BOOK V red, He had spoken of that other sun-setting, with the sky all aglow in judgment, and of the darkness that was to follow-but also of the better Light that would rise in it. And in those Temple-porches they had been hearing Him-seeing Him in His wonder-working yesterday, hearing Him in His wonder-speaking that day—those 'men of other tongues.' They were 'Proselytes,' Greeks by birth, who had groped their way to the porch of Judaism, just as the first streaks of the light were falling within upon its altar. They must have been stirred in their inmost being; felt, that it was just for such as they, and to them that He spoke; that this was what in the Old Testament they had guessed, anticipated, dimly hoped for, if they had not seen it—its grand faith, its grander hope, its grandest reality. Not one by one, and almost by stealth, were they thenceforth to come to the gate; but the portals were to be flung wide open, and as the golden light streamed out upon the way, He stood there, that bright Divine Personality, Who was not only the Son of David, but the Son of Man, to bid them the Father's welcome of good pleasure to the Kingdom. And so, as the lengthening shadows gathered around the Templecourt and porches, they would fain have 'seen' Him, not afar off, but near spoken to Him. They had become 'Proselytes of Righteousness,' they would become disciples of the Lord our Righteousness; as Proselytes they had come to Jerusalem to worship,' and they would learn to praise. Yet, in the simple self-unconscious modesty of their religious childhood, they dared not go to Jesus directly, but came with their request to Philip of Bethsaida. We know not why to him: whether from family connections, or that his education, or previous circumstances, connected Philip with these Greeks,' or whether anything in his position in the Apostolic circle, or something that had just occurred, influenced their choice. And he also-such was the ignorance of the Apostles of the inmost meaning of their Master-dared not go directly to Jesus, but went to his own townsman, who had been his early friend and fellow-disciple, and now stood so close to the Person of the Master-Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Together the two came to Jesus, Andrew apparently foremost. The answer of Jesus implies what, at any rate, we would have expected, that the request of these Gentile converts was granted, 1 We mark here also the utter absence of all legendary embellishments as evidence of truth. So far from yielding to what, even in a book like the present, is a temptation, the narrative of the Evangelist is peculiarly meagre and void of details. We may note that only 'proselytes of righteousness,' who had sub mitted to circumcision, would be allowed fellowship in the regular worship. THE GRAIN OF WHEAT THAT MUST FALL INTO THE EARTH. a 391 CHAP. III though this is not expressly stated, and it is extremely difficult to determine whether, and what portion of what He spake was addressed to the Greeks, and what to the disciples. Perhaps we should regard the opening words as bearing reference to the request of the Greeks, and hence as primarily addressed to the disciples, but also as serving St. John as introduction to the words that follow, which were spoken primarily to the Greeks, but secondarily also to the disciples, and which bear vv. 24-26 on that terrible, ever near, mystery of His Death, and their Baptism into it. b As we see these 'Greeks' approaching, the beginning of Christ's History seems re-enacted at its close. Not now in the stable of Bethlehem, but in the Temple, are 'the wise men,' the representatives of the Gentile world, offering their homage to the Messiah. But the life which had then begun was now all behind Him-and yet, in a sense, before Him. The hour of decision was about to strike. Not merely as the Messiah of Israel, but in His world-wide bearing as 'the Son of Man,' was He about to be glorified by receiving the homage of the Gentile world, of which the symbol and the firstfruits were now before Him. But only in one way could He thus be glorified: by dying for the salvation of the world, and so opening the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers. On a thousand hills was the glorious harvest to tremble in the golden sunlight; but the corn of wheat falling into the ground, must, as it falls, die, burst its envelope, and so spring into a very manifoldedness of life. Otherwise would it have remained alone. This is the great paradox of the Kingdom of God-a paradox which has its symbol and analogon in nature, and which has also almost become the law of progress in history: that life which has not sprung of death abideth alone, and is really death, and that death is life. A paradox this, which has its ultimate reason in this, that sin has entered into the world. And as to the Master, the Prince of Life, so to the disciples, as bearing forth the life. If, in this world of sin, He must fall as the seed-corn into the ground and die, that many may spring of Him, so must they also hate their life, that they may keep it unto life eternal. Thus serving, they must follow Him, that where He is they may also be, for the Father will honour them that honour the Son. a xii. 23 b It is now sufficiently clear to us, that our Lord spake primarily to these Greeks, and secondarily to His disciples, of the meaning of His impending Death, of the necessity of faithfulness to Him in it, and of the blessing attaching thereto. Yet He was not unconscious of the awful realities which this involved. He was true Man, and ⚫ vv. 27, 28 a BOOK V a St. John xii. 286-33 His Human Soul was troubled in view of it: True Man, therefore He felt it; True Man, therefore He spake it, and so also sympathised with them in their coming struggle. Truly Man, but also truly more than Man-and hence both the expressed desire, and at the same time the victory over that desire: 'What shall I say ? 2 "Father, save Me from this hour?3 But for this cause came I unto this hour!": And the seeming discord is resolved, as both the Human and the Divine in the Son-faith and sight-join in glorious accord: 'Father, glorify Thy Name!' Such appeal and prayer, made in such circumstances, could not have remained unacknowledged, if He was the Messiah, Son of God. As at His Baptism, so at this Baptism of self-humiliation and absolute submission to suffering, came the Voice from Heaven, audible to all, but its words intelligible only to Him: 'I both glorified it, and will again glorify it!' Words these, which carried the Divine seal of confirmation to all Christ's past work, and assured it for that which was to come. The words of confirmation could only be for Himself; 'the Voice' was for all. What mattered it, that some spoke of it as thunder on a spring-evening, while others, with more reason, thought of Angel-Voices? To Him it bore the assurance, which had all along been the ground of His claims, as it was the comfort in His Sufferings, that, as God had in the past glorified Himself in the Son, so would it be in the future in the perfecting of the work given Him to do. And this He now spake, as, looking on those Greeks as the emblem and first-fruits of the work finished in His Passion, He saw of the travail of His Soul, and was satisfied. Of both He spake in the prophetic present. To His view judgment had already come to this world, as it lay in the power of the Evil One, since the Prince of it was cast out from his present rule. And, in place of it, the Crucified Christ, 'lifted up out of the earth in the twofold sensewas, as the result of His Work, drawing, with sovereign, conquering power, 'all' unto Him, and up with Him. The Jews who heard it, so far understood Him, that His words referred to His removal from earth, or His Death, since this was a bvv. 34-36 a common Jewish mode of expression (own pho). But they failed 1 Concurrebat horror mortis et ardor obedientiæ.-Bengel. 2 Quid dicam? non, quid eligam ?-Bengel. Even so great an authority as Professor Westcott has declared himself in favour of regarding this clause, not as a question, but as a prayer. But this seems 4 to me incompatible alike with the preceding and the succeeding clause. 4 This is another evidence of the Aramaic education of the writer of the Fourth Gospel. Yet another is the peculiar Judaic use of the word ny, hour, in ver. 27. But the idea of Prince of this world' has no analogon in the THE LAST APPEAL IN THE TEMPLE. to understand His special reference to the manner of it. And yet, in view of the peculiarly shameful death of the Cross, it was most important that He should ever point to it also. But, even in what they understood, they had a difficulty. They understood Him to imply that He would be taken from earth; and yet they had always been taught from the Scriptures' that the Messiah was, when fully manifested, to abide for ever, or, as the Rabbis put it, that His Reign was to be followed by the Resurrection. Or did He refer to any other One by the expression Son of Man'? Into the controversial part of their question the Lord did not enter; nor would it have been fitting to have done so in that hour.' But to their inquiry He fully replied, and that with such earnest, loving admonition as became His last address in the Temple. Yes; it was so! But a little while would the Light be among them.2 Let them hasten to avail themselves of it,3 lest darkness overtake them-and he that walked in darkness knew not whither he went. Oh, that His love could have arrested them! While they still had the Light,' would that they might learn to believe in the Light, that so they might become the children of Light! 393 CHAP. III a St. John xii. 36 b xii. 37-43 They were His last words of appeal to them, ere He withdrew to spend His Sabbath of soul before the Great Contest. And the writer of the Fourth Gospel gathers up, by way of epilogue, the great contrast between Israel and Christ. Although He had shown so many St. John miracles, they believed not on Him-and this their wilful unbelief was the fulfilment of Esaias' prophecy of old concerning the Messiah. Is. liii. 1 On the other hand, their wilful unbelief was also the judgment of God in accordance with prophecy. Those who have followed the Is. vi. course of this history must have learned this above all, that the rejection of Christ by the Jews was not an isolated act, but the outcome and direct result of their whole previous religious development. In face of the clearest evidence, they did not believe, because they could not believe. The long course of their resistance to the prophetic message, and their perversion of it, was itself a hardening of their hearts, although at the same time a God-decreed sentence on their resistance. Because they would not believe-through this (or Metatron) of Rabbinism, to whom, strangely, the designation (in Zech. ii. 4 [A. V.], Baba B. 75 b, and in Ps. xxxvii. 25, Yebam. 16 b, about middle) is applied. And this is, on the other hand, quite as characteristic of the Gospel which, under Jewish forms, bears a totally contrary spirit. It is another mark of Jewish authorship, this use of the word 'Law,' to denote the whole Scriptures. 2 Lux ipsa manet; sed non semper in vobis. 3 Ambulandum, non disceptandum. Fides non est deses, sed agilis in luce. • Hence the effect which in Isa. vi. is BOOK V a St. John xii. 44 b vv. 45-48 e vv. 49, 50 1 their mental obscuration, which came upon them in Divine judgment, although in the natural course of their self-chosen religious development-therefore, despite all evidence, they did not believe, when He came and did such miracles before them. And all this in accordance with prophecy, when Isaiah saw in far-off vision the bright glory of Messiah, and spoke of Him. Thus far Israel as a nation. And though, even among their chief rulers,' there were many who believed on Him, yet dared they not make confession,' from fear that the Pharisees would put them out of the Synagogues, with all the terrible consequences which this implied. For such surrender of all were they not prepared, whose intellect might be convinced, but whose heart was not converted-who loved the glory of men more than the glory of God.' Such was Israel. On the other hand, what was the summary of the Christ's activity? His testimony now rose so loud, as to be within hearing of all (Jesus cried'). From first to last that testimony had pointed from Himself up to the Father. Its substance was the reality and the realisation of that which the Old Testament had infolded and gradually unfolded to Israel, and through Israel to the world: the Fatherhood of God. To believe on Him was really not faith in Him, but faith in Him that sent Him. A step higher: To behold Christ was to behold Him that bad sent Him. To combine these two: Christ had come a Light into the world, God had sent Him as the Sun of Righteousness, that by believing on Him as the God-sent, men might attain moral visionno longer abide in darkness,' but in the bright spiritual Light that had risen. But as for the others, there were those who heard and did not keep His words; and, again, those who rejected Him, and did not receive His words. Neither in one nor the other case was the controversy as between His sayings and men. As regarded the one class, He had come into the world with the Word of salvation, not with the sword of judgment. As regarded His open enemies, He left the issue till the evidence of His word should appear in the terrible judgment of the Last Day. 2 Once more, and more emphatic than ever, was the final appeal to His Mission by the Father. From first to last it had not been His ascribed to the prophet, is here assigned The paraphrase of this passage in the Targum Jonathan (for which see Appendix II.) is, indeed, most interesting; but the Yekara, or outshining splendour of Jehovah, is not that to which the Evange list here refers. 2 So according to the better reading. |