John 12:44

Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. JESUS, [ Ieesous (G2424 ) de (G1161 ), RATHER, 'BUT JESUS'] CRIED - expressive of the louder tone and special solemnity with which He was wont to utter such great sayings as these (as John 7:37). AND SAID. This and the remaining verses of the chapter seem to be a supplementary record of some weighty proclamations, which, though recorded in substance already, had not been set down in so many words before; and they are introduced here as a sort of summary and winding up of His whole testimony. He that...

44._And Jesus cried. _The object of Christ, in this statement, is to encourage his followers to a proper and unshaken steadfastness of faith; but it contains also an implied reproof, by which he intended to correct that perverse fear. The _cry _is expressive of vehemence; for it is not a simple doctrine, but an exhortation intended to excite them more powerfully. The statement amounts to this, that faith in Christ does not rely on any mortal man, but on God; for it finds in Christ nothing but what is divine, or rather, it beholds God in his face. Hence he infers, that it is foolish and unreasonable for faith to be wavering or doubtful; for it is impossible to offer a greater insult to God, than not to rely on his truth. Who is it then that has duly profited by the Gospel? It is he who, relying or this confidence, that he does not believe men but God, quietly and steadily contends against...

44-50 Our Lord publicly proclaimed, that every one who believed on him, as his true disciple, did not believe on him only, but on the Father who sent him. Beholding in Jesus the glory of the Father, we learn to obey, love, and trust in him. By daily looking to Him, who came a Light into the world, we are more and more freed from the darkness of ignorance, error, sin, and misery; we learn that the command of God our Saviour is everlasting life. But the same word will seal the condemnation of all who despise it, or neglect it....

Verse 44. _JESUS CRIED AND SAID_] This is our Lord's concluding discourse to this wicked people: probably this and the following verses should be understood as a part of the discourse which was left off at the 36th verse. John 12:36 _Jesus cried _- he spoke these words _aloud_, and showed his _earnest_ desire for their salvation. _BELIEVETH NOT ON ME_, (ONLY,) _BUT ON HIM THAT SENT ME._] Here he asserts again his indivisible unity with the Father: - he who believes on the Son believes on the Father: he who hath seen the Son hath seen the Father: he who honours the Son honours the Father. Though it was for asserting this (his oneness with God) that they were going to crucify him, yet he retracts nothing of what he had spoken, but strongly reasserts it, in the very jaws of death!...

JESUS CRIED AND SAID - John does not say where or when this was; it is probable, however, that it was a continuation of the discourse recorded in John 12:30. Jesus saw their unbelief, and proceeded to state the consequence of believing on him, and of rejecting him and his message. BELIEVETH NOT ON ME - That is, not on me alone, or his faith does not terminate on me. Compare Matthew 10:20; Mark 9:37. It involves, also, belief in him that sent me. Jesus uniformly represents the union between himself and God as so intimate that there could not be faith in him unless there was also faith in God. He did the same works...

EXPOSITION The twelfth chapter neither belongs intrinsically to that which precedes nor to that which follows. It is a paragraph of high significance, as bearing on the construction of the Gospel. It is the transition between the public and the private ministry, the great pause between the two classes of manifestation forming the climax of the public ministry. III. CONSUMMATION OF THE PUBLIC MINISTRY. JOHN 12:1 1. _The feast of love and gratitude_. JOHN 12:1 JESUS THEREFORE, SIX DAYS BEFORE THE PASSOVER. Every preliminary of that solemn feast is memorable to our evangelist. The coincidence of the

JESUS CRIED AND SAID,.... Upon this occasion, on account of the prevailing hardness and unbelief of the Jewish nation, and the non-confession of him by those who did believe him to be the Messiah. He cried with a loud voice, that he might be heard, and his audience left inexcusable; it denotes the concern of his mind, the vehemence of his spirit, and that openness and freedom in which he discharged his ministry, by showing the nature, excellency, and usefulness of believing in him, and the dangerous consequences of unbelief: HE THAT BELIEVETH ON ME, BELIEVETH NOT ON ME; which is not to be understood simply and absolutely, for this would be a contradiction in terms: they that believe in Christ, do believe in him, and they do right to believe in him; Christ is the object of faith; he is proposed as such in the Gospel; and it is his Father's will, and his own advice, that his people should...

John 12:20. _And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that 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._ I think that our Saviour looked upon these Greeks as a sort of vanguard of the great army of Gentiles who would come to him as the result of his death; but he fixed his eye upon the cause rather than the result, and so he began to talk about that death of his, and how it was that it would work such glorious results. If you want a corn of wheat to grow, you must put

CHAPTER 12 1. The Feast at Bethany. (John 12:1 .) 2. The Entrance into Jerusalem. (John 12:9 .) 3. The Inquiring Greeks and His Answer. (John 12:20 .) 4. His Final Words. (John 12:34 .) From the close of the previous chapter we learn that the Lord had gone with His disciples to a city called Ephraim. Six days before the Passover He came to Bethany again. They made Him a feast. Lazarus is especially mentioned as well as Martha, who served; Mary also was present with others who were of His disciples. It is a beautiful type of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, when He will have His own with Him. Lazarus represents the Saint

FINAL SUMMARY OF JESUS-' PUBLIC TEACHING. This summing up of what was most important in the teaching of Jesus throws interesting light on the author's method of recording the speeches. Belief in Jesus is identified with belief in God. He is for men the final revelation of the Father. He came to enlighten, to dispel moral and spiritual darkness. His chief purpose was not to execute the Messianic judgment of men, as some had thought, and rejected Jesus in consequence. Salvation, not judgment, was the object of His coming. But the rejection of Him and His message involved judgment. Refusal to accept His words would condemn men at the last day. For the message was not self-taught. In substance and method of teaching He carried out God's command who sent Him. What He spake, He spake as God told Him. [87] [87] [J. M. Thompson (Exp., Aug. John 19:15) would transpose 37- 4