3. It IS Lite great promise and hope
ofthe Old Testament fulfiUed^ Observe the stages ofthe disciple's progress:
love to Christ, obacrvanceli)! His word, assurance of the love of the Father,
personal experience of the presence and permanent indwelUng of Father
and Son.M Jesus makes it clear that love and loyalty to Himself are the
dividing line between raen, and that to love and loyalty there .is given an
experience of God's love and presence which otherwise is denied. yNote how
in this whole passage the presence of the Spirit of truth, the presence of the
Lord Jesus Christ Hiraself, and the love and presence of the Father, are all
bound up together on the one side ;Vwhile cortesponding to them, on the other,
are the love and obedience ofthe disciple to whora such privileges are given. J
24. He that loveth me not keepeth not my [words] sayings: and — me. The
only passage where the evangelist uses the plural forra of logos. There is an
interchange in these two verses of the singular and plural forras, and while
we need not strain the thing, we can perceive the difference between the word,
setting Chrisi forth, and the particular words spoken by Christ Himself,
included in the forraer. In this negative addition the importance of the words
of Christ (i.e. the whole of the Vi'ord of the truth of the gospel) is emphasized ;
inasrauch as (1) one cannot love Christ if he is not observing thera ; and (2) the
word of Christ is Ihe word of the Faiher Himself, iii. 34, vii. 16, viii. 38, xii. 49.
(4.) 25, 26. What Jesus cannot tell thera now, the Comforter will tell
them. The Holy Spirit ; as before, ver. 17, the Spirit of trutlij Truth
should sanctify; and holiness aids up the ladder of trutlw TPIe Spirit is
holy in His nature, contrasted with the unholy spirits in the world, and
He works hoUness in Ihe believing heart, 1 Cor. iii. 16 f, vi. 19; 2 Cor.

XIV. 28.] PROMISE OF THE COMFORTER. 99
shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remem-
27 brance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave
with you, my peace I give unto you : not as the world giveth,
give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let
28 it be afraid. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away,
vi. 16. Whom tke Father will send; cp. xv. 26, \^Whom I will send
from the Father;" and xvi. 7, " I will send Him," etc. In my name; cp.
ver. 13. The Spirit represents the interests of the Son on earth, comes in the
authority ofthe Son, and His mission is to cause every knee to bow at that
name, in faith that there is none olher name whereby we can be saved.
The mission of the Spirit is mediated by Ihe work ofthe Son; cp. ver. 16.
He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance,
which I said to you. The personality and divinity of the Spirit are directly
implied. r^He is to be their teacher, and the subject of His instructions is
the teacning which they have already received from their Master^ An
advance on the statement about the Spirit in ver. i5 f He is torefresh
Iheir memories with it. Christ's word is the sum and substance of all they
need to know, as explained to them by this competent interpreter. All the
believer's personal profiting in the truth, and all the Church's growth in
knowledge, are but an additional reminiscence of Christ and Christ's word.
Christ's word is thepermanent and sole standard of Christian truth. They need
not fear that the things they heard shall escape thera, xv. 26, xvi. 13. This
is the guarantee that the apostolic witness to Christ is reliable. We are
.^ not at the mercy of mere human impressions of Christ's Person and word,
ho'wever trustworthy in themselves these raight be ; cp. 1 John ii. 20, 27 ;
1 Cor. ii. 10. Corap. the whole of I Cor. ii. with this teaching about the
Coraforter, to wliich it strikingly corresponds,^
(5) 27-end. His legacy of peace, and assurance of joy and faith, springing
from their apprehension of Plis true glory. 27. Peace — afraid. Perhaps an
allusion lo the Eastern mode of greeting at parting; vvhen peace, Shalom, was
wished ; cp. Salaam of Hindoos. This great gift is inseparable from the
work of the Holy Spirit within them. The secret of Christ's peace lay in
His assured relation of love to the Father, and submission to the Father's
will, ver. 31. To take men into the same relation was the object of His
raission, consummated in the death of the cross, by which sacrifice He
becomes Himself "our peace," Eph. ii. 14 ; "making peace by the blood of
His cross," Col. i. 20 ; " peace with God," Rom. v. I ; so that the peace of God
which passeth all understanding keeps heart and raind in Christ Jesus, Phil.
iv. 7. His first salutation, after the resurrection, to His disciples, was "Peace
be unto you ! "xx. 19, 21. Peace was the only treasure He could leave, yet it
was the raost enriching. Noi as the world giveth ; referring either to the
manner in which the vsorld gives peace, or to the kind of gifts it bestows.
The peace of the world depends on circumstances, which may soon alter ;
which will certainly cease at death, and a peace which, even at the best,
fails to reach and comraand the deepest springs of our nature. Men bequeath
to their children what is meant as a mark of affection, and to secure their
comfort, but which too often becoraes steps preparing with fatal facility for an
unworthy life. The world cannot give peace, whatever else it gives, and any
apparent peace is false ; Christ gives peace which holds in all circurastances,
and gives it whatever else He withholds. 28. Ye kave keard— you, see vers.

i66 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xiV. 29.
and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice,
because I said, I go unto the Father : for my Father is
29 greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to
30 pass, that, when it is eorae to pass, ye might beheve. Here
after I will not talk much with you ; for the prince of this
3 1 world coraeth, and hath nothing in me. But that the world
may know that I love the Father ; and as the Father gave me
commandraent, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.
3. 18. If ye loved me, ye would kave rejoiced, because I go unto tke Fatker :
Jor the Father is greater than I (omit / said). Recalling His mysterious
words about going and returning, He invites their sympathy with Hira in
the joy awaiting Hira. They should think less of their own bereavement,
and more of His glory. As before, His going to the Father becomes the
condilion of an access of spiritual power to them (ver. 12), so the fact that He
goes to the Father should occasion them real joy if they have His interests
at heart. And He has no interests but what are theirs. It was no abrupt
and painful and dark terraination of life to Him. He was going home to the
Father, and, as lie said, their best interests were bound up with this. The
Father is greater than I. Such a statement, if Christ were no more than human,
would be superfluous. The disciples did not need to be told that God was
greater than any man, however distinguished and holy. The inference is
that the state to which the Lord was to be raised after His departure impUed
a conspicuous glory and povier, such as was withheld on earth. The Son,
as Son, is subordinated to the Father. Comp. with x. 29, 30. 29. And
now — believe ; cp. xiii. 19. Jesus alludes to the proofs which will be afforded
thera presently, that He is exalted to the right hand of power, and is all He
has claimed to be ; if the departure try their faith for the moment, the subse
quent events will make it stronger than ever, all the more that He foretold
the fact. 30. I will 110 moi-e speak much with you. The announcement of
His death being one of the proofs of His veracity and trustworthiness.
The pri-nce of the world cometh, see xii. 31. An ominous hint as to the
personal assaults, though through earthly instruments, in appalling form, of
the devil; cp. Luke xxii. 53, "This is your hour and the power of dark
ness. " And he hatk nothing in me. Though in the world of which Satan
is prince, Jesus clairas to be entirely independent of His jurisdiction ; the
prince of darkness has nothing he can call his own property, nothing kindred
in Christ. For He was light, and in Hira was no darkness at all. No man
can raake the same claim . The confession of sin implies that the god of
this world has "something" in us. As in viii. 29, 46, Christ asserts His
consciousness of sinlessness, 2 Cor. v. 21 ; 1 Pet. ii. 22 ; I John iii. 5 ; Heb.
iv. 15. 31. But that the world may kno-w — so I do. Jesus submits, and
freely, to the devil's assault, in order that the world may recognise His love
and obedience to the Father, who has sent Him with the express purpose of
destroying the works of the devil, — a mission demanding self- sacrifice,
humiliation, and shame, and that He who knew no sin should be made sin ;
apparently wholly the devil's, Gal. iii. 13. Arise, let tis go hence. A
minute recollection, and possible only for one who had heard the words
spoken. It is doubtful if the movement was really raade, see xviii. i. It
is impossible that the prayer (xv ii. ) was offered on the streets. The general

XV. I.] CHRIST THE TRUE VINE. IOI
Chap. XV. i. I am the true vine, and my Father is the husband-
view is that the company rose, but did not quit the room. (It is too con
strained and artificial to connect this clause with the first clause — "Arise, etc.,
that the world," etc. Let us leave in order to meet the prince of Ihe world.
There may be room for doubt whether the previous part of the verse is to be
taken as above, or whether the "so I do " refers to the "as the Father gave
me commandment," — and to that alone, in which case the words "but that"
are elliptical; and we must supply "but — I submit freely to His assault, in
order tliat the world," etc.)
Ch. XV. There are three leading themes in this chapter. (l) The relation
of the disciples to their Lord; (2) Their relation to one another; and (3)
Their relation to the world.
I. Thedisciples'reIationtotheirLord,vers. I-Il. One common life: a union
vital, organic, persistent ; as members in a body, branches in a tree. Christ
illustrates by the allegory of the vine and its branches : Pie is Himself the
vine ; His Father the husbandman who tends it ; His disciples the branches.
The object of the branch being to bear fruit, the fruitless are taken away, and
the fruitful pruned to yield still more. The pruning instrument is Christ's
word. The condition of fruit-bearnig_js being and abiding in Him.x The
doom of those not aHding in Hira is to be thrown out of His fellowship and
cast into the fire. The privileges of those abiding in Hira are ; to have their
requests granted ; to rainister to Ihe glory of God through bearing much
fruit, and so proving their discipleship ; and to have the assurance of their
Lord's love as He has that of His Father. They abide in His love by
obedience, as He in His Father's by obedience. The crowning result of the
whole to them is joy, their Lord's own, and full. 1. / am the true vine. (V
The word true is that which expresses the absolutely and ideally ffiie in '
distinction from all that is — not false — but falling short of the perfect
idea which is symbolized, or shadowed forth, or attempted somehow to be
expressed. What the vine, e.g., is in the natural, Jesus is in the spiritual
world. We may believe further that the vine is intended to be a type of
truth in the spiritual, as all objects of nature indeed must be. And, again,
Israel having been chosen by God to be a vine (Ps. Ixxx., Isa. v., Hos. x.)
among the nations, bearing fruit — the true fruit of the earth, excellent and
comely — to His glory ; and having become the degenerate plant of a strange
vine, bringing forth fruit to itself, Jesus came, and of Israel indeed, to be all
that Israel was meant to be, but failed. Jesus is the hope of Israel and at
the same time the true Son of Man, the one man through whom the Great
Husbandman receives the fruit for which He created the human faraily.
Only in alliance with Him ; only as penetrated by His Spirit ; can there be
permanence for anything human, or praise or use to God. The real humanity
of Christ at least is involved in the title Vine: something over and above
humanity in the true vine : soraething no raan ever yet was. Probably the
reason for the choice of the vine to set forth His relation to His disciples is
deeper than an accident. The truths implied would, no doubt, be suggested
by any other fruit-tree ; yet the excellence and value of the particular fruit, the
pains needful for its proper maturity, ils universal culture in Ihe East, the
frequent reference to it in the pages of Old Testament Scripture, especially
the figurative reference of Ps. Ixxx. and other passages, make the choice
almost imperative (cp. "I will henceforth no more drink," etc.). And my
pfither is the hufbartdman ; cp. Isa. xxvii. 2, 3. A relationship of possession

102 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [XV. 2.
2 man. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh
away : and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that
3 it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the
and care on the one side, and of dependence and submission on the other, the
vine being such as the husbandman makes it : the relationship Jesus delighted
continuaUy to emphasize. In claiming to be all in all to His disciples. He
was careful to show that His Father was all in all to Him. The image liere
is simply the illustration of the truth in xiv. 20, " At that day ye shall know
that I am in the Father, and ye in rae, and I in you." 2. The object of the
branch is to bear fruit, a vine being utterly profitless for any other object ;
see Ezek. xv. What fruit is, see Gal. v. 22. It is the entire and various
outcorae of the Christian Ufe ; Christian character, conduct, service ; active
and passive virtues ; a consecrated raanhood ; body, soul, and spirit possessed
and penetrated by the Spirit of God. It is the life of Christ conveyed into us
by His Spirit, and, like the distilling of the sap into grapes in the tree, trans-
ranted into individual gift and grace, individual character for Christ. Every
branch in me that beareph n_otffruit HeJaketJi- It-awc^. It defeats thesole'
end of the vine and of the husbandman's labour. Can one be in Ckrist yet
remain fruitless ? Can_pne be in Christ_ and fall irrecoverably from grace.'
Perhaps riiinof "points ought "not to be pressed in allegories and parables. This
at least is certain, that as the fruitless branch can liave no li-ving connection
with the vine, no more can the fruitless professing Christian with Christ.
Something is as it should not be ; though man's eye may not detect the cause,
the union is not the sarae kind of union as that of the fruitful branch or
Christian. How, and wh^en^he husbandraan takes Jhe fruitlessjjranch a^gy
is left unmentioiie'd'; there is not one definite way or time, the process may be
gradtial"; there is something ominous in the bare statement, and it will be
borne in mind that fruitfulness itself is not impossible to be counterfeited.
Of some who seem to be in Christ's fellowship and yielding the proofs, it is
always true Ihat they do not share His life. As of some who shrink from
professing that they are in His fellowship, it is equally true that their life
seems to make the claim. The day will declare. And every branch^fruit.
Purgeth or cleanseth : as the vinedresser lops off superfluous leaves that the
sap may not be wasted, but distil into grapes. It is implied that in the most.
advanced Christian there is ahvays something of"sTn', always room for still
further'advance, T?hil. iii. ; that the Greal: Husbandman exSrcises a constant
vigilant care' over the Christian's growth, combining love with severity; and
that it is the aim of the Christian to be submissive and to reach forth to the
things which are before. The aim of the Christian is the best, not merely the
good. The instrument of cleansing is mamiy and essentisrlly the word, vtfT^.
But as all things work together for good to hira who loves God, they must
serve his increasing worth to God ; and then the privileges which are loosen
ing or making apparent the nominal connection of the fruitless branch are
those which bind the fruitful more closely to the vine. The most faithful of
God's servants have not unfrequently been the most severely tried. The
fruitless raay be the least distressed ; they are simply at the right time " taken
away." Life may have few crosses for them. -«^. Already ye are clean on
account of the word which I have spoken unto you. An encouragement that
they might not fear the fate of their lost brother, or be suspicious of each
other. Christ's constant training of thera bx_His_teaching had now reached
its end, which^Tvas twpfold — foTnstruct and to sanctify. HovvT'lis Word h^d

XV. 6.] THE VINE AND THE BRANCHES. 103
4 word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in rae, and I in
you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it
abide in the vine ; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches : He that abideth in rae,
and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit ; for without
6 me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast
forth as a branch, and is withered ; and men gather them, and
searched out all their moral and mental imperfectness, raised them out of
carnal views and hopes, set before them a great ideal of character, and
disclosed the secret things of God and His kingdom, it is unnecessary to say,
cp. xvii. 17. His word had been as a fan winnowing the chaff 'from tfie
wheat, as a mirror revealing themselves and revealing God, Heb. iv. 12.
The action of Christ's word, i.e. of the word which sets Christ forth, on the
hearer is either purifying or hardening ; for the former, faith is indispensable,
xii. 47 f. 4. Abide in me, and I in you. To bear fruit the disciple must abide
in Christ. The Ufe of the disciple is derived from, ^-aST dependent onflEe
nj6T3f~fhe Lord. There is a consenting co-operation of life with life, spirit
with spirit. The union is the closest conceivable ; the branch growing out of
the vine, the Christian as if growing out of Christ by his faith, and the Spirit
being the continual communication flowing from Christ into the disciple :
source of life, growth, strength, purity, hope; all things. We need and can
have no interposing medium besides, neither church nor priest. The vine
abides in the branch through its life-giving sap, and the branch abides in the
vine by its organic growth. There is a mutual inbeing. And Jn the sani.e
way, if we are to make a difference between our abiding in Christ and Christ
abiding iu ub, the former may mean our cleaving to Hiui in faith and by
prstyeHbr peJSSSl acceptance \*ith Go31ind the graceneedful for the spiritual
Ufe ; the latter, Christ's personal indwelUng in us through His Spirit ; spring
of all spiritual comfort, assurance, power, as if the response to our faith ; see
ver. 7 ^ud vi. 56. No doubt the more we endeavour to abide in Christ the
more are we sure thS_ He abides in us. The parable fails just here, as the
spirituaTlire and growth in the 3isciple are not the spontaneous outcome of
Christ ; the branch here must graft itself on to the stem by willing, believing
surrender up of its own natural life, and desire to have no life but Christ's.
[There may be a mystic sense in which all humanity — all individual men who
have ever lived or shall Uve — can be spoken of as so many branches in Christ
as the Creator, Lifegiver, First-begotten of every creature, and sharing in His
life, i. 4.] As the branch — me. ihe branch is indebted to the vine's vitaUty
for its existence, and for its continued fruitfulness as well. No fruit and no life
without an anxious, careful cleaving to Christ. 5. / am the vine, ye the
branches. ReminSing'thepi of their position oTabsolule depBlWence otTHira.
They are simply'wHat He makes^era. He tkat oBideth in'Tne, and Tin kim,
the samfTearetfrmuch fruit ; for apart from me ye can do nothing. What is
put negatively in ver. 4 is here put positively and encouragingly. To abide
in Him so that He abides in us is the^sure condition of fruit-bearing, and of
much fruit-bearing. Apart from me ; cp. i. 3i The branclThas h's vitaUty in
itself; no£ower oLretajning vitality or fruitfulnejs-sev'ered from the vine.
The life of the Christian is simply Chrjst's IKe reflected througtrhinT; cp.
Gal. if. 20; "CoOii. 3. Spiritual work must be done, if to be truly successful,
in this dependent spirit. 6. If a man — burned (lit. and they burn). The

I04 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xV. 7.
7 cast the7n into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in
me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will,
8 and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glori
fied, that ye bear much fruit ; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you : continue
10 ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide
in my love ; even as I have kept ray Father's commandments,
vineyard fires burning up the pruned branches may have been visible from
(the room where they still were, giving point to Ihe words.*^ Reraark that this
doom is the penalty of not abiding in Christ, the order of thought being Jhis:
TbajDrandh exists to bear fruit ; it bears fruit by abiding in the_vine ; it is
impossible to bear Truit otJierwise; fruit, rauch fruit, is certain as result of
abiding ; not to abide is to be fit only for the fire ; to abide is to qualify for
unspeakable privilege with God. As to the ominous suggestion in the fire
consuraing the fruitless branches, cp. Mark ix. 43 ff. and Rev. xx. 15, xxi. 8.
7. If ye abide in me, and my words abide hi you. Instead of saying as before,
"and J abide in^u," Chiist substitutes this thought, which piits it "perKaps
more practically. To cherish all they had learned of Him vvould enable
them^ to abide_in HinTpand 'wEiTe'pondering on'His word, it would be to
them as if TSey we're holding true communion with Himself and He were
actually abiding with^ thera, for His word is spirit and life. The thought,
besides, is useful as a guard against any ecstatic representation of Christ, any
mystic fancy. What we know of Christ is gathered from the word, and only
so. Ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unio you (R.V. Ask
what ye will, etc.), xiv. 13 f. The first privilege of union and coramunion
with Christ. But to those abiding in Hira the burden of their earnest prayers
must be, that that union may be slill closer, truer, more fruitful. If their
responsibility as bearing fruit is great, their privilege in_asking^_gracgjpr it is
also'great. 'Sf^ Herein is ^tuas] my Father glorified, that ye bear much f-ruiT;
atidrso shdWye be [become] my disciples (or —fruit, and be my disciples). The
I former making the Father's glory depend on the fruit brought forth alone ;
the latter co-ordinating the fact of discipleship with that of fruit-bearing.
The former is perhaps the likelier reading, {^nd in the word " b^eaine " we
)' detect the growth of the disciple in faith and fruitfulness. The fact of their
1 discipleship will be set forth beyond all doubt as they bear much fruit and
glorify the Father, the glorifying of the Father being the crown of all done
either by their Master or by themselves, xii. 28, xvii. i. Jesus thus returns
to the starting-point — "My P"ather is the husbandraan." All the fruit of
the vine and branches is to tfie praise of His glory, who planted and tended
it with the assiduity of love.-~-^. As the Father hath loved me, I also have loved
you: abide ye in my love.\^he comparison would console thera; showing
both the fact that He loved thera, and the reraarkable degree to which He
loved thera. All relations and condilions of discipleship are reduced to
this : Love. The Father is the great spring of love ; the Son, Ihe ever-flowing
stream ; the Spirit, the well of living water, thence derived, in each believer.
N,To abide in His love is to abide in Himself^the change of expression, like
the" former in ver. 7, contributing to the clearness of the general conception
of abiding in Christ. ' ' My love " is, in the sense and assurance of it, Christ's
love to them. The depth of Jhat love is inexhaustible. The reality of it is
guaranteed, as all CErist's love fo IhemTs a reflection of the Father's love to

XV. 15.] MUTUAL RELATIONS OF CHRIST'S DISCIPLES. I05
1 1 and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you,
that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy raight be
12 full. 'I'his is my commandment. That ye love one another,
13 as I have loved you. Greater love hath no raan than this,
14 that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my
1 5 friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I
call you not servants ; for the servant knoweth not what his
lord doeth : but I have called you friends ; for all things
that I have heard of my Father I have raade known unto you.
Him. VHow to abide in it is presently told./ 10. If ye keep — loi'e. As Christ
proved Qis_loye to the Father by obedience to HiS'cbinmandments, the
disciples prove their love,to their Lord by obedience to His commandments,
as before, xiv. 15 and 21. Jesus spoke here as man. Love and' obedience
act and react. 'The sense of Chjist's loye to us awakens love to Christ in us,
and love once awakened proves it's reality in obeying the will of the glorious
object loved. V^Out of obedience and love springs joy, the crown of the whole.
II. Tkese tkings^fulfiUed (full). What wasChrisX's joy? The joy gf
having the Father's love, and of knovying that tlie^ FathciJoved_Himj&eJ^
of~doTiiglfi'e'Fathe'r's will, theToy of self-sacrifice, the joy of labouFand sUBeT"
ing fQi;.meni,and thejoy of the harvest of faith, love, aml"liuper"Tt is to be a
joy witkiH tkerii,\\\ 14 : free, independent of all circumstances and conditions
except God and His love, and enduring as God. Fulfilled. The disciples had
a hope which was born of their Lord's teaching and work, a hope vvhich had
to be purged of much which was carnal ; but yet, being fixed on Jesus Himself
in affection and faith and loyal adherence to the close, it was a hope justified
by all that had gone before in communion with Hira ; and should be fulfilled
in joy beyond their best expectations. Jesus cannot disappoint our just hopes,
since He Himself inspired them.
2. The relation of the disciples to one another, vers. 12-17. It is summed
up in love, — a love Uke their Master's to them. 12. Jesus singles out one
specific commandment, which He calls pre-eminently His own, obedience to
which would carry universal obedience with it. This is— you, xiii. 34, 35.
13. Greater love— friends, 1.. II, 17. Love can no more than yield up life.
Friends ; see on xiii. 34. Jesus died tor us ' ' while we were yet sinners."
There is no doctrinal restriction to be "Choirglrt of in the term friend's'.' "TThe
point is sjingly. to what-£xfent lovq -will go for its object, I Cor. xiii. ;
I John iii. "l5r 14. Ye are my friends, if ye do what I command you ; making
appUcation of the general principle. The idea of friendship is too important
to be at once disraissed, and the disciples ajre assured that they stand in this
dear and privileged relation to Jesus, and_ are vvarned of the condition of retain-
ing,it. "Their "dgvoli'on to^ne aiiother will prove their devotion to plim.
Mark the emphasis on the pronouns. 15. Henceforth— you. He has treated
thera, not as servants, but asfrigii^s, admitting them into the fullest confidertce
ot His FathefTud iHmselff cp. vui. 34-3'6'on the analogous distinction
between a servant and a son. A servant's duty is to obey his maste_r's
commands ; he does not share his master's Counsels. The'^ disciples are
required 'not only to_ keep .Christ's commands„__but to abid'elin . Iiis_ _ love,
verT'io. "ATniiiiigs which I keard from my PatXer,' etc. , vii. 38, xiv. 10,
24, xvi. 15, xvii. 26. That God was their Father in Jesus was the chief part

Io6 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xV. 1 6.
1 6 Ye have not chosen rae, but I have chosen you, and ordained
you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your
fruit should remain ; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the
17 Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I
18 comniand you, that ye love one another. If the world hate
19 you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye
of these ** all things.'' 16. Ye kave not ckosen me, but I have chosen you
[lit. Not ye who chose me, but I who chose you]. \ Though their obedience_is
indispensable for retaining Christ's friendship, \hey'~~aTe' reminded" that it
beg^fiTvuth His'own fi'ee choice of them, t fPhis woiJ4-^ comfort Jhgm,^ it
dges'atl Christ's true followers. And ordained [appointed] you, tkat ye should
go and bear fruit , and iKai your fruit should abide; that whatsoever ye shall
ask of the Father in my name. He may give it you. The appointment to the
apostolic office implied assurance both of results frora their work, and of
permanent results ; it implied also assurance that the necessaryqualifijcalions
to carry it on would be granted, xiv.' 13 f, and see'Ver'. 7 drihis "chapter. The
success and perpetuity of the work of the kingdom of God, as well as the
authority under which it is carried on by apo.stles or less conspicuous workers,
are hereby guaranteed. 17. These things — another. The iiature of His
coraraand to love one another, the motive and sanction, being explained, give
point to the repetition. We may paraphrase this section thus : My special
command to you is to love one another, as I have loved you. No ' greater
love'can be 'than thaf wlifch leads to sacriflce~of life for friends. You are my
friends if^ou d'o this' which I coraraand you ; for servants I will not call you,
the servant being outside his master's counsel ; the proofs of my friendship are,
that you I have taken into fullest confidence with the Father and myself,
and that I have chosen you (not you rae), and qualified you for your life-work.
I repeat it, then, as my special comraand to you to love one another. If
devotion to one another prove their devotion to Christ, this coramon devotion
to Christ should be the strongest bond between them. The nearer they are
to Christ, the nearer the Christian disciples are to each other. Love to each
other springs from friendship with Him. He cannot raore forcibly urge His
coraraand on them.
3. The disciples' relation to the world, vers. 18-27. If the world hate
them, they only share their Master's fate, which a faithful servant has to
expect. And the world's hate proves they do not belong to the world, but to
Christ. Ignorance of God is at the root of it, an ignorance wilful and culpable,
since Christ, by exceptional word and work, has revealed Him as the Father.
Hence hatred of Iiim is hatred of Ihe Father. But even here there is a
verification of prophecy. Nevertheless, to the world that hates them they
shall bear witness of Christ, when the Spirit of truth shall descend on thera.
18. If the world— you. (Ye know, ox know ye, — uncertain which. ) Hate is.

sentiment and essence of unbeUef. The carhaT'niind is enraity against God,
and against all that belong "to God, in so far as they do belong to God,
I John iii. 13. Within the sphere of Christ's friendship and Christian
discipleship alone love is realized in its true, eternal significance ; without,
however raodihed and relieved by temporary conditions, the ruling power
and principle is hate. Hath hated me. That was plain enough, and
vvould be plainer next day, when the cross, the everlasting monument of the

XV. 2 2.] RELATION OF CHRIST's DISCIPLES TO THE WORLD. I07
were of the world, the world would love his own : but because
ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the
20 world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word
that I said unto you. The servant is not greater than his lord.
If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you ;
if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
2 1 But all these things will they do unto you for ray narae's sake,
2 2 because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come
and spoken unto them, they had not had sin : but now they
world's immemorial hate against God, should be raised up. Before it hated
you (lit. me first of you), the same construction as in i. 15, 30, "He was
before me." This hatred of God, and of man for God's sake, began its
explicit manifestation in Cain; see viii. 44; i John iii. 12; the wave that
rose then, gathering through the ages, till it reached its height, and broke in
fury on the cross, and we are struggling in its broken waters. 19. If ye were
of tke world, the world would love its own. To be " of the world " is to
belong to it in spirit and principles and aim, to be under the power of its
prince, xiv. 40, to Kave the lOTebf it inthe heart," 1 Johnii. 15 f, cp. viii. 23.
Tlie world's love to its own is a selfish thing." It loves whatever ministers to
its comfort, flatters its pride, accords with its opinions, disguises its real
(ibndittbhTrom it. God's loyS^ alone is unselfish. But because ye are — you.
They are not of the -world now, because_Christ has-chosen them out of it.
Once, therefore, they wer'e~ot tfie'world, as all are and must be, unSTtlie sain e
Divin^graeious choice calls them out of its ungodly spell, and the Holy Spirit
enables therrr to feSfJOlid "fo'the call. Tkerefoj^e, etc. A Christian—man is a
standing reproach to the world — or ought to be. In propoftiorTaslhe Spirit
of the^'F-ather is in him-, the spirit of the WOrld is condemned. 20. Remember
the word — also, xiii. 16. This adage Christ had used to enforce humility ;
He now uses it to encourage them to bear sufferings. The world's treatment
of Him shall be their gauge. It is a world that put Him to death, yet it is a
world for which He died. Thef§~mtrst—be^ persecution in it, yet it is the
object'of iicrpe:""2r.' But — me, x"vi. 3. The di^cipTe is hated because' lie' is
a disciple ; the Spirit of_Qijist,_and^_of Jhe, Father, in so far as revealed in
him, arouses the hate of the world. This has been the living principle in
faithful men from the first, that which animated them and excited antagonism
on the part ofthe ungodly. Thus Moses esteemed "the reproach of Christ
greater riches than the treasures in Egypt." As the disciple is hated for
Christ's sake, Christ was hated for the sake of the God who sent Him.
Ignorance of God was at the root of the whole ; an ignorance, however, not
intellectual but moral, as the fullest revelation possible of God had been
made to them by Christ. 22-24. Ignorance might have been a conceivable
plea, the mode of Christ's revelation being so different frora what they had
hoped for. What was not to be excused was their rejection of a person
whose characler and authority, as revealed in word and work, claimed the
adoration and love of every honest heart. It was goodness that was hated in
Christ, goodness aggressive, claiming to rule men in the name of the Father
of goodness, and to make them the children of goodness. This was the God
they did not know, and did not care to know. If I had not come and
spokeri to them , they had not had sin, cp. ix. 41, vii. 46. Christ's manifesta-

Io8 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [XV. 23.
23 have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me, hateth my
24 Father also. If I had not done among them the works which
none other man did, they had not had sin : but now have
25 they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this
cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written
26 in their law. They hated me without a cause. But when the
Coraforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the
Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth frora the
27 Father, he shall testify of me ; and ye also shall bear witness,
because ye have been with me from the beginning.
tion and word were a touchstone, trying and revealing the heart. In His
presence neutrality was impossible — men had to take their side. Not to be
with Hira was to be against Him ; and not to be against Him was to be on
His part, 'vjhe sin .was there before, — sin of undutifulnessjo. .fiod, doakgd-
under many specious disguises. The presence of Christ unmasked it. But
now they have no cloak [excuse or pretext] for tkeir sin. They xould. not
say, e.g.. We did not J^now that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of__ God. For
they rejected'Him solely because His word exposed them to themselves, laid
bare their sins, and presented the claims of God iii a form they woul'd^not,
refognise ]"see^iii."43"ff^ Estfaiigement ofa^ffection is usually cloaTfgfliiiider
"ignorance. He tkat hateth me hateth my Father also ; see viii. 42, xii. 45,
xiv. 9. If I had — Father. Even the miracles, unparalleled in their history,
raight have suggested, ought to have suggested, the fact of a Divine raission.
The collocation of word and work is sirailar to that in xiv. 10 f., and the
argument is the sarae, e converse. 25. But — cause. The collected O.T.
writings were called by the general title, the Law, as that portion was
considered of chief importance. This quotation is from Ps. Ixix. 4, " They
that hate rae without a cause," etc. The various sorrows and sufferings of
the servants of God in past times are all focussed in the Son ; see remarlcs on
xiii. 18. 26 f. Notwithstanding the world's hatred, they must bear witness
to it of Christ, and shall be qualified by Hira to do so. But — me. Jesus
assuraes the power of sending the Coraforter, as before He had said the
Father would give or send Hira at His own request and in His own name ;
so xvi. 7. By the raere juxtaposition of such texts tlie doctrine of the Holy
Trinity is built up. Because the affirraation. Which proceedeth from the Father,
is not also, in so many words, made with regard to the Son, the Eastern or
Greek Church maintains a separate coraraunion, protesting against the creed
ofthe Western Church. The eraphatic claira Jesus makes — Whom I will
send — is an argument on the other side. The term proceeding is used by
theologians as descriptive of the inner, essential, timeless relations of the Spirit
to the Father and Son ; as begotten is used of Ihe Son towards the Father.
The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding ; the Son is begotten
of the Father ; the Spirit proceedeth from the Father and from the Son.
The Lord Jesus raakes the dependence of this new source of spiritual
illumination on His Father as absolute as was His own. To you. The Holy
Spirit was and is sent to the disciples of Christ. He shall bear witness of me,
and ye also shall bear witness, because ye kave been witk me from the begitinijig.
The subject of the Spirit's testimony is Jesus Chrisi, see xiv. 26, and the
channel through which this testimony is given are the apostles themselves.

Xvi. 2.] THE DISCIPLES WARNED OF PERSECUtlONS. 169
Chap. XVI. i. These things have I spoken unto you, that ye
2 should not be offended. They shall put you out of the
who also have their own testimony to give ; and their fitness for this great
function is twofold : an outward one, — their fellowship with their Lord
during His ministry ; an inward one, — their endowment with Ihe Holy
Spirit. The testimony of the apostles to Christ is given in the Scriptures
of the New Testament, which are a record of the words of men who were
personally eye-witnesses of the facts they proclaimed, and were, besides,
under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in proclaiming them. The Spirit
should reveal no new facts, — no facts at all that the apostles could be
cognizant of in use of their faculties. The world should be indebted to
the apostles for these facts, acquired in the ordinary way of observation
and experience. Only the Spirit in them should guarantee for them, and all
who receive their word, that these facts have been rightly apprehended and
rightly presented to their fellow-men. A work of the Holy Spirit in the
heart is necessary in order that the apostolic testimony may be received
in faith ; but we are dependent on the apostolic testimony so that the
Spirit W(jrking in us must be tested by His accord with the Spirit speaking
through their word. ApostoUc testimony is unique, and cannot be added to.
It is that of eye-witnesses, Luke i. 2. It is the only infalUble source of
appeal and judgment. Every Christian man is a witness for Christ. But the
material of his teslimony he raust receive from the written word. Observe
that the weightiest apostolic function is simply to bear witness to Christ,
Luke xxiv. 48 f , i. 21 f. ; Acts ii. 32, Ui. 15, v. 32, especially x. 41, xiii. 31.
According to Heb. ii. 4 (cp. Acts xiv. 3 ; Mark xvi. 20), the witness of the
Holy Spirit was also given in the power to work miracles, in the gift of
tongues, and the like. But the chief and permanent office of the Holy Spirit
as witness to Christ, as we can easily gather from Christ's own statements in
these chapters, was as Spirit of trutii, to enlighten the mind in the truth, to
confirm the apprehension of it, and so to be an inner source of wisdom,
corafort, and power, 1 John v. 6, 8. Thus faith becomes its own evidence.
Ch. XVI. (i) Jesus having told His disciples what they are to expect, they
will not be offended. He specifies the nature of the persecutions to which
they must be subjected, and the reason why He had not told them before,
1-4. (2) He must leave them, but His departure is for their good, because
the Comforter will come to them, whose office with regard to the world and
to the Church is then explained, 5~I5' (3) Alluding to His departure and
the coming of the Spirit in an enigmatical way, the disciples are perplexed,
and Jesus assures them that they must experience sorrow, which, however,
shall be presently converted into deep and abiding joy. Then all perplexity
shall pass into fullest knowledge. 'Then He shall speak to them without a
parable, and Iheir relation to Ihe Father shall be one of confidence and love,
through faith in Himself. Adding a solemn and simple declaration of His
Divine origin and destiny, His disciples respond with the earnest assurance
that they understand and believe at last, and Jesus, accepting their faith, con
cludes by warning them that an hour of trial is at hand ; they shall be
scattered from Him, but the Father remains with Him. For them, peace and
victory are guaranteed through Himself in a world of tribulation, 16-end.
(i.) 1-4. The disciples warned of persecutions for Ohrist's sake.
I . These things. The haired of which they should be the objects :
that ye should not be offended [R.V. made to stumble], lit. scandalized •

tlO tHE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xVL 3.
synagogues : yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth
3 you will think that he doeth God service. And these things
will they do unto you, because they have not known the
4 Father, nor me. But these things have I told you, that, when
the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of
them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning,
5 because I was with you. But now I go my way to him that
sent me; and none of you asketh me, 'Whither goest thou?
6 But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath
see on vi. 61. Forewarned was forearmed. 2. They should be excom
municated and even put to death for Christ's sake. Out of the synagogue,
see on ix. 22. Wkosoever killeth you shall think that lie doeth [offereth]
God service. Fanaticism achieves a singular travesty of God's charac
ter in supposing that raurder is an act as pleasing to God as an act of
religious worship. Christ iraplies that persecution may spring from sincere
motives. Religious zeal needs to be purified seven times of all personal
elements. 3. They have not k-nown the Father nor me; cp. xv. 21.
There is a subdued irony in the thought that the men who take God under
their special patronage by damning and killing or otherwise ostracising their
fellow-men in His name, are displaying in the fact their absolute ignorance
of Him — above all, their ignorance of the Father who sent His Son. It is
ignorance of the love, pity, mercy, forbearance in the heart of God.
4. Ye may remember that I told you of tkem, see xiii. 19, xiv. 29. In the
hour of trial the disciples should therefore, in the proof of their Master's
omniscience, strengthen themselves by the thought of His loving and
vigilant interest in them. The Christian course is ordained for each disciple,
and through it all the reraembrance of Christ's word guides and supports.
And these things I said not unto you from the beginning, because I was witk
you. If they thought, Why did He not tell us all this before ? Why allow
us to leave home and work, and form hopes that He knew were false and
must be given up? — the answer was, / was witk you. Jesus was dispelling
false hopes all the while. lie was winnowing the sincere from the insincere
followers, and impressing the disciples with the truth that those who adhered
to Him must do so from love and loyalty to Himself solely, and raust expect
trials here in consequence. At the crisis of the ministry in Galilee, vi. 66 ff.,
the twelve stood by Jesus when they saw all worldly expectations vanish.
That the disciples were sorrow-striclien and bewildered now, proved the
tenacity with which they clung to mistaken ¦views, not lack of openness on
their Master's part. The contradiction implied in the warnings of an earlier
date recorded in Matthew and Luke is apparent only. The chronological
order in the Synoptists is questionable, and, besides, Jesus simply says here,
from the beginning. There vvas a progressiveness in Christ's training of the
twelve. It is clear that as they learned what their Lord was by daily
fellowship, what would have been enough to stagger or repel at first, had it
been known, would be as nothing compared with Christ's personal hold on
their affections and reverence.
(2.) Vers. 5-15. Jesus goes in orderthat the Comforter may come. 5. But
now — Tkou ? The disciples were doubtless silent through sorrow, and Jesus
wishes to rouse thera to take an interest in the events about to happen to

XVI. to.] EXPEDIENCY OF CHRIST's DEPARTURE. IIT
7 filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth ; It is
expedient for you that I go away : for if I go not away, the
Comforter will not come unto you ; but if I depart, I will
8 send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove
the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment :
9, IO of sin, because they believe not on me ; of righteousness.
Himself and to them. Thoraas had asked whither He vvas going, xiv. 5 ;
but the thought of His departure was too painful to allow them to fix their
rainds on anything except the fact itself, and as it affected thera. 6. But
— heart. The reason of their silence. 7- Nevertheless I tell you the
trutk. You wish rae to remain. It is expedient for you that I go away. For
if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you : but if I depart [go], I
will send Him unto you:\The gift of the Holy Spirit depended on Christ's
ascension, on Christ's receiving Him as glorified man. y^ The advantages of
this exchange are — (1) the deeper knowledge of Christ; (2) the thorough
development of their own character, living by faith, having communion with
an unseen Lord, attaining a self-dependence and inner spiritual maturity.
-What was implied in the Comforter's coming has been already stated (1) in
xiv. 16, 17, where the facts, that He is the Father's gift at the Son's
request. His permanent abode with them and in thera, and their exclusive
reception and knowledge of Him as the Spirit of truth, unrecognisable by the
world as such, are insisted on ; (2) in xiv. 26, where His work as Teacher
and Reminder to the disciples of all that their Lord said to them is asserted ;
(3) in XV. 26, where He is spoken of as witness to Christ through the
disciples. The last and fullest account of His ofiice in the world and in
the Church now follows. >^The expediency of Christ's departure can be
gathered from all this great work of the Ploly Spirit. Thus He is (i) Per
manent Indweller ; (2) Teacher and Remembrancer ; (3) Witness ; (4) Guide
into Truth, ver. 13 ff. 8-11. The Spirit's work on the world. 12-15.
The Spirit's work on the Church. 8. And when He is come. He will reprove
[convict R.V. , convince A.V. marg.] the world of [concerning] sin, and of._
righteousness, and of judgment. The world is men separated from the iSe'of
God, but not hopelessly so. t To convict, to convince, to reprove, by any one
of which the Greek verb may be translated (see iii. 20, viii. 46) ; to convict
implying a judicial process, a trial held and proof of guilt furnished ;
to convince implying an ethical process, a persuasion of the mind and heart 1.-
to reprove iraplying a punitive act, the peffitlty ot conviction, or tne resuttof
convincing. As we see from xv. 26 f , the Spirit effects His work through
the apostolic word, and the commentary on this is the result of Peter's
preaching on the day of Pentecost, Acts ii. Sin, righteousness, judgment,
imply each other. vSitl- means absence _of_righteousness, and liability to
judgment. Sin is the world's state as it is ; righteousness as it ougM to be ;
judgment as it must and shall be that righteousness may obtain. Of there
is no sin, there is also no righteousness, which is sin's measure ; arid there
can be no judgment, which is sin's penalty^ 9. Concerning sin, because tkey
believe not on me. Christ rejected and crtlcified by men reveals the essential
nature and sinfulness of sin. Supreme Goodness and Love spending Himself
for raen was hated and slain, see xv. 23. It is not because of this or that gross
or foul deed ; we could shift the burden of responsibiUty or lessen it with
varying success ; probably often would not feel it. But the alienation of the

112 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [XVI. II.
because I go to ray Father, and ye see me no more ;
1 1 of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
heart frora God is the root of all sin, and what that alienation means is seen
in the cross. God put Himself into man's power, and man murdered Him.
Sin uttered all its mind in the cross. Here, therefore, is the complete
disclosure of the fact of sin and of the nature of sin. And all that is implied
in yielding to our sinful passions, to temptations, to vices, to evil habits, to
self-pleasing, through all the shades of culpability, is to be learned only at
the cross. UnbeUef in God revealed in Christ is the underlying root of all
sin, and it is itself the proof and measure of sin's enormity. By holding up
to the world Christ and Him crucified, the last utterance of sin, and the
triumph of grace over sin, raen are convicted of sin, Acts ii. 37. And no
raan can claira to be free from sin in such a light ; from gross vices one raay
be free, his character be eminently raoral, yet the test and standard of sin
being the cross of Christ, the revelation of God's love and holiness there,
every mouth is stopped, and all the world declared guilty before God.
10. Concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and ye no more
behold me.\^ Righteousness is a terra not used in the Gospel elsewhere (in
1 John ii. 29, iii. 7, 10). In contrast to every other human life stands out
that of the man Christ jesus. His earthly Ufe discloses the fact of righteous
ness and the character of it. He is "the righteous One," "Jesus Christ the
righteous.N. The term righteousness raeans complete conformity to the
Divine standard or law ;fand to convict of righteousness implies the fact that
there is such a standar(i)-aHd the ability to recognise its embodiment when
seen. The character of Christ corresponds to the ideal of human nature which
we all instinctively have ; He is man as man ought to be ; His life reflects
perfect love and duty to God and man. Over all the generations of men He
towers up the goal of every true aspiration. \ The world can never overtake
Him and leave Him behind.V' His solitary forra rises ever in the van of all true
advance. To be like Him, to see Plira as Pie is, to behold His glory, to be
with Hira where He is, are siraple but profound ways of expressing the fact
of Christ's fulfilraent of every human ideal and hope. Plis going to the
Father, i.e. His resurrection and ascension on their ethical side, proved that
He was all this. He went to the Father as one who had achieved the right
to go — in raan's narae, and clairaing from the Father in man's name the
reward of a righteous life, the acceptance and the place of a Son. The world
becomes convinced, through the resurrection of Jesus, of the Divine recogni
tion, and of its own lack of the righteousness which is in Him. The idea in
Ye behold me no more is the same as is involved in the expediency of
Christ's departure frora the disciples. He is better comprehended when
absent than when present, especially after the resurrection and gift of the
Spirit proved Hira to be what His life asserted He was. ^There has been
but one Jesus Christ, and in Him we must find our own righteousness. The
world's sin is its rejection of Christ. V The world's righteousness is its accept
ance of Him. Concerning judgmenr^ecaiise the Prince of this world is [has
been] judged, see on xii. 3l.^Sense of sin leads to sense of the need of righteous-/
ness, and the sense of the certainty of judgmenU for sin must be juaged.
The righteousness of Christ is sin's judgraentjnt shows that it ought not
to be and raust not be, and the cross shows it as the object of the Divine
anger. In the death of Christ sin was judged openly, and the personal
source of it Plimself vanquished. VPhat the Son of God must die for sin

XVL 13.] THE spirit's OFFICE IN THE CHURCH. II3
12 I have yet raany things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear
13 them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come,
he will guide you into all truth : for he shall not speak of
reveals the imperative necessity for sin's penalty— death. But that He did
die and rise again, the Prince of this world, having nothing in Him worthy
of death, proves that His death was the bruising of Satan under Plis feet at
the very height of his powerj Sin must be judged, and its judgment is
death, ana judged even in tUe sinless Person of Christ, as the representative
of sinful men; but this judgraent is past for all who bring their sin to Ihe
cross to be condemned and abandoned, iii. 18, v. 24. The fact of the
power of sin broken at its height inspires us with confidence and sure hope
of victory. " God will bruise Satan under pur feet.'*) In a sense the process
of judgment goes on continually ; good afnci evil afe being sifted out of each
other, as the word of Christ through the Spirit tells on men. The judgment
of the cross, however, points forward to a future day of retribution, when
the still unbelieving world shall meet its doom, when all things that offend
shall be gathered out of the kingdom. "In this continuous threefold con
viction of the Holy Spirit, we have a compendium of the history of the
kingdom of God and of Christ " (Liicke).
12-15. The Spirit's ofBce inthe Church. 12. I— now. Possibly what
Jesus had just said awakened signs of surprise and wonder and perplexed
questioning ; and He considers their weakness, — though longing to evoke
intelligent syajpathyy^ Besid'eS^^^all that work in the world must be done
through themselves^ organs of the Spirit It is necessary they should be
assured as to their qualifications, thougn"'at the same tirae it is significant
how directly the Lord speaks ofthe Spirit doing His own work in the world.
~ The personality of the Spirit could be hardly more strikingly conveyed. They
had hopes, plans, ideas, which were wrong and foolish* which the resur- j
rection dispelled" in great rrjeasare, -and— pfmHSWIirTHe way of full under- J
standing of the truth. ''IffanyTJiings they had to find out, just as they went
on their way of Christian life and Christian service. Their future work,
sufferings, witness to the Lord, relations to the Jewish Church, and the like,
as well as the deep meaning of His own appearing in flesh. His life, death,
and resurrection, would unfold by degrees. Their inability arose partly from
mental immaturity, partly frora raoral unfitness; they would not, till forced,
abandon their prejudices. Truth is not always good or safe because of our
/ infirmities. Y We could not bear now to know what the future holds in it ; but
j the faithfulness of Christ is pledged to prepare us for the future, by the time it
' comes. \He will let us know enough for the support of present faith.) And
it is the office of His Spirit to do this.\ 13. But wken He, the Spirit of Truth,
is come. Only in full possession of the whole truth was it possible for them
to be the organs of the Spirit in such a work ; and the Spirit would Himself
possess them personally, being more than mere knowledge or love of truth ;
\ making the raen theraselves true raen. For He skall guide you into all tke
truth. The word rendered "guide" occurs in Matt. xv. 14 and Luke vi. 39 :
"Can the blind lead the blind?" Acts vin. 31 : /"How can I, except some
raan guideraet" Rev. vii. 17: "The Lamb . . 1. shall lead them to living
fountains of waters : " frequently in the Old Testament. The thought con
veyed is a progress, gentle and gradual ; a persuasion of the whole raan ; an
absence of constraint, enlightening the mind and stimulating all the mental
VOL. II. H

114 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [XVI. I4.
himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak :
14 and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me :
for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
15 All things that the Father hath are mine : therefore said I,
that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
faculties, and cherishing true affections in the heart, without which the dis
covery of Divine things is dead or impossible. The Spirit of Truth is also
the Holy Spirit. Step by step this Divine Guide leads the Church forward
on its appointed path of profiting in the word of Christ revealed, and of ser
vice through the exercise of her manifold gifts. All the truth ; cp. xiv. 26,
"He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever I have said unto youj^' and xv. 26, " He shall bear witness of me."
Cp. also the equally broad assertions oi J onn, 1st Epistle ii. 20, 27, and v. 20.
Truth about Him who is the truth, explained and confirmed to us by the
Spirit of Truth, must embrace all things in the long result, (i. 3, " All things
were made by Him.") But the primary horizon of the knowledge of Christ
as Saviour from sin is the most important of all, and God has in these last
days spoken "His last word" unto us by His Son, Heb. i. 2. The Truth
being Jesus Christ : the Guide, the Spirit. For He shall not speak of [from]
Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak. An essential
feature in One who is the Guide of men into truth, and guarantee of His
faithfulness. Jesus asserted this of Hiraself, xiv. 10, viii. 26, 2S, -vn. 16-18,
especially v. 30. The Father is the source of the Son's words : Father and
Son, of the Spirit's. Thus the Trinity are bound together both in their
inward and outward relations. The work of the Spirit is the unfolding of the
significance of the work of the Son. The work of the Son was the mani
festing the narae of the Father. Those who are the organs — the mouthpieces
— ofthe Spirit, through whom alone in fact the Spirit can "speak," exhibit
this trait, — the gospel being a message from God ; and each Christian
apostle, or minister, speaks of the message as brought home directly to him,
through the Spirit, always remembering that apostolic testimony is the source
from which he must draw his message. And He shall show [declare] you things
to come. Past, present, and future ; the Christian's relations to all these are
determined by Christ, and the Spirit interprets them. He recalls Christ and
expounds Him : He guides into the present, necessary knowledge or action ;
He reveals the future. It is a proraise in fact that the Church of Christ shall
control the future ; that no coraing event shall disconcert it, or dislodge it
from its true place in the history of the world ; that the Church shall be ever
abreast of the age, — presenting Christ to the age in the special form suitable
to its needs and tendencies. 14. He shall glorify me. The Son glorifies the
P'ather ; the Father glorifies the Son ; the Spirit glorifies the Son ; and the
F'ather glorifies His own narae, xii. 28, 29, xvii. 1, 4. For He shall receive
[take] of mine, and show [declare] it unto you, xiv. 26, xv. 26. 15. All
things that tke Father hath are mine ; see ui. 35, v. 20, xvii. 2. Therefore
said I, that He skall receive [take] of mine, and skall shew [declare] it unto
you. The solicitude of Christ never even to appear independent of His
Father is a striking feature of this Gospel ; and when claiming universal
empire, He acknowledges it as the Father's gift. The testimony of Christ
regarding Hiraself is at once of the most exalted and most humble descrip
tion. The Father has Himself nothing to give or tell, to do or purpose.

XVI. 20.J CHRIST GOES BUT COMES AGAIN. I15
16 A little while, and ye shall not see me : and again a little
while, and ye shall see me ; because I go to the Father.
17 Then said some of his disciples among theraselves. What is
this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see
me : and again, a little while, and ye shall see me : and,
18 Because I go to the Father? They said therefore, 'What is
this that he saith, A little while ? we cannot tell what he saith.
19 Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said
unto them. Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said,
A little while, and ye shall not see me : and again a little
20 while, and ye shall see me? Verily, verily, I say unto you,
That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice ;
and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned
which is not through the Son. And for us, all centres in Him. Without
Him we have no Father, and none of the Father's things. These blessings
wrought by the Spirit apply both to the Church and to each believing
soul. The Spirit glorifies the Son in the hearts of all Christian men .
(3.) 16— end. 16. A little wkile, and ye skall no more behold -me : and again
a little -while, and ye shall see me, sS.-^. 19. The A.A^. ignores the change of
the Greek verb (recognised by R.V.) which is retainei in vers. 17 and ig.
The vision of anxious inquiry shall pass into the vision of satisfied intelli
gence and love. (The last clause in A.V. , because I go to the Father, ought to
be omitted, the insertion being suggested by ver. 17.) 17, 18. Then said —
saith. Jesus, apparently, pausing in His discourse, the disciples — some of
them — repeat His last enigmatical \\ ords to one another in a subdued whisper ;
they ask each olher what He means, and would fain ask Himself; but afier
the three questions already addressed to Him, they shrink. They add His
previous statement of xiv. 12, 28, and ver. 5, Because I go to tke Fatker, in
itself intelUgible, but unintelligible in the light of the words just uttered.
The perplexity is photographed in the repetition of these verses. Jesus knew
their desire to ask Hira an explanation, and He resuraes His discourse. His
answer assures them — (1) that though Ihey must experience sorrow, it will
have the fruit of abiding joy ; (2) that present doubt shall vanish into full
knowledge; pledged in the facts — (i) that they shall obtain from the Father
whatever they ask in His name ; and (2) that He, their Lord, shall speak
to them no longer in parables, but in plain words about the Father ; and
then (3) that their access to the Father and fellowship with Plira through
Christ's narae shall be perfectly free, and shall rest in the sense of the
Father's love to them, who have loved and believed in His Son. 19-27.
19. Now — me. Christ's knowledge or perception of their perplexity and
wish to question Him need not have been supernatural. Their desire would
be written in their faces. Still, He knew what was in man, and knows His
disciples' thoughts and fears. 20-22. Present sorrow was inevitable because
pie left them ; but it was the sorrow which should have fruit in joy, when
He returned to them. 20. Verily, verily — joy. The utter prostration
and agony of the disciples after the betrayal, condemnation, crucifixion, and
deatli of their Master, He strikingly foretells in using three different words
expressive of great grief. Christ says that the occasion of grief to them will

Il6 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xVI. 2 1.
21 into joy. A woraan when she is in travail hath sorrow,
because her hour is eorae : but as soon as she is delivered of
the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that
22 a raan is born into the world. And ye now therefore have
sorrow ; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice,
23 and your joy no man taketh from you. And in that day ye
shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, 'What
soever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give zVyou.
24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name : ask, and ye
25 shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have
be that of joy to the unbelieving world. He does not say that their joy will
be grief to the world. Your sorrow shall be turned into joy : shall not
raerely pass away, but shall bear joy in ils hand as the harvest of which it
is the seed. 21. A woman — world. The discipline of pain can be borne
with courage when it is recognised as the appointed means of bearing fruit.
Resultless pain is unmitigated sorrow, Isa. xxvi. 18. 22. And ye — -you. As the
disciples' sorrow i^ the result of their Master's departure, so their joy is the
result of His return ; uninterrupted fellowship with Christ being the spring
of Christian joy evermore. Clirist's return in the Spirit is intended, of
course ; and yet there may be allusion to His self-manifestations after the
resurrection and before the ascension. The comfort given in xiv. 18 f. and
ver. i5 is that the disciples shall see their Lord again ; but here He says, /
will see you again ; which, however, would be no comfort unless it carried
with it the assurance of the other. Fellowship resumed — that is the meaning;
and thence a deep inner joy — your heart shall rejoice (Isa. Ixvi. 14); a
joy.of which none can rob them, as none can rob thera of the presence of
their Lord. In xv. 11 the promise of sharing Christ's joy — a full joy — is
conditioned on their keeping Plis commandments and abiding in His and the
Father's love.
23-25. Doubt and perplexity shall disappear into the satisfaction of full
knowledge, arising frora a power with the Father in prayer through Christ's
narae, practically limitless, and frora an altered method of teaching by their
Master; a change from dark passages to simplicity of speech. 23. And in that
day ye shall ask[interrogate] me notliing. The need for putting questions such as
those put in the upper room shall be done away in the full ligfit of knowledge
and persuasion ofthe Holy Spirit. Verily, verily, I say unto you, if ye shall
[ask] pray for anytliing from tke Father, He will give it you in my -name. The
change of word is to be noticed ; as in xiv. 13 and 16, which see. Prayer is some
thing different from putting questions. The latter proceeds from ignorance,
or perplexity, or unbeUef; the former, frora faith and knowledge; see on
xiv. 13 f., where Christ promises to do for thera what He ascribes here to the
Father. The passages prove the equality ofthe Son with the Father. Such
access to the Father in prayer — in Christ's narae — implies an understanding
of all that the name of Christ means, and believing dependence on its power.
There will be no more need for asking a disclosure of the Father ; see xv. 7.
The idea of such unrestricted communion vvith the Father through the Son is
the dorainant one. 24. Hitkerto^'ull. Ignorant of all that the name of
their Master signified, they could not urge it with God as a plea in prayer as

XVl. 27.] THE DISCIPLES ASSURED OF THE FATHEr's LOVE. II^
I spoken unto you in proverbs : but the time cometh, when I
shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you
26 plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name :
and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you ;
27 for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved
yet. Now it vvas dawning on them in all its Divine mediatorial fulness.
Full, or rather fulfilled, as in xv. 11. Their joy at the return of their Lord
should be made complete in the consciousness of such access to, and power
with, the Father through His name. The connection of ideas in xv. 7-11 is
simUar. The joy of intelligent faith in Jesus deepens into the joy of abiding
fruitful union in the Father and in the Son, xvii. 11. 25. The second reason
why perplexity shall disappear. These things I have spoken to you in proverbs
[parables, margin of A.V. and R.V. : dark sayings, American revision, so
ver. 29]. The word implies, obviously, a certain measure of obscurity. The
things must refer to the foregoing discourse. The hour cometk — Fatker. The
death and resurrection of Christ in the hands of the Holy Spirit threw a new
and unquenchable light on all their Lord was — to thera and to the Father,
and on all the Father vvas through their Lord to thera. This is the teaching
aU Christians enjoy.
26, 27. Their relations to the Father shall be such as to assure thera
of His readiness to hear their prayer in Christ's narae ; that they are truly
the objects of the Father's love, — being the loving and faithful disciples of
Christ. 26. At tkat day ye shall [ask] pray in my name : and I say not
unto you, tkat I will ask tke Father for you. The difference in the Greek
verbs for "asking" — the former word of an inferior to a superior, the
latter of an equal to an equal (or for simple interrogation), is the difference
between man and God. In xiv. 16 Jesus says, "I will ask the Father, and
He shall give you another Comforter," elc. It is on the supposition that the
disciples are in the enjoyment ofthe Spirit's presence, indwelling, and teaching
through Christ's own intercession, that He now seems to contradict Him
self. The state of pupilage will be gone. Not an outward Christ — a Christ
after Ihe flesh (2 Cor. v. 16), but an inward, spiritually present Christ, is the
Christian's recourse and strength ; and prayer is the great means of converse
vvith Him. The prominence given to prayer Ihrougliout the whole passage,
as proof of Christian maturity, as well as substitute for outward means of
instruction and support, is significant. Comparing the three passages refer
ring to prayer in xiv., xv., xvi., we may classify thera so — (l) Prayer the proof
of Christ's Alraighty influence with the Father, xiv. 13 f. (2) Prayer the
proof of the disciple's living fellowship vvith his Lord, xv. 7, 16. (3) Prayer
the proof of the disciple's spiritual maturity; of his access vvith confidfnce as
a child to the Father, xvi. 23 ff. 27. For — God. R.V. substitutes in the
last clause, that I came forth from the Fatker, in place of, from God.
Access to the Father in prayer with confidence in the narae of Christ is
grounded on the Father's own love to thera ; and the assurance that the
Father loves them is reflected in their own love to their Lord, and faith in
Him ; for as their love to Christ has been awakened by His love to thera.
His love to thera is the reflection of the love of the Father from whom He
came, xv. 9. In xiv. 23 the assurance of the Father's love is bound up with
the disciple's love of Christ, and obedience to His word. How much is
intended in their faith that the Lord had "come forth fioin the Father," —

IlS THJE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xVI. 28.
28 me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came
forth from the Father, and am come into the world : again, I
29 leave the world, and go to the Father. His disciples said
unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no
30 proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and
needest not that any raan should ask thee : by this we believe
special prophetic mission, pre-existence. Divine rank, — must be lefl un
determined ; see below, ver. 30 L Jesus knew and interpreted rightly their
feelings of love and faith to Hiraself, as He always can do. The term for
love is that used exclusively of the affection of natural relationship, and
nowhere else applied to Ihe mutual love of God and man ; see on xi. 5.
This is the only place in these five chapters where the word is used, agapan
being used twenty-four times, and ten tiraes in the rest of the Gospel.
28-33. Jesus declaring with solemn and simple emphasis His Divine
origin and destiny, the disciples at last express their absolute faith in
Him; and Jesus, accepting their faith, warns them nevertheless that it will
be immediately put to a severe strain. He will be forsaken by all but God.
Then Pie assures them of peace in Himself, though tribulation awaits them in
the world.
28. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world, see on viii.
42. Uniqueness of origin in the Father, pre-existence with the Father ;
a coming into this world, not as that of all, but as of One who had a con
scious personal existence before, and who came into this world through the
exercise of His own will. Again, I leave the world, and go to the Fatker.
Uniqueness of origin carries uniqueness of destiny. Coming into the
world as none ever came. He leaves it as none ever left it — by His
own will — in order to go to the Father, from whom He came, xiv. 12,
28, and ver. 5. This simple stateraent sums up together the eternal genera
tion, the incarnation, the death, resurrection, and ascension of the Son
of God.
29. His disciples — proverb. Jesus had said as much and as plainly
before, but probably the assurance of such access to the Father, and of
the Father's love to themselves, especially His own encouraging view of
their faith in Himself, led them up to this point at which the truth
seems to burst on their view. They were not yet at the top of the hill.
The dark valley of Christ's cross lay between this point and that.
30. Now -we are sure [we know] that Thou kno-ivest all things, and needest
not — God. The certainty born in the disciples, dispensing v\'itli the need
for putting any further questions, that their Master was Omniscient and
Divine in origin, which meant Divine in nature and personal existence, was
the result of all Ihat they had heard from His lips in that upper room;
liis own calm reiterated testimony to Hiraself, with the light of liis past
character, as they knew it, intensified now through the fear of being
deprived of Ihe unparalleled privilege. To express faith in Him as having
eorae forth from God must be taken together vvith the ascription to Iiim
of omniscience, an attribute of Godhead only. We perceive this, but whethei
the disciples perceived the logical sequence, as vve can, raay be doubted ;
they may have said raore than they knew, and yet that this confession was
intended lo be the very fuUest possible — Messianic in fact — conveying their
belief in Jesus as holding an exceptional relation to the Father, endowed

XVI. 33.] IN THE WORLD, TRIBULATION; IN CHRIST, PEACE. II9
31 that thou camest forth from God. Jesus answered them, Do
32 ye now believe? Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now
come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and
shall leave rae alone : and yet I ara not alone, because the
33 Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you,
that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall
have tribulation : but be of good cheer ; I have overcome
the world.
with Divine attributes, and in the world for an exceptional purpose, cannot
reasonably be doubled. It is not necessary, therefore, to put the question
whether by the words, earnest forth from God, the disciples meant all that
their Lord meant. (It is striking that all the three Greek prepositions,
meaning "out of" or "frora," are employed here ; that denoting the closest
connection in ver. 28, as in viii. 42, that denoting a more distant relation
in ver. 27, and that denoting the most distant, used by the disciples, in
ver. 30.)
31. Jesus — believe? Not incredulously; for He had already credited
them with faith, ver. 27 ; rather with a sense of relief and joy that there is
such a hearty response at last to this revelation, though not yet so complete
in its hold over their own loyalty to Him as they imagined. One more
experience, though a formidable one, was needful, and their faith would
be perfected. He warns thera of it. 32. Behold — me (Matt. xxvi. 31).
The passive way of putting their desertion, Ye shall be scattered, softens
Ihe infidelity. Their faith in Hira would sustain a shock, for which as yet
it was too feeble. He should be forsaken of all, but the Father should
be with Him. Observe the striking presential forra, I am not alone, the
Father is with me : not, "I shall not then be alone. " He is never alone;
the Father is ever with Plim, John vin. 16, 29. (The Greek preposition
for "with" denotes co-existence.) 33. These things — world. A sumraing
up of the Christian disciple's experience here to the end of tirae. In
Christ, peace ; in the world, tribulation ; through Christ's victory over the
world, courage and hopefulness. On peace, see xiv. 27 ; on tribulation,
see XV. 18 ff., and vers. 1-3. Jesus speaks of the world as already over-
corae ; possibly a pledge of the victory Pie had felt to be the spontaneous
confession of iaith in Hira by His disciples; cp. xii. 31, see 1 John v. 4,
5 ; Rev. in. 21. The world conquered by our Lord must be conquered
through the power of our faith in Him. How more fittingly could such
unparalleled discourse be concluded than by this assurance of peace in
Himself, and of triuraph — triumph of His own over all the power of
the enemy? The end goes back to the beginning, xiv. 1, "Let not your
heart be troubled. Ye believe in God, believe also in Me; " and it affords
the ultimate reason for dispelling fear, and possessing our souls in peace ;
— this that Jesus has overcome every cause for fear, both in this world
and in the world to come.
Ch. xvii. This prayer of Jesus is usually called His great high-priestly
prayer, offered, like the sweet incense of the Jewish high priest before the
HoUest was sprinkled with blood, as He was on the eve of laying His life
down a sacrifice for men. Having elicited such an emphatic expression of
faith (xvi. 30) from His disciples, Jesus perceives that His work in their

I20 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xVII. I.
Chap. XVII. i. These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes
to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is eorae ; glorify thy
2 Son, that thy Son also raay glorify thee : as thou hast given
him power overall flesh, that he should give eternal life to as
training is achieved ; and He turns at once in prayer to His Father in
the recognition of the arrival at last of the supreme crisis, and commits
Himself and His disciples to the Father's love and care. It is the out
pouring of the Saviour's heart when it was fullest ; as a dying parent having
^ bestowed his blessing on Iris children commends them to God. And,
Jesus wishes His disciples to know for what He prays, that they mayTre
taken_into the inner confidence of His Fatlier and Plimself as to their
future, and theJutureoTTiis^Church^ The chapter contains, accord -
inglyT Hispra2eP^^r3forI2Sse2Ijt-5, and second for His disciples,
6-end.
. 1. 1-5. Christ's prayer for Himself is to the effect that the Father .
I should glorify plira now that He has performed the work for which the /
I Father endowed Him with the requisite power, naraely, revealing and j
viraparting to men the, life eternal, which consists in the knowledge of God '
qflii..fiis-Son. 1. These words [things] spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes
to heaven, and said — see xi. 41 — Father, the hour is come ; glorify Thy Son,
ttkat Tky [tke, R.V.] Son may glorify Tkee. Christ's invariable address to
God, except on the cross, was in the word " Father !" xii. 27 f, xi. 41;
"Cuke X. 21 ; Matt. xi. 25. ("MvFather/' Matt. xxvi. 39, 42; "Abba,
Father," Mark xiv. 36. ) The whoIeTevelation of the gospel of God's love is
in the word and its use.\_lesus dates the hour by the confession of faith on
the part of the loyal disciples_^ All His training of them led up to this ;
^and when it was reached, when Jesus felt that faith in Himself was really
I planted beyond fear of uprooting in their hearts. He perceived that there
\ was now but the last thing to do, to lay His life down, which He does
Vof Himself, as He perceives without outward warning that God's time for
Hira has eorae. ^ Tke hour is come .''Qseeii^ 4. .) The hour fixed by God
in which "the Lamb slain frora the touiidation of the world" should be
offered up ; the supreme hour of Ihe world's history, the striking of which
rang out the old and rang in the new ; the hour to which all the previous
dispensations were preparatory. Time measures all things, yet the measure
of tirae itself is the unfolding of God's eternal purpose of grace for sinners.
All that happens in tirae is under God's rule ; but time itself happens in
order that God's end in creation and redemption may be reached ; and " time
shall be no longer "when the mystery of God shall "oe finished, when this
prayer of the Lord shaU be fulfilled in the perfecting of His mystical
body. j^Tirae is for purposes of salvation ; the Lord Jesus Christ is the
Beginning and the End.^ Glorify Tky Son, etc., see on vii. 39; cp.
£xi. 4, gii. 23, "is,. J^]l. 31 f, xiv. 13. The sense Jesus^T^ad of His I
\i>"ather's and His own glory as inseparable, and that the one depended \
on the olher, is striking, Isa. liii. 10. He prays that He may now
be glorified, but only that the Father's glory may be raade conspicuous/
/• thereby ; cp. viii. 50iS4.1 Only Ihe glory that the Father could give Christ
t sought, and only sucTiglory as vvould give greater glory to the Father.
2. As Tkou [gavest] hast given power over all fiesh, tkat He skould give
eternal life io as many as 'Jkou hast given Him. [Tkat all that ivhich Tkou

xvn. 4.] Christ's high-priestly prayer. 121
3 many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that
they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
4 whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth ; I
hast given Hitn, He skould give to them eternal life. ] Corap. the sirailar
(_w'ords in ¦vi. 37, 39. The prayer to be glorified is in accordance with the
graiirof universal authority made by the Father to the Son (ni. -^t, ; Matt.
xxviii. 18) ; and that grant has been made in order that fSfSon may
impart life eternal to all that the Father has given Hira. The natural
consequence is that the Son be raised to the glory which will raanifest that
authority, and where He will exercise it, and so will enable Him to carry
out the gracious purpose of the Divine gift. The Son, as man and mediator,
was invested by the Faiher with universal authority, in order that He might
be the source of endless life to all given Him by the Father. The two
gifts are to be distinguished : the Son was ordained the spring and
mediator of life to raen (v. 26, " The Father hath given to the Son to
have life in Himself"), and was clothed with the needful endowments by
the Holy Spixit. [,All fiesh. A very common O. T. phrase (Gei]»_iavJ.2;
Ps. Ixv. 2 ; Isa. xl. 5 > Joel ii. 28), denoting mankind on their frail and
mortal side, t We must separate in thought the fact of this gift from the
fnelius wliillU our Lord took in order to gain the only power over men^_y
r which is worth possessing, that of winning their love and obedience by
V His sacrifice of Himself in life and_death^' The Father Himself could not
give such a power apart from the means, but He could ordain the raeans,
and so sustain His Son in going through with them, and so act in His
invisible drawing on men's hearts, that the results foretold by Jesus should
be verified, ch. xii. 32. (jThe power of Christ over those whora His Father
V^_lia5_gyen to Him is dependent on His power over all mankind. / The
gospel is not for a few, but for all. \The appeal in it is universak If it
did not come with a raessage for all raen, it would not come with an
effectual call to any man. In giving life to those who were gifted to Him
by the Father, Jesus therefore proves His power over humanity. Hence
His "authority to execute judgraent also, because He is the Son of Man."
3. And this — Christ; cp. 1 Cor. viii. 6. Definition of eternal life as know
ledge of the one tiue God, and of Jesus Christ sent by Him. I The raission
of Jesus Christ reveals the nature of the one true God/ the Sent — the Sender,
the Son — the Father, i John v. Ilj It is possiole to see in the one clause a
reference to the Old 'TestamellT, aiia in the othera reference to the New Testa
raent. The two economies are mutually evidencing. The word true denotes
that its object realizes the ideal. \ Life is in spiritual union and comraunion
with God through Jesus Christ ; but since knowledge is necessary for fellow
ship, the exchange of terras is natural ; cp. Malt^xi. 27, and often in John,
see X. 14, 15, vUi. 55; 1 John iv. 7 ff. LifevviU be capable of infinite
expansion as our knowledge of God deepens. ^(Considerable doubt is
thrown on tl^ genuineness of this verse as a portion of the actual prayer
of our Lord.^Some are satisfied with 'the omission simply of the last two
words, Jesus Ckrist. \The objection is that the words are loo formal, too
much like a familiar irirmula of Church confession, to have been uttered in
prayer by Jesus at such a moment. \ The question is but a fringe of the \
wider one, — how far John has given us a literally and verbally correct \
account of his Lord's words ; see Introduction. ) 4 f . / have glorified — tlu

i

122 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xVII. 5.
5 have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And
now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the
6 glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have
raanifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest rae out
woi-ldwas. I have glorified Thee, and now do Thou glorify me.| Upon the
earth. There reraained more to do in heaven, ver. i. ^Having finished
the work, etc., see ix. 4,^1. 38, iv. jjy What that work essentially was, see
ver. 6 ff., 26. "having received theforegoing confession of faith from His
disciples (xvi. 29 f ), the Lord might well utter this confident assertion.
And now do Thou, Father, glorify me. As no man besides could or can,
A Jesus presents His Ufe on earth as an arguraent for receiving glory from
I the Father. No confession of error or sin or failure, no regret, no depre
cation of Divine judgment escapes His Ups. With Thine own self, with
the glory wkick I had with lliee before the world was, vex. i. Jesus prays I
\ {ox a return to the pre-existing condition of glory in fellowship with His J
I Father. (^And He makes it evident that to be with His Father in the
most intimate communion of life and glory, is His chief desire, see i. 12,
and ver. 24. As in ver. 1 Jesus simply asks the Father to glorify Him, here_/
I He defines the characler of the glory that is to be conferred.
2. 6-end. Our Lord's prayer for His disciples, f In the first place He
speaks of His work as revealing the Father to them, and of their response in
faith, so as particularly to characterize His disciples, and differentiate them
from the world besides, 6-10. tin the next place He prays for them — (1)
That they may be kept in the' Father's narae frora the evil of the world in
which they must live, 11-16. (2) That they may be sanctified in the truth,
17-19- (3) That they may all be one, 20-23. (4) That they may be with
Himself where He is, and behold His glory, ver. 24. (5) Jesus concludes
with a striking assertion of the world's ignorance, and of His own knowledge
of God, and of His disciples' knowledge of God through Himself; with the
resolution to make still further known to them the name of God, already dis
closed, in order that they raay share with Hiraself God's love, and have Jesus
Hiraself personally dwelling within thera, 25, 26. yFi'St, Jesus describes Plis
disciples before He prays for thera, 6-10. 6. / kave manifested — word ; cp.
Ps. xxii. 22. The building up of a believing fellowship on earth, and
arranging for its perpetuity, was the chief work of Christ, ver. 4. The
raanifestation of God's narae raay be said to be in part the condition of
gathering disciples : the susceptible responded to the revelation ; cp. ver. 2.
On the other hand, to such responsive souls alone could this revelation, in its
deepest reaches (xiii.-xvii.), be raade. The name of God, an O. T. idiom
(xii. 28, vers. 11 f., 26), stands for the whole nature and will of God as dis
closed to men through Ihe Son : the fulness of His grace and truth to
sinners ; see i. 18. To tke men whom Thou gavest me out of the world ; see
f vi. 37, 39. Thine they were; see on vi. 45, _viii. 47. In what sense did
I the disciples belong to God before coming to Jesu^ They were God-fearingJ
j men, Israelites indeed ; listening to God's voice in conscience and Scriptu_rej_
and longing for more of God in heart and mindi they were " of God ; '
""Tiearing and learning of the Father." So they "came to Christ."
Whether this exhausts the conception of belonging to God, and how much
is due lo their choice of God and how much to God's choice of them
determining their choice of Him, must be solved in the region of experi-

xvii. IO.] Christ's high-priestly pRaYeR. 123
of the world : thine they were, and thou gavest them me ;
7 and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that
all things, whatsoever thou hast given me, are of thee :
8 for I have given unto thera the words which thou gavest me ;
and they have received them, and have known surely that I
came out from thee, and they have' believed that thou didst
9 send me. I pray for them : I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou hast given me : for they are thine.
ro And all mine are thine, and thine are mine ; and I am glori-
J mental religion. Thou gavest them me. The attraction of the disciples to I
\ Jesus, and their acceptance of Hira as Lord, He ascribes to the power of the j
Father upon thera.J They could not have been the Father's, therefore,
wilhout the same mfluencejl If this applies to every believing man, the
application must adniinsf' fhe sarae inference, namely, that the believer
belongs to the Father before Pie belongs to the Son, and is led by the
Father to the Son when the Son manifests the Father to Him. There is in
this reciprocal influence of Father and Son on the human heart (xiv. 23) a j
striking verification of the prayer : " Glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also J
may glorify Thee." The Father gives and draws to the Son just as the Son
in turn manifests the name of the Father, Matt. xi. 27. And they have kept
Thy word, i.e. the word or logos (the whole Gospel), spoken in God's name \
by their Lord, ver. 8. ( Obedience followed faith. 7 f- Now they have
known (know) — me. The word now is emphatic, and the allusion is to
xvi. 30. Now we are sure (know), etc. Tke words wkick Thou gavest me,
etc. ; see xiv. 10. The "words" imply all the separate utterances of
Christ as personal revelation of the character and will of God, convincing
the believing receiver of them that Christ is Divine in origin and person,
and His mission Divine. Deeper and assured knowledge and faith follow
obedience. Observe the order in Ihe description of the disciples: (i) they
were the Father's, and given by Hira to the Son ; (2) obedient to His
word ; and (3) responsive to that word — believers in Christ's Divine origin
and mission ; a striking iUustration of vii. 17. Christians can be regarded \
frora each of these three great points of view : ( I ) as the Father's gift tothe \
Son (it is evident how dear to the heart of Jesus such tokens of His Father's
love were, vers. 2, 6, 9, 11, 12, 24) ; (2) as men who obey the word of God;
(3) as men who repose faith in their Divine Lord. 9 f. /" pray (lit. make
request) for them. The first pronoun is emphatic, and we raay render the
meaning thus : These men beUeve in rae ; and I, on my part, now pray for
them : Christ's prayer for them being based on the fact of their faith and
obedience. The utterance is .sublime : the whole majesty of Godhead is j
centred in Ihe first word /. I pray not for the world: not in the same sense,
and not at present. (On the word pray, see on xiv. l6^)^^ For they are fi.
tkine. Jesus feels bound to care for such a valuable gift, and in a way pro- \\
portioned to the love He has to the giver ; see x. 28-30. And all mine are \
thine — them. While Jesus grounds His request for Plis disciples on Ihe fact
that they belong to Plis Father, He rerainds Himself and Plis Father that all
is common betvveen them : and that as these disciples are a concern to Hiraself
because they are His Father's gift to Him, His own glory through thera
will therefore be a concern to Plis Father. We have thus an additional

i

124 The gospel by johN'. [xvii. ti.
1 1 fied in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these
are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep
through thine own narae those whom thou hast given me,
12 that they may be one, as we are. 'While I was with them in
characteristic of the disciples of Christ in these verses : on its negative side,
they are not of the world ; and on its positive side, they are on that account
the instruments of glory to Christ in the world. I
Second, the contents ofthe prayer for the disciples. (l.) 11-16. Let them be I
kept from the evil in the world. Returning to His Father Pie must leave His
disciples in theworld: may the HolyFather keep them in His own name. ^ When
with them. He had Himself kept them so that nonebut Ihe son of perdition was
lost — as Scripture had foretoIdfS But now He goes to the Father ; and He has
made this request in order that mose whom He leaves may not brood on their/
loss and sorrow, but share His own joy completely. Their reception of ano^
obedience to His Father's word has brought on thera the hatred of the
world, to which they do not belong as He does not belong to it ; still He
does not ask that they be withdrawn frora it — simply kept frora its evil.
1 1. And I am no more in tke world, and these are in the world, and I come
to Thee (so R.V.). Christ's intense consciousness of oneness with the Father
makes Hira overleap the interval both of time and of woe still lying between
Him and glory, but His heart yearns over His own. Holy Father ! Keep\
them whom Thou hast given me in Thy name, that they may be one, even as j
we are. Holiness is the attribute of God most immediately concerned in the
preservation of Christians from evil (cp. ver. 25, " Righteous Father "). The
combination of ideas in this sublime title is impressive : holiness and love being
both erabraced. As the holy God, as the loving Father, Jesus appeals to Hira
to keep His people frora the stain and destruction of sin. The absence of
allusion to the presence of the Holy Spirit, the other Paraclete, is striking ;
. perhaps almost a corroboration of the genuineness of the record. But il is
1 understood that the answer to this request involves the gift of the Holy Spirit,
1 who is sent in the name of Christ (xiv. 26). Having had the narae of God
^rianifested to them, and having yielded themselves up in faith and obedience to
the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ revealed in the narae (ver. 6), that
name is named upon them. They are coraraitted to all the truth it declares,
and the hoUness it enjoins, as they belong lo Him whose name it is ; and so the "N
,, prayer follows : Keep them in Thy name; cp. Num. vi. 27 ; Deut. xxviii. 10 ;v__/
\ Ps. XX. 1. If we are obliged to adopt the reading of R.V. : Keep tkem in Tky
' name which Tkou hast given me, maintained by most moderns (except Godet),
the significance reraains the sarae : the difference being siraply in the ascrip
tion ofthe name of God to Christ. It is an unusual mode of expression, even
t.aking into account such passages as Ex. xxiii. 21 ; Phil. ii. 9 ; Rev. iii. 12,
xix. 12, and we cannot help feeling that the idea is incongruous vvith vers.
6 and 26. That they may be one, as we. Some plausibility is given to the
last-mentioned reading by the interpretation, which seeras n.atural : Let the
unity of our name, Father and Son, be reflected in their unity. At all
events, the preservation of believers in God's name has the object in view
of binding thera to one another, as sharers in the comraon blessing of
identification with God and His dearest interests, so that their fellowship
shall reflect that typical fellowship of Father and .Son of which ver. 10 is an
expression; see on ver. 20. viz. While I ivas with tkem I kept them in Thy

XVII. 16.] Christ's high-priestly prayer. 125
the world, I kept them in thy narae ; those that thou gavest
rae I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of
13 perdition; that the scripture raight be fulfilled. And now
come I to thee : and these things I speak in the world, that
14 they might have ray joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given
them thy word ; and the world hath hated them, because they
are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
151 pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world,
1 6 but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are
name which Thou hast given me, and I guarded them (so R.V. The same
emendation as in the previous verse, with less likelihood to show for it.
Some who accept the forraer reject this). 'When speaking directly to the
Idkciples, Jesus comforted them, xiv. 16 ff. When commending them to
God, the pathos of their condition without His own personal presence
apparently possesses His thoughts (Pleb. iv. 15). The repetition of the
same idea in more forcible fashion : "\ guarded \\iera," suggests the reality of
the Christian's danger and of his Lord's vigilance. And not one of them is
T [was] lost, but tke son of perdition, tkat tke scripture migkt be fulfilled. (The
/ exception does not apply to those whom the Faiher had given to His Son.
C, The construction in Greek is well known, cp. Matt. xii. 4, "Which it was
not lawful for him to eat, or for those who were with him, but for the priests"
alone ;" so Luke iv. 25 f.) LOn "son of perdition," cp. 2 Thess. ii. 3 and
/ Eph. ii. 2, "sons of disobedience " (Isa. IvU. 4), cp. Matt. vui. 12, "sons
of the kingdom," see xii. 36. Perdition was as if his origin, and perdition his
destiny.A Judas Iscaiiot was bound and related to perdition as is the child
/to its p^ent. No one is a "son of light" by nature ; and no one is a "son of
perdition" by nature (cp. vni. 38 ff.)^ We are all fallen sons by nature ; but
to be a " son of perdition," a man flSust of his own will permit the principle
of perdition to possess him, to become by habitual yielding to it his "vlry"
( nature ; and so he gravitates to his own place, for he bears it in hira. In
tlTC destruction of Judas Scripture was verified.; and therefore there was
involved the mystery of Divine fore-'orSinaltbiij see on xiii. 18. 13. But
[And] now I come to Tkee — themselves. The audible comraittal of the
disciples to Ihe Father's care, corabined with the assurance that their Lord
Hiraself had gone to be with the Father (xiv. 12, 28), should cause their
sorrow to disappear into the fulness of His own joy ; see on xv. 11. 14. /
I kave given — world. \ Their reception of God's word proved them to be in
sympathy with God's will of righteousness, and so they incurred the hate of the
'world, which \' lieth in the wicked one" (ver. 6, and see on xv. 18 ff. and
viii. 23). Treatment of God's word, i.e. of God as revealed in the word,
determines whether we are of the world or of God!\ 15. / pray not [I do
not ask] that — evil [one]. The hate of the world is not to be shrunk from,^
Jt to be endured ; for not otherwise can testimony be borne to the power
of Christ's all-conquering love, or the Christian discipline be complete.
There is therefore an isolation frora the common life of men which is as
injurious to the Christian as it is lo the world. No man could be less "of
the world " than Jesus ; and np man was more habitually in the stream of its
ordinary and varied incident, vj^hat is " evil " in the world must to a large
extent lieJefQothe individual conscience ; if we bear in mind that evil not

126 ""' ( THE C

GOSPEL BY JOHN. [XVII. I 7.
1 7 not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify
18 them through thy trutli : thy word is truth. As thou hast
merely exists, but is the subtle atmosphere penetrating every region of
human life, and corroding where conscience is not wakeful. We cannot
localize evil. And that is evil to one which to another is impotent^ The
ever-recurring problem to the earnest Christian is how to be in the world, and
yet prove that he is not of itJ It is probable that the concrete personality,
and not the abstraction, is pointed to in the word "evil."- Cp. xiv. 30;
I John ii. 13 f, iu. 12, v. 18 f. 16. They — world (vex. 14). A repetition
giving emphasis and solemnity to the conception.
(2.) Let them be sanctified in the truth, vv. 17-19. The second element
in Christ's prayer for His disciples, and which may be taken as the positive
side of the previous idea. For there is only one effectual method of being
kept from evil in the world, namely, by the indwelling of God's Spirit in the
heart to enlighten and purify. 17. Sanctify them in the truth. See on x. 36.
' R.V., by putting the alternative "consecrate" in the raargin, suggests the
radical notion of the word in Greek : a separation and setting apart to God's
uses ; see Lev. xxii. 2; Deut. xv. 19. The consecration is, speaking strictly,
Ithe result of sanctification begun at least, its outward proof; actuaUy, in
a spiritual dispensation, consecration must itself mean the devotion of the
heart : a separation from the world in the affections and will. (The work is
God's, not apart, however, from man's free will, Ps. cxvi. 16. "Truth" is
the instrument of sanctification, or rather the element in which that process
takes place ; and the truth is God's word : Thy word is truth, vers. 6 and 14 ;
see viii. 32, 40 ff. Trutk, absolutely, is that which satisfies the mind, the
conscience, and the heart ; and the reception of God disclosed in " the word of
the truth of the gospel " of His Son, brings light to the mind, and repose to the
affections, and peace to the conscience. 'The deep significance of such an
expression "in the truth " is brought out by comparing it with other passages :
^*< lie that is of God heareth God's words," viii. 47. ," He (the devil) abode/
not in the truth,\? ib. ver. 44. " I am the truth," xiv. dy " Every one that
is of the truth heareth ray voice,"' xviii. 37^ " 1 tiat we may knovv Him that
Lis true ; and we are in Him that istriie, I John v. 20. Above all, we must
compare what is said of the Holy Spirit as the " Spirit of truth " in the
^v_i)eliever, xiv. 17, xv. 26, xvi. 13 ; 1 John ii. 20, 2^ Opposed to the world's
lie and error (i John iv. 6), the Christian possesses truth, i John n. 21 ; and
this places an ever-widening separation between him and the spirit of the
world. The word of God in His Son is the disclosure to man of eternal
truth : truth as to his origin, position, destiny ; as to his relationship to
Himself — "the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent ; " as to
his relationship to his brother raen ; his place here ; his hope for the future.
There are implied, further, the iCa%o\\i.te finality and reliability of this word of
God in Christ. Of no word of man could this be affirmed. Into all human
discoveries, into the highest reach of thought, error enters. Truth is won
hardly by a laborious process, step by step, by supposition and by argument,
by tentative and experimental work, by long suspense and doubt. It is not
so with the word of God, on which as setting Christ forth, confirmed in our
hearts by the Spirit, we rest for life eternal, and as God's word it is accessible
to all raen. It is "the truth " in the raost absolute and unqualified sense.
It makes us true, because new men. No grain of error or falsehood corrupts
or weakens it. Hence the confidence which inspires the Christian, spiinging

XVII. 2 1. J Christ's high-priestly prayer. 127
sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into
19 theworld. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they
20 also might be sanctified through the truth. \ Neither pray I for
these alone, but for thera also which shall believe on rae
21 through their word; that they all may be one; as thou,
Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one
in us : that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
partly from assurance that he has the truth of God, and partly frora the
experience of its purifying power (I John ii. 6, v. 13 and 19, 20), and
without which he would not be qualified to do his work as an ambassador for
Christ in the world>>l8. As — world. The apostolic raission to the world
followed their sanctification in the truth, and the apostles have the sarae right
to speak in Christ's name as He in His Father's : they continue His work,
and He is the personal source of all ministerial authority, the mission of the
Son by the Father being the ground of the mission of the apostles by the Son.
The connection between ver. 17 and ver. 18 is obvious, y Christ's disciples
-bear His word as sanctified men to the world.; see^jtK._,i6 and xx. 21. 19.
And for their sakes — truth; see on x. 36. The Father sanctifies the Son,
and the Son sanctifies Himself. Between the Father and Ihe disciples Jesus
as it were interposes Himself, for the Father's consecration of the disciples can
take place only as the result of the Son's consecration of Himself on their
behalf: i.e. His free surrender of Himself over to the Father's will unto
death — a surrender of Himself made in respect of sin. The consequence of
believing reception of Christ is the placing of the believer first in an abiding
sanctified relation to God, Acts xx. 32, xxvi. 18; i Cor. i. 2, elc. ; see Heb.
X. 8-10 and 29 ; and then as he stands in the truth the gradual, ethical process
of inner purification follows. Christ's self-sanctification is accordingly in a
higher plane than ours, as it is not the pattern alone, but also the effective
power. "Christ realized the ideal of holiness in His life and suffering, and
this is the ground for the sanctification of men " (Neander).
(3.) Let them all be one, vv. 20-23. 20. Neither pray I for these alone
[And not for tkese only do I ask], but for tkem also wkick skall [omit shall,
R.V.] believe on me through their word. In passing to the request for the
unity of His disciples, the Lord fitly mentions that His prayer includes all
the fellowship of the saints, not His apostles only. The apostolic word
produces faith in Christ, for faith coraeth by hearing. 21. Tkat tkey all may
be one, as Tkou, Father, art in me, and I in Tkee, that they also may be [one]
in us : that the world may believe tkat Tkou kast [didst] sent me. The unity
of believers in mutual love has its ground slxiA its pattern in the wonderful
unity of Faiher and Son ; see on xiv. 10 f (x. 38, vi. 57), and its result in
convincing the world that the mission of the Son of God was truly Divine and
Fatherly ; that the Father sent the Son to raake men His own sons, and brothers
among themselves. Whether we are to read, tkat they also may be one in us,
with A. v., or omitting one with R.V., the sense is practically unchanged :
the union and coramunion which believers have with the Father through the
Son in the Spirit is the condition of their union and communion with one
another. No human brotherhood can exist apart frora the coramon bond of
the individuals to the Lord Jesus Christ ; and the Chrisiian communion
should testify to its Divine origin. The unbelief of the world, if not
occasioned, is largely strengthened and hardened by the disunion of Christians.

128 the GOSPEL BY JOHN. [XVII. 2 2.
2 2 And the glory which thou gaveit me I have given them ; that
23 they may be one, even as we are one : I in thera, and thou in
rae, that they may be made perfect in one ; and that the
world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved thera,
24 as thou hast, Joved me. Father, I will that they also whora
thou hast given rae be with rae where I am ; that they may
behold ray glory, which thou hast given me : for thou lovedst
25 me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father,
the world hath not known thee : but I have known thee, and
26 these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have
22-23. And the glory— me. The glory of the Son, given Him by the Father,
can be nothing else than the Father's love ; that love which constitutes us
sons in Christ, the only-begotlen Son, i. 13 f (see ver. 24). Sharers of that
love in the free gift and grace of the Son, they attain to the state of perfection
in the unity of Father and Son, and in brotherly fellowship. The love of one
beUever lo another and to God, is the proof of Christ's Divine mission, and of
the love God has to men which prompted it ; cp. xiv, 21, 23, xv. 9 f , xvi.
27 ; I John V. I, 2. Without love there are no unity and no perfection.
Unity is the perfect slate.
(4. ) Let them be with me and behold my glory, ver. 24. The crown of aU
the petitions of Jesus for His own. They form an ascending series : deliverance
from the evil in the world ; sanctification in the truth, realized in purity, know
ledge, and consecration to God ; the perfection of unity in God and araong
themselves ; finally, the being with Christ and seeing His glory. The prayer
embraces, therefore, all that concerns us here and hereafter, from our redemp
tion from sin onward to our eternal glory. Fatker, I will — world. The ex
pression of Christ's self-consciousness in the word I will is sublime. The love of
Christ's heart can be satisfied with nothing less than this, that His people, the
Father's gift to Hira, be with Iiim for ever, sharing His blessedness. Wliere
I am; cp. i. 18. See on xii. 26, xiv. 3. Witk me. Two main elements in
the future life are the presence and the glory of Christ, to which is added the
third, Tkat tkey may behold — world. The contemplation of Christ's gloiy is
the condition of being changed into the same image from glory to glory. Christ's
deepest desire is to have His people with Hira. He interprets their deepest
desire in praying that they raay behold, and so receive into theraselves. His
glory, I John iii. 2 ; Rom. viii. 17. That glory, as stated above, ver. 22, is the
Father's love to Him ; that eternal love as ground of all the communication
of Hiraself which the Father has raade to the Son ; see Eph. i. 4 ; I Pet. i. 20.
(5.) Conclusion of the prayer. 2^. O righteous Father. The hoUness ofthe
Father is concerned in keeping His people frora evil. The righteousness of the
Father is the Divine attribute raost disbelieved in the world. Tke world — me.
Ignorance of God, and especially of God as righteousness as well as love, is
the world's curse and sin. The world by wisdora knew not God, i Cor. i. 21.
But I know Thee; cp. viii. 55. Solemn assertion of Christ's competence to
declare God to men, such as only one who knew Himself equal with God
could make. \Only through Christ have we the knowdedge of God which saves, \
the conviction of the righteousness and the assurance of the Fatherhood of
God, both of which are needful to inspire faith. These have known that Thou
kast sent me, xvi. 30 and ver. 6 f. Recognition of the Divineness of Christ's

Xvu. 26.] Christ's high-priestly pr.wer. 129
declared unto them thy narae, and will declare it; that the love
wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
person and mission leads on to the full knowledge of God, and His will for
men in Christ. 26. .-!nd I — tkem ; cp. ver. 6. The last and highest object of
making known to them the Father's name is that the disciples may, in receiv
ing the revelation through faith in the Revealer, share the very love which
the Father has to the Son, with aU the implied and wonderful blessedness of
a relation of sonship never to be dissolved. But the love of the Father is
realized only through the love of the Son, and that in tum through His
personal indwelling in the soul by His Spirit ; so Christ adds, and I in tkem.
For indeed it is only as Jesus dwells in us that we can be the objects of the
Father's love, and assure ourselves that we are so. To have God disclosed to us
in order that we raay knovv how He loves us (1 John iii. 1) in the person of His
only -begotten Son, is the highest of aU revelations. It is the knowledge of God
culminating in assurance of God's love, and the assurance of Hi- love, in turn,
opening a door into the understanding of His glorious being, i John iv. 16.
If we believe that the evangelist has given a substantially accurate record
of our Lord's utterances to His Father on this memorable night, it is of no
pra.ctical moraent to discuss whether each sentence or clause is precisely as
Christ spoke it. Unless John had taken something like a shorthand report
at the time, or unless we suppose that the promise of the Spirit to bring all
things to the remembrance of the disciples whatsoever their Lord taught
them, embraced a literaUy and verbaUy correct account of His words, we
must hold that the utterances of our Lord — the great leading ideas at least —
are reproduced through the medium of the apostle's long-continued reflection,
with all the aids afforded by the teaching of the Spirit and events in providence.
There are passages in this chapter, it may be safely said, that once heard could
not but live in the memory, and that none would have ventured to have written
without authority, or even could have imagined, e.g. vers. 4, 5, and 24. If
it be considered a difficulty that, iraraediately after the utterance of this
prayer, our Lord should, according to the record ofthe other three Gospels,
faU into extreme despondency in Gethsemane (the raention of which is entirely
omitted by John), it is a difficulty which must be taken along with all the
others that arise, and could not but arise, from the twofoldness of our Lord's
condition, reflected in the rapid changes of emotion, from weakness to
strength, from despair to triumph, which are portrayed in the record.
III. Christ's Betr.ayal, Trial, Condemnation, and
Death, Chs. xviii., xix.
Ch. XVIII. l-li. The incidents in the garden of Gethsemane. 12-27.
The examination before the high priest, and Peter's denial. 28-40. The
first exaraination by Pilate.
(i.) i-ii. The betrayal in Gethsemane. John never allows us to forget
that the subject on whom such ignominies were perpetrated as those he is
about to record is no other than the Only-begotten of the Father. Rays of
His glory lighten up the darkness of His betrayal, and His shameful treat
ment before Pilate and the high priest, and even His cross. Pie knows all
that is to happen, as in harmony with a Divine plan (ver. 11), and He goes
forward to encounter it, submitting to suffer ; in presence of His enemies
Plis demeanour is calm and sublime ; He overwhelms them by a sudden
VOL. IL I

130 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xVIIL t
Chap. XVIII. i. "WTien Jesus had spoken these words, he went
forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was
a garden, into the -n'hich he entered, and his disciples.
2 And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place ; for
3 Jesus oftimes resorted thither with his disciples. Judas
then, having received a band of men and officers from the
chief priests and Pharisees, coraeth thither with lanterns and
flash of His omnipotence ; when all besides lose self-possession and are
panic-struck. He is collected, and rouses His very enemies to do their duty ;
He has a constant care over His friends, and provides for their safety ; and
through all these shine self-control, patience, tenderness, lack of resentment,
all glorj' as of the Only-begotten, fuU of grace and truth.' i. Wlien Jesus
— disciples. If we beUeve that the foregoing prayer was, Uke all the
previous utterances, spoken in the upper roora (see xiv. 31), the "going
\ forth " would refer to their quitting the house, perhaps also the cityl XH-er
^tke brook Cedron, see 2 Sara. xv. 23; I Kings xv. 13 ; 2 Kings xxiu. 6.
\ The brook rose north of Jerusalera and flowed on the east side of the city,, in
th.e_deep valley of th£_same name lying betvveen the city and the Mount of
Olives, into the Dead Seay It is a winter torrent, dry in summer^ Scholars
are divided between thesenses, "the brook of the cedars," and "the dark
or black water." R.V. apparently declares for the former ; but on the whole,
the latter seems more probable. Westcott suggests that the dark cedars
may have originally given the name to the streara. Lange, on the other
hand, says : "The Kedron's waves were dark and turbid, and in the time q^
Vthe teraple worship the blood of the sacrifices likewise flowed into it and
^-darkened it; hence, doubtless, thename." Cp. Hart's well-known hymn,
"Gloomy garden in thy bed, washed by Kedron's waters foul," etc. vMost
expositors recall the fiight of David over the Cedron from Absalora, .'
^^ 2 Sam. XV. 23, as a type of our Lord's present act (cp. xiU. 18). It is
gratuitous to hold that because John omits the agony the Synoptists are
wrong, see xii. 27-33. The story was vvell known ; besides, it is possible
that John did not care to handle the subject frora motives of delicacy,
respecting the solitude which Jesus Himself had desired on the occasion.
It lay between Hira and His Father ; cp- the orrussion of the agonized cr)',
"My God," etc., from the cross. \A garden. ^jKz.meA Gethsem.ane in
y Matthew and Mark, which perhaps was the name of the farm to which the
garden belonged j It would be surrounded by a hedge or stone wall.y
2. And Judas — disciples; cp. Luke xxi. 37. 1 'The owner may have beerf
{ friendly to Jesus. The remark explains, too, now the betraval took place

here. \ Judas trusted to the customary practice of his ^Master, and to his
Master's ignorance of the details, at any rate, of his design. J 3. Judas then
— weapons. R.V. reads "the band," which may be taken either for a
portion or the whole of the Roman cohort from the garrison of Antonia ^^
(cp. ver. 12, "Ihe captain" or " chiUarch," see Acts xxi. 31-33, etc.), or^|R
for the miUtia of the Sanhedrim. The former is more probable, as the
retainers of the Jewish authorities are specially mentioned, which would ,
' " The Passion is (o John, not humiliation, but exaltation ; not pain and shame, but glory ;
not defeat, but victory ; and the dyinp groan he e.>:plains as the cry of triumph. He does not
draw the veil of sorrow over the Sun of Good Friday, but the sunshine of illumination streams
on the head ofthe Crucified. His Pas,sion scene is the apotheosis of Jesus" (Thoma, p. 661).

XVIII. II.] THE betrayal. I3I
4 torches and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things
that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them,
5 Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which
6 betrayed hira, stood with them. As soon then as he had
said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the
7 ground. Then asked he thera again, 'Whom seek ye ? And
8 they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told
you that I am he. If therefore ye seek me, let these go their
9 way : that the saying raight be fulfilled which he spake, Of
10 them which thou gavest me have I lost none. Then Simon
Peter, having a sword, drew it, and sraote the high priest's
servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was
1 1 Malchus. Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into
the sheath : the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I
imply that the priests had already brought a charge against Jesus as seditious
before Pilate, and requested his help and permission to arrest Him.
Lanterns, etc. ( The season of Passover was at full moon, but provision was
^ made for a cloudy night, as for an attempt at concealment or escape  '
H. Jesus — ye? He who was careful that the locality of the upper room
( should not be known before the hour of meeting in it, in order that His
last hours with His own might be undisturbed, now in the full consciousness
_lh_at His hour had at last come, and in the unconstrained surrender to Plis^
Father's will, "rwent forth " calmly to meet the traitor and His own doom,^
5. They — them. The recollection of Judas, his fellow - discipleTTrtisfed I
and loved as all the rest of thera until wilhin a few hours back, thus standing
and identified with the crowd of the Master's bitter enemies, haunted John \
to the close of his life.^ It is a graphic, alraost a tragic, touch. 6. As soon
— ground. t^SurprisS'at the quiet, unexpected announcement ihat He was
the man they were in quest of, whom they had supposed it necessary__to_take_
lanj_erns and torches and weapons to secure, as weiTas^me forthputung of
Divine majesty, struck panic^ into themTor the_raoraent.' Before the calra
courage of conscious~tnnocence, force and hostility have often been quelled.
i Remember, also, that the officers of the priests, sorae of them at least, had
been unmanned by Christ's presence and raoral ascendancy before, vii. 46.
7-9. Then — none. Jesus has to recover His eneraies to their senses,
and recall thera to their duty./ He surrenders without resistance, requesting
t only that His disciples be unmolested, in which act of loving thoughtfulness,
' the evangelist saw an intentionTb verify his own words, xvii. ij^ The
exertion of His Divine influence was on behalf of His disciples, not for
Himself \[That John raakes no reference to the treacherous kiss of Judas is
not so difficult to account for, considering his other omissions of incidents
given in the Synoptists, as it is to harmonize his version of what look place
with theirs. Probably Judas kissed Jesus before Jesus asked, -"Whom seek ^/
I ye?" We must bear in mind, however, that some confusion was inevitable,
and that concerted plans usually suffer somewhat in their execution, and
that the sign may not have been so clear and visible as to permit an
immediate arrest by the soldiers.] 10, 11. 7hen Simon Peter — it. The

132 tHE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xVIII. 12.
12 not drink it? Then the band, and the captain, and officers of
13 the Jews, took Jesus, and bound hira, and led him away to
Annas first : (for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, which was
14 the high priest that same year.) Now Caiaphas was he which
gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man
should die for the people.
15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another dis
ciple. That disciple was known unto the high priest, and went
16 in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest. But Peter
stood at the door without. Then went out that olher dis
ciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto
incident is recorded by all the four evangelists, but John alone mentions Peter's *
narae, and we feel sure it could have been none but he ; cp. Luke xxii. 38. ^
Possibly a desire to conceal the fact operated in the earlier traditions. \ John
also alone mentions the name of the sufferer, Malchus ; in Neh. x. 4, 27 and
xii. 2 = Malluch, in xii. i4=MelicuT^~J'ohn's acquaintance with this name is
accounted for in ver. 15, see also ver. 26. Christ's aside to Peter is in sense
the same as in Matt. xxvi. ^2, but in terser and raore graphic words ; in
Matt., "Return thy sword into its place ^' in John, " Put the sword into tke
scabbard.'*^ The act was an irapulse, unreasoning but natural, and only tqo_J
likely to be followed by the swing of the pendulum to the other side. But
for Christ's personal authority and interposition^^uke xxii. 51, the con
sequences raight have been serious, compromising Jesus.3 The cup — it?
Peculiar to John in the incident of the betrayal. Matt, xx. 22, xxyi,__3Q, 42 ;
and cp. ch. xii. 27 f ; Ezek. xxiu. 31 ; Ps. Ixxv. 8. Manv and_bitter were
thejngredientsof that cup, but all were from the Father's hand, and received
in subrai"ssion71ee~Hsl57 11. '9~fl; ~~
(2.) 12-27. Examination before the high priest, and denial by Peter.
12-14. Tken — people. Annas had been high priest for several years, and
still apparently retained great influence (cp. Acts iv. 6, where he is called
the high priest). The recalling of the notorious utterance of Caiaphas in
the Sanhedrim, xi. 50, is probably with the view of showing what kind of
justice awaited Jesus at that tribunal. His case was prejudged. Vers.
15-18 and 25-27 contain the interlude of Peter's denial, skilfully and signifi
cantly interwoven into the narrative ; the effect of both our Lord's testlraony
before the high priest and His disciple's shameful denial of Him being
intensified. While Jesus witnesses a good confession on men's behalf, His
most earnest and prominent disciple, at the very same moment, renounces
Iall relation with Him. 15 f. A^nd Simon Peter — Peter.i:,a:N\\ the disciples
fled on the arrest of Jesus, but Peter and " another disbiple " ventured to
follow the procession from a distance. /The other disciple (xx. 2, 3, 4) was
the evangelist hiraself \ How he was acquainted with the high priest is
I only matter of conjectm'e ; possibly through sorae business relation in
connection with the fishing in the Lake of Galilee : he was recognised by^
the doraestics at any rate, and passed into the hall or outer court amdiig\
, the servants unchallenged. ^ Finding that his friend had shrunk from enter
ing, he went back, and speaking to the maid who kept the door, got
admission for him also. \ This incident is passed over by the Synoptists;
probably vvas known only to Peter_aiuLJ^ehl5', and seldom or never alluded

/

XVIII. 22.] Christ's EXAMINATION BEFORE THE HIGH PRIEST. I33
17 her that kept the door, and brought in Peter. Then saith
the datnsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also
18 one of this man's disciples? He saith, I ara not. And the
servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of
coals ; (for it was cold ;) and they warmed themselves : and
Peter stood with thera, and warmed himself.
19 The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of
20 his doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the
world ; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple,
whither the Jews always resort ; and in secret have I said
21 nothing. Why askest thou rae? ask thera which heard me,
what I have said unto thera : behold, they know what I said.
22 And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which
stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying,
to. 17. Then — not. Holding up her lantern to scrutinize the man she '
was admitting, she suspected at once, from his appearance, which pro
claimed fear and agitation, perhaps a Galilean cast, the truth, and challenged [
him as one of " this fellow's disciples." It was a mere question of curiosity
she put, which Peter raight have parried, raight even have acknowledged
quietly without rauch danger, for had the maid made any threat, Peter vvas
at liberty to withdraw ; but in Ihe excitement of the hour, bewildered and
afraid in the surroundings in which he found hiraself, having neglected,
too, the solemnly repeated warning to watch lest he entered into terapta-,--
tion, hardly knowing what he did, he denied his Lord./ 18. Andflie
servants — himself. C Hoping all further'~chaUenge was at an end, and that
he would escape detection, Peter took his place among the crowd of
retainers round the fire ; but he raust have felt uneasy and unhappy. Did
John keep besiae him f, 19-24. Jesus before thehigh priest. The evan
gelist resumes the tlwead of the narrative as it respects Jesus. 19. The
high priest — doctrine. \.^he high prie.^t, i.e. Annas^ Those who had once
been high priests continue3~~i'o be called by tnat title, even though no
longer in office./ It may be that Caiaphas himself was present, but taking
ver. 24 iiitir'account, not probable. ^By interrogating Jesus as to His
disciples and teaching, he sought to raise suspicions against Him, and was I
making it appear that Jesus had been guilty of drawing a knot of con- 1
spirators about Hira, and inculcating secret doctrines iniraical to the
public weal. ^ 20 f. Jdits — said. Jesus answered that all the world knew
the nature of His teaching, which had been openly set forlh by Him in
synagogue and temple ; and then He put the pertinent question, why He,
the accused, should be examined as to His doctrine, when there were
those who could bear testimony standing round?/ In secret have I said
nothing. He expounded many things to thc-Twelve in secret, but they
were the things which He taught in public^ They know what I said,
rather, these ktiow wkat I said, meaning the crowd of officers and onlookers.
22. And when — so? Whether a blow with the hand or with a rod is
1 Cp. the passage in the Apolngy of Plato where Socrates speaks : " If any one says that
he ha^ ever learned or heard anything from me in private wliich all the world has not heard,
I should like yju to krjow th^t he is speaking an untruth " (Jowett, i. 366).

134 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [XVIII. 23.
23 Answerest thou the high priest so? Jesus answered him. If
I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil ; but if well, why
24 sraitest thou me ? Now Annas had sent him bound unto
25 Caiaphas the high priest. And Simon Peter stood and warmed
himself. They said therefore unto hira. Art not thou also one
26 of his disciples ? He denied it, and said, I am not. One ofthe
servants ofthe high priest, (being his kinsman whose ear Peter
cut off,) saith. Did not I see thee in the garden with him ?
2 7 Peter then denied again, and iraraediately the cock crew.
uncertain. The officious retainer felt that his master had met a decided
check, and sought to curry favour by this coarse insolence, which could be
done with impunity on the helpless victim,^ 23. Jesus — me? In absence L^
of protection from His judge," jesus protests against the illegality of the
action in words of striking calmness and point. Nowhere does He appear
more elevated above man ; cp. the demeanour of His noblest apostle in like
circumstances. Acts xxiii. 3. 24. Now Annas had sent Him bound unto
'Caiaphas the high priest. (Annas therefore sent Him bound, etc., R.V.)
L Accepting this reading, the inference is that John relates a preliminary
5xamination before Annas, after which, and in consequence of Ihe signal*
failure of that astute hierarch to entrap Jesus, He is sent to Caiaphas and( _
the Sanhedrim, where the exan-J.lation took place which is recorded in all
the Synoptists^ On this latter John is silent. The apparent difficulty which
. would then emerge in connection with the denials by Peter, which took
place in one and the same "palace," is met by the probable conjecture
I that Annas and Caiaphas resided in different parts of the same building.
/ 25-27. The second and third denials by Peter. ^Vhile the examination
' under Annas was proceeding, Peter was standing by the fire in the hall
along with the servants^/ The four accounts differ in details, as might be
expected ; they all agree that the first challenge of Peter was by a maid-
/' servant, and that there were three separate denials. 1 1t helps to reconcile
^'^ny apparent discrepancy if we conceive what is more than probable, that
on Ihe last occasion at least, more than one of the servants had assailed
the unhappy disciple with que3tions^_y According to John, the interval
between the first and second denial £eems to have been longer than that
,1 between the second and the third. I According to Luke, the third took
/ place "about an hour" after th^'~second. 26. One — Him. John was pro-
/ bably an eye- and ear-witness of the scene.^ "His acquaintance with the
high priest and his household explains, therefore, his identification of the
kinsraan of Malchus.- 27. Peter — crew. At this precise juncture the Lord
was being led away to the hall of the Sanhedrim, and turned and looked
on Peter, Luke xxii. 61 f/ John adds no raore. It was enough to record
what passed under his own personal observation, and the fulfilment of the
Lord's prediction and warning.to Peter. The lessons to be drawn from
the fall of Peter are obvious ( the caution against self-confidence; the
humble and constant use of the~Ordinaiy means of grace ; the avoidance of
occasions of temptation ; the care against drawing inferences from the conduct
of olher consistent Christians, which may be misleading; the resolve to suffer
no corapromise of character or principle, under whatever circumstances.
(3.) 28-40. Jesus' flrst examination before Pilate. Omitting entirely

(

XVIII. 29.J Christ's first examination before pilate. 135
28 Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judg
ment : and it was early ; and they themselves went not into
the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled ; but that they
29 might eat the passover. Pilate then went out unto them,
allusion to the examination of Jesus at the tribunal of the Sanhedrim, given
fully in the Synoptists, John hastens on to the more important and decisive
trial at the bar ofthe Roraan governor, who alone had power of life and death.
28. Then led — Passover. The "judgment hall" or "palace," R.V. (Greek =
Praetorium), where Pilate resided, would doubtless be in the fort of Antonia
or Herod's palace\__Itwas usual for the procurators to reside in Jerusalem at
the periods of the great feasts'to maintain order.^ It was early, i.e. in the
fourth watch — about daybreak. . Lest they should be defiled, Deut. xvi. 4. The
evangelist passes no comment on this action of the priests and Pharisees. His
/self-restraint is scriptural. \These men were bent on the murder of a raan they
knew to be innocent, yet were too_scru2ulous about_ceremonial observances
to enter a Gentile house. TioJating the fuiidaniental laws of"&537 they
vv'^e soUcitous about the proper worship of God./Y Polluting their souls
^ vvith blood, they dare not pollute their bodies by breach of outer etiquette.
>They were the raen who u ere more concerned about breaking the lathers'
traditions than about breaking the com rii and ments of God^ straining at a gnat
and swallowing a camel. Men must have some sSrap of conscience left
to hide them from themselves.* Inward defilement, unprincipled action, are
atoned for by outer decorum. The principle is a wide one, capable of
I much serious application^ The natural inference from this remark is that
/ the Passover feast had yet to be celebrated by the Jews ; that, therefore,
1 our Lord had eaten the Last Supper with the disciples on the evening before
"^ that on which the Passover was commemorated,; and that He was Hira
self sacrificed as the typical Passover La'iifEion the day on which the
families of the nation wei'e en gaged in 'slaying and eating the typical larab.
/ It has been generally supposed that the Synoptists represent Jesus as eating
/ the Last Supper on the evening on which the Passover larab vvas being /
slain and eaten ; and that therefore John's account is in direct contradic
tion. \This conclusion may be soraewhat premature, see Godet for an
exhaustive note on the subject. The Quartodeciman controversy in the
second century turned on whether the Lord was crucified on the 14th or 15th
Nisan, i.e. on the day of the Passover or the day aftej*' 29. Pilate then
went out unto them.\jl\\e character of Pilate is one of the most remarkable
studies in this Gospel. By a few touches John makes him stand out before
us with a precision of individuality which is itself a proof of the genuine-
Y ness of the Gospel. Pontius Pilate was sixth Roman procurator of Judeaj^
His administration had not been of a kind to ingratiate the Jews. . The
Eraperor Tiberius had once at least intervened on their behalf, and he had
been hiraself obliged to yield on another occasion to their determined
opposition against an outrage on Iheir religious prejudices.^ Though by no
means without the instinctive Roman sense of justice, or dead to con-
l scientious feelings, between the fear of offending his raaster and the fear- 1
J of once again exasperating the Jews, even though he felt that right was on /
his side, he had a difficult part to play, and we cannot wonder that he /
thought first of his own position and safety.^l,He would, if he could, have
released Jesus, being persuaded of His innocence ; but his character was
discounted by Ihe results of his previous collisions with Ihe Jewish authorities;

136 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [XVIII. 30.
and said, What accusation bring ye against this man ?
30 They answered and said unto hira. If he were not a male-
31 factor, we would not have delivered hira up unto thee. Then
said Pilate unto thein, Take ye hitn, and judge him according
to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not
32 lawful for us to put any man to death : that the saying of
Jesus raight be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what
33 death he should die. Then Pilate entered into the judgment
hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him. Art thou the
34 King of the Jews ? Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this
y and these knew the raan they had to deal with, knew that they had
/ only to play on his selfish fears, and be sufficiently clamorous, to secure
their end. His going out of the Praetorium to confer vvith the members of
the Sanhedrim vvas itself a concession to their scruples^/ Wkat accusation
bring ye against this man? No definite formal charge had as yet been
f raade, but as Pilate had granted a band of troops frora the castle, he could
I hardly be ignorant altogether of the nature of the allegations against Jesus,^
and that they were waiting to receive the authority frora himself to carry
out the extreme penalty of the law. f" National and religious questions were ^
by Roraan law left to be decided by the .Sanhedrim tliemselves.4jDut tlje
governor might satisfy himself, if he chose, that it was a competent charge,
and Pilate was not sorry to take an opportunity of provora Ijon^/" 30. They
answered — thee. The Jews were irritated by Ihe governor's question. They_^
sought his acquiescence in their proceeding, not an independent inquiry on
his part, which raight lead in the exercise of his discretionary power to a
I reversal of their sentence. They replied that he raight depend on it,
1 1 that they — Jews — would never have handed over a Jew — a fellow-country^^
,' raan — to Roman authority for extrerae penalty had he not been such as
to deserve it \.mot to thee would we have delivered him up! 31 f. Tken
said Pilate — die. Pilate felt the sting of'"th-eii ¦ie'ply,'aiid igndnng the mani-
fest reason for their appeal to him, advised thera ironically to dispose of
the case themselves, which had the desired effect of extorting from thern/"
»a sullen confession of their own impotence as a court, and of their national
degradation. [The Jus Gladii — power of the sword — was taken from
the Sanhedrim when Judea became a Roman province, in the exile of /
Archelaus, a.d. 6 or 7-] The evangelist perceived in the transference of/
Ihe power of death-warrant frora Jew to Gentile a fulfilraent of the Lord's
predictions, iii. 14, viii. 28, xii. 32, in which the special mode of death is
alluded to. The jews stoned criminals, Acts vii. 58 ; the Romans crucified
their worst malefactors, foreigners, and slaves. '~^
'Vers. 33-37. Pilate's first interview with our Lord. 33. Tken Pilate —
fews ? The question put by the governor is in form such as one would put
when conscious that the idea carried absurdity on ils face. "So you are the I
King of the Jews ? " Il is reasonable to presume that this was the accusation [
at last hinted at by members of the Sanhedrim, who sought thereby to
accelerate Pilate's action by rousing his fears, see Luke xxiii. 2. John thought
it of greater iraportance to unfold the true, secret designs of the men, than to
record all they said and alleged.
34. Jesus — me? Pilate's question could not be answered without explanation,
/ '

all
13

XVIII. 36.] Christ's first examination before pilate. 137
35 thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of rae ? Pilate
answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation andthe chief
priests have delivered thee unto me : what hast thou done ?
36 Jesus answered. My kingdora is not of this world. If my
kingdora were of this world, then would my servants fight,
that I should not be delivered to the Jews : but now is my
Jesus therefore fitly inquires what meaning he attaches to the words
"King of the Jews;" whether his own observation had led him to the conclusion
that Jesus was aspiring to the throne ofthe Jewish kingdom, o. poUtical con
spirator, in short, or whether he was simply repeating a charge put into his lips
by other raen, without understanding or caring rauch what they meant by it.
In the former case, Jesus would have answered the question vvith a simple nega
tive, asindeedjievirtiianydo^ In the latter case, Pilate would need
some enlightennient as to what the hopes and beliefs of the Jews were^.^ 35.
Pilate — done? The governor, in repudiating all knowledge of Jew ish concerns
and interests, answered Christ's question thusj." You do not take me for a^»^
Jew ! " But he felt that Jesus had him at advanl^ein asking him to explain whJt
<. ~ Ire meant by his question ; so the words that follow are not free of some measure
of taunt when he retorts. Thine own nation and the chief priests delivered
tkee to me : what kast thou done ? Surely soraething flagrant ? 36. Jesus — lience.
A Having elicited the adraission frora Pilate that he has no political charge against
I Him, and that he had siraply borrowed words frora the Jews — the accusers —
without attaching any very definJte_jrieaningToTlieiii7~Jesus proceeds to
answer the first question put by Pilate~to flira, passing over the last question,'
with ils iraplied discredit. Pie claims aTrtngtJom, Buf1r1S~n'or'OfTlifrworld, ,.^-
in the sense imagined either by Roman or by ]e\v. Not a kingdora liEe'
earthly kingdoms, based on and IMaintainetrtyhrfflran power, and lor secular
ends, with geographical liraits, and holding its own against other kingdoms
of Ihe same nature and by like methods. Christ's kingdom is not of this
c world, either as to source, or as to nature, or as to methods, or as to scope
aiul results. rGod is ter'StiEHor. It is not founded by human power or
ability, and is not maintained by these ; but by the directly exerted power
of God's Spirit through His Son on men. Human power or wisdom did not
originate it, and cannot overthrow it. ! In its nature it is spiritual, claim- __
ing sovereignty over the spirits of men, having for its essential nature a new
spiritual constitution for men, as none can enter it unless he is born frora
above by the Spirit of God ; it is therefore inward, having its seat in the
disposition of the mind and heart toward God and man ; and it grows by
the attachment of the individual by his own free will, — not by the accretion
of masses, — and as each individual submits himself in soul to the Lord
Jesus Christ, and takes Ilis will as the rule of life, and enters into personal,
spiritual relationship with Hira. . It is therefore a kingdom based on love —
the mutual love of the King and the subjects^ It is the reign of Spirit over
spirit, of the living, risen Lord over human hearts. Its methods are not
of this world ; it cannot l,e propagated by force or the infiuence of the intel
lect alone. It cannot ally itself with the powers of the world for that end.
•The powers ofthe world ought to recognise its supremacy, and be guided by
and contribute to it. But their methods are not ils methods. It diffuses itself /
by righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost ; by spiritual influ
ences, by moral power. It is, further, catholic and universal (for the world

%

138 the GOSPEL BY JOHN. [XVIII. 37.
37 kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto him.
Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I
am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came
I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.
38 Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith
because not of it, not stained or limited by it), limited by no outward check,
such as race, or age, or place ; and its outlook is on eternity ; as its scope is
not simply human wellbeing here, but to make men within it partakers of the
life and blessedness of the Father and Son.^It is an everlasting kingdom,
not of this world, and not perishing along with it ; see on iii. 3 ; cp. also
viii. 23, "I ara not of this world;" xvii. 14, i5, "They are not of the
I'l; world, even as I am not of the world ; " Dan. ii. 34, 44. My servants would
ll' fight, etc. Force would have been met with force. Besides, the surrender of
Jesus had been in that case fatal to His clairas. To found His kingdom,
Jesus gave Himself up to death. Other raen live to establish supreraacy over
their fellow-men. Christ dying and rising becomes universal King of men,
h xii. 32. 37. Pilate— voice. " Then indeed you are a king — you?" CWicUf,
I Tlianne thou art u king), preferable to A. and R.V., an affirmation put in-
' terrogatively with the pronoun at the end, indicating a shade of contempt.
Tkou sayest that I am a king. (Better, as R.V. margin a^aA Ihe American
Revisers suggest, Tkou sayest it because I am a king. ) This mode of affirma
tion is characteristic of stately speech rather than of colloquial, so Matt.--^
•''jcxvi. 25, 64, xxvii. II ; Mark xv. 2 ; Luke xxii. 70, xxiii. 3. It is not found
in the Old 'Testament, nor is it classical ; but instances occur in the Rabbinic
writings (this on the authority of Liicke). When we wish to be emphatic
it is not unusual in English to answer a similar question so, "You have said
_il ! " or, "Just as you have said 1 'Lnr when there is some ambiguity or partial
concealraent in the case, the phrase is, "J^9 yon sayJ2i To this end was I
born, etc. "s^Fhe pronoun stands first in the sentence marking the self-con
sciousness of Jesus ; and Ihe assertion of personal dignity in contrast with
Pilate's contempt. To come into the world meant the same as being bom ; _^
but suggests the pre-existence of the Son of God, and the personal determina
tion which in dependence on His Father, and execution of His Father's will,
brought Him here. That I should bear witness to the truth ; cp. v. 31 ff.,
viii. 14-18. \ The truth to which Christ bore witness is that which includes
. all other, namely, men's relation to God / and He bore witness both by word
iand by life ; and hence He is the Truth in person, xiv. 6 ; for only as united
to Him are we true men, and so in possession of ttuth. His kingdom,
therefore, is a kingdora of truth ; He reigns as Himself holy and true, by the
power of the truth which He'reveals, truth in the conscience, truth in the
heart, and truth in the raind, and over those who, through His grace and
Spirit, have becorae fundaraenlally true ; who stand in the eternal, abiding rela
tionship of peace and love and holiness towards God, 1 John v. 20. Everyone
I that is ofthe trutk heareth my voice ; cp. on viii. 47, "He that is of God
/ heareth God's words ; " 1 John iv. 6, " He that knoweth God heareth us : "/^
also I John ii. 21. iii. ig. It is the sarae idea as in iii^2lj "He that doetn
\truth cometh to the Ught ; ' and in vi. 4';.J' Every m'Sll fnat hath heard and
learned of the Father cometh unto' me yS' see also vii. 17. To be "of the
truth " is to have such a relationship to truth — truth in conscience and in
;onvictions of duty — that the life is regulated thereby. None are "of the

XIX, I.] CHRIST REJECTED, BARABBAS CHOSEN. 139
unto him, What is truth ? And when he had said this, he
went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in
39 him no fault at all. But ye have a custom, that I should
release unto you one at the passover : will ye therefore that I
40 release unto you the King of the Jews ? Then cried they all
again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas
was a robber.
Chap. XIX. r. Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged
truth " who stifle conscience and are faithless to convictions. But for every
one who is loyal to the inner voice there is Ihe promise that he will hear
and obey the outer voice speaking in the life, death, and resurrection of
Christ. -For the two voices are breathed by Ihe S(ime lip. Let us not put it

/^ so : None but they who hear my voice are truc^i^et us rather put it so as
'¦'l£hrist puts it tiEvery one who is true ti himself wUl and must recognise my
voice as the voice of the true and only King of his spirit, x. 26 f. For if J
Christ and Christianity be not tke' trutk, there is nosucITThingS'mong men. 38I
I Pilate saitk unto Him, What is trutk? The application to Pilate was close. 1
He was "of self-interest," not of truth; and he winced under the blow. \- — '
Pie had heard enough to convince him Jesus was innocent, and too much for /

his own peace of mind. ¦ So he broke off the interview with a polite sneer
at the idea of truth — for what had a Roman statesman to do with trutli ? — and
af'fhe amiable enthusiast before hiiiiT*^ A nd wken — all. An important,
) admission for the supreme judgd in Ihe case, Ihe naturil consequence of
/ vvhich should have been the iramediate dismissal of Jesus, and would have
I been if Pilate had not feared the Jews. So, afraid to put his foot down
boldly, he temporized.^ 39. But ye— Jews? I find no fault in hira; but,
r suppose hira guilty, he said, and let him go by favour, in accordance with
L..,_vour custom. The origin of this custom is unknown. .Similar customs
^^obtained in Greece and Rome. Pilate was sincere in desiring this ; but he
could not repress the ill-timed sarcasm in the words — "the King of the
. Jews," levelled not at Jesus but at the Jews themselves, and sure to defeat
I his object. This exasperated them to ixenzv^ They did not want his
I  pStronage. 40. Then cried — robber. The oft-i'ecurring irony of history ^>
the robber set free, the Ploly One of God crucijied.x On Barabbas, see
^_..-*Iark XV. 7 ; Luke xxiii. 19. Probably the dismissal of Jesus to lierod,,,-^
?5torded in Luke xxiii. 6-12, happened about this time, and iraraediately
after Christ's return this proposal of Pilate to release Iiim on the ground
of Ihe custom referred to was raade. ~ —
Ch. xix. 1. 1-3. Jesus scourged and mocked by the soldiers. 2. 4-7.
Pilate and the Jews. 3. 8-11. Pilate's second interview with Jesus. 4.
12-16. Pilate's last conflict with the Jews, and final yielding to their will.
5. 17-30. The crucifixion, and the events happening round Ihe cross. 6.
31-37. The piercing of Christ's side. 7. 3S-42. His burial by Joseph.
(1.) 1-3. Jesus scourged and mocked. Iiy comparing Luke xxiii. 16,
22, we infer that PUate had not yet relinquished liope of releasing his
prisoner ; and by ordering Ihe soldiers to scourge Jesus, — the usual legal
preliminary to crucifixion, — he trusted that the painful and horrible ordeal
would appease the Jews. It was an unrighteous proceeding, but not so
unjustifiable and utterly bad as the perraission granted to the soldiers

[40 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [XIX. 2.
2 him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it
3 on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, and said,
Hail, King of the Jews : and they smote him with their
4 hands. Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto
them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know
5 that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing
the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith
6 unto thera. Behold the man ! When the chief priests there
fore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him,
crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and
to mock Iheir helpless victim. The spectacle of the mock horaage, amid
shouts of derision and laughter (aimed not at the individual but at the
nation Pie represented), to the "King of the Jews " on the part of the
detested Roraans, wonld be taken as one raore gratuitous outrage on their
feelings by the Jewish authorities, who were compelled to witness it, and
made them fiercer in their determination to thwart Pilate's wish (see Eph.
ii. 14-16). Scourging, as executed by the Roraans on foreigners and
slaves (see Actsxxii. 25), was so frightful as to result often in death. The
thong was armed at the points with pieces of bone_orlead^ The victim
was stripped,, bound to a post, or stretched on a frarae, and his back
soon becarae a raass of raw flesh. The shrub from which the branch of
thorns was taken cannot be determined with accuracy ; either the pliant
plant called Lycium Spinosum, ox the stiffer herb known sometimes as Vera
Crux, the spines of vvhich are of formidable length. The purple robe (scarlet
in Matt.) was probably a cast-off miUtary cloak. They smote Him, etc., see
xvni. 22.  -^
(2.) 4-7. Pilate's second remonstrance with the Jews. Behold, I bring
him forth to you, etc. Vjil^t^ wished thera to understand that the matter
f was at an end, so far as'lie cared to have anything to do with it. / To pro-
" pitiale their " envy " at Jesus, he had let Him be unjustly — as he l<new well —
scourged and raocked.VThus maltreated, he hopes thev will take the prisoner
9 back off his hand, and not press for sentence of death A But the spectacle of
Jesus as He now came out of the Praetorium and facetT them, wearing marks
oof insult, shame, violence, cruelty, which the Roman soldiers only too
^~£orSiany"ii'a'd inflicted^^Him as representative of all the hated Jews, made
tjiejn wince with humiliation as they saw r'eflected in the degraded liiEm before
^ thera Iheir own national dishonour. It is hard indeed to say what motives
and feelings were u'pJ5?rniost"iiiT?iiare's mind when he exclaimed. Behold tke
: man! whether it was a genuine touch of pity, and intended to evoke pity ;
' or whether there were not some shade of contempt, as if to say. This is tlie
man you bring to rae as dangerous to public oxiex^ Perhaps both ; but let
, us hope that the former predorniriatol«» Yet if so, the governor again
' strangely misunderstood Ihe passions of the raen he was dealing with.
/ Roused to a pitch of fury, the priests [note the prevalence of the Sadducean
'--'party] and their retainers shouted, "Crucify, crucify!" Pilate retorted in
irritation and impatience, Dispose of him yourselves, then, I will not : /
find no fault in kim; a mock perraission to those who had not the power.
But the Jevvs knew their man; and 'he very irrilal ion and impatience he
displayed, besides the partial concession to th?ir demand, already made,

XIX. lo.J Christ's second examination before pilate. 141
7 crucify him : for I find no fault in hira. The Jews answered
hira, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because
he made himself the Son of God.
8 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more
9 afraid ; and went again into the judgment-hall, and saith unto
Jesus, Whence art thou ? But Jesus gave him no answer.
10 Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me?
knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have
emboldened them to persist. 7. Tke Jews — God. The pronoun is eraphatic ^''
"Though you discharge hira— ity have a law." They alter their tactics.
The accusation of claiming to be J'v.mg of the Jews had been treated with
disdain by Pilate, and another is now preferred... He made himself tke Son
of God, V. 18, .\. 30, 33, and cp. Ex. xx. 7 and Lev. xxiv. 16. The former ''
charge was one that naturally came under Pilate's cognizance ; but this
charge seems at first sight so exclusively one which had interest for the Jews
alone, that we ask why they hoped to influence Ihe governor against Jesus
by raising it. Placing it thus on strictly national and reUgious grounds, they
_^everlheless implied that, even so, consideraiion was due to them by the
Roman magistrate when the prisoner was regarded as guilty by his own
countrymen of the gravest offence against iheir religion and their God. The
Roman law might not condemn ; but nolhing was more revolting to Jewish,_«»
piety and feeUng, and the religion of the Jew had "exercised an extraordi
nary influence on the Roman raind" (Merivale, vi. 429). '"'Pilate himself as a
Roman could not be altogether insensible to what raight be iraplied in such
an accusation, since by the law of the empire to be guilty of a "foreign
superstition," made one Uable to capital punishment ; and he could hardly be
ignorant of such advice as that given by Dion to IVf gcenas^ which may be
taken as the statesman's view for the time>-" Be careful yStirself to worship
the gods always and everywhere according to the customs of Rome, and
compel others to dolikewisa.i but detest and punish the promoters of strange
religions, not for thesake of the gods only, but because such innovators
beguile men into foreign sentiments and customs ; thence arise plots, com
binations, and clubs which are especially dangerous to monarchy " (Merivale,
vi. 422). On this ground alone, therefore, the Jews raight feel they were
entitled to urge Pilate for sentence.
(3.) 8-11. Pilate's second interview ¦with Jesus. He was the more afraid.
The charge of the Jews had the opposite effect frora what they intended.
Pilate's conscience, already plainly at work in his efforts to release Jesus and
his repeated assertion of His innocence, stifled in the permission to scourge
and deride an innocent and untried man, is roused again. The effect of his
first conversation with the prisoner was not yet effaced. He led Jesus back
to the Praetorium and asked, Whence art thou ? But Jesus gave Aim no
ans-iver. Matt, xxvii. 12, 14 ; Mark xv. 3, 5. When the high priest
deraanded an answer from Jesus to the accusations of the false witnesses, it is
recorded that Pie kept silence, Matt. xxvi. 63, Mark xiv. 61, though Pie
replied at once to the personal adjuration Ihat followed. More parallel is the
silence of Jesus at the bar of Herod, Luke xxiii. 9. He recognised no right,
moral or official, in that king to question Him. No doubt the refusal of
Jesus to answer Pilate's question now was in part due to the impossibility of

142 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xIX. II.
II power to release thee ? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have
no power at all against me, except it were given thee from
above : therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the
1 2 greater sin. And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release
him : but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go,
thou art not Caesar's friend : whosoever maketh himself a
king speaketh against Caesar.
such an answer as would satisfy or be accepted, but mainly due to the fact
that the governor had forfeited all right to Christ's respect. Knowing Him
to be undeserving, he had ordered Him to be scourged and mocked as a
gross delinciuent. Pilate was nettled, felt insulted before the soldiers, and,
like a man conscious of weakness, threatened, asked Jesus if He remembered
how completely His fate was in his hands — that a word from him would
acquit or condemn. (In R.V. the words release and ^;';^£:z^ change places, and
with some reason.) Pilate knew in his soul that he had not this power, or
dared not exercise it ; hence his boasting of it. II. Jesus — sin, cp. xviu. ii,
A. 18, vii. 30. Pilate was but an instrument, and an unconscious one, in
executing the will of God. To that supreme will in the complete understand
ing of, and harmony with, its purpose, Jesus bowed, and felt calra and
independent before the will of man, as have all His faithful witnesses when
confronting their persecutors. It had been well if Pilate had laid to heart
that his magisterial authority was only a brief, delegated trust from God, to
whom he would by and by be responsible for its exercise. Tkerefore, etc.
Pilate was abusing the authority entrusted to hira by the source of all huraan
power ; it was not, however, of his own will to inflict injustice ; it was, in a
sense, the raisfortune of his position. Hence the Jews — he that delivered me
unto tkee — had the greater sin. The Jews were sinning against light, and
urging the death of an innocent man ; Pilate wished to save Hira, but was
too weak to resist them. Jesus speaks as if already the sin were consummated.
Remark the singular freedom from resentment and all intolerance, even when
smarting and faint frora the scourging, against the author of it, even the
generous consideration for the difficulties of his position.
(4.) i2-i6. Pilate's last conflict with, and final yielding to, the Jews.
12. A^nd — Ccesar. Both the feelings and conscience of Pilate were touched
by Christ's reminder that he must answer to God for the exercise of the
authority derived ultimately from God, and by Christ's ascription to him of
the lesser sin, and he made one more attempt — the third — to release Hira.
The Jewish priests, therefore, had recourse to their last and most effective
weapon ; returning on the political accusation, they shouted that it would be
treason against the emperor to let a claimant of royalty go free. If Pilate
had been a strong man, strong in the sense of uprightness and of an honourable
record in the past, he might, and would probably, have retorted, How long is
it ago since you became such ardent admirers of Ctesar as to be zealous for
his prerogatives, sensitive to the infringement of his dignity ? If this man
were really dangerous in your estiraation to the imperial supreraacy over you,
would you be, as you now are, clamouring for his death ? But Pilate was
not strong in any sense, and, recollecting the suspicious character of his
master ("Qui atrocissime exercebat leges majestatis," Suetonius; "Majes
tatis crimen omnium accusalionuni corapleraentnra eral," Tacitus), the

Xix. 15.] CHRIST CONDEMNED TO DEATH. I43
13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus
forth, and sat down in the judgment-seat, in a place that is
14 called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it
was the preparation of the passover, and about the si.xth hour :
15 and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they
cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate
saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King ? The chief priests
previous collisions with the Jews out of which he had come with anything but
flying colours, he reflected on the probable results of inforraation laid against
hira at Rome, by which the Jews themselves raight appear more anxious for
Caesar's rights than Caesar's own procurator had been. And the reflection,
being unpleasant, decided his conduct. "'Amicus Cssaris ' was a title of
honour for Roman legates and prefects" (Liicke). 13. When Pilate —
Gabbatka. Pilate proceeded to give judgment in legal form. Courts of
justice among the Romans were generally held in the open air, and in all
iraportant cases, especially where life was involved, sentence had to be
pronounced by the judge from an elevated seat. The judgment-seat was
probably an exteraporized tribunal, carried out and placed on a pavement of
mosaic in front of the PrEetorium (possibly at the head of the steps leading
frora the i'emple to the Castle of Antonia). The Plebrew (Aramaean) word
"Gabbatha" is not the translation of the Greek " Pavement," but another
narae for the place, raeaning the back or ridge of the house. 14. And it was
tke preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour, vers. 31, 42 ;
Matt, xxvii. 62 ; Mark xv. 42 ; Luke xxiii. 54. Day and hour are given of
this raoraenlous event in the world's history, when Gentile and Jew decided
that the Son of God must die ; it was the preparation day for the killing and
eating of the Passover Iamb, i.e. Friday the I4tli Nisan by Jewish calendar ;
see on xviii. 28. The sixth hour, i.e. about raid-day (see on i. 39), so that if
we presume that the first appeal of the Jews to PUale, xviii. 28 ("it was
early"), happened about sunrise, i.e. six o'clock, six hours or thereabout
had passed before Pilate gave final judgraent. But here we eorae into confiict
with Mark xv. 25, which gives the third hour, i.e. nine A.M., as the hour of
crucifixion. The solution is not easy, and the indefiniteness of John's state
ment seems the only door left open to avoid the alternative of loose or
erroneous narrative on one side or other. Frora Matthew and Luke we may
gather that our Lord was certainly hanging on the cross at the sixth hour,
and probably for sorae time before that — how long we cannot determine.
Six hours might seem too protracted an interval for all ihat took place after
Jesus was brought to Pilate until the governor gave sentence. On the other
hand, three hours raight seem rather short. One is inclined to ascribe more
credibility to an eye-witness like John ; yet perhaps the two accounts are
needful to present Ihe correct impression. Those may believe, who can,
¦Westcott's explanation that John always adopts Roman computation of time,
so that the sixth hour = 6 A.M. And ke saith unto the Jews, Behold your
King! Exasperated at the Jews, and sensible that he had been defeated and
hum'Uiated, Pilate could not resist the temptation of hurling this sarcasm at
thera even from the judicial bench, as he pointed to the piteous spectacle of
the pale and bleeding sufferer. 15 f But — crucified. Pilate's taunt did not
miss its mark, it lashed the priests to fury. He was greeted with savage cries

144 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xiX. 1 6.
1 6 ansv/ered, We have no king but Caesar. Then delivered he
him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took
17 Jesus, and led him away. And he, bearing his cross, went
forth into a place called the place ofa skull, which is called in
for Christ's crucifixion. Shall I crucify your king? with a tone of mocl<
astonishment. We have no king but Ca:sar. Pilate had goaded them on to
this national suicide, which it must have afforded him some measure of grim
satisfaction to hear. A remarkable price to pay for the crucifixion of Jesus.
It was a denationalizing of themselves, an abandonment of every national hope
and claim, a surrender of all their past God-given glory, a prostration of thera
selves at Cesar's feet. Such a confession was unique in the history of the
Jew. One cannot but think that the Pharisees present must have winced as
they heard the priests utter the words vv hich levelled the Jew to the rank of a
raere tributary provincial of the Emperor of Rorae, and stripped him of all
pretext to autonomy, even in religion. To reject his Messiah the Jew had to
deny hiraself, his country, his history, his future, his God. One rejects Christ
always at an awful cost. If the Jews had bent Pilate to their will, Pilate might
well congratulate himself that his obstinacy to be bent had wrung frora the Jews
what torture and martyrdom and persecution had failed to extort — their self-
abnegation as a people, and homage to his master in Rome. That cry was
the death-knell of the Jewish people. Then delivered he Him therefore unto
them to be crucified. And they took Jesus [and led Him away]. R.V. oraits
the clause in brackets, so Westcott and Hort. Sorae form of sentence was
doubtless gone through by the governor in handing the prisoner over to the
executioners: "I, miles, expedi crucem" (Farrar). The whole of Pilate's
action on the judicial bench was summed up in these taunts. There was no
inquiry into the merits of the case, no exaraination of witnesses, no sifting of
the allegations. Had Jesus been a Roman, this durst not have happened ;
but, being a Jew, and delivered into Pilate's power by His owra countrymen,
the governor set aside every legal form, and all justice, and yielded to the
clamour of the men he was afraid of. Persuaded that Jesus was innocent,
vacillating between his sense of justice and his fears for his own interests,
Pilate presents a spectacle, partly of contempt, partly of pity, and in striking
contrast to the Divine raajesty of calm confidence in the prisoner at his bar.
The trial from first to last was a mockery.
(5.) 17-30. The crucifixion, and the incidents round the cross. 17.
And — Golgotha. Lit. And He, bearing for Himself the cross, ivent forth —
as in R.V. The execution of the sentence fell to the soldiers under charge
of a centurion ; how many formed the band — whether only the four who
were the iraraediate executioners, ver. 23, or a maniple or century — we do not
know. Por Himself. The crirainal had to carry his cross. The words
seem intended to be taken along vvith the accounts in the other Gospels, all
of which relate how Siraon the Cyrenian was compelled to bear the cross :
no doubt in consequence of Christ's physical inability. Apart from the
weight, the contact with His lacerated back must have been torture. Per
haps, also, we are raeant to reflect how He wdio preached to His disciples
the necessity of cross- bearing gave them the greatest example in His own
person. Yet in another sense this cross vvas borne, not for liimself, but for
us all. Went forth. In obedience to the Mosaic statute, Lev. xxiv. 14 ;
Num. XV. 35; cp. I Kings xxi- 13 and Acts vii. 58 (cp. also the exhorta-

XIX. 22.] TIIE CRUCIFIXION. I45
iS the Hebrew, Golgotha; where they crucified him, and two
other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the
writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF
20 THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews; for
the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city : and
21 it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. Then said
the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not. The King
of the Jews ; but that he said, I ara King of the Jews.
22 Pilate answered. What I have written I have written.
tion in Heb. xiii. 12 f ), such sentences had to be carried out beyond the
city walls. The place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. The
name was probably given frora Ihe round and bald aspect of the eminence
(in Latin, Calvaria, Luke xxiii. 33). Golgotha has the same raeaning,
from the verb to roll. The site is now unknown, except that it was near the
city, ver. 20. 18. Where they crucified Him. Godet and Farrar may be
consulted for accounts of the shape of the cross, the act of crucifixion, and
the frightful agonies inflicted by this mode of death. And two other with
Him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. 'Whether by accident or
by intention, as additional contumely on the Jews, cannot be determined.
John does not pause to tell us what Luke had told before, that the one of
these stood for all repentant, believing men, and the other for the world of
the unrepentant and condemned.
19-22. The title placed by Pilate on Christ's cross. John differs from the
Synoptists in inserting of Nazareth, so that his account gives the inscription
in full. It was the Roman custom that the culprit should have the nature of
the crime for which he was sentenced written on a placard and hung round his
neck, and so bear it to the place of execution, when it was fastened to the cross ;
or it was borne iu front of him. Pilate's intention is obvious. He meant to
take his revenge, and to hold up to ridicule, not the pretensions of Jesus to be
King of the Jews, but those of the Jews to have a king. And after their
vehement expression of loyalty to Cassar, he was perfectly justified. Pie
" hoisted them with their own petard." The title (John alone uses the Latin
word Titulun) was an honour in disguise to Jesus, marking Him out as no
ordinary criminal, and fulfilling, in human unconsciousness of God's will, the
prophecies of Scripture. In Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. Hebrew, or
Aramean, was the national language ; Greek, the language ofthe whole civilised
world ; Latin, the official language — that of the governor. There were always
" strangers " at Jerusalem on the occasion of the great feasts. Tken said
the ckief priests of tke Jews . Expositors call attention to the phrase as being
the only one of its kind in the N. T. The Jewish authorities felt the public
opprobrium on their national hopes and claims. They read it rightly, as Pilate
wished they should : Here is crucified, not this Jesus of Nazareth only, but
any other man who aspires to be the King of the Jews ; and they attempted
in vain to get Pilate to alter the inscription to their mind. He knew that he
had them in a dilemma. They might complain to the emperor that his
procurator would not condemn a claimant to the Jewish throne ; they could
hardly complain that in sentencing him he had designated him — King of the
Jews. His retort was short and sharp. 23, 24. The soldiers round the
VOL. n. K

146 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN [XIX. 23.
23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his
garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part ; and
also his coat : now the coat was without seam, woven frora
24 the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves.
Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be : that
the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my
raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots.
These things therefore the soldiers did.
25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and
his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary
cross. Four men were usually told off for the horrible duty, and to them as
perquisites fell the clothes of the doomed prisoners. This scene, the talk of
the soldiers araong theraselves, and their act, must be from the hand of one
who was there, ver. 26. In the mode of division and in the fact, John saw a
fulfilment of Ps. xxii. 18. He quotes the exact words of the LXX. Cp. on
xiii. 18. In Ps. xxii. as in Isa. liii., Messianic prophecy reaches its "high-
water mark." Both passages, likely belonging to the same period of Israel's
history, the exile in Babylon, and bearing clear traces of the discipline of
suffering, might have been written by one who, as John did, stood near the
cross and beheld the things which were there done. To a fact like that
justice ought always to be done. It may be, as Cheyne suggests, that we
ought not to feel surprise at such definite detailed description — centuries
beforehand— of that which was ordained by God before the foundation of the
world, and which has been the central event in the world's history — the
stupendous fact of the death of the Son of God for sin. A pre-established
harmony might well exist ; perhaps, we may say, ought to have existed.
Certain principles of Messianic interpretation are always to be held to.
For exaraple : That the mind of the writer is to be distinguished from
the mind of the Spirit of Christ, who was in him ; that all the writer
looks forward to takes shape in forms derived from the tiraes in which he
lives ; that personal experiences are the ground on which prophetic truth is
built ; and that the truth is not exhausted by such personal experiences.
The interpretation of the present day differs from that of the past chiefly (1) in
rooting Messianic prophecy firmly in the tiraes when it saw the light, making
it the child of these tiraes ; and, therefore, in explaining it less as direct and
pointed allusion to the Christ ; and (2) in emphasizing less such isolated
detailed predictions, as the present, irabedded in prophecy like gems, and
more the whole com'bined, concurrent lines of anticipation in the old economy
converging at last on Christ Incarnate, dying, and rising again. These things
therefore the soldiers did. They were tiie unconscious instruments in the hands
of God, who had guided the thoughts of the writer centuries before, and now
guided the wills and conduct of these soldiers to fulfilment. Explain it as we
may, we cannot but feel we are in presence of Him to whom are known all His
works from the foundation of the world.
25-27. Jesus commits His mother to the care of John. This touching
incident is peculiar to the fourth Gospel ; though the fact of several women
standing and beholding afar off is raentioned by the Synoptists, and the
names of three are given by both Matthew and Mark — namely, Mary
Magdalene, Mary the wife of Cleophas (or Alphaeus) and raother of James

XIX. 27.] THE CRUCIFIXION. 147
26 Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the
disciple standing by whom he loved, he saith unto his
27 mother. Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the
disciple. Behold thy mother ! And frora that hour that
disciple took her unto his own home.
the Less and of Joses, and Salome the wife of Zebedee and mother of James
and John. Our evangelist adds to these, Mary the mother of Jesus ; while
he speaks of his own mother (after his own fashion) as the sister of His
(i.e. Jesus') mother. It would appear, therefore, that John and James were
first cousins of their Master. It is a noteworthy fact that the mother of the
Lord is not alluded to by any of the Synoptists. The Mariolalry of the
Church of Rome has no sanction in them at least. Wken Jesus tkerefore
saw His mother, and the disciple standing by whom He loved. There had
been a moment when the mother's instincts and the love of the disciple
urged thera, at any personal risk, to steal nearer the cross. The evangelist
does not atterapt to tell us what his feelings at that awful hour were, much
less to expose the mother's agony. At the same tirae, writing after the
resurrection and the ascension, not to speak of the many years of
triumphant progress of the gospel, the reraerabrance of these moraents of
intolerable grief must have been toned down — lost in profound joy and
thankfulness to the God of such a salvation. The near relationship of John,
as well as Jesus' peculiar love to hira, may explain this last proof of con
fidence in his loyalty and affection, when Jesus entrusted His mother to his
care. Besides, John was the only one to whora Jesus could at that hour
commit so dear and sacred a charge : his devotion to his dying Lord
had earned the honourable and enviable distinction of being singled out
to pay these tender, filial offices which Jesus had faithfully fulfilled, but
could fulfil no more. Jesus, in short, left His mother to the loving solicitude
of His Church (a debt they would owe to Hira, having Him no longer to
serve), in the person of the one representative of His disciples near Hira at the
hour of deatli. The question therefore. Why not to her other sons ? must
be allowed to answer itself in the light of these facts.
To His mother, the words. Woman, behold thy son ! were meant in
merciful compassion, advising her withdrawal from the cross, sparing her the
anguish of the last moments ; were raeant to suggest to her with all tender
ness that the earthly tie between Plim and her was now broken for ever
(the new wonderful tie binding sinner and Saviour would take its place, as
wonderful, as precious and necessary to her as to any other redeemed soul) ;
and yet that with the thoughtfulness which did not seek its own even in the
last extremity He had provided for her loneliness and grief, and was giving
her a son in His own place ; for when Christ sunders old ties, He often forms
new for His disciples. And His cross is the place where new and lasting
ties are formed, more enduring than those which concern this world only.
Also — and the lesson is applicable to all — the words meant that a check
raust be put even on grief so natural as a mother's for a son : and that in the
discovery of fresh and new duties for God's sake must life be spent, — not in
helpless bewailing over the irrevocable past, — hov^'ever precious that has been.
Jesus might have committed His mother simply to God ; but the place and
the value of human sympathy are nowhere more fully recognised than in His
own life. To his own home. To conclude frora this expression, as Reynolds

148 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [XIX. 28.
28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accom
plished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
29 Now there vvas set a vessel full of vinegar : and they filled a
sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to
30 his raouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar,
he said, It is finished : and he bowed his head, and gave up
does. Int. xc, that John had a house in Jerusalem at the time (cp. xx.
10), seems hardly warranted. 'Wherever he resided, Mary would reside
with him. Mary is only once again mentioned in the N. T. , Acts i. 14.
We may believe that the evangelist was indebted to Mary for several
incidents otherwise unknown ; such as some which took place at the
wedding in Cana, ch. ii., or when Plis brethren urged Him to go to Jeru
salem, ch. vii. How far the influence of this remarkable woman — one who
had pondered many things in her heart, and chiefest of all her own Son and
Lord, and in aspects that none but she could have had access to — told on
the evangelist, and through hira on this Gospel, we may be allowed to con
jecture, if we cannot a^.'ert. It is significant that from this source, if from
any, a " Go.spel of the Infancy" might have emanated, and has not. The
reverent reticence of John on the subject of Mary is noteworthy. This
incident fitly goes with that of ii. i-ii.
28-30. The death of Jesus. After this. An indefinite interval, during
which the darkness over all Ihe land, the mental agony, and cry of our Lord
(Matt, xxvii. and Mark xv.) must have taken place. Jesus knowing that all
things were noiv accomplished [finished]. The evangelist represents the Lord
here, as always, in full consciousness of all that must happen. He knew that
His active and passive obedience was at an end, that He had suffered enough ;
He knew that Scripture prophecy regarding Him was all but verified ; and
not as a weak, suffering mortal, but as God, as master of His fate, even when
apparently helpless. He prepared Plimself to die, to terminate by His own
action the bond binding body and soul. Tkat tke scripture m.iglit be fulfilled
[accomplished] saith, I thirst (Ps. xxii. 15). He said these words in order that
scripture might be fulfilled. There was stiU one prediction waiting to be
verified, and as if interposing between Jesus and death ; and in order that
this might no longer be in the way. He saith, etc. The reference is not to
all prophecy, but to this single prediction in particular, for all prophecy was
not accomplished even in the death itself No doubt it sounds mechanical
to raodern ears, that Jesus spoke in order to fulfil prophecy, but we must dc
justice to John's conception ; and in the case of the exceptional personality of
our Lord we must reconcile as best we may the natural prompting for the
assuaging of the frightful thirst that parched His lips, and the Divine
consciousness of the stage He had reached in His ordeal of endurance.
29. Now — mouth. The vinegar (Lat. posca), sour wine drunk by the
soldiers. (Distinguish this incident from that recorded in Matt, xxvii. 34;
Mark xv. 23 ; Luke xxiii. 36.) John saw in this the fulfilment of Ps. Ixix. 21,
" In my thirst they gave me vinegar lo drink." No psalm is more frequently
quoted in the New Testament except Ps. xxii. ; see on vcr. 24 and xiii 18.
¦Phe sponge was placed on the end of a branch of hyssop, a plant of perhnps
1^ feet in height, so that it is concluded the cross could not have been
very high. 30. IVIien — ghost. It is finished, xvii. 4. These vicarious
sufferings of *he Son of God, the work for which His Faiher had sent Plim

XIX. 31.] Christ's death. 149
31 the ghost. The Jews therefore, because it was the prepara-
into the world, His humiliation. His personal discipline qualifying Plim to
be a faithful and merciful High Priest for men, the old dispensation of
preparation and shadow, the great salvation of God for sinners purposed in
eternal ages, achieved through the atoning sacrifice of the eternal Son,— all
these were finished. He who once had finished creation (Gen. ii l) had now
finished redemption. All that followed which was necessary for the applica
tion to men of the salvation, thus finished and purchased, — the resurrection and
ascension to the right hand of glory, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, — came as
Ihe fruit and reward of the toil and suffering now closed. Matthew records
the cry of agony which Jesus, borrowing the words of Ps. xxii., uttered, " My
God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" thus linking on the prophecies
of the Old Testament at their highest point to their fulfilraent in the Messiah
under the penal woes of the cross. Luke records the cry of faith on Ihe
part of the Son of Man when enduring the last and raost formidable of His
earthly experiences, " Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit ! " And
John records the cry of the Son of God, conscious even in that extreme
moraent of shame and suffering of all He was and of all He had come to do ;
Himself, Lord of life and of death, "It is finished I" And He bowed His
head, and gave up the ghost [and surrendered the spirit]. Luke is more
explicit, recording the words in which the Lord commended His soul into
the Father's hands, xxiii. 46. Calling on Plis Father, and with words of
scripture (Ps. xxxi. 5) on His lips. He sundered the tie between His body
and soul of His own accord, for no man took His life from Him, and death
from natural causes could not have been so speedy, — He did not succumb
under the pain of crucifixion, — and passed beyond the conditions of thia
earthly existence. But if Christ's death was a free spontaneous act, in every
sense, as a sacrifice for men, it was none the less a death such as men must
die. To all the experiences of life Jesus added this last and most formidable
of our mortal experiences, in order that His course as man might be com
pleted, that in all points He might be tried as we are. He endured the
humiliation and the awful mystery of death. How it was He ruptured the
bond binding body and soul we cannot tell, just as little as we can tell how
He knit both together to His Divine nature at the first, and as litlle as we
can tell how it •was that though His human spirit had now quitted its fleshly
tenement. His Divine nature had not been taken frora either. Though
that body was now a dead body, it was still part of Christ's Divine person.
The dissolution on the cross was of soul and body, not of the huraan and
Divine natures. In the three hours of external darkness Jesus endured that
internal and spiritual darkness, finding relief at the climax of intolerable
anguish in the cry, "My God, my Gud, why hast Thou forsaken me?"
In these sufferings we must seek the penal woes that expiated human guilt.
The mere dissolution of body and soul need not in itself be a punishment on
sin. But because of sin it has become one of the most severe and searching
discipUnes through which men must pass, sifting away from thera all that
the lesser experiences of life had failed to remove. Separation of body and
soul in immediate prospect is one of the most overwhelraing vicissitudes, and it
was indispensable even in this respect that the Captain of our salvation should
also pass through it, even if in itself it were not a penal infliction, in order
that Pie might be perfected, and touched with a feeling of all our infirmities.
He was trustful in death, He saw liis Father opening His arms to receive

Igo THE (SOSt^L fiV JOHN. t^lX. 32.
tion, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the
sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought
Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be
32 taken away. Then carae the soldiers, and brake the legs of
the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead
34 already, they brake not his legs : but one of the soldiers with
Him, while yet He fully realized the feelings and position of men in these
terrible conditions. Again, as human Ufe is removed by death from earth
and earth's uses, so it was necessary on the part of our Lord lo show that
Plis Ufe was now removed from the liraits of earthly existence, and transferred
to the uses and purposes of the heavenly one. Death vvas the beginning of
a new condition in which the work done here should be made full use of
For death is not only the termination of life, it is the corapletion of it. And
Jesus therefore in death completed His life, and consecrated it for evermore
to Hira into whose hands He surrendered it. " In that He liveth. He liveth
unto God." Death closes and corapletes life. God receiving it back
determines how to use, judges it, renders to each according to his work. Jesus,
too, as man must die, must feel that strange and awful sensation which
|iossesses the mind and heart of the dying, that his Ufe is passing away
from under his control, that he has no longer any power over it, that it is
going at another's will, and he has siraply to submit and wait in utter
impotency, and see what is to be done with him. That most mysterious
sinking down into nothingness which attends death, with no power to avert
any issue, raust be felt, begetting a trust in God of a most intense and
despairing kind, in order that Jesus may be the perfected High Priest of His
people. As Son of Man He died and He was judged. In olher words,
Christ's death was like His own person, partly human and partly Divine.
In so far as it was Divine il was an act accomplished by the combined will
of His Father and Himself. It was not in this sense something He endured,
it was something which He did, and hence its meritoriousness for us. In
so far as it was human, it was the result of the violence and injustice of wicked
men. (6.) 31-37. The piercing of the side of Jesus. 31. The preparation,
see ver. 14. That Sabbath day was an liigk day, being both the weekly
Sabbath and the first day of the Passover festival (Jewish days were
reckoned from sunset to sunset). Lev. xxni. 5-7. The Jews do not seem
to have had the ordinance of Deut. xxi. 22 f in view ; but in God's provi
dence that also was fulfilled, a fact of which Paul makes use, Gab ni 13.
The Roraan custom was to allow the bodies lo rot on Ihe cross ; but the
spectacle would havc been repugnant on such an occasion to the Jews,
profaning, in their judgraent, their holy things. Besides, there would have
been something painfully incongruous in commemorating their birth hour
as a nation while their "King" hung on the cross just outside the waUs.
That their legs might be broken, and tkat they migkt be taken away. This
process,— <rr/M'z/?-af«(»/,-— practised usually on slaves, and occasionally as a
punishment by itself, was intended to hasten death in this case at least,
in order to raake it certain before the bodies were conveyed away. 32 i.
Then came — legs. Does the narrative iraply that Ihere was a manifest

XIX. 35-] PIERCING OK Christ's side. 151
a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came thereout blood
35 and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record
is true ; and hc knoweth that he saith true, that ye might
unwillingness on the part of the soldiers to exercise this cruelly on Jesus,
and that they deferred Hira to tho last? 'Whether Ihe soldiers were the
quateriiinn watching, or others, it is impossible to say; but Ihe apparent
hesitation on the part of the watch would be accounted for in the record
of Matt, xxvii. 54; Mark xv. 39; Luke xxiii. 47. 34. But one — water.
The soldier wished to make pnnf of death ceitain, nnd drove his lance
home into Christ's side ; probably the left side, or towards it. The wound
must have been large, judging by ch. xx. 27, and therefore sufficient to
cause death of itself. Suspicion of the actual death of Jesus is one of the last
refuges of those who, denying the resurrcctirm, feel it necessary to account
for the results of faith in the resurrection. If this incident be true, Jesus
could not have merely swooned away. Blood and water. Medical science
comes to our help here by teaching us that the issue of blood and water
proves (1) the penetration by the spear of the pericardium at least, if not
the heart itself; and (2) the previous occurrence of death, in the fact that
the blood was already coagulating. ihere is also made to depend on
these contingencies the theory that our Lord died, lilerally, of a broken
heart, and allusion is made to Ps. xxii. 14. The reality and the physical
cause of our Lord's death are different subjects ; and with regard to the
former, while every side light has ils own value, we may bear in mind
that the apostolic testimony as an integral part of the Gospel record and
of the whole history of the revelation of God, together with the testimony
of the Holy Spirit, is an ultimate tribunal of appeal. The fact of Christ's
death may be proved also from the necessity for it, the prophecies that
went before, and the response in our breasts which the record of it awakens.
"Ought not Christ to have suffered these things?" "No sceptical criti
cism has been hitherto in the position of proving even oxAy the probabUity
that Jesus did not actually Aie" {\ji.c\s.e). 35-37- And^pierced. To John,
an eye-witness ofthe scene (having probably returned to the cross after
leaving Christ's mother with friends), this incident appeared so weighty as
a confirmation of prophecy, that he pauses to emphasize the facts (i)that
he was a beholder of what was done ; (2) that his personal testiraony is
absolutely infalUble ; and (3) that his object is to inspire his readers with
a like faith to his own. I. According to his own statement in 1 John v.
6, 8, there was a deep significance in the issue of blood and water from
the wounded body of the Lord. " This is lie that came by water and
blood, even Jesus Christ ; not by water only, but by water and blond.
And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. Fur
there are three that bear witness, the spirit, and the water, and the blood :
and these three agree in one." The interpretation of this passage belongs
to the Epistle, not to the Gospel; but we may say that the fact John here
records is the basis on which he builds the doctrines of his Epistle, and
that he viewed the outflow of tho blood and water not as a proof of his
Saviour's death, so much as a symbolic expression of the great work which
He came to do on men : to shed liis blood as a propitiation for their
sins, and to impart to them, consequentiy, the Ploly Spirit, as the cleansing
water of regeneration and renewal. "Blood and water" are the two

tS2

THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. fxiX. 36.

36 believe. For these things were done, that the scripture
should be fulfilled, A bone of hitn shall not be broken.
37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him
whom they pierced.
witnesses, when combined in the Spirit's hand, of Christ's power to cleanse
from gmlt, and Christ's power to sanctify ; Christ our righteousness and Christ
our hoUness. (So in Toplady's hymn, "Let the water and the blood,"
etc.) 2. But a signification of singular importance attaches to the action
of the soldiers. For these things zuere done, that the scripture, etc. Even in
the deepest depth of humiliation, His body a poor pitiful spectacle — a
lifeless, bloody corpse — on the cross, to John's eye the glory as of Ihe
Only-begotten of the Father full of grace and truth was discernible ; so
that even dying He is fulfilling the God-established conditions that raust
raeet in the Messiah. An atmosphere of verification of prophecy hung
round the cross, dissolving every element of shame, a sun throwing a
rainbow of glory over the cloud and rain storm of woe and bitterness, the
will of God moving the thoughts and hands of men as if they were but
unconscious puppets, compelling their acts, even their stray impulses, to
glorify His Son. (l.) In the preservation of Jesus' body from the indignity
that befell the still living malefactors, John saw a fulfilment of the ordi
nance prescribed in connection with the ritual of the Passover. The larab
sacrificed must not have a bone broken, must be roasted whole, Ex. xii.
46; Nura. ix. 12 (Ps. xxxiv. 20). It was needful that the great Antitype,
already introduced to His readers as the Larab of God who taketh away
the sin of the world, should correspond to every such requirement of the
past preparatory economy, assuring us that Jesus was truly the Great
Personal DeUverer, to whom such institutions, and the facts that gave
rise to them, pointed, 1 Cor. v. 7 > that both the old and the new
proceed from the sarae mind, and that the new was in point of fact the
truly oldest of all — " the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,"
and that the old must therefore have its reason and end in the new.
We raust try to understand the effect which such correspondences, that
may appear outward and artificial to ourselves, had on the minds of
Jews accustomed to venerate their ancient God-given cereraonies. But we
feel that the scope of such an institution could not be in itself. The bones
of Christ's body were not broken ; not siraply in order that this similarity
be secured, but for reasons that lay deeper. Our Lord's dead body was
a sacred thing; the curse on sin had already been fully expiated by the
sufferings preceding it, namely, by that God - forsakenness vvhich is spiritual
death ; hence it was due to that body, set free in God's account from
the penalty of sin, that it be kept from the indignities vvhich men might
put on it. Hence God watched over it while it still hung on the cross, and
prevented it from sharing unnecessary violence, as well as some ignominious,
comraon and unknown felon's grave. (2.) Not only was a typical institu
tion answered, but a direct prophecy was fulfilled : They shall look on Him
whom they pierced, Zech. xii. 10. (A.V. lliey shall look upon me whom
they have pierced ; R.V. They shall look unto me [margin, Hini] whom
they have pierced.) It is to be noted that while John follows the LXX.
in the former quotation, he departs from it altogether in this quotation and
in Rev. i. 7, since it does not contain this precise signification of "piercing,"

XIX. 38.] THE BUfelAL OF CHRIST'S BODY. 153
38 And after this, Joseph of Arimathaea, (being a disciple of
Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews,) besought Pilate
that he might take away the body of Jesus : and Pilate gave
which the Hebrew terra conveys, (cp. the sarae terra in Zech. xiii. 3), but
simply that of insulting or despising. The passage is taken from a
Messianic prophecy, in the course of which Jehovah promises to pour on
the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalera the spirit of grace
and supplication, the result of which will be that they shall repent of
their hard-heartedness, and turn to Hiraself with great contrition. That
the Messiah is represented as Jehovah Himself is important ; but the centre
of interest for Jolin lay in the conception of "piercing," and he felt that
the prediction was now literally and circumslantially fulfilled, not in the
crucifixion generally, but in this action of the Roman soldier. No doubt
it is the Jews of whom this is predicted ; but the whole responsibiliiy for the
cross and ils ignominies lay on the Jews, and already when Ihe evangelist
wrote these words many a Jew unbelieving, and rejecting Christ at the
time of His crucifixion, had repented, and, looking to the pierced Saviour,
had found mercy. The complete fulfilment awaits the time of God.' These
remarkable fulfilments of Messianic prophecy produced the effect on John
of a complete faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God and Saviour
of men, the Lamb of God slain for sin ; and he solemnly attests his own
veracity and trustworthiness as an eye-witness of these fulfilments. His
record [witness] is true, i.e. ideally true, genuinely and absolutely true,
and reliable for all men; cp. xxi. 24, and I John throughout, e.g. i. 1-3,
ii. 21, iv. 14, V. 9-11, 13. 'This empliatic assurance of his credibility by the
apostle is of great moment to the Church of all tirae. It perhaps implies
the presence of doubt at the date of writing about the events of the cross.
That ye also may believe, not merely that such things did take place, but that,
such things having taken place, Jesus is the Christ who should eorae, and
that life is in His narae, xx. 31.
(7.) 38-42. Theburialof Jesus' body by Joseph and Nicodemus. Joseph
of Arimath^a, cp. Luke xxiii. 50, 51 ; Matt, xxvii. 57 f ; Mark xv. 43 f.
Luke calls Arimathaea "a city of the Jews," "but this presents no objection
to its identification with the prophet Samuel's birthplace, the Raniah of
I Sam. i. 1, which is named in the LXX. Armathaim " (Smith's Bible
Dictionary). This was either Joseph's birthplace or residence, or both.
A disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews. Both he and Nicodemus
(ili. I, vii. 50), who is unnamed by the other Gospels, answer this description.
It is well to recognise'the fact that there are men who are disciples of Christ
"in secret," who have not the courage of their convictions, who are held
back by fear or shame, or sorae olher more or less unworthy motive. Both
these raen were honourable members of the Sanhedrim, of the Pharisaic
parly, upright, unprejudiced, sincere, and altogether disposed to accept Jesus
as Christ. And if secrecy cannot be always defended, it is well we should
see that these men did now for the body of Jesus what none else could have done,
what even they theraselves might have been unable to do had a premature
confession of Jesus compromised their influence and position. For they not
only did what none could do who were outwardly devoted to Jesus, or did it
in a costlier way, — they did what none could have done but themselves, and
1 For some striking remarks on the "legacy of Christ's life-blood" to men, see Thoma,
pp. 704, 705.

154 The gospel by john. [xix. 39.
him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
39 And there came also Nicodemus, (which at the first came to
Jesus by night,) and brought a mixture of rayrrh and aloes,
40 about an hundred pound weight Then took they the body
of Jesus, and wound it in hnen clothes with the spices, as the
41 raanner ofthe Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he
was crucified there was a garden ; and in the garden a new
42 sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they
Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day ; for the
sepulchre was nigh at hand.
which, if not done, would have seriously weakened the proofs of the resurrec
tion. But for Joseph's intercession, the body of Jesus might (humanly speaking)
have been cast into some comraon pit with the bodies of the malefactors.
Thus those who have stood nearest Christ raust sometimes move aside that a
stranger may come and lay at His feet a costly tribute of affection, indispens
able to Iiim (xii. 3, 7). Christ's influence, too, often works in channels that
run underground for a while, and we had better not judge too hastily or
incautiously. The service rendered was absolutely needful, a service of love
and loyalty, one that taxed courage too, for it meant to sorae degree an
identification of themselves \vith the disciples and admirers of Jesus. Joseph
gave the tomb, Nicodemus gave an hundred pound weight of aromatic herbs.
He came therefore and took [away] the body of Jesus. Matthew and Mark say
expressly that Joseph took it down from the cross. The soldiers might assist
by Pilate's orders, but Joseph was quite able to secure help otherwise.
A mixture [roll, Westcott and Hort] of myrrh and cdoes, about an hundred
pound weight, see on xi. 39. Myrrh was a fragrant gum, and aloes a
sweet-scented wood, which, being pounded together, were placed on the
linen which swathed the body. 'The large quantity indicated the reverence
felt by Nicoderaus for Jesus. As the manner of the Jews is to bury. The
writer betrays his non-Jewish surroundings, ii. 6, iv. 9. The Egyptian mode
of embalming was different (Wilkinson, vol. iii.). The women who, accord
ing to the Synoptists, were watching the scene, had determined to supplement
these last offices, which could hardly have been but hurried in the circum
stances, so soon as the Sabbalh was over. Now in the place where He was
crucified tliere was a garden. A fact passed over by the Synoptists ; the
garden was probably the property of Joseph, though John is silent on this
point. In a garden huraan life began, and in that garden sin wrought death
and misery, and threatened the ruin of human hope. In a garden the
precious seed of Divine hope was planted again in the body of Jesus, in which
sin's curse had spent itself, and frora that seed branches now are stretched,
and blossoras scattered through all the world, .-i ncit) sepulchre, 'wherein was
never man yet laid. Matthew relates the former and Luke the latter, aud all
the three Synoptists relate that the sepulchre vvas hewn out of the rock. It
was the will of God that that sacred body, now a curseless object, should be
treated with all the honour and reverence that attended the sepulture of the
kings of the Jews ; for Jesus died as the King of the Jews. 'There laid they Jesus
therefore because of the Jeivs' preparation day ; for tke sepulckre was nigh nt
hand. The near proximity ofthe tomb would have availed nothing had the
property not belonged to Joseph, who had personally demanded ihe body.

xk. 7.J

tHE RESURRECTION. I55

Chap. XX. i. The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene
early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth
2 the stone taken away frora the sepulchre. Then she run
neth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple
whom Jesus loved, and saith unto thetn, They have taken
way the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where
3 they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth, and that
4 other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both
together : and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and carae
5 first to the sepulchre. And he stooping down, and looking
6 ?'«, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in. Then
cometh Simon Peter following hini, and went into the
7 sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, and the napkin,
and now devoted to it the vault which he had prepared for his own. The
last ceremonies were hastened through because the hour for celebrating the
Passover meal was coming on ; and it may have been an argument in favour
of the granting of Joseph's request, and preventing any resistance of the Jews,
that the "sepulchre was nigh at hand."
IV. Resurrection and Appearance to His Disciples in
Jerusalem, Ch. xx.
Ch. XX. (1) i-io. The fact of the resurrection attested by several of the
disciples. (2) 11-18. The Lord appears to Mary Magdalene. (3) 19-29.
The Lord's appearances to His disciples, and special appeal to 'Thoraas.
(4) 3°) 31- Conclusion and scope of Gospel.
(1.) i-io. The Eesurrection attested by Mary, Peter, and John.
The evangelist tells his readers how he and his friend Siraon Peter first
learned that the tomb was empty, and how they, on hastening to it,
were convinced that their Lord liad risen. 1. The first day — sepulchre.
There were at least other two women with this Mary, Matt, xxviii.,
Mark xvi., Luke xxiii. 55 f , and xxiv. 1, and this is implied in ver. 2, " We
knovv not," etc., but it did not fall within John's scope to mention Ihem.
2. llien she runneth — Him. She probably left the others at the tomb while
she hastened to tell the disciples, and while she was absent the events
occurred which the Synoptists record, differing in details, but agreeing
generally. Matt, xxviii. 5-8; Mark xvi. 5-8; Luke x.kIv. 4-10. Note the
mark of genuineness in the word i-unnetk. John reraembered well her breath
less agitation as she roused them that early dawn. 3, 4. Peter — sepulchre.
According to Luke xxiv. 12, Peter alone (if the verse be genuine). The two
running together through the quiet streets, and the younger man getting
ahead of the elder, are graphic touches. 5. And he — in. Stooping dotvn.
The action inight comport with either a tomb underneath the surface of the
ground, or a tomb cut sideways out of the rock ; see xi. 38. The linen clothes
lying, i.e. with no body under them. 6. Then — lie; characteristic touches
of the two disciples ; John lingering, shrinking, reflecting, wondering ; Simon
bold, impetuous, ardent, impatient ; see xxi. 7. The Greek verb rendered seeth
is here stronger, marketh, beholdeth, — careful inspection is meant. 7. And tht

15^ 'THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xX. 8.
that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but
8 wrapped together in a place by itself. Then went in also
that other disciple which came first to the sepulchre, and he
9 saw, and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture,
io that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples
went away again unto their own horae.
II But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping : and, as
she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,
napkin — itself ; see xi. 44. The appearance of the tomb therefore compelled
two conclusions, ^^rj?, that the body had not been reraoved by any one, for
why unroll the linen bandages? and second, that whatever had happened, a
spirit of order and calmness had prevailed. If John is telling us what is true,
there is but one alternative to the resurrection, that certain persons had
entered the tomb while the Roman sentinels were asleep, had leisurely
stripped the body, and laid the linen bandages and the napkin in orderly
fashion, and then gone with their burden, — where, no one can tell. 8. Tken
went — believed. John drew the only possible inference ; the light struck into
his mind and soul on the spot. He believed that the Lord had risen from
the dead. 9. For as yet — dead. The disciples had never understood the
signification of Scripture with which they were fanjiUar, such as Ps. ii., xvi. ;
Isa. liii., etc. The Lord had endeavoured to enlfet their sympathies on the
point, had even directly told them He would die and rise again the third day,
Matt.xvi.21; Markviu.31; Lukeix.22. ButtheirexpectationsandviewsofHis
kingdom were so different that it vvas by no means strange that they could not
apprehend, even if His words were as plain and direct as they are reported.
And his death was something beyond which they were totally helpless to
look. It was an end put to all their hopes. They were left in darkness
and despair, though still clinging to the faith that somehow their Master
might justify their intense faith in Him. And even this may be more than they
felt between the terrible hour of betrayal and the hour of resurrection. Here at
least vve have John's explicit testimony that the resurrection ofthe Lord Jesus
Christ, as a necessary fulfilment of Scripture, had not till now, when he was
confronted with the proofs of the fact, dawned on his soul. It is useful to
contrast the way in which the women who accompanied Mary Magdalene
and these two disciples were respectively assured of the resurrection. To the
former, as raore emotional, and less accustomed to the use of reason, an angel
(or two angels, so Luke) appeared and conveyed the glad tidings to Ihem.
Tothe latter there was no angeUc vision granted. All had been "drawn
back into heaven" when they reached the spot. Peter and John simply
exercised their judgments on the facts before their eyes, and formed the only
conclusion possible, that Jesus had indeed risen. God, even in this over
whelming event, leaving, so far as was possible, Ihe mind to work on the
material presented to it, and not overriding intelligent reflection by per
mitting Christ to appear lo them as yet. So the two disciples saw and
believed, and left the tomb. Their feelings are veiled.
(2.) 11-18. Christ's appearance to Mary Magdalene. 11. But Mary
— sepulchre. It does not appear that the two disciples communicated
their newly-born faith lo Mary Magdalene. Perhaps they had not seen her
again. Perhaps they thought it wiser to wait the issue of events even if they

XX. I4-] Christ's appearance to mary magdalene. 157
1 2 and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head,
and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She
saith unto thera, Because they have taken away my Lord, and
14 I know not where they have laid him. And when she had
thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and
had. So she was left alone, Ih'; outward solitude aptly reflecting Ihat inner
spiritual srditude which she might now fear, when the wonderful Friend was
away who had by Plis power and kindness rescued her from sin and made
the better life easy, who had also by His love for her gained fellowship for
her with the men and women she could esteem and be helped by. To l.er
the death of Jesus might therefore seem a more irreparable loss than to any
other. And she was denied the poor comfort even of vv.-eping over His
corpse, and paying the last tender ntes of reverence and love. Reluctant to
abandon all hope, clinging, as we all do, to the outward form which has
contained the dear object of love, as if by clinging lo it we could bring back
what is no longer there, with a woman's persistence and affection refusing
to believe but that .still, even after tlic scrutiny of the two men, some trace
might be found of that beloved object, she lingered in the garden ; and she
once again stooped down, and through her tears looked into the sepulchre.
12. And seeth [beholdeth] — lain. Probably the same two angels as had
been seen already by the other women (Luke xxiv. 4). White is the symbol
of the purity and glory of heaven. They were silting, — an accommodation
to our ideas, — to suggest how they had been occupied all through the hours
when the body of Jesus lay there, keeping watch over it, while the Roman
sentinels guarded without (Ps. xci. 11). 'ihat there is a certain correspond
ence between the vision and the mental condition of the beholder is evident,
when we compare the different effects produced by the same angel or angels
on the Roman guard, on the two woraen, and on Mary Magdalene respec
tively, see Matt, xxviu. 1-8. 13. And — Him. Mary's inten-.e emotion
of love and longing preoccupies her against the shock of Ihe supernatural
apparition. Even the instincts of terror were quenclicd. What was a vision
of angels to her if they brought not her Lord with them? Angels are
"ministering spirits to the heirs of salvation." They are interested in
mankind, concerned in huraan grief as in human joy. There are things
angels can and cannot do. These two sent the first vsonien away with
mingled joy and fear, and struck the terror of death into the Romans ; but
there are feelings which none but the touch of the Master Himself can guide
and control. Mary Magdalene is not bid look where Jesus lay, is not
comforted as the others were. The angels ask in sympathy why she weeps?
but they say no more, recognising that to such feelings the Lord plimself
alone has the key. Not even angels, pure, powerful, sympathetic as they
are, can interpose between a seeking soul and Jesus Christ whora it seeks.
14. And wlien—Je-^us. Not expecting to see her Lord alive, and in her
deep emotion hardly seeing the features of the man behind her, only noticing
that there was some one there, Mary might have easily failed lo detect who
he was. But some change there was in the body of the Lord, as is clear
from the various records of Ilis re'-.urrection appearances. It was a body no
longer controUed by, but controlling altogether, the ordinary nalural forces
of this present existence ; the same, but with a difference. At pleasure Jesus

158 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xX. 1 5.
15 knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman,
why weepest thou ? whom seekest thou ? She, supposing hira
to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him
hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him
16 away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and
17 saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus saith
made Hiraself visible and invisible ; when He appeared it was a " showing "
or "manifestation " of Hiraself, xxi. 1. He was recognised by His disciples
not at the first sight of Him on such occasions as He appeared, but after
sorae interval of proof that He whom they saw and conversed with was
really the same old Master, with the same personal characteristics as before ;
and that it was not simply the Master's spirit (or ghost), but the Master with
a real body, essentially the same as that which had died on the cross and lay
in the tomb. Mary recognised Him here when He threw His whole
personality into the tones of His voice pronouncing her name. The two who
walked to Emmaus in His company knew Him just as He was in the act of
doing what He had often done in their presence before ; the disciples fishing
on the lake, — when the net enclosed a great raultitude of fishes. There was
the same personality, there was the same body, with a difference, bearing the
marks to some extent of the previous earthly existence, but elevated out of
that existence, appearing in it at will, using it at will, but not in the least
under its power or dependent on its condilions. In the glorified body
character will be truthfully expressed, and will be the mediura of the
recognition of personal identity, i^. Jesus — away. Not even the voice of
Jesus is recognisable by Mary at the first ; but possibly this mode of
salutation from Him — "Woman!" — was unusual. / will take Him
away. Love makes light of every difficulty. Renan ascribes to the
enthusiastic love and devotion of Mary Magdalene the first conception
of the possibility of a resurrection, and the origin of the belief in the fact.
The narrative, if it has any truth in it whatever, precludes the idea. So far
was Mary frora conjuring up visions of a risen Lord, that she did not
recognise Him until He had repeatedly appealed to her. The words,
supposing Him to be the gardener, dispel all such romantic illusions.
16. Jesus — Master. The one word "Mary," her name, spoken with some
accent of surprise probably, but with all the tenderness and expressive
significance which could come frora none but One in all the world, from the
One who knew her as none had known her or could know her, the One who
had "cast seven devils out of her, "and filled her vvith the spirit of penitence,
of holiness, and of God, opened her eyes, and in the instant, with the
exclamation, " My Master ! " frora her lips, and in an excess of joy unspeak
able, she had thrown herself at His feet (cp. Matt, xxviii. 9, vvhich in all
probability records the sarae incident, see Mark xvi. 9). She turned
herself ; cp. ver. 14. She had turned away from the angels, and again
turned away from the supposed gardener. Rabboni, see i. 38. The word
in Hebrew is added by 'Westcott and Hort, and adopted by R.V. The
addition has some bearing on the question whether Greek or Hebrew
was the ordinary language in which Christ and His disciples spoke to one
another, favouring the former supposition. At moments of intense excite
ment or feeling, like the present, the native tongue would be naturally
adopted. That Mary vvas not seized with panic (as were the eleven on that

XX. 17.] Christ's appearance to mary imagdalene. 159
unto her, Touch rae not ; for I am not yet ascended to my
same evening when Jesus stood in the midst of them), thinking she saw her
Master's disembodied spirit, is parallel with the fact of her apparent lack of
surprise on seeing the vision of angels in the tomb. In the rainds of the
disciples reason struggled vvith evidence ; so that the heart can arrive at
sound conclusions sooner than the head. No question as to Ihe possibility
of the miracle disturbs Mary as she grasps her Saviour by the feet. The
stronger-minded men are unhinged; love triumphs over fear, and doubt, and
the impossible. The Lord in His appearance first to Mary Magdalene
conferred a remarkable honour on women, in admirable consistency with
His conduct throughout His ministr}' ; He showed also how great and deep
His love is to penitents, and taught a memorable lesson therein to His Church
evermore : not to Peter first, or to John, or to His mother, but to a weeping,
broken-hearted penitent, absorbed with passionate desire to see His body
once again, and pay a last tribute of reverence and undying gratitude ; He
also recognised that unreasoning affection has claims as well as the reflection
of the judgraent. On the disciples He does not burst all at once on His
departure frora the tomb. He permits one proof after another to exercise its
due weight, and then appears in the evening, rebuking them for want of
faith because they had not, or with much suspiciousness, accepted the
evidence of His resurrection. But to Mary Magdalene, whose love, deep
and passionate, was a light to itself, the joy, Ihe honour were granted of
seeing the Lord immediately after He had risen. "John had love's insight ;
Mary had the want which love creates. John's insight taught him first to
conclude his Lord had risen ; Mary's want brought her Lord first to her
to satisfy" it " (Luthardt). 17. Jesus — God. Touch me not [R.V. raargin.
Take not hold on me]. A prohibition which arose, not from the pecuUar
condition of Christ's risen body, or from any special sanctity attaching to
Him now that He was risen, which did not operate before, or from any
desire on his part to be more distant and reserved in His fellowship with her
and the rest, see ver. 27 ; Luke xxiv. 39 ; but siraply and obviously frora
Mary's own state of mind. \\'hile holding her Master in the first rapture of
joy, she likely thought that the old familiar and daily friendship and com
munion would be renewed, would be even doubly precious after this painful
interval of separation. She thought of nothing but a renewal of the past.
It was necessary that she should be undeceived at once, and made to under
stand, as the mother of Jesus at Cana and at Calvary, that there were new
conditions and relations to be thought of, that something in the old life had
gone, no more to return. Love to Hira should not be less, but reverence
and worship more. He adds the reason for this prohibition : For I am not
yet ascended to my [the] Father. This said that His earthly Ufe was at an
end. Hence cUnging to Him, to His outward form, to the old, would not
detain Hira on earth, or on the former fooling. Love mingled with ignorance
held Him by the feet, would keep His feet, as it were, ever walking on the
earth. And He says. Do not cling to my bodily form ; this ignorance raust
be put away. I ascend to the Father. Yet the love must not be put away,
for when I ara ascended to that Divine fellowship which includes ray
brethren also, no expression of love and desire towards me will be distasteful.
While He repels, for the present and in this form, He holds out a great and
glorious hope that the friendship and comraunion resumed on these higher
conditions will be all that they ever have been, and infinitely more. When

I 50 THE gospel by JOHN. [xX. 1 8.
Father : but go to my brethren, and say unto theiu, I ascend
unto my Father, and your Father ; and to my God, and your
1 8 God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she
had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things
unto her.
every partial view of Hira is lost in the flood of glory opened out by the
Spirit, there should be no limit to the closeness and preciousness of the soul's
fellowship with Hira. The Lord, therefore, negatives the former friendship,
and at the same time promises a higher, more wonderful, kind and degree
of friendship. We are nearer Him by faith now than Mary Magdalene was
then when she grasped His feet. It was the same trutii taught the dis
ciples a few days before — " If I go not away, the Comforter will not come to
you." Perhaps we may discover in these words a rebuke to that peculiar
form of superstition which indulges in material, carnal views of the risen
Lord : crucifixes, and the child Jesus in Mary's bosom, and startlingly vivid
representations of the Redeeraer's sufferings, to the counting of the drops of
blood that fell from His wounds : what are these but an ignorant cUnging to His
feet, to that earthwardness which has all gone, instead of the effort to realize
Ihe spiritual which has taken its place ? But go to my brethren, and say to them,
I ascend unto my Father, a-nd your Father ; and to my God, and your God. Cling
not selfishly to me, but go to impart this gladness of yours to others. Jesus
might suggest in the words a lesson for future life, as He did to His mother
from His cross, xix. 26. She followed the great Teacher and hung on His
lips before, and watched every opportunity for serving Him, showing her love
and gratitude. But now let her tell to others and in her own way fhe love, and
grace, and mercy which have done so much for her. By tlie words. My
brethren (Matt, xxviii. 10), Jesus no doubt meant that He was the same
to them as ever ; and not the same only, but m.ore. His death for them had
made thera, if possible, nearer and dearer than ever. He had never called
them "brethren " before. He had spoken of thera as servants and friends ;
but now, when they might have least expected it, when they might have
imagined a barrier between Hira and them, and that He had olher and
greater interests than they, Pie calls thera by a narae which would dispel aU
such suspicion and fear — ' ' My brethren. " 'That this involves a nearer relation
ship goes without saying, as the consequence of His completed work ; for
having now gone through the full experience of human life and death. He
could not but be our Brother in a sense not realized before. Less by His
birth into our flesh than by His death in it for us does Jesus claim brother
hood vvith us, for in His death He felt what we feel, having to deal with
God alone : He stood then in the gap and made up the hedge for us.
Hence His kindredness with us is closer in and through His death than
in Plis taking flesh and blood (cp. Ps. xxii. 22). Angels said to the
women. He is not here. He is risen 1 Christ Hiraself said, I ascend !
(Remark these words, especially since John gives no account of the
visible ascension at last.) His ascension did not begin at the Mount of
Olives that day He led the disciples out to witness His departure : it began
when He was quickened in the Spirit ; and His resurrection was but part of
His ascension. So He says, I ascend ! The detention on earth for forty
days was for His disciples' sake, that they might be persuaded He had
risen, and encouraged for their future toil. His heart was already at the

XX. 19. j Christ's appearances to his disciples. 161
19 Then the sarae day at evening, being the first day o[ the
week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were
assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus, and stood in the
right hand of God, and but for the needs of Plis Church the power by
which He rose would have seated Hira already in the heavenlies. Was it
not also designed that His first salutation to Plis disciples after He was risen
should announce a second departure ; rerainding thera of the mysterious
words spoken in the upper room about going to the Father ? It would tend
to breali thera off from carnal hopes regarding their Master's new risen
condition ; from conceptions of a kingdora and glory here which, destroyed
by the crucifixion, might strike root again when they heard of the resur
rection. Angels say He has come back. Jesus says He goes away again.
If their first thought might be one of regret that He had appeared only to
dash their hopes again and leave them, their next impression would be that
they were concerned in His going as greatly as Himself, if His Father were
to be their Father, and His God their God, and theirs because His. By
calling thera " Brethren," He assures them they are personally at least as
much to Him as ever, and even more. By caUing His God and Father
theirs, He assures them that His work is still on their behalf where He goes.
He had by life and death brought thera into the true abiding relation of sons
to His Father and God. These words in a sense complete Christ's Revelation.
Not His Father and God alone summons Him, but theirs also. He went
where they could not be forgotten. And they would reraeraber what He had
already told thera, that if He would go. He would come again and receive
them to Himself. One half of that promise was about to be fulfilled — He
was going to the Father. The other would also be fulfilled. Meanwhile,
that He had come back to thera here was not the subject to which He called
their thoughts, great as it was : that they were now brothers of Him who
had conquered Death, and that they were the sons of a Divine Father, sons
of God — Christ's God, were the wonderful new truths they should ponder.
[If, as we suppose, the incident recorded in Matt, xxviu. 9, 10 is the same
as this, our Lord had added the words which are given there : Tell my
brethren that they go before me — to Galilee : there shall they see me ! The
apparent contradiction in the fact that He was seen of them the same
evening in Jerusalem, may be accounted for through their slowness of heart
to believe in His resurrection ; see Luke xxiv. 41 ; Mark xvi. 14.] 18.
Mary — her. (R.V. puts Mary's information direct — I have seen the Lord.)
Mark xvi. 9, 10 ; Luke xxiv. 10.
(3.) 19-29. The Lord's two appearances to His disciples in Jerusalem.
Between these and the foregoing appearance to Mary Magdalene must be
placed our Lord's appearance to Siraon, Luke xxiv. 34, cp. 1 Cor. xv. 5,
and the memorable journey to Emraaus, recorded also in Luke xxiv. The
/«; appearance, vers. 19-23. This is recorded also by Luke (xxiv. 36 ff.).
19. Then— you. Were the disciples only using precaution? or had Ihey
reason to believe there were plots to surprise them ? This latter would be
supported by the consternation which must have spread among them after
hearing the report of the Roman watch. Matt, xxviii. 11 ff. The house
may have been that referred to in Acts i. 13. Luke tells us that the
" eleven were gathered together, and them that were with them." The doors
being shut ; see remarks on ver. 14. Jesus came among them in such a way
as to prove Ihat new laws now ruled His bo^ly — that the earthly no longer
VOL. II. L

tdi THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xX. 20.
20 midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when
he had so said, he shewed unto thera his hands and his side.
Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.
2 1 Then said Jesus to thera again, Peace be unto you : as my
2 2 Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had
said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them. Receive ye
was a limitation to it. The spiritual in the man Christ Jesus had assumed
complete control over the material. There was still a material element in
Christ's personality, but it vvas independent of all ordinary laws relating to
matter and force. The body of our Lord was therefore a spiritual, trans
figured, glorified body. He was still raan in integrity, even wearing the
traces of His earthly career, proving the identity of His person by the
scars of crucifixion, as well as the substantiality of His body by asking to be
handled. But He was no longer a Uving soul under the restriction and
curse of Adaraic descent. He was a quickening spirit, the "second raan,"
the "Lord frora heaven." We need not form theories, but simply take
note of the facts as here set before us ; for our conceptions of the future
spiritual body are necessarily formed from those appearances of the risen
Saviour. Peace be unto you ! A word out of the fulness of His own risen
life. He had Plimself passed from the state of sorrow, suffering, self-
sacrifice, agony and shame, into the eternal peace of heaven. So He
comes to His own to give them fulfilment of His promise, xiv. 27. And it
was no mere formal or even friendly greeting. Fittingly the words came from
the lips of Iiim who is " our Peace," who had first raade peace for men with
God through the blood of His cross. Back from the bitterness of death He
came with peace on His Ups as His message of reconciling raercy to all
mankind. 20. And — Lord. His hands and His side. To convince thera
lie was the vei'y sarae person who had been crucified, having the same
Body ; as the words just uttered would assure thera His heart was still the
sarae to them. The action recorded in Luke xxiv. 39, " Behold my hands
and my feet, that it is I myself," bears rather on the fact that He had still a
body ; that He was not simply spirit, but had a material element, however
altered, in His personality. Glad (cp. Luke xxiv. 41, " They beUeved not
for joy, and wondered"). 21. Then— you. Again. The repetition of Ihe salu
tation marks it as something greater than a wish, marks it as a positive
Divine equipment : the gift of grace to tYiem, first, as sinners needing to have,
and to know they have, peace with God ; and, second, as apostles about to
go into the world and proclaim peace to them who were afar off and to them
who were nigh. As the Father hath sent me, even so send I you, ilv. 16 and
xvii. 18. The Lord gives them forraally and authoritatively the commission
to preach Plim to the world. They are sent by Hira for tlie sarae purpose,
and with the same authority, and with the like endowments, as Pie had been
sent by the Father. Their work continues His work. It is the Divine
proclamation of peace with God through Jesus Christ to all men, the
beseeching of sinners to be reconciled to God : a message from the Father
to Plis lost children. The disciples would realize that the work of their
Master before His death, which seemed to have collapsed, was to be carried
forward by them. Jesus was not a new Saviour. He had not lost hold of
the past Ufe which He led. The interesis, hopes, plans, objects, all were
the same. 22 f. And when — retained. Hc breathed on them, elc. ; cp.

XX. 24.J Christ's appearances to his disciples. 163
23 the Holy Ghost. Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted
unto them ; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not
Ezek. xxxvii. 9. His very breath conveyed to them the Holy Spirit. The
Holy Spirit is represented in Scripture as the Breath of God— which,
indeed, the word Spirit itself means. He is Ihe breathing of God— the
essence and life of God, breathed by Father to Son, and by Father
and Son to men. Breathing is the most manifest token of life ; so that,
in breathing on Ihe disciples, our Lord was giving them to share His
own life — the life of God. He was so possessed v\ith the Spirit that
the very breath of His body was spiritual — communicating Divine life.
He had not done this before, though the Faiher had given Him the
Spirit without raeasure, iii. 34. He had not permitted men to think He
had a magical influence about Ilis person that might dispense with the need
for intelligent, personal faith. His earthly nature, too, imposed a check
on the raanifestation of the fulness of Divine life. But now the earthUness
vvas gone : the life of the spirit had overflown His body — had becorae its
brealh ; the life of the Divine nature was now so inspired into the huraan nature
that the human nature itself, its breath, had life-giving power. The act was
also the exercise of the powers of Almighty God. As Creator, He breathed
into man's nostrils the breath of life at the first, and raan became a living
soul. And now He breathed on His disciples as Redeemer ; Himself the
Glorified Man, the Quickening Spirit, giving life, and life raore abundantly
to overcome the death of sin. Without Him — His direct personal influence —
there is no Ufe in the soul. This private act of Christ, before His ascension,
would convince His disciples all tlie more that the public outpouring of the
Holy Spirit at Pentecost was truly His own gift to the Church, Plis own
vei-y life, was no mere external equipment, was no alien power — nothing new,
strange, unknown, but the symbol of the great fact that Ihey henceforth lived
in their Lord's life; cp. xiv. 19, "Because I live, ye shall live also."
Whose soever sins ye remit, tkey are remitted unto them ; and whose soever sins
ye retain, they are retained. Our Lord gave the disciples first their work,
then the needful endowment for it, and now authority in the carrying of it
out. Their work was lo go into the world to preach the Divine peace which
they had themselves received frora their Lord. Their endowraent was the
Holy Spirit bringing thera into union and coraraunion with Ihe life of Father
and Son. Their authority in executing it, power to forgive or retain sins.
In tills reraarkable gift there is iraplied the institution of the Church of Christ
as a visible, organized society, with its methods of procedure, laws, office
bearers, and discipline. Our Lord had already made the sarae promise of
authority to them. Matt. xvi. 19, xviii. 18, in a form taken from the rules of
the synagogue communions. "Binding " and " loosing " were familiar terras
applied to the discipline exercised by the elders of synagogues over the
raembers. The disciples therefore would understand that their Master was
calling thera to organize a society on earth of those believing in His name,
and to exercise all needful discipline in connection with it — to determine
who should, and who should not, be within its fellowship. It is implied,
further, that their fellowship shall be a fellowship of those who have had
their sins forgiven, who enjoy that peace with the Father which He had
just declared to themselves. The second appearance, vers. 24-29, peculiar
to John. 24. Thomas, called Didymus (twin), mentioned in xi. 16 and

1 64 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xX. 2$.
25 with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore
said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them.
Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put
ray finger into the print of the nails, and thrust ray hand into
his side, I -will not believe.
26 And after eight days, again his disciples were within, and
Thomas with thera : then came Jesus, the doors being shut,
27 and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then
xiv. 5, on which see. Perhaps it was owing to the extreme melancholy and
dejection, characteristic of this disciple, that he was not with the rest on
that first evening. He may have heard the report of his Master's resurrec
tion, but rejected it ; and did not think it wortli his while to raeet with the
others in consequence. Despondency punishes itself — does not see the Lord
when He may be seen. 25. The other — believe. But he said, etc. De
spondency becoraes want of faith, not only in God, but also in man. Was
Thomas so absolutely sure of the trustworthiness of the evidence of his own
senses, that he could afford to set aside the evidence of the senses of ten
brethren, who were as reliable as himself? The fact was remarkable,
it is true ; but which was more likely, that they were all deceived, or con
spiring to deceive their brother, or that the fact was as they asserted ? Then
how could Thoraas so impugn in his own mind fhe memory of the ^Master ?
Did all that wonderful past communion with Him go for nothing ? Was
there nothing to suggest that if such a remarkable end were true, it would
only be the fit termination to such a life? Despondency thus becomes
arrogant, becomes also unreasonable in its demands. We have no right to
say : Only such an amount or kind of proof will satisfy our minds. It is our
duty to keep our minds open to any Ught w^hich God gives : to accept what
God gives, and judge it as it comes ; and to keep our hearts free from the dark
ness of prejudice and all emotional agitations. If every one should require
the same sort of evidence of Christ's resurrection, the Church could make
no progress. Men are in the habit of using something resembling these
words, when they demand what they call scientific proofs of Christ's resur
rection, — what would satisfy an enUghtened coraraittee of learned men,
capable of sifting evidence and forming an impartial judgment. They ask
for this or that condition ; and it is obvious that no sign will ever be given
them. The print [type] of the nails. Thoraas does not speak of Christ's feet
— siraply the hands and side, see Luke xxiv. 40. 26. And^you. After cif.t
days. As the message from the risen Lord through the angels to the disciples
was a comraand to go to Galilee where they should see Him (of which,
however, John says notiiing, nor Luke), see Matt, xxviii. and Mark xvi., it is
permissible to conjecture that the Lord in His first appearance to the eleven
on the evening of Plis resurrection day raay have requested thera to remain
in the city until the close of the Passover festivities, vvhich lasted a week,
and then to meet Hira in Galilee. He, however, who would not, on His
first introduction by the Jordan lo Plis disciples, go forth into Galilee without
finding timid, hesitating Philip, had now His own loving purpose with regard
to His desponding but loyal-hearted disciple. It may have been our Lord's
intention to put honour on the day on which He rose by once again appearing
on it to the disciples, marking it out as the day of Christian worship. It was

XX. 28.] CHRIST AND THOMAS. 1 65
sailh he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my
hands ; and rcaiJi hilhcr thy hand, and thrust // into my side :
28 and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered
]iroli.ibly the day on which the Passover celebrations ended. Our Lord's
abstention from appearing to thein for the whole vicck may have been with
Ihe ob'icct ofaH'ording them that period for calm reflection on the stupendous
event in the light ot O. T. prophecy, now clothed with a new meaning, and
of the many signific.mt utteiances of their Master, unintelligible when spoken.
Tho Lord would not hurry them to conclusions by being personally present.
Besides, had He resided with them continually, Ihe suspicions of the San
hedrim would have been excited. Where Jesus lived during this lime is answered
by recalling the nature of Ihe existence into which resurrection of the body
brought Him. 27. 7ken — bclicvin.';: John's record of the Divine Lord is
consistent with itself. The peison is the same throughout. He who, at Ihe
beginning of Ilis ministry, surprised Nathanael, when he first came to see the
Christ, with Ihe knowledge of his private life and character, is lie who at
the close of His ministiy shows Himself cognizant of a disciple's doubts,
without having been inforraed of them by man. And lie, who gently dis
armed Nathanael of his prejudices by his generous reception, and ascription
to him of a guileless character, is He who now, in loving condescension to
Ihe weakness of Thomas, offers him the very evidences of sense without which
the disciple had refused to believe in the resurrection of his Master. Reacli
hither, etc. Jesus said nothing to wound or upbraid Thomas. lie was a
"bruised reed," which the l.oid would not break. 28. And 'Iliomas — God.
A fnll confession of Jesus as the same Lord as He who died on the cross ;
and therefore confession of faith in the resurrection and in the Godhead of
Chrisi. The testimony of others is a sufficient ground for belief, so far as it
is a question of fact that is before us, the competency and credibility of ihe
witness being taken into account. The testimony of others may be a sort of
leiuporary tie between us and the things believed; for absolute certainty of
f.iith we must be brought into dircit coramunion with Christ liimself
through His Spirit's witness. " He ihat believeth hath the witness in him
self." Wc are asked. How can you now verify Ihe fact ofthe resurrection?
It is said to havc happened Ion;; ago : the witnesses may have been deceived,
unconsciously untrustworthy; the Gospel records were written long after
Ihe event; the various accounts of the icsurreclion in them are fragmentary
and difficult to reconcile. We answer : The trustworthiness of apostolic testi
mony can be proved by those who have the raeans of examining the exUrnal
evidences; but that tcstimiiuy is always bearing witness in tliese pages to
every reader. There is not one in a thousand who can search into ihe out
ward evidences for the fact of Christ's rcsuireclion. There is no need ; that
resurrection docs not come to us as an outward fact of history alone, —
detached from human need, hope, desire, prediction, and the Uke ; it comes as
the answer of God to men's deepest needs : to Ihe hunger and thirst of the soul
for deliverance from sin and death ; it moves in the Unes of personal aspirations
and prophecies, fulfilling thera ; and it iiiccls us to-day as wo urge the imme
morial plaint ; faith in the resurrection of Jesus has connections with all life's
realities, there is a concurrent l( slimony lo it, so that we can say the death
and rcsurreclion of Christ are the inU rprctation of our deepest needs, and
Ihe fulfilmciil of our hopes and of the world's. A fact may appear most
unaccountable in itself, bui, when taken along with a series of other

1 66 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xX. 28
phenomena, it may become not only credible, but actually the key to the
whole. The spotless life, the unique life of his Master, raight have made it
easier for Thoraas to believe in some such reraarkable close. The resurrection,
not standing alone but together with all that was experienced of Christ's power
and wonderfulness, became luminous. Unbelief is often due to our looking
at some single difficulty by itself, instead of endeavouring to see how it stands
in relation to the larger horizon of truth besides ; much of which truth we
never question, but act on. We are richer in proofs pointing to God by
Christ if we would only be diligent in looking for them. The sort of proof
Thoraas desired was neither the most convincing nor the most elevating in its
results. Suppose it given, what hindered doubt still whether some deception
did not exist ? A disciple would look at something higher, to discover if it
were not the very same Friend as ever, the same tender heart, the same
gracious utterance. The finger might be put into the print of the nails, and
the heart and mind be unimpressed, unconvinced. It was uniformly to
higher evidence Jesus strove to raise the twelve. We have a tendency to
seek such outward assurances of faith and hope ; and there are times when
we would rather trust a voice speaking frora heaven than the secret witness
ofthe Spirit. And the cry for certitude, for a sign frora heaven, springs from
a state of raind that cannot estimate the most powerful evidence when laid
before it. We need not climb to heaven, nor dig into the depths. The
word is nigh — nearer than we think. Faith is not a thing of more or less, a
heaping up of proofs ; it is a state of soul. It is, even as a grain of mustard
seed, capable of great achieveraents. It does not appear whether Thomas
put his finger and hand into the scars and wound or not. As it is not raen
tioned, we may gather that the presence and the loving consideration of the
Lord so overwhelmed hira that faith shot up in his soul on the instant, —
stronger, truer, more solid than failh born of touch and sense. The proofs
we seek may in a moraent be rendered needless, even childish, by the in
spiration of the Holy Spirit revealing the person of our Lord to the heart.
Even while Thoraas touched Christ's body unbelievingly or doubtingly, Christ
might have withheld the spiritual influence without which the external con
tact would have been fruitless for the soul. All that unbeUevers ask for might
be granted, say, in some demonstration of miracle ; but repentance, faith, the
becoming as little children, might not follow. The power of Christ rests
where it has ever rested : " we are raade partakers of Christ's redemption by
the efi'ectual application of it to us through His Holy Spirit." The evan
gelist makes this confession of the desponding disciple the climax of his
argument. The confession was weightier coining frora him than had it come
from hiraself or from Peter. The doubts, difiiculties, fears of the least
sanguine, of the man readiest to apprehend calamity and ruin, were so
entirely removed, that the fullest confession of the Lordship and Godhead of
the Lord Jesus Christ came from hira. It was important that among the
disciples there should be one of such a disposition, in order that Christ's way
of deaUng with him raight become a lesson to the Church. John and Peter
inight be apt to lose patience with Thoraas; might tell him that the Master
would not be acting wisely to give hira all he wished. They did not know
how Christ can convince a man of his folly and unbeUef, and draw him into
trust out of his weakness and errors by offering hira all he desires. Christ's
infinite love and patience conquered Thomas' suspicions and fears. The
Church of Christ should be the reflection of Him who offered His hands and
side to a weak disciple to inspire faith ; a refuge for the ignorant and thera

XX. 29-] CHRIST AND THOMAS. 167
29 and said unto hira. My Lord and ray God. Jesus saith unto
him, Thoraas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed :
blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
that are out of the way. There is a faithlessness born of lack of hope. Jesus
calls it faithlessness, but deals tenderly with it. Ifjesus had ridiculed Thomas,
there had been one conquest the less for the faith, and the sublime confession
which we appropriate in our hours of inlensest eraotion had never been uttered.
But if in this great confession of Thoraas, a confession of faith in the risen
Saviour, of acceptance of Plira as personal Lord — Lord of Life, and of belief in
His Godhead, we have presented to us Plira in His fulness who is the object
of faith, the sum and substance of the gospel, it is well that we have side by
side our Lord's own statement of the grounds on vvhich faith in Himself may
rest. 29. Jesus — believed. .Severity was required, at least a reproof or
warning as well as gentleness, and for the sake of all subsequent ages of the
Church. If men were all and always to demand like conditions for faith,
how could truth prevail ? If Thomas were to pass unrebuked, the very
gentleness would be misconstrued. Therefore he is told that the conditions
he had demanded were such as took a lower rank in the scale of certitude
and of blessedness. This is in accordance with the whole tenor of this
Gospel ; for Jesus is ever presented to us as lifting Plis disciples up above the
merely outward and visible, — the miraculous work, the wonder, — and throw
ing them back on the evidences which are raoral and spiritual. Such con
ditions as Thoraas required, therefore, are unnecessary in order to have true
and intelligent faith. Thomas himself ought to have believed in the testi
mony of the rest, confirmed by all he had known and experienced of
Christ in past days. Certainty cannot be loo clear ; but certainty does not
depend on evidence of sight and sense. Our Lord does not mean that faith
has not ils solid reasons, or that the less evidence we have for our belief the
more blessed we are if we do believe. He does not mean that to believe
much is better than to believe little. That depends on the object of our
faith. Credulousness is as objectionable as unbelief. Both spring from the
same root. The heart has its reasons, and faith has its evidence. Faith is
not submission to authority that demands our conscience. Faith is not blind
acceptance of truth. Faith is not the opposite of reason. No man believes
without intelligent grounds for his belief. Faith is the opposite of sight,
because it asserts what is not seen; the opposite of reason in this sense, that it
compels beUef in an object which reason alone cannot apprehend. But faith
in the unseen has ils own proofs, which satisfy the believing mind and heart
that there is an unseen and eternal. Our Lord does not call us to believe in
Him on less substantial or plain evidence than would convince us in other
matters. The proof to the believing heart and mind that Jesus is risen — is
Lord of life and is God — is raore convincing than the proof that there is a
material world lying before the cognition of our outward senses ; see I John
V. 9-end. We cannot meet with the risen Saviour now— He has gone to the
right hand of God ; but in place, we have the testiraony of the apostles in this
Gospel record ; and that, with the promised aid and teslimony of the Holy
Spirit both there and in our own spirits, is solid ground of belief for all the
world. Our Lord's words are wide. They reach out corafort to all who
are deprived of their ordinary sources of spiritual consolation, who cannot find
jn the promises of Scripture what once they found ; who crave for personal

1 68 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xX. 30.
30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of
31 his disciples, which are not written in this book: but these
are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God ; and that believing ye might have life through
his name.
assurance something of an outward kind— a putting the finger into the print
of the nail. Blessed are such who, in absence of all their coraforling views
of truth and of Christ Hiraself, tossed on stormy seas of doubt or darkness,
yet believe.
(4.) 30,31. Conclusion and scope of the Gospel record. The evangelist,
having reached this point, feels naturally that he need go no farther. _ He
has shown how the most desponding man among them not only believed
that his Lord was risen, but even uttered faith in Him as God ; and adding
the Lord's own comment on this confession, to show what are the true and
normal conditions of faith evermore, now that Jesus has ascended to
heaven, he concludes. Pie feels that he has come to the goal for which
he set out ; that he has established the fact which he asserted, that
the Word, which was in the beginning with God, and was God, was
made flesh and tabernacled among us, and that men beheld His glory,
full of grace and truth. 30. Many — book. Signs, see on U. 11. Not
proofs of His resurrection merely, for the resurrection itself was one of the
signs by which He is known to be the Christ, the .Son of God. The
evangelist, therefore, proceeded by way of selection. The principle ruling
his selection from the raany unrecorded incidents and utterances follows in
ver. 31. He must have felt that for this purpose he could plead and
depend on the promised aid of the Spirit of his Lord, as for the work of
teaching and preaching. Without adopting any stringent theory of inspira
tion, we may be sure that John regarded this "book" as a "record"
given by God to men concerning His Son, 1 John v. 10. 31. But — name.
The scope and object of his book is lo produce faith in the Christhood and
Godhead of Jesus, and so to procure life in Christ's name to him who
believes. He has written, as he would preach, to convert men to the Son
of God. And he has presented such aspects of Christ, His person and
work, as he considers sufiicient to elicit faith. If the reader will duly
attend, he must be convinced and believe. He does not deraand faith without
laborious proof But the proof is enough. If the alternative of disbelief
be death, it is not a mere matter of individual judgment whether one
believes or not. Belief is compulsory, unbeUef is crirainal. The two great
facts in Jesus are, (i) that He fulfils the past promises of the Old Testa
ment, that He is indeed the promised Messiah of the Jews ; and (2) that
He is the personal revelation of God the Father to all mankind. Round
these two points John constructs his evangelic record. Jesus is, accord
ingly, the fulfiUer of the word, and the saiisfier of the deep eternal cravings
of the human heart for the vision of the Father, and for an assured
relation in love and peace to the Father. Life. A mere intellectual faith
vvas nothing. pie has not written a mere piece of history from historic
vnlerest. It is the faith that brings life to dying men which John had in
view (l John v. 12); the faith which unites men to Christ " Hiraself, as
branches to the vine. Pie in them, and they in Him. It is the faith which
makes men sons of God iri Christ's Sonship; the faifh which is essentially

XXI. 3.] Christ's appearance in galilee. 169
Chap. XXI. i. After these things Jesus shewed himself again to
the discijjles at the sea of Tiberias ; and on this wise shewed
2 he himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas
called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the
3 sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter
saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, "We also
go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship
a being bom of God, a sharing the Ufe ofthe Father and of the Son. Life
is in Christ (or in Christ's name) alone ; and faith is the channel through
which it is received into the heart ; and failh coraeth by hearing, and hearing
by the word of God.
V. Epilogue — Appearance in Galilee — Simon Peter
restored to Office, Ch. xxl
Ch. xxi. It is probable that the evangelist intended the closing verses
of ch. XX. to end his book. This chapter, which bears traces of having
been an appendix to the original writing, either by John himself or by a
disciple (who evidently wrote ver. 24 at least), records a third appearance
of Jesus to His disciples by the Lake of GaUlee, when He formally rein
stated Peter in the ofiice of aposUe, which by denial of the Lord had been
forfeited, morally at least, and foretold the future of Peter and John.
(l) 1-14. The appearance of Christ by the Lake. (2) 15-19. Peter's restora
tion and future. (3) 20-23. John's future. (4) 24 f. Epilogue. The Gospel
ends, as it began, •with Jesus and His disciples.
(1.) 1-14. The appearance of Christ by the Lake. The disciples had
followed their Lord's instructions, and left Jerusalem for GalUee, Matt, xxviii.
16, where in the comparative retireraent Jesus might more safely have such
fellowship with them as was necessary before His final departure firom the
world. 1. After — Himsef. After these things, see on v. I. Showed
[inanifested] Himself, see on xx. 14. His appearances after the resurrection
were of the nature of revelations. He belonged no longer to the earthly
life. 2. There — discipls. Seven in all. Of Cana in Galilee. Nathanael's
call is given in L 45 ff., but his residence is not mentioned there. The
designation would suit either one well known to belong to Cana, or one
not so well known generally. Who the two others were we can only con
jecture. Andrew, perhaps, and Philip, who were both of Bethsaida, i. 44.
3. Simon — nothing. Peter ever takes the initiative. VVeiry of waiting,
possibly, for the Master who never comes, impatient of idlene-s, perhaps
feeling the burden of old memories and associations by that lake somewhat
unbearable, in present uncertainty, Peter determines to do something to
break the monotony and relieve the suspense. Even a turn at the old
trade will be a welcome diversion, though it had once been abandoned for
ever. To pull the oar or haul the net -will be better than doing nothing,
and eating out the heart with va'n regrets. And so he starts up exclaiming
that he is to wait no longer, he can endure this suspense no more. / go
a fishing! Something of the old, unchastened impulse spoke out in those
words, and that must be subdued ; for he who cannot wait when the
Mas'.er bids him is not worthy to be an apostle, any more than he who

170 the gospel by john. [xxi. 4.
4 immediately; and that night they caught nothing. But when
the morning was now eorae, Jesus stood on the shore : but
5 the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith
unto thera. Children, have ye any meat ? They answered
6 him. No. And he said unto them. Cast the net on the right
side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore ; and
now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It
is the Lord. Now, when Siraon Peter heard that it was the
Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and
will not leave boat and nets and all at the higher call. Peter will find
that a fisherman raay become an apostle, but an apostle cannot becorae a
fisherraan. A ship ; rather the boat, as in R.V. ; so the liitle boat, ver. 8.
Also omit immediately. That night they caught nothing. This word for
caught is one of John's frequent expressions, vu. 30, 32, 44, vin. 20, x. 39,
xi. 57. As the hours passed in the unprofitable toil, Simon may have had
occasion to reflect on the mood of impulse and irapatience that sent hira
out on the lake, and to consider that he could not run away frora the will
of God, or hasten it. Did he think also of that forraer night on this lake
when they caught nothing, followed by the eventful day when at Christ's call
they relinquished all, and went after Him to be fishers of raen? And did
he wonder that once more he was on that lake at his old toil again? and
did he begin to construe their bad success as the message in symbol from
the Master, whose will they knew could be written on the winds and waves
of that lake, that this was not the place or the work for them? (See
Thomson's The Land and the Book, p. 402.) 4. But — Jesus. Jesus was
within hail, see ver. 8, and therefore, as in the case of Mary (xx. 14),
some other cause for failure to recognise Hira than distance must be thought
of 5. Iken- No. C^j'/t/re«,' rather to&, found nowhere else except 1 John
ii. 13, 18. The word in vi. 9 is a diminutive of this. Meat, lit. sorae
thing to eat with bread ; German, Zukost. The question anticipates an
answer in the negative. 6. And— fishes ; cp. the previous miracle, Luke
V. 4-7. "The water is sweet and wholesome, and the fish abundant and of
an excellent quality. They are, however, but Utile troubled by either hook,
net, or spear" (the Land and the Book, p. 401). Draw, vi. 44, xii. 32,
xviii. 10 ; elsewhere only once. 7- Therefore — sea. It is the Lord. Recol
lections were awakened in John's breast : the sound of Christ's voice, the
reraarkable occurrence, and its resemblance to what once happened before,
and besides that inexplicable drawing of love to its beloved object, all
combined in an instant to flash the truth into his mind. Now, when Simon
Peter, etc. The characters of the two men are told in n sentence ; as
before, xx. 6-8: John's insight of love, and Peter's impetuous energy; cp.
Matt. xiv. 28 ff. His fisher' s coat, which was either loosely round him, or
more probably which had been laid aside as an encumbrance in his work,
while he was slill clothed with a light under-garment. An instinctive act
of reverence. "Here in this hot climate, however, it is common to fish
with nothing but a sort of shawl or napkin tied round the waist. The
fisher's coat which he girt about hira was the short ^abdyeh v/hich they now
wear, and which they very often lay aside while fishing. They can doff

XXI. 14.] the draught of fishes. 171
8 did cast himself into the sea. And the other disciples came
in a little ship, (for they were not far from land, but as it
were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.
9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of
10 coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus saith
unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.
II Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great
fishes, an hundred and fifty and three : and for all there were
12 so many, yet was not the net broken. Jesus saith unto them,
Come ««^ dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him,
13 Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then
cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish like-
14 wise. This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself
to his disciples after that he was risen from the dead.
and don it in a moment. When worn, it is girt tight about the loins with
the zunnar, and Peter did this when hastening to meet the Lord " ( 'Ike Land
and the Book, p. 403). 8. And^fishes. It is well that all disciples have not
the same characteristics, for then the work of God would fail. We admire
and even yield the chief place, where we would never dream of imitating.
Peter must not charge the rest with lack of enthusiasm, while they need
not charge him with extravagance. Christ can bind together all the
struggling winds of human character, holding them in check, and using
them for one purpose, as ^Eolus did the winds of heaven in his bag ;
and none but Christ. Two hundred cubits: a cubit = if EngUsh feet, so
that the distance was more than three hundred feet from shore. A little
ship; rather, as in R.V., the little boat. "There is but one small boat on
the lake, and this is generally out of repair " ( The Land and the Book, p.
403).^ 9. As — bread. "Where this fire and the fish and bread came from
must be answered by asking, Where the Lord Himself came from ? 10.
Jesus — caugkt. Jesus had provided for them, and they too must provide
icr themselves and for Him. To explain that the quantity was not enough
for all, is to be singularly insensible to the significance of the whole
incident; corap. Rev. iii. 20, "I will sup with hira, and he with me."
II. Simon — broken. Went up, i.e. on board the boat. 12. Jesus — Lord.
Dine ; rather breakfast. None — durst ask, etc. An ingenuous admission,
guaranteeing authenticity. There is impUed Ihat the disciples, or some of
them at least, would fain have put the question, not at all because they
were suspicious of the identity of Jesus, but simply to have the gratification
of hearing it answered in the affirmative. They were withheld by their
very reverence, and the fear of appearing to their Master to doubt. They
remembered their former reproof (Mark xvi. 14), and kept silence. 13. Jesus
— likezoise, Luke xxiv. 30, and ch. vi. 11. 14. This — dead. The third time.
John says nothing of Christ's appearance to Peter (Luke xxiv. 34; i Cor. xv. 5),
nor does he reckon Christ's appearance to Mary, which, however, he records.
Writing, as he did, when men were requiring substantial, reliable proofs of
' The writer had the privilege of inspecting, a few days ago [July 1888]. in Ihe yard of
IVIessrs. D. ft W. Henderfon & Co., Glasgow, the admirable boat just built for the Tiberias
Mission of the Free Church of Scotland.

172 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [XXL 1 5.
15 So, when they had dined, Jesus saith to Siraon Peter,
Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou rae more than these? He
the fact, it was more important to lay emphasis on those appearances which
Christ granted to all the apostles — or at least to the greater part of them
— together. The temptation to regard this incident as symbolical seems
to be all but irresistible, and probably need not be resisted — to some extent
at least. It is unavoidable to compare it with the rairaculous draught of
fishes at the beginning of Christ's ministry (Luke v. 1 ff.), especially since
there as here prominence is given to Simon Peter. Considerable favour
is shown still to Augustine's interpretation, which contrasts the two
incidents as setting forth the work of the Church of Christ during the
present dispensation of grace, and then at the end of the world. All the
differing details are pressed into the service of this view, which in some
respects has much to recommend it. It is probable that the disciples
themselves, Peter raost of all, would eorae to regard the whole occurrence
as significant in relation to their future work. Such obvious suggestions
would be impressed on them : apostles must wait on the will of their
Lord, and not run without being sent ; they can have no success in their
spiritual labour unless Christ is with them, and sanctioning by His presence
and directing by His Spirit their working; the word of their L^ird is the
sure and infalUble guide in all they do, and if obeyed, will bring success
beyond their expectations. The results of their labours — labours often in the
dark — are cerlain, and not only so, but precisely known to Him whose
work they are doing, results numbered with Divine accuracy ; and He who
sends Ihem on His work is so powerful as to be able to secure results even
without their help, and yet so gracious as to depend on their aid, sharing
with them the rewards which are all of grace, and yet which crown their
lives with the natural and merited harvests of seed sown by theraselves.
Possibly also they should read in the remarkable similarity to the previous
miracle the fact that their Master was the same as ever, His work and
purpose the same. His power the sarae, no poorer and no weaker than before,
doing just as much as before, as wonderful, as loving, as thoughtful, fulfilling
every hope and promise which He ever made, doing abundantly above all
we could ask or think ; His calling of thera the sarae ; that in the end all
planned out in the beginning should be achieved ; that the death and
resurrection were not deviations of Ihe streara of Iheir Lord's intentions
and labours, but the ordained channel by which their goal should be
reached. (2.) 15-19. Simon Peter's restoration and future. It will be borne in
raind that Siraon raust have been personally assured of the Lord's forgive
ness and restoration of him to the office of apostle, which he had forfeited, in
the private interview, of which we know nothing except the fact (Luke xxiv.
34 ; I Cor. XV. 5). The loving and thoughtful raessage, Mark xvi. 7, had
prepared hira for what followed. But as the denial of his Lord was in public,
and was known to all the disciples, it was fitting that his restoration to full
apostolic office and privilege be also public. 15. So — lambs. Dined;
" breakfasted " rather, as in ver. 12. Simon, son cf John ; see i. 42. The
words would recall his first introduction to Jesus. Lovest thou me more than
tkese? On the two words rendered to love in this section, agapan and
philein, — love oi esteem and honour, and love o^ personal friendship, — the
former used by Jesus in Ihe first two questions, the Litter in the third, and by

XXL 15.] Peter's restoration.

173

saith unto him, Yea, Lord ; thou knowest that I love thee.
Siraon in all the three answers, see on xi. 5. Siraon had boasted in the
upper roora, " Though all shall be offended, yet will not I," Mark xiv. 29,
Matt. xxvi. 33 ; and Jesus asks him if he is still prepared to say the sarae, —
claiming a love stronger than that of the others. We might think it
ungenerous to recall such words — better let them drop out of mind. Perhaps
so; had Peter's boast been mere vanity, and nothing more, or Christ's
intention not suffused with love. Knowing how true at heart His disciple
was, the Lord gave him the opportunity, painful in some respects as it was,
of uttering his deepest feeUngs and convictions. It is the kindest thing at
times to let the past be untouched. But things we cannot bear to look at again
in the light of God's judgment and our own forgiveness are not dead. He
who saw in Siraon at the first the man of rock, though far enough as yet
from the stedfastness to be gained through pain and trial, saw in the boast of
fidelity a love deep and enduring. And no one after this authoritative word
of Christ could ever taunt Simon with the way he had discredited the Lord.
It is Christ's way with every penitent. The life is laid bare, not to confound
us merely, but to convince us that nothing escapes the eye of God, and that
His judgment is none the less searching that Ihe tenderness of Divine mercy
goes with it. Jesus did not say, .Simon, art thou ashamed — grieved ? readier
now to believe my word ? ready to confess and apologise to us all ? The
Lord leaves that to others to do, and to Ihe man himself. And His way is
to strike through to the deepest stratum of feeling. Love to Him carries all
else with it — repentance, faith, energy of obedience and service. Yea, Lord,
Thou knowest that Hove Thee. Observe the emphasis on the second personal
pronoun (as also in vers. 16, 17), meaning. No need to put that question.
Lord, Tliou knowest without my answering. Stronger and humbler than had
he said, I hope I do. He will not now rest on his own knowledge of him
self: that is discarded, but he vvUl trust Christ's knowledge of him. The true
penitent clings to his pardoning God with a tenderer affection than before.
Also Simon is silent as to the relative strength of his love and that of his
brother disciples. Feed my lambs [lit. little lambs]. Restoration of Simon
to his office as apostle, cp. Luke v. 10. But Jesus was not only restoring
him to ofSce, but giving important directions about its fulfilment. To love
Him was the one great qualification for the ministerial work to which he was
sent. Knowledge is much, but love is raore — is indispensable. Simon's
knowledge had been tested before. Matt. xvi. 16, now his love. Knowledge
may never lead to love ; love must lead to knowledge, and the deepest.
Love alone qualifies for an ofiice, apostolic or less iraportant. Forgiven, we
love; forgiven rauch, we love ranch. Once Simon said, " Depart from me,
I am a sinful man, O Lord ;" but not till now did he knovv how sinful he
was in the light of the love that had forgiven and restored him, and therefore
not till now did he know what reason lie had lo love his Lord. Hence the
proper evidence of his love to the Lord should be seen in his tender care
for the weak " little lambs " of the Lord's flock. He would deal gently, as he
hadbeen gently dealt with himself ; he would restore as he had been restored,
love as he had been loved. Love to Christ and the sense of His love to us
open our hearts to our fellow-men. Being pardoned, we tell of pardon to
them also. "When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." The love
of Christ to us, in its tenderness, constancy, patience, we reflect on them. " I
prayed to God that He would baptize my heart into the sense of all conditions,

174 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [xXL l6.
1 6 He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to hira again
the second tirae, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me ? He
saith unto him, Yea, Lord ; thou knowest that I love thee.
1 7 He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the
so that I raight be able to enter into the needs and sorrows of all " (George
Fox). Formerly the Lord said to hira, "From henceforth thou shalt catch
men," Luke v. lo. Now He says. Feed my little lambs [my liitle sheep, vers.
i6, 17]. The difference is instructive; the one is the end, the other is the
means to the end. Possibly also it fitted in with Siraon's feeUngs. Did he
shrink from being a fisher of raen as unworthy ? At least he could do sorae
service for a Uttle larab — some humble, watchful shepherding. We attain
the greater through the less ; we are not worthy of doing the greater until
we feel how unworthy we are even to do the less. " Restore me the joy of
thy salvation . . . then will I teach transgressors Thy ways, andsinners shall
be converted unto Thee," Ps. li. 12, 13. 16. He sailh— sheep. Feed, rather
tend, as R.V. , or shepherd. Sheep, or little sheep ; so in ver. 17. Note the
omission in the second and third questions of more than these. This great
question is repeated, not because Jesus doubted His disciple's word or
affection, but because Peter had thrice denied the Lord, and must three times
openly and explicitly roll back the imputation of faithlessness. It was great
grace on the part of Christ to him. Peter had raade men doubt if he were a
true follower. The denial could not be passed over in silence. He was the
foremost man among them. It was necessary to go back to the beginning
with him, and question him as if he were only a candidate for the ministry,
only now for the first time joining the discipleship, and had not loyally followed
the Master for years. And the stain and reproach must be wiped out. And
Peter would feel intensely reUeved that the depth of his denial and unkind
ness had been really sounded by the plumraet of love and power in the hand
of his Lord. But then, as three tiraes came the searching question, Lovest
tkou me ? three times came the gracious reassuring word of authority. Feed my
sheep. The Lord desired Peter to be as truly sensible of forgiveness and
restoration to apostolic office as of his great sin. After such a denial He does
not cast off. After such failure He does not, even if forgiving, put down the
disciple to a lower place. He does not even say, I will put you on trial :
take a less conspicuous post for a while ; He gives back the very place lost ;
and this is the gospel for every one who is sensible of his sin, and loss and
failure through sin, who thinks he must relinquish all hope of working up
now, as once he might have done, to the higher level. Jesus forgives and
restores ; His forgiveness is Divine as Hiraself. ' ' In the place where it was said
unto them. Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the
sons ofthe living God," Hos. i. 10. Jesus repeated this question, too, because
it is the all-important question for any man, apostle or otherwise, to have
pressed home on conscience and heart. Again, and again, and again, in the
mercy of God it pursues us, in providence, in grace, in joy, in sorrow, in work,
in idleness, in friendship, in solitude, in youth, in age, slill this same question,
"Lovest thou me?" Happy each one who can whisper into the ear of his
Lord, after past service, profession, sacraments, vows, prayers, yes, after
failures, and denials, and shameful defeats, "Lord, Thou knowest all things ;
Thou knowest that I love Thee." 17. He — sheep. Peter was grieved. It had
gone to his very heart that the I\laster, in presence of the rest, should con-

XXI. 1 8.] Peter's res'i oration and future. 175
third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest Ihou me ? Peter was
grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou
me ? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things ;
thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed
18 my sheep. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, 'When thou wast
young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou
wouldest : but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth
thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither
sider it needful thus to interrogate him of all men. Bui Jesus was not satisfied
until this point was reached. His disciple must feel the sting of the question
piercing to the "dividing asunder of soul and spirit." Christ's deaUng in
love and tenderness is meant to produce sincere repentance, grief, and hatred
of our sin ; and not till then can we be sure that our love to Christ is growing
from a strong and enduring root, i'he word of Christ is meant to fetch our
deepest feelings, to stir us — "all that is within us," — and then only, when
ihe very lowest stratum is upheaved, is Ihere hope and safety for the future.
Lightly somewhat, Siraon raight answer at the first — more thoughtfully after
wards ; but now the point of Christ's sword has at last drawn blood. So
must it be with the word that saves our souls. Grieved: not angry, not
resentful. Simon — the old — might have risen and protested, spoken of all
he had done and gone through before for Jesus' sake ; was a single fault to be
punished so severely? But no; the proud will was broken, as it only can be,
by the gentleness which makes us great. Thou knowest all things, etc. His
heart lay open to the all-seeing eye of his Lord, and on that Divine judgment
Peter could rest. The surrender of ourselves, simply and absolutely, to Christ,
cannot be without the pain of sacrificing our own judgment of ourselves ; we
a.sk to see light in His light ; to see our true selves as He sees us ; to accept
Ilis verdict, and to act upon it; to throw ourselves on His mercy, grace,
marvellous knowledge of us, and still more marvellous love. Simon was
thoroughly emptied of self, thoroughly broken down, and the love of Christ
had done it. It was well that all this should take place in presence of the
rest of the apostles. They too had been unfaithful, had fled when Jesus was
captured. "They too would feel humbled in the humiUation of their repre
sentative and foremost man ; would feel each one of them as if the question
were put to himself, as if each knock was at his own door, not at his
neighbour's ; each time that searching word came, the answer of Simon
would be trembling inarticulately on their own lips ; they loo would feel lifted
up in their brother's lifting up ; — for the fall of one brother is the weakness of
all ; — strong in the assurance of pardon and of restoration, for they too mu.st
feed Christ's sheep. In thus restoring Simon Peter, the Lord -was making
the bond of brotherhood among the disciples, which had been relaxed and
strained through Peter's fall, strong and firra again. i8. Verily— not.
Young: the in^rence being that Peter was no longer young, but in middle
life. But for the explanation which John adds in ver. 19, this utterance of
Christ might pass for a proverbial one, possibly alluding to the impulsive
self-wUI of the aposUe, and how the discipline of life should tone it down. We
should feel, however, that such a word addressed to Simon at such a tirae
was out of keeping with Ihe circumstances, and perhaps soraewhat of a
commonplace. Jesus foretells at least that lhis di-ciiie shall be spared to old

176 the gospel by JOHN. [xXI. 19.
19 thou woulde.st not. This spake he, signifying by what death
he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he
20 saith unto him. Follow rae. Then Peter, turning about, seeth
the disciple whom Jesus loved following ; which also leaned
on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that
21 betrayeth thee ? Peter seeing him, saith to Jesus, Lord, and
22 what shall this man do ? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that
age, and that then he shall meet with a violent death. A fitting response to
Simon's confession of Christ's omniscience. It was an assurance to hira that
that omniscience not only read the state of his affections, but also embraced
in its scrutiny all Peter's subsequent course of labour and suffering for the
kingdom. It was the repetition, in short, of Christ's former word, — warning
and encouragement in one, — xiii. 36, " Whither I go thou canst not follow me
now, but thou shalt follow me afterwards." 19. This spake— -nu. By wkat
deatk (rather, as in R.V., by wkat manner of death). The writer assumes
that this was known to his readers. We have now no certain knowledge_ of
Ihe time or place or mode of Peter's death.^ [With the exception of a passing
and general allusion to his death in Clement of Rome, there is not for a
century after it must have taken place any historical raention of him. From
the end of the second century, however, there flows a steady streara of
tradition, testifying to the fact that Peter visited Rorae and suffered
the martyr's death there under Nero, probably about 64 a.d. Hatch,
Ene. Brit. art. "Peter," says, "The probabilities ofthe case are evenly
balanced."] Follow me. The sarae call as at the beginning, obedience to
which is the sum and substance of present duty. \Vhatever Ues behind
or in front, even if such a death, yet Christ shows the way. It is the path
of safety, and of Ufe and glory. " If any man serve me, let him follow
me : and where I ara, there shall also my servant be," ch. xii. 26.
(3.) 20-23. The future of John. 20. Then Peter — thee? Simonhadalla
friend's interest and curiosity to know the future of his friend John. The
same irrepressible Peter, not sobered into silence by the suggestion of his own
end. Turning about. A graphic touch from an eye-witness of the scene.
The disciple, etc. ; see xiii. 23-25. A threefold description is given of John :
Whom Jesus loved ; who leaned on His breast at supper ; who said. Lord, who
is he tkat betrayeth Thee? 'Why this heaping up of apparently superfluous
characteristics ? Possibly the two latter clauses are added to the first, which in
itself was enough to marl< out the disciple, to show the close intimacy existing
between Peter and John ; because it was to John that Peter beckoned on that
night in the upper room to ask the Lord who should betray Him. It may be
also that it is done with an intention of emphasizing the vaUdity of the
evidence of one of whora all this was true, the man to whom the Church
is indebted for the incident recorded, and the book of which it is a part.
21. Peter — do? lit. Lord, and this man — what? 22. Jesus — me. The
prediction about his own future vvas intended for practical uses to Simon
Peter, as we have seen, not to gratify his curiosity. But mere curiosity being
roused, Jesus checks it at once. Not to tell their future fates, but to inspire
them with hope, and power, and courage for the great work presently to
occupy all their thoughts and energies, was Jesus now with them. If I
^ It is a fair inference from the text that Peter was at the date of writing already dead.

XXI. 25.] future of JOHN. 177
he tarry till I come, what is that to thee ? follow thou me.
23 Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that
disciple should not die : yet Jesus said not unto him. He
shall not die ; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is
24 //za^ to thee? This is the disciple which testifieth of these
things, and wrote these things ; and we know that his testi-
25 mony is true. And there are also many other things which
¦will tkat ke tany till I come. Jesus speaks as one who is Lord of Ufe and
death, whose will is supreme on earth and in heaven. He also asserts the
fact of His second coming. John alone of the apostles, as it appears,
survived the destruction of Jerusalera (an event which might be pointed at
in the words till I come), 70 A. D., before which time he had departed to
Ephesus. Christ says : Leave your various destinies in my hand, and do
present duty ; do tkou follow me (the pronoun is emphatic) ; see to it that
thou art fulfilling tky course well. Follow me, and others shall follow
also, Acls i. 7. 23. Then— thee. The interpretation put on this saying
of Jesus by the brethren was natural exaggeration, making it mean more than
was said, and expressed the instinctive desire to construe the conditional
remark into a positive and definite statement, to the effect that John should
live to see the second coming of his Lord. Of cour-e the belief of the time
was that this coming was not so far away. No doubt as the years went on,
and all the apostles had gone, and John alone was left, this construction put
on Christ's utterance would seem to be receiving verification. The words
here are susceptible of the meaning that John was now dead, and the writer
was desirous to show that the Lord had not by any raeans said John should
not die. But on the whole the other alternative seeras more probable, that
John himself is still the writer, and, being anxious to correct the mistaken
impression from Christ's words, he carefully states and repeals thera.
(4.) Conclusion, vers. 24, 25. An addition obviously by another and
probably later hand, attesting the identity of the writer of this Gospel with
John, and therefore the authenticity of the foregoing record, and the credibility
of the writer of it. It is usuaUy ascribed to one, or more, or all, of the elders
of the Church at Ephesus. We cannot tell for certain ; but that these verses
are integral portions of the Gospel is indisputable. 24. This— true. Observe
the contrast, "tkat disciple" in ver. 23, and "this disciple" here. The
change of pronoun would appear to argue John's hand as far as ver. 23 at
least. Who testifieth of these tkings, and wrote these things. John's apostolic
witness to Christ is therefore for us in permanence and in integrity incor
porated in his Gospel ; cp. xix. 35. The witness is the highest of its kind
that of an eye- and ear- witness, Luke i. 2; cp. 1 Johni. 1-4; and in receiving
it we are brought into living fellowship with the apostles of Christ, and
through them with Christ Hiraself. We can only reach Christ through
apostolic testiraony ; at the same time, the Holy Spirit who was giyen to
tliem is also freely given to us if we ask for Him, and He becomes in our
hearts, through need, and desire, and instinct, thought, feeUng, conscience,
an independent witness to the truth as it is in Jesus, declared to us by apostolic
men. 25. And— written ; cp. xx. 30. / suppose. Possibly the same hand
as in ver. 24. We know. The conjoined solemn attestation of the elder
ship of the Church vouches for the Gospel of John ; the individual writer of
VOL. II. M

178 THE GOSPEL BY JOHN. [XXI. 25.
Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one,
I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the
books that should be written. Amen.
these few clauses adds his own opinion of the inexhaustible wealth and
significance of each action of the God -man. Even tke world itself could not
contain. A pardonable hyperbole, when one remembers that, according to
John's view of Christ, all He did and spoke were signs (xx. 30) of the glory,
power, nature, Ufe, love, grace, truth of the infinite God. So that the
conclusion turns back to the commencement : " The Word was made flesh,
and tabernacled among us, and we beheld His glory — glory as of the Only-
begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth," i. 14.

END OF VOLUME II.

T. and T. Clark's Publications.

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Iu Two Volumes Svo, 21.s. ,
THE TEACHING OF JESUS.
By HAXS HINRICH WENDT, D.D.,
ORD. paOFESSOR OF TIIEOLOGV, UEIUELEERG.
Translated by Eev. JCftiN WILSON", M.A., Montreux.
Copyright by arranrjemeiit with, tJie Autlior.
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DEFENCE OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH.
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