1JesusG2424 nunG3767 kamG2064 sechsG1803 TageG2250 vorG4253 dem PassahG3957 nachG1519 BethanienG963, woG3699 LazarusG2976, derG3588 GestorbeneG2348, warG2258, welchenG3739 JesusG2424 ausG1537 den TotenG3498 auferwecktG1453 hatte. 2Sie machtenG4160 ihmG846 nunG3767 daselbstG1563 ein AbendessenG1173, undG2532 MarthaG3136 dienteG1247; LazarusG2976 aberG1161 warG2258 einerG1520 von denen, die mit ihmG846 zu TischeG4873 lagenG4873. 3DaG3767 nahmG2983 MariaG3137 ein PfundG3046 SalbeG3464 von echterG4101, sehr kostbarerG4186 NardeG3487 und salbteG218 die FüßeG4228 JesuG2424 undG2532 trockneteG1591 seineG846 FüßeG4228 mit ihrenG846 HaarenG2359. Das HausG3614 aberG1161 wurde vonG1537 dem GeruchG3744 der SalbeG3464 erfülltG4137. 4Es sagtG3004 nunG3767 einerG1520 vonG1537 seinenG846 JüngernG3101, JudasG2455, SimonsG4613 Sohn, der IskariotG2469, derG3588 ihnG846 überliefernG3860 sollteG3195: 5WarumG1302 istG4097 dieseG5124 SalbeG3464 nichtG3756 für dreihundertG5145 DenareG1220 verkauftG4097 undG2532 den ArmenG4434 gegebenG1325 worden? 6Er sagteG2036 diesG5124 aberG1161, nichtG3756 weilG3754 er fürG4012 die ArmenG4434 besorgtG3199 war, sondernG235 weilG3754 er ein DiebG2812 warG2258 undG2532 die KasseG1101 hatteG2192 undG2532 trugG941, was eingelegtG906 wurde. 7DaG3767 sprachG2036 JesusG2424: ErlaubeG863 ihrG846, esG846 aufG1519 den TagG2250 meinesG3450 BegräbnissesG1780 aufbewahrtG5083 zu haben; 8dennG1063 die ArmenG4434 habtG2192 ihr allezeitG3842 beiG3326 euchG1438, michG1691 aberG1161 habtG2192 ihr nichtG3756 allezeitG3842. 9Eine großeG4183 VolksmengeG3793 ausG1537 den JudenG2453 erfuhrG1097 nunG3767, daßG3754 er daselbstG1563 seiG2076; undG2532 sie kamenG2064, nichtG3756 umG1223 JesuG2424 willen alleinG3440, sondernG235 damitG2443 sie auchG2532 den LazarusG2976 sähenG1492, welchenG3739 er ausG1537 den TotenG3498 auferwecktG1453 hatte. 10Die HohenpriesterG749 aberG1161 ratschlagtenG1011, auf daßG2443 sie auchG2532 den LazarusG2976 tötetenG615, 11weilG3754 vieleG4183 von den JudenG2453 um seinetwillenG1223 G846 hingingenG5217 undG2532 anG1519 JesumG2424 glaubtenG4100. 12Des folgenden TagesG1887, als eine großeG4183 VolksmengeG3793, die zuG1519 dem FesteG1859 gekommenG2064 war, hörteG191, daßG3754 JesusG2424 nachG1519 JerusalemG2414 kommeG2064, 13nahmenG2983 sie PalmzweigeG902 G5404 undG2532 gingenG1831 hinausG1831, ihmG846 entgegenG1519 G5222, undG2532 schrieenG2896: HosannaG5614! GepriesenG2127 sei, der da kommtG2064 imG1722 NamenG3686 des HerrnG2962, der KönigG935 IsraelsG2474! 14JesusG2424 aberG1161 fandG2147 einen jungen EselG3678 und setzteG2523 sich daraufG1909 G846, wieG2531 geschriebenG1125 stehtG2076: 15"FürchteG5399 dich nichtG3361, TochterG2364 ZionG4622! sieheG2400, deinG4675 KönigG935 kommtG2064, sitzendG2521 aufG1909 einem EselsfüllenG4454 G3688 ". 16DiesG5023 [aber]G1161 verstandenG1097 seineG846 JüngerG3101 zuerstG4412 nichtG3756; jedochG235 alsG3753 JesusG2424 verherrlichtG1392 war, dannG5119 erinnertenG3415 sie sich, daßG3754 diesG5023 vonG1909 ihmG846 geschriebenG1125 warG2258 undG2532 sie ihmG846 diesG5023 getanG4160 hatten. 17Es bezeugteG3140 nunG3767 die VolksmengeG3793, die beiG3326 ihmG846 warG5607, daßG3753 er LazarusG2976 ausG1537 dem GrabeG3419 gerufenG5455 undG2532 ihnG846 ausG1537 den TotenG3498 auferwecktG1453 habe. 18DarumG5124 G1223 gingG5221 ihmG846 auchG2532 die VolksmengeG3793 entgegenG5221, weilG3754 sie hörtenG191, daßG846 er diesesG5124 ZeichenG4592 getanG4160 hatte. 19DaG3767 sprachenG2036 die PharisäerG5330 zueinanderG4314 G1438: Ihr sehetG2334, daßG3754 ihr gar nichtsG3762 G3756 ausrichtetG5623; sieheG2396, die WeltG2889 ist ihmG846 nachgegangenG3694 G565. 20Es warenG2258 aberG1161 etlicheG5100 GriechenG1672 unterG1537 denen, die hinaufkamenG305, auf daßG2443 sie aufG1722 dem FesteG1859 anbetetenG4352. 21DieseG3778 nunG3767 kamenG4334 zu PhilippusG5376, dem vonG575 BethsaidaG966 in GaliläaG1056, undG2532 batenG2065 ihnG846 und sagtenG3004: HerrG2962, wir möchtenG2309 JesumG2424 sehenG1492. 22PhilippusG5376 kommtG2064 undG2532 sagtG3004 es AndreasG406, [undG2532 wiederum]G3825 kommt AndreasG406 undG2532 PhilippusG5376, und sie sagenG3004 es JesuG2424. 23JesusG2424 aberG1161 antworteteG611 ihnenG846 und sprachG3004: Die StundeG5610 ist gekommenG2064, daßG2443 der SohnG5207 des MenschenG444 verherrlichtG1392 werde. 24WahrlichG281, wahrlichG281, ich sageG3004 euchG5213: wennG1437 das WeizenkornG2848 G4621 nichtG3361 inG1519 die ErdeG1093 fälltG4098 und stirbtG599, bleibtG3306 esG846 alleinG3441; wennG1437 es aberG1161 stirbtG599, bringtG5342 es vielG4183 FruchtG2590. 25Wer seinG846 LebenG5590 liebtG5368, wird esG846 verlierenG622; undG2532 wer seinG846 LebenG5590 inG1722 dieserG5129 WeltG2889 haßtG3404, wird esG846 zumG1519 ewigenG166 LebenG2222 bewahrenG5442. 26WennG1437 mirG1698 jemandG5100 dientG1247, so folgeG190 er mirG1698 nach; undG2532 woG3699 ichG1473 binG1510, daG1563 wird auchG2532 meinG1699 DienerG1249 seinG2071 .G2532 WennG1437 mirG1698 jemandG5100 dientG1247, so wird der VaterG3962 ihnG846 ehrenG5091. 27JetztG3568 istG5015 meineG3450 SeeleG5590 bestürztG5015, undG2532 wasG5101 soll ich sagenG2036 ? VaterG3962, retteG4982 michG3165 ausG1537 dieserG5026 StundeG5610! DochG235 darumG1223 G5124 binG2064 ich inG1519 dieseG5026 StundeG5610 gekommenG2064. 28VaterG3962, verherrlicheG1392 deinenG4675 NamenG3686! DaG3767 kamG2064 eine StimmeG5456 ausG1537 dem HimmelG3772: Ich habe ihn verherrlichtG1392 undG2532 werdeG1392 ihn auchG2532 wiederumG3825 verherrlichenG1392. 29Die VolksmengeG3793 nunG3767, die dastandG2476 undG2532 zuhörteG191, sagteG3004, es habe gedonnertG1096 G1027; andereG243 sagtenG3004: Ein EngelG32 hat mit ihmG846 geredetG2980. 30JesusG2424 antworteteG611 undG2532 sprachG2036: NichtG3756 um meinetwillenG1223 G1691 ist dieseG3778 StimmeG5456 geschehenG1096, sondernG235 umG1223 euretwillenG1223 G5209. 31JetztG3568 istG2076 das GerichtG2920 dieserG5127 WeltG2889; jetztG3568 wirdG1544 der FürstG758 dieserG5127 WeltG2889 hinausgeworfenG1544 G1854 werden. 32Und ichG2504, wennG1437 ich vonG1537 der ErdeG1093 erhöhtG5312 bin, werde alleG3956 zuG4314 mirG1683 ziehenG1670. 33(DiesG5124 aberG1161 sagteG3004 er, andeutendG4591, welchesG4169 TodesG2288 er sterbenG599 sollteG3195.) 34Die VolksmengeG3793 antworteteG611 ihmG846: WirG2249 habenG191 ausG1537 dem GesetzG3551 gehörtG191, daßG3754 der ChristusG5547 bleibeG3306 inG1519 EwigkeitG165, undG2532 wieG4459 sagstG3004 duG4771, daßG3754 der SohnG5207 des MenschenG444 erhöhtG5312 werden müsseG1163 ? WerG5101 istG2076 dieserG3778, der SohnG5207 des MenschenG444 ? 35DaG3767 sprachG2036 JesusG2424 zu ihnenG846: NochG2089 eine kleineG3398 ZeitG5550 istG2076 das LichtG5457 unterG3326 euchG5216; wandeltG4043, währendG2193 ihr das LichtG5457 habtG2192, auf daßG3363 nicht FinsternisG4653 euchG5209 ergreifeG2638. UndG2532 wer inG1722 der FinsternisG4653 wandeltG4043, weißG1492 nichtG3756, wohinG4226 er gehtG5217. 36WährendG2193 ihr das LichtG5457 habtG2192, glaubetG4100 anG1519 das LichtG5457, auf daßG2443 ihr SöhneG5207 des LichtesG5457 werdetG1096. DiesesG5023 redeteG2980 JesusG2424 und ging hinwegG565 undG2532 verbargG2928 sich vorG575 ihnenG846. 37WiewohlG846 er aberG1161 so vieleG5118 ZeichenG4592 vorG1715 ihnenG846 getanG4160 hatte, glaubtenG4100 sie nichtG3756 anG1519 ihnG846, 38auf daßG2443 das WortG3056 des ProphetenG4396 JesajasG2268 erfülltG4137 würde, welchesG3739 er sprachG2036: "HerrG2962, werG5101 hat unsererG2257 VerkündigungG189 geglaubtG4100, undG2532 wemG5101 ist der ArmG1023 des HerrnG2962 geoffenbartG601 worden?" 39DarumG1223 G5124 konntenG1410 sie nichtG3756 glaubenG4100, weilG3754 JesajasG2268 wiederumG3825 gesagtG2036 hat: 40"Er hat ihreG846 AugenG3788 verblendetG5186 undG2532 ihrG846 HerzG2588 verstocktG4456, auf daßG3363 sie nichtG3363 sehenG1492 mit den AugenG3788 undG2532 verstehenG3539 mit dem HerzenG2588 undG2532 sich bekehrenG1994, undG2532 ich sieG846 heileG2390 ". 41DiesG5023 sprachG2036 JesajaG2268, weilG3753 er seineG846 HerrlichkeitG1391 sahG1492 undG2532 vonG4012 ihmG846 redeteG2980. 42DennochG3676 G3305 aber glaubtenG4100 auchG2532 vonG1537 den OberstenG758 vieleG4183 anG1519 ihnG846; dochG235 wegenG1223 der PharisäerG5330 bekanntenG3670 sie ihn nichtG3756, auf daßG3363 sie nicht aus der SynagogeG656 ausgeschlossenG656 würdenG1096; 43dennG1063 sie liebtenG25 die EhreG1391 bei den MenschenG444 mehrG3123 alsG2260 die EhreG1391 bei GottG2316. 44JesusG2424 aberG1161 riefG2896 undG2532 sprachG2036: Wer anG1519 michG1691 glaubtG4100, glaubtG4100 nichtG3756 anG1519 michG1691, sondernG235 anG1519 den, der michG3165 gesandtG3992 hat; 45undG2532 wer michG1691 siehtG2334, siehtG2334 den, der michG3165 gesandtG3992 hat. 46IchG1473 bin als LichtG5457 inG1519 die WeltG2889 gekommenG2064, auf daßG3363 jederG3956, der anG1519 michG1691 glaubtG4100, nichtG3363 inG1722 der FinsternisG4653 bleibeG3306; 47undG2532 wennG3362 jemandG5100 meineG3450 WorteG4487 hörtG191 undG2532 nichtG3361 bewahrtG5442, so richteG2919 ichG1473 ihnG846 nichtG3756, dennG1063 ich bin nichtG3756 gekommenG2064, auf daßG2443 ich die WeltG2889 richteG2919, sondernG235 auf daßG2443 ich die WeltG2889 erretteG4982. 48Wer michG1691 verwirftG114 undG2532 meineG3450 WorteG4487 nichtG3361 annimmtG2983, hatG2192 den, der ihnG846 richtetG2919: das WortG3056, dasG3739 ich geredetG2980 habe, dasG1565 wird ihnG846 richtenG2919 anG1722 dem letztenG2078 TageG2250. 49DennG3754 ichG1473 habe nichtG3756 ausG1537 mir selbstG1683 geredetG2980, sondernG235 der VaterG3962, der michG3165 gesandtG3992 hat, er hat mirG3427 ein GebotG1785 gegebenG1325, wasG5101 ich sagenG2036 undG2532 wasG5101 ich redenG2980 soll; 50undG2532 ich weißG1492, daßG3754 seinG846 GebotG1785 ewigesG166 LebenG2222 istG2076. WasG3739 ichG1473 nunG3767 redeG2980, redeG2980 ich alsoG3779, wieG2531 mirG3427 der VaterG3962 gesagtG2046 hat.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE ANOINTING AT BETHANY. (
John 12:1-
John 12:11)
six days before the passover--that is, on the sixth day before it; probably after sunset on Friday evening, or the commencement of the Jewish sabbath preceding the passover.
2 Martha served--This, with what is afterwards said of Mary's way of honoring her Lord, is so true to the character in which those two women appear in
Luke 10:38-
Luke 10:42, as to constitute one of the strongest and most delightful confirmations of the truth of both narratives. (See also on
John 11:20).
Lazarus . . . sat at the table--"Between the raised Lazarus and the healed leper (Simon,
Mark 14:3), the Lord probably sits as between two trophies of His glory" [STIER].
3 spikenard--or pure nard, a celebrated aromatic (
Song 1:12).
anointed the feet of Jesus--and "poured it on His head" (
Matt 26:7;
Mark 14:3). The only use of this was to refresh and exhilarate--a grateful compliment in the East, amidst the closeness of a heated atmosphere, with many guests at a feast. Such was the form in which Mary's love to Christ, at so much cost to herself, poured itself out.
4 Judas . . . who should betray him--For the reason why this is here mentioned, see on
Mark 14:11.
5 three hundred pence--between nine and ten pounds sterling.
6 had the bag--the purse.
bare what was put therein--not, bare it off by theft, though that he did; but simply, had charge of its contents, was treasurer to Jesus and the Twelve. How worthy of notice is this arrangement, by which an avaricious and dishonest person was not only taken into the number of the Twelve, but entrusted with the custody of their little property! The purposes which this served are obvious enough; but it is further noticeable, that the remotest hint was never given to the eleven of His true character, nor did the disciples most favored with the intimacy of Jesus ever suspect him, till a few minutes before he voluntarily separated himself from their company--for ever!
7 said Jesus, Let her alone, against the day of my burying hath she done this--not that she thought of His burial, much less reserved any of her nard to anoint her dead Lord. But as the time was so near at hand when that office would have to be performed, and she was not to have that privilege even alter the spices were brought for the purpose (
Mark 16:1), He lovingly regards it as done now.
8 the poor always . . . with you--referring to
Deut 15:11.
but me . . . not always--a gentle hint of His approaching departure. He adds (
Mark 14:8), "She hath done what she could," a noble testimony, embodying a principle of immense importance. "Verily, I say unto you, Wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her" (
Matt 26:13;
Mark 14:9). "In the act of love done to Him she had erected to herself an eternal monument, as lasting as the Gospel, the eternal word of God. From generation to generation this remarkable prophecy of the Lord has been fulfilled; and even we, in explaining this saying of the Redeemer, of necessity contribute to its accomplishment" [OLSHAUSEN]. "Who but Himself had the power to ensure to any work of man, even if resounding in his own time through the whole earth, an imperishable remembrance in the stream of history? Behold once more here, the majesty of His royal judicial supremacy in the government of the world, in this, Verily I say unto you" [STIER]. Beautiful are the lessons here: (1) Love to Christ transfigures the humblest services. All, indeed, who have themselves a heart value its least outgoings beyond the most costly mechanical performances; but how does it endear the Saviour to us to find Him endorsing the principle as His own standard in judging of character and deeds!
What though in poor and humble guise
Thou here didst sojourn, cottage-born,
Yet from Thy glory in the skies
Our earthly gold Thou didst not scorn.
For Love delights to bring her best,
And where Love is, that offering evermore is blest.
Love on the Saviour's dying head
Her spikenard drops unblam'd may pour,
May mount His cross, and wrap Him dead
In spices from the golden shore.
KEBLE.
(2) Works of utility should never be set in opposition to the promptings of self-sacrificing love, and the sincerity of those who do so is to be suspected. Under the mask of concern for the poor at home, how many excuse themselves from all care of the perishing heathen abroad. (3) Amidst conflicting duties, that which our "hand (presently) findeth to do" is to be preferred, and even a less duty only to be done now to a greater that can be done at any time. (4) "If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not" (
2Cor 8:12). --"She hath done what she could" (
Mark 14:8). (5) As Jesus beheld in spirit the universal diffusion of His Gospel, while His lowest depth of humiliation was only approaching, so He regards the facts of His earthly history as constituting the substance of this Gospel, and the relation of them as just the "preaching of this Gospel." Not that preachers are to confine themselves to a bare narration of these facts, but that they are to make their whole preaching turn upon them as its grand center, and derive from them its proper vitality; all that goes before this in the Bible being but the preparation for them, and all that follows but the sequel.
9 Crowds of the Jerusalem Jews hastened to Bethany, not so much to see Jesus, whom they knew to be there, as to see dead Lazarus alive; and this, issuing in their accession to Christ, led to a plot against the life of Lazarus also, as the only means of arresting the triumphs of Jesus (see
John 12:19) --to such a pitch had these chief priests come of diabolical determination to shut out the light from themselves, and quench it from the earth!
12 CHRIST'S TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM. (
John 12:12-
John 12:19)
On the next day--the Lord's day, or Sunday (see on
John 12:1); the tenth day of the Jewish month Nisan, on which the paschal lamb was set apart to be "kept up until the fourteenth day of the same month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel were to kill it in the evening" (
Exod 12:3,
Exod 12:6). Even so, from the day of this solemn entry into Jerusalem, "Christ our Passover" was virtually set apart to be "sacrificed for us" (
1Cor 5:7).
16 when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, &c.--The Spirit, descending on them from the glorified Saviour at Pentecost, opened their eyes suddenly to the true sense of the Old Testament, brought vividly to their recollection this and other Messianic predictions, and to their unspeakable astonishment showed them that they, and all the actors in these scenes, had been unconsciously fulfilling those predictions.
20 SOME GREEKS DESIRE TO SEE JESUS--THE DISCOURSE AND SCENE THEREUPON. (John 12:20-36)
Greeks--Not Grecian Jews, but Greek proselytes to the Jewish faith, who were wont to attend the annual festivals, particularly this primary one, the Passover.
The same came therefore to Philip . . . of Bethsaida--possibly as being from the same quarter.
saying, Sir, we would see Jesus--certainly in a far better sense than Zaccheus (
Luke 19:3). Perhaps He was then in that part of the temple court to which Gentile proselytes had no access. "These men from the west represent, at the end of Christ's life, what the wise men from the east represented at its beginning; but those come to the cross of the King, even as these to His manger" [STIER].
22 Philip . . . telleth Andrew--As follow townsmen of Bethsaida (
John 1:44), these two seem to have drawn to each other.
Andrew and Philip tell Jesus--The minuteness of these details, while they add to the graphic force of the narrative, serves to prepare us for something important to come out of this introduction.
23 Jesus answered them, The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified--that is, They would see Jesus, would they? Yet a little moment, and they shall see Him so as now they dream not of. The middle wall of partition that keeps them out from the commonwealth of Israel is on the eve of breaking down, "and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, shall draw all men unto Me"; I see them "flying as a cloud, and as doves to their cotes"--a glorious event that will be for the Son of man, by which this is to be brought about. It is His death He thus sublimely and delicately alluded to. Lost in the scenes of triumph which this desire of the Greeks to see Him called up before His view, He gives no direct answer to their petition for an interview, but sees the cross which was to bring them gilded with glory.
24 Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit--The necessity of His death is here brightly expressed, and its proper operation and fruit--life springing forth out of death--imaged forth by a beautiful and deeply significant law of the vegetable kingdom. For a double reason, no doubt, this was uttered--to explain what he had said of His death, as the hour of His own glorification, and to sustain His own Spirit under the agitation which was mysteriously coming over it in the view of that death.
25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal--(See on
Luke 9:24). Did our Lord mean to exclude Himself from the operation of the great principle here expressed--self-renunciation, the law of self-preservation; and its converse, self-preservation, the law of self-destruction? On the contrary, as He became Man to exemplify this fundamental law of the Kingdom of God in its most sublime form, so the very utterance of it on this occasion served to sustain His own Spirit in the double prospect to which He had just alluded.
26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: If any man serve me, him will my Father honour--Jesus here claims the same absolute subjection to Himself, as the law of men's exaltation to honor, as He yielded to the Father.
27 Now is my soul troubled--He means at the prospect of His death, just alluded to. Strange view of the Cross this, immediately after representing it as the hour of His glory! (
John 12:23). But the two views naturally meet, and blend into one. It was the Greeks, one might say, that troubled Him. Ah! they shall see Jesus, but to Him it shall be a costly sight.
and what shall I say?--He is in a strait betwixt two. The death of the cross was, and could not but be, appalling to His spirit. But to shrink from absolute subjection to the Father, was worse still. In asking Himself, "What shall I say?" He seems as if thinking aloud, feeling His way between two dread alternatives, looking both of them sternly in the face, measuring, weighing them, in order that the choice actually made might be seen, and even by himself the more vividly felt, to be a profound, deliberate, spontaneous election.
Father, save me from this hour--To take this as a question--"Shall I say, Father, save me," &c.--as some eminent editors and interpreters do, is unnatural and jejune. It is a real petition, like that in Gethsemane, "Let this cup pass from Me"; only whereas there He prefaces the prayer with an "If it be possible," here He follows it up with what is tantamount to that--"Nevertheless for this cause came I unto this hour." The sentiment conveyed, then, by the prayer, in both cases, is twofold: (1) that only one thing could reconcile Him to the death of the cross--its being His Father's will He should endure it--and (2) that in this view of it He yielded Himself freely to it. What He recoils from is not subjection to His Father's will: but to show how tremendous a self-sacrifice that obedience involved, He first asks the Father to save Him from it, and then signifies how perfectly He knows that He is there for the very purpose of enduring it. Only by letting these mysterious words speak their full meaning do they become intelligible and consistent. As for those who see no bitter elements in the death of Christ--nothing beyond mere dying--what can they make of such a scene? and when they place it over against the feelings with which thousands of His adoring followers have welcomed death for His sake, how can they hold Him up to the admiration of men?
28 Father, glorify thy name--by a present testimony.
I have both glorified it--referring specially to the voice from heaven at His baptism, and again at His transfiguration.
and will glorify it again--that is, in the yet future scenes of His still deeper necessity; although this promise was a present and sublime testimony, which would irradiate the clouded spirit of the Son of man.
29 The people therefore that stood by, said, It thundered; others, An angel spake to him--some hearing only a sound, others an articulate, but to them unintelligible voice.
30 Jesus . . . said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes--that is, probably, to correct the unfavorable impressions which His momentary agitation and mysterious prayer for deliverance may have produced on the by-standers.
31 Now is the judgment of this world--the world that "crucified the Lord of glory" (
1Cor 2:8), considered as a vast and complicated kingdom of Satan, breathing his spirit, doing his work, and involved in his doom, which Christ's death by its hands irrevocably sealed.
now shall the prince of this world be cast out--How differently is that fast-approaching "hour" regarded in the kingdoms of darkness and of light! "The hour of relief; from the dread Troubler of our peace--how near it is! Yet a little moment, and the day is ours!" So it was calculated and felt in the one region. "Now shall the prince of this world be cast out," is a somewhat different view of the same event. We know who was right. Though yet under a veil, He sees the triumphs of the Cross in unclouded and transporting light.
32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me--The "I" here is emphatic--I, taking the place of the world's ejected prince. "If lifted up," means not only after that I have been lifted up, but, through the virtue of that uplifting. And truly, the death of the Cross, in all its significance, revealed in the light, and borne in upon the heart, by the power of the Holy Ghost, possesses an attraction over the wide world--to civilized and savage, learned and illiterate, alike--which breaks down all opposition, assimilates all to itself, and forms out of the most heterogeneous and discordant materials a kingdom of surpassing glory, whose uniting principle is adoring subjection "to Him that loved them." "Will draw all men 'UNTO ME,'" says He. What lips could venture to utter such a word but His, which "dropt as an honeycomb," whose manner of speaking was evermore in the same spirit of conscious equality with the Father?
33 This he said, signifying what death he should die--that is, "by being lifted up from the earth" on "the accursed tree" (
John 3:14;
John 8:28).
34 We have heard out of the law--the scriptures of the Old Testament (referring to such places as
Ps 89:28-
Ps 89:29;
Ps 110:4;
Dan 2:44;
Dan 7:13-
Dan 7:14).
that Christ--the Christ "endureth for ever."
and how sayest thou, The Son of Man must be lifted up, &c.--How can that consist with this "uplifting?" They saw very well both that He was holding Himself up as the Christ and a Christ to die a violent death; and as that ran counter to all their ideas of the Messianic prophecies, they were glad to get this seeming advantage to justify their unyielding attitude.
35 Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, &c.--Instead of answering their question, He warns them, with mingled majesty and tenderness, against trifling with their last brief opportunity, and entreats them to let in the Light while they have it in the midst of them, that they themselves might be "light in the Lord." In this case, all the clouds which hung around His Person and Mission would speedily be dispelled, while if they continued to hate the light, bootless were all His answers to their merely speculative or captious questions. (See on
Luke 13:23).
36 These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them--He who spake as never man spake, and immediately after words fraught with unspeakable dignity and love, had to "hide Himself" from His auditors! What then must they have been? He retired, probably to Bethany. (The parallels are:
Matt 21:17;
Luke 21:37).
37 It is the manner of this Evangelist alone to record his own reflections on the scenes he describes; but here, having arrived at what was virtually the close of our Lord's public ministry, he casts an affecting glance over the fruitlessness of His whole ministry on the bulk of the now doomed people.
though he had done so many miracles--The word used suggests their nature as well as number.
38 That the saying of Esaias . . . might be fulfilled--This unbelief did not at all set aside the purposes of God, but, on the contrary, fulfilled them.
39 Therefore they could not believe, because Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, that they should not see, &c.--That this expresses a positive divine act, by which those who wilfully close their eyes and harden their hearts against the truth are judicially shut up in their unbelief and impenitence, is admitted by all candid critics [as OLSHAUSEN], though many of them think it necessary to contend that this is in no way inconsistent with the liberty of the human will, which of course it is not.
41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him--a key of immense importance to the opening of Isaiah's vision (
Isa 6:1-
Isa 6:13), and all similar Old Testament representations. "THE SON is the King Jehovah who rules in the Old Testament and appears to the elect, as in the New Testament THE SPIRIT, the invisible Minister of the Son, is the Director of the Church and the Revealer in the sanctuary of the heart" [OLSHAUSEN].
42 among the chief rulers also--rather, "even of the rulers"; such as Nicodemus and Joseph.
because of the Pharisees--that is, the leaders of the sects; for they were of it themselves.
put out of the synagogue--See
John 9:22,
John 9:34.
43 they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God--"a severe remark, considering that several at least of these persons afterwards boldly confessed Christ. It indicates the displeasure with which God regarded their conduct at this time, and with which He continues to regard similar conduct" [WEBSTER and WILKINSON].
44 Jesus cried--in a loud tone, and with peculiar solemnity. (Compare
John 7:37).
and said, He that believeth on me, &c.--This seems to be a supplementary record of some weighty proclamations, for which there had been found no natural place before, and introduced here as a sort of summary and winding up of His whole testimony.
