_JESUS REPROVETH THE AMBITION AND BOLDNESS OF HIS KINSMEN: GOETH UP FROM GALILEE TO THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES: TEACHETH IN THE TEMPLE. DIVERS OPINIONS OF HIM AMONG THE PEOPLE. THE PHARISEES ARE ANGRY THAT THEIR OFFICERS TOOK HIM NOT, AND CHIDE WITH NICODEMUS FOR HIS TAKING CHRIST'S PART._ _Anno Dom... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTER THESE THINGS— That is, after the miracle of the loaves, and the conversation in the synagogue at Capernaum. Sir Isaac Newton thinks, that these words intimate that our Lord did not celebrate the third passover at Jerusalem, (see ch. John 6:4.) and it must be owned that the evangelists do not s... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS BRETHREN THEREFORE SAID, &C.— By brethren we are to understand only cousins-german, or kinsfolk. As they did not believe on him, they condemned him in their own minds, and said that he acted altogether absurdly in passing so much of his time in Galilee and other remote corners of the country, wh... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN JESUS SAID—MY TIME IS NOT YET COME, &C.— Jesus, knowing the malice of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, did not incline to be among them longer than was absolutely necessary, knowing that they would take every opportunity to persecute and destroy him; but _the time_ for his death was _not yet come.... [ Continue Reading ]
GO YE UP UNTO THIS FEAST, &C.— "Repair ye therefore unto Jerusalem as soon as you please, that you may be there at the beginning of the feast: I shall not keep you company, nor indeed go yet awhile; for I must wait a little longer before it will be prudent for me to be seen there." By this answer he... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT OPENLY,— This suggests another reason for our Lord's delay. Had he taken his journey at the usual time, the multitudes who were on the road gathering round him, and accompanying him to Jerusalem, might have given fresh matter of offence to his enemies; for which reason he did not set out till th... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE JEWS SOUGHT HIM, &C.— Jesus did not appear publicly, immediatelyon his arrival in Jerusalem, which occasioned many doubtsconcerning his character: some affirmed, that he was a true prophet, and that his not attending the feast might be owing to several accidents. Others affirmed, that he wa... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW ABOUT THE MIDST OF THE FEAST, &C.— About the middle of the feast (which lasted eight days) Jesus came into the temple, and preached many important doctrines with such strength of reason, clearness of method, and elegance of expression, that his enemies themselves were astonished, knowing that he... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS ANSWERED, &C.— "The doctrine which I teach you, is not the product of human wisdom; I have neither been taught it by masters, nor have I acquired it by study; but it is the doctrine of God." He told them likewise, that they could be at no loss to know whence he or any teacher derived his doctr... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT SPEAKETH OF HIMSELF— If a person teaches what makes for the advancement of his own worldly interest, or for the gratification of his pride, or any other evil passion, the doers of the will of God will immediately know that such a teacher is an impostor; whereas, if a prophet proposes doctrin... [ Continue Reading ]
DID NOT MOSES GIVE YOU THE LAW,— There is a remarkable beauty in this sudden turn of the sentiment. Some of the Jews called Jesus a _false prophet,_ because he had healed the paralytic at Bethesda on the sabbath-day, see John 7:21 pretending that it was a gross violation of the law of Moses, which n... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PEOPLE ANSWERED AND SAID, THOU HAST A DEVIL:— "The common people, especially those who came from the country to the feast, knowing nothing of the plot against him, and being under the influence of their rulers, cried out in a great rage, You talk like a madman, or one possessed of a devil: who i... [ Continue Reading ]
I HAVE DONE ONE WORK, &C.— It is plain, that the miracle of Bethesda, here referred to, was wrought a year and a half before this feast; but they made use of it as a pretence to destroy him, because he had done it on the sabbath-day. The words δια τουτο, at the beginning of John 7:22 should be joine... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE I HAVE MADE A MAN EVERY WHIT WHOLE— _Because I have wrought the total cure of a man,_ both in mind and body, as may be collected from ch. John 5:14.... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDGE NOT ACCORDING TO THE APPEARANCE,— There may be many wrong judgments of the same matter; but the right can be but one: therefore the latter clause should be rendered, _But make the right judgment.—"_Judge impartially—divest yourselves of your prejudices, and conceive not an ill opinion of me, o... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID SOME OF THEM, &C.— The inhabitants of Jerusalem, always Christ's bitter enemies, asked with surprize, if our Lord's boldness, and the silence of the rulers, proceeded from their having acknowledged him as the Messiah; at the same time, in derision of his pretensions they added, _howbeit, w... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I KNOW HIM, &C.— "Were you acquainted with what the prophets have said concerning the Messiah, as you pretend to be, you would know this to be one of his principal characters, that he fully comprehends the perfections and will of God the Father, and will explain them unto men more clearly than a... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THEY SOUGHT TO TAKE HIM, &C.— The defence made by our Lord did not pacify his enemies; for some of them would gladly have apprehended him: however, none of them had the courage to lay hold of him, being restrained by his Divine Providence, because the season of his sufferings was not yet come.... [ Continue Reading ]
YET A LITTLE WHILE AM I WITH YOU, &C.— While the rulers were taking counsel against him, Jesus was preaching to the people concerning the improvement which it became them to make of his ministry among them: _"Yet a little while,_ said our Lord, and my ministry among you is at an end; you ought there... [ Continue Reading ]
WILL HE GO UNTO THE DISPERSED, &C.— Ελληνων, _of the Greeks,_ by whom we are to understand here idolatrous Gentiles, and not _Hellenists,_ or Jews who used the Greek language; for these were _the dispersed among them._ There appears therefore a sarcasm in these words beyond what has been commonly ob... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE LAST DAY, &C.— It is commonly supposed, that, while Jesus was thus discoursing in the temple on the last and great day of the feast, the water from Siloam was brought into the women's court of the temple with the usual solemnities, according to the directions of the prophets Haggai and Zechar... [ Continue Reading ]
MANY OF THE PEOPLE THEREFORE,— Our Lord appears to have been discoursing as above, when the officerssent by the council to apprehend him, John 7:32 came up: but as it was an uncommon topic, and he seemed to be speaking with great fervency, their curiosity made them willing to hear him a little befor... [ Continue Reading ]
ARE YE ALSO DECEIVED? &C.— "Ye who have the advantage of knowing our sentiments, and are acquainted with the idea which we entertain concerning this person; surely you cannot be so weak as to be thus infatuated. Pray consider the conduct of those who are most capable of judging on this point. Have a... [ Continue Reading ]
NICODEMUS SAITH UNTO THEM,— From the presence of Nicodemus, this appears to have been a meeting of the council whereof he was a member; for had it been a private cabal of the great men to take away Christ's life, Nicodemus, who was one of his disciples, would never have joined them. It seems the cou... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ANSWERED—ART THOU ALSO OF GALILEE?— Finding Nicodemus thus condemning their conduct, and speaking favourably of Jesus, they asked him with an air of disdain and surprize, mixed with fierceness, _Art thou also of Galilee?_ "Art thou one of the ignorant low faction, which has leagued to support a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND EVERY MAN WENT UNTO HIS OWN HOUSE.— So that this short plain question of Nicodemus's spoiled all their measures, and broke up the council. _A word spoken in season how good is it,_ especially when God gives it his blessing! Our Lord, having perfect knowledge of the designs of the council, left t... [ Continue Reading ]