John

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Lesson 1:
John: The Man and His Gospel

Introduction

In some scholarly circles, this message would not be considered worthy of a hearing. Leon Morris cites A. M. Hunter, who says, “‘For these and other reasons, scarcely a reputable scholar in this country nowadays is prepared to affirm that the Fourth Gospel was written by John the Apostle.’”[1]

Liberal scholarship has tended to the view that this Gospel was not written by John the Apostle, but by some anonymous second century Christian who “never set eyes on Jesus.”[2] If this were true, of what value could a study of John the Apostle be to the study of this great Gospel? I would like to explain why I believe it is of great value.

To begin, I believe the Gospel of John was written by the Apostle John.[3] There are a number of reasons we should accept the Johanine authorship of this Gospel. This was the conviction of the second century church fathers, who first addressed this matter.[4] This has always been the view of truly evangelical scholarship.[5] Morris comments, “The basic reason for holding that the author was John the Apostle is that this appears to be what the Gospel itself teaches.”[6]

In reading through the four Gospels, one finds that Matthew refers to the Apostle John by name three times; Mark ten times; Luke seven times, and John not at all. John does refer to the “sons of Zebedee” in 21:2, and there are allusions to himself in 13:23; 18:15-16; 19:26-27; 20:1-10; 21:7, 20-23, 24. It is not at all surprising that John would refrain from directly referring to himself by name. Neither does he specifically refer to the “inner three” (Peter, James, and John—see Mark 5:37; Matthew 17:1; Mark 14:33) in his Gospel. Of the four authors of the New Testament Gospels, two (Mark and especially Luke) were not present with our Lord as one of His 12 disciples. Matthew was not one of the inner three. And so while Matthew can write about our Lord’s ministry from the perspective of one of the nine “outside” disciples, it is only John who can describe certain critical events from the perspective of one of the inner three. Each Gospel thus has its own purpose, its own perspective, its own audience, and its own unique contribution.

John: The Man

The Gospels give us a fairly clear picture of the Apostle John. For us to understand John’s Gospel, we should consider the biographical sketch the Scriptures give us of this man.

Our first introduction to John may come in John 1:35-40. Here, John the Baptist looks upon Jesus and declares, “Look, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36, NET). Immediately, two of John’s disciples leave him and attach themselves to Jesus. We are told that the name of one of these two men is Andrew (verse 40); the other disciple of John the Baptist is not named. I doubt that it was Peter, Andrew’s brother, because Andrew will find Peter and inform him that they have found the Messiah (verses 40-42). Since Peter and Andrew were partners of James and John, there is a fair chance that John the Apostle may be the second disciple of John the Baptist. It is interesting that John’s Gospel quickly turns our attention to “John the Baptist,” who is never called by this title in the Gospel of John; he is always referred to simply as “John.” This may be because the Apostle John knew him so well, as his former disciple.

Next, we read of the call of John and his brother James, right after the call of Peter and Andrew (Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:19). Jesus is walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He first comes to Peter and Andrew, to whom He says, “Follow Me, Jesus said to them, and I will have you fish for people” (Mark 1:17). Next, He comes to James and John, who were sitting in the boat with their father mending their nets. He called them, and these two brothers immediately left their nets to follow Him. This does not appear to be a permanent leaving and following, which will take place later. It is a calling to leave their occupation for a time so that they can be with Him. John appears to be one of the first to follow our Lord as a disciple. If so, he was with Him from the beginning.

John, along with his brother James, accompanied Jesus to the home of Simon Peter and Andrew, where Jesus healed Simon’s mother-in-law, and then many others (Mark 1:29-31f.). According to Mark, this happened after Jesus taught in the synagogue of Capernaum. The people who heard Jesus were amazed because He, unlike the scribes and Pharisees, taught with authority (verses 22, 27). The authority which Jesus possessed was demonstrated by His ability to heal and to cast out demons. If anyone was a witness to the authority of our Lord, it was John who, along with Peter and James, witnessed more miracles at the hand of our Lord than nearly anyone.

During the time he spent with the Lord, John became increasingly aware of just how great and awesome Jesus was. In Luke 5:1-11, John’s grasp of who Jesus was takes a quantum leap. Jesus had been teaching the crowds beside the lake of Gennesaret (the Sea of Galilee). Two boats were nearby; one belonged to Simon and Andrew and the other to James and John. As Jesus taught, these men were in their boats, washing their nets after having fished all night without success. Jesus taught from one of the boats, and then instructed Peter to put out into deep water and to let down the nets for a catch. Peter momentarily protested, but then relented and let down the nets, which encompassed a very large catch. The catch was so large he had to call to his partners, James and John (verse 10), to help bring in the nets. They filled their boats until they began to sink. Seeing this, Peter fell trembling before our Lord with the words, “Go away from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord!” (verse 8). But the text also tells us that Peter’s partners, James and John, did likewise. Jesus’ words, “Do not be afraid, from now on you will be catching people,” were spoken to all three men, not just to Peter (see verse 10). John was on his way to understanding the majesty and power of the One he would follow.

John was chosen by our Lord to be numbered with the twelve (Matthew 10:1ff.; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16). Mark informs us that at this time Jesus nicknamed James and John “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17). This certainly squares with what we see of these two elsewhere. These two fellows were an ancient version of movie stars John Wayne and Clint Eastwood—they were a rough and tumble pair. John does not seem to have talked as much as Peter, but he was certainly one who could hold his own. He was the strong, silent type, the kind of fellow you would not want to make mad at you.

John was one of the “inner three” disciples of our Lord. Only Peter, James and John were allowed to accompany Jesus into the house of the synagogue official, whose daughter had already died before Jesus arrived (Mark 5:35-43; Luke 8:49-56). Here, apparently, John first witnessed our Lord’s power over death.

John was present at the transfiguration of Jesus, along with James and Peter (Matthew 17:1ff.; Mark 9:2ff.; Luke 9:28ff.). Here, John had a foretaste of the glory of our Lord and His kingdom. While Peter did not hesitate to speak on this occasion, John seems to have remained silent, perhaps having been dumbstruck by what he saw.

It was John who confessed that he and others had come across a man who was casting out demons in Jesus’ name and forbade him to do so again (Mark 9:38; Luke 9:49). John and others (which must have included at least Peter and James) had somehow concluded that they owned the “Jesus franchise,” and thus had the right to license or to prohibit others from acting in His name. Jesus did not agree, and He went on to warn them about causing “little ones to sin [stumble].”

It was James and John who asked Jesus for permission to call down fire from heaven and “torch the place” when some Samaritans did not want Jesus to come to their village (Luke 9:54). These two brothers were ready and willing to use God’s power to punish the pagans.

At a most inappropriate time, John, along with his brother James, asked Jesus for prominent positions in His coming kingdom (Mark 10:35). When Jesus was approaching Jerusalem, He told His disciples He was soon to be condemned to death there (Mark 10:32-34). As the time of our Lord’s death draws near, He takes His disciples into His confidence by telling them what is about to happen. It is as though James and John did not even hear what Jesus had just said. They took Jesus aside and asked Him privately to grant their request that they be given positions of prominence in the kingdom, above the other disciples. Naturally, the other disciples were incensed. James and John had no idea what they were asking, or what true discipleship really was.

Peter, James, and John, along with Andrew, privately asked Jesus to reveal to them details concerning the last days (Mark 13:1-4). Jesus and His disciples were in Jerusalem, and the disciples were awe-struck by the beauty of the temple. Jesus cautioned them not to become too attached to the temple since it was to be destroyed. The two sets of brothers waited until they could get Jesus alone, and then asked Him to tell them the “inside story” of what was going to happen and when. Actually, they were not so concerned with “what” would happen as “when” it would happen. They had the “what” figured out, they thought; they just needed to know “when.” Their seeking to obtain secret knowledge from Jesus, apart from the rest, was just another form of one-upmanship. There have always been—as there will always be—those who seek to obtain “inside” prophetic knowledge which is unknown by others. This inside knowledge enables some to think of themselves as superior to others.

When Jesus sent two of his disciples to make preparations for the Passover, one of these men was John and the other was Peter (Luke 22:8). Among other things, it seems these two (who would spend much time together in the Book of Acts) were the most trusted disciples. Judas could certainly not have been trusted to do this task. There was a certain mystery about the location of this meeting room, but these two were able to find it just as Jesus had indicated. There is an almost prophetic element in the way Jesus both informed and instructed these two, so that they could make preparations for celebrating the Passover, yet without allowing Judas to know where.

John seems to be the “disciple whom Jesus loved” in John 13:23, and the one who leaned on Jesus’ breast during the Passover celebration. Jesus and His disciples were in the upper room celebrating Passover. During the meal, Jesus told the disciples that one of them would betray Him. The disciples could hardly believe their ears. They had no idea whom He referred to as His betrayer. Peter was a close friend of John. They were not only partners in fishing but appear to have been close friends as well. It seems that John must be “the one Jesus loved” (verse 23), who was leaning on Jesus’ breast and to whom Peter signaled, hoping John would be able to press Jesus for more details.

John was there when our Lord agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane, along with Peter and James (Mark 14:33).

After our Lord was arrested, Peter followed Jesus, along with “another disciple” who appears to be John. It was this “other disciple” who was known to the high priest, and thus was able to enter the court of the high priest and bring Peter with him (John 18:15-16).

As our Lord was hanging on the cross, the “disciple whom Jesus loved” was there at the foot of the cross. From the cross, Jesus entrusted the care of His mother into this disciple’s hands. It seems that this man almost has to be John (see John 19:26-27).

John was one of the first to see the empty tomb and to believe that Jesus was indeed risen from the dead (John 20:1-10). After Jesus had been crucified, buried, and resurrected, Mary came to the tomb early in the morning on the first day of the week. When she found the stone already taken away, she ran to tell Peter and the “other disciple whom Jesus loved” about it. The “other disciple” (John) outran Peter, arriving first at the empty tomb. Looking in, he saw the linen wrappings, but he did not enter. When Peter arrived (huffing and puffing, I imagine), he barged right in and saw the grave clothes neatly arranged, but without the Lord’s body. John then entered the tomb, appraised the situation, and believed. John was not only one of the first to witness the resurrection, he was one of the very first to believe it.

John appears to be the “other disciple” about whose future Peter is inordinately concerned after our Lord’s resurrection (John 21:20-23). In John 21, we read of our Lord’s words to Peter, with the three-fold question, “Do you love Me?” After charging Peter to tend His sheep, our Lord informs Peter that he will be led away against his will, a veiled prophecy of his death as a martyr. Peter immediately looks in the direction of “the disciple whom Jesus loved” and asks, “What about him?” Our Lord replied that this was none of Peter’s business. Some seem to have mistakenly understood our Lord to mean that this “other disciple” would live until the Lord’s return. The Apostle John corrects this misconception, and then goes on to say that this same fellow is the one who witnessed the things recorded in his Gospel and who was the author of it (John 21:23-24). This “other apostle” is the one whom Jesus loved, the one who leaned on Jesus’ chest at the Passover meal, and who wrote the Book of John. This “other apostle” is almost certainly John.

We have not seen the last of John when we reach the end of the Gospels, for (apart from the Apostle Paul) John and Peter are the dominant apostles in the Book of Acts. John is one of the disciples gathered in the upper room (1:13). He accompanies Peter on his way to the temple at the hour of prayer and thus participates in the healing of the lame man (3:1ff.). John and Peter are arrested and instructed to cease preaching Christ by the Sadducees, but they refuse, insisting they must obey God rather than man by preaching that Jesus has been raised from the dead (Acts 4:1-22). When the Gospel is proclaimed in Samaria and many come to faith, Peter and John are sent there, and when they lay their hands on these new believers they receive the Holy Spirit, just as the apostles did at Pentecost (Acts 8:14-17). James, the brother of John, was killed by Herod, who intended to kill Peter as well, but God delivered Peter so that he could continue to preach the Gospel (Acts 12:1ff.).

In Galatians 2:9, Paul refers to John as one of the “reputed pillars” of the church in Jerusalem. John is, of course, the author of the Johanine Epistles (First, Second and Third John) and of the Book of Revelation. This one who once “leaned on Jesus’ chest” in the Gospel of John is also the one who “fell as a dead man” at the feet of his resurrected and glorified Lord in the Book of Revelation (1:17).

Lessons We
Learn From the Life of John

The “John” of Acts and the epistles is a very different “John” from the Gospels. The changes we see are not a credit to John, but rather to his God. John’s life is applicable to us in some areas that we would do well to ponder. Allow me to share some lessons which can be learned from the life of John.

First, John’s life is an illustration of the grace of God. We can safely say from what we see of John in the Gospels that our Lord did not choose him for all the fine qualities he possessed. John had no status in life as a fisherman nor was he an educated man, even by the standards of that day (see Acts 4:13). He certainly did not possess any qualities or education that impressed the scribes and Pharisees. He was a volatile fellow, a “son of thunder.” He is not represented as a magnetic personality or charismatic leader. He was self-centered and self-serving, an opportunist who did not hesitate to get the jump on his peers. The fact that our Lord chose John is testimony to the grace of God. The Apostle Paul pretty well sums it up when he writes,

26 Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were members of the upper class. 27 But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, 29 so that no one can boast in his presence. 30 He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).

Who would ever have imagined that this rough and tumble fisherman would become the apostle of love? If God can change a man like the “John of the Gospels” into the “John” we see later in the New Testament, He can surely transform us as well.

Second, John’s life is an illustration of divine sovereignty. We see the sovereignty of God in choosing to save John, in making him one of the twelve, and selecting him to be one of the inner three (Peter, James, and John). We can especially see the sovereignty of God when we compare John with his brother, James. These two brothers grew up in the same home and had the same shaping experiences. Both brothers followed Jesus for the same length of time, and both were included in the inner circle of three. In spite of all these similarities, James was the first to die as a martyr for the cause of Christ; John seems to have been the last of the twelve to die. James did not write any New Testament books; John wrote five. How can this be explained? I am not sure it can be, but we can acknowledge this as an illustration of the sovereignty of God. God does not operate in the ways men expect. God raises up one and puts down another. God is sovereign.

Third, I see from the life of John an illustration of the love of God, a prominent theme in this Gospel,[7] and in John’s Epistles. John frequently refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (13:23; 20:2; 21:7, 20). Believe it or not, some scholars feel this is one of the strongest arguments that can be made against John as the author of this Gospel. Morris writes, “The biggest objection to this identification, in my opinion, is the contention that a man is not likely to refer to himself as ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved.’ I agree.”[8] For some, this may be the biggest objection to John’s authorship of this Gospel, but in my estimation, it is a most noteworthy title, given himself by John. What better epitaph than to be known as a man whom Jesus loved? If David was a man after God’s heart, it was John who saw himself as a man after whom the heart of God sought.

“Love” is one of the great themes of the Bible and certainly the theme of the Gospel of John. In the New King James Version, some form of the word love appears 57 times in the Gospel of John. It is no wonder that men come from a study of John with an overwhelming sense of being “loved” of God: “In this Gospel the love of God is dramatically mediated through Jesus Christ—so much so that Karl Barth is alleged to have commented that the most profound truth he had ever heard was ‘Jesus loves me, this I know / For the Bible tells me so.’”[9]

Some years ago I was actively involved in prison ministry with Prison Fellowship. One seminar I conducted was in a maximum-security prison in the State of Texas. It was a tough prison. During a break, one inmate came up to me and said he had heard that some of the volunteers at the seminar were themselves former offenders. He asked if it would be possible for some of these ex-offenders to share their testimony during the seminar. I thought it was a great idea and asked if any of the volunteers wished to share their testimony. One of them told this story, as best as I can remember the details:

I was an inmate in this prison some years ago. I was a member of a motorcycle gang, living in a house with other gang members. In fact, I served time for stealing a motorcycle. My life was not going well at all, and someone told me that I should read the Bible, so I got one—well, actually, I stole one. I began to read the Gospels. As I read of the person of Jesus Christ and His love, I was so overwhelmed that I began to weep. I wept so loud I had to go into the bathroom to read, where I could turn on the shower to cover the sounds of my crying. …

There is something about our Lord in the Gospels which draws men and women to Him. The disciples who heard Him say, “Follow Me,” could do nothing but follow Him. Men and women guilty of shameful sins drew near, somehow assured that He would not reject them, sensing that He had come to forgive them. I believe a significant part of that magnetism which drew men and women to our Lord was His love.

I believe one of the things about Jesus which overwhelmed John was the love which He had for him. Like Karl Barth, John believed, “Jesus loves me, this I know. …” This was also more than enough for John. And so John referred to himself in those terms which meant the most to him. John knew he was “the one whom Jesus loved,” and in this he reveled. What label would John rather have than this: “the one whom Jesus loved”? How could anyone view John’s referring to himself in this way as a problem? My mind is boggled by the possibility that anyone would think that referring to himself in this way could be an argument against his authorship of this Gospel.

There is a particular text I especially appreciate in the Gospel of John:

Just before the Passover feast, Jesus knew that his time had come for him to depart from this world to the Father. He had loved his own who were in the world, and now he loved them to the end (John 13:1).[10]

Some of the other versions read:

It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love (NIV).

It was before the Passover festival. Jesus knew that his hour had come and he must leave this world and go to the Father. He had always loved his own who were in the world, and now he was to show the full extent of his love (New English Bible).

It was before the festival of the Passover, and Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to pass from this world to the Father. He had always loved those who were his in the world, but now he showed how perfect his love was (New Jerusalem Bible).

The “full extent” of our Lord’s love was shown on the cross of Calvary. It was there that He took upon Himself the sins of the world. It was there that He bore the wrath of God for our sins. Have you experienced this love personally by accepting His sacrificial death for your sins? I urge you to simply sit down and read through this marvelous Gospel of John, and sense the love God has for you in Christ, and then to receive it by trusting in Him. There is no greater love. There is no greater gift than the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.

John: His Gospel

I played the trumpet in our high school band, which frequently marched in parades, and we had a trombone player named Pete who was painfully predictable. Whenever anyone took a picture of the band, Pete was out of step. He was always out of step. Now mind you, it wasn’t that he didn’t try. Not only did he know he was out of step, he constantly tried to get back in step. And so he was persistently doing a strange kind of shuffle, trying to synchronize his feet with the music and with the rest of the band members. By the time the shuffle was over, Pete was back out of step.

A number of scholars seem to look upon John and his Gospel like my friend Pete—out of step. Some scholars would say that the Gospel of John is out of step with the three other gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke. These three gospels are often referred to as the Synoptic Gospels, because these Gospels all tend to approach the life of Christ from the same perspective. John, on the other hand, approaches the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ quite differently. I would like to point out some of these differences and the impact this has on our study of the Gospel of John.

What Is Missing in John’s Gospel[11]

It is possible to compare John’s Gospel with the synoptic Gospels by simply consulting any harmony of the Gospels. These “harmonies” place the events described in all four Gospels side-by-side. When you compare John with the other three (Synoptic) Gospels, you discover that John does not include many of the elements contained in the other Gospels. Let me identify some of these “missing” items. When compared with the Synoptic Gospels, John’s Gospel does not include …

·         Jesus’ genealogy

·         an account of our Lord’s birth

·         any events in our Lord’s childhood

·         our Lord’s baptism

·         our Lord’s temptation

·         the Sermon on the Mount

·         the account of John the Baptist’s doubts

·         any casting out of demons

·         any healing of lepers

·         any parables of our Lord

·         an account of our Lord’s transfiguration

·         the selection and sending out of the 12, or of the 70

·         any eschatological (prophetic) address

·         a pronouncement of woes on the religious leaders (e.g. Matthew 23)

·         the institution of the Lord’s Supper

·         an account of our Lord’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane

·         the giving of the Great Commission

·         an account of our Lord’s ascension

What Is Found Only in John’s Gospel?

Lest we feel short-changed by a reading of John’s Gospel, I should also point out that there is much in John which is not found in any of the other Gospels. Allow me to identify some of the unique contributions of John’s Gospel. In John’s Gospel only we find …

·         Jesus as the Creator (John 1)

·         Jesus as the “only begotten” of the Father (John 1)

·         Jesus as the promised “Lamb of God” (John 1)

·         Jesus revealed as the great “I Am” (see “I Am” texts on page 11)

·         Jesus turning the water into wine (John 2)

·         Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus (John 3)

·         Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well (John 4)

·         Jesus and the woman caught in adultery (John 8)

·         the raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11)

·         Jesus washing the disciples’ feet (John 13)

·         the Upper Room Discourse of our Lord (John 14-17)

·         Jesus’ teaching on the coming of the Holy Spirit (John 14-16)

·         Jesus’ high priestly prayer (John 17)

In summation, over 90% of the material found in the Gospel of John is unique to his Gospel.[12] John has avoided the unnecessary repetition of those things the other Gospel writers have already told us, choosing to devote his attention to that which we have not yet been told. In the process of doing this, we find that the teaching of John’s Gospel provides us with much “inter-locking” truth, which not only goes beyond what we are told elsewhere, but which helps to make better sense of what we are told elsewhere in the Gospels.

The Emphasis of John’s Gospel

There are certain points of emphasis in John’s Gospel which we should also keep in mind as we begin our study of this great Gospel. John’s emphasis includes …

·         the ministry of our Lord in Jerusalem and Judea, as opposed to His Galilean ministry

·         more precise indications of time, especially in relationship to the Jewish feasts

·         Christ’s teaching (though not in parables)

·         emphasis on the “King,” rather than on “the Kingdom of God

·         Jesus’ private conversations with individuals (Nicodemus, woman at the well, Peter)

·         Jesus’ ministry to His disciples

·         Jesus’ teaching in the upper room, especially related to the coming of the Holy Spirit

·         the last 24 hours of Jesus’ life

·         belief [13]and unbelief[14]

·         “My Father” occurs 35 times; “Verily, verily” (KJV) appears 25 times

There are several other areas of emphasis which require a little more discussion. The first is John’s use of the Old Testament. It might appear that John places less emphasis on the Old Testament, since he quotes it less frequently than any other Gospel writer—a mere ten times. In fact, John’s Gospel is steeped in Old Testament allusions, as D. A. Carson points out:

Although John’s use of the Old Testament is not as frequent or as explicit as that of Matthew, it is not slight (despite charges to that effect), and it is enriched by an extraordinarily frequent and subtle number of allusions to the Old Testament. One of the features of these allusions is the manner in which Jesus is assumed to replace Old Testament figures and institutions. He is the new temple, the one of whom Moses wrote, the true bread from heaven, the true Son, the genuine vine, the tabernacle, the serpent in the wilderness, the Passover. Rarely articulated, there is nevertheless an underlying hermeneutic at work, a way of reading the Old Testament that goes back to Jesus himself.[15]

A second important emphasis of John is his highly developed theology. Ironically, some use this fact to argue against the Apostle John as the author of this Gospel:

The highly developed theology of John is thought by many to indicate a late date.[16]

I am reminded of years ago when I was a sixth grade school teacher, and I showed a movie to my students. It has been awhile, but I believe the title of the movie was, “The Mystery of Stonehenge.” Those highly committed to the theory of evolution had presumed that ancient men had to be primitive, fresh from the cave, so to speak. When the amazing pattern of rocks was discovered at Stonehenge, some scientists adamantly refused to believe that there could be anything sophisticated here. Primitive men were incapable of such things. But the more Stonehenge was studied, the more men were amazed at the way in which these rocks related to the heavenly bodies and perhaps in a way that made it a very simple computer. Let us beware of letting our presuppositions cloud our vision. If John wrote by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, why should we expect his theology to be primitive and undeveloped?

The content of John’s theology is of interest as well. He certainly has certain doctrines that he wishes his reader to grasp. Christology is one major area of theological emphasis. In the Synoptic Gospels, we see our Lord’s deity gradually dawning upon the disciples. They begin wide-eyed at what Jesus says and does. In Luke 5 (see verses 1-11), Peter, James, and John marvel at the miracle of the great harvest of fish. In Luke 7, the widow’s deceased son is raised from the dead (see verses 11-17). In Luke 8, Jesus stills the storm on the Sea of Galilee, and the disciples marvel (see verses 22-25). The great watershed of the Synoptic Gospels is the great confession of Peter, followed by the transfiguration of our Lord. In John, there is no suspense. The reader had already been told, at the very outset of the book, who Jesus is …

·         He is God, the Creator of the Universe, who has no beginning—1:1-3

·         He is God come in human flesh—1:14

·         He is vastly greater than John the Baptist, the greatest prophet—1:19-28

·         He is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world—1:29-36

·         He is the Son of God, the Messiah, the King of Israel—1:40-51

One of the other major theological thrusts of John is the doctrine of the sovereignty of God:

12 But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children 13—children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God (John 1:12-13).

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44).

So then they tried to seize Jesus, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come (John 7:30).

27 “My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. 29 My Father who has given them to me is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one” (John 10:27-30).

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that continues to exist, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you” (John 15:16).

The doctrine of the Trinity is clearer in the Gospel of John than in any other Gospel. Jesus often spoke of God the Father, of Himself as God, and of the Holy Spirit of God. The Trinity is everywhere you turn in John’s Gospel.

John makes a great contribution by the use of “signs” which attest to our Lord’s deity and claims to be Israel’s Messiah. These signs are …

1.        Turning water into wine in Cana (2:1-11)

2.        Healing an official’s son in Capernaum (4:46-54)           

3.        Healing an invalid at the Pool of Bethesda (or Bethsaida) in Jerusalem (5:1-18)

4.        Feeding the 5,000 near the Sea of Galilee (6:5-14)

5.        Walking on the water of the Sea of Galilee (6:16-21)

6.        Healing a blind man in Jerusalem (9:1-7)

7.        Raising dead Lazarus in Bethany (11:1-45)

In addition, there are the “seven witnesses” of John …

1.     John the Baptist This is the Chosen One [literally, “Son”] of God” (1:34)
2.     Nathaniel You are the Son of God” (1:49)
3.     Peter You are the Holy One of God!” (6:69)
4.     Martha You are the Christ, the Son of God” (11:27)
5.     Thomas My Lord and my God!” (20:28)
6.     John Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (20:31)
7.     Jesus I am the Son of God” (10:36; see also 4:26; 8:58)

Finally, there are the seven “I am’s” of John …

1.        “I am the bread of life” (6:35)

2.        “I am the light of the world” (8:12)

3.        “I am the door for the sheep” (10:7; cf. v. 9)

4.        “I am the good shepherd” (10:11, 14)

5.        “I am the resurrection and the life” (11:25)

6.        “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (14:6)

7.        “I am the true vine” (15:1; cf. v. 5)

The Gospel of John
and John’s Other Works

I have not seen this subject addressed to any great extent in any of the commentaries, and this may tell the reader all he or she needs to know. Yet one cannot overlook the fact that John was used of God to pen five books in all. These include this Gospel, the three Epistles of John (First, Second, and Third John), and his grand finale—the Book of Revelation. There is a certain sense of unity and of completeness in these five books. (This is not at all to imply that John’s works are all we need and that the other books of the Bible are unnecessary.) In the Gospel of John, for example, Jesus spoke to His disciples about loving one another and about the marks of a true disciple. In his Epistles, John has much to say about the outworking of love toward the brethren.

Summarizing some of the points of continuity between the Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation may be helpful:

In the Gospel of John, John begins with Jesus at creation, as the Creator. He begins, as it were, in Genesis, at the beginning of recorded biblical history. In Revelation, John focuses on the close, the consummation of history.

In Genesis, we have the fall; in the Gospels, we have a new Genesis, a new beginning, where a new faithful “son” comes in the image of God, and where sin is dealt with by His sacrificial death. In Revelation, this salvation is fully realized with a return to the Garden, but now it is a perfect Garden.

In John, we have God coming down from heaven to earth, not to condemn, but to save men. In Revelation, we have God coming down from heaven, to bring heaven down for the saints, and to judge the wicked.

In John, we have John leaning on Jesus’ breast; in Revelation, we have John fallen at the feet of Jesus as a dead man.

In John, we have God tabernacling among men, with His glory veiled. In Revelation, we have God seen in Christ, unveiled, in all His glory and splendor, so great that the sun is no longer needed, for the light of the glory of the Father and the Son.

In the Book of Revelation, John writes of the difficult times ahead and the need for perseverance and endurance, followed by a description of the blessings which come to those who overcome. There is a “river of the water of life” (22:1), and a “tree of life” (22:2). There is no temple, nor is there any sun or moon, because the Father and the Son are the temple, and the “Lamb” is its “light” (21:23). The very things John has highlighted in the first chapter of his Gospel are also highlighted in the closing chapters of his last work—Revelation. As you study through the Gospel of John, you may wish to think about how what is said in John’s Gospel is picked up elsewhere in John’s later writings.

John: The Gospel of Belief

This Gospel of John is a marvelous work; it is a book to which some scholars have devoted much of their lives. Listen to what some of them have written of about this Gospel:

The Gospel according to John is the most amazing book that was ever written. ‘Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.’ This may well be the attitude of anyone who steps upon the threshold of the study of this book; for if its testimony is true, the faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God has received glorious confirmation.[17]

John was a poet; his Gospel, an elaborate poem. Its simplicity is deceptive. John specialized in double meaning, allusion, allegory, irony, and symbolism. His well-crafted work, like a symphony, advances new themes, drifts into others, then returns with similar sounds yet fresh and alluring. Most readings and commentators get lost in the sway. I have—again and again. It is difficult to step back and comprehend the greater movement of this work. But I am convinced that this book takes the reader on a designed journey led by Jesus himself and narrated by John. … And I am persuaded that this work was motivated by a writer who had been on a spiritual journey with Jesus all of his life, and was encouraging others to join him.[18]

The Gospel of John is deceptive in that it appears to be simple. When I was in seminary, John was the first New Testament book we were to translate because it was thought to be the simplest Greek. We often translate the Gospel of John into the language of an unreached people first, so that they will have access to the message of the Gospel. We encourage the lost and new Christians to read John first, because it is so clear and simple. In spite of this apparent simplicity, there is a depth of profound meaning that scholars note, even after years of study.

I like the comparison of John’s Gospel to a pool in which a child may wade and an elephant can swim. It is both simple and profound. It is for the veriest beginner in the faith and for the mature Christian. Its appeal is immediate and neverfailing.[19]

John was not written primarily for scholars; it was written for everyday men and women, in order to convince them that the Jesus of the New Testament is the promised Messiah of the Old Testament, the Savior of the world. By trusting in Him, men and women become God’s children, their sins are forgiven, and they come to possess eternal life. There is no more important question in all the world than this: “Who is Jesus Christ?” And there is no better place to find the answer than in the Gospel of John.

John’s presentation of who Jesus is lies at the heart of all that is distinctive in this Gospel.[20]

I will end this lesson with a story from my experience of the first time I ever taught through the Gospel of John more than 25 years ago. An unsaved couple from down the street began to attend the Bible study I was teaching on the Gospel of John. Somewhere around the third chapter of John, the wife suddenly blurted out, “Well, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think that Jesus was claiming to be God.” A few weeks later, I was walking down the street with her husband, as he made his way home after the Bible study. He told me that something had happened in his life somewhere in the last few weeks. (I knew he was telling me that he had been saved—that he had come to a personal faith in Jesus as his Savior.) I asked Charlie when this change took place. I shall never forget his answer, which went something like this: “Well, it was somewhere between John chapter 3 and John chapter 6.” Charlie did not think of his conversion in terms of time, but in terms of the progression of the argument of the Gospel of John. Charlie was ready. He didn’t need to wait until chapter 21 to trust in Christ. He was convinced and converted by the time he reached chapter 6.

I invite you to commit yourself to a study of the Gospel of John. I can assure you that it will change your life, just as Jesus changed the life of the Apostle John, and Peter, and all the rest of those who trusted in Him and followed Him in this Gospel. Join with me, will you, in a study of this great book? Make the message of this book your own. There is no more important message in all the world than the message of this Gospel.


! Lesson 2:
What Child Is This?
(John 1:1-8)

Introduction

During the Christmas season, many sing a carol by William Chatterton Dix, a portion of which goes like this:

What Child is this, who laid to rest
On Mary’s lap, is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ, the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary![21]

As I write this message, Christmas is almost here. For this reason, it may seem appropriate to title this message, “What Child Is This?” Looking at our text in the Gospel of John, however, some might suggest I shorten the title to, “What Child?” There is no child in our text—no Mary, pregnant by the Holy Spirit, no babe in the manger, no shepherds or magi, no threatened King Herod. So why call this message, “What Child Is This?” when there is no “child” in our text?

In their Gospels, Matthew and Luke supply a considerable amount of detail about the conception and coming of the Christ child. Mark passes over these details, commencing his Gospel with the ministry of John the Baptist. John begins his Gospel with a prologue, which we find in the first 18 verses of chapter 1. This prologue to John’s Gospel is our text for this lesson. In spite of the absence of many of the familiar “Christmas” elements from the other Gospels, John’s prologue makes a significant contribution to the celebration of Christmas, a contribution which has not been overlooked. J. I. Packer writes of John’s prologue: “The Church of England reads it annually as the gospel for Christmas Day, and rightly so. Nowhere in the New Testament is the nature and meaning of Jesus’s divine Sonship so clearly explained as here.”[22]

John’s prologue provides us with insights which enhance our understanding and appreciation of the birth narratives of Matthew and Luke. These two Gospels highlight the humanity of our Lord, without denying His deity. John’s Gospel highlights the deity of Jesus Christ, without minimizing His humanity. If we are to celebrate Christmas in its fullest meaning, we must not neglect the truths which John’s prologue contains. Let us listen carefully to these very special words from the Apostle John, so that our adoration of the Savior may be enriched and enhanced. Thanks to the rich doctrines contained in this text, we are virtually compelled to join with those who will sing this Christmas, “O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.”

In the Beginning:
The Word and the Father
(1:1-2)

In the beginning God … (Genesis 1:1).
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The Word was with God in the beginning.

Matthew and Luke begin with the birth of John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus, and Mark begins with the ministry of John the Baptist. John goes all the way back to “the beginning.” The first words of John’s Gospel, “In the beginning … ,” bring to mind the account of creation in Genesis 1. The phrase, “in the beginning,” both in the English and in the Greek,[23] is the same in Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1. This cannot be merely coincidental; it must be intentional. When Moses wrote the Book of Genesis, he began, “In the beginning God …” John is doing virtually the same thing in the first two verses of his Gospel.

In this first chapter of his Gospel, John does not mention the name “Jesus” until verse 17, and then not again until verse 29. He does not say, nor can he, that “Jesus” was in the beginning. “Jesus” is the name given to the God-man, born of the virgin Mary. It is His human name, which is given Him only after His incarnation. In attempting to teach this text, I have frequently fumbled for my words when referring to our Lord. I find myself sometimes using another expression, “the second person of the Godhead.” This is because our Lord always existed with God and as God, as the “second person of the Godhead,” yet He took on human flesh at a point in time. In John 1:1-3, John is speaking of our Lord’s pre-existence as “the second person of the Godhead.” When John refers to our Lord here, he calls Him “the Word.”[24] By and large, the terms “Messiah,” “Son of God,” and “Jesus” are only appropriate when referring to our Lord after His incarnation.[25] Our Lord has always existed as God, and He has always existed in unity and fellowship with God the Father. But He did not become God incarnate (Jesus) until the incarnation, described by Matthew and Luke.

What John tells us in the first two verses of his Gospel is mind-boggling: Jesus is God. Before He took on human flesh, “the Word” existed eternally as God, and in fellowship with God the Father. It is important that we grasp this fact. John’s words cannot be reduced to mean anything else, to mean anything less. Our Lord is God. He is eternal. He existed in the very beginning, and He has ever existed with the Father. This is what John expects us to understand him to be saying, and it is what he hopes to convince us is true.

The most obvious and important connection John makes is this: The God who created the universe is the One who was found lying in a Bethlehem manger. John wants us to know that the “Jesus” he introduces is the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. More than this, the Jesus who is the Messiah is the Jesus who is God. Our Lord did not “begin to be” in Bethlehem. He did not even have His origins in Genesis 1 and 2, when God created the world. He was there; He already existed when the world was created. He was there with God. He was there as God.

Are we reading something into the Bible that isn’t there? Not at all! This affirmation of the deity of Jesus Christ is constantly made in the Gospel of John. Jesus claims not only to be God, but to have come down from the Father in heaven. This is what those who trust in Him come to believe. This is what His enemies seek to deny:

“I have both seen and testified that this one is the Son of God” (John 1:34).

Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel!” (John 1:49)

“No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven—the Son of Man” (John 3:13).

“The one who comes from above is superior to all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is superior to all” (John 3:31).

For this reason the Jewish authorities were trying even harder to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own Father, thus making himself equal with God (John 5:18).

31 “Our ancestors ate the manna in the desert, just as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”[26] 32 Then Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but my Father is giving you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:31-33).

“For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me” (John 6:38).

47 I tell you the solemn truth, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, and they died. 50 This is the bread that has come down from heaven, so that a person may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats from this bread he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” … 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like your ancestors ate and died. The one who eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:47-51,58)

28 Then Jesus shouted out while teaching in the temple, “You both know me and know where I come from! And I have not come on my own initiative, but the one who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29 but I know him, because I have come from him and he sent me” (John 7:28-29).

Jesus answered, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you people do not know where I came from or where I am going” (John 8:14).

Jesus replied, “You people are from below; I am from above. You people are from this world; I am not from this world” (John 8:23).

40 But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! 41 You people are doing the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Jesus, “We were not born as a result of sexual immorality! We have only one Father, God himself. 42 Jesus replied, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here. I have not come on my own initiative, but he sent me” (John 8:40-42).

56 Your father Abraham was overjoyed to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.” 57 Then the Jewish people who had been listening to him replied, “You are not yet fifty years old! Have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, before Abraham came into existence, I am!” (John 8:56-58)

Then some of the Pharisees began to say, “This man is not from God, because he does not observe the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such miraculous signs?” So there was a division among them (John 9:16).

29 We know that God has spoken to Moses! We do not know where this man comes from!” 30 The man replied, “This is a remarkable thing, that you do not know where he comes from, and yet he caused me to see!” (John 9:29-30)

“If this man were not from God, he could do nothing” (John 9:33).

1 Just before the Passover feast, Jesus knew that his time had come for him to depart from this world to the Father. He had loved his own who were in the world, and now he loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that he should betray Jesus. 3 Jesus, because he knew that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God … (John 13:1-3).

“Do not let not your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in Me” (John 14:1).

“Now we know that you know everything and do not need anyone to ask you anything. Because of this we believe that you have come from God” (John 16:30).

“Now they understand that everything you have given me is from you. 8 because I have given them the words you have given me. They accepted them and really understand that I came from you, and believed that you sent me” (John 17:7-8).

The Jewish religious leaders replied, “We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God!” (John 19:7)

Jesus replied to her, “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God’” (John 20:17).

Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28)

But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20:31).

You may remember from my previous lesson (1) that years ago I was teaching the Gospel of John at a Bible study in our home when a young couple began to attend. By the third chapter of John, the woman blurted out, “If I didn’t know better, I’d think Jesus was claiming to be God.” It is very clear that Jesus does claim to be God. It is also clear that John is attempting to convince us that Jesus is God. This is the truth that the enemies of our Lord could simply not tolerate.

What John teaches us here about the deity of Jesus Christ is consistent with what the Old Testament taught about the promised Messiah. The Old Testament prophets indicated that the coming Savior was going to be a man, of the seed of Abraham, Jacob, Judah, and David (Genesis 49:8-10; 2 Samuel 7:12-14). They also indicated that the Savior would be the eternal God:

6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this (Isaiah 9:6-7, NKJV).

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old,
From everlasting” (Micah 5:2, NKJV).

The New Testament writers clearly agree with John in affirming that the Jesus of the Gospels, the Jesus whom the church worships as Savior and Lord, was not only a sinless man, but also perfect and undiminished deity:

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, 16 for all things in heaven and on earth were created by him—all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers—all things were created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him. 18 He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead so that he himself may become first in all things. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him 20 and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross—whether things on the earth or things in heaven (Colossians 1:15-20).

1 After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our ancestors through the prophets, 2 in these last days he has spoken to us in a son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world. 3 The son is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence and sustains all things by his powerful word, and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:1-3).

8 But of the son, Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and a righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. So God, your God, has anointed you over your companions with the oil of rejoicing.”

10 And, “You founded the earth in the beginning, Lord, and the heavens are the works of your hands 11 They will perish; but you continue. And they will all grow old like a garment. 12 and like a robe you will fold them up and like a garment they will be changed; but you are the same and your years will never run out” (Hebrews 1:8-10).

9 I, John, your brother and the one who shares with you in the persecution, kingdom, and endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island named Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony about Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day when I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches—to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” 12 I turned to locate the voice that was speaking with me, and when I did so, I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands was one like a son of man. He was dressed in a robe extending down to his feet and he wore a wide golden belt around his chest. 14 His head and hair were as white as wool, even as white as snow, and his eyes were like a fiery flame. 15 His feet were like polished bronze that has been refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp double-edged sword extended out of his mouth. His face shone like the sun shining at full strength. 17 When I saw him I fell down at his feet as though I were dead, but he placed his right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid! I am the first and the last, 18 namely, the one who lives! I was dead, but look, now I am alive—forever and ever—and I have the keys of death and Hades!” (Revelation 1:9-18)[27]

The Word and the World
(1:3-5)

3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life,[28] and the life was the light of mankind. 5 And the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it.

Verses 1 and 2 place our Lord at the beginning—in fact, before the beginning. He was there with the Father before the world existed. Now, in verse 3, John goes on to show that our Lord was not only present at the beginning, but He was the source of all that had a beginning. The “Word” was not passive, but active, the One through whom all things came into existence. He was not created; He was the Creator. He did not merely create all things for God, He created all things as God. All things came into being through Him. The “Word” spoke, and all things came into existence. As the Creator, He is the origin, the source of life.[29]

John now draws upon the imagery of “light” introduced in Genesis 1, applying it once again to the “Word.” In Genesis, one of the first things Moses tells us is that God called light into existence (1:3). God then separated the “light” from “darkness” (1:4). After creating “light,” God created “life” (Genesis 1:11f.) John draws a parallel to the original creation at which “the Word” was present and active. Almost without recognizing it, we are transported in time from the original creation (John 1:3) to the appearance of our Lord in human history at the incarnation (verses 4-5ff.). When the “Word” came into the world, the world was in a state of chaos, spiritually speaking. When the “Word” appeared, He was the “light” that illuminated the darkness, revealing the righteousness of God and exposing man’s sin. This had the effect of separating the “light” from the “darkness.” The darkness observed the light, but did not “master” it (verse 5).

That “light,” which appeared at the coming of our Lord continues to shine. There are several ways to translate verse 5, as seen below:

The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it (NIV).

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it (NRS).

The light shines on in the dark, and the darkness has never quenched it (NEB).

The crucial word in the NET Translation is the word “mastered”:[30] “And the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it” (emphasis mine). The Greek word can have the sense of “grasping” or “comprehending” mentally, but it can also have the sense of “overpowering” (as the marginal note in the NASB indicates) or “overcoming.” Either nuance of the word would be acceptable in this context.[31] Jesus came into the world as the true “light,” but lost men were not able to grasp it (compare 1 Corinthians 3:14). Or, even more strongly, Jesus came into the world, illuminating its sin and need for redemption, and the world chose to remain in its sin, thus seeking to oppose and even to overcome the light, but they could not do so.

John introduces “light” as a theme that will recur throughout this Gospel (John 3:18-21; 5:35; 8:12; 9:5; 12:35-36; 12:46). It is a prophetic theme, which is highlighted in Matthew (4:13-16; 5:14-16) and Luke (1:76-79; 2:25-32; 16:8) as well. Jesus came as the “light,” and He left His disciples and His church behind to reflect that “light” in His absence. The world’s efforts to suppress the “light” have failed, and thus the light continues to shine, even till the present time, through the people of God:

3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing, among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” is the one who shined in our hearts to give us the light of the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:3-6).

7 Therefore, do not be partakers with them, 8 for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light—9 for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth—10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention. 13 But all things being exposed by the light are made evident. 14 For everything made evident is light, and for this reason it says, “Awake! O sleeper. Rise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you!” (Ephesians 5:7-14)

14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world 16 by holding on to the word of life so that I will have a reason to celebrate in the day of Christ because I did not run or work in vain (Philippians 2:14-16).

Jesus and John:
The Word and the Witness
(1:6-8)

6 A man came,[32] sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to testify about the light, so that everyone might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.

John the Baptist was a very prominent and respected individual. Many came to him to hear him preach, even though his message was a call to repentance. They were content to follow John, and even open to the possibility that he was the Messiah:

People from all over Judea and Jerusalem were going out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan river, as they confessed their sins (Mark 1:5).

While the people were filled with anticipation, and they all pondered in their hearts whether perhaps John could be the Christ (Luke 3:15).

33 “You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. 34 (I do not accept human testimony, but I say this so that you may be saved.) 35 He was a lamp that was burning and shining, and you wanted to rejoice greatly for a short time in his light” (John 5:33-35).

The amazing thing about John the Baptist is that he never performed a miracle or a sign; he only preached and baptized:

40 Jesus went away across the Jordan River again to the place where John had been baptizing at an earlier time, and he stayed there. 41 Many came to him and began saying, “John performed no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man was true!” 42 And many believed in Jesus there (John 10:40-42, emphasis mine).

The Apostle John turns his attention to John the Baptist in verses 6-8. If I am correct in assuming that John the Apostle was the second disciple of John the Baptist who left him to follow Jesus (John 1:35-42), then it is little wonder that the author of this Gospel has something to say about John the Baptist. How interesting that the Apostle John does not refer to the Baptist here as “John the Baptist,” but simply as “John.” The emphasis of verses 6-8 is not on John as a “baptizer,” but on John as a “witness.” John came as a witness to the “light,” that all men might put their trust in Him. He was not the light, but only a witness to the light. In his reference to John the Baptist, the Apostle John was careful to point out the Baptist’s subordinate role, as was the Baptist himself (see verses 19ff.).

John the Baptist’s task was to bear witness to the “light.” His mission was the same as his disciple, John the Apostle: to focus his ministry on Christ, so that men might come to believe in Him for salvation. The “light” to which John had been bearing witness had not dawned as yet, nor had Jesus yet been identified as that “light.” John could only speak of the “light” as One who was coming, One who was yet to be revealed.

The “Light” and Lost Sinners
(1:9-13)

9 The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, but the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become God’s children, 13 children not fathered by human descent or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God.

John himself is not the light to which he bears witness. The light to which he bears witness is the true[33] Light. He is the fulfillment of all that “light” foreshadowed. The “Word” is the source of light; He is the One who called light into existence (Genesis 1:3). After the creation account in Genesis, “light” becomes a prominent Old Testament theme. Consider some of the Old Testament “light” texts that foreshadow our Lord’s coming:

“‘And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning without clouds, Like the tender grass springing out of the earth, By clear shining after rain’” (2 Samuel 23:4, NKJV).

For You will light my lamp; The LORD my God will enlighten my darkness (Psalm 18:28, NKJV).

The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1, NKJV)

Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain (Psalm 104:2, NKJV).

In the Old Testament prophets, God’s “light” becomes a dominant messianic theme:

The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined (Isaiah 9:2, NKJV).

So the Light of Israel will be for a fire, And his Holy One for a flame; It will burn and devour His thorns and his briers in one day (Isaiah 10:17, NKJV).

I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, And crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, And not forsake them (Isaiah 42:16, NKJV).

Indeed He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6, NKJV).

Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard (Isaiah 58:8, NKJV).

1 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. 3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising (Isaiah 60:1-3, NKJV).

19 “The sun shall no longer be your light by day, Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the LORD will be to you an everlasting light, And your God your glory. 20 Your sun shall no longer go down, Nor shall your moon withdraw itself; For the LORD will be your everlasting light, And the days of your mourning shall be ended” (Isaiah 60:19-20, NKJV).

He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him (Daniel 2:22, NKJV).

8 Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; When I fall, I will arise; When I sit in darkness, The LORD will be a light to me. 9 I will bear the indignation of the LORD, Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case And executes justice for me. He will bring me forth to the light; I will see His righteousness (Micah 7:8-9, NKJV).

When John tells us that Jesus is the “light,” he is telling us that our Lord is the fulfillment of Israel’s hopes, realized in Messiah, who was symbolized and characterized by light in the Old Testament. Jesus is the “true light,” that is, the final consummation of that “light” foreshadowed in the Old Testament. The appearance of the “true Light” established a standard of righteousness which exposes the sins of those who walk in darkness:

19 “Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. 21 But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God” (John 3:19-21).

11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention. 13 But all things being exposed by the light are made evident. 14 For everything made evident is light, and for this reason it says:

“Awake, O sleeper. Rise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you” (Ephesians 5:11-14).

The “true light” came into the world, but the world’s response to that light was not what we would have hoped. The Word, who existed before the world was created, who brought the world into existence, who brought forth the light, came into the world which He made and yet the world did not know Him. The one who was both the Word and the Light came into the world He created, and this world did not want Him.

He came to possess what was His, but even His own people did not receive Him. There is a clear play on words in verse 11. Some English translations do not even indicate that there are two different words employed by John, with a slightly different meaning. They translate both Greek terms by the same English words, “His own”:

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him (verse 11, NKJV, emphasis mine).

He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him (verse 11, NASB, emphasis mine).

He came unto his own, and his own received him not (verse 11, KJV, emphasis mine).

The NET Bible renders this verse the most accurately:

He came to what was his own,[34] but his own people did not receive him (NET).

How ironic that the One who created all things should come to possess what was His, and yet He was rejected by His own people. How similar this sounds to our Lord’s parable of the “wicked tenant farmers” in Matthew 21:33-46. It is indeed a dark picture, one that reveals the wickedness of men who would reject their Creator (see Romans 1:18-32).

There is good news, however. The rejection of “the Light” by His own people did not at all thwart the purposes of God. John is not simply telling us the story of “God in the Hands of Angry Sinners”;[35] in verses 12 and 13, he will tell us about those sinners who are in the hands of a gracious God. Not all will reject the Light that has come into the world. Those who receive Him are given the authority to be called God’s children—twice His: they are His by virtue of creation, and His by virtue of sonship. This is true of everyone who places faith in His name.[36]

Lest anyone dare to give themselves credit for being among the company of the saved, let them listen to the words of John in verse 13, which clearly teach that salvation is God’s work, not our own, God’s choosing us, more than our choosing Him:[37]

“Children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, [38] but by God.”

There is considerable discussion about what these words mean. Literally, the text reads, “Who were born, not of bloods …” Rather than spend time exploring all the options, it is more profitable to take the broader view here. All three expressions, “of bloods,” “will of the flesh,” and “will of man” describe human origins from the standpoint of human initiative and human action. John seems to draw together all the expressions he can think of which his readers accept as the source of human conception and birth. Both in terms of the actual joining of cells, and in terms of the motivations and initiatives behind this union, John tells us that our spiritual birth does not originate from, or through, human intent or endeavor. Rather, those who are born into the family of God as His children are those who are “born of God.” God is the Creator; He is the ultimate cause, the One through whose will and work men become His children. This will be played out in greater detail in our Lord’s conversation with Nicodemus in chapter 3. Put concisely in biblical terms:

“Salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah 2:9; Psalm 3:8, NKJV).

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44; see 6:65).

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen (Romans 11:36).

The Word and Human Flesh
(1:14-18)

14 Now the Word became flesh and lived[39] among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the only [begotten][40] One, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father. 15 John testified about him and cried out, “This one was the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than I am, because he existed before me.’” 16 For we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The only One, himself God, who is in the presence of the Father, has made God known.

These verses are the climax of all that John has been leading up to in his prologue. Up to this point, we have been told that “the Word” is a person who is eternal, who is in fact a member of the Godhead. He was there at creation; indeed, He was the Creator. He is distinct from, yet intimately in fellowship with, God the Father. He is the source of light and life. He is the One to whom John the Baptist bore witness, foretelling His appearance. He is the One whom His own people rejected, but those who receive Him become children of God. Those who do become God’s children do so not out of human volition or effort; they are divinely “conceived.” We have not yet been told who this person is. We are now told in verses 14-18.

Until now, the One John has been introducing to us has been identified only as “the Word.” This “Word” is also the “Light” which shines upon men. Illumination can occur from a great distance, as the light of the sun shines on us from afar. But John is now about to tell us an astounding fact: the “Word” became flesh and lived among men. Here is something absolutely unique to human history. In the pagan religions, the “gods” have come down to the earth in some form, but never was there an incarnation like that of our Lord. So too, in some false religions, men are promised that they will become gods, but never that God would take on humanity as John describes here.[41]

The “Word” lived (tabernacled)[42] among His people by adding perfect humanity to His undiminished deity. Thus He manifested His glory to men. God’s “glory” was once displayed by means of the tabernacle:

42 “This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet you to speak with you. 43 And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory” (Exodus 29:42-43, NKJV).

33 And he raised up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the screen of the court gate. So Moses finished the work. 34 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle (Exodus 40:33-35, NKJV).

At the incarnation, God “tabernacled” among His people by means of His Son, and thus John can say, “We saw his glory—the glory of the only [begotten] One, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father” (John 1:14; see also 1 John 1:1-4).

John says, “we saw his glory.” The “we” must certainly be the apostles, although others may be included as well. The transfiguration of our Lord would be one of the more dramatic demonstrations of His glory (see Luke 9:30-32; 2 Peter 1:16-19). Another instance would be the turning of water into wine (John 2:11) and the raising of Lazarus (John 11:4, 40). The greatest display of the glory of God in Christ up until now would be His death, burial, and resurrection (see John 12:28; 13:31; 17:5, 22, 24; 1 Corinthians 15:43). It may well be that John’s use of the word “glory” should force us to reconsider and redefine “glory,” so that it encompasses things we do not normally associate with glory. As One who came forth “from the Father,” who was “full of grace and truth,” we would certainly expect Him to reveal God’s glory.

This One John has been introducing is Jesus Christ. He is the One of whom John the Baptist bore witness. He is the One who is greater than all. He is greater than John the Baptist; He existed before him. He is greater than the law. He is “full of grace and truth” (verse 14). The law was a revelation of God, written in stone. The Lord Jesus Christ is the revelation of God, manifest in human flesh, who tabernacled among men. He is the full and final revelation of God:

1 After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our ancestors through the prophets, 2 in these last days he has spoken to us in a son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world. 3 The son is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word, and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:1-3).

Jesus Christ is greater than the law because He is the full revelation of God (when the law only partially revealed Him). Furthermore, His grace is greater than the grace provided by the law: “For we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift after another [literally grace upon grace]. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ” (John 1:16, 17).

While there is a sense in which we can contrast “grace” and “law,” it is also true that the law was God’s gracious gift to men. The law is not devoid of grace. Rather, through Jesus Christ and the New Covenant, God manifests greater grace.[43] Thus, John can say that in Christ we have received “grace upon grace.” Moses was the instrument through whom “the grace of law” was given; Jesus Christ is the instrument through whom “grace upon grace” is given.

In the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, God Incarnate, the invisible God is now visible to men. Moses longed to see God more fully and was granted a partial glimpse (Exodus 33:17—34:7). In Christ, we see God dwelling among men in human flesh. It is more than we could ever have hoped. It is more than we shall ever be able to grasp. It is a wonder that will inspire our worship throughout time and eternity.

Conclusion

The mind is taxed beyond its capacity as one reads the words of John in the prologue to his Gospel. These are great truths, which we shall seek to fathom throughout this life, and which shall fuel our worship of our Lord throughout all eternity. Consider some applications this text may have for the reader as we conclude our message.

First, the reader should recognize in John’s prologue the introduction of the great truths and themes which we will continually visit throughout the Gospel.

In the prologue we are introduced to the key themes that follow in the narrative: the Word, God, life, light, darkness, witness, the world, rejection/reception, belief, regeneration (becoming a child of God), incarnation (the Word become flesh), the one and only Son of the Father, glory, grace, truth, and fullness—all these expanded upon and illustrated in the rest of the Gospel. And we are introduced to the key figures in the Gospel: God, the Word (Jesus, the Son of God), John the Baptist, Moses, the writer (as a spokesperson for the apostles), and all the believers.[44]

Perhaps you too have had the frustrating experience of answering the doorbell or the telephone to find a salesman, who most often assures you that they are not “selling” anything. We know they are selling something, and usually, we don’t want to buy anything. (Girl Scouts, selling their thin mint cookies are a welcomed exception, both in their method and their product.) John does not do that. He immediately informs his readers where he is coming from and where he is going. Whether or not we agree, we at least know what to expect. Do we agree that Jesus is God? Perhaps some may not, but they must admit that John believes so, and confidently claims that He is.

Second, the truths John sets out in his prologue are not only foundational to his Gospel, but foundational to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. While the other Gospels build up to the realization that Jesus of Nazareth is God incarnate, John blurts it all out at the beginning of his work. Jesus is “the Word,” the God who existed from eternity, who was present and active at creation. And, wonder of wonders, the Word who existed in eternity past with the Father took on human flesh at the incarnation. He is the source of light (truth) and of (eternal) life. Through Him, grace and truth are abundantly provided by the Father.

These foundational truths are the point of attack for those who prefer darkness to light, who will not receive the One who came to lay claim to His creation. These fundamental doctrines John holds forth are those which men seek to deny, and which they endeavor to replace with false doctrines and beliefs. The deity of Christ was attacked by Arianism, which claimed Jesus was but a mere man, like all other men. The humanity of Christ was refuted by Docetism, which sought to persuade men that Jesus did not have a real body, that He was some kind of ghost or spirit being. This is precisely why John gives such emphasis to these foundational truths of our Lord’s deity and incarnation. These are not later embellishments, peddled as truth; they are the truth.

Third, foremost among the teachings of John’s prologue is the doctrine of the incarnation of our Lord. J. I. Packer defines what is meant by the incarnation:

The baby born at Bethlehem was God made man. The Word had become flesh: a real human baby. He had not ceased to be God; He was no less God then than before; but He had begun to be man. He was not now God minus some elements of His deity, but God plus all that He had made His own by taking manhood to Himself. He who made man was now learning what it felt like to be a man. He who made the angel who became the devil was now in a state in which He could be tempted—could not, indeed, avoid being tempted—by the devil; and the perfection of His human life was only achieved by conflict with the devil.[45]

The incarnation means that God added unfallen humanity to undiminished deity. It does not in any way mean that our Lord’s deity was diminished or set aside. It does mean that certain manifestations of His glory were veiled, and that the use of some of His powers were voluntarily restrained. It does not mean that our Lord was created in Bethlehem, but only that He came down to the earth at His incarnation. It does mean that the baby in the manger was God manifested in human flesh.

The doctrine of the incarnation of our Lord is important for several reasons. It is important because it is true, and because it is clearly and emphatically taught here in John’s Gospel, as elsewhere. Further, it is important because the incarnation of our Lord fulfilled Old Testament Scriptures. The Old Testament taught that the promised Messiah would be human, the descendant of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and David (see 2 Samuel 7:12-14). The Old Testament also taught that Messiah would be divine (see Isaiah 9:6; Micah 5:2). The incarnation of our Lord was a practical necessity. In order to save men, there needed to be a sacrifice, a perfect human sacrifice—a man who did not need to die for his own sins, and thus could die for the sins of others. This person must be a “son of Adam” in order to be the “last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45), who could reverse the effects of the first Adam for all who believe in Him (see Romans 5:12-21). It is also by our Lord’s incarnation that He could empathize and identify with man, and thus become a merciful and faithful high priest (Hebrews 2:14-18; 4:14-16; see also 1 Timothy 2:5).

Fourth, if John’s teaching on the incarnation is true (as it surely is!), then we must certainly heed what our Lord has said. Jesus Christ is the full and final revelation of God (Hebrews 1:1-4). Since this is true, we do well to heed what He has said:

1 Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken through angels proved to be so firm that every violation or disobedience received its just penalty, 3 how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first communicated through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him, 4 while God confirmed their witness with signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will (Hebrews 2:1-4).

Let us remember what the Father said after He identified Jesus as His Son: “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud surrounded them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is the Son I love, in whom I have great delight. Listen to him!’” (Matthew 17:5)

Fifth, John’s prologue and its teaching on the incarnation of our Lord enhances our appreciation of the Christmas story of the birth of our Lord, as recorded in Matthew and Luke. The “wonder” of Christmas is not that a baby was born to humble parents. It is not confined to the fact that this child was the fulfillment of many prophecies and the object of God’s care and protection (from Herod, for example). The wonder is that this Child was the second person of the Godhead, come to dwell among men as a man (a God-man), come to bear the sins of the world.

John does not tell us the “old, old, story” of the birth of our Lord. Instead, he chooses to tell us that this One born of the virgin Mary was, as the prophet Micah said, one “whose goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity” (Micah 5:2b, NASB). What John tells us sheds a whole new light on what we read in the birth accounts of Matthew and Luke. He chooses to tell us that this birth was a unique event in history, never to be repeated, and always to be the source of great wonder, joy, and gratitude.

Have you noticed those times in the Gospels when someone (especially Mary) “wondered” or “pondered” or “treasured things in her heart”? Mary witnessed things that were beyond her. John tells us things in his prologue which are beyond us, which should cause us to ponder this text for a good long while. Think of it: the babe in the manger is none other than God. The One to whom the Magi were led by a star was the One who made that star.

The Maker of the universe
As Man, for man was made a curse.
The claims of Law which He had made
Unto the uttermost He paid.His holy fingers made the bough
Which grew the thorns that crowned His brow.
The nails that pierced His hands were mined
In secret places He designed.He made the forest whence there sprung
The tree on which His body hung.
He died upon a cross of wood
Yet made the hill on which it stood. 
The sky that darkened o’er His head
By Him above the earth was spread.
The sun that hid from Him its face
By His decree was poised in space.The spear which spilled His precious blood
Was tempered in the fires of God.
The grave in which His form was laid
Was hewn in rocks His hands had made,The throne on which He now appears
Was His from everlasting years.
But a new glory crowns His brow
And every knee to Him shall bow.Author Unknown

Sixth, John’s prologue, and especially his teaching on the incarnation of our Lord, fleshes out for us the true “spirit of Christmas.” John wrote, “No one has ever seen God. The only [begotten] One, himself God, who is in the presence of the Father, has made God known” (John 1:18). The expression, “has made God known” might be rendered by a seminarian, “exegeted Him.” “Exegesis” is the explanation of a text of Scripture. Jesus, by His incarnation, has “explained” the Father to us. He did not do this merely with words, but by means of His actions. Many of us who are prone to think we best represent our Lord by our talk had better consider this text, which says we explain our Lord by our walk, along with our talk.

The incarnation of our Lord is more than an event in history, albeit an important event. It is an example[46] for each of us to follow:

5 The attitude Christ Jesus had, you should have toward one another, 6 who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing human nature.
8 He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death … even death on a cross
(Philippians 2:5-8).

The “Christmas spirit” which we learn from the example of our Lord is the exact opposite of the “Corinthian spirit” described in Paul’s Epistle to the Corinthians. The Corinthians thought only of themselves. No wonder there was immorality, self-indulgence, pride, and division. The Corinthians wanted “glory” now; they did not wish to wait. They did not wish to suffer or to deny their pleasures. The true Christmas spirit is seen in our Lord, who set aside His glory and His heavenly pleasures, so that He could give His life as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of men. The Corinthian spirit demanded all heavenly benefits now and avoided any sacrifice in the present.

Satan has ever been in the business of attempting to drive a wedge between humanity and deity. In the Garden of Eden, Satan succeeded in creating a barrier between man and God by tempting man to do away with the one thing which appeared to distinguish God from man—the knowledge of good and evil. In tempting man to sin, Satan managed to drive a wedge between man and God. In the temptation of our Lord in the wilderness, Satan tried to drive a wedge between our Lord and His Father, by urging Him to fulfill His human desires in spite of His divine calling. It didn’t work. The incarnation of our Lord made possible the union of man with God in a way that none would ever have imagined possible. By receiving God’s gift of the forgiveness of sins, and eternal life in the person and sacrificial work of Jesus Christ, we enter into a union with Christ which surpasses our ability to fathom such amazing grace.

Seventh, the incarnation of our Lord puts all the other teachings of the New Testament Gospels into perspective. No one puts it better than J. I. Packer, whose fifth chapter in Knowing God (“God Incarnate”) is worth reading and re-reading, especially at Christmas:

It is no wonder that thoughtful people find the gospel of Jesus Christ hard to believe, for the realities with which it deals pass man’s understanding. But it is sad that so many make faith harder than it need be, by finding difficulties in the wrong places. Take the atonement, for instance. … Or take the resurrection, … Or, again, take the virgin birth, which has been widely denied among Protestants in this century. …

But in fact the real difficulty, because the supreme mystery with which the gospel confronts us, does not lie here at all. It lies, not in the Good Friday message of atonement, nor in the Easter message of resurrection, but in the Christmas message of incarnation. The really staggering Christian claim is that Jesus of Nazareth was God made man—that the second person of the Godhead became the ‘second man’ (I Cor. 15:47), determining human destiny, the second representative head of the race, and that He took humanity without loss of deity, so that Jesus of Nazareth was as truly and fully divine as He was human. Here are two mysteries for the price of one—the plurality of persons within the unity of God, and the union of Godhead and manhood in the person of Jesus. It is here, in the thing that happened at the first Christmas, that the profoundest and most unfathomable depths of the Christian revelation lie. ‘The Word was made flesh’ (John 1:14); God became man; the divine Son became a Jew; the Almighty appeared on earth as a helpless human baby, unable to do more than lie and stare and wriggle and make noises, needing to be fed and changed and taught to talk like any other child. And there was no illusion or deception in this: the babyhood of the Son of God was a reality. The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets. Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as is this truth of the incarnation.

This is the real stumbling-block in Christianity. It is here that Jews, Moslems, Unitarians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and many of those who feel the difficulties above-mentioned (about the virgin birth, the miracles, the atonement, and the resurrection), have come to grief. It is from misbelief, or at least inadequate belief, about the incarnation that difficulties at other points in the gospel story usually spring. But once the incarnation is grasped as a reality, these other difficulties dissolve.[47]

As we enter the Christmas season and the celebration of Christmas, I must ask this simple question: “Have you received God’s gift to you in the person of His Son?” God sent His Son into the world, so that lost sinners need not spend eternity in hell. God sent His Son as the perfect God-man, so that men could be saved from their sins. Have you received the gift of the forgiveness of your sins and of eternal life? Confess your sin, and that your sin condemns you to eternal torment. Receive Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as His work on your behalf, as the payment for your sins, and as the source of a righteousness that God accepts as sufficient for eternal life. May you know what it is like for God to dwell in you, to His glory and for your eternal good.


! Lesson 3:
The Witness of John
(John 1:19-37)

Introduction

Thirty years ago, my wife Jeannette and I concluded that God was leading us to attend Dallas Theological Seminary. After college, I began to teach school in a little town called Gig Harbor, just across the Narrows Bridge from Tacoma, Washington. God led us to a wonderful little church and a godly pastor, who fueled a passion to expound the Word of God. When we left, we had a one-year-old child and another on the way. Bidding a tearful farewell to our family and friends, we set out on an adventure which we believed would be four years long. It has ended up being many more years than that. We had a part-time job waiting for us in Dallas, managing an apartment complex, which would at least provide us with our housing. We did not know of any other employment for certain, and even when we learned that God had another job waiting for me, our income met only half of our monthly needs. I am sure there are those who feel that we should have waited to come to Dallas, until we were assured of the means to accomplish what we believed God had called us to do, namely to graduate from Dallas Seminary.[48] Our seminary years were some of the most challenging and exciting times of our lives, as we witnessed God’s care and provision on many occasions.

Our experience was not unique. Can you imagine Abraham leaving his family and homeland and setting out for an undisclosed place far away from home? Or think of how Moses felt leaving his father-in-law’s flocks in the wilderness and going to Egypt to confront Pharaoh and demand that he let God’s people go. Think of what it would have been like for the Israelite priests to step into the Red Sea, trusting God to somehow make a path through the sea to the other side. Or imagine setting off into the desert with your family and all of your possessions, trusting God to provide all you need until you reach the promised land of Canaan.

Now place yourself in the sandals and camel hair suit of John the Baptist. God commands you to go out and to begin calling the nation Israel to repentance, announcing that the Messiah is soon to be revealed. You are not even certain at the time just who the Messiah is—or how He is to be revealed. You are to preach in the wilderness, so that all who want to hear you must come out of the city and into the wilderness. You have never even performed so much as one miracle. Can you imagine faithfully preaching a message of repentance in preparation for Messiah, as John the Baptist did, without even knowing the name of the one about whom you were preaching?

Truly John the Baptist is a remarkable man, and Jesus had only good things to say about him:

7 While they[49] were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? Those who wear soft clothes are in the homes of kings. 9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes. I tell you, even more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it was written: ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’

11 “Now I tell you the truth, among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and forceful people lay hold of it. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John appeared. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, who is to come. 15 The one who has ears, listen!” (Matthew 11:7-15 NET)[50]

It was not just our Lord who thought highly of John the Baptist. Even though John had condemned Herod’s marriage to his brother’s wife, Herod had great respect for John and his preaching. He even protected him:

17 For Herod himself had sent men to seize John and bind him in prison, on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he married her. 18 For John told Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 So Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him, but she was not able to, 20 because Herod feared John, since he knew that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was thoroughly baffled, yet he liked to listen to him (Mark 6:17-20).

By nearly any standard, one would have to admit that John is “unique.” He dressed strangely, wearing a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt. His diet consisted of locusts and wild honey (Mark 1:6). He kept the Nazarite vow, refraining from wine and strong drink (Luke 1:15; 7:33-34). Filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb (Luke 1:15, 40-41), he was a man of prayer, who taught his disciples to pray (Luke 5:33; 11:1).

John was the “talk of the town” from the time of his birth. His father, Zacharias (a priest), and his mother had been unable to bear children, especially after she reached old age (Luke 1:5-25; 59-66). John’s birth was supernatural. When John began to preach, people came in large numbers to hear him:

People from all over Judea and Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan river, as they confessed their sins (Mark 1:5).

“He was a lamp that was burning and shining, and you wanted to rejoice greatly for a short time in his light” (John 5:35).

John’s popularity continued, even after his death. John’s ministry and message reached far and wide. Peter used the words of John to defend his actions at the home of Cornelius (Acts 10-11, see especially 11:15-18). Paul included the message and ministry of John in the gospel he preached (Acts 13:23-25). Apollos was a man “well-versed in the Scriptures,” and until he came across Aquila and Priscilla, he knew only the baptism of John (Acts 18:24-25). When Paul reached Ephesus, he came across those who were disciples who knew only John’s baptism (Acts 19:1-7).

John did not gain popularity by catering to his audience. His headquarters were not in Jerusalem with a fine church building and full service programs; he offered no childcare or free meals. In fact, John never attracted crowds by performing signs (John 10:41-42). From what Luke writes, we know that John’s message did not appeal to the flesh:

7 So John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore produce fruits that reflect repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 9 Already the ax is aimed[51] at the root of the trees; thus every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 10 So the crowds were asking him, “What then should we do?” 11 John answered them, “The person who has two tunics must share with the person who has none; and the person who has food must do likewise.” 12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13 He told them, “Collect no more than you are required to.” 14 Then some soldiers also asked him, “And as for us—what should we do?” He told them, “Take money from no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your pay. 15 While the people were filled with anticipation, and they all pondered in their hearts whether perhaps John could be the Christ, 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water; but there is one coming more powerful than I am, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his storehouse, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.” 18 Thus with many other exhortations, John proclaimed good news to the people (Luke 3:7-18).

The Apostle John, author of the Gospel of John, seems to have previously been a disciple of John the Baptist. It must have been with great affection and regard for the Baptist that the Apostle writes of him in the first chapter of his Gospel. We find the ministries and messages of John the Baptist and Jesus interspersed and inter-twined in this first chapter. John sought to identify himself with Jesus, and Jesus surely sought to identify with John and his message. There is, however, a great difference between these two individuals, as the Apostle John makes clear in this chapter. William Hendriksen[52] calls attention to these points of contrast:

Christ John
a. was from all eternity a. came
b. is the Word b. is mere man
c. is himself God c. is commissioned by God
d. is the real light d. came to testify about the real light
e. is the object of trust e. is the agent through which men came to trust in the real light, even Christ

In trying to expound this text about John the Baptist, I feel very much like that future time when I am supposed to preach my grandmother’s funeral. Nearly 20 years ago, Grandma Deffinbaugh wrote me a note, asking me to preach her funeral sermon. Now almost 99 years old and doing quite well for her age, she has given me the texts she would like emphasized. In essence, she has directed me to preach the gospel and to avoid a great deal of talk about her. It is a noble request, but a difficult thing to accomplish, especially at her own funeral!

It is clear that the Apostle John is attempting to honor the Baptist’s guiding principle of exalting Christ and not himself. Nevertheless, we will not do justice to our text, or to John the Baptist, if we do not reflect on those things which set this man apart. After all, our Lord Himself referred to the Baptist as the greatest Old Testament saint (Matthew 11:11). We will do well then to explore the greatness of John the Baptist, the last Old Testament prophet.

Although our text begins at verse 19 of John 1, we must go back to the earliest references to John the Baptist in this Gospel to learn about, and from, this great prophet.

Verses 6-8

6 A man came, sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to testify about the light, so that everyone might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.

The Word was; John came. The Word was the Light; John came, sent from God as a witness to this Light. John was a witness, and the Lord Jesus was the One about whom John testified. John was not the light, but a witness sent to testify that the Light was coming. To us, these words may seem redundant—old news. But they were, and they are, revolutionary. Nothing like the coming of our Lord in human flesh has ever happened before—nor will it ever happen again. John’s role in this is important, yet definitely subordinate. No one knows this more than John. What the Apostle John writes in verses 6-8, the Baptist[53] reiterates and underscores in his own testimony. These verses give us the reality by which John the Baptist governed his life and ministry.

Verse 15

John testified about him and cried out, “This one was the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than I am[54] because he existed before me.’”

The first words of the Baptist, which the Apostle John records in verse 15, concern the Baptist’s subordinate status in relation to the Word, the One of whom he bears witness. Notice that the Baptist does not refer to Jesus by name. How can he? He doesn’t know for certain who the “coming One” is. This is partly the reason He is called the “Word” (verse 1) and “He who comes after me” (verse 15). The identity of the Messiah is yet to be revealed to John. What he does know, he tells us: this “coming One” outranks him because He existed before him (verse 15).

Verses 19-23

19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed—he did not deny but confessed—“I am not the Christ.” 21 So they asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell us so that we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 John said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

We have already seen that John is exceedingly popular. The unusual circumstances surrounding his birth aroused interest and curiosity, if not hope (Luke 1:65-66), and his public ministry fueled the flames of Israel’s messianic hopes: “While the people were filled with anticipation, and they all pondered in their hearts whether perhaps John could be the Christ” (Luke 3:15).

John drew large crowds, and many were going to him for baptism. John recognizes some of these baptismal candidates as insincere, and he appears to refuse to baptize them (Luke 3:7-9). John is of a priestly line, although his ministry is certainly independent of official mainline Judaism. Early in his youth, he retreats to the deserts to live until the time comes for him to commence his public ministry (Luke 1:80), and even then his ministry is conducted in the wilderness rather than in Jerusalem or any city (Luke 3:1-3). While it seems that nearly every segment of society is represented in the crowd which comes to hear John and to be baptized by him (see Luke 3:10-14), one group is conspicuously absent: “However, the Pharisees and the experts in religious law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John” (Luke 7:30).

Are these Pharisees some of those John refused to baptize? It does not seem likely. Luke does not tell us John refuses to baptize them, but that they refuse John’s baptism. I am therefore inclined to believe these Pharisees and lawyers are folks who never went out to the wilderness to hear John. In fact, I am inclined to think these same Pharisees and lawyers are those who sent the delegation to John to inquire who he claimed to be, and just what his ministry was about.

We know from our Lord’s later words that the scribes and Pharisees loved a following: “Woe to you experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert, and when you get one, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves!” (Matthew 23:15).

From what the Gospels tell us, it also seems that these Pharisees were not inclined to give up the place they had made for themselves: “47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together and said, ‘What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs. 48 If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary and our nation’” (John 11:47-48). It is neither orthodoxy, nor a love for the truth, which motivates these religious leaders, but garden variety jealousy (see Matthew 27:18).

The Jews” who send the delegation to investigate John the Baptist and his ministry are the religious elite of that day, Jews who hold positions of power which they are not inclined to give up, either to John or to Jesus. These men do not come to John personally, for this would acknowledge John’s importance. Instead, they send a lower level delegation of “priests and Levites”[55] to John, telling them what to ask, and by so doing, send John a signal that they are in power: they are the ones who accredit the ministry of others. In their minds, they issue religious franchises to men like John, and he can only operate with their permission and under their authority. John is being interrogated like a recent seminary graduate going through an ordination exam.

The first question the delegation asks is, “Who are you?” (verse 19). No one in this delegation seems able to actually speak the word “Messiah.” They do not ask directly, “Are you the Messiah?” But John knows this is the essence of their question.[56] Thus he answers, “I am not the Christ” (verse 20), which prompts a sequence of follow-up questions. If John is not the Christ, is he Elijah (verse 21)? This question arises due to the prophecy of Malachi:

4 “Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, With the statutes and judgments. 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. 6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse” (Malachi 4:4-6, NKJV).

This question about Elijah, and the answer John gives, may pose a problem for some because of what Luke and our Lord said about John:

15 “For he will be great before the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. 16 He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him” (Luke 1:15-17).

11 “I tell you the truth, among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and forceful people lay hold of it. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John appeared. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah, who is to come” (Matthew 11:11-14).

How can John the Baptist say he is not Elijah, when Jesus says that he is? The answer may not be difficult. You may remember that Elijah did not die, but was taken into heaven in a chariot of fire, so that his body could not be found (see 2 Kings 2:1-17). It seems some expected Elijah to return in person. John rightly denies being Elijah in person. Yet, we read in Luke’s Gospel that John the Baptist will go before Messiah “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17). Jesus then tells His disciples that John is “Elijah who is to come” (Matthew 11:14) and prefaces His statement with, “If you are willing to receive it.” Thus, John is a kind of Elijah, who comes in the spirit and power of Elijah, fulfilling (or partially fulfilling) the prophecy of Malachi 4. John both is and is not Elijah. He is Elijah in spirit; he is not literally Elijah in the flesh.[57]

If John is not Elijah, then is he “the Prophet”?[58] “The Prophet” must refer to the “Prophet like Moses,” prophesied in the Old Testament Book of Deuteronomy:

15 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, 16 according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’ 17 And the LORD said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. 18 I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. 19 And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him” (Deuteronomy 18:15-19, NKJV).

This “Prophet like Moses” is not John the Baptist; He is the One for whom John is the forerunner, the Messiah. And so John quickly responds “No” to their question about him being this Prophet (John 1:21). Here is a man of very few words, and his responses are becoming shorter and shorter. The longer response of verse 23 is a quotation of Scripture taken from Isaiah 40, verse 3.

This delegation of less-than-prominent Jewish officials is becoming concerned. They have been sent to put John on the spot by asking for his credentials and his agenda. As they press him with possible options, he persistently answers in the negative. He is not the Messiah, not Elijah, not the Prophet. Who, then, is he? These fellows must return to Jerusalem with a report, and yet they have almost nothing to tell the Jewish Sanhedrin. They must fill out their “report forms,” and John is of no help at all. And so they press John to tell them who he is. They do not really want to hear his answer, because it is merely the citation of a text from the Prophet Isaiah: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the LORD,”’ as the prophet Isaiah said” (Isaiah 40:3, NKJV).

John’s answer is still not satisfactory. Here is a man who virtually refuses to dwell on himself. Verse 24 presents some problems for Bible scholars. It is not entirely clear whether John is telling us:

·         that a second delegation is present, sent by the Pharisees; or,

·         that some in the first delegation have been sent by the Pharisees; or,

·         that the whole delegation formerly referred to has been sent by the Pharisees.

It really does not matter greatly. We know that the question about to be asked expresses the concerns of the Pharisees. If John is not the Messiah, not Elijah, and not the Prophet, then what in the world is he doing baptizing (verse 24)?

Baptism was not a new or novel ritual to the Israelites. Baptism was one of the rituals[59] by which Gentiles were brought into Judaism as proselytes.[60] John’s baptism is distressing in light of the meaning and use of baptism in Judaism. These were not Gentiles who were being baptized, but Jews. These were not Gentiles who were being indicted for their sin and warned of God’s coming wrath, but Jews. John was treating Jews as though they were lost sinners, in need of salvation. Most distressing of all, many Jews were believing John and coming to him for baptism. Jewish religious leaders had convinced their Jewish followers that simply being Jewish and keeping the Law (as they interpreted it) was sufficient to save them. John’s ministry and message said otherwise. The Jewish religious system was under siege, and it looked at the moment as though John was prevailing. Of all those who were threatened, the legalistic Pharisees (along with the status quo Sadducees) were most often singled out by John (see Matthew 3:7-9).

Those sent by the Pharisees challenge John to defend his practice of baptizing those who follow him. If he is not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet, then why is he baptizing? The Baptist does not really answer their question, at least in an immediate response.[61] We are inclined to anticipate the way he will finish his response by the way he begins: “I baptize with water, but …” We immediately supply what we have read elsewhere: “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (see Matthew 3:11-12; Luke 3:15-16). But the Apostle John does not include these words. The Baptist does not want to get into a debate about baptism, whether it be his baptism or that of the Messiah to come. The Baptist continues to press the point that the Apostle John has been underscoring in this first chapter of his Gospel—the supremacy of Christ and the subordination of John, His forerunner.

This delegation wants John to talk about himself and his ministry. But John’s ministry is to magnify the Christ—to focus Israel’s attention on Him. He cannot do so by talking about himself, and so he answers their question about baptism by once again emphasizing the superiority of the coming One, by whom he is outranked. This coming One is somewhere among them, but simply not yet designated. They have not recognized Him either (verse 26).

This One outranks John the Baptist, because He existed before John.[62] John begins his Gospel by declaring the Word to be God, who existed before time and creation began. Now the Baptist chooses to underscore the same fact in his response to his questioners. The One who “was” in the beginning is the One who is among them and who is soon to be designated as the Messiah. This One “was,” but John “came.” This One is God, while John tells us that he is simply a man, sent by God. This One is so much greater than the Baptist that John says he is unworthy to loose his sandal straps (verse 27).[63]

We are told that “these things” took place in Bethany (NIV, NAV, NAB) or Bethabara (KJV, NKJV). But no one knows exactly where this place is—or was. It cannot be the Bethany near Jerusalem, where Martha, Mary, and Lazarus lived (John 11:1, 18; 12:1). The “Bethany” of which John writes is “beyond the Jordan.” There could be more than one city in Israel with the same name, so the fact that there were two Bethany’s is no real problem. Even the fact that the location of this place is not known should come as no surprise. When the Jews sought to stone Jesus, He is said to have gone “beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first” (John 10:39-40). It should be safe to conclude that Jesus departed to an out-of-the-way place, where He could not be easily found. If this were the “Bethany” of our text, we would expect that few knew of it, and that none would know today where it once was.

Verses 29-34

29 On the next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one about whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who is greater than I am, because he existed before me.’ 31 I did not recognize him, but I came baptizing with water so that he could be revealed to Israel.” 32 Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him. 33 And I did not recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining, this is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have both seen and testified that this one is the Son of God.”

If the Gospel of John includes a great deal of new material, there is also a lot of material in the Synoptic Gospels which is not in John. The Synoptic Gospels record the baptism of our Lord by John the Baptist:

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John to be baptized by him in the Jordan. 14 But John tried to prevent him saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?” 15 So Jesus replied to him, “Let it happen now, for it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John yielded to him. 16 After Jesus was baptized, as he came up from the water the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is the Son I love, in whom I have great delight” (Matthew 3:13-17).

9 Now in those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. 10 Just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, the one I love. I am very pleased with you” (Mark 1:9-11).

21 Now when all the people were baptized, and after Jesus had been baptized and while he was praying, heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:21-22).

In his Gospel, Matthew emphasizes John’s humility at the time of our Lord’s baptism. If—as John has been constantly saying—our Lord is vastly superior to him, then why should John baptize Jesus? Should Jesus not baptize him? Matthew’s words tell us even more—they tell us that John has some inkling before His baptism that Jesus is the Messiah. John protests against baptizing Jesus because Jesus is the greater One. Jesus convinces John to baptize Him “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). In being baptized, Jesus identifies Himself with John, and thus with John’s message and ministry.

More importantly for John, in the process of baptizing Jesus, God confirms Him as the promised Messiah. The Synoptic Gospels all speak of the Holy Spirit descending like a dove and remaining upon Jesus. All the Gospels tell of God the Father’s testimony, coming from heaven, declaring Jesus to be His beloved Son, in Whom He is well pleased.

John’s Gospel alone explains the significance of our Lord’s baptism to John the Baptist. All the time John has been preaching, telling the Israelites that the Messiah is coming, the Baptist has not known the identity of Messiah for certain. As mentioned, John may have had his suspicions, but he does not have absolute proof. That proof comes at the baptism of Jesus. One day, John the Baptist is proclaiming to the people of Israel that Messiah is among them—but not yet identified. The next day, John is pointing to Jesus, testifying that He is the Messiah—the One of whom he has been speaking, and declaring, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).[64]

What made the dramatic difference in the Baptist’s preaching from one day to the next? It is what John the Baptist saw and heard at the baptism of our Lord. When, under protest, John baptizes Jesus, he sees the Spirit descend upon Him and remain upon Him. He hears the voice of the Father from heaven, declaring Jesus to be His beloved Son, in whom He is well pleased. He now knows for certain who the Messiah is, and from this point on, He refers to Jesus as God’s Messiah, the Son of God (verse 34).

Verses 35-37

35 Again the next day John was standing there with two of his disciples. 36 Looking at Jesus as he walked by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When his two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

Technically, these three verses are a part of the text we will study in our next lesson, but they also reveal a great deal about John’s character. John has no ambition, other than to exalt the Messiah, and to urge men to prepare for His coming. He refuses to talk a great deal about himself, but he persistently speaks of the greater One, who is coming after him. He keeps pointing men and women to Christ, rather than to himself.

We sometimes hear that “words are cheap,” and so they may be. But John the Baptist is a man whose words are powerful, even seizing the attention of powerful pagan rulers like Herod. Whenever John speaks, he exalts Christ and not himself. Proof of John’s greatness can be seen by the way he responds to Christ’s appearance. John does not play down his message, hoping to keep his following; John promotes Jesus as the promised Messiah. John calls Him the “Lamb of God” (verses 29, 35), and so He will prove to be.

Perhaps the greatest reflection on John’s character is the way in which he encourages his disciples to cease following him and to begin following Jesus as the Messiah. When John the Baptist sees Jesus, he identifies Him to his two disciples as the “Lamb of God.” The two disciples with John at that time leave John and set out after Jesus. This is precisely what John intended. He couldn’t be happier that Jesus is taking some of “his” disciples. He knows this is what he has been called to do—to prepare men to leave him and to follow the Messiah. John’s work is nearly done. It will not be long before God takes him home at the hand of an unwilling Herod.

Conclusion

We can do nothing less than agree with our Lord about the greatness of this man, John the Baptist. Let us pause to summarize some of the things that made John great.

John serves as a model of humility and true servanthood. John is a great man, yet a man of humility. He grasps his role in life, his calling and ministry, and devotes himself to carrying it out. He does not agonize that he cannot be more prominent. He rejoices in exalting the Savior and does not seek to further his own interests.

When the Apostle Paul writes to the Philippians, he speaks of sending his “son” Timothy to them before he visits. It is sadly true that then, as now, there are few men like Timothy, or John:

19 Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you quickly, so that I too may be encouraged by hearing news about you. 20 For there is no one here quite like him who cares so genuinely for you. 21 Others are busy with their own concerns, not the Lord’s. 22 But you know his qualifications, that like a son working with his father, he served with me in advancing the gospel (Philippians 2:19-22).

The norm is for men to “seek their own concerns,” rather than the things of God, or others. Timothy is rare in this regard, and so is John. John refuses to feather his own nest at the expense of the gospel. Even when he does not know for certain who the “coming One” is, he still exalts Him above himself.

Those who “seek their own” are many, and examples of such are easily found. Satan is the chief self-seeker (see Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:11-17). When he tempts men, he tempts them to seek their own interests, as we see in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). He even attempts the same strategy with our Lord in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-12). The scribes and Pharisees who opposed Jesus did so out of a desire to protect their own interests. In the Gospels, it is easy to find the disciples individually seeking their own interests, oblivious to our Lord’s resolve to die for sinners on the cross of Calvary. Later, Paul warned of church leaders who would get caught up with gaining a personal following:

28 Watch out for yourselves and for all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son. 29 I know that after I am gone fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Even from among your own group men will arise, teaching perversions of the truth to draw the disciples away after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you with tears (Acts 20:28-31, emphasis mine).

John the Baptist is to Jesus in this Gospel what Barnabas is to Paul in the Book of Acts.[65] Both these men have their time of prominence and visibility. Both prepare the way for the one who comes after them, who surpasses them. Perhaps it is best to say that John is most like his Master, the Lord Jesus, who is the model for all who would serve others in humility:

1 If there is any comfort in your relationship with Christ, any consolation in love, if any fellowship in the Spirit, and any affection and mercy, 2 complete my joy by being in agreement, having the same love, being harmonious and mutually committed to unity. 3 Instead of doing things for selfish ambition or personal vanity, each of you should be characterized by humility and treat the other person as more important than yourself. 4 Rather than taking care of only yourself, look out for the welfare of others as well. 5 The attitude Christ Jesus had, you should have toward one another, 6 who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing human nature. 8 He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross (Philippians 2:1-8).

In a day when individualism, competition and success are the guiding principles for life, for work, and even for Christian ministry, we would do well to reflect on the spirit of humility so evident in the life of John the Baptist.

John the Baptist is a man who boldly proclaims the truth of the Gospel. John is marked by humility, but this does not prevent him from preaching with boldness. John’s message is not watered down to please his audience. He speaks against sin, whether it be that of tax-gatherers or soldiers or even Herod himself. He clearly identifies sin, condemns it, and calls for repentance. This boldness is not a contradiction to his humility, but a manifestation of it. He is inferior and subordinate to his Lord, the Messiah. He was called of God to proclaim the message he was given. He would do no less than proclaim that message with boldness and clarity. No doubt this played a part in the powerful impact of that message on those who heard it. There are those today, as there have always been, who water down the gospel, and leave out the hard words which define and condemn sin, and which call for repentance. Those who do so think they are doing the gospel a favor by making the message more appealing. In fact, they are emasculating it. Let us not seek to dilute the truth of God’s word as we proclaim it to men.

1 When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come with superior eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed the testimony of God. 2 For I decided to be concerned about nothing among you except Jesus Christ, as one who had been crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. 4 My conversation and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not be based on human wisdom but on the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).

For we are not like so many others, hucksters who peddle the word of God for profit; but we are speaking in Christ before God as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God (2 Corinthians 2:17).

1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, just as God has shown us mercy, we do not become discouraged. 2 But we have rejected shameful hidden deeds, not behaving with deceptiveness or distorting the word of God, but by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience before God. 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing, 4 among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said “Let light shine out of darkness,” is the one who shined in our hearts to give us the light of the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:1-6).

1 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom, 2 preach the message, be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient, reprove, rebuke, exhort with complete patience and teaching. 3 For there will be a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. Instead following their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves, because they have a craven curiosity to hear new things. 4 And they will turn away from hearing the truth, but on the other hand they will turn aside to myths. 5 You, however, be self-controlled in all things, suffer hardship, do an evangelist’s work, fulfill your ministry (2 Timothy 4:1-5).

John the Baptist does not assume that just because a person is religious (even a leader) they are righteous. John does not assume that a devoutly religious person is exempt from the preaching of the gospel and the need for repentance and forgiveness of sins. Some of John’s strongest words are addressed to those who are convinced they will be sitting on the 50-yard line in the kingdom of God (see Luke 3:7ff.). Neither the liberal (but powerful) Sadducees, nor the conservative and strict Pharisees were exempt from John’s rebuke (Matthew 3:7). John, like the Lord Jesus whom he served, recognized hypocrisy when he saw it. Both had the harshest words for “religious” hypocrites. Being religious does not get anyone into heaven. Feeling religious is just what Satan wants for you, so that you can rush on to your destruction, all the while supposing that God is pleased with you and your religion. As John said to them, the day of judgment is rapidly approaching (Matthew 3:7-12).

John has much to teach us about witnessing. The Gospel of John speaks of John the Baptist, not as a baptizer, but as a witness. He is a witness whose testimony was faithful and powerful. We can learn both from his message and from his method. John always exalts the Messiah, keeping the spotlight on Him. He avoids drawing attention to himself or even talking about himself. He continually brings the conversation back to Jesus and to what men must do to be saved. While I would not wish to belittle the value of a personal testimony (after all, Paul’s personal testimony is given three times in the Book of Acts), John’s ministry warns us that we must beware not to let ourselves become too prominent, so that the Lord Jesus receives only an “honorable mention” while we get the “first prize.” John always keeps the focus on Christ.

John is an example of a man of faith, the kind of person every Christian should be. Faith believes in what God has promised, rather than in what we now see. Faith lives in the present, in light of the future God has told us is certain. Faith is willing to suffer now in order to enter into God’s glory for all eternity. John spends a good deal of his time in public ministry speaking about a person whose identity he does not know for certain. He speaks a great deal about a Person who is going to come, who is even then present, but not identified, trusting that God will reveal Him. This is faith. And this is the very same kind of faith each of us is called to exercise. Faith is what Hebrews 11 is all about—and faith is what the Christian life is all about as well.

16 Therefore we do not despair, but even if our physical body is wearing away, our inner person is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary light suffering is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. … 5:7 for we live by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 4:16-18; 5:7).

John is an example of true spirituality. I wish to be very careful how I say this, but I believe the Apostle John represents John the Baptist as a spiritual (shall we say “Spirit-filled”) man of God. We know that the Holy Spirit came upon him while he was still in the womb. We can see many evidences of the fruit of the Spirit in his life. But this is also the man who never performed a miracle. His spirituality was not evidenced by unusual phenomenon, by signs and wonders and healings, because there were none (see John 10:41). His spirituality was evidenced by his faith, his integrity, his humility, and his message. Let us be careful about the kinds of things we look for as proof of piety.

By example, John teaches us a lesson about knowing the will of God. Specifically, I am referring to the “will of God” as to the identify of the Messiah. John had been instructed by God to proclaim the message of the coming of Messiah. John was given the privilege of identifying the One who was the Messiah. But for much of his ministry John did not know who this person was. The way John learned the identity of the Messiah was by going about his “job” (his work) faithfully, and in the course of doing his job, God revealed to him that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Some are tempted to give up the normal routines and duties of life in order to find God’s will. Such was not the case with John. He discerned God’s will by doing the will of God he already knew—preaching his message of the coming of Messiah and of divine judgment, calling men to repent in preparation for His coming, and baptizing.

May God grant that we become more like John the Baptist, living obediently and expectantly, proclaiming to men that the Savior is coming, and urging them to repent of their sins, knowing that a day of judgment is coming. With the identification of Jesus as the promised Messiah, John’s message then focused upon Jesus as the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” Have you trusted in God’s Lamb? Jesus was God’s full and final sacrifice for sin. To trust in His sacrificial death for your sins is to enter into eternal life. I pray that if you have not yet trusted in what Jesus Christ has done on your behalf you will do so today.


! Lesson 4:
The First Disciples
(John 1:35-51)

Introduction

Like many, my wife and I were first brought together by a relative. Jeannette, my wife-to-be, was a college student in Seattle while I still lived at home with my parents. My sister Ruth lived on the same dorm floor as Jeannette, and they became friends. When my sister married David Harrison (whom I had been trying to set up with Jeannette), the wedding was held in Shelton where I lived, and Jeannette had a part in the marriage ceremony. A year or two later Jeannette and I became good friends when we both held a leadership position in our college class at church. I actually borrowed Jeannette’s car to take “Nancy” out on a date. Eventually it became apparent to Jeannette and to me that we were to be much more than “friends,” though never less. Thanks to my sister Ruth, Jeannette and I began a life-long relationship.

Relationships often commence with the help of a friend or relative, and when such a relationship begins, one has no idea where it may lead. This was certainly true of my relationship with Jeannette. I got much more than I bargained for, and even got the best of the bargain! This was also true for the disciples of Jesus, the earliest of whom were brought to Him by a friend or relative.

The disciples of our Lord play a very significant role in the New Testament. Each of the three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke)[66] has two “callings.” The first “calling”[67] is preliminary, which comes very early in our Lord’s ministry and does not seem to be permanent. At this time only two sets of brothers are called: James and John, the sons of Zebedee, and Simon and Andrew. In Matthew and Mark, the calling of the four fishermen is more briefly described.

A more expanded account of the first calling is found in Luke chapter 5, which goes a long way in explaining the terse accounts of Matthew and Mark. Jesus came to the Lake of Gennesaret,[68] where He began to teach the multitude gathered to hear Him. Two boats were nearby, one belonging to James and John, and the other to Peter and Andrew. Jesus got into Peter’s boat and asked him to push off from shore so that He could teach those on the shore more easily. After Jesus finished teaching, He instructed Peter to set out into deeper water and let down the net for a catch. He didn’t suggest that they try to catch fish, but spoke of it as a certainty. Peter and his partners had been up all night fishing, with no success. If there was one thing in which Peter felt he was an expert, it was fishing. He let Jesus know this was not his idea of a great plan, but he did as Jesus instructed. When they reached deep water and drew the net in, it was filled. Peter had to call to James and John for help. They brought their boat alongside, and both boats were so full of fish they began to sink. Peter suddenly realized that Jesus was far greater than he had supposed, and he fell before Him. Peter told Him to depart from him because he was a sinful man. Immediately following this, Jesus challenges these men to follow Him, because from now on they “will be catching people” (Luke 5:10). Luke then tells us that they beached their boats and left everything to follow Jesus. John does not even mention this first “calling.”

We know that it was not until the second “calling” that Jesus appointed the twelve to be His disciples. This later calling is recorded in the Synoptic Gospels,[69] but it is not found in the Gospel of John. In fact, there is no “calling” of disciples in John except for the “calling” of Philip[70] found in our text. There is not even a listing of the names of the twelve disciples in John’s Gospel. There are only four references to “the twelve,” three found in the same chapter (John 6:67, 70, 71), and the final one found in chapter 20, verse 24. In John, the most extensive listing of our Lord’s disciples is found in the final chapter: “After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberius. Now this is how he revealed himself. Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael (who was from Cana in Galilee), the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples of his were together” (John 21:1-2).

Here, three disciples are named: Simon Peter, Thomas, and Nathanael. James and John are referred to indirectly as the “sons of Zebedee,” and two other disciples are mentioned as present but not identified. There is no mention of James by name in John’s Gospel, no mention of the inner three (Peter, James, and John). The closing verses of chapter 1 are the only description of how Jesus obtained any of His disciples. From chapter 2 on, we read of “Jesus and His disciples” (2:2), or just “His disciples.” Let us look, then, at these verses which describe how Jesus obtained some of His disciples.

Jesus and the Two Disciples of John
(1:35-39)

35 Again the next day John was standing there with two of his disciples. 36 Looking at Jesus as he walked by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When his two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned around and saw them following and said to them, “What do you want?” So they said to him, “Rabbi” (which is translated Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 Jesus said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. Now it was about four o’clock in the afternoon (John 1:35-39).

One day we find John speaking of Messiah as One who is somewhere in Israel, among His people but not yet recognized (1:26-27, 30-31), and the next day he is proclaiming Jesus as the promised Messiah (1:29-30). The identity of Jesus as the Messiah is revealed to John at the Lord’s baptism (1:31-34). Immediately, John begins to declare that Jesus is the One of whom he has been speaking. Shortly afterward, the Lord walks by John and two of his disciples. As Jesus walks away, John tells his two disciples that Jesus is the “Lamb of God” (verse 35). These disciples leave John’s side and set out after Jesus. As they begin to draw near to Jesus, He turns around, and seeing that they are following Him, asks, “What do you seek?

Jesus does not ask them, “Whom do you seek?” but “What do you seek?” This is not an unfriendly question, intended to put them off. Rather the question seems designed to encourage them to verbalize what they want from Him and to crystallize just what they are doing. These two men may be caught off guard by the question because they respond, “Rabbi, where are You staying?” I must confess I initially was inclined to think this was a rather stupid response, the kind I have given when caught off guard and I cannot think of the right thing to say. Their answer may be more thoughtful than I first suspected. They may be politely asking Jesus to be His disciples.

Our Lord’s answer is encouraging: “Come and see” (verse 39). It is a very different answer than the one Jesus gave to another volunteer: “As they were walking along the road, someone said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head’” (Luke 9:57-58).

If being a disciple literally means following one’s master, then one would stay with that master. Jesus telling this “would be” volunteer that there was nowhere to stay may have been a polite way for our Lord to decline the offer to become His disciple. When Jesus encourages John’s two disciples to come and see where He is staying, He seems to be inviting them to follow Him as His disciples. Thus, some students of Scripture understand that these two men, who encounter Jesus at 4:00 p.m., spend the night at His house.[71]

Andrew Brings Simon to Jesus
(1:40-42)

40 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two disciples who heard what John said and followed Jesus. 41 He found first[72] his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Christ). 42 Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, the son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

We know from verse 40 that Andrew, Simon’s brother, was one of the two disciples who followed Jesus home. I assume, with many others, that the Apostle John was the other man who left John the Baptist to follow Jesus. Andrew wasted no time finding his brother Simon and telling him, “We have found the Messiah” (verse 41). The term Messiah is a transliteration of the Hebrew term, meaning “anointed.” In each case, this Hebrew term is translated CristoV (“Christos”) in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint). Priests (Exodus 28:41; 40:15; etc.), prophets (1 Kings 19:16) and kings (1 Samuel 9:16; 16:3; 2 Samuel 12:7) were anointed with oil to consecrate them for their office and duties. Among all the “anointed ones” of the Old Testament, one figure stands apart and above the rest: “You love righteousness and hate wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions” (Psalm 45:7; see also 2:2, NKJV).

In the Old Testament, this (“Christos,” “the Christ”) term became one of the names by which the promised Savior (Daniel 9:25-26) was known. Only twice is the term “Messiah” found in the New Testament, and both times it is in the Gospel of John:

He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Christ) (John 1:41).

The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (the one called Christ). Whenever he comes, he will tell us everything” (John 4:25).

Most of the time the expected Messiah (to use the transliteration of the Hebrew term for “the Anointed One”) is called “the Christ.” This expression occurs 56 times in the New Testament, 17 of which are in John’s Gospel.[73] John’s purpose in writing this Gospel is to convince his readers that Jesus of Nazareth is “the Christ”: “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31, emphasis mine).

Now when Andrew comes to his brother Peter, he informs him that they have found “the Messiah,”
 “the Christ.” Andrew is certainly right in what he says, but he is saying far more than he realizes at this point in his life. He is right in concluding that Jesus is “the Messiah.” What he and all the other disciples need to learn is what it means to be “the Messiah.” Their understanding of this is limited, and at times distorted. So it is that when Peter makes his “great confession” that Jesus is “the Christ” (Matthew 16:16), he almost immediately thereafter rebukes “the Christ” for talking about His imminent suffering and death on the cross of Calvary (Matthew 16:21-23).

Peter accompanies Andrew and they make their way to Jesus. When our Lord looks upon Peter, He gives him a new name: Cephas, the Aramaic equivalent to Petros (Peter), meaning “rock.” It is interesting that Jesus does not “call” Peter here, nor does Peter volunteer (though John may simply have chosen to omit such details). Instead, Jesus renames Simon, calling him Peter, “the Rock.” Giving a name to someone implies much in the Bible. Adam named the animals God created, reflecting the fact that God had appointed him to “rule” over His creation. God renamed a number of people, including Abram (to Abraham), Sarai (to Sarah), and Jacob (to Israel). In each case, it reflects God’s sovereignty in that He is going to change the destiny of the one whose name He has changed.[74] Simon is far from a “rock” when Jesus first meets him. He begins to evidence some rock-like traits at the “great confession” (Matthew 16:15-19), but not until after the resurrection of our Lord and Pentecost does Peter truly become a “rock.” I do not believe our Lord saw “rock” tendencies or potential in Simon; I believe our Lord purposed to make a rock of Simon, and that He did. There is nothing “rockie” in this “rookie”; it is our Lord who makes a rock of this man. His naming of Simon is therefore prophetic.[75]

In the Synoptic Gospels, we are never told how or when Simon was given the name Peter. We are only told that his name was Peter. Throughout these Gospels, he is either called Simon, or Peter, or Simon Peter. Our text alone supplies us with the story of how Peter got his name. Once again, we see the unique contribution of the Book of John to the canon of Scripture.

The Calling of Philip
and the Confession of Nathanael
(1:43-51)

43 On the next day Jesus[76] wanted to depart for Galilee. He[77] found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida,[78] the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also wrote about—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”[79] 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip replied, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, “Look, a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus said to him, “Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 He continued, “I tell you the solemn truth: you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”[80]

When Jesus reaches Galilee, He first encounters Philip and calls him as a disciple.[81] It is interesting that our Lord makes this invitation to Philip alone in this Gospel. In the Synoptic Gospels, there are other callings to discipleship, as we have indicated. But in the Gospel of John, only Philip is invited to “follow” Jesus, and that is here in our text. This is most interesting since Philip does not appear to be the kind of person who would be distinguished in this way by our Lord.

In the Synoptic Gospels, Philip is included once in each Gospel, and this is when the twelve men Jesus appoints as His disciples are named. Nothing else is said of him as an individual in the Synoptics. If asked what kind of person Philip was, based upon the Synoptics, we would not know. Philip’s name appears 12 times in the Gospel of John, and several incidents are depicted which tell us something about him:

4 (Now the Jewish feast of the Passover was near.) 5 Then Jesus, when he looked up and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread so that these people may eat?” 6 (Now Jesus said this to test him, for he knew what he was going to do.) 7 Philip replied, “Two hundred silver coins worth of bread would not be enough for them, for each one to get a little” (John 6:4-7).

20 Now some Greeks were among those who had gone up to worship at the feast. 21 So these approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew, and they both went and told Jesus. 23 Jesus replied, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (John 12:20-23).

6 Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you have known me, you will know my Father too. And from now on you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be content.” 9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you for so long, and you have not known me, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father! How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak from my own authority, but the Father residing in me performs his miraculous deeds. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me; but if you do not believe me, believe because of the miraculous deeds themselves” (John 14:6-11).

I find myself chuckling when I read Leon Morris’s tongue-in-cheek comment that in these texts Philip seems “a little out of his depth.”[82] Philip does not appear to be the one who would have been voted “most likely to succeed” by his graduating class. He may have lacked the confidence and initiative to assert himself in following Christ without invitation. The calling of Philip may well be an illustration of a principle often demonstrated in the Bible, but spelled out most clearly by the Apostle Paul:

26 Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were members of the upper class. 27 But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, 29 so that no one can boast in his presence. 30 He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).

When all is said and done, let us remember that Philip is a man who became, at our Lord’s invitation, one of the privileged few to follow Jesus as one of the twelve. He is also a man who, regardless of his limitations, brought others to the Savior, as we are about to see for ourselves.

Next is Nathanael, who is a most interesting character. His name is found only in the Gospel of John, five times in chapter 1 and once in chapter 21. He is never mentioned in the other Gospels or anywhere else in the New Testament. There are good reasons for supposing that Nathanael is “Bartholomew” in the Synoptic Gospels.[83] Nathanael comes across quite differently in John than Philip. If Philip is a man who seems “out of his depth,” Nathanael appears to be a man of great spiritual depth, greater than the others.

Philip is the one who introduces Nathanael to Jesus: “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also wrote about—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (verse 45). Philip portrays Jesus as the fulfillment of all the prophecies pertaining to Messiah, beginning with Moses and concluding with the prophets. He is, of course, absolutely right. I am reminded of these words at the end of Luke’s Gospel:

25 So he said to them, “You foolish people, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Wasn’t it necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things written about himself in all the scriptures (Luke 24:25-27).

One thing Nathanael hears bothers him a great deal. It is not that Jesus is “the son of Joseph,” but that He is “Jesus of Nazareth.” We know that, in Jesus’ time as in our own, there is prejudice about certain places. In the United States, there are still feelings between those of the North and those of the South. There are certain attitudes toward people who live in the Ozarks or in Appalachia. There is the assumption that great people come from certain areas, while those in other areas are somehow inferior. This may be subtle, but such “geographical” prejudice exists.

Galilee seems to have been “the Ozarks” of Jesus’ day, so that being called a Galilean appears to be no compliment (see Mark 14:69-70). For our Lord to be known as a Nazarene (one from Nazareth, a city of Galilee) does not seem to be a compliment either. For Nathanael, at least, coming from Nazareth is not in Jesus’ favor, so far as any claim to being Messiah is concerned. The Apostle John has included these words for a very good reason, and that is to show that Nathanael is skeptical about Jesus. From what little he knows of Him, Nathanael is not predisposed to accept Him as the Messiah. Thus, the radical change of mind we see in these few verses is further indication of the compelling weight of the evidence that causes Nathanael to confess Jesus as Messiah. John obviously saves the best for last in that Nathanael’s confession is the most thorough and complete: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel!” (verse 49). Let us now consider just what it is that so quickly and thoroughly changes Nathanael’s mind.

To set the scene, we must go all the way back to the Old Testament Book of Genesis and read the following incident in the life of Jacob, whom God renamed “Israel”:

10 Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. 12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: “I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. 14 Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” (Genesis 28:10-17, NKJV)

Jacob was a schemer and a deceiver. He managed to take advantage of his older brother and his father, depriving Esau of his birthright (Genesis 25) and Isaac and Esau of a blessing (Genesis 27). He fled from Canaan, and especially from Esau on the (partially true) pretext that he was seeking a wife among his relatives in Paddan-aram. On his way to Paddan-aram, Jacob spent the night under the stars. During the night, he had a dream in which he saw a ladder extending from the earth into heaven. On this ladder, angels were ascending and descending. God then spoke to Jacob, reiterating the covenant He had made with Jacob’s forefathers, Abraham and Isaac. God promised to make a great nation of Jacob and also to bring him safely back to this land which he was leaving.

In the morning when Jacob awoke, he vividly recalled the dream he had during the night. His response is most interesting in terms of what elements of the dream he perceived to be important and impressive. Jacob’s mind fixed upon the place where this dream was given (Genesis 28:16-17). He was awe struck that God was in that place, and yet he did not know it (until after his dream). He fixed upon that place as the place of God’s presence and dwelling, as the place where heaven and earth, God and man meet. In Jacob’s words, it was the gateway to heaven.

This dream had a very direct bearing on Jacob because it was a reiteration of the Abrahamic Covenant, only this time it was Jacob through whom these blessings would be bestowed. Perhaps of more importance to Jacob (at that point in time), it provided a very real incentive for Jacob to return to Israel. How easy it would have been for Jacob to flee to Paddan-aram and never return to the promised land. Jacob now realized not only that God had promised to bless him, but that ultimately He would bless him in this place. The land of Israel was, in some sense, the gateway to heaven, a special place where God and men could meet, where heaven and earth met as well. He may leave this holy place for a time, but he must return. So it was that Jacob vowed that if God protected and prospered him, he would return, and he would give God a tithe.

What does all of this have to do with our text in John, and with Nathanael trusting in Jesus as the promised Messiah? It has a great deal to do with it! I base this upon the words our Lord speaks to Nathanael in verses 47-51, especially in verse 51: “I tell you the solemn truth: you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” These words can be nothing other than an allusion to the story we have just read in Genesis 28. Let me suggest how things may have happened. Although they may very well not have happened exactly this way, they may have happened in a similar fashion.

We do know for certain that when (or just before) Philip found Nathanael, he was “under the fig tree” (verse 48). Some suppose this was the place where Nathanael, like other Israelites, went to meditate and pray:

The fig tree was almost a symbol of home (cf. Isa. 36:16; Mic. 4:4; Zech. 3:10). Its shade was certainly at a later time used as a place for prayer and meditation and study, and there is no reason for thinking that the practice does not go back as far as this. It seems probable that Nathanael had had some outstanding experience of communion with God in the privacy of his own home, and that it is this to which Jesus refers. Whatever it was, Nathanael was able to recognize the allusion.[84]

I am inclined to think that Nathanael had been reading and meditating about Jacob, and this text in Genesis in particular, under the fig tree (not unlike the way the Ethiopian eunuch had been reading in Isaiah, just before Philip drew near to him—Acts 8:26-40). Jacob was a man in whom there was much deceit. Most of his life he schemed and manipulated to get ahead at the expense of others. Jacob was also the first “Israelite,” in that God would soon rename him “Israel” (Genesis 32:28). He was the first “Israelite, in whom there was much guile.”

After Philip finds Nathanael and tells him they have found the Messiah, the One who was promised in the Law of Moses and the Prophets, Nathanael makes his way to see this Jesus. As Nathanael approaches, Jesus speaks of him to others, so that he overhears these words: “Look, a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” These words stop Nathanael in his tracks. He has not yet met Jesus, nor even talked with him, and yet Jesus describes his heart and his character accurately. If Jesus had said this of me, I would respond “Who? Me?” But Nathanael accepts our Lord’s words as the truth, and so he responds, “How do You know me?” In other words, “How do you know that I am an Israelite without deceit?”

A couple of things should be said at this point. First, Jesus does not say, “Behold, an Israelite in whom there is no sin.” Nathanael is a sinner, like every other man (except our Lord). Second, if our Lord’s words are both true and complimentary with regard to Nathanael, they may not have been complimentary toward the Jews in general. Some races do have certain sinful tendencies (see Titus 1:12-13), and Jesus hints that deceit may be something found too often in Israelites. Third, our Lord’s words somehow accurately appraise the character of Nathanael, as though our Lord could look into his soul and evaluate him without even knowing him personally. This is what seems to impress Nathanael.

There is a fourth factor to be considered here as well. Our Lord’s words not only accurately appraise the character of Nathanael, they also seem to address the very things that Nathanael had been meditating upon under the fig tree, before he even met Jesus. Jesus “saw” Nathanael coming (verse 47), but before this, he “saw” Nathanael under the fig tree when he thought no one could (verse 48). To top it all off, Jesus addresses Nathanael in terms of the very text and subject he has been meditating upon. Was Jacob, the first Israelite, a schemer, a man full of deceit? Nathanael is a true Israelite, without deceit. He is a man who acts in a straightforward manner, without underhanded tactics.

I think John is saying even more here. Nathanael’s first impression of Jesus is wrong. He doubts that anything good can come from Nazareth. Nathanael has questioned Philip’s recommendation of Jesus, solely on the basis of his place of origin. Is it not interesting to note that the “place” was the thing that most impressed Jacob in the dream he had of the ladder? Jacob realized that this “place” was holy, that this was where God met men; it was the gateway to heaven. This, of course, was true, though it was not necessarily all of what God was trying to convey to Jacob.

All it takes to make Nathanael a believer in Jesus is for our Lord to look into his soul, to assess his true character, to tell him He saw him where he knew he had not been seen, and to reveal to him the very subject and text he has been meditating upon. Nathanael enthusiastically responds, “You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.” As if this were not enough, Jesus goes on. Is Nathanael impressed by this? This is only the tip of the iceberg, the firstfruits of greater things to come. Nathanael will see much greater things than these.

Jesus introduces His next, climactic statement to Nathanael with the words, “I tell you the solemn truth …” (literally, “truly, truly,” verse 51). These are words of great importance, which need to be heard with care and attention. The term “verily” or “truly” is literally the Greek word that is a transliteration of the Hebrew “amen.” What is fascinating here is that Jesus is going to take this term and give it a unique and specialized meaning. He is going to modify its meaning. Morris says it best:

“Verily” is not a translation of a Greek word, but the transliteration of an Aramaic (or Hebrew) word, namely Amen. It is the participle of a verb meaning ‘to confirm,’ and it was used to give one’s assent. For example, it was (and still is) the response of the congregation to a prayer uttered by him who leads their worship. In this way they make it their own (1 Cor. 14:16). Very occasionally it is the conclusion to one’s own prayer (e.g. Tobit 8:7f.), when it has the nature of a wish. But this use is rare. Characteristically it is one’s assent to words uttered by another. In the Gospels it is used only by Jesus, and always as a prefix to significant statements. Presumably this is to mark them out as solemn and true and important. This use of Amen to introduce one’s own words appears to be Jesus’ own, no real Jewish parallel being adduced.[85]

Does Nathanael, somewhat like Jacob, have an attachment to a particular place? Does Nathanael think God will only meet with men at a certain place? There is a certain element of truth in this, especially in Israel’s past. But from now on, the issue is not the place, but the person.[86] Does Jacob fix his attention on the land upon which the ladder into heaven was placed? That is fine. But Jesus wants Nathanael to know that in time he will see that He is Himself the ladder. It is by means of Jesus Christ, Israel’s Messiah, that there is access to heaven from earth. It is through Jesus Christ, God’s only Mediator, that men may enter into a relationship with God and find their way to heaven. It is as though our Lord is saying, “Don’t look at the ground, on which the ladder is placed; look at the ladder. I am that ladder. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father, but by Me.”

Conclusion

Our text teaches us much about the subject of discipleship. When our Lord came to the earth, He came in human flesh. He came to live among men, and in particular to associate Himself closely with a few men. The Marines would like us to say, “He associated Himself with ‘A few good men.’” This is not really the case; although there were a few men, they were not all what we would call good men. They were not all top caliber men, the kind of men who would succeed at anything to which they set their hand. The first four men Jesus calls in the Synoptics are fishermen, and the Apostle John is one of those men. Simon is destined to become “the rock,” but this is not due to any qualities that lie dormant and untapped within him, which association with our Lord quickens and develops. While Peter becomes a “rock,” it is largely in spite of what is in him. It is the result of what God does in and through him.

Philip does not seem to be such a great “catch,” either, from what we see of him in the Book of John. Maybe he was “out of his depth.” Do you not feel out of your depth when you attempt to witness, when you attempt to carry out the commands of Christ, when you endeavor to love your enemy? Our Lord chose the “weak things” of this world to be His disciples, so that it would be very clear that He is the source of their later success (see Acts 4:13; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31). But there is another sense in which He simply chose men sovereignly, in spite of their weaknesses and flaws, in order to bestow His love and mercy upon them.

This text and others that speak of the “calling” of the twelve should challenge our belief that Jesus chose these men to be His disciples because of what they could and would do for His kingdom. I hear this said all too often: “If so and so were to be saved, just think of what he (or she) could do for the cause of Christ?” Among the twelve Jesus chose, three of these men were Peter, James, and John. These men were all included in the “inner circle” of three of our Lord’s disciples. James and John were brothers. They had the same background, the same experiences in following our Lord. And yet James was the first to die, and John was the last. Did Jesus choose James to be one of the twelve and one of the three because of the contribution he would make? It does not seem so.[87] Jesus may have chosen James to be one of the inner three solely to grant him the privilege of intimate fellowship with Himself. If Jesus chose the twelve because of what they would do for the kingdom, why is it that we see so little of most of the twelve in the Book of Acts? Why do men like Stephen and Philip (and others not even named; cf. Acts 11:20-21) play such a prominent role in the expansion of the church? God’s choice of the twelve was His sovereign choice, as He has always chosen those to enter into fellowship with Himself. There is no room for boasting here.

I would have predicted that Nathanael would be the one Jesus chose to become “the rock,” instead of Peter. Nathanael seems to be the “most spiritual” of those who followed Jesus in this chapter of John, and yet in the rest of the New Testament we never hear of any significant ministry or contribution from him (or from Bartholomew, who may be the same man). I think we may be forced to rethink some of our pre-conceived ideas about the twelve disciples of our Lord, and perhaps even the inner three (Peter, James, John). From my experience in church leadership, there has always been the popular misconception that leadership is dealt out on the basis of spirituality—the higher one gets in Christian leadership, the more spiritual he must be.[88]

If one reads through the Gospels, it seems fairly clear that a number of the women associated with Jesus had much greater spiritual insight into our Lord and His ministry than did the men who followed Him. There are certain spiritual qualifications for elders which should be met by any elder, but I would not wish to say that the elders are (as proven by the fact that they are elders) the most spiritual people in the church. To broaden this discussion to an important area in the church today, one of the errors prevalent in the early church (specifically in the church at Corinth) was the misconception that certain spiritual gifts were proof of greater spirituality on the part of those who possessed them. I do not believe it can be shown that the disciples were chosen because they were more spiritual than others.

Instead of thinking of the qualities these disciples possessed, perhaps we should think of their deficiencies. Maybe a factor in their calling was simply mercy. Have you ever watched a litter of pups when you were trying to choose one of them to be your own? Do you recall seeing the “runt” of the litter, smaller, perhaps bullied by the others, timid, maybe even cowering? Did you desire to grab that little pup and bestow special love and affection on it, because of all it lacked? I think there is an element of this in our Lord’s choice of men, not only to be His disciples, but of those whom He chooses to save.

When our Lord chose to draw these men to Himself, there were no surprises. He knew precisely who He was choosing. If I were Simon Peter, I would have been greatly relieved that Jesus chose to disclose the innermost character of Nathanael, rather than mine. He would not have said of me, “Behold, a man in whom there is no guile.” I don’t think I would want to hear what He would say about what was in me. I am certain that I would not want you to hear what He said about my character and qualities. But then, I don’t think you would want me to hear what He had to say about you, either.

Over the years, I have watched many young couples “fall in love” and marry. Some fail to see their “beloved” as they really are. There are also those who seem to know their beloved well. And for some, when they marry all goes well—at least for a while. I don’t know how many times I have witnessed a radical change in the character of one or both marriage partners, so that they appear to have become an entirely different person. Sometimes this is the result of some stress or tragedy, sometimes not. All of a sudden, the one marriage partner begins to feel as though they are married to a stranger, a person they did not know when they first met and decided to marry. It is tragic, and it happens more than we would like to admit.

Jesus is never surprised about those whom He chooses to save and to follow Him. He knew what He was getting in Simon (Peter), because He knew what Simon was, and because He knew what He was going to accomplish in and through Simon. He knew what was in Philip and Nathanael, James and John. He knows what is in us when He saves us. He also knows what He will do in and through us, by His grace and power. God is never surprised, because He knows all. He knows our character and our weaknesses and strengths. Most of all, He knows what He has purposed to achieve in us, and He will achieve it: “For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

How easily we could convince ourselves that the addition of these disciples as Jesus’ followers in our text has little or nothing to do with us. After all, these were the disciples. Eleven of them were to become the apostles of our Lord, the foundation of the church. So they were. But first and foremost, they were chosen to believe in Jesus as the Messiah, then to follow Him and be with Him. Eventually, some of them would do great things for Him. But most of all, they were to simply follow Him.

It is no different for men today. Jesus calls us first to believe in Him as the Son of God, the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. But He also calls us to follow Him, to be with Him, to have fellowship and communion with Him. John seems to have most enjoyed this fellowship with our Lord. He seems to be the one “leaning on Jesus breast” at the Last Supper. He seems to be the one who sticks close, even when our Lord is arrested and put on trial, and hung from the cross. This is what our Lord invites each of us to do, to draw near in intimate fellowship with Him. What a privilege is ours to be His disciples! To be His disciple, you must first believe in Him as the Messiah, God’s only means of saving lost sinners. He is the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” He is the One who died in the sinner’s place on the cross of Calvary, and the One who was raised from the dead. He bore the penalty for our sins, and He provides the righteousness we lack, which God requires for anyone to enter into His heaven. We must believe in Him to become His sons and to enter into His kingdom. It is not only our privilege to trust in Him, but our privilege to follow Him as His disciples, walking daily with Him in intimate fellowship. I pray that you have believed in Him, and that you are now His disciple, walking in fellowship with Him.


! Lesson 5:
The First Sign:
Jesus Turns Water Into Wine
(John 2:1-11)

Introduction

My wife and I know what it is like to get married on a limited budget. When we became engaged, Jeannette and I both contributed to the purchase of her engagement ring. When we got married, we had to stop and cash one of the checks given to us as a wedding gift in order to pay for our room that night. The second night of our honeymoon was spent on the living room couch of my former roommate’s parents’ house in Eastern Washington. If you think that’s bad, our third night was spent at a state park. Jeannette slept in one seat of the car, and I slept in the other. The next night was a little better; we stayed with Karl and Martha Lind, our friends in Portland, Oregon.

Some of you may remember the story I have told about staying in their son David’s room, since he had moved away from home. John, the older brother, still lived at home. We were awakened in the morning to the sound of a booming voice over the intercom announcing: “Breakfast will be served in the dining room in ten minutes!” The voice sounded so dignified, so formal, but I knew it was John. Before he could even take his finger off the intercom button, we heard a huge crash and the breaking of glass. It literally sounded as though every dish in the cupboard had fallen and broken on the floor. This thunderous crash was quickly followed by a bellowing voice that I knew was Karl’s: “John!”

Getting married on a limited budget is not easy. It was not easy when Jeannette and I married, and it may not have been easy for some of you. Neither does it seem to have been easy for this unnamed couple whose wedding Jesus, His mother, and His disciples attend in Cana of Galilee. The story of the wedding at Cana of Galilee is found only in John’s Gospel. It is on this occasion that our Lord performs His first demonstration of power. It is no mere miracle; it is a sign, a miracle with a message. Let us listen carefully to the words of this text to learn what the Spirit of God intends to teach us from this wedding miracle.

The Occasion
(2:1-5)

1 Now on the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee.[89] Jesus’ mother was there,[90] 2 and both Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no wine left.” 4 Jesus replied, “Woman, why are you saying this to me? My time has not yet come.” 5 His mother told the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.”

In the Old and New Testament worlds, weddings were happy, festive occasions just as they are today. The marriage ceremony was considerably longer, during which time there was feasting and celebration. Two passages in the Bible shed light on what may have taken place at this celebration in this second chapter of John. The first is the marriage of Jacob and Leah in Genesis chapter 29. Actually, Jacob thought he was marrying Rachel, the younger sister for whom he had labored seven years. Laban outdoes Jacob in deceit by switching brides. A lengthy celebration, a good quantity of wine, and a very dark tent seem to explain how Jacob could spend the night consummating his marriage with Leah rather than Rachel.

The second, and most instructive, wedding celebration is that of Samson in Judges 14. The marriage is never actually consummated, and in the end, this Philistine bride is given to Samson’s friend and perhaps even his best man (14:20). Samson finds this woman in Timnah and demands that his parents arrange for the marriage. On his way to the place, Samson is attacked by a young lion, which he tears apart with his bare hands. Samson says nothing of this to his anyone. Later on, when he is on his way to Timnah to be married, he comes across the lion’s carcass, in which a swarm of bees have created a honeycomb. Samson scoops out some honey, which he eats and shares with his parents, without telling them where it came from. During the week-long wedding celebration, Samson propounds a riddle to the Philistine young men who are guests at the feast. He promises to give them 30 linen wraps and 30 changes of clothes if they can solve this riddle within the seven days of the feast. The Philistine men cannot figure out the riddle, so they force Samson’s intended bride to extract the answer from Samson. When the young men solve the riddle and Samson learns how this was accomplished, he goes down to the Philistine city of Ashkelon and kills 30 Philistines, taking their clothing and giving it to the young men of Timnah. As a result of Samson’s revenge, the marriage is never consummated, and the woman is given to another man. This story provides insight for us into what takes place during the week-long wedding ceremony in our text.

Leon Morris supplies us with some additional background from the Jewish writings:

According to the Mishnah the wedding would take place on a Wednesday if the bride was a virgin and on a Thursday if she was a widow (Ket. 1:1). The bridegroom and his friends made their way in procession to the bride’s house. This was often done at night, when there could be a spectacular torchlight procession. There were doubtless speeches and expressions of goodwill before the bride and groom went in procession to the groom’s house, where the wedding banquet was held. It is probable that there was a religious ceremony, but we have no details. The processions and the feast are the principal items of which we have knowledge. The feast was prolonged, and might last as long as a week.[91]

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is at the wedding, although her role seems to be more than that of a guest. One gets the impression that the couple being married are either friends, or possibly related to Mary, and that she is helping with the arrangements, especially the serving of the food and wine. She seems to be one of the first to know that the wine is running out. She instructs the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to do, and they appear willing to take her instructions.

Jesus and His disciples are also at the wedding as invited guests. There seem to be only five disciples at this point: Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip, Nathanael, and John (if indeed he is the other disciple of John who follows Jesus). The fact that Mary, Jesus, and His disciples are all invited to this wedding suggests that this wedding is that of someone known to all of them, perhaps a friend or a relative. Well into the festivities, Jesus’ mother becomes aware of a most embarrassing situation—the wine has run out, and there appears to be no solution. Either no more wine is available, or there is no money to buy more wine. The guests seem unaware of what is happening. If something is not done, all will be embarrassed. Some commentators even inform us that litigation was possible in such cases.[92] (Can you imagine being sued for not providing enough food and drink at a marriage ceremony?)

Jesus’ mother seems to step in and take charge when she says to Jesus, “They have no wine left.” This is no mere report, as our Lord knows, and as John expects us to understand. Though not all perceive this to be so, I believe Mary informs Jesus with the hope that He might do something about the situation.[93] Of all those present, the mother of our Lord knows Jesus best. She knows better than anyone of the miraculous events surrounding His birth. She knows of John the Baptist’s miraculous birth as well, and of his ministry in which he has identified Jesus as the promised Messiah. Apparently Jesus has not yet performed a miracle, and we do not know for certain that she expects one. But from what she does know, it is certainly possible that she expects Jesus to do something out of the ordinary.

Mary may have considered this crisis providential. Perhaps she thinks it is time for Jesus to present Himself to the world as the Messiah.[94] John the Baptist has already designated Him as Messiah, and He already has a following of disciples. A well-timed miracle could be the means by which He declares His identity to the nation. At the same time, the newlyweds would greatly appreciate His providing a remedy to their problem! Mary is very careful not to tell Jesus what to do, but it seems clear that she hopes He will do something.

Jesus knows that His mother expects a response of some kind, and He gives her a response, though it is hardly what she expects. Yet, it is not an unkind response—it simply serves to set the record straight by redefining His relationship to Mary, His earthly mother. Jesus does not call her “Mary,” or “mother,” but “woman.” This is the same term Jesus will use when He speaks to her from the cross (John 19:26). Here, at the wedding, Jesus asks Mary the question, “Why are you saying this to Me?”[95]

Jesus is not employing a new or unique expression when He refers to His mother as “woman.” This expression is found a number of times in the Old Testament (Judges 11:12; 18:24; 2 Samuel 16:10; 19:23; 2 Kings 3:13; 2 Chronicles 35:21) and a few times in the New (see also Mark 5:7; Luke 8:28). The expression has a way of distancing two parties. For example, when the Ammonites come to do battle against Israel, Jephthah is recruited as Israel’s leader. He sends this word to the king of Ammon: “What do you have against me [literally, “What to me and to you …”], that you have come to fight against me in my land?” (Judges 11:12b, NKJV)

Jephthah’s expression, “What to me and to you?” is virtually identical in meaning (in the Hebrew text, and in form and meaning in the Greek translation of this text in the Septuagint) with the phrase employed by our Lord in our text in John. Jephthah asks the king of the Ammonites what the problem is between them. What problem pits you and I against each other? Jephthah is distancing himself from the king of Ammon in any way that will lead to war. He achieves this by pointing out to the king that they do not have enough issues between them to fight about.

In the New Testament Gospel of Mark, the demoniac speaks to Jesus on behalf of the demons possessing him, “What is there between me and you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you will not cause me anguish!” (Mark 5:7). It is the same Greek expression by which the demon tries to distance himself from Jesus. He begs Jesus not to trouble him, not to make his demonic existence more miserable. What differences do they have between them at this moment in time?

Jesus uses this same expression to ask Mary just what has caused her to think the problem she has identified is His problem as well as hers. As His mother, she might think she has some parental authority over Him. As her sovereign God, she has no authority over Him at all! This is what Jesus conveys with these words. It is almost as though Mary has said, “Jesus, they are out of wine. We really need to do something,” to which Jesus responds, “Ma’am, what do you mean ‘we’”?

This response reminds me of the shop-worn joke about the Lone Ranger and his faithful Indian companion, Tonto. The Lone Ranger and Tonto are surrounded by a tribe of Indians and greatly outnumbered. Turning to his companion, the Lone Ranger says, “Tonto, I think we’re in trouble.” Tonto looks back at the Lone Ranger and responds, “What do you mean, “we,” White man?”

In his Gospel, Luke makes the point that Jesus lived in submission to His parents as a child (2:51). We do not know at what point in time it happened, but it appears that Joseph died prior to our Lord’s adult years, since he is never mentioned after our Lord’s early years. Jesus honored His mother and lived in submission to her authority, but it is now time for our Lord to indicate to His mother that there will be a change. Not only is He a grown man about to set out on His own, He is the Messiah, who will some day establish His kingdom on the earth. He can no longer relate to Mary as He formerly has. He cannot allow His submission to His Father to be “overruled” by the requests of His earthly mother.

This wedding crisis provides Jesus with the opportunity to set a precedent which clearly indicates to His mother that He will not be instructed or influenced by her—as His mother. A new relationship between Jesus and His mother commences at the wedding in Cana. Catholics and Protestants strongly disagree on this matter. Catholic scholars, consistent with their exaggerated view of Mary’s importance, are convinced that she uses her influence on Jesus to get Him to do what He would not otherwise have done.[96] The text seems to tell us just the opposite. Jesus reminds her that she is just a woman, and that He, as God, cannot comply with her wishes if and when they are not in “His time.”

Our Lord neither abruptly nor arbitrarily turns His mother down. He does not say, “No,” and neither does He say, “Yes.” He simply reminds her of the change in their roles and relationships. He is no longer her “little boy,” obliged to do whatever she asks. He is the Messiah, who must obey His true Father. He is thus sensitive to the timing of His “debut.” Jesus informs His mother that it is not yet “His time.”[97] He refers here to “His time” as the time of His public debut as the promised Messiah—not His death on the cross of Calvary.[98]

Duly informed, Mary certainly is not offended, nor is she entirely put off by Jesus’ words. She simply turns to the servants and instructs them, “Whatever He tells you, do it.” She does not argue with Him, for He has made His point. She does not plead with Him. By her words, it seems that she leaves her request in His hands to deal with as He sees fit. He may not tell the servants to do anything. Yet, if He does tell them to do something—anything—they should obey, for then it is His good pleasure and done in His good time.

Water Into Wine
(2:6-11)

6 Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washing, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the water jars with water.” So they filled them up to the very top. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the head steward,” and they did. 9 When the head steward tasted the water that had been turned to wine, not knowing where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), he called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the cheaper wine when the guests have become drunk. You have kept the good wine until now!” 11 Jesus did this as the first of his miraculous signs, in Cana of Galilee. In this way he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

The Old Testament Law required various washings, but to the Pharisees and some others this was not enough:

1 Now the Pharisees and some of the experts in the law who came from Jerusalem gathered to him. 2 And they saw that some of Jesus’ disciples ate their bread with unclean hands, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they perform a ritual washing, holding on to the tradition of the elders. 4 And when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. They hold on to many other traditions: the washing of cups, pots, kettles and dining couches.) 5 The Pharisees and the experts in the law asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unwashed hands?” (Mark 7:1-5)

Consequently, a devoutly Jewish wedding ceremony might have required many ceremonial cleansings. To facilitate these washings, a substantial amount of water was kept on hand. Nearby, within sight of our Lord it would seem (but perhaps out of sight of the guests as they ate), are six large stone waterpots. Each pot has a capacity of between 20 and 30 gallons of water, a total of around 150 gallons.

Jesus instructs the servants to fill each of the six waterpots to the brim. We would have to agree that these stone waterpots would be heavy when empty, and even heavier yet when full (the weight of the water alone in a full pot would be about 200 pounds). It does not appear Jesus intended for the servants to carry these pots away, dump them, refill them, and then carry them back. They are far too heavy for this, especially when filled with water. I am inclined to think that at least some of these pots were partially filled at the time—the wine ran out, not the ceremonial cleansing water. The servants must have fetched water in smaller containers, and by this means eventually filled the large stone containers.

Up to this point I doubt that either the servants or Mary, or our Lord’s newly-acquired disciples have a clue as to what Jesus is about to do. When the six stone pots are filled, Jesus instructs the servants to draw out some of the “water” from one of the pots and to serve it to the master of the feast. Here is where Mary’s words to the servants are put to the test.

I am not sure we can understand just how difficult an assignment this was for these servants. It was one thing to fill the stone waterpots, which was probably a part of their responsibilities. But who would ever think of someone drinking this “water”? Imagine working for a caterer who is serving a very large group of people at a banquet. In the kitchen, one of the large “squares” (cooking pots) falls to the floor, and half of the gravy spills out onto the floor. One of the employees manages to scoop up most of the gravy from the floor, which he then pours into the serving pitchers. Would you let a waiter pour it on your potatoes if you knew where that “gravy” had been? I don’t think so.

Those of you who are campers have probably stayed in a remote campsite where the water comes from a well, but is not pure enough to drink. You look for signs there that clearly differentiate “potable” water from that which is not. You would not think of drinking water that is not entirely pure. You may wash your hands with it, but you would certainly not drink it. This ceremonial cleansing “water” may not have been considered suitable for drinking. Wine is to be drunk at such times. I doubt that any devout Jew would have considered drinking water from one of those six stone pots.

With this in mind one can better imagine what it must have been like for the servants when they finished filling the stone waterpots and returned to Jesus for further instructions. Not one of them could have ever imagined what Jesus would say next: “Now draw some out and take it to the head steward.” In absolute unbelief they must have thought, “I know Mary said to do whatever Jesus said, but surely He can’t be serious! We are to serve this “water” to the head steward? When he finds out it is only water, and not wine, he’ll have our jobs. And if he finds out where this water came from, we’re really in big trouble.”

No one could even remotely imagine what was about to happen. Jesus does not wave his arms over the waterpots, commanding the water to become wine. It appears that He never even touched the water or the pots. Jesus does not even tell them that the water has become wine, or that it is about to do so. As far as they know, Jesus is instructing them to serve water, ceremonial cleansing water, to the head steward no less! This is horrifying! To tell them more would have surpassed the limits of what their minds could conceive.

As far as we know, the servants immediately obey our Lord. We read of no hesitation, no words of protest. The servants draw out of the pots and begin to serve the wine, starting with the head steward. I wonder at what point the water turned to wine and changed color. (Or, what if it had been white wine and it did not change color at all? There would be no visual indication that the water had been transformed into wine.) The head steward has no idea where his drink has come from, but the servants know. The suspense of those moments between the time the head steward drinks the wine and the time he responds must have been sheer torture for the servants. The head steward sniffs the cup, and then sips. He then calls for the bridegroom—what is he about to say? The scenarios which played in the heads of the servants would make interesting reading.

With a smile, and perhaps a pat on the bridegroom’s back, the head steward proclaims this wine to be great—the best yet. The timing is a little unorthodox, he tells the bridegroom, but the wine is great. Usually, he notes, the trick is to save the inferior wine until last. When everyone has had their fill of wine, or more (literally “have become drunk”),[99] their taste will not be as discerning, and thus the inferior wine may not be detected. But this wine is the best yet! The bridegroom has outdone himself, saving the very best until last. What looks like certain shame has turned to sudden fame for the bridegroom and the head steward.

Conclusion

This miracle at Cana of Galilee has much to teach us today. Allow me to make some observations, and suggest some implications and applications for us today.

First of all, this is the first of our Lord’s miracles. John calls it “the beginning of signs” in verse 11. Liberal scholarship is unwilling to take the words of Scripture at face value. They do not believe this was a miracle at all. They explain the story this way: There was a wedding, and they were running out of wine. Jesus told the servants to serve water when the wine ran out. This was like a child’s make-believe tea party. To try to play down the embarrassing situation, the head steward tastes the water that is served in place of the wine and says (in good humor), “Good wine!” Then, someone else at the celebration catches the spirit of the moment and adds, “Yes, this is the best wine yet!” I prefer to take John’s account literally. This was a miracle. Jesus turned water—ceremonial cleansing water—into the best wine men ever drank.

Second, while this miracle appears to be an exercise of supernatural power that our Lord is reluctant to perform, but which He does because of His mother’s persistence, it is not. I believe it is correct to observe that, in the Gospels, our Lord is often not as eager to perform miracles as others are to have Him do so. He knows the limitation of such displays of power, as we shall see at the end of this chapter. Jesus’ reluctance is not a resistance to helping this couple in need, but a concern that His mother understand that their relationship has changed forever, and that therefore His calling is not to do her bidding, as though she has an inside track with God. He also is concerned that He fulfill His Father’s plan at the divinely appointed time, rather than in His mother’s time-frame. He knows it is not yet time for Him to make a public display of His power, by which He publicly presents Himself as the promised Messiah. Those today who are overly eager to see God perform miracles (some almost insist upon them) should consider this fact carefully. Jesus is not as eager to perform miracles as others are to see Him do so.

Third, this miracle was not a “necessity,” but rather a “luxury.” Stop and consider this fact for a moment. This miracle is not like some of the other miracles Jesus performed, where an individual has suffered for years, or a child’s life hangs in the balance. This is not an emergency situation which demands immediate and dramatic action on our Lord’s part.

Years ago, when our family visited our good friends in Canada, we received a phone call from the U.S. while we were out. We were told the call came from someone with a strong accent. Since there is no way for me to reflect sounds (especially accents) in print, if you can switch your mind to “Swedish mode,” you may be able to “hear” the conversation as I did. When I called our home, where a Swedish couple was staying in our absence, Schel answered. “Bob, we’ve had a tragedy here … Carmen is dead.” Carmen was our little poodle, and we liked her a lot. She had gotten outside and was run over by a passing car. We were sad, but this was not a tragedy. We did not feel obligated to cut our trip short and rush home for the “funeral.” Similarly, running out of wine was a problem, but it was not a tragedy. Jesus’ first miracle was the solution to a non-critical problem, though I am sure that in the newlywed couple’s minds, and perhaps in Mary’s, the problem was a little more crucial than my assessment of the situation. But a crisis it was not.

There is a lesson to be learned from this miracle. God is concerned with our “non-critical” problems. Prayer is not like calling 911. Some may have the idea that God is like the President of the United States—a person with many (too many) demands on His time, so that He cannot possibly respond to them all. They may think of God as sitting at a large heavenly desk with an array of telephones before him which are all ringing with “prayer requests,” and He is busy answering them all. Who are we to “bother” God with our problems? If this is our idea of God, we are wrong. God is all-powerful and all-knowing. He is never overtaxed by our calling upon Him for help.

He is also a compassionate and merciful Father, who cares about His children. God is never annoyed when we come to Him with our small problems. Continuing the analogy of “bothering” a busy President, God does not look upon our “calls” (prayers) to Him as interruptions, as if someone were calling the President for the time and temperature. We are God’s children. I can tell you that a President who loves his child will (or should) gladly suffer the interruption of something that greatly concerns his child when he or she interrupts their father.

I am greatly encouraged that our Lord’s first miracle is one that many would consider non-essential. Later in our Lord’s ministry, His disciples begin to act like our Lord’s “secret service,” shooing away little children and people whom they consider to be a bother to the Savior—and Jesus rebukes them for doing so. God cares about the little things in our lives. I am reminded of the story of the “lost ax head” in 2 Kings 6, where Elisha retrieves an ax head for one of the sons of the prophets. Many have tried to spiritualize this text to make it relevant. I believe it is very relevant: God cares about lost ax heads, and lost car keys and flat tires … God cares about the little things that affect His children.[100]

Fourth, this miracle is a lot like some of my jokes—most people in attendance just didn’t “get it.” It would seem that Jesus would want everyone to know what He was doing. He could have called for everyone’s attention, announcing to all that He was about to turn water into wine. He could have been much more dramatic, waving His hands over the waterpots, and then personally presenting the “good wine” to the head steward. In fact, Jesus does not seem to even touch the waterpots or the wine. He simply gives instructions to the servants to fill the pots and to serve the contents. If you had interviewed the head steward or any of the guests and asked what they thought of the celebration, they probably would have said: “Oh, it was a really nice celebration, and the wine at the last was really something.” Most of the people never knew a miracle had taken place. It seems that only Mary, the servants, and the disciples were aware of what happened. John tells us that because of this miracle, the disciples believed in Him (verse 11). My impression is that the servants knew “what” happened, but they were not sure exactly “how” it happened, so they simply kept quiet, scratching their heads with wonder.

Minimizing the visibility of this first display of our Lord’s power is by design. Everything our Lord did in transforming the water into wine was intended to minimize His exposure. Done in this way, our Lord was able to perform the miracle without violating His Father’s will concerning “His time.” It was not yet the moment for our Lord to publicly display His power and glory. Thus, He performed the miracle privately, in a way that conformed to God’s timing. In one sense, there are two miracles here in these first verses of John 2. The first is the transformation of water into wine. The second is accomplishing this miracle in a way that was not apparent to everyone.

Most likely, this is the way many miracles occur today. They occur in ways that seem so natural many do not even recognize them as supernatural. Perhaps an illustration would be helpful. As I was about to graduate from seminary a number of years ago, it came time for me to make the decision about where I would be going to minister. I had a couple of possibilities, but there was one I really did not want to consider, largely because of where the ministry would be. It was the one place in all the world I did not want to be. But God worked in my heart to the point that I relented and expressed to Him my willingness to serve Him even in that place. A church in that city had contacted me and expressed a desire to pursue the possibility of my ministry with them in that place. At the same time, I also had to make a decision about continuing in my current ministry, where I did want to be. Because I had to make a commitment within a certain period of time, I set a kind of deadline. If God wanted me to go to the other place—the place I preferred not to go—then that church would have to contact me again before the deadline passed. They did not, and I made the commitment to stay where I was. Only a few days later, a letter arrived in the mail from the “other church.” Interestingly, the letter had been mailed a month earlier, and from the marks on the letter, I could see it had been many places—except our mailbox. Somehow, the letter was not delivered on time, even though it was mailed to the correct address. Some might very easily say this was just a Post Office blunder. But I believe it was providential—a miracle—or, as one of my friends used to say, “another one of those strange coincidences.”

Fifth, notice especially how this miracle “manifested our Lord’s glory.” This is what John tells us: “This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him” (John 11, emphasis mine).

This is a rather interesting statement, because it seems inconsistent with what we have just observed. How could our Lord’s glory have been manifested when so few even knew a miracle had been performed? The answer to our question may be answered in chapter 1:

10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, but the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children 13 —children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God. 14 Now the Word became flesh and lived among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the only One, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father (John 1:10-13, emphasis mine).

Paul’s words to the Philippians may help to clarify what John has told us:

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:5-8).

Jesus was God. He was in the beginning with God. He actively participated in the creation of this world (John 1:1-5). He was the true Light, the Light of the world, but the world did not know Him (John 1:6-11). The disciples beheld His glory, but the vast majority of those who saw and heard Him did not really see Him for who He was; they did not behold His glory.

This matter is taken up later on in John’s Gospel, but let me briefly turn your attention to an important text in John: “I glorified you on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me at your side with the glory I had with you before the world was created” (John 17:4-5). Our Lord had great glory in heaven, and this visible glory He set aside to come to the earth in human flesh. He glorified God by His humility and obedience, which culminated in His sacrificial (and humiliating) death.[101] Because of this, the Father has given Him even greater glory. That glory will be openly and visibly manifested at His Second Coming, and in heaven (“glory”).

My point is this: I fear we have a distorted definition of “glory,” very much like our Lord’s disciples had in the Gospels. We wrongly think that if the glory of God is present, it will be in some dramatic display of power, one that is visible and spectacular, one that is seen and acknowledged by all.[102] Let me remind you that the glory of God was manifested in this miracle, even though few recognized it as such. We may be looking for the wrong kind of “glory.” All too often in the “triumphalism” of the New Testament church (i.e., Corinth) and in the church today, we look for the wrong kind of glory. The glory of God, as I understand the Scriptures, is manifested in and through the saints as they—like their Savior—live humbly and suffer patiently for the sake of Christ and the Gospel (see 1 Peter 2; also 2 Corinthians 3 and 4).

Sixth, this miracle is called a “sign.” Various terms are used in the New Testament to designate miracles. Of this term D. A. Carson says,

The New Testament uses several words to denote what we call ‘miracles.’ One of the most common, dynameis (‘mighty works’) is not found in John; another, terata (‘wonders,’ ‘portents,’ ‘miracles’) is found only when linked with semeia (‘signs’), as in ‘signs and wonders’; but this combination is found only once in the Fourth Gospel (4:48). John prefers the simple word ‘signs’: Jesus’ miracles are never simply naked displays of power, still less neat conjuring tricks to impress the masses, but signs, significant displays of power that point beyond themselves to the deeper realities that could be perceived with the eyes of faith. Jesus himself in this Gospel refers to his miracles and to his other activity as his ‘work’ or ‘works’ (e.g. 5:36; NIV ‘miracle(s)’ in 7:21; 10:25).[103]

This transformation of water into wine is closely related to chapter 1. In the first few verses of this Gospel, John informs us that Jesus of Nazareth is the Logos, who was not only with God in the beginning, but was God in the beginning. He is the Creator, who brought all that is into existence. Is it any great wonder that we should see Jesus “creating” wine from water, just as He once created the cosmos from chaos? Are we surprised that the disciples beheld His glory through this miracle when, in chapter one, the Apostle John writes, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14)?

This miracle, as the other signs of the Gospel of John, teaches us about the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. The purpose is simple: that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that in believing you might have eternal life (John 20:31). Do you believe? There is no more important decision in life than what you believe about the person and work of Jesus Christ. He alone is God manifested in human flesh. He alone is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, who alone can forgive your sin.

Seventh, in this first miracle of our Lord, Jesus takes something not so great and turns it into something very wonderful. He takes that which is the cause of drudgery and makes it the source of great delight. The Old Testament Law required various kinds of washings. All of these were to demonstrate to the Israelites how deeply sinful and unclean they were, and thus how unfit to enter into God’s presence. These washings were drudgery, yet the Israelites were to do them in obedience to God’s law. By the time legalistic Judaism added even more washings, Judaism was a laborious religion. Jesus took this ceremonial cleansing water and made it into wine. Jesus took that which was a pain and made it into a pleasure. Jesus took that which Jews would have found unfit to drink, and He made of it the best wine that has ever passed the lips of man.

What a picture this is of the superiority of the New Covenant to the Old, of grace to law. Because He came and perfectly fulfilled the law, meeting all of its requirements, our Lord was uniquely qualified to die for sinners on the cross of Calvary. The salvation He procured through His sacrifice on the cross of Calvary makes it possible for men to leave the drudgery behind and to enter into the joy of His salvation.

Our Lord is able to take that which is less than desirable (for drinking, at least) and make it into a vintage wine, the finest man has ever tasted. He is able to take fallible men like Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, and Nathanael and make them into apostles. He is able to take the “weak and foolish things of this world”—people like us—and transform us so that people marvel at God’s grace and power. What a wonderful Savior!

Eighth, Jesus not only produces something beautiful and blessed in this miracle, but something bountiful. The wine Jesus created was the best ever, but He did not create a small quantity. He produced much more than was needed. Can you imagine the joy of this married couple, who may have been poor, being left with over 100 gallons of the finest wine ever? When Jesus fed the 5,000 (Matthew 14:13-21) and again the 4,000 (Matthew 15:32-39), there were plenty of leftovers (14:20; 15:37). God’s blessings are always bountiful. “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38).

God’s goodness and grace abounds to His children; they are without measure. What a wonderful Savior!

Heal then these waters, Lord; or bring thy flock,
Since these are troubled, to the springing rock.
Look down, great Master of the Feasts! O shine,
And turn once more our water into wine!

Henry Vaughan (1622-1695), “RELIGION”[104]


! Lesson 6:
The Cleansing of the Temple
(John 2:12-22)

Introduction

Old timers will remember the story of the “car of my dreams.” Well, actually it was a pickup truck. To be precise, it was a 1940 Ford pickup, with a late model higher performance V-8 engine, custom exhaust system (nice and loud), a jacked-up back end, and a custom paint job (maroon with white scallops and pin striping). It all started when my father concluded that our 1936 Ford pickup was no longer serviceable. This was a good decision since it frequently broke down, it was not licensed (we drove it only on our property), and there was no driver-side door. We owned a small fishing resort, so we needed a pickup to haul firewood and garbage, among other things. The old 1936 pickup was mine, at least in my mind, and it was no longer able to fulfill its duties. We were ready for an upgrade.

So it was that my Dad and I hitchhiked over one hundred miles to Portland, Oregon, where we believed a good used truck could be found. We started on one end of a street lined with used car dealers. By the end of the day, we were nearing the last car dealer on the street, and the deadline we had set for ourselves to begin making our way home, hitchhiking again. We decided to try one last dealer before making our way home. “You don’t have any older used pickups, do you?” my father asked. “Just one hot rod,” the salesman responded. Did he say “hot rod”? I couldn’t believe it! I was not yet 16, but I had been driving (on our place) for several years. “Hot rod?” I was all ears.

The car dealer took my Dad and me around to the back of the lot, where this marvelous little pickup was parked. It was perfect. My Dad told the man we had $400 in cash, and that was all we could pay. The man took it. On the way home, my Dad could not help leaving a little rubber on the pavement (he was used to driving a 6-cylinder Plymouth). We were so proud when we drove into our driveway, but my Mother was skeptical, and with good reason. There was nothing wrong with the truck. That was the problem. It was almost perfect, too perfect. We refused to “defile” this vintage vehicle by transporting firewood and garbage. It just wouldn’t be right. Needless to say, the truck did not last long at the resort. There were legends about it after it changed hands. We traded it for a 1951 Dodge pickup, with fluid drive, and if you don’t know what that means, I can sum it up in just a few words: “pathetic and powerless.” I had no problem putting garbage in that truck; it could hardly be defiled.

I suppose all of us have owned something we consider very special, something we would not wish to be “defiled” by misuse. Whatever this precious object may be, it could not be as precious to us as the “temple” was to our Lord. Our lesson is about our Lord’s “cleansing” of the temple as described in John, chapter 2. John considered this incident one of the more significant actions of our Lord at the outset of His public ministry. Our task is to learn why this is true, and what the temple cleansing has to do with men and women living centuries later. I assure you this incident is important, and that it has much to say to us today. I urge you to seriously consider this text and its message to us today, and especially its message to you.

A Little Background

The “temple” of our text is the temple in Jerusalem. It was not the first temple, built by Solomon (see 1 Kings 6-7), nor the second temple, rebuilt by the Jews returning from their Babylonian captivity (Ezra 6:15).[105] It was the third temple, known as “Herod’s Temple.” This temple was built by Herod, not so much to facilitate Israel’s worship, but as an attempt to reconcile the Jews to their Idumaean king. Construction of this temple began in 19 B.C. and continued for 46 years. The temple was largely complete in the time of our Lord, but was fully completed a mere 6 years before it was destroyed in 70 A.D. Perhaps it did not have the glory of the first temple built by Solomon, but it must have exceeded the beauty and splendor of the second temple (compare Ezra 3:12; Mark 13:1).

In His early infancy, Jesus had been taken to the temple in Jerusalem for His purification, and there both Simeon and Anna worshipped Him as the promised Messiah (Luke 2:21-38). When our Lord was 12 years of age, He accompanied His parents to Jerusalem, where He absolutely amazed them and others:

41 Now Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem every year for the feast of the Passover. 42 When he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. 43 But when the feast was ended, as they were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but because they assumed that he was in their group of travelers they went a day’s journey. Then they began to look for him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Jesus were astonished at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.” 49 But he replied, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50 Yet his parents did not understand the remark he made to them. 51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. But his mother kept all these things in her heart (Luke 2:41-51).

Our Lord’s parents certainly found Jesus a model child, a young man whom they could trust. They felt no need to check on Him, and as they were traveling in a caravan, they didn’t even miss Him on their return from Jerusalem. Eventually, they realized He was not with them and made their way back to Jerusalem, where they found Him in the temple. There He was, sitting in the midst of the Old Testament scholars, not only asking intelligent questions, but giving answers to their questions (Wouldn’t you love to know what some of these questions and answers were?). The scholars were amazed, and most certainly so were our Lord’s parents.

Nevertheless, Jesus caused them considerable inconvenience by not telling them He was staying behind. His absence caused them to leave the caravan of worshippers and return to Jerusalem, a day’s journey away. There was certainly a hint of frustration in their rebuke when they scolded Him for staying behind, but Jesus was not taken aback. He was surprised they had to look for Him. Did they not know where He would be? Did they think it was wrong for Him to be there? He was in His Father’s house,[106] doing “His Father’s business” (verse 49). It was not He who was wrong, but they, for not seeing this situation for what it was. Even at the age of 12, our Lord had a good grasp of who He was and what He was sent to do. The “temple” Jesus visited in Luke 2 was the kind of place it should have been, a place to worship God and to study His Word. The “temple” Jesus finds nearly 20 years later seems to have greatly changed, and thus the need for its cleansing.

A Brief Interlude in Capernaum
(2:12)

12 After this he went down to Capernaum[107] with his mother[108] and brothers[109] and his disciples, and they stayed there a few days.

One may wonder about John’s reasons for including this verse. John is not a man to waste time or space. His words are carefully selected (John 20:30-31; 21:25). Why then does he include them? One reason is that we know Capernaum will become our Lord’s headquarters for His ministry (See Matthew 4:13; 9:1). His family appears to have relocated[110] there. It is where the centurion (and others—see John 6:24) come to find Jesus, to plead with Him to heal his servant (Matthew 8:5-13). Capernaum is deemed worthy of greater condemnation, because the people of this city have seen more of our Lord and His miracles (Matthew 11:23; see Luke 4:23). Another reason is that this seems to have been our Lord’s final stay with His family. His “family” is about to change (see Mark 3:31-35).

 Finally, John wants us to see these events as closely following one upon the other. He is maintaining a rather precise account of the timing of the crucial events at the outset of our Lord’s ministry.[111] John therefore describes the first few days of our Lord’s public ministry in chapter 1 and the first 11 verses of chapter 2. Then, he tells us that after the wedding, Jesus, His disciples, and His family make their way down to Capernaum. The disciples appear to be taken in by our Lord’s family for the few days they stay in Capernaum. From what we know of our Lord’s brothers at this point in time, they do not believe in Jesus as the promised Messiah (John 7:5). They may even resent the intrusion of Jesus and His disciples. Jesus and the men who accompany Him do not stay long in Capernaum. After a few (“not … many”) days, they make their way up to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration.

The Cleansing[112] of the Temple
(2:13-17)

13 Now the Jewish feast of Passover was near, [113] so Jesus went up[114] to Jerusalem. 14 He found in the temple courts people selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting at tables. 15 So he made a whip of cords and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen. He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold the doves he said, “Take these things away from here! Do not make my Father’s house a marketplace!” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Passion for your house will devour me.”

The Jewish Passover celebration commemorates the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, when the death angel passed over every home where the first Passover was observed and the blood of the paschal lamb was placed on the two door posts and the lintel (see Exodus 12 and 13). The celebration of the Passover also commenced the Feast of Unleavened bread, so that the entire Passover celebration took a week.[115] Attendance for adult Israelite males was compulsory:[116]

Every male Jew, from the age of twelve and up, was expected to attend the Passover at Jerusalem, a feast celebrated to commemorate the deliverance of the people of Israel from Egyptian bondage. On the tenth of the month Abib or Nisan (which generally corresponds to our March, though its closing days sometimes extend into our April) a male lamb, of the first year, without blemish, was taken, and on the fourteenth day, between three and six o’clock in the afternoon, it was killed.[117]

It is very difficult to imagine the scene that our Lord’s eyes fall upon as He enters Jerusalem and approaches the temple. We know from the scene at Pentecost, described in Acts 2, that a great many people thronged to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, as they also did to the Feast of Tabernacles and the Feast of Pentecost (or, the Feast of Weeks). It is very difficult to estimate the influx of people to Jerusalem, not only from other parts of Israel, but from all over the world (see Acts 2:5-12). These Jews and proselytes would have to pay the half-shekel temple tax in the coinage of the temple, and thus foreign monies were unacceptable and had to be exchanged for the proper coins. These worshippers also had to offer up their sacrifices, and for many of these travelers, the only solution was to buy a sacrificial animal there in Jerusalem.

In days gone by, they would have been able to purchase these animals and exchange their money in a place outside the temple courts: “At one time the animal merchants set up their stalls across the Kidron Valley on the slopes of the Mount of Olives, but at this point they were in the temple courts, doubtless in the Court of the Gentiles (the outermost court).”[118] For some reason, the animals have now been brought into the temple courts. It is certainly more “convenient.” People can purchase their sacrificial animals right at the temple, and they can also exchange their money. It is very difficult to believe that this is the real reason this is done, however.

It is true, in the abstract, that each worshipper was allowed to bring to the temple an animal of his own selection. But let him try it! In all likelihood it would not be approved by the judges, the privileged venders who filled the money-chests of Annas! Hence, to save trouble and disappointment, animals for sacrifice were bought right here in the outer court, which was called the court of the Gentiles because they were permitted to enter it. Of course, the dealers in cattle and sheep would be tempted to charge exorbitant prices for such animals. They would exploit the worshippers. And those who sold pigeons would do likewise, charging, perhaps, $4 for a pair of doves worth a nickel (A. Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, New York, 1897, vol. I, p. 370). And then there were the money-changers, sitting cross-legged behind their little coin-covered tables. They gave the worshipper lawful, Jewish coin in exchange for foreign currency. It must be borne in mind that only Jewish coins were allowed to be offered in the temple, and every worshipper—women, slaves, and minors excepted—had to pay the annual temple tribute of half a shekel (cf. Ex. 30:13). The money-changers would charge a certain fee for every exchange-transaction. Here, too, there were abundant opportunities for deception and abuse. And in view of these conditions the Holy Temple, intended as a house of prayer for all people, had become a den of robbers (cf. Isa. 56:7; Jer. 7:11; Mark 11:17).[119]

The view represented here is one commonly accepted by students of the New Testament Gospels. Those who attempted to bring their own sacrificial animals may very well have had them “rejected” by the temple priests, and thereby were forced to purchase “approved” animals at much higher prices. The same gouging no doubt took place at the money-exchangers’ tables. I doubt very much that our Lord later called the temple a “robbers’ den” (Mark 11:17) without having such corruption in mind. In our text, however, John does not focus on the way in which these merchandisers go about their business, but rather on where they are conducting their business—in the temple courts.

Mark’s Gospel seems to take up this theme as well, pointing out that “where” these businessmen are doing business interferes with an essential purpose of the temple. The temple was to be a “house of prayer for all nations” (Mark 11:17). The outer courts of the temple are the only places where Gentiles could worship. They are not allowed to pass beyond a certain point (see Acts 21:27-30). If the outer courts are filled with oxen and lambs and doves, there is no place for the Gentiles to pray and to worship God. Can you imagine trying to pray in the midst of a virtual stockyard, with all the noises of the animals and the bickering businessmen? Can you conceive of trying to squeeze in between cattle who are tied up in the courts? Think of what it would be like to have to watch where you walked, lest you step in something undesirable?[120] It appears that Gentile worship is functionally prohibited, and I doubt this troubled many of the Jews, who are not all that excited about including the Gentiles in their worship in the first place.

What Jesus sees going on in the temple courts troubles Him a great deal! The place of prayer has become a place of profit-taking. It sounds more like the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange than the outer courts of the temple of God. It smells more like a barnyard than the place where one would seek God’s presence.[121] Jesus enters the outer court of the temple, fashioning a whip from materials at hand (probably from the cords used to tie up the animals). He then drives them all out of the temple area. By the word “all,” I understand Him to have driven out not only the animals, but also those who are selling them as well. The coins of the moneychangers are poured out and scattered on the ground and their tables overturned. To those selling the doves, Jesus says, “Take these things away from here! Do not make my Father’s house a marketplace!”[122]

After His death and resurrection, our Lord’s disciples remembered that it was written,[123] “Passion for your house will devour me” (verse 17). The disciples came to view this cleansing of the temple in the light of Psalm 69:[124]

8 I have become a stranger to my brothers, And an alien to my mother’s children; 9 Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on Me (Psalm 69:8-9, NKJV).

Several things catch my attention in these two verses. The first is that this Messianic Psalm speaks of the alienation of the Messiah from his “mother’s children.” Could this be part of the reason for John’s mention of the brief family gathering in Capernaum (John 2:12)? Our Lord’s mother is not mentioned again until the cross, and the reference to our Lord’s “brothers” in John 7:3-5 reveals their skepticism about Jesus and His ministry. Has Jesus already begun to feel alienated from His own brothers?

In addition, you will notice that in Psalm 69:9 David writes in the past tense: “Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up.” There are some differences in the Greek texts of John, so that the KJV and the NKJV employ the past tense: “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.” As a rule, the other versions render it in the future tense, following what appear to be the best Greek texts.[125] I like the way the New English Bible renders it best:

“Zeal for thy house shall destroy me.”

Psalm 69 is a psalm of David. It is a prayer for his deliverance, due to his piety. The psalm speaks of David’s imminent danger due to the enemies of God who hate him for his fervent devotion to God, and thus who seek his death. Later portions of this psalm depict events that occur at the crucifixion of our Lord (see Ps. 69:21). It seems clear in this psalm that there is a prophecy of our Lord’s sacrificial death, due to His zeal for pure worship.

Jesus acts out of zeal for His Father’s house, laying claim to the temple and cleansing it in His Father’s name. In so doing, He fulfills a prophecy that our Lord’s zeal for His Father’s house will bring about His death. It is the second cleansing[126] of the temple (Matthew 21:10-17; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-46) that actually sets into motion the events which lead to our Lord’s crucifixion.[127]

Answering the Challenge
(2:18-22)

18 So then the Jewish leaders [literally, “the Jews”][128] said to him, “What miraculous sign can you show us, since you are doing these things?” 19 Jesus replied to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.”[129] 20 Then the Jewish leaders said to him, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and are you going to raise it up in three days?” 21 But Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 So after he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the saying that Jesus had spoken.

“The Jews”—in particular the Jewish religious leaders directly challenged by our Lord’s actions in cleansing the temple—confront Jesus with a challenge. They demand a sign to demonstrate His authority to act as He has. The irony is that Jesus’ actions are the sign:[130]

1 “Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the LORD of hosts. 2 “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire And like launderer’s soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness” (Malachi 3:1-3, NKJV).

I find the words of the Jews most interesting. They do not argue with Jesus about the evil of making the temple courts an emporium. I suspect the Pharisees agree with Him on this point. The issue is not what has been done, but who has done it. They raise the issues of Jesus’ identity and authority, which is not altogether hard to understand. Suppose you ran a stop sign and were pulled over by a police officer. If you were smart, you would politely listen to the officer, admit you were wrong, take the ticket, and pay it. If, however, you ran a stop sign and were pulled over by an irate citizen, you would be much less inclined to listen politely. Even if you were wrong, you would likely protest, “Who do you think you are, pulling me over to lecture me about my driving?”

In one sense, the Jews do view our Lord’s actions as a sign. For someone to cleanse the temple and correct wrongdoing found there implies having the authority to do so. If Jesus is acting in God’s behalf (they cannot yet grasp that He is acting as God), then let Him establish His credentials by an exercise of divine power. If He is acting with God’s authority, let Him perform a sign to prove it. We have an irreverent expression, which captures the spirit of the Jews’ challenge (who are not very reverent either): “Put up, or shut up!” They have thrown down the gauntlet. It is Jesus’ turn to respond.

Jesus does not give them a sign. He does not even refer to any of the signs He seems to have already performed in Jerusalem (see 2:23; 3:2). He is not about to jump through their hoops. He does not even try to convince them who He is. Instead, He speaks to them of the “ultimate sign,” His death and resurrection: “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again” (verse 19). Typically, the Jews can think only in the most literal terms (see Nicodemus in chapter 3). They assume Jesus is referring to Herod’s temple, a temple which has been under construction for “forty-six years.” Does Jesus think He can build a temple in three days that has already been under construction for forty-six years and is not yet complete?

John tells his readers what we already know. Jesus is not speaking of that earthly temple; He knows that it, too, will soon be destroyed (Mark 13:1-2). But He is speaking of Himself as the temple of God, and of His coming crucifixion. He is not trying to persuade these Jews to believe in Him, but rather to prophesy that they will not believe, and that they will put Him to death on Calvary. His triumph will be evident in three days, when He will be “raised up” from the dead.[131]

The Jews do not understand at all. They probably walk away, shaking their heads, convinced that Jesus is out of His mind. The disciples don’t understand either. Not until after our Lord’s death and resurrection does this prophecy come to mind, and they see how He fulfilled it exactly as He said. Then they believe both the Scripture and what Jesus has spoken. One might say they believe that what Jesus said and what was written in the Scriptures are one and the same, and both were fulfilled.[132] They came to believe in Jesus, and His words as the fulfillment of Scripture.

 We are not actually told here what “Scripture” John has in mind, which the disciples remember and believe. After our Lord’s resurrection, the apostles used the Scriptures to prove that Jesus was the Messiah, and that His death and resurrection were foretold (see Acts 2:14-36; 13:16-41). Jesus Himself gives His disciples a lesson from the Old Testament on these matters before He ascends to the Father (Luke 24:44-49).

Conclusion

The cleansing of the temple does not permanently eliminate the abuses described in our text. We know that conditions in the temple were the same at the time of the second cleansing (described in the Synoptic Gospels) as they were in the first cleansing (as described by John). I suspect that immediately after our Lord departed from Jerusalem all the temple businessmen set up shop again and went right on with their evil deeds. I believe our Lord’s purpose in this first cleansing is to “make a statement,” about Himself, the temple, and the Jewish religious system—not to permanently solve the problem He attacks.

The temple is being abused, and Jesus rightly responds to such abuse. Even the hard-hearted Jewish religious leaders realize that more is going on here than this. They understand that Jesus is making a claim. He is claiming to have the authority to correct evils performed in the temple. He calls the temple “His Father’s house.” No one who actually witnessed this event fully grasped its meaning or significance. The disciples will understand, but only after our Lord’s death and resurrection, only after the coming of the Holy Spirit (see John 16:12-14). Jesus not only came with God’s authority (as a prophet might do); He came as God. In fact, He is God tabernacling among men, as John tells us (John 1:14). Later, He speaks of Himself as the temple, and so He is:

21 And the twelve gates are twelve pearls—each one of the gates is made from just one pearl! The main street of the city is pure gold like transparent glass. 22 Now I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God All-Powerful is its temple, and the Lamb. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God lights it up, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light and the kings of the earth will bring their grandeur into it. 25 Its gates will never be closed during the day (for there will be no night there). 26 They will bring the grandeur and the wealth of the nations into it, 27 but nothing ritually unclean will ever enter into it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or practices falsehood, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 21:21-27, emphasis mine).

At the cleansing of the temple, our Lord symbolically comes to possess what, as God, is His. As the Son of God, the temple is His Father’s house, and thus He has the right to correct temple abuses. He has the right to drive men and animals out of the temple courts. As I read this account of this first temple cleansing, I am reminded of a comment by Leon Morris on John 1:11, which directly relates to our text. Let’s first look again at this text:

9 The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, but the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him (John 1:9-11, emphasis mine).

Here is what Morris has to say about the expression, “His own”:

With vivid touches John highlights the tragedy of the rejection. We might translate the opening words, ‘he came home.’ It is the exact expression used of the beloved disciple when, in response to Jesus’ word from the cross, he took Mary ‘unto his own home’ (19:27; cf. 16:32). In one sense, when the Word came to this world He did not come as an alien. He came home. Moreover, He came to Israel. Had He come to some other nation it would have been bad enough, but Israel was peculiarly God’s own people. The Word did not go where He could not have expected to be known. He came home, where the people ought to have known Him.[133]

Various translations try to capture the significance of the subtle change of terms John deliberately employs in verse 11. Unfortunately, some translations render these two terms by the same expression, “His own.” The New English Bible renders this sentence, “He entered his own realm, and his own would not receive him.” The NET Bible translates, “He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him.” Morris would render it, “He came home, and His own would not receive Him.” Do you see it? When Jesus comes into the temple, He is coming “home.” This is His Father’s house. He is about His Father’s business. And in the process of doing so, He declares Himself to be God. In response, He is rejected—“His own did not receive Him.”

God has the right to possess what is His. Here, Jesus claims the right to possess the temple because it is His. This incident may seem very distant and detached from us today. We live in a place very distant from Jerusalem, where no temple (like Herod’s temple, which was destroyed) exists. How can this event possibly relate to us? It does, my friend; it really does.

The first coming of our Lord was, in part, to claim what was His. The Second Coming of our Lord, an event still future, is a time when He will come and fully possess what is His. Jesus speaks a good deal about stewardship, as we can see in the Gospels. The reason should be obvious: We do not own anything; ultimately, He owns it all. This puts everything we think of as our “possessions” in an entirely different light. Some seem to think they own everything they have, and if they feel generous enough, they may give a percentage of it to God. In truth, God claims it all, and we are merely stewards of His possessions. If we use these to indulge ourselves, we are failing our stewardship. If we fail to make good use of them, we fail as stewards. Let us cease thinking of anything as our own. Let us hold much less tightly to the things that we call possessions. And let us use them well as His stewards.

Jesus came to possess what was His—His temple. Jesus had the right to define how men could use His temple, and the right to correct those who abused it. The church is now being built up as His temple:

19 So then you are no longer foreigners and non-citizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, 20 because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:19-22; see also 1 Peter 2:4-10).

As a result, those who in any way do damage to the church, God’s temple, are guilty of a most serious offense:

16 Do you not know that you[134] are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 17 If someone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, which is what you are (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

And what mutual agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will live in them and will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16).

If the church collectively is the temple of our Lord, it is also true that we are individually “temples” of the Holy Spirit. Because this is true, our sins in the body are taken most seriously.

19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God with your body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

God owns us; He owns our body as His temple. We do not own ourselves.[135] In the context of 1 Corinthians 6, Paul tells us that sexual immorality, though taken very lightly by our society (see 6:13), is a most serious sin, especially for the Christian. If our body is the temple of God, then to defile it is to defile God’s temple. If Jesus took the defilement of Herod’s temple so seriously, how do you think He feels about the way you and I use our bodies? To abuse or defile them is an affront to God, to whom our bodies belong, and in which He dwells by His Spirit.

Our Lord’s words and actions also relate to our use of church buildings (or our places of worship). Let me be very clear: church buildings are not “God’s house” in the sense that the temple was. God is with His people when they gather, though it is not the “building” He indwells, but the church, His body. Nevertheless, our text has something to say about our gathering for worship.

Is it possible that we can turn the church (building) into an emporium, a house of merchandise? Whenever we begin to sell things in the church, that danger exists. At first, we may do this because we are trying to facilitate the worship of those who come. I think the temple businessmen would have said the same thing about their motivation. Whether it is songbooks, tapes and video’s being sold by a guest speaker or musician, or candy bars being sold to pay for a youth retreat, we need to be very careful that it does not turn the church into a shopping mall. There are lots of things being sold in churches today, so the danger is there.[136]

Let me press beyond the church walls for a moment, and give a word of warning about the commercialization of Christianity. Much of the ministry which was once viewed as the ministry of the church and by the church is now being handed over to “professionals” in Christian ministry. Some of this may be biblically defensible and even good, but some may not. I fear we have turned some Christian ministries into industries, “Christian industries,” where some Christians begin to view the needs of others as an opportunity to make a profit, rather than an occasion to sacrificially minister to others. I am most distressed when such “Christian ministries” are willing to minister only to those who have the means to pay, and who purposely reject or pass over those who are poor, and perhaps in the greatest need. Let us be on guard about commercializing the ministry.

We also need to be very careful about adopting “merchandising principles” as a means of assuring that we have a “successful” ministry.[137] I hear a lot about this today, as though secular business principles are the key to effective ministry. For example, a church may be engaged in a building program, trying to raise money for expansion. All too often, charts, thermometers, or advertisements dominate the auditorium (I refrain from using the word “sanctuary”) and distract from the worship that should take place there. Principles employed in the business world, which are truly biblical, may be applicable to the church. But many of the guiding principles of secular business are opposed to biblical principles. Much of the merchandizing promoted by Madison Avenue tactics is based upon an appeal to the flesh. When such is the case, Christian ministry can well do without such merchandizing principles and methods.

Finally, let me say a word about Jesus and judgment. Many like to think of Jesus as a “God of love,” who never criticizes, never judges, never condemns, whose calling is to affirm everyone and to make them happy. I must remind you that the way our Lord chose to publicly reveal Himself to the world was not by the turning of water into wine, or by raising the dead or healing the sick; Jesus revealed Himself to Israel as her Messiah by His cleansing of the temple. I would remind you that while John the Baptist foretold the coming of one who was the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” he likewise urged men and women to repent, because the Messiah was coming to judge the world. The Jesus of the Bible, the “real Jesus,” is the One who is merciful and gracious to those who trust and obey and the One who will judge those who resist and reject Him.

The changing of the water into wine and the cleansing of the temple give us a broad overview of the person and work of our Lord, Jesus Christ. He is the gentle and gracious Savior, who saved the newlywed couple from embarrassment by making water into wine. He is also the holy and righteous Judge, who will punish His enemies and correct the evils of men. As Paul writes,

Notice, therefore, the kindness and harshness of God: harshness toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off (Romans 11:22).

Have you considered the harshness of God, which you justly deserve as a sinner? Have you received the kindness of God in the gift of Jesus Christ, who died for your sins on the cross of Calvary? I urge you to “believe” in Him, for this is John’s purpose in writing this Gospel.

Addendum:
Were There Two Temple Cleansings or Just One?

If one accepts the accounts of the Gospels at face value, there are obviously two temple cleansings. The first occurred at the outset of our Lord’s earthly ministry and is described by John. The second takes place at the end of our Lord’s public ministry, and it is the incident which appears to precipitate His death by crucifixion. Amazingly, many scholars seem to have great difficulty with two cleansings. D. A. Carson comments, “Only a very few judge it likely that there were two temple cleansings, one near the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry and the other at the end (e.g. Hendriksen, p. 120; Morris, pp. 188-191)” (Carson, p.177).

In my opinion, the reasons for holding a “one cleansing” view are exceptionally weak.

Many modern scholars have found great difficulty in supposing that Jesus twice ‘cleansed’ the temple. Thus V. H. Stanton wrote, ‘When in different ancient documents we find two accounts in many respects so similar referring to different times, it is on the whole most probable that we have to do with different traditions about the same event.’ And Bernard comments, ‘Apart from the fact that the duplication of similar incidents is improbable, we find it difficult to suppose that this particular incident, or anything like it, could have happened at so early a stage in the ministry of Jesus as is suggested by the traditional order of chapters in the Fourth Gospel.’[138]

We are also told that a two-cleansing position should be rejected because it does not seem reasonable to assume that if Jesus succeeded in cleansing the temple the first time, He would have been allowed to do so a second time. Although Carson is inclined toward the two-cleansing view, even he is reluctant to be dogmatic on this point:

In short, it is not possible to resolve with certainty whether only one cleansing of the temple took place, or two; but the arguments for one are weak and subjective, while the most natural reading of the texts favours two.[139]

Hendriksen (p. 120) takes a firm stand for two cleansings, as does Morris (pp. 188-190) and Tasker. I like Tasker’s assessment of the matter:

John is not correcting a supposed chronological blunder on the part of the earlier evangelists, nor deliberately altering their history in the interests of theological exposition, but, we may reasonably suppose, relating an additional ‘cleansing’ which the Synoptic writers had no occasion to relate, for it did not form part of the Petrine, Galilaean tradition which they were embodying.[140]

I am troubled that the one-cleansing theory receives any support from conservative scholarship. The text is straightforward. Those who accept it as the inspired Word of God should accept its statements without feeling obliged to change them. It is not at all difficult to believe there are two cleansings, one at the beginning of our Lord’s ministry, and the other at the end. Why do some want to challenge the text, based solely upon their own presuppositions?

Must we suppose (like Stanton, as quoted in footnote 34) that just because two somewhat similar events are described, they must be the same event, even though the authors tell us otherwise? If Jesus fed 5,000 in one place and 4,000 in another, can we not believe there were two similar, but separate, miracles? Dare we “correct” the inspired text because we think this miracle comes “too early” in our Lord’s ministry? Who are we to say what God can do, or when? Do we really believe Jesus could not get away with cleansing the temple twice? No one could arrest Him, or put Him to death until it was “His time”? Soldiers who came to arrest Him fell before Him when He spoke. And yet do we dare to think He could not go into the temple and cleanse it daily if He willed? The objections to taking the text literally are not only weak, they are presumptuous.


! Lesson 7:
“Second Class Faith”
(John 2:23-25)

Introduction

For some time, John the Baptist had been preaching to the nation Israel, calling men to repentance in preparation for the coming of Messiah. At that time, even John the Baptist did not know for certain who the Messiah was. And so he spoke about Him in general terms.

6 A man came, sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify about the light so that everyone may believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. 9 The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world (John 1:6-9).

John testified about him and cried out,

“This one was the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than I am, because he existed before me’” (John 1:15).

26 John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27 who comes after me. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal” (John 1:26-27).

Finally, God revealed the identity of the Messiah to John as he was baptizing Jesus:

30 “This is the one about whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who is greater than I am, because he existed before me.’ 31 I did not recognize him, but I came baptizing with water so that he could be revealed to Israel.” 32 Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him. 33 And I did not recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining, this is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have both seen and testified that this man is the Chosen One of God” (John 1:30-34).

John was quick to point out to his disciples and others that Jesus was the One of whom he had been speaking. It was not long before several disciples attached themselves to Jesus, traveling along with Him, and even staying with His family in Capernaum (John 1:35ff.). They accompanied our Lord to the wedding at Cana of Galilee (2:1-2). It certainly seemed that it was time for Jesus to make His debut as Israel’s Messiah. This may have been in Mary’s mind when she informed Jesus that the wedding party had run out of wine. Jesus provided the wine, but He did so in a way which kept His identity—and even His power—a secret.

A few days later, Jesus and His disciples went up to Jerusalem, where our Lord publicly proclaimed His identity in a most unusual way. He cleansed the temple by driving out the sheep and the oxen, and also the men who were making His Father’s house a place of business. While John does not call this a “sign,” it surely was a “statement” by our Lord, a very public statement. Jesus was not merely correcting some evil; He was doing so as One who had the right to do so—Israel’s Messiah.

In Jerusalem, Jesus was beginning to gain a following. This looked like the start of something big. It is precisely that for which the disciples had hoped. It is what our Lord’s brothers almost defied Him to do (see John 7:1-5). One would expect our Lord to “fan the flames” of His rising popularity and expand the ranks of His followers. Instead, we read these words, which are not recorded in any other Gospel: “But Jesus was not entrusting himself to them, because he knew all people. 25 He did not need anyone to testify about man, for he knew what was in man” (John 2:24-25).

What does Jesus have against popularity and large numbers? What does it mean when John tells us that Jesus would not “entrust Himself” to these people who believed in Him? Why does Jesus keep His distance from those who want to be near Him? What are we to learn from all this? The purpose of this message is to learn the answers to these questions, and then to explore their implications for Christians today. It is my belief that these three verses which conclude the second chapter of John set the stage for chapters that follow. Let us listen closely to the words of John, and let us look to the Spirit of God to interpret and apply them to our hearts and lives.

The Setting
(2:23)

Now while Jesus was in Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover, many people believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing.

A few days before this, our Lord turned the ceremonial cleansing water into wine. He then went up to Jerusalem with His disciples. Upon His arrival at the temple, Jesus drove out those who had made “His Father’s house” a place of business. One might think that this temple cleansing was counter-productive, so far as our Lord’s popularity is concerned. Other than making Jesus unpopular with the religious elite, this does not seem to be the case at all. In reading the Gospels, one does not get the impression that the Jewish religious leaders were exceedingly popular. They seem to have been arrogant snobs, who cared little about the common people and much about their position and power. Listen to the response of these leaders to the officers who were sent to arrest Jesus when they came back empty handed:

45 Then the officers returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him back with you?” 46 The officers replied, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 47 Then the Pharisees answered, “You haven’t been deceived too, have you? 48 None of the rulers or the Pharisees have believed in him, have they? 49 But this rabble who do not know the law are accursed!” (John 7:45-49, emphasis mine.)

The religious elite did not appear to share the attitude of the common people toward the rule of Rome. The common people seemed eager to “throw the rascals out.” They seemed to look to the Messiah to do this. But listen to the words of the chief priests and Pharisees, when they realize how popular Jesus has become, due in part to the recent raising of Lazarus:

47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together and said, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs. 48 If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary and our nation” (John 11:47-48).

When Jesus took on the religious leaders and exposed their ignorance, arrogance, and hypocrisy, the common people seemed to love it:

35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he said, “How is it that the experts in the law say that the Christ is David’s son? 36 David himself, by the Holy Spirit, said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.”

37 David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ So how can he be his son?” And the large crowd was listening to him with delight (Mark 12:35-37, emphasis mine).

At this very early stage of our Lord’s ministry in John’s Gospel, I am inclined to think that even the Pharisees were pleased by what Jesus had done when He cleansed the temple. It seems to be the high priest and the Sadducees who were most involved in the temple market Jesus “closed” when He made His debut at the temple. The high priests seem to have been Sadducees (see Acts 5:17). The Pharisees appear to be laymen, as opposed to the priests and religious officials. The Pharisees and Sadducees[141] had some very sharp differences (see Acts 23:6-8). We might sum up these differences by saying that the Sadducees were liberals, while the Pharisees were very conservative, theologically speaking.

When Jesus cleansed the temple, He was confronting and challenging the Sadducees. As rivals of the Sadducees, the Pharisees probably enjoyed watching one “man” (of apparently common stock) make the religious establishment look bad. This “Jesus” might come in handy to the Pharisees, or so they might have thought. Such thinking would quickly vanish, but it may have been present in the first days of our Lord’s ministry, while He was still in Jerusalem.

Yet another factor added to our Lord’s popularity. While He was in Jerusalem, Jesus performed a number of signs:

Now while Jesus was in Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover, many people believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing (John 2:23, emphasis mine).

He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could do the miraculous signs that you do unless God were with him” (John 3:2, emphasis mine).

So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him because they had seen all the things he had done in Jerusalem at the feast (for they themselves had gone to the feast) (John 4:45, emphasis mine).

John is very selective in the signs he chooses to include in his Gospel. The turning of water into wine seems to be our Lord’s first public sign. John now tells us that while Jesus was in Jerusalem, He performed a number of signs. These signs made a great impact on many who observed them. Many who witnessed them “believed in His name” (verse 23).

Are These “Believers” Really Saved?

If Jesus would not entrust Himself to these folks, we must wonder if these “believers” were true believers at all. There are some who conclude that these “believers” must not be saved. It is true that elsewhere in the Bible there are “believers” who do not appear to be “saved.” James speaks of the demons who “believe … and tremble!” (James 2:19). Surely these demons are not true believers! In Acts 8, we read of a certain “Simon,” who “believed,” along with many Samaritans (8:13). Peter’s words to this man, who sought to buy the power to bestow the Holy Spirit, certainly cause us to wonder if “Simon” was really a believer:

20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could acquire God’s gift with money! 21 You have no share or part in this matter, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that he may perhaps forgive you for the intent of your heart. 23 For I see that you are bitterly envious and in bondage to sin” (Acts 8:20-23).

Having said this, I must conclude that in the Gospel of John, I am compelled to conclude that those who are said to “believe” in our text are true believers. There are several reasons for this:

First, John tells us that these people “believed in His name.” This same expression is found in John chapter 1: “But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children” (John 1:12, emphasis mine). John tells us that those who “believe in His name” are those who have “received Him,” and thus have become children of God. If all those who “believe in His name” are said to be saved in chapter 1, how can we say that such folks are not saved when described by the same words in chapter 2?

Second, John’s purpose for this Gospel is to bring people to a saving faith. He employs signs to bring his readers to “believe in His name”: “Now Jesus performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31, emphasis mine).

If John records these selected “signs” he uses to bring people to faith, one would hardly think he would challenge the faith of those who “believe in His name” because of these signs.

Third, the two examples which follow (Nicodemus in chapter 3, and the woman at the well in chapter 4) both recount conversations our Lord had with individuals who became believers. Nicodemus does not immediately understand the Gospel or come to faith, but he certainly does seem to do so eventually. In chapter 3, John does not tell us when Nicodemus left Jesus; he just disappears. Nicodemus is speaking with our Lord, and then somewhere after verse 9 we come to the realization that he has gone away, and we are not exactly sure when this was. I think he leaves scratching his head, wondering what Jesus meant. He is mystified by what Jesus has just told him, and perhaps humbled by his own ignorance concerning these things. John continues on in chapter 3, and we are not certain whether the words are those of our Lord, or those of the Apostle John.[142] In chapter 7, Nicodemus is chastised by his peers for defending Jesus. They ask him if he is also a Galilean (7:50-52). Nicodemus seems to simply clam up. When we last see Nicodemus, he, along with Joseph of Arimathea (another secret believer), quietly obtains the body of our Lord to prepare it for burial (John 19:38-39). When we last see Nicodemus, he is an “under cover” Christian, but a believer nonetheless.

Nicodemus seems to be John’s first example of one who “believes” by virtue of our Lord’s signs, yet he is also one to whom our Lord does not “entrust” Himself. Here is a man who appears to have great potential for furthering our Lord’s ministry. Nicodemus is a Jew, a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin, and one of the most renowned teachers of the day. Wow! This is impressive. It certainly looks as though he could do much to further our Lord’s ministry. But Jesus does not “entrust” Himself to Nicodemus. He does, however, “entrust” Himself to the Samaritan woman at the well, and to the people of Sychar. As a result of our Lord’s ministry to the woman at the well, the entire city comes out to hear Him. Jesus then spends two days with these Samaritans.[143] I believe, in John’s words, Jesus “entrusted” Himself to them.

For these reasons, I conclude that John intends for us to understand that these people who “believed in Jesus’ name” became true believers. The question then arises: “Why does our Lord not commit Himself to them?” Let us seek to find the answer to this question.

Why Does Our Lord
Not Entrust Himself to Some Saints?
(2:24-25)

24 But Jesus was not entrusting himself to them, because he knew all people. 25 He did not need anyone to testify about man, for he knew what was in man.

First I must point out something that is not sufficiently clear in the English translations of this passage. John uses the same Greek term[144] to refer to the faith of those who believed (this is the word) in His name as he does for our Lord’s not entrusting (here it is again) Himself to them. The closest English approximation of the Greek text would be translated something like this: “Now while Jesus was in Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover, many people trusted in His name because they saw the miraculous signs He was doing, but Jesus was not entrusting Himself to them, …”

We are seeking to learn what John means when he tells us that Jesus did not entrust Himself to some believers. I believe we can do so by answering this pair of questions: (1) Why didn’t Jesus entrust Himself to these believers? and, (2) To whom, if any, did Jesus entrust Himself? Let us pursue these two questions, beginning with the second question.

John’s words in 2:23-25 indicate that Jesus did not entrust Himself to certain people, but by inference we would conclude that there were those to whom He did entrust Himself. Would we not agree that if our Lord entrusted Himself to any group of people it would be His disciples? Now we can move to the first question, slightly modified: “Why did Jesus entrust Himself to His disciples but not to these Jerusalem believers?”

John tells us the reason: Jesus is God. As God, He knows all things. Among the things He knows is what is in men’s hearts. We know from the Gospels that our Lord knew the thoughts of men:

3 Some people came bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 When they were not able to bring him in because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Jesus. Then, after tearing it out, they lowered the stretcher the paralytic was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some experts in the law were sitting there, turning these things over in their minds, 7 “Why does he speak this way? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Now at once Jesus knew in his spirit that they were contemplating such thoughts, so he said to them, “Why are you thinking such things? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your stretcher, and walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,”—he said to the paralytic—11 “I tell you, get up, take your stretcher, and go to your home” (Mark 2:3-11, emphasis mine).

A dramatic example of our Lord’s omniscience[145] has already been described by John in chapter 1. Jesus welcomed the two disciples of John the Baptist, one of whom was Andrew (1:35-40). He knew what was in the hearts of the men He chose as His disciples. He renamed Simon “Peter” (the stone). He knew what Peter’s character would be. The most dramatic example of our Lord’s omniscience was our Lord’s knowledge of Nathanael as a man in whom there was no guile, the man whom Jesus “saw” while he was unseen, under the fig tree (1:45-51). The hearts of the disciples were an “open book” to our omniscient Lord. He also knew what was in the heart of Judas, who was to betray Him (see Matthew 9:3-5; John 6:70-71; 13:26).

I take it, then, that because Jesus fully knows the hearts of all men, He does not entrust Himself to those whose faith is second class. There is a tension here, which I cannot overlook or deny. On the one hand, we have nothing to commend us to God. He does not choose to save us because of what we are, what we have done (see Titus 3:4-5), or for what we can do for His kingdom (contrary to some popular misconceptions). He chooses the weak and the foolish things to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:26-31). There is nothing we have but what we have received from Him (1 Corinthians 4:7). On the other hand, God does look on the heart. He rejected Saul and He chose David, not because of his stature or his good looks, but because of his heart (1 Samuel 16:7). The issue here is not God’s choice of men for salvation, but His choice of men for service, and for intimate fellowship and ministry with Him.

After John Mark abandoned Paul, the apostle refused to take this young man along on his next missionary journey. Paul did not want to entrust himself and his mission to a man who had deserted him under fire (see Acts 15:36-41). Paul instructed Timothy: “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2, emphasis mine). Leadership in the local church is restricted to those who have met certain qualifications, many of which have to do with character (see 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9). The disciples, to whom our Lord entrusts Himself, are those to whom He will give the Great Commission, those who will be the foundation of His church (Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 2:17-22).

What is it about these Jerusalem “believers” which causes our Lord to distance Himself from them, while He entrusts Himself to His disciples, spending a great deal of time with them? I believe our text tells us the reason: their faith was “sign faith.” John says, “Now while Jesus was in Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover, many people believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing” (John 2:23).

The faith of these saints is based upon our Lord’s signs. I would suspect that when things got tough, their faith, if it did not grow beyond this dependency on signs, would seek for some new sign. We know, of course, that there were many who demanded to see a sign in order to believe, but these folks seem to never have enough sign-proof to believe. There are those like Nicodemus, however, who remain “secret saints,” who out of fear of the Jews keep quiet about their faith in Jesus:

However, no one spoke openly about him for fear of the Jewish authorities (John 7:13).

After this Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus (but secretly, because he feared the Jewish authorities), asked Pilate if he could take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, so he went and took away the body (John 19:38).

Jesus would shortly send His disciples out in teams of two to proclaim the Gospel. They would face opposition, rejection, and persecution. Jesus would not entrust Himself to those who would wither and withdraw under this kind of adversity. Jesus knew the hearts of men, and because of this He committed Himself to His disciples and kept His distance from others, whose faith was dependent on signs.

Conclusion

These three verses which conclude the second chapter of John have some important lessons to teach us. The first lesson pertains to a very “hot” topic among Christians, that of “signs and wonders.” There is a great deal of debate as to the role which “signs and wonders” should play in the life of the Christian. There is much debate over whether “signs and wonders” even exist today.

Let me begin by saying that God is sovereign. He does not need our permission to produce “signs and wonders” any time He chooses. Neither does He need our prompting to do so. Those who deny even the possibility of any miraculous intervention in our time seem to go beyond the Scriptures. Those who insist that such phenomena must occur today also go beyond the Scriptures. In what I am about to say, I am granting the possibility that a “sign” might occur today, whether or not it actually does. Our text says a couple of things about “signs” which need to be heard today. First, Jesus was not eager to perform “signs,” especially on demand. People wanted Jesus to perform “signs,” and nearly always those who requested them were those whose faith was weak or non-existent. The performance of “signs” by our Lord did not produce widespread faith, nor did it necessarily increase the faith of those who believed.

There are those today who would have us believe that “signs and wonders” are a necessity. They seem unwilling to go on with their Christian lives without them. Worse yet, they look down their spiritual noses at those who do not experience them. In short, those who claim to experience “signs and wonders” feel spiritually superior to those who don’t. This sounds a great deal like the Corinthian Christians, who abused spiritual gifts, and who took pride in things that should have humbled them.

It is hard to read John’s words in John 2:23-25 without coming to the conclusion that “sign-faith” is second class faith. Jesus refused to “entrust” Himself to those whose faith was merely a “sign-faith.” Why do those who claim to experience “signs and wonders” today think of themselves and their faith as superior? “Sign-faith” is not a bad place to begin; it is a very poor place to stop.

As I think about the early chapters of John’s Gospel, I realize there is a contrast made between “sign-faith” believers and what I might call “word-faith” believers. Nicodemus (a sign-faith believer) was no spiritual giant. He brings no one to Christ. He only secretly comes to our Lord himself. The turning of water into wine took place at the servants’ obedience to the spoken word of Jesus. He spoke, they obeyed, and the water turned to wine. The woman at the well and the people of Sychar believed because of our Lord’s words:

39 Now many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the report of the woman who testified, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they started asking him to stay with them. He stayed there two days, 41 and many more believed because of his word. 42 They said to the woman, “No longer do we believe because of your words, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this one really is the Savior of the world” (John 4:39-42).

So far as we know, Jesus performed no signs at Sychar. He did not need to do so. It was the spoken word which brought creation into existence (Genesis 1; John 1; Hebrews 11:3). It is the Word of God which brings new spiritual life into existence, empowered by the Holy Spirit:

63 “The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help! The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had already known from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) (John 6:63-64; see also 3:5-8.)

17 All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change. 18 By his sovereign plan he gave us birth through the message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created (James 1:17-18).

You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God (1 Peter 1:23).

It was Thomas who had to “see” in order to believe. That was a kind of “sign-faith.” Jesus and the authors of the New Testament commend that faith which is based not upon what is seen, but upon what is not seen—the Word of God.

26 Eight days later the disciples were again together in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and examine my hands. Extend your hand and put it into my side. Do not continue in your unbelief, but believe.” 28 Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are the people who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:26-29).

The eleventh chapter of Hebrews is the “hall of faith” for Old Testament saints. These saints believed God’s Word, and acted accordingly, choosing not to trust in what they saw, but in what God said. That is the kind of faith Jesus commends. It is to these saints, whose faith rests on His Word, to whom our Lord entrusts Himself, for intimate fellowship and service. Let us strive to move beyond faith in what is seen to faith in what God has said.

I should also draw your attention to what our text does not teach. All too often, people rush to John 3 and 4, to our Lord’s conversations with Nicodemus and the woman at the well, as a pattern for how we should evangelize. There are lessons to be learned here, but let me remind you that John is reporting these conversations, not as a pattern for evangelism, but as proof of the uniqueness of Jesus. One such uniqueness is given in John 2:24-25: Jesus knows what is in the hearts of men. We cannot imitate our Lord by trying to be omniscient. Our Lord knew men’s hearts; we do not. This is exactly why Paul warns Christians about judging the motives of others:

1 People should think about us this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Now what is sought in stewards is that one be found faithful. 3 So for me, it is a minor matter that I am judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not acquitted because of this. The one who judges me is the Lord. 5 So then, do not judge anything before the time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the motives of hearts. Then each will receive recognition from God (1 Corinthians 4:1-5, emphasis mine).

Our Lord knew everything about every man’s heart. He could commit Himself to some and not to others. While we are to “commit ourselves to faithful men, …” we must recognize that our judgment on such matters is fallible. Years of ministry have proven this over and over again. Some of those whom I feared would fail have persevered, and even prospered. Some of those I was sure would be very successful in Christian living and service have failed miserably. We must recognize that it is only God who knows the hearts of men, and thus we should be careful in the judgments we make, especially when it comes to motives. Nevertheless, “by their fruit you shall know them” (Matthew 7:20).

My point is that we can never evangelize or lead just like Jesus did because we are not just like Jesus. We are not omniscient and omnipotent. He is. Nevertheless, Jesus has sent His Spirit to enable and empower us for service. We must rely upon His Word and His Spirit to accomplish His purposes. This is why “the ministry of the Word and prayer” are so vital to Christian ministry.

While God sovereignly chooses us to salvation and service, and foreordains the fruit we will produce by His grace (see John 15:16), it is also true that God seeks those for service and intimate fellowship who have a heart for Him, those who have a faith that is firmly rooted, which can withstand the adversities of life. David was one of those men; Saul was not. Paul taught Timothy that God’s use of a man is, in some manner, related to that person’s desire to be a pure and holy instrument in His hand:

20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work (2 Timothy 2:20-21).

Let us seek, by His grace, to be the kind of vessel that God uses for honorable purposes. And when He does use us for such things, let us remember that it is all of Him (Romans 11:36).

Finally, I want to remind you that our Lord knows men’s hearts. He knows what is in your heart and what is in mine. It is a frightening thought, isn’t it? We may be able to fool others, but we cannot fool God. Our hearts are wretched and unclean. Our hearts are deceitful and wicked. When God saves us, He gives us a new heart. May He find us faithful, so that we find Him entrusting Himself to us, intimately communing with us, teaching and guiding us, so that we may proclaim His mercy and grace to a lost and dying world.


! Lesson 8:
Jesus and Nicodemus
(John 3:1-21)

1 Now there came a man of the Pharisees whose name was Nicodemus, a member of the council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could do the miraculous signs that you do unless God were with him.”

3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time, can he?”

5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus replied, “How can these things be?”

10 Jesus answered, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things? 11 I tell you the solemn truth, we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. 12 If I have told you people about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

16 For this is the way God loved the world: he gave his one and only Son that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 18 The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. 19 Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. 21 But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God.[146]

Introduction

A number of years ago, I read a newspaper account of a speech given by the president of a well-known university to a group of influential businessmen and civic leaders. The president told of a recent experience which he, his audience, and the newspaper reporter found humorous. The president was shopping during the Christmas season and happened to pass by a Salvation Army volunteer, standing by a “donation kettle” and ringing a bell. As he paused to make a donation, the woman volunteer asked this educator: “Sir, are you saved?” When he replied that he supposed he was, she was not satisfied, so she pursued the matter further: “I mean, have you ever given your full life to the Lord?” At this point, the president told his audience, he thought he should enlighten this persistent woman concerning his identity: “I am the president of such and such university, and as such, I am also president of its school of theology.” The lady considered his response for a moment, and then replied, “It doesn’t matter wherever you’ve been, or whatever you are, you can still be saved.”

The most tragic part of this incident is that both the seminary president and his audience actually thought his story was amusing. One can imagine that if Nicodemus had been confronted by this Salvation Army volunteer, he would have thought—and said—just about the same thing as the university president. Nicodemus is the “cream of the Jewish crop.” One dare not dream of having life any better than he has it. He is a Jew, a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin (the highest legal, legislative and judicial body of the Jews), and a highly respected teacher of the Old Testament Scriptures. Can you imagine being Nicodemus and having Jesus tell you that all of this is not enough to get you into the kingdom of God? Yet this is precisely what Jesus tells Nicodemus. If a man like Nicodemus is not good enough for the kingdom of God, then who is? That is the question, and Jesus has the answer, which John records for us. Let us listen well to the inspired words of this Gospel to learn how one must enter the kingdom of God.

The Setting

While the exact chronology of the following events may not be accurate, the sequence outlined by these texts cannot be too far from the way our Lord’s teaching (and John the Baptist’s) caught the attention of the Jewish religious leaders, particularly the Pharisees:

46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Jesus were astonished at his understanding and his answers (Luke 2:46-47).

19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed—he did not deny but confessed— “I am not the Christ.” 21 So they asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell us so that we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 John said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” 24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 So they asked John, “Why then are you baptizing if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” (John 1:19-25)

30 However, the Pharisees and the experts in religious law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John (Luke 7:30).

28 When Jesus finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed by his teaching, 29 because he taught them like one who had authority, and not like their experts in the law (Matthew 7:28-29).

17 On one of those days, while he was teaching, there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting nearby (who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem), and the power of the Lord was with him to heal the sick (Luke 5:17).

At the age of 12, our Lord accompanied Mary and Joseph to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover with them. When His family left for home, Jesus stayed behind, His absence unnoticed. When Mary and Joseph returned to Jerusalem in search of Jesus, they found Him in the temple listening to the teachers and asking questions (Luke 2:46). It wasn’t long before they were asking Jesus questions, and they were amazed at His answers (2:47). Our Lord was already an astounding teacher at 12 years of age, whose understanding of the Scriptures amazed Israel’s finest scholars.

A number of years later, John the Baptist commenced his public ministry, proclaiming the Word of God and calling Israel to repentance in preparation for the coming of Messiah. The Jewish religious leaders took note of him and sent a delegation to inquire about his ministry and message. It is apparent that the Pharisees chose not to identify themselves with John and his preaching, as they refused to be baptized by him (Luke 7:30).

When Jesus began His public ministry, the people who heard Him recognized a difference between His teaching and that of the Jewish religious teachers. Jesus taught as one having authority and not as their experts in the law. Our Lord’s authority was evident in His healing of the sick and casting out of demons. It also seems to have been evident in the impact His words made on His listeners. The experts in the law taught with great dogmatism (Romans 2:17-20; 1 Timothy 1:6-7; 2 Peter 2:18), but their message lacked the power of our Lord’s words. His teaching seems to have “rung true” to His audience.[147]

We learn from Luke 5:17, the Pharisees quickly take note of Jesus. At some point in time, Pharisees from the entire nation of Israel gather to observe His ministry and teaching. We know from Luke’s words that Jesus was also performing miracles at this time. It is uncertain whether this occurred before or after our Lord’s interview with Nicodemus, but it must have been close to the time Nicodemus comes to Him by night, as our text in John describes. The Pharisees are hard pressed to speak critically of our Lord or His ministry. How can His teaching be criticized? How can anyone speak against Him, when He performs miracles openly, and many take note of them? Jesus makes the Pharisees look bad, and there seems to be little they can say against Him at the moment, though this will soon change. But Jesus does not have much good to say about them:

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter will pass from the law until everything takes place. 19 So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do this, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-20).

Jesus performed His first sign at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, but very few even realized what had happened. It was the cleansing of the temple which captured the attention of the religious leaders (John 2:18-22), while the signs our Lord accomplished in Jerusalem caught the attention of many others (John 2:23-25). Still, the Pharisees were not the ones who caught the brunt of our Lord’s attack. They were not the ones behind the merchandising which took place in the temple courts. This was the work of the priests and of the Sadducees.[148] It may be that the Pharisees even stood by as Jesus cleansed the temple, looking on with great satisfaction as the priests and Sadducees were publicly humiliated.[149]

All of these events seem to rivet the Pharisees’ attention on Jesus. We know one Pharisee in particular is greatly impressed—a Pharisee named Nicodemus. At one time, I thought Nicodemus was seeking, on behalf of the Pharisees, to recruit Jesus as a kind of junior partner. I am not certain Nicodemus’ colleagues would even have accepted Jesus into their ranks. I also thought Nicodemus came with a memorized script, and when Jesus interrupted him, he was totally disarmed and disoriented.

I now view our text in a different light. For the moment, suppose you are a renowned pianist, trained by the finest concert pianist the world has ever known. When you perform, crowds gather to listen. Everyone hails you as the master in your area of musical expertise. Now suppose some young man comes along who grew up in the Ozarks and who never had a piano lesson in his life, but simply taught himself to play on a broken-down instrument in his grandmother’s house. When this hillbilly musician comes to town, his talent is discovered, and people throng to hear him perform. When he does, tears come to the eyes of those in his audience. You too listen to him play. You, better than anyone else, recognize in him a musical genius that you have never had and that you never will. When you hear him play, you wish you had his abilities.

I believe this is the way Nicodemus must have felt about Jesus. Nicodemus is a Pharisee who is at the top of his field. Not only is he a member of the Sanhedrin, he is the most renowned Bible teacher of his day—the “Billy Graham” of first century Jerusalem. Yet when he hears Jesus teach, he hears the answers to questions that have bothered him for years. He watches the crowds as they listen to Jesus, and he knows he has never held the attention of an audience like Jesus does. Jesus speaks in simple terms, but His message has great power. Nicodemus observes the miracles Jesus performs, knowing he has never performed so much as one miracle. By nearly any standard, Nicodemus does not hold a candle to Jesus.

Nicodemus’ Night Interview With Jesus
(3:1-2)

1 Now there came a man of the Pharisees whose name was Nicodemus, a member of the council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could do the miraculous signs that you do unless God were with him.”

Nicodemus cannot overlook the weight of the evidence. His fellow Pharisees will quickly begin to find alternative explanations for Jesus’ success, but Nicodemus cannot get away from his personal conviction that Jesus has some kind of divine mission, and that He possesses divine authority by which He speaks and heals. I am now inclined to read the first verses of chapter 3 in this way: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could do the miraculous signs that you do unless God were with him …”

I am not sure Nicodemus knows what to say from here on, or that he came with a predetermined agenda for this interview. If he does have a plan, we do not know what it was as he never gets to it. He simply tells Jesus that, from what he has personally seen, he has concluded that Jesus has come from God on some divinely inspired mission. Having said this, Nicodemus may have waited, hoping Jesus would take up the subject where he leaves off, fill in all the blanks, and answer all his questions. If this is his hope, he is in for a big disappointment.

By his words, we can see that Nicodemus has a great respect for Jesus. Nicodemus calls Jesus “Rabbi.” No doubt this is the same title many used to address him, for he was a teacher of the law as well. He further refers to Jesus as “a teacher come from God.” When Nicodemus speaks to Jesus, he does not say, “Rabbi, I know that You are a teacher who has come from God,” but rather “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God.” To whom is Nicodemus referring when he says “we”? It must be the Pharisees, his colleagues.[150] Is Nicodemus speaking for his fellow-Pharisees here, expressing their point of view? Has Nicodemus come as the official spokesman for the Pharisees? It is certainly possible, but it just does not seem to be the Pharisees’ style to act in such a secretive manner. In the cases above (John 1:19-25; Luke 5:17), the Pharisees make their moves very publicly, almost as though they intend to be seen. They wanted to be viewed as the accrediting agency for all those who taught the law.

I am inclined to think that Nicodemus is acting independently, without the sanction of the Pharisees. Why “we” then? Because Nicodemus is still a Pharisee, a member (and even a leader) of their organization. He thinks in terms of this system; his observations and preliminary conclusions are drawn as a Pharisee. When Nicodemus says “we,” this should suggest to us that at this point in his life, Nicodemus is still 100% Pharisee. Not until Nicodemus recognizes the failure of Pharisaism and renounces his faith in this religious system will he cast himself on Jesus alone for salvation. This is precisely what our Lord’s response is all about. Jesus seeks to show Nicodemus that his system of religion does not, and cannot, save anyone.

Before we move to our Lord’s response, we should observe that Nicodemus is partly correct in his assessment of Jesus. Jesus is a “teacher come from God,” and God is “with Him” (verse 2). What Nicodemus does not know is that his words are even truer than he realizes. Jesus is literally a “teacher come from God.” He has come down to earth from the Father. And God is “with Him.” But Jesus is much greater than Nicodemus ever imagined at this moment in time. He is God, and He manifests the power of God in His teaching and working of signs. It will be some time yet before Nicodemus realizes the full truth of what he has just said. What he hears next catches him completely off guard.

“You Must Be Born Again”
(3:3)

Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is [re]born from above,[151] he cannot see[152] the kingdom of God.”

In the conversation which Nicodemus initiates, let us remember that Jesus is the focus. Nicodemus has not come to talk about himself or about Pharisaism. He has come to find out about Jesus, His message, and His relationship to God. What does Jesus have to say for Himself? Nicodemus opens the door by assuring Jesus that he sees Him as a man with a mission and a message from God. It is a perfect opener for Jesus. All He has to do is pick up from here and tell Nicodemus what His mission is. It doesn’t turn out at all as Nicodemus may have expected.

Our Lord’s words will stun Nicodemus. He begins by indicating to Nicodemus that the words He is about to speak convey a most solemn truth. He uses an expression unique to this Gospel, which in the King James Version is rendered, “Verily, verily …”[153] Leon Morris sums up the impact of our Lord’s few words:

Then in one sentence He sweeps away all that Nicodemus stood for, and demands that he be re-made by the power of God.[154]

Nicodemus’ brand of Judaism did not know anything of re-birth.[155] Quite frankly, the Pharisees thought one birth of the “right kind” was quite enough.

7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit worthy of repentance! 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ because I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones! 10 Even now the ax is ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:7-10, emphasis mine).

To many Jews, to be born a Jew was to be born into the kingdom of God. We know the Jews also believed that Gentiles are born “lost.” Even the Jerusalem church leaders had to be forcefully convinced that God had purposed the salvation of Gentiles (see Acts 10; 11:15-18), and even then, the practice of many Jewish believers did not match their profession (see Acts 11:19). Paul, likewise, hit hard at this point. All Israelites are not true Israelites (Romans 9:6). Those who trust in the atoning work of Jesus Christ for salvation are true Israelites, whether their racial origins are Jewish or Gentile (see Galatians 3:28; 6:16).

Imagine the shocked look on the face of Nicodemus when Jesus tells him that his natural birth (as a Jew) will not save him, and that he must be reborn from above. The implication is clear: Unless Nicodemus is reborn from above, he will not see the kingdom of God. Here is a man who thinks he has reserved seats on the 50 yard line of heaven. Jesus tells him that he is not even going to get into heaven as he is. He first must be born again, from above.

Nicodemus Takes Jesus Literally
(3:4)

4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time, can he?”

Nicodemus chooses to understand Jesus’ words literally, so that he assumes the expression “reborn from above” must refer to some kind of literal re-birth.[156] I am not convinced that this is because our Lord’s choice of words forces Nicodemus in this direction, but because he does not wish to pursue the implications of the only other direction open to him. It is easier to take Jesus as Nicodemus does, because then His words might be brushed aside as ridiculous and absurd. And so Nicodemus objects, “You can’t mean that in order to enter the kingdom of God one has to repeat the human birth process, can you?”

The reader of this Gospel has an advantage over Nicodemus. First, we know John has already identified Jesus as God. The creation of life was His work in the beginning, and so it is in the work of creating spiritual life. We have also read that those who become God’s children are those born by a divine act of creation (John 1:12). All of this is beyond Nicodemus at the moment, who can only think in the most crass literalism, and who cannot understand Jesus at all.

What It Means to Be Reborn From Above
(3:5-8)

5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said to you,[157] ‘You[158] must be born from above.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Once again, Jesus begins His response to Nicodemus by indicating the solemnity of His words. He then goes on to answer the objection Nicodemus raises: “… unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (verse 5). I believe we can safely reason that to be “reborn from above” is synonymous with being “born of water and spirit.” The question many ask is, “What is meant by the terms “water” and “spirit”? Some take the term “water” to refer to natural birth, while they believe “spirit” refers to one’s spiritual re-birth from above. If this is what our Lord intended, then He would be saying that a man must first be born naturally (“of water”) and then supernaturally (“of the Spirit”). The support for interpreting “water” in this way is less than compelling. Neither do I find it necessary for Jesus to argue the need for both physical birth and spiritual birth.

I am inclined to understand the terms “water” and “spirit” as one expression, “water and spirit,” which together refer to spiritual rebirth. There are several Old Testament texts which seem to justify the conclusion that both “water” and “spirit” refer to one’s spiritual rebirth:

3 “’For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring; 4 They will spring up among the grass Like willows by the watercourses.’ 5 One will say, ‘I am the LORD’s’; Another will call himself by the name of Jacob; Another will write with his hand, ‘The LORD’s,’ And name himself by the name of Israel” (Isaiah 44:3-5, NKJV).

24 “For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezekiel 36:24-27, NKJV).

This work of regeneration, is also described in the Old Testament as the work of the “wind”:

9 Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.”’” 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army (Ezekiel 37:9-10, NKJV).

The New Testament describes God’s work of salvation as the “washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit”:

3 For we too were once foolish, disobedient, misled, enslaved to various passions and desires, spending our lives in evil and envy, hateful and hating one another. 4 But “when the kindness of God our Savior appeared and his love for mankind, 5 He saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us in full measure through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 And so, since we have been justified by his grace, we become heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life” (Titus 3:3-7).

I believe that the “water” of which our Lord speaks here is also related to the “water” of baptism. The Pharisees are most concerned to know why John is baptizing (John 1:25). Immediately after our text, John’s disciples express their concerns to him about the rising popularity of Jesus. John has just told us that Jesus has been spending time with His disciples and baptizing (3:22). John’s disciples then protest to John: “Rabbi, the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, about whom you testified—see, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him!” (3:26). I believe our Lord’s baptism and John’s baptism are, at this point in time, one and the same. It is the baptism of repentance, in preparation for Messiah’s coming. Baptism was a part of the message and the ministry of both John and Jesus, and baptism by the Spirit is what John said distinguished the Messiah’s ministry from his own (John 1:33). Thus, to be born of water and the Spirit is to be “reborn from above,” to be saved.

I do not mean by this that baptism is a good work that we perform that results in salvation. This would be the exact opposite of the point our Lord is making to Nicodemus in our text. John’s baptism was viewed as preparatory to the coming of our Lord. It was a baptism of repentance. By being baptized, one testified that he (or she) was renouncing Judaism (law keeping) as the means of their salvation. This is precisely why unbelieving and unrepentant Pharisees refused baptism:

29 (Now all the people who heard this, even the tax collectors, acknowledged God’s justice, because they had been baptized with John’s baptism. 30 However, the Pharisees and the experts in religious law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.) (Luke 7:29-30)

Jesus was very careful to identity Himself with John and his ministry. If a Pharisee or anyone else wished to enter the kingdom of God, they must do so through the means God had appointed—identification with John and with Jesus, the One of whom John bore testimony.

While I believe that baptism was expected, our Lord is not placing the emphasis on human action, but rather on the sovereign work of God in salvation. To be born from above is to be born of God. To be born of God is to be spiritually born by the work of His Spirit (born from above). Jesus now describes the sovereign saving work of God through His Spirit by using the analogy of the wind.[159]

Before we consider the meaning of our Lord’s words about the wind here, let us pause to consider the context in which they are spoken. Jesus shocks Nicodemus by indicating to him that apart from being reborn from above, neither he nor anyone else will see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus thinks that his birth alone (as a Jew) assures him of seeing the kingdom of God (see Matthew 3:9; John 8:39; Romans 9:6). But even beyond this, Nicodemus must feel as though he holds the keys to the kingdom. Pharisaism saw itself as the guardian of the Law of Moses. It viewed itself as the pure remnant of Judaism. Pharisaism viewed itself as the “gate keeper” of the kingdom, governing it by the rules and regulations it had added to the law through oral tradition (see Matthew 23:13-15). In short, Nicodemus, like his peers, felt as though the Pharisees had the kingdom under their control. Jesus is about to blow this myth away.

Jesus likens the saving work of God through His Spirit to the working of the wind. The effects of the wind can be seen, but the wind itself is not seen. Neither can the wind be controlled. The wind goes where it wishes and does what it will. Men do not control the wind. The Spirit’s saving work is like this. The Spirit goes about His life-giving work, and no man controls Him.[160] No one, by his own works, or striving, or manipulation can direct the Spirit in His work. But when the Spirit brings about the new birth, the effects are evident. We know it is the work of God’s Spirit, unseen and beyond man’s control. In this sense, neither Nicodemus nor anyone else can save themselves, nor anyone else for that matter. Salvation is the sovereign work of God, accomplished by the Holy Spirit.

How Can These Things Be?
(3:9)

9 Nicodemus replied, “How can these things be?”

Nicodemus has been at a loss for words ever since our Lord’s response to him in verse 3. In verses 4 and 9, Nicodemus asks two different questions, but both begin the same, “How is it possible …?”[161] He is so dumb-struck by what Jesus has told him that he cannot conceive of how our Lord’s words could be true. Nicodemus is so much a part of the natural world that he cannot fathom the possibility of anything spiritual and supernatural. In theory, the Pharisees believed in the miraculous (see Acts 23:6-8), but in practice Nicodemus appears to be anti-supernatural. Let’s face it, we do the same thing. We claim to believe God is in control, and that He is all-powerful, yet we often fail to live like it is true.

Teaching the Teacher of Israel About Spiritual Things
(3:10-15)

10 Jesus answered, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things? 11 I tell you the solemn truth, we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you people[162] do not accept our testimony. 12 If I have told you people about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up[163] the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

Our Lord’s words are a gentle rebuke: “Can you really be the teacher in Israel and not grasp these things?” Nicodemus is not only a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, he is “the teacher of Israel” (verse 10). It is generally understood that the definite article here indicates that Nicodemus was the most prominent and respected teacher of his day. How could a renowned teacher of the Old Testament not know what Jesus is talking about? It seems incredible; indeed, it is. Notice the words of verse 12 in this regard. Jesus contrasts “earthly things” with “heavenly things.” He seems to place the things of which He has been speaking in the category of “earthly things.” “Heavenly things” would thus refer to those things associated with the coming kingdom of God, things presently beyond our comprehension.[164]

How can Nicodemus, a teacher of the Old Testament law, not grasp those things the law teaches? The problem with mankind has always been with the heart (Genesis 8:21; Exodus 7:14; Deuteronomy 5:28-29; 8:14; Isaiah 29:13; Jeremiah 17:9), a problem which God alone can solve by giving men a new heart (Deuteronomy 30:6; Jeremiah 31:31-34). To be reborn by the Spirit of God makes one a new man (see 1 Samuel 10:6-13), and it is the Spirit who enables men to see such truths (see 1 Corinthians 2). Paul carries this even a step further:

12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we behave with great boldness, 13 and not like Moses who used to put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from staring at the end of the glory that was fading away. 14 But their minds were closed. For to this very day, the same veil remains when they hear the old covenant read. It has not been removed because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 But until this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; 16 but whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:12-18).

In verse 11, Jesus once again underscores what He is about to say with the words, “I tell you the solemn truth.” He assures Nicodemus, “We speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen.” He then goes on to say, “… but you people do not accept our testimony.” The NET Translation nicely informs us that the “you” is plural. Who is the “we” Jesus is speaking of, and who is the “you people”? The “we” seems to be John the Baptist and Jesus, both of whom have testified to what they have seen. The “we” might conceivably include the Old Testament prophets, though this is less likely. The “you people” is Nicodemus and his fellow-Pharisees.

John bore witness to the coming of Messiah. The Pharisees sent a delegation to inquire of John just who he was and what his message might be (John 1:19-25). They obviously did not accept John’s testimony because they refused to be baptized by him (Luke 7:30). The Pharisees also assembled in large numbers, coming from all over the land of Israel to hear Jesus and to judge His message and ministry (Luke 5:17). They certainly did not submit to Jesus as their Messiah. Thus, the witness of both John and Jesus was rejected by the Pharisees.

Jesus has been speaking of re-birth, a re-birth which comes from above. It is the work of God’s Spirit, who sovereignly brings about new life (verses 7-8), and it is a work that comes “from above” (verses 13-15). Does Nicodemus believe in a heavenly kingdom? He certainly should, as did the Old Testament men and women of faith (see Hebrews 11:13-16). If anyone could ascend into heaven, they must first come down from heaven. It is a round trip, with heaven as the point of origin. Only the Son of Man can return to heaven, because this is where He came from (verse 13). This is why salvation is “from above.”

The story of the bronze serpent, recorded in Numbers 21, foreshadows the salvation which God will provide through the “Son of Man.” The Israelites had been complaining against God, grumbling about the journey and their apparent lack of food and water. They did not like the manna God gave them day after day. And so God sent fiery serpents among them, and many of those who were bitten died. God provided a salvation for this disobedient people, so that they might survive divine judgment. He instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and to set it on a pole, so that anyone who was bitten by one of the serpents could merely look up at the serpent and be healed. This is precisely what happened. All who were bitten and looked up were healed.

This Old Testament provision for Israel’s healing is illustrative of the salvation God is about to accomplish through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. As the serpent was lifted up, and thus became a source of salvation, so the Son of Man must be “lifted up,” so that those who look up to Him in faith can be saved from God’s wrath as well. The snake-bitten Israelites were smitten of God for their sin. They deserved to die, and apart from His provision of the serpent, they would have. Those who did not look up to the bronze serpent died. The act of merely looking up to the bronze serpent was an act of faith. So far as the people could see, there was no direct link between the snake bite they had received and the healing for which they hoped. But it was the means God provided for their salvation. It was the means God declared through Moses. It was the one way God said His people could be saved. Those who looked to the bronze serpent were saved from the death they deserved.

In verses 14 and 15, Jesus connects the serpent, which is lifted up on a pole, with His own death at Calvary, when He is lifted up on the cross. Nicodemus asks how a man can be reborn from above. Jesus first tells him by analogy; now He tells him more directly. If anyone is to be saved from the penalty of their sins, they must “look up” to Him for salvation. He, like the bronze serpent of old, will be “lifted up” on a cross, and He will later be “lifted up” in His resurrection and ascension. In so doing, He will be “lifted up” in another way—He will be exalted by God for His sacrificial obedience at Calvary. All those who “look up” to Him in faith, trusting in Him to remove the judgment for their sin, like the Israelites of old, will be saved.

The Love of God and the Coming and Cross of Christ
(3:16-21)

16 For this is the way God loved the world: he gave his one and only Son that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 18 The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. 19 Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. 21 But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God.

This brings us to verse 16, perhaps the most well known passage in the Bible. Unfortunately, this verse is almost always used in a “stand alone” fashion, without any reference to its context. In addition, virtually all the major later translations still follow the reading of the King James Version. This would not be bad except that the meaning of words change. The word “so” is particularly problematic:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (KJV, emphasis mine).

The Bible in Basic English most clearly conveys what most of us understand this verse to mean:

For God had such love for the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever has faith in him may not come to destruction but have eternal life (emphasis mine).

In so doing, the Bible in Basic English translation renders this verse in a way that obscures the principle thrust of what our Lord is saying. Fortunately, the NET Bible gets it right:

For this is the way God loved the world: he gave his one and only Son that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

A translator’s note in an earlier version of the NET Bible pointed me in the right direction. The note simply read, “Or, in this way.”[165] As I began to search out the use of this word (rendered “so” in John 3:16) in John’s writings and the rest of the New Testament, I came to realize that I understood the word in a way that John does not seem to have intended. The two words, “for … so,” are the rendering of a two-word combination in the Greek text, which occurs nine times in the New Testament.[166] None of these occurrences can or should be rendered in a “so much” way. Every one can, and perhaps should, be rendered “in this way,” or “this is the way,” or something very similar. This can be seen by the way the NET Bible handles these other eight occurrences of the expression found in John 3:16:

“In Bethlehem of Judea,” they said, “for it is written this way by the prophet” (Matthew 2:5, emphasis mine).

So Jesus replied to him, “Let it happen now, for [in this way] it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John yielded to him” (Matthew 3:15, emphasis mine).[167]

Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way” (Matthew 5:12, emphasis mine).

But the magician Elymas (for that is the way his name is translated) opposed them, trying to turn the proconsul away from the faith (Acts 13:8, emphasis mine).

For this is what [this is the way] the Lord has commanded us: “I have appointed you to be a light for the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth” (Acts 13:47, emphasis mine).

We went on ahead to the ship and put out to sea for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for he had arranged it this way. He himself was intending to go there by land (Acts 20:13, emphasis mine).

For in the same way the holy women who hoped in God long ago adorned themselves by being subject to their husbands (1 Peter 3:5, emphasis mine).

For thus [or, “For in this way …”] an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be richly provided for you (2 Peter 1:11, emphasis mine).

Based upon the consistent use of this expression in the New Testament, I believe we should understand John 3:16 the way the NET Bible has translated it.

Now notice something else. The expression, “for in this way,” points back to something previously stated. It links what is being (or is about to be) said to what has just been said. To find out what “this same way” is, we must look back to what has already been said. What will, or should, happen must happen in a way similar to the way something has already happened. A study of the eight verses above demonstrates this.

Now let us apply this aspect of the expression to John 3:16 and earlier by going back to verse 14:

14 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so [in the same way][168] must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16 For this is the way God loved the world: he gave his one and only Son that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him (emphasis mine).

Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be reborn from above. Nicodemus is surprised and confused by what Jesus has said (3:4, 9). Jesus gently rebukes Nicodemus, a prominent teacher of the Old Testament law, because he finds our Lord’s words so new and so difficult (3:10). And so in verse 14, Jesus turns to the Old Testament to clarify what He has told Nicodemus. In this incident, Moses lifted up a bronze serpent in the desert, so that all who (by faith) looked up to it were saved. In the same way that Moses lifted up the serpent, the Son of man must be “lifted up.” The Son of man is to be “lifted up” so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.

The words which commence John 3:16, “For this is the way God loved the world … ,” pick up and expand upon the thought of verses 14 and 15. Notice the repetition of the statement, “so that everyone who believes in Him … may have eternal life,” in verses 15 and 16. The argument of Jesus (and John) goes something like this: “How can one be reborn from above, Nicodemus? Well, first, no one can ascend into heaven except the One who first descended from heaven. Thus, God’s provision for man’s salvation has come from above. The story of the salvation of the Israelites in the desert speaks of salvation from above. Moses lifted a bronze serpent up on a pole and placed it where all the Israelites could see it. All those bitten by a serpent could “look up” to this bronze serpent and live. The salvation of which I speak, and about which you inquire, is from above, not only in that God has provided it through Him who descended from heaven, but also in that men must look up to Him to be saved.”

This salvation in the wilderness by means of the bronze serpent was a prototype of God’s salvation in Jesus Christ. “In the same way” that the bronze serpent was lifted up on a pole for all to see, the “Son of man” must be “lifted up,” so that all who look to Him by faith may have eternal life. “For in this way God loved the world: He gave His only begotten Son in order that all who believe in Him may not perish but have eternal life.” God gave His only begotten Son by sending Him to this world, by lifting Him up on the cross of Calvary, and by lifting Him up from the grave and exalting Him above every name.

God’s love for the world was demonstrated in Jesus, the One whom Pharisaism rejected, whose testimony (along with John’s) they did not believe. The Jews wrongly assumed that God loved them because they were Jews. Now they are informed that God loves them only through Christ. If they reject Christ, they also reject the love which the Father manifested toward them in Christ.

In verse 16, Nicodemus has yet another shock in store for him. This verse declares that God’s love extends to the world, and that God has purposed to save Gentiles as well as Jews. This was literally beyond the comprehension of many Jews, including believing Jews. The Prophet Jonah, for example, could not conceive of the Ninevites (Gentiles) being saved, and thus he did everything in his power to see that this city would be destroyed. John and his brother James wanted to call down fire from heaven and “torch” a Samaritan village (Luke 9:52-56). When Peter went to the home of Cornelius and preached the gospel to the Gentiles who had gathered there, the church leaders in Jerusalem called him to account for his going to the Gentiles with the gospel (Acts 11:1-3). After Peter convinced them that this was of God, and they confessed that God must be saving men from among the Gentiles, Jewish believers continued to go out, “speaking the message to no one but Jews” (Acts 11:19). When Paul addressed a hostile Jewish audience, they listened to him patiently—until he mentioned that God had called him to take the gospel to the Gentiles—and then they were enraged (Acts 22:1-24, note especially verses 21-22). For Jesus (or John) to say that God loved the world was revolutionary, shocking, and very distressing for a strict Jew.

I would like to highlight another lesson to be learned from John 3:16. The word “loved” is in the past tense. The Greek verb is in the aorist tense, indicating a specific act at a particular point in time. This verse does not say, “God loves (present tense) the world.” I believe the reason for this is because we are to understand that God has manifested His love for the world in a particular way. He “loved” the world through His Son, Jesus Christ. He “loved” the world by sending His son into the world, so that He might be “lifted up” as a sin-bearer.

This brings us to a new element in John’s Gospel, introduced in verse 16, which surely must have caused Nicodemus and his colleagues a great deal of difficulty. That “new” element is the concept of hell, or eternal judgment, introduced by the term “perish.” Our Lord’s earlier reference to the bronze serpent raised this issue in a more subtle way. The people who were “saved” by looking up to the bronze serpent were those who were dying. They were “perishing” because God was judging them on account of their sin, and they knew it. If they did not quickly look up to the serpent in faith, they would perish. Jesus first shocked Nicodemus by telling him that he would not even see the kingdom of God unless he was reborn from above. Jesus’ words in verses 14-21 are even more disturbing. Nicodemus is not only unable to see the kingdom of God in his present state, he is destined to perish.

Nicodemus must surely be in a state of shock by now. He is no longer even speaking. In fact, he may already have left, and it may be John who now fills in these details, writing these words after the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of our Lord. The man who thinks he has arrived is told he isn’t even on his way to heaven; he is on his way to eternal torment. He is a condemned man. Spiritually speaking, Nicodemus is on death row.

God’s purpose in sending Jesus into the world was not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. We may wonder how our Lord (or John) can make such a statement in the light of these later verses in John:

26 “For just as the Father has life in himself, thus he has granted the Son to have life in himself; 27 and he granted the Son authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of Man” (John 5:26-27).

“I can do nothing on my own initiative. Just as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me” (John 5:30).

Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may gain their sight, and the ones who see may become blind” (John 9:39).

We see above in John chapter 5 that Jesus is talking about the judgment He will execute at the resurrection of the dead (see verses 25, 28-29). The judgment spoken of in John 9 seems to be essentially the same as that in verses 17-21 of John chapter 3. Jesus came into the world as the expression of God’s love for the world. He came to save those sinners who believe in Him. Those who do not receive Jesus Christ as God’s only way of salvation (see also John 14:6) reject God’s love. The primary purpose of our Lord’s first coming was to implement the love of God toward lost sinners by providing a way of salvation, like the bronze serpent provided a means of healing for all who would look up and be saved.

The story of the woman caught in the act of adultery, recorded in chapter 8, illustrates the relationship between Jesus’ first coming and the judgment He will execute at His second coming. The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus who was caught in the very act of adultery (notice, they did not bring the man). Desiring to put Jesus on the spot, they virtually dared Him to “judge” or condemn her. Under the law, she did deserve to die, but Jesus did not respond as His opponents expected. Jesus did not deny the woman’s guilt; He showed her accusers that they were guilty sinners as well. Perhaps their form of sin was self-righteousness and pride, rather than immorality, but they were not “without sin.” No one present was truly qualified to condemn this woman, except Jesus. And rather than condemn her, He forgave her of her sins. The purpose of Jesus’ first coming was to make an atonement for man’s sins. Jesus refused to condemn this woman, because He had come to save her. Indeed, He came to bear the guilt and punishment for her sins, so that her sins could be forgiven.

Judgment is a secondary effect of our Lord’s first coming, and it will be a more dramatic part of His second coming. Those for whom He came to provide a way of salvation are guilty sinners, already under condemnation (see Romans 3:9-18, 23). Those who reject the offer of salvation in Jesus Christ reject God’s love, and fall under even greater condemnation for having seen the light and then rejecting it (see John 9:35-41). A person’s response to the light of our Lord’s coming is indicative of their moral and spiritual condition. Those who practice the truth do not fear the light, but welcome it. Light reveals the righteousness of righteous men. Those who are unrighteous hate the light because it exposes their sins. Wicked men reject the light while righteous men welcome it. One’s response to the light, then, demonstrates his or her moral and spiritual condition. Light condemns, both by exposing sin and by exposing sinners, who reject the light. In this sense, our Lord passively judged (exposed) the sins of men in His first coming. He will actively judge sinners at His second coming.

Conclusion

This text is rich in truth and applications. Let me conclude by pointing out some important principles.

First, being religious is not the same as being a Christian. Some time ago a book was published, based on the Book of Romans, and entitled “How To Be Christian Without Being Religious.” It attempted to show that one can become a Christian without having to act “religious.” I believe one could very well write a book entitled, “How To Be Religious Without Being a Christian.” This would apply not only to Nicodemus, but to many “religious” people today. One could not get much more religious than Nicodemus, but our Lord’s words make it clear that as “religious” as he is, Nicodemus is not yet a Christian. He must be reborn from above.

I must ask you, my friend, “Are you a Christian, or are you just religious?” If you take the words of our Lord seriously, there is a great difference between those who are religious and those who are reborn from above. Nicodemus was as lost as the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4). Hell will be populated by many people who are “religious,” who have trusted in their religion to save them, rather than trusting in Christ alone. There will be many in hell who trusted in their works to get them to heaven, rather than in His work—the work of our Lord Jesus Christ and the cross of Calvary. He came down from heaven, and He was lifted up on a cross to bear the penalty of your sins and mine. He was raised from the dead and exalted to the right hand of God. He offers to us His righteousness and His life. If you trust in Him, rather than in yourself, you will be reborn from above, and thus you can be assured that you will see the kingdom of God.

Second, God’s love for the world has been manifested through the coming and the cross of Jesus Christ. This is the way God “loved” the world. It is the only way anyone can enjoy the love of God for now and eternity. To reject Jesus Christ as God’s provision for our salvation is to reject God’s love, and to be under divine condemnation, awaiting the day of God’s eternal judgment. Many today seek to find comfort by assuring themselves that God loves them. God “loved” them in Jesus Christ. To reject Him is to reject His love. It is both foolish and dangerous to believe in a “God of love” without submitting to the Son of His love, Jesus Christ. How often I hear it said, “Well, I believe in a God of love …” They go on to say that such a God would never condemn anyone to hell. Our text tells us just the opposite. The God of love who sent Jesus Christ to save the world from sin is the God who will send Him a second time to judge the world for sin. Those who have “looked up” to Him for salvation, now “look up,” waiting for His return. Those who have rejected Him fail to grasp that when He returns He will come as their judge. What a terrifying thought! What a blessed salvation!

It is my hope and prayer that God will give you no rest or peace until you have experienced the love of God in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

16 For this is the way God loved the world: he gave his one and only Son that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 18 The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.


! Lesson 9:
John’s Joy and His Disciples’ Jealousy
(John 3:22-36)

Introduction

Like many of you, I too watched the winter Olympics on television. I was most interested in the women’s figure skating, particularly the gold medal performance of Tara Lipinski, who just happens to be from Texas. A number of very fine and more favored contestants performed ahead of Tara, but it was clear she had a chance for the gold. The pressure was on, which made her final difficult jump even more exciting. I’ll never forget the look on her face when she executed the jump flawlessly. Immediately, her face illuminated as she flashed her now famous joyful smile. She knew she had done it, and she was right! At that moment, Tara Lipinski experienced the joy of having fulfilled her mission, and she absolutely delighted in having done so.

Somehow, I’ve never really looked upon John the Baptist as a happy person. From some of his severe words, I must confess to thinking of John as a grouch, a sort of angry, hostile fellow, who didn’t know how to smile. A friend of mine used to say, “It’s hard for a watchdog to smile.” I guess I always looked on John as a “watchdog.” Our text forces me to rethink my opinion of John the Baptist.

Some parents in our church have their children sit in with them as they listen to me preach. Some of these young listeners draw cartoons for me of what they have learned from the text of Scripture. I know what to expect from my young artist friends at the end of this sermon. I will get a picture of John the Baptist, with a broad smile on his face. In the picture also will be his disciples, all wearing a huge frown. That which gives John great joy causes his disciples great concern, even distress. How can this be? What has gone wrong? We shall see in our study of John 3:22-36.

Is Our Text “Out of Place”?

It may seem difficult to believe, but some scholars try to tell us that this passage is out of place. I like what Leon Morris has to say on this point:

It is often suggested that vv. 22-30 are out of their proper place. Some advocate transferring them to a position after 2:12, others after 3:36. The arguments usually revolve round their suitability to the context in which we find them. There are suggestions of displacement at various points in this Gospel, and more or less plausible arguments are produced to support such theories. But we must always bear in mind that what we think an appropriate sequence is not necessarily the one that the compiler of this Gospel would have adopted. And in any case our first duty is to see whether the verses in question fit into the Gospel where they are traditionally found. … In the case of the present passage examination does not appear to disclose any such compelling reason.[169]

I point this out for a very good reason. Those who seek to change the order of the text show themselves to be very much “sons of Nicodemus.” Nicodemus comes as an authority to Jesus, and yet he simply cannot accept His authority. He wishes, it seems, to adapt Jesus to his theology, rather than to sit at our Lord’s feet and receive a new theology. Those who consider themselves experts are not as eager to learn as they are to teach and to correct. We do better to take the text as it is and try to learn what John is telling us by it, just as it is written.

Who Is Speaking in This Passage?

There is some discussion as to whether John the Baptist or John the Apostle is speaking in verses 31-36. Perhaps the major reason many think these must be the comments of John the Apostle is that the statements seem too advanced for this moment in time. How can John the Baptist know these things at this early point in the ministry of Jesus? Let us remember that John the Baptist is a prophet. His words, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (1:29), might also be called too advanced.

The Structure of This Text

Our text divides into four sections: (1) Jesus baptizes, too (vss. 22-24); (2) John’s disciples are jealous (vss. 25-26); (3) John’s joy (vss. 27-30); and (4) the superiority of the Savior (vss. 31-36).

These are the final words of John the Baptist[170] in the Gospel of John. They are a fitting and honorable tribute to this man, and they are also his final testimony concerning Jesus as the Christ.

Jesus Baptizes in Addition to John
(3:22-24)

22 After this, Jesus and his disciples came into Judean territory, and there he spent time with them and was baptizing.[171] 23 John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was abundant water there, and people were coming and being baptized.[172] 24 (For John had not yet been thrown into prison.) (emphasis mine)

Jesus and His disciples had been in the city of Jerusalem, where He had cleansed the temple (2:13-22), performed a number of signs (2:23), and spoken with Nicodemus (3:1-21). They are now leaving the city of Jerusalem, making their way into the countryside.[173] There, Jesus “spent time with” His disciples. We should ponder these three words, “spent time with,” because they remind us of a very important element of discipleship. As it should be, the church is very interested in discipleship. Jesus is seen as the model for “discipling,” and rightly so. Nevertheless, our discipleship programs seldom do what our Lord actually did. Rather, we emphasize a kind of classroom instruction, and usually a highly structured program with “accountability” and other controls. While this may be commendable, I cannot overlook the fact that Jesus “spent time” with His disciples. To be our Lord’s disciple was to “be with Him”:

13 Now Jesus went up into the mountain and called for those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve (whom he called apostles), so that they would be with him and he could send them to preach 15 and to have authority to cast out demons (Mark 3:13-15, emphasis mine; see also Matthew 17:1; 26:37; Mark 5:37; 16:10; Luke 7:11; 8:1; 9:10; 22:14; John 15:27; 17:24; Acts 4:13).

Discipleship is about witnessing, accountability, and one-on-one relationships with those who come to faith in Christ. But first and foremost, a disciple is one who spends time with the Master. Those of us who are professionals in ministry (who make our living by our ministry) often confuse the time we spend in preparation for our ministry with personal time with the Lord. Our time of study should be a time of fellowship and intimacy with the Lord, but we also need time with Him for His sake and ours, personally. Let us not lose sight of the fact that a significant part of our Lord’s discipling was simply spending time with His disciples.

While in the Judean countryside, the disciples of our Lord baptize those who come to them. At the same time, John and his disciples are also baptizing.[174] We would expect that John’s baptism had not changed from what it had always been. His was a baptism of repentance in preparation for the coming of Messiah. Our Lord’s baptism—or rather the baptism our Lord’s disciples conducted in His name—was essentially the same as John’s.[175] His disciples could not baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, since our Lord had not yet been crucified, buried, and risen from the dead.

John then interjects a parenthetical explanation in verse 24: “(For John had not yet been thrown into prison.)” Why would the Apostle John feel this statement is necessary? The Synoptic Gospels all start our Lord’s public ministry after the arrest of John the Baptist:

14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee and proclaimed the gospel of God. 15 He said, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the gospel!” (Mark 1:14-15; see also Matthew 4:12f.)

At this later point in time, Jesus picked up where John left off, with virtually the same message as John. Only in the Gospel of John do we learn of an earlier time when both John and Jesus were ministering simultaneously, with both groups (John and his disciples, and Jesus and His disciples) doing virtually the same thing at the same time (baptizing those who came to them).

John wants his readers to know of this unique, if very brief, period of simultaneous ministry because it is the setting from which a perceived problem arises. This problem arises because of our Lord’s successful ministry at this time. In our text, the Apostle John bids what I suspect is a sad farewell to John the Baptist. He will be referred to later in this Gospel, but this is the last time we read his own words. Our text is a fitting tribute to a great man. John the Baptist’s response here is a model of humility and Christian servanthood. Let us listen very carefully, not only to his words, but to his heart.

John’s Disciples Are Distressed
(3:25-26)

25 Now a dispute came about between some of John’s disciples and a Jew concerning ceremonial washing. 26 So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, about whom you testified—see, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him!”

John tells us of a dispute between the disciples of John and “a Jew,”[176] who argue over ceremonial washing. If this Jew was resistant to John’s message and his baptism, it may well be that he argues for the superiority of the Jewish ceremonial cleansings. Somehow, the conversation seems to gravitate to a comparison of John’s baptism with that of Jesus. The dispute between John’s disciples and this Jew appears to prompt them to return to John with their concerns about Jesus.

We are not told what is said in this dispute. For the purposes of illustration and clarification, allow me to suggest one possible scenario: John’s disciples encounter a Jew and ask him if he wishes to be baptized. He responds that he is not interested; he is convinced that the Jewish ceremonial cleansings are more effective. Unwilling to leave it at this, the disciples begin to debate with him. Seeing that he is not making any progress, the Jew may have “put the icing on the cake” with a statement something like: “Well what are you so dogmatic about? Don’t you know that Jesus is baptizing in the same way you are, and far more people are going to Him than to you folks? Why don’t you just give it up?”

John’s disciples return to him frustrated and upset, not with the Jew, but with Jesus. They are distressed that Jesus and His disciples are more successful than they are. In fact, they almost seem distressed at John the Baptist, irritated that he has not done anything to remedy this situation. After all, it was John who pointed the crowds to Jesus, and he who had greatly contributed to the success of Jesus. Listen to the anger and frustration in their words to their “master”:

“Rabbi, the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, about whom you testified—see, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him!”

The words of John’s disciples give them away. Notice how they choose to refer to Jesus. They do not call Him by name (Jesus), nor do they refer to Him as the Messiah, though that is the way John refers to Him. They speak of Jesus as “the one who was with you, … the one about whom you testified.” I believe they did so because they actually came to resent who Jesus was. His identity and His success are related. If they are jealous of His success, they are not as enthusiastic about His identity as they should be. Neither are they as enthusiastic about acknowledging Jesus as Messiah as John is. John associates himself with Jesus, giving Jesus credibility. Worse yet, from their point of view, John testifies about Jesus (notice that they don’t mention what he testifies). Now, they complain, “everyone is going to him!

Note the similarity of these words to the words of the Pharisees:

17 So the crowd who had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead were continuing to testify about it. 18 Because they had heard that Jesus had performed this miraculous sign, the crowd went out to meet him. 19 Thus the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!” (John 12:17-19, emphasis mine.)

One is also reminded of these words in the Book of Numbers:

26 But two men had remained in the camp: the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those listed, but who had not gone out to the tabernacle; yet they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28 So Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, one of his choice men, answered and said, “Moses my lord, forbid them!” 29 Then Moses said to him, “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!” (Numbers 11:26-29, NKJV)

Lest we think John’s disciples are the exception, let me suggest that their mindset is virtually the same as the disciples of our Lord. Our Lord’s disciples are jealous for Jesus’ success. They don’t like it when others attempt the same ministries they perform (see Mark 9:38; Luke 9:49). They dread the thought of failure and suffering (Matthew 16:21-22). In the Gospels, the disciples of John and the disciples of our Lord are in it for themselves, until they learn the meaning of taking up one’s cross. John’s disciples therefore are put out with John for having created this situation. They do not like the fact that Jesus is now baptizing, just as they are, but with greater success. They see the end in view, for themselves and for their ministry. Yet this is the way God meant it to be.

This raises an interesting issue: Why don’t John’s disciples—the ones chastising him—leave John to follow Jesus? Why do they stay on with John? What do they expect, as far as the future is concerned? John’s ministry was to introduce the Messiah. He has done that, and his mission has been accomplished. John’s disciples are acting as though John is the Messiah. They seem to think that their mission and ministry will continue on indefinitely. Judging from the broad impact of John’s teaching (e.g., Acts 19), they may have worked at it for some time. But they look upon Jesus as their competition, rather than as the culmination of their ministry. None of these men seem to be considering leaving John and joining Jesus, as the first two disciples of John did.[177] Had they cast their lot in with John, so that now they are unwilling to face up to what is in store for him and for them? It seems so. It is not a pretty picture which the Apostle John draws for us, but it is certainly true to life.

With the attitude of John’s disciples, one can understand why it was necessary for John to be imprisoned and then beheaded by Herod. Even then, one wonders how long it took John’s disciples to give it up and to begin to preach Christ.

A Servant’s Heart
(3:27-30)

27 John replied, “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but rather, ‘I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This then is my joy, that is complete. 30 He must become more important while I become less important.”

If John the Baptist were a coach, I know exactly what he would say to “his men” at this moment: “Men, it’s time for us to get back to the basics.” Coaches always have to take their teams “back to the basics.” Preachers must do the same thing (Romans 15:15; 1 Corinthians 4:17; 2 Timothy 1:6; 2 Timothy 2:14; Titus 3:1; 2 Peter 1:12; Jude 1:5). John is about to do this as well. In verse 27, he takes his disciples back to the basics of what his ministry is all about, and reminds them about their ministry as well.

John’s ministry is the ministry he received from God. His God-given ministry was not to be the Messiah, but to introduce the Messiah. He was the forerunner; Jesus was the fulfillment, the grand finale. John illustrates what he is saying by using the analogy of marriage. Jesus is the “bridegroom”; John is the “friend of the bridegroom.” The “friend of the bridegroom” is not distressed when the “bridegroom” appears at the wedding celebration to take his bride—he is elated. The friend’s task is to bring the bride and the groom together. When the voice of the groom is heard, the friend of the groom knows his task is accomplished, and he can rejoice in fulfilling his mission. He can rejoice that the bride and the groom are joined in marriage.[178]

Verse 30 projects this principle and practice into the future. John’s disciples do not like things as they are at the moment. John is about to tell them it will get much “worse” (from their point of view). John is saying, as it were, “But wait, there’s more. If you think Jesus’ success has peaked, and that my humbling has ceased, you are wrong.” We see then yet another governing principle:

“He must become more important while I become less important”[179] (verse 30).

Jesus must become preeminent, while John must fade from the picture. The “must” of verse 30 is crucial. John is showing deep humility, it is true, but he is also saying that this is the way it “must” be, the way it will be—because this is the plan and the purpose of the sovereign God. Verses 31-36 spell out some of the ways in which Jesus is superior to John.

The Supremacy of Christ
(3:31-36)

31 The one who[180] comes from above is superior to all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is superior to all. 32 He testifies about what he has seen and heard, and no one accepts his testimony. 33 The one who has accepted his testimony has confirmed clearly that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he does not give the Spirit sparingly. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed all things under his authority. 36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath remains on him (emphasis mine).

Here, John the Baptist sets out to prove the supremacy of Jesus Christ and to show how vastly superior Christ is to him. John hangs his whole argument on several key premises. First, John informs us that He is superior to John because of where He has come from. Jesus has come “from above,” “from heaven.”[181] Jesus is “from above”; John is “from the earth.”

Second, Jesus is superior to John in that of which He speaks. Since Jesus is “from above,” He speaks of the “heavenly things” which He has seen and heard in heaven. John is “from the earth,” and thus he speaks about “earthly things.”[182] It sounds irreverent, but there is an idiom that says: “I got this right from the horse’s mouth.” That is what John is saying about Jesus and His words. In spite of this, John also calls attention to the amazing truth that even though Jesus speaks divine truth, “no one accepts his testimony” (verse 32).

Third, Jesus speaks as One who has the fullest measure of the Spirit of God. Jesus speaks for God with full authority; indeed, Jesus speaks as God. He alone has the Spirit without limit. He is the One who speaks as empowered by the Holy Spirit. You may remember that this is the very thing which set Jesus apart from all the others in the land. The Messiah would be the One “on whom he saw the Spirit descending and remaining” (John 1:33-34). It is not John who is to have the spotlight, but Jesus. No one knows that better than John, and so he informs his disciples.

Fourth, Jesus is uniquely loved by His Father in heaven and has been given the Father’s full authority (verse 35). The Father loves the Son, and all things have been placed under His authority. You simply cannot go any higher than this. Who is John compared to the Son? Why would his disciples seek to defend him against Jesus, when he is His servant?

Finally, Jesus is the One on whom the destiny of every human being rests. Jesus is the key to our destiny. The answer to one question determines where we will spend eternity: “Who is Jesus Christ, and what have you done about His claim to be God’s only means for your salvation?” The one who accepts His testimony has declared that “God is true” (verse 33). To reject the words of our Lord, who speaks for the Father, is to call God a liar. To believe in the Son is to have eternal life. The one who rejects the Son will not see life; indeed, God’s wrath abides on him (verse 36).

Conclusion

The most important question anyone can ask and answer is, “Who is Jesus Christ?” The answer is the key to everything. It is the key to one’s eternal destiny. It is the key to one’s ministry and service. It is the key to the gospel itself. Is it any wonder that the truths John the Baptist affirms here are the same truths the Apostle John emphasizes in this Gospel? Is it any wonder that these same truths are those most under attack by unbelieving “scholars”?

The claims Jesus makes, which John the Baptist declares here, and which the Gospel of John was written to proclaim, are found everywhere one looks in the New Testament. But perhaps nowhere is the thrust of our text more clearly stated elsewhere in the Bible than in the Book of Hebrews:

1 After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our ancestors through the prophets, 2 in these last days he has spoken to us in a son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world. 3 The son is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word, and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. 4 Thus he became so far better than the angels as he has inherited a name superior to theirs.

5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my son! Today I have fathered you”? And in another place he says, “I will be his father and he will be my son.” 6 But when he again brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him!” 7 And he says of the angels, “He makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire,” 8 but of the son,

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
and a righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness.
So God, your God, has anointed you over your companions with the oil of rejoicing
.”

10 And,

You founded the earth in the beginning, Lord,
and the heavens are the works of your hands.
11 They will perish; but you continue.
And they will all grow old like a garment,
12 and like a robe you will fold them up
and like a garment they will be changed;
but you are the same and your years will never run out
.”

13 But to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to serve those who will inherit salvation?

1 Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken through angels proved to be so firm that every violation or disobedience received its just penalty, 3 how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first communicated through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him, 4 while God confirmed their witness with signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will (Hebrews 1:1-2:4).

Do you believe what John the Baptist has said about our Lord? If Jesus Christ is who the prophets of old prophesied He would be, who He Himself claimed to be, and who the apostles laid down their lives to declare Him to be, then what have you done about Him? He not only claims to have come from God, but to be God. He claims to have been sent to bear the penalty for your sins. He claims to be the only way to heaven. Have you acknowledged your sin and received the gift of the forgiveness of your sins and the assurance of eternal life through Him? If not, then I urge you to reconsider who Jesus Christ is. If so, I urge you to continually reflect on who He is. This is what shaped John’s ministry and mindset—and this is what his disciples failed to grasp.

As I read this text, I am impressed with John’s joy and with his disciples’ jealousy. John’s joy comes from knowing Jesus Christ—and from knowing his relationship to Him. John understood that his ministry, his moment in the spotlight, and his declining popularity, were all a part of God’s sovereign plan and purpose. John’s preoccupation was to make Christ preeminent, not to promote himself, his ministry, or his disciples. In this, John found great joy. He saw himself swallowed up in the service of Him who is the greatest. Whether by life or by death, his ministry was to exalt Christ. In this, John the Baptist sounds like the Apostle Paul (Philippians 1) and all the other apostles.

In contrast to John and his joy, we see the jealousy and frustration of his disciples. How can this be explained? What went wrong here? I would begin by saying that this same “sourness” seems to characterize many Christians and their service to the Lord. How quickly and easily we lose sight of Christ’s preeminence, and start to think of our position and our pleasure. Is this not what characterizes the disciples of our Lord? Are they not interested in promoting Christ so that they can prosper with Him? Is this not why they react so strongly to His words about His own rejection, suffering, and death? They are serving God for self-serving reasons.

Too often I hear Christians in ministry talking in terms of success, and this is problematic. But I also hear too much talk about “personal fulfillment.” Is this what motivates our service? A friend sent me an e-mail message this week, which seems to directly relate to our text and its teaching for us:

Bob: I just finished reading over your above outline and commentary. Would have loved to have been in the audience. Just wanted to pass something along that you probably have already read from Enoch Coppin of New Zealand. On Page 5 of his small book on The Any-Moment Coming of Christ, he makes this statement: “The Hope of The Church is the Bridegroom, for the simple reason that the Church is the Bride of Christ. Collectively the Church has one aspect of Hope, and individually the disciples who form the Church have another. So the time is coming when the Appearing will take place, and personally I must say that the greatest desire a Christian could have today would be, not his own satisfaction in being snatched away from the world, as he certainly will be if he is alive at the moment, but that His Master to whom he owes his present and eternal all, Who has been rejected by a world of sinners, who has been Crucified and put to shame on the cruel Cross on Calvary, might be vindicated before the world. It will be so, in the day of the Manifestation, for that is what it will be when He comes in that way, He is going to be Manifested (2 Thes. 2:10) and that is the true Hope of the disciple even in this age.” I thought this was an important point that most believers miss today. Most talk about the coming of Christ and how good it will be to have all the suffering past and forget that God has one purpose, to glorify His Son Jesus Christ. I myself at times really want it to be all over and live in the eternal happiness of the cleansed Kingdom just for my own selfishness.[183]

Is this perhaps the reason why your joy and mine is not that of John the Baptist? Are we serving our Lord selfishly? Jesus calls us to “take up our cross.” Serving God is in our own best interest, but when we begrudge the glorification of Christ because it seems to come at our sacrifice and our expense, then we have become like John’s disciples. If this is the case, we should repent of our sin, asking God to restore to us the joy of our salvation.

12 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my situation has actually turned out to advance the gospel. 13 The results of this are that the whole imperial guard and everyone else knows that I am in prison for the sake of Christ, 14 and that most of the brothers, having confidence in the Lord because of my imprisonment, now more than ever dare to speak the word without fear. 15 Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill. 16 The latter do so from love because they know that I am placed here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, because they think they can cause trouble for me in my imprisonment. 18 What is the result? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is being proclaimed, and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the support of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. 20 My confident hope is that I will in no way be ashamed but that with complete boldness, even now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 Now if I am to go on living in the body, this will mean productive work for me; yet I don’t know what I prefer: 23 I feel torn between the two, because I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far, 24 but it is more vital for your sake that I remain in the body. 25 And since I am sure of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that your boasting in Christ Jesus may overflow because of me, through my coming back to you (Philippians 1:12-26).


! Lesson 10:
The Woman at the Well
(John 4:1-42)

Introduction

“This is the transcript of an ACTUAL radio conversation of a US naval ship with Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland in October, 1995. Radio conversation released by the Chief of Naval Operations 10-10-95.

Americans: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the North to avoid a collision.

Canadians: Recommend you divert YOUR course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision.

Americans: This is the Captain of a US Navy ship. I say again, divert YOUR course.

Canadians: No. I say again, you divert YOUR course.

Americans: THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS LINCOLN, THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN THE UNITED STATES’ ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES NORTH, THAT’S ONE FIVE DEGREES NORTH, OR COUNTER-MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP.

Canadians: This is a lighthouse. Your call.”[184]

Who you think you are is important, but who you really are is even more important. Every once in a while we begin to think too highly of ourselves … What am I saying? We always think too highly of ourselves. Every once in a while someone comes along who cuts us down to size. The captain of the USS Lincoln thought he was so important he could demand that a Canadian crew change its course to avoid a collision. When he finally learned that the “Canadian crew” was someone tending a lighthouse, things took their proper perspective. The American vessels changed their course.

This story reminds me a great deal of what is taking place in the Gospels, which is especially evident in the third and fourth chapters of John’s Gospel. Nicodemus is a bit like the captain of the American ship. He is a little too caught up in his position as a Jew, a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin, and a renowned teacher of the Old Testament law. There is a kind of confrontation in the third chapter of John. Nicodemus is willing to acknowledge that Jesus is “a teacher who has come from God” (3:2); yet he falls a little short of actually saying that Jesus is a prophet. When Jesus tells him that he will not make it into the kingdom of God as he is—without being reborn from above—he seems to try to get Jesus to change His course rather than to change his own. Nicodemus does ask questions, but there seems to be little progress toward genuine faith, at least so far. His questions do not convey a willingness on the part of Nicodemus to change his thinking, but rather a resistance to what Jesus is saying.

The same fundamental issues described in John chapter 3 are present in chapter 4. The “woman at the well” is a Samaritan, and Samaritans have their own distinct religion—a corruption of the Jewish faith.[185] If the woman at the well is to come to a saving faith, she must change her course, just as Jesus required of Nicodemus. Both Nicodemus and the woman at the well must decide what to do with what Jesus has told them. Ultimately, this decision is based upon who they believe Jesus to be. To Nicodemus, Jesus is an “inspiring,” perhaps even an “inspired,” teacher. The woman at the well comes to see Jesus as much more than this, as we soon shall see.

This is a great story, one most Christians believe they know and understand well. Let us revisit the story, as though we are looking at it for the first time. Let us seek to learn what makes the difference between a “Nicodemus” and a “woman at the well.”

Jesus Retreats to Galilee
(4:1-3)

1 Now when Jesus knew that the Pharisees had heard that he was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus himself was not baptizing but his disciples were), 3 he left Judea and departed once more to Galilee.

We know that John’s disciples were watching our Lord and His disciples. They resented our Lord’s ministry because it was overshadowing theirs (John 3:26). It looked as though Jesus was putting them out of business, and they didn’t like it. The Pharisees were also watching Jesus (Luke 5:17), just as they took careful note of John the Baptist (John 1:19-28), whose popularity they feared (Luke 20:4-6). Intent upon gaining their own following (see Matthew 23:15), the Pharisees were bitterly jealous of our Lord’s success (see John 11:47-48; compare Matthew 27:18).

But it was not yet time for our Lord to take on the Pharisees. That time would come soon enough. To let the situation cool a bit, Jesus left Judea and returned north to Galilee, no doubt relieving the fears of the Pharisees. They must have felt that Jesus could cause them little trouble there. You may remember that even Nathanael felt that no one important could come from Nazareth (John 1:45-46). The Pharisees seem to agree:

50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before and who was one of the rulers, said, 51 “Our law does not condemn a man unless it first hears from him and learns what he is doing, does it?” 52 They replied, “You aren’t from Galilee too, are you? Investigate carefully and you will see that no prophet comes from Galilee!” 53 And each one departed to his own house (John 7:50-53, emphasis mine).

It must be with a sigh of relief that the Pharisees receive the report that Jesus has left[186] Judea and returned to Galilee. Their relief will only be temporary.

Samaria, Sychar, and Jacob’s Well
(4:4-6)

4 But he had to[187] pass through Samaria. 5 Now he came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, so Jesus, since he was tired from the journey, sat right down beside the well. It was about noon.

As Jesus made His way from Judea to Galilee, he “had to” pass through Samaria. Politically, Samaria was not a distinct region, but its culture and religion were definitely distinct from that of Israel. We would do well to recall the historical relationship between Israel and Samaria.

Under Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, the United Kingdom of Israel split into two fragments (1 Kings 12): the northern kingdom of Israel, led by the rebel Jeroboam, and the southern kingdom of Judah, under Rehoboam. Because Jeroboam feared that the two kingdoms might reunite, he established a counterfeit religion, with its own place of worship—Bethel (1 Kings 12:25-33). Later, a wicked northern king named Omri built the city of Samaria, which he made his capital, the capital of the Northern Kingdom. He also built a temple and an altar to Baal, a heathen deity (1 Kings 16:24-34). Eventually, the name of this city became synonymous for the entire Northern Kingdom, and thus its name, Samaria.

After repeated warnings from God’s prophets, divine judgment finally came at the hand of the Assyrians, who defeated Israel and scattered the middle and upper classes throughout the other nations they had conquered. They replaced the dispersed Israelites with heathen from other lands (2 Kings 17:23ff.). These heathen intermarried with the remaining Israelites resulting in a nation of half-breeds, a most distasteful and evil thing for a devout Jew (see Ezra 9 and 10; Nehemiah 13). Worse yet, the true religion of Israel became intermingled with heathen idolatry.

When the Jews of the Southern Kingdom of Judah were later taken captive by the Babylonians, they were allowed to maintain their racial and religious identity. After their 70 years of captivity were completed and they were granted permission to return to their own land, a number did so. When these returning exiles set out to rebuild the temple and Jerusalem, the Samaritans offered to help them and were summarily refused (Ezra 4:2ff.). In about 400 B.C., the Samaritans constructed their own rival temple on Mount Gerizim. At the end of the second century B.C., this temple was destroyed by John Hyrcanus, the Hasmonean ruler of Judea. This greatly increased hostilities between the Jews and the Samaritans.

The Samaritans professed to believe in the God of Israel and awaited the coming of Messiah (see John 4:25). They accepted only the first five books of the Law, but rejected the rest of the Old Testament Scriptures. Wherever they found it necessary to justify their religion and their place of worship, they modified the Law. The relationship between the Jews and the Samaritans was definitely strained.

Having said this, I am not convinced things were as bad as some seem to think. It is often said that the Jews would not pass through Samaria. Instead, we are told, they would go East, cross the Jordan River, head north or south, bypassing Samaria, and then cross the River Jordan again when they neared their destination. D. A. Carson, citing Josephus, maintains that Jews much more commonly passed through Samaria.[188] It would therefore seem that only a few strict Jews refused to do so.

If John chapter 1 informs us of our Lord’s deity, this chapter speaks also of His humanity: Jesus was tired. It was just about high noon,[189] so that our Lord’s fatigue may have been partly related to the heat of the day. Weary from their journey, Jesus and His disciples come to a parcel of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph (Genesis 48:22?). On this land, a mile or so from the city of Sychar,[190] was Jacob’s well.[191] It was a deep well—a hundred feet deep or so—fed by a spring. Other water was available in the area, closer to town, but this well may have provided the best water. It was at this well that Jesus sat down to rest.

Why the emphasis on Jacob, and on this well which once belonged to him? It seems as though this woman (and perhaps the Samaritans more generally) took pride in claiming Jacob as their forefather. This is especially strange in the light of the way this patriarch is portrayed in the Book of Genesis. I don’t remember any self-respecting Jew boasting about being a descendant of Jacob, but only of being Abraham’s offspring (see Matthew 3:9). John sets the scene so that this woman will ask if Jesus is greater than Jacob, and the answer will be, “Yes” (see also John 6:30-36; 8:53).

Just as in the Book of Genesis,[192] the “well” in John 4 seems to be significant. One cannot help but be reminded of Abraham’s servant, who asks Rebekah for a drink of water at a well in Paddan-aram (Genesis 24:11f.). There, the character qualities of Rebekah were revealed at the well. In the case of our Lord, this woman’s presence at the well at this time of day may be further evidence of this woman’s lack of character, or at least her lack of popularity among the women of Sychar.

“Give Me a Drink”
(4:7-9)

7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me some water to drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone off into the city to buy provisions.) 9 So the Samaritan woman said to him, “How can you—a Jew—ask me, a Samaritan woman, for water to drink?” (For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.)

Three things about this woman seem to put her at a distinct disadvantage. First, she is a Samaritan. Second, she is guilty of sexual immorality, and third, she is a woman. We have already commented about the way the Jews felt toward the Samaritans. We are not left in doubt as to how the Pharisees would have dealt with such a woman:

36 Now one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. 37 Then when a woman of that town, who was a sinner, learned that Jesus was dining at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster flask of perfumed oil. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. She wiped them with the hair of her head, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfumed oil. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner” (Luke 7:36-39).[193]

Neither should we be surprised that our Lord would deal with this woman in a very different manner, as seen by Luke’s conclusion to this story in his Gospel:

40 So Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” He replied, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed him five hundred silver coins, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.” Jesus said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then, turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I entered she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with perfumed oil. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins (which were many) are forgiven, thus she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:40-50).

The Pharisees had a very simple system for being holy—they simply kept their (physical) distance from sinners. They thought sin was contagious, and that one could catch it by merely being close to sinners. This is one reason they are so distressed when they see our Lord having such close contact with “sinners”:

27 After this Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 So Levi got up and followed him, leaving everything behind. 29 Then Levi gave a great banquet for Jesus in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them. 30 But the Pharisees and their experts in the law complained to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:27-32).

I must admit that I have come to view the “woman at the well” differently than I once did. I have also come to feel compassion toward her, as our Lord did. Here in chapter 4 and again in chapter 8 (the woman caught committing adultery), we see that the Jews were inclined to look down upon these two women as “loose women,” which indeed they were. On the other hand, they were certainly no more guilty than the men with whom they committed sexual immorality. In John chapter 8 only the woman is accused before our Lord. The couple was caught in the very act of adultery (8:4), and yet only the woman was apprehended and brought to Jesus. Why was the man not brought before our Lord as well? There was obviously a double standard—one for men, and another for women.

The “woman at the well” is a woman whose sins are apparent, but she has not sinned alone. In those days, husbands divorced their wives, but wives did not divorce their husbands. If this woman was married and divorced five times, then five men divorced her.[194] This woman was “put away” five times. Think of how she must feel about herself. And the man she is now living with is not her husband. She isn’t even married this time, but just living with (or sleeping with) a man, perhaps another woman’s husband. This woman has been passed around by some of the male population of Sychar. Jesus’ words not only call the woman’s attention to her sins; they call our attention to the sins of the men of that city.

The third thing which puts the “woman at the well” at a disadvantage is the fact that she is a woman. John does not tell us the disciples are shocked to find Jesus talking to this Samaritan woman because she is a Samaritan, or because she is sinful (they don’t know this). They are surprised to see Him talking with her because she is a woman. There may be a race issue here, but there is also a gender issue. The Jews were inclined to hold a very demeaning view of women.[195] The disciples seem to embrace this view.[196] They cannot fathom why Jesus would be “wasting His time” talking to a woman.

With this background in mind, let us consider the process by which the woman at the well is brought to faith in Jesus as the Messiah. You will see by the way the text is formatted at the beginning of this lesson that I have highlighted the interchange between Jesus and this woman. A similar interchange occurs between Jesus and Nicodemus in chapter 3. There is a significant difference, however. The more Jesus tells Nicodemus about Himself and His teaching, the more uneasy Nicodemus becomes. His questions and comments become shorter and shorter, until he simply disappears from the text.

The conversation with the Samaritan woman is quite different. Each interchange brings her closer to faith. The conversation moves from literal drinking water to the spiritual “water” of salvation. Her grasp of who Jesus is continues to grow, until she eventually trusts in Him as the Messiah. While Nicodemus comes to faith very slowly and somewhat reluctantly, the woman at the well seems to much more quickly grasp the issues and trust in Jesus as the Messiah. While Nicodemus, an influential leader among the Jews, brings no one to Christ, the woman at the well brings the whole town out to hear Jesus, and eventually to trust in Him. Let us consider the conversion of this Samaritan woman in terms of the process by which she is drawn to faith.

Step One:
Getting the Woman’s Attention
(4:7-9)

7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me some water to drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone off into the town to buy supplies.)

9 So the Samaritan woman said to him, “How can you—a Jew—ask me, a Samaritan woman, for water to drink?” (For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.)

In contemporary terms, our Lord already has two strikes against Him so far as being able to share the truth of salvation with the woman at the well. He is a Jew; she is a Samaritan. He is a man; she is a woman. There seems to be no common ground, no reason to talk, and nothing to agree upon. In spite of this, our Lord succeeds in getting this woman’s attention, not by telling her something she needs to know (at first), but by asking her for a drink of water. She has something He needs—water. In asking her for a drink of water, Jesus catches this woman completely off guard. Jews did not share eating or drinking utensils with Samaritans. The woman cannot help but inquire of Jesus why He would ask the unthinkable. Our Lord’s willingness to cast aside cultural barriers gets this woman’s attention.

She must know why. Thus we see the question and the parenthetical remark: “How can you—a Jew—ask me, a Samaritan woman, for water to drink?(For Jews use nothing in common with[197] Samaritans.) Why does Jesus do so? Why does He ask her for water to drink? Notice that in the verses that follow, Jesus does not answer this question. It is the gospel which changes all this:

26 For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:26-29).

Step Two:
Jesus Whets the Woman’s Appetite
(4:10-14)

10 Jesus answered her, “If you had known the gift of God and who it is who said to you ‘Give me some water to drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

11 “Sir,” the woman said to him, “you have no bucket and the well is deep; where then do you get this living water? 12 Surely you’re not greater than our father Jacob, are you? For he gave us this well and drank from it himself, along with his sons and his livestock.”

13 Jesus replied, “Everyone who drinks some of this water will be thirsty again. 14 But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.”

Our Lord’s answer is far from what this woman expects to hear. Jesus does not explain how He can ask to drink water from her cup. Instead, He immediately seeks to show her that she is the one in need of “water,” and that the “water” He gives is vastly superior to the water she can give.

Notice the elements of this revelation. First, our Lord moves from literal water (a drink of water) to a “spiritual” water—the salvation which our Lord offers this woman. Second, Jesus indicates to this woman that there is something of which she is ignorant. She knows neither the “gift of God” nor the identity of the One speaking to her. If she knew these things, Jesus tells her, she would be asking Him for a drink, and He would have given her “living water” to drink. The woman does not understand what Jesus is saying, but she does understand that He is claiming to be someone important, and to have something she would want if she knew who He was and what He could give her.

As Nicodemus did earlier, the woman takes Jesus literally. She thinks Jesus is telling her that He can give her better water than that which this well provides. By “living water,” she understands Jesus to be speaking of spring water. If Jesus has “better water” than she can draw from Jacob’s well, how is He going to get it? This well is deep, and Jesus has no vessel with which to draw water. How, then, can He claim to have better water to give her?

If His water is truly better water than that which can be drawn from this well, then Jesus must at least think He is better than Jacob, who dug the well, used it to bountifully provide for men and flocks alike, and then gave it to his descendants, among whom this woman considers herself. Does Jesus dare claim to be better than Jacob?

Jesus does not answer the question about being greater than Jacob quite yet. He momentarily sets aside this question and answers it indirectly by showing that His “water” is better “water” than that provided by Jacob’s well. Jacob’s well “water” temporarily quenches thirst, but only for a time, and then more water is required. This woman recognizes the “inferiority” of this “water” because day after day she must return to the well for more. The “water” of which our Lord speaks is vastly better. This “water” permanently quenches one’s thirst. The one who drinks His “water” will never thirst again—and this “living water” produces eternal life.

Step Three:
The Woman Wants This Water
(4:15-18)

15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

16 He said to her, “Go call your husband and come back here.”

17 The woman replied, “I have no husband.”

Jesus said to her, “Right you are when you said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands and the man you have now is not your husband. This you said truthfully!”

If there is one thing this Samaritan is willing to admit she needs, it is water. That is why she comes out to Jacob’s well. Jesus asks her for some of this water, and then proceeds to inform her that He has better water—living water—water that produces eternal life, water that permanently quenches thirst. The woman is ready for this kind of water. And so she tells Jesus she would like some of His “water.” She obviously doesn’t really understand what this “water” is, but she is ready to accept some of it. She would gladly make this her last trip to Jacob’s well in the heat of the day.

I want to pause for a moment right here. Let’s be honest. Doesn’t this woman sound gullible? Do we wonder if she would also be interested in the Brooklyn Bridge for $25? Would she foolishly believe anything anyone told her? I think not. Jesus Himself claims to be “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Should the woman not believe Jesus? Everything He says is true, is it not? If He who is the truth told you He had “living water” to give that permanently quenched your thirst and that produced eternal life, should you not believe Him? This woman is not foolish; she has faith in Jesus, faith to believe His word. Let me simply remind you that all those who take Jesus at His word will be considered foolish by those who are unsaved and blind to the truth.

Jesus is now ready to move this woman along in her understanding of what this “living water” is. He is not speaking of actual water, but symbolically of the salvation which He brings. And so he turns this woman to a deeper level of need. She has already indicated her “need” for “water” that permanently quenches thirst. Now, Jesus shows her that she has need of “water” that will cleanse her of sin. And so Jesus instructs this woman to go and get her husband, and bring him back to the well.

Jesus has now moved to the deepest level of this woman’s need, her need for cleansing from sin. To do this, He gently exposes sin in her life. He does so by telling her to bring her husband. She makes a choice—not an unusual choice, but a very predictable one. She chooses to conceal her sin by giving Jesus an answer that is factually truthful, but functionally dishonest. She tells Jesus she has no husband.

Any other man (apart from divine revelation) would have accepted her answer at face value and withdrawn the request. Jesus reveals His omniscience by informing the woman that she is (technically) correct—she does not have a husband. She has had five husbands, and the man she is now with is not her husband. At a minimum, they are not married; at the worst, she is actually sleeping with some other woman’s husband. Either way, Jesus has told this woman enough for her to (correctly) conclude that He has divine knowledge. He is, at a minimum, a prophet. She reasons from what He has told her that He could go on to tell her virtually everything she has ever done. Her sexual sins may be only the “tip of the iceberg,” but she is convinced He knows the whole iceberg. And she is right!

Step Four:
A Spiritual Solution for Sin
(4:19-24)

19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you people say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.”

21 Jesus said to her, Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You people worship what you do not know. We worship what we know, because salvation is from the Jews. 23 But a time is coming—and now is here—when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Now all the cards are on the table. The cat is out of the proverbial bag. Her sin—worthy of death—is out in the open. Now her true “thirst,” her real need, is self-evident. Some think the woman’s response is evasive, an attempt to get the conversation away from the subject of her sin. I disagree. I think this woman is eager to hear what Jesus has to say, and more eager than ever to have some of this “living water.” She perceives that Jesus is a prophet, and tells Him so. Is this not progress? Isn’t this more than Nicodemus was willing to grant? Nicodemus seems to “clam up” when Jesus gets too close to his sin, but this woman seems to “open up,” to want to know more. And so she asks Jesus (a prophet, in her mind) to give her the authoritative word on who is right, the Jews or the Samaritans. Her question does not look like a rabbit trail to me; rather it seems an honest effort to get to the heart of the difference between the “faith” of the Samaritans and the “faith” of the Jews.

One crucial difference between Samaritans and Jews was that the Samaritans’ believed they must worship God on Mount Gerizim, while the Jews insisted God must be worshipped in Jerusalem. If Jesus were “a prophet,” then He could settle the dispute, at least for this woman. Once again, our Lord’s answer is not what she might have expected. We would think that Jesus should say to her, “The Jews are right and the Samaritans are wrong; men must worship God in Jerusalem.” He does not say this, although this was true in the past.

Jesus takes up a point that John introduces in chapter 1, in the conversation between Jesus and Nathanael:

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and exclaimed, “Look, a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus said to him, “Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 He continued, “I tell all of you the solemn truth: you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (John 1:47-51, emphasis mine).

Let me remind you of the relationship between the words of verse 51 and Jacob’s vision in Genesis 28.[198] Jacob dreamed of a ladder, which reached into heaven. Angels were ascending and descending upon it. He came to realize that it was there, in the promised land of Canaan, that God met with men. This is why Jacob exclaimed, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.And he was afraid and said, How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” (Genesis 28:16-17, NKJV).

In the first chapter of John, Jesus indicated to Nathanael that with His coming, things would change. Men and God will no longer meet in a certain designated place, but in a certain designated Person—the promised Messiah. He is now the mediator between heaven and earth. This being the case, it was pointless to continue the debate over which place was the place where men could worship God. He was the Person through whom men must worship God.

Jesus does not yet tell the woman that He is the only means to God. At this point, He simply tells her that it is not profitable to continue the debate over the proper place of worship. There is, however, a serious error with the Samaritan religion: They have sought to worship God their own way, independent of Judaism. In this, they are wrong—dead wrong. Seeking salvation apart from the Jews is wrong. Salvation is “of the Jews.” If Samaritans wish to be saved, they must forsake their system of religion and turn to a salvation that is “of the Jews.” It is “of the Jews” in that the Messiah is a Jew. It is “of the Jews” in that it is the fulfillment of God’s promises to the Jews, through His Word given to the Jews. Just as Nicodemus could not see the kingdom of God through adherence to the traditions of the Pharisees, so this woman cannot see the kingdom by following the religion of the Samaritans.

The worship God finds acceptable is not Samaritan worship, nor is it Pharisaical worship (see Luke 18:9-14). Men can only worship God when they do so “in spirit and truth (verses 23 and 24). Bible students understand these words in a number of ways. I am inclined to understand our Lord in this way: Because God is Spirit, men must worship God “in spirit”; that is, they must worship God spiritually. Thus, the place is not so essential as the “spirit” in which worship is conducted. I am further inclined to think that Jesus uses the word “spirit” with a double-meaning, as He so often does (for example, with “water”). Thus, our Lord is saying that men can only worship through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who facilitates spiritual worship. Finally, I understand “truth” to refer to truth both generally (according to what is true), and more specifically (the truth of God’s Word, and of our Lord’s words). Men cannot worship God any way they choose (as the Samaritans did by limiting the Old Testament to the five books of the law); men can only worship God in accordance with what He has divinely revealed in His Word. This is the kind of worshipper God seeks.

Step Five:
Trusting Christ as the Answer
(4:25-26)

25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah[199] is coming (the one called Christ). Whenever he comes, he will tell us everything.”

26 Jesus said to her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”

The woman is neither ignorant of the Samaritan faith nor of the Jewish faith. She makes the connection between our Lord’s words about worshipping “in spirit and truth” and the promised Messiah. She realizes that somehow when the Messiah comes, He will clear up these matters; He will reveal the truth about how men must worship God.

Would you not love to have witnessed this conversation, especially the words spoken in these two verses? The woman tells Jesus that she is waiting for Messiah, who will reveal the truth about true worship. Jesus says to her, “I am the Messiah.”[200] I am reminded of Mary, weeping outside the empty tomb of our Lord. Her eyes are so filled with tears and her hopes so dashed that she pays little attention to the One who is speaking with her. But with that one word, “Mary,” comes the full realization of who is speaking, and what His being there means.

I would not assume that this woman is saved at this moment in time, but she is certainly “not far from the kingdom of God.” I do believe that by the end of our Lord’s stay with these Samaritans, not only this woman, but most of the people of Sychar, believe in His name for salvation. At this point, I simply wish to emphasize that our Lord brings this woman to the point where she understands that she is a sinner, in need of salvation, where she understands that her (Samaritan) religious system cannot save her, and that salvation comes only through faith in Jesus as the promised (Jewish) Messiah. This leads us to the next and final step.

Step Six: Sharing the Good News
(4:28-30)

27 Now at that very moment his disciples came back. They were shocked because he was speaking with a woman; however, no one said, “What do you seek?” or “Why are you speaking with her?” 28 Then the woman left[201] her water jar, went off into the city and said to the people,[202] 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Surely he can’t be the Messiah, can he?” 30 So they went out from the city and began coming to him.

I am going to pass by verse 27 and pick it up when we see our Lord dealing with His disciples. For the moment, we will consider verses 28-30. These verses depict the final step in the process of salvation—the sharing of one’s newly-found faith with others.[203] The woman’s original purpose was to draw water from the well, but now she forsakes her waterpot and hurries back to Sychar, where she tells the others about Jesus. She sees beyond our Lord’s revelation of the truth about her marriages and sexual morality, telling them that a man “told her everything she ever did.” The woman speaks of Jesus as a possible Messiah. The way she phrases her question does not indicate her certainty on this point, but she at least regards Jesus as a possible Messiah. The effect may have aroused curiosity among those who heard her question. The whole city begins to make its way out to the well, along with the woman.

Dealing With the Disciples
(4:27, 31-38)

27 Now at that very moment his disciples came back. They were shocked because he was speaking with a woman; however, no one said, “What do you seek?” or “Why are you speaking with her?” … 31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” 33 So the disciples began to say to one another, “No one brought him anything to eat, did they?”

34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to complete his work. 35 Don’t you say, ‘There are four more months and then comes the harvest?’ I tell you, look up and see that the fields are already white for harvest! 36 The one who reaps receives pay and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that the one who sows and the one who reaps can rejoice together. 37 For in this instance the saying is true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap what you did not labor for; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.”

Let me attempt to paint this picture as I see it. Jesus and His disciples stop at the well. Jesus is tired and remains there while His disciples go into town to buy food. After they leave, the Samaritan woman arrives, and a conversation begins which John records for us. The conversation ends just as the disciples return from Sychar. The woman leaves her waterpot behind and rushes back to town. The disciples then urge Jesus to eat what they have just brought from town. In the background, just over the shoulders of the disciples, the people of Sychar are approaching en masse, to see and hear the One of whom the woman has testified.

The disciples arrive from Sychar just in time to observe the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman end. They are astounded that Jesus has been talking with her. This is not because she is a Samaritan, nor because she is a sinner (they don’t know about her moral life, as Jesus does), but simply because she is a woman. This is not so much a case of racial bias as a manifestation of gender bias on the part of the disciples. They cannot think of a good reason why Jesus would be talking to a woman. Morris helps us understand why, from the Jewish point of view:

Perhaps the greatest blot on the Rabbinic attitude to women was that, though the Rabbis held the study of the Law to be the greatest good in life, they discouraged women from studying it at all. When Ben Azzai suggested that women be taught the Law for certain purposes R. Eliezer replied: ‘If any man gives his daughter a knowledge of the Law it is as though he taught her lechery’ (Sot. 3:4).[204]

In spite of their amazement that Jesus would talk to a woman, the Lord’s disciples do not bring it up. Perhaps they have put their foot in their mouth one too many times lately, so that none wishes to be embarrassed by being the one to ask another stupid question. They are at least beginning to learn that what our Lord does is always right, even if Judaism calls it wrong.[205] Perhaps the disciples simply set their question aside because of a more important matter—lunch. It sounds silly, doesn’t it? But is it not the case? Are the disciples not preoccupied with getting our Lord to eat? Why would this be?

Several reasons come to mind, none of which are particularly pious. The best reading one could give the disciples’ words would be something like: “Jesus, You’re tired, and You need to regain Your strength. Please eat because You need the nourishment if we are to continue our journey.” There may be some of that here. It may also be that the disciples have been waiting to eat until Jesus can eat with them. They may wish that He would eat so they can eat also. (Or, perhaps Peter has already wolfed down half a sandwich, and with his mouth full, urges Jesus to do likewise: “Com’ on, Jesus, eat up.”) Finally, the disciples may be preoccupied with lunch because this is what they have worked so hard to provide, walking all the way into town and back. They went to town to purchase food. Having gone to all this effort to obtain lunch for our Lord, the least He can do is to take time to eat it. The disciples might have been a collective, male version of Martha (see Luke 10:38-42).

Once again, our Lord’s response to His disciples’ prodding is not what we expect. Instead of speaking of literal food, He talks of spiritual “food.” Our Lord’s response to His disciples sets down some very important principles, principles which not only governed His life and ministry, but which should guide His disciples as well—and we are to be included among such “disciples.”

(1) Our Lord’s most essential “food” is doing the Father’s will by completing His work (verse 34). Why does Jesus refer to His “work” as His “food”? I wonder if the answer is not suggested in the temptation of our Lord:

1 Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days; and when they were completed, he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone’” (Luke 4:1-4).

Jesus is hungry because He has been fasting for 40 days. Satan seeks to persuade Him to command a stone to become bread. Of course, Jesus has the power to do so. But Jesus refuses, citing from Deuteronomy 8:

1 “Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers. 2 And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. 3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 8:1-3, NKJV).

God allowed the Israelites to experience hunger as a test, to show what was in their hearts. Even Satan believes that men will worship God if He blesses them with everything they want (see Job 1:6-12). The real test of men’s faith and obedience to God comes in the midst of adversity and affliction. Thus, God allowed the Israelites to experience hunger and thirst so that the condition of their hearts would be made evident, either by their obedience or by their rebellion.

Our Lord undergoes a similar testing in the wilderness, which involves His fasting for 40 days. Satan seeks to tempt our Lord to “create” bread to satisfy His hunger. Jesus refuses, pointing to this text in Deuteronomy, which parallels His circumstances. “Man does not live by bread alone,” Jesus reminds Satan, “but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” It is not just physical bread that sustains our Lord (or anyone else); it is God’s Word, and specifically obedience to it.[206]

When Jesus is pressed by His disciples to eat, He refuses to do so, telling them that He has other “food” to eat, of which they are unaware. In so doing, He is expressing the same truth He spoke to Satan, which God, through Moses, spoke to the Israelites. It is not just eating physical food that sustains us; it is doing the will of God. If eating interferes with doing the will of God, eating must be set aside, not obedience to God. Fulfilling God’s will—providing and proclaiming salvation (even to the Gentiles!)—was our Lord’s primary purpose and calling. He would not allow a meal to keep Him from it. There is work to be done at this very moment—the people of the city are almost there. This is no time for lunch.

Is this not the truth that underlies the practice of fasting? I know some may make more of fasting than they should. Fasting is not magic; it does not manipulate God to do our will. It is our submission to His will, as evidenced by the fact that our time is better spent in prayer or in some specific ministry than in eating a meal. Is this not also evident on less frequent occasions, when a husband and wife voluntarily agree to abstain from sexual relations, so that they can devote themselves to prayer (see 1 Corinthians 7:5)?

I must confess that very few things keep me from a meal. Jesus subordinated eating to doing the will of God. Usually, we should eat, so that we have the strength to do His will (see 1 Samuel 14:24-30). But there are times when we must let nothing keep us from full devotion to our duty. Doing God’s will is more important than downing a meal. I wonder what we are willing to do without so that the gospel can be shared with those who are lost and destined for an eternity in hell?

(2) Our Lord’s mission was all the more urgent because His time on earth was short (verses 35ff.). Does Jesus not have the time to sit down and eat a sandwich? Jesus has a sensitivity to the proper time for things to be done (see John 2:4; 7:6)—His time really is limited. And because He has so little time, He will not take the time which eating a meal requires.

Surely the application to saints today is obvious. Do we realize how short the time may be? Do we have a sense of urgency about our mission? It is the wicked servant who feels there is much time, and therefore no need for urgency (Luke 12:35-48). The Word of God consistently challenges us to redeem the time, for our time is short.

15 Therefore, be very careful how you live, not as unwise, but as wise, 16 taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 For this reason do not be foolish, but be wise by understanding what the will of the Lord is (Ephesians 5:15-17).

29 And I say this, brothers and sisters: the time is short. So then those who have wives should be as those who have none, 30 those with tears like those not weeping, those who rejoice like those not rejoicing, those who buy like those without possessions, 31 those who use the world as though they were not using it to the full. For the present shape of this world is passing away (1 Corinthians 7:29-31).

Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunities (Colossians 4:5).

You do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like? For you are a puff of smoke that appears for a short time and then vanishes (James 4:14).

Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy aloud, and blessed are those who hear and obey the things written in it, because the time is near (Revelation 1:3).

The time for the harvest is now— not later. It seems that the statement, “There are four more months and then comes the harvest” is a way of saying that harvest time is still a ways off. That may be true for the grain harvest, but it is not true for the harvest of souls about to take place right there, within moments. There is no time to lose, no time to waste. Harvest time has come.

(3) Our Lord fulfilled His mission, but He has given us the task of proclaiming the gospel to a lost world before He returns. The time is short, and a team of workers is required to complete the task (verses 36-38). It would seem that a different group of individuals had sown the fields than those who were to reap the harvest. I believe this is still true today. Where wheat is grown in the United States today, the farmers may plant their own crops, but the time to harvest is so short that a caravan of professional harvesters is often employed. Trucks and combines are brought in, and the fields are harvested within hours. If there is undue delay in the harvest, much of the grain is lost.

The disciples have no idea that a great “harvest” is about to take place, and that they are the harvesters. They have been so preoccupied with lunch, while others have been at work sowing the gospel. In the past, the prophets had sown the seed through their words and the Scriptures. Men like John the Baptist[207] had also sown the seed of the gospel. And this very day the Samaritan woman has gone into the town, bearing testimony that Jesus is at the well, and that He has “told her all she had done.” She did the sowing; now it is time for Jesus and His disciples to reap. No wonder there is no time for lunch. The “fields are already white for harvest.”[208]

In our country, individual effort is highly prized and rewarded. Competition seems more appropriate than cooperation. Jesus tells His disciples that they are about to reap a harvest, but He also reminds them that they are reaping where others have sown. It is not their work alone. They are completing what others have begun. Evangelism in not a one man-show, but a team effort.

Salvation Comes to Samaria
(4:39-42)

39 Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the report of the woman who testified, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they started asking him to stay with them. He stayed there two days, 41 and because of his word many more believed. 42 They said to the woman, “No longer do we believe because of your words, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this one really is the Savior of the world.”

What a contrast chapter 4 is to chapter 3. In chapter 3, Jesus speaks with Nicodemus, who is the most prominent teacher and leader of his day. This man recognizes something special in Jesus and confesses that God is somehow with Jesus; yet he resists everything our Lord tells him. There is no evidence that Nicodemus comes to faith during this first meeting with our Lord. This great “leader” finds it difficult to “follow” Jesus, and he leads no one to Him. The woman at the well seems much more perceptive and receptive to what Jesus has to say. She is well on her way to faith as a result of her first conversation with Him. More than this, she brings many others to Him as well. Who would have ever imagined how little Nicodemus would do for the kingdom of God, and how much God would use this Samaritan woman?

Look at the kind of faith these Samaritans possess, as reflected by their words. At first they took the word of the Samaritan woman, but having heard Jesus for themselves, they no longer relied on her testimony, but on what they heard Jesus say. We are told of no miracles (other than Jesus letting this woman know that He knew all about her life of sin), of no signs being performed by our Lord in Samaria (though of course there could have been miracles that John chose not to record). These Samaritans have a vastly superior faith than mere “sign faith.” Their faith is “Word faith,” faith in Jesus Christ, based upon His own words. They came to trust in Jesus as the Messiah, as the “Savior of the world.”

Conclusion

This is a great text, is it not? There are many lessons to be learned from this text, but I shall conclude by pointing out only a few. Is this whole chapter not a prototype, a foretaste of things to come? Was it not due to the hardness of heart and unbelief of the Jews that the gospel came to the Gentiles? What an amazing example of the grace of God, manifested toward sinners, and what an encouragement! Once again we see that those who reject the gospel are those who think themselves “too good for it.” But this woman, along with many from her home town, acknowledge their sin and find salvation in Jesus Christ. No one is ever too sinful to be saved, but many are those who are too “righteous” (self-righteous) to be saved. John chapter 4 prepares us for the great harvest of Gentile sinners, who are soon to be saved as a result of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the rejection of Him as Messiah by the Jews.

What an amazing thing that our Lord found it necessary to pass through Samaria. Why was this? Well, of course it was because God had purposed to save these Samaritans from their sins. But there is yet another reason, a very simple one: These Samaritans would not come to Jesus, but Jesus did come to them. I think there is sometimes the presumption that the unbelievers should come to us, but it is a presumption on our part, and a bad one. “Go” is an important word in the great commission, and Jesus has set the example for us.[209] If the church is saying, “Come” to unbelievers, let us remember that our Lord says, “Go” to the church. The first thing the Samaritan woman does is to “go” to those who are lost in her home town.

Our text challenges me to question just how committed I am to obeying our Lord. The “work” to which our Lord was committed was the “Father’s work,” the work of salvation. He was so committed to completing His work that He refused to eat a meal when it interfered with this work. Am I as committed to the salvation of men as God is? Am I willing to forego a meal, a restful evening, a bigger house, a more affluent lifestyle, so that God’s work might be advanced? This text exposes my own self-centeredness, my own reluctance to subordinate my self-interests to God’s interests.

I am also challenged to reevaluate what inspires and motivates me. My appetites provide me with strong motivation to eat and to satisfy myself. God’s purposes and work motivated our Lord. Food gives us strength and sustenance. If our Lord’s “food” was to complete the work His Father had given Him, then His strength and motivation for service came from this work. I hear a lot these days about “burnout,” and I’ve always been troubled because I don’t find this term in the Bible. Now, I’m beginning to wonder if the concept is biblical. Are Christians “burning out” because they have been working too hard at doing the Father’s will? It seems to me that if the Father’s work is that which strengthens and empowers us, then we can hardly “burn out” by making His work our work. This whole matter needs to be given more careful thought in the light of our text.

If the salvation of the lost is so important, then it is clear that nothing should keep us from it—even something as “good” as “lunch.” Is this not what Jesus told His disciples? And if something essentially good and necessary may need to be set aside to complete God’s work, then surely those things which are not good must to be set aside too:

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, 2 keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2).

What are some of the hindrances we ought to set aside so that we can more effectively carry out the Father’s will in the salvation of men? We have already seen that we must set aside “self-interest.” In our text, we see that we must also set aside our prejudices in regard to race, culture, and gender (to mention a few). We must set aside all self-righteousness, realizing that Christ came to save sinners, among whom we are chief (see 1 Timothy 1:12-16).

We must set aside our false views of piety. We are not more holy for separating ourselves from any contact with sinners. We are holy when we put off those practices that once characterized us as sinners. Keeping our distance from sinners as the Pharisees did was ineffective in making them more pious, and it kept them from sharing the light of the gospel with those who needed it.

We must also set aside erroneous ideas as to whom God can use to save others. Why do so many Christians today (of those who do attempt to evangelize) seem to fix their attention and focus their efforts on the “Nicodemuses” of our time? Why do we go after those whom we suppose to have position and power, thinking they will bring more to Christ? Does the contrast between Nicodemus in chapter 3 and the woman at the well in chapter 4 not teach us something? Is this not exactly what the Apostle Paul taught?

18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will thwart the cleverness of the intelligent.” 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the expert in the Mosaic Law? Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made the wisdom of the world foolish? 21 For since in the wisdom of God, the world by its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe by the foolishness of preaching. 22 For Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks ask for wisdom, 23 but we preach about a crucified Christ, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. 24 But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. 26 Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were members of the upper class. 27 But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, 29 so that no one can boast in his presence. 30 He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Finally, our text is instructive as to how we should evangelize the lost. I have already pointed out that we must see the importance of this ministry—it is God’s passion, and it should be ours as well. It is so important we should be willing to miss a meal (or more) to do it. We need to set aside our prejudices and rearrange our priorities. We need to go where the lost can be found. And, we need to start by talking to people where they are, in terms of things they understand, and that they know they need. We should move from these matters to the deeper issues of sin and of salvation. We need to earn the right to do this, and it will very likely take much more time that it took our Lord. But it is what God wants us to do, indeed what He commands us to do. It is what He did to seek and to save us. It is what we need to do as well.


! Lesson 11:
Jesus Heals the Royal Official’s Son
(John 4:43-54)

Introduction

I know what it’s like to have a loved one’s life in jeopardy. When I was 16 years old, my mother was seriously injured by a hit-and-run driver. I was the one driving her to the hospital, while my dad tried to stop the bleeding. When we reached the hospital, I rushed out of the car and into the hospital, where a lady on duty attempted to start filling out papers. I put an end to that quickly. I wanted help to save my mother’s life, and I had no time for paper shuffling. Later in my life, my wife and I awoke to find our first child had died in his sleep. You can imagine my response when our next child appeared to be seriously ill. When I picked my daughter up, her eyes rolled to the back of her head. I did not care about speed limits that day; I only cared about getting help for her as quickly as possible.

The royal official in our text must feel the same way as his son’s life hangs by a thread. Jesus is his only hope. He rushes the 20 miles from Capernaum where he lives to Cana of Galilee, where he has heard that Jesus has returned and can be found. He cannot know whether his son is still alive, or whether he has died during his nearly eight-hour journey to find Jesus. But when he finds Jesus, he has only one thing on his mind—getting Jesus to come to Capernaum with him as quickly as possible, in the hope that there is still time to save his child’s life.

What a shock it must be for this royal official when he realizes that Jesus is not going to accompany him to Capernaum. Worse yet, our Lord’s response to this official’s request for help almost appears to be a rebuke. How can this be? How can Jesus respond so harshly to a father who is only trying to save the life of his son? We shall seek to answer this question in our study of this text. It is a wonderful text, with lessons for us, as well as for the royal official. Let us listen and learn what the Spirit of God has for us in this portion of His holy Word.

Return to Galilee
(4:43-45)

43 After the two days he departed from there to Galilee. 44 (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him because they had seen all the things he had done in Jerusalem at the feast (for they themselves had gone to the feast).

These verses cause some students of the New Testament considerable grief. The problem centers around verse 44, where Jesus testifies that “a prophet has no honor in his own country.” Some see an inconsistency between verses 44 and 45: If Jesus believed that He would have no honor in “his own country,” then why does John tell us that the Galileans “welcomed” Him? All kinds of solutions to this problem are offered. The problem does not seem that difficult. This same proverb is found in Matthew 13:57; Mark 6:4; and Luke 4:24. In each of these instances, the circumstances are the same. In Matthew, we read:

53 Now when Jesus finished these parables, he went away from there. 54 He came to his hometown[210] and taught them in their synagogue. They were amazed and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers? 55 Isn’t he the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary? And aren’t his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And aren’t all his sisters here with us? Where then did he get these things?” 57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own hometown and in his own house.” 58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief (Matthew 13:53-58).

Jesus has come to Nazareth and is teaching in the synagogue. Some of these folks had probably been in Jerusalem when Jesus was there, performing signs (see John 2:23; 4:45). If they had not personally been in Jerusalem, they must certainly have heard about some of the miracles He had performed there. When Jesus arrives in His own “hometown,” expectations are running high. “What will Jesus perform here, in His own “hometown”? In spite of their high expectations, a question begins to formulate in the minds of some. Jesus is becoming a very popular person and attracting a following. But they know (or think they know) His origins. Because Nazareth is His hometown, they think they know all about Him. They know His mother and (so they think) His father, His brothers and His sisters. How can anyone so important come from such humble origins? Due to this perception of Jesus, there was a drawing back or falling away on the part of Jesus’ countrymen. Jesus sees this response as typical and proverbial. After all, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own hometown and in his own house” (verse 57). As a result, Jesus performs few miracles there because of their unbelief.[211]

Now let’s relate this description of our Lord’s ministry in Nazareth to our text in John, which speaks of His return to Galilee, to His “own country.” The question at hand is this: “How can John quote this same proverb about a prophet not having honor in his own country when he then tells us that when Jesus arrives in Galilee, the people there “welcome Him”? From what we have seen in Matthew’s account of our Lord’s arrival at Nazareth, we see virtually the same phenomena. Jesus returns to His “hometown” and there receives an initial warm welcome. The people are aware of the miracles He has performed in Jerusalem (and perhaps elsewhere) and hope to see many more in their own town. But as they reflect on the origins of Jesus, they are not so sure. Has He come to bless the Gentiles as well as the Jews? This is unpardonable (Luke 4:16-30). And so what seems to start off well ends up in a very disappointing way, both for our Lord and for those of His “hometown.”

A principle is involved here when, once recognized, resolves the apparent problem in our text: A short-lived, superficial acceptance of our Lord is not the same as an informed, long-term commitment to Him. In the parable of the four soils, the second soil represents what I believe to be this same superficial, short-term commitment:

16 And these are the ones sown on the rocky ground: whenever they hear the word, they receive it at once with joy. 17 But they have no root in themselves and are temporary. Then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they fall away[212] immediately (Mark 4:16-17).

Therefore we should not suppose that just because the Galileans initially “welcome” Jesus that they truly accept Him as Messiah. These folks are not even “sign-faith” believers; they are unbelievers fascinated by signs. The outcome of our Lord’s visit to His homeland is disappointing and yet exactly what our Lord intends. He leaves Judea because He is becoming too popular too quickly (John 4:1-3). He goes to His homeland so as not to be “honored.” There, He is initially welcomed, but He is not truly honored.

The Royal Official’s Plea
(4:46-50)

46 Now he came again to Cana in Galilee where he had made the water wine. In Capernaum there was a certain royal official whose son was sick. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was about to die. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders you will never believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go home; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and set off for home.

Because others have made much of it, I will mention the fact that some say this story is just another version of the healing of the centurion’s servant (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:2-10). The similarities are very few; the differences are many. Allow me to mention some of these differences:

·         The Centurion was a Gentile; the Royal Official appears to be Jewish.

·         The Centurion’s slave suffered from a paralysis; the Royal Official’s son was ill with a fever.

·         The Centurion is in Capernaum; the Royal Official is in Cana.

·         The Centurion’s faith wins Jesus’ praise; the Royal Official and others are rebuked for a deficient faith.

·         The Centurion urges Jesus not to come, but only to speak the word; the Royal Official urges Jesus to come.

·         The Centurion has Jewish elders to plead his case; the Royal Official pleads with Jesus personally.[213]

I think we can safely assume that the miracle of the healing of the royal official’s son is unique, as is most of the material in the Gospel of John.

Jesus returns to Cana of Galilee, where He turned water into wine (John 2:1-11). A royal official[214] living in Capernaum hears that Jesus is once again at Cana. The official’s son is at the point of death and this father is desperate, as anyone who has ever been in his predicament knows. Jesus is his last and only hope to save his son. He hastily makes the 20 mile trek to Cana, in search of Jesus. When he finds Jesus, he pleads with Him to return immediately with him to Capernaum and to heal his son, who is about to die.

Our Lord’s response to the royal official is puzzling, almost disturbing: “So Jesus said to him, ‘Unless you people see signs and wonders you will never believe.’” The NET Bible, along with some other translations, indicates that the “you” in verse 48 is plural, and not singular. Jesus is therefore speaking to a larger audience than just the royal official. It is my assumption that the royal official asks around town to find out where Jesus is staying. As he does, a small crowd of curious bystanders gathers around the royal official and follows him to where Jesus is staying, hoping to see Jesus perform a miracle. Jesus has left Judea and come to Galilee to avoid the crowds. He does not wish to create undue messianic excitement too soon. Thus, our Lord does not seem eager to perform a miracle in a way which will draw attention to Himself.

I suspect that if our Lord had accompanied the royal official home to Capernaum, a crowd would have followed Him there too. Had they witnessed the healing of this lad, they would have told others, and many would have flocked to our Lord for healing. Jesus does not want this situation to arise. Our Lord’s response to the official, as well as to those gathered, achieves His desire to disperse the crowd. His words are a rebuke. These Galileans do not really believe in Him as the Messiah. They simply know of the signs He has performed elsewhere and want to see if He will do the same (or even more) for them. Jesus rightly rebukes them for being interested only in His miracles and not taking to heart what these signs signify. Our Lord’s words of rebuke send a message that Jesus is not going to “jump through their hoops” on this occasion. If they have come only to see signs, they will not see one now. The only thing they get is a rebuke.

Why stick around if nothing sensational is going to happen? I think the crowds left. It is true that Jesus’ next words should give them pause for thought. Jesus tells the man, “Go home; your son will live.” Looking back from our vantage point in time, you and I would expect the whole town to follow the official back to Capernaum to see if our Lord’s words actually come to pass. But remember that these people are sign-seekers, not men and women of faith. They are those who do not trust in Jesus as their Messiah. When they hear our Lord say, “Go home; your son will live,” they probably say to themselves, “Yeah, right!” I think they believe that His words are only intended to get rid of this persistent father, not words of assurance that his son really has been healed. We are not told that anyone accompanies the official to Capernaum, or that anyone other than his own servants come to trust in Jesus. The crowd disperses, and the sign-seekers go away disappointed, and perhaps a little angry.

But if our Lord rebukes the crowd, He seems to include the royal official as well. Does our Lord not seem to lack compassion toward this desperate man, whose only concern is the well-being of his son? Some might be tempted to ask, “How can Jesus be so rude, so insensitive, so critical?” Let me suggest that the solution to this dilemma may be found in the Gospel of Mark:

24 Jesus left there and went to the region of Tyre. When he went into a house, he did not want anyone to know, but he was not able to escape notice. 25 Instead, a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him and came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, of Syrophoenician origin. She asked him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 He said to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and to throw it to the dogs.” 28 She answered, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then he said to her, “Because you said this, you may go. The demon has left your daughter.” 30 She went home and found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone (Mark 7:24-30).

Is our Lord being unduly harsh with this Gentile woman, who begs Him to cast the demon out of her daughter? I think not. First of all, what Jesus says is true. He has come “to the Jew first” and then to the Gentiles (see Matthew 10:5-6; Romans 1:16; 2:9-10). Beyond this, I believe our Lord is dealing with this woman in a way that inspires faith. Having heard Jesus, does this woman cower and walk away? No; she presses Jesus even harder for her daughter’s sake, reminding Him that Gentiles are to benefit from His coming as well as the Jews.

I believe the same thing is taking place in our text. The on-lookers are merely sign-seekers, and our Lord’s words seem to send them home. The royal official is not about to let his son die, and he knows that Jesus is his only hope. It may be that his faith is weak, that he needs to see to believe, but he does believe that Jesus is able to heal his son, and so he persists with his request. I believe our Lord’s words press him in the right direction. They are not intended to turn him away, but to turn him to Jesus in faith.

It seems from what we are told that this official believes the saying, “Where there’s life, there’s hope.” He thinks Jesus can heal the sick, but not raise the dead.[215] And no wonder he thinks so, for Jesus has not yet raised anyone from the dead. The royal official seems to believe that Jesus can heal his son if He is at his side, but not from 20 miles away. Jesus now says to this official, “Go home; your son will live,” and the official goes home. This man’s faith seems to grow in the few moments he pleads with Jesus. And so the official leaves to return to his son, believing the word of our Lord.

I am reminded of my days as a seminary student in the Masters Program. I signed up for a class taught by Dr. S. Lewis Johnson. Dr. Johnson was then teaching at Believers Chapel, where I attended, and I was greatly blessed by his ministry. I wanted to take every class he offered at the seminary. When his class, “Paul’s Use of the Old Testament,” was offered, I signed up. The first day of class Dr. Johnson was obviously surprised at how many had signed up—more than he expected—more than he wanted. And so Dr. Johnson proceeded to inform the class that this was a “doctoral level” class that would be too difficult for others. He literally invited a number of us to get up and leave, and to sign up for something else. I didn’t move. I wanted that class, and I was not going to let him scare me out of it. I survived the class and did reasonably well. His words caused some to “fall away,” but not me. I knew what I wanted, and I knew he was the one I wanted it from. That is the way it was with the royal official and Jesus.

A Miracle and Belief
(4:51-54)

51 While he was on his way down, his slaves met him and told him that his son would live. 52 So he asked them the time when his condition began to improve, and they told him, “Yesterday at one o’clock in the afternoon the fever left him.”[216] 53 Then the father realized that was the very time Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live”; and he himself believed along with his entire household. 54 Jesus did this as his second miraculous sign when he came from Judea to Galilee.

Jesus tells the royal official, “Go home; your son will live.” The official does not get what he asks for; Jesus does not volunteer to return to Capernaum with him. Nevertheless, the man believes Jesus and leaves Him to return home. Exactly what does he believe? I think that he trusts Jesus, not knowing exactly what He meant. He understands Jesus to say that his son has not yet died, and that he will not die. As he makes his way home, his mind must be racing as he considers all the possibilities. While still on his way, he is met by his servants, who have news of the boy’s condition and do not want their master to agonize any longer than necessary.

We should pause momentarily to view this incident from the servants’[217] point of view. Their master’s son becomes very ill, and they watch helplessly as his temperature climbs dangerously high. They know that if something does not happen quickly, the boy will die. They watch as, in desperation, their master hastens to Cana of Galilee, hoping to find Jesus and to convince Him to come and heal the lad. The child’s condition continues to deteriorate after their master leaves. They begin to lose all hope. They hate to think of how their master will respond when he returns home to find his son dead. Then, suddenly, the child’s fever breaks, and he begins to improve rapidly. They know the danger is past and that he will live. They do not have any clue as to how it happened, but they do not wish their master to agonize any longer than necessary. And so some servants go out to meet their master and to give him the good news.

As soon as their master is in sight, they call out the good news that his son will live. The words sound strikingly similar to the assurance our Lord has given the father just a few hours before. You can almost see the face of this father, the look of relief and joy that comes over him. And then there must be a subtle change of expression to a more thoughtful look. The father is starting to put the pieces together. He recognizes (as his servants do not) the relationship between the words of Jesus and the words of his servants. Jesus was right. The royal official’s faith in Him is well-founded. But now the ruler begins to wonder about these words. Has Jesus spoken as a prophet, assuring him that the child will not die, and will get better on his own? Or, did Jesus produce a miraculous “long distance” healing as he spoke some eight hours earlier, assuring him that the boy would live?

There is a way to find out. The ruler poses this question to his servants: “Just exactly what time was it when the boy suddenly improved?” They tell him it was 1:00 o’clock when the turning point came. Then he knows for certain, for he knows that was precisely the time Jesus assured him of the child’s well-being. It is a miracle indeed, a miracle brought about by our Lord speaking only a word. It is a miracle not unlike creation, when He spoke the world into existence (see John 1:1-3; see Hebrews 11:3; Genesis 1).

The father[218] knows he has witnessed a miracle, and he “believes,” along with his entire household. Have we not already been told that he “believed” in verse 50? In that passage, the official believed what Jesus said. The belief I see in verse 53 is a deeper, more informed belief, a belief in Jesus as the Messiah, as the Savior of the world. This man and his whole household become a household of faith. This is the way faith is. Look at the disciples in the Gospels. In John chapter 1, several disciples come to believe in Jesus as the promised Messiah. Then they observe the Lord changing water into wine, and we are once again told that they believe in Jesus (John 2:11). Throughout the life of our Lord, more and more miracles are performed as the disciples witness them. And the more they see of Him, the more their faith in Him grows. Faith is not a static thing, something we experience once and then it remains constant. Our faith should grow as we come to know our Lord and His Word better, as we see that this One in whom we have placed our trust is even greater than we imagined!

John tells us in verse 54 that this is the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed when He came from Judea to Galilee. This cannot mean that He performed only two signs, for we know that John has been very selective (John 2:23; 3:2; 20:30-31) in the signs he has chosen to record. It is the second of his “selected signs,” employed to bring men and women to faith in Jesus as the promised Savior.

Conclusion

What a great miracle this is! Do you notice that in one sense it is a miracle very similar to the changing of water into wine? Jesus turns the water into wine in a way that keeps most of those at the wedding from even knowing what had happened. It is a “sign” evident to a few, which results in the faith of only our Lord’s disciples (2:11). So it is too with the healing of the royal official’s son. If Jesus had chosen to perform this miracle as the official had hoped (by personally coming and attending to his son), many would have followed along, and our Lord’s popularity would have greatly increased. But this is not what our Lord wants at this point in time. That is why He left Judea and returned to Galilee (4:1-3). Jesus performs this miracle in such a way that only the official knows it is a miracle. As he “testified” of this miracle to his servants, they too become members of the “household of faith.” Jesus not only performs a miracle, He does so in a way that is consistent with His purpose.

Jesus accomplishes this miracle in a way that enhances the official’s faith from “sign-faith” to “word-faith.” John introduces a theme in chapter 2 which persists in this Gospel:

23 Now while Jesus was in Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover, many people believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people. 25 He did not need anyone to testify about man, for he knew what was in man (John 2:23-25, emphasis mine).

It is apparent that “sign-faith” is not pleasing to our Lord, for He chooses not to commit Himself to “sign-faith” believers. Sign-faith is not a bad starting point, but it should never end here. Jesus wants people whose faith is grounded in His word, not in miracles.

John the Baptist never performed a sign, but his words were powerful, and many believed them. Nicodemus, like his fellow-Pharisees, was not willing to take Jesus at His word. He had one question after another, but they did not bring him to faith at that moment (John 3). The woman at the well took Jesus at His word, and so did all the people of Sychar (John 4:4-42). The Galileans were impressed with our Lord’s signs, but they were not so inclined to accept His word. This royal official came to the point where he was willing to take Jesus at His word, and he and his household became believers.

If I sound like a broken record persisting in repeating the same theme, let me simply say that it is a theme John also keeps on repeating: “Sign-faith” is inferior to “word-faith.” Our Lord wants those to follow Him as His disciples who will take Him at His word.

We can learn another lesson from this royal official. He is wrong in (first) supposing that God can only accomplish what we ask for by doing it the way we prescribe. We all are like this when we pray. We tell God what we want, and then we proceed to tell Him how to do it. We think that the way we expect Him to act is the way He is most likely and able to act. The royal official thinks Jesus can save his son only if He comes to Capernaum and personally attends to him. He is wrong. Our Lord does intend to heal this man’s son, but in His way. He does not need to be at his bedside. He can heal him from a distance. (And, humanly speaking, if Jesus had agreed to go with the official, the son may well have died while they were on their way. Of course, He could have raised the boy from the dead, too.) Our Lord’s way of healing the boy keeps the crowds from witnessing the miracle, and restricts those who believe to the official and his household. Let us not lose hope when God refuses to “jump through our hoops” and does not answer our prayers the way we expect.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how fathomless his ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? 35 Or who has first given to God, that God needs to repay him? 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen (Romans 11:33-36).

But just as it is written, “Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined, are the things God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

God delights in answering our prayers in a way that highlights His power, grace, glory, and sovereignty. We do better to trust Him to answer our prayers His way.

As I close, let me point out a very important principle: God often brings adversity into our lives—adversity beyond our ability to handle—so that we must come to Him as our only hope, so that we must trust in Him alone. I doubt very much that this royal official would have traveled 20 miles to beg Jesus to come heal his son if his son had athletes’ foot or an in-grown toenail. This man is desperate. He is helpless and hopeless, apart from Jesus Christ. Jesus said it: He came to heal the sick, not to minister to those who are healthy. There are those who came to argue with Jesus, who were trying to make themselves look good and Him look bad. But setting these trouble-makers aside, most of those who come to Jesus in the Gospels are those who desperately need help, those who are hurting and helpless.

Are you hurting? Do you feel helpless, unable to cope with what you are facing? This could be the gracious hand of God, drawing you to Himself for mercy and grace in your time of need. Let’s face it; we do not seek God when things are going well for us. We tend to turn to God only in our weakness, in our need, in our despair. If your life is like this, it may be the gracious hand of God, compelling you to come to Him in faith. Take Him at His word. Come to Him who is the solution to your every need.


! Lesson 12:
Jesus Heals the Man at the Pool of Bethesda
(John 5:1-18)

Introduction

My daughter recently handed me a book which records some very strange laws still on the books in our country. Some of these “whacky laws” are listed below:

·         “In Pennsylvania, the penalty for cursing is a forty-cent fine. However, if God is mentioned in the curse, the fine is sixty-seven cents.”

·         “It is illegal to mispronounce the name of the city of Joliet, Illinois.”

·         “In Utah, the law requires that daylight be seen between two dancing partners.”[219]

·         “In San Francisco, you are not permitted to carry a basket suspended from a pole.”

·         “It is unlawful for goldfish to ride on a Seattle, Washington, bus unless they lie still.”

·         “Michigan law once required taking a census of bees every winter.”

·         “In Natchez, Mississippi, it is against the law for elephants to drink beer.”

·         “An old Hollywood, California, ordinance forbids driving more than two thousand sheep down Hollywood Boulevard at one time.”

·         “In Muncie, Indiana, you cannot bring fishing tackle into a cemetery.”

·         “The California penal code prohibits the shooting of any animal, except a whale, from an automobile.”

·         “In Kansas City, Missouri, children are prohibited by law from buying cap pistols. However, the law does not restrict them from buying shotguns.”

·         “A Minnesota law requires that men’s and women’s underwear not be hung on the same clothesline at the same time.”

·         “In Joliet, Illinois, women are not allowed to try on more than six dresses in one store.”[220]

I mention these “whacky laws” of our own land because I am about to point out some of the “whacky Jewish laws” of Jesus’ day. We are inclined to look at these laws and laugh, amazed at how ridiculous they seem. Before getting too carried away with our laughter, let me say this. Every one of these apparently ridiculous laws made sense to the lawmakers at the time they became law. These “whacky laws” did not come about in a vacuum; they were a legislative attempt to prevent or solve a real problem of some kind. Lest we think lawmakers wish to spend all their time making up silly laws, let me suggest that they must do so because of “whacky” folks like you and me.

        As parents, we should be able to understand how this happens. We would love to be able to give our children a very general principle or guideline, and trust them to follow it. For example, we wish we could say to our child, “Just be home at a reasonable hour.” The trouble is that they do not agree with us about what “reasonable” means, and so we have to give an exact time. Our child says, “Mom, can I go down the street and play with Charlie?” We say, “No, I don’t want you to play with Charlie at his house.” So our child goes down the street and plays with Charlie out in the yard (to keep our rules), or he plays with Charlie’s brother in his house. We therefore learn to make our rules more and more specific, lest our child fail to behave as we intended. The more specific we make these rules, the sillier they appear to others.

I am not defending Pharisaism or the legalism of the Jews of Jesus’ day. Many of their rules would be very difficult to defend. Nevertheless, I must also say that most of the regulations I am about to call to your attention were probably necessitated by people who were unwilling to abide by principles; thus, religious leaders were forced to become more and more specific, to the point of unbelievable gnat-straining. Here are some of the regulations of the Jews in our Lord’s time:

Some of the detailed regulations are passing wonderful. For example, ‘(On the Sabbath) a man may borrow of his fellow jars of wine or jars of oil, provided that he does not say to him, ‘Lend me them’ (Shab. 23:1). This would imply a transaction, and a transaction might involve writing, and writing was forbidden. Or again, ‘If a man put out the lamp (on the night of the Sabbath) from fear of the gentiles or of thieves or of an evil spirit, or to suffer one that was sick to sleep, he is not culpable; (but if he did it with a mind) to spare the lamp or to spare the oil or to spare the wick, he is culpable’ (Shab. 2:5). The attitude to healing on the sabbath is illustrated by a curious provision that a man may not put vinegar on his teeth to alleviate toothache. But he may take vinegar with his food in the ordinary course of affairs, and the Rabbis philosophically concluded, ‘if he is healed he is healed’ (Shab. 14:4)![221]

The Mishna says: ‘He that reapeth corn on the Sabbath to the quantity of a fig is guilty; and plucking corn is reaping.’ Rubbing the grain out was threshing. Even to walk on the grass on the Sabbath was forbidden because it was a species of threshing. Another Talmudic passage says: ‘In case a woman rolls wheat to remove the husks, it is considered sifting; if she rubs the head of wheat, it is regarded as threshing; if she cleans off the side-adherences, it is sifting out fruit; if she throws them up in her hand, it is winnowing’ [Jer. Shabt, page 10a]. The scrupulosity of these Jews about the Sabbath was ridiculously extreme. A Jewish sailor caught in a storm after sunset on Friday refused to touch the helm though threatened with death. Thousands had suffered themselves to be butchered in the streets of Jerusalem by Antiochus Epiphanes rather than lift a weapon in self-defense on the Sabbath! To these purists, the act of the disciples was a gross desecration of the Sabbath law. The worst of all was that Jesus permitted and approved it.[222]

In the above citations, J. W. Shepard is referring to the Sabbath laws of Jesus’ day, but we would be incorrect to suppose things have improved with time. A friend loaned me a book by Rav Yehoshua Y. Neuwirth entitled, Shemirath Shabbath: A Guide to the Practical Observance of Shabbath.[223] This volume (my friend reminds me that it is the first volume) goes into great detail concerning the interpretation and application of the Sabbath for contemporary Judaism. In the preface to this work the author writes, “The Mishna (Chagiga: Chapter 1, Mishna 8) likens the laws of Shabbath to ‘mountains hanging by a hair,’ in that a multitude of precepts and rules, entailing the most severe penalties for their breach, depend on the slightest of indications given by a biblical verse.”[224]

He also reminds us of the importance which Judaism has placed, and continues to place, on the keeping of the Sabbath:

May we be privileged, by virtue of the proper observance of the Shabbath, to see the final redemption of Israel. Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, “Were Israel properly to observe two Shabbathoth, they would immediately be redeemed” (Shabbath 118b). Until such time, God’s only dwelling-place on this earth is within the four walls of the Halacha (Berachoth 8a).[225]

The book contains many instructions about the keeping of the Sabbath, but I will mention only a few:

Cooking in most all forms (boiling, roasting, baking, frying, etc.) is forbidden on the Sabbath, in particular when the temperature is raised above 45 degrees centigrade (113 Fahrenheit).[226]

If the hot water tap is accidentally left on, it cannot be turned off on the Sabbath.[227]

Escaping gas can be turned off, but not in the normal way. One must turn off the tap of a gas burner with the back of the hand or the elbow.[228]

The preparation of food is greatly affected by the Sabbath. One cannot squeeze a lemon into a glass of ice tea, but one can squeeze lemon on a piece of fish.[229]

That one cannot light a fire on the Sabbath is taught in the Old Testament law (cf. Exod. 35:3). Strict Judaism views this to prohibit turning electric lights on or off on the Sabbath. The problem can be solved, however, by using a timer, which automatically handles this task.[230]

So, too, an air conditioner cannot be turned on by a Jew on the Sabbath, although a Gentile might be persuaded to do so.[231]

One cannot bathe with a bar of soap on the Sabbath, but liquid detergent is acceptable.[232]

I find the section dealing with “discovered articles” (pp. 233-235) most interesting. One is prohibited from transporting goods on the Sabbath. This would prevent merchants from conducting business on the Sabbath. It has been so highly refined that now one cannot carry something which he unknowingly took with him. If one is walking along on the Sabbath and discovers that he is carrying something in his pocket, he has several courses of action so as not to violate the Sabbath. He may, for example, drop the item out of his pocket, but not in the normal or usual fashion (by grasping it, removing it from the pocket, and dropping it on the floor). He can, however, reverse his pocket, expelling the object unnaturally, and thus legitimately. If the item is valuable, and he does not wish to leave it on the ground, he can ask a Gentile to watch the item for him. Otherwise, the item could be carried, but not in the usual way. He can carry it for a prescribed distance (just under four amoth), put it down, then take it up, and so on. Or, the man could relay it between himself and a fellow-Israelite, each one carrying the object for no more than the prescribed distance. If this is not advisable, the object can be carried in an unusual way, such as placing it in the shoe, tying it to his leg, or managing to suspend it between his clothing and his body.

Morris adds this regulation regarding work on the Sabbath:

Mishnah, Shab. 7:2 lists thirty-nine classes of work forbidden on a sabbath, the last being ‘taking out aught from one domain into another.’ An interesting regulation provides that if a man took out ‘a living man on a couch he is not culpable by reason of the couch, since the couch is secondary’ (Shab. 10:5). This clearly implies that the carrying of the ‘couch’ by itself is culpable.[233]

This information is not supplied to amuse you, but to prepare you for the issues that arise in our study of John chapter 5, as well as later on in John’s Gospel. A decisive change takes place here. Until now, signs and miracles may not have convinced all, but they definitely were instrumental in drawing some to faith. When Jesus turned the water into wine, a few realized what had happened, but only the disciples of our Lord are said to have “believed” (John 2:11). When our Lord went to Jerusalem and cleansed the temple (John 2:12-22), He also performed a number of signs, which caused a number to “believe in His name” (2:23-25). Nicodemus was at least impressed by the signs Jesus performed (3:2). The Samaritans did not require a sign, but many believed in Jesus when they heard His words (4:4ff.). The royal official who came to Jesus was forced to believe the word which Jesus spoke to him, and the miracle that resulted was instrumental in his coming to faith, along with his whole house (4:43-54).

Suddenly, when we reach this fifth chapter of John our Lord’s miracles actually precipitate intense opposition and persecution. The healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda brings about a reaction so strong that the Jews are even more resolved to kill Jesus. In chapter 6, Jesus feeds the 5,000, but after He informs these would-be disciples that they must trust in His sacrificial death, virtually all forsake Him. In chapter 7, when Jesus appears in Jerusalem, the Jews send officers to arrest Him. In chapter 8, when Jesus has an animated debate with the Jews and makes the statement, “Before Abraham came into existence, I am!,” many want to stone Him. From chapter 5 onward, the Jews are determined to do away with Jesus. As time goes on, their opposition to Jesus only intensifies.

As we begin our study of chapter 5 and witness the wonderful works of our Lord precipitating intense reaction to Him, let us listen and learn those lessons which God has here for us.

The Setting
(5:1-4)

1 After this there was a[234] Jewish feast, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool called Bethesda in Aramaic, that has five covered walkways. 3 In these a great number of sick, blind, lame, or paralyzed people were lying [“waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel of the Lord went down and stirred up the water at certain times. Whoever first stepped in after the stirring of the water was healed from whatever disease which he suffered.”]

We do not know which “feast” brought Jesus “up to Jerusalem” (see footnote 16). It seems clear that John did not care for us to know which one, and that this bit of information would not contribute to our understanding of what follows. There once was considerable discussion over the place where Jesus found this handicapped man. This now seems to be quite certain. William Hendriksen writes:

After much guess-work with respect to the identity of this pool, its site has finally been established to the satisfaction of most scholars. The pool (or, in reality, the reservoir which formed it) was laid bare in the year 1888 in connection with the repair of the church of St. Anne, in n.e. Jerusalem. A faded fresco on the wall pictures an angel ‘troubling’ the water. It appears, therefore, that by the early church this pool was viewed as Bethzatha. In the time of our Lord it had five porticos or covered colonnades where the sick could rest, protected from inclement weather.[235]

Multitudes of the physically infirmed are gathered around this pool. Among them is a man who has been disabled for 38 years. We do not know exactly what is wrong with him, but it is apparent he is immobilized by his malady, because it is necessary for someone else to put him into the pool (verse 7). The big question is: “What are all these ailing people doing at the pool of Bethesda?”

Those who know me well understand that I am not predisposed to set certain texts of Scripture aside, simply because they are omitted from a number of highly respected manuscripts.[236] For example, in chapter 8 of John’s Gospel, even though the story of the “woman caught in adultery” is questioned as to whether it is a part of the original text, I am inclined to accept it as such. But the verses in question in our text just don’t seem to be original; rather, they seem to be an attempt of a later hand to explain the meaning of the ailing man’s words in verse 7. Let me summarize my reasons for doubting that the end of verse 3 and all of verse 4 are part of the original text.[237]

First, the verses which speak of an angel troubling the waters of the pool are not present in the best manuscripts.

None of the best and most ancient manuscripts have these words which accordingly, have not been retained in the A.R.V. On the other hand, Tertullian (about 145-220 A.D.) already shows that he knows this passage; for he states:

“An angel, by his intervention, was wont to stir the pool at Bethsaida. They who were complaining of ill health used to watch for him; for whoever was the first to descend into these waters, after his washing ceased to complain’ (On Baptism V).”[238]

Second, the alleged “miraculous healings” at the pool of Bethesda are not like any other healing I find in the Bible. Think about it. Have you ever read of any such miracle in the Bible, where an angel somehow energizes the waters, and the first person into the water is healed? Where do we ever read of angels being involved with healings? Water is often used in healings, but such miracles are always specific—not general. Naaman was healed of his leprosy when he obeyed Elisha’s instructions to dip himself seven times in the Jordan River (2 Kings 5). People are healed individually and specifically, not in some kind of “whoever can get there the first” manner. Even in the case of the bronze serpent, referred to in John 3, everyone who looked up to the serpent was healed. There is something very bizarre, very unusual (dare I say “troubling”?) about this “miracle.” Does God really heal someone because he can push and shove and bully his way into the pool first?

Third, this was not the time for miracles. The 400 years between the last book of the Old Testament and the coming of Christ were a time of silence. Prophets were not writing, nor speaking, so far as I can tell. Jesus broke that silence. John prepared the way for Jesus, but we are specifically told that he performed no signs (John 10:41). Why would we suppose there were “miracles on tap” for those who waited for an angel to “trouble the waters” at the pool of Bethesda when this was not a time for miracles?

Fourth, this ailing man, whose words in verse 7 are not in dispute, is not a man of faith, and thus his comments about the pool and its alleged magical powers should be considered cautiously. I do not dispute that this man supposed the pool had healing powers at certain times, but I do seriously question that this is indeed the case. Listen to what Carson has to say about this:

The invalid apparently held to a popular belief that the first person into the pool after the waters had been disturbed, and only the first person, would be miraculously healed. There is no other attestation of this belief in sources roughly contemporaneous with Jesus, but analogous superstitions both ancient and modern are easy to come by.[239]

Fifth, it is not at all uncommon for the sick to congregate around mineral water, which is believed to have healing powers:

In general it may be stated that it is never uncommon for people, afflicted with various illnesses, to gather around mineral springs. Think of the springs around Tiberias or, in our own country, of the waters of Hot Springs, Arkansas, which long before the Spaniards arrived were already being credited with healing virtues.[240]

Sixth, I am puzzled as to why Jesus has to ask this man if he wants to be made whole, and even more perplexed at the man’s answer. Why does Jesus ask this man if he wishes to get well? And why does the man not give a simple “Yes” in response? Instead, the man seeks to defend his “system” for failing to provide him with a healing. He blames this failure on others, since no one will help him into the pool, and others beat him to it. Unlike the woman at the well in chapter 4, or even Nicodemus in chapter 3, this man seems to have no spiritual insight, no theological content, and definitely no faith.[241] Carson doesn’t care much for this fellow, as evident in his assessment of him:

He tries to avoid difficulties with the authorities by blaming the one who has healed him (v. 11); he is so dull he has not even discovered his benefactor’s name (v. 13); once he finds out he reports Jesus to the authorities (v. 15). In this light, v. 7 reads less as an apt and subtle response to Jesus’ question than as the crotchety grumblings of an old and not very perceptive man who thinks he is answering a stupid question.[242]

Perhaps it would be helpful to sum up my reservations by encouraging you to “see” what this miraculous healing by angel-stirred waters might look like if you made a movie of this part of our Lord’s life. To be true to the text, there would be a very large group of sick and hurting people gathered at the pool of Bethesda. Every one of them would be hopelessly incurable. Nothing more could be done for them. All they could do is beg, and hope and pray for a miracle. How eager all of them would be to believe the stories they heard about miraculous healings at this pool, even if they had never actually seen anyone healed.

Suddenly, the waters of the pool begin to boil, or bubble, or froth in some way, and pandemonium breaks out. Only one person will be healed per “stirring”—the first one into the pool. Every ailing person there at the pool is in competition with the rest of the multitude who are also hoping for a healing. If and when the waters are actually troubled, no one dares to tell anyone else, for fear they might reach the pool first. Can you imagine the pushing, shoving, and tripping that takes place as every ailing person desperately strives to be the first into the water? What a pathetic sight, to see cripples crawling, hopping, rolling, clawing their way to the water’s edge. What chaos there would be! And then, even if one person was healed, it would not be the most needy person, because the one with the smallest ailment would be the most likely one to reach the pool first. The most needy person would be the least likely to get into the water first. Therefore, the least needy would probably be the one cured, while all the rest struggle to get out of the pool, get back to their “stations,” and await their next chance. What a very pathetic scene.

Two Views of This Miracle

Since there are many ways to understand the healing of this man at the pool of Bethesda, let me present two extremes—and then challenge you to choose one or the other, or something in between.

Best Case Scenario

Let’s give this man every benefit of the doubt as we work our way through the story. An angel really does come by the pool from time to time to stir it up, and the lucky[243] person who manages to out-maneuver all the rest of the ailing folks gets a healing. Jesus comes by the pool and takes note of this one particular fellow, who seems to have been unsuccessful for the longest time, and asks him if he would like to be healed. In effect, the man says, “Yes.” Jesus commands him to stand, take up his bed, and walk, and trusting Jesus, he does. This just happens to take place on the Sabbath. The healed man is quickly intercepted by “the Jews,” who inform him that he is breaking the law by carrying his bed on the Sabbath. He tells them that the one who commanded him to get up and walk is the one who also commanded him to carry his bed. (The inference is that if He could command him to walk—and he did walk—then surely he would be wrong to fail to obey Him when He commanded him to carry his bed.) He also tells his accusers that he did not have the chance to find out the name of the One who healed him, and commanded him to take up his bed.

The former paralytic makes his way to the temple, where he praises God, and offers a sacrifice. There at the temple, while the man is worshipping, Jesus finds him. He warns him not to sin further, lest something worse happen to him. The man then knows that it is Jesus who healed him. So grateful is he for his healing that he cannot help but tell others. When he tells the Jews it is Jesus who healed him, it is to bear witness to his healing and the mighty work our Lord has done.

Worst Case Scenario

The paralytic is one of a great many physically infirmed folk gathered by the pool of Bethesda. This may be a comfortable place, out of the heat of the sun and the biting cold of the winter winds. It may be a good place to beg, since many would frequent the pool, just as Jesus does. And there is the popular myth about an angel, who comes from time to time to trouble the waters, so that the first one to get into the water is healed. The man waits by the pool, hoping for such a healing.

When Jesus arrives at the pool, neither this man’s pleas or his prayers or his piety fixes our Lord’s attention on him. It is our Lord’s awareness that the paralytic has suffered this way for 38 years. Our Lord seeks him out, asking him if he wants to become well. He does not ask him if he has the faith to be healed. The man isn’t even thinking in such terms. This man is locked in on only one kind of “miracle,” the miracle of being the first one into the angel-stirred waters. He does not—indeed will not—admit the failure of his system for obtaining healing. Instead, he makes excuses. It isn’t his fault; no one will help him into the troubled waters, and someone else always beats him into the pool. If he hopes for anything from Jesus, it is for Him to stand there beside him until another “stirring of the waters,” helping him into the water when this happens.

Jesus does not debate with the man about his superstitious system for being healed. But the way in which He does heal him is certainly in stark contrast with this man’s system. The man has to wait for “troubled waters.” Jesus immediately heals him, without the use of water. The man is one of a crowd, who hopes by his own efforts and initiative (with the help of others) to beat all the other ailing people into the water, thus obtaining a healing by his own efforts—a kind of “survival of the fittest” (or the fastest). Jesus heals him, without even being asked to do so. At the command of our Lord, the man stands up on his feet, takes up his bed, and walks.[244] It seems he can do nothing other than obey. This happens to send the man on his way, avoiding a scene, and not attracting the attention of the crowd. Jesus is thus able to “slip out” without creating hysteria among this multitude of hurting people, all of whom would seek to be healed.

As he walks along carrying his bed on the Sabbath,[245] the man is intercepted by the Jewish religious leaders. They are not concerned about this fellow—they do not even acknowledge his healing, let alone rejoice because of it.[246] They are simply distressed that he is “breaking the rules”—their rules.[247] The healed paralytic seems to be awfully quick to excuse himself. It isn’t his fault, he maintains; he is only doing what he has been told to do. The One who healed him told him to take up his bed and go. What was he to do? The One who has just healed him is now the One who is to blame.

The Jews demand to know just who this person is who told him to take up his mat and walk. He honestly doesn’t know. Jesus has managed to “slip out”[248] since there is a crowd. The man would never have been able to identify Jesus as the one “guilty” of healing him unless our Lord had not Himself—for the second time—sought him out. This time Jesus finds the man in the temple. We are so eager for this man to “see the light” that we are almost willing to accept this as proof of some kind of faith. If this man has become a believer, why does John not mention it, as he has each previous time? Worse yet, why does John inform us that the man subsequently seeks out the Jews to tell them that the One they are after is Jesus? This man is a Judas—a betrayer, who turns on Him who has done only good to him.

Why then does Jesus find the man in the temple? How can I be so sure that he is not praising God and worshipping there? First, let me ask a question: Do you assume that just because someone goes to church—any church—that they are true believers, there to worship in spirit and in truth? Many are in church for the wrong reasons. How many of those in the temple are there to worship God in spirit and truth? When Jesus went to the temple earlier, He found it necessary to drive people (and cattle) out of the temple. Is the fact that they are at the temple proof of piety? I think not!

Jesus finds the man in the temple. Once more, He has sought him out. Jesus must know that doing so will identify Him to the authorities and cause Him great trouble (just as He knew that this man had suffered long and hard when He chose to heal him—verse 5:6). Even knowing this, Jesus goes to him with one thing in view—to warn this man to “stop sinning,” lest something even worse happen to him.[249]

One could say that the paralytic had sinned 38 years earlier, and that his malady is the consequence of that sin. Why then does Jesus seem to urge the man to “give up” his sin, as though it is ongoing?[250] Some might naively suppose that because this man is handicapped he has no opportunity to sin. There are always the sins of the mind. This man could have found a way to sin in a way that his circumstances uniquely equipped (and tempted) him to do. I am inclined to infer that this man’s sin may have been related to his way of seeking deliverance from his malady. Those who suffer some severe affliction are often tempted to do almost anything to find relief. For example, some people turn to drugs or alcohol to “ease the pain”; others to different addictions to which they become enslaved. This man may know that his “cure” is pure superstition, and that God did not approve of it, any more than He did of Saul’s seeking guidance by means of a medium (1 Samuel 28). This may be why the man seems almost defensive as he seeks to explain to our Lord why his method didn’t work. Is this the reason Jesus presses him as to whether he really wants to be healed?

We know this much for certain: The man is guilty of some sin he has not yet given up. Jesus heals him in spite of this, but then returns to inform him that He knows about the sin, and that he must give it up or face the possibility of greater consequences. There is no indication of any repentance, no mention of faith, and no inquiry as to who Jesus is or what He is about (as with the Samaritan woman). We are only told that after this confrontation, the man goes to the authorities to reveal Jesus’ identity to them. It is almost too terrible to be true. Perhaps this is why we find it so hard to accept.

The Battle Begins
(5:16-18)

16 Now because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish authorities began persecuting him. 17 So Jesus told[251] them, “My Father is working until now, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason the Jewish authorities were trying even harder to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own Father, thus making himself equal with God.

The focus quickly changes from the paralytic to Jesus. Once informed that Jesus is the one who healed the paralytic, the Jews cease to harass the healed man and fix their attention on Jesus. John tells us that they “began persecuting him.” I was initially inclined to think that this “persecution” involved constant questioning, challenging, and heckling, and no doubt efforts to discredit our Lord before the people. John tells us in verse 18 that from this point on they “were trying even harder to kill him.” This seems to imply that the persecution mentioned here is very intense.

In each of the Gospels, the issue of the Sabbath arises, which becomes a point of on-going contention between Jesus and the Pharisees. The introduction to this message provides examples of the extremes to which some Jews went to “protect” the Sabbath. In each and every Gospel, Jesus is accused of violating the Sabbath. We will deal with these other instances in the Synoptic Gospels a little later in this series. Actually, the Sabbath controversy is short-lived in John 5, though it will be taken up again in chapters 7 (verses 22-23) and 9 (verse 16). Here in chapter 5, the Sabbath issue arises, but our Lord’s response to the accusation that He is a Sabbath-breaker raises a much more serious concern for the Jews—His claim to be one with God. The words of our Lord that follow focus on this larger issue, rather than on Sabbath-breaking.

Our Lord’s response to the Sabbath question here is unique to John’s Gospel. Though the same accusation of Sabbath-breaking is consistently made by the Jews in the other Gospels, our Lord’s response there is different from His defense here. Here, Jesus defends His actions by pointing out that He is merely imitating His Father by working on the Sabbath. You will recall that while the keeping of the Sabbath is the Fourth Commandment, the historical basis for the Sabbath is what God did at creation:

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:8-11, NKJV).

The Sabbath is the “sign of the Mosaic covenant,” and thus to violate the Sabbath is to be worthy of death (Exodus 31:14-17; 35:2-3; Numbers 15:32-36). The Fourth Commandment requires the people of God to imitate God, who “rested” on the seventh day of creation. The logic is simple: God rested on the seventh day, and so must men. But Jesus gives us a very different twist on this. He argues that God is constantly at work, even on the Sabbath. Since God is working non-stop, the Son is also working, and cannot cease for the Sabbath.

It is not just this logic that distresses the Jews; it is how Jesus describes His relationship with God. Jesus does not say, “Our Father is working until now, and I too am working.” He says, “My Father is working until now, and I too am working.”[252] The inference is very clear: Jesus is claiming that God is His Father; He is claiming to be God. If our Lord’s claim is true, the Jewish authorities cannot and should not hinder the working of the Son of God on the Sabbath.

In what sense is God “working”? There is certainly a general sense in which God is working to maintain His creation and to bring about His plans and purposes: “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28, NASB).

There is a specific sense in which God has been “at work” from the time of creation on, bringing about salvation for fallen men. Mere men can contribute nothing to this “working.” It is God’s work. And so men should rest on the Sabbath. But since Jesus is God, then He, as God, must work at that which His Father is working. A part of that saving work is healing the sick (see Luke 4:16-21; John 11:2-6).[253] The Jews are therefore wrong in condemning Jesus for healing a man on the Sabbath.

The Jews grasp the implication of our Lord’s words. Notice that John does not tell us that from this point on that the Jews are trying to kill Jesus. He tells us, “For this reason the Jewish authorities were trying even harder to kill him” (verse 18). These Jews have already determined that Jesus must be put to death. This incident, and especially our Lord’s words, give them further incentive for doing this as soon as possible. They resolve to redouble their efforts to kill Jesus, not just because He is violating the Sabbath (a sin punishable by death), but because He is making Himself equal with God.

Conclusion

This is not the “watershed” incident, which convinces the Jews that Jesus must die. That decision has been reached earlier, on an occasion that John does not include in his Gospel. John chooses to introduce the theme of opposition here with the story of the healing of the paralytic. This opposition continues to the end of the Gospel, reaching its climax at Calvary:

The three chapters of this section, John 5-7, record the shift from mere reservation and hesitation about Jesus to outright and sometimes official opposition. The first point of controversy is the Sabbath (5:9ff.), but this is soon displaced by a fundamentally Christological issue arising out of the dispute over the Sabbath (5:16-18), and this in turn leads to an extended discourse concerning Jesus’ relationship with the Father, and the Scriptures that bear witness to him (5:19-47). Although the miracles of ch. 6 evoke superficial acclaim (6:14-15, 26), that allegiance cannot endure Jesus’ teaching: even many of his disciples abandon him (6:66). By ch. 7, he is being charged with demon-possession (7:20), and, amidst profound confusion in the masses, the authorities try to arrest him (7:30), but without success (7:45-52). Throughout this rising clamour, Jesus progressively reveals himself to be the obedient Son of God, his Father (5:19ff.); the bread of life, the true manna which alone can give life to the world (6:51); the one who alone can provide the thirst-quenching drink of the Spirit (7:37-39).[254]

This incident in John 5 does two things. First, it discloses the wickedness of unbelieving Jews, especially of unbelieving Jewish leaders. Our text describes a man who has been handicapped for 38 years. Jesus sees him and takes pity on him, not because he is pious, but because he has suffered so long. Jesus heals him without even requiring faith of him. Jesus then seeks the man out, warning him about continuing in his sin. And what does this man do? He informs the Jewish leaders of our Lord’s identity. If he knows that the Jews have already purposed to kill Jesus (as John tells us in our text), then he turns Jesus over to be killed.

As a result of our Lord’s gracious miracle, these Jewish leaders are seen for who they are. They suppose that they love God and their fellow man, in obedience to the law of Moses. They think themselves pious, and expect to be the first to enter the kingdom of God. Indeed, they expect a prominent leadership role in that kingdom. And yet when Jesus comes to town and heals a paralytic, their only concern is that the healed man is “walking illegally” (with his mat). They hardly seem to notice or care that the man is “walking”—the paralytic has been healed! And then, because Jesus has performed such a miracle, they begin to persecute the Son of God.[255] When Jesus points out that this is exactly who He is, they redouble their efforts to kill Him. The wickedness of man never ceases to amaze us.

The second thing this incident in John’s Gospel does is to provide the occasion for Jesus to state very clearly (and very early in this Gospel) just who He is. I have often heard someone say, “Just who do you think you are?” Jesus tells these Jewish leaders who He is, and they do not like it at all.

Here, my friend, is the most important point of all. Who Jesus is makes all the difference in the world. Some ignorantly or foolishly say that Jesus did not claim to be God. They have not read the Gospels well, and they can hardly have read John’s Gospel at all! John tells us that Jesus is God (John 1). He now tells us that Jesus claims to be God (chapter 5—not to mention chapters 3 and 4). And he tells us as well that Jesus’ claim to be God is the reason why the Jews feel justified in resolving to put Him to death.

It is completely clear that John claims Jesus is God come down to earth, having taken on human flesh. It is clear that Jesus claims to be God, having come from the Father in heaven. And it is also clear that the Jews understand Him to do so. The issue is not whether our Lord claims to be God, nor whether His enemies think He is claiming to be God. The issue is whether our Lord is who He claims to be.

If Jesus is who He claims to be, then we would expect Him to have authority over sickness, demons, and even death. The signs which He performs show this to be the case. If He is the Son of God, then He also has the authority to act in God’s behalf, indeed, to act as God—healing on the Sabbath, forgiving sins, or cleansing the temple. Everything our Lord says and does hangs on this single issue: is Jesus who He claims to be? If He is, then we should accept His words as the very words of God. We should cast ourselves upon Him for the forgiveness of our sins and for the gift of eternal life. In John’s words, we should “believe” and have life in His name (20:31).

The most important question you will ever answer is this: “Who is Jesus Christ?” John gives us the answer, clearly. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who speaks and acts for God, and as God. Jesus Christ is the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” He is the only One through whom your sins can be forgiven, the only way to heaven (John 14:6). Do you believe this? John wrote this Gospel to convince you of this truth (20:31). Believing on Him is the only way to heaven. Rejecting Him is to remain destined for hell. It is as simple as that. These are not my words; they are His words, and you must determine whether or not you believe Him. Believing His words does not make them true, any more than denying them makes them false. You should believe them because they are true, because they are spoken by the Son of God. Believing them does save you, and rejecting them proves you worthy of eternal condemnation (hell).

It is not without significance that John selects this miracle as further evidence of Jesus’ identity as the Messiah. Note the words of the prophet Isaiah, and compare them not only with the story of the healing of the paralytic in our text, but with the healing of the lame man in Acts 3:

4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you.” 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert (Isaiah 35:4-6, NKJV).

1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time for prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried up, who was placed every day at the temple gate called the ‘Beautiful Gate’ so he could ask for money from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple courts, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked directly at him (as did John) and said, “Look at us!” 5 So the lame man paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk!” 7 Then Peter took hold of him by the right hand and raised him up, and at once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong. 8 He jumped up, stood and began walking around, and he entered the temple courts with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 All the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and they recognized him as the man who used to sit and ask for donations at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with astonishment and amazement at what had happened to him (Acts 3:1-10).

Our text has several more lessons to teach us, which I shall briefly mention.

We cannot help but notice that those who are most in the wrong here are those who are most assured of being right. Wanting to be right, and thinking you are right are not the same as being right. There are few evils as great as doing wrong in the name of doing what is right. “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20, NKJV).

Those who do evil in the name of doing right are also those who call Jesus evil for being right and doing what is right.

Doing what is right does not always result in a righteous or a rewarding response. Doing what is right is always the right thing to do. Doing what is right may very well produce a favorable response. But we must also remember Jesus’ words that if men rejected and persecuted Him, they will certainly do so to us. If our Lord’s good deed resulted in betrayal by the recipient of a supernatural healing, and persecution by the Jewish religious leaders, let us expect that our good deeds may also produce unpleasant responses.

18 “If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own. But because you do not belong to the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed my word, they will obey yours too. 21 But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. But they no longer have any excuse for their sin. 23 The one who hates me hates my Father too. 24 If I had not performed among them the miraculous deeds that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen the deeds and have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this happened to fulfill the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without reason’” (John 15:18-25).

This passage is a reminder of the “weakness” of signs and wonders, and of the power of God’s Word. Signs and wonders do not necessarily produce faith, and the faith they do produce is second-class, in and of itself (2:23-25). Here, the miracle Jesus performs does not even produce faith in the one who is healed. The paralytic betrays our Lord by identifying Him to the authorities. Signs and wonders are something like illegal “drugs”—they may produce a spectacular effect at the beginning, but as time goes on, there is a demand for more and more. Signs and wonders have a diminishing effect. They are not wrong, for John uses them in this Gospel to convince his readers that Jesus is the Messiah, so that men and women might believe in His name and obtain the gift of eternal life.

While signs seem to produce fewer and fewer saints, the word of our Lord is mighty. Jesus does not need the angel-troubled waters of the pool of Bethesda to heal the paralytic. He does not even need the faith of this disabled man. All that is required is His word. At His command, the man who has been disabled for 38 years gets up and walks—not only walks, but carries his bed with him. He who is the Word, the Logos, who created the world with a word, is the One who heals with but a word. We should thus heed His words, for they are spirit and life (John 6:63).

Finally, we see in our text a beautiful example of sovereign grace. Grace is God’s unmerited favor, God’s undeserved goodness. Because it is grace, and cannot be earned, it must be sovereignly bestowed. That is, grace is not bestowed upon men because of who they are or what they have done. Grace is not given to those who are worthy and withheld from the unworthy. Men are always unworthy of the grace God sovereignly bestows upon them. Knowing what we know, who of us would have selected this fellow to be healed, rather than some other individual? Jesus heals this man, knowing him as well as He knew the woman at the well. He knows this man’s sin, which he persists in practicing up to the moment of his healing and beyond. Jesus knows this man will turn Him in to the authorities, who are determined to kill Him. This man is the recipient of God’s grace, not because of who he is, but because of the kindness of our Lord alone. If we are honest, we will quickly admit that we, too, are unworthy recipients of His grace as demonstrated by our salvation.

Pressing this point further, notice that our Lord ministers to this ailing man, knowing he will not come to faith. Jesus serves this man who will not be saved. Jesus does not just serve to save. That is, He does not just serve those who will be saved. He serves because of who He is, not because of the worthiness of those served. Let us be careful that we do not serve men, assuming they will be saved. They may not be saved, no matter how much we serve them. We, like our Lord, serve out of the depths of the love God has given us for others, regardless of whether that love is reciprocated or rewarded by those whom we serve.

Addendum:
An Important Question

Allow me to raise a question which may be on your mind: “Why doesn’t Jesus heal the others who are ailing at the pool of Bethesda? If Jesus is able (and surely He is), why doesn’t Jesus heal everyone at the pool that day?” My first “tongue-in-cheek” answer is that Jesus is leaving some for the apostles to heal, after His resurrection and ascension. For example, there was the crippled man healed by Peter and John on their way to the temple in Acts 3. However, this is not a satisfactory answer. Let us pursue the matter further then.

First, I must remind you that this question is not entirely academic. Jesus is still able to heal every sick person. God still heals today, but only a few, rather than all. The answer to the above question is also the answer to those who desire that God heal all the sick today.

Second, healing is a manifestation of God’s sovereign grace. No one deserves to be healed. Thus, no one has the right to complain if God does not heal them. We have no more right to complain about not being healed than we do to complain about not being a millionaire. If grace is undeserved, and sovereignly bestowed, then God is free to heal those whom He heals and not to heal the rest.

Third, it is very wrong to conclude that those who are not healed by God are those from whom God’s grace has necessarily been withheld. Do not understand me to say that those whom God heals are those who receive grace, and that those who are not healed are those from whom grace has been withheld. God may very well manifest His grace through physical affliction. One’s physical affliction may be that which God uses to draw men to Himself. How many healthy people came to Jesus for grace? But God may also use physical affliction in the life of the Christian to produce spiritual depth and growth, and thus to be a blessing to others (see 2 Corinthians 1:3-11).

Fourth, let us look at a text which deals directly with the question at hand:

29 Now as soon as they left the synagogue they went to the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was lying down with a fever, so they spoke to Jesus at once about her. 31 He came and raised her by taking her hand. Then the fever left her and she began to serve them. 32 When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered by the door. 34 So he healed many sick with various diseases and drove out many demons. But he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. 35 Then Jesus got up in the darkness of the early morning and went out to a deserted place, and there he spent time in prayer. 36 Simon and his companions searched for him. 37 When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 He answered, “Let us go elsewhere, into the surrounding villages, so that I can preach there too. For that is what I came to do.” 39 So he went into all of Galilee preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons (Mark 1:29-39).

For our Lord, one healing leads to many healings. Jesus heals Simon Peter’s mother-in-law. Word gets out, and by evening, a crowd of sick people assemble outside the door. Jesus graciously heals those who gather. In the morning, an even greater multitude has gathered, and yet Jesus is nowhere to be found. Simon and his companions set out to look for Jesus and find Him praying. Simon’s words (paraphrased) are almost a rebuke: “Lord, where have you been! What are you doing out here, praying? There is a huge crowd of sick people waiting for you back at my mother-in-law’s house. Let’s get going; there’s work to do!”

Does Jesus not care about these sick people? Of course He does. But He also knows that it is a never-ending problem. The more He heals, the more will come to Him for healing. The more who come, the more time He will spend healing. Jesus knows what His mission is. His mission is not primarily to heal, but to proclaim the good news of the gospel. In importance, His healing ministry is secondary. It accredits His ministry and message. It sets Him apart from other teachers. Here is a man who “teaches with authority,” by not only speaking about God’s grace, but by demonstrating it! Jesus heals very selectively because of His mission. In addition, He heals selectively because man’s primary problem is not sickness, but sin. In many cases, men’s ailments are used of God to bring them to faith.

For our Lord, healing the sick is a “tempting” thing to do. He cares about our sickness and our suffering. He is constantly moved with compassion toward those who are afflicted. Healing is also the easy thing for Him to do. It is not so much for His healing, but for His teaching that Jesus is opposed, rejected, and even crucified. Healing would make Jesus too popular, too quickly, and thus undermine His mission of proclaiming the truth—and ultimately of dying on the cross of Calvary to atone for man’s sins. Jesus purposes not to heal everyone who is sick, because that is not His primary calling, and it can become a hindrance to His priority of proclaiming the good news of the gospel.

One final observation: Jesus does not heal all because His mission is to bring about a much deeper and much more permanent healing from our sins:

I said, “LORD, be merciful to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You” (Psalm 41:4, NKJV).

Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases (Psalm 103:3, NKJV).

He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions (Psalm 107:20, NKJV).

He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3, NKJV).

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5, NKJV).

This “healing” He offers to all who will receive Him as the “Lamb of God,” as the One who died in the sinner’s place, bearing the guilt and penalty for their sins. Have you experienced this healing? It is offered to all who will receive it.


! Lesson 13:
Like Father, Like Son
(John 5:19-30)

Introduction

As I approach our text, I am reminded of a story circulating among the outdoor types, which goes something like this. In the mountains of the Northwest, a man was sitting beside a campfire while he roasted some kind of bird over the fire with eager anticipation. About this time, a forest ranger came upon the camp and asked the camper what he was preparing for dinner. The camper replied that it was a seagull. A frown came over the ranger’s face as he informed this fellow that it was against the law to kill that particular bird, and that he would have to give him a citation.

The camper responded by telling the ranger how he had lost his way and had consumed all of his food. In desperation, he had managed to kill this seagull to maintain his strength. After listening sympathetically, the forest ranger told the fellow he would let him go this time with just a warning, and the camper thanked the ranger profusely. Just as the ranger was about to leave, he asked the camper, “Just out of curiosity, what does seagull taste like?” Thinking for a moment, the camper responded, “Well, I would place it somewhere between a spotted owl and a bald eagle.”

Needless to say, this camper’s words got him into even more trouble. He would have been better off not to say anything at all. Some may think our Lord’s words in our text are something like this camper’s statement. At the outset, Jesus is deemed guilty of breaking the Sabbath, and of instructing the healed paralytic to do likewise. But after our Lord defends His actions to the Jewish authorities,[256] He is considered guilty of an even greater offense—claiming to be equal with God.

Our text is our Lord’s response to the accusations made against Him. Some may be tempted to think it is less than spectacular, for no debate is actually recorded, and there is no interchange between our Lord and the Jewish authorities. Only our Lord’s words are recorded.[257] Our text contains a three-fold use of the (King James) expression, “Verily, verily, I say unto you …” (verses 19, 24, 25).[258] Surely this tells us that the words spoken here are vitally important, both to be heard and to be heeded.

Listen to what others have said about our text:

“Nowhere else in the Gospels do we find our Lord making such a formal, systematic, orderly, regular statement of His own unity with the Father, His divine commission and authority, and the proofs of His Messiahship, as we find in this discourse” (Ryle).[259]

Ryle adds: ‘To me it seems one of the deepest things in the Bible.’ Similarly Phillips in his translation inserts a sub-heading ‘Jesus makes His tremendous claim.’[260]

It is, as Barclay says, ‘an act of the most extraordinary and unique courage … He must have known that to speak like this was to court death. It is His claim to be King; and He knew well that the man who listened to words like this had only two alternatives—the listener must either accept Jesus as the Son of God, or he must hate Him as a blasphemer and seek to destroy Him. There is hardly any passage where Jesus appeals for men’s love and defies men’s hatred as He does here.’[261]

Our Lord’s words are a bold stroke. If Jesus wishes to avoid trouble with the Jews, this is the time for Him to deny, to “clarify,” or to minimize, His previous claim to be equal with God. Instead, He makes His claim even more emphatically. Indeed, if you look at the text carefully, His words put the Jewish authorities on the defensive. They are the ones who should be uneasy—not our Lord. In our text, the Lord Jesus boldly claims to be the Son of God, equal with God, and thus having full authority to act like His Father.

This is one of the great texts in the Gospel of John and in the entire New Testament. The truths set down here are the very foundation of the gospel and of our faith. Let us listen well, for they are words that our Lord indicates we should hear and heed.

Background

Until now, Jesus has been keeping a relatively low profile. He has been very reluctant to draw too much attention to Himself too quickly, or to create too much enthusiasm of the wrong kind. When He turned the water into wine in chapter 2, He did so in a way that prevented most from even knowing that a miracle had taken place. Only His disciples are said to have “believed” as a result of this miracle (2:11). The cleansing of the temple was much more public, and it certainly got the attention of the religious leaders in Jerusalem (2:18ff.). It was not, however, the sort of event which attracted a large group of enthusiastic followers. The other signs our Lord performed in Jerusalem at this time would have gained our Lord a bigger following if He had not deliberately kept His distance from His “sign-faith” followers (2:23-25).

The events of chapters 3 and 4 are consistent with our Lord’s desire not to attract undue attention to Himself, and particularly to His miracles. From all appearances, His meeting with Nicodemus was a private interview, conducted at night. When our Lord’s ministry in the Judean wilderness became too prominent, He and His disciples retreated to Galilee, where He was not as enthusiastically sought (3:22–4:3). For a few days, He did have a very successful ministry among the Samaritans, but this had little or no impact on the Jews, who looked upon the Samaritans with disdain (4:4-42).

The healing of the royal official’s son, recorded in John 4:43-54, was accomplished in a way that left the curious crowds in the dark. Our Lord did not accompany the royal official to his home and to the bedside of his ailing son. Instead, Jesus rebuked the “sign-seekers,” and then simply informed the distraught father that his son would live. Not until the official had nearly reached his home did he learn that Jesus had healed his son from a distance. Only the man and his household are said to have come to faith as a result of this miracle (4:53).

It is the healing of the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda which draws considerable attention to our Lord. This miracle prompts the Jewish religious leaders to view Jesus as a notorious criminal, deserving the death penalty. This is no accident. Our Lord selects this paralytic to be healed, knowing not only how long he has suffered, but how he and others will respond to his healing. Jesus asks the man if he wishes to be healed, and the fellow proceeds to make excuses for all the time he has spent by the pool without being healed. Jesus does not require faith of the man, but commands him to rise, take up his bed, and walk. The man can do nothing else. As he does so, our Lord melts into the crowd. The healed man is quickly intercepted by “the Jews,” who accuse him of violating the Sabbath by carrying his bed on this sacred day. The former paralytic justifies himself by laying the responsibility on the One who healed him. But when pressed to identify this law-breaker, he is unable to give them our Lord’s name, for he never even found that out. When Jesus later finds the man in the temple, He admonishes him to forsake his sin, lest a worse condition come upon him. There is no repentance on this man’s part and no mention of gratitude. Instead, he seeks out the authorities so that he can identify Jesus as the villain.

Once Jesus is identified as the “culprit,” zealous Jews make it their business to wage an attack against Him:

16 Now because Jesus was doing these things[262] on the Sabbath, the Jewish authorities began persecuting[263] him. 17 So Jesus told them, “My Father is working until now, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason the Jewish authorities were trying even harder to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own Father, thus making himself equal with God (John 5:16-18).

The Jewish authorities lose interest in the healed paralytic and actively press their attack against Jesus. Initially, they accuse Jesus of breaking the law by healing on the Sabbath and commanding this man to carry his bed. Jesus’ defense is simple: “I am only carrying out My Father’s work.” This is what really sets the Jewish authorities off. Jesus is not just a Sabbath-breaker; He is a blasphemer! He has boldly claimed to be God! For the Jews, there is no more serious offense than blasphemy. Now they are even more intent on putting Him to death. The words of our text are Jesus’ response to this charge of blasphemy.

Who Jesus Claims to Be
(5:19-23)

19 So Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth, the Son can do nothing on his own initiative, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does, and greater deeds than these he will show him, so that you may be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. 22 Furthermore, the Father does not judge anyone, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all people may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

Our Lord makes a bold claim. It does not minimize or qualify His earlier declaration to be the Son of God. His words even more boldly affirm His previous claim. In verse 19 Jesus says, “I can do nothing apart from what My Father is doing.” He then sets out to give specific examples of His activities in relation to the working of His Father. In verse 23, Jesus declares the Father’s purpose in this and underscores the seriousness of refusing to honor the Son.

Let’s begin with our Lord’s claim: “I can do nothing apart from what My Father is doing.” The Jews are greatly distressed by the way Jesus speaks and acts. In short, Jesus acts like God. Like the Father, Jesus works on the Sabbath. To make matters worse, Jesus claims that God is His Father. One may not like what Jesus is saying, but it must be granted that at least He is consistent. Jesus acts like God and talks as if He is God. In fact, to defend His God-like actions, Jesus claims to be God.

It was Nicodemus, one of the Pharisees and a member of the Sanhedrin, who said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him” (John 3:2, emphasis mine). Later on in John’s Gospel, the blind man whose sight was restored by our Lord said virtually the same thing:

28 They heaped insults on him, saying, “You are his disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses! We do not know where this man comes from!” 30 The man replied, “This is a remarkable thing, that you don’t know where he comes from, and yet he caused me to see! 31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is devout and does his will God listens to him. 32 Never before has anyone heard of someone causing a man born blind to see. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing” (John 9:28-33, emphasis mine).

Jesus cannot do the things He does apart from His being the Son of God. Later, the Jews will attempt to counter our Lord’s statement by accusing Him of performing miracles by means of Satan’s power. Jesus then challenges His opponents to explain why Satan could be the one empowering Him, since He attacks the powers of darkness and casts out demons (see Mark 3:22-26). Our Lord’s defense is powerful. How can you deny the claims of One who says He is God and who also does the works of God?

I believe there is still another dimension to our Lord’s words. The thrust of the Jews’ accusation against our Lord is this: “How can you dare presume to act and speak as if you were God?” Jesus turns this accusation around by saying, in effect, “How is it possible for the Son of God to act in any way that is independent of, or inconsistent with God the Father and what He is doing?” The Jews are saying, “How is it possible for you to speak and act as you do?” Jesus is saying, “If I am God, how is it possible for Me to do otherwise?”

It is impossible for a lion to act like a lamb, for a bear to behave like a bunny rabbit. It is impossible for our Lord to act in any way that is not like His Father. Jesus is one with the Father. Jesus is God. He must therefore act and speak like God. Is this not what our Lord’s “temptation” was all about (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-12)? And this is exactly what Satan could not comprehend—that as the Son of God, Jesus could not act independently of God. Satan seems to have believed that because Jesus was God He could act as He pleased. In our text, Jesus tells us the opposite: because He is God, He must act like God. He cannot act independently of His Father! Satan’s efforts were all in vain. He tries to entice Jesus to do something that is impossible for Him to do—act in an unGod-like manner—because He is the Son of God.

I believe our Lord’s first defense is based upon His divine nature. He is, by nature, divine (to which, John tells us, sinless humanity has been added—John 1:14-18). He cannot act contrary to His nature. He must act as God the Father acts. His words and His deeds are those of the Father. Like father, like son, we say, and so does our Lord. The Son does what He sees His Father doing.

I remember when our first child, Timothy, was born.[264] My parents came to the hospital to visit my wife Jeannette and me, and to see our new son. My Dad and I made our way down to the nursery, where he saw Timothy for the first time. I still remember that scene, even though it was years ago. I looked over at my Dad, and he had his elbow propped on the windowsill of the nursery, with his index finger characteristically placed alongside his nose. I then realized I was doing the exact same thing. I had my elbow on the windowsill, with my finger alongside my nose. I almost expected Timmy to do the same thing. Like father, like son.

The second element of our Lord’s defense is rooted in the Father’s love for Him as His Son. Even if Jesus could act independently of the Father (which He cannot), why would He ever want to? The Father loves[265] the Son, and He shows the Son all that He is doing. The Father withholds nothing from the Son. The Father and the Son share all things. So what is it the Son needs to grasp for Himself by acting independently of the Father? The Father’s love for the Son removes any motivation for the Son to act independently of the Father.

        The Father shows the Son everything He is doing so that the Son will do likewise. What Jesus is doing is that which He has seen the Father doing. Specifically, because He has seen the Father work on the Sabbath, the Son does likewise (5:17). As great as the things are that He has already done (see 2:23-25), the Father has even greater things to show the Son—so that when the Son does them men will be amazed (verse 20).[266] Just what are these “greater deeds” yet to be shown the Son, and yet to be done by the Son? Jesus is just about to tell us:

21 “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. 22 Furthermore, the Father does not judge anyone, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all people may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him” (John 5:21-23).

Jesus has not yet raised the dead in John’s Gospel, but in chapter 11 He will raise Lazarus. Our Lord points to the works He has already done to prove His identity as the Son of God. Now, He speaks of the greater works He is yet to do, which will even more dramatically validate His claims. God alone raises the dead (Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:6; 2 Kings 5:7),[267] giving men life. So also the Son gives life to whomever He wishes (5:21). This “giving of life” appears to be the giving of spiritual life up to this point in our Lord’s ministry (see John 3:1-16; 4:14). But before long, our Lord will “give life” by literally raising the dead.

The Son has the power to give life to the dead, and the Father has also assigned all judgment to Him. The Son saves men by bearing the wrath of God in the sinner’s place; He also executes God’s wrath upon those who reject His sacrifice for sins. That role once played by the Father—the judgment of all men—has now been given over to the Son exclusively, so that the Son might be uniquely honored by men, just as they honored the Father as the “Judge of all the earth” (see Genesis 18:25). Those who refuse to honor the Son also dishonor the Father, who has given all judgment to the Son (verse 23). Men must honor the Son as they do the Father, because the Father has purposed it to be this way.

Getting Personal and Practical
(5:24-30)

24 “I tell you the solemn truth, the one who hears my message and believes the one who sent me has eternal life, and will not be condemned, but has crossed over from death to life. 25 I tell you the solemn truth, a time is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and the ones who hear will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in himself, thus he has granted the Son to have life in himself; 27 and he granted the Son authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and will come out—the ones who have done what is good to the resurrection resulting in life, and the ones who have done what is evil to the resurrection resulting in condemnation. 30 I can do nothing on my own initiative. Just as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me.”

Jesus is defending Himself against charges that could (and eventually will) cost Him His life. Any other person in such circumstances would be terrified and very eager to do an adequate job of defending himself. In our text, our Lord is simply “stating the facts.” He is not seeking to save Himself. He is laying out His case so that His words and actions will be correctly understood as a bold claim to His being the Son of God.

Our Lord’s words in this text should cause His Jewish opponents considerable distress. In verses 24-30, Jesus spells out the practical implications of His being the Son of God. If what He says is true, several implications must be faced. These implications are introduced by the solemn words, “Verily, verily” (KJV; “I tell you the solemn truth,” NET Bible). If Jesus is the Son of God, then whoever hears His message and believes in the One who sent Him has eternal life. To possess eternal life is to escape divine condemnation. The one who believes crosses over from a state of death to the state of life.

Observe how our Lord intertwines His work with the works of God the Father. He is the Son of God. As the Son, He does what His loving Father shows Him. As the Father has life in Himself, and thus brings the dead to life, so the Son gives life. The judgment the Father once administered has now been given over to the Son. Those who honor the Son honor the Father, and those who dishonor the Son dishonor the Father who sent Him. The one who believes in the message Jesus speaks believes in the One who sent Him, and thus has eternal life. The Son is inseparably related to the Father.

Just how can the Son give eternal life to those who believe in Him, and judge those who reject Him? It is only through resurrection—His resurrection, and the resurrection of the dead. Jesus explains this in verses 25 through 30. He foretells of a future time when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live (verse 25). This is possible because of our Lord’s Father-Son relationship with God the Father. The Father has life in Himself, and thus He has also granted the Son the power to give life to others (verse 26). It is this power to give life that enables the Son to judge all men. How can our Lord judge an Adolf Hitler when this man died years ago? He can judge Adolf Hitler after He Himself has raised Hitler from the dead, and this He will do with all unbelievers:

30 Therefore, although God has overlooked such times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, having provided proof to all by raising him from the dead (Acts 17:30-31).

5 You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, 6 who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. 8 He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. 9 As a result God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue should confess to the glory of God the Father that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:5-11).

11 Then I saw a large white throne and the one who was seated on it; the earth and the heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then books were opened, and another book was opened—the book of life. So the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each one was judged according to his deeds. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15).

Jesus makes it very clear: a time is coming when He will raise all the dead from the grave. The dead include not only those who are saved, but those who are not. The righteous experience the resurrection resulting in (eternal) life. The unrighteous dead are the recipients of the resurrection resulting in condemnation (verses 28-29). The destiny of all who are raised is linked to the deeds they have done in this life:

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt (Daniel 12:2, NKJV).

15 “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruit. People don’t gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they? 17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will recognize them by their fruit” (Matthew 7:15-20).

28 “Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and will come out—the ones who have done what is good to the resurrection resulting in life, and the ones who have done what is evil to the resurrection resulting in condemnation” (John 5:28-29).

3 And do you think, whoever you are, when you judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you have contempt for the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know that God’s kindness leads you to repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourselves in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed! 6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 eternal life to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory and honor and immortality, 8 but wrath and anger to those who live in selfish ambition and do not obey the truth but follow unrighteousness. 9 There will be affliction and distress on everyone who does evil, on the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, for the Jew first and also the Greek (Romans 2:3-10).

These words may greatly trouble some. Do these texts not teach that salvation is obtained by works, rather than by faith? They most certainly do not teach salvation by works! Let us remember what we have already read in the Gospel of John:

12 But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children 13—children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God (John 1:12-13).

3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:3-8).

Works are not the means by which one is saved, but they are the evidence of having been saved. This is what James emphasizes so strongly:

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? 17 So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that—and tremble with fear. 20 But would you like evidence, you empty person, that faith without works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead (James 2:14-26).

Jesus is speaking to the Jewish authorities, those who have condemned Him on the basis of His works. They believe He is guilty of breaking the Sabbath and of blasphemy. In their eyes, He is worthy of the death penalty. These folks profess to be the people of God, and yet they dishonor the Son of God. They condemn others on the basis of their works. Jesus reminds His adversaries that this cuts both ways. Our Lord’s works demonstrate that He is indeed the Son of God. Their works will be the basis for their eternal condemnation. Their “fruits” will show their professions of faith to be insincere.

God knows men’s hearts, and thus He alone can judge men apart from their works:

3 So for me, it is a minor matter that I am judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not acquitted because of this. The one who judges me is the Lord. 5 So then, do not judge anything before the time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the motives of hearts. Then each will receive recognition from God (1 Corinthians 4:3-5).

As men, we cannot know what is in the hearts of others. Thus, as Paul says above in 1 Corinthians, we must leave such judging to God in the end time. What we can see and know is the “fruit” of men’s lives—their deeds. Thus, our Lord speaks of judgment based upon men’s deeds, because this is what is visible to men. What we do verifies or nullifies what we say. Our deeds demonstrate the condition of our hearts (see Deuteronomy 8:2).

There is yet one more thing. While no one is ever saved by their good works (see Romans 3:9-20; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-6), men are condemned on the basis of their deeds. That’s what the Law (the Law of Moses) is about. The Law defines sin, largely in terms of deeds. When we break the law, we do something God has forbidden, or we fail to do something God has commanded. No one can be saved by their good works but must cast themselves upon Jesus Christ, who died for their sins and who offers them His righteousness. When men reject Jesus Christ as God’s only means of salvation, they choose to stand before God on the basis of their own works, rather than on the basis of Christ’s work on the cross. Lost men will stand before a righteous and holy God on the basis of their own worthless and wretched works. They will be condemned because their works are worthy only of condemnation (Isaiah 64:6), and because they have rejected Him, whose work is able to save them (John 3:16-21, 36).

Jesus then concludes His defense in almost the same way He commenced it:

So Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth, the Son can do nothing on his own initiative, but only what he sees the Father doing” (John 5:19a).

“I can do nothing on my own initiative. Just as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me” (John 5:30).

Jesus does not act independently of His Father. What He sees His Father doing, He does (verse 19). According to what He hears His Father say, He judges (verse 30). Jesus is acting like God and speaking like God because He is God. If He were not God, He could not speak or act as He does.

Conclusion

If we think through the Gospels, we will realize that our Lord’s claim is consistent with everything we read in the New Testament. In the first chapter of John’s Gospel, the apostle boldly claims that our Lord—“the Word”—is God, and that He was actively involved in the creation of the world. We would expect from our Lord’s words in this fifth chapter of John that what the Son sees the Father doing, He will do also. Our Lord’s claim to be God is seconded by John, who tells us that “the Word was God.” John also tells us that “the Word became flesh.”

The temptation of our Lord, described by Matthew and Luke, is completely consistent with what our Lord has said in our text: Jesus claims to be the Son of God. Satan seeks to tempt our Lord, predicated on the fact that He is the Son of God:

3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written: ‘A person is not to live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, and stood him on the highest point of the temple. 6 He said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels about you’ and ‘with their hands they will lift you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone’” (Matthew 3:3-6, underscoring mine).

In many ways, the temptation was a testing of our Lord as the Son of God. Having passed this test, it is clear that He alone is qualified to act as the Son of God, which He consistently does.

If Jesus is the Son of God, then His challenge to the religious leaders at the temple makes perfect sense:

18 So then the Jewish leaders responded, “What sign can you show us, since you are doing these things?” 19 Jesus replied, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.” 20 Then the Jewish leaders said to him, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and are you going to raise it up in three days?” 21 But Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 So after he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the saying that Jesus had spoken (John 2:18-22).

If Jesus is the Son of God, then He has the right—indeed the obligation—to correct abuses of the temple, His Father’s house. And since He is the Son of God, He has life in Himself, just as the Father does. No man can take away His life; He gives it up, and He will take it up again (John 10:17-18). Do these religious leaders wish to know just who Jesus thinks He is? He is God, and His resurrection will prove it once for all.[268]

Who Jesus is—the Son of God—explains why He “broke” the Sabbath by working (John 5:1-18). Jesus is the Son of God, and the Son does what He sees His Father doing. Since the Father is at work on the Sabbath, so is the Son.

Since Jesus is the Son of God, the resurrection of Lazarus in John chapter 11 makes perfect sense. Jesus says in our text that since He has life in Himself, He will raise the dead. In the Gospel of John, Lazarus is the first to rise from the dead. Our Lord will rise, too. This explains why His resurrection was a necessity:

22 “Israelite men, listen to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man clearly demonstrated to you to be from God by powerful deeds, wonders, and miraculous signs that God performed through him among you, just as you yourselves know—23 this man, who was handed over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you executed by nailing him to a cross at the hands of Gentiles. 24 But God raised him up, having released him from the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held in its power” (Acts 2:22-24; see also 1 Corinthians 15).

Imagine this: Peter tells us that it was impossible for our Lord not to rise from the dead. Many people today, as in times past, will say just the opposite. They will tell us that it is impossible for Him to rise from the dead. Why was it impossible for Him not to rise? The answer: because of who He is. If Jesus is God, then He has life in Himself. It would therefore be impossible for One who possesses life, who is life, not to live. That is Peter’s point. Let those who would deny the resurrection admit that they must first deny our Lord’s deity before they can deny His resurrection.

The fact that Jesus is the Son of God explains His voluntary death on the cross of Calvary. Jesus is the Son, who does whatever He sees His Father doing. His Father is seeking to save those who are lost. Is it any wonder that Jesus would die on the cross of Calvary? He was doing what His Father was doing—seeking to save lost sinners.

The fact that Jesus is the Son of God explains the agony of our Lord’s suffering at Calvary. Who can read the accounts of our Lord’s agony in Gethsemane, and on the cross of Calvary, without feeling a deep sense of awe at how much He suffered? It was not just the physical suffering of Jesus, because this was not His primary suffering. The great agony of our Lord is recorded in these words,

At about three o’clock Jesus shouted with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46; see Psalm 22:1.)

Jesus was one with His Father (John 10:30). He experienced a unity with the Father which only He, as the Son, could know. And yet it was on the cross that the Father turned His back on the Son. Who can grasp the agony of that separation between Father and Son?

Our text, and our Lord’s claim to be the Son of God, explains the importance and the significance of Easter. I am preaching this message on Easter Sunday. In one sense, this message is not an “Easter message.” It is but the next in a continuing series of messages from the Gospel of John. But it certainly seems providential that we would reach this text on Easter Sunday. Easter is the celebration of our Lord’s resurrection from the dead. If, indeed, He is the Son of God (as He claims to be, and as He surely is), then it would have been impossible for Him not to rise from the dead. But since He has risen from the dead, this historical fact proves that everything Jesus claims about Himself is true. He is the Son of God. And if He is the Son of God, then He has the right to “break the Sabbath,” just as His Father does. He has the right to cleanse the temple and to give life to others. He also has the right to judge all men.

Many people go to church on Easter as a kind of annual ritual. They come to church and tip their hat to God. They talk of the resurrection of Jesus and find a kind of comfort in the fact that He is said to have risen from the dead. Such a view of Easter is shallow and foolish, one that does not square with the Gospels. It most certainly does not take our text seriously enough.

The first thing we must acknowledge from our text is that Jesus claims to be God. His adversaries understand Him to claim this, and it is for this that they will eventually put Him to death. When given the opportunity to deny this claim—or at least to clarify it—Jesus only repeats the same claim more emphatically. He challenges His adversaries to explain how He can do the works He performs if He is not God. He promises to do even greater things. He claims to have power over death and the ability to give life. He claims that He will raise all men from the dead and that He will judge all mankind.

That our Lord claims to be God could not be more emphatically stated than it is in our text. If His words are false, then we are foolish to worship Him. We would be obliged to condemn Him as a fraud. But if His words are true, then we must do far more than tip our hats to Him. The Gospel accounts and the words of the apostles all affirm that our Lord’s claim to be God is true. If it is true, then we will do well to apply this truth as our Lord has indicated. We should first acknowledge Jesus to be the divine Son of God. We should endorse all of His actions and all of His teachings as those appropriate for the Son of God. We should expect that the things He promises which have not yet occurred will happen (such as the resurrection of all the dead). Most importantly, we should trust in Him as God’s only remedy for sin and His only provision for eternal life. We should believe in Him, knowing that it will save us from eternal condemnation.

Those who trust in Jesus for salvation should rejoice in the truths He has emphatically stated in our text. Those who do not trust in Him as the Son of God and the Savior of the world should not bother to tip their hat to Him, or to find some backhanded comfort in His life, death, and resurrection. Easter should not be a comfort to them, but a source of dread. The resurrection of our Lord from the dead is proof that He is God, and that His claims are true. The resurrection of our Lord from the dead assures us that all who trust in Him will be saved, and that all those who do not will suffer eternal condemnation.

Let no unbeliever find comfort in the fact that Jesus died and rose again. Let them not seek to find comfort in the thought that once they die they will cease to exist. Because Jesus Christ is the Son of God, He did rise from the dead, and He will likewise raise all the dead. While those who trust in Him will be raised to the resurrection unto life, those who have not trusted in Him will be raised to the resurrection of eternal condemnation. Our Lord’s deity and His resurrection from the dead should be the most dreaded of all biblical doctrines, because it means that those who have not trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation face an eternity of condemnation.

It is very clear from our text who Jesus claims to be. It is also very clear who the Jewish authorities believe Jesus claims to be. The two most important questions you will ever answer are these:

(1) Is Jesus right about who He claims to be?

(2) If He is right, what have you done about it?

There are no more important questions in life than these. What is your answer? The answer of the Gospel of John is crystal clear: Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior of the world. John wrote this Gospel to convince you of this truth (John 20:30-31). Do you believe our Lord and John? If you do, have you trusted in Jesus as your Savior, the One who died in your place, who bore the penalty for your sins? If you believe in Him, your sins will be forgiven, and you will have eternal life. You will also escape from eternal condemnation. If you do not believe, you are condemned already. There is no more frightening future than that which you have chosen by your unbelief.

I challenge you, as the Apostle John does, to consider the claims of Jesus Christ, and then respond to Him in faith by believing in Him for eternal salvation.


! Lesson 14:
Why the Jews Are Against Jesus[269]
(John 5:31-47)

Introduction

For two years, I have been troubleshooting a problem with one of my daughter’s cars.[270] Every time the car is put into forward or reverse, the automatic transmission gives a substantial “thud.” Having given this a lot of thought over the past two years, I finally replaced the transmission. With the new transmission, I was sure my problems would be solved. After laboring for a number of hours, the new transmission was in place, and I started up the engine for a test drive. That exact same “thud” was still there! I could hardly believe it. But yesterday, I found the trouble. When the transmission was previously overhauled, a repairman left one of the bolts out of the rear motor mount, and the other bolt was loose. Every time the car was put into gear, it jerked and made a noise as the transmission literally rocked in its mounts.

Certain problems simply cannot be ignored. On July 17, 1996, Flight 800 suddenly exploded in mid-air and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Long Island, killing all 230 passengers and crew. Thousands of hours and millions of dollars have been spent retrieving the wreckage and reassembling the plane—all in an effort to explain what caused this tragedy.

As we read the Gospel of John, we know that everything happened according to God’s plan. Jesus came as Israel’s Messiah, and He was rejected and crucified by the Jews. What “went wrong”?[271] How could the Messiah come and Israel miss His coming? What caused the Jewish religious leaders to resist and reject Jesus as the Messiah? These men had spent much of their time in the Old Testament Scriptures. They heard John the Baptist and knew he had identified Jesus as the Messiah. These men personally witnessed our Lord healing the sick, casting out demons, and even raising the dead. How could they possibly fail to get the message? Our text in the Gospel of John may be one of the most informative passages in the New Testament concerning this matter. Here, our Lord not only defends Himself, but diagnoses the problem which prevents the religious leaders from trusting in Him as the Messiah.

The Setting

Jesus made His way once again to Jerusalem where, at the pool of Bethesda, He came upon a large crowd of the physically afflicted, hoping for a miraculous healing from the “angel-troubled” waters. Selecting a fellow who had been disabled for 38 years, Jesus asked him if he would like to be healed. At our Lord’s command, the man not only got up and walked, but took up his mattress and went on his way. It happened to be the Sabbath, so the Jews promptly stopped the man. These “Sabbath police” saw it as their calling to insure that the Sabbath was observed in accordance with Jewish traditions. When challenged for carrying his mattress on the Sabbath, the man explained that “the One who made him well told him to take up his mattress and walk.” The Jews wanted to know who this man was, but the paralytic had to plead ignorance because he did not find out who our Lord was before He slipped away.

Later, Jesus found the man in the temple and warned him that continuing in sin might result in even worse troubles. This seems to be all it took for the former paralytic to turn against Jesus and give His name to the Jews. The Jews then focused their attention on Jesus, accusing Him of breaking the Sabbath. Our Lord’s answer appears to produce mixed emotions: they are greatly distressed to hear Jesus explain His Sabbath-breaking by claiming to be the Son of God, but they also seem grateful to have such a serious offense with which to charge Him. Already intent on putting Jesus to death, this statement only prompts them to redouble their efforts in this direction.

Jesus responds to these serious accusations in verses 19-30. He declares what everyone should know: He cannot act as He does on His own initiative, authority, or power. The Father loves the Son and shows Him all that He is doing. Jesus only does what He sees the Father doing. Concerning the charges made against Him, the Father works on the Sabbath and therefore, so does the Son. In fact, He has works yet to perform that will be even more amazing. The Son is going to give life to the dead. In the future, when the dead are raised by the Son, some will be raised to eternal life and the others to divine condemnation. This, too, is a work the Father has given to the Son. The one who does not honor the Son also dishonors the Father, who sent Him. Those who charge Jesus with making an illicit (even blasphemous) claim to be equal with God are treading on very dangerous ice.

Jesus’ Testimony Concerning Himself
(5:31)

“[So far as you are concerned] If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true.[272]

We need to understand what our Lord is saying here in the light of John chapter 8:

13 So the Pharisees objected, “You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true!” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you people do not know where I came from or where I am going. 15 You people judge by outward appearances; I do not judge anyone. 16 But if I judge, my evaluation is accurate, because I am not alone when I judge, but I and the Father who sent me do so together. 17 It is written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. 18 I testify about myself and the Father who sent me testifies about me” (John 8:13-18).

Our Lord knows what His opponents are thinking and so in John 5:31, at the outset of His testimony, He informs them He knows they will not accept His testimony alone. The Old Testament law required two or three witnesses (see Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15) for a man to be found guilty of an offense. Jesus has much more testimony than this, but it doesn’t matter since the Jewish authorities are determined not to accept it. The reason becomes apparent by the end of our passage, and as the Gospel of John continues. In both our text in chapter 5 and in chapter 8, Jesus says He does not bear witness alone, but that the Father bears witness with Him. Once again, the unity of Father and Son is declared.

Perhaps a parenthetical comment would be helpful here to point out the hypocrisy of the Jews who oppose Jesus and His claims. They will not accept His testimony (5:31; 8:13), yet they accept others who come with only their own testimony: “I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him” (John 5:43).

While the Jewish authorities seek to give the impression that they are sticklers for observing the letter of the law, actually they are not. When our Lord stands trial for His life, they employ false witnesses who give conflicting testimony, and yet no objection is raised (Matthew 26:60). The high priest illegally demands that Jesus give testimony about (against) Himself, and then condemns Him on the basis of His testimony (Matthew 26:63). These Jews seek neither justice or truth.

The Testimony of John the Baptist
(5:32-35)

32 There is another who testifies about me, and I know the testimony he testifies about me is true. 33 You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. 34 (I do not accept human testimony, but I say this so that you may be saved.) 35 He was a lamp that was burning and shining, and you wanted to rejoice greatly for a short time in his light.

It is possible that here in verse 32 Jesus is talking about John the Baptist, but I am inclined, along with others, to conclude that in this verse our Lord is referring to the witness of His Father. In verse 34, Jesus indicates that He does not accept the testimony of men. Our Lord refers to John’s testimony for the benefit of men, while He does not personally need such testimony (see John 2:25). Remember our Lord has justified His “Sabbath-breaking” (healing the paralytic on the Sabbath) by claiming to be equal with God. He is doing what His Father is doing (working on the Sabbath). It is our Lord’s identity that is being questioned. Jesus persists in claiming to be One with the Father. Thus, the most important testimony to our Lord is the testimony of the Father.

John the Baptist is a very popular fellow, a man many believe to be a prophet (Matthew 11:9; 14:5; 21:26, 46). Jesus reminds the Jewish authorities of their own high regard for John, when they “sent to John” (John 5:33). Initially, I read John 1:19-28 as an interrogation of John by the Jewish authorities, one carried out with considerable suspicion. Jesus seems to say otherwise. His words in our text seem to indicate that their “sending men” to John is their own “testimony” concerning John’s authority. In John 1, the Jews are really trying to “put words into John’s mouth.” They want John to admit that he is Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet. John is the one insisting otherwise.

If I understand Jesus (and John 1:19-28) correctly, for a short time the Jews actually wanted John to be the Messiah. This would explain our Lord’s words in Matthew regarding the Jews and John: “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it” (Matthew 11:12, NIV).

The Jews are literally trying to force the kingdom into existence, and for a time they try to force John to become their Messiah. In the very next chapter of John’s Gospel, the Jews want to force Jesus to become their king:

14 So when the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus performed, they began to say to one another, “This is certainly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Then Jesus, because he knew they were going to come and seize him by force to make him king, withdrew again up the mountainside alone (John 6:14-15).

Late in our Lord’s earthly ministry, the Jews challenge Jesus to prove His authority. Our Lord’s answer, and the Jews’ response, demonstrates the high regard the people have for John:

27 They came again to Jerusalem. While Jesus was walking in the temple area, the chief priests, the experts in the law and the elders came to him 28 and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?” 29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. Answer me and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 John’s baptism, was it from heaven or from men? Answer me.” 31 They discussed with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘From men—’” (they feared the crowd, for they all considered John to be truly a prophet). 33 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things” (Mark 11:27-33; see also Matthew 11:25; Luke 20:4).

Early in John’s ministry, the Jews are eager for John to be the Messiah. In our Lord’s words, they “rejoiced greatly for a short time in his light” (John 5:35). But when it becomes apparent that John rejects their religious system (Matthew 3:7-10; 21:32; Mark 3:15), and worse yet, identifies with Jesus as the Messiah he promised would come (John 1:29-36), just as quickly they abandon him (Luke 7:29-30). Although initially they respected John’s testimony, they now refuse to accept his testimony. Nevertheless, Jesus reminds them, John, whom they once regarded as a prophet and a candidate for Messiah, bears testimony that He is indeed the promised Messiah.

Weighty Witnesses
(5:36-40)

36 “But I have a testimony greater than that from John. For the deeds that the Father has assigned me to complete—the deeds I am now doing—testify about me that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified about me. You people have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time, 38 nor do you have his word residing in you, because you do not believe the one whom he sent. 39 You study the scriptures thoroughly because you think in them you possess eternal life, and it is these same scriptures that testify about me; 40 but you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life.

The Works of Jesus

Set John’s testimony aside. Jesus doesn’t need it anyway (John 5:34). He has much weightier testimony; He has the testimony of His own works. Jesus is doing the works His Father assigned Him. These works testify to His identity, to His equality with the Father:

18 John’s disciples informed him about all these things. So John called two of his disciples 19 and sent them to Jesus to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” 20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’” 21 At that very time Jesus cured many people of diseases, sicknesses, and evil spirits, and granted sight to many who were blind. 22 So he answered them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news proclaimed to them. 23 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me” (Luke 7:18-23).

Now while Jesus was in Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover, many people believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing (John 2:23).

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees whose name was Nicodemus, a member of the council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him” (John 3:1-2).

30 The man replied, “This is a remarkable thing, that you don’t know where he comes from, and yet he caused me to see! 31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is devout and does his will God listens to him. 32 Never before has anyone heard of someone causing a man born blind to see. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing” (John 9:30-33).

30 Now Jesus performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples that are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20:30-31).

Nicodemus and the formerly blind man had it right: no one can do the things Jesus does on their own. They must be “connected.” Jesus is “connected” to God. The only other explanation (to which our Lord’s opponents are finally forced) is that Jesus is “connected” to Satan:

20 Now Jesus went home, and a crowd gathered so that they were not able to eat. 21 When his family heard this they went out to take control of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” 22 The experts in the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul,” and, “By the ruler of demons he casts out demons.” 23 So he called them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided, that kingdom will not be able to stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan rises against himself and is divided, he is not able to stand and his end has come. 27 But no one is able to enter the house of the strong man and remove his goods unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can thoroughly clean out his house. 28 I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies people may speak will be forgiven them. 29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. They are liable for an eternal sin 30 (because they said, ‘He has an unclean spirit’)” (Mark 3:20-30).

Our Lord’s response is simple. If He is “connected” with Beelzebul, then why would He oppose Satan and his kingdom by casting out demons? Jesus’ works are indeed a powerful witness concerning His identity.

The Word of the Father

Indirectly, Jesus’ works are the witness of the Father, who assigned these works to the Son (5:36). But the Father even more emphatically testifies that Jesus is His Son. The Father has testified[273] about Jesus (verse 37). Just when and how did this take place? We see from the Gospels that the Father gave His testimony concerning the Son at the baptism of Jesus:

16 After Jesus was baptized, as he came up from the water the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is the Son I love, in whom I have great delight” (Matthew 3:16-17).

Jesus tells His accusers, “You people have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time” (John 5:37b). By inference, He claims otherwise. It seems that Jesus is referring, in part, to the time of His baptism, when John the Baptist and perhaps others saw the Spirit of God present (and abiding on Jesus) in the form of a dove. They heard the voice of God, identifying Jesus as His Son, in whom He took great delight. Here, the Father is bearing witness to Him as His Son, the Messiah.

Even beyond this, the Father has borne witness through the Son. Jesus is God manifested in human flesh. Jesus is the voice (the “Word”) of God:

Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only full of grace and truth, who came from the Father (John 1:14).

1 After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our ancestors through the prophets, 2 in these last days he has spoken to us in a son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world. 3 The Son is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word, and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:1-3).

19 So Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth, the Son can do nothing on his own initiative, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does, and greater deeds than these he will show him, so that you may be amazed” (John 5:19-20).

“I can do nothing on my own initiative. Just as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me” (John 5:30).

God is bearing witness through His Son. Here is the irony. The Jewish authorities will not accept Jesus as the Son of God; they simply will not heed His testimony. Yet, He is the voice of God, the visible manifestation of God to men. They have never seen or heard God in person. God is now standing before them, being accused by them. They are accusing the very One they claim to worship and serve. They do not have God’s Word abiding in them because they do not believe in Jesus, the One whom the Father sent to “declare” or “explain” Him (John 1:18). Is this not a “catch 22”? How can anyone be saved? If people need to trust in Jesus to grasp the Word of God, and they need to grasp the Word of God to see that Jesus is the One to whom the Scriptures bear witness, then no one can be saved. The solution the Bible gives us is that men most certainly cannot be saved on their own; they can only be saved by means of God’s sovereign and gracious intervention, which is exactly what John has been telling us in his Gospel:

10 He was in the world, and the world was created by him, but the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children 13 —children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God (John 1:10-13).

3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:3-8).

Jesus Turns the Tables on His Accusers
(5:37b-47)

“You people have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time, 38 nor do you have his word residing in you, because you do not believe the one whom he sent. 39 You study the scriptures thoroughly because you think in them you possess eternal life, and it is these same scriptures that testify about me; 40 but you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life. 41 I do not accept praise from people, 42 but I know you, that you do not have the love of God within you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe, if you accept praise from one another and don’t seek the praise that comes from the only God? 45 Do not suppose that I will accuse you before the Father. The one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 47 But if you do not believe what Moses wrote, how will you believe my words?”[274]

Up to this point, it may appear as though Jesus is on the defensive, defending His claim to be equal with God. In a sense, this is true, but our Lord is equal with God because He is the Son of God. It is not Jesus who needs a good defense, but His adversaries, the Jewish religious authorities. In verse 37, the tone of our Lord’s “defense” changes, and we see our Lord now taking the offensive, challenging those who oppose Him. Here, He not only admonishes them for not receiving God’s witness, He informs all as to the real reason they reject Him as the Messiah.

The Jewish authorities are accusing our Lord of blasphemy and Sabbath-breaking. They have never seen God’s form, nor have they heard God’s voice. Yet both of these were evident at our Lord’s baptism. Jesus has seen the Father and heard His voice (5:19-20, 30). Most important of all, Jesus Himself is the form of God (see John 14:9) and the voice of God. It is He who came to make God known to men: no one has ever seen God. The only One, Himself God, who is in the presence of the Father, has made God known (John 1:18).

The Jews are those to whom, and through whom, the Old Testament Scriptures were revealed (see Romans 9:4). They studied the Scriptures diligently, thinking this was the way to eternal life.[275] Ironically, these same Scriptures testify about Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah. How could these men possess the Scriptures and study them, and yet miss the main point of their teaching? Jesus tells them and us: they do not have the Word abiding in them. They are “in the Word,” but the Word is not abiding in them. This is so because Christ is not only the central theme of the Word, He is the key to the Word. Christ is the key that unlocks the message of the Word. The Jews are not willing to come to Him so that they may have life. Thus, they are blind to the central message of the very Scriptures they possess and regard so highly.

I remember teaching world history and psychology to a high school class in a medium security prison in Washington State. Somehow the conversation drifted to the subject of evolution one day, and an inmate said something I will never forget: “I’ll tell you why I believe in evolution,” he blurted out, “because I won’t believe in God!” The Jewish authorities will not believe in Messiah, and thus they cannot see Him in the Scriptures they study. Listen to how the Apostle Paul explains the “blindness of the Jews”:

12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we behave with great boldness, 13 and not like Moses who used to put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from staring at the end of the glory that was fading away. 14 But their minds were closed. For to this very day, the same veil remains when they hear the old covenant read. It has not been removed because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 But until this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; 16 but whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:12-18).

Christ is a “blind spot” for the Jews, and yet He is both the central figure and the key to the Old Testament Scriptures. Because the Jews are blind to Christ, they read the Old Testament as though a veil were over their faces. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ is that veil removed. Then the Scriptures become clear, and the glory of the Lord is revealed and reflected, transforming those who believe into His image. Those opposing Christ in our text do so with “veiled faces,” so to speak. They are blind to who Jesus is, and rather than come to Him for eternal life, they seek to take His life.

Our Lord presses further in verses 41-44, explaining even more thoroughly the reason the Jews are opposed to Him. Why are they so unwilling to come to Jesus for salvation? It is because they seek glory and praise from men, rather than from God. Jesus does not seek the praise of men; He seeks to please the Father. This is because of His love for the Father, just as His Father loves Him (5:20). Jesus has come in His Father’s name, and the Jews have rejected Him. Others come to them in their own name, and they gladly welcome them. How can this be? It is really quite simple. Those who come and are quickly received tell their audience what they want to hear. Their message flatters the listener, so that the message is easily and quickly embraced as true, simply because it “tickles the ears” of the audience. Neither John the Baptist nor our Lord are willing to do this. They boldly proclaim the truth of the gospel.

Those who seek acceptance from men rather than from God cannot believe in Jesus because they are not willing to come to Him. To be saved, a person must admit that he or she is a sinner, deserving of God’s eternal wrath and unworthy of His favor. To be saved, one must humble himself, and accept God’s grace as a gift. The self-righteous find this highly offensive and abhorrent. The false teacher comes with a flattering message, one that diminishes sin and demeans grace. They assure the listener he can obtain eternal life by his own doing, by his own merits. This is the message the self-righteous love to hear, because it seems to offer them a salvation of their own making. Seeking the praise of others turns us away from seeking praise from God, and thus we seek to please men rather than God.

Once again, the Apostle Paul takes up this theme and applies it to the church at Corinth:

12 For we would not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who recommend themselves. But when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding. 13 But we will not boast beyond certain limits, but will confine our boasting according to the limits of the work to which God has appointed us, that reaches even as far as you. 14 For we were not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach as far as you, because we were the first to reach as far as you with the gospel about Christ. 15 Nor do we boast beyond certain limits in the work done by others, but we hope that as your faith continues to grow, our work may be greatly expanded among you according to our limits, 16 so that we may preach the gospel in the regions that lie beyond you, and not boast of work already done in another person’s area. 17 But “The one who boasts must boast in the Lord.” 18 For it is not the person who commends himself who is approved, but the person the Lord commends (2 Corinthians 10:12-18).

If you remember the situation at Corinth in Paul’s day, it was Paul who led many of the Corinthians to faith. It was he who had invested a good part of his life in this church. Yet some false teachers came along who seemed so wise, so persuasive, so impressive. The Corinthians began to look down their noses at Paul and the other true apostles. The message of these “false apostles” appealed to the Corinthians. Paul calls attention to the fact that these are men (and women?) who care much about their status and standing with men, and all too little about the praise of God. They compare themselves with other men. They are puffed up with pride and arrogance, and they seek to undermine the authority of the “true apostles.” They are just like the Jews of our Lord’s day, aren’t they?

The Apostle John will have even more to say about such folks in his epistles. There he warns about false teachers and their message. Today, we call this temptation of seeking the approval of men rather than God “peer pressure.” John speaks of it as “loving the world.” That is what it is—seeking approval from our peers, rather than from God. When we seek the world’s approval, we abandon our desire to please God.

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; 16 because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away with all its desires, but the person who does the will of God remains forever. 18 Children, it is the last hour, and just as you heard that Antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. We know from this that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us, because if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But they went out from us to demonstrate that all of them do not belong to us. 20 Nevertheless you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. 21 I have not written to you that you do not know the truth, but that you do know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but the person who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the Antichrist: the person who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either. The person who confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 As for you, what you have heard from the beginning must remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 Now this is the promise that he himself made to us: eternal life. 26 These things I have written to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 Now as for you, the anointing that you received from him resides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things, it is true and is not a lie. Just as it has taught you, you reside in him (1 John 2:15-27).

The Jewish authorities reject Jesus. They not only reject His testimony concerning Himself, they set aside the testimony of John the Baptist, of our Lord’s works, of the Father, and of the Scriptures. Because of this, they are the ones who should be accused. Those who are accusing Jesus will be accused, but not by Jesus. Their accusation will come from Moses, the one they revere, whose law they impose on themselves and others—as they interpret it. Their devotion to Moses is seen in the dialogue between the Jews and the blind man to whom Jesus gives his sight:

28 They heaped insults on him, saying, “You are his disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses! We do not know where this man comes from!” (John 9:28-29)

This Moses, so revered by the Jews, will be their accuser because he, too, testified of Jesus. They did not believe Moses, and neither will they believe Jesus. Jesus does not specify any particular passages in which Moses wrote of the Messiah, but we know there are many. For example, Jesus is “the Prophet” of whom Moses spoke:

15 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, 16 according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’ 17 And the LORD said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. 18 I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. 19 And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him’” (Deuteronomy 18:15-19, NKJV).

Conclusion

Our text in John chapter 5 is crucial to the argument to the Gospel of John, and indeed crucial to the gospel of Jesus Christ. No words can more clearly communicate our Lord’s claim to be the Son of God, Israel’s Messiah. No one who hears our Lord speak or who reads the Gospel of John has any doubt about who He claims to be (see John 1:14-18, 29-34, 41, 45, 49; 2:14-22; 3:26-36; 4:25-26, 29, 42; 5:17ff.). The question is not whether Jesus ever claimed to be the Messiah, or whether His opponents understand Him to do so. The question is whether Jesus is right in what He claims. If He is right, then He does speak for God. If He is right, we had better listen well to what He says:

7 Then a cloud surrounded them, and a voice came from the cloud, “This is the Son I love. Listen to him!” 8 Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, except Jesus (Mark 9:7-8).

1 After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our ancestors through the prophets, 2 in these last days he has spoken to us in a son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world. 3 The Son is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word, and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:1-3).

1 Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken through angels proved to be so firm that every violation or disobedience received its just penalty, 3 how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first communicated through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him, 4 while God confirmed their witness with signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will (Hebrews 2:1-4).

16 For we did not follow cleverly concocted fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; no, we were eyewitnesses of his grandeur. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father, when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory: “This is my dear Son, in whom I am delighted.” 18 When this voice was conveyed from heaven, we ourselves heard it, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 Moreover, we possess the prophetic word as an altogether reliable thing. You do well if you pay attention to this as you would to a light shining in a murky place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts (2 Peter 1:16-19).

Jesus not only claims to be the Messiah, the Son of God, He claims to be the only source of eternal life. He says that to reject Him is to reject life, to reject the Father, and to seal our eternal condemnation. It is not enough to revere the Word of God, or even to diligently read and study it. The Jewish authorities did all this, yet they missed the main point of the Scriptures—the promise of a Messiah exactly like Jesus, in fact who was Jesus. The Word of God must abide in our hearts by faith. We must look for Christ in the Scriptures, and having found Him, we should love and obey Him. The Bible is not given so that we may amass knowledge about God. The Bible is given so that we may know, love, and serve God.

Witnesses to the fact that Jesus is the Son of God are many, and they are compelling. Men do not reject the claims of Christ for lack of evidence. They reject Him because sinful men do not wish to submit to Him as God, nor do they wish to come to Him as unworthy sinners, seeking grace. This is the reason the Jews reject Jesus. It is why the Gentiles reject Him as well.

May the Spirit of God give us eyes to see Christ in the Word, and ears to hear what He says to us. May His Word be not just a source for scholarly study; may it be a love letter to us.


! Lesson 15:
The Messiah: Mightier Than Moses
(John 6:1-21)

The Feeding of the 5000 in Its Historical Perspective

Matthew Mark Luke John
  The disciples are sent out. They preach repentance and heal many. 6:7-13 The disciples are sent out, preaching and healing everywhere, “taking nothing for the journey.” 9:1-6   
John the Baptist is dead.John’s disciples bury him and report it to Jesus. 14:1-12 The death of John the Baptist is reported. 6:14-29 Herod hears of John’s death and rumors about who the people think Jesus is. He wants to see Jesus. 9:7-9    
Jesus withdraws to an isolated place and the crowds follow Him. Jesus heals the sick. 14:13-14 His disciples tell Jesus about their mission experience. Jesus tells them to come away with Him for a while to rest. 6:30-31 The disciples return, report to Jesus, and withdraw to a private spot near Bethsaida where Jesus teaches the multitude and heals the sick. 9:10-11    
Feeding of 5,000 14:15-21 Feeding of 5,0006:32-44 Feeding of 5,0009:12-17 Feeding of 5,0006:1-14
Jesus makes His disciples get into the boat and go to the other side. He dismisses the crowd. He goes alone to pray. 14:22-23 Jesus makes His disciples get in the boat and leave. He bids the crowd farewell, and then goes to the mountain to pray. 6:45-46   People wish to force Jesus to be their king, and so He withdraws to pray. 6:15
Jesus walks on the water.
Disciples say, “You are the Son of God.” 14:24-33
Jesus walks on the water. 6:47-52   Jesus walks on the water. 6:16-21
When Jesus and His disciples arrive, many come to Him, bringing the sick. Jesus heals them, some by touching the fringe of His cloak. 14:34-36 Crowds gather with their sick, wherever they think Jesus will be. Jesus heals many. 6:53-56      
    Great confession and Jesus’ instruction. 9:18-22   
    Call to discipleship.
9:23-27
 
    Transfiguration. 9:28-36  

Introduction

Our church recently hosted a banquet for the Urban Evangelical Mission.[276] We have never attempted a banquet this large in our church. I am grateful to my wife, Jeannette, who coordinated this challenging, but rewarding, task. Our problem was in getting all the people into our one large room. We also feared we might not order enough food to feed the entire group. By the grace of God, all worked out well.

This experience gives me a greater appreciation for the feeding of the 20,000[277] folks in our text, who not only show up uninvited but also stay for dinner. Can you imagine trying to feed a group this size—especially since there are no supermarkets, fast food restaurants, or sufficient funds to even begin to buy enough food? This is the dilemma facing our Lord and His disciples. It does not cause our Lord one moment’s anxiety, because He knows all along what He is going to do. The same cannot be said for the disciples, who are convinced that there is nothing they can do but pressure Jesus into sending the crowd home. When Jesus speaks to them of feeding this crowd, they cannot even imagine how it can possibly be done.

This is a very challenging moment in the lives of the disciples, one that teaches them some very important lessons. It is also the occasion on which our Lord performs two of His greatest miracles. Rather than bringing many to faith in Jesus as the Messiah, it prompts many to try to force Jesus to be their king. This leads to our Lord’s discourse on the “Bread of Life” in the latter part of chapter 6. By the end of this chapter, many of those who once considered themselves His disciples leave Jesus, never to follow Him again.

Aside from the resurrection of our Lord, the feeding of the 5,000 is the only miracle found in all four of the Gospels. The closely related miracle of our Lord walking on the water is found in three Gospels, but is omitted by Luke. These two miracles in the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel are a watershed. If Jesus is rejected by the religious leaders in Judea in chapter 5, He is rejected by the masses in Galilee in chapter 6. This chapter marks what we might very well call “the beginning of the end.”

The Setting
(6:1-4)

1 After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (also called the Sea of Tiberias). 2 A large crowd was following him because they were observing the miraculous signs he was performing on the sick. 3 So Jesus went on up the mountainside and sat down there with his disciples. 4 (Now the Jewish feast of the Passover was near.)

The chart on the previous page outlines the events which the Gospels include before and after the feeding of the 5,000, and our Lord’s walking on water. It is quite evident in this chart that John’s Gospel is the most pared down, bare-bones account of these events. This is not to say that John has nothing unique to contribute, for he does. It is in John’s Gospel that we learn the loaves and fishes come from a young lad, and that two disciples, Philip and Andrew, are particularly involved in the miracle of feeding the 5,000. Likewise, John informs us that the loaves were barley bread. Aside from these details, the Synoptic Gospels give us the greatest amount of detail regarding these two miracles.

Unlike the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), which give considerable attention to the “Great Galilean ministry” of our Lord (Matthew 4:12–15:20; Mark 1:14–7:23; Luke 4:14–9:17), John passes by this period, recording only the first and last miracles of this era. He has his reasons for doing this, which we shall explore a little later on. But for now let us simply review the sequence of events leading up to and beyond these miracles, as we piece them all together from the various Gospel accounts.

Two years into His public ministry, Jesus sent out His twelve disciples by two’s. They went about casting out demons, healing and preaching about the kingdom of God, and calling on men to repent wherever they went. John the Baptist, imprisoned earlier, has just been beheaded by a reluctant Herod, who has second thoughts afterwards. When he hears word of the miraculous ministry and rising popularity of Jesus, Herod fears that Jesus might be John the Baptist raised from the dead. He tries to see Jesus, but is not able to do so. The disciples return from their missionary journeys and begin to report to Jesus all that has happened. Jesus is so besieged by those seeking healing that He has very little time to spend privately with His disciples.

Jesus and His disciples withdraw to a private place near Bethsaida. It seems as though they are alone at last, away from the crowds, so that Jesus can talk with them about their ministry and further teach them. It also appears to provide a time for them to get some much needed rest. Their destination is just outside of Herod’s territory, just out of his reach. All in all, it appears to be a needed break from the frantic pace they have been keeping.

As we well know, it doesn’t work out that way. After the feeding of the 5,000, the crowds are even more intent on forcefully bringing about the promised kingdom. Jesus sends His disciples away in the boat, dismisses the crowds, and then goes off to pray by Himself. When He finishes praying, He begins to make His way across the Sea of Galilee by walking on the water. As He crosses the sea, Jesus comes across His disciples and ends up in the boat with them. Immediately, they arrive at their destination on the western shores of the Sea of Galilee, where many more miracles are performed. Some time after this, Jesus presses His disciples concerning His identity, and Peter makes his “great confession.” The transfiguration of our Lord follows. These are indeed great moments in the ministry of our Lord. The feeding of the 5,000 marks a critical moment in our Lord’s ministry.

Another factor also amplifies the impact of the feeding of the 5,000—the Passover is near (John 6:4). D. A. Carson reminds us of the patriotic and political implications of the Passover:

… the Passover Feast was to Palestinian Jews what the fourth of July is to Americans, or, better, what the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne is to loyalist Protestants in Northern Ireland. It was a rallying point for intense, nationalistic zeal. This goes some way to explaining their fervour that tried to force Jesus to become king …[278]

Having pointed out the chronology of events we gain from the Synoptic Gospels, I must call your attention to the fact that John does not present his account of the feeding of the 5,000 as one incident in a sequential chain of events. John is developing a theme, and therefore structures his Gospel differently. In the last part of John chapter 1, Jesus is identified as the Messiah by John the Baptist, after which our Lord begins to gather His disciples. In chapter 2, Jesus makes the water into wine and cleanses the temple in Jerusalem. In chapter 3, our Lord has an interview with Nicodemus. He then speaks with the Samaritan woman at the well in chapter 4, resulting not only in her faith, but also in the conversion of most of the citizens of Sychar.

It is here, in chapter 4, that John introduces the subject of “food.”[279] His disciples are intent upon Jesus having something to eat. They cannot understand what “food” He has to “eat” other than the food they have just obtained in town. The opposition to Jesus begins to become serious in chapter 5. Jesus heals the paralytic and then commands him to carry his bed, in spite of it being the Sabbath. On top of this, when attacked as a Sabbath-breaker, Jesus justifies His actions by claiming to be equal with God. By the end of chapter 5, the Jewish religious authorities are more committed than ever to putting Jesus to death.

This brings us to John chapter 6. Jesus changes location, moving from Judea to Galilee. He leaves behind the crowds in Capernaum to be alone with His disciples in an isolated place in the wilderness. It is a time when our Lord’s popularity among the common people is skyrocketing. But by the end of the chapter, many of His would-be followers leave Him, never to follow Him again. If Jesus was rejected by the Jewish authorities in Judea in chapter 5, He is rejected by the masses in Galilee in chapter 6. From this point on in the Gospel of John, it is only a matter of time until Jesus makes His way up to Calvary, bearing a Roman cross and the penalty for our sins.

Yet one more thing should be mentioned before turning to the actual account of the feeding of the 5,000. I cannot avoid the impression that Jesus has been at this wilderness location before. Let me suggest some of my reasons for coming to this conclusion. First, John tells us “Jesus went up the mountainside” (verse 3).[280] John seems to refer to a particular mountainside—the mountainside, not a mountainside. While some scholars point out that the definite article (“the”) does not necessarily indicate a particular, well-known place,[281] it certainly could. I think it does.

Second, there are some interesting parallels between our text in John and Matthew’s account of our Lord’s earlier ministry, when He preached the Sermon on the Mount. The similarities between these two accounts, the one in Matthew 4 and 5, and the other in our text in John, may be summed up as follows:

The Sermon on the Mount Jesus Feeds the 5,000 on the Mount
John the Baptist is arrested (Mat. 4:12) John the Baptist is put to death (Matt. 14:1-12)
Jesus retreats to Galilee (Matt. 4:12) Jesus retreats to Galilee (Matt. 14:13)
Jesus chooses His 12 disciples (Matt. 4:18f.) Jesus sends out His 12 disciples (Mark 6:7-13)
Jesus teaches on the mount (Matt. 5:1f.) Jesus teaches on the mount (Mark 6:34)

Perhaps it is not a point worth belaboring, but it does seem as though this “mountain” is a more familiar place to our Lord, His disciples, and even the crowds than we might think. Would this not help explain why so many people hurry to this place when they realize Jesus is in a boat, heading out across the Sea of Galilee?

Feeding the Hungry
(6:5-13)

5 Then Jesus, when he looked up and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread so that these people may eat?” 6 (Now Jesus said this to test him, for he knew what he was going to do.) 7 Philip replied, “Two hundred silver coins worth of bread would not be enough for them, for each one to get a little.” 8 One of Jesus’ disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “Here is a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what good are these for so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” (Now there was a lot of grass in that place.) So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed the bread to those who were seated. He then did the same with the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 When they were all satisfied, Jesus said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces that are left over, so that nothing is wasted.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves left over by the people who had eaten.

In the Synoptic Gospels, it is late in the day when the disciples approach our Lord, urging Him to send the people away because there is no food to feed them. Jesus does not let the disciples off the hook. Instead, He instructs His disciples to feed the crowd (see Matthew 14:16; Mark 6:37; Luke 9:13). It is their responsibility to feed these people, and Jesus will not allow them to merely send the people away hungry.

In our text, John presents this miracle from a somewhat different perspective. It is much earlier in the day, and it is our Lord who first approaches His disciples about feeding the multitude. In John’s Gospel, our Lord raises the question before the crowds have even completely arrived. They are approaching as Jesus asks His disciples where they can purchase bread for these folks to eat (verse 5). Philip, to whom the question is posed,[282] does not even comment as to “where” food can be purchased; he is more concerned about “how much” the food will cost. To Philip, it doesn’t matter where the closest “store” is. He knows they will not have nearly enough money to pay for the large quantity of food they need.

From John’s words, we see that Jesus knows all along how He will handle this situation (verse 6). Jesus raises the question of how to feed the crowd before it is time to feed them. I believe that He wants the disciples to agonize a bit over this situation. The best they can do is recommend that Jesus send the people away, letting them fend for themselves. The question Jesus asks Philip is intended to start the disciples thinking about this need long before it is a crisis. Jesus raises the problem in terms that His disciples understand and expect—buying food to feed the crowd. After all, this is what the disciples did while Jesus waited at the well in Samaria (see John 4:8). His purpose is not to have them solve the problem, but to realize that, humanly speaking, there is no solution. Philip certainly concurs, and it seems he almost brushes off the whole matter as absurd. But then evening falls, and the people are still there without having eaten for hours.

The Synoptic Gospels begin their account of the feeding of the 5,000 when evening has come. John’s Gospel describes what happened when evening falls in verses 8 and following, but only after informing us that Jesus raised the issue earlier in the day. Jesus refuses to send the crowd away, and instructs His disciples to feed them. They must have looked at each other in astonishment. How could they possibly do what Jesus required? I would imagine that there was an uncomfortable period of silence, as Jesus waited for some kind of response from the disciples. It may have been that in response to this distressing situation Andrew felt compelled to blurt out, “Well, there is this one little lad, who has five loaves and two fishes.” I know that what I am about to say is not in the text, but it does at least sound true to life, life as I understand it. I can see the other disciples rolling their eyes at each other, amazed at the stupidity of mentioning such a puny quantity of bread and fish. I can hear his fellow-disciples harshly chastising Andrew for being so foolish: “Yeah, great idea Andrew, five barley loaves and two fish—to feed this entire crowd. Great idea! Real smart! Good grief man, what are you thinking?”

Jesus makes sure that the disciples participate in this miracle. He has the 12 instruct the people to recline on the grass, in groups of 50. It would require 100 such groups to serve only the men,[283] so there must be approximately 400 groups of 50 seated on this grassy slope. So far as we can tell, Jesus does not indicate what He is about to do, either to the crowds or to any of His disciples. What a curious thing this must be for the crowd—and what a troubling experience for the disciples. Imagine instructing everyone to sit down, as though a meal is about to be served, knowing there is nothing to serve but five small bread cakes and a little pickled fish for a relish.[284]   

Those in the crowd may not be experiencing consternation over what is taking place, but they must certainly be curious, because they know there is little or no food available. They must have realized this when they began to inquire whether anyone had brought food with them. And now, Jesus is telling His disciples to have the multitude sit on the grass. It would be something like our having a group of guests sit at the dining table. The implied “message” in this is that we intend to feed them. Where will the food come from? Jesus does not promise a miracle. He simply takes the barley cakes and two fish and blesses them, then begins to pass out portions of the young lad’s lunch for His disciples to distribute.

The miracle seems to take place in the hands of our Lord, as He breaks off pieces of the barley cakes and fish. It appears He keeps reaching into the little basket where the lad had his lunch, and the food simply keeps on coming. It must be something like the widow’s oil and flour in the Old Testament:

8 Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 So she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” 13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’” 15 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah (1 Kings 17:8-16, NKJV).

Can you imagine the wonder and excitement as people begin to grasp that Jesus is performing a miracle of this magnitude? You’ve probably seen people do “the wave” in a football stadium. Can’t you just see the heads of people, making a “wave” as they spread the word that a miracle must be taking place before their very eyes? Yet here, as when He turned the water into wine, Jesus does not announce what He is doing. Jesus does not seek to attract attention; He is not attempting to attract a bigger following. Jesus is simply trying to minister to the needs of a hungry crowd, without adding fuel to the fire of their political enthusiasm.

Even when all have eaten, the task is not yet complete. Jesus instructs His disciples to collect all the leftovers. I do not believe this includes portions that have been nibbled on, but not completely devoured. I assume these leftovers are the untouched portions of bread and fish[285] which remain in the basket after it has passed among the group of 50. Jesus demonstrates what we might call today “good ecology.” He does not allow any food to be wasted, nor does He allow the hillside to be trashed with garbage.

The gathered leftovers are a lesson in themselves. We are told that the crowd eats and that they are “all satisfied.” Had we been there, we would say, “I’m so full I can’t eat another bite.”[286] It can hardly be a coincidence that when the unused portions are gathered, there are 12 baskets full of food. Our Lord is never stingy in His gifts. They are always bountiful. Each of the 12 disciples, who must have agonized over the shortage of food and the size of the crowd they are commanded to feed, walks away with a basket full of excess food. God supplies all our needs, and more.

We should notice one more thing about this meal our Lord provides in the wilderness. The meal is not a gourmet dinner; it is not “steak and ale.” Barley cakes are the food of the poor. They are not a bad meal, for it is a nutritional meal that satisfies their appetites and meets their physical needs. But it is not the food one expects to find at a very fine restaurant. Had our Lord provided such a meal, the crowd would have been even more determined to force Jesus to become their king.

The Hardest Task of All: Sending the Guests Home
(6:14-15)

14 So when the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus performed, they began to say to one another, “This is certainly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Then Jesus, because he knew they were going to come and seize him by force to make him king, withdrew again up the mountainside alone.

Someone has said, “A guest is like a fish—after three days, he stinks!” Imagine the mixture of curiosity, messianic zeal, and even desperation[287] that draws this huge crowd into the wilderness so hastily that they do not even bring a lunch along. Jesus both teaches and heals the sick on this occasion, as well as feeds this crowd. These things certainly do not “cool down” the enthusiasm of the crowd. If anything, His words and deeds cause the crowd to conclude that Jesus is the “prophet like Moses” whom Moses had foretold (Deuteronomy 18:15).

Jesus knows that the crowd is worked up by this last miracle, and that they are about to converge upon Him in an effort to forcibly make Him their king. It is definitely not the kind of king Jesus came to be. John does not give us a very full report here. He simply writes that Jesus withdraws by Himself further up the mountainside (verse 15). We know from the other Gospels that Jesus immediately sends His disciples to the boat to begin their journey across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum, while He dismisses the crowds (Matthew 14:22; Mark 6:45). It is my opinion that the crowds obey the voice of our Lord, as did the wind and the sea when Jesus calmed the storm (see Mark 4:35-41), or as the paralytic did when he got up, took up his mattress, and walked (John 5:8-9). I believe it is not what they want or purpose to do, but what they must do because of Him who commands it. It is then that our Lord goes up on the mountain, alone, to pray.

Walking on the Water
(6:16-21)

16 Now when evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 got into a boat, and started to cross the lake to Capernaum. (It had already become dark and Jesus had not yet come to them.) 18 By now a strong wind was blowing and the sea was getting rough. 19 Then when they had rowed about three or four miles, they sighted Jesus walking on the lake, approaching the boat, and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I, do not be afraid.” 21 Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat came to the land where they had been heading.

The disciples are already in the boat and on their way to the other side of the lake when Jesus finishes His time of prayer. They have come in one boat, and now there seems to be only one way for Jesus to reach Capernaum, the same way the crowds came to this place from Capernaum—by walking around the Sea of Galilee. The problem is that this would require Jesus to walk past the crowds, between Him and the other side of the sea. If a boat were available, He could navigate His journey so as to keep enough distance between Himself and those on the shore. But there is no boat on hand. Once again, Jesus seems to be in an impossible situation. Once again, Jesus has no difficulty dealing with the problem. He simply crosses the Sea of Galilee by walking on the water.

As He is walking on the sea, Jesus comes upon His disciples, straining at the oars, fighting strong contrary winds. Mark tells us that Jesus “wanted to pass by” the disciples, because “the night was ending” (6:48). I think Mark means that Jesus is eager to get to shore, before daylight, so He will not attract a crowd. The crowds are not as likely to converge on the disciples if Jesus is not with them. But the disciples are having trouble, struggling against the wind. We are not told that they are in danger, and we know that at least four of these fellows are fishermen. This is nothing new to them.

But the disciples look out and see Jesus passing them by. They are terrified, not by the winds or by their difficulties in rowing the boat, but by the sight of Him whom they do not recognize as the Lord. If they have never believed in ghosts before, they surely do now! Jesus takes pity on them, assuring them that it is He, and that they need not be afraid.[288] They eagerly take Jesus into the boat and are immediately at their destination.[289]

Conclusion

As great as these two miracles are, very little is made of them in the Gospel of John. Jesus does not even bring them up, when He could have gained great notoriety from them. These two miracles, like virtually all of our Lord’s miracles, are miracles of necessity. Jesus does not frivolously employ His power to satisfy His own desires. (This is evident by His refusal to succumb to Satan’s futile attempts to tempt Him to do so.) Walking on the sea is necessary because Jesus needs to send His disciples away as quickly as possible, before He deals with the crowds. He then needs to return to Capernaum, but in a way that keeps Him from the fanatical king-makers in the crowd. Our Lord’s walking on the water and the boat’s immediate arrival on shore are miracles of necessity.

But why is John’s account of these miracles so terse, so skeletal? Why does he not make more of them? If he does not make something of them, why does he even mention them at all? I believe that on the one hand they hardly need any defense at all, or any explanation, given their relation to the rest of John’s Gospel. John has clearly told us in chapter 1 that Jesus is God. If He, the Word, is the One who called all creation into existence, is it any great wonder that He can create a meal for 5,000 men, or that He can walk on the sea? Jesus’ actions are completely consistent with who John says He is, who God the Father testifies that He is, and who Jesus Himself claims to be. So what is there to explain or to embellish?

Let me attempt to illustrate this in everyday terms. Among other things, I am a mechanic. I fix things, especially cars. If I work outside for a few hours and then come into the house, my wife Jeannette may say to me, “What were you doing out there?” If I answer, “Oh, I was torquing a cylinder head and changing the struts,” I do not expect her to respond, “Wow! That’s incredible! Tell me more about it!” I know what my wife will say (pretty much): “Hmm.” I was doing what she expected, given who I am and what I do. In our text Jesus is doing what we should expect Him to do, given who He is. Neither Jesus nor John feel obliged to provide a drum roll before these miracles or to blow a bugle afterwards. Jesus is doing what we should expect the Son of God to do.

There is another reason John does not make more of these miracles. These miracles are not in the foreground of this chapter, but instead provide the background for what John considers more important material. The main thrust of this chapter is our Lord’s “Bread of Life” discourse, which is occasioned by the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000. John records this miracle because it is the setting for what takes place in the remainder of the chapter, much like the healing of the paralytic sets the scene for the rest of chapter 5.

The feeding of the 5,000 and our Lord’s walking on the sea seem to have a definite connection with Moses and the events of the Exodus. Later in this very chapter, and again in chapter 9, Moses is a prominent figure in the Gospel of John; the Jews who are in opposition to Jesus refer to him as their hero (1:17, 45; 3:14; 5:45-46; 6:32; 7:19, 22, 23; 8:5; 9:28-29). Under the leadership of Moses, the Israelites passed through the sea on dry land, and God provided His people with manna from heaven. Jesus is the One who is greater than Moses. He personally walks on the sea, and He provides bread from heaven, the true bread which gives men eternal life. In our text, these two miracles link Jesus and Moses, and show that Jesus is the greater of the two.

There is another reason for John’s brevity. John, like our Lord (and very much unlike me) is a master of the art of understatement. In chapter 13, John records that Judas Iscariot went out to betray our Lord. Almost incidentally John adds, “and it was night” (John 13:30). This expression is pregnant with meaning, but John does not spell it all out for us. He expects us to meditate upon his words and ponder their significance. Jesus does the same thing in His teaching. When Jesus teaches, people go away scratching their heads, asking themselves, “I wonder what He meant by that?” This method requires the reader to do some thinking, rather than the teacher doing all the reader’s thinking for him or her.

Having learned that our text is preliminary to and preparatory for the “Bread of Life” discourse of our Lord in the latter part of this chapter, there are some principles to be learned from these miracles as we reflect upon them. Let me point out a few in closing.

 (1) Jesus commands us to do more than we are (humanly) able, because He enables us to do what He commands. The disciples are inclined to shirk their responsibility to feed these folks because the task is “impossible.” Jesus does not let them off the hook, but rather lays the responsibility for feeding the 5,000 at their feet. What the disciples are not able to do on their own, they accomplish by the power of Jesus Christ. And not only are they able to feed this crowd so that all are filled, they even end up with a surplus.

God ministers through our weakness. He does not select “strong” people so that He can use their strengths; He chooses weak people so that He can demonstrate His power through their weakness (see 1 Corinthians 1:18–2:5; 2 Corinthians 4:7–5:10; also chapters 8, 10, 12). He gives us tasks which we do not have the strength to do ourselves, because He gives us His strength to carry them out.

(2) The magnitude of the task should not be used as our excuse for not attempting it, especially when the task is our Lord’s command. How easy it is to use the magnitude of a given task as our excuse for not obeying our Lord. The Great Commission is a command given by our Lord to His disciples, and thus to His church. The Great Commission is therefore a command we are to obey; it is not a suggestion, and not a request. We are to be about this task, in whatever ways God puts before us. Let us see the magnitude of the mission as the occasion for faith, obedience, and prayers, and not as an excuse for apathy and idleness.

(3) Wonder of wonders, God has chosen to multiply and expand our puny efforts and contributions, so as to accomplish His will. The young lad with five loaves and two fishes had little to offer, but God multiplied what he had. Our efforts are so feeble, so fallible, and yet God uses us as “clay pots” to do His will. Even our failures are used of God to bring about His purposes.[290]

(4) Those whom God uses to minister to the needs of this crowd are also those who gain the most from serving others. I wish to be very careful here, because I am not advocating that we “give in order to get.” But it is interesting to note that this young lad ends up with “all he could eat,” which is probably more than he had in the first place. And the disciples, who thought they had nothing to serve, each ended up with a full basket. As we give ourselves in the service of others, God cares abundantly for our own needs.

(5) The disciples are inclined to limit their ministry to what they have seen and done before. One of the great weaknesses of the church is evident in the statement: “But we’ve always done it this way before.” Some things need to be done a certain way. But often we attempt to solve problems with only those means and methods with which we are familiar, to which we are accustomed. The disciples think of feeding the 5,000 only in terms of buying food at a store. Jesus has a better way. Jesus has a different way, a way they would never expect, a way they would never believe if told about it beforehand. God delights in doing the unexpected, so that His wisdom, power and grace are displayed through His handling of “impossible” situations. When we face difficulties, we should be careful not to limit the ways we expect God to minister through us. We dare not demand or even expect the unusual, but we certainly dare not deny the possibility.

(6) Our Lord cares about and takes care of our needs. Jesus ministers to these people because of their great need for teaching and healing. He also cares about their physical needs, because they are weary and hungry. Do you trust God to care for your needs? Jesus was thinking about feeding the 5,000 long before it ever entered the minds of His disciples. Jesus knew all along what He intended to do. Our Lord cares, and He cares well for our needs. Most of all, He cares about our need for the forgiveness of our sins. As we shall soon see, He became the “Bread of Life” by dying on the cross of Calvary, by bearing the guilt and punishment for our sins. Have you trusted in Him who cared so much that He died on Calvary?


! Lesson 16:
The Bread of Life
(John 6:22-71)

Introduction

I know what its like to get excited about “free bread.” A few years ago, my brother Dan was visiting us over the Christmas holidays. On Christmas eve, we went to a nearby Safeway grocery store to purchase a few last-minute items, knowing all the stores would be closed on Christmas day. When we got to the checkout counter, I thought I overheard the clerk tell someone there was free bread. Did my ears ever perk up! When I inquired, the clerk said that since the store would be closed the next day, all the bread on the shelves was free.

You should have seen what happened from this point on. Some folks were too proud to go back for free bread; others made their way back to the bread and discretely picked through the loaves, taking one or two of their favorite varieties. Then there was me. I should begin by telling you we had come in our van—a large van. Signaling Dan to gather up some shopping carts, I proceeded to clear the shelves, raking the loaves into the carts, and with Dan’s help, wheeling multiple cart loads out to the van. Now some of you would not have wanted to be anywhere near me as I “gleaned” in the “field” of that Safeway store. I must tell you, though, that some of you in the audience ate that bread. Dan and I loaded the van, then I proceeded to call everyone I knew in our church who could use some free bread, and we had a number of takers.

This lets you know that when it comes to being enthusiastic about free bread, I am right there at the top of the list. I can identify with the people in our text who are privileged to be in the wilderness across the Sea of Galilee from Capernaum, in the wilderness where Jesus fed the 20,000 people who gathered (5,000 of whom were men). When Jesus fed this crowd, they were ready to make Him their king—by force if necessary. Jesus sent His disciples away, dismissed the crowd, and went off by Himself to pray. Later in the night, He set out for Capernaum, walking on the sea. Out on the sea, He came upon His disciples, and they were terrified, taking Him for a ghost. Our Lord identified Himself and got into the boat; immediately they reached shore.

In the morning, the crowd whom Jesus fed begin to search for Him. It takes them a while to realize that He is no longer nearby. They then set out for Capernaum in search for Him, and not long afterward, Jesus is spotted. A crowd gathers about Him once more, if not to hear Him teach, to have Him perform some miracle of healing—or to witness a healing. In our text, the folks who witnessed the feeding of the 5,000 find Jesus and challenge Him to be their “bread-winner” forever by providing them with bread, “like Moses did.” Jesus declines to grant this request. Instead, He offers them better “bread,” and He makes it clear to them in doing so that He is better than Moses.

Jesus is certainly better than Moses, but He is also one “like” Moses. Moses led the people through the midst of the Red Sea; Jesus just crossed over to Capernaum by walking on the Sea of Galilee. After the Israelites crossed through the Red Sea, God provided them with manna to eat. Jesus just fed the 5,000 in the wilderness “across the sea.” Even better, He offers men a “bread” that gives eternal life. It wasn’t long after the Israelites crossed the Red Sea that they began to grumble against Moses, and in our text, it isn’t long before the Jews begin to grumble against Jesus, especially His teaching. In chapter 5, our Lord was rejected by the Jewish religious leaders for healing a man on the Sabbath, for commanding the man to carry his bed on the Sabbath, and especially for claiming to be equal with God. Now, these Jerusalem Jewish leaders are more committed than ever to put Jesus to death. In chapter 6, our Lord will be rejected by many of the Galileans who once followed Him as His disciples. The reason will be our Lord’s teaching on the “bread of life” in chapter 6.

This sixth chapter of John is a watershed, a major turning point in the Gospel of John. From this point on, Jesus is not nearly as popular as He once was. His enemies are determined to do away with Him. From a historical point of view, it is only a matter of time until our Lord’s arrest, trial, and crucifixion. Our text plays a pivotal role in all of this, so let us listen well to the words of this Scripture.

Catching Up With Jesus
(6:22-24)

22 The next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the lake realized that only one small boat had been there, and that Jesus had not boarded it with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 But some boats from Tiberias came to shore near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

It is hard to overestimate the excitement and eagerness of the people regarding our Lord and the kingdom of God at this moment in time, especially among those who have just witnessed the feeding of the 5,000. Jesus has been publicly ministering for approximately two years. His disciples have just returned from going about the land performing miracles in Jesus’ name and proclaiming the nearness of the kingdom of God. Many have seen Jesus perform miracles and heard Him preach. Many more have heard about Him. John has told us that the miracle of this feeding takes place near the time of the Passover (6:4). Messianic expectations are running high, and the ministry of our Lord only serves to fan the flames of enthusiasm.

The morning after the miracle of the feast in the wilderness, the crowds surely awaken with a great sense of expectation. Jesus has gone further up the mountain by Himself, but there seems to be no way for Him to return to Capernaum without passing by them. He surely will not walk around the Sea of Galilee the long way, and He can’t go in the boat as the disciples took it the night before, at the Lord’s command. Jesus is going to have to walk around the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and thus pass by the people on His way—or so they suppose. After some time passes, it becomes apparent that Jesus is nowhere to be found. Then, some people arrive in boats from Tiberias on the other side of the Sea, south of Capernaum, and they are looking for Jesus as well. The crowd finally realizes that Jesus has left, even though they do not know how He managed to do so. (They, of course, have no idea that He walked across the Sea of Galilee, rejoining His disciples.) As many as possible squeeze into the boats and return to Capernaum in the hope of finding Jesus.

Politically Incorrect
(6:25-27)

25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate all the loaves of bread you wanted. 27 Do not work[291] for the food that disappears, but for the food that remains to eternal life—the food that the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has put his seal of approval on him.”

Those who have been searching for Jesus find Him on the other side of the lake and are obviously amazed to learn that He somehow eluded them and reached Capernaum before they arrived. They must wonder how He accomplished this, for they inquire, “Rabbi,[292] when did you get here?” It is a way of satisfying their curiosity without really asking Jesus “how” He did it. The question seems awkward, and perhaps it is. If they are mystified about how Jesus got to Capernaum without passing by them, it may be difficult for them to articulate their thoughts. The possible answers to their question may seem unthinkable.

I have titled this section of our text, “Politically Incorrect,” for good reason, I believe. If Jesus had done the “politically correct” thing, He would have called the people’s attention to the miracles He had just performed, especially the “unknown” miracle of His walking on the sea. In today’s terminology, it would have been great PR (public relations) material. I can imagine what some people would make of this: “Well, it’s interesting that you ask. As you know, no boat was available, so I found it necessary to use My supernatural powers to walk on the Sea of Galilee, thus reaching the other shore ahead of you. This is just one more proof of My power to serve you as your Messiah.”

Jesus never even mentions this miracle. It is not for them to know, but only for our Lord’s disciples and those who read John’s Gospel. If the people of that region knew what Jesus had done, they would have been even more eager to make Him their king, even if by force. Jesus sees through their question and, beginning in verse 26, He does that which is politically incorrect: He exposes their motives and rebukes them for their sin. The reason the crowds are hovering around Jesus is that these folks are hoping He will provide them with free bread forever. The “messiah” they want is only a “meal ticket.”

Earlier in John chapter 2 (verses 23-25), we saw that those with only “sign-faith” were those our Lord kept at arms reach; He did not commit Himself to them. If our Lord avoided “sign-faith” believers, then you can well imagine how Jesus feels about these people who are looking for a “free meal messiah.” Though they witnessed the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, these folks did not grasp its meaning, nor did they come to faith in Jesus as God’s Messiah. They have been given a free meal, and they want more of the same.

We need to read verse 27 very carefully lest we misunderstand our Lord here (as His audience does). The verb “to work” is found but once in this verse. In the Greek text, the verb is an imperative in the present tense, and it is negated. The negation conveys the thought that men should not work—more precisely, that men should stop working.[293] We almost automatically read the verse this way: “Stop working for the food that disappears, but work for the food that remains to eternal life.” The words “work for” are not in the original text, however. I do not believe we are to read them into the text as we do. Jesus is not suggesting that men cease working for earthly bread, but work hard for heavenly bread. He is saying that the “bread” which He offers is “bread” which He gives. It is not bread for which men work. Thus, the sense of His words would be something closer to: “Stop working for the food that disappears, and seek instead the bread which remains to eternal life, the bread which I give.”

Our Lord now makes a very bold statement, which accompanies His offer of “bread from heaven.” On Jesus, the Father has put His seal. My Microsoft software, which I am running on the computer I am using to write this message, has a very carefully made “seal” on the box. Under this Microsoft seal, these words are printed: “These stickers indicate that this product is genuine Microsoft software …” This seal is proof that I have purchased genuine Microsoft software. There is no higher “seal” than that which the Son of God has from God the Father.

The question, of course, is just what constitutes this “seal” of the Father. Further, we need to know just what the “seal” authenticates as genuine. I have studied both Greek and Hebrew (actually, I majored in Hebrew), but I do not profess to be a scholar in either Greek or Hebrew. As a result, I am reluctant to translate or retranslate the text. I am going to make an exception here, however, because the order of the words in the Greek text seems to suggest the answer to one of our questions. Literally rendered, the text would read something like this: “For this One the Father has sealed, the God.” Nearly all take this to mean that God, the Father, has sealed the Son. Of course this is true. But our Lord may be saying that the Father has sealed Him as God. In other words, Jesus has been performing miracles—doing the work of His Father. The Father “set His seal” on the Son at His baptism. The Father “set His seal” on the Son through His Word, through the Old Testament Scriptures, which spoke of the coming Messiah. All of this has been emphasized in chapter 5 of John’s Gospel. The “seal” is the testimony of God to the Son. The “seal” authenticates the Son’s claim, not only to be the promised Messiah, but also to be the Son of God.

Here is another “politically incorrect” statement. This claim of our Lord is the claim He made in chapter 5, the same claim which got Him into trouble with the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem. One would think the “politically correct” thing to do would be to drop this claim, or at least to cease emphasizing it. Jesus does just the opposite. Once again He boldly makes this claim as a part of His gospel. If men will believe on Him for eternal life, if they will receive the “bread” He offers them, they must receive Him as “bread from God.” The deity of our Lord Jesus Christ (Jesus is God) is not an incidental claim, a secondary issue; the deity of our Lord is essential to the gospel. Men who would receive the gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ must receive it from Him as God. Someone might conceivably come to faith in Jesus without fully grasping this truth, but as I read the Scriptures, no one will receive eternal life from Jesus who rejects His deity. This is why Jesus makes such a point of this truth. This is also one of the things which offends men about our Lord’s gospel.

Doing and Believing
(6:28-31)

28 So then they said to him, “What must we do to accomplish the deeds God requires?” 29 Jesus replied, “This is [God’s work:[294] so that you][295] believe in the one whom he sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what miraculous sign will you perform, so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the desert, just as it is written, ‘He[296] gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

Jesus does not rebuke His audience for seeking “free bread,” but rather for working for bread that does not last. Jesus is offering to give them free bread forever, but it is a very different kind of “bread.” As usual in the Gospel of John, our Lord’s words are not understood correctly. They think that Jesus is encouraging them to accomplish some work that will please God, and thus they can earn eternal life. So they ask, “What must we do to accomplish the deeds God requires?” Their question is a reflection of their distorted interpretation and application of the Old Testament law. They think the law spells out what God requires of them, so that through law-keeping they can earn His favor. They are wrong. Paul sums up what the role of the law really is, and how men must be saved:

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For no one is declared righteous before him by the works of the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. 21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God, which is attested by the law and the prophets, has been disclosed—22 namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 24 But they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God publicly displayed him as a satisfaction for sin by his blood through faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness, because God in his forbearance had passed over the sins previously committed. 26 This was also to demonstrate his righteousness in the present time, so that he would be just and the justifier of the one who lives because of Jesus’ faithfulness (Romans 3:19-26).

Our Lord’s words indicate that salvation is God’s work, not man’s. Salvation is accomplished through the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Men are not saved by striving, but simply by believing in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life. The Jews once again take these words the wrong way. They reason something like this: “Jesus claims that men must believe in Him in order to be saved. If we are to believe in Him, then He must prove Himself to us, showing us that He is worthy of our trust. He must perform some very impressive miracle if He is going to get us to believe in Him.” And so they attempt to turn the tables on Jesus, challenging Him to do something worthy of their faith. They even dare to hold Moses up as the standard, drawing attention to what they wrongly believe he accomplished, which “deed” Jesus must exceed if He is to earn their trust:

30 So they said to him, “Then what miraculous sign will you perform, so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the desert, just as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat’” (John 6:30-31).

This is truly amazing. They seem to ask for one great work, one magnificent miracle. They then seek to remind Jesus of what Moses did (or at least what they thought he did). They claim that Moses gave their ancestors bread from heaven to eat. Jesus is expected to meet or exceed this standard. They are requiring that for them to believe in Jesus as their Messiah, Jesus must provide bread from heaven, as Moses did. This manna was provided for the Israelites for 40 years. It seems that this is at least how long Jesus is expected to provide bread for them.

Christ’s Corrections
(6:32-33)

32 Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the solemn truth,[297] it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but my Father is giving you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

Our Lord’s words must be carefully considered, because they set forth a number of corrections to the view put forth by the Jews. First, the words which Jesus is about to speak are of the utmost importance. They are introduced by the words, “I tell you the solemn truth” (“Verily, verily,” KJV). Second, it was not Moses who gave the Israelites bread in the wilderness; it was God. This is the clear teaching of the Scriptures which speak of the feeding of the Israelites in the wilderness:

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not (Exodus 16:4, NKJV).

“You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger, And brought them water out of the rock for their thirst, And told them to go in to possess the land Which You had sworn to give them” (Nehemiah 9:15, NKJV).

23 Yet He had commanded the clouds above, And opened the doors of heaven, 24 Had rained down manna on them to eat, And given them of the bread of heaven (Psalm 78:23-24, NKJV).

The people asked, and He brought quail, And satisfied them with the bread of heaven (Psalm 105:40, NKJV).

Third, the “bread” which God gave (past tense) Israel in the past is not the “true bread” which God is now giving (present tense) men from heaven. The Father who gave “bread” to their forefathers in the wilderness is still giving “bread,” but it is “true bread.” It is true bread in that it is the “ultimate and final fulfillment of earlier prototypes.”[298]

Fourth, Jesus is not just the “giver” of bread, He is that bread. The “bread” of which our Lord is speaking is from heaven. The bread is a Person. Jesus is that bread:

“For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (verse 33).

Jesus Defines “Bread” and Explains Jewish Unbelief
(6:34-40)

34 So they said to him, “Sir, give us this bread all the time!” 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never go hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But I told you that you have seen me and still do not believe. 37 Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. 39 Now this is the will of the one who sent me: that I should not lose one person of every one he has given me, but raise them all up at the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father: that every one who looks on the Son and believes in him will have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Our Lord’s audience does not understand what He is saying at all. They still think Jesus is offering them some kind of literal bread, which they can eat and fill their stomachs, just as they ate the barley loaves at the feeding of the 5,000. So when Jesus speaks to them about “bread,” they quickly ask for more: “Sir, give us this bread all the time!” They offer Jesus a full-time job as their chef.

In His response, Jesus makes it very clear that He is speaking of “spiritual bread,” not literal bread. It is He who is the “bread,” so whoever comes to Him will never hunger. In verse 35, Jesus speaks of the one who “comes to Him” as the one who “believes in Him.” To come to Jesus is to trust in Him, by faith, as the “bread from heaven,” who is God’s only provision for eternal life.

In verse 36, our Lord goes back to the challenge given Him in verse 30:

So they said to him, “Then what miraculous sign will you perform, so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?”

If these folks are to believe in Jesus (as He has said they must in verse 29), then they must have proof, and He must provide it. They expect Jesus to perform some miracle to prove that He is worthy of their faith. The fact is that Jesus has already performed many miracles, and yet they have not believed in Him. So now Jesus takes up the matter of their unbelief.

He has already told them all they need to know, and they have seen Him at work, performing many miracles—miracles such as the feeding of the 5,000. None of this brings them to faith, however. They persist in their unbelief. The reason for this is not popular, but it is true:

37 Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. 39 Now this is the will of the one who sent me: that I should not lose one person of every one he has given me, but raise them all up at the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father: that every one who looks on the Son and believes in him will have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Those who “come to Him” (see verse 35) are those whom the Father has given to the Son (verse 37). Everyone the Father gives to the Son comes to Him in faith. And everyone who comes to the Son in faith will be accepted—none will ever be sent away (verse 37). The reason we may be so confident about this is because of the Son’s relationship to the Father. The Son will not act independently of the Father, but only in submission to the Father. If the Father gives someone to the Son as a believer, the Son will receive this individual, because the Father has given them to Him. Think of it, our eternal destiny is contingent upon the Son’s submission to the Father. No wonder Satan sought to tempt our Lord to act independently of the Father! The Son’s will is to do the Father’s will, and so those whom the Father gives, the Son gladly receives, because the Father gives them to Him. And those the Father gives, He gives for keeps, and the Son does keep them. He turns none away who come to Him, and He loses none of those He receives. This must also mean that none who comes to our Lord in faith can be “lost” by death. The basis for this resurrection hope is that our Lord has the authority and the power to “raise them up at the last day” (verses 39, 40).

Grumbling Against Jesus
(6:41-51)

41 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus began complaining about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven,” 42 and they started saying, “Isn’t this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven?” 43 Jesus replied, “Do not complain about me to one another. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who hears and learns from the Father comes to me. 46 (Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God—he has seen the Father.) 47 I tell you the solemn truth, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, and they died. 50 This is the bread that has come down from heaven, so that a person may eat from it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats from this bread he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

By this time, there are many differing opinions about Jesus. The Jewish religious leaders have long since made up their minds that Jesus will not be the Messiah—not if they have anything to do with it! They have, in fact, already determined to put Him to death (see 5:18). Some would have Jesus as their king, even if by force (see 6:15). A number are still undecided about Jesus, but some sincerely believe in Him as the Messiah. Included in this number are the 11 disciples and a number of others (see 1:12, 49; 2:11, 23). Some of the people seem to embrace the view of their religious leaders, rejecting Jesus as an impostor, or at least not their kind of Messiah. Starting at verse 41, it is this latter group that reacts to Jesus’ teaching on the “bread of life” and begins to grumble.[299]

The word “complain” or “grumble” implies complaining against Jesus behind His back. Angered by His claim to be “the bread that came down from heaven,” they begin mumbling among themselves and to those in the crowd against Jesus. Notice that their words are not addressed to Jesus, but to others about Jesus: “Isn’t this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven?’” Notice the “now” of verse 41. It underscores the alleged inconsistency those who oppose Jesus are claiming. They are saying, in effect, “We know who Jesus is and where He came from. We know about His birth as a mere man. How can he now, at this point in his life, claim to be divine?”

It isn’t really such a bad question when you stop to think about it. If Jesus was born of earthly parents alone, then His claim to have come from heaven is absurd. But these people don’t really have their facts down as well as they think. In one sense, Mary and Joseph were the earthly parents of our Lord. Mary was His biological mother, while Joseph was not His biological father. He did play the role of father in our Lord’s growing up years, and Jesus submitted to both His father and His mother (see Luke 2:51). Had these folks given careful heed to the Old Testament Scriptures, they would have known that the promised Messiah was to be both human and divine, God and man (see Deuteronomy 18:15; Isaiah 9:6). He was to be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). He was to be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). And so these Jews who think they know our Lord’s origins so well are wrong in their facts. The Old Testament Scriptures indicate that our Lord would come to earth as He did, and the events of our Lord’s birth perfectly fulfilled the Scriptures. But these folks are determined not to believe in Jesus as God’s Messiah, as God’s provision of “bread from heaven.”

The asking of the question is not wrong, in and of itself. We should not hesitate to probe the claims of Jesus Christ and to expect a reasonable answer. This question is wrong because of the facts it assumes, and because it totally disregards other crucial facts. In the context of John’s Gospel, there are many witnesses to the truth of our Lord’s claim to have come down from heaven. Look at John’s statements in chapter 1. Look at the miracles our Lord performs in chapter 2 and elsewhere (5:36). There was the witness of John the Baptist and of the Father at our Lord’s baptism. Our Lord did not testify alone to His divine and heavenly origins; there were many witnesses. But His opponents closed their eyes to these witnesses. Theirs was a willful unbelief.

Our Lord responds to this complaint, but not in a way His adversaries expect, and certainly not in a way they wish. Jesus tells them to stop mumbling to one another. Do they not believe Him? This is no blow to His pride, nor is it a shock. Jesus expects this. They do not believe because they cannot believe. Jesus explains that it is impossible for anyone to believe in Him unless the Father who sent Him draws them, and these He (Jesus) will raise up in the last day (verse 44). God must draw men to faith in the Son, the same God who sent the Son.

Do these folks find it impossible to believe in Jesus? Jesus is not taken aback by their unbelief. Jesus does not strive to convince them that He is who He claims to be. He simply tells them that they are not among those whom the Father has given Him. Do you notice that the issues here in our text are very much the same issues that we find in chapter 5, when Jesus is in Jerusalem, rejected and opposed by the Jewish religious leaders? If He is who He claims to be, then He is from heaven, and He can raise men from the dead.

Here is something few people would recommend to those who desire to witness to others about Jesus as the Messiah, the Savior of the world—telling the lost that they cannot and will not be saved unless the Father draws them, unless they are chosen of God. Yet this is what our Lord chooses to emphasize in His response to the unbelief and opposition of His adversaries. But there is more. If verse 44 emphasizes the negative side of the story of election,[300] verses 45-51 boldly declare the positive side of election.

Jesus turns to Scripture to make His point, citing Isaiah 54:13. In this prophecy, God is speaking to the Jewish people about their future hope in Messiah and His coming kingdom. Many wonderful things are promised in relation to the coming of the kingdom of God. Among these promised blessings is the assurance that “all of Israel’s ‘sons’ will be taught of God” (verse 13). Jesus applies this verse in a very different way than we might expect. If “all of Israel’s sons will be taught of God,” then those who are untaught—those who refuse to accept the teaching of Messiah—must not enter into the kingdom of God. These “grumblers” against our Lord do not receive His teaching, and thus show that they have no part of this kingdom. They are not those of His kingdom because God the Father (who sent the Son) has not chosen or drawn them.

The only One who has seen the Father, the only One who has “learned” directly from Him, is the Son (see John 1:18; 3:32-33; 5:20-21, 37-38). To be “taught of God” is to be taught by God through Jesus Christ, the Messiah. He alone has seen and heard the Father, and explains His Word and His will to men. Do these “grumblers” not accept Jesus and His teaching? This tells us more about them than it does about our Lord.

The one who hears our Lord’s teaching and trusts in Him as the “bread from heaven” is the one who gains eternal life, who gains entrance into the blessed kingdom of God, as promised by the prophets (and specifically Isaiah, whom Jesus has just cited). Jesus is the “bread from heaven,” and thus is the “bread of life,” the “bread” who gives men eternal life. This “bread” is vastly superior to the “bread” which their ancestors ate in the wilderness. Though they ate manna for many years, they eventually died. The “bread” which God provides in Jesus is a bread which results in eternal life. This is true bread, the real thing.

Now Jesus gets to the really hard part of His teaching. He is not talking about physical bread, about manna or even the barley loaves He provided in the wilderness for the multitude. He is talking about something “spiritual,” something from heaven which results in spiritual life. Those who are chosen and drawn by the Father will “come to” Jesus in faith (verse 37). They will believe in Him (verse 35). But what is the nature of this spiritual “bread,” and how does one partake of it? This is the focus of the next verses, and our Lord’s teaching on this matter produces a very different “exodus.”

Jesus gets to the bottom line of how men must respond to Him in verse 51: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats from this bread he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” Jesus does provide the “bread of life,” but He is this “bread.” Those who “eat” of this bread will live forever. The bread that men must “eat” in order to have eternal life is the “flesh” of our Lord.

All along in the Gospel of John, Jesus has been speaking to men in spiritual terms, and men have been understanding Him in merely literal terms. For example, Jesus spoke to the Jerusalem Jewish leaders about “destroying this temple” in chapter 2, and they took Him to be referring to the literal temple, while He was referring to the “temple” of His body (2:19-22). In chapter 3, Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about being “born again,” and once again He was taken literally. Jesus spoke to the “woman at the well” about “living water,” and she thought it was something to drink (John 4:10-15). In our text, Jesus speaks about “eating” His “flesh,” which is the “bread of life,” and at least some of His audience takes His words in a most literal way, and they are repulsed.

The Real Mission of Jesus
(6:52-58)

52 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus began to argue with one another, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat!” 53 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood resides in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so the one who consumes me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like your ancestors ate and died. The one who eats this bread will live forever.”

Many of us have had countless offers to obtain a “free gift” of one kind or another, only to learn that there is a catch. In almost every instance, what is supposedly “free” is not free at all. The Jews are very interested in “free” bread, and Jesus offers it to them. In fact, this “free bread” is even more “free” than His audience supposes. They think it is bread they have to work for, but Jesus makes a point of telling them it cannot be obtained by man’s good works, but only freely, as a gift of God’s sovereign grace.

Up to this point in time, no one has really grasped just how our Lord had purposed to save men from their sins. Even the disciples will not understand this until after our Lord’s sacrificial death and victorious resurrection. It is about this point in time, however, when our Lord begins to tell men how He is going to save them. In the Synoptic Gospels, it is shortly after the “great confession” of Peter that Jesus begins to inform His disciples about His coming death in Jerusalem (see Matthew 16:13-28; Mark 8:27-38; Luke 9:18-27). It would appear from a comparison of the Gospels that the great confession took place shortly after the feeding of the 5,000.[301] So it is that we find—for the first time in the Gospel of John[302]—our Lord’s revelation that He will give men eternal life by His substitutionary death on the cross for the sins of men.

At least some of the Jews who hear Him advance from “grumbling” to “arguing”[303] (verse 52). It seems as though the words of our Lord have divided the audience. They are not said to be arguing with Jesus, but with one another. Some appear to accept our Lord’s words; others will have nothing to do with this line of teaching. And so those in the crowd begin arguing with one another. Those who oppose Jesus and His teaching interpret His words in a crassly literal way: “How can this man give us his flesh to eat!”

Once again, in verses 53-58, Jesus responds to what is being thought and spoken by those in the crowd. He is not really trying to convince His adversaries, but simply attempting to clarify His meaning, knowing that the more clear His teaching becomes, the more offended many will be. He does not at all back down from what He has said, but affirms it in the strongest possible language:[304] “I tell you the solemn truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves” (verse 53). Jesus does not offer an alternative method for obtaining eternal life. Only those who “eat His flesh” and “drink His blood” will have this everlasting life. This “eternal life” extends beyond death and the grave! The one who eats and drinks of Him will have eternal life, and in the last day Jesus will raise this one up from the dead. The flesh of our Lord is “true” food, and His blood is “true” drink (verse 55). It is that which “truly” sustains life, beyond death, to eternal life. The one who eats His flesh and drinks His blood abides (NET Bible, “resides”) in Christ, and He in them (verse 56).

Jesus links this claim to be “true” food and “true” drink to His previous claims to be God and to have come down to the earth, sent by the Father from above (verses 57-58). Just as the Father sent the Son from heaven and the Son lives out the life of the Father, so the one who “eats” and “drinks” the Son lives because of the Son. The Father’s life extends to and through the Son to those who will partake of the Son’s flesh and blood. This is that “bread from heaven” of which Jesus has been speaking. Eating this bread gives eternal life to whoever eats it.

Another “Exodus”: A Parting of Jesus’ Disciples
(6:59-71)

Why the Jews Could Not Stomach the Bread of Heaven

59 Jesus said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. 60 Then many of his disciples, when they heard these things, said, “This is a difficult saying! Who can understand it?”[305] 61 Because Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining about this, he said to them, “Does this cause you to be offended? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before? 63 The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help! The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had already known from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 So Jesus added, “Because of this I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has allowed him to come.” 66 After this many of his disciples quit following him and did not accompany him any longer. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God!” 70 Jesus replied, “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is the devil?” 71 (Now he said this about Judas son of Simon Iscariot; for Judas, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.)

Things have “progressed” from grumbling—to arguing—to downright rejection of our Lord’s teaching. Jesus has been saying all these things while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. Many “followed” Jesus as “disciples” who did not really believe in Him, not in the way He is now defining His mission and ministry as Israel’s Messiah. They “followed” Jesus out into the wilderness, where He taught them and fed them, but they are not willing to “follow” Him where He is going with His teaching. They are not willing to “follow” Him to the cross of Calvary. They claim His teaching is too difficult, too obscure, but this is not really true. They are more than willing to follow Jesus when His message was not clear to them. They cease to follow Him as His message becomes more and more clear. They do not like what they are hearing, and they want to hear no more of it.

Once again, Jesus knows what they are thinking and saying, and thus He responds in verses 61-65. Do His words offend them, causing them to stumble and fall away? If they are offended by His insistence that He has come down from heaven, what will they do if they see Him ascending back into heaven? It is one thing to claim to have come down from heaven, and quite another to be seen returning to the place from which Jesus claims to have come.

But moving beyond the literal aspects of His teaching, Jesus gets to the heart of the problem—His audience simply cannot grasp the spiritual meaning of His words. In some ways our Lord’s conversation here with the crowds is similar to His conversation with Nicodemus recorded in chapter 3. Nicodemus wondered how a man could be reborn from above. This crowd wonders how one can obtain eternal life through eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking His blood. In both cases, Jesus refers to the spiritual dimensions of His message, and specifically to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ words are “spirit and life.” Without the Spirit, His words do not “come to life,” and they do not produce eternal life. The Holy Spirit gives eternal life, quickening those who are dead in their trespasses and sins. Those who cannot grasp His words are devoid of the Spirit, and thus Jesus’ words are beyond human comprehension, and certainly beyond acceptance. Included with the unbelieving among our Lord’s disciples is one of the twelve, Judas Iscariot. Jesus does not name him here, though all of us now know immediately to whom He is referring. Unbelief does not shock Jesus, because He knows that no one can “naturally” believe, on their own; they must be called and drawn by the Father through the quickening (life-giving) ministry of the Holy Spirit. Even one so close to Jesus as Judas can see and hear all that he does without truly coming to faith in Jesus as the Messiah.

This is the breaking point for many. This is teaching that many can not and will not understand, nor are they willing to follow Jesus any longer. Many so-called “disciples” prove only to be “followers” for a time. Having heard these words of Jesus, they leave Him, never again to follow Him as His disciples. I am reminded of the parable of the soils, in which Jesus describes the seed which falls on rocky ground:

5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it did not have much soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. 6 When the sun came up it was scorched, and because it did not have a root, it withered … 16 And these are the ones sown on the rocky ground: whenever they hear the word, they receive it at once with joy. 17 But they have no root in themselves and are temporary. Then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they fall away[306] immediately (Mark 5:5-6, 16-17).

In the parable of the soils, the seed sown on rocky ground represents those who too quickly embrace Jesus and His teaching, without fully grasping what it means. They are offended by the suffering and affliction that comes into their life as a result of following Christ, and thus just as quickly, they fall away. In the case of the “disciples” in our text who leave Jesus, it is the suffering of Jesus which causes many to cease following Jesus. One cannot help but wonder, however, if it isn’t fairly obvious to these folks that if their Master must suffer and die, they may also experience the same rejection and persecution, if not death. The teaching of Jesus is not what these “disciples” want to hear, and so they abandon the Master, who is God’s Messiah.

Jesus then turns to His closest disciples and poses the question, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?”[307] Predictably, it is Simon Peter who speaks for the twelve. Notice his answer to Jesus’ question. He does not seem to fully grasp what Jesus has been saying, either. We know from Peter’s great confession in the Synoptic Gospels that when Jesus introduces the subject of His rejection and crucifixion, Peter strongly objects:

17 And Jesus answered him, “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven! 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on the earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.” 20 Then he instructed his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. 21 From that time on Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid, Lord! This must not happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you are not thinking the thoughts of God, but of men” (Matthew 16:17-23).

Neither Peter nor any of the other disciples close to our Lord understand what Jesus is talking about at this moment in time. They will understand, but not until after the Lord’s death, burial, resurrection and ascension, and the coming of the Holy Spirit (see 16:12-13). But even if they do not understand the teaching of our Lord at this moment, they know no one else has the answers, and that He does. They believe that He is the Son of God, God’s Messiah. They believe that only through Him can they obtain eternal life. They know they have no one else to turn to but Jesus. They are going nowhere.

It is a wonderful profession of faith that Peter makes. He speaks for all of the twelve, save one—Judas Iscariot, who is to betray Him. This too is known to the Savior, and so He indicates this to His disciples. Though He has chosen all twelve of them, one of these twelve is “a devil.” Like much of what Jesus has been saying at this time, the disciples do not really understand Him. We know He is speaking of Judas, and they will know it in good time. But Jesus tells them ahead of time so that they will understand that He is not a victim in His death, but a Victor, a volunteer who chooses to submit to His Father’s will, and to die on the cross of Calvary in the sinner’s place.

Conclusion

In the unfolding drama of John’s Gospel, John chapter 6 is a watershed. Jesus has not only been rejected by the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem (chapter 5), He has now been rejected by the masses in Galilee, those who a few hours before would have made Him king by force. Is this not a preview of what will take place just a year later, when our Lord triumphantly marches into Jerusalem and is hailed as the King? Will it not be but a few hours before the crowds are calling for the death of Jesus? And will this rejection and death not be the very thing Jesus has foretold in our text?

Our text is much more than mere history, a skillfully written account of what happened in the life and ministry of our Lord. It is recorded to instruct us, and there is much for us to learn here. Let me conclude this message by pointing out some of the lessons it has to teach us.

This text exposes some of the wrong reasons people turn to God, and why they reject the gospel when they finally understand it. Consider some of the reasons why people seek God, which are not biblical. First, many people seek God to “meet their needs.” These “needs” are almost always physical or material, rather than spiritual, and they are the “needs” we define for God—which we expect Him to meet. We want physical health, success in our endeavors, and food on the table. We look to God to provide these for us, not as secondary desires, but as primary demands. When God fails to meet our demands, when life doesn’t go as we wish, we find God to blame. How many of us, as Christians, find God’s “meeting our needs” as the dominant theme of our prayer life? Unfortunately, in the presentation of the gospel, some people present God as the great “need-meeter,” rather than as the sovereign God, who seeks those who will serve Him and submit to His will, the God who came to seek and to save the lost. Our greatest need is the forgiveness of our sins, not more varieties of bread on the table.

Second, some people turn to God for salvation, but they seek a salvation to which they can contribute, a salvation which they control (see 6:36-37, 44). We all think we want something free, but we balk at a salvation that is completely free. In our pride and self-will, we seek for God to save us our way, and with our help. We don’t want “charity,” yet charity is the only thing that will save us. Everything we touch is defiled, even our efforts to please God (more accurately, especially our efforts to please God). Salvation is God’s work.

Seeing is not necessarily believing. Those who saw and heard our Lord could ask for no more proof that He was the Messiah. But for all they observed, they did not believe. Only the sovereignty of God in salvation explains their persistent unbelief and rejection of our Lord. Only the sovereignty of God in salvation explains the conversion of a lost sinner. And the sovereignty of God in salvation is the basis for our security. The fact that it is all of God is the reason we can be saved, and it is also the reason our salvation is so secure. He who began the good work of our salvation is also the One who will complete it (Philippians 1:6). This does not mean that we have no choice to make, or that we are not held responsible for that choice. It simply means that salvation is of the Lord; it is His work. Those whom He chooses and draws come to Him. Should this make us apathetic and passive in seeking to win others to Christ? Not at all. It should motivate us, both to pray to Him who saves and to share the good news of the gospel with those who are lost.

Third, some seek to abuse our text by claiming that it is the basis for obtaining salvation through the sacrament of holy communion. A friend of mine reminded me that this text is the primary text for those who teach that salvation comes through the sacraments, particularly that of holy communion. Unbelievers through the centuries (particularly the Jews, so far as the Bible is concerned) have sought salvation through rituals, rather than through the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. In John chapter 6 Jesus is not teaching us that we can be saved by our ritualistic partaking of communion, for this is but a symbol of our “partaking” of Christ by faith in His death, burial, and resurrection in our place.

Fourth, some seek a savior who is merely human, and they are repulsed by One who claims to be divine. Have you noticed that other (false) religions have their leaders, but only Christianity has a man who claims also to be God? The Jews in our text are not offended by a Savior who claims to be a man, but by a Man who claims to be God—and the only way of salvation. The deity of Christ is offensive to lost men. Have you wondered why men and women put their trust in individuals who are clearly fallible, clearly less than divine? I think it is because we would rather have a “god” in our image than to submit to a God who will conform us to His image.

Fifth, many people seek a savior who conforms to their distorted interpretation of Scripture. There are, of course, many “interpretations” of the Bible. Even born again Christians differ on many interpretations. But the people in our text want a messiah who conforms to their distorted views of what the Bible teaches. They want to give Moses credit for feeding the multitude in the wilderness, not God. Many are those who claim to offer a salvation that is taught in the Bible, but much that is claimed as biblical is simply man’s distortion of the truth. Only those whose eyes God has opened, who have the Spirit of God in them, can rightly interpret the Word of God (see John 16:12-15; 1 Corinthians 2:6-16).

Sixth, many are those who want a “bloodless” salvation, who do not wish to be saved by a suffering Savior. The most offensive thing about our Lord’s teaching in John 6 is His insistence that He came to save lost sinners by way of the cross of Calvary. While all of the specifics of this are not spelled out, this is the essence of what Jesus is teaching, and of what His “followers” find repulsive. How can they miss this, as familiar as they are with the Old Testament and the “bloody” sacrificial system. As the author to the Hebrews has written, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22). John the Baptist introduced our Lord as the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, see also verse 36).

Our sin deserves the death penalty, because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). We deserve to die for our sins, because we are sinners. Jesus Christ is the sinless Son of God. He came to die in the sinner’s place, to bear the guilt and punishment for our sins, and thus to appease God’s holy wrath on our sin. By His sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary, Jesus paid the price for our sins. It is only by faith in His “flesh and blood” as He came to this earth and died in our place that we are saved. This is how our Lord became the “bread of heaven that gives life to the world.” Have you tasted this “bread”? Have you acknowledged your sin, and the divine wrath it merits? Have you trusted in the sacrifice Jesus Christ made on the cross of Calvary for your sins? I urge you to partake of this “bread” and to obtain eternal life through Him.


! Lesson 17:
Jesus in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles
(John 7:1-52)

Introduction

This past week I received a very angry e-mail response from a Jewish woman who had just read my exposition of the Book of Esther, which is published on the Internet. She was most distressed that I did not portray Esther as the great and godly woman of faith that many Jews (and Christians) suppose her to be. Her e-mail was angry and rude (it ends, “so long heathen!!!!”), but worst of all, it was blasphemous against our Lord Jesus Christ. I won’t repeat what she said about Jesus Christ or about the New Testament Scriptures. I believe this woman’s e-mail was providential, in that it has enhanced my own personal study of the Gospel of John. First, her anger toward our Lord helped me to recognize the same hatred and anger toward Jesus on the part of some of the Jews depicted in our text in John chapter 7.

It also caused me to rethink my way through the argument of John’s Gospel as his apologetic as a Jew—to the Jews. The woman who responded with such intensity to my sermons on Esther is convinced that there is no relation between the Old Testament and the New, nor between the Old Testament prophecies concerning Israel’s Messiah and the coming of our Lord Jesus as described in the Gospels. I think she is exactly the kind of person John hoped would read his Gospel. In the first chapter of John’s Gospel, he introduces Jesus as “the Word,” the One whose origin is not to be traced to a manger in Bethlehem, but One who is Himself the origin, the Creator of this world. Through Him, the world was spoken into existence. In the course of time, “the Word” became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus was born of a woman, fully God as much as He was fully man. If Jesus is the “Creator” in John chapter 1, and in chapter 2 (when He turns the water into wine), He is also the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (1:29, 36), and the greater “temple” (2:13-22). He is foreshadowed by the bronze serpent, lifted up by Moses in the wilderness (3:14-15), and the One who is greater than Jacob, offering men and women “living water” (4:10-14). In fact, He is the ladder Jacob saw in his vision on his way from Beersheba to Haran (Genesis 28:10-17; John 1:51). He is the Messiah (4:21-26), the healer of the sick on the Sabbath, who claims the right to do so because He is God (5:1-18). Jesus is the “true bread” from heaven (6:22-71), who gives eternal life to men (much better than the manna that God gave Israel in the wilderness). He is the One who is greater than Moses (1:17; 5:43-47; 6:30-33; 9:27-33). John is telling his Jewish readers that Jesus is the fulfillment of everything in the Old Testament which looks forward to the coming of Messiah.

John would have us know that Jesus is the culmination and fulfillment of all the Jews eagerly awaited, based upon the Old Testament. One must either accept the witness of the Old Testament, of John, of the Father, and of those whose lives Jesus touched, or one must reject Him as a fraud and a deceiver. This is precisely what men and women will do in our text, and as we see throughout the Bible. This Gospel, and the truths set down in our text, are those which we must either accept or reject. Those who accept John’s account will trust in Jesus as the Messiah. Those who reject John’s words will reject Jesus, to their own eternal doom. The truths we find in our text are those to which we must respond, and our response will determine our eternal destiny. Let us listen well to what our Lord Jesus Christ claims.

A Turning Point in John’s Gospel

Chapter 7 is a rather clear turning point in John’s Gospel. In the first four chapters of John, there is very little opposition to our Lord and His teaching. In chapter 5, Jesus is accused and opposed by the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem, as a result of His healing of the paralytic on the Sabbath. In chapter 6, John records a large-scale departure on the part of would-be disciples of our Lord. This takes place after the feeding of the 5,000 and our Lord’s teaching on the “bread of life.” In chapter 7, we come to a point in John’s Gospel when the opposition to our Lord becomes more intense and more broad-based. Up till now, John has not allowed the opponents of our Lord to “have the floor” to articulate their point of view and carry on a debate with Jesus.[308] Previously, John focused on our Lord’s response to His opponents, without fully conveying their arguments. Now, they have their chance, and so does our Lord, not only to refute the error of His opponents, but also to introduce some very important new subject matter:

From now to the end of the public ministry John depicts a steadily deepening hostility. In this chapter and the next John has a good deal to tell us about the arguments used by the enemies of Jesus. This may well be his way of saying that the objections raised to Jesus’ messianic claims all had their answers.[309]

But though danger was in the air Jesus continued on His appointed path. He went up to the feast in due course, and there He gave the teaching that was appropriate to the occasion. The great advance was in His teaching on the Spirit. Some aspects of this have occupied us before, but on this occasion Jesus brings out the point that when the Spirit is within a man He overflows in abounding life. The Spirit-filled man cannot but be a blessing to other people.[310]

Background:
The Feast of Tabernacles

The events of chapter 7 take place in the context of the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. It would be good for us to understand the meaning and significance of this feast, and some of the elements of the ceremony. William Hendriksen summarizes these things for us very well:

On this feast see Lev. 23:33-44 and Numbers 29. It was celebrated from the fifteenth to the twenty-first or twenty-second day of the seventh month, which approximates our October. It was a feast of thanksgiving for the vintage. But besides being a harvest-festival it was also a joyful commemoration of the divine guidance granted to the Atonement, the idea of joy after redemption was naturally very prominent. In a decreased daily scale a special sacrifice of seventy bullocks was made. The temple-trumpets were blown on each day. There was the ceremony of the outpouring of water, drawn from Siloam, in commemoration of the refreshing stream which had come forth miraculously out of the rock at Meribah (Ex. 17:1-7), and in anticipation of blessings both for Israel and for the world. There was the illumination of the inner court of the temple, where the light of the grand candelabra reminded one of the pillar of fire by night which had served as a guide through the desert (Num. 14:14). There was a torch-parade. And above all, everywhere in and around Jerusalem, in the street, the square, and even on the roofs of the houses booths were erected. These leafy dwellings provided shelter for the pilgrims who came from every direction to attend this feast. But most of all they too were reminders of the wilderness-life of the ancestors (Lev. 23:43).[311]

Jesus and Jerusalem
(7:1-13)

1 After this Jesus was traveling around in Galilee. He did not want to go around in Judea because the Jewish authorities wanted to kill him. 2 Now the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near. 3 So Jesus’ brothers advised [said to] him, “Leave here and go to Judea so your disciples may see your miracles that you are performing. 4 For no one who seeks to make a reputation for himself does anything in secret. If you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 (For not even his own brothers believed in him.) 6 So Jesus replied, “My time has not yet arrived, but you are ready at any opportunity. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I am testifying about it that its deeds are evil. 8 You go up to the feast yourselves. I am not going up to this feast yet,[312] because my time has not yet fully arrived.” 9 When he had said this, he remained in Galilee. 10 But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then Jesus himself also went up, not openly but in secret. 11 So the Jewish authorities were looking for him at the feast, asking, “Where is he?” 12 There was a lot of grumbling [mumbling, murmuring] about him among the crowds. Some were saying, “He is a good man,” but others, “He deceives the common people.” 13 However, no one spoke openly about him for fear of the Jewish authorities.

In one short sentence, John deals with six months of our Lord’s ministry: “After this Jesus was traveling around in Galilee. He did not want to go around in Judea because the Jewish authorities wanted to kill him” (verse 1).

The events which occurred during the period April-October of the year 29 A.D. are by John summarized in one verse: ‘And after these things Jesus was going to Galilee, for he did not wish to go about in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill him’ (7:1). In Matthew, Mark, and Luke we have the detailed account of the happenings which belong to this half year of Christ’s ministry. We may call it the Retirement Ministry; see Mark, Chapters 7-9. John says that during these months Jesus was going about in Galilee. This is in harmony with the account as given in the Synoptics, which indicates that the Lord went from Capernaum in Galilee to the border of Tyre and Sidon, traversing a large section of Galilee; then departing from Galilee in crossing over to Decapolis; went back again to Galilee (Dalmanutha); left it again for the region of Cesarea Philippi; and finally, covering another large stretch of Galilean territory, went on his way back to Capernaum. Here and there, however, it is not immediately clear whether these various journeys are described in chronological order (cf. e.g., Mk. 8:1: ‘in those days’). A glance at the map would seem to indicate that they are. What characterizes the period is that to a large extent Jesus withdrew himself (hence, Retirement Ministry) from the Capernaum multitudes, to be with his disciples.[313]

John is very selective in his material, as he tells us in 20:30-31. After the feeding of the 5,000 and the desertion of many of His “disciples,” Jesus continued to go about Galilee, carrying on His itinerate preaching ministry[314] It was not yet time to make a bold entrance at Jerusalem. It was not wise to be traveling about Judea, for the Jews were intent on arresting Jesus and putting Him to death. Our Lord spent this six-month time focusing much more on His disciples, while He maintained a low profile in Galilee.

And so with a sweep of the pen, John leaps six months in time, taking us to the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. I must preface my comments here by calling your attention to John’s seemingly parenthetical words in verse 5: “(For not even his own brothers believed in him.).”

What our Lord’s brothers[315] said to Him was rooted in unbelief and rejection—not in faith. For this reason, I have chosen to set aside the rendering (“advised”) of the NET Bible and revert to a much more basic rendering (“said to”) of the original text. I do not believe our Lord’s brothers are giving Him a piece of good advice. To sum up the essence of their words to Jesus irreverently (as unbelieving brothers would be inclined to do), “Put up or shut up!” I think our Lord’s brothers were embarrassed by Jesus and fed up with His ministry. I am tempted to believe that these brothers were aware that the Jews in Judea were seeking to kill Jesus. They urged Him to leave Galilee, the place of safety (and also the place where they lived), and to go to Jerusalem, the place of greatest danger. One finds the brothers’ words similar to those we see in the Gospel of Luke: At that time, some Pharisees came up and said to Jesus, “Get away from here, because Herod wants to kill you” (Luke 13:31).

These words spoken by the Pharisees are not words that are sincerely spoken, with our Lord’s best interest in view. They are words intended to scare Jesus off, to be rid of Him. I am inclined to view the words of our Lord’s brothers as being similar to those of the Pharisees. At best, these brothers are saying, “If you are really determined to go ahead with this thing, then get on with it. Go up to Jerusalem and see if you can convince anyone that you are Messiah by performing miracles, if indeed you can perform them.” Cynicism seems to virtually ooze from their words. At worst, they are encouraging Jesus to pursue His ambitions in a way that they are certain will result in His arrest, and perhaps even His death.

Our Lord’s response suggests that Jesus finds nothing meritorious in the words of His brothers. It was not “yet” His time; their “time” was any time. The world cannot hate them, but it does hate Him. This is not the same as saying, “The world does not hate you, but it does hate Me.” The world cannot hate them for the same reason that it does hate Jesus. They are a part of the world. They hate Jesus as the world hates Him. They and the world hate Jesus because He exposes their sin (verse 7). Let the brothers go on to Jerusalem without Him. It is not yet His time to go up to the feast, because His time has not yet fully arrived.

Just what “time” is it that has not yet fully arrived? It is my opinion that Jesus means that it is not “yet” His “time” to make His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, where He will momentarily be welcomed as the Messiah, and soon thereafter rejected as the “King of the Jews.” Jesus will go up to Jerusalem, but it will not be to make His bid for acceptance. Jesus will go up to Jerusalem to make yet another public announcement that He is the Messiah, not with a view to acceptance, but with a view to rejection. Jesus will go up to Jerusalem to pave the way for His final visit to Jerusalem, not many months away, when He will be crucified on a cross at Calvary.

Let me pause for a moment to reflect on what we have just read and on its application to us. Jesus knows what it means to be rejected by His family. I believe this was prophesied:

7 Because for Your sake I have borne reproach; Shame has covered my face. 8 I have become a stranger to my brothers, And an alien to my mother’s children; 9 Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me (Psalm 69:7-9, NKJV, emphasis mine).[316]

In addition, Jesus spoke of the way He would divide families, and thus He required that men love Him more than their families:

21 “Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all on account of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:21-22).

34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, 36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me, is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 10:34-39, emphasis mine).

Our Lord sets down the more general principle in the Gospel of John:

18 “If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own. But because you do not belong to the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed my word, they will obey yours” (John 15:18-20).

Let those who would follow our Lord take note that when we follow Christ, men will respond to us as they have to Him. Jesus was rejected by His family; we should expect that this may be our experience as well. If we would be disciples of Jesus Christ, we must love Him above family and, if need be, we must choose Him and renounce family.

After Jesus’ brothers depart for Jerusalem, Jesus goes up as well. He does not do so as His brothers challenge Him to do—to make a very public display of His “powers” in the hope of gaining a following. Instead, Jesus goes up to Jerusalem “in secret” (verse 10). I understand that this is just the opposite of what our Lord’s brothers urge Him to do. It probably means traveling by less-used roads and staying off the roads and out of sight when others are traveling. Jesus probably journeys without His disciples, at night. All of this enables Him to keep a “low profile,” avoid undue attention, and thus not reveal His presence until well into the feast, when it will be difficult to arrest Him.

John now turns our attention to the mood of the people who are in Jerusalem at the time. The Jews are all on the lookout for Jesus, as they are expecting Him to appear for the feast. There is considerable conversation concerning Jesus by those in the crowd. The Jewish authorities apparently forbid anyone to talk about Jesus, but this only keeps their conversations down to a “low roar,” as we would say. John describes these conversations about Jesus as mumbling or murmuring.[317] John is not saying that all the people are complaining about Jesus, but rather that they are speaking about Jesus in hushed tones, out of fear of the Jewish leaders.

My daughter Amy has a dog named “Honey Bear.” Honey Bear is one of those “barkless” dogs. When someone comes to the door, Honey Bear greets them with a low, mumbling noise. Honey Bear is not necessarily unhappy, nor uttering a threat; she is simply conveying her desire for attention and affection in a way that does not include barking. Even our granddaughter, Taylor, recognizes this. When she comes to our house and sees Honey Bear, Taylor says, “Honey Bear, mmmmmmmmm .…” She knows mumbling when she hears it.

I am a former school teacher, and I began my teaching career teaching the sixth grade. If I had to step outside the classroom to talk with a parent or another teacher, I would instruct the class not to talk. Every teacher knows this is next to impossible, humanly speaking. One expects to hear a low, rumbling sound, knowing that those who talk do so in hushed tones. This is the way the people in Jerusalem talk with one another about Jesus, speaking in hushed tones so that the Jewish leaders will not hear them, or perhaps more accurately, so if they do hear them talking, they will not be able to hear what is being discussed.

There is not a clear consensus about who the people think Jesus is. Some speak well of Him, referring to Him as a good man. After all, healing the sick and showing compassion to those in need is good. But others strongly disagree. To them, Jesus is not a good man at all, but a cunning deceiver, who has taken advantage of the mindless masses, the common people. They feel that these poor, simple, gullible folks are being taken in by our Lord’s actions and words. Those who reject Jesus think themselves too smart to be taken in by Him. There is, then, a great diversity of opinion as to who Jesus is.

Jesus Appears at the Feast of Tabernacles:
The Reaction of the Crowd
(7:14-31)

14 When the feast was half over, Jesus went up to the temple and began to teach. 15 Then the Jewish authorities were amazed and said, “How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?” 16 So Jesus replied, “My teaching is not from me, but from the one who sent me. 17 If anyone wants to do God’s will, he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority. 18 The person who speaks on his own authority desires to receive honor for himself; the one who desires the honor of the one who sent him is a man of integrity, and there is no unrighteousness in him. 19 Hasn’t Moses given you the law? Yet no one of you keeps the law! Why do you want to kill me?” 20 The crowd answered, “You’re possessed by a demon! Who is trying to kill you?” 21 Jesus replied, “I performed one miracle and you are all amazed. 22 However, because Moses gave you the practice of circumcision (not that it came from Moses, but from the forefathers), you circumcise a male child on the Sabbath. 23 But if a male child is circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses is not broken, why are you angry with me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? 24 Do not judge according to external appearance, but judge with proper judgment.” 25 Then some of the residents of Jerusalem began to say, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 Yet here he is, speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to him. Do the rulers really know that this man is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man comes from. Whenever the Christ comes, no one will know where he comes from.” 28 Then Jesus, while teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “You both know me and know where I come from! And I have not come on my own initiative, but the one who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29 but I know him, because I have come from him and he sent me.” 30 So then they tried to seize Jesus, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come. 31 Yet many of the crowd believed in him and said, “Whenever the Christ comes, he won’t perform more miraculous signs than this man did, will he?”

Midway through the feast, Jesus suddenly appears in the temple, teaching publicly. This is a bold and courageous move. Jesus knows the Jews are seeking to kill Him. For the past six months, He has kept away from Judea to avoid arrest, or worse. And now, suddenly, Jesus appears in Jerusalem, boldly teaching in the temple! It is incredible. The Jews are amazed, not only at His courage but at His content (verse 15). They have to admit that He is good, really good. They unwittingly praise Him by saying, “How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?” (verse 15). They cannot understand how One who has not been educated by them has such a keen understanding of the Scriptures. They stand in awe of the One whom they choose to reject as their Messiah. We are reminded of the words of the Jews regarding Peter and John in the Book of Acts:

13 When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and discovered that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized these men had been with Jesus. 14 And because they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say against this (Acts 4:13-14).

Our Lord answers their question: His teaching is not His own. His teaching is that which He learned from His Father, the One who sent Him. If anyone truly wants to know and to do God’s will, He will recognize the words of Jesus as the words of the Father. When a person seeks to advance himself, to “feather his own nest” as we might say, he uses his words to manipulate and even to deceive others. He has ulterior motives, and these affect everything he says. Politicians and campaign rhetoric come to mind here, as an example of what Jesus is saying.

The person who is committed to honor the one who sent him is concerned only with accurately communicating what he has been sent to say. He does not use his words to gain a personal following, but rather to urge men to follow the one he serves. He has no need to deceive, and thus he speaks with integrity. His speech is righteous. Jesus speaks here of Himself and of His integrity as He speaks for the Father. Moses gave them the law, and they all failed to keep that law. Why then are they seeking to kill Jesus as a law-breaker, when they break the law themselves?

In verse 20, John records the response of those “pilgrims” in the crowd who have come to Jerusalem from some distant place. They are not aware of all that has taken place with Jesus in Jerusalem beforehand. They certainly are not aware of the plot to kill Jesus (as the residents of Jerusalem are—see verse 25). These pilgrims take Jesus to be some kind of nut, someone who is mentally disturbed, paranoid that everyone is trying to kill him. They accuse Jesus of being demon possessed. They challenge Jesus as to who is trying to kill him.

Jesus responds by calling attention to His healing of the paralytic, as recorded in chapter 5. Do these folks wish to know who wants to kill Him? He will tell them. It is the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem, as a result of His healing the paralytic—and claiming to do so as God:

16 Now because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish authorities began persecuting him. 17 So Jesus told them, “My Father is working until now, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason the Jewish authorities were trying even harder to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own Father, thus making himself equal with God (John 5:16-18).

Jesus has performed this miracle, and the Jewish leaders are ready to kill Him for doing so. Their actions are completely inconsistent and blatantly hypocritical. Do they accuse Jesus of breaking the Sabbath by healing the paralytic? The law requires that every Jewish male child should be circumcised on the eighth day (Genesis 17:12; see Luke 1:59; 2:21-24). If the eighth day happens to fall on a Sabbath, the Jews would circumcise the male child, even though “work” is forbidden on that day. Doing so, they break one law (the law of the Sabbath) so as to avoid breaking another (the law of circumcision). If they can justify themselves for making one member of the child’s body “right” before God on the Sabbath, why do the Jewish leaders condemn Jesus for making a man’s entire body well on the Sabbath? There is, indeed, a double standard. Judgment should be made on the basis of substance and not merely on appearances.

The pilgrims believe Jesus is out of His mind to think someone is trying to kill Him. The old-timers of Jerusalem know better. Almost in answer to the response of the pilgrims to Jesus, the citizens of Jerusalem respond to the teaching of our Lord in the temple very differently. “Isn’t this the one whom the Jewish leaders are seeking to kill? What is He doing here, teaching publicly in the temple? Why is He still alive? How can it be that the One marked for death has not had a hand laid on Him?” There is only one possible explanation so far as these folks are concerned: the Jewish leaders must have changed their minds about Jesus. Have these Jewish leaders really come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah? Is this why Jesus is able to appear publicly, without anyone opposing Him? But how can this be? How can Jesus possibly be the Messiah, when they know who He is and where He comes from? They believe no one will know where the Messiah is from. How then can their leaders ever conclude that Jesus is the Messiah?[318]

As usual, Jesus knows what they are thinking and what they are murmuring—and so He answers their objection. This He does publicly, in the midst of His teaching in the temple courts. Dramatically, Jesus cries out loudly, so that all will hear: “You both know me and know where I come from!” They know who He is. They know our Lord’s family, including the names of His brothers (Matthew 13:55). They know where He is from (Nazareth, in Galilee), though they seem not to know that He was born in Bethlehem. Jesus does not come motivated by self-interest, but rather in obedience to the will of the One who sent Him. The Father is true, yet these Jews are “false” in that they do not really know Him. Jesus is also true, and He does know the Father who sent Him, because He came from Him. Jesus is both divine and human. He has both heavenly and earthly origins.

These words are yet another clear indication from our Lord that He is claiming to be equal with God, to be God. If one refuses to accept His words, then one must reject Jesus as a blasphemer, worthy of death. The Jews try to get their hands on Jesus. If they had done so, they almost certainly would stone Him there on the spot. As it is, they are not able to lay a hand on Him. We don’t know what keeps them from achieving their goal, but God sees to it that Jesus is untouched. In spite of the zeal of those who wish to kill Jesus, there are also those who are drawn to Jesus by the very same words. They ask a most pertinent question: “Just what more does anyone expect Jesus to do, if He is the Messiah?” What else can Jesus do, beyond what He has already done? To these folks, it is not logical to reject the claims of Jesus. It flies in the face of all the evidence.

The Pharisees’ Failed Attempt to Arrest Jesus
(7:32-52)

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things about Jesus, so the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33 Then Jesus said, “I will be with you for only a little while longer, and then I am going to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come.” 35 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus said to one another, “Where is he going to go that we cannot find him? He is not going to go to the Jewish people dispersed among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, is he? 36 What did he mean by saying, ‘You will look for me but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come’?” 37 On the last day of the feast, the greatest day, Jesus stood up and shouted out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and 38 let the one who believes in me drink. Just as the scripture says, ‘From within him will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 (Now he said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were going to receive; for the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.) 40 When they heard these words, some of the crowd began to say, “This is really the Prophet!” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ!” But still others said, “No, for the Christ doesn’t come from Galilee, does he? 42 Don’t the scriptures say that the Christ is a descendant of David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” 43 So there was a division in the crowd because of Jesus. 44 Some of them were wanting to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him. 45 Then the officers returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him back with you?” 46 The officers replied, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 47 Then the Pharisees answered, “You haven’t been deceived too, have you? 48 None of the rulers or the Pharisees have believed in him, have they? 49 But this rabble who do not know the law are accursed!” 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before and who was one of the rulers, said, 51 “Our law doesn’t condemn a man unless it first hears from him and learns what he is doing, does it?” 52 They replied, “You aren’t from Galilee too, are you? Investigate carefully and you will see that no prophet comes from Galilee!”

We know from John’s earlier words that the Jewish religious leaders are determined to do away with Jesus (see John 5:18; 7:1). Up to this point, however, it has not been the religious leaders who have sought to kill Jesus. Those in the crowd who are citizens of Jerusalem seem to be those who attempt to lay hands on Jesus when He claims to be the One sent from the Father in heaven, but they are unable to seize Him (7:28-30). It seems that the Jewish religious leaders find it unwise to openly oppose Jesus. It becomes apparent that He is the subject of conversation among the crowds, in spite of their threats. They have to take the offensive and have Jesus arrested. They can delay no longer. Things are getting completely out of hand. And so the temple police are instructed to go and arrest Jesus, and then bring Him to them. It is time to get this over with. He must die, now! Verses 33-44 describe what is taking place with the crowd as the temple police make their way to arrest Jesus.

Jesus speaks to the crowd, indicating to them that He knows the time of His death is near. He chooses His words very carefully, so that His meaning is not immediately apparent, but also so that His disciples will recall what He has said after His death and resurrection. He is soon to go away. He will be with the Jews no longer. He is returning to the One who sent Him. When He is gone, they will look for Him, but they will not find Him. Where He goes, they cannot come.

We know, of course, that Jesus is speaking of His sacrificial death, burial, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. The Jews have no clue what He means. The crowd begins to discuss with one another just what these last words of Jesus mean. Where can Jesus possibly be going that they cannot go as well? Can He mean that He is about to go to those in the dispersion, those Jews scattered abroad? Surely not! What can Jesus mean when He says they will look for Him but not find Him? Where is He claiming to go that they cannot come? The crowd is buzzing with questions. The more Jesus teaches, the more confused some people are.

Then comes “the last day of the feast,” the time when the most people will likely gather at the temple, the climax and emotional high point of the week. Jesus stands up in the temple and cries out once again, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. Just as the scripture says, ‘From within him will flow rivers of living water’” (verses 37b-38). There is considerable discussion as to just which Scripture our Lord is referring and to the precise meaning of His words. The commentaries spend considerable time here, and I would suggest that you consult them if you want to delve into the details.[319] I must warn you that they too will refuse to answer all the technical and interpretive questions dogmatically. I will endeavor to stay with the most simple interpretation of these words, and in the light of what the Scriptures say, as opposed to other Jewish sources. It should be evident that if the commentators have trouble with these words of our Lord, those who hear them as Jesus speaks them have no idea at all what He means by them. Only after the cross and Pentecost does our Lord’s meaning become clear to the apostles.

Hendriksen makes a very interesting point about our Lord’s invitation, which bears repeating:

What is more important to remember in connection with the events of this day … is the fact that the Lord, far from turning himself away from the multitudes, many of whom in one way or another had rejected him, extended his gracious invitation: ‘If any one thirsts, let him come to me and drink.’[320]

Jesus has been rejected and condemned by the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem (chapter 5), abandoned by the multitude in Galilee (chapter 6), and now the crowd in Jerusalem seeks to lay hands on Him (7:30), not to mention the religious leaders (7:32). In spite of this large-scale rejection, Jesus still offers to those who will hear and receive it the gift of eternal life. What a Savior!

It may well be that the words of our Lord should be understood in relation to the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles as it took place in Jesus’ day. Morris makes a fairly strong case for this.[321] Although this may be true, only those privy to the Jewish practice of celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles at that time would be able to see the connection. I am therefore inclined to see the connection as more directly related to the biblical and historical account of Israel’s journey through the wilderness. Morris also suggests that this could be the primary reference to our Lord’s words and deeds.[322]

Following the flow of John’s argument, I understand the meaning of our Lord’s words in this way. John has consistently presented Jesus as the antitype of Old Testament prophetic types. John would say that Jesus is the “true” reality, the “true” culmination of the Old Testament institutions, objects, ceremonies, and events which foreshadowed Christ. Paul likewise sees our Lord as the substance of these Old Testament “shadows”: “Therefore, do not let anyone judge you with respect to food or drink, or in the matter of a feast, new moon, or Sabbath days that are only the shadow of the things to come, but the reality is Christ.”

In chapter 6, Jesus presented Himself as the “true bread” from heaven. While God once provided physical bread for Israel in the wilderness, He now offers “true bread from heaven,” which is His only provision for eternal life. Jesus is that bread from heaven. In chapter 7, Jesus presents Himself at the Feast of Tabernacles as the “rock” of Moses’ day, which, when smitten, produced life-giving water.[323] Did Israel celebrate God’s provision and protection during Israel’s journeys in the wilderness at the Feast of Tabernacles? Did God provide not only manna (chapter 6), but water from the rock? Jesus is that rock. Jesus is the source of the water of life. All who would come to Him in faith are welcomed to partake of Him. The result is not only that they will have life, but that they will, through the Spirit, become a source of life and blessing to others (“From within him will flow rivers of living water”). This will happen after the atoning work of Christ is accomplished on the cross of Calvary, after our Lord’s resurrection and ascension to the Father, and after the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.[324]

When Jesus speaks these words, some are convinced that He is “the Prophet” (like Moses) of Deuteronomy 18:15. Others disagree, believing He is the Christ, the Messiah. (Obviously, they do not understand that “the Prophet” and “the Christ” are one and the same person.) Still others maintain their opposition to Jesus, pointing to what they believe are His earthly origins. Their problem with Jesus is that He comes from the wrong place—Galilee.[325] They are convinced that the Christ cannot come from Galilee. They call to mind the prophecy of Micah 5:2, where the Messiah is said to come from Bethlehem in Judah, from the “city of David.” The result is that the crowd is divided over whom they believe Jesus is. Some of those in the crowd are determined to seize Jesus, but no one is able to lay their hands on Him (verse 44).

How I would love to see how God foiled and frustrated the efforts of these men to capture and to kill Jesus. Surely it would be amusing to watch. We are not told how God could keep a crowd from capturing One who is in their midst, but we are told how it comes about that the temple police, sent out earlier to arrest Jesus by the religious leaders of Jerusalem, come back empty-handed. John takes us to the place where the religious leaders are convened and describes the return of the temple police. The chief priests and Pharisees immediately insist on an explanation for why Jesus is not in their custody. They meekly reply, “We’ve never heard anyone who spoke as this man has.”

Can’t you just see it in your mind’s eye? These fellows march dutifully to the temple, where they know Jesus can be found. They begin to press their way through the crowd so they can arrest Jesus and deliver Him to those who have dispatched them. As they work their way through the crowd, they cannot help but overhear Jesus as He speaks. In my mind’s eye, I can see one of the officers stop for a moment, so as not to miss what Jesus is about to say next. Turning to his colleagues, he sternly insists that they hush—they are making so much noise he can’t hear Jesus speak. Eventually, all of the police are standing in the crowd, transfixed by His every word. Jesus finishes teaching for the day and leaves, as do the crowds. Then, and only then, do the soldiers remember what they came to do. They are not going to go after Jesus and arrest Him! And so they return to the chief priests and Pharisees to get the scorching they expect.

John tells us very little about these matters, but something like this must have happened. They do come back empty-handed, and their only excuse is that they have never heard anyone speak as Jesus did. Some are not moved at all by His words. Others come to view Him as the Prophet; others as the Messiah. The temple police do not say who they think Jesus is, but they know they have never before seen or heard anyone like Him.

The temple police are not disappointed; they do receive a scorching from the Jewish religious leaders who are frustrated, angry, and amazed. How can these fellows be so gullible? “You have not been deceived also, have you?” Whoever speaks for these religious leaders speaks for the entire group, and his words must send chills up the spines of the temple police … and Nicodemus! “Do you see even one of us—your religious leaders, the most knowledgeable experts on the Old Testament—believing in Jesus? It is only these stupid commoners—worthless and cursed people that they are, who do not know the Scriptures as we do—who follow him. How can you be so stupid? No one with a head on his shoulders believes in Jesus—isn’t that right?”

It seems as though whoever is speaking turns to his colleagues and then looks Nicodemus right in the eye. Does he sense that Nicodemus has been taken in by Jesus? Does he know of the secret interview Nicodemus had with Jesus? Can he discern a change in this teacher’s message? Nicodemus feels the need to respond. All he needs to say are two words—“I do.” Here is his opportunity to declare his faith in Jesus, but he keeps quiet. Instead, he takes the more politically correct stance—he questions the process by which Jesus was judged a wrongdoer. “We haven’t really carried out due process, have we? After all, the law requires that a man not be condemned without giving him a fair trial, and the chance to speak in his own defense.” Nicodemus is right, of course, but it is the cowardly thing to do. He does not acknowledge his faith in Jesus, or at least his considerations that Jesus might be the Messiah.

Now it is Nicodemus who is in for a scorching. Even though half-hearted and evasive, Nicodemus has not taken a firm stand with the others. He has at least expressed doubts and concerns about their condemnation of Jesus and their determination to kill him. And so his colleagues turn on him. “What? Are you saying that you are from Galilee too, that you are as stupid and gullible as that rabble?” And then come the most amazing words, “Investigate carefully and you will see that no prophet comes from Galilee” (verse 52). The great Greek scholar, A.T. Robertson, comments: “As a matter of fact, Jonah, Hosea, Nahum, possibly also Elijah, Elisha, and Amos were from Galilee.”[326]

Conclusion

I am amazed at the arrogance of the religious leaders and at their disdain for the common people. No one from Galilee, in their opinion, can be respected or admired. Simply coming from Galilee is enough to disqualify Jesus, or anyone else. Those whom these leaders are to serve they despise as accursed. What a contrast to the Suffering Servant, who came to give His life as a ransom for many. It is not Jesus who should be condemned, but these “shepherds.” Is this not exactly what the prophets has rebuked Israel’s leaders for in the past?

1 “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” says the LORD. 2 Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the LORD. 3 “But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. 4 I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,” says the LORD. 5 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 6 In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jeremiah 23:1-6; see also Isaiah 56:6-12).

The amazing thing is that those who consider themselves such experts, who perceive themselves as being so knowledgeable, are those guilty of the most foolish errors in matters of fact. It is as though they have sworn out an arrest warrant for Jesus’ arrest, misspelled His name, and made an error concerning His address. Is it not possible to discern where Jesus actually was born? Can this fact not be discerned? And yet these leaders are willing to assume that His place of birth was in Galilee, rather than in Bethlehem of Judah. And they are wrong. They rebuke Nicodemus by making an unsupported and erroneous generalization—that no prophet comes from Galilee. How stupid we are when we are willfully wrong! The facts are there before us, and we deny or distort them to justify our own sinful ways.

There is, in our text, the overwhelming “cloud” of our Lord’s impending death. The chapter starts by John telling us that Jesus avoids Judea, knowing the Jews there are intent on killing Him. And yet our Lord’s own brothers urge Him to go there. Jesus, who has been keeping a low profile in Galilee, finally makes His way to Jerusalem and boldly takes His stand in the temple, where He “cried out” before all. What courage! Jesus challenges the crowd as to why they seek to kill Him (verse 19), and the pilgrims from afar accuse Him of being demon possessed (verse 20). The people of Jerusalem know better and are amazed that Jesus is there in their midst, alive and publicly teaching (verses 25-26). It is not long before the Jewish religious leaders send the temple police to arrest Jesus, so they can do away with Him. But while these men are making their way to arrest Jesus, the crowd seeks to kill Jesus on their own, and fails. And then, of course, the temple police return empty-handed. There is no way that Jesus will be captured or killed, until it is His time, until it is God’s time.

The opposition has finally been given the opportunity by John to express their deepest concerns, their strongest arguments against Jesus. Our Lord’s words prove them wrong and convince some—without so much as a miracle being performed on this visit to Jerusalem—that He is indeed the Messiah. And the leaders of the Jews are exposed as arrogant, bigoted, and ill-informed as to the facts.

One thing about our text strikes me as never before. I am amazed at how early in John’s Gospel, how intense, and how widespread the opposition is to Jesus. Somewhere in the past I have picked up the idea that our Lord’s rejection and death was the desire and the work of a handful of people. I remember being told by someone that the crowds really were inclined to believe in Jesus, as can be seen by His reception at His triumphal entry, some six months later than the events of our text. The way that the religious leaders were able to put Jesus to death was that they held a secret trial at night, and then proceeded to bring about His conviction before the masses could mobilize or resist.

John’s Gospel forces me to rethink this whole matter and to reject such a view as incorrect. Our Lord’s rejection is wide-spread and intense. It is not just the religious leaders who reject Jesus and condemn Him to death. Already by John chapter 5 the religious leaders have committed themselves to killing Jesus, but in chapter 6 many of those who were our Lord’s “disciples” abandon Him when He clarifies what His mission is. By the time we come to chapter 7, the rejection of our Lord is very widespread. His brothers urge Jesus to publicly make Himself known in Jerusalem, the place where many are already determined to kill Him. The pilgrims in Jerusalem write Jesus off as a demon-possessed mental case. The crowd seeks to kill Jesus, even while the temple police are on their way to arrest Him and hand Him over to the religious authorities. Our Lord’s rejection is widespread, intense, and very apparent, and all this by chapter 7 of John’s Gospel.

As I have studied this text, I have been struck with the fact that all the crucial elements are now in place for our Lord’s final visit to Jerusalem a few months later, when He will be rejected, arrested, and put to death on the cross of Calvary. Jesus has gone up to Jerusalem, but not in the way His brothers expected. They urge Him to go and make His bid for a following. Jesus goes there to seal His doom, to set in motion the events which take Him to the cross. His family—at least his brothers—will not support Him, will not protest His arrest or execution. They are among the majority who do not believe in Jesus as the Messiah. The Galilean crowds desert Jesus as well (chapter 6). The pilgrims who come from afar write Jesus off as a demon-possessed mental case. The citizens of Jerusalem not only reject Him, they even try to seize Him. The religious leaders are also seeking the arrest and death of our Lord, and there is virtually no one to oppose them. Those among the crowd who do believe in Jesus are afraid to even mention His name, for fear of the Jews. And even a man as respected and powerful as Nicodemus is afraid to speak up in our Lord’s defense, at least as one of His followers. It is only a matter of time. All of the elements are in place. Jesus has made all the necessary preparations for His own death.

It is Jesus who is sovereign in the salvation of men. He is not a victim, but a Volunteer and a Victor. He is in control of His own destiny. His life will not be taken from Him; He will lay it down, just as He will take it up again. He will not be instructed or misled by His family. He will not be silenced by the Jews. He will not stay away from Jerusalem, even though those who will kill Him lay in wait for Him there. He will not die before His time.

As I come to the conclusion to this lesson, my thoughts return to the angry e-mail I received this week. It was written by a person who claimed to be a “Jew in pursuit of truth.” This individual would not consider the evidence which the Apostle John—a devout Jew—presented. She would not consider that Jesus, also a Jew, claimed to be the Messiah, and fulfilled every Old Testament prototype and prophecy pertaining to Messiah and Israel’s hope. She is right about one thing, however. She does not take the claims of Jesus lightly.

I am amazed at how casual people are today about Jesus. They politely speak of Him and think fondly of Him at special times like Christmas and Easter. They casually brush aside His claims, as though they are not worth getting excited or upset about. But the simple fact is this: either Jesus is correct in what He says, or He is a deceiver, worthy of death. If Jesus is the Son of God, as He clearly claims, then He speaks for God, as He also speaks as God. According to Him we are sinners, deserving of God’s eternal wrath, and our only hope is by faith in His sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. If He is the Son of God, we must fall before Him as our Savior and Lord. If we do not do so now, we will fall before Him as the Savior we rejected when He comes again, but not as our Savior:

6 Who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. 8 He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death —even death on a cross. 9 As a result God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow —in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue should confess to the glory of God the Father that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:6-11).

And if Jesus is not who He claims to be, then we should just as passionately reject Him as a fraud and a deceiver. In this sense, the Jews of Jesus’ day—as wrong as they are—are right in taking His claims seriously. We should do the same. Let me ask you, then, “Who is Jesus?” Is He the Son of God, who came to give His life as a ransom for many by dying on the cross of Calvary for your sins? Or is He a fraud and a deceiver, who deserved to die for His own sins? These are the only two options. Which have you chosen? Your decision, by our Lord’s words, determines your eternal destiny.

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The Word was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. 5 And the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it (John 1:1-5).

10 He was in the world, and the world was created by him, but the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children 13 —children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God (John 1:10-13).

15 John testified about him and cried out, “This one was the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than I am, because he existed before me.’” 16 For we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The only One, himself God, who is in the presence of the Father, has made God known (John 1:15-18).

29 On the next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one about whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who is greater than I am, because he existed before me.’ 31 I did not recognize him, but I came baptizing with water so that he could be revealed to Israel” (John 1:29-31).

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and exclaimed, “Look, a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus said to him, “Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 He continued, “I tell all of you the solemn truth: you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (John 1:47-51).

14 He found in the temple courts people selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting at tables. 15 So he made a whip of cords and drove them all out of the temple courts, with the sheep and the oxen. He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold the doves he said, “Take these things away from here! Do not make my Father’s house a marketplace.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Passion for your house will devour me.” 18 So then the Jewish leaders responded, “What sign can you show us, since you are doing these things?” 19 Jesus replied, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.” 20 Then the Jewish leaders said to him, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and are you going to raise it up in three days?” 21 But Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 So after he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the saying that Jesus had spoken (John 2:14-22).

13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” 16 For this is the way God loved the world: he gave his one and only Son that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 18 The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God (John 3:13-18).

31 The one who comes from above is superior to all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is superior to all. 32 He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 The one who has accepted his testimony has confirmed clearly that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he does not give the Spirit sparingly. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed all things under his authority. 36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath remains on him (John 3:31-36).

10 Jesus answered her, “If you had known the gift of God and who it is who said to you ‘Give me some water to drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 “Sir,” the woman said to him, “you have no bucket and the well is deep; where then do you get this living water? 12 Surely you’re not greater than our father Jacob, are you? For he gave us this well and drank from it himself, along with his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus replied, “Everyone who drinks some of this water will be thirsty again. 14 But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” 16 He said to her, “Go call your husband and come back here.” 17 The woman replied, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “Right you are when you said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands and the man you have now is not your husband. This you said truthfully!” 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you people say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You people worship what you do not know. We worship what we know, because salvation is from the Jews. 23 But a time is coming—and now is here—when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (the one called Christ). Whenever he comes, he will tell us everything.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he” (John 4:10-26).

16 Now because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish authorities began persecuting him. 17 So Jesus told them, “My Father is working until now, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason the Jewish authorities were trying even harder to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own Father, thus making himself equal with God. 19 So Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth, the Son can do nothing on his own initiative, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does, and greater deeds than these he will show him, so that you may be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. 22 Furthermore, the Father does not judge anyone, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all people may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 I tell you the solemn truth, the one who hears my message and believes the one who sent me has eternal life, and will not be condemned, but has crossed over from death to life. 25 I tell you the solemn truth, a time is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and the ones who hear will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in himself, thus he has granted the Son to have life in himself; 27 and he granted the Son authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and will come out—the ones who have done what is good to the resurrection resulting in life, and the ones who have done what is evil to the resurrection resulting in condemnation (John 5:16-29).

37 “And the Father who sent me has himself testified about me. You people have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time, 38 nor do you have his word residing in you, because you do not believe the one whom he sent. 39 You study the scriptures thoroughly because you think in them you possess eternal life, and it is these same scriptures that testify about me; 40 but you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life” (John 5:37-40).

28 So then they said to him, “What must we do to accomplish the deeds God requires?” 29 Jesus replied, “This is the deed God requires: to believe in the one whom he sent” (John 6:28-29).

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never go hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But I told you that you have seen me and still do not believe. 37 Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. 39 Now this is the will of the one who sent me: that I should not lose one person of every one he has given me, but raise them all up at the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father: that every one who looks on the Son and believes in him will have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:35-40).

47 “I tell you the solemn truth, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, and they died. 50 This is the bread that has come down from heaven, so that a person may eat from it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats from this bread he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” 52 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus began to argue with one another, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat!” 53 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood resides in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so the one who consumes me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like your ancestors ate and died. The one who eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:47-58).

14 When the feast was half over, Jesus went up to the temple and began to teach. 15 Then the Jewish authorities were amazed and said, “How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?” 16 So Jesus replied, “My teaching is not from me, but from the one who sent me. 17 If anyone wants to do God’s will, he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority” (John 7:14-17).

28 Then Jesus, while teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “You both know me and know where I come from! And I have not come on my own initiative, but the one who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29 but I know him, because I have come from him and he sent me” (John 7:28-29).

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things about Jesus, so the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33 Then Jesus said, “I will be with you for only a little while longer, and then I am going to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come.” … 37 On the last day of the feast, the greatest day, Jesus stood up and shouted out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and 38 let the one who believes in me drink. Just as the scripture says, ‘From within him will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:32-34, 37-38).

You decide. Who is Jesus Christ? Is He a deceiver, or the promised Messiah, God’s only provision for your salvation?


! Lesson 18:
The Savior and the Sinner
(John 7:53–8:11)

Introduction

In a recent Dallas Morning News, Christine Wicker wrote an article entitled, “Screen Savers,” about people who attempt to find God in contemporary films. In part, the article read:

As Camilla Ballard waits in the darkness for a movie to begin, she asks herself one question, “Where am I going to find God in this film?”

In L.A. Confidential she had to look past profanity, sex and violence for a glimpse of the Almighty. But she did find it—in the unconditional love of a prostitute played by Kim Basinger.

“When her policeman-lover beats her up, she just takes it. What a picture of God!” said the youth director at First Presbyterian Church of Dallas. “And in the police officer”—who misjudges her earlier actions—“what a picture of ourselves. We just rail at God and beat him up, and he takes it because he understands the big picture.

“Oh my gosh, I was just so excited. I thought about it for days.”

Ms. Ballard is among a growing number of religious people who advocate going to the movies for what Baptist layman Bruce Ruggles calls “an experience of worship.”

I prefer to have my worship rooted in Scripture, and my view of God based upon the Bible, particularly upon stories such as we find in our text in these first few verses of John chapter 8. Unfortunately, many would tell us this account should not even be considered Scripture. The marginal note of the NASB is most delicate about it. These verses are placed in brackets, with this marginal note: “John 7:53—8:11 is not found in most of the old mss.” Leon Morris, a highly respected evangelical scholar, writes, “The textual evidence makes it impossible to hold that this section is an authentic part of the Gospel.”[327]

Biblical scholars have raised questions about our text for several reasons: (1) Those Greek manuscripts judged by some to be both the oldest and the best[328] omit this passage. When the passage does appear, the text varies considerably, and even occurs at a different place. (2) Some of the older (e.g., Latin, Armenian, Gothic) translations omit it, and some ancient commentators don’t comment on this text. (3) Some would say that both the style and vocabulary of this text differs from that of John. (4) Some argue that this passage does not fit well into the context. (5) A number of highly respected scholars do not believe this text is a part of the New Testament text.

Having said all of this, I am still confident in my own mind that this text is a part of the inspired Scripture, and that it is profitable for teaching as much as any other text of Scripture (whether written by the Apostle John or not).[329] Even after his very critical comments on this text, Leon Morris speaks positively of it:

But if we cannot feel that this is part of John’s Gospel we can feel that the story is true to the character of Jesus. Throughout the history of the church it has been held that, whoever wrote it, this little story is authentic. It rings true. It speaks to our condition. It is worth our while to study it, though not as an authentic part of John’s writing. The story is undoubtedly very ancient. Most authorities agree that it is referred to by Papias. It is mentioned also in the Apostolic Constitutions. But it is not mentioned very often in the early days. The reason probably is that in a day when the punishment for sexual sin was very severe among the Christians this story was thought to be too easily misinterpreted as countenancing unchastity. When ecclesiastical discipline was somewhat relaxed the story was circulated more widely and with a greater measure of official sanction.[330]

Calvin speaks of this text in a similar way:

It is plain enough that this passage was unknown anciently to the Greek Churches; and some conjecture that it has been brought from some other place and inserted here. But as it has always been received by the Latin Churches, and is found in many old Greek manuscripts, and contains nothing unworthy of an Apostolic Spirit, there is no reason why we should refuse to apply it to our advantage.[331]

It is my intention and commitment to preach this text with the same zeal and sense of biblical authority as I would any other text of Scripture. I would also add as an aside that I personally find this text one of the most moving portions of the New Testament.

Background

Our text comes to us in a context. In John chapter 1, the Apostle John introduces our Lord, not as the babe born in a Bethlehem manger, but as the One who existed from eternity past, the One who as Creator called everything we see into existence. John the Baptist identifies Him as the promised Messiah, of whom he has been speaking. In the closing verses of chapter 1, Jesus begins to call His disciples.

In chapter 2, Jesus turns ceremonial cleansing water into the finest of wines and then proceeds to go up to the temple in Jerusalem and cast out those who are abusing it by making God’s house a place of doing business. In chapter 3, Jesus has a private interview with Nicodemus, who is shocked to hear that Judaism alone will not save him. When Jesus tells him he must be born again from above, Nicodemus has no idea what that means. In chapter 4, Jesus and His disciples go through Samaria and stop for lunch at the well outside the city of Sychar. It is here that the Samaritan woman and many other Samaritans come to faith in Jesus Christ. These are the kind of people the Jews never imagined God would save. (The Samaritan woman is the same kind of woman we find in our text.) Chapter 5 begins with our Lord healing the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda, in Jerusalem. It is bad enough that Jesus heals him on the Sabbath, but He then dares to instruct this man to carry his bed on the Sabbath, too. But when our Lord makes it clear that He is equal with God as the Son of God, this is too much for the Jews to handle. The Jewish religious leaders are more intent than ever on killing Him (John 5:18). When Jesus feeds the multitude in the early part of John 6, the people are ready to make Jesus their king, by force if necessary. But after hearing Him speak of Himself as the “Bread of life,” many of our Lord’s Galilean “disciples” turn their backs on Jesus, never again to follow Him as they once did.

Chapter 7 brings our Lord back to Jerusalem once again, this time for the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus has kept His distance from Jerusalem and Judea, knowing the Jews are seeking to kill Him. When His brothers challenge Him to “get His show on the road”—to go to Jerusalem, where He can seek to gather a following—He declines, at least for the moment, choosing to go up to Jerusalem secretly. In the middle of the feast, Jesus boldly presents Himself at the temple where He begins to teach publicly. During this time, a number of folks come to the conclusion that Jesus must be the Messiah, or at least “the Prophet,” whose coming was foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15). But most come to the conclusion that He is a demon-possessed mental case (at best), or a cunning deceiver (at worst). It is not just the religious leaders who try to get their hands on Jesus (John 7:25, 30, 32, 45-52). In spite of all of the efforts of men to arrest Jesus or to publicly expose Him as a fraud, no one is able to silence or to subdue Him. It is not His “time.” When Nicodemus weakly protests the actions of the Sanhedrin, they seem to come to an impasse, and all of them go home without a consensus.

One thing seems to especially trouble the Jewish religious leaders, whose obsession is the law and whose hero is Moses. Jesus claims that Moses was one of His witnesses, one of those who bore testimony to His identity as the Messiah (5:39-40). This Moses was also the one who would condemn them:

45 “Do not suppose that I will accuse you before the Father. The one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 47 But if you do not believe what Moses wrote, how will you believe my words?” (John 5:45-47)

In chapter 6, the Moses matter does not go away. Jesus feeds the multitudes on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. As a result, many want Jesus to be their king. Some of those who have eaten and had their fill at the feeding of the 5,000 challenge Jesus to prove Himself equal with Moses. They claim that Moses gave their fathers bread from heaven in the wilderness, and they dare Jesus to do the same for them. Jesus corrects their mistaken assumption that Moses provided that “bread from heaven” for them to eat. It was God; it was His Father. Jesus is a better “bread from heaven,” a bread that gives men eternal life. Jesus needs not prove Himself equal to Moses, when He is vastly greater.

One cannot help but sense that the relationship issue between Jesus and Moses is one of the underlying issues of our text, as seen when the scribes and Pharisees drag a woman caught in the act of adultery before the crowd and before Jesus. They dare Jesus to differ with Moses about how this woman should be punished.

The Challenge
(7:53–8:6a)

7:53 And each one departed to his own house. 1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came to the temple courts again. All the people came to him, and he sat down and began to teach them. 3 The experts in the law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught committing adultery. They made her stand in front of them 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. 5 In the law Moses commanded us to stone to death such women.[332] What then do you say?” 6 (Now they were asking this in an attempt to trap him, so that they could bring charges against him.)

The members of the Sanhedrin have gone home, frustrated and angry that they can neither silence Jesus nor even manage to arrest Him. They are also deadlocked over how to deal with Him. While Nicodemus will not profess faith in Jesus, he does insist on dealing with Him legally, and this means a public trial, not a private execution.

When the council members go to their own homes, Jesus and His disciples go to the Mount of Olives. Jesus also goes there in the latter days of His ministry to avoid being an easy target for assassination or arrest (see Luke 19:37; 22:39). Early in the morning, Jesus makes His way to the temple again. He most certainly has prevailed and is neither silenced nor sent away in fear. The people begin to gather around Him, forming a crowd, and He begins to teach them.

Suddenly, there is a commotion. Heads turn as a group of men rudely push their way through the crowd. They are the scribes and Pharisees. We do not see these two groups paired elsewhere in John, but it is common in the Synoptic Gospels.[333] Some wonder that we would find them here. To me, it is logical and predictable. Both the scribes and the Pharisees are self-confident, even arrogant, in their opinion of themselves as interpreters and guardians of the law. In the Gospels, their opposition comes quickly and lasts long (Matthew 5:20; 12:38; 15:1; 23:13ff.; Mark 2:16; 11:27-33; 12:28-34; Luke 6:7; 11:44). Furthermore, the “Moses question” has been prominent lately in the teaching of Jesus. It has also played a significant role in the opposition of the religious leaders to Jesus, especially in regard to Sabbath-keeping. Everyone else has failed to physically lay a hand on Jesus. These fellows are just arrogant enough to try to outwit Jesus intellectually by making use of their greatest strength, their mastery of the Law of Moses.

The group does not come alone. They have with them an unwilling accomplice—a woman whose sin the law condemns, a sin for which she deserves to die. If, indeed, she is caught “in the very act of adultery,” she may be only partly clothed, if at all. I suspect they do not gently bring her along, but probably drag her “kicking and screaming.” No doubt, the woman is in tears, humiliated by her guilt and her exposure. Worse yet, she is stationed before the One who knows no sin—and at the same time, before the eyes of the crowd gathered at the temple.

I cannot imagine a more horrible experience for anyone, and the scribes and Pharisees do nothing to make things easier for her. With self-righteous indignation, these men go about their mission, using this woman no less than a rapist does, and perhaps much more so. The worst is that they are not really interested in this woman, in her sin, or in her execution under the law. They are seeking to make an accusation against Jesus, which we are told clearly in verse 6. This is a sham, no less so than our Lord’s “trial” before the Sanhedrin will be a few months later. The scribes and Pharisees are attempting to manipulate matters in a way that (as we say in Texas) puts Jesus “between a rock and a hard place.”

These scribes and Pharisees claim that they caught this woman “in the very act of adultery.” Given the stringency of the law on how such matters were to be handled, it seems that two witnesses would have had to observe this woman and her partner in such a way that there was no doubt about what was taking place. In our day and time, the video camera makes such evidence possible. In that day and time, it would have been very difficult to convict a person of adultery, which is why many suspect there is a trap or a conspiracy here:

If the conditions required by Jewish law were as stringent as J. Duncan M. Derrett maintains this can scarcely indicate anything other than a trap deliberately set. All the more is this likely to be the case in that the man was not present. Why not? Since the woman was taken in the very act there should have been two sinners, not one, before Jesus.[334]

With smug satisfaction and confidence, the scribes and Pharisees press Jesus to pronounce a verdict regarding this woman’s guilt and punishment:

They made her stand in front of them 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. 5 In the law Moses commanded us to stone to death such women. What then do you say?”

They set Jesus against Moses, thinking that in so doing our Lord will be trapped, that He can do nothing other than condemn Himself by opposing the teaching of the law and of Moses.

How can they be so confident? Why are they so bold as to carry out their confrontation is such a public fashion? From experience, they know that Jesus has compassion on sinners. They expect Him to be compassionate toward this sinful woman, and for good reason. Jesus said that He came to call sinners to repentance (see Luke 5:27-32). It was Simon, the Pharisee, who objected to our Lord’s acceptance of a woman very much like the woman brought before our Lord at the temple; Jesus rebuked Simon and said to the woman: “Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:36-50). It may sound far-fetched, but our Lord’s opponents are also convinced that Mary, His mother, conceived Jesus by a similar act of immorality (see John 8:41). How then can Jesus condemn this woman? If He cannot condemn her, then (they assume) He must disagree with Moses and the law. They have Jesus just where they want Him.

Silenced
(8:6b-9)

Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger. 7 When they persisted in asking him, he stood up straight and replied, “Whoever among you is guiltless may be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Then he bent over again and wrote on the ground. 9 Now when they heard this, they began to drift away one at a time, starting with the older ones, until Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.

As elsewhere in the Gospels, it appears that Jesus is caught on the horns of a dilemma. When, for example, Jesus is asked whether the Jews should pay taxes to Caesar or not, it looks as though there is no way out for our Lord. If He answers “Yes,” then He is in trouble with the people, who hate paying taxes to Rome. If He answers “No,” then Jesus is in trouble with Rome for treason. But where His enemies err is in thinking He is limited to their answers. Jesus is not.

Here, it seems that the scribes and Pharisees suppose they have Jesus trapped, too. If Jesus votes to condemn this woman, then He will be acting against His stated purpose of seeking and saving sinners. If, on the other hand, Jesus proposes that this woman be shown mercy, He will be contradicting the law of Moses, which requires that both partners who are convicted of adultery be put to death (see Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:20; 20:10; Deuteronomy 5:18; 22:13-29). It seems that Jesus is indeed trapped. Whatever His answer, it will condemn Him, and His enemies will win.

Our Lord ignores His adversaries, responding to their challenge by His silence. How badly His opponents misinterpret this silence. They think His silence is because they have Him stumped.[335] His silence achieves several things. With John Calvin, I believe our Lord’s silence is intended to shame His adversaries:

By this attitude he intended to show that he despised them. Those who conjecture that he wrote this or the other thing, in my opinion, do not understand his meaning. … For Christ rather intended, by doing nothing, to show how unworthy they were of being heard; just as if any person, while another was speaking to him, were to draw lines on the wall, or to turn his back, or to show, by any other sign, that he was not attending to what was said.[336]

If our wives are offended by our reading the newspaper while they talk to us, imagine the offense of having Jesus refuse to look at His adversaries, appearing not to hear them, and instead occupying Himself by writing (or drawing) in the dirt!

Our Lord’s silence should shame His enemies, but in fact, they are not at all ashamed—at least not yet. Jesus’ silence gives them the impression that they have Jesus at a disadvantage, that He either cannot or will not answer them. So, they intensify their efforts. I suspect they raise their voices and press Jesus harder, demanding that He give them an answer. They put on a show for the crowd to see. All of this simply sets the scene for what our Lord is about to say. They could not have given Him a better introduction.

Before we consider our Lord’s verbal response, let me pursue our Lord’s silence further. I believe our Lord’s silence (and His writing in the dust) accomplishes something else, something very gracious. It is my opinion that this woman is only partially clothed. She has been caught in the very act of adultery. If she has been dragged along naked, or nearly so, it only serves to make the point of her accusers. Such was a way of shaming men (see 2 Samuel 10:1-5) and women (Genesis 9:22-23; Deuteronomy 28:48; Isaiah 47:3; Lamentations 1:8; Ezekiel 16:37; Nahum 3:5; Habakkuk 2:15). I believe that when our Lord stoops down to the ground, ignores His adversaries, and writes in the dust, He not only is prevented from looking upon this woman’s nakedness and shame, but He also attracts the attention of the crowd to Himself, rather than to her. I admit no one I have read has come to this conclusion, but it is just like our Lord. The scribes and Pharisees want to put this woman on display, shaming her in public. Jesus seems to take the spotlight off of her and onto Himself. Can’t you see the crowd fixing their eyes on the ground, stooping to see what Jesus is writing?

It is interesting to read all of the speculations concerning what our Lord writes in the dust. One suggestion is that Jesus writes the names and the sins of those who are accusing this woman. Like A. T. Robertson,[337] I disagree with this suggestion, but for a different reason. I don’t think there is enough dirt available for our Lord to do so! The fact is that we are purposefully kept from knowing what Jesus writes (or draws) on the ground. The message to this woman’s accusers (and our Lord’s accusers as well) is not what He writes, but what He says: “Whoever among you is guiltless may be the first to throw a stone at her.”

The scribes and Pharisees think they have Jesus cornered, with no way of escape. Even though Jesus claims that Moses bore witness to Him as the Messiah, and that He also would be their accuser, they seek to use Moses to indict Jesus. What a bad mistake! Masterfully, Jesus deals with their challenge. First, our Lord does not deny this woman’s guilt. As an adulteress, she is condemned by the law, and she does deserve to die. (Our Lord does not deal with the matter of the other guilty party here, as this is a setup.) Jesus does not plead for mercy. He even agrees to an execution, one I’m not sure they want or intend. There is just one problem—who will be the first to cast a stone?

Jesus in no way seeks to set aside the law or to diminish its role in this situation. After all, He is the One who has come to fulfill the law, not to abolish it (Matthew 5:17-18). Our Lord’s response is a response from the Law:

6 “Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 7 The hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people. So you shall put away the evil from among you” (Deuteronomy 17:6-7, NKJV).

The scribes and Pharisees boldly insist that this woman should be executed in accordance with the Law of Moses. They seek to force Jesus to differ with the law and thus become guilty of violating the law Himself. Instead, Jesus presses this same law even further than His adversaries. It is as though He says, “You’re absolutely right. A woman who is caught in the very act of adultery is condemned to death under the law. She should be stoned, here and now. And since we are all so concerned with the keeping of the law, let us be sure that her execution is also lawful. The law stipulates that the guilty person must be stoned, and that those who cast the first stones are those who testified against her. These witnesses must, of course, be guiltless in all of this. Now, to fulfill the law, who will be the one to take up the first stone and cast it at her? Who is sinless in this matter? Who is guiltless before the law?” Oops. The law was more exacting, more demanding than they reckoned. It says too much. It not only condemns this woman; it condemns them all.

The question is not whether this guilty woman should be punished. The question is, “Who is sinless in this matter to be qualified to condemn her?”

“But Jesus stood up and invited any one among them who was sinless to throw the first stone. This answer completely disarmed them. It could not possibly be construed as a rejection of the law. Jesus specifically enjoined that a stone be thrown. But His limitation on who might throw it effectively prevented any harm coming to the guilty woman. The saying ‘does not deny that she may be stoned, but insists upon the innocency and therefore the competence of whoever stands forth against her as accuser and witness.’”[338]

The words of Jesus are both an appeal to conscience and a warning to the hearers that their own lives might very well be at stake. If they stoned the woman they must be very sure of the witnesses.[339]

Our Lord returns to His previous posture, commencing once again to write (or draw) in the dust. I am not certain whether it is out of conviction of guilt, or due to their failure to prove Jesus a law-breaker, that His adversaries shrink away silently, beginning with the oldest.[340] Our text tells us Jesus is left alone with this woman. Many understand these words to mean that those who leave are all of her accusers—the scribes and Pharisees who so rudely interrupted, trying to find fault with Jesus. They believe the crowd remains. I have doubts about this. I wonder if those in the crowd are not as condemned as the scribes and Pharisees. Would they not also be required to participate in this stoning? Who in the crowd is able to cast the first stone?

Not until they all leave does Jesus address the woman, for the first time. Jesus does not ask her about her guilt. He knows. He simply asks her where those are who a short while before seemed so eager to condemn her. Does no one remain to condemn her? Then if there are no witnesses, there can be no condemnation, no execution. The scribes call for an execution, and no one stays for it—no one is willing to cast the first stone.

She is a free woman. She is not an innocent woman, as seen from our Lord’s words to her. Jesus will not condemn her, either. He does not tell her that her sins are forgiven, though I would not be surprised if she later came to faith in Jesus as her Messiah. He does tell her to go, and from then on to give up her sin.

What an amazing turn of events. A woman is probably dragged through the crowd and cast at Jesus’ feet, overcome with guilt and shame, the object of attention. Her sin that seemed such a private matter only moments earlier is now known by the whole city. Her accusers boldly accuse her and virtually dare Jesus to disagree with their verdict. Jesus agrees with them and takes the law even further than they do, exposing their sin in the process. When it ends, her accusers leave with heads hung in shame, silent at last. She leaves a different person, I believe, and she will never be the same.

Conclusion

This text, short though it may be, abounds in lessons for us. Let me begin by observing from our text that some of the most terrible sins are committed by “religious” people, in the name of practicing and promoting righteousness. The scribes and Pharisees are as religious as it gets; yet they are exceedingly wicked in what they do to this woman and in what they attempt to do to Jesus. They are not really interested in righteousness and justice and holiness; they are interested in making themselves look good and Jesus look bad. Sin often comes with a very thin religious veneer.

What we dare not conclude from this story is that Jesus refuses to judge or condemn anyone. Over the years, I have heard this line of argument many times in slightly different forms: “Jesus taught us that just as He would not judge anyone, neither should we.” Let me remind you that what our Lord’s adversaries most want is for Him to refuse to acknowledge this woman is a sinner, deserving of death. They are disappointed because Jesus agreed with them that she is a sinner, deserving of death. Their problem is that they fail to see themselves as sinners as well. Jesus not only sees her immorality as sin, He urges her to forsake her sin in the future. Jesus does not give her a license to sin, but a reason and (shortly) the means to cease from sin. Jesus exposes much more sin than anyone expects, and He condemns it all. Jesus is not “soft on sin.”

Neither is our Lord teaching that we should not condemn sin or punish sinners.[341] In the 18th chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus instructs His disciples that they are to confront a brother who sins, and if necessary, to discipline him (18:15-20). Many New Testament texts make dealing with sin our duty (see, for example, Acts 5:1-11; Romans 12:9; 15:14; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 2 Corinthians 13:1-10; Galatians 6:1-5; 1 Thessalonians 5:14; 2 Thessalonians 3:14; Titus 3:10-11).

What our Lord teaches, I believe, is that when we must deal with the sins of others, we recognize that we too are sinners, and vulnerable to sin as well. We must first deal with our own sin, and then with the sin of others:

1 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. 2 For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you receive. 3 Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to see the beam of timber in your own eye? 4 Or why do you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while there is a beam in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite, first remove the beam from your eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:1-5).

1 Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too. 2 Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself (Galatians 6:1-3).

As I have thought through this amazing story of the Savior and the sinner, it occurs to me that this story is yet one more proof that Jesus is, indeed, the Messiah. I am reminded of Hannah’s prayer, recorded in the Old Testament Book of 1 Samuel, and taken up to some degree by Mary (see Luke 1:46-55):

1 And Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the LORD; My horn is exalted in the LORD. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation.

2 “No one is holy like the LORD, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.

3 “Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the LORD is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed.

4 “The bows of the mighty men are broken, And those who stumbled are girded with strength. 5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, And the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven, And she who has many children has become feeble.

6 “The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. 7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. 8 He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory.

“For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, And He has set the world upon them. 9 He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.

“For by strength no man shall prevail. 10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn of His anointed” (1 Samuel 2:1-10, NKJV, emphasis mine).

In our text, our Lord “put down” the arrogant scribes and Pharisees. He “lifted up” this humbled woman. Jesus is acting like the Messiah He is, like the Messiah He claims to be.

Someone has said, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” I believe this is true of the “pictures” John’s Gospel gives us in our text. There are two “pictures” I want to call to your attention, and with these, I shall conclude. The first “picture” is of the conflict between legalistic Judaism (the kind of religion Paul had before he was saved—see Philippians 3:1-16) and true Christianity (grace). These scribes and Pharisees, as intelligent and well taught as they are, do not understand the purpose of the Old Testament law. Ironically, the woman caught in adultery does seem to grasp the essence of what the law is about.

The scribes and Pharisees think the law is the means for obtaining righteousness. In their minds, if one will but keep the law, one will be righteous, and God’s blessings will be assured. No wonder these two groups are so devoted to the interpretation and application of the law to daily life—it is their life, their eternal life. But the law was never given so that men could work their way to heaven. The law was given as a standard of righteousness. The law was given to show all men that they are sinners, deserving of God’s eternal wrath. The law was given to show men that they need grace. The woman seems to see herself as the law does—as one guilty of adultery, as one without any excuse, without any basis for mercy. The scribes and Pharisees feel as though they are above the law as its interpreters and guardians. They use the law to condemn others and to justify themselves. This short story of the Savior and the sinner captures the essence of the difference between our Lord’s use of the law and the legalistic system of that day.

What John’s Gospel teaches through this story Paul applies to Judaism in the Book of Romans. Paul was a legalistic Pharisee himself. Like the Pharisees and scribes who are “attacking” Jesus, he thought that religious zeal and devotion to the law was his salvation. Anyone who challenged this view, or who taught otherwise was, to Paul, a heretic that deserved to die. But then he is confronted by Jesus Christ, and he comes to faith. From that point on, he sees legalistic law-keeping as worthless, and he gives it all up for faith in Christ’s work at Calvary:

2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh! 3 For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, exult in Christ, and do not rely on human credentials 4 —though mine too are significant. If someone thinks he has good reasons to put confidence in human credentials, I have more: 5 I was circumcised on the eighth day, from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. I lived according to the law as a Pharisee. 6 In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless. 7 But these assets I have come to regard as liabilities because of Christ. 8 More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things—indeed, I regard them as dung!—that I might gain Christ, 9 and be found in him, not because of having my own righteousness derived from the law, but because of having the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness—a righteousness from God that is based on Christ’s faithfulness. 10 My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:2-11).

In the Book of Romans, Paul shows that all men are sinners, who have failed to meet God’s standard of righteousness and thus are under divine condemnation, unable to save themselves. In short, all men need to be saved, and they must be saved by grace, not by works.

17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relationship to God 18 and know his will and approve the superior things because you receive instruction from the law, 19 and if you are convinced that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an educator of the senseless, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the essential features of knowledge and of the truth— 21 therefore you who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by transgressing the law. 24 For just as it is written, “the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you” (Romans 2:17-24).

9 What then? Are we better off? Certainly not, for we have already charged that Jews and Greeks alike are all under sin, 10 just as it is written:

There is no one righteous, not even one,
11 there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless;
there is no one who shows kindness, not even one
.

13
Their throats are open graves, they deceive with their tongues,
the poison of asps is under their lips
.

14
Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.
15
Their feet are swift to shed blood,
16 ruin and misery are in their paths,
17 and the way of peace they have not known.

18
There is no fear of God before their eyes.

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For no one is declared righteous before him by the works of the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. 21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God, which is attested by the law and the prophets, has been disclosed—22 namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 3:24 But they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:9-24).

The Jews are eager to condemn the heathen, and so they are certainly “amening” all that Paul writes in chapter 1. But in chapter 2, Paul does to his Jewish readers what Jesus does to the scribes and Pharisees of John 8. Paul challenges them to apply the same standard of law to themselves that they apply to others. Note especially his words of verse 22: “You who say not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery?” He presses them to acknowledge that the law does not merely condemn pagans (Gentiles) or “sinners” (like the woman caught in adultery); it condemns all. The law also condemns self-righteous Jews. They may meticulously keep one part of the law (as they appear to be doing in condemning the woman caught in sin), but they blatantly ignore or disobey other portions of the law (which Jesus calls to their attention by requiring that the one who casts the first stone must be without sin). In Romans 3:10-18, Paul draws together a number of Old Testament texts which articulate this same truth: the law condemns everyone as a sinner. Then, in verses 19 and 20, Paul states the principle again so that no one can miss what he is saying. The law was never given to save men, but to show men their sin. Notice, again, what the law was to produce—silence: “so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God” (verse 19).

John chapter 8 is what the gospel is all about. The law condemns all men as sinners. The only One truly qualified to condemn anyone is Jesus, because He is without sin. And yet the One who alone can condemn is also the One who came to save. Jesus is not minimizing or excusing sin at all; He is exposing sin, and within a few months, He will endure the punishment for sin on the cross of Calvary. The reason He does not condemn this woman, the reason He does not stone her, is because He came to bear the sentence of death she deserves.

This brings us to our second “picture.” Is the story of the Savior and the sinner in John chapter 8 not a picture of what Paul writes later in the Book of Romans?

31 What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies; 34 Who is the one who will condemn? Christ is the one who died (and more than that he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us (Romans 8:31-34).

The only One qualified to condemn us is the One whom the Father sent to save sinners. He who could have condemned us bore our condemnation on the cross of Calvary.

Where are you in this “picture” in John chapter 8? Are you one of the self-righteous religious folks, who are only too eager to point an accusing finger at the sins of others, while avoiding your own? Are you one of the crowd, enjoying the role of a spectator, seemingly uninvolved? Or are you like this woman, all too aware of her guilt and sin and shame? It is this last category of people that our Lord came to save—guilty, helpless sinners, who deserve God’s wrath, and who cling to Him for grace and forgiveness. No one is too sinful, too guilty, to be saved, but many are too good to be saved—too good in that they think they don’t need grace, when they desperately do.

May God use this story of His amazing grace to change your life, as I believe He changed the life of this “sinner.”


! Lesson 19:
The Light of the World
(John 8:12-30)

Introduction

I must confess that I have had a difficult time with this text as I have been concentrating on it this past week. Initially, I could not figure out why I was finding it so difficult. Upon reflection, I was able to better articulate just what was troubling me about this passage of Scripture. First, this text is placed between two of the most fascinating stories in the Gospels—the story of the woman caught in adultery in the early verses of chapter 8, and the story of the healing of the man born blind in chapter 9. Second, the issues dealt with in our text are not new. John develops his argument by introducing various themes, and then taking them up several times later in the book, each time adding some new dimension of truth, understanding, or application. I found the material less than intriguing because it was not new material, but old material, by and large. Third, our text is not one of those “happily ever after” accounts that leaves us feeling better about what is going on in the text. In this passage, we are in the middle of a great debate between Jesus and His adversaries. Ten times they interrupt Him in this chapter alone. Also, the Jews do not have a clue about what our Lord is saying, and so they misinterpret virtually everything He says. By the end of the chapter, the Jews attempt to stone Jesus. We do not come away from this text with a warm, fuzzy feeling. Instead, it troubles us.

All of these things mean that we must discipline our minds and hearts to concentrate on this text and its message. Having pointed this out, let me also say that this chapter focuses on truths about Jesus Christ which are fundamental to our faith. The things which Jesus claims about Himself in this chapter are those which draw some men to faith (verse 30) and drive others farther away (verse 59). As we approach this study, let us look to God, asking that through His Spirit He may draw us closer to the “Light of the World.”

The Setting

If you consult the commentaries on this text, you will see that many understand the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles as the background to our Lord’s teaching, to which He constantly refers:

‘He who has not seen the joy of the place of water-drawing has never in his life seen joy’: This extravagant claim stands just before the description of the lighting of the four huge lamps in the temple’s court of women and of the exuberant celebration that took place under the light (Mishnah Sukkah 5:1-4). ‘Men of piety and good works’ danced through the night, holding burning torches in their hands and singing songs and praises. The Levitical orchestras cut loose, and some sources attest that this went on every night of the Feast of Tabernacles, with the light from the temple area shedding its glow all over Jerusalem. In this context Jesus declares to the people, I am the light of the world.[342]

I am more inclined to view our text in the “light” of what we find in the Scriptures than upon historical information obtained elsewhere. Leon Morris appears to take this same approach, focusing on the “pillar of fire” which separated the Israelites from the Egyptians and led God’s people through the wilderness:

Many draw attention to the ceremonies with lights at the Feast of Tabernacles and suggest that Jesus was consciously fulfilling the symbolism suggested by them. There is nothing unlikely in this, especially if the words were uttered reasonably close to the time of the Feast. The feasts were very important to the Jews. They delighted in their observance and rejoiced in their symbolism. And it was important to the Christians that the Christ fulfilled all the spiritual truths to which the feasts pointed. Now the brilliant candelabra were lit only at the beginning of the Feast of Tabernacles. There is a dispute as to the number of nights on which the illumination took place, but none as to the fact that at the close of the Feast it did not. In the absence of the lights Jesus’ claim to be the Light would stand out the more impressively. In favor of this view there is also the fact that the candelabra were lit in the Court of the Women, the most frequented part of the temple, and the very place in which Jesus delivered His address.

Yet, just as the reference to the water in ch. 7 seems to point us back to the rock in the wilderness rather than to the pouring of water from the golden pitcher, so the light may refer us to the pillar of fire in the wilderness. We have noted the reference to the manna in ch. 6, so that in three successive chapters the wilderness imagery seems consistently used to illustrate aspects of Jesus’ Person and work. It must always be borne in mind that light is a common theme in both Old and New Testaments, so that it is not necessary for us to find the source of Jesus’ great saying in any non-biblical place. Elsewhere we read that God is light (I John 1:5) and Jesus Himself said that His followers were ‘the light of the world’ (Matt. 5:14; the expression is identical with that used here). Paul can also speak of Christians as ‘lights in the world’ (Phil. 2:15). It is, of course, plain that such terms must be applied to believers in a sense different from that in which they are applied to Christ. He is the fundamental source of the world’s illumination. They, having kindled their torches at His bright flame, show to the world something of His light.[343]

D. A. Carson summarizes the symbolism of “light” throughout the Bible:

Of the incarnate Word we have already learned that the life ‘was the light of men’ (cf. notes on 1:4). The light metaphor is steeped in Old Testament allusions. The glory of the very presence of God in the cloud led the people to the promised land (Ex. 13:21-22) and protected them from those who would destroy them (Ex. 14:19-25). The Israelites were trained to sing, ‘The LORD is my light and my salvation’ (Ps. 27:1). The word of God, the law of God, is a light to guide the path of those who cherish instruction (Ps. 119:105; Pr. 6:23); God’s light is shed abroad in revelation (Ezk. 1:4, 13, 26-28) and salvation (Hab. 3:3-4). ‘Light is Yahweh in action, Ps. 44:3’ (H. Conzelmann, TDNT 9, 320). Isaiah tells us that the servant of the LORD was appointed as a light to the Gentiles, that he might bring God’s salvation to the ends of the earth (Is. 49:6). The coming eschatological age would be a time when the LORD himself would be the light for his people (Is. 60:19-22; cf. Rev. 21:23-24). Perhaps Zechariah 14:5b-7 is especially significant, with its promise of continual light on the last day, followed by the promise of living waters flowing from Jerusalem—this passage probably forming part of the liturgical readings of this Feast.…[344]

An Illuminating Testimony
(8:12-20)

12 Then Jesus spoke out again, “I am the light of the world. The one who follows[345] me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees objected, “You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true!” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you people do not know where I came from or where I am going. 15 You people judge by outward appearances; I do not judge anyone. 16 But if I judge, my evaluation is accurate, because I am not alone when I judge, but I and the Father who sent me do so together. 17 It is written in your law that the testimony of two men[346] is true. 18 I testify about myself and the Father who sent me testifies about me.” 19 Then they began asking him, “Who[347] is your father?” Jesus answered, “You do not know either me or my Father. If you knew me you would know my Father too.” 20 (Jesus spoke these words near the offering box while he was teaching in the temple courts. No one seized him, because his time had not yet come.)

It would seem that the Feast of Tabernacles has just recently concluded when our Lord speaks out in the temple, “I am the light of the world. The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” It is interesting to me that as often as simple statements of our Lord were misunderstood (see 8:21ff.), this is one time His audience seems to understand something of what Jesus means when He calls Himself the “light of the world.” Later on, Paul will use the term “light” when he challenges the Jewish religious leaders concerning their own sin:

17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relationship to God 18 and know his will and approve the superior things because you receive instruction from the law, 19 and if you are convinced that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an educator of the senseless, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the essential features of knowledge and of the truth—21 therefore you who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by transgressing the law. 24 For just as it is written, “the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you” (Romans 2:17-24, emphasis mine).

I am inclined to interpret our Lord’s words in the light of texts like these, found in the prophecy of Isaiah:

6 “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, 7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house” (Isaiah 42:6-7, NKJV, emphasis mine).

“Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth’” (Isaiah 49:6, NKJV, emphasis mine).

I believe Israel failed to fulfill her mission as God’s “son” (see Exodus 4:22-23), as did Israel’s kings fail in this same role (see 2 Samuel 7:13-14). What men could not fulfill as God’s “son,” the “Son” did fulfill. And so the Lord Jesus was the perfect “Son.” What Israel failed to do as the “servant of the Lord,” Jesus did as the “Suffering Servant.” Israel was to carry the “good news” of God’s salvation to the Gentiles, but, like the prodigal prophet Jonah, they refused to do so. And so our Lord Jesus came as the “Light of the world.” It was this part of our Lord’s “gospel” which the Jews hated (see Luke 4:16-30; Acts 22:1-24f.).

None of our Lord’s audience chooses to argue about who He claims to be.[348] They quibble with Him over a technicality—His credibility as a witness in His own defense. This is indeed ironic, especially in the light of the story of the woman caught in adultery at the beginning of this chapter. The scribes and Pharisees insisted that this woman be stoned, in order to fulfill the Law of Moses. Jesus did not disagree about her guilt or even her punishment under the law. What He did (which caught His adversaries completely off guard) was to appeal to the Law of Moses as to how they should proceed with the stoning. Under the law, there must be two eye witnesses. When Jesus required that the two witnesses be innocent and that they “cast the first stone,” no one was willing to do so, and the case was dropped for lack of any witnesses who would testify against this woman.

You would think that anyone who opposed Jesus would stay away from the “witness question,” but instead we find our Lord’s opponents attacking Him on this same issue. Does He claim that He testifies for the Father, and the Father testifies about Him? That means there are only two witnesses, and that Jesus is one of the witnesses. Under the law, a man cannot be a witness for himself because of his own interests in the case. Earlier in the Gospel of John, Jesus seems to have conceded this point: “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true” (John 5:31).

Now, it would seem that this apparent concession is going to be used against Him. Do the Jews finally have Jesus trapped? We should know better than that.

The most important thing about any witness is that he or she is, in fact, a witness. Imagine a car accident in which one person is seriously injured. The injured person seeks damages from the driver of the other car. His attorney needs to prove that the other driver was negligent or in error. A witness is called, but when cross examined it becomes apparent that this “witness” was not even at the scene of the accident. This person simply wants to give their own opinion about something they never saw. This “witness” is not a witness at all! Now, Jesus is a witness. He speaks of those things which He has seen and heard from His Father: “No one has ever seen God. The only One, himself God, who is in the presence of the Father, has made God known” (John 1:18).

9 Nicodemus replied, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things? 11 I tell you the solemn truth, we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. 12 If I have told you people about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things. 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven—the Son of Man” (John 3:9-13).

31 “The one who comes from above is superior to all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is superior to all. 32 He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 The one who has accepted his testimony has confirmed clearly that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he does not give the Spirit sparingly” (John 3:31-34).

36 “But I have a testimony greater than that from John. For the deeds that the Father has assigned me to complete—the deeds I am now doing—testify about me that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified about me. You people have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time, 38 nor do you have his word residing in you, because you do not believe the one whom he sent” (John 5:36-38).

45 “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who hears and learns from the Father comes to me. 46 (Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God—he has seen the Father.) 47 I tell you the solemn truth, the one who believes has eternal life” (John 6:45-47).

“I am telling you the things I have seen while with my Father, but you are practicing the things you have heard from your father” (John 8:38).

The defense of our Lord is awesome. The first qualification of a witness is that they be a witness—that they must have personally experienced that of which they testify. The Jewish religious leaders spoke with great authority about things they never experienced. Now, they seek to challenge our Lord’s authority and credibility as a witness. Only He and the Father can testify about heavenly things because they have firsthand knowledge of them. Who else is qualified as a witness if not our Lord?[349] He knows where He has come from and where He is going. His opponents do not know where He has come from nor where He is going.

But they think they know where He is from—Galilee. On the basis of this assumption, they reject Jesus as the promised Messiah:

25 Then some of the residents of Jerusalem began to say, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 Yet here he is, speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to him. Do the rulers really know that this man is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man comes from. Whenever the Christ comes, no one will know where he comes from” (John 7:25-27).

41 Others said, “This is the Christ!” But still others said, “No, for the Christ doesn’t come from Galilee, does he? 42 Don’t the scriptures say that the Christ is a descendant of David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?” (John 7:41-42)

50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before and who was one of the rulers, said, 51 “Our law doesn’t condemn a man unless it first hears from him and learns what he is doing, does it?” 52 They replied, “You aren’t from Galilee too, are you? Investigate carefully and you will see that no prophet comes from Galilee!” (John 7:50-52)

Obviously, no one checked out the actual birthplace of our Lord. They assume it, simply on the basis of appearances. His parents were Galileans, though providentially He was born in Bethlehem of Judah (Luke 2:2-7). He grew up in Nazareth and was called a Nazarene, thus fulfilling prophecy (Matthew 2:23). Many of His disciples and followers were Galileans (Matthew 27:55; Mark 15:40-41). He was raised in Galilee and probably had a Galilean accent (see Mark 14:70). Had anyone done even a little inquiring, they would have known that Jesus was actually born in Bethlehem, and that He was a descendant of David. Had they asked Mary and believed her testimony, they would have known that He was born of a virgin and that He was conceived through the Holy Spirit of God. These Jews who are judging Jesus are not doing a very good job. They accuse Him of being disqualified as a witness, and yet He alone is qualified to witness about heavenly things. They think they are qualified to judge Him, yet He is the One who is uniquely qualified to judge them. This is not His mission in His first coming, and thus He speaks of judging no one (verse 15). But His judgment is true, because He and the Father are united in this activity as well. The “witnesses” are not only those who alone have “seen” heaven, they are also the ultimate “judges” of all mankind. Jesus can say with complete confidence, as He does, that His witness is true.

Unfortunately, those who are resisting Jesus just don’t seem to get the point. They just can’t stop, and so they ask what I perceive to be a very ugly question: “Where is your father?” (verse 19). I believe this question is intended to be a very cruel blow to Jesus, one that His adversaries hope will silence Him and give those listening to this interchange a chance to have a good laugh at His expense. If they think Jesus is talking about Joseph as His father, they know he has been dead for some time. How then can Jesus speak of His “father” (Joseph) when he is dead? Is there something Jesus has not told them? Is He in communication with the dead? Is Jesus working with a dead man?

Or, worse yet (and more likely in my opinion), they are accusing Jesus of being an illegitimate child, as they do again later in this same chapter: “Then they said to Jesus, ‘We were not born as a result of immorality! We have only one Father, God himself’” (John 8:41b). Their cutting words are intended to embarrass Jesus for being the illegitimate child of Mary and some unknown “lover.” Jesus dares to speak of His Father? Then they will press Him on this point, reminding Him and others that He has no right to speak about having a father.

Jesus is not taken back by this challenge. They are as ignorant on this point as they are on all other counts. They do not know Him; they most certainly do not know His Father. These Jews are the religious elite, the teachers and rulers of the nation, and yet they do not know the most fundamental things about their religion. If they know Jesus, they would know His Father as well. But they do not know Jesus as Messiah nor His Father as God.

In all of this, someone might be inclined to look upon Jesus as the One under fire, the One trying desperately to defend Himself against these powerful leaders. Does anyone look upon Jesus as the victim here? Anyone who does is wrong. In verse 20, John makes a most significant parenthetical remark. It is as though John is a photographer. His camera zooms in on Jesus, then on His accusers, then back to Jesus. Now John gives us a wide-angle shot of this same scene. Jesus is teaching in the temple. He is in the temple courts where the offering boxes are kept:

The place where the offerings were put probably refers to the thirteen ‘shofar-chests’ (probably so named because the ‘chests’ were shaped like shofars … , a trumpet; cf. Mishnah Shekalim 2:1; 6:1, 5). Each was inscribed with the use to which the money collected in it was ostensibly put. Nowhere do we learn explicitly where they were placed, but probably they were located in the Court of the Women, if we may judge from access women had to them (cf. Mk. 12:41-42; cf. SB 2. 37-45). John’s principal point is that no-one seized him, because his time (hora) had not yet come.[350]

I especially enjoy the insight of William Hendriksen here:

Against the wall in the Court of Women stood thirteen trumpet-shaped chests in which the people deposited their gifts for various causes. Hence, taking the part for the whole, this court was sometimes called the Treasury. Here Jesus was teaching, in the immediate proximity of the hall in which the Sanhedrin held (or: used to hold) its sessions. And, though it is possible that this august body, so thoroughly hostile to Jesus, could almost hear the echo of his voice, no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet arrived.[351]

Can you imagine this? The Jews think they are the authorities, the ones in charge. Yet here stands Jesus, the One they are determined to silence by killing Him. He is there in the temple, teaching the people. And He is doing so literally outside the door of the room where the Sanhedrin meets. You can almost hear the hushed whispers inside that room, the voices of men plotting to kill Jesus, while outside can be heard the booming voice of the Savior, proclaiming that He is the “Light of the world.” They cannot even lay a hand on Him whom they reject, on Him whom they purpose to kill—even though He is in easy reach—because it is not yet His time. I ask you this question, “Who is in charge here?”

More Misunderstanding
(8:21-30)

21 Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will look for me but will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come.” 22 So the Jewish leaders began to say, “Perhaps he is going to kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going you cannot come’.” 23 Jesus replied, “You people are from below; I am from above. You people are from this world; I am not from this world. 24 Thus I told you that you will die in your sin. For unless you believe that I am the Christ,[352] you will die in your sins.”[353] 25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus replied, “What I have told you from the beginning. 26 I have many things to say and to judge about you, but the Father who sent me is truthful, and the things I have heard from him I speak to the world. 27 (They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.) 28 Then Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak just what the Father taught me. 29 And the one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do those things that please him.” 30 While he was saying these things, many people believed in him.

In verse 12, Jesus invites men to follow Him as the “Light of the world.” Now, having been rejected by many as the true light, He issues a strong word of warning. He is going away. When He is gone, they will look for Him, but they will not find Him. Such people will “die in their sins,” and they will not be able to go where He is going. What is clear to us now is completely misunderstood by those who reject Him. He is speaking of His departure by death, and of His return to the Father in heaven. He is speaking of the most glorious death possible, His sacrificial, substitutionary (dying not for Himself but for our sins) atonement, whereby the penalty for our sins was paid, and sin’s power over us was broken.

Our Lord’s adversaries presume they are going to heaven, and if Jesus is their enemy, then He must be going to hell. If Jesus is going to a place that they cannot go, then Jesus (in their minds) must be going to hell. And so they jump to the conclusion that He is speaking of His own death by suicide. I can almost hear them mumbling under their breath, “Good riddance!” Is He planning to take His own life? It almost seem as though He is going to spare them the trouble of killing Him.

If they are listening to Jesus carefully, how can He say they will look for Him, as though they need Him? He is not talking about suicide or going to hell. He is saying that once He goes away, it will be too late for them. They will need Him, and they will seek Him, but they will not be able to go where He has gone. They will not find Him to help them. I believe Jesus means they will “look for Him” in the sense that they will eagerly look for Messiah to “come” and to save them in their hour of distress and need. Little do they realize that He has come to save them, and yet they have rejected Him. After they put Him to death, they will realize that He is the Messiah.

It is no surprise that they cannot recognize Him. After all, He is from above, and they are from below. Sadly, they think they are going above (to heaven) and that He is going “below.” They will not believe Him who is not of this world, who came down from heaven. Because of this, they will die in their sins. He who came to bear the sins of men is to be rejected and crucified as a sinner by sinful men. He is the only One who can testify of things above, and they reject His testimony. Unless they believe in Him, they must bear the penalty for their own sins; they must die in their sins.

Jesus can hardly be more clear in what He says, but many do not understand Him at all. And so they respond, “Who are you?” I am tempted to read their question this way: “Say, just who do you think you are?” Surely they cannot miss who He claims to be! And yet I believe they do fail to grasp what Jesus is saying. And so they ask, once again, who Jesus is claiming to be. They will get the point by the end of the chapter at least. Are they looking for Jesus to make a simple statement like, “I am the Messiah”? Jesus responds something like this: “I am the same person I have been claiming to be from the outset of My ministry. I have said this over and over again, but you have not been listening. I have a lot more to say to indict you for your sin, and you’re not going to like it any more than what I have said, but it is all from above, from My Father.”

As clear as this is, John makes an almost astounding statement: “They did not understand that He was talking about His Father.” This is amazing! They are blind and cannot see the “light.” Their ears are dull of hearing. He speaks of Himself as being equal with God and of God as His Father, and they do not recognize it. (If they had, they would have tried to stone Him, as they will soon do in verse 59.) Do they not recognize who He is? They will, and all too soon. They will grasp His words too late, after they have crucified Him on the cross of Calvary. It is His crucifixion and resurrection that will be the one great and final sign, proving Him to be the Messiah:

38 Then some of the experts in the law along with some Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 41 The people of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; yet something greater than Jonah is here! 42 The Queen of the South will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; yet something greater than Solomon is here!” (Matthew 12:38-42)

I believe this actually takes place (at least in part) at the time of our Lord’s crucifixion. At the start, it was a circus-like atmosphere. People are having a good time of it, mocking Jesus and daring Him to come down from the cross. But then some things occur which wipes the smiles from their faces and sends them home beating their breasts:

44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three o’clock in the afternoon, 45 because the sun’s light failed. The curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And after he said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts (Luke 23:44-48).

It is at this point that men and women come to see that Jesus is from heaven, that He is not speaking on His own initiative, but at the will of the Father. But it is also too late, for many at least. In the midst of this widespread rejection, Jesus is not alone. He is doing His Father’s will, and His Father is with Him in all that He does. As God is with us in our sufferings and persecution for His sake, so the Father is with the Son when He is rejected by men. There will come that terrible moment when, in dying for the sins of men, the Son will be forsaken by the Father. What a horrifying thought this is to our Lord (see Matthew 26:36-46).

Our Lord’s words remind me of what God said to Adam in the Garden of Eden, after the fall: “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19, NKJV). Men have come from the dust of the earth, and it is to dust that they will return. Our Lord came down from heaven, and this is the place to which He will return. Even His death on the cross of Calvary cannot change this. Because He is God, and because He is the source of life, death does not have dominion over Him. He would lay down His own life, and so He would take it up again (John 10:18). No wonder the Apostle Peter claims that it was impossible for death to claim the body of our Lord:

22 “Israelite men, listen to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man clearly demonstrated to you to be from God by powerful deeds, wonders, and miraculous signs that God performed through him among you, just as you yourselves know—23 this man, who was handed over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you executed by nailing him to a cross at the hands of Gentiles. 24 But God raised him up, having released him from the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held in its power. 25 For David says about him, ‘I saw the Lord always in front of me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced; my body also will live in hope, 27 because you will not leave my soul to remain in Hades, or permit your Holy One to experience decay. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of joy with your presence.

29 “Brothers, I can speak to you with confidence about our forefather David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 So then, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, 31 David by foreseeing this spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his body experience decay. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and we are all witnesses of it” (Acts 2:22-32, underscoring mine).

Think about this for a moment. How often we labor to convince others that it was possible for our Lord to rise from the dead. This is not Peter’s way of thinking or speaking. He challenges us with the biblical reality that it was impossible for Jesus not to rise!

Our text ends with another parenthetical comment. It is a sad moment in Israel’s history. Dare I say, it is a dark moment in Israel’s history—when Israel rejects Him who is the Light of the world. But even in this dark hour there are rays of light, rays of hope. John closes this incident in which many reject Jesus by telling us that the same words which turned many against Him caused many to believe in Him. The nature of this belief is problematic to some, but what we see, once again, is that Jesus divides men. The same words that draw some to faith drive others away.

Conclusion

As I have studied this text which presents Jesus as the “Light of the world,” it has become more and more obvious to me that John is simply telling us some of the very same things that he stated at the outset of this Gospel, but now in greater detail. Consider these verses, noting especially those portions I have emphasized:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The Word was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. 5 And the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it. 6 A man came, sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify about the light so that everyone may believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. 9 The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was created by him, but the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children 13 —children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God. 14 Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only full of grace and truth, who came from the Father. 15 John testified about him and cried out, “This one was the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than I am, because he existed before me.’” 16 For we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The only One, himself God, who is in the presence of the Father, has made God known.

The Old Testament law was given to “enlighten” men. It revealed God to men. It was given to reveal man’s sin. Israel was to be a “light” to the Gentiles by living according to God’s law, and thus by their righteousness revealing God to men. In so doing, they would also reveal man’s sin. Israel failed their calling, and so God sent Jesus to be the perfect “light.” He not only fully and perfectly revealed God to men, He revealed man’s sin and his need for a Savior. The reason many sinners rejected Jesus is that He did reveal their sin. The self-righteous sinners like the scribes and Pharisees did not wish to be seen as sinners, but as saints, and so they determined to “put out the light.”

The Israelites were able to “handle” the “light” of the law. By means of their traditions and twisted interpretations, they adjusted and altered the law until it justified their sin rather than exposing and condemning it. When Jesus came as the light they attempted to pressure Him to change the light, to modify His message. Our text is but one example of His refusal to do so, and of the Jews’ growing hatred and opposition toward Jesus for His not doing so. Those who were “enlightened” by the light saw their sins and Jesus as the Savior, who came to save them from their sins. Those who were only exposed as sinners came to realize that the only way to “put out the light” was to kill the Savior. What they didn’t know is that this was the means by which God had chosen to save sinners—by the sacrificial and substitutionary death of Jesus in the sinner’s place. Are we surprised that those in darkness would want to do away with the Light? Is it any wonder that when Judas left the Passover celebration and went out to betray our Lord John would write, “Now it was night” (John 13:30)?

As I consider Jesus as the “Light of the world,” I am reminded of the conversion of Saul as described three times in the Book of Acts—Saul, whom we come to know as the great Apostle Paul in the New Testament. Saul was the personification, the embodiment, of the unbelieving Jews we find in our text. He thought he was serving God as he persecuted Christians, just as the Pharisees thought they were serving God by persecuting Jesus. Paul was saved when our Lord intercepted him on a mission to arrest more Christians. Saul was blinded by the “light” of the glory of the resurrected Jesus, whom he persecuted as he persecuted the church of our Lord. That “light” blinded Saul for three days, and during those three days of blindness Saul was given time to ponder the magnitude of his sin. It was after this three day period of blindness that Ananias came to him with the gospel, and Saul was saved.

Our text reminds us that while Saul’s conversion was extraordinary in some ways, it is typical in others. We, like Paul, are blinded by our own sin. We oppose God, we oppose Jesus Christ, we oppose the people of God because we do not like the light; we do not want the light. And all the while we are deceived into believing that we’re doing the right thing. If it were not for God’s “enlightening” us, for His seeking us out, for Him opening our blind eyes, we would never see. If you have come to see Jesus as your Savior, remember that it was He who found you, He who gave sight to your blind (spiritual) eyes.

I found this quotation “enlightening”:

Cf. C. J. Wright: “There are types of so-called religious apologetic, which, distrusting the intrinsic claims of religion itself, seek to put in its place ‘external evidences’ and ‘institutional safeguards.’ How can light convince us that it is light except by what it does for us? We do not demonstrate that light is light by treatises, or by analyses of its constituent rays. It is only light to us when it illumines and quickens us.” He also says, “Anyone can, to his own satisfaction, confute the claim which Beauty makes, by saying, I do not see it; or the claim inherent in Goodness, by saying, I do not hear it; or the self-evidencing nature of Truth, by saying, I do not know it. But man does not create Goodness, or Truth, or Beauty; and to say that he cannot see them is to condemn himself, not them.” So with Light.[354]

And let this be a lesson and a reminder to us as we seek to share our faith with others. We will not argue them into the kingdom of God. Men are blind to the “light” of the gospel. We dare not attempt to change the message to appeal to the fleshly appetites of fallen, blinded men and women. We, like Jesus, must declare the truth and realize that unless “enlightened” by God, no one will ever come to faith in Jesus as the “Light of the world.” As we proclaim the truth of the gospel, some will be blinded and hardened by it, while others will be enlightened and saved. Our task is to proclaim the truth and to pray that God may open blind eyes to see the truth and respond to it in faith.

In our text, Jesus makes it clear that it is those who “follow” Him who cease to walk in darkness and walk in the light. I found these words of Calvin encouraging in this regard:

For when we learn that all who allow themselves to be governed by Christ are out of danger of going astray, we ought to be excited to follow him, and, indeed, by stretching out his hand—as it were—he draws us to him. We ought also to be powerfully affected by so large and magnificent a promise, that they who shall direct their eyes to Christ are certain that, even in the midst of darkness, they will be preserved from going astray; and that not only for a short period, but until they have finished their course. For that is the meaning of the words used in the future tense, he shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Such is also the import of this latter clause, in which the perpetuity of life is stated in express terms. We ought not to fear, therefore, lest it leave us in the middle of the journey, for it conducts us even to life.[355]

I am impressed, once again, with the unity of our Lord Jesus and the Father. Jesus does not act or speak on His own initiative. He speaks and He does what is pleasing to the Father. Surely this is what we must do. I see in greater clarity, the significance of our Lord’s temptation (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). Satan sought to entice our Lord to act independently of the Father, even if it appeared to be by means of some seemingly insignificant act. Our salvation is the result of our Lord’s complete unity with the Father, and His submission to the Father’s will.

Is it any wonder then that Satan, the great deceiver, is carrying out his opposition to our Lord as an “angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)? He endeavors to give us new “light,” to cause us to look at things in a different “light.” But his “light” is not the “light” of the gospel, of God’s Word. His is “new revelation,” which contradicts what God has said. And so when he tempted Eve, he deceived her into believing that God was not good, and that His one command was not really for man’s good. He convinced her that God’s warning was a lie and that disobedience was the way to godliness. He is still seeking to “enlighten” men today, but with a “light” that comes from the darkness. And for those of us who have trusted in Jesus as the “Light of the world,” Satan seeks to keep us from walking in the light. Let us beware of that which is labeled “light”—especially when it is “new light”—testing it to see if it conforms to the “light” of God’s Word.

There is little that is “new” in our text, and with good reason: there is no need for anything “new.” How often today men are attracted by what is “new” more than by what is true (see Acts 17:21). Even the Corinthian saints seem to be enticed by “new” teaching and tired of the simple proclamation of the cross of Christ. Let us beware of leaving the “light” behind for new and novel teaching. Let us hold fast to what is true. Let us hold fast to Him who is the truth, the way, the life.

There are a few simple truths which John continues to proclaim and emphasize in his Gospel, and which our Lord reiterates again and again in our text. Let me review them briefly.

(1) Jesus Christ is unique, unlike any other man who has walked on this earth.

For Christ does not speak of it as what belongs to him in common with others, but claims it as being peculiarly his own. Hence it follows, that out[side] of Christ there is not even a spark of true light … It must also be observed, that the power and office of illuminating is not confined to the personal presence of Christ; for though he is far removed from us with respect to his body, yet he daily sheds his light upon us, by the doctrine of the Gospel, and by the secret power of his Spirit.[356]

He alone has “come down from heaven,” speaking with God’s authority to mankind. He alone can testify of heavenly things.

(2) Jesus is God. Some may teach that Jesus was a man becoming a god, and that therefore we, like him, may become gods. This is not what the Bible teaches, and it is not what Jesus claimed. He claimed to be God, who became man. John declared this in the first verses of this Gospel. If Jesus was not the sinless “Lamb of God,” His death would be of no saving value for us.

It is impossible to have the kind of faith that John envisages without having a certain high view of Christ. Unless we believe that He is more than man we can never trust Him with that faith that is saving faith.[357]

(3) Jesus is the only way to know and to worship God. There is no salvation apart from Christ, and there is no true worship of the Father which rejects, denies, diminishes the Son.

Ignorance of Christ is the root of not knowing God. People today say, ‘Well, I believe in God, but I don’t believe in Christ.’ They’re talking in a riddle. You can’t know God without Christ. And when you come to know Christ, you come to know God. These are inseparable.[358]

A man can know the Father only as He knows Jesus. It is a key doctrine of this Gospel that it is in the Son and in the Son alone that the Father is revealed. No one has ever seen God. It is the Son who has ‘declared’ Him (18). This is fundamental. If a man really comes to know Jesus then he will know the Father also, and acknowledge the Father’s testimony to the Son. The two go together (cf. Weymouth: ‘You know my Father as little as you know me’). But to reject Jesus is to place oneself out of reach of the divine testimony.[359]

(4) Jesus Christ is the key to eternal life. Those who trust in Him are saved; those who reject Him will die in their sins. There is no other way to God. Following Jesus Christ as His disciple is not only the way to heaven, it is the only way to escape the darkness of this life. Jesus is to be the central focus of our life. We are never to turn to anything or anyone else as the divine source of light and life. This is the consistent message of the New Testament.[360]

In our text, Jesus claims that those who reject Him will some day seek Him, but too late (see verse 21). This is true for all who reject Him as the “Light of the world,” as God’s only provision for eternal salvation:

5 You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, 6 who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. 8 He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. 9 As a result God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue should confess to the glory of God the Father that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:5-11).

Have you trusted in Jesus Christ as the “Light of the world”? Have you experienced the forgiveness of your sins and the promise of eternal life in Him? If you have not done so before, I urge you to do so now. Those who come to Him in faith, He will never turn away. And if you have come to trust in Jesus as the “Light of the world,” I will close with these inspired words of Paul, which challenge us to live as “lights” in a dark world:

12 So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with humility and dependence, 13 for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort—for the sake of his good pleasure—is God. 14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world 16 by holding on to the word of life so that I will have a reason to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain (Philippians 2:12-16).


! Lesson 20:
Like Father, Like Son
(John 8:31-59)

Introduction

This text brings back fond memories. Over 30 years ago, before we moved to Dallas to attend seminary, I was a schoolteacher in the Northwest. A small church in the mountains of Washington State needed someone to fill in for a month while the two missionaries who pastored the church got away for a vacation. I remember that the Fourth of July came on the week I was to preach my first sermon, so I chose to preach on the text of John 8:32, and to focus on the subject of freedom. I honestly don’t remember what I said, and I hope no one else remembers it either.

I find it providential that this Sunday is Father’s Day. In our text, the word “father” appears over a dozen times. This passage really is about “fathers” and “sons.” It is one of the most powerful texts in the Gospel of John, dealing with those crucial issues which caused many to reject and resist Jesus as the Messiah, while at the same time bringing others to faith in Him. The issues dealt with in our text are those with which many in our culture struggle today. Let us listen and learn what the Word of God has to say to us about “fathers,” “sons,” and “freedom.”

Background

Opposition to our Lord began to intensify in John chapter 5 after Jesus healed the paralytic, and then told him to carry his mattress. This happened on the Sabbath, and so the Jewish religious leaders were greatly upset. When Jesus explained His actions, they became irate and more resolved than ever to do away with Him altogether. Jesus justified His actions on the basis that He was simply acting like His Father. His Father was at work on the Sabbath, and so was He. The Jews understood this as a claim to be equal with God, and this was more than they could handle. A great debate ensued. Jesus claimed that even though there were a number of witnesses to His identity as the Son of God, His accusers refused to accept their testimony. He told them that even though they studied the Old Testament Scriptures, they missed the fact that these Scriptures pointed to Him as the Messiah. When the time for judgment came, Jesus said it would be Moses who would condemn them for not heeding His testimony.

In chapter 6, Jesus fed the multitude in the wilderness, and the crowd was ready to make Him their king by force, if necessary. Jesus sent His disciples on ahead of Him and He dismissed the crowd, after which He went off by Himself to pray. But it was only a matter of time until they were urging Him to surpass Moses’ performance as the provider of bread for the multitudes. By the time Jesus finished His teaching on the “bread of life,” many of His so-called “disciples” deserted Him. His 12 disciples remained with Him. They did not understand what the future held, but they did believe that He alone had the words of eternal life.

In chapter 7 when Jesus went up to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, the opposition grew more widespread and intense than ever. By the time the chapter comes to a close, it seems that a great number of those who heard Jesus had had enough of Him and His teaching. The pilgrims who came to Jerusalem from afar thought Jesus was demon possessed and out of His mind. The Jerusalemites were ready to put Jesus to death for His claim to deity. In the last verse of chapter 7 and the next 11 verses of chapter 8, we read the story of Jesus and the Jews and the woman caught in the act of adultery. The Jews wanted to pit Jesus against the Law of Moses, so that they could charge Him under the law. When Jesus finished with this woman’s accusers, all of them gave up their attack on her, convicted of their own guilt under the law.

In verse 12 of chapter 8, Jesus extended this invitation to those who were lost and needed to be saved: “Then Jesus spoke out again, ‘I am the light of the world. The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” While many of those in His audience reject Jesus as Messiah, there are also many who come to faith: “While He is saying these things, many people believe in Him” (John 8:30).

The crowd that gathers to hear Jesus speak is a mixed multitude. Some believe in Jesus, while others think Him a deceiver, and others still are determined to put Him to death. Some honestly listen to what He says, while others listen only to hear something they can use against Him.

Father Abraham
(8:31-41a)

31 Then[361] Jesus said to those Jewish people who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching,[362] you are really my disciples 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 “We are descendants of Abraham,” they replied, “and have never been anyone’s slaves! How can you say, ‘You will become free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth, everyone who practices sin is a slave of sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the family forever, but the son remains forever. 36 So if the son sets you free, you will be really free. 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. But you are wanting to kill me, because my teaching makes no progress among you. 38 I am telling you the things I have seen while with my Father, but you are practicing the things you have heard from your father.” 39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father!” Jesus replied, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the deeds of Abraham. 40 But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! 41 You people are doing the deeds of your father.”

If the words of verse 12 are addressed to those who have not yet believed in Jesus as the Messiah, verses 31 and 32 are addressed specifically to those who have come to faith:[363] “If you continue to follow my teaching, you are really my disciples 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The fact that this is spoken to believers is noteworthy. Until now, I have always thought these words were addressed to unbelievers and were therefore “evangelistic” in thrust. While they certainly may have some application to the lost, this is not primarily what our Lord has in mind when He speaks to the Jewish believers in the crowd.

These words argue against what we might call “mere Christianity,” as our Lord challenges believers to become true disciples. It is not good enough to simply believe in Jesus as the Messiah, or even to make a public profession of one’s faith in Him. Jesus intends for men to become His disciples, and to do this, they must abide in His Word.[364] Just what it means to “abide in His Word” is not explained here, because His adversaries interrupt Jesus. This matter will be taken up later on in the Gospel of John,[365] and then by the Epistles. For now, we must be content with the statement of our Lord that those who abide in His Word are truly His disciples, and by abiding in His Word, they will come to know the truth, and that truth will set them free.

At this point, our Lord’s enemies come unglued because of what they hear Him say. I am both amazed and amused by how quickly they grasp the inference of our Lord’s words. They seem to reason in this manner:[366]

·         Jesus says that those who abide in His Word will be set free.

·         This implies that we are not presently free.

·         If we are not free, then we are slaves.

·         We are the children of Abraham. We can’t be slaves!

·         Jesus is terribly wrong!

The reasoning here is fascinating. On the one hand they seem to argue from history, insisting that they have never been anyone’s slaves, but this assertion is far from convincing. At this present moment, the Jews may not be “slaves” in the technical sense of the term, but neither are they completely “free,” either. Why do they have to obtain permission from Herod and Pilate to have Jesus crucified, unless they are subject to Roman rule? Israel’s slavery in Egypt (from which they were delivered at the exodus) and her captivity by the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians certainly inclines us to think that history would show that they have been “slaves.” These Jews seem willing to rewrite history to maintain their claim that they have never been slaves to anyone.

On the other hand, they attempt to employ a priori reasoning. The basis for their denial is biological: “We are descendants of Abraham” (verse 33). The inference they draw from this is that because they are Abraham’s seed, they can never become slaves to anyone. In effect they are saying, “Because we are the descendants of Abraham, we can’t be slaves, ever. Therefore we have never been slaves, ever.” I believe they are reasoning on the basis of the Abrahamic Covenant, as summarized in Genesis 12:1-3.

1 Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:1-3, NKJV).

It is interesting to me that these Jews, so devoted to the Law of Moses, do not refer to the Mosaic Covenant, especially the summary contained in Deuteronomy 28. The first 14 verses promise God’s blessings and great prosperity if God’s people obey the law and keep their (Mosaic) covenant with God. This would be the portion of Scripture they would offer as their proof text. But the final 54 verses of chapter 28 spell out the certain consequences of Israel’s disobedience. In these verses, the actual term “slave” may not be found, but one would be hard pressed not to view these words as describing slavery:

28 “The LORD will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of heart. 29 And you shall grope at noonday, as a blind man gropes in darkness; you shall not prosper in your ways; you shall be only oppressed and plundered continually, and no one shall save you. 30 You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall lie with her; you shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it; you shall plant a vineyard, but shall not gather its grapes. 31 Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you shall not eat of it; your donkey shall be violently taken away from before you, and shall not be restored to you; your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and you shall have no one to rescue them. 32 Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, and your eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all day long; and there shall be no strength in your hand. 33 A nation whom you have not known shall eat the fruit of your land and the produce of your labor, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually. 34 So you shall be driven mad because of the sight which your eyes see. 35 The LORD will strike you in the knees and on the legs with severe boils which cannot be healed, and from the sole of your foot to the top of your head. 36 The LORD will bring you and the king whom you set over you to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods—wood and stone. 37 And you shall become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all nations where the LORD will drive you” (Deuteronomy 28:28-37, NKJV, emphasis mine).

This objection that is raised by our Lord’s opponents is not a new issue in the Gospels. It is one John the Baptist addressed in his preaching:

7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Offspring of vipers![367] Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit worthy of repentance! 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ because I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones! 10 Even now the ax is ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire’” (Matthew 3:7-10).

This same error is so deeply ingrained within Judaism that Paul must emphatically denounce it, both in terms of his own life and testimony (Philippians 3:1-10), and in terms of the gospel (Romans 9:1-8; Galatians 3:24-29). Many of the Jews assumed that their biological ancestry was the basis for their relationship with God. Put simply, they thought being Jewish was the same as being saved, and therefore that they were entitled to all of God’s blessings. How dreadfully wrong they were! Being Jewish was a privilege, as Paul points out in Romans chapter 9, but it is not the same as being saved. Being in Christ, by faith in His death, burial, and resurrection, is the basis for being the “true Israel” of God:

23 Now before faith came we were held in custody under the law, kept as prisoners until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 Thus the law had become our guardian until Christ, so that we could be declared righteous by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. 26 For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:23-29).

11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh—who are called “uncircumcision” by the so-called “circumcision” that is performed in the body by hands—12 that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, the one who turned both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, in his flesh, 15 when he nullified the law of commandments in decrees. The purpose of this was to create in himself the two into one new man, thus making peace, 16 and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; 18 so that through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer foreigners and non-citizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, 20 because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:11-22).

Jesus responds to the defensive objections of His opponents. Anyone who practices sin is a slave,[368] “a slave of sin.”[369] I believe the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery in the early part of chapter 8 contributes a great deal to our Lord’s words here. There, Jesus challenged the one who was without sin to cast the first stone. No one dared to take up a stone, and everyone left—self-admitted sinners. If no one there could claim to be free from sin, then those who protest against our Lord’s words here are sinners by their own admission.[370] They are sinners, indeed, and thus they are slaves to sin.

The next words of our Lord are somewhat perplexing: “The slave does not remain in the family forever, but the son remains forever. So if the son sets you free, you will be really free” (vss. 35-36). A slave has no permanent place in the family. He can be sold at any moment. He can even be put to death in some circumstances. His position or status in the family is surely tentative. Furthermore, a slave is not “free” himself, so how can he possibly set anyone else “free”? (That would be something akin to a bald man claiming to possess the power to produce hair on the heads of other bald men.) Now a “son” is very different. His status as a son is permanent. He can exercise the authority and enjoy the privileges of his father. A son can “free” a slave, and that former slave’s freedom will be “real” and permanent.

I think we would all agree that when our Lord speaks of the “son” here, He is referring to Himself as the Son of God. As the Son, He can free men from sin, and this freedom is sure because He is the Son. The question is: “To whom is Jesus referring as a slave?” In a general way, all men are sinners, and thus all men are slaves of sin. It is my opinion here, however, that Jesus may be using the term “slave” to refer more specifically to the Jewish religious leaders. In many of His parables, slaves or stewards (or both) are used to represent His servants. In those parables which rebuke the Jewish religious leaders for their failed stewardship, slaves are again found. The “slaves” of Luke 20:9-19 represent the prophets. I believe Jesus is referring to the religious leaders as slaves, which is very much in keeping with the context of John 8. These “slaves” seem to be those who feel they can pronounce in a way that determines one’s destiny (see 7:13). This seems to be the case with their attitude and actions in response to the man born blind in chapter 9 (see verses 22, 34). Do these religious leaders think they can “loose” or “bind” men in relation to the kingdom of God (cf. Matthew 18:18)? They are but slaves, and slaves cannot free other slaves. This is the work of the “Son.” It is Jesus’ claim of “sonship” which the religious leaders reject and oppose.

Do these Jews claim to be Abraham’s descendants? In a merely physical sense, they are his sons, but that is not what it means to be a true “son of Abraham.” They reject the word of Jesus, which reveals the truth, and which would set them free. Instead of believing in Jesus, they seek to kill Him. Here is a great contrast. They think they speak for God, and yet Jesus is the One who speaks of those things He has seen while He was with His Father in heaven. They claim to be the offspring of Abraham, and yet by their deeds, they show that they do not honor God by trusting in His Son because they are trying to kill Him. They are “sons” of someone, but they are not “sons” of Abraham in the way they believe they are. Their practice reveals their true “father.” We are just about to be told who this “father” is.

The Parent Trap
(8:41b-59)

Then they said to Jesus, “We were not born as a result of immorality! We have only one Father, God himself.” 42 Jesus replied, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here. I have not come on my own initiative, but he sent me. 43 Why don’t you understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot accept my teaching. 44 You people are from your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I am telling you the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Who among you can prove me guilty of any sin? If I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 The one who belongs to God listens and responds to God’s words. You don’t listen and respond, because you don’t belong to God.” 48 The Jewish people who had been listening to him replied, “Aren’t we correct in saying that you are a Samaritan and are possessed by a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I am not possessed by a demon, but I honor my Father and yet you dishonor me. 50 I am not trying to get praise for myself. There is one who demands it, and he also judges. 51 I tell you the solemn truth, if anyone obeys my teaching, he will never see death.” 52 Then the Jewish people who had been listening to him responded, “Now we know you’re possessed by a demon! Both Abraham and the prophets died, and yet you say, ‘If anyone obeys my teaching, he will never taste of death. 53 You aren’t greater than our father Abraham who died, are you? And the prophets died too! Who do you claim to be? 54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless. The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you people say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 Yet you do not know him, but I know him. If I say that I do not know him, I will be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obey his teaching. 56 Your father Abraham was overjoyed to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.” 57 Then the Jewish people who had been listening to him replied, “You are not yet fifty years old! Have you seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, before Abraham came into existence, I am!” 59 Then they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out from the temple area.

Our Lord has not yet said just who is the “true father” of these Jewish opponents. His adversaries seem well on their way to figuring that out for themselves. Almost as though they are trying to speak before Jesus can identify their “father,” they blurt out, “We were not born as a result of immorality! We have only one Father, God himself” (verse 41). This is almost as ugly as these enemies of our Lord can get, though they will improve on their ugliness by the end of the chapter. It is as though they find themselves with their backs to the wall (so to speak), and feel forced to use dirty tricks. They seem to be saying: “So, you think that God is your Father, but not ours. You think you can accuse us of having another “father” than Abraham. Well, since the subject of fathers has come up, let us remind you that none of us is a bastard[371]—but you are! It is we who are the sons of God, and not you!”

Our Lord is not taken aback by their cruel accusation. It simply isn’t true. Once again, their incorrect understanding of our Lord’s most unusual birth is given as grounds for their rejection of His claim to be Israel’s Messiah. For us, the virgin birth of our Lord is one of the most glorious truths of the Word of God, the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, and the basis for our Lord’s identity and ministry. Our Lord bases His next words on a principle we articulate by means of the expression: “Like father, like son.” You know who one’s father is by his conduct as a son. A son acts like his father, and so you know that the son will imitate his father.

The “father” of these hecklers in the crowd can be discerned by simply observing their conduct. Abraham believed God (see Genesis 15:6); these folks do not believe in the Son of God, who was sent down from heaven and who speaks for God the Father. If God were their father, they would welcome His Son and love Him, as they think they love the Father. They don’t even understand what Jesus is saying to them. It is because they cannot and will not accept His teaching.

Thus, Jesus concludes: “You people are from your father the devil” (verse 44). This must come as a slap in the face. These people think they have the inside track with God, that they are “sons of God” as much as men can be. Now Jesus tells them they are really sons of the devil. How can one conclude otherwise? They reject Him whose word is the truth. Are they not devoted to lies, just like their real father, the devil? When they seek to kill Jesus, are they not murderers, like their father, the devil?

Our Lord reveals truth to us here which concerns our adversary, the devil. Jesus tells us that the devil was a “murderer from the beginning” (verse 44). Somehow, as many times as I have read and taught through the third chapter of Genesis, I missed seeing this. Satan was not merely trying to deceive Eve or to promote rebellion against God, though he was attempting these things. Jesus tells us that Satan’s role in the fall was nothing less than premeditated murder. God placed Adam and Eve in a garden that had many trees. From all of the trees but one they could eat freely. One of the trees from which they could eat freely was the tree of life. Satan succeeded in getting both Adam and Eve to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the one forbidden tree. God warned that to eat of the fruit of this tree would result in their death. It was as if the devil had given poison to both Adam and Eve. He was a murderer, even at the beginning, and he still is.

The devil is also a liar by nature. Whenever he speaks, he speaks lies. His words contain some truth, of course, but the bottom line is always a lie. In his book, People of the Lie, author Scott Peck describes demon possession. While it has been some time since I read the book, I remember him telling how one could recognize a person who was demon possessed. Peck claims that those who are demon possessed will lie, even when they don’t have to, even when it is to their own detriment. They are, like their “father,” liars by nature; they can do nothing else than to lie. For the devil to tell the truth is like a lion deciding to give up red meat. No wonder our Lord’s adversaries reject the truth He teaches and speak lies about Jesus. It is precisely because Jesus tells the truth that these sons of the “great liar” reject His words. And yet, for all their defamation of our Lord’s character, for all their attacks, Jesus challenges them to offer proof that He is guilty of even one sin (verse 46). Why will they not believe in Him? The answer is simple—they can’t, and they won’t. Those who belong to God do listen and respond to God’s words (as Jesus speaks them). These people do not listen or respond because they do not belong to God. It’s as simple as that.

If Jesus is becoming more and more direct in His accusations against His opponents, they are quick to retaliate with ugly accusations. Earlier, they accused Jesus of being an illegitimate child, but the words they speak here have to be their lowest blow ever. Of what greater offense can they accuse Him? They accuse Jesus not only of being an illegitimate child, but also of being the son of a non-Jew, a Gentile, and thus (in their minds) a Samaritan, a demon-possessed Samaritan no less.

Jesus responds to this monstrous accusation by denying the charge and claiming that His mission is to honor the Father. Therefore, as they dishonor Him by rejecting Him as the Son of God, they also dishonor the Father who sent Him. Our Lord’s mission is not a self-serving one, as will become evident in the garden of Gethsemane and on the cross of Calvary. He is not seeking fame and glory for Himself as they are.[372] The Father demands that men glorify Him, and He is also the One who will judge those who refuse to do so. Once again, Jesus offers the gift of eternal life to all who will obey His teaching, for such people will never see death (verse 51).

They have heard just about all they can take from Jesus. Now they know for sure that He is demon possessed, they say (verse 52). They have followed the logic of His words well. He has said that whoever obeys His word will never taste death. If Jesus can promise men that they will never die, then He is greater than all the great men of the Bible, all of whom died.[373] Jesus is understood to be claiming that neither He nor anyone who follows Him will die. “Who does Jesus think He is?” they wonder. “Does He think He is better than Abraham, their ‘father,’ and the prophets? All of these men died, so how can Jesus speak of not dying? Who is He claiming to be?” Jesus responds that any glory He seeks for Himself (independently of the Father) would be of no value. It is the Father who is actively working to glorify the Son. This One whom they call their “Father” is the same one who is actively working to glorify the Son. If Jesus were to seek to appease His opponents by saying that He does not know the Father (as they want to believe), then He would be a liar, just as they are liars. They do not know God, but He does. They do not obey God, but He does. They do not rejoice at our Lord’s coming, and yet Abraham—the one they call their father—rejoiced to see His day (verse 56).

You can almost see the faces of those debating with Jesus turn a deep red. They are furious. They have things a little mixed up,[374] but they still cannot miss the essence of what our Lord is claiming, that He is eternal. Not only does He speak of living on forever, He now speaks of being there in the distant past. “Has Jesus seen Abraham?” they ask. They are not prepared for the answer they receive: “I tell you the solemn truth, before Abraham came into existence, I am!” (verse 58). There is very little doubt that Jesus means to identify Himself as God here:

‘That is a supreme claim to Deity; perhaps the most simple and sublime of all the things He said with that great formula of old, the great ‘I AM’ … These are the words of the most impudent blasphemer that ever spoke, or the words of God incarnate’ (Morgan).[375]

Over against Abraham’s fleeting span of life (see Gen. 25:7) Jesus places his own timeless present. To emphasize this eternal present he sets over against the aorist infinitive, indicating Abraham’s birth in time, the present indicative, with reference to himself; hence, not I was, but I am. Hence, the thought here conveyed is not only that the second Person always existed (existed from all eternity; cf. 1:1, 2; cf. Col. 1:17), though this, too, is implied; but also, and very definitely, that his existence transcends time. He is therefore exalted infinitely above Abraham. See also on 1:18; and cf. 1:1, 2. The ‘I am’ here (8:58) reminds one of the ‘I am’ in 8:24. Basically the same thought is expressed in both passages; namely, that Jesus is God! Moreover, what he states here in 8:58 is his answer not only to the statement of the Jews recorded in 8:57 but also to that found in 8:53.[376]        

As dull of hearing and understanding as they are, they cannot miss the interpretation of these words. Jesus is claiming to be God as boldly and emphatically as it can be done. They do not even appear to take the time to pronounce sentence upon Him. They spontaneously take up stones to stone Him on the spot. This they would have done, except that it is not yet “His time,” and so He hides Himself and goes out of the temple.

Conclusion

So far as the argument of the Gospel of John is concerned, things have gone from bad to worse. Opposition to Jesus has been strong. Even as early as chapter 5, the Jewish leaders have resolved to kill Him. At the beginning of chapter 8, they seem to be intent on stoning an adulteress, though this may only be a guise. But by the end of chapter 8, they are very serious about stoning our Lord, without a trial, on the basis of His claim to be the eternal Son of God. The chasm between Jesus and those who oppose Him is both deep and wide. The cross of Calvary is not far off. It is not that our Lord has failed to convince men; it is that He has spoken the truth, and men have rejected it. Jesus has set the stage for His final appearance in Jerusalem.

I would like to conclude this message by focusing on several key points of emphasis in our text. I urge you to consider these carefully and prayerfully.

First of all, our text has much to say about “fatherhood.” This is Father’s Day, and it is providential that our text has so much to say about one’s “father.” The Jews of that day made too much of their ancestry. They not only rightly believed that being a Jew is a privilege (see Romans 2:28-29; 9:3-5), they falsely assumed that being Jewish (the offspring of Abraham) was their ticket into the kingdom of God (see Matthew 3:8-10). Jesus makes it clear that Abraham must be our father in a different sense. Paul says virtually the same thing:

23 Now before faith came we were held in custody under the law, kept as prisoners until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 Thus the law had become our guardian until Christ, so that we could be declared righteous by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. 26 For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:23-29).

There are those in our text who are lost, destined to die in their sins, but who think they are saved because they are Jewish. In spite of the teaching of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:8-10) and of Jesus (here), they persist in this error. They have made their religion a matter of race, rather than of faith. No one is born into the family of God through the actions of their parents. The new birth is something we must personally experience.

Our text also points to a very real danger for those Jews who have come to faith in Jesus Christ. They are likely to be tempted to take pride in their Jewishness, rather than to be humbled by God’s grace and the privileges He has bestowed upon them. Paul saw his Jewishness differently. Rather than take pride in his standing as a Jew, he came to view all that he had once taken pride in as “dung” when compared to the righteousness He gained through Christ, by grace (Philippians 3). How can anyone take pride in what they have not earned or deserved? The Jews reject the grace of God manifested in Jesus because they think they do not need grace, and they most certainly do not want it. They think God owes them salvation because they are Jews. Thus, they pride themselves because of their racial origins. Our racial origins are not the basis for our salvation (or our condemnation, for that matter), nor should they be the basis for pride or self-righteousness. We are what we are by the grace of God.

Lest it appear that I am selecting out Jews for criticism, let me remind you that in Romans 11 Paul warns Gentiles against taking pride in their status as Christians (see verses 11-24). We who are Gentiles have every reason to rejoice in our salvation. But we have absolutely no basis for boasting about our salvation, as though we are better than others, or as though we somehow have contributed to God’s grace in saving us. The same can be said regarding God’s grace in all its other manifestations, such as spiritual gifts. We cannot take credit for what we have been given by grace (see 1 Corinthians 4:7). Grace should humble us, rather than puff us up.

Jesus is telling us in this text that one’s “father” is known, not by one’s parents, or even by one’s profession, but by means of one’s practice. Our father is the one who behaves as we do. The Jews who oppose Jesus are liars and murderers, just like their “true father,” the devil. Who your “true father” is will be evident by your walk.

There is a great deal of interest these days in one’s genealogy. People are very often blaming their physical fathers for their own failures in life. Adopted children seem more interested than ever in discovering who their biological fathers and mothers are. Many teach that the way we “father” our children determines our children’s view of God as their “Father.” While there may be some measure of truth here, I think that it often needs to be just the opposite. I believe the Bible describes God as the ultimate Father, and that He is the standard and the pattern by which all fathers should be judged. Jesus is the ultimate “son,” the standard by which all “sons” should be measured. It is important for us to be good sons and good fathers, but let us look to God the Father as the standard for fatherhood, and to God the Son as the standard for sonship.

One of my greatest concerns is that some of the children who have grown up in a Christian home and in this church may falsely conclude that their relationship with God is inherited from their parents or is somehow absorbed by their presence among Christians. It is not. Parents should teach their children about God, about sin, and about salvation. But each child must personally become a member of the family of God by faith in Jesus Christ.

This text is very appropriate for the Fourth of July holiday we are about to celebrate. It is very apparent that the word “free” strikes a cord deeply embedded in the hearts of the Jews who react so strongly to our Lord’s words. They are incensed that Jesus implies they are not free, insisting that they are “free,” based upon their biological link with Abraham. Let me make several observations about “freedom” and the Jews of Jesus’ day.

·         Those who are enslaved are also those who are convinced they are free.

·         Those who are enslaved are most passionate about being free.

·         Those who are convinced they are already free are absolutely unwilling to turn to our Lord and to His Word to become truly free.

I do not think there is anything Americans value more than freedom. We have enjoyed political freedom so long that we fail to appreciate this blessing. Nevertheless, we have very strong feelings about our freedom. Our feelings on freedom are virtually identical with those summarized above. Let me mention a few areas in which we insist on being free.

We want to be free of government interference (this certainly includes taxes) in our lives (but not free of government benefits).

We want “free love,” which means that immorality, perversion, condoms, and abortions on demand are essential rights, a part of our personal freedom (the Supreme Court legalizes these on the basis of “privacy”).

We want to be “free thinkers,” which means that we cast aside much of the wisdom of the past (e.g., lessons from history), and we want no one to refuse us the right to publish and to purchase anything we wish, without restriction.

We desperately want to have our own “free will,” to be the “masters of our souls” and the “captains of our fate,” and so many reject the idea of a sovereign God, who knows all, and who is in absolute control of all things. We do not want to think of ourselves as slaves to God (even though Paul and the saints of the Bible do), but we like to think of God as our servant, who is there to meet our needs, as we define them.

Anything God’s Word teaches that in any way challenges our concept of freedom, we are inclined to reject, just as the Jews reject the words of our Lord. The irony of it all is that as “free” as we think we are, men and women and children have never been more enslaved. Today, one of the most prominent words in pop psychology is the word “addiction.” People are “addicted” to drugs, to alcohol, to tobacco, to relationships, to sex, to food, and even to the Internet (my wife would add “computers” to this list). In one sense, we should be indebted that such maladies are recognized as “addictions” (if indeed they all are addictions). On the other hand, I think we would be better off calling these “addictions” by their biblical name, “slavery to sin”:

15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Absolutely not! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were entrusted to, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness. 19 (I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh.) For indeed as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. 20 For when your were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness. 21 So what benefit did you enjoy then from those things that you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now, having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you have your benefit leading to sanctification, and the end is eternal life. 23 For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:15-23).

Here are some of the great paradoxes of Christianity: if you wish to save your life, you must lose it (Matthew 16:25); to be the greatest in the kingdom of God, you must become the servant of all (Matthew 18:4; 23:11). And here: if you wish to be truly “free,” you must surrender your life to Jesus Christ as His disciple, placing yourself under His Word. Years ago I read a pamphlet on the place of discipline in the Christian life, which I believe was written by Jay Adams. He used the illustration of a train. When is a train most “free,” when it is sitting on the ground “free” of any tracks, or when it is confined to a set of tracks? When are you and I most enslaved? It is when we think we are exercising our freedom. When are we most free? It is when we have surrendered our freedom to Jesus Christ, and submitted to Him and His Word as His disciples. It is through abiding in His Word that we come to know the truth, and the truth makes us free.

I am especially impressed that these words of our Lord, “… and you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free” (verse 32) were not spoken to unbelievers, but to those who had already believed. This seems to indicate that one can be a believer and not know the truth, and not be truly free. Freedom is the fruit of discipleship, and discipleship is the result of abiding in our Lord’s Word, so that we know the truth. I would like to spend a good deal more time exploring the implications of these words, but our Lord is interrupted by Jewish unbelievers, who wish to argue about freedom and fatherhood. Not until later on in the Gospel of John (especially chapters 14-16) does our Lord more fully explain what abiding in Him and in His Word involves. The Epistles of John (especially 1 John), of James (James 1:19-27), of Peter (see 1 Peter 1:22–2:3), and of Paul (e.g., Romans 12:1ff.; Ephesians 4:1ff.; Colossians 2-3) play out this subject in much greater detail.

From what does the truth of our Lord’s Word set us free? It sets us free from sin and its inevitable result, death. We are set free from the lies of the devil, and from the distorted thinking of our culture and our fallen nature:

17 So I say this, and insist in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. 19 Because they are callous, they have given themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not learn about Christ like this, 21 if indeed you heard about him and were taught in him just as the truth is in Jesus. 22 You were taught with reference to your former life that you have laid aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, 23 and that you are being renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you have put on the new man who has been created in God’s image—in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth. 25 Therefore, having laid aside falsehood, each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another (Ephesians 4:17-25).

What a contrast we see between our Lord and Satan in our text in the Gospel of John. Satan is a liar and the murderer, who seeks to deceive and to murder. Our Lord is the source of truth, which sets us free, and He is the One who came to give His life to save wretched sinners like us! Unbelievers are dazzled and attracted by Satan’s lies, because he tells them what they want to hear. Men reject our Lord’s words, because they expose our sin (see 7:7). Satan claims to offer us freedom, but his way always ends up in slavery and death. In serving ourselves and seeking our own interests, we become slaves to sin and Satan; in submitting ourselves to Jesus Christ and His Word, we come to know the truth, which sets us free from the illusions and deceptions of the evil one.

As I close, may I ask you these questions? First, are you truly free, or have you only been deceived to think you are free? Second, who is your true father? These are the most important questions you will ever answer. The only way to the truth, to freedom, and to God the Father is through Jesus Christ:

6 Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you have known me, you will know my Father too. And from now on you do know him and have seen him” (John 14:6-7).


! Lesson 21:
Jesus and the Man Born Blind
(John 9:1-12)

Introduction

My personal experience with blindness has been short-lived, for which I am grateful. While I was in college, late one night I was awakened by pain from an infected wisdom tooth. I went to the campus infirmary, where the nurse on duty had compassion on me. She gave me a couple of small pink pain pills and told me to see my dentist in the morning. After taking them, I quickly fell into a sound sleep. The next morning as I was taking a warm shower, I suddenly became light-headed and lost my sight. Quickly, I turned off the hot water and remained standing under the cold water. During this time, another dormitory resident happened to pass by, recognized me, and engaged me in a brief conversation. I did not want him to know I couldn’t see him, so I just chatted with him until he left and my sight returned. He never knew what I was going through in those few moments. My “blindness” could be measured in minutes, perhaps even seconds, but it was something I do not wish to experience again.

Subsequent experiences with blindness have all been second-hand. God has given me a friend who lost his sight when he was about 12 years old or so. Craig Nelson and I have spent a fair bit of time together, especially in our travels to India and Africa. Observing Craig’s response to his own blindness has been a great inspiration to me, and watching people of the Third World relate to Craig has greatly enhanced my appreciation for our text.

When Craig and I landed at the airport in Delhi a few years ago, our first task was to go through customs. The experience there was unlike anything I’ve gone through anyplace else in the world that I have visited. We were led to a large metal building (something like a storage building, but with no air conditioning) which served as the “overseas terminal” and customs area. We were questioned by a customs official who asked all the standard questions. Suddenly, it dawned upon him that Craig was handicapped in some way. In his British accented English he asked me, “Is he a sick man?” Craig responded, “I’m blind.” From that point on, the customs official would not speak directly to Craig. He spoke only to me, even when the question pertained to Craig. For all intents and purposes, Craig was not regarded as a person—at least not by this fellow.

The same is true for the untouchables, the lowest group in India’s caste system. In the airports and elsewhere, these folks go about sweeping with a handful of straw, stooped over and never making eye contact with others. People pass by them as though they are not there, as though they do not exist. The people never interact socially, never nod, never say “Hello” or “Thanks” or “Pardon me.” The outcasts simply don’t exist, or so it appears from the way others relate to them. It is nearly the same with the blind and with beggars. The simple fact is that the blind are, without question and without exception, beggars. There are so few laws, if any, which prescribe and protect the rights of the blind. There are no Braille buttons on elevators (at least that I ever saw); there is no special handicapped status. The blind are almost completely ignored. As it is in the Third World today, so it was in Jesus’ day.

We know for a fact that this blind man is a beggar (9:8). We also know how begging usually works, then and now. We remember the story of the man, lame from his mother’s womb, who was begging as Peter and John were passing by (Acts 3:1-10ff.). This man was stationed outside the temple, where he hoped for a few kind-hearted folks to pass by. To the Pharisees and some others, people in such straits were not considered “handicapped” or “down on their luck”; they were disdained as sinners who had gotten what they deserved. Why should they show charity to one under divine discipline? To many others, these folks were just a nuisance, and the way to avoid them was not to “see” them. (Don’t get smug here. This is exactly what you and I do when we come to an intersection where someone is begging or selling flowers. We look straight ahead, not “seeing them,” so that they will leave us alone. It is a signal we send, informing them that we are not planning to contribute.)

When the man who was born lame noticed that Peter and John were looking intently at him, he knew there was hope, and he was right. But he was wrong in supposing he was about to have a few coins tossed in his direction. Instead, he was healed in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. At Peter’s instruction, the man took hold of the apostle’s hand and stood to his feet, and before long he was walking and leaping and praising God!

Before we turn to the specifics of our text, imagine how this miracle in chapter 9 of John’s Gospel might have taken place if “seen” through the “eyes” of the blind man. While this is largely a figment of my imagination, the miracle must have happened something like this:

The blind man makes his way to his designated spot, the place where he stations himself daily and begs for alms. He may even sleep in the same place where he spends his days. Most beggars have the benefit of their sight, so that when they see someone who is a regular donor, they can certainly start to make their appeal. Likewise, there are undoubtedly many “tightwads” who aren’t worth the effort of making a plea for a gift. Strangers are at least a possible source of income. Even such things as begging can be made into a science. What a vantage point from which to observe humanity. The difference with this blind man is that he cannot “see” his prospective donors coming. He has to listen very carefully for the sounds of people passing by. Or, perhaps he is stationed alongside another beggar who can see, who will give him advance notice (or he can at least hear him make his appeal and do likewise).

The sound of footsteps is heard by this blind beggar. And then he hears an even more encouraging clue—the footsteps cease, nearby. He has been seen! He knows it. We are not told that this man asks for money, but it may well be that he does. He must overhear the conversation between Jesus and His disciples. Whoever raises the issue of sin (my money is on Peter, John’s partner in later years), I doubt that he does so quietly, so the blind man must overhear. “Who sinned, this man or his parents?” he hears one of the bystanders ask “the Rabbi.” I wonder if the blind man has ever asked himself this question.

I suspect the blind man is curious, though he has probably heard every theory on suffering. If the answer he hears is not entirely new, it is most certainly encouraging: “Neither the sin of this man nor that of his parents is the explanation for his physical infirmity. This man’s condition has been sovereignly ordained, so that the works of God might be revealed through him.” Can you imagine the chill that must make its way up this man’s spine? He does not know what the outcome of this encounter will be, but it certainly sounds hopeful. If I were he, this is about the time I would be humming a tune Doug Oldham recorded some years ago: “I just feel like something good is about to happen. …”

As Jesus utters these words, He begins drawing nearer to the blind beggar, and then He pauses beside him. Then the Rabbi spits. Perhaps the beggar flinches, having been spat upon before by a self-righteous Pharisee or by some mischievous youth. “He missed!” the beggar may be thinking, somewhat triumphantly. The Rabbi (for this the blind man would likely have overheard) now stoops down and does something on the ground, right where the spit landed. Almost before the man realizes what is happening, two “mud pies” are applied, one to each eye. Is this not adding insult to injury? Is this some kind of cruel joke? The man who has placed the “clay” on his eyes then instructs the blind beggar to go to the pool named Siloam and to wash this mud from his eyes. He promises no miracle, and He says nothing to the crowd. Then, He and His disciples silently slip away.

The blind beggar makes his way to the pool of Siloam just as he has been instructed. We know that this was a necessity, and thus it may or may not have been an act of faith. After all, he has to get this stuff out of his eyes! (I must confess I was tempted to illustrate this more dramatically. I seriously considered going out into the audience with a can of whipped cream left over from the ice cream social last night. I was thinking of prearranging a scene in which I would put a topping of whipped cream on the head of a friend in the audience, and then tell him to go wash it off. Doing so would not be an act of faith as much as an act of necessity. Who is going to sit around with whipped cream on their head?) Likewise, why do we think this fellow would sit around all day with mud in his eyes?

At no time (in the text, as we have it) does Jesus promise this man a healing. He does not tell the crowd that a great miracle is about to occur. So far as we can tell, the miracle took place while this man was alone, washing his eyes. (It is not until later that folks seem to hear of his healing.) Can you imagine this man’s amazement as he washes the mud from his eyes? He sees light! He sees people! He has eyesight for the first time in his life! No doubt he knows his way to the pool and back by memory. (I never cease to be amazed at my friend, Craig, who quickly memorizes the layout of the place he is staying—the number of steps between various objects, and so on). Now, this man can actually see the things he has bumped into and felt with his fingers. Can you imagine him making his way home, pausing to take in the beauty of the roses he has only smelled in the past? What a day this is for this man, blind all of his life, until Jesus sees him.

We have imagined how this miracle could have taken place, seeking to “see” it through this blind man’s “eyes.” Let us now consider the inspired account of this event to see what God has for us to learn from this incredible incident, in which a blind man sees the light.

A Blind Beggar Sees the Light
(9:1-7)

1 Now as Jesus was passing by, he saw[377] a man who had been blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who committed the sin that caused him to be born blind, this man or his parents?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but he was born blind so that the acts of God may be revealed through what happens to him. 4 We must perform the deeds of the one who sent me as long as it is daytime. Night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said this, he spat on the ground and made some mud with the saliva. He smeared the mud on the blind man’s eyes 7 and said to him, “Go wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated “sent”). So the blind man went away and washed, and came back[378] seeing.

Jesus is once again with His disciples, who are strangely absent in chapters 7 and 8. Now, they are once again said to be with our Lord. We are not sure how much time has passed since the events of chapters 7 and 8, either. It doesn’t seem to matter to John, who does not inform us of such details. He is more concerned about the logical connections than with a chronological sequence of events.

Jesus is walking along with His disciples and they pass by a blind beggar. It doesn’t seem that the disciples even notice the beggar, which isn’t really unusual. On the one hand, they are not that interested in such folk at this point in their lives, and they may not have anything to give anyway, even if they wished to do so. And so they simply don’t see all the beggars who are there, in Jerusalem (and there must be many). On the other hand, they are probably preoccupied with Jesus and could well be deep in conversation with Him, oblivious to anything or anyone else. It is Jesus who is said to have “seen” this blind man, who suffered blindness from his birth on. I believe Jesus sees this man and immediately knows not only of his ailment, but the length of his affliction. Jesus pauses to look at him more intently. He stops and so His disciples stop also, finally taking notice of the blind beggar.

As they begin to size up the situation, they decide this is an interesting topic for theological inquiry:[379] “Was this man’s blindness the result of his sin, or that of his parents?” For them, these are the only two options; no others come to their minds. Their premise is apparent: sickness is the result of sin. Like Job’s friends, they seem to reason: “This man is suffering, and it must be due to sin. Such sin is either that of the man himself, or of his parents.” And so they ask Jesus which of their two options is the correct explanation. As usual, there are more than two options, and neither of the two are right. Some sickness is the direct result of sin (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:30), and ultimately all sickness is the result of Adam’s sin. But this man’s blindness is not divine punishment for a specific sin committed by this blind man or by his parents.

At this point, a number of students of this text launch into an attack on the disciples, chastising them for their lack of compassion. I do not question their lack of compassion. With William Hendriksen, I agree that the disciples could use a large dose of love:

To the disciples a glance at this man suggested a theological puzzle. To Jesus a look in his direction presented a challenge, an opportunity for work. They reasoned: ‘How did he get that way?’ He answered: ‘What can we do for him?’[380]

Hendriksen goes on to point out three ways one can respond to a man like this blind beggar:

(1) If he excites your envy, you can pelt him with brickbats.

(2) If he arouses your desire for additional information, you can try to gratify your curiosity by asking questions about him, in order, perhaps to solve a theological puzzle.

(3) You should love him and help him![381]

Let me point out that Jesus does not say anything to His disciples here about their need for compassion or for greater love toward others. Therefore, we must press on to consider what Jesus Himself says about this man and his affliction. Jesus does speak of His obligation to fulfill His mission, while time remains for Him to serve the Father as the “light of the world.” Notice the pronouns in verse 4:

We must perform the deeds of the one who sent me as long as it is daytime. Night is coming when no one can work” (emphasis mine).

Jesus has a mission, a mission He is obliged to fulfill. That mission is to be the “light of the world.” This is a mission His disciples share with Him, and thus they must join Him in performing the Father’s deeds. Our Lord’s response reveals His sense of mission and His priorities. First and foremost, He must please His Father by doing His works. Secondarily, He will reach out to men and minister to their needs. Is this priority not in keeping with the two-fold command to (first) love God and then (second) to love our neighbor as ourselves?

Yet one more element must be considered in our Lord’s words. Jesus is very clear that His time is short. How interesting. Previously, we have read that our Lord’s time (or hour) has not yet come (see 7:30; 8:20). We have also read of a certain hour or time that is in the future (2:4; 5:25, 28). But here, Jesus speaks of the shortness of the present hour. He speaks of a time when “night” will come, and when the deeds He is doing in the light (or, more properly, as the light) will not be possible. Will not even greater deeds be done after our Lord’s resurrection and ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost? When is this time to which our Lord refers?

I understand Jesus to be speaking with reference to the nation Israel and of His coming to “His own” people as the promised “light” (see 1:1-18). The days of opportunity are indeed short for the nation Israel. Both Jesus and John the Baptist announced the coming of the King and His kingdom, and called upon Israel to repent, lest they face God’s wrath. Jesus has come as the promised Messiah, and within a few months He will be rejected and crucified by His own people (with the help of the Gentiles). There is but a very small window of opportunity for Israel to repent and be saved. After this, the time for repentance (for that generation, at least) will come to a close. Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed, and the nation will be judged for its sin, and especially for its rejection of Messiah. There is indeed a very real sense of urgency merited by these circumstances, and our Lord speaks of this here. Jesus sees this situation not as His brothers would (an opportunity for a great public relations feat—see 7:1-5), and not merely as a time to minister to the sick and afflicted, as good as that may be. Jesus sees it as the time to do the works of the Father, works which He has been sent to do, works which He has little time left to perform.

How different our Lord’s perspective is from that of His disciples, who at best can only “use” the blind beggar as a case study, a topic for theological discussion and debate. How many healings have these disciples witnessed up to this point in time? How many blind men have they seen our Lord heal? Why does it not even occur to them that our Lord (or they) might be able to do a great work in this man’s life? Why do they not look at this man and his plight in terms of our Lord’s mission, and theirs? Lest we be too hard on them, let us not overlook the fact that we err in precisely the same manner today.

Having reiterated His commitment to fulfill His calling, Jesus turns His attention once again to the man born blind. He spits on the ground, then makes some “mud” and places some of it on each of the man’s eyes. So far as I can tell, He does not indicate to this man that He is about to heal him. He simply puts mud over each eye, and then tells the man to go to the pool of Siloam and wash. John makes a point of telling us that Siloam is a word which means “sent” (verse 7). Surely the meaning of Siloam is important, or John would not have included this detail. The man was “sent” to the pool named “sent.” Up to this point in John’s Gospel there has been considerable emphasis (and even debate) over the fact that Jesus was “sent” from heaven to the earth by the Father.

Accordingly, when the man is told to go and wash in the pool Siloam, though it is certainly true that this must be taken in the most literal sense so that he was actually expected to wash his eyes in that literal pool, the deeper meaning is surely this: that for spiritual cleansing one must go to the true Siloam; i.e., to the One who was sent by the Father to save sinners.[382]

There is a considerable amount of speculation over the significance of the “spit” and “dust” which resulted in the “mud” or “clay” placed over the eyes of the blind man. I will spare you these speculations, simply because they are just that.[383] I would suggest, however, that some things can be learned from this unique healing method, employed here by our Lord.

First, let me point out that while our Lord gave sight to a number of people who were blind, this is the only healing of its kind. Every instance of someone blind receiving their sight at the hand of our Lord is different:

You will notice that the man didn’t ask to have his eyes opened. The Lord loves to do things differently. At least four times He opened blind eyes, and He does it a different way each time, depending on the personality and the circumstances.

In Matthew chapter 9 we read that Jesus touched the eyes of two blind men. In Mark 8 we have the account of Jesus spitting in the eyes of a blind man. He looked up and said, ‘I see men as trees, walking.’ Jesus put His hands on his eyes, and made him look up, and his sight was restored. In Luke 18 a certain blind man cried, saying, ‘Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.’ Jesus simply said, ‘Receive thy sight,’ and the man was made whole.

But here in chapter 9 Jesus made clay and put it in this man’s eyes. Now, if he wasn’t blind before, he’s blind now! And Jesus sent him to the pool of Siloam to wash. And he came away seeing.[384]

Jesus was never restricted in terms of His options. He, the infinite, omniscient, omnipotent God, has many different means at His disposal to accomplish the will of the Father. Because of this, it is not necessary for Him to employ the same technique time after time. Thus we see great variety in the way He deals with the very same malady.[385] In this instance, Jesus employs what is readily at hand—spit and dust. This should not strike us as strange. I can remember when I was a little boy, and I would get a smudge of some kind on my face. My mother would take her handkerchief, touch it to her tongue to moisten it with saliva, and then use that to wipe away the smudge. As Jesus made use of the five loaves and two fishes to feed the 5,000, so He made use of His own spit and the dust of the ground to heal the blind man. If God can use spit and dust, He can use you and me, my friend.

Second, the method our Lord employs perfectly accomplishes what our Lord intends. On the one hand, Jesus purposes to heal this blind man, giving him the sight that he has never possessed. But there is another goal. Jesus wants to help this man in such a way that he will not attract a crowd or undue attention to Himself. In short, Jesus wants to keep this healing as private as possible. This is what I call a “take out” healing. Jesus could have sought to attract a crowd, to call attention to Himself and His power. Yet Jesus does not seem to indicate in advance what He is about to do, even to His disciples. No one is looking for a miracle. No crowd appears to follow the man to the pool of Siloam. It seems as though he is simply going there to wash up, as Jesus instructed him to do. Only after the man goes and washes does he obtain his sight. Jesus is long since gone and nowhere to be found. It is apparent that this man did not “set eyes” on Jesus until well after his healing. Jesus wants to heal this man in a way that does not attract attention, and for good reason—the Jews are seeking to kill Him.

Third, this method gives our Lord’s opposition a lot of trouble. This has taken me a while to recognize, but the more I read this chapter the more apparent it becomes. I contend that this is by our Lord’s own design. The Pharisees initially refuse to believe that this man is truly healed of blindness. Then, forced to acknowledge his healing by the compelling evidence of this fact, they concentrate their efforts on the method Jesus employed. Somehow this method doesn’t fit into any of their preconceived categories, and so they are perplexed. It is almost as though they assume Jesus has committed a crime, but they can’t figure out what the crime is, or how He accomplished it.

The Talk of the Town
(9:8-12)

8 Then the neighbors and the people who had seen him previously as a beggar began saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some people said, “This is the man!” while others said, “No, but he looks like him.” The man himself kept insisting, “I am the one.” 10 So they asked him, “How then were you made to see?” 11 He replied, “The man called Jesus made mud, smeared it on my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and was able to see.” 12 They said to him, “Where is that man?” He replied, “I don’t know.”

I want to particularly emphasize the fact that in these verses (8-12) neither the Pharisees nor the religious leaders are in view. These people are those who are most familiar with this man. They are the neighbors who watched this fellow grow up. They are the people who have seen him begging, and who perhaps have given him money in the past. If anyone can and should recognize this man, these people should.

A miracle like this cannot be kept quiet for long. Everyone is talking about it, but not everyone agrees on the facts of the matter. We must understand the level of difficulty nearly everyone has in accepting this miracle as a fact. The blind man says it himself, “Never before has anyone heard of someone causing a man born blind to see” (verse 32). Many of those who hear of this miracle refuse to believe it. The question is constantly asked, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” (verse 8). Some agree that it is. Others do not, but admit he is strikingly similar in appearance to the beggar they know. All the while, the man himself insists, “I am the one!” (verse 9). (Almost unconsciously they give testimony to his identity, because they are treating him like the blind man he used to be, by ignoring him, by treating him as a non-entity.)

The formerly blind man keeps insisting that he is the beggar they have known, and that now has been made to see. The question changes from “Who?” to “How?” and “By whom?” These people seem intent upon “closing their eyes” to the facts. I like to think of them as the “MPA,” the “Miracle Protection Agency.” The former beggar is on the spot, and he is being grilled as to how the alleged miracle took place. The man’s answer is too simple and too difficult for them to accept: A man called Jesus made “mud,” placed it on his eyes, and told him to wash. He did so and was able to see.

Unable to intimidate this man into changing his testimony, these “neighbors” and acquaintances and others press him regarding the whereabouts of the one who healed him. Notice that while the blind man refers to Jesus by name as the One who healed him, those who are interrogating him seem unable to utter His name: “Where is that man?” they insist. I do not think they want to know where to find Jesus so that they can worship Him, or even so that they can bring others to Him to be healed. They want to know where He is so He can be arrested. Fortunately for the man (and precisely according to our Lord’s plan), he does not know where Jesus can be found. When he tells them he does not know where Jesus is, they take him to the higher authorities so they can deal with him. One almost gets the impression that the former beggar has done something very wrong, at least as some of the Jews see it. Or do they “see” at all? We’ll save this question for our next lesson.

Conclusion

I would like to focus your attention on three important matters as we conclude this lesson. First, our text makes a very significant contribution to our understanding of the divine perspective on suffering. It is apparent from our text that many of the Jews misunderstand the purpose and place of suffering. They assume that suffering must be the consequence of some specific sin. The Pharisees certainly believe this about the man born blind (see verse 34). Unfortunately, so do our Lord’s disciples (see verse 2). Some sickness is the result of our own sin (1 Corinthians 5:5; 11:30), but not all sickness can be traced to personal sin in this way. Paul was given a “thorn in the flesh” to keep him humble after a marvelous glimpse of heaven (2 Corinthians 12:7). Physical afflictions can enhance our desire for heaven and focus our attention and affections on the unseen, eternal things that are most important (2 Corinthians 4:16–5:10).

Sickness and suffering can be used of God for purposes not known to us at the time, and perhaps not even in our lifetime. Job’s afflictions, for example, were a part of a much bigger picture, of which Job was not aware (though the reader is, thanks to chapters 1 and 2). Sickness and affliction may very well be purposed by God to bring glory to Himself. Jesus deliberately waited for His friend Lazarus to die, rather than heal him of his sickness, for the glory of God (John 11:4). Peter’s death, of which our Lord speaks in John 21:19, will glorify God. Joseph’s suffering at the hands of his brothers was for his own good and for the good of his family (see Genesis 50:20). Paul certainly saw his sufferings in this light (Philippians 1:12-26; Colossians 1:24-29).

And yet, with all the Bible teaches us about the glory of suffering, we tend to respond to suffering much like the disciples do. We think that when we are prospering and healthy, it is because of our own piety, and when we or someone else is suffering, we assume it is due to sin. We take credit if our children “turn out right,” and we look down on those whose children have gone astray. When someone goes through a divorce, it hardly enters our mind that it could be due to godliness, even though the Bible speaks of this as a real possibility (see 1 Corinthians 7). Suffering is not always meted out as punishment for sin.

Julie Andrews puts our legalistic thoughts to music when she sings these words:

Nothing comes from nothing,
Nothing ever could.
So somewhere in my youth or childhood,
I must have done something good.

And lest we tell ourselves that this is a “secular song,” and thus it doesn’t express Christian thinking or beliefs, let me remind you of these words from the very popular song, “Butterfly Kisses,” by Bob Carlisle:[386]

With all I’ve done wrong
I must have done something right
To deserve your love every morning,
And your butterfly kisses at night.

How do you view human suffering? Is it the occasion to look down upon the one suffering, to ignore that person’s agony and pain? Is it a time for you to engage in idle speculation about sin and guilt? Do you see it only as a time for showing compassion and love? Or do you see it as an opportunity for ministry in a way that fulfills our calling, thus bringing glory to God by accomplishing His works in this sinful, fallen, suffering world? Let us also be exhorted by the words of our Lord to remember that the time for such works is indeed short (see 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11).

The ultimate good is not our happiness, but the manifestation of God’s glory by the fulfillment of His purposes, the doing of His works. The ultimate good is not our pleasure, nor our freedom from pain, trials, or tribulation. He who has declared and demonstrated this is the same One who gave up the most in coming down from heaven, taking on human flesh, and taking upon Himself the sins of the world, suffering the wrath of God toward sinners on the cross of Calvary. Our ultimate good is knowing and loving God, and if God purposes to use pain and adversity in our lives to get us there, it is well worth the price.

The second lesson emphatically underscored in our text is that Jesus is, indeed, the Messiah. In his excellent commentary on the Gospel of John, Leon Morris[387] indicates that there are very few accounts of healing the blind in antiquity. There is no miracle of the giving of sight to the blind in the Old Testament. God is the One who has the ability to give sight to the blind:

So the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD? (Exodus 4:11, NKJV).

The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; The LORD raises those who are bowed down; The LORD loves the righteous (Psalm 146:8, NKJV).

In the Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming of Messiah, it was He who was to give sight to the blind. It is our Lord who claims to fulfill such prophecy:

16 Now Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as he customarily did. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him, 21 and he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:16-21, citing from Isaiah 61:1-2).

Morris reminds us that, “There are more miracles of giving of sight to the blind recorded of Jesus than healings in any other category (see Matt. 9:27-31; 12:22f.; 15:30f.; 21:14; Mark 8:22-6; 10:46-52; Luke 7:21f.).” He also points out that there is no recorded instance in the New Testament where the apostles performed this miracle (The role of Ananias in the removal of Paul’s temporary blindness is as close as we come—cf. Acts 9:17f.).[388] Here is but one more proof—one more sign—that Jesus is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, the Savior of all who believe in Him (see 20:30-31).

Third, in this marvelous account of our Lord’s giving sight to the man born blind, we have an example and illustration of the greater “salvation” of God in which He gives “sight” to those who are spiritually blind, resulting in eternal salvation.[389] The healing of the man born blind is what I would call a “Calvinistic healing.” Some healings in the life and ministry of our Lord are prompted by the initiative or persistence of the one who is infirmed. But in this case, John mentions nothing about a request to be healed, or even a request for alms. It is Jesus who sees the sightless man, who knows he has been blind from birth. It is He who purposes to fulfill His calling and to do the works of God by healing this man of his malady. He does not ask the man if he would like to be healed, nor does He promise the man that he will be healed. He places “mud pies” over this man’s eyes, and then tells him to go wash in the pool named “sent.” When he does so (he can hardly do otherwise), this man leaves that pool seeing.

This young man will never again be the same. He has received more than physical sight. His spiritual eyes have been opened, so that he “sees” much more than his Jewish neighbors, much more than the Pharisees. He even sees the blindness and hostility of the Jewish religious leaders toward Jesus and any who would follow Him. The man, blind until this very moment, now sees things quite clearly. His life will never be the same, now that he has “seen the light.”

Let me ask you, my friend, have you “seen the light”? Have you come to recognize your sin, your helplessness, your blindness to spiritual truth, your “deadness” to doing the works of God? Have you acknowledged Jesus as the “sent one,” sent by the Father to die on the cross of Calvary for you, bearing the guilt and penalty for your sins? Let me urge you to come to the “light,” to trust in Jesus Christ as God’s only provision for lost sinners to be saved, and for the spiritually blind to see.


! Lesson 22:
The Blind Man Gets a Hearing
(John 9:13-41)

Introduction

This past week my daughter Beth sent me an e-mail, which is alleged to be a letter from the chief curator of the Smithsonian Institute to a frequent “contributor” of artifacts. (I will not make any claims as to its authenticity, but it is good for a laugh. I will call this fellow “John Smith,” although in the actual letter I received he is identified by a different name.) “John” is a unique individual who is constantly digging up “relics” from his back yard, giving these interesting names and descriptions, and then sending them to the Smithsonian Institute for analysis and/or display. This is by no means the first communication between the Smithsonian and “John Smith,” which becomes apparent as you read this most gracious response to John’s last “find”:[390]

Smithsonian Institute
207 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20078

Dear “John Smith”:

Thank you for your latest submission to the Institute, Labeled “93211-D, layer seven, next to the clothesline post … Homonid skull.” We have given this specimen a careful and detailed examination, and regret to inform you that we disagree with your theory that it represents conclusive proof of the presence of Early Man in Charleston County two million years ago. Rather, it appears that what you have found is the head of a Barbie doll, of the variety that one of our staff, who has small children, believes to be “Malibu Barbie.” It is evident that you have given a great deal of thought to the analysis of this specimen, and you may be quite certain that those of us who are familiar with your prior work were loathe to come to contradiction with your findings.

However, we do feel that there are a number of physical attributes of the specimen which might have tipped you off to its modern origin:

1. The material is molded plastic. Ancient Hominid remains are typically fossilized bone.

2. The cranial capacity of the specimen is approximately 9 cubic centimeters, well below the threshold of even the earliest identified proto-hominids.

3. The dentition pattern evident on the skull is more consistent with the common domesticated dog than it is with the ravenous man-eating Pliocene clams you speculate roamed the wetlands during that time.

This latter finding is certainly one of the most intriguing hypotheses you have submitted in your history with this institution, but the evidence seems to weigh rather heavily against it. Without going into too much detail, let us say that:

A. The specimen looks like the head of a Barbie doll that a dog has chewed on.

B. Clams don’t have teeth.

It is with feelings tinged with melancholy that we must deny your request to have the specimen carbon-dated.

This is partially due to the heavy load our lab must bear in its normal operation, and partly due to carbon-dating’s notorious inaccuracy in items of recent geologic record. To the best of our knowledge, no Barbie dolls were produced prior to 1956 AD, and carbon-dating is likely to produce wildly inaccurate results.

Sadly, we must also deny your request that we approach the national Science Foundation Phylogeny Department with the concept of assigning your specimen the scientific name Australopithecus spiff-arino.

Speaking personally, I, for one, fought tenaciously for the acceptance of your proposed taxonomy, but was ultimately voted down because the species name you selected was hyphenated, and didn’t really sound like it might be Latin.

However, we gladly accept your generous donation of this fascinating specimen to the museum. While it is undoubtedly not a Hominid fossil, it is, nonetheless, yet another riveting example of the great body of work you seem to accumulate here so effortlessly. You should know that our Director has reserved a special shelf in his own office for the display of the specimens you have previously submitted to the Institution, and the entire staff speculates daily on what you will happen upon next in your digs at the site you have discovered in your Newport back yard.

We eagerly anticipate your trip to our nation’s capital that you proposed in your last letter, and several of us are pressing the Director to pay for it. We are particularly interested in hearing you expand on your theories surrounding the trans-positating fillifitation of ferrous metal in a structural matrix that makes the excellent juvenile Tyrannosaurus Rex femur you recently discovered take on the deceptive appearance of a rusty 9-mm Sears Craftsman automotive wrench.

Yours in Science,
“Fred Jones”(another alias)
Chief Curator-Antiquities

Believe it or not, the above letter reminds me of our text in chapter 9 of John’s Gospel. In both cases, diligent efforts are being made that are really quite laughable. “John Smith” is desperately trying to prove that something is a genuine artifact, millions of years old, when it is really junk he has dug up from his back yard (e. g., a “Malibu Barbie” doll which he believes to be a two million year old fossil of a pre-human creature). The Pharisees in our text are desperately trying to prove that something which is genuine (i. e., Jesus is the true Son of God, Israel’s Messiah) is not really authentic at all (i.e., they believe that He is a deceiver). Both are fighting a losing battle. The Chief Curator of Antiquities has written a letter which dignifies the efforts of “John Smith” and seeks to let him down easy. John does not make such efforts. John tells this story in a way that causes us to shake our heads in wonder at the “blindness” and the blunders of the Jewish religious leaders.

I believe John chapter 9 is one of those places where we are expected to laugh at the blindness of the Pharisees, and at the “spunk” and wittiness of the man once blind. Here is a man for whom the Pharisees have no compassion and no regard; yet he shows them how they are inconsistent with their own theology. He amuses us as he pokes fun at the folly of the Pharisees. He alone (so far as the account informs us) comes to faith in Jesus as the Messiah. I believe we are intended to laugh at the Pharisees, because their folly should not be dignified by taking them too seriously.[391] I believe as well that the most terrible experience for a prideful Pharisee would be to become the laughingstock of Jerusalem.

The Pharisees in the Book of John

Some would inform us that the Pharisees are not as bad as we may suppose, even pointing out some of their positive qualities.[392] Be this as it may, the Pharisees do not come out looking very good in the Gospel of John, or in any other of the Gospels. A brief review of their appearances in John may help us understand the pressure which they apply to the man to whom our Lord gives sight, and to his parents.

The Pharisees first appear in chapter 1, where John the Baptist is questioned about his identity:                          

19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed—he did not deny but confessed—“I am not the Christ.” 21 So they asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell us so that we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 John said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” 24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) (John 1:19-24)

I wish you to take note that in verse 19 we are told that the “Jewish leaders”[393] sent “priests and Levites from Jerusalem” to question John the Baptist. In verse 24, however, we are given more specific information about those who send this delegation—these “Jewish leaders” are the Pharisees. We can see that the Pharisees are functioning in a fairly strong leadership role at this time. They take it upon themselves to “check out John the Baptist” to determine what he is all about. They see themselves as having the authority to officially approve or reject John and his ministry.

The next Pharisee to appear is Nicodemus. We know Nicodemus is one of the high level leaders of the Jews in Jerusalem. He is a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin (the ruling body of the Jews), and one of the most prominent teachers of his day. In spite of his great standing in Judaism, Nicodemus found it advisable to speak with Jesus by night. From this and later appearances of Nicodemus, it is evident that this great man fears the Pharisees, even though he is one of them. Nicodemus seems willing to grant that Jesus has come from God, unlike a number of his fellow-Pharisees.

In chapter 4, we find the Pharisees again: “Now when Jesus knew that the Pharisees had heard that he was winning and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples were), he left Judea and set out once more for Galilee” (John 4:1-3).

Jesus and John had overlapping ministries in Judea for a short period of time. We can safely infer from the verses above that the Pharisees are keeping a close watch on both John the Baptist and Jesus. Both are viewed as “competition” by the Pharisees. Jesus knows that word has reached the Pharisees that His disciples are now baptizing more disciples than John the Baptist and his disciples. Because of this, Jesus immediately departs from Judea and goes to Galilee. Our Lord’s success would be alarming to the Pharisees, and staying on in Judea would prematurely prompt the Pharisees to take precautionary measures. Rather than precipitate a confrontation at this point in time, Jesus leaves Judea and returns to Galilee. Since the Jerusalem Pharisees have little regard for Galilee (or Galileans!), they probably conclude that Jesus can do them little harm there. Once again, it is the Pharisees who seem to be “in charge” here, or at least they are the ones who would initiate any action taken against Jesus.

In chapter 5, opposition to our Lord intensifies when Jesus heals the paralytic on the Sabbath, instructing him to “take up his mattress and walk.” We are not told that those who oppose Jesus are Pharisees—only that they are “the Jewish authorities.” Nevertheless, it is unlikely that the Pharisees are absent when this confrontation occurs:[394]

14 After this Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “Look, you have become well. Don’t sin any more, lest anything worse happen to you.” 15 The man went away and informed the Jewish authorities that Jesus was the one who had made him well. 16 Now because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish authorities began persecuting him. 17 So Jesus told them, “My Father is working until now, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason the Jewish authorities were trying even harder to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own Father, thus making himself equal with God (John 5:14-18).

In chapter 7, John speaks of “the Jews” (or “the Jewish authorities”) again and does not specify that they are the Pharisees. I am strongly inclined to think that many of these “Jews” are Pharisees. John’s account in chapter 7 gives us an idea of just how powerful the “Jewish authorities” are and just how much pressure they can bring to bear on others:

11 So the Jewish authorities were looking for him at the feast, asking, “Where is he?” 12 There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. Some were saying, “He is a good man,” but others, “He deceives the common people.” 13 However, no one spoke openly about him for fear of the Jewish authorities (John 7:11-13).

The Pharisees are so powerful that even members of their own ranks are reluctant to take on the more vocal and aggressive faction. It appears that even Nicodemus is silenced by their scorn:

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things about Jesus, so the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to arrest him … 45 Then the officers returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him back with you?” 46 The officers replied, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 47 Then the Pharisees answered, “You haven’t been deceived too, have you? 48 None of the rulers or the Pharisees have believed in him, have they? 49 But this rabble who do not know the law are accursed!” 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before and who was one of the rulers, said, 51 “Our law doesn’t condemn a man unless it first hears from him and learns what he is doing, does it?” 52 They replied, “You aren’t from Galilee too, are you? Investigate carefully and you will see that no prophet comes from Galilee!” (John 7:32, 45-52)

We are hardly surprised when we are told that it is the Pharisees, along with the “scribes,” who confront Jesus with the “woman caught in adultery” (John 8:3). It is also the Pharisees who object to our Lord’s claim to be the “Light of the world”:

12 Then Jesus spoke out again, “I am the light of the world. The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees objected, “You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true!” (John 8:12-13)

In chapter 11, the Pharisees and the chief priests jointly summon the Sanhedrin to a meeting. I take it that this is an indication of the power the Pharisees possess and employ:

47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together and said, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs. 48 If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary and our nation” (John 11:47-48).

We also see from these verses that much of the motivation of the Pharisees to be rid of Jesus is due to their fear of losing some of the power and control they exercise over others.

It is in chapter 12 that we see just how much power and influence the Pharisees wield at this moment in Israel’s history: “Nevertheless, even among the rulers many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they would not confess Jesus to be the Christ, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue. For they loved praise from men more than praise from God” (John 12:42-43).

Think of it. By His signs and teaching, Jesus has convinced a number of the “rulers” of Israel to believe in Him (verse 42). These “rulers” are men of authority, men of position and standing. And yet even these “rulers” are reluctant to speak of their faith in Jesus publicly, fearing the Pharisees. How great their power and influence must be to intimidate even the rulers of Israel!

There is yet one more element to consider in relation to the power of the Pharisees. The Pharisees have the power to excommunicate a person, to expel them from the synagogue. The Pharisees threaten to use this power in verse 22, and they exercise it in verse 34. This power to excommunicate is, in the minds of the Pharisees, the power to grant or to withdraw the blessings of the Messianic kingdom. Put more bluntly, the Pharisees believe they have the power to grant salvation or to impose eternal condemnation on others. There is no “power” greater than this kind of power, although the Pharisees are wrong in assuming that they actually possess it.

Is it any wonder then that when we read of the parents of the man who was once blind being brought before the Pharisees, we see these two parents greatly intimidated by them? The wonder is found in the response of the man who was healed. Try as the Pharisees will, they cannot intimidate, silence, or put words in this fellow’s mouth. We will see more of this in our study. But for now, let us take note of the power which these Pharisees possess and the way they dominate others by using it. Now, on to the masterfully written story of the blind man’s “hearing” before the Sanhedrin.

The Healing of the Man Born Blind
(9:1-12)

This was the subject of our last lesson, but please allow me to briefly review the events surrounding this miracle and add one area of application. On His way, Jesus passes by a man who was born blind, and He takes notice of him. When the disciples see that Jesus has turned His attention to this man, they deal with his suffering the only way they know how—theoretically. They seek to engage Jesus in a conversation about the cause of this man’s malady. They have no doubt that “sin” is the explanation for his suffering; they only wonder whose sin it was—this man’s, or his parents’. Jesus rejects their assumption (that the man’s suffering is the result of sin in the family) and refocuses their attention on the purpose for his suffering.

There is surely a lesson for us here. When suffering comes our way, we want to dwell on the “Why?” Much (I am tempted to say “most”) of the time in a counselor’s office today seems to be spent on the past, particularly on the question, “Why?” There are times when we need to deal with the past,[395] but too much of the time this is as far as we get. Jesus’ words challenge the disciples and us to focus on the “So what?” of our suffering. The Christian should know (Romans 8:28) that, for the believer, all things are sovereignly purposed to work out for our good and for God’s glory. Much of our attention and effort should therefore be focused on knowing and doing that which will result in our good and God’s glory. Let us beware of wasting too much time with the “whys” of the past, and let us get on with the “so whats” of the present, knowing that the suffering of the saint is for a divinely ordained purpose, resulting in our good and His glory.

Now, back to our story. Using His own spit and dust, Jesus makes a small quantity of mud or paste with which he anoints the man’s eyes. He then instructs the man to go and wash in the pool named “sent.” Jesus then goes his way, as does the man, and by the time the man reaches the pool and washes, gaining his sight, Jesus is nowhere to be seen. Now seeing, the blind man eventually makes his way home. His appearance and his testimony create quite a stir.

The people who know this man (or at least know of him) are troubled by his healing. The miracle is perceived more like a crime than a wonderful cure. People seem skeptical, perhaps even troubled, almost like the response of Herod and the people of Jerusalem to the news of a “king” born in Israel, brought by the magi (Matthew 2:1-8, esp. v. 3). Their response lacks the belief, joy, and anticipation we have a right to expect (compare Matthew 15:29-31). They want to know “if” this is the same man they once knew to be blind, and “how” he was healed. Curiously, they don’t ask the man “who” healed him. I am convinced they know, or are quite certain who it is. Even if they do not conclude that it is Jesus, the former beggar tells them that “The man called Jesus” healed him. They want to know where “he” is (verse 12). I don’t think it is so they can bring other blind people to Him or so they can hear Him teach. I think they want to know where He can be found so they can report this to the Pharisees (compare 5:15) and have Him arrested. I think the man is relieved that he is able to tell them he does not know where Jesus can be found.

Called on the Carpet
(9:13-17)

13 They brought the man who used to be blind to the Pharisees. 14 (Now the day on which Jesus made the mud and caused him to see was a Sabbath.) 15 So the Pharisees asked[396] him again how he had gained his sight. He replied, “He put mud on my eyes and I washed, and now I am able to see.” 16 Then some of the Pharisees began to say, “This man is not from God, because he does not observe the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such miraculous signs?” Thus there was a division among them. 17 So again they asked the man who used to be blind, “What do you say about him, since he caused you to see?” “He is a prophet,” the man replied.

The former beggar is brought before what seems to be an official gathering of the Pharisees. I believe it is a meeting of the Sanhedrin, or at least a portion of it.[397] The tone of this whole incident makes it look as though this man has been summoned to testify before a grand jury. It is interesting that the word rendered “brought” in verse 13 can often be used with a stronger sense. “Bringing” is not always voluntary. One can see this in the Synoptic Gospels (e.g. Matthew 10:18; Mark 13:11; Luke 4:29; 19:27), as well as in John (7:45; 8:3; 9:13; 18:13, 28; 19:4, 13). In my opinion, “bringing” here in our text comes close to taking one into custody. The acquaintances of the man once blind do not merely “send” the former beggar to the Pharisees; they “brought” him to them. Whether these people who “brought” the man once blind do so out of a personal concern and unbelief, or whether it is simply out of fear of the Pharisees, we are not told.

It must seem providential to the Pharisees that Jesus heals this blind man on the Sabbath. This appears to be the key to how they plan to handle the situation. Consequently, they question the once-blind man in great detail about “how” he was healed. The man responds with caution and reserve. So far as the text informs us, he does not tell them all that he could have disclosed. I conclude this on the basis of a comparison of his words to the Pharisees in verse 15 with his previous testimony to family and friends in verse 11:

He replied, “The man called Jesus made mud, smeared it on my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and was able to see” (verse 11).

He replied, “He put mud on my eyes and I washed, and now I am able to see” (verse 15).

Here in verse 15 he does not name Jesus, nor does he indicate that Jesus instructs him to go to the pool of Siloam and wash. He probably knows that they are trying to accuse Jesus of “working” on the Sabbath, and so he avoids any mention of that which might be called “work.” I get the impression that the once-blind man is giving the Pharisees his “name, rank, and serial number,” and no more. From years of experience, I fear, he knows these folks are not his friends, and he may also know that they are not the friends of Jesus, either.

For some of the Pharisees, who have already passed judgment on Jesus, this is all they need to hear. “This man is not from God,” they conclude. He cannot be “from God” and break the Sabbath. Let me point out a very important omission that becomes more and more glaring as one reads and rereads this chapter. After the healed man names Jesus in verse 11, and John names Him parenthetically in verse 14, Jesus is never again mentioned by name in this chapter until verse 35.[398] Throughout the entire interrogation process (as recorded by John, at least), the Pharisees never refer to Jesus by name, even though they know to whom they are referring.

Why is this? Why do they avoid the name Jesus? This morning, Ann Blevins played, “There’s Something About That Name” for the offertory. That’s why! There is something about “that name”:

20 When he had contemplated about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).

At this verse (Matthew 1:21), the study notes in the NET Bible read, “The Greek form of the name Ie„sous (which was translated into Latin as Jesus) is the same as the Hebrew Yeshua (Joshua), which means “Yahweh saves.” It was a fairly common name among Jews in first century Palestine, as references to a number of people by this name in the LXX and Josephus indicate.”

They just can’t bring themselves to say it. Can you imagine how they would choke if they had said, “‘Yahweh saves’ is not from God …”? And so throughout this entire interrogation process, we see Jesus always referred to indirectly, rather than by name.

Why are these Pharisees so intense in their claim that Jesus (“this man”) cannot be from God? They protest too loudly. In stressing their verdict that Jesus is not from God, these Pharisees are tipping their hand to the fact that they are painfully aware of what Jesus does claim about Himself. Up to this point in the Gospel of John, we find a repeated emphasis on the fact that Jesus has come from God (John 1:6; 3:2, 13; 6:32-33, 38, 41-42, 46, 50-51, 58; 7:17; 8:14, 23, 40, 42; see also 1:32; 3:31; 7:27-29, 40-42; 8:26). By stressing that Jesus is notfrom God,” the Pharisees reveal the damage that would be done to their system of belief if this claim were true, as in fact it is.

Notice that no actual charge of Sabbath-breaking has been proven, as yet, and none will be proven. At the end of this legal process (and the end of this chapter), no formal charges are made against Jesus. The man once-blind is excommunicated, but there are no charges against Jesus. It is my personal opinion that Jesus healed this man in such a way (spit, dust, anointing eyes, instructing him to wash) that even a technical Pharisaical interpretation of the law did not offer sufficient basis for charging Jesus with law-breaking.[399] (How frustrating this must be for the Pharisees, who consider technicalities their specialty!)

The reasoning of these Pharisees is far from compelling. It is too much, even for some of their fellow-Pharisees. These other Pharisees counter, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such miraculous signs[400]?” The Pharisees cannot even agree among themselves. Until this deadlock is resolved, they cannot take decisive action against Jesus. And so, perhaps out of frustration and even desperation, they turn to the man who has been healed: “What do you say about him, since he caused you to see?” (verse 17). I believe the former beggar does not hesitate for a moment. His answer is confident and without reservation, “He is a prophet.” This is not what they want to hear. They will have to take a different tack.

Putting Pharisaical Pressure on the Parents
(9:18-23)

18 Now the Jewish authorities refused to believe that he had really been blind and had gained his sight until at last they summoned the parents of the man who had become able to see. 19 They asked the parents, “Is this your son, whom you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?” 20 So his parents replied, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21 But we do not know how he is now able to see, nor do we know who caused him to see. Ask him, he is a mature adult. He will speak for himself.” 22 (His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities. For the Jewish authorities had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. 23 For this reason his parents said, “He is a mature adult, ask him.”)

In the Pharisee’s first examination of the blind man, it does not appear they are convinced that there actually is a miracle (verse 18). In their first interrogation of the healed man, they concentrate on “how” this man was “healed,” even though they are not convinced that he is healed. Why is this? In my opinion, they don’t care about the “truth”; they are only looking for evidence to enable them to formally accuse Jesus of law-breaking. Had they obtained the testimony for which they hoped, the Pharisees may have actually charged Jesus with the “crime” of healing on the Sabbath, even if there was no healing at all. Making false accusations is not new to them, and it will be good practice for the way they conduct the trial of our Lord before His crucifixion.

Frustrated by their first interrogation of the healed blind man, the Pharisees call in his parents and put on the pressure, hoping they will deny that any miracle took place. The man’s parents are certainly aware of the Pharisees’ authority and seem to be very intimidated. John makes a point of telling us that prior to this the Pharisees made it known that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be “put out of the synagogue” (verse 22). This, as we shall soon see, gives the Pharisees incredible power in the eyes of those who believe they are the gatekeepers of the kingdom of God. Frightened as they are, the parents cannot deny that this man who now sees is their son, and that he had been born blind. What they will not do is provoke the Pharisees by giving Jesus credit for having healed him. They are not about to say who healed their son, or how it was done, even though I am convinced they know. In what they tell the Pharisees, they appear to tell all they know, but one can hardly escape the feeling that they lie. Why would they not have heard the report of their son recorded in verse 11? This tells both who performed the miracle and how it was done.

The testimony of the man once blind is spirited and amusing, which is not so with the testimony of his parents. It is tragic. Not only do they refuse to give glory to God and to bear witness to the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ, they lie about how much they know. If that isn’t bad enough, these parents virtually abandon their son. Let me first illustrate the kind of parental response I had hoped for by reminding you of the response of Joash to the angry charges and demands of the men of the city against his son Gideon:

28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, there was the altar of Baal, torn down; and the wooden image that was beside it was cut down, and the second bull was being offered on the altar which had been built. 29 So they said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” And when they had inquired and asked, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.” 30 Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, because he has torn down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the wooden image that was beside it.” 31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Would you plead for Baal? Would you save him? Let the one who would plead for him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because his altar has been torn down!” 32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, “Let Baal plead against him, because he has torn down his altar” (Judges 6:28-32, NKJV).

How would you feel if you were Gideon, and you heard your father respond as he did to the demands of the men of his city? I would feel proud. I would feel that my dad stood up for me and stood by me. How would you feel if you were this once-blind man, and heard your parents speak as his parents do? I would be greatly disappointed by their lack of courage and by their dishonesty. But most of all, I would feel abandoned by them. They say, in effect, “This is our son, and he was born blind, but he is on his own. We don’t want anything to do with him in this matter of his receiving his sight.” I would feel abandoned, without a doubt. It is a sad moment, and one that must add to this man’s suffering. But it, like his blindness, is for a purpose, as we shall soon see.

The Witness Is Recalled, Rebuked, and Removed
(9:24-34)

24 Then they summoned the man who used to be blind a second time and said to him, “Promise before God to tell the truth.[401] We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He replied, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. I do know one thing—that although I was blind, now I can see.” 26 Then they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he cause you to see?” 27 He answered, “I told you already and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You people don’t want to become his disciples too, do you?”[402] 28 They heaped insults on him, saying, “You are his disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses! We do not know where this man comes from!” 30 The man replied, “This is a remarkable thing, that you don’t know where he comes from, and yet he caused me to see! 31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is devout and does his will God listens to him. 32 Never before has anyone heard of someone causing a man born blind to see. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They replied, “You were born completely in sinfulness, and yet you presume to teach us?” So they threw him out.

Having grilled this man’s parents and come away without any hard evidence against Jesus, the Pharisees recall the former blind man to the witness stand, seeking to wear him down and break his story. I have no doubt that the man knows what these Pharisees want to hear. I could say that they “all but told him what to say,” but that would not put the matter strongly enough. They do tell him what to say! First, they put him under oath. It seems to be the equivalent of the way we put people under oath in our courtrooms today (or at least used to): “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”

Immediately after this, the Pharisees tell the man the “truth” they wish him to give as his testimony: “We know that this man is a sinner” (verse 24). This is not the point of view of some of the Pharisees (see 9:16). I wonder if these dissenting folks of verse 16 have decided not to be a part of this proceeding any longer. The conclusion the other Pharisees communicate to the healed man does not include a minority report. In their minds, the verdict is already apparent: Jesus is a sinner! For this man to offer contradictory testimony will only result in trouble for him, and this they are sure to let him know.

The “witness” is not intimidated. I love his response. It seems as though he counters, based upon what they have just said. Note how often the expressions “know” and “don’t know” occur in our text. I have summarized these as follows:

  We Know We Don’t Know
Parents: This is our son Who healed him or how
Pharisees: This man is a sinner
God has spoken to Moses
Who this man is
Where he (Jesus) is from
Blind man: I was blind, now I see Of this happening before
Jews (We/you): This man is a sinner
God does not hear sinners
You don’t know where He is from

The Pharisees dogmatically state, “We know that this man is a sinner.” The healed man responds, “If he is a sinner, I don’t know it.”[403] The man who was born blind does not know that Jesus is a sinner, and in this he disagrees with the judgment of the Pharisees. But he does know one thing, and he will not be talked (or bullied) out of it: “I was once blind, and now I see.” He will not distort or deny these basic facts.

The Pharisees are not doing well. They are losing ground, and to a mere beggar, a man (in their minds) “born completely in sinfulness” (verse 34). And so they change their tactics, returning to their old, proven accusation of Sabbath-breaking. They insist that he go over the healing in minute detail, once again: “What did he do to you? How did he cause you to see?” (verse 26). The healed man is getting very weary of this questioning. He is simply going over the same facts time after time. His response does not resemble that of his parents in any way. He is not intimidated by these Pharisees; he is irritated by them. He accuses them of not listening to what he is saying. And then he sets out to make them sweat. He asks them—almost certainly in a sarcastic tone—why they wish to hear his testimony again. It isn’t because they wish to become His disciples too, is it?

There is a barb in these words. These Pharisees just keep asking him the same questions about Jesus. How can one explain such persistence? And so the man counters with, “Surely you don’t wish to become His disciples, too, do you?” This “disciple” matter is a very sensitive issue for the Pharisees. They are big on discipleship—when it comes to making their own disciples: “Woe to you experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert, and when you get one, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves!” (Matthew 23:15).

This is why the Pharisees are so interested in learning how many disciples Jesus is making (see John 4:1-3). The blind man backhandedly reminds the Pharisees that Jesus is making many disciples, many more than they are. Do these Pharisees wish to give up making their own disciples and become disciples of Jesus themselves? Such a question or suggestion cuts the Pharisees to the quick! It is like asking a political candidate if he is going to vote for his opponent, too.

The healed man strikes a nerve, and he gets a quick and heated response. They accuse this man of being “his” disciple. Given their view of Jesus, you can imagine how they view the status of one who is His disciple. They intend their words as an insult. The Pharisees, on the other hand, claim they are the disciples of Moses. They know for certain that God has spoken through Moses. But they don’t know where “this man” comes from (verse 29). Once again, the Pharisees unwittingly tip their hand. Their declaration that they know God has spoken through Moses also disputes our Lord’s claim to speak for God. Remarkably, the basis for their rejection of Jesus as a spokesman for God is that they “don’t know where this man comes from” (verse 29). This is not because Jesus has not made this clear, but rather because they refuse to accept His claim to have “come down” from the Father in heaven (see above). How interesting it is to see that at times the Pharisees reject Jesus because they claim to know where He has come from (7:27)—and at other times because they don’t know where He is from (9:30). The proof of His identity is found in signs such as the healing of the man born blind:

16 Now Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as he customarily did. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him, 21 and he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:16-21, citing Isaiah 61:1-2).

The miracle man is now nearly up to full speed. Are these Pharisees saying they don’t know where Jesus has come from? That is about like the CIA saying they don’t know who the President of Russia is or that they can’t find Cuba on a map. It is like the IRS saying they can’t find the President’s income tax return. The Pharisees are the folks who claim to “know everything,” and now they are saying they don’t know where Jesus has come from. How can those whose job it is to know, who boast of knowing everything, not know this? It isn’t as though Jesus is some unknown stranger to them. This One, whose origins they don’t know, is the very One who gave the blind man his sight, something no Pharisee has ever done, and no Israelite has ever witnessed. How incredible that these Pharisees don’t know about our Lord’s origins!

The former beggar is just getting warmed up. He stays with this “knowing” theme, a theme the Pharisees themselves introduced. The healed man now calls attention to the very things which all Jews “know,” thanks to the teaching of the Pharisees: “We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is devout and does his will God listens to him. Never before has anyone heard of someone causing a man born blind to see. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

What I would like you to note is that this newly unemployed beggar is simply repeating the teaching of the Pharisees. Here is something that every Jew should know. It is a truth to which some Pharisees have already pointed in verse 16. It is a truth often taught in the Bible:

If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear (Psalm 66:18, NKJV).

When he is judged, let him be found guilty, And let his prayer become sin (Psalm 109:7, NKJV).

The LORD is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous (Proverbs 15:29, NKJV).

When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood (Isaiah 1:15, NKJV).

The Pharisees have taught the people well, too well for their own good. They teach that God blesses the righteous and punishes the wicked.[404] They teach that God will hear the prayers of the righteous, but not those of the wicked. If Jesus is a sinner as the Pharisees insist, then how do they explain the miracles Jesus has performed? How do they explain the way God has heard and answered His prayers? There is only one conclusion that the healed man can think of, and that is that Jesus has come from God (verse 33). If He were not from God, “He could do nothing” (verse 34). The first time he is asked, this man testifies that he believes Jesus is a prophet. Now, even after being bullied by these Pharisees, he reiterates virtually the same conviction, a conviction also held by some of the Pharisees (verse 16).

Enough is enough! The Pharisees have taken all the abuse they are going to from this fellow. Like Stephen, whose forceful rebuke the Jews are unable to withstand (see Acts 6:8-10), these Pharisees cannot refute the former blind man’s testimony. They do the only thing they have the power to do at the moment—cast him out of the synagogue. And this they do, with a few choice words to underscore their action. Paraphrased, they say, “Just who do you think you are? You were born in sin, as your blindness proves. You, like Jesus, have nothing to say to us. We are the ones in charge. We speak for God. How dare you presume to teach us, the teachers of Israel?” And so they throw the man out of the synagogue. There is some discussion as to just what this entails. I think I can sum up what the Pharisees do to this man in one word: they “Gentilize” him. As I read these verses, I understand that the once-blind beggar is excommunicated. I would think this not only means he cannot participate in synagogue activities, but practically this means he is no longer considered a Jew. If he were a businessman, “good Jews” would no doubt censure and avoid him. He would have no reason to assume that he had any part in the kingdom of God. The ultimate authority is the authority to destroy the soul (see Matthew 10:28), and these Pharisees (wrongly) believe they have it. I believe that here, at this moment, they think they have condemned this man to eternal judgment.

Sought Out by the Savior
(9:35-38)

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, so he found the man and said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 The man replied, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus told him, “You have seen him; he is the one speaking with you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

One would think that there is nothing more that can possibly go wrong. Here is a man born blind. This forces him to live as a beggar most of his life. He is looked down upon as a sinner. And now, to top it all off, he has been excommunicated from the synagogue. He has been doomed. Things have gone from bad to worse. Things cannot get any worse.

Jesus has been out of sight, out of the reach of the Pharisees who have been grilling the healed man and his parents. They are now more determined than ever to arrest and execute Jesus. But if Jesus has been out of sight, the blind man has never been out of the Savior’s mind. He is just ripe for the plucking, so to speak. He is not far from the kingdom of God. When Jesus hears that this man has been put out of the synagogue, He seeks this fellow out, and says to him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”[405] Jesus is simply asking the man if he believes in the Messiah. The man already believes that Jesus is a prophet (verse 17). Further, he believes that Jesus cannot be a sinner, but must be a good man, a man who has come from God, who speaks authoritatively for God (verses 31-33). However, he does not yet know that Jesus Himself is the Messiah. When he asks, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” (verse 36), I believe he is indicating that he is both ready and willing to believe in whoever Jesus identifies as the Messiah (much as John the Baptist did). And so Jesus tells the man, “You have seen him; he is the one speaking with you” (verse 37). That is all it takes. The man professes his faith in Jesus and prostrates himself on the ground, worshipping Him (verse 38).

It is only at this low point in the once-blind man’s life that Jesus seeks to bring him to salvation. Our Lord does not give this man the gospel (telling him that He is the Messiah) immediately, because he is not yet ready for it. This man’s years of blindness and begging have given him much time to reflect on the relationship between sin and his physical infirmities. Jesus heals the man just after He claims to be the “Light of the world” (9:5-6). This man’s interrogation by stiff-necked Pharisees, his abandonment by his parents, and finally his expulsion from the synagogue are all instrumental in preparing this man for salvation. God knocks all the props out from under this man, so that he has to trust in Jesus as his Messiah. Lest this man cling to Pharisaism for salvation, like many are doing, Jesus orchestrates his excommunication from the tabernacle. Now he has nothing to cling to but Jesus, and Jesus is more than enough.

Jesus, on Judgment (9:39-41)

39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may gain their sight, and the ones who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and asked him, “We are not blind too, are we?” 41 Jesus replied, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin, but now because you claim that you can see, your guilt remains.”

I would expect chapter 9 to end at verse 38. Isn’t this what we’ve been waiting for—for the blind man to finally come to faith in Jesus, for the blind man to be saved? Why does John go on, taking up what appears to be a very negative theme—judgment. Jesus gives us His own commentary on this whole chapter, and it is one we dare not ignore: “For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may gain their sight, and the ones who see may become blind” (verse 39).

I can understand how Jesus speaks of the hardening or blinding of the Pharisees as “judgment,” but our Lord makes this only half of the equation. Under the category of “judgment,” Jesus includes: (a) the giving of sight to those who are blind; and (b) the blinding of those who see. There is a physical dimension to this in that the man born blind is given his physical sight. But the primary meaning seems to be spiritual. Those who are spiritually blind are given sight; those who are (or claim to be) seeing are blinded. How can Jesus speak of the giving of sight to this blind man as “judgment,” just as He speaks of the blinding of the Pharisees as “judgment”?

What I am about to say has taken a long time for me to grasp. The time to preach this message was almost upon me when it came to me: this whole chapter is about judgment. That’s the way the chapter begins. The Pharisees (verse 34) and our Lord’s disciples (verse 2) conclude that this man’s blindness is divine judgment. Jesus wants us to understand that while this man’s blindness is not divine judgment, the gift of sight is judgment—judgment upon the very ones who judge (condemn) him. The Pharisees assume that blindness is God’s judgment upon sin, and the disciples believe virtually the same thing. Then, after this blind man begins to see too clearly, rebuking the Pharisees, these religious leaders excommunicate him—they condemn him. The one whom they condemn and put out, Jesus seeks out and saves.

As I think through some of the prophecies concerning the coming of Messiah, this whole matter of judgment is a central theme. Look, for example, at Mary’s magnificat:

46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit has begun to rejoice in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked upon the humble state of his slave. For take note, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name; 50 his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has exercised power with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in the vain arrogance of their hearts. 52 He has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and has sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering his mercy, 55 as he promised to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever” (Luke 1:46-55, emphasis mine).

Israel eagerly awaited the coming of Messiah, who would bring justice to the earth.[406] The Messiah would make things right; He would bring equity. The haughty and the proud would be humbled; the lowly would be lifted up. Both the elevation of the lowly and the humiliation of the proud were a part of God’s judgment. If a proud and powerful man were to be removed from his position of power, and a poor man put in his place, this would be a judgment on the proud man. Justice is served, and judgment is meted out when a proud man is put down and one who is viewed as rejected (by the proud man) is put in the proud man’s place.

So here is what I believe John wants us to understand as we come to the end of chapter 9: the healing of the man born blind is his salvation, but it is also divine judgment upon the proud Pharisees, who consider him a guilty sinner, deserving of his blindness. The one they reject, the one they condemn, Jesus seeks out and saves. In doing this, our Lord executes judgment, the kind of judgment Israel was told to expect from Messiah. Once again, Jesus fulfills prophecy concerning His identity and activity as Messiah.

The lesson and its application goes far beyond this one blind beggar and these proud Pharisees. It is but one example of the way God has judged Israel by saving the Gentiles in this present age. Let’s go all the way back to Israel’s beginnings. God did not choose to save Israel because they were so large and powerful, or because they were so pious:

7 “The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; 8 but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 7:7-8, NKJV).

11 “Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, 12 lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; 13 and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; 14 when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; 15 who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; 16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end—17 then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.’ 18 And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. 19 Then it shall be, if you by any means forget the LORD your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. 20 As the nations which the LORD destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 8:11-20, NKJV).

God chose Israel and gave them the land because the Canaanites had become corrupt and utterly sinful. The blessing of the nation Israel was at the same time God’s judgment on the Canaanites (see Genesis 14:12-16; Leviticus 18:24-28).

In spite of all the blessings God had bestowed upon Israel, they were a sinful and obstinate people. When Jesus came to the earth as Israel’s Messiah, the nation rejected Him (John 1:11). In their self-righteous pride and arrogance, the Pharisees look down upon the man born blind, and when he points out the error of their ways, they put him out of the synagogue. They “Gentilize” him. But it is only then that Jesus once again enters the picture and leads him to saving faith in Himself as the Messiah. This “Gentile” whom the Pharisees despise and condemn, Jesus seeks and saves.

The nation Israel rejected Jesus as their promised Messiah. They not only crucified Him, they also persecuted those who became Christians. The Book of Acts is not only the story of how the gospel reached the Gentiles, it is the story of how the nation Israel rejected Jesus, and was eventually rejected by Him. The closing words of Acts are words of indictment against the nation Israel (see Acts 28:23-29). From this point on, the Jews are set aside to unbelief and blindness, until the “fulness of the Gentiles has come” (Romans 11:25). In Romans 9-11, Paul explains the shift from a time of salvation for the Jews to a time of salvation for the Gentiles. He makes it very clear that we Gentiles are hearing the gospel and being saved because of the judgment of God upon Israel for her unbelief:

11 I ask then, they did not stumble into an irrevocable fall, did they? Absolutely not! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their transgression means riches for the world and their defeat means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness bring? 13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Seeing that I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if somehow I could provoke my people to jealousy and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the first portion of the dough offered is holy, then the whole batch is holy, and if the root is holy, so too are the branches. 17 Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them and participated in the richness of the olive root, 18 do not boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 Then you will say, “The branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 Granted. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you. 22 Notice, therefore, the kindness and harshness of God: harshness toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And even they—if they do not continue in their unbelief—will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree? 25 For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

“The Deliverer will come out of Zion; he will remove ungodliness from Jacob. 27 And this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.”

28 In regard to the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but in regard to election they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. 30 Just as you formerly were disobedient to God, but have now received mercy due to their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may receive mercy. 32 For God has consigned all to disobedience so that he may show mercy to all (Romans 11:11-32, emphasis mine).

And so it is that judgment and salvation are not two separate, unrelated matters; they are very much inter-related. The salvation of those who are unworthy, by the mercy and grace of God, is closely related to God’s judgment upon those who deem themselves worthy of God’s blessings and who look down upon the lowly. The giving of sight to the blind man is salvation for him and judgment for the Pharisees. The one who is considered cursed of God by the Pharisees is indeed blessed by God. Those who considered themselves blessed by God are the very ones who received His judgment.

There is yet one more thing in this text which it took me a long time to see, and it was there in front of me all the time! I incorrectly assumed that the Pharisees of verse 40 were the same Pharisees who just put the former blind man out of the synagogue. This can hardly be the case.[407] First of all, Jesus is staying “underground” you might say, out of the reach of the Pharisees who want Him arrested and put to death. These “Pharisees” in verse 40 are identified as those “Pharisees who were with Him.” They are not the same Pharisees. Finally, the word “too” (“We are not blind too, are we?” emphasis mine) sets them apart from the others. Thus, they are asking Jesus something like this: “Wait a minute Jesus, when you speak of those other Pharisees being judged by being made blind, you are not talking about us, too, are you, just because we are also Pharisees?” These people are Pharisees, but they are quite obviously with Jesus. They are not trying to arrest Him or have Him put to death. They are not the same Pharisees who expelled the former blind man. They may have been some of those Pharisees who objected to the statement of the other Pharisees that Jesus could not have come from God in verse 16. I am even tempted to wonder if Nicodemus is among this group of Pharisees who are “with Jesus.”

Our Lord’s response is certainly no comfort to these Pharisees, even though they distance themselves from those radically opposed to Jesus. Jesus does not say to these men, “Oh, no, I’m not talking about you, only about them.” Instead, Jesus responds, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin, but now because you claim that you can see, your guilt remains” (verse 41). It is not enough for these folks to be around Jesus, and at the same time to somewhat distance themselves from a more radical element of Pharisaism. In order to be saved, for their sins to be forgiven, for them to receive their spiritual sight, they must acknowledge that they are blind. They must renounce Pharisaism as a false religious system of salvation by works. They must embrace Jesus and the Messiah, and they must place their faith in Him as guilty sinners, who have no claim upon His salvation by grace. They cannot remain in the Pharisee system and also be freed from the guilt of their sins. They must renounce their Pharisaism, just as Paul did (see Philippians 3:4ff.). To do any less is to remain in their sins.

This word of warning should be heard and heeded by anyone who is a part of a false religious system. By that I mean any religious system which claims to offer salvation by any other means than faith in Jesus Christ alone, apart from works. Many claim to have a personal faith in Jesus Christ, and yet still persist in remaining in a false religious system. I hope this text will make you as uncomfortable as our Lord’s words distressed the Pharisees who heard Him.

Allow me to conclude with one last observation. The Pharisees are wrong in that they place ecclesiastical (church) authority above the authority of Scripture. They believe that men should believe as the truth whatever they say is the truth, even if it contradicts Scripture. This is the stuff of which the Reformation was made. No wonder one of the watchwords of the Reformation is sola scriptura—the Scriptures alone. Ecclesiastical authority must always remain subordinate to the authority of God’s Word. If God’s Word says one thing and the church (or certain church authorities) say another, we must take the Word of Scripture above the word of man. These Pharisees lost their way because they believed the truth was whatever they thought (and said) the truth was.

The problem we see historically, in terms of the abuse of power by the Roman Catholic Church in the days of Martin Luther, has become even more popular and pervasive today. There is, of course, the problem of false religious systems, which claim to have the authority to tell us what the truth is, even when it contradicts Scripture. But today, in the rugged individualism and relativism of our culture, the truth is whatever I as an individual want and define it to be. Truth is my truth, truth as I want it. The first thing we must do is to confess our blindness, our rejection of the truth, and submit ourselves to Him who alone is the truth, the way, and the life. When we accept God’s Word as the truth, and Jesus as the Word, then we will confess Him to be the Son of God, just as the once-blind man did. And when we trust in Him as the One who died for our sins on the cross of Calvary (and rose from the dead), then we become a child of God, whose sins are forgiven, and whose destiny is heaven. I pray that you have come to trust in Him, and that if you have not, God will grant you no rest nor peace till you come to “see” the truth in Him who is the truth.


! Lesson 23:
The Good Shepherd
(John 10:1-18)

Introduction

Our text in John chapter 10 is best introduced by this Old Testament text in Ezekiel chapter 34:

1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.” 7 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 8 “as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock”—9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD! 10 Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.” 11 For thus says the Lord GOD: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. 13 And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,” says the Lord GOD. 16 “I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.” 17 And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats. 18 Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture—and to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet? 19 And as for My flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have fouled with your feet.” 20 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD to them: “Behold, I Myself will judge between the fat and the lean sheep. 21 Because you have pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad, 22 therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23 I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them—My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken. 25 I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. 26 I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing. 27 Then the trees of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. 28 And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid. 29 I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore. 30 Thus they shall know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people,” says the Lord GOD.’” 31 “You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God,” says the Lord GOD (Ezekiel 34:1-31, NKJV).

Here, through the prophet Ezekiel, God rebukes the evil shepherds (or leaders) of the nation Israel. He speaks of a coming day when they will be judged, and when God Himself will gather His scattered flock in the person of Messiah (“My servant David,” verse 24). In our text in John 10, Jesus boldly claims to be the promised “Good Shepherd,” and in contrast to His shepherding, He exposes and indicts the Jewish religious leaders (especially the Pharisees) as wicked shepherds, who care not for the hurting and troubled sheep and who use and abuse the sheep of God’s flock for their own personal gain.

This is the first time in the Gospel of John that the topic of shepherding[408] has been addressed as such, though it is not the last (see John 21:15-17). It is a very common theme in the Old Testament,[409] and it also appears in the Synoptic Gospels,[410] not to mention the rest of the New Testament.[411] While the subject of shepherds and shepherding unifies all of chapter 10, the teaching of our Lord recorded in this chapter seems not to have taken place all at one time. The teaching referred to in verses 22-42 appears to have occurred several months later than that of verses 1-21. The feast of Tabernacles took place in the Fall; the feast of Dedication was observed in the winter. We cannot be sure where Jesus was or what He did during these few intervening months.

The teaching of Jesus in our text (verses 1-21) appears to closely follow the healing of the man born blind and related events, which are recorded in chapter 9. This appears to be a safe conclusion, based upon three observations. First, there is no indication of a change of time or setting in the first verse of chapter 10. Second, the expression, “Verily, verily …” is never used to introduce a new section in the Gospel of John:

The opening ‘Verily, verily’ … never begins a discourse. It always follows up some previous teaching. It indicates that the following statement is important, but also that it has a connection with the preceding. This passage then must be understood in the closest of connections with the story of the blind man.[412]

Third, in verse 21 of our text, reference is made to the healing of the man born blind: “Others said, ‘These are not the words of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see, can it?’” The healing of the man born blind is very fresh in the minds of those who are divided as to who Jesus is. I therefore conclude that the events of John 10:1-21 follow immediately upon the healing of the man born blind and his “interrogation” by the Pharisees. The events of verses 22 and following take place a few months later, though the sheep/shepherding theme continues throughout the rest of the chapter.

In John chapter 10, our Lord identifies Himself as the “Good Shepherd,” contrasting Himself with those shepherds of Israel who are rebuked by the Lord in Ezekiel. Ezekiel indicts the wicked “shepherds of Israel” who care for themselves at the expense of the flock. They prey upon the sheep rather than protecting them from predators. They feed and clothe themselves at the expense of the flock, yet they do nothing to minister to the needs of the sickly or injured among the flock (Ezekiel 34:3-4). It is not difficult to see that Jesus looks upon the Pharisees before Him as the kind of shepherds Ezekiel condemned. The paralytic man in John chapter 5 had spent years unable to walk, and thus was forced to support himself by begging. Yet when Jesus healed him on a Sabbath day, the Jews were incensed. It is clear they would have preferred that this man not be healed at all than for him to be healed on the Sabbath. They most certainly had no compassion on the woman caught in the act of adultery (John 7:53–8:11). They were more than willing, however, to “use” her in their efforts to accuse Jesus of contradicting the law of Moses.

In the immediately preceding context (John chapter 9), the Pharisees were greatly distressed by the healing of the man born blind. These religious leaders did not think of the Israelites as sheep, but as an ignorant, disgusting, mob (John 7:49). The “fold” (of those destined to enter the kingdom of God) was considered to be a kind of private club, of which they were the membership committee. Thus, they had no compassion on the man born blind. He was a write-off. And when this man refused to cooperate (and pointed out their inconsistency with their own teaching), they “put him out”—not just “out of the synagogue,” but, in truth and reality (so far as their thinking is concerned), out of the fold. Jesus, on the other hand, has just brought this man into His flock, by faith. No wonder Jesus turns to the subject of shepherding in John 10. Here, he contrasts Himself (the Good Shepherd) with the Pharisees and religious leaders of the Jews, who were evil shepherds.[413]

This is truly one of the greatest passages in the Gospel of John and of the whole New Testament. We will only begin to plumb the depths of the truths contained here, but let us begin, looking to the Spirit of God to enlighten our hearts and minds concerning Him who is the Good Shepherd.

Jesus: The True Shepherd of Israel
(10:1-5)

1 “I tell you the solemn truth, the one who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The doorkeeper[414] opens the door for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought all his own sheep out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. 5 They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him, because they do not recognize the stranger’s voice.”

Our Lord describes a typical pastoral scene that is familiar to all in His audience. Many of the Israelites were sheep herders (see Genesis 46:31-34). In any city or village, there would be a number of flocks of sheep. For convenience, they would all be herded into a common sheepfold, a simple enclosure where the sheep could be contained, while thieves and predators would be forbidden access. There would be but one door, one access through which the sheep would enter and exit. Through this same door the various shepherds would enter to gather their flocks. Early in the morning, the shepherd arrives at the sheepfold and enters to lead his flock out to pasture. Then, at the end of the day, he (or she—I have seen many a girl or young woman herding sheep in the East) brings his sheep into the sheepfold for safekeeping through the night. One person is assigned as the doorkeeper. Perhaps this duty is shared among the shepherds on a rotating basis. The doorkeeper stations himself in the doorway, keeping the sheep safely inside and any danger to the sheep outside. In the morning, each shepherd reports to the doorkeeper, who recognizes him and lets him into the sheepfold. Once inside the fold, each shepherd calls out his own sheep and leads them outside the fold. Knowing the voice of their shepherd, the sheep of each flock go to their own shepherd when called by name, and then they follow him outside the sheepfold, only to be brought safely back to the fold in the evening.

Jesus uses this familiar scene to demonstrate how He is Israel’s true Shepherd, and how the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders are evil shepherds. Evil shepherds—to whom Jesus refers as “thieves and robbers”—do not dare present themselves to the doorkeeper, because he will know them for what they are, and will not grant them access to the sheep, since their intent is to steal sheep and to kill them. If they are to gain entrance into the sheepfold, they must enter by some other way than through the door.[415] They must climb over the wall. The way these folks seek to get to the sheep makes it clear that they have no good in mind. The true shepherd enters the sheepfold in a way that demonstrates his claim to his sheep is legitimate. He comes to the doorkeeper, who recognizes him and grants him access through the door to the sheep.

Some will differ over the interpretation of some of the details, but the general meaning of this allegory is clear to the reader.[416] Jesus is the true Shepherd, Israel’s Messiah. There are many who have claimed to be “shepherds” of God’s flock, but who most certainly were not. Included would be the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders who were currently opposing Jesus. Also in view are those false shepherds yet to appear (see Matthew 24:11, 22-28). Whether in the past, present, or future, all false shepherds are alike in that they use and abuse the sheep for their own selfish interests, and they attempt to gain access and leadership in a way that seeks to avoid the divinely prescribed boundaries. Simply put, they don’t meet the job description of a true shepherd, as described in Ezekiel 34 and elsewhere. And so far as any who would claim to be the Messiah, they do not fulfill the Old Testament prophecies pertaining to Messiah and His coming.

Jesus is the true Shepherd. He is the Messiah, the One who came in fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies concerning Him. If you would, these biblical qualifications are the “door” to which Jesus refers in verses 1-5, and through which He passed by meeting every one of them. While not all would agree with this, it seems to me that the “doorkeeper” must be John the Baptist. As David was designated the king of Israel by the prophet Samuel, so also Jesus, the Son of David, was designated Israel’s King by the prophet John the Baptist. The sheep in the sheepfold are the Jews to whom our Lord came[417] as the Messiah. His flock is but a portion of the sheep in the sheepfold. His sheep are the “elect,” the sheep whom God the Father has given to the Son (6:37, 39), and thus Jesus calls them “His own sheep” (verses 3, 4). Because they are His sheep, they “know His voice,” recognize Him as the Messiah, and trust in Him as their Shepherd. These sheep, who belong to the true Shepherd, also know better than to follow any false shepherd. Instead, they avoid such “shepherds” by fleeing from them.

Jesus: The Good Shepherd
(10:6-18)

6 Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7 So Jesus said to them again, “I tell you the solemn truth, I[418] am the door for the sheep.[419] 8 All who came before me were[420] thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me,[421] he will be saved,[422] and will come in and go out,[423] and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I[424] have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.[425] 11 “I am the good shepherd.[426] The good shepherd lays down his life for[427] the sheep. 12 The hired hand[428] who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and runs away. So the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. 13 Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep, he runs away. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know[429] my own and my own know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold. I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, so that there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17 This is why the Father loves me—because I lay down my life so that I may take it back again. 18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This is the commandment I received from my Father.”

This text is not actually a parable, as we might think of the (English) word here from its use in the Synoptic Gospels. The word for parable, used so often in the Synoptic Gospels (approximately 50 times) is not found in the Gospel of John. Conversely, the Greek word which is rendered “parable” above is not found in any of the Synoptic Gospels, but it is used four times in the Gospel of John. Hendriksen, Morris and Carson seem to agree that the word “parable” may not be the best translation for the term John has employed:

The discourse about the good shepherd is called a paroimia. In general a paroimia (literally, wayside saying) is a figurative saying (16:25, 29). Here in chapter 10 it is an allegory rather than a parable. The Gospel of John does not contain any parables. The very term parable occurs only in the Synoptics (and in Heb. 9:9; 11:19), while paroimia occurs only in the Fourth Gospel (and in II Pet. 2:22). In the N. T. there is some overlapping in the meaning of the terms parable and paroimia: each may refer to a proverb (II Pet. 2:22; cf. Luke 4:23), but this is the exception rather than the rule. Similarly the Hebrew mashal has a very wide connotation: proverb, parable, poem, riddle (veiled and pointed remark). … Essentially the difference in meaning between a paroimia in the sense of allegory (as here in chapter 10) and a parable amounts to this, that the former partakes of the nature of a metaphor; the latter is more like a simile. A metaphor is an implied comparison (‘Tell that fox,’ meaning Herod); a simile is an expressed comparison (‘his appearance was as lighting). An allegory may be defined as an extended metaphor; a parable, as an extended simile.[430]

It is difficult to class this section exactly. It is called a paroimia in v. 6 …, which may indicate a proverb, or, more generally, a ‘dark saying’ of some sort. It differs from the Synoptic parables in that there is no connected story. Most people call it an allegory but Lagrange objects that in an allegory the one person can scarcely be represented by two figures, as here Jesus is both shepherd and door. He prefers to call it un petit tableau parabolique. The name we give it matters little, but in our interpretation we must bear in mind that it does not fit neatly into any of our usual categories. It is basically an allegory, but with distinctive features of its own.[431]

The word rendered ‘figure of speech’ is paroimia, an expression that occurs again in 16:25, 29 but never in the Synoptic Gospels. The favoured term there is parabole (‘parable’), which never occurs in John. Both words render Hebrew masal, and all three words can refer to an extraordinarily wide variety of literary forms, including proverbs, parables, maxims, similes, allegories, fables, riddles, narratives embodying certain truths, taunts and more (cf. Carson, Matt, pp. 301-304). The common feature in these quite different genres is that there is something enigmatic or cryptic about them: hence NIV’s ‘figure of speech.’ Whatever the form (and Jesus used many forms), Jesus’ opponents did not understand what he was telling them.[432]

It is little wonder that our Lord’s audience does not understand Him. How can they when they are not His sheep (10:26-27)? In verses 7-18, Jesus continues with the sheep/shepherd imagery, but with a somewhat different twist.[433] First, He shifts from the more general third person (“the one who,” “he,” “him,” “his”) to the very specific first person singular (“I,” “me”). He makes it very clear from here on that He is speaking of Himself as “the True Shepherd” and “the Good Shepherd.” He now speaks of Himself as the “door,” and He drops any further reference to the “doorkeeper.” In verses 7-10, John continues to speak of those who are “thieves and robbers,” but in verses 11-18 Jesus contrasts Himself—“the Good Shepherd”—with hirelings. The Good Shepherd not only presents Himself in a way that is fitting, He also cares for the sheep by laying His life down for them.

The importance of our Lord’s teaching is indicated by the familiar expression, “Truly, truly …,” or as the NET Bible renders it, “I tell you the solemn truth …” Jesus is the “door” for the sheep. In verses 7-10, it is not “the shepherd” who passes through the door, but his sheep. Those sheep who pass through the door—who trust in Jesus as God’s Messiah, the Good Shepherd—are those who are saved, and who enter into the abundant life. In “sheep terms,” they enjoy the safety of the shepherd’s care and protection, and the abundance of the rich pastures and water to which he leads them. They couldn’t have it any better. In “people terms,” those who trust in Jesus are forgiven their sins and enter into the abundant life, under the protection, guidance, and tender care of the Savior, who is their “Good Shepherd.”

In what appears to be a sweeping statement, Jesus says, “All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them” (verse 8). He most certainly is not referring to the godly prophets of old, men like Moses and Elijah, and Daniel.[434] I believe we could paraphrase our Lord’s words in this way: “All who have come before me, claiming to be me—what I alone am as the Good Shepherd—are thieves and robbers.” In the immediate context, Jesus has just claimed to be “the door.” When He speaks of “all who came before me,” He is referring to all those pseudo-shepherds (past, present, and future) who seek to usurp His place and prominence as the One sent from heaven by the Father, the Messiah. The Pharisees certainly think of themselves as the “gatekeepers” of the kingdom of God in Jesus’ day: “But woe to you experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven! For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in” (Matthew 23:13).

These “shepherds” are nothing more than “thieves and robbers.” They do not come to do good to the sheep. They do not care about the sheep, nor do they care for the sheep. They come for personal gain, at the expense of the sheep. But the Lord’s sheep are not taken in. They know the voice of their Shepherd, and they know a stranger when he comes as their shepherd, so they do not listen to them. In contrast, the Good Shepherd has come to benefit the sheep, at His own expense.

Evangelistic efforts in my generation have placed John 10:10b in the spotlight: “I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” It is a great text and worthy of our attention. My only concern is that in taking this half-verse out of its context, we lose some of its meaning. Jesus has “come so that His sheep may have life, and have it abundantly,” but He has done so in contrast to the evil shepherds, who have come “only to steal and kill and destroy” (verse 10a). Pseudo-shepherds promise sheep “the good life,” but they most certainly do not provide it. It is our Lord who is the Good Shepherd, and as such He alone gives salvation, safety, and the abundant life. There is not only an abundance for the sheep here, but a freedom. They can “come in and go out, and find pasture.” This does not mean that they can go their own way, but the Good Shepherd goes before His flock, and His sheep willingly follow Him. He does not, as some sheep herders are inclined to do, drive them (sometimes using a sheepdog, which nips away at their feet).

Now we come to the really amazing part. Pseudo-shepherds do not care about the flock; they care about themselves. Thus, they use and abuse the flock, but they do not tenderly care for the flock. They come “to steal and kill and destroy.” The Good Shepherd intimately knows and tenderly cares for His flock, but He does far more. He places the interests of the flock above His own, and thus in order to save the flock, He lays down His life for His sheep. The hireling is interested in his wages more than the sheep he is paid to care for. If a wolf attacks the sheep under his care, he would be risking personal injury were he to seek to save the sheep. The hireling therefore forsakes the sheep to save his own skin. He runs from danger, rather than endanger himself by seeking to save the flock.

The Good Shepherd does much more than simply put himself in harm’s way to save the sheep; He deliberately lays down His life in order to save the sheep. The sacrificial death of the Good Shepherd described here is not for “sheep” in general (all the sheep in the sheepfold of verses 1-5); it is for His sheep, the sheep in His flock, the elect whom the Father has given Him, whom He Himself has chosen:

It is for the sheep—only for the sheep—that the good shepherd lays down his life. The design of the atonement is definitely restricted. Jesus dies for those who had been given to him by the Father, for the children of God, for true believers. This is the teaching of the Fourth Gospel throughout (3:16; 6:37, 39, 40, 44, 65; 10:11, 15, 29; 17:6, 9, 20, 21, 24). It is also the doctrine of the rest of Scripture. With his precious blood Christ purchased his church (Acts 20:28; Eph. 5:25-27); his people (Matt. 1:21); the elect (Rom. 8:32-35).[435]

However clearly this Gospel portrays Jesus as the Saviour of the world (4:42), the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (1:29, 36), it insists no less emphatically that Jesus has a peculiar relation with those the Father has given him (6:37ff.), with those he has chosen out of the world (15:16, 19). So here: Jesus’ death is peculiarly for his sheep, just as we elsewhere read that ‘Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her’ (Ephesians 5:25).[436]

In verses 1-5, the sheepfold into which the true Shepherd enters contains many flocks. Only some of these sheep “belong” to the true Shepherd. Out of the sheepfold of Israel, the true Shepherd calls His own sheep by name. His sheep know His voice and follow Him out of the fold. Verses 7-18 leave the sheepfold (Israel) and focus on the flock of the Good Shepherd. It is for this flock that Jesus laid down His life. His sacrificial atoning death was no accident, and the Shepherd was no helpless victim (in the popular sense of that term today), overcome by His adversaries. His death was by His own will and purpose, and in obedience to the Father’s will. His death was purposed by Him to save all those the Father had given to Him. He laid down His life so that He could take it up again. It was a sacrificial death, sovereignly purposed and sovereignly played out. Our Lord was never more “in control” (that is what sovereignty is about) than when He was hanging on the cross of Calvary. You will remember that it was He who “gave up His spirit” (John 19:30).

So far, the focus has been upon the relationship between Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and His Jewish sheep. He is, after all, the Jewish Messiah, who came to save His people. But “His people” does not include every Israelite (verses 1-5; see Romans 9:6); it does include many from among the Gentiles: “I have[437] other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold.[438] I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, so that there will be one flock and one shepherd” (verse 16).

Jesus does not say that He will have other sheep, but rather that He does have them. These are surely elect “sheep” from among the Gentiles. While these “sheep” have not yet become a part of our Lord’s flock, they most certainly will. Our Lord can therefore speak of these “sheep” as those “sheep” He already has, because salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is God’s work. Men are called to respond, and respond they will if they are His sheep. They will hear His voice, and they will follow Him. These sheep will become a part of our Lord’s one flock. They are not an inferior flock, nor are they a separate flock. Believing Jews and Gentiles make up one flock. Paul puts it this way:

11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh—who are called “uncircumcision” by the so-called “circumcision” that is performed in the body by hands—12 that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, the one who turned both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, in his flesh, 15 when he nullified the law of commandments in decrees. The purpose of this was to create in himself the two into one new man, thus making peace, 16 and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; 18 so that through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer foreigners and non-citizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, 20 because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:11-22).

Elsewhere Paul writes,

26 For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:26-29).

It is for this reason that I very much dislike the expressions, “Jewish Christian” and “Gentile Christian.” There are only “Christians.” There is only “one flock,” with “one shepherd (verse 16). I also struggle with churches which are recognized as “Jewish congregations” or “Gentile congregations.” Divisions based upon theological and denominational lines may not always be commendable, though they seem to be a fact of life. Divisions based solely upon racial lines are much more suspect, in my opinion. It is the very “stuff” of which the Judaizers of the New Testament were made, the error which endangered the church and the gospel in Acts and the Epistles.

Verses 17-19 stress two important and related dimensions of our Lord’s work as the “good Shepherd.” First of all, as the good Shepherd, our Lord is also the sovereign Shepherd. This is a point that will be taken up shortly, in relation to the security of the sheep. Our Lord is no victim, and His life is not taken away by men. He voluntarily gives His life for the sheep. He does so with full confidence that He will then rise from the dead. In His words, He lays down His life so that He “may take it back again” (verse 17). He lays down His life in order that He may rise from the dead. He who is life, who is the source of all life (see 1:1-5), cannot have His life taken away against His will. He who is life must give up His own life, and He also has the authority to take it up again! Such a Shepherd cannot be defeated, and thus His sheep could not be more secure.

The second thing verses 17-19 stress is the unity of the Father and the Son in the work of redemption. The Son willingly lays down His life for the sheep, knowing this is the Father’s will. It is, in fact, the Father’s commandment (verse 18). The Son’s sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary enhances the Father’s love for Him (verse 17). On the one hand, Jesus and the Father are united in the work of saving men; on the other, Jesus submits to the Father’s will when He lays down His life for His sheep.

Conclusion

It is Leon Morris[439] who observes that this chapter contains the last public teaching of Jesus that John records. It seems to me that as John records our Lord’s teaching here on the “Good Shepherd,” he sums up all the major themes of his Gospel to this point, and he does so in a way that climaxes at the cross of Calvary and the substitutionary atonement accomplished by our Lord. John the Baptist’s ministry is described as the work of the doorkeeper in verses 1-5.[440] Our Lord’s deity and union with the Father are also clearly stated. Our Lord came to the house of Israel, and many rejected Him. We are told here that it is because many in the sheepfold of Israel were not His sheep. They did not hear His voice. Those who were His sheep heard the voice of the Good Shepherd and followed Him. The Good Shepherd is here presented as the Shepherd who will voluntarily lay down His life for His sheep. He will do so in order that He may rise from the dead, resulting in a completed redemption.

In this final collection of our Lord’s teaching on the Good Shepherd, there is the most direct statement yet concerning His sacrificial death. There is also the clearest condemnation of the Jewish religious leaders, who are at best “hirelings” and at worst “thieves and robbers.” Nowhere has the contrast between the Good Shepherd and the evil shepherds been as clear as we see here. This contrast chart may be helpful:

Evil Shepherds The Good Shepherd
1 “I tell you the solemn truth, the one who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.5 They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him, because they do not recognize the stranger’s voice.” 2 The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The doorkeeper opens the door for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought all his own sheep out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice.
8 All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.  6 Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7 So Jesus said to them again, “I tell you the solemn truth, I am the door for the sheep.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; 9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, and find pasture. I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly (verse 10b).
12 The hired hand who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and runs away. So the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. 13 Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep, he runs away. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold. I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, so that there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17 This is why the Father loves me—because I lay down my life so that I may take it back again. 18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This is the commandment I received from my Father.”

This, of course, is the beginning of the end. Up to this point, these wicked shepherds have been attacking Jesus at every opportunity. Now, He commences to attack them. We know that our Lord’s final attack (as described in Matthew 23) will bring the response our Lord expected—the cross of Calvary. Now, more than ever, Jesus is a marked man. The Jewish religious leaders are more determined than ever to put Him to death. It is now only a matter of the right opportunity.

As we conclude this lesson, let me draw your attention to some of the “high points” of this passage and suggest some thoughts for your consideration.

First of all, our text reminds us that “it’s not what you know, but who you know.” I think we would all have to agree that the Pharisees are much more highly educated than the masses, whom they despise (7:49). In spite of all their “knowledge” of the Old Testament, the Pharisees do not know God. They do not know the voice of the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ. That is why they cannot “hear” Him. That is why they wish to kill Him. There is a great deal of difference between knowing about God and knowing God; while education has much to do with the former, it has little to do with the latter.

As individuals and as a church, we know a great deal about God and about His Word, and this is very good. But it is not the same as knowing God Himself, in the Person of Jesus Christ. Calvin puts it very well when he writes,

This passage ought to strike us with the deepest shame; first, because we are so ill accustomed to the voice of our Shepherd, that there are hardly any who do not listen to it with indifference; and, next, because we are so slow and indolent to follow him. I speak of the good, or of those who are at least passable; for the greater part of those who boast that they are Christ’s disciples kick fiercely against him. Lastly, as soon as the voice of any stranger has sounded in our ears, we are hurried to and fro; and this lightness and unsteadiness sufficiently shows how little progress we have hitherto made in the faith.[441]

There is nothing more important than knowing God:

7 But these assets I have come to regard as liabilities because of Christ. 8 More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things—indeed, I regard them as dung!—that I might gain Christ, 9 and be found in him, not because of having my own righteousness derived from the law, but because of having the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness—a righteousness from God that is based on Christ’s faithfulness. 10 My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:7-11).

Second, there is a fundamental principle found here in John 10, which will give us great joy and protect us from the evil one: It is Jesus Christ alone who offers us the abundant life. Knowing Him is the Christian’s greatest privilege and blessing. It is also our greatest defense against the wiles of the devil, who is constantly trying to tempt us to follow false shepherds (see 2 Corinthians 11:1-15). There is no sweeter sound than that of His voice, and knowing the sound of His voice, we should easily sense when a pseudo-shepherd comes our way. I cannot stress this truth enough. From the very beginning, God is the one “who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment” (1 Timothy 6:17). It was this way from the beginning. Look at the vast wealth of beauty and enjoyment God provided for man in the Garden of Eden, and yet Satan sought to portray God as someone who was holding back something good. He convinced Eve that he had more to offer than God, that he was the one who gave abundant life. And in their taking of the forbidden fruit, Adam and his wife did not experience the “life” Satan promised, but death.

It has been this way ever since. Satan is the one who would deceive us to believe that the Christian life is a life of denial, of doing without the “good things of life.” It is a lie! Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He laid down His life so that we might have abundant life. He gives life, eternal life, abundant life. Satan and all of his pseudo-shepherds offer the “good life,” but what they produce is theft, murder, and destruction. Young person, do you think you are missing the abundant life by refraining from pre-marital sex? The abundant life is that life in which sexual pleasures are sought and experienced only within the boundaries which God Himself has set. The abundant life is not having everything you want, here and now; it is knowing and serving Jesus Christ. Do not fall for Satan’s lies, or seek what God has forbidden as though it was the “good life.” The good life is living as one of His sheep, and following Him as the Great and Good Shepherd.

We are now brought to the third observation: John 10 is the best commentary available on Psalm 23. The Psalm begins, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want …” Isn’t that exactly what our Lord promises us in John chapter 10? When He is our Shepherd, we will not lack any good thing (see Psalm 34:10; 84:11). There is nothing more assuring than these words in Psalm 23, and in John 10 Jesus makes it clear that all the blessings of this Psalm are to be found and experienced in Him—and in Him alone.

I need to ask you a very personal question, my friend: “Is the Lord Jesus Christ your Good Shepherd?” Do you hear His voice, even as you read this chapter in John’s Gospel? The Good Shepherd is also the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, see also v. 36). The Good Shepherd laid down His life by becoming the Lamb of God. The Son of God took on human flesh, adding perfect humanity to His undiminished deity. Having no sin, He died on the cross of Calvary in the sinner’s place, to make an atonement for our sins, and to procure the gift of eternal life. Have you acknowledged your sin, and trusted in Him alone who can forgive sins? That is how you follow the Good Shepherd. Can you hear His voice, calling you to believe in Him?[442]

Fourth, while God loves, calls, and cares for His sheep individually, much of His care and guidance comes as His sheep are a part of a flock. We live in a very individualistic age, when personal independence and autonomy are paramount in the minds of many Christians. I would simply remind you that it is both arrogant and ignorant for us to expect and demand personalized ministry and attention from human “shepherds,” whenever we want it. In the first place, it is not possible. In the second, it is not necessary or good. Even empowered by the Spirit, men can only be in one place at a time. Human shepherds cannot possibly live up to the expectations that many place upon them. This is why God deals with His church as a flock. It seems clear to me that God has instituted His church so that the needs of His people can be met in the context of a flock. Are you vitally involved with a flock of sheep (a church)? You should be, both to minister to others, and to be ministered to by others. Many churches, like our own, have small groups for ministry as well. In these smaller groups, individual sheep can be known and cared for individually. If you are not a part of some such group, I believe you should be, because God provides care for His sheep in the context of a flock.

But let me press the point a little further. God has no limits on His time or availability. While men can be in only one place at a time, God has no such limitations. He can—and often does—minister to each of us in a very personal way. But there are times when we expect or even demand that God minister to us “personally” when this is neither necessary nor beneficial. I may shock you when I say this, but I believe there is an element of truth here. Some people wish to receive personal guidance from God when He has already spoken clearly in His Word. They want God to give them some special revelation or personal word from above, when it isn’t necessary. God may have already spoken to us clearly in His Word, but we may simply be too lazy to seek it out for ourselves. (If all else fails, we seek to find a “How To” book, which makes it easy for us.) Let us not demand that God minister to us personally when He has already done so, through His Word or through His body, the church.

I’m almost finished with this point, but not quite. Sometimes human shepherds find it flattering when people depend upon them entirely for shepherding. The Lord’s sheep are His sheep, not our sheep. It is He alone who saves His sheep and makes them secure. It is He alone who knows His sheep intimately. Let us not dare to be like the false shepherds, who want His sheep as our own, to meet our own selfish needs. As under-shepherds, it is our calling and privilege to point men to the Great Shepherd, whose sheep they are.

Fifth, as the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ is the ultimate standard for all shepherding, and for every shepherd. Let me first say that Jesus Christ is the Great Shepherd:

20 Now may the God of peace who by the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 equip you with every good thing to do his will, working in you what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen (Hebrews 13:20-21).

I am always very nervous when men who are called pastors use John chapter 10 of themselves. Christ alone is the true, good, and great Shepherd. In Peter’s words, He is the Chief Shepherd:

1 So as your fellow-elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings and as one who shares in the glory that will be revealed, I urge the elders among you: 2 give a shepherd’s care to God’s flock among you, exercising oversight not merely as a duty but willingly under God’s direction, not for shameful profit but eagerly. 3 And do not lord it over those entrusted to you but be examples to the flock. 4 Then when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that never fades away (1 Peter 5:1-4).

We are, at best, undershepherds. If we truly love our Lord, then we, like Peter, will devote ourselves to the passion of our Lord—shepherding His flock:

15 Then when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these do?” He replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus told him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Jesus said a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus told him, “Shepherd my sheep.” 17 Jesus said a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that Jesus asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” and said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus replied, “Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the solemn truth, when you were young, you tied your clothes around you and went wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will tie you up and bring you where you do not want to go.” 19 (Now Jesus said this to indicate clearly by what kind of death Peter was going to glorify God.) After he said this, Jesus told Peter, “Follow me” (John 21:15-19).

When we shepherd His flock, we should do so as He did. We should give special care and attention to the wandering, the hurting, the sick, the weak. We should “lay down our lives,” giving of ourselves, seeking the best interest of the sheep. May God grant that each of us who know and love Him will take up His work of shepherding His sheep. At the same time, let us never cease being sheep who know and follow the voice of the Great Shepherd.


! Lesson 24:
The Sovereign Shepherd
(John 10:19-42)

Introduction

        A few years ago, a story was being circulated, in jest, that Evel Knievel had been killed as he tried to jump the “Nixon credibility gap.” One might think old Evel and his bike could find an even greater challenge today, as “credibility gaps” abound in Washington D.C. and elsewhere in government! The simple fact is that there is often a significant gap between our words and our deeds. The size of the gap is determined by how great a hypocrite we are. Hypocrisy, as I define it at least, is an inconsistency between our words and our deeds, between our profession and our practice.

During my study of this text I have become increasingly aware of the emphasis on the relationship between words and deeds. Throughout the Gospels, we see very little relationship between the words of the Jews who oppose Jesus—and their deeds. They profess one thing and practice another. Hypocrisy has various forms. In its simple form, I say one thing, and I do another. A more terrible form of hypocrisy is when I instruct others to live one way, while I live the very way that I have forbidden to others. Perhaps the worst hypocrisy of all is when I condemn someone for wrong-doing, and yet practice the very thing I have condemned. We see all these forms of hypocrisy in the Bible:

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? 17 So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself (James 2:14-17).

1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and his disciples, 2 “The experts in the law and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore, pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach” (Matthew 23:1-3).

17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relationship to God 18 and know his will and approve the superior things because you receive instruction from the law, 19 and if you are convinced that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an educator of the senseless, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the essential features of knowledge and of the truth— 21 therefore you who teach someone else, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by transgressing the law. 24 For just as it is written, “the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you” (Romans 2:17-24).

The Gospel of John is written in a way that links the declarations of Jesus to His deeds. John does this to show that Jesus’ words must be taken seriously, because of the works that accompany them.

30 Now Jesus performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples that are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20:30-31).

So it is in John’s Gospel that Jesus is continually performing some miraculous deed, which validates a declaration He has made, or will make shortly. These “signs” that our Lord performs demonstrate that He is who He claims to be. The One who claims to be the “Bread of Life” (6:35) is the same One who feeds the 5,000 (John 6:1-14). The last words Jesus speaks before giving the man born blind his sight are: “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5). While many of the Jews object to the teaching of our Lord, accusing Him of being demon possessed, many others protest, “These are not the words of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see, can it?” (John 10:21). They take Jesus’ words seriously because of His works. In our text, Jesus claims to be “the resurrection and the life,” assuring His listeners that anyone who believes in Him will live, even though he dies (11:25). This is just shortly before He calls Lazarus out of the tomb, where he has been for four days!

After Jesus feeds the crowd of 5,000 men, the people respond: “This is certainly the Prophet who is to come into the world”(John 6:14).

When Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, he acknowledged that Jesus had “come from God,” based upon the deeds He had done: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him” (John 3:2).

In our text, the Apostle John continues to employ the imagery of sheep and shepherding, but he does so with an emphasis on the relationship between words and deeds. Hypocrisy is not just the sin of the Pharisees. If you and I were honest, we would admit that we are all hypocrites, and in a big way! This text has a great deal to say to us about Jesus, about words and deeds, and about hypocrisy. Let us listen and learn what the Spirit of God has to say to us through His inspired Word. Let us resolve ahead of time, that by God’s grace, we will do what this text teaches us we should do, and that our deeds will conform to His words, as well as our own.

Mixed Reviews
(10:19-21)

19 Again there came about a sharp division among the Jewish authorities because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He is possessed by a demon and has lost his mind. Why do you listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see, can it?”

Jesus has just spoken some very strong words. He has claimed to be Messiah, the “Good Shepherd” who was spoken of by the Old Testament prophets. At the same time, He has indicted the Jewish religious leaders for being the wicked shepherds depicted and denounced by the Old Testament prophets. Jesus is the “Good Shepherd,” as opposed to the religious leaders who are evil shepherds. His words can hardly be taken lightly. It is no wonder that those hearing these words react strongly, some in opposition to Jesus, and others in support of Him. This is not an entirely new thing. Throughout the Gospel of John, men strongly differ as to who Jesus is (see John 6:52; 7:43; 9:16). Those opposed to Jesus are becoming more and more intense in their opposition. They have already purposed to put Him to death (see 5:18; 7:1, 19-20, 25; 8:37, 40).

When they hear Jesus speak of Himself as the “Good Shepherd,” those who are not “His sheep” immediately brush His words aside as the ravings of a mad man, a man possessed by a demon. A good number of other folks see and hear the same things, but they simply cannot agree that the words Jesus speaks are the ravings of a man who is demon possessed. They rightly reason that Jesus’ words must be judged in the light of His works. A demon possessed man would not speak and act as Jesus does. He would most certainly not give sight to one who was born blind. This miracle of the healing of the man born blind is very much in the minds of those inclined to take Jesus seriously. This sign gives credibility to His words. They undoubtedly have seen many men who were demon possessed, but none of these spoke or acted as Jesus does. And so, once again, the Jews are divided among themselves. Those opposed to Jesus must once again gather their wits about them and seek to find some way to do away with Him.

John’s description of this mixed reaction is added evidence that Jesus is who He claims to be. This mixed response to our Lord’s words is exactly what Jesus said it would be. His sheep hear His voice and follow Him; those who are not His sheep do not “hear” Him. This is the reason for the mixed reaction to His words. His sheep hear His voice, and they recognize in Jesus’ words and deeds the voice of the Good Shepherd. The rest, who are not His sheep, do not hear His voice, and they are quick to reject Him as their shepherd.

Same Song, Second Verse
(10:22-30)

22 Then came the feast of the Dedication in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple in Solomon’s Portico. 24 The Jewish religious leaders surrounded him and said, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus replied, “I told you and you do not believe. The deeds I do in my Father’s name testify about me. 26 But you refuse to believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. 29 My Father who has given them to me is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.”

John continues to employ the imagery of the Good Shepherd in verses 22-30. It is certainly in keeping with the teaching of our Lord in verses 1-21. While the subject is the same as before, the occasion for the teaching of verses 22 and following is different. It is now winter in Jerusalem, and the occasion is the Feast of Dedication.[443] John is careful to tell us that Jesus was in Jerusalem because this was not one of Israel’s great feasts, which all were required to attend and observe in Jerusalem. It could have been celebrated elsewhere, but Jesus came to Jerusalem.

It is right around Christmas time for us when Jesus returns once again to Jerusalem. He is in the temple, walking under the cover provided by Solomon’s Portico.[444] Things quickly turn ugly. The Jews surround[445] Jesus in a hostile manner,[446] demanding that He give them a direct answer as to whether or not He claims to be Israel’s Messiah. They are obviously aggravated, because they feel He has been evasive.

There is a sense in which they are correct. Our Lord did make some very clear statements concerning His identity to the woman at the well (John 4:25-26) and to the man born blind (John 9:35-37). But Jesus avoids making direct statements publicly, knowing that such a statement would likely lead to an immediate attempt to stone or crucify Him. At the time of our Lord’s “trial” before the Jewish religious leaders, a similar demand is made by the high priest. Our Lord’s direct response is viewed as proof of His “guilt”:

62 So the high priest stood up and said to him, “Do you have no answer? What is this that they are testifying against you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has blasphemed! Why do we still need witnesses? Now you have heard the blasphemy! 66 What is your verdict?” They answered, “He is guilty and deserves death” (Matthew 26:62-66).

There is yet another reason why our Lord hesitates to make any direct statements, and this reason is for the benefit of His disciples:

13 When Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They answered, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “And who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven!” (Matthew 16:13-17, emphasis mine.)

Our Lord wanted men to believe in Him because the evidence was compelling, and because God had revealed this to them. The great confession of Peter is the result of his seeing many signs, of his repeated hearing of our Lord’s claims, and of the Father enlightening him so that he finally grasped their implications.

Jesus does not admit to concealing His identity, however, nor should He. The problem is not that Jesus has withheld information from them which they needed in order to come to a decision about His identity. Over and over again, He has made statements which make it clear that He is claiming to be the Messiah. Setting aside the public declarations of John the Baptist concerning our Lord’s identity, think of some of the claims Jesus has already made in the Gospel of John:

At the temple, Jesus said, “Take these things away from here! Do not make my Father’s house a marketplace!” (John 2:16).

His miracles were a public declaration of His identity: “Now while Jesus was in Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover, many people believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing” (John 2:23).

Jesus claimed to be God: “So Jesus told them, ‘My Father is working until now, and I too am working.’ For this reason the Jewish authorities were trying even harder to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own Father, thus making himself equal with God” (John 5:17-18).

Jesus claims to be the One who will raise the dead, and then judge them:

20 “For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does, and greater deeds than these he will show him, so that you may be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. 22 Furthermore, the Father does not judge anyone, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all people may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 I tell you the solemn truth, the one who hears my message and believes the one who sent me has eternal life, and will not be condemned, but has crossed over from death to life. 25 I tell you the solemn truth, a time is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and the ones who hear will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in himself, thus he has granted the Son to have life in himself; 27 and he granted the Son authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and will come out—the ones who have done what is good to the resurrection resulting in life, and the ones who have done what is evil to the resurrection resulting in condemnation. 30 I can do nothing on my own initiative. Just as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me” (John 5:20-30).

Jesus claims to have come down from heaven, and to be the only source of eternal life:

37 “Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. 39 Now this is the will of the one who sent me: that I should not lose one person of every one he has given me, but raise them all up at the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father: that every one who looks on the Son and believes in him will have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:37-40).

Jesus claims to be the “I am,” who existed even before Abraham: “Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the solemn truth, before Abraham came into existence, I am!’” (John 8:58).

I believe it is safe to say that our Lord has been more than clear in His claims to be Messiah. He was certainly clear enough for those who were His sheep, who sincerely desired to hear the truth about Him. Jesus therefore gets right to the heart of their unbelief. It is not that they lack sufficient evidence to come to a conclusion as to His identity. It is not due to His failure to speak out clearly enough about Himself. Their rejection of Him as the Messiah is due to their stubborn refusal to believe His words and His works: “Jesus replied, ‘I told you and you do not believe. The deeds I do in my Father’s name testify about me’” (verse 25, emphasis mine).

They do not believe His words nor His works, for this simple reason: “You refuse to believe because you are not of my sheep” (verse 26).

His opponents are not “His sheep,” and this is why they do not believe His words or His works. Instead, they have set themselves against the Good Shepherd. Jesus now contrasts His sheep with these other “sheep,” who are not a part of His flock. His sheep hear His voice. They recognize that Jesus is the Son of God, their Messiah, and they accept His words as being the very words of God. Not only do His sheep know Him as their Shepherd, He knows them as His sheep. The Good Shepherd knows intimately those sheep who belong to Him. He knows their weaknesses and their strengths, their tendencies and their temptations. The result is that when He, the Shepherd, speaks, His own sheep know and follow Him (verse 27).

These are the more immediate results. The long-term results are also incredible. The Great Shepherd gives eternal life to His sheep. They not only enter into the abundant life, they do so permanently, irreversibly:

28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. 29 My Father who has given them to me is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.

His sheep will never perish. No one will ever snatch them from His hand. If this is not enough security for the sheep, there is even more. His sheep are His because His Father has given them to Him. His Father has purposed not only to give these sheep to the Son, but to see to it that they remain His sheep. Since no one is greater than His Father, no one is able to snatch these sheep from His Father’s hand.

You may remember the slogan the Allstate Insurance Company promoted (and to my knowledge still uses): “You’re in good hands with Allstate.” John tells us that our Lord’s sheep could not be in better hands—the hand of the Son and the hand of the Father. No one could be more secure than one of His sheep.

Here John emphasizes the relationship between our Lord’s sheep, the Good Shepherd, and God the Father. He makes it very clear that the salvation and (eternal) security of the sheep are not the result of our sheepish efforts, but rather the sovereign will and working of God.[447] It is the Father who chose us for salvation and gave us to the Son. It is the Father who purposed to save us through the sacrifice of His Son. It is the sovereignty of God which assures our salvation. No one overrules His will. No one overpowers Him. No one nullifies what He has achieved. No one takes away those He has purchased. Why is the subject of the sovereignty of God such a sensitive matter to some, and even viewed as offensive, when it is the sovereignty of God which is the basis for our salvation and our security? These strong words concerning His sovereignty and our security are not my words, these are John’s words, and ultimately God’s words.

A Strong Reaction to Strong Words
(10:31-33)

31 The Jewish authorities picked up rocks again to stone him to death. 32 Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good deeds from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jewish authorities replied, “We are not going to stone you for a good deed but for blasphemy, because you, a man, are claiming to be God.”

It is really quite amazing to see how hard some people work to avoid the clear meaning of our Lord’s words in verses 25-30. Some Christians strive to show that John is not emphasizing the sovereignty of God here in relation to the salvation and security of God’s elect. The enemies of our Lord have no such difficulty understanding what He means. Their difficulty is in accepting it. They correctly understand Him to be claiming to be God. But their system of religion makes salvation man’s work, the reward for human effort in law-keeping. To speak of salvation as something that is in God’s hands, completely the work of His grace, is a great blow to their pride. The words of our Lord are not received as the voice of the Good Shepherd, but as the blasphemous claims of an impostor and a fraud. And so they begin to collect rocks[448] to stone Him.

As they begin to gather their collection of rocks, Jesus questions them concerning the legitimacy of stoning Him. Just which one of His works is so evil that it is worthy of the death penalty? Does Jesus deserve to be on “death row” because of His deeds? Which ones? Their (paraphrased) answer to His question is very enlightening: “Oh, it is not for your works that we are going to stone you, but for your words.” Now it is true that a man could be stoned for blasphemy, and this is a matter of one’s words. Jesus is not denying that He claims to be God. Jesus is seeking to show His adversaries that His works give substance to His words. He claims to be God while doing the deeds of God. Giving sight to a man born blind is something no one has ever witnessed before. It is one of the works which Messiah was prophesied to perform:

16 Now Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as he customarily did. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him, 21 and he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:16-21, where Jesus cites from Isaiah 61:1-2; see also Matthew 11:1-6).

The response of the Jews to our Lord’s challenge is amazing. In effect, they are saying, “Oh, we don’t look at your words in relation to your works; we view them separately.” Only those who are great hypocrites find this feat easy to accomplish. Their words and their works are not related (Matthew 23:1-3), and so they do not care that Jesus’ words and works are completely consistent. They are not about to be confused with the facts when their minds are already made up. They conclude (wrongly, of course) that Jesus is merely a man, and thus His claim to be God must be blasphemy. In their minds, He deserves to die.

A Tough Question, and an Even More Troubling Point
(10:34-38)

34 Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If those people to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ (and the scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say about the one whom the Father set apart and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not perform the deeds of my Father, do not believe me. 38 But if I do them, even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds, so that you may come to know and understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”

These verses are interesting indeed. Some think that our Lord’s response here is a kind of clever trick. They think that by His quotation and question Jesus stumps His accusers, and thereby “takes the wind out of their sails.” It may look similar to an incident recorded in the Gospel of Luke:

27 Now some Sadducees came to him (who contend there is no resurrection). 28 They asked him a question: “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies leaving a wife but no children, that man must marry the widow and father children for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first married a woman and died without children. 30 The second 31 and then the third married her, and likewise all seven died, leaving no children. 32 Afterward the woman died too. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had all married her.” 34 So Jesus said to them, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are regarded as worthy to share in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 In fact, they can no longer die, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, since they are sons of the resurrection. 37 But that the dead are raised—even Moses revealed this in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.’ 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living; for all live before him.” 39 Then some of the experts in the law answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well!” 40 For they no longer dared to ask him any question. 41 But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? 42 For David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, 43 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ 44 David thus calls him Lord; so how is he his son?” (Luke 20:27-44)

In the past, I would have agreed with those who see this as cleverly “outwitting” His opponents. They put a trick question to Him, thinking it will make Him look bad. As it turns out, Jesus answers in a way that makes His adversaries look bad, and then He asks them a question, which they cannot answer. This He does, and it not only temporarily silences His enemies, it makes them look stupid, and so they become even more intent on killing Him. But I think Jesus has more in mind than simply making His enemies look stupid. I believe that in Luke 20 and in our text, Jesus is pressing His enemies to consider the implications of an Old Testament text. How can David call his “son” his “Lord”? If they believe in Jesus, they will know the answer (or will know it before long, after His death, burial, and resurrection).

The same is true for our Lord’s reference to Psalm 82. Let’s take a look at the entire psalm:

A Psalm of Asaph.
God stands in the congregation of the mighty [Hebrew, el = God]; He judges among the gods [Hebrew, elohim, gods, rulers]. 2 How long will you judge unjustly, And show partiality to the wicked? Selah

3 Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy. 4 Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked. 5 They do not know, nor do they understand; They walk about in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are unstable. 6 I said, “You are gods [Hebrew, elohim], And all of you are children of the Most High. 7 But you shall die like men, And fall like one of the princes.” 8 Arise, O God, judge the earth; For You shall inherit all nations (Psalm 82:1-8, NKJV).

If our Lord’s response to the Jews is only a trick question, it would be a shrewd move on His part, but it is much, much more. His adversaries want to stone Him for blasphemy, because He claims to be God. Jesus does not deny His claim to deity. He points back to Psalm 82 where, under inspiration, Asaph writes of Israel’s rulers as though they were gods. If the Old Testament Scriptures (which “cannot be broken”) speak of mere men as “gods,” then why are the Jews seeking to kill Jesus for claiming to be “God”? Have His works not surpassed the works of those who were called “gods” in Psalm 82?

In what sense can mere men be called “gods”? This is not as amazing as it may originally seem. Leaders certainly do function (or at least should function) as “gods” in a certain, qualified, sense. When God created Adam and Eve, He created them in His image. They were to reflect God’s image by “ruling” over creation (Genesis 1:26). The leaders of Israel were to act in God’s behalf as they led the nation:

So he [Aaron] shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you [Moses] shall be to him as God [Hebrew, elohim] (Exodus 4:16, NKJV, emphasis mine).

So the LORD said to Moses: “See, I have made you as God [Hebrew, elohim] to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet” (Exodus 7:1, NKJV, emphasis mine).

“Then his master shall bring him to the judges [Hebrew, elohim]. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever (Exodus 21:6, NKJV, emphasis mine).

“If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought to the judges [Hebrew, elohim] to see whether he has put his hand into his neighbor’s goods” (Exodus 22:8, NKJV, emphasis mine).

The principle on which the term “god” is used in reference to men is this: Men are “gods” (in a certain limited sense) when they act as leaders, in God’s behalf. Moses was “god” to Pharaoh when he spoke to Pharaoh on God’s behalf. And since he was, in a sense, “god” to Pharaoh, Aaron was a prophet to him (Exodus 4:16; 7:1). Judges were “gods” in that they judged Israel on God’s behalf. So far as the people of Israel were concerned, they were to submit themselves to God’s leaders (the “gods” referred to above) as unto the Lord. This submission to leaders “as unto the Lord” can be seen elsewhere in the Bible:

1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God’s appointment, and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God. 2 So the person who resists such authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur judgment 3 (for rulers cause no fear for good conduct but for bad). Do you desire not to fear authority? Do good and you will receive its commendation, 4 for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be in fear; for it does not bear the sword in vain. It is God’s servant to administer retribution on the wrongdoer (Romans 13:1-4).

22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, 23 because the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church—he himself being the savior of the body (Ephesians 5:22-23).

5 Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart as to Christ, 6 not like those who do their work only when someone is watching—as people-pleasers—but as servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart. 7 Obey with enthusiasm, as though serving the Lord and not people (Ephesians 6:5-7).

22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in every respect; not only when they are watching—like those who are strictly people-pleasers—but with a sincere heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people, 24 because you know that you will receive your inheritance from the Lord as the reward. Serve the Lord Christ (Colossians 3:22-24).

In our text, Jesus is employing what is known as a “much more” argument. If mere men who are in positions of leadership can in some sense be called “gods” in their relationship to those they lead, then “much more” can Jesus Christ, the very Son of God, God incarnate, be called “God.” Jesus is not acting wrongly, nor is He guilty (as accused) of blasphemy.

But there is more—much more—to be understood by the reference Jesus has made to Psalm 82. I believe Jesus is calling attention to the fact that the entire Psalm points to Him as the Messiah, validating His claim to be Messiah. The reason the Jews are so intent on killing Jesus is not only because He claims to be God, but because He also claims to be the Good Shepherd. And in claiming to be the “Good Shepherd,” it is clear by inference that the Jewish leaders are “thieves and robbers,” the false shepherds who have been condemned by God in texts like Ezekiel 34. These are the evil shepherds whom our Lord has described in contrast to Himself in our text. So, too, wicked shepherds are condemned in Psalm 82. Let’s take a quick look at this psalm, noting how direct its application is to our Lord.

In verse 1, Asaph describes God as standing in the midst of Israel’s rulers (elohim, “gods”), judging them. They are on trial for misusing their positions of leadership and authority. Instead of defending the poor and the fatherless, they oppress the weak, judging unjustly. God instructs them to care for the afflicted and the needy, and to deliver them from the hand of the wicked. He says that they are walking in darkness. Could we not call them “blind leaders of the blind” as Jesus does (Matthew 15:14)? Has John not already told us that Jesus came as the “light of the world” (1:4-5; 8:12; 9:5), and that the “darkness” did not master Him (1:5)? Are the crimes of Israel’s judges in Psalm 82 not the same as those depicted in “shepherd terms” in Ezekiel 34? Jesus is calling attention to the very text which speaks of Him as the Messiah and at the same time indicts His Jewish adversaries as “gods,” who are soon to be judged by the sovereign Shepherd. These “gods” are mere men, and not God, and because of their sin, they will die like mere mortals (lest they may have forgotten this).

The psalm ends: “Arise, O God, judge the earth; For You shall inherit all nations.”

Can they not see what both our Lord and this psalm are saying? This psalm is not just a text Jesus has chosen to stump His adversaries. It is not a cute trick, which shames those who would pose trick questions to Messiah. He is the fulfillment of this psalm, as they are. They are the “gods” whom God is coming to judge. They are the “gods” who will die like men; He is the God who will die to save His sheep, only to rise again from the dead. This text says it all, but they cannot see it, for they are blind, while He is the light of the world. They cannot hear, for He is not their shepherd.

Jesus urges them to stand back for just a moment and reconsider His claims, in the light of His works. If they are unwilling to accept His claims to be the Messiah, let them set aside His words for the moment and consider just His works alone. Do His deeds not speak loudly enough for them to hear? If they can believe Him for no other reason, let them believe in Him only on account of His works, as others have done (see 2:23-25). Let them grasp that Jesus and the Father are one, that He is in the Father, as the Father is in Him (verse 38).

A Strategic Retreat
(10:39-42)

39 Then they attempted again to seize him, but he escaped their clutches. 40 Jesus went back to the Jordan River again to the place where John had been baptizing at an earlier time, and he stayed there. 41 Many came to him and began to say, “John performed no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man was true!” 42 And many believed in Jesus there.

This is more than enough. These Jewish leaders can stand no more. They seek to lay hold of Him, but once again He eludes their grasp. I love the words of verse 39. In the translator’s notes of the NET Bible we read, “he departed out of their hand.” Is this not ironic? Jesus has twice claimed that as the Good Shepherd He not only saves His sheep, but safely keeps them in His “hand,” as the Father does likewise (verses 28-30). While His sheep cannot be snatched from His hand, He once again escapes their “hand.” I think it is clear that John is contrasting our Lord’s power as God with the power of the “gods,” Israel’s leaders, Israel’s false shepherds.

It is not yet His appointed time to die for His sheep, and so Jesus retreats to the more desolate and distant places along the Jordan river, which John the Baptist used to frequent in his ministry. We do not know exactly where this was, and likely, our Lord’s enemies do not know either. That is the point of His retreat. While our Lord’s enemies do not come to Him there, many others find Him in this place. It would seem that Jesus performed a number of miracles there from the words of those who compare His ministry with that of John: “John performed no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man was true!

These words are recorded by John here for a reason that is very much related to the point of this passage. I have suggested that while the theme of shepherding is prominent, so is the relationship between our Lord’s words and His works. We are informed here that John the Baptist did not perform any miraculous sign. If John, our author, was indeed one of John’s disciples (as suggested earlier—see 1:35-37), then he most certainly would be aware of this from personal experience. My point is this: Many of the Jews believed that John the Baptist was a true prophet (see Matthew 21:26). They believed his words, even though he did not perform any miraculous works. And yet the Jews in Jerusalem (especially the religious leaders) will not believe Jesus’ words, even though He does many miraculous works. What a contrast John draws between these “Jordan River” Jews and the sophisticated Jews of Jerusalem. In contrast to our Lord’s rejection in Jerusalem, many are believing in Him who come to Him at the Jordan river.

One further comment seems fitting here. If you will recall, early in this chapter Jesus spoke of Himself as the true Shepherd, and figuratively spoke of John the Baptist (as I understand our Lord’s words) as the doorkeeper. Is it not fitting for John to close this section on the Good Shepherd by linking, once again, the ministry of our Lord with that of John the Baptist? Those who believed John’s message (apart from any miraculous signs) also believed in Jesus (with His miraculous works). I do not think that the miracles were necessary, because His sheep would have heard His voice without them. But the presence of these miracles, in contrast to John’s lack of any signs, further testifies to the truth John the Baptist himself stressed—that Jesus is the One far superior to him, the One who came down from the Father in Heaven.

And so we see that those who are His sheep have more than enough reason to believe, and that those who are not will never have enough evidence to believe. The difference all boils down to those who are His sheep, and those who are not. John’s ministry lives on (verses 41 and 42), even though he did not (see also Acts 19:1-7). John was a “good shepherd” who fulfilled his leadership role by pointing people to the “Good Shepherd.”

Conclusion

I have already attempted to make some applications as we have worked through the text, but allow me to conclude by pointing out some avenues for further investigation, meditation, and application.

First, this text strongly teaches the sovereignty of God, especially as it relates to the salvation and the security of His sheep. Those who resist such teaching should consider the fact that the doctrine of God’s sovereignty is not a flattering one. Is this not the principle reason we are inclined to reject it? The doctrine of God’s sovereignty glorifies God, and not men. It stresses His work, and not our works. It is this very teaching that the Jewish opponents of our Lord react to so strongly. Does this not serve to warn those who would seek to reject this teaching today, here in our text? This does not mean that the Bible ignores human responsibility, but it does mean that our salvation and our security are in His hands, and not ours. For that we should rejoice, not resist.

Second, this text reminds us of the necessary link between what we say and what we do, between our profession and our practice. Jesus constantly challenges His adversaries to consider the relationship between His words and His works. He also rebukes the Pharisees for their lack of consistency in these matters. Let us take heed. Let us be sure that what we say we believe is also what we behave.

Third, this text says much about leaders and leadership. It reminds us that leaders have been given their place of authority to carry out their roles as God’s agents. It certainly indicates to us that those of us under such divinely ordained authority should submit to it, as to the Lord. But in addition, the message is loud and clear that those leaders who fail to fulfill their mission as “good” shepherds will some day stand before the Great Shepherd and give account for their deeds. In this day when leaders seem to be getting away with murder, let us never forget this truth.

A friend of mine told me of an experience he had recently. Before he retired he was an executive in a large corporation. He had been active in many church and Christian ministries, but he had never been involved in anything social, such as protesting before an abortion clinic. One day, he decided that this was something he needed to do. He was arrested. When he stood before the judge, he was forbidden to speak from or about the Bible. He found it almost impossible to believe how little he could do in his own defense. But when it was all over, this man stood before the judge and said something like this: “Your honor, there will come a day when you will stand before the Great Judge, and you will give account for what you have done here today.” Those words, my friend, should be sobering to all of us who have some leadership role to play. Every “shepherd” will someday stand before the Great Shepherd and give account to Him. Oh, that we shall stand before Him as His sheep, as those whom He has saved, as those whom He keeps safely in His hand, as those who know His voice and follow Him. I pray that you can say, with me, “The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want.”


! Lesson 25:
Dealing With Death
(John 11:1-37)

Introduction

Years ago, a very fine young man in our church was attending seminary and also working with our youth. Torrey had an excellent opportunity for a summer internship at another church in the South. While he was on his way to this southern city, his air-cooled Volkswagen engine totally melted down. Word of Torrey’s car problems reached us, and on Sunday morning someone shared his car problem with the church and asked for prayer. Someone else jokingly remarked that “Bob” (me) should be sent down to fix the car. I quickly responded, “I can heal the sick (cars), but I can’t raise the dead.”

We all got a laugh out of this, but one must admit that there is a significant difference between healing the sick and raising the dead. We are all familiar with the expression, “Where there’s life, there’s hope.” Behind this expression is the assumption that so long as there is life, there is also hope for some kind of remedy. Once death comes, however, all hope for a cure is lost. The good news is that according to our text, this saying is wrong so far as the Christian is concerned. Due to the victory of our Lord over death, we can say, “Where there’s death, there’s hope.” Our text addresses the Christian’s hope in the face of death. Let us listen and learn, for there is great hope and comfort to be found in John chapter 11.

Background

Jesus has already clashed with the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem on a number of occasions. The first major confrontation comes in chapter 5 as a result of His healing of the paralytic on the Sabbath, commanding him to take up his mattress and walk. When challenged by the Jews, Jesus defends Himself and His actions by claiming to be God (5:17ff.). The Jews are already intent on killing Him, but now they are all the more eager to do so (5:18). In our Lord’s “Bread of Life” teaching, He makes similar claims, but this is in Capernaum, not Jerusalem. Many of those who have followed Jesus as disciples now leave Him (6:60-66). In chapter 7, Jesus returns once again to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, where His teaching divides people in this city. Some are strongly opposed to Him, while others are much more favorably impressed (7:15, 30-31, 40-44). Similar reactions are recorded in chapter 8, where our Lord’s words in verse 58 (“Before Abraham came into existence, I am!”) precipitate an attempted stoning, but His time has not yet come. Also in chapter 8, Jesus claims to be the “Light of the world” (verse 12). In chapter 9, He demonstrates that this claim is true by giving sight to a man born blind (9:5-7). In chapter 10, Jesus describes Himself as the true, good, and great Shepherd, while at the same time, He indicts the Jewish religious leaders for being wicked shepherds. He claims once again to be one with God the Father, which brings on two more attempts to stone Him (10:27-30, 39).

Jesus makes a number of statements in chapter 10 which are validated in chapter 11. He, as the Good Shepherd, gives eternal life to His sheep (10:28). He does this by voluntarily laying down His life for His sheep, but He also claims that He has the authority to take up His life again, due to His unique relationship with His Father (10:17-18).  These are bold claims, but the raising of Lazarus in chapter 11 proves these claims are valid. Of course our Lord’s resurrection will be the final word on these claims, the ultimate sign (see Matthew 12:38-40).

In our text, Lazarus becomes seriously ill, and his two sisters, Martha and Mary, send word of his condition to Jesus, expecting that the Master will drop everything and rush to their brother’s bedside, heal his malady, and thereby snatch him from the jaws of death. But Jesus does not respond as they expect, and Lazarus dies. The two sisters are perplexed, as are those who have come to mourn with them. The issues with which Martha and Mary struggle are the same issues we must deal with in our lives. Death is the ultimate enemy. How we deal with it determines how we will live. Let us listen well, then, to the words of Martha and Mary and our Lord’s disciples, but most of all, let us listen to Him who has defeated death, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Message Received and Noted
(11:1-6)

1 Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick, who was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (Now it was Mary who anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and wiped His feet dry with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 3 So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Take note[449] Lord! The one You love[450] is sick.” 4 Now when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death, but is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 (Now Jesus greatly loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6 yet when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He remained in the place where He was for two more days.)[451]

Mary and Martha and Lazarus appear here for the first time in John’s Gospel.[452] They will appear once again in chapter 12, a fact to which John calls our attention in verse 2 of our text. It seems that Jesus has come to know Lazarus and his two sisters quite well, and that they have been privileged to enjoy the company of Jesus whenever He traveled to Jerusalem. Their home in Bethany, a couple of miles from Jerusalem, may have been just far enough from Jerusalem for Him to safely spend the night, out of the grasp of those who wanted to kill Him.

Just recently Jesus has been in Jerusalem, but He left when the Jews sought to kill Him (10:31, 39-42). He continued to minister in a remote place by the Jordan River, where John the Baptist had baptized earlier (10:40). Our Lord is carrying on a fruitful ministry there when Lazarus becomes seriously ill. Mary and Martha become concerned as Lazarus’ condition continues to deteriorate, so much so that they send word to Jesus. It is hard to believe they would not know that returning to Bethany would put Jesus in grave danger. Nevertheless, they inform Jesus in a way that lets Him know they expect Him to return to them immediately: “Take note, Lord! The one You love is sick.”

As I understand the words of our Lord recorded in verse 4, they are a part of the “message” which Jesus sends back to Martha and Mary in response to their message that Lazarus is seriously ill. We know that this message was sent to Jesus by means of a messenger (or messengers). They could not call Jesus on His cell phone, or use His beeper, or send Him an e-mail; they had to send word to Him by a messenger. I am convinced in my own mind that they assume Jesus will immediately respond, so as to save the life of Lazarus. After all, as they remind Him, Lazarus is a man whom He loves[453] (verse 3). The sisters of Lazarus must expect one of two things. Either they expect to see Jesus coming as quickly as He can get there, or they expect Him to send word by the messenger that He is coming shortly. I believe the words recorded in verse 4 are not spoken solely for the benefit of those who overhear this conversation between Jesus and the messenger, but as a message for this messenger to take back to Martha and Mary. Notice our Lord’s words to Martha later in this same account:

39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, replied, “Lord, by this time the body will have a bad smell, because he has been buried four days.” 40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?” (11:39-40, emphasis mine)

It is my understanding that verse 4 is our Lord’s response to Martha and Mary, sent back by the same messenger who brought word to Him of Lazarus’ grave condition.

Our Lord’s words are very carefully chosen: “He responds, ‘This sickness will not end in death, but is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’” Jesus is not assuring these women that Lazarus won’t die. He is assuring them that even though Lazarus will die, this will not be the end of the matter. He is also informing them that this crisis has a divinely-intended purpose—to bring glory to God the Father through the glorification of the Son of God. If we grant that the words of verse 40 are also sent to the women by the messenger, Jesus also encourages them to have faith, so that they too will see God glorified in all these things.

Now I am convinced that this is not what the women “hear” the messenger say when he returns without Jesus. I believe they “hear” (i.e., understand) the messenger say, “Jesus told me to tell you that Lazarus will not die.”[454] The problem is that by the time the messenger returns to the women, Lazarus may already have died.[455] Can you imagine their bewilderment if this is the case? They have already suffered the torment of Lazarus’ death and burial. Then, the messenger returns with word from Jesus which appears to assure them that Lazarus won’t die! Their faith in Jesus is really put to the test.

As we come to verse 6, we have a real tension with which we must grapple.[456] John makes a point of telling us that Jesus deeply loves Lazarus and his sisters. His love for Lazarus is mentioned by Martha and Mary in verse 3, and John then repeats it even more emphatically in verse 5. In spite of this, and the urgency of the situation, Jesus deliberately delays His return to Bethany. He waits two full days, so that when He does arrive in Bethany, Lazarus is “good and dead.” How can Jesus love these people so much and yet speak and act in a way that causes them such pain? That is the tension with which John leaves us for a while, as he moves on to the discussion between Jesus and His disciples in verses 7-16.

The Disciples Deal With Death
(11:7-16)

7 Then after this, he said to his disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples replied, “Rabbi,[457] the Jewish authorities were just now trying to stone you to death! Are you[458] going there again?” 9 Jesus replied, “Are there not twelve hours in a day? If anyone walks about in the daytime, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks about in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After he said this, he added, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. But I am going there to awaken him.” 12 Then the disciples replied, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover[459].” 13 (Now Jesus had been talking about his death, but they thought he had been talking about real sleep.) 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and I am glad for your sake I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas (called Didymus) said to his fellow disciples, “Let us go too, so that we may die with him.”

Martha and Mary must be mystified as to why Jesus is taking so long to get back to Bethany—if not to cure Lazarus, then at least to comfort them. Those four days after the death of Lazarus must have been especially difficult for them. The disciples have a different problem, however: they cannot understand why Jesus is even considering returning to Bethany, no matter what the circumstances. A return to Jerusalem would seem to spell certain death for Jesus, and for them, if they choose to accompany Him. I am not at all certain they are planning to do so—at least not until verse 16.

Jesus waits two days after He sends the messenger back to Martha and Mary, bearing His words to them. When these two days are completed, Jesus says to His disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” Notice, He does not say, “Let us go to Bethany, again.” To go to Bethany is to go to Judea, which is virtually the same thing as going to Jerusalem, a mere two miles away. To go to Martha and Mary in Bethany is to return to that place where the Jewish religious leaders want Jesus dead. The disciples know this only too well. They are amazed that He even considers returning to Judea, and they remind Him of the dangers awaiting Him there. No matter how ill Lazarus might be, no matter how much these women feel they need Jesus, the disciples do not seem to even entertain the possibility of returning to Judea.

It is interesting to contemplate what Jesus could have said at this point. No one can kill Jesus or even arrest Him before it is “His time.” Jesus lives a kind of charmed life, even when powerful men are determined to arrest Him and to put Him to death. The fears of His disciples are really unfounded, given who Jesus is. Nevertheless, Jesus speaks to His disciples in terms they can understand and accept at the moment. When you boil our Lord’s words down to their simple meaning, Jesus would be saying something like this: “What are you men worried about? There are twelve hours of daylight in the day, and the rest of the time it is dark. Men don’t travel at night, because it is dark and they can’t see where they are going. We will be traveling at night. We won’t be seen, and thus no one can harm us. If I am the ‘light of the world’—and I am—then we shall have all the light we need. As long as I am with you, you can safely travel at night, when others would not think of doing so.”

On a spiritual level, men who do not “have the light” stumble when they attempt to walk in the darkness. Only when one follows Jesus as the “Light of the world” can one go about “this present darkness” in safety. Other variations of the “spiritual meaning” of these words have been suggested, as you might imagine.[460]

Jesus then tells His disciples that Lazarus has “fallen asleep,” and that He is going up to Bethany to “awaken” him. They eagerly take Jesus literally. They jump on this statement like a duck on a June-bug: “Well, if he’s asleep, then he’ll be okay, so we don’t have to go up to Bethany after all.” For these men, who have no desire to risk their lives by going back to Judea, our Lord’s words are indeed welcome. John parenthetically informs us that this is not at all what Jesus means; it is just what they hear (not unlike Martha and Mary, previously, who wanted to hear that Lazarus would not die).

I should probably pause here momentarily to point out that the raising of Lazarus is not a “first” in the Gospels. Jesus had already raised the dead son of the “widow of Nain,” as recorded in Luke 7:11-16. He did so on that occasion as they were taking his body out to be buried, and without being asked to do so by anyone. (Who would have thought to ask Jesus to raise a dead man?)  This was followed by the raising of Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:21-43). In this latter raising, Jesus tells those who are mourning her death that she is not really dead, but is merely “asleep” (5:39). Our Lord’s disciples and others seem to have forgotten these earlier raisings, nor do they seem to recall our Lord’s use of the term “sleep” to describe a temporary lack of life.

Jesus finds it necessary to speak plainly to His disciples, so He tells them that Lazarus is dead (verse 14). He adds that He rejoices in the fact that He is not at Bethany. His absence, He tells them, is for their benefit. His delay has been by divine design, so that they might believe. Frequently in the Gospel of John, reference is made to the fact that our Lord’s disciples “believed” in Him (1:50; 2:11, 22; 6:69; 13:19; 14:1, 29; 16:27, 30, 31; 17:8; 20:8; 20:25-29). It is apparent that the faith of the disciples continues to grow, the more the person and work of our Lord becomes evident to them. It is my conviction that our faith, likewise, should never be static, but that it should always be growing as our knowledge of Him increases.

Jesus then challenges His disciples to accompany Him as He “goes to Lazarus”[461] (verse 15). We would expect Peter to be the spokesman for the disciples here, rather than “doubting Thomas” (see 20:24-28). Some have speculated that Peter is not present at this time. I am inclined to think that it is precisely because Thomas is the biggest doubter of the bunch that his words are reported here, rather than those of Peter. Peter is always the first to “step out” in action, as he does when attempting to “walk on the sea” (see Matthew 14:28-33). The words of Thomas are not, in my opinion, evidence of great faith on his part, but are words of resignation. He reluctantly agrees to accompany Jesus to Judea and urges his fellow-disciples to do likewise. I doubt that Thomas really believed they would all die, but is simply protesting taking such a risk. But if “doubting Thomas” is willing to accompany Jesus, who of the other disciples is going to raise a word in protest? If Thomas can make this trip, then anyone can. And so they do.

“If Only You Had Been Here …”
(11:17-37)

17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had been in the tomb four days already. 18 (Now Bethany was less than two miles distance from Jerusalem, 19 so many of the Jewish people who lived in Jerusalem had come to Martha and Mary to console them over the loss of their brother.) 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will grant you.” 23 Jesus replied, “Your brother will come back to life again.” 24 Martha said, “I know that he will come back to life again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies, 26 and the one who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She replied, “Yes, Lord, I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God who comes into the world.” 28 And when she had said this, Martha went and called her sister Mary, saying privately, “The Teacher is here and is asking for you.” 29 So when Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 (Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still in the place where Martha had come out to meet him.) 31 Then the Jewish people from Jerusalem who were with Mary in the house consoling her saw her get up quickly and go out. They followed her, because they thought she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jewish people who had come with her weeping, he was intensely moved in spirit and greatly distressed. 34 He asked, “Where have you laid him?” They replied, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 Thus the Jewish people who had come to mourn said, “Look how much he loved[462] him!” 37 But some of them said, “This is the man who caused the blind man to see! Couldn’t he have done something to keep Lazarus from dying?” (emphasis mine)

When Jesus arrives outside Bethany, I believe that both Martha (and later) Mary greet Him with “their hands on their hips,” so to speak. I am assuming this body language from the situation as I understand it, and from what their words to Jesus seem to imply. The essence of this is: “Lord, You’ve got a lot of explaining to do.” When Lazarus became gravely ill, these two sisters quickly dispatched a messenger to find Jesus, to give Him the news that Lazarus was sick, and to convey the urgent need for Him to come quickly. They expected Jesus to drop everything He was doing and to come to them immediately at Bethany. In their minds, as long as Lazarus was still alive, there was still hope. If Jesus could just get to Bethany quickly, while Lazarus was still alive, then they were sure that He could heal their brother, and thus prevent him from dying. If Jesus failed to get there before Lazarus died, there was nothing more He could do.

From the word they received back from Jesus (by way of the messenger they sent to Him), they expect that Lazarus will not die, but will recover. When Jesus fails to come quickly and Lazarus dies, these two women are at a loss to understand what has gone wrong. Is Jesus wrong in the message He sends ahead to them? Does Jesus delay because He does not care about them? Could Jesus not simply have healed Lazarus from a distance, as He has done before (see John 4:46-50)? What has gone wrong? They still love Jesus, but they do not understand what has happened. In their minds, Jesus has some explaining to do! And so three times in our text we read, “If only you (or “he”) had been here …” The one thing all seem to agree upon is that if Jesus had gotten there sooner, Lazarus would not have died. Although Jesus loved Lazarus and his two sisters, His deliberate delay has cost His dear friend his life and has caused these two women, whom He also loved, great sorrow.

Family and friends gather to mourn the death of Lazarus. Many of these mourners come from Jerusalem. Martha seems to have gotten word about Jesus’ arrival, while Mary does not seem to realize He has arrived until later (verse 28). Martha makes her way out to where Jesus is waiting, while her sister Mary remains inside the house, grieving with many of the mourners who are with her. When Martha finds Jesus, the first thing she says to Him is, “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died.” Some take her next words to be an expression of her faith in our Lord’s ability to raise Lazarus from the dead: “But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will grant …” (verse 22). I think that she does convey her faith in Jesus by these words, but not to the degree we might wish. I don’t think she is suggesting that if He were but to ask the Father, God would raise Lazarus from the dead, then and there. When Jesus speaks to Martha about Lazarus’ future resurrection, she takes this as a reference to his resurrection in the last days, and not at that moment in time. She assures Jesus that she believes Lazarus will rise someday. Further, when Jesus instructs those standing by the tomb to roll away the stone, it is Martha who objects, calling attention to how long Lazarus has been in the tomb already.

What, then, does Martha mean when she says that she believes “that whatever Jesus asks of the Father, the Father will grant Him”? First, let me assure you that I do not wish in any way to demean Martha, or to underestimate her faith. Even though our Lord has caused her disappointment, confusion and grief, she still believes in Him. She does not understand what He is doing, but still she trusts in Him. I also think Martha’s faith is greater than that of the disciples at this point in time. She believes in the (future) resurrection of the dead. She has a good grasp of our Lord’s intimate relationship with the Father, and of the fact that Jesus does not act independently of the Father. Thus, she does not speak of her assurance concerning whatever Jesus attempts to do, but rather of her assurance that God the Father will answer the prayers of His Son. What I believe Martha means by her words is that even though our Lord’s recent words and deeds have puzzled her greatly, she has not ceased to trust in Him, and in His intimate relationship with God the Father. In effect, she seems to be saying, “If You had not delayed in coming, Lazarus would not have died. I don’t understand why You would assure me that Lazarus would not die when, in fact, he did die. But in spite of what I don’t understand, I still believe that You are the Messiah, and that because of Your relationship with the Father, God will grant whatever You ask of Him.”

Jesus assures Martha that Lazarus will come back to life, but Martha sees this as taking place “in the sweet bye and bye.” She knows that Lazarus will live again in the resurrection. Isn’t Martha just like many of us? We believe in God’s power, hypothetically, and that His promises will come about—in the distant future. But we often doubt His power in the present moment. We criticize the evolutionists for believing that anything is possible, if only enough time passes, and yet we do much the same. We believe in God’s power then, but not in His power now. We believe God can do great things, given a long enough time to do it, but we are not as convinced about His ability to act now, if it is His will.[463]

I want to tell you a story about a fellow-elder, whose name I will not mention (to save him embarrassment). A number of years ago, a man in our church was in the process of becoming an elder. His name was Dan Tarbox. Dan was also attending seminary. In the midst of this, Dan discovered that he had a rare and deadly form of lung cancer. As you might expect, we all prayed very diligently for Dan. And for some time, Dan enjoyed a remission. But eventually his cancer came back, and his condition became more and more grave. It was interesting to see how our prayers began to “downgrade” as Dan’s condition declined. Some of us began to pray that Dan would “go quickly and without pain.” But one of my fellow-elders refused to do this. He continued to pray for Dan’s complete healing, just as he had done earlier, in spite of Dan’s declining condition. He explained why he did so to the rest of us. He said that He believed God was able to fully and completely heal Dan if He chose to do so. He admitted that he did not have any sense of guidance or leading that this was God’s will. But he refused to downgrade his prayers, simply because things looked humanly impossible. He refused to downgrade his prayers, simply because his request appeared to be an impossible one. I learned a very important lesson from my friend and fellow-elder that day, a lesson I pray that I shall never forget.

Jesus now takes Martha to the bedrock of her faith. He declares to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies, and the one who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (verses 25-26). She confesses that she does believe: “I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God who comes into the world” (verse 27). I think I understand why she speaks as she does. First of all, it seems that she confesses to have believed in Jesus as the Messiah at some earlier point in time. I also believe her confession emphasizes that while she does not at all understand what has just happened, she does still trust in Jesus as the Messiah. While these recent events in her life do not make any sense, she still trusts in Jesus as her Messiah. He is the One who has come into the world from above, whose prayers the Father will hear and answer.

Having spoken these words affirming her faith in Jesus, Martha returns home to summon her sister Mary. When Mary learns that Jesus has arrived and is asking for her, she immediately gets up and rushes out to Him (verse 29). This hardly looks like sulking to me. It seems as though Mary remains in the house because she does not know Jesus has arrived. When she learns of His arrival, she is quick to go out to Him. Following along are the mourners who have come from Jerusalem. They do not know she is going out to meet Jesus. They think she is going out to the tomb, to mourn, and so they accompany her.

When Mary arrives at the place outside Bethany where Jesus is, she falls at His feet and repeats the words she and Martha must have repeated among themselves many times, “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died” (verse 32). From what we read in verse 33, we realize that Mary’s words to Jesus are interspersed with deep sobbing. The depth of Mary’s heartache cannot be represented well in print, but her words to Jesus must have been spoken something like this: “Lord…(sob), if You had been here…(sob…), my brother…would not have…(long sob)…died…” “Where there’s life, there’s hope,” and thus we can see that with the death of Lazarus, all of Mary’s hope for Lazarus’ healing is gone. It all seems so senseless to Mary, because she knows Lazarus’ death could have been prevented. Why did He wait so long to come?

Jesus knows from the very beginning that the death of Lazarus will be reversed. We might therefore conclude that all of this grieving is, in one sense, needless. But our Lord does not think so. Seeing Mary’s tears, and those of the Jews who have come to mourn with her, Jesus is deeply touched. In verse 33, John employs two terms to describe our Lord’s deep emotional response to the grief of those around Him. The NET Bible renders the first term “intensely moved.” This term is elsewhere used in Matthew 2:18 to describe the emotional trauma of those in the region around Bethlehem whose children, two years old and younger, were slaughtered at the order of Herod. In Matthew 26:75, the term describes Peter’s grief at having denied his Lord. In Luke 19:41, it depicts our Lord’s agony over the unbelief of Jerusalem and its impending judgment. In Luke 23:28, it is used of the mourning of the women of Jerusalem, as they watch the Lord Jesus being taken to His cross.

The second term, rendered “greatly distressed” by the NET Bible, is used to describe Herod, who is greatly troubled at hearing of the birth of Israel’s King from the magi (Matthew 2:3). When the disciples were on their way across the Sea of Galilee and saw Jesus passing by, walking on the water, they were “troubled” (Matthew 14:26). Later, the disciples were troubled when Jesus appeared to them after His resurrection (Luke 24:38). In John, the term is used by our Lord to describe His troubled soul, as He contemplates the cross (12:27), and in chapter 13 when Jesus considers the fact that one of His disciples, seated at the table with Him, will betray Him (13:21).

All of this is to let us know that our Lord is greatly affected by the sorrow of those about Him. He does not dab away at a tear or two; He visibly trembles as He weeps. This is observed by those there at the burial place of Lazarus, along with Mary, and they say to each other, “Look how much he loved him” (verse 26). This is now the third time that mention has been made of our Lord’s love for Lazarus. The first is when Martha and Mary remind Jesus of His love for Lazarus, when they send word to Him of the illness of their brother (verse 3). The second is in verse 5, when John makes it clear with the strongest term for love (agaph) that Jesus deeply loved Lazarus, and his two sisters (verse 5). Now, those standing by Mary can see our Lord’s love for Lazarus themselves (verse 36).

Also for the third time, we find an expression of bewilderment that Lazarus should have died at all: “This is the man who caused the blind man to see! Couldn’t he have done something to keep Lazarus from dying?” (verse 37). This is virtually the same thought expressed by Martha (verse 21) and Mary (verse 32). Anyone who knows anything about Jesus knows that He could have healed Lazarus. What no one seems to believe, at the moment, is that Jesus can and will raise Lazarus from the dead, that very hour! This raising and the various reactions to it will be the subject of our next lesson.

Conclusion

I love this passage. As Dr. J. Vernon McGee used to say, “This is where the rubber meets the road.” Beginning with John the Baptist, many claims have been made in this Gospel concerning the person of Jesus Christ. John the Baptist tells us that He is God, and that He was present and active at the time of the creation of this world (1:1-3). A little later, John the Baptist declares that Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (1:29). Jesus Himself claims to have come down from God, and that He will return to God. He is the only means by which men can be born again and obtain eternal life (chapter 3). In chapter 4, He very clearly identifies Himself to the woman at the well as Israel’s Messiah (4:26). In chapter 5, He claims that He works the works of God, His Father, thus making Himself equal with God (5:17-18). In chapter 6, after feeding the 5,000 Jesus declares that He is the “bread of life” that has come down from heaven, giving men eternal life (6:32-38). Those who eat of this “bread of life,” Jesus declares, “will not die” (6:50). In both chapters 5 (verses 19-29) and 6 (verse 44), Jesus claims to have the authority to raise the dead. In John 8:51, Jesus tells the Jews that if anyone keeps His word he will “never see death.” In verse 58 of chapter 8, He declares Himself to be the “I am” who existed before Abraham. In chapter 10, Jesus insists that He gives His sheep eternal life, life which no man can take away (verses 27-30). He says that He has the power to lay down His life, as well as the power to take it up again (10:18).

These are bold claims, claims we know and believe to be true. The veracity of these declarations of our Lord is about to be demonstrated by the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Jesus deliberately delays coming to Lazarus until after all hope of saving his life is long gone. He is not just dead, he is good and dead. And it is not until this point in time that Jesus comes to Bethany, where He will raise Lazarus from the dead.

The ultimate sign is yet to come—that of our Lord’s own resurrection, as He indicates in Matthew 12:38-40. The raising of Lazarus is a prelude to this great final sign of our Lord. John is right when he writes in the fourth verse of this great Gospel, “In Him was life …” The words of One who can raise the dead are those to which we should give careful attention:

1 After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our ancestors through the prophets, 2 in these last days he has spoken to us in a son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world … 1 Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken through angels proved to be so firm that every violation or disobedience received its just penalty, 3 how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first communicated through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him, 4 while God confirmed their witness with signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will (Hebrews 1:1-2; 2:1-4).

Men say, “Where there’s life, there’s hope.” The Christian can say far more: “Where there’s death, there’s hope.” In fact, this is not even going quite far enough. It is not enough to say that God gives life to us in Christ in spite of death. It is far more accurate to say that God gives eternal life to men in Christ by means of death. It is by means of His death on the cross of Calvary that the penalty for our sins has been paid.

Many people look at themselves as Martha and Mary viewed Lazarus. They see him as sick, and in need of help. They believe Jesus can heal a sick man, but they do not believe He can raise a dead man. Men and women who are without Christ (who have not been “born again,” to put it in Jesus’ words—see John 3) are not merely sick; they are dead, in need of the life which Jesus Christ alone can give:

1 And although you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you formerly lived according to this world’s present path, according to the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest… 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 5 even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you are saved!— 6 and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not of works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them (Ephesians 2:1-10).

I am saying that it really was necessary for Lazarus to die here, so that true biblical faith can be produced in many. It was necessary for all hope of Lazarus’s human recovery to die with him, so that the resurrection power of our Lord can be demonstrated. This is no mere healing; it is a raising of a body so dead that it smells.

I want to be very careful how I say this, because it could easily be misunderstood. One of the greatest hindrances to spiritual renewal is that people refuse to die, or better yet, they refuse to admit they are dead. Too many Christians are trying to wring something good for God out of their fallen flesh, as though their bodies were weak, needing only a little divine help. We are dead with respect to any good works. It is His resurrection power which we all need to live the Christian life:

8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not controlled by the flesh but by the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is your life because of righteousness. 11 Moreover if the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will also make your mortal bodies alive through his Spirit who lives in you (Romans 8:8-11).

You may have a marriage that is in trouble. Rather than looking at it as sick, perhaps you should look at it as dead. I do not mean that you should pronounce it dead and get a divorce; I mean that you should see that it is humanly impossible to save, and that God must give it resurrection life. Biblical faith is resurrection faith, it is trusting in a God who can produce life where there is only death. This is what we are told about Abraham’s faith:

15 For the law brings wrath, because where there is no law there is no transgression either. 16 On account of this it is by faith, that it may be by grace, with the result that the promise may be certain to all the descendants, not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who have the faith of Abraham (who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”) before God whom he believed, who makes alive the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 Against hope Abraham believed in hope with the result that he became the father of many nations according to the pronouncement, “so will your descendants be.” 19 Without being weak in faith, he considered his own body as dead (because he was about one hundred years old) and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver in unbelief about the promise of God but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God. 21 He was fully convinced that what God promised he was also able to do. 22 So indeed it was credited to Abraham as righteousness. 23 But it is not written that it was credited to him only for Abraham’s sake, 24 but also for our sake, to whom it will be credited, those who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was given over because of our transgressions and was raised for the sake of our justification (Romans 4:15-25).

Biblical faith is resurrection faith, faith which trusts in a God who is able to raise the dead. How many Christians are trying to “keep something alive” that God has declared to be dead? We do not live by the principle, “Where there’s life, there’s hope.” We live by the kind of faith which believes that God brings about life through death. Let us not strive to keep alive what should be laid to rest. Let us not strive to preserve life when God means to produce it. It all begins when we acknowledge, with God, that we are sinners who are dead in our trespasses and sins. We must cease striving to produce “dead works,” which we hope will please God, and confess that our finest deeds produced by fleshly efforts are an offense to God. Death is not the end of our hope, but its starting point. It is by means of the death of our Lord that we die to the guilt, penalty, and power of our sins. When we trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, we acknowledge our own sin and inability to save ourselves. We believe that when He died on the cross, He died in our place, suffered the penalty for our sins, and that in His resurrection from the dead, we were also raised to newness of life. Have you experienced this salvation through the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord? I urge you, this very moment, to confess your sin and to trust in the Good Shepherd, who gave up His life and then took it up again, for your salvation.

I have been repeating the truth that for the Christian, “Where there’s death, there’s hope.” This is not true for anyone apart from Christ, for anyone who has not been born again. The Christian has been given eternal life by the good Shepherd, and no one can snatch us from His hand. Our future is secure, for all eternity, and death will not in any way hinder our eternal life. For the non-Christian, there is only hope for salvation in this life. There are no second chances after death: “And just as people are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment …” (Hebrews 9:27).

Where there’s life (i.e., while you are still alive), there is hope (of salvation). Do not put this matter off, my unsaved friend: “For he says, ‘I heard you at the acceptable time, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Let me say something else to Christians from our text. I have indicated throughout this lesson that Martha and Mary both “have their hands on their hips” as they meet Jesus, four days too late to save Lazarus from death. It is certainly clear that Jesus deliberately delays going to Bethany, so that Lazarus will be “good and dead” when He gets there. Martha and Mary expect Jesus to arrive quickly, before Lazarus dies. They expect Jesus to heal Lazarus, and thus keep him from dying. They are shocked and disappointed with Jesus for arriving “too late.”

Both Martha and Mary let Jesus know that He has come too late to save Lazarus, and that if He had gotten there sooner, Lazarus would not have died. They let Jesus know that He is responsible for the death of Lazarus. They blame Jesus to some degree for what has happened. Martha makes it clear that she still believes in Him, but she is certainly disappointed with Him. What a difference a few minutes can make. After the raising of Lazarus, all of the doubts and disappointments are gone. It is not Jesus who is wrong; they are wrong! Working with His heavenly Father, Jesus raised a dead man, bringing him back to life.

From time to time, I have heard Christians speak of “forgiving God.” I have never studied the theology of those who encourage Christians to “forgive God,” but there is something fundamentally wrong with the impression this statement gives us. No one needs to be forgiven who has not done wrong. God never needs to be forgiven, because He never does wrong. I think Martha and Mary suppose that they have “forgiven God” in our text, and if so, they are wrong. Jesus does not fail them. They make the same mistakes you and I make when we suffer. They misread God’s word to them. He doesn’t say that Lazarus will not die. He says that this will not end in death. And so it is. Lazarus lives, but only after he first dies. That is the way it will be for most of us. Unless our Lord returns beforehand, we will die. But that is not the end of it all, for we will be raised from the dead. Ours will be a better raising than that of Lazarus, because we will be raised incorruptible, never to die again. And so I say, Martha and Mary had “forgiven God” wrongly, because our Lord’s word had not failed, only their understanding of it. Many are those who “claim” certain “promises” without correctly understanding them. And then, when God appears to fail them by not giving them all that they’ve claimed, their hopes are dashed, and they feel that they must “forgive God.”[464] God never needs forgiving.

Martha and Mary misunderstand something that has troubled many others before and after them—the place of suffering in the life of the Christian. I am willing to grant that Martha and Mary and Lazarus are as close to Jesus as any family could be. I believe they enjoy as intimate a relationship with Him as is possible. I also believe that this was the very reason Martha and Mary expected Jesus to rush to them, and to keep Lazarus from dying. They think that being close to God is like an insurance program, protecting them from suffering. In this, they, like many others, are wrong. Job had to learn to trust God in the midst of his suffering. And it was by means of that suffering that Job grew greatly in his understanding of God. Suffering drew Job nearer to God.

No one could be on more intimate terms with God the Father than was Jesus, His Son. And yet no one has ever suffered more than the Son of God, and this (ultimately) at the hand of His Father. Suffering is a part of God’s “school” through which every saint must pass, even our Lord:

7 During his earthly life he offered both requests and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death and he was heard because of his devotion. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through the things he suffered. 9 And by being perfected in this way, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 and he was designated by God as “high priest in the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 5:7-10).

Suffering is proof of our sonship:

3 Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up. 4 You have not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed in your struggle against sin. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons? “My son, do not scorn the Lord’s discipline or give up when he corrects you. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he accepts.”

7 Endure your suffering as “discipline”; God is treating you as “sons.” For what son is there that a father does not discipline? 8 But if you do not experience discipline, something all sons have shared in, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Besides, we have experienced discipline from our earthly fathers and we respected them; shall we not submit ourselves all the more to the Father of spirits and receive life? 10 For they disciplined us for a little while as seemed good to them, but he does so for our benefit, that we may share his holiness. 11 Now all discipline seems painful at the time, not joyful. But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness for those trained by it. 12 Therefore, strengthen your listless hands and your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but healed (Hebrews 12:3-13).

When God sends suffering our way, it comes for His glory, as well as our good; it springs from His love for us; it comes from One who Himself suffers with us in our suffering. The tears of our Lord at the grave of Lazarus tell it all. Suffering does not come to the saint from a callused God, who is insensitive to our pains. Suffering comes from Him who has suffered more than we shall ever know, from the hand of One who is touched by our affliction. The verse, “Jesus wept,” may be short, but it is very significant. It is worthy of much meditation on our part. Let us remember that all the blessings into which we have entered as Christians have come as the result of His suffering:

1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. 3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. 9 And they made His grave with the wicked—But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors (Isaiah 53:1-12, NKJV).


! Lesson 26:
The Raising of Lazarus
(John 11:38-53)

Introduction

During a good portion of my lifetime, science has been used to oppose the Bible and the Christian faith. In thousands of classrooms across our country, professors and teachers have asked their students, “Does anyone here believe in the Bible?” or “Is anyone here a Christian?” My daughter was in such a class in a secular university, and one of a very few (if, indeed, there were any others) who raised her hand, acknowledging her belief in the Bible and her faith in Jesus Christ. The professor responded by sneering at her as though she was ill-informed and ignorant, or, at best, naive.

For too many years now, unbelieving scholars and teachers have been scoffing at Christians and their faith, hoping to shame us into silence. They wish to convince themselves and others that faith is “believing in what isn’t real or true.” Is our faith ill-founded? Does our faith hang by an intellectual thread? Is faith required because there is too little evidence to support the claims of the Bible? Not at all!

In this message, I am going to suggest something absolutely amazing, at least in the light of those scholars who are also scoffers. I am going to suggest that faith in Jesus Christ is the only reasonable response to biblical revelation. I will further say that it is unbelief that is unbelievable, and that faith in Jesus Christ is the only “reasonable” response to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In our text, Jesus raises Lazarus from the grave with a prayer and a shout. Providentially, a crowd is present at the grave sight, not only to witness this miracle, but to participate in it. As a result of this amazing miracle, many of those who are there come to a faith in Jesus and the Messiah. Some do not, and these folks report what has happened to the Jewish religious leaders, who set in motion a plan to arrest and kill Jesus. By their own words, these leaders of Israel reveal that their unbelief is not due to a lack of evidence, but stems from their desire to protect their own selfish interests. Let us look carefully at this amazing event and its aftermath to learn the lessons God has for us in this text.

A Brief Review

Serious opposition to Jesus in Jerusalem begins in chapter 5, when Jesus heals the paralytic on a Sabbath, instructing him to take up his bed and walk, and defending His actions by claiming to be God. Jesus retreats to Galilee in chapter 6, where He feeds the 5,000 and teaches that He is the “bread of life.” In chapter 7, Jesus returns to Jerusalem once again for the Feast of Tabernacles. The issue of the healing of the paralytic on the Sabbath is once again raised (see 7:23), and soon the Pharisees and chief priests send out the temple police to arrest Jesus. They return, but without the Master. These men explain that they did not arrest Jesus because they have never heard anyone teach as He does (7:45-46). In chapter 8, Jesus claims to be the “light of the world” (8:12), and then in chapter 9, He undergirds His claim by giving sight to a man born blind. When Jesus claims to be the good Shepherd in chapter 10, He clearly implies that the Jewish religious leaders are “thieves and robbers,” who abuse the sheep. The Jewish religious leaders react by seeking to kill Him, but they fail, once again. Jesus therefore leaves Judea once again, establishing His base of operations at the Jordan River, where John the Baptist formerly carried on his ministry (10:40-42). It is the life-threatening illness of Lazarus which results in a desperate message from Martha and Mary, urging Jesus to come back to the little village of Bethany, just a stone’s throw from Jerusalem. Jesus deliberately delays His journey to Bethany until Lazarus dies. When He finally arrives near the home of the two sisters He loves, Lazarus has already been buried for four days. Both sisters are perplexed by our Lord’s delay, but both nevertheless reaffirm their faith in Him. By the end of verse 37, Jesus has just arrived at the tomb where Lazarus is buried. It is here that we take up the account.

The Raising of Lazarus
(11:38-44)

38 Jesus, intensely moved again, came to the tomb. (Now it was a cave, and a stone was placed across it.) 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, replied, “Lord, by this time the body will have a bad smell, because he has been buried four days.” 40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you that you have listened to me. 42 I knew that you always listen to me, but I said this for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, he shouted in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The one who had died came out, his feet and hands tied up with strips of cloth, and a cloth wrapped around his face. Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him and let him go.”

Twice already, John has written of our Lord’s deep emotional response to the death of Lazarus, and more specifically, in response to the sorrow of Mary and those gathered there with her at the tomb of Lazarus. A sob erupts from Jesus, trembling as He continues to sob inwardly (verse 33). As He draws near the tomb where the body of His friend lies, Jesus bursts out in tears (verse 35). Now, in verse 38, John tells us that Jesus is “intensely moved again.” Jesus is truly touched with compassion as He enters into the grief of those gathered there to mourn the death of Lazarus.

Lazarus is buried in a cave, with a stone covering the opening. This sounds strikingly similar to the burial sight of our Lord (e.g. Matthew 27:60). The raising of Lazarus almost looks like a dress rehearsal for the resurrection of our Lord in the near future. Jesus orders the stone to be rolled away. We can’t be sure who Jesus orders to move the stone, or who actually does move it. It could be the disciples, of course, but it may just as well be others, such as some of those who have come to mourn with Mary. I am inclined to think that Jesus deliberately employs those other than His disciples to remove the stone. Doing this would seem to require some measure of faith on their part. Today, we must go through a very strict legal process to gain access to a body once it has been buried. In Judaism, contact with a dead body is defiling. Besides that, it is disgusting, especially after four days. I suspect those who removed the stone received a good whiff of the smell of decaying flesh. These witnesses will not easily be persuaded by a “swoon theory” or any attempt to explain away the literal death (and raising) of Lazarus. Such personal involvement in this process makes these participants even better witnesses to the miracle which is about to occur.

It is Martha, however, who objects to our Lord’s instruction to remove the stone. She protests that too much time has passed. The body will certainly smell very bad, she explains. But beyond this, it just seems to reopen a very painful wound. It seems quite obvious that Martha is not expecting Jesus to perform any miracle here, and certainly not the raising of one who has been dead for several days. Earlier, Jesus assures her that if she believes, she will see the glory of God (verse 40). By calling this to her attention once again, Jesus is seeking to stretch her faith. Martha relents, and the stone is removed.

Our Lord then lifts His eyes to heaven and begins to pray to His heavenly Father. This is one of the few times in the Gospels that a public prayer of our Lord is recorded. Earlier He warned about the misuse of public prayers, which are only for show (Matthew 6:5). But Jesus consistently claims that He does His Father’s work, and that He works with God (see John 5:17, 19-23, 30, 37, 43). Martha has just testified that she believes whatever Jesus asks of the Father, He will give to Him (11:22). Our Lord’s prayer is intended to demonstrate that the miraculous raising of Lazarus is something that the Father does through the Son. It is a public testimony to the fact that the Father hears the Son, demonstrating His power and glory through Him. Jesus does not pray this prayer for His own benefit, but for the benefit of the crowd looking on (11:41-42). His prayer does not specifically petition the Father to raise Lazarus. Jesus does thank His Father because He hears His prayers. Our Lord’s petition here is that men might believe that He has been sent from the Father, and we know that this prayer was answered (see verse 45).

Having prayed in this manner, Jesus now cries out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” (verse 43). It has quite often been observed that if Jesus had not specified “Lazarus,” every dead body in the region would have arisen from the dead. In shouting with a loud voice, Jesus reveals His confidence that the Father will hear Him, and that Lazarus will rise from the dead. He does not mumble these words under His breath, so that no one will hear what He is saying. No one comes away from this burial place wondering if there is a connection between that shout and Lazarus’ coming forth. It is a clear case of cause and effect. Jesus is the cause of Lazarus’ rising from the dead.

Lazarus emerges, still wrapped up in his burial attire. Some think his coming forth, bound with these restrictive wrappings, is a miracle in itself. Jesus instructs those standing nearby to release Lazarus from his bindings, and so they do. The witnesses to this resurrection are very much involved in the outworking of the miracle. They see and hear Jesus calling Lazarus out of his tomb. They help roll the stone away from the tomb, and they remove the cloth that has been wrapped around the body of Lazarus. I am inclined to wonder how some of the more scrupulous Jews dealt with this. The Old Testament clearly forbids touching a dead body. When they touch the body of Lazarus, who used to be dead, are they still defiling themselves? Here is a legal question the Jews have not dealt with before.

A Mixed Response
(11:45-46)

45 Then many of the Jewish people from Jerusalem who had come with Mary and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and reported to them what Jesus had done.

As usual, those who witness this amazing sign reach two dramatically different conclusions. Many find the evidence compelling, believing in Jesus as the promised Messiah; but some do not. Notice here that the response of the people to this miracle is quite different from the response of the Jews to our Lord’s healing of the man born blind in chapter 9. In the case of the blind man’s healing, the Jews sought to convince themselves that there was no miracle, because the man was not really blind. In chapter 11, no one disputes that it is indeed Lazarus who has been raised from the dead. No one even attempts to challenge the claim of those present that he has really died and been dead for four days, after which he is raised. No one challenges the fact that it is Jesus who raises him. The facts are clear and unquestioned; the conclusions reached are dramatically different. Those who refuse to believe in Jesus do not remain silent or passive. While the believers go about proclaiming this great miracle (see 11:48, 55-56; 12:9-11), attracting others to Christ, the unbelievers go their way and tell the Pharisees what has happened.

The Opposition Is Unified and Mobilized
(11:47-53)

47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together and said, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs. 48 If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary and our nation.” 49 Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not consider that it is more to your advantage to have one man die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.” 51 (Now he did not say this on his own, but because he was high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not for the Jewish nation only, but to gather together into one the children of God who are scattered.) 53 So from that day they planned together to kill him.

The Pharisees are informed about the miracle at Bethany and quickly call for a meeting of the Sanhedrin. Up to this point, they have not been able to come to a united stand (see 7:45-53), but all that ends here. Up till now, they have been eager to arrest and kill Jesus, but have been unable to do so (see 5:18; 7:11, 30; 8:40, 59; 10:31, 39). They now resolve to change that, and very soon.

John’s account allows the reader to be a “fly on the wall,” overhearing the private conversation that takes place in this emergency meeting of the Sanhedrin. The words that they speak are incredible, almost beyond belief. They express no doubt about the power of our Lord, or the legitimacy of the signs He has performed. They do not deny that the evidence in support of His claims is piling up. In fact, they virtually admit that it is all true.

But in spite of all this evidence, they refuse to bow the knee to Jesus as the Son of God. They refuse to repent of their sins and seek His forgiveness and salvation. They refuse to give up their positions and power. They acknowledge that if Jesus is not put to death, the entire nation will believe in Him. This may be hyperbole, but they know they are rapidly losing ground. They must act decisively, and they must act soon. If not, they can kiss life as they have known it goodbye. They fear that if the entire nation acknowledges Jesus as the King of Israel, this will precipitate a strong reaction from Rome, which will end the “good times” for them. Ironically, it is not the nation’s acceptance of Jesus as their Messiah which brings about the downfall of the nation, but their rejection of Jesus as God’s Messiah. In but a few years, Rome will march on this nation, capture Jerusalem, destroy the temple, and kill countless Jews. And all this is because Israel rejects her Messiah.

Caiaphas is the High Priest this year, and as the High Priest, he now lays out the course of action which seems necessary: Jesus must die. Far better to sacrifice one person than the entire nation, he reasons. Our Lord’s death seems to spell life (as it is presently) for the rest. What Caiaphas doesn’t realize is that at the very moment he is proposing the death of our Lord, He is being used of God to utter (as the High Priest) a profound prophetic truth. It was God’s plan and purpose that one man—Jesus Christ—should die for the entire nation, and that out of His death many will find eternal life. Caiaphas is speaking for God in spite of his unbelief and rejection of Jesus. Note the arrogance of this man, even as he speaks prophetically. You don’t have to be a believer to be used as God’s mouthpiece. Ask Balaam (or his beast of burden—see Numbers 22–24). And so it is that from this day forward, this very diverse group of Jews is united in its one common purpose of killing Jesus.

These words of the High Priest and the decision of the Sanhedrin are amazing. They are almost beyond belief. Jesus has just raised a man from the dead, and so they decide the best way to counteract our Lord’s ministry is to kill Him, the One who is life. Teenagers today would say, in response to these words, “H e l l o …” Others would suggest that these Jews might do well to “wake up and smell the coffee.” These people are so threatened, so much in a state of panic, that they are not thinking clearly at all. The best way to be rid of one who can raise the dead is to put Him to death? Hmmm … Am I missing something? Are they missing something?

A Strategic Retreat
(11:54)

Thus Jesus no longer walked about publicly among the Jewish people of Jerusalem, but went away from there to the region near the desert, to a town called Ephraim, and stayed there with his disciples.

Jesus is well aware of His “time.” He must die as the Passover Lamb. He could not die beforehand. And so, having succeeded at prompting the opposition to unify in their rejection of Him, and having crystallized their plans to bring about His death, Jesus retreats from Judea for a time, until He comes to Jerusalem for the final time, as recorded in chapter 12. Jesus goes into seclusion far from Jerusalem. He returns to the desert, to a town called Ephraim, and there He remains with His disciples. There are many things He needs to do, but a public ministry that attracts crowds and provokes the Jewish religious leaders is not our Lord’s focus during this time as He awaits His final Passover in Jerusalem.

The Stage Is Set for the Final Act
(11:55-57)

55 Now the Jewish feast of Passover was near, and many people went up to Jerusalem from the rural areas before the Passover to cleanse themselves ritually. 56 Thus they were looking for Jesus, and saying to one another as they stood in the temple courts, “What do you think? That he won’t come to the feast?” 57 (Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus was should report it, so that they could arrest him.)

Mary and Martha cannot comprehend why Jesus did not come to them—and to Lazarus—immediately, so that his death could be prevented. The further away we get from this miracle, the more we can see how much it accomplishes. (1) It demonstrates our Lord’s great power. (2) It strengthens the faith of those who believe in Jesus, especially the disciples, Martha and Mary. (3) It brings many to faith in Jesus as the Messiah. (4) It provokes greater and more intense opposition to Jesus, and a unified Sanhedrin, intent now on bringing about the death of Jesus.

The timing of this great sign is perfect. Passover is but a few months away. During this interval, Jesus is ministering in a more private and secluded spot. But much is happening in Jerusalem that paves the way for our Lord’s final visit. Those who witness the raising of Lazarus are telling others about this miracle. Lazarus is walking about, very much alive. As more and more pilgrims begin to arrive in Jerusalem from afar, they hear about what has happened to Lazarus. One question is on the lips and in the minds of everyone in Jerusalem: “Will Jesus make an appearance during Passover?” The excitement and sense of expectation is at an all-time high. It sets the stage for the triumphal entry of our Lord, which is tied very closely to the raising of Lazarus and its impact on the city of Jerusalem.

The last verse (57) of chapter 11 may be parenthetical, and thus it may seem somewhat incidental, but it is very significant indeed: “(Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus was should report it, so that they could arrest him.)” Up till now, the Jewish leaders have kept their intention to kill Jesus secret. They fear the masses and know Jesus has great popularity. The people know that the Jews oppose Jesus, and that they want to know His whereabouts so they can arrest Him. They also know that one can be put out of the synagogue for even talking about Him. But now in verse 57, the Jews declare Jesus to be an outlaw, a wanted man. Anyone who knows His whereabouts is to turn this information over to them. No doubt this word reaches the ears of Judas, and when he approaches these leaders in chapter 12, it is in response to this official order. This order also explains the secrecy of our Lord in making preparations for the Passover, for example. He will not give Judas an opportunity to betray Him until it is His “time.”

Conclusion

By way of application, several things come to mind from our text. The first is related to evangelism. In this incident, the first thing that strikes those who witness this great miracle is the love which Jesus has for Lazarus. John also stresses the love which Jesus has for Mary and Martha as well. It is after this that our Lord’s power becomes very evident, through the raising of Lazarus. You will remember that Jesus tells His disciples later that men will know them by their love for one another. This combination of God’s love and power—evident in the lives of His people—is a powerful testimony to the lost.

The repetition of these words (or their equivalent), “If you had only been here …,” appearing three times in John 11 (verses 21, 32, 37), is significant. How many times have you raised the same question? I read an article in Moody Monthly years ago entitled, “Things I’ve Learned in the Night,” written by Vance Havner. It was the essence of a message he had given to Moody Bible Institute students, the outgrowth of his own loss of his wife through a very terrible form of cancer. Havner pointed out how unprofitable the question, “If I had only …” This question usually betrays a functional unbelief in the sovereignty of God. It assumes that our destiny is in our hands. We heap guilt upon ourselves because of what we think we should have done, supposing that in so doing, we might have prevented something painful from taking place.

The question, “If you had only …” in our text second-guesses God. It is a question that both Martha and Mary would not have asked, had they known the outcome of their situation. I have had several occasions in my own life when I have second-guessed my actions in the past. One was when my mother was seriously injured by a hit-and- run driver. I agonized because I might have done something differently, so that my mother would not have been where she was when the accident occurred. Such agony is unprofitable, and it fails to grasp the fact that God is in control of everything that happens in our lives. When we can see our sufferings from afar, we can also see that God uses everything which happens to us for our good, if we are His children. Beware of second-guessing the past, and thereby second-guessing Him who is in control of our lives.

Speaking of the sovereignty of God, notice how He is able to accomplish a variety of things at the same time, through one event. The event in our text is our Lord’s delay, and the resulting death and raising of Lazarus. Through this one apparent tragedy, God (1) strengthens the faith of the disciples, (2) brings many to salvation, (3) produces an active unbelief in those who go straight to the Pharisees, (4) provokes the Jewish religious leaders to a serious course of putting Jesus to death, which is God’s will, and (5) produces a statement from the chief priests and Pharisees that will soon pave the way for the betrayal of our Lord by Judas (verse 57). God is able to achieve His purposes with ease, using the same event to harden some and soften others.

As I read our text, I notice the relationship between two very different “if” statements. The first comes from Martha and Mary; the second comes from our Lord. The two sisters say, “If you had only … (verses 21, 32).” Jesus says, “If you believe …” (verse 40). We would do far better to ponder the second “if” statement than the first.

I am struck by the repeated statements made by John in this chapter regarding our Lord’s deep emotional response to the death of Lazarus. I have heard a number of attempts to explain these statements, and somehow they do not quite satisfy my own heart and mind. They just don’t seem to fully explain John’s emphasis on our Lord’s emotions here. I do not believe that John wishes us to think that Jesus is angry at sin, or death, or unbelief. Even though this may be true, I don’t sense that this is what John is trying to get across to the reader. I believe the text means what it appears to say, namely, that Jesus is deeply touched by the death of Lazarus, and by the sorrow and grief it causes those whom He loves.

I have heard it said that this text shows the “humanity” of our Lord. The inference is that it does not reveal His deity. First, after our Lord’s incarnation—when undiminished deity took on perfect humanity—I am not sure we should speak of our Lord’s human side or of His divine side. He is the perfect union of deity and humanity. Second, I am somewhat troubled by the inference (or so it seems to me) that our Lord’s humanity has feelings, but His deity does not. All through the Bible, we read of God as a person, who has emotions like anger, (righteous) jealousy, and love. Why do we restrict these emotions of our Lord outside the tomb of Lazarus to His human side? God is deeply touched by human sorrow and grief.

As I read Isaiah 53 and Hebrews 5, I believe I find a link between our Lord’s agony outside the tomb of Lazarus and His incarnation. Look at these texts with me for a moment:

3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted (Isaiah 53:3-4, NKJV).

5 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming high priest; but the one who glorified him was God who said to him “You are my Son! Today I have fathered you,” 6 as also in another place God says, “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” 7 During his earthly life he offered both requests and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death and he was heard because of his devotion. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through the things he suffered. 9 And by being perfected in this way, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 and he was designated by God as “high priest in the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 5:5-10).

The text in Isaiah certainly speaks of our Lord’s death on the cross of Calvary as the “Lamb of God.” But when Isaiah writes that He was, “A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (verse 3), and that “He has borne our griefs” (verse 4), is he speaking only of our Lord’s work on Calvary? I have always been inclined to think so, but look again at Hebrews chapter 5. Is the writer not saying that our Lord “offered both requests and supplications, with loud cries and tears” “during his earthly life” (verse 7)? Do you not think that leaving the glories of heaven behind and coming to a sinful, fallen earth involved suffering for our Lord all His life? I think that John 11 is describing the suffering of our Lord, as He chose to identify Himself with fallen humanity, so that He might not only bear the sins of men, but so that He also might become a sympathetic high priest:

14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in the same as well, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil), 15 and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death. 16 For surely his concern is not for angels, but he is concerned for Abraham’s descendants. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 For since he suffered and was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted (Hebrews 2:14-18).

If our Lord came to be tempted in all ways, as we are, why would He not also come to suffer in all ways, as we do? As fallen beings, we do not and cannot suffer to the degree that God does. But when God came to the earth in human flesh in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, He suffered the full extent of man’s agony and grief, not just on the cross of Calvary, but all of His life. Do you remember when our Lord was on the cross, suffering that terrible, agonizing death? They offered Him a sponge filled with sour wine (John 19:29). This was to deaden His pain, and He declined it because He had to suffer the full force of the pain He was to bear. If this was true in His death, I believe it was also true in His life.

Standing outside the tomb of Lazarus, is our Lord not also setting the example for what we are instructed to do? “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).

Consider this text in the Book of Romans:

18 For I consider that our present sufferings cannot even be compared to the glory that will be revealed to us. 19 For the creation eagerly waits for the revelation of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly but because of God who subjected it—in hope 21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers together until now. 23 Not only this, but also we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, inwardly groan as we eagerly await our adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with endurance. 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes on behalf of the saints according to God’s will. 28 And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 Because those whom God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those God predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified. 31 What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies; 34 Who is the one who will condemn? Christ is the one who died (and more than that he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or death? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we encounter death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:18-39).

If all creation (including the saints) groans and suffers due to this present world of sin, is it not reasonable that our Lord would suffer and groan as well? Is that not what He is doing in our text?

As I reflect on John chapter 11, it occurs to me that I must understand, interpret, and apply chapter 11 in context. This sets me to thinking about the relationship between chapter 10 and chapter 11. Is there not a serious tension here? Jesus has claimed to be the “Good Shepherd” in chapter 10. But in chapter 11, just when some of His “sheep” need Him, He is not there. How is Jesus a “Good Shepherd” in chapter 11? I think this is the question Martha and Mary are asking, somewhat less specifically. I believe the answer to this question is found in the ultimate “Good Shepherd” chapter in the Old Testament, Psalm 23. Look at it with me, please:

1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.

I have broken the text into two halves: verses 1-3 and 4-6. We can surely see how our Lord is the “Good Shepherd” in the first three verses. After all, He leads His sheep so that they have no unmet needs at all. He leads His sheep to rich pastures and cool, clear waters. He leads them in paths of righteousness. This is the John 10 portion of the “Good Shepherd” psalm. But verses 4-6 are a part of the “Good Shepherd” psalm, too. When one of His sheep passes through “the valley of the shadow of death,” what gives him comfort? He is comforted by the fact that the “Good Shepherd” is there too, leading the way, giving him comfort and protection. And, more than this, He is preparing an eternal dwelling place for His sheep.

John chapter 11 is but a prelude to the last chapters of John, which record the death, burial, and resurrection of the “Good Shepherd.” But the account of the raising of Lazarus does inform us that the “Good Shepherd” is not hindered by death. Death provides but one more occasion for the “Good Shepherd” to shepherd His flock, in a way that is for their greatest blessing and security. John 11 does not contradict chapter 10; it compliments it!

Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy (Psalm 126:5, NKJV).

“Blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).

I have one last thing to call to your attention from this magnificent text of Scripture in John chapter 11: UNBELIEF IS UNBELIEVABLE. Some Christians have bought one of Satan’s most popular lies, and that is the assumption that faith is believing the unbelievable, or as the little boy is said to have expressed it, “Faith is believing what isn’t true.” Not so! The entire Gospel of John was written so that men could believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of lost sinners. If John chapter 11 tells us anything, it is that these Jews do not fail to come to faith due to a lack of evidence. They refuse to believe in spite of a mountain of evidence. No one disputes that Lazarus died, or that Jesus raised him from the dead. Yet, while this raising brings some to faith, it is a “problem” which must be reported to the Pharisees for others. It is the unbelief of these Jews which is unbelievable, not the faith of those who do believe. Think about this. Perhaps we should come up with a better label for our proclamation and defense of the gospel than the word “apologetics.”


! Lesson 27:
The Sweet Smell of Love and the Stench of Greed
(John 12:1-8)

Introduction

I love this song, written by Gloria Gaither and Bill George, as sung by Steve Green:

One day a plain village woman
Driven by love for her Lord
Recklessly poured out a valuable essence
Disregarding the scorn
And once it was broken and spilled out
A fragrance filled all the room
Like a prisoner released from his shackles
Like a spirit set free from the tomb

Broken and spilled out
Just for love of you, Jesus
My most precious treasure
Lavished on thee
Broken and spilled out
And poured at your feet
In sweet abandon
Let me be spilled out
And used up for thee

Lord you were God’s precious treasure
His loved and His own perfect Son
Sent here to show me the love of the Father
Just for love it was done
And though You were perfect and holy
You gave up Yourself willingly
You spared no expense for my pardon
You were used up and wasted for me

Broken and spilled out
Just for love of me, Jesus
My most precious treasure
Lavished on me
Broken and spilled out
And poured at my feet
In sweet abandon
Let me be spilled out
And used up for me[465]

When I preached this text, I asked my friend Jon Hodges to play the tape of this song by Steve Green as the introduction of this message. Those of you who are reading this message will have to listen to this song on tape or CD. If you do, it should touch your heart as it does everyone who has experienced the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. In but a few words, this song captures the spirit of our text in John chapter 12.

The Jews have opposed Jesus for some time now. As early as John 5 John tells us that the Jewish leaders are intent on killing Jesus. An effort is made to arrest Him in chapter 7, and attempts to stone Him can be found in chapters 8 and 10 (twice in this chapter). After His healing of the man born blind (chapter 9) and His teaching on the Good Shepherd (chapter 10), Jesus has to leave Judea to let things cool down (10:40-42; 11:54). It is not yet time for His sacrificial death in Jerusalem. Word of Lazarus’ serious illness reaches Jesus, and it is obvious that His disciples are not eager to return to Judea. They urge Jesus to stay put, because the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem want Him dead. When Jesus finally arrives in Bethany, Lazarus has been dead and buried four days already. This only makes the miracle of the raising of Lazarus more amazing, something like Elijah’s pouring water upon the sacrifice (1 Kings 18:33-35).

A good-sized group of Jews have come to Bethany from Jerusalem to mourn the death of Lazarus with his surviving sisters, Martha and Mary. These folks are at the grave of Lazarus when Jesus summons him from death and the grave. It is a most amazing thing, and it does not take long for word of this miracle to spread throughout Jerusalem and Judea. As the time for the Passover draws near, there is an air of excitement and anticipation, fueled greatly by out Lord’s raising of Lazarus:

55 Now the Jewish feast of Passover was near, and many people went up to Jerusalem from the rural areas before the Passover to cleanse themselves ritually. 56 Thus they were looking for Jesus, and saying to one another as they stood in the temple courts, “What do you think? That he won’t come to the feast?” 57 (Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus was should report it, so that they could arrest him.) (John 11:55-57).

Will Jesus make an appearance in Jerusalem, the people wonder? Will He dare show His face when the Jewish leaders have declared Jesus a wanted man? We know, of course, that He most certainly will appear in Jerusalem. John 12 has many exciting things to report. This is truly the beginning of the end. As we begin chapter 12, we come to the final week of our Lord’s earthly ministry. The crucifixion is barely a week away. The meal celebrated here is one I am tempted to call “The Last (public) Supper.” While our Lord will later on partake of the Passover with His disciples, the meal described in our text is perhaps the last public meal our Lord ever attends. There is much for us to learn here, not just for information that will fill our heads, but for a soul-stirring account of a woman’s love for, and worship of, the Lord Jesus. We can learn much from her act of worship, so let us listen well, asking the Spirit of God to touch our callused hearts, giving us a renewed love and adoration for our Lord, a love like that of Mary.

A Dangerous Destination
(12:1)

1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany,[466] where Lazarus lived, whom he had raised from the dead.

The miracle of the raising of Lazarus is fresh in the reader’s mind, as it is the focus of chapter 11. It is also very fresh in the minds of those who witnessed the raising of Lazarus in Bethany, and came to trust in Jesus as a result. It is painfully fresh in the minds of the unbelieving Jewish religious leaders, who look upon the raising of Lazarus as the last straw. At the direction of Caiaphas, the High Priest that year, the Sanhedrin is called together, and the members are now unified in their resolve to kill Jesus. If our Lord’s arrival at Bethany is an amazing thing in chapter 11, it is even more amazing in chapter 12. Then, even though Lazarus’ life hung in the balance, the disciples are not at all eager to return to Bethany, knowing the dangers awaiting them there. Now, after the raising of Lazarus, things become much more dangerous for Jesus, and for His followers. And yet John tells us in a matter-of-fact fashion that “Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived …” Our Lord’s arrival in chapter 11, followed by the raising of Lazarus, has a profound impact on the Jews in Jerusalem and its suburbs. Our Lord’s last arrival at Bethany is a turning point, not only for our Lord, but also for the nation Israel.

The Sweet Smell of Love
(12:2-3)

2 So they prepared a dinner for Jesus there. Martha was serving, and Lazarus was among those present at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took three quarters of a pound of perfumed oil made of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus. She then wiped his feet dry with her hair. (Now the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil.)

This is not the only account of a woman anointing Jesus in the New Testament. In fact, every one of the Gospels has an “anointing” account,[467] but it does not seem as though all of the Gospel accounts refer to the same event. Luke’s account of the “sinful woman” who anoints Jesus at the home of Simon the Pharisee does not seem to be the same as the anointing of which we are reading in John chapter 12. The two accounts in Matthew and Mark, however, do seem to refer to the same incident John describes in our text. Consider, for example, this account in Mark’s Gospel, as described in the New English Bible:

Now the festival of Passover and Unleavened Bread was only two days off; and the chief priests and the doctors of the law were trying to devise some cunning plan to seize him and put him to death. ‘It must not be during the festival,’ they said, ‘or we should have rioting among the people.’ Jesus was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper. As he sat at table, a woman came in carrying a small bottle of very costly perfume, oil of pure nard. She broke it open and poured the oil over his head. Some of those present said to one another angrily, ‘Why this waste? The perfume might have been sold for thirty pounds and the money given to the poor’; and they turned upon her with fury. But Jesus said, ‘Let her alone. Why must you make trouble for her? It is a fine thing she has done for me. You have the poor among you always, and you can help them whenever you like; but you will not always have me. She has done what lay in her power; she is … anointing my body for burial. I tell you this: wherever in all the world the Gospel is proclaimed, what she has done will be told as her memorial.’ Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray him to them. When they heard what he had come for, they were greatly pleased, and promised him money; and he began to look for a good opportunity to betray him (Mark 14:1-11, New English Bible).

Matthew’s account is very similar to that of Mark, but his comments about Judas are worth noting:

14 Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me to betray him to you?” So they set out thirty silver coins for him. 16 From that time on Judas looked for an opportunity to betray him (Matthew 26:14-16, The NET Bible).

There are some differences between the Synoptic accounts of the anointing of our Lord for His burial and that recorded in the Gospel of John, even as we should expect. The differences are obvious, and there are a number of ways to explain them.[468] For example, the Synoptics speak of the dinner as taking place at “Simon the leper’s house.” We might assume from reading John’s account that the meal was held at the home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, but John’s words do not state or require this at all. John tells us that “they” prepared a dinner for Jesus (verse 2), but he does not say who “they” are, nor where the dinner is held. It may well be that “Simon the leper” has a larger home and offers it for this occasion. It is not surprising that Martha “took charge” of serving the meal. It has been suggested that “Simon the leper” is actually the father of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, which certainly makes sense. The only problem is that no Gospel writer tells us this. John does not bother to explain every apparent discrepancy, as is the case with the other Gospel writers. While reasonable solutions are available for each problem, I am not willing to set aside the focus of this passage to pursue them. If it were really important to know, John (or one of the other Gospel writers) would have told us.

The meal is being served. Jesus and His disciples, along with Lazarus and other men,[469] are reclining at the table. They are not seated at a table, sitting on chairs, but rather are reclining at a table, as is the custom in these days. During this meal, Mary makes her way to where Jesus is eating. She brings with her a flask of very expensive pure nard,[470] containing about 12 ounces of this very expensive liquid. It doesn’t take Judas long to “appraise” the value of this substance—more than 300 denarii. Since a denarius represents the daily wage for a laborer, this represents approximately a year’s salary. For illustrative purposes (in today’s values), let’s just say that this substance is worth $20,000. That’s a lot of money!

Had Mary sparingly sprinkled a little of this expensive perfume on our Lord, there may have been no reaction, but she breaks the container so that she can pour out its entire contents on Him.[471] I think of this liquid nard as being in a container similar to my “Old Spice” shaving lotion. The bottle is designed so that the lotion can be used a little at a time. It has a long, narrow neck, with a small hole in the top, so that a few drops can be dispensed in the hands on each use. (Expensive perfume is metered out even more carefully, and often dispensed with a vaporizer, so that a little bit will go a long way. At the price of expensive perfumes, this is a great idea.)

But Mary has no intention of spreading out the use of her expensive nard, so she breaks the neck of the flask and proceeds to pour the entire contents on our Lord. In the light of the accounts in Matthew and Mark, it appears that she starts with His head, and lets the liquid run down on the rest of His body, ending up at His feet. I take it that she uses her loosened hair to wipe up the excess ointment, which would otherwise run onto the floor—a truly needless waste. And so it is that this woman pours out her love on the Savior, by sacrificing the most precious thing she owns. It is truly a beautiful act, and all are blessed by it as the sweet smell of this fragrance fills the house.

Judas Causes a Stink
(12:4-6)

4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was going to betray him) said, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfumed oil sold for three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor?” 6 (Now Judas said this not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money box he used to take what was put into it.)

Mary is not trying to attract attention, and it may be that she is hardly noticed until the smell of this fragrance drifts throughout the whole house. It is then that a most amazing (and distressing) thing occurs. The disciples of our Lord are angered by her actions, and they lash out at Mary for “needlessly wasting” this precious ointment on Jesus. One can hardly read the Gospel accounts of this incident without concluding that, while these men are rebuking Mary for her reckless waste of resources, their words are also intended as a rebuke to our Lord. First, if this is truly a “waste,” then Jesus must not be worth the value of the perfume. Second, it is our Lord who is being anointed. If it is wasteful and unnecessary, He should make her stop.

Before we go on, we might do well to put this whole matter of “extravagance” into its proper perspective. When King Ahasuerus was searching for a new queen to replace Vashti, the women who were chosen as candidates went through a rather extravagant preparation process:

Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after she had completed twelve months’ preparation, according to the regulations for the women, for thus were the days of their preparation apportioned: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes and preparations for beautifying women (Esther 2:12, NKJV).

Furthermore, extravagance was expected and praised in a king:

1 Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions, having a very great retinue, camels that bore spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. … 9 And she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, spices in great abundance, and precious stones; there never were any spices such as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. … 22 So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 24 Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year (2 Chronicles 9:1, 9, 22-24, NKJV).

If, therefore, Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords, the gift which Mary lavishes upon our Lord is far from extravagant.

John tells us a very important detail, not revealed to us by either Matthew or Mark: the one who incites the disciples to anger is Judas. Now things start to make sense. John not only informs us that Judas is behind all this reaction, he also informs us as to why. Judas, John indicates, is a thief. Now here is a bit of information we find nowhere else in the New Testament; yet this one bit of information causes all of the other pieces to fall into place. A number of theories are offered as to why Judas would betray our Lord. Some say that he is (almost helpfully) trying to force our Lord’s hand, so that Jesus will get on with establishing the kingdom. I find this difficult to accept.

To me, the explanation is really quite simple. Judas was never a believer. He does not know the love of God, nor does he show it. In this sense, Judas is very different from the other eleven disciples. But in another way, Judas is really very much like the rest of the disciples, at least up to this point in time. The truth is that they do not understand what our Lord is about, either. Like Judas, they do not expect Jesus to die on the cross of Calvary. They do what they can to prevent it (e.g., Peter rebukes Jesus for talking about such things, and he slices off the servant of the High Priest’s ear with his sword.) Over and over again, we see the disciples preoccupied with their own selfish ambitions. They hope our Lord’s kingdom will enhance their status and power. They argue amongst themselves as to who is the greatest. No wonder Judas does not stick out like a proverbial sore thumb. In fact, Judas fits right in! No wonder they trust him with the money bag and are even inclined to follow his lead in attacking Mary for being wasteful.

Judas follows our Lord. He witnesses His power and hears His teaching. He is even given the power to perform miracles himself! (see Matthew 10:1ff.; Luke 9:1-2). Yet in spite of all this, he never was one of our Lord’s sheep (John 6:70-71; 13:18). This past week I was reading through the Gospel of Luke and pondering our Lord’s teaching on money. In chapter 16, we are told that the Pharisees loved money, and thus they scoffed at the teaching of Jesus about money (verse 14). I can almost see Judas, listening to what Jesus has to say about money and thinking to himself: “Wow. I don’t believe this! If this is where Jesus is going, I don’t really agree. What am I doing?”

Judas has become the “treasurer” and “bookkeeper” for our Lord and the group that accompanies Him. This group of followers is a larger group than just 13 men, as we see from Luke’s words:

1 Sometime afterward he went on through towns and villages, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and disabilities: Mary (called Magdalene), from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna, the wife of Cuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their own resources (Luke 8:1-3).

I can well imagine how Judas may have reasoned. Much of the “support” of our Lord and His disciples comes from the women Luke identifies. Out of this common purse to which these women contribute, the poor are helped and the disciples purchase food and supplies. Judas keeps this purse. He alone knows exactly what is given, and what is spent. It probably begins innocently at first. Judas “borrows” a little money for some personal expense. Time goes on, and he does not pay it back. More time passes, and he begins to use additional funds, not paying it back, either. Eventually, he begins to think of the money he has spent on himself as his commission, as remuneration for his services. It isn’t all that much money, and nobody really knows or cares (or so he thinks). Over time, it gets easier and easier. Before long, he’s nothing more than a common thief, without even realizing it.

As the time of our Lord’s death draws near, all of the disciples become aware of the danger, and seem to have some sense that Jesus might die (e.g., the words of Thomas in John 11:16). Judas realizes that the kind of “kingdom” he envisions isn’t going to happen. There is not going to be a great kingdom, with a huge budget, from which he can continue to pilfer his “commission.” Then, at this celebration dinner, Judas observes the loving act of Mary, pouring out the contents of her broken vial. He realizes how precious the substance is and mentally calculates its value. If this nard were sold (instead of “squandered on Jesus”), it would have meant a very tidy commission for Judas. He is angry. In his mind, a part of what she is “wasting” on Jesus is his. She has no right! She must be stopped!

Judas presents his case in a way that appeals to the higher motivations of his peers, and which masks his own greed. The perfume is worth a year’s wages. It could be sold, and the money given to the poor. It should be sold and the money given to the poor. A number of his fellow-disciples agree. They look upon Mary with anger and lash out at her. I can almost see her break down in tears as these men shame her for her selfless act of worship.

The Master’s Praise and Rebuke
(11:7-8)

7 So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept it for the day of my burial. 8 For you always have the poor with you, but you don’t always have me.”

I would paraphrase our Lord’s response this way: “That’s enough! Stop it! Leave Mary alone. She has done nothing wrong, and everything right. She’s kept this precious ointment for this very hour, to prepare my body for burial. You will have no end of opportunities to minister to the poor in the future, but this is her one and only chance to minister to me in this way, since the time of my death is at hand.” Translators have some problems with verse 7, but the sense of this passage is clear. I like R.V.G. Tasker’s handling of the text when he writes: “Jesus therefore is saying in effect, ‘Leave the woman alone; (she has not sold her perfume and given the money in charity) in order that she might be able to use it now with a view to My burial.’”[472]

It is amazing, but the accounts of Matthew and Mark inform us that at least some of the other disciples angrily lash out at Mary for her lavish expression of love. No one dares rebuke Jesus directly, but Jesus does not hesitate to come to Mary’s defense and to rebuke them. He insists that they immediately cease their attack against Mary. She has done nothing wrong. Indeed, she has done something very beneficial. Mary has been saving up this perfume, not so that it could be sold, but so it might be used to prepare His body for burial.

There are many things about this statement of our Lord that we do not fully understand. How much does Mary understand at this point in time? Does she know (or sense) that Jesus is soon to die? Or, does she not know, so that her preparation of His body for burial is only providential? Does she purposefully save up this ointment for His burial? Is she preparing His body now for burial, or is she saving some for the actual time of His death? We do not know, and it really does not matter. It does seem that Mary has a greater “sense” of what is about to happen—and the appropriate response to it—than do the Lord’s disciples.

As to the charge that this ointment could be better used, Jesus has something to say as well. Is it wasted on Him? Should this perfume be sold for a good deal of money, so that the proceeds might be given to the poor? Jesus does not minimize the importance of caring for the poor. What He calls to the attention of His disciples is that while there will be many opportunities to minister to the poor in the future, this is the only opportunity Mary will have to minister to Him in this way. His days left on this earth are very few. She will have no other opportunity to show her love to Him as she desires. And so Jesus argues that she has made the right choice. Mary is right; they are wrong.

Judas Reacts
(Matthew 26:14-16)

14 Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me to betray him to you?” So they set out thirty silver coins for him. 16 From that time on Judas looked for an opportunity to betray him (Matthew 26:14-16).

I know this is not a part of our text, but it certainly helps us better understand Judas and his betrayal of our Lord. Judas, as we have been told, was never a believer. He could not agree with our Lord’s teaching on money, and neither could he desire the kind of kingdom our Lord is going to establish. Judas betrays his position of trust, misusing the funds placed in his hands. He has become nothing more than a common thief. And then, it seems, he actually begins to think of the funds in the money box as his own. He is not “touched” by Mary’s love for Jesus; he is infuriated by her “wasting” of this expensive perfumed oil. He voices his protest in a way that persuades some of the other disciples to join with him in attacking Mary for her act of selfless love.

Jesus’ response in Mary’s defense is a rebuke to His disciples, and particularly to Judas, who instigated their protest. John does not tell us about Judas’ meeting with the chief priests, but both Matthew and Mark do. Judas is still the entrepreneur par excellence. He seizes upon any opportunity to make money. Has Mary “cheated” him out of his commission? Has Jesus taken her side? Well, Judas is about finished with Jesus anyway. His “kingdom” is not Judas’ kind of kingdom. There will be no real money in it for Judas, and besides, Jesus is on a collision course with the Jewish religious leaders. His days are numbered; His kingdom doomed to fail. Such seems to be the thinking of Judas.

So Judas decides to “swap horses in mid-stream” as we say. Judas decides to sell Jesus out and to join forces with His enemies. While the chief priests and Pharisees declare Jesus to be a wanted man, and order anyone who knows His whereabouts to report it, there has been no mention of a “reward.” Judas seems to be the one to bring up the subject of money with the Jewish religious leaders. He knows how badly they want to arrest and kill Jesus. He knows they have been repeatedly frustrated in their efforts to accomplish this. He knows they need someone “on the inside,” and Judas is willing to be that person. And so he barters with them until a satisfactory price is agreed upon. I can almost hear him saying to these Jewish leaders, “What would it be worth to you if I could produce Jesus privately, and in a way that would not create a riot?” It is a tragic end, but a very logical one for a man who loves money, but not the Messiah. John has more to say about Judas in chapter 13.

Conclusion

I like what Tasker has to say about Mary here:

Mary of Bethany is in fact another of the timeless, representative figures so wonderfully portrayed in this Gospel. She is a type of the true Christian worshipper, even as the sinful woman in the very different anointing story in Luke vii. 36-50 is a type of the true Christian penitent.[473]

When you stop to think about it, Mary’s act of adoration and worship looks a lot like what we will be doing in heaven, for all eternity. There, we will cast the most precious things we have at His feet:

1 After these things I looked, and there was a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said: “Come up here so that I can show you what must happen after these things.” 2 Immediately I was in the Spirit, and a throne was standing in heaven with someone seated on it! 3 And the one seated on it was like jasper and carnelian in appearance; and a rainbow looking like it was made of emerald encircled the throne. 4 In a circle around the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on those thrones were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white clothing, and had golden crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came out lightning and roaring and thunder. Seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God, were burning in front of the throne 6 and in front of the throne was something like a sea of glass, like crystal. In the middle of the throne and around the throne were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second creature like an ox, the third creature had a face like a man’s, and the fourth creature looked like an eagle flying. 8 Each one of the four living creatures had six wings and was full of eyes all around and inside. They never rest day or night, saying:

Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God All-Powerful,

Who was and who is, and who is to come!”

9 And whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders throw themselves to the ground before the one who sits on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever, and they offer their crowns before his throne, saying: 11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, since you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created!” (Revelation 4:1-11, underscoring mine.)

In the light of our expectation of worshipping Him for all eternity, we would do well to imitate Mary, and thus to practice our worship in the present. We obviously cannot worship in exactly the same way Mary does. We do not have Jesus present with us in His earthly body, as she does. We need not prepare His body for burial, as she does. Jesus argues that what Mary does is because there is little time left. I would suggest that we may not have much time left either, until He comes again. We should make good use of our time, even as Mary does in our text, and employ ourselves in doing that which pleases Him, since ministry as we know it presently will no longer be possible.

But how do we worship “Him” when He is no longer present among us in His earthly body? The Bible indicates many ways that we may worship Him. Allow me to mention one way Jesus has given us to worship Him, as though He were present:

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.’ 41 Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. 43 I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me’” (Matthew 25:31-45).

Let me take a moment to characterize Mary’s worship, if it is to serve as a pattern for our own worship. First, her worship is spontaneous, and not commanded. Mary’s worship is her own spontaneous response to our Lord, given that moment in time and her love for Him. The Old Testament law has many commandments related to worship, but what Mary does goes above and beyond them all. Love prompts what law can never produce. This is one of the things we strive hard to make possible in our church, by our “open worship” time. We do not have every part of our worship time planned out, but leave time for men to lead us in worship as they are led by His Spirit.

Second, Mary’s worship is selfless, sacrificial, and even extravagant. If “worship” is about our Lord’s “worth-ship,” as indeed it is, then nothing we can ever do will be worthy of the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here is a woman whose worship reflects her grasp of the majesty and greatness of our Lord Jesus Christ. She gives the finest thing that she has, willingly, cheerfully, and eagerly. Her giving is no mere duty, begrudgingly carried out; this is her delight. Had she something of greater value to give, I have no doubt she would have given it to her Lord.

As you read these few verses, describing Mary’s worship of our Lord, is there not something deep within you that agrees with her, that wishes to worship the Lord as she does? How many of us have done something truly extravagant, worshipping our Lord?

I must issue a word of caution here, because many would challenge us to be extravagant by giving to their ministry, to their cause! Some, at least, are Judas-like, in that they claim to be giving the funds to the poor, while taking a fair share of it for themselves. I do encourage you to consider doing something that may seem extravagant. But I have no suggestion as to how this might be done, or to whom, or to what organization you should give. I simply encourage you to desire, more than ever, to be like Mary in the extravagance of your worship and adoration of our Lord. How many times I have “indulged” myself by spending “more than I should have” on myself. How seldom have I done likewise in my giving to those in need and to the Lord’s work.

Third, Mary worshipped her Lord extravagantly, by giving something that she had to give. Mary appears to have had this precious nard for some time. We don’t know how she obtained it, or when, and it doesn’t matter. But she did have it to use in this way. Paul makes it very clear that we are not required to give what we do not have (2 Corinthians 8:12). We are not encouraged to go into debt to worship our Lord. I fear that many of the hucksters, who would like us to give extravagantly to them, are those who would also urge us to give what we cannot afford. Mary is able to give this precious ointment. The issue is not whether she can afford it or not, but how it is used. If we do give extravagantly to God, let it be something we have to give. Mary seems to make a mental connection between our Lord, His imminent death, and her precious ointment. We may have something to give to Him that we would not have thought of before, but at a certain point in time it becomes apparent it would be the appropriate thing to do. When and if you choose to give extravagantly, do so out of what you have, not out of what you don’t have.

Fourth, I must reluctantly point out that Mary’s worship is criticized and even opposed by those who know and love the Savior. Why do others seek to impose their opinions and convictions regarding worship on us? It is one thing when the Bible directs us specifically in regard to worship, as it certainly does (see, for example, 1 Corinthians 11–14). But many times we seek to press others into our own mold when it comes to worship. Some would press us to worship with uplifted hands (which is biblical), while others would have us believe we cannot worship unless we lift our hands. Still others seem unable to worship with uplifted hands, or even when others lift their hands. Let us be very careful about hindering the worship of others, as the disciples are doing with Mary.

Fifth, I call to your attention that Mary’s worship is not something she does in a way which attracts attention to herself, but something privately done at our Lord’s feet. I am impressed that almost every time we find Mary in the Gospels, we find her at Jesus’ feet. She is learning from Jesus, at His feet, in Luke 10 (see verse 39). When Jesus comes to Bethany after Lazarus dies, Mary falls at His feet (John 11:32). Now, in chapter 12, she is once again at our Lord’s feet, anointing them with her precious oil. How the disciples push and shove to be beside our Lord, at His right hand or His left (see 13:1-11), but no one wants to be at His feet—except Mary, and perhaps a few other women. There is always room at Jesus’ feet, room to do humble, menial, yet needful things. And there is no place better suited for service and worship than there, at His feet.

Our Lord teaches that those things we do publicly, when done for public acclaim and approval, receive man’s approval, but not His. He also indicates that those things done privately, but done for His praise, are those things that please Him, and bring about His praise (Matthew 6). Mary’s worship is consistent with our Lord’s instruction about acts of worship.

Sixth, I cannot help but wonder if Mary’s sacrificial worship does not have an impact on the Apostle Paul. I wonder if Paul’s words here have any relationship to this act of worship by Mary:

14 But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and who makes known through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of him in every place. 15 For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing— 16 to the latter an odor from death to death, but to the former a fragrance from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? 17 For we are not like so many others, hucksters who peddle the word of God for profit; but we are speaking in Christ before God as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God (2 Corinthians 2:14-17).

7 But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. 8 We are experiencing trouble on every side, but are not crushed; we are perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are knocked down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our body. 11 For we who are alive are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our mortal body. 12 As a result, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you (2 Corinthians 4:7-12).     

15 And as you Philippians know, at the beginning of my gospel ministry, when I left Macedonia, no one shared with me in this matter of giving and receiving except you alone. 16 For even in Thessalonica on more than one occasion you sent something for my need. 17 It is not that I am seeking a gift. Rather, I seek the credit that abounds to your account. 18 For I have received all things, and I have plenty. I have all I need because I received from Epaphroditus your gifts, a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, very pleasing to God (Philippians 4:15-18).

Finally, Mary’s worship of our Lord in our text has something important to say to us about the ministry of women. This is a very touchy point, and much of this touchiness is driven by a culture big on self and on one’s rights. Many reject the New Testament teaching and practice regarding the role of women in public worship and ministry. Others seek to minimize or restrict the teaching of Scripture here. In the days of the New Testament, chauvinism was rampant. I do not wish to defend all that was done regarding women in those days. Our Lord made a point of breaking some of the cultural taboos regarding women (see John 4:27). Nevertheless, let me draw your attention to the fact that none of the truly biblical restrictions on the worship or service of Mary hinder her from knowing Jesus well or worshipping Him. Indeed, she does better at this than His disciples do, it seems! Mary seems to be more in tune with our Lord’s teaching than the men who follow Him. I do not think she would wish to protest her “role” as a woman who believes in Jesus Christ. In some ways, these “restrictions” may actually enhance her relationship with our Lord.

I am willing to go a step further in this regard. While I see certain restrictions placed on women so far as the public worship of the church is concerned (see 1 Corinthians 14:34-38), I find that none of these really hinders a woman’s ability to worship our Lord. This same principle applies to men. Let me illustrate. Paul instructs us that if someone is to speak in tongues in the church meeting, someone must be present who can interpret (1 Corinthians 14:27-28). If no interpreter is present, the one who feels inclined to speak in tongues is to remain silent. Women, as I understand Paul in 1 Corinthians, are not permitted to speak in tongues publicly, whether there is an interpreter present or not. But does this prevent a woman or a man from worshiping God, if they cannot speak in tongues publicly? Not at all! Paul says, “Let him speak to himself and to God” (1 Corinthians 14:28). The tongues-speaker is not prevented from worshipping God, even if he or she must keep silent. If our intent is truly to “worship God,” then we can do so inwardly and silently as well as outwardly and publicly. I do not know of one prohibition in the New Testament that hinders true worship. Here is something to ponder.

I am not at all shocked or surprised that Mary willingly sacrifices her most prized possession in her worship of the Lord. He is worthy of the best we can offer. In fact, the best we can offer is not worthy of Him. What causes me to wonder is how God could give His most precious possession to save unworthy creatures like us. He gave His own Son, the most precious gift of all, so that we might be saved. Our Lord gave His most precious gift—His priceless blood—so that He might forgive our sins and give us eternal life. That is the great wonder, which inspires worship like that of Mary. May it also inspire our worship as well. Have you received His gift, His precious gift the Lord Jesus Christ? To reject that gift—to reject the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary—is to spurn the most precious gift God has given to us.


! Lesson 28:
The Un-Triumphal Entry
(John 12:9-19)

Introduction

Several days ago I was standing outside our church chatting with my friend, Leonard Luton. As we talked, I happened to look down, and there on the parking lot something caught my eye. It was a plastic Ziploc baggie, with something green inside. I picked it up to look at it more closely. At first glance, it looked like a couple of leaves from a rose bush. At I turned the bag over, I could see the reverse side of the leaves. They had small brown spots on them. I turned to Leonard and said something like: “Look at this. It looks like someone has collected some samples of a diseased rose bush to show their nurseryman.” Leonard asked to look at it, and then said, “Looks to me like a sample of poison ivy, left behind by one of the Boys Scouts who was here the other night.” Instantly, I knew Leonard was right. Once he properly identified those leaves, I recognized them for what they were, and what a change it made. I didn’t ask Leonard if I could have that little plastic baggie back. I decided I’d let the expert hold it. After having been run over by a few cars, I wasn’t at all sure that bag offered much protection.

Things are not always what they seem! Such is certainly the case in our text. It reminds me of a statement which Haddon Robinson, my homiletics professor in seminary, made years ago (in relation to something else): It was something “like an army of deep sea divers, marching triumphantly into a half-filled bath tub.” The so-called “triumphal entry” of our Lord into Jerusalem is anything but a triumph, as we can see from the tears shed by our Lord in Luke’s parallel account (Luke 19:41-44). Those who enthusiastically welcome Jesus to Jerusalem as the “King of Israel” are some of the same people who, in a week’s time, will be crying out, “We have no king, but Caesar!” (John 19:15). Those who cry out, “Hosanna!” (Save now!) in our text, will be shouting, “He saved others. Let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, his chosen one!” (Luke 23:35). It is not a triumphal entry at all, but nonetheless it is a very significant event in the life of our Lord and in the history of the nation Israel. This is one of the very few events which is recorded by all four Gospels in the New Testament. Let us seek to learn what is so important about this “un-triumphal entry,” and endeavor to understand and apply what God intends for us to learn from it.

The Uniqueness of John’s
Account of the “Un-Triumphal Entry”

John’s account of our Lord’s final appearance in Jerusalem is indeed unique when compared with the accounts of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). For example, Luke’s Gospel makes a point of tracing our Lord’s steps as He makes His way toward Jerusalem (9:51, 53; 13:22, 33-34; 17:11; 18:31; 19:11, 28). Before His arrival at Jerusalem, we read of Jesus in Jericho, where He healed a blind man (Luke 18:35-43), and invited Himself to the home of Zaccheus, the tax-collector (19:1-10).

It is very different in John’s Gospel. Very few details are given concerning our Lord’s ministry in the weeks that precede His final appearance in Jerusalem. We know He healed the man born blind (John 9), and that He taught about the Good Shepherd (John 10). He also made a quick and dangerous trip to Bethany, less than two miles from Jerusalem, where He raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11). But in John’s Gospel, much of our Lord’s time was spent away from Jerusalem, in out of the way places, to prevent the religious leaders in Jerusalem from taking His life before it was “His time” (see 10:40-42; 11:54). John virtually passes over the ministry of our Lord in these remote places in the weeks preceding Passover.

The “triumphal entry” itself is not described in great detail in our text. At best, John devotes but 11 verses to our Lord’s dramatic entry into Jerusalem before His final Passover celebration there. Matthew’s account has 17 verses, Mark’s 18 verses, and Luke’s Gospel 21 verses. John does not tell his readers how Jesus prearranged for two of His disciples to procure the donkey and its colt. John does not tell us that the Pharisees insist Jesus silence those who are praising Him, and that Jesus refuses, indicating that if He does so the “rocks would cry out” (Luke 19:39-40). John does not report our Lord’s weeping over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44), or His cursing of the barren fig tree (Mark 11:12-14, 20-26). And, strangely, John does not mention our Lord’s cleansing of the temple (see Matthew 21:12-13), nor does he inform us concerning our Lord’s miracles of healings, performed in the temple that final week of His ministry (Matthew 21:14).

John does not record any of the parables Jesus taught this final week of His earthly life and ministry, nor does he record any of our Lord’s numerous debates with His opponents. The so-called “Olivet Discourse” (see Matthew 24:3–25:6; Mark 13:3-37; Luke 21:5-36), which deals with prophecy concerning the last days, is not found in John. John covers the public ministry of our Lord during His final week in Jerusalem in one chapter (12), while the Synoptics take considerably more time and space. The agonizing prayer of our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane (e.g., Matthew 26:36-46) is not mentioned by John. John 13-17 is the private ministry of our Lord to His disciples, not found in the Synoptics. Chapter 18 takes up with the arrest of Jesus, then moves right into the trials, condemnation, and execution of Jesus.

John limits his focus to three important incidents which occur in the final week of our Lord’s earthly ministry: (1) Mary’s anointing of Jesus in preparation for His burial (12:1-8); (2) Jesus’ “Triumphal Entry” (12:9-19); and (3) the request of the Greeks to meet with Jesus (12:20-26). He concludes with a divine explanation of human unbelief, rooted in the Old Testament Scriptures and in the words of our Lord Himself (12:27-50).

The so-called “triumphal entry” comes as a surprise, not only to the reader, but no doubt also to the disciples and others who witnessed it. Our Lord’s previous visits to Jerusalem have always brought trouble. His journey to Jerusalem in John chapter 2 is punctuated by the “cleansing of the temple” (2:12-22). In chapter 5, Jesus goes up to Jerusalem for an unnamed feast (verse 1), and there, on the Sabbath, He heals a paralytic who has suffered from his malady for 38 years. When Jesus defends His actions by claiming to act with God, and as God, this completely sets the Jews off, so that they are even more intent on killing Him than they have been previously (5:18). Our Lord’s appearance in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles results in a failed attempt on the part of the Jewish religious leaders to have Jesus arrested by the temple police (7:30, 44-53). When Jesus makes the statement, “before Abraham came into existence, I am!” (8:58), they immediately seek to stone Him. The healing of the man born blind in John 9 also takes place in Jerusalem, and it further intensifies the animosity of the religious leaders toward Jesus. In John 10, Jesus teaches that He is the “Good Shepherd,” and at the same time implies that the Jewish religious leaders are the wicked shepherds whom He has come to replace. This leads to additional attempts to arrest (verse 39) or kill (verse 31) Him, prompting our Lord to retreat to a remote location along the Jordan River, where John the Baptist formerly ministered (10:40-42). By the time we come to chapter 11, the disciples of our Lord are afraid to go to Jerusalem, fearing that they—along with Jesus—will die there (see 11:16). In chapter 11, Jesus goes to Bethany, just outside of Jerusalem, where He raises Lazarus from the dead, even though he had been laying in the tomb for four days. Opposition from the Jewish leaders causes Jesus to retreat from Jerusalem, once again—for a time (or should I say, till “His time”).

Intensified Hopes and Fears
(12:9-11)

9 Now the large crowd of Jewish people from Jerusalem learned that Jesus was there, and so they came not only because of him but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests planned to kill Lazarus too, 11 for on account of him many of the Jewish people from Jerusalem were going away and believing in Jesus.

Had it not been for the spectacular raising of Lazarus, Jesus might have received a very different reception in Jerusalem. As we learned in chapter 11, a fairly large group of Jews from Jerusalem (John calls them a “crowd” —11:42; 12:17) have gone to Bethany to join Mary and Martha in mourning the death of their brother Lazarus (11:19). All these mourners witness the raising of Lazarus in a way that makes this sign undeniable. Many of those who witness this miracle come to faith in Jesus, but others react negatively, reporting this miracle to the Pharisees (11:45-46). The Jewish Sanhedrin meets, concluding that Jesus must die, to save their own skins (so to speak), and for the good of the nation (11:47-53). Jesus retreats from Judea once again, spending His time in seclusion with His disciples in Ephraim (11:54).

The witnesses to the raising of Lazarus return to Jerusalem, broadcasting their sensational news throughout Jerusalem. Underscoring all of this is the presence of Lazarus, who is “living proof” of this miracle, a man undeniably delivered from the jaws of death. Messianic hopes run high in those difficult days under Roman rule, especially at festive seasons like Passover. It is during Passover that the population of Jerusalem multiplies significantly. Estimates are that approximately 30,000 Jews normally lived in Jerusalem, but that during the Passover, exaggerated estimates run into the millions. More realistic estimates approximate somewhere around 180,000 people.[474] Four to six times the population of this city have gathered there to observe Passover, camping all around Jerusalem. You can imagine the excitement that surges through the pilgrims who have come from afar for the Passover, learning that Jesus is there, and that He has recently raised a man from the dead!

As Passover draws near, all eyes are looking about for Jesus. Everyone is wondering if He will dare to show up, in spite of the fact that the chief priests and Pharisees have ordered that anyone who knows where Jesus can be found must inform them immediately. When word gets out that Jesus is in the vicinity (He first comes to Bethany, slightly less than 2 miles from Jerusalem) and is as on His way to the Holy City, a large crowd of Jews sets out from Jerusalem toward Bethany to meet Jesus on His way. They are most eager to see Him, and not just Him but also Lazarus, whom He has raised from the dead. If our Lord’s appearance inspires the messianic hopes of some, it does not do so for all. The chief priests who have determined earlier that Jesus must die, now decide that Lazarus must die as well. In their minds at least, he is also to blame for the fact that many are turning away from them to follow Jesus.

As I read these verses, I am reminded of the Watergate scandal, just a few years ago. A crime like burglary seemed a small price to pay when committed by “patriots” in the name of “national security.” The personal interests of men like the President of the United States become confused with the national interest. And once one crime was justified, other crimes were excused as well. That is what we see in our text. The chief priests and scribes care little for the people (as, for example, we can see in John 7:45-49). They care about their own positions and power, which Jesus threatens (11:48; see also Matthew 27:18; Mark 15:10). They conclude that they will violate the law to kill Jesus (John 7:50-53)—in the national interest, of course. The decision to kill Lazarus—a completely innocent man guilty only of returning from the dead—follows quite naturally and easily. One sin so quickly and so easily leads to another.

The “Triumphal” Entry[475]
(12:12-16)

12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him. They began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!” 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it,[476] just as it is written, 15 “Do not be afraid, people of Jerusalem; look, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt!” 16 (His disciples did not understand these things when they first happened, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about him and they had done these things to him.)

If you happen to watch football (at times) as I do, you know the value of “instant replay.” Let’s say that an official has just thrown down the yellow flag. He indicates that the ball carrier stepped out of bounds, or that the pass receiver did not get both feet down before stepping out of bounds. The “instant replay” will usually clarify the facts. Not only are we able to see the play in slow motion (and stop the play at the critical moment), but we can usually see it from several camera angles. This is what the four Gospel accounts of our Lord’s life provide for us. By reading and comparing all the Gospel accounts of the same event, we can view it from several angles. Every one of the four Gospels has an account of the so-called “triumphal entry.” Each account has its own details, its own emphasis, its own significance. These differing accounts are of great value to the student of the Bible.

Before looking at the “triumphal entry” from John’s “angle,” it may be well for us to consider this event as an “instant replay,” taking all four of the Gospel accounts into consideration. Jesus arrives at Bethany, by way of Jericho (see Luke 18:35; 19:1ff.). Before entering Jerusalem, He sends two of His disciples ahead of Him to procure a donkey and its colt (Matthew 21:1-6; Mark 11:1-6; Luke 19:29-34). This is to fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 (see Matthew 21:5), although the disciples do not understand this at the time (John 12:16). As Jesus approaches Jerusalem, He rides the (as yet unbroken) colt. A crowd comes from Jerusalem to greet Jesus, and they accompany Him into the city, spreading their cloaks and cut branches on the road before Him. The crowds call out expressions of praise and celebration, hailing Jesus as the “King of Israel.” The commotion of this celebration reaches the ears of those in the city of Jerusalem, and many of these citizens of Jerusalem join in with the rest in welcoming Jesus. Some of the Pharisees become indignant, insisting that Jesus instruct the people to cease such praise, but Jesus refuses, indicating that if the people were to remain quiet the stones would cry out (Luke 19:39-40). As Jesus looks upon the city of Jerusalem, He weeps, knowing that their reception of Him is superficial and momentary, and that the day of Israel’s destruction is imminent (Luke 19:41-44). Once in the city, Jesus takes a look around the temple, and because it is late, returns to Bethany with His disciples (Mark 11:11). On His return to the city, Jesus comes upon a fruitless fig tree, which He curses (Mark 11:12-14). He then enters the temple and cleanses it, greatly angering the chief priests and scribes (Mark 11:15-18). It seems that this cleansing makes room at the temple for Jesus to teach and to perform miracles, which draws such crowds that it is impossible for our Lord’s opponents to arrest Him there (Matthew 21:13; Luke 19:47-48). Each day Jesus goes to the temple, and each evening Jesus leaves Jerusalem and spends the night in Bethany, out of the reach of His adversaries (Matthew 21:17; Mark 11:18-19).

John omits many of the details of our Lord’s appearance and ministry in Jerusalem this final week, focusing rather on His ministry to His disciples. John’s account of the “triumphal entry” is dominated by the miracle of the raising of Lazarus, which only his Gospel records. All of chapter 11 is brought to the reader’s attention in John 12:9-11, which links the enthusiasm of the crowds and the intensity of the opposition to the raising of Lazarus. John does not record the process by which the donkey and her colt are procured. From his description, we would not guess that this acquisition is so meticulously planned and executed. We are tempted to assume that the donkey and the colt just happened to be there, and that Jesus somewhat spontaneously makes use of it. This is the way the spectators would “see” the event, being unaware of the preparations our Lord has made.[477]

The fact is that no one other than our Lord really understands what is happening at the time. In verse 16, John makes a point of telling us that the disciples do not understand the meaning of this event until after the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord: (“His disciples did not understand these things when they first happened, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about him and they had done these things to him.”) I know that John does not tell us what the disciples are doing at this seemingly triumphant moment, but it is not difficult for me to “imagine” what could have taken place. The disciples are obviously eager for our Lord to establish His kingdom quickly, as are the people (Luke 19:11; Acts 1:6). They are very aware of the opposition to Jesus, and of the dangers which face them in Jerusalem (John 11:7-8). They accompany Jesus to Jerusalem with fear and trepidation (John 11:16). What a shock it must be to see what appears to be the entire city of Jerusalem welcoming Jesus (and them!) with open arms. I can see Peter and John giving each other a “high five” sign of victory. At last, they’ve truly arrived. This kingdom is here! How deceiving appearances can be.

It is true that the people were welcoming Jesus as their “King.” They say so themselves: “They began to shout, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!’” (verse 13).

Their actions are probably patterned after previous incidents in Israel’s history:

When Simon, the Maccabee, entered Jerusalem, in triumph, it is recorded that he entered ‘with thanksgiving and branches of palm-trees and with harps and cymbals and with viols and hymns and songs, because there was destroyed a great enemy out of Israel’ (I Macc. 13:51). And when his brother, Judas the Maccabee, defeated the Syrians, it is said: ‘the people carried branches and fair boughs, and palms also, and sang psalms’ (II Macc. 10:7).[478]

The words which the people cry out come from Psalm 118:

1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 2 Let Israel now say, “His mercy endures forever.” 3 Let the house of Aaron now say, “His mercy endures forever.” 4 Let those who fear the LORD now say, “His mercy endures forever.” 5 I called on the LORD in distress; The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place. 6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? 7 The LORD is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me.

8 It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in princes. 10 All nations surrounded me, But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. 11 They surrounded me, Yes, they surrounded me; But in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. 12 They surrounded me like bees; They were quenched like a fire of thorns; For in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. 13 You pushed me violently, that I might fall, But the LORD helped me. 14 The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation. 15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation Is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. 16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.

17 I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the LORD. 18 The LORD has chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death. 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the LORD. 20 This is the gate of the LORD, Through which the righteous shall enter. 21 I will praise You, For You have answered me, And have become my salvation. 22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. 23 This was the LORD’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity. 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We have blessed you from the house of the LORD. 27 God is the LORD, And He has given us light; Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. 28 You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You. 29 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 118 is a messianic psalm, and one of the six Psalms most often referred to in the New Testament. This Psalm is one of the Hallel songs (Psalms 113-118). The Israelites would sing it as they ascended to Jerusalem to worship at one of the feasts. It is, therefore, a song that may well have been sung at Passover every year.[479] But this year, it had a very special significance. A look at some of the words explains why. The perspective of the psalmist is that Israel is surrounded by its enemies, but he looks to God for protection and deliverance (see verses 10-14). There is an air of confidence, so that the psalmist need not fear the enemy: “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (vs. 6). The psalmist’s confidence seems undaunted, even by death: “I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the LORD. The LORD has chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death. Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the LORD” (vs. 17-19).

Would the raising of Lazarus not give special meaning and certainty to these words? There is no need to fear the enemy (verse 6), because no man can ultimately take away the life of God’s own (verses 17-18). Jerusalem therefore welcomes Jesus, even as this psalm welcomes the righteous (verses 19-21). And in light of this, the people cry out “Hosanna!” (which means, “Save now!”) to Jesus, their newly recognized king.

I am inclined to understand that the words of welcome which the Jews call out to Jesus are even more true than they realize. What they say to Jesus is similar to what Caiaphas says of Jesus (see John 11:49-52) in that both speak prophetically, saying much more than they understand. The crowd here is welcoming Jesus as a political deliverer, as the One who will throw off the shackles of Rome. These people want Jesus to be their king, but in the same way (and for the same reasons) that the Galileans wanted Jesus to be their king after He fed the 5,000 (see John 6:15). Were they to understand Psalm 118 correctly, they would realize that Jesus will be their King, but only after His rejection by the nation. They need to read and to understand the verses which immediately precede the words they are shouting: “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes” (vs. 22-23).

We should not be surprised by the failure of these Jews to grasp what is going on. John clearly informs us that even our Lord’s disciples don’t understand (verse 16). It is not to be understood until Jesus is glorified—that is until after our Lord is rejected, crucified, resurrected, and ascended. It is then that the Holy Spirit will make these things clear to them (see John 14:25-31), and through them to us. As John writes this Gospel, he understands what he did not grasp when these things were taking place, and he makes sure that his readers know it as well.

More Mixed Reactions
(12:17-19)

17 So the crowd who had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead were continuing to testify about it. 18 Because they had heard that Jesus had performed this miraculous sign, the crowd went out to meet him. 19 Thus the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you can do nothing. Look, the world[480] has run off after him!”

Jesus’ bold entrance into Jerusalem gets the attention of everyone. It can hardly be ignored. Those who have come from afar likely do not know of recent events, so those who witness the raising of Lazarus tell their story, over and over again to wide-eyed pilgrims. Those who hear the story from one witness may gladly hear it from another. This greatly fuels the flames of messianic expectations. Hearing of this one miraculous sign is the only reason some of these worshippers go to meet Jesus, as He makes His way to the city.

The Pharisees, on the other hand, have been watching Jesus with suspicion from the very beginning. They are continually monitoring their ratings and taking note of how many people are abandoning them to follow Jesus.[481] Their popularity has never been lower than at the time of the “triumphal entry,” and they know it. It seems to me that the words of the Pharisees, recorded in verse 19, reflect utter panic. In chapter 11, they see themselves losing ground:

47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together and said, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs. 48 If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary and our nation” (John 11:47-48).

This leads them to conclude that Jesus must die, for their own preservation, and for that of the nation (11:49-53, 57). When it becomes apparent that Lazarus also is a threat to them, they decide to kill him also (12:10). And now, after the “triumphal entry,” they are beginning to think theirs is a lost cause. They are now forced to take desperate measures.

Up to this point, the Jewish religious leaders have been unwilling to seize and kill Jesus during Passover:

3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people met together in the palace of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas. 4 They planned to arrest Jesus by treachery and kill him. 5 But they said, “Not during the feast, so that there will not be a riot among the people” (Matthew 26:3-5; see also Mark 14:2).

During the Passover week, they want to arrest Jesus, but He carefully avoids them at night, and stays surrounded by the crowds during the day, making this impossible (see Matthew 21:45-46; Mark 11:18; 12:2; Luke 20:19; 21:37; 22:2).

I am inclined to think that this panic of the Jews, recorded in our text, and the decision of Judas to betray the Lord Jesus, coincides. I believe Judas decides to betray our Lord at the exact same time the Jews are ready to do whatever it takes to be rid of Him. If they could have their way, it would not be during Passover, because this would put them in danger of inciting the masses against them. But now, as the saying goes, “Desperate straits call for desperate measures.” In their eagerness to put Jesus to death, even during Passover, they perfectly fulfill the will of God and the purpose of our Lord that He die during Passover as the Passover Lamb. God’s timing is always perfect.

Conclusion

The fact that every Gospel has an account of the “triumphal entry” of our Lord into Jerusalem indicates to us that it is indeed a most significant event. On our Lord’s part, it is a most dramatic and emphatic claim to be the Messiah, the “King of Israel.” At the same time, it is a fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. Jesus does not come as a conquering king, ready to lead Israel against the Romans, overthrowing their rule. He has come as the “Prince of Peace” and as the “Lamb of God,” whose death will provide the cure for sin. I am reminded of the spiritual that goes something like this, “Poor little Jesus boy, they didn’t know who you was …” This song refers to the birth of our Lord, but it applies equally well to His “triumphal entry.” They still don’t know who He is.

This is a major turning point in Israel’s history. To joyfully welcome Him as “their kind of king” is not to receive Him as the “Lamb of God,” sent to “take away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). To receive their kind of Jesus is to reject God’s kind of King. This apparent reception is, in reality, a rejection. It is destined to result in rejection. It will take a few days to become evident, but when they finally grasp that Jesus has not come to fulfill their expectations, but rather to be a different kind of Messiah, they will quickly turn against Him, rejecting Him as their king. Those who hail Jesus as the “King of Israel” at the “triumphal entry” will a few days later cry out “Crucify, crucify!” As we continue to read of our Lord’s arrest, trials, and crucifixion in John, the word “king” appears a number of times. It will there be evident that Jesus is not the people’s kind of king.

This shallow reception of Jesus came as no surprise to Him, and as we listen to His words, spoken earlier, it would not surprise us, either:

16 “And these are the ones sown on the rocky ground: whenever they hear the word, they receive it at once with joy. 17 But they have no root in themselves and are temporary. Then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they fall away immediately” (Mark 4:16-17).

Jesus’ tears rightly appraise the real meaning and significance of this “triumphal entry.” They have not received Him as the One who will be “lifted up” on the cross of Calvary. They are not willing to think of His glorification as taking place on Calvary. This reception is but a step along the path of Israel’s rejection of Jesus, which leads to the destruction of this nation in but a few years. The occasion is not triumphant at all, but tragic. And what is tragic as well is that no one but our Lord understands this at the moment. He alone knows what lies ahead. We will look at the conclusion of this chapter in our next lesson, but suffice it to say that the conclusion of this chapter is about unbelief, not belief. The “triumphal entry” is about Israel’s unbelief.

Lest we hastily condemn the nation Israel for their unbelief and hardness of heart, let me conclude by pointing out that Israel’s error in our text is one of the most common errors evident in the professing church today—triumphalism. It is our insistence that Jesus be now what the Bible says He will be and do then—in the future. We all wish to identify with the triumphant Jesus, who overthrows the wicked, and brings prosperity, peace, and freedom from pain to His people. But we do not wish to identify with the “suffering Savior.” Jesus’ words for us are not, “Take up your crown and follow Me,” but “Take up your cross and follow Me.” This is not to say that this life has no triumphs, no blessings, no deliverances from suffering and pain. It is to say that the blessings our Lord has promised at His second coming must not be demanded before they take place. Peter speaks to those who are suffering and uses the example of Christ as our example:

18 Slaves, be subject to your masters with all reverence, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the perverse. 19 For this finds God’s favor, if because of conscience toward God someone endures hardships in suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if you sin and are mistreated and endure it? But if you do good and suffer and so endure, this finds favor with God. 21 For to this you were called, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example for you to follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was maligned, he did not answer back; when he suffered, he threatened no retaliation, but committed himself to God who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we may leave sin behind and live for righteousness. By his wounds you were healed. 25 For you were going astray like sheep but now you have turned back to the shepherd and guardian of your souls (1 Peter 2:18-25).

Paul, likewise, speaks of the certainty of troubles and suffering in this life:

2 We sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow-worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and encourage you about your faith, 3 so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 4 For in fact when we were with you, we were telling you in advance that we would suffer affliction, and so it has happened as you well know (1 Thessalonians 3:2-4).

Let us therefore not demand in the present what God has promised in the future.

I should also add that a time is coming when our Lord will make a truly “triumphal entry”:

11 Then I saw heaven opened and here came a white horse! The one riding it was called ‘Faithful’ and ‘True,’ and with justice he judges and goes to war. 12 His eyes are like a fiery flame and there are many diadem crowns on his head. He has a name written that no one knows except himself. 13 He is dressed in clothing dipped in blood, and he is named the Word of God. 14 The armies that are in heaven, dressed in white, clean, fine linen, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth extends a sharp sword, so that with it he can strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod, and he stomps the winepress of the furious wrath of God the All-Powerful. 16 He has a name written on his clothing and on his thigh: “King of kings and Lord of lords.” 17 Then I saw one angel standing in the sun, and he shouted in a loud voice to all the birds flying high in the sky: “Come, gather around for the great banquet of God, 18 to eat your fill of the flesh of kings, the flesh of generals, the flesh of powerful people, the flesh of horses and those who ride them, and the flesh of all people, both free and slaves, and small and the great!”

19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to do battle with the one who rode the horse and with his army. 20 Now the beast was seized, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs on his behalf—signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with sulfur. 21 The others were killed by the sword that extended from the mouth of the one who rode the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves with their flesh (Revelation 19:11-21).

Are you ready for this day, when our Lord returns to this earth triumphantly, to deliver His saints, and to destroy His enemies? It is a much awaited day for those who have placed their trust in Jesus, due to the work He accomplished at Calvary at His first coming. It is a dreaded day for those who have rejected Him as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” May each of us be ready and waiting for Him when He returns to this earth in triumph.


! Lessons 29 and 30:
The Greeks Seek Jesus
(John 12:20-50)

Introduction

This past week, I was consulting the internet support page for one of my Bible concordance programs when I came across an announcement that this software program was now being offered on sale at half price. Those of you who know me well know that this would certainly get my attention. I called their sales department and talked with “John”[482] about the special offer they had posted on their web site. I was not able to negotiate the kind of bargain I had hoped for, and so I told “John” I would have to think about it and call him back later. This week I called him back, having decided to purchase only two copies of this software. When I called, “John” answered the phone, and so I responded, “Hello John, this is Bob Deffinbaugh …”

It was at this point that “John” broke in enthusiastically. It seemed apparent that he was reading from a script, but from what I thought he was saying, I didn’t mind. He told me he was glad I had called, and that he had a really exciting offer, which he was certain I would be interested in. I could tell he was speaking of a much better deal than we had discussed the week before, and so I listened with interest. I knew I was going to accept his offer, until I heard “John” say that this special deal was being offered to all their “resellers.”

Oops. I think you know that I am not a reseller. What you may not know is that my brother, Dan Deffinbaugh, is. He and his family have a home school supply mail order business in Washington State, and they have offered this Bible software product for sale in their catalog. In fact, that’s how I got my concordance program—from Dan. I hated to do it, but I had to interrupt “John.” “John, this is Bob Deffinbaugh calling. I’m a preacher, not a reseller. It’s my brother, Dan Deffinbaugh, who is the reseller.” John quickly attempted to redeem himself and to set aside all that he had just told me. He didn’t need to go to all that trouble. I informed “John” that as soon as I hung up the phone, I was going to call my brother, Dan, and then “we” would accept his offer.

The point to all this (you may be wondering if there is one) is that this all began with a case of mistaken identity. “John” mistakenly supposed I was my brother Dan, who is a reseller. He made an offer to me that he should have made to Dan. In the process of making this mistake, “John” unwittingly opened the door for me to enjoy the benefits that were available to my brother Dan.

All of this is strikingly similar to what we have been reading in John chapter 12. Israel had “welcomed” Jesus to Jerusalem, not unlike “John” welcomed me on the phone. “John” did so, thinking that I was someone else—someone similar (the same last name, and brothers, no less). The Jews in Jerusalem welcomed Jesus as their “king,” but as it turns out, they concluded they were mistaken. Jesus was not the kind of “king” they supposed Him to be. He was claiming to be Israel’s Messiah by His “triumphal entry,” and they were accepting Him as “Messiah,” but their “Messiah” was not the Jesus-kind of Messiah. And so it is that by the end of that week, those who hailed Jesus as their “King” cry out, “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15). Indeed, Jesus would then be mockingly worshipped as the “King of Israel” (Matthew 27:29, 37, 42; Mark 15:32; Luke 23:36-38; John 19:3, 14, 19).

This was a tragedy for the nation Israel (at least for a time), but it proved to be a great blessing for the Gentiles. As in my experience this past week when I was mistakenly identified, I was offered a “deal” which would never have been available to me as a preacher. It was not out of any merit or position that I could claim, but because of my relationship with my brother I can share in the benefits of his privileges as a reseller. The Gentiles (or, “Greeks” as our text has it) were “outsiders” with respect to the blessings God had promised Israel. Gentiles could, of course, enter into these blessings as Jews by becoming proselytes, but they could not enter into the blessings of Israel as Gentiles—not until now, that is. It is Israel’s “mistaken identity” of our Lord—their rejection of Him as their Messiah—which opened the door for the Gentiles to enter into Israel’s blessings as Gentiles. Israel’s mistake would be painful for the Jews, but it would be a great blessing to the Gentiles. This whole matter is taken up in our text.

We do not have to work hard at seeing the meaning and application of this text to our lives today, because it directly bears upon our salvation. Let us listen and learn well from this great text in the Gospel of John.

The Greeks Request an Appointment With Jesus
(12:20-22)

20 Now some Greeks were among those who had gone up to worship at the feast. 21 So these approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested, “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew, and they both went and told Jesus.

I believe the mention of the “Greeks” here is the inclusion of the last segment of mankind represented in this chapter. In John 12, we find Jesus, Judas His betrayer, the 12 disciples, the intimate friends of our Lord (including, but not limited to Lazarus, Mary and Martha), those who came from Galilee and other places in Israel, those pilgrims who came from afar to Jerusalem for Passover, the residents of Jerusalem and Judea, those from Jerusalem who witnessed the raising of Lazarus, those who opposed Jesus (chief priests, scribes, Pharisees), and now, at last, the Greeks. To pick up on the words of the Pharisees in verse 19: “Look, the whole world has run off after him.” How right their words would prove to be!

There has been considerable discussion among the scholars as to just who these “Greeks” are. I am going to avoid any lengthy discussion of the issues involved and simply state my conclusion that it refers to those Gentiles who have come to worship in Jerusalem.[483] These Greeks do not merely wish to look at (i.e. “see”) Jesus; they wish to speak with Him.

I think I can imagine[484] how this event could have occurred. Jesus had already made His “triumphal entrance” into Jerusalem. In the days that follow, He teaches and performs miracles in the outer courts of the temple—the very courts from which He had driven out the cattle and moneychangers earlier. All this time, He was surrounded by the crowds, preventing the Pharisees from arresting Him. The people are pressing in to hear what He is saying. Others wish Him to perform some kind of healing, and so they are attempting to push through the crowd to get near to Him, where they hope to get His attention. Along with many Jewish pilgrims, a number of “Greeks” have come to Jerusalem to worship during Passover. While there, they hear about all that Jesus had been doing in recent days. They probably heard about the healing of the man born blind (chapter 9). They most certainly heard that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. Some may even have seen Lazarus himself. They must have wondered if Jesus was the Messiah they had been seeking. Most of all, they would surely have wanted to hear from Him directly concerning what kind of relationship they might have with Him, since they were Greeks. To obtain the answers to their questions, they would have to arrange to talk privately with Jesus. They must have taken note of the fact that both Philip and Andrew had Greek names. John makes a point of telling us (verse 21) that Philip was from Bethsaida in Galilee. If any of the disciples might be inclined to lend a sympathetic ear to Greeks, Philip appeared to be the most likely one to do so. And so they approached him, requesting to meet with (i.e. to “see”) Jesus. Philip wasn’t quite sure how to handle this request, and so he consulted with Andrew. The two of them then must have pressed their way through the crowd, back to our Lord’s side. I can see Philip standing by our Lord as He taught, and at an opportune moment, getting Jesus’ attention and then whispering in His ear, “There are some Greeks here who would like to talk with you.”

A Perplexing Response
(12:23-26)

23 Jesus replied,[485] “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 I tell you the solemn truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 The one who loves his life destroys it, and the one who hates his life in this world guards it for eternal life. 26 If anyone wants to serve me, he must follow me, and where I am, my servant will be too. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

I’m not sure what Philip thought Jesus would do, but I am fairly confident that what Jesus did was not on the list of what Philip might expect from Jesus. Jesus appears to avoid the request of the Greeks. Those of us who are parents know how Philip must have felt. Have you ever been speaking to your child, working hard to make a point, and then asked the child something related to what you have just said, only to get a blank stare or a completely unrelated response? This might have been the way Philip viewed our Lord’s response. This is not the case here, however, since John tells us in verse 23 that we are reading our Lord’s direct response to the request that has been conveyed to Him by Philip and Andrew.

The point our Lord is making is really quite simple. (Let us bear in mind from all that we have already read in John’s Gospel that these words were not understood by the disciples or anyone else until after the cross.) Jesus sets down an important principle: fruit bearing does not result from one’s efforts to save his life, but from one’s willing sacrifice of his life. Jesus first employs an agricultural image, which enables His audience to grasp the principle as illustrated in everyday terms. One can preserve a grain of wheat, protecting it from the elements and from corruption, but doing so will never produce a crop of wheat. On the other hand, one can place this same grain of wheat in the ground, causing it to die. The “death” of this seed will produce much fruit.

In saying what He has, Jesus speaks primarily of Himself and of His imminent death. Jesus means that He will soon die, and that by means of His death, He will produce much life. He cannot be the Savior of the world without first dying. At the “triumphal entry,” those who heralded Jesus as the “King of Israel” expected Him to “save now” (this is what “Hosanna” means). What the masses failed to grasp was that He could only save men by giving up His life, by experiencing the death penalty for sin in the sinner’s place. It was not our Lord’s immediate coronation that would save many, but His death. It was not His acceptance by Israel, but His rejection, that would produce “much fruit.”

One might wonder what this has to do with the Greeks. We might agree that Jesus must die before He can reign over Israel as its King, but what does this have to do with the occasion? Why does Jesus speak of the necessity of His death in response to the Greeks request to meet with Him? I believe there are two primary reasons. First, whether Jews or Greeks, the death of Jesus Christ in the sinner’s place is the only way of salvation. Were the Greeks seeking Jesus as the Savior? His answer is that to be their Savior, He must die. Second, in order for the Greeks to be saved as Greeks, Israel must first of all reject Jesus as the Messiah, so that the gospel can be widely proclaimed to the Gentiles. This is in keeping with the principle, “To the Jew first, and also to the Greeks” (see Matthew 10:5-6; Romans 1:16; 2:9-10).

Why won’t Jesus give the Greeks an audience at this time? Quite simply, because it is premature—it is not the time. It was “His time” to die on the cross of Calvary. It was not the time to begin proclaiming the gospel worldwide, with the result that many Gentiles would come to faith. That “time” is soon to come, and will be described in the Book of Acts. Right now, Jesus must not lose His focus nor be turned aside from His goal—to be glorified by dying on the cross of Calvary. This will become even more apparent in verses 27-33.

The answer of our Lord, recorded in verse 23, is first applied directly to Himself. It was His time to be glorified, that is, to die on the cross of Calvary. Jesus must first die in order to give eternal life to men. Next, in verse 24, we find the general principle underlying our Lord’s statement concerning His death: dying precedes and produces life. The seed must first die before it can produce new life, before it can produce much fruit. This general principle is now extended to the followers of our Lord in verses 25 and 26. Anyone who strives to save his life will destroy it, so far as bearing fruit is concerned. And anyone who despises his life in this world actually preserves it. Those who would follow Jesus must follow the same principle and practice as their Master. If they would serve Him, they must follow Him. To follow Him, they must do as He does. If they do so, they will not only enter into His suffering and death, they will enter into God’s favor, for the Father will honor them as He does His Son.

Good Grief
(12:27-33)

27 “Now my soul is greatly distressed.[486] And what should I say? ‘Father, deliver me from this hour’? No, but for this very reason I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard the voice said that it had thundered. Others said that an angel had spoken to him. 30 Jesus said, “This voice has not come for my benefit but for yours. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 (Now he said this to indicate clearly what kind of death he was going to die.)

John omits the agony of our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane, but this does not by any means ignore our Lord’s agony over the eternity of separation from the Father that He will experience on the cross of Calvary. That agony is expressed by these words from Psalm 22, uttered by our Lord on the cross: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me!” (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34)

Our Lord’s agony in anticipation of this separation is recorded in the Synoptic Gospels, as they depict His anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane. John does not include this garden scene, but he does portray our Lord’s great distress in our text. In so doing, he enhances the reader’s appreciation for our Lord’s distress. From the incident in Gethsemane alone, one might conclude that Jesus agonized once. John’s account informs us that Jesus agonized on at least two accounts. I would be inclined to think there were other times as well. His agony in our text is indicative of the immensity of the suffering that awaits Him on the cross.

The Greeks have requested to meet with Jesus. Jesus has declined because it is not yet time for the gospel to embrace the Gentiles as Gentiles. That can come about only after Jesus is rejected by Israel and is glorified by His sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection. The request of these Greeks brings to the fore the matter of our Lord’s agony on the cross of Calvary. It is not a pretty picture, as our Lord knows too well. He who knows all (who is omniscient) fully knows what lies ahead for Him at the cross. And as the horror of having God turn His back on Him comes to mind, our Lord is “greatly distressed.”

Jesus considers the options before Him. He could say, “Father, deliver me from this hour” (verse 27), but His purpose in coming to this earth was to die, so that guilty sinners condemned to death might have eternal life. Jesus would never ask the Father to keep Him from what He had sent Him to do. And so Jesus responds, “Father, glorify your name.” We could paraphrase, “Father, glorify your name by the death which I am about to undergo, so that I might produce abundant life for many.” Jesus was soon to be glorified by His death on the cross of Calvary.

A dramatic heavenly response seems to immediately follow our Lord’s words of submission to the Father’s will. It would be easy for us to miss the significance of this divine declaration (dare I say “word”?) which comes down to men from heaven. There are only three occasions in the Gospels when God spoke audibly to His Son in the presence of men: (1) at His baptism (Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22); (2) at His transfiguration (Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35-36); and (3) here, in John chapter 12. In the two previous declarations, it appears that only a few people overheard God speaking. This declaration in John is spoken in Jerusalem, at the temple, where a large crowd is gathered.

Can you imagine this? Jesus has recently given sight to a man born blind (chapter 9). Then, He has raised a man from the dead who had been buried four days. And this man—Lazarus—is walking around Jerusalem, to be seen by all. And then Jesus triumphantly rides into the city, accepting the praise and adoration of the crowd as the “King of Israel.” As if this were not enough proof of Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah, when He speaks of His death, God the Father booms out a spine-tingling “Amen!” from heaven. Is there anything else God could have done to convince men that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Savior of the world?

Everyone seems to have heard the same sounds, but not everyone “heard” them the same way. Those who rejected Jesus as God’s Messiah did what one would have expected—what unbelieving men always do with the miraculous—explain it away in terms of natural phenomenon. And so to them the very voice of God was nothing more than thunder. Never mind (if this were the case) the fact that it was a cloudless day, without rain or lightning. It was thunder for sure. I well remember when I was teaching a high school class in a medium security prison. We were talking about creation and the theory of evolution. One inmate stated his unbelief in the clearest of terms. “I’ll tell you why I believe in evolution,” he said, “because I won’t believe in God.” And there you have it.

Those who believed (or at least had not closed their minds to the claims of our Lord) knew they had heard something much more than thunder. They seem to have recognized it as some kind of heavenly speech, but they did not understand the words that were spoken. It was almost as if God had spoken in some other language. And so they concluded that an angel had spoken to Jesus. They were not far from the truth. The “Word” who had come down from heaven had just received “word” from heaven.

The question must occur to us, “Why would God speak to Jesus in a way that prevented anyone else from understanding what was said?” This is all the more puzzling when we consider our Lord’s words, spoken to the crowd in response to what the Father had just said from heaven: “This voice has not come for my benefit but for yours” (verse 30).

Jesus indicates that God had not spoken for His benefit, primarily, but for theirs. He did not need reassurance of His Father’s love and approval. They needed to hear the Father’s response to His words about the cross He would bear. But if they needed to hear it, why were they not able to understand it? I think I know, not from this verse, but from the argument John has been developing throughout this Gospel. Jesus was the Son of God, who had come down from the Father and who spoke for the Father (John 3:13, 31; 6:33, 38, 41, 46, 50, 51, 58; 7:29; 8:14, 23, 26, 40, 42). Jesus was the logos, the Word. The writer to the Hebrews puts it this way:

1 After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our ancestors through the prophets, 2 in these last days he has spoken to us in a son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world (Hebrews 1:1-2).

Our Lord is God’s spokesman; He speaks for God. If we want to know what God has to say, we must listen to the Son of God, who speaks for Him. As a matter of fact, this is exactly what Peter, James, and John heard from the Father earlier, at the transfiguration of our Lord:

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud surrounded them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is the Son I love, in whom I have great delight. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5, emphasis mine; see also Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35.)

All three Synoptic Gospels tell us that Peter, James, and John heard God declare Jesus to be His beloved Son, and that because of this, they had better pay careful attention to His words. The television commercial used to go something like this: “When E. F. Hutton speaks, men listen.” The words of God the Father go like this: “When My Son speaks, you’d better listen.”

What is it that God the Father wants these people to know? Jesus tells them (and us) in verses 31-36. The time for the judgment of this world is at hand (verse 31). The judgment of this world begins with the “ruler of this world,” Satan. He is about to be cast out (verse 31). For a very short time, the death of Jesus Christ appears to be the defeat of our Lord. Until the resurrection of our Lord, Satan and his fallen forces must have been celebrating, believing they had succeeded in their rebellion against God. But the cross was not Satan’s victory; it was Satan’s defeat. It robbed the evil one of his power. If judgment was imminent for the “prince of this world,” then it was also imminent for all those who belonged to him, to all of his “sons” (see John 8:42, 44). No wonder John the Baptist spoke so much about the coming judgment of God (see Matthew 3:1-12).

The basis for this judgment—of Satan and of the world—is the crucifixion and death Jesus is about to experience on the cross of Calvary:

32 “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 (Now he said this to indicate clearly what kind of death he was going to die.)

By the words He spoke in verse 32, Jesus indicated that He would die. This was immediately grasped by the crowd who heard Him speak these words (see verse 34). John tells us (parenthetically) that Jesus was not merely indicating that He would die, but indicating exactly how He would die. He must be “lifted up.” Such talk is not new in John’s Gospel:

14 “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14).

No wonder the attempts to stone Jesus failed. Our Lord’s death must be at the right time (Passover), and done in the right way (crucifixion) in order to fulfill Old Testament prophecies and the purposes of God.

Confusion in the Crowd
(12:34-36)

34 Then the crowd responded, “We have heard from the law that the Christ will remain forever. How can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 Jesus replied, “The light is with you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he went away and hid himself from them.

The difficulties the crowd faced were no different than those experienced by the prophets, as we read in 1 Peter 1:10-12. The prophets themselves struggled over their own prophecies, trying to understand them. How could the Messiah be both a triumphant king and a suffering servant? How could the Messiah be a man—the Son of David—and God Himself? There were tensions that only the fulfillment of these prophecies removed. As I understand this text, the crowd experienced a different tension. The tension was not between a Savior who would die and one who would live forever; it was a tension between what Jesus taught and what the Pharisees taught.

Allow me to put this into a historical context first. Fairly early in His ministry, Jesus gave His famous “Sermon on the Mount,” as recorded in Matthew 5–7. In chapter 5 Jesus begins, “You have heard it said …” (5:21, 27, 33, 38, 43), followed by, “But I say to you …” (5:22, 28, 34, 39, 44). Jesus was saying something like this: “The scribes and Pharisees have been teaching you this …, but I am here to tell you …” Jesus was correcting the way the scribes and Pharisees taught the Old Testament law.

I now see the words of the crowd in verse 34 as crucial:

Then the crowd responded, “We have heard from the law that the Christ will remain forever. How can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” (emphasis mine).

If we were to paraphrase these words, it would go something like this:

In response to Jesus’ words about His imminent death, the crowd responded, “Hold on a minute! The scribes and Pharisees have long taught us from the Law that the Messiah will live forever. Now You come along and teach that you, who claim to be Messiah, are going to die. Something doesn’t fit. What kind of a ‘Messiah’ are you advocating?”

You see, the crowd does not say, “We have read that Messiah will remain forever,” but “We have heard that Messiah will remain forever.” The tension this crowd faces is whom they will believe. Will they believe our Lord, and what He says about Himself as the Messiah, or will they believe the Pharisees? They can’t follow both Jesus and the Pharisees. They must choose one or the other. And right now, what the Pharisees teach about Messiah is much more appealing than what Jesus is saying. Already the mood is changing. They are no longer heralding Jesus as their King; they are now beginning to question the kind of “kingdom” He advocates. The teaching of the Pharisees on this point sounds better because it is much more appealing to the fleshly desires of unsaved men.

Bear in mind that our Lord’s words in these closing verses of chapter 12 are His last public words to the Jews. From here on out in John’s Gospel, Jesus will be speaking to His disciples, or to those who arrest and try Him. Jesus urges those in the crowd to “walk in the light.” He is the light, and He is not going to be with them as the light much longer. When Jesus is “lifted up,” the darkness will overtake them, if they have rejected His light. There is therefore an urgency they should sense, an urgency to listen well to Him who is the “light.” This is their “hour of decision.”

Having said this, Jesus hid Himself from them. This is a most unexpected statement. Jesus had entered Jerusalem in the most “public” way possible—His “triumphal entry.” Each day Jesus came to the temple, where He performed miracles and taught. (And, from the other Gospels, we know that Jesus also debated with the scribes and Pharisees and religious leaders.) Now, after Jesus has spoken of His imminent death as His “glory,” and the Father in heaven has “seconded” His words, the crowd is not so sure they want a suffering Savior. Jesus reminds them that He is the “light,” and that they had better heed His teaching as the truth. To reject it would be to walk in darkness. There is nothing more to say. They have a choice to make, and Jesus goes into seclusion, so that they can decide. As I read these words, there is a strong sense of finality, of closure, here. Except for the last words of our Lord, recorded in the closing verses of John chapter 12, Jesus has said all there is to say. Israel must now decide whether to believe the teaching of the Pharisees, or the teaching of Jesus. They must put their faith in a suffering Savior or in a would-be military messiah.

The Theology of Unbelief
(12:37-41)

37 Although Jesus had performed so many miraculous signs before them, they still refused to believe in him, 38 so that the word of Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled. He said, “Lord, who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39 For this reason they could not believe, because again Isaiah said, 40 “He has blinded their eyes and closed their mind, so that they cannot see with their eyes and understand with their mind, and turn to me, and I would heal them.” 41 Isaiah said these things because he saw Christ’s glory, and spoke about him.

John tells us clearly what we may already have inferred—that the crowd who heard Jesus, and who even heard the voice of God—did not believe in Jesus. Notice the characteristics of this unbelief. First, it is a persistent unbelief. John tells us very precisely that they “still refused to believe” (verse 37). They did not just decide not to believe; they persisted in the unbelief they had clung to all along. Secondly, it was an unbelief that was in spite of the signs our Lord had performed. We need to note this matter carefully. John tells us that he has selectively chosen the “signs” he recorded in this Gospel, so that his readers would believe that Jesus is the Messiah.

30 Now Jesus performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples that are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20:30-31).

John’s readers will not have seen these signs, but they (we) will only have read about them. His readers will read only of the few signs that John has chosen to include in this Gospel. The Jews to whom Jesus is speaking (and of whom John is now speaking) have seen these signs with their own eyes, along with many other signs. Notice once again that John tells us these Jews did not believe “although Jesus had performed so many miraculous signs before them” (verse 37). This is hard core unbelief. No wonder John writes as well:

Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are the people who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

I am also reminded of these New Testament texts, which speak of the greater condemnation that will come to those Jews who have seen and rejected much more compelling evidence than others have been given:

20 Then Jesus began to criticize openly the cities in which he had done many of his miracles, because they did not repent. 21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles done among you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23 And you, Capernaum, you won’t be lifted up to heaven, will you? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles done among you had been done in Sodom, it would have continued to this day. 24 But I tell you, it will be more bearable for the region of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you!” (Matthew 11:20-24)

38 Then some of the experts in the law along with some Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 41 The people of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; yet something greater than Jonah is here! 42 The Queen of the South will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; yet something greater than Solomon is here! (Matthew 12:38-42).

Third, the unbelief of the Jews should come as no surprise, because Israel’s unbelief and rejection of Jesus as their Messiah was foretold by Old Testament prophecy. John selects the prophet Isaiah to make his point. He cites two texts from the prophecy of Isaiah. He quotes Isaiah 53:1 in verse 38, and Isaiah 6:10 in verse 40. Much could be said of these texts, but for the moment, let me point out that Isaiah 53:1 is clearly a reference to the Messiah, and thus to our Lord Jesus. Earlier in this passage, Isaiah spoke of the Messiah as being “high and lifted up” (52:13). No wonder our Lord spoke of the necessity of His being “lifted up” (John 12:32). It is in these same verses in Isaiah that the suffering of our Lord at Calvary is so clearly spelled out. In the light of this text alone, should the Jews have been shocked that Jesus would speak of being lifted up, of dying in order to save? I think not!

To press this matter even further, there is a great deal in Isaiah 52 and 53 which relates to Jesus and the Jews at that moment. The “message” of Messiah was not believed (53:1a), and this in spite of the fact that the “arm of the Lord had been revealed” (53:1b). The words about Messiah were not believed, in spite of the fact that many witnessed the mighty works of Messiah. How could this be? The text in Isaiah goes on to tell us. Israel could not recognize Jesus as Messiah because of His suffering. They interpreted His suffering as proof of His guilt and of God’s disfavor, instead of grasping the fact that He suffered and died for the sins of men:

1 Who would have believed what we just heard? When was the LORD’s power revealed through him? 2 He sprouted up like a twig before God, like a root out of parched soil; he had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, no special appearance that we should want to follow him. 3 He was despised and rejected by people, one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness; people hid their faces from him, he was despised and we considered him insignificant. 4 But he lifted up our illnesses, he carried our pain; even though we thought he was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done. 5 He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; he endured punishment that made us well, because of his wounds we have been healed. 6 All of us had wandered off like sheep, each of us had strayed off on his own path, but the LORD caused the sin of all of us to attack him (Isaiah 53:1-6, The NET Bible).

John wants his readers to know that the rejection of our Lord by the nation Israel was no failure on His part, but the fulfillment of Scripture. It not only did happen—it had to happen.

Now let us give some thought to Isaiah 6:10, as cited in verse 40. Even though this is a familiar text, allow me to quote the entire sixth chapter of Isaiah:

1 In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw the sovereign master seated on a high, elevated throne. The skirts of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphs stood over him; each one had six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and they used the remaining two to fly. 3 They called out to one another, “The LORD who leads armies has absolute sovereign authority. His majestic splendor fills the entire earth.” 4 The sound of their voices shook the door frames, and the temple was filled with smoke. 5 I said, “Too bad for me! I am destroyed, for my lips are contaminated by sin, and I live among people whose lips are contaminated by sin. My eyes have seen the king, the LORD who leads armies.” 6 But then one of the seraphs flew toward me. In his hand was a hot coal he had taken from the altar with tongs. 7 He touched my mouth with it and said, “Look, this coal has touched your lips. Your evil is removed; your sin is forgiven.” 8 I heard the voice of the sovereign master say, “Whom will I send? Who will go on our behalf?” I answered, “Here I am, send me!” 9 He said, “Go and tell these people: ‘Listen continually, but don’t understand! Look continually, but don’t perceive!’ 10 Make the minds of these people calloused, make their ears deaf and their eyes blind! Otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, their minds might understand and they might repent and be healed.” 11 I replied, “How long, sovereign master?” He said, “Until cities are in ruins and unpopulated, and houses are uninhabited, and the land is ruined and devastated, 12 and the LORD has sent people off to a distant place, and the very heart of the land is completely abandoned. 13 Even if only a tenth of the people remain in the land, it will again be destroyed, like one of the large sacred trees or an Asherah pole, when a sacred pillar on a high place is thrown down. That sacred pillar symbolizes the special chosen family.” (Isaiah 6:1-13, The NET Bible).

God has been warning Israel through the prophets for a long time, and the Israelites have not hearkened to the word of the Lord. Before giving Isaiah his mission, God gives him a vision of Himself, of His glory. Then God commissioned Isaiah to preach to Israel, not so that they would repent and be spared from divine judgment, but so that they would be hardened, in preparation for the divine judgment that was soon to come.

In the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, Jesus has commenced His public ministry. Already the scribes and Pharisees have opposed themselves to Jesus (see, for example, Mark 3:1-6). Since they cannot deny the miracles He has performed, they must somehow explain them. They attribute His miracles to the power of Beelzebul, rather than to the Holy Spirit. In so doing, they blaspheme the Holy Spirit, the one unpardonable sin: “I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies people may speak will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. They are liable for an eternal sin (because they said, ‘He has an unclean spirit’)” (Mark 3:28-30).

Those who have thus attributed to Satan the work of the Holy Spirit through Jesus can never be saved. Consequently, from this point on, Jesus speaks to them in parables, not so that they will better understand His teaching (as is often suggested), but so they will not understand, believe, and be saved. When the disciples ask Jesus why He is speaking to them in parables, He cites Isaiah 6:10 as the basis for His actions. The same thing can be found in Matthew’s parallel account in chapters 12 and 13.

Now, in John chapter 12, this same text from Isaiah chapter 6 is cited. Here, it is much later in our Lord’s ministry. It is not just the Jewish religious leaders who have rejected Jesus, but a large portion of those who are in Jerusalem for the Passover. Our Lord does not just “speak in parables” here; He literally hides Himself from them. Israel’s rejection of the divine message is the basis for withdrawing the gospel (and offering it to others).

There is a third time when this same text in Isaiah is cited. This time it is in the last (28th) chapter of the Book of Acts, and it is cited by the Apostle Paul. Paul has been preaching Jesus as the promised Messiah (the Christ) ever since his conversion. And virtually everywhere he has gone, unbelieving Jews have harassed him. In some instances, they have tried to kill him. After being falsely charged with profaning the temple (see Acts 21), Paul was forced to appeal his case to Caesar. In Acts 28, we find Paul in Rome, awaiting a hearing before Caesar. Paul calls for the Jews there in Rome and proclaims the gospel to them. As usual, a few believe in Jesus as Messiah, and the rest reject the message and the messenger. It is when this rejection becomes apparent to Paul that he cites Isaiah 6:10 as the end of an era (in which the gospel was proclaimed to Jews), and the beginning of a whole new era—the times of the Gentiles (see Romans 11).

This rejection of the gospel by the Jews in Rome is the last straw. Our Lord’s use of Isaiah 6:10 in Matthew and Mark explained why the gospel would not be proclaimed clearly to those who had determined to kill Him and who explained His miracles as the work of the devil. In John chapter 12, the same text in Isaiah is cited in response to the rejection of the Jews there in Jerusalem. In Acts chapter 28, the Isaiah text is cited in response to the rejection of the Jews dispersed around the world. Now that Jesus has been rejected by the Jews, has been crucified on the cross of Calvary and raised from the dead, and has ascended to the Father above, the Greeks can be evangelized as Greeks, rather than as potential proselytes (by which process Gentiles submit themselves to Judaism).

I should point out one more important observation from our text. In verse 41, John explains why Isaiah wrote what he did: “Isaiah said these things because he saw Christ’s glory, and spoke about him.” This is a most striking and important statement. Isaiah saw Christ’s glory, in a way that is not all that different from the way Jesus claimed that Abraham “saw His day and rejoiced” (John 8:56). The “glory” Isaiah saw was not just the Father’s glory, but also the glory of the Son. The “glory” which Isaiah saw was not just the glory of our Lord as He triumphed over His foes, but His “glory” in suffering, as depicted in the “suffering Servant” passage in Isaiah 52 and 53. The Jews of Jesus’ day may not have been able to reconcile the Messiah’s triumph and the tragedy of the cross, but Isaiah did. The Jews of Jesus’ day may not have been able to see how Messiah could both die and live forever, but Isaiah could. And the reason was because Isaiah could see the glory of God in suffering.

I was privileged to have Dr. Bruce Waltke as a professor while I was in seminary. I can remember this lovely man of God saying something like this to our class: “Men, whenever I read in the Old Testament, I ask God to allow me to see more of Jesus there.” That’s what Isaiah did. That’s what John did. That’s what you and I should do as well. The tragic thing we see from our text is that Israel could not see Jesus (the suffering Servant) in the Old Testament, and thus they could not recognize Him when He appears in the New. Israel has seen the signs which prove Jesus to be their Messiah. They have heard His words. They have, so to speak, “seen the light.” In spite of all of this, they have rejected Him as their Messiah. In so doing, they have fulfilled prophecy, they have paved the way for His sacrificial death, and they have opened the door to Gentile evangelization.

Camouflaged Christians
(12:42-43)

42 Nevertheless, even among the rulers many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they would not confess Jesus to be the Christ, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue. 43 For they loved praise from men more than praise from God.

Israel’s unbelief was not complete. Besides the disciples and intimate friends of our Lord, there were a number who believed in Him as the Messiah. John notes this fact in verses 42 and 43. But John also makes a point of calling our attention to the “rulers” who believed in Jesus. Why would John take special note of these folks? I believe I understand what John is trying to tell us here: it was these “rulers” who could have put a stop to the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of our Lord … and didn’t. If you look back over the earlier chapters of John’s Gospel, you will see that there was a very strong feeling against Jesus on the part of some of the rulers of the Jews. The problem was that the Jewish rulers—the members of the Sanhedrin—were not unanimous in their commitment to kill Jesus, regardless of the law. Thus, in John chapter 7, the Sanhedrin orders the arrest of Jesus, but the temple police come back empty-handed. Most of the Sanhedrin are intent on killing Jesus, but Nicodemus raises some legitimate legal and procedural objections. Now, after the raising of Lazarus, the triumphal entry of our Lord into Jerusalem, and our Lord’s “attack” on the Pharisees (see Matthew 23), there is a very strong opposition to Jesus on the part of the rulers of the Jews.

In spite of the unbelief of Israel’s rulers, and in spite of the Sanhedrin’s commitment to arrest and to kill Jesus, there were some rulers who had come to believe in Jesus as Israel’s Messiah. It is my opinion that apart from the silence of these believing rulers, the arrest and crucifixion of our Lord would not have been possible. This silence, while cowardly and sinful, was also a part of the divine plan. It was this silence which paved the way for those opposed to Jesus to achieve His arrest, trial, and execution. While those who kept silent sinned, God used their sin to achieve His purposes. God is not limited to our times of faith and our acts of obedience to achieve His will; He is more than able to use our sin and rebellion to bring about His purposes as well. And that is what John is telling us here. It was due to the religious leaders’ animosity, the crowd’s rejection of Jesus, and the complacency of the rulers who believed in Jesus that the cross of our Lord was achieved, in fulfillment of our Lord’s purpose and plan, and of Old Testament prophecies.

John tells us why the believing rulers of Israel remained silent: they feared what the Pharisees could do to them. They were afraid of being cast out of the synagogue. While they were willing to identify with Jesus to some extent, these rulers of Israel were not willing to break with their colleagues. John explains that they “loved praise (literally glory) from men more than praise (literally glory) from God.”[487] The “glory” which comes from men is the kind of “glory” we see at our Lord’s “triumphal entry.” It is praise that is rooted in popularity and success, and in living up to man’s expectations and goals. The “glory” which comes from God is that which is often His reward for suffering, for “taking up our cross.” Those rulers of Israel who believed in Jesus were not yet ready to suffer with Jesus, the Messiah.

These two verses (42 and 43) have much to say to us. I attended an HCJB banquet this past week and heard an exciting report of how God is using this great radio station, high up in the mountains of Quito, Ecuador, to proclaim the gospel. In a little quiz that was passed out at this banquet, this question was asked: “How many people would each Christian have to witness to in order for the Great Commission to be fulfilled?” The answer, my friend, was nine. If every Christian shared his or her faith with nine unbelievers, the Great Commission could be fulfilled in our generation.

This raises another question. “Why haven’t we fulfilled the Great Commission?” The reason is simple. Only one out of 20 professing Christians shares his faith. We are not so different from the “rulers” John speaks of, are we? We believe in Jesus as our Savior, and as the Savior of the world, and yet we keep it a secret. We don’t share our faith with the lost. And we don’t do so because we are more concerned with winning “glory” from men (by our success and popularity) than we are with seeking the glory that comes from Him—a glory that comes through suffering, from taking up our cross.

By way of application, I want to say two more things. First, the unbelieving world cares little about what we believe, so long as we keep quiet about it. I have heard the talk about being a “silent Christian,” and while there are times when we need to keep our mouths shut, most of our silence about Christ falls far short of being truly Christian. Let us beware of keeping silent when it is time to speak out regarding our Savior.

Second, the silence and the sins of those who profess to know Christ will not prevent God’s purposes from being achieved on this earth. Throughout history, God has been bringing about His purposes both “in spite of” and “by means of” man’s failures.

John continually stresses a very important biblical truth—the sovereignty of God. God is in complete control of everything. Even the actions of Judas are under our Lord’s control. Judas is responsible, but ultimately our Lord is in control. In the sovereign plan and purpose of God, Judas will betray Jesus, Peter will deny Him, and those rulers who have believed in Jesus will keep silent. God uses man’s opposition, rebellion, and even his sins to bring about His purposes, yet without justifying the sin.

Jesus’ Final Words
(12:44-50)

44 But Jesus shouted out, “The one who believes in me does not believe in me, but in the one who sent me, 45 and the one who sees me sees the one who sent me. 46 I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not obey them, I do not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not accept my words has a judge; the word I have spoken will judge him at the last day. 49 For I have not spoken from my own authority, but the Father himself who sent me has commanded me what I should say and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. Thus the things I say, I say just as the Father has told me.”

We cannot tell for certain when and where these final words of our Lord were spoken. In verse 36, John tells us that Jesus “went away and hid himself from them.” Verses 37-43 are John’s words, explaining Israel’s unbelief. Verses 44-50 are our Lord’s final words, which seem to be placed here out of chronological sequence. John is not so concerned about the timing of these words as their impact. In many ways, verses 44-50 sum up the message of the Gospel of John, and of our Lord. We find nothing new here, but a repetition of what has been said many times before. Since these are our Lord’s final words, spoken publicly to the Jews in Jerusalem, this makes good sense.

I would point out that our Lord’s words here are not only applicable to the Jews, who are already rejecting Him as their Messiah, but to the Greeks, who are seeking Him as their Messiah. Jesus intends for these words to be heard because He shouts them out (verse 44).[488] I believe the backdrop for these final words of our Lord is found in John chapter 10, where our Lord says,

37 “If I do not perform the deeds of my Father, do not believe me. 38 But if I do them, even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds, so that you may come to know and understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”

Jesus’ words here are spoken to the Jews in Jerusalem during the feast of the Dedication. Jesus has been teaching about Himself as the Good Shepherd, and He has clearly claimed to be one with the Father. As a result, the Jewish religious authorities sought to stone Him (10:31). Jesus tells them how they can put His words to the test. They know that He has claimed to be God, so let them test this claim by His works. Do His works confirm His words? This is a very sensitive point because our Lord frequently employs the word “hypocrite” in reference to the Pharisees. Their works did not measure up to their words (see Matthew 23:1-3). Jesus is more than willing to have His words tested by His works. If they will not believe His words for their sake alone, then let them believe His words on account of His works. Let them conclude with Nicodemus, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him” (John 3:2).

When we go back to John 12:34, the Jewish people had to choose between the teaching of Jesus and the teaching of the Pharisees. There (12:35-36), Jesus urged them to “walk in the light,” to believe and behave in the light of what He taught. Once again, in Jesus’ final exhortation to the Jews, He urges those who hear Him to walk in the light. His message is clear and concise. He has come from God, and He speaks for God (verses 49-50). His words are God’s commandment, and this commandment is the means to eternal life (verses 49-50). To believe in the word of Jesus is to believe in the Father; to see Jesus is to see the Father (verses 44-45). If one believes in Jesus, he obeys His words. If one does not believe in the words of Jesus, he disobeys the commandment of God and fails to enter into eternal life. Instead, the words of Jesus become the basis of the unbeliever’s eternal judgment.

Conclusion

Allow me to focus on two vitally important truths from our text as I close. First, this text tells us that we dare not separate our Lord’s works from His words. From the very beginning and throughout our Lord’s ministry, there were very few objections to our Lord’s miraculous works (unless, of course, they took place on a Sabbath). When Jesus healed the paralytic who was let down through the roof, it was not the work of our Lord that troubled the scribes, but our Lord’s words: “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5). Jesus healed the man in such a way that those witnessing this miracle could not separate His words (“Your sins are forgiven”) from His works (“Get up, take your stretcher, and go to your house”—Mark 2:11).

When Jesus fed the 5,000, the Galileans who received the free meal loved it. They wanted to make Jesus their king by force (John 6:15). It was not until Jesus began to teach them about the “bread of life” that they wanted no more of Him. They, too, wanted His works, but not His word. And so it is over and over again in the Gospels. When Jesus made His “triumphal entry” into Jerusalem, the people wanted His works. But after Jesus taught them in the temple, they did not want His words, because His words concerned His sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary.

I would suggest to you that in these closing words of our Lord in John chapter 12, Jesus for one last time calls upon His hearers to believe in His words, if for no other reason than for His works. We dare not separate the words of our Lord from His works. In fact, I think it is accurate to say that when Jesus revealed the Father at His first coming to this earth, He was “the Word” (the logos) in both His words and His works. God spoke to us by His Son, in what He said and in what He did (Hebrews 1:1-3).

Today, most people are more than willing to grant that Jesus was a wonderful man. They may be willing to grant that He performed many wonderful works. But they are not so willing to accept His words—at least not all of them. The world will accept a few of the things which Jesus says, if properly edited. They accept with full authority all the statements in which Jesus appears to be compassionate, merciful, forgiving, and accepting of sinners. But they reject all of His teaching about the cross of Calvary, and the glory of suffering (His, and ours). They seize upon His statements about “life after death” and heaven, but they reject out of hand any statements about hell and eternal judgment. As we read the Gospel accounts, let me urge that you not separate what “God has joined together”—the words of our Lord (all of them)—and His works. Let us allow Jesus to speak for Himself. And let us listen to Him as the only One who has come down from the Father, and who speaks for the Father. Let us listen to Him as the “light of the world,” believe in His words, and obey them.

Second, I believe I now understand the reason John chose these three incidents described in chapter 12 as the conclusion to our Lord’s public ministry. I am firmly convinced that John was a very skillful writer. He did not simply jump from one subject to the next, with each subject having no relationship to the rest. John has chosen to omit many details that are recorded in the Synoptic Gospels pertaining to the final week of our Lord’s ministry. John sums up our Lord’s public ministry in Jerusalem the final week of His life by drawing together three separate incidents in chapter 12: (1) Mary’s anointing of our Lord with her precious ointment in verses 1-8; (2) our Lord’s “triumphal entry” into Jerusalem in verses 9-19; and, (3) the request of the Greeks as dealt with in verses 20-50. What is the connection between these three very different segments? And what is the overall message that John wants us to learn as he draws them all together in this chapter? I think, after considerable agony, that I have come to some conclusions here. John is developing a consistent argument, and the three incidents in chapter 12 are all very much related, and all pointing to the same conclusion. Let’s take these three incidents one at a time, and seek to see how they combine to make one powerful message.

The first incident in chapter 12 is Mary’s anointing of our Lord for burial. It may be out of chronological sequence, but John places it here in chapter 12. Judas (followed by a number of other disciples in the Synoptic accounts) cannot fathom how such “waste” could be permitted by Jesus. Mary’s actions appear to the disciples as needless extravagance. Our Lord puts her act of love in a different light. How different this act of extravagant love appears in the light of the cross of Calvary. That is just what Jesus does. He justifies Mary’s actions in the light of His imminent death. Calvary sheds an entirely different light on this incident. In the light of the priceless gift Jesus is about to bestow by the shedding of His blood, how appropriate Mary’s gift becomes. Her actions cannot be rightly appraised apart from the cross.

The second incident in John chapter 12 is the “triumphal entry” of our Lord into Jerusalem. The crowds are ecstatic with joy. They welcome Jesus as their king. Nowhere does Jesus speak of this event in terms of glory, and elsewhere we learn that Jesus actually wept (Luke 19:41-44). This incident does not make any sense at all—until after the death of our Lord at Calvary. Jesus did not come to Jerusalem to be crowned as their king, or to throw off Roman rule. Jesus came to Jerusalem to be mistakenly identified (as a political deliverer), to be rejected, and to be glorified by dying on a Roman cross at Calvary. We cannot properly understand or appreciate this “triumphal entry” until we view it in the light of the cross. This apparent earthly “success” is momentary, lasting less than a week. Our Lord’s glorious death at Calvary has benefits that last for eternity. The cross makes such things clear.

The third incident in John chapter 12 is the “seeking Greeks.” We are perplexed as we see Jesus virtually “brushing off” their request for an interview. Why would Jesus not meet with true seekers? The answer, once again, is bound up with the cross. It is the rejection of Jesus by the Jews which takes Him to the cross. It is at the cross that salvation is accomplished for all who believe in Christ, whether Jew or Greek. It is the cross of Calvary that makes perfect sense of our Lord’s response to the request of the Greeks.

Three incidents in chapter 12 have one thing in common—they require the cross of Calvary to make any sense to the reader, and to be of any value to men. Every week we observe communion, or “the Lord’s Table” as we refer to it. Some say that remembering our Lord’s death weekly deprives it of its meaning and significance. We would differ. We believe that the cross of our Lord puts everything else in its proper perspective. That is also why Paul restricts his message to the “cross of Christ” (see 1 Corinthians 1:18-25). There is no better way to see things clearly than from the vantage point of the cross.

What a turning point this chapter is for the nation Israel. Jesus has come down to the earth, the Word of the Father. He has spoken to men for God; He has spoken to men as God. Israel has seen Him perform “so many miraculous signs” (12:37). He has entered Jerusalem as the Messiah. And it is now Israel’s hour of decision. They have already rejected Him, and even those who have believed in Him are keeping silent. The cross is but a few hours away. Israel’s rejection of Jesus as their Messiah fulfills prophecy and paves the way not only for His work on the cross, but for the salvation of the Greeks, who are already seeking Him.

This may well be your hour of decision as well, my friend. It is not my words which are important, but His words, so clearly spoken in this great Gospel. And we have it from John that the few miraculous signs of which he has written are but a small sampling of all that Jesus did. In the light of His works, my friend, I urge you to heed His words. He is the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father, but by Him (John 14:6). Have you believed in His word? Have you received Him as the One who died for your sins, who bore your punishment on the cross? Listen well to these final words of our Lord. While John makes it very clear that God is sovereign in all these events (including Israel’s unbelief), he likewise emphasizes that these Jews made a willful choice, and were accountable for their decision. While the rejection of Jesus by the nation Israel was both necessary and inevitable, let us take note that in verses 35-36, and again in verses 44-50, Jesus makes an appeal to men to believe in Him for eternal life. This may be your hour of decision as well, my friend. What will your decision be?


! Lesson 31:
Menial Service
(John 13:1-17)

Introduction

I remember all too well that day many years ago when my wife came home to tell me that one of the other seminary wives was having trouble with her washing machine. This woman had just recently given birth to a baby by cesarean section and was suffering from some complications. To have no working washing machine was a serious problem. And so I went over to work on it. It was in seminary housing, where there was no hook-up provided for washing machines or dryers. There was, however, a very popular work-around to this problem. They would put the washing machine in the bathroom, connect an adapter to the sink faucet to get hot and cold water, and place the drain hose in the toilet. This worked reasonably well, most of the time.

The trouble on this occasion was that this woman’s washing machine was in a downstairs apartment. Every time the washer got to the spin cycle, the clutch would grab, the load in the washer would overload the motor, and the circuit breaker (which was located in the basement, some distance away) would trip. Every time I changed the adjustment on the clutch, I had to test it. Each time I did, the clutch would grab again, blowing the circuit breaker. And every time the circuit breaker would blow, I had to crawl out from under the washer, go around the back of the apartment complex, go down into the basement, reset the breaker, come back up the basement stairs, crawl back under the washer, and make another adjustment. This I did far too many times to count.

After I had wasted a considerable amount of time, I laid there under the washing machine, grumbling to God. I was praying that God would enable me to fix this machine, but I was not a “happy camper.” Just about this time, I could feel the ceiling and walls vibrating, and I knew that the woman upstairs was doing her wash. She was washing dirty diapers in the washing machine, but she had made one crucial mistake. She had left one dirty diaper soaking in the toilet, and then turned on the washer, with the drain hose emptying into the toilet. When her washer went into its spin cycle, a good volume of dirty diaper water drained from the machine into the toilet. The dirty diaper in the toilet lodged there, stopping up the toilet, so that all the dirty diaper water from the toilet and the washer spilled out onto the floor, and then somehow made its way down through the ceiling light fixture of the room I was in, and down onto my body, which was spread out on the bathroom floor. Only my head was protected from the flood of filthy water, safely tucked under the wayward washing machine.

I called to the young mother who owned the washer, as she stood nearby trying to encourage me. I told her that the washer upstairs was overflowing and suggested that she turn off the light above me so that it would not explode. “Oh, it does that all the time,” she explained, “and it never explodes.” Poof! Just then, the light bulb exploded, showering my body with an abundance of small glass fragments, which was already soaked with dirty diaper water. It was sort of like sprinkling bits of coconut on a cake that had just been iced. That was about as much dirty work as I could take. Graciously, the Lord enabled my next adjustment to work so that I could go home and clean up.

All of us have had our share of “dirty work,” and I doubt that we have really enjoyed it. This Sunday, I asked for volunteers in the audience to share some of their “dirty work” experiences. I was told of experiences ranging from “changing dirty diapers” to “cleaning grease traps” while in the Army. I know from my own experience that there are many different forms of dirty work. I will not forget the first time I had to go to the store to buy Depends (adult diapers) for a friend and neighbor. I never knew that aisle existed before, and the choices facing me there were so numerous I would have called for help if I hadn’t been so embarrassed. (I drew the line when the visiting nurse told me she would show me how to change our friend’s diapers. I’m honestly not sure whether I declined to protect my neighbor’s dignity or my own.)

Our text is about the dirty work of washing the disciples’ feet. This menial task was performed by none other than the Lord of glory. What an amazing story it is. It is not included in any other Gospel account. It introduces the Upper Room Discourse of our Lord (John 13-17), which is also found only in the Gospel of John. This is indeed a marvelous portion of John’s Gospel. John G. Mitchell writes,

Of all the Scriptures between Genesis and Revelation, I know of no greater portion as far as the people of God are concerned than chapters 13 through 17 of John. I believe in these chapters we have the seed germ of all the truth concerning the Church, as well as almost all the doctrine in the New Testament. Our Lord’s discourse here takes us within twenty-four hours of the crucifixion.[489]

Here is a text which has much to say to our generation. Let us listen well to what the Spirit of God has to say to each one of us.

The Setting
(13:1-5)

What’s Jesus Doing With That Basin and Towel?

1 Just before the Passover feast,[490] Jesus knew that his time had come to depart from this world to the Father. He had loved his own who were in the world, and now he loved them to the very end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that he should betray Jesus. 3 Jesus, because he knew that the Father had handed [all][491] things over to him, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 got up from the meal, removed his outer clothes, took a towel and tied it around himself. 5 He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel he had wrapped around himself.[492]

The washing of the feet of one’s guests was expected in Jesus’ day, as we can see from Luke’s Gospel:

44 Then, turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house, you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss of greeting, but from the time I entered she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with perfumed oil (Luke 7:44-46).

Normally, the host would not do this washing himself, because it was regarded as a very demeaning task. We get some idea of just how menial it was from the comment Abigail makes to David in the Old Testament: “Then she arose, bowed her face to the earth, and said, ‘Here is your maidservant, a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord’” (1 Samuel 25:41, NKJV).

Foot washing was understood in the same way by John the Baptist:

When John the Baptist desired to give expression to his feeling of unworthiness in comparison to Christ, he could think of no better way to express this than to say that he deemed himself unworthy of kneeling down in front of Jesus in order to unloose his sandalstraps and remove the sandals (with a view to washing the Master’s feet).”[493]

I believe our Lord’s washing of the disciples’ feet in John 13 is further explained by a comment that is found in Luke’s Gospel:

24 A dispute also started among them over which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 So Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and those in authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ 26 But it must not be like that with you! Instead the one who is greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is seated at the table, or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is seated at the table? But I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:24-27).

It would not at all surprise me if this dispute occurred just as the disciples were entering this upper room. The “table” was not like our kitchen “tables” at all. The meal would have been served to these disciples as they reclined in a u-shaped arrangement, with our Lord at what we might call the “head of the table.” Some suggest that Judas was sitting beside Jesus, at His right hand, in the place of honor. I wouldn’t be surprised. Each place at the table had its own social ranking. This is why our Lord can say:

8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, because a person more distinguished than you may have been invited by your host. 9 So the host who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your place,’ and then with shame you will start to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, go and take the least important place, so that when your host comes he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up here to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who share the meal with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:8-11).

I believe that when the disciples entered this upper room, they were all intent on sitting in the places of honor—at our Lord’s right and left hand (see Matthew 20:21-23). I can almost see them pushing and shoving their way into the room, hurrying past the basin of water, where a servant normally would have been present to wash the feet of the guests as they entered, in preparation for the meal. This may well have been the time that the disciples argued among themselves about who was to be regarded as the greatest. After all, every one of them would have to establish their “ranking” among the 12 if they were to be seated according to their greatness. I can see our Lord, quietly observing His disciples as they squabble. I can imagine Him making His way to the washbasin, and filling it with water, while His disciples continue to argue with each other, completely oblivious to what He is doing. And then they suddenly become silent as they realize that He has taken the lowest position of all—lower than the lowest of the 12—the position of a servant (and not a high-ranking servant, either). To their amazement, they observe Jesus, working His way from one of them to the next, first washing a pair of dirty feet, and then drying them with the towel that is wrapped about His waist. The argument seems to end with the words of our Lord in verses 12-17. They may not understand all that He has done, but they must have had enough sense to know it was time to be stop bickering and be quiet.[494]

Two verses out of five focus on the actual washing of the disciples’ feet by our Lord. Three of the five verses provide us with background information, which John believes his readers need to know in order to properly understand the Lord’s actions. We might say that verses 1-3 provide us with information that gives us insight into our Lord’s “state of mind.”[495] This “state of mind”[496] of our Lord is expressed by John, both in terms of what Jesus “knew” (see verses 1, 3, 11), and in terms of why He did what He did (namely, His great love for His own).

John tells us Jesus “knew” that “his time had come to depart from this world to the Father” (verse 1), and that the Father had “handed [all] things over to Him” (verse 3). As He had come from the Father, so He was returning to the Father (verse 3). We are no doubt tempted to read this in a way that is different from and contradictory to what John is actually saying. We might be reading the text something like this: “Jesus, knowing that He was about to suffer on the cross of Calvary …” We have already read of our Lord’s agony over His coming alienation from the Father on the cross (12:27-28), and John does not wish to repeat this again. Here in our text, John emphasizes that Jesus knew His earthly mission was nearly complete, and that He was returning to the Father in heaven. He knew that everything had been given over to Him by the Father. In other words, He knew that everything was as it should be, and that He was in complete control. It is our Lord’s sovereignty that is being stressed here, and not His suffering.[497]

John wishes us to understand that Jesus washed the disciples’ feet at a time when others would not have been inclined to do so. Jesus was in complete control. Jesus was God’s CEO. When men find themselves in this position, they are tempted to behave very differently: “Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions exercise authority over them’” (Mark 10:42). In spite of who He was; in spite of the fact that all authority had been given to Him, Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. In spite of the fact that He could have required men to minister to Him, catering to His every whim, Jesus humbled Himself by washing the feet of His disciples. This was truly an amazing thing! Jesus humbled Himself, knowing that He was soon going to be exalted higher than anyone in all of human history.

If John is emphasizing the fact that Jesus knew all these things, he is at the same time stressing the fact that Jesus washed the feet of His disciples as an expression of His great love for them: “He had loved his own who were in the world, and now he loved them to the very end” (John 13:1b).

The act of washing His disciples’ feet was our Lord’s way of showing them (and us) how much He loved them. Do you remember in chapter 11 when those standing around at the tomb of Lazarus saw Jesus weeping, they remarked, “Look how much he loved him!” (11:36b)? I think John is now saying to his readers, “Look how much He loved us!”

There is a rather dramatic shift in John’s vocabulary here in chapter 13, which underscores the importance of “love” in chapters 13-17. Let me summarize a few statistics regarding John’s vocabulary, which will underscore the fact that love is a very significant term from here on in John’s Gospel. Notice the frequency of the following terms in John’s Gospel:             

WORLD
In chapters 1-12 “world” occurs 34 times  approx. 3 times per chapter
In chapters 13-17 “world” occurs 41 times approx. 8 times per chapter
LIFE
In chapters 1-12 “life” occurs 50 time approx. 4 times per chapter
In chapters 13-17 “life” occurs 6 times  approx. 1 time per chapter
LIGHT
In chapters 1-12 “light” occurs 32 times  approx. 3 times per chapter
In chapters 13-17 “light” occurs 0 times  
LOVE
In chapters 1-12 “love” occurs 12 times  1 time per chapter
In chapters 13-17 “love” occurs 34 times  approx. 7 times per chapter

It is obvious, is it not, that John wishes to emphasize the love our Lord has for His own? Mitchell observes:

It is remarkable that in this section, starting in chapter 13, begins with the statement, ‘Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end;’ (13:1). This section ends in chapter 17 with Jesus praying, ‘that the love wherewith thou has loved me may be in them, and I in them’ (17:26). He begins and ends with His love for His own. It’s just like the Savior! And down through these five chapters we have the marvelous revelation of His love, of His concern for His own.[498]

Here is the amazing thing. Jesus loves His own. Jesus loves His own, knowing everything. He loves His own, knowing that He is sovereign, and that He is about to leave this earth and return to His Father. He loves His own, knowing that they have been arguing (or will shortly do so) about who is the greatest, knowing that they are about to forsake Him and flee for their lives, knowing that Peter will deny Him. It is one thing for people to love us, who do not know all of our wicked deeds, thoughts, and motivations. It is another for the Holy God of heaven to love us, knowing every wicked thing we have done and will do. This is, indeed, amazing love. What a comfort to the Christian, knowing that our Lord’s love is constant and unchanging, knowing that He chose to love us—and to keep on loving us—purely out of His grace, and not based upon our performance. Jesus loved His own; He loved them to the “end”—to the uttermost degree, and to the very end.[499] What security! What grace! What a Savior!

Peter’s Protest
(13:6-11)

6 Then he came to Simon Peter. Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You do not understand what I am doing now, but you will understand after these things.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus replied, “The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean. And you[500] disciples are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 (For Jesus knew the one who was going to betray him. For this reason he said, “Not every one of you is clean.”)

It is as though Peter has been watching Jesus draw nearer to him, as He makes His way around the table, washing the feet of each of His disciples. And when Jesus reaches Peter’s feet, he does what seems to be the pious or humble thing to do—he declines. He asks His Master if He thinks He is going to wash his feet.[501] The inference is that Peter will have no part of this. We might paraphrase his words this way: “You don’t think you’re going to wash my feet, do you, Lord?” If the disciples thought it was inappropriate for them to wash the feet of their peers, they would surely think it inappropriate for the Master to wash their feet. Even Peter could see this, and thus he resisted having his feet washed by the Savior.

Peter’s words may appear humble, but they are really arrogant. In the first place, Peter is arrogant enough to think he knows better than Jesus what is appropriate and what is not. He knows that Jesus is deliberately washing the feet of every disciple, and yet Peter is so bold as to correct Jesus, as though He was wrong. John Calvin comments:

This speech expresses strong dislike of the action as foolish and unsuitable; for by asking what Christ is doing, he puts out his hand, as it were, to push him back. The modesty would be worthy of commendations, were it not that obedience is of greater value in the sight of God than any kind of honour or service, or rather, if this were not the true and only rule of humility, to yield ourselves in obedience to God, and to have all our senses regulated by his good pleasure, so that every thing which he declares to be agreeable to Him shall also be approved by us, without any scruple.[502]

We may be inclined to excuse Peter’s resistance at first, but his second protest is a more serious error. Jesus responded to Peter’s first protest by saying to him, “You do not understand what I am doing now, but you will understand after these things.” In other words, Jesus not only indicated that He knew what He was doing and that it was right, but that Peter would understand this also, later on. Jesus is urging Peter both to trust and to obey Him.[503] Calvin writes:

Hitherto Peter’s modesty was excusable, though it was not free from blame; but now he errs more grievously, when he has been corrected, and yet does not yield. And, indeed, it is a common fault, that ignorance is closely followed by obstinacy. It is a plausible excuse, no doubt, that the refusal springs from reverence for Christ; but since he does not absolutely obey the injunction, the very desire of showing his respect for Christ loses all its gracefulness. The true wisdom of faith, therefore, is to approve and embrace with reverence whatever proceeds from God, as done with propriety and in good order; nor is there any other way, indeed, in which his name can be sanctified by us; for if we do not believe that whatever he does is done for a very good reason, our flesh, being naturally stubborn, will continually murmur, and will not render to God the honour due to him, unless by constraint. In short, until a man renounce the liberty of judging as to the works of God, whatever exertions he may make to honour God, still pride will always lurk under the garb of humility.[504]

Let me look at Peter’s protest from a somewhat different perspective. Has Peter protested against the omniscience (knowing all) and the sovereignty (absolute control) of our Lord? In addition to this, Peter is protesting against divine grace. Think of it for a moment. Peter is, with a fair measure of false humility, rejecting our Lord’s actions as though he is undeserving (which, of course, he is). That is the point. What Jesus does for His disciples, He does out of love and grace. And this is precisely what Jesus is about to point out to Peter. Would he resist having Jesus wash his feet, on the premise that he is unworthy? Then he must also reject having his sins washed away by the shed blood of Jesus on the cross of Calvary, for he is unworthy of this as well. To reject grace in principle is to reject all grace, period. And so Jesus says to Peter: “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”

With this statement, Peter is brought back to reality, to his senses. It was like a slap on the face. If Peter was too quick to protest our Lord’s gracious act of washing his feet, he was not too quick to repent of his foolishness. And that he does. We all can identify with Peter when he speaks before he thinks; would that we might identify with Peter in his ability to forsake his folly and cling to the Savior. Whatever Peter’s faults, he deeply loved the Savior. The thought of having no part with Him (as it would be with Judas) was too much. Now, far from resisting a foot washing, Peter is ready for a full bath. More than anything else, Peter wants to identify and to participate fully in all that Jesus will graciously grant.

Ever so graciously, Jesus denies this request of Peter. If he should mistakenly desire too little of Jesus, neither should he ask for more than is needed. He is clean; he does not need a bath, but just a foot washing. Jesus is also speaking to Peter on a spiritual level. One who has been bathed and thereby cleansed by His shed blood does not need to be “washed” this way over and over again; he needs only to be washed.[505] These words certainly appear to lay to rest the belief of some that men must be saved over and over again.

Jesus knows everything, including the fact that Judas had already purposed to betray him. And so Jesus clarifies that the “cleansing” of which He speaks does not belong to all who are with Him at the moment. This (like nearly everything else Jesus said at this moment of time) must have gone completely over the heads of the 11. Jesus wanted them to remember that even before His betrayal by Judas, He had spoken of it. Jesus was in control of this as well. He was not a victim, but the Victor (see verses 1-3).

Getting to the Point
(13:12-17)

12 So when Jesus had washed their feet and put his outer clothing back on, he took his place at the table again and said to them, “Do you understand what I have done for you? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and do so correctly, for that is what I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example: you should do just as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the solemn truth, the slave is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you understand these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

The first thing we should observe from these verses is that our Lord taught His disciples by His deeds, and not just by His declarations. How different Jesus is from the Pharisees:

1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and his disciples, 2 “The experts in the law and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore, pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach. 4 They tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries wide and their tassels long. 6 They love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, 7 and to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have people call them ‘Rabbi’” (Matthew 23:1-7).

Jesus has washed the feet of the disciples purposefully. It was a task that needed doing, and our Lord did it. It was also a way that Jesus could demonstrate His unfathomable love for His disciples. But beyond this, it was a lesson which the disciples desperately needed to learn, a lesson in humility. These men were still looking at leadership from a “secular” point of view, rather than from a divine perspective. The secular world looks upon leadership as the opportunity to be served. A leader has many people “under him,” and thus he “uses” them to minister to his own needs. In the kingdom of God, a position of leadership is simply a place of service. No matter where one finds himself on the leader-follower scale, the Christian is to serve God by serving others. Leadership is simply one place of service. It enables one to serve as others cannot.

Jesus employs the greater/lesser logic here. He is the sovereign God, the supreme leader. This is what John emphasizes in the first verses of chapter 13. Knowing this, our Lord purposefully sets out to wash the feet of His disciples. If He, as the sovereign God, can wash their dirty feet, then surely they should do likewise to one another. Rather than arguing with each other about who is regarded to be the greatest, they should be humbling themselves by serving one another. Rather than striving to possess the “rights” of the one who ranks highest, they should seize the opportunity to serve others by doing menial tasks. Put differently, even those “on the top” can and should minister “from the bottom up.” In a “top-down” world, this is a revolutionary concept.

The last statement of our Lord, recorded in verse 17, is profoundly important: “If you understand these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” They really didn’t understand this yet, like everything else. But even when they are able to grasp this teaching academically, the important thing is not the knowing of this truth, but the doing of it. We are not blessed so much by what we know as we are blessed by the doing of what we know. This applies to far more than just this one command. It applies across the entire spectrum of biblical knowledge. There are some folks who do not know as much as others, but they do far more than those “in the know.” Again, it is Calvin who observes:

… for knowledge is not entitled to be called true, unless it produce such an effect on believers as to lead them to conform themselves to their Head. On the contrary, it is a vain imagination, when we look upon Christ, and the things which belong to Christ, as separate from ourselves. We may infer from this that, until a man has learned to yield to his brethren, he does not know if Christ be the Master. Since there is no man who performs his duty to his brethren in all respects, and since there are many who are careless and sluggish in brotherly offices, this shows us that we are still at a great distance from the full light of faith.[506]

Conclusion

We know from our Lord’s words that we must be sure to put the lesson of this text into practice. And so as we conclude this lesson, let us ponder how we should do just that.

Let me begin with a very practical question: Does this text teach us that we must literally wash the feet of others, or does it teach that we must do more than wash feet? There have always been some who have taken the words of our Lord in a strictly literal way:

Foot-washing was practised on Maundy Thursday by the Church of Augustine’s day. It was recommended by Bernard of Clairvaux in one of his sermons. The practice, moreover, was continued by the pope at Rome and by emperors (of Austria, of Russia) and kings (of Spain, Portugal, Bavaria). For a while it was practised by the Church of England and by the Moravians. It has been continued to this very day by certain Baptist and Adventist bodies. It was roundly condemned by Luther and by his followers as ‘an abominable papal corruption.’[507]

I very much appreciate the comment of John G. Mitchell here:

Jesus has washed the feet of Peter who will deny Him, of Thomas who will doubt Him, and of Judas who will betray Him. He has more in mind here than an ordinance of foot washing. I have no argument against those who claim we should have literal foot washing services. If you feel you should do that, that’s between you and the Lord. I think, however, that the Lord has a far greater matter before us here.[508]

If one is convicted that this command should be taken literally, then he should literally apply the words of our Lord. Even so, this is not to be viewed as the limit to which these words should be taken. Jesus does not simply say that we should do what He has done, but that we should do as He has done. The washing of the disciples’ feet is an example[509] to be followed, and not just as an act to imitate as a ritual.[510]

I believe that we must be very careful about coming to the conclusion that Jesus or His apostles did not mean what they appear to have said. Many of the commands of the Bible are too quickly and easily set aside, because we don’t like them, or because our culture will not tolerate them. The Bible’s teaching on the role of women is an example of the latter. Our Lord’s teaching about “turning the other cheek” is an example of the former. But in our text, it seems as though Jesus is clear that He is teaching the principle of servanthood, rather than merely commanding the practice of foot washing. We do not see this command repeated or practiced as an ordinance in Acts or in the Epistles. I do believe that while foot washing itself is not commanded, there are many other actions which the principle of servanthood does require. We shall seek to identify these by first identifying the characteristics of foot washing which are transferable, and then by considering some possible practices which conform to these characteristics.

The Essence of Washing Feet

Consider the following elements which characterize our Lord’s act of washing the disciples’ feet:

(1) Our Lord’s washing of the disciples’ feet was service. Our Lord did the work of a servant as He served His disciples.

(2) Our Lord’s washing of the disciples’ feet was a necessary, beneficial service. As a former student and classroom teacher, I can safely say that this was not “busy work.” It was not work for work’s sake, but work that had very practical benefits for the disciples—clean feet.

(3) Our Lord’s washing of the disciples’ feet was menial service. Foot washing is “dirty work,” work which required our Lord to “get His hands dirty.” This work was so menial the disciples were not willing to perform it themselves, and at least Peter attempted to keep Jesus from carrying out this humble task.

(4) Our Lord’s service of washing the disciples’ feet was a voluntary act, motivated by love. Jesus was not fulfilling any Old Testament commandment or prophecy. What Jesus chose to do here was not “in His job description.” Our Lord’s service was “above and beyond the call of duty.” He was not doing what someone (including the disciples) had asked Him to do.

(5) Our Lord’s service of washing the disciples’ feet was a task which someone else could have done. This foot washing was a task Jesus could have commanded any one of His disciples to do. Jesus did what someone else could have done, what the disciples expected someone else to do.

(6) Our Lord’s service of washing the disciples’ feet was His gracious ministry to those who were undeserving, and even to him who would betray his Lord. Here they were, arguing with each other about who was the greatest, oblivious to what lay ahead for the Master. Here they were, those who would desert Him, who would deny Him, who would betray Him, and Jesus washed the feet of all.

(7) Our Lord’s service was the meeting of a need that no one else was willing to meet.

(8) Our Lord’s service does not appear to be very “spiritual” nor very “significant.” How quickly ministry opportunities are seized when the ministry is prominent, popular, prestigious, fulfilling, and profitable. The washing of the disciples’ feet appeared to be none of these. Foot washing is mundane, everyday, garden-variety service.

(9) Our Lord’s service was selfless, sacrificial service.

The Expression of Foot Washing Today

So, assuming we understand better what the foot washing of our text was, in essence, how should it be expressed today? How can you and I obey our Lord’s command and wash feet in today’s context? I have some very practical suggestions.

(1) Make a commitment to the Lord to begin “washing the feet” of others. Recognize that this is contrary to the spirit of our age. Jeannette and I attended an HCJB (a fantastic radio station which broadcasts the gospel from the mountains of Quito, Ecuador) banquet this past week. As I looked about I noted that almost all the guests were older folks, like myself (not ancient, but mature, mind you). I have been told that one of the characteristics of the so-called “Generation X” is that they are completely selfish. They don’t give themselves or their money. Instead, they expect others to give to them. Foot washing begins with taking up one’s cross and following Jesus. If we truly follow Him, we will take up our cross, and we will sacrificially serve others. This is what the gospel brings about.

(2) You don’t have to look for this kind of ministry opportunity; it will find you. Our problem is not a lack of opportunities to “wash feet”; it is our unwillingness to “see” and to seize these opportunities. Look, for example, at the story of the “Good Samaritan” in Luke chapter 10. The priest and the Levite saw the man who had been beaten, there in the road before them, but they did not view ministering to him as their responsibility. It wasn’t in their “job description.” They had their religious duties to carry out. They weren’t into foot washing of this kind. But the Samaritan took this ministry upon himself. The need for “foot washing” in our society is as common as dirty feet were in our Lord’s day. We simply need to open our eyes to see these needs.

(3) We must take our eyes off of ourselves, and gird ourselves with the “mind of Christ” which we see in our text. When sacrificial service is our goal rather than self-seeking, we will see the many needs around us for “foot washing.” We simply need to look for those needs which are not being met and, with the strength God provides, meet them. Once a desire for practical service overcomes the urge for self-seeking, the opportunities are unlimited.

(4) We need to focus our attention on those undone things which we have come to expect someone else to do. For example, as you get up to leave this service, are there bulletins, dirty Kleenexes, and half-filled coffee cups left behind? Do we have a custodian? We do, but why should we not serve him by taking out our own trash, or that left behind by someone else? If we see trash in the parking lot, do we walk by it, just as the disciples hurried by the water basin? Every Sunday, one or more couples gets up at the end of the worship hour to minister to one of our handicapped young people. This kind of ministry does not seem significant, but it is the very kind of ministry our Lord commands and commends.

When I prepare to conduct a funeral service, I usually meet with the immediate family and close friends, to go over the plans for the service, and also to obtain information about the life of the one who passed away. Often, I will say, “Can you think of a story which captures the essence of what ______’s life was about?” Very often, they will tell me a story, and when the others hear it, they will say, “Oh, you’re right, that is just like ______.” This story of the washing of the disciples’ feet is just like Jesus. It captures the “mind of Christ” in a very practical way. It is this spirit which prompted our Lord to perform the ultimate washing, the washing away of our sins through the shedding of His blood on the cross of Calvary. We, like the disciples, were dirty and defiled, and totally unworthy of His mercy and love. And yet He humbled Himself to cleanse us from sin by His humiliation and suffering on the cross. Have you accepted this washing for yourself personally, or have you, like Peter, sought to push Jesus aside? We must humble ourselves by acknowledging our sin and our need, and the necessity to be cleansed by Him who is without sin—Jesus Christ. May we accept His gracious offer of cleansing, and thus enter into the joy of intimate fellowship with Him.

One final thing I would like you to ponder as I conclude this message. It is a statement that is made necessary by the twisted culture in which we live: Love is not about sex as much as it is about dirty feet. May God give us the grace to wash feet this very day.


! Lesson 32:
Judas
(John 13:18-30)

61 Because Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining about this, he said to them, “Does this cause you to be offended? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before? 63 The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help! The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had already known from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 So Jesus added, “Because of this I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has allowed him to come.” 66 After this many of his disciples quit following him and did not accompany him any longer. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God!” 70 Jesus replied, “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is the devil?” 71 (Now he said this about Judas son of Simon Iscariot; for Judas, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.) (John 6:61-71)

1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom he had raised from the dead. 2 So they prepared a dinner for Jesus there. Martha was serving, and Lazarus was among those present at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took three quarters of a pound of perfumed oil made of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus. She then wiped his feet dry with her hair. (Now the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil.) 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was going to betray him) said, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfumed oil sold for three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor?” 6 (Now Judas said this not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money box he used to take what was put into it.) 7 So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept it for the day of my burial. 8 For you always have the poor with you, but you don’t always have me” (John 12:1-7).

Introduction

This past week my parents called from Washington State to inform us about a most unusual telephone call they had received from the city of Shelton (my home town in Washington State). The city was digging a ditch for a new, larger sewer system. In the course of their excavation, they unearthed a headstone for a grave. By law, they had to cease all work until they were assured that they were not disturbing a grave site. The name on that headstone was Timothy A. Deffinbaugh. That is the name of our son, who died and was buried in Shelton, over 30 years ago. The dates on the headstone also matched the date of Timmy’s birth and death (at the age of 3 ½ months). Someone from the city called a relative (whose name was also “Deffinbaugh”), and she put the city official in touch with my parents. My folks were very puzzled by what they heard, and immediately went up to the cemetery where Timothy’s body is buried. The grave site was there, undisturbed, along with the headstone. We have no idea where this second headstone came from, or how it would come to be buried in downtown Shelton, a mile or so away. My parents called us to let us know what had happened, and we found the whole matter difficult to believe and impossible to explain.

I am telling you this strange story to make a point. In this life there are a good many things that are very difficult to understand or to explain. In our text, the disciples found it extremely difficult to comprehend what Jesus was saying when He told them that one of them was about to betray Him. When we read John’s account of this event in John chapter 13, we find it hard to understand why the disciples didn’t quickly grasp what Jesus was telling them. When we marvel at the “dullness” of the disciples, we forget that we read through John’s Gospel somewhat like I watch one of my favorite movies—“What’s Up, Doc?” I know that movie so well I start laughing a full minute before one of my favorite funny scenes occurs on screen. For example, I love the chase scene down the hills of San Francisco, especially the one in which the plate glass window is finally broken, after a number of near misses. And so, when that part gets close, I start warming up for it, laughing at what seems to be nothing at all. (Those of you who know me, and have been with me when I’ve played this movie, know exactly what I mean.)

We are tempted to read the Gospels like I watch my favorite movies. We know the entire story, from beginning to end. And thus, when we read any one text, we know what came before, just as we know how it all will end. We know, for example, that Jesus is going to be arrested, found guilty, and crucified—all within a few hours. We also know that He is going to be raised from the dead, and that He will ascend into heaven and return to the Father. But what is so clear to us in hindsight was not at all clear to the disciples. They heard Jesus say that He was about to be betrayed by one of them. Peter even inquired of Jesus (through John, it would seem) about just who the betrayer was. And Jesus told John that it would be the one who took from His hand the piece of bread that He dipped into the dish. Yet when Jesus dipped the bread into the dish and gave it to Judas, who took it, no one did anything. No one even seemed to grasp what Jesus had just indicated. You have to understand that what Jesus was saying was so far from what they expected, they simply could not grasp what seemed to be clearly indicated.

All of this was for a reason—a very important reason. This reason we shall see as we study our text in this lesson. There are many important truths for us to consider and to apply here, so let us listen well, and let us ask the Spirit of God to make the meaning and the application of this text clear to us.

Judas—Putting the Pieces Together

Each of the Gospel writers has chosen to include certain details about Judas and to exclude others. It may be helpful for us to begin this lesson by reviewing what we know about Judas in sequential order:[511]

·         Judas is chosen as one of the 12 (Luke 6:12-16; Mark 3:13-19).

·         Judas is sent out as one of the 12 (Matthew 10:4).

·         Judas accompanies Jesus with the other 11 disciples, beholding our Lord’s character and power, and hearing Him teach and claim to be the Messiah (Mark 3:14).

·         In all of this, Judas never comes to faith in Jesus as his Messiah (John 6:64-65; 13:10-11, 18; 17:12).

·         Judas is put in charge of the money box (John 12:6; 13:29).

·         Judas begins to steal money from the money box (John 12:6).

·         When Mary anoints the feet of Jesus, Judas is incensed by her extravagance, and is distressed that Jesus would allow such “waste” when this ointment could have been sold, and the proceeds given to the poor. He apparently manages to convince his fellow-disciples, so that they verbally harass Mary also (John 12:1-8; Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9).

·         [At this same point in time the chief priests and Pharisees are panic-stricken by our Lord’s growing popularity, as a result of the raising of Lazarus and then the triumphal entry (John 11:45-53, 57; 12:9-11). They wanted to seize Jesus privately, but not during the feast of Passover, lest they stir up the crowds (Matthew 26:3-5; Mark 14:1-2). They become so desperate they decide to kill not only Jesus (John 11:53), but Lazarus as well (John 12:10). The time was “ripe” for Judas to come to them with his proposal of betrayal.]

·         Shortly after this incident with Mary, in which Jesus rebukes Judas and the other disciples, Judas goes to the chief priests and strikes a deal with them to betray Jesus and to hand Him over to them (Matthew 26:14-15; Mark 14:10-11).

·         Judas begins to look for the right moment to hand Jesus over to the chief priests and Pharisees (Mark 14:11).

·         Judas is with Jesus and the disciples during the first part of the Last Supper, apparently in the place of honor, next to Jesus (John 13:26).

·         At the meal, Jesus indicates that one of the disciples will betray Him (Matthew 26:20-25; Mark 14:17-21), and then, by means of His dipping a piece of bread and handing it to Judas, our Lord indicates that it is Judas who will betray Him (Mark 14:20; John 13:21-27).

·         Judas accepts the bread Jesus offers him, after which Satan immediately possesses him (John 13:27).

·         Jesus dismisses Judas to carry out his terrible deed (John 13:27-30).

·         Judas leads the soldiers to Jesus, where he identifies Jesus as the One they are to arrest by kissing Him (Matthew 26:47-50; Mark 14:43-46; Luke 22:47-48; John 18:1-9).

·         Judas regrets his betrayal and tries to reverse his actions by returning the money, but it is too late. Judas then goes out and hangs himself (Matthew 27:3-10; Acts 1:15-19).

Judas—Who Would Have Ever Thought …

Who would have ever thought that Jesus would be betrayed, and by one of His 12 disciples? Answer: none of the 12, except for Judas. The Gospels do not really mention Judas all that often, but we do read of Judas being sent out by Jesus, along with the other 11 (Matthew 10:1ff.; Mark 3:19; Luke 9:1ff.). Imagine, Judas was used of our Lord to manifest His power over the demons, and over every kind of illness: “He called his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits so they could cast them out and heal every kind of disease and sickness” (Matthew 10:1).

Who would have ever imagined that he would refuse to trust in Jesus as his Messiah?

Think of all the miracles which took place before the eyes of Judas. He witnessed the casting out of demons, the giving of sight to the blind (even a man born blind—John 9), and the raising of the dead (e.g., John 11). He was there when Jesus stilled the storm (see Luke 8:22-25) and when He walked on the sea (John 6:19-21). He took part in the feeding of the 5,000 (John 6:1-14) and then of the 4,000 (Matthew 15:29-39). Each of the other disciples grew in their faith at each new manifestation of our Lord’s power, love, mercy, and holiness. Not so with Judas.

And yet Judas seems to be the last one any of the disciples would have suspected of being the betrayer of whom our Lord was speaking. He seems to have been seated in the place of honor at the Last Supper, beside our Lord. He was the one entrusted with the money that was given to our Lord (John 12:6). Even when Jesus indicated that Judas was His betrayer by giving him the bread, the disciples still did not recognize him for who he really was. In this sense, I think, Judas was just like his “real father,” the devil:

13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

Advanced Notice
(13:18-20)

18 “What I am saying does not refer to all of you. I know the ones I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture, ‘The one who eats my bread has turned against me.’[512] 19 I am telling you this now, before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I am he. 20 I tell you the solemn truth, whoever accepts the one I send accepts me, and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”

Jesus tells His disciples that what He is saying does not apply to all of them. His words apply to those whom He has chosen. The inference is clear: there is someone among them whom He has not chosen, who is not a true believer. It is to this person that our Lord’s words do not apply. But what has Jesus been “saying” that doesn’t apply to Judas? In particular, I think it is the words of verse 17: “If you understand these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

Jesus has been speaking of following His example by serving one another. They, as His disciples, are to do as their Master has shown them. But Judas is not truly one of our Lord’s own; he is not a true disciple of Jesus. He, of course, is not “clean,” as the other disciples are (13:10-11). Jesus has just said that the real blessing is not just in knowing and understanding what He has taught them, but in doing what He commands. If they (His disciples) do what He has commanded, they will be blessed. Good works are of great benefit to the Christian. They contribute nothing to his salvation, but they do evidence true conversion, and they are the basis for the believer’s rewards. Good works benefit the Christian, but good works don’t benefit the unbeliever. When good works are done apart from faith in Jesus Christ for salvation and sanctification, they are actually an insult to God. Unbelievers who work to please Him while rejecting His Son are saying, in effect, “No thanks. I don’t need your righteousness, I’ll just produce my own. And so I won’t need your Son, either.” Trusting and obeying God is a blessing; working hard to please God by our own efforts is an offense. Thus, only the Christian can be truly blessed by doing what God commands.

The things of which our Lord is speaking to His disciples are very important, and of great value to His true disciples (excluding Judas). His words are prophetic, spelling out what the future holds for Him and for Judas. The things of which He is speaking actually fulfill prophecy. Judas, who is reclining beside Jesus, and is about to take the bread which He offers, is one whose terrible betrayal has been foretold. John now cites Psalm 41:9, which says, ‘The one who eats my bread has turned against me.’

It was a very significant thing to sit at a man’s table and to eat his bread. In the ancient world, sharing a meal together was almost to make a covenant (in fact covenants were often made in association with a meal).[513] You will remember the story of Lot, who invites perfect strangers into his home in Sodom, and then makes a shocking offer to the men of Sodom, in an attempt to protect his guests:

1 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. 2 And he said, “Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.” And they said, “No, but we will spend the night in the open square.” 3 But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4 Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. 5 And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.” 6 So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, 7 and said, “Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly! 8 See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof” (Genesis 19:1-8, NKJV).

To share a meal with guests was to offer them not only provisions, but protection. Lot was so committed to his obligation to protect these “strangers” that he was willing to sacrifice the sexual purity of his daughters to protect his guests. I don’t pretend to comprehend this, or to defend it. I am simply pointing out that in the ancient Jewish (and perhaps more broadly, the Near Eastern) culture, inviting a man into one’s home and to his table was a most significant act. If the host made such commitments to his guest(s), one would expect the guest to reciprocate in some way. And yet the one who sat at our Lord’s table and ate His bread actually betrayed Him. What a horrible thing Judas is about to do to His Master, and immediately after eating His bread.

John wants us to see that all this was prophesied ahead of time. He wants His disciples to know that much prophecy will not be understood at the time it is being fulfilled, but in hindsight, it can be seen clearly.[514] Jesus is not telling His disciples these things so that they will understand Him and believe what He has said at that very moment. He tells them these things which will occur in the future so that they will believe when these prophecies are fulfilled. Then His disciples will know that Jesus was in full control, bringing about that which the Father had purposed in eternity past. In His earthly sojourn, Jesus was always in control. He was never, a helpless victim.

In verses 19 and 20, Jesus makes it very clear that all of this is about believing in Him. Jesus tells His disciples what is going to happen ahead of time, so that when these things take place they will remember He told them beforehand and believe in Him as the Messiah.[515] While Jesus is indirectly exposing Judas as an unbeliever here, His emphasis is on believing, believing in Him. This is the thrust of verse 20. Whoever accepts the one Jesus sends (and He will soon be sending them out, as we see in the “Great Commission”—Matthew 28:18-20) accepts Jesus Himself. Whoever accepts Jesus as God’s “sent One” (see John 1:1-18) accepts the Father, who sent Him. Although these words seem to be directed to His believing disciples, I cannot help but wonder if this is not also one last appeal to Judas to believe. To betray Jesus is certainly the opposite of believing in Him.

A Distressed Savior, Perplexed Disciples, and a Defiant Judas
(13:21-30)

21 When he had said these things, Jesus was greatly distressed[516] in spirit and testified, “I tell you the solemn truth, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples began to look at one another, worried and perplexed to know which of them he was talking about. 23 One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was at the table at Jesus’ right in the place of honor. 24 So Simon Peter gestured to this disciple to ask Jesus who it was he was referring to. 25 Then the disciple Jesus loved[517] leaned back against Jesus’ chest and asked him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus replied, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread after I have dipped it in the dish.” Then he dipped the piece of bread in the dish and gave it to Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son. 27 And after Judas took the piece of bread Satan entered into him.[518] Jesus said to him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” 28 (Now none of those present at the table understood why Jesus said this to Judas. 29 Some thought because Judas had the money box, that Jesus was telling him to buy whatever they needed for the feast, or to give something to the poor.) 30 Judas took the piece of bread, and went out immediately. (Now it was night.)

This is the third time in John’s Gospel that Jesus has been described as being “greatly distressed.” He was “intensely moved in spirit and greatly distressed” at the burial site of Lazarus (John 11:33). Later on, in chapter 12, the soul of our Lord was greatly distressed at the prospect of His coming “hour” of suffering the penalty for man’s sin (12:27). Now, our Lord is greatly distressed at the thought of one of His own followers betraying Him (13:21). As I read the text, our Lord’s distress is not self-centered; He is distressed over the spiritual condition, conduct, and destiny of one of His own. How easy it would have been for our Lord to reveal the identity of His betrayer, or at least to expose him as a thief. I can imagine that Peter would have happily used his sword on Judas, if he had known what would happen in the next few hours. But Jesus remains silent, determined to die as the Father had purposed. At the same time, Jesus was greatly distressed over the destiny of Judas. Is this not an example of what Jesus Himself had taught?

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? The tax collectors do that too, don’t they? 47 And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? The Gentiles do that too, don’t they? 48 So then, you be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:43-48).

Passover was a festive occasion, but our Lord’s words cast a dark shadow over the meal. The disciples were “worried and perplexed” (verse 22). They knew what He said, though they could hardly grasp its true meaning. But taking His words at face value, they knew that one of them was, in some way, going to betray Jesus. John focuses his attention on 4 of the 12: Jesus, Judas, Simon Peter, and “the one Jesus loved.” The Synoptic Gospels provide us with a most significant detail. When informed that one of them would betray Him, the 11 disciples responded one way, while Judas responded differently:

21 And while they were eating he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.” 22 They were deeply grieved and each one began to say to him, “Surely not I, Lord?” 23 He answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will go as it is written about him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Then Judas, who betrayed him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself” (Matthew 26:21-25, emphasis mine).

Each of the believing disciples asks his Lord if it is him; Judas asks the Rabbi. After all Judas has seen and heard, Jesus is still only a teacher to him.

Peter wants to find out who this betrayer is. If he had not been so far away from Jesus, he could have asked the Master privately himself. But as it was, he found it necessary to signal to “the disciple Jesus loved” (who can hardly be anyone other than John, the author of this account), gesturing to him to ask Jesus who the betrayer was. John, who must have been reclining next to Jesus, leaned back upon our Lord’s chest and asked who this person was. Jesus did not give John a name, but indicated that the betrayer would be the one to whom He would give a piece of bread, dipped in the dish (verse 26).

For the moment, Jesus focuses His attention on Judas. Jesus dipped a piece of bread in the dish and handed it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. What an incredible, defining, moment this was! Jesus and Judas must have locked eyes. Judas had to have known that Jesus knew everything. Jesus knew Judas was the betrayer. He knew Judas did not really believe in Him. He knew Judas had already reached an agreement with the chief priests. He knew that Judas would soon go to the Jewish authorities, and lead them to Him, to arrest Him. In spite of all this, Judas reached out and took the bread, knowing what that meant. It forever sealed his doom.

If Judas and Jesus knew exactly what was going on, the rest of the disciples were without a clue. That is what John makes very clear to us in verses 28-30. Jesus turned to Judas and said to him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” In effect, Jesus dismissed Judas from the table. Judas may not have intended to go out till later. It seems to me that it was necessary for Judas to leave at this time. First, it would assure that the timing of His death was right—something more important to Jesus than to Judas, or even the Jewish religious leaders. Second, it would remove Judas, so that Jesus could speak intimately and openly with His true disciples. In some ways, Judas had already been gently excluded from certain things. He was not one of the inner three: Peter, James, and John. He surely was not one of those sent to make preparations for the Passover celebration. This would have enabled him to betray Jesus at the wrong time and place. Now, Judas is excluded from our Lord’s final words to His disciples. They certainly did not apply to Judas. He does not even seem to be alive by the time our Lord is crucified (see Matthew 27:3-10). The truths Jesus is about to share with His disciples pertain to things in which Judas will not, and cannot, have any part. These are the very things on which Judas has turned his back.

The disciples watch Judas take the bread from Jesus, and they may very well hear Jesus tell Judas it is time for him to go about his mission. But no one understood what was happening. They knew Judas kept the money box. They assumed that he had left to give something to the poor (as he made such an effort to appear to do frequently—see 12:4-6), or that he was going out to buy more supplies. And so Judas took the bread, and left immediately thereafter. In John’s powerfully concise way, he sums it all up in four words, “And it was night.” So it was.                  

Conclusion

As we come to the conclusion of this lesson, let me call several things to your attention, which may serve as fuel for further thought and action.

First, Jesus is in complete control, including the one who will betray Him. In making arrangements for this meal, Jesus makes sure that He will not be interrupted or arrested—not until it is “His time.” Jesus knows that Judas will betray Him, and our Lord orchestrates every event in these last hours so that He can fully accomplish all that He has set out to do. This includes the time, manner, and instruments of His arrest, trial, and death. It includes a private time with His disciples, when He can prepare them for what lies ahead. Though it is but a few hours until His death, everything is under control—His control.

Having emphasized that our Lord is in complete control at this meal (as at all times), let it be noted that Judas is represented as a man who is responsible for his actions. Jesus did not choose Judas for salvation, but neither did Judas choose our Lord. Divine sovereignty and human responsibility are both evident in our text.

Second, this text instructs us regarding the purpose of prophecy. Many Christians look at Bible prophecy as a kind of puzzle—something that we can figure out if we’re smart enough or persistent enough. Jesus’ words in our text inform us that there are many prophecies that we do not even recognize as such until after they have been fulfilled (such as the prophecy concerning Judas in Psalm 41:9). Prophecy is not given to us so that we can know exactly what will happen in the future. Much prophecy is written so that when God brings about His plans and purposes, we will realize that He has already told us this would happen, and that it has happened just as He said it would. Prophecy is one way that God promotes and protects His glory. He tells us what He is going to do ahead of time so that when He does it, it is all His doing.

Let me attempt to illustrate this from the game of pool. (Incidentally, I am not a good pool player, and I know very little about it.) When a really skilled pool player wants to show his skill (and win the game at the same time), he or she will “call” their shot before they make it. They will tell us precisely how they plan to shoot, what they are aiming at, and in which pocket they will put the ball. I could tell people what I wanted to do, but I would seldom be able to accomplish it. Our Lord tells us exactly what He is going to do, and He always accomplishes it exactly as He said He would.

Let me say something else here. There are many things concerning biblical prophecy that we do not and will not know until they are fulfilled. What we are meant to know is that God has a plan, that He has a goal toward which all of human history is headed. Prophecy reminds us that God is in control, and that we do well to trust and obey Him. Prophecy tells us what is certain in very volatile and uncertain times, such as our own. And even though there are many aspects of a certain prophecy that we don’t understand, we should simply believe and obey the parts that we do. The disciples surely did not understand what Jesus was telling them about the future in our text, but they did understand what He was saying about loving and serving one another. They understand what they are to set themselves to be doing:

42 The Lord replied, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whose master puts him in charge of his household servants, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that slave whom his master finds doing so when he comes. 44 I tell you the truth, the master will put that slave in charge of all his possessions. 45 But if that slave should say to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the other slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in two and assign him a place with the unfaithful. 47 That servant who knew his master’s will, but did not get ready or do what his master asked, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know his master’s will and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked (Luke 12:42-48, emphasis mine).

Third, at a time when our Lord could have been obsessed with His own imminent suffering and death, He devoted Himself to serving His disciples by preparing them for the things which were to come. I think of Paul and Peter, as they wrote their last Epistles, knowing that the time of their departure was at hand. They did not focus attention on themselves, but upon others. They sought to prepare the saints for the time when they would be gone. That is what I see in our text. Our Lord is here preparing His disciples for what lies ahead. When one sees suffering (for God’s sake) as glory, then one need not dwell on his pain or sorrow. He or she is freed to focus on others, even in the last hours of our own life.

Fourth, our text suggests to us that there is a time when it is better for the scoffer to be removed. The Bible talks about times when someone needs to be removed from the assembly of the righteous (Proverbs 22:10; Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15; Titus 3:10-11). Some folks call this “back door evangelism.” In a day when the church seems to be seeking to increase its numbers, let us not forget that there are some folks whose presence contaminates the saints, and impedes the work of God. It is time for Judas to go, and Jesus dismisses him. It was night, but only for those who rejected Him who is the source of light and life. Jesus dismissed Judas to go where he had already chosen.

Fifth, we should not think only of Judas as we read our text—Judas is but one example of many who, like him, choose to reject the light and to dwell in darkness. Specifically, Judas is a dramatic picture of the rejection of Jesus by the nation Israel. Over and over again, God had spoken to this people. Finally, God spoke to Israel through “the Word,” the sinless Son of God, Jesus Christ (see Hebrews 1:1-3). They did not believe His words, in spite of all the miraculous works He performed. They seized Him, accused Him of crimes He did not commit, and killed Him, all to further their own interests. Is this not what Judas did as well? What a tragic picture. What darkness the nation Israel is about to experience, after their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah.

It is no different today. Judas is also a picture of all who hear the gospel and cast it aside, by rejecting Jesus as the sinless Son of God, who “takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). It is possible that you may not have believed in Jesus as the “way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). You may be consoling yourself that you did not betray Jesus, as Judas did. If you have not received Him as God’s only cure for your sins, then you have rejected Him. According to the Bible, you are lost and living in darkness. As our Lord urged Judas to repent and believe, He is urging you to do the same.

Sixth, for every man and woman who hears the gospel, there is a point of no return. There is a point of no return, a point in time after which it is forever too late to repent and be saved. In the New Testament, it will soon be that point in time for Israel, as the apostles indicate by the urgency of their preaching. There is a time when you will turn away from Christ for the last time. No man knows that time, but it is a deadline you do not want to ignore. As the Scriptures say,

1 Now because we are fellow-workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says, “I heard you at the acceptable time, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! (2 Corinthians 6:1-2).

I cannot miss the fact that John has placed two men in close proximity to each other in John chapter 13: Judas and Peter. Judas was an unbeliever, who betrayed the Lord of Glory. Peter was a believer, who denied His Lord. What is the difference between the two? All the difference in the world. In some ways, Judas looks like “Mr. Perfect” in the New Testament—up till the time that he betrays our Lord. But over and over again in the Gospels, Peter seems to be messing up, doing or saying the wrong thing (even as he initially refuses to let Jesus wash his feet in our text). But while Peter often sinned, each occasion of sin was for him a point of repentance and return. How quickly Peter repents of his foolishness in chapter 13. It is true that Peter failed many times, just as we do, but each failure was a point of return. For Judas, his apparent failures seem to be few, but in spite of all the opportunities he was given to repent and turn to the Lord, he never did. Far better to fail often and return to the Lord, than to appear to do well, and never turn to Him at all. What a difference there is between Peter, whose sins were a “point of return,” and this final sin of Judas, which was his “point of no return.”

May God grant that each of us is like Peter, in that our sins serve as a point of repentance and return. Would that no one who reads these words is following in the footsteps of Judas, for whom there is no hope.


! Lesson 33:
The Eleventh Commandment[519]
(John 13:31-38)

Introduction

Since I’m in charge of this computer (and since I’m a grandpa), I’m going to tell you about our very lovely granddaughter, Taylor Nicole Hayden. She is, indeed, the joy of our life. She is now two years old, and she has a new baby sister, Lindsey Grace, a mere two months old. When our daughter Joanna and her husband, Jeff, learned that she was pregnant with this second child, they began to talk to Taylor about her new baby sister. As time passed, Joanna’s tummy got larger and larger (a “first” from Taylor’s perspective). Joanna and Jeff told Taylor that God had made a tiny baby in mommy’s tummy, and that when God thought it was the right time, it would come out. Taylor took all this in stride, pondering these thoughts in her child’s heart.

Then the day came for Lindsey Grace to arrive. Jeannette and I and Taylor (and some of her aunts) arrived at the hospital just a little too late for the delivery. When we walked into the delivery room, Joanna was sitting up in bed, holding Lindsey Grace. Taylor climbed up into the bed with her mother. It was indeed a Kodak moment. (I’ll be glad to provide pictures, if you’re interested!) As they sat together in the bed, Taylor began to reason all this out, and then turned to her parents and asked, “Where’s God?” Taylor really did expect to see God there. After all, He made the baby, and He was there to see that it came out at the right time. And so when Taylor saw Lindsey Grace, she expected to see God as well.

For little Taylor, it was a reasonable expectation. She had not seen God before, but then she had to wait to see her other grandmother and grandfather, who live in California. But now that Lindsey Grace had come, Taylor really did expect God to show up, visibly. It wasn’t that anyone told her He would; she just reasoned it out for herself. In somewhat the same way, perhaps, Peter and his fellow-disciples found it difficult to grasp what Jesus was telling them about what the future held for them. As His disciples, they had known Jesus intimately as their Master:

1 This is what we proclaim to you: what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and our hands have touched (concerning the word of life— 2 and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and announce to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us). 3 What we have seen and heard we announce to you too, so that you may have fellowship with us (and in­deed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ) (1 John 1:1-3).

The disciples of our Lord had left everything to follow Him. Even when the Jewish religious leaders purposed to kill Jesus, they determined to stick it out and go with Him to Bethany, just outside Jerusalem: “So Thomas (called Didymus) said to his fellow disciples, ‘Let us go too, so that we may die with him’” (John 11:16). They had heard Jesus tell the Jews that He was going somewhere where they would not be able to find Him, nor to come to Him there (John 7:33-34; 8:21-22). But in all this, they must have assumed they were going with Jesus to this place where the Jews could not find Jesus, nor come to Him. After all, they went with Him to the remote places to which He retreated from Jerusalem and Judea (see John 6:1; 7:1; 10:39-40; 11:53-54).

In our text, when Jesus broke the news of His “departure” to His disciples, they were shocked. How could the Master go somewhere and leave His disciples behind? Why could they not follow Him? They were not thinking about Him going to heaven; they were thinking He meant that He was going somewhere else on earth. When Peter made a point of assuring Jesus that he would never desert Him, Jesus indicates that Peter is soon to deny Him.

Like our little granddaughter, the disciples had difficulty grasping what they were told. But unlike Taylor, they were greatly troubled by what they had heard. The disciples, once exhilarated by their jubilant reception at Jerusalem, were now distraught and troubled (as we can see in verse 1 of chapter 14). Jesus has told them that one of them will betray Him. He has spoken of His death, only hours away. He will tell Peter that he is soon going to deny Him. And then, to make matters even worse (from the disciples’ distorted point of view at that moment), Jesus tells them that He is going somewhere where they cannot come. They are deeply troubled. They do not understand most of what Jesus has said to them, but what little they think they understand, they definitely don’t like.

If the disciples are troubled in spirit, I do not believe that Jesus is distressed. I know that elsewhere John has written of our Lord’s distress (see 12:27; 13:21), but I don’t think this is the case here. His frame of mind at this meal is indicated to us in Luke’s Gospel: “Now when the hour came, Jesus took his place at the table and the apostles joined him. And he said to them, ‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God’” (Luke 22:14-16).

Jesus is about to “go home” to the Father. He has suffered by living in a fallen world (see Romans 8:18-30) and by putting up with the likes of men (see Matthew 17:17). He is about to suffer an eternal separation from God for the sins of men, but here His focus seems to be on “the joy set before Him” (see Hebrews 12:2).

Our Lord’s disposition toward His disciples is one of gentleness and patience. He speaks to them, not as the Master to His disciples (which, of course, He is), but as a father to his little children. “[Little][520] Children, I am still with you for a little while. You will look for me, and just as I said to the Jewish authorities, ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’ now I tell you the same” (verse 33).

There were many things for which the disciples could have been scolded that night. They had argued over who was considered the greatest. They had refused to wash the feet of one another, and Peter had even attempted to prevent Jesus from washing his feet. They completely failed to grasp most of what Jesus was telling them. On top of all this, Judas would betray Him, Peter would deny Him, and all the rest would forsake Him. In spite of all this, Jesus tenderly spoke to His disciples as to little children. This is one of the warmest, most intimate moments our Lord ever shared with His disciples. Let us listen well to the words and to the heart of the Master.

A Change Is Coming
(13:31-33)

31 When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now[521] the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him right away. 33 Children, I am still with you for a little while. You will look for me, and just as I said to the Jewish authorities, ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’ now I tell you the same.”[522]

John introduces this new paragraph with the notation that what Jesus says here is spoken after the departure of Judas. Jesus had to guard and to qualify His words when Judas was present. He had to guard His words so that He would not give away any information that would facilitate Judas’ betrayal in a way that would produce His death at a time or in a manner different than what the prophetic Scriptures required. Jesus had to qualify His words to show (later on) that the comfort and assurances He gave to His true disciples were not meant to apply to Judas (e.g., 13:18-20). The departure of Judas sets in motion the events which assure our Lord’s death at the appointed time. Now, alone at last with His true disciples, Jesus speaks more candidly with them than ever before.

The first words which John records for us in verses 31 and 32 should have come as no surprise to the disciples. The time had come for Jesus to be glorified. The disciples had expected this, but the “glory” of which Jesus speaks is not what they would have expected at all. Several things are important to observe regarding the glory of which Jesus speaks.

First, since the glorification of the Son of Man is the ultimate goal of history, Jesus welcomes it willingly, joyfully, triumphantly. Some people live under the false impression that God’s ultimate purpose in history is to make them happy and to make their lives free from pain and trouble. So the disciples seemed to think as well, until after the cross.

Second, the glorification of our Lord is realized both in His suffering and in His resulting exaltation. The glory of God is achieved at a very high price. The Father will sacrifice His own Son. Who can imagine the agony in that? The Son will lay down His life, dying on a Roman cross, and suffering separation from His Father—as the payment for our sins. And afterward the disciples will undergo their own suffering, which we see throughout the Book of Acts.

It would be wrong to speak of our Lord’s glory, apart from His suffering. It would likewise be incorrect to speak of His suffering apart from His glorification. Jesus here informs His disciples that His glorification is imminent—“right away” (verse 32). His glory begins at the cross, but it does not end there. He is glorified by His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of the Father. Our Lord’s suffering and His glorification cannot be separated. This is what the prophets of old struggled with: How can Messiah be both a suffering Servant and a triumphant King? The answer is found in the person and work of our Lord. Paul speaks of it this way:

5 You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, 6 who though he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. 8 He humbled himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. 9 As a result God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue should confess to the glory of God the Father that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:5-11).

In our church, we observe the Lord’s Table every week, without apology or regret. We do so as a celebration, not as a funeral service. I remember years ago when a gentleman stood up at the Lord’s Table and scolded us for being too joyful. He told us that the Lord’s Table was a funeral service. That’s not the way Jesus told it. Jesus spoke joyfully of His coming death and resurrection. And now, as we look back upon our Lord’s death and resurrection and all that was accomplished by it, how can we remember the Lord’s Table in a somber, sad fashion?

Third, the glorification of the Son is synonymous with the glorification of the Father. Notice the manner in which our Lord intertwines His glorification with that of the Father. Jesus does not seek to be glorified apart from the Father,[523] but with the Father. Both Father and Son are glorified by what takes place shortly. This is consistent with the message of John’s Gospel. Throughout the Gospel, our Lord has emphasized not only His unity with the Father, but also His subordination to the Father. In chapter 1, Jesus was intimately involved (as was the Father) in the creation of the world. In chapter 2, at the cleansing of the temple, Jesus is looking after His Father’s house. In chapter 5, Jesus claims to be working on the Sabbath (by healing the paralytic by the pool of Bethesda) because His Father is also at work. Over and over again, our Lord stresses His union with the Father. It should therefore come as no surprise when we read that the time has come for Father and Son alike to be glorified, through the death and resurrection of the Son.

Fourth, the glorification of the Son necessitates a separation from His disciples. Jesus has a way of introducing future events gradually, especially those to which the disciples are resistant. So it was with His going to Jerusalem, His rejection, crucifixion, and death. So now it is also with His “departure.” Earlier, Jesus had spoken to the Jews about His physical absence from this world:

33 Then Jesus said, ‘I will be with you for only a little while longer, and then I am going to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come’” (John 7:33-34).

21 Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will look for me but will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come.” 22 So the Jewish leaders began to say, “Perhaps he is going to kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going you cannot come’” (John 8:21-22).

Now He says nearly the same thing to His disciples. He is going away, and His absence from them is the backdrop for all that our Lord is about to say to His disciples in the Upper Room Discourse.

The disciples do not appear to have understood our Lord’s earlier words to the Jews about His departure any better than His Jewish opponents did. No doubt the disciples “translated” Jesus words to mean something like this: “My disciples and I are going to be going away from this place, to a place you cannot come, even though you look hard to find us.” A fair bit of their time with Jesus was spent in some remote place, avoiding the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem (e.g., 11:54). They must have assumed Jesus simply meant that He was going to go somewhere else on this earth—with His disciples—where His opponents could not find them.

Any such misunderstanding was now corrected. When Jesus told the Jews that He was going away, He meant that He was returning to heaven, to be with His Father. There, they certainly would not find Him, because they would not be there. Heaven is a place for those who believe in Jesus; hell is the place for those who reject Him (see John 3:16-18; 10:25-29; 1 John 5:10-12). The shock was that Jesus was going away, and yet not taking His disciples with Him.

You should see the look on my granddaughter’s face when she thinks I’m going anywhere and not taking her along (by the way, it doesn’t happen very often.). Think of how these disciples must have felt. Divorce probably produces the emotions closest to what the disciples were feeling at this moment. They had given up their lives, their jobs, and left their families behind, just to follow Jesus. And now, Jesus was going away and leaving them behind. They must have felt abandoned.[524] Jesus will amplify His statement in verses 36 and following so that it becomes even more clear that this separation is only for a time, and that His disciples will eventually follow Him. But at this moment in time, such fine points are of little concern or comfort. They were confused and bewildered.

Fifth, the glory of God is achieved through suffering and sacrifice, but it is ultimately for the good of all who believe in Him. I confess that I am getting ahead of myself, or rather ahead of our text. But I need to emphasize here, at this difficult moment for the disciples, that what Jesus was about to do was for their own good, even though it was not what they would have preferred.

“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7, emphasis mine).

God’s glory is ultimately for the good of every Christian:

28 And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 Because those whom God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those God predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified (Romans 8:28-30).

A New Commandment
(13:34-35)

34 “I give you a new[525] commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.

We all know that there is a sense in which this “new” commandment of our Lord is not entirely new. The Old Testament law could be summed up in two commands: (1) Love God; and (2) Love your neighbor as yourself (see Matthew 22:34-40; Romans 13:8-10). What, then, is so different about our Lord’s command here that He can call it “new”? First, we should note that it is a command given by our Lord to the church, and not a command given to Israel. In this sense, it is the first of the “new commandments” that our Lord will give to the church through His apostles.[526]

Second, it should be noted that this command is specifically directed toward the disciples and their relationship with one another (surely this takes us back to the lesson of foot washing). It is therefore the first of the “one another” commands of the New Testament (see, for example, Romans 12:10, 16; 13:8; 14:13, 19; 15:5, 7, 14; 16:16). This command does not address the love that we have for unbelievers, though others do (see Matthew 5:43-48; Romans 12:17-21).

The most important “new” dimension to our Lord’s command here is the standard which He sets for the love He requires: “Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” It is one thing to love one another as we love and care for ourselves. It is a vastly greater love that gives up one’s own life for another, that sacrifices self-interest to promote the interests of another (John 15:13; Philippians 2:1ff.). The sacrificial work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary is the “new” standard for the Christian’s love for fellow-believers.

In His Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew 5–7, Jesus used this pattern: “You have heard it said … But I say to you.” For example: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28).

The scribes and Pharisees prided themselves as those who kept the law. They thought (and taught) that if they did not commit the physical act of adultery, they had kept this law. If they did not murder anyone, this was another law they had kept. But Jesus took the law a great deal further, all the way to its origins in the heart. Adultery begins with lust; murder begins with hate in one’s heart. And so Jesus taught that lust was as much a sin as adultery, and that hate was sin, as was murder. Jesus brings the Old Testament law up to a new standard, His standard. All this was introduced by the statement:

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter will pass from the law until everything takes place. 19 So anyone who breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do this, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches others to do so will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-20).

No wonder when people heard Jesus speak they said, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He even commands the unclean spirits and they obey him” (Mark 1:27). The “newness” our Lord’s “new commandment,” then, was not in its originality or novelty, but in its extent. It was the practice of this kind of love that would cause the world to recognize these men (and us) as the disciples of Jesus (verse 35):

Tertullian, who lived towards the end of the second century, said that the heathen said of believers, ‘Behold, how these Christians love one another!’ Minucius Felix reports the comment of a heathen called Caecilius: ‘They love one another almost before they know one another.’…The heathen, of course, were prejudiced against the Christians. They did not like them at all and were ready to spread any slander about them. They ridiculed and opposed them. They put them in jail and executed them. But they were compelled to pay their grudging tribute to Christian love. It was undeniable.[527]

Such references ought to make modern Christians think hard. There are not many places in our busy, materialistic world where we believers so live as to compel the heathen to bear their testimony to the love we have for one another. On the contrary, they often accuse us of bickering among ourselves, of hardness, of indulging in petty criticisms of one another, of backbiting, of intolerance … Modern Christians should give serious thought to the importance of love for one another.[528]

“I Don’t Need Commands; I’ve Got Commitment!”
(13:36-38)

36 Simon Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow later.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now?[529] I will lay down my life for you!” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? I tell you the solemn truth, the rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times![530]

I laugh to myself as I read verse 36. It is just as though Peter has not even heard what Jesus said about love in verses 34 and 35. I don’t think this is because Peter thought he was too much of a he-man to talk about such things (though I wouldn’t rule it out altogether). I think Peter was so shocked by our Lord’s words in verse 33 that he just couldn’t get past them. Peter “locked in” on what Jesus had said about going away. He wanted to know where Jesus was going and why he could not go with Him. He had followed Him all this way, all the way to Jerusalem. There was no turning back for him. He was committed to follow Jesus. And now Jesus is talking about going somewhere where he cannot follow? No way! Not for Peter.

Jesus answers Peter’s question indirectly, but even this oblique reply should have given Peter some comfort. Jesus was going somewhere where Peter could not follow Him now, but he will, Jesus said, “follow later.” That is not good enough for Peter. The word “now” is foremost in Peter’s mind. He does not want to wait. He wants to follow Jesus now, wherever that might be.

Peter does not seem to have a clue that Jesus is talking about going to the Father in heaven. He seems fixed on the idea that Jesus is going to change His place of residence on earth. Peter seems to be reasoning something like this: “Jesus says He’s going somewhere, and I can’t follow. He won’t say where, and He won’t say why. It must be the danger. He doesn’t want me coming along because it’s too dangerous. He doesn’t think I can take it. Well, I’ll let Him know that I can handle anything anyone dishes out …

John simply writes what Peter said (which, at times, can be a lot more than he’s thought): “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!” If commitment is the determining factor in who goes with Jesus and who does not, then Peter wants Jesus to know that his commitment is unmatched. He is willing to pay any price, including that of his own life, to follow Jesus.

In his excellent commentary on the Gospel of John, William Hendriksen points out some very informative facts about Peter’s words here and in the Synoptic Gospels. Let me cite them:

In connection with this boast a few additional facts must be noted:

a. Peter spoke these words both before and after Christ’s prediction which is recorded in 13:38, as is clear from Matt. 26:33-35; Mark 14:29-31. Evidently, at the time, the words of Jesus, telling Peter that in spite of his boasting he would do the very thing which he promised so emphatically not to do, failed to register. Peter was too sure of himself.

b. He used very emphatic language. Note the double negative in Matt. 26:35, so that the boast may be rendered: ‘I will certainly not deny thee.’ And compare: ‘I will never be ensnared.’

c. He spoke with great vehemence (Mark 14:31), evidently not at all pleased with the fact that Jesus had a different opinion.

d. The passage here in John indicates that Peter’s boast was not only negative ‘I will not be ensnared,’ ‘I will not deny’) but also positive: ‘My life for thee I will lay down.’ Luke 22:33 supplies the commentary.

e. His self-reliant exclamation was copied by the others: ‘Likewise also said all the disciples.’ Not a single one among these disciples knew his own heart. Notice the three ‘all’s’: ‘You will all be ensnared (Mark 14:27), said Jesus. They all said, ‘Impossible’ (for exact words see Matt. 26:35). ‘Then all the disciples left him and fled’ (Matt. 26:56).

Though not one of the disciples knew his own heart, yet while all were ensnared, Peter went much farther: he denied that he even knew the Master at all; see on 18:15-17; 18:25-27; cf. Matt. 26:69-75.[531]

Elmer Towns points out one more observation worth noting: “According to Mark, Peter later argued, ‘Although all shall be offended, yet will not I’ (Mark 14:29).”[532] I am probably pushing my limits on this, but the thought did occur to me that our Lord’s prophecy of the cock crowing after Peter’s denial may be significant in terms of the feathered creature God chose to perform this prophetic announcement. If you have ever observed a rooster at work in the breaking of the dawn, you will understand this proverb:

29 There are three things which are stately in their march, Even four which are stately when they walk: 30 The lion which is mighty among beasts And does not retreat before any, 31 The strutting rooster,[533] the male goat also, And a king when his army is with him (Proverbs 30:29-31, NASB).

Is Peter getting just a little bit too “cocky”? It would certainly seem so, and if this is the case, what better way to “send a message” to Peter than by means of a feathered creature who personifies “cocky” all too well? It’s a stretch, I agree, but sometimes such details may make a point that needs to be made. At any rate, I think we can all agree that Peter is not suffering from “low self-esteem” here, but from over-confidence. He provides us with a powerful illustration of this warning from the pen of the Apostle Paul: “So let the one who thinks he is standing be careful that he does not fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Conclusion

Here, then, is our first lesson, is it not? The one who is most confident that he will not fall is the most likely to fall. How can this be? It is because his confidence is in himself. Far better to be wary of falling, than to be confident of standing. Far better to have no trust in oneself, and thus to trust only in God. Far better to know you do not have the strength to stand and to lean on Jesus, than to stand alone and fall on your face. Here is one of the great dangers of the “message” proclaimed by many of the motivational books and seminars today. If they make us confident in ourselves, rather than in God, they are pointing us in the wrong direction; they are setting us up for a fall.

The second thing that I find emphasized in this text is that Jesus is in complete control. In chapter 13, Jesus knows it is His time to be glorified (13:3, 31-32). He knows also of the betrayal of Judas, and even dismisses him early to carry out his deed (13:27). And in addition, Jesus knows of Peter’s denial. Jesus is not taken in by all of Peter’s assurances of his loyalty and faithfulness, though I believe he felt he meant them when he said them. Jesus knows all of this about Peter, and yet He chooses him to be the one who will become such a powerful instrument of the gospel in the Book of Acts. God really does choose the weak and foolish things of this world to confound the wisdom of the wise. And in all this He is glorified (see 1 Corinthians 1:26-31).

I believe the most important lesson in our text is about true love. This chapter virtually oozes with the love of our Lord for His disciples (e.g. 13:1). Placed neatly between our Lord’s words on His imminent glorification and departure and His prophecy of Peter’s denial are verses 34 and 35, which contain our Lord’s instruction to His disciples to “love one another.” Was Peter’s problem not a lack of love? I would simply remind you that after Peter’s denial, our Lord’s death, and His resurrection, Jesus addressed Peter directly about his love and his service (John 21). Love seems to be a major issue for Peter. The thing he passed over so abruptly in our text, he must deal with much more seriously at the end of this Gospel.

Who is better qualified to speak on love than He who has loved us to the uttermost? The disciples refused to serve one another, and it seems to me that it is because of their lack of true love for one another. Their “love” at this moment was just like the “love” we see and read about in our culture—a self-serving “love” which continues to love so long as our interests are being served. The love which our Lord displayed was a self-sacrificing love, which prompted Him to serve the disciples by washing their feet, and most of all by dying on the cross of Calvary to save sinners from the guilt and penalty of their sins. The Christian standard and source of love is the Person of Jesus Christ, as demonstrated on cross of Calvary.

Let me further observe that “loving” one another is not a recommendation by our Lord—a good piece of advice. Love is a command, one which John most certainly would not forget (see, for example, 1 John 3:23). If loving one another is a command, then our only choice is to obey or disobey our Lord in this matter. Love is a duty we must perform in deed. Some people think of love as a feeling; Jesus describes love here in terms of our actions. We want to wait till we feel love, and then express it. I find it most interesting that it is Peter who describes love as the capstone of Christian virtues and disciplines, not as the basis of them (though there is truth to this, too—see 2 Peter 1:5-7). If we would know true love, let us not look to our culture to define it, let us look to the Word of God, let us look to the cross, and let us look to Him who is love, the Lord Jesus Christ.

As I close, let me do so with the words of the late Dr. John G. Mitchell:

There are three measurements of a disciple. We had the first in chapter 8: ‘If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’ (8:31-32). The second measurement is here. ‘By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.’ Remember, ‘love suffereth long, and is kind’ (1 Corinthians 13:4). The third measurement of discipleship is in chapter 15. ‘Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples’ (15:8).

God grant that we Christians, we who love Him, we who have been redeemed by His precious blood, may wear the badge of discipleship. It is genuine love one for another and especially with frail, stumbling believers.

My friend, this rules out all divisions. It rules out all bitterness and jealousy and envy among God’s people. It rules out all pettiness and smallness and shallowness. How much are we to love each other? As Christ loves us. This is the measure of it.[534]


! Lesson 34:
Having a Friend in High Places
(John 14:1-31)

Introduction

Those of you who are preachers or teachers will understand what I am about to say. You are probably familiar with the song, part of which goes like this: “Fill my cup, Lord …” In one form or another, preachers fervently pray these words every Saturday evening. Every Sunday, we empty our “cup” of understanding when we preach. The next week, we study and meditate and agonize, praying that God will again “fill our cup” before next Sunday’s sermon. I must confess to you that my “cup” was empty until the early hours of the morning I had to deliver this message. It wasn’t that I did not have anything to say. I had a lot of observations and comments, but the message of the chapter as a whole was not clear in my mind. I could not discern the point of the chapter, or how John was developing his argument. There is no point in time when I feel my own inadequacy as a preacher more than at such “empty cup” moments.

I believe God graciously granted my request, but just late enough to remind me, once again, that preaching (like all Christian living) is divinely enabled. As our Lord puts it in chapter 15, “apart from me, you can accomplish nothing” (verse 5). We can understand this one chapter in John’s Gospel only as we understand the context in which it is found. Chapters 13-17 contain the “Upper Room Discourse” and High Priestly Prayer of our Lord for His disciples. The matters dealt with here are not found in the Synoptic Gospels, but only in John. The events which occur and the words spoken by our Lord take place in a small window of time when our Lord is finally able to enjoy a private moment with His disciples. Jesus has already dismissed Judas, and he is now in the process of betraying the Master (see 13:27; 18:1-3). In his absence, Jesus can speak freely with His true disciples.

The disciples are confused, perplexed, and greatly troubled by what Jesus has just told them: “Children, I am still with you for a little while. You will look for me, and just as I said to the Jewish authorities, ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’ now I tell you the same” (13:33). Jesus had given them some shocking news. One of the 12 would betray Him, and besides this He informs them that He is leaving to go somewhere else, without them. Peter questions Jesus further about this, and seeks to assure Him of his loyalty, but Jesus silences him by telling him that he will deny Him three times before the cock crows (13:38).

The words recorded in chapter 14 (indeed, in 13-17) are intended to minister to the troubled spirits of the disciples—but not to give them immediate comfort. Have you ever noticed that virtually every advertisement for pain relievers claims the same thing—fast relief? I have yet to find any advertisement which says: “Our product will not give you quick relief. If you purchase it and take the recommended dosage, nothing will happen for some time. …” The “relief” which our text offers is not “fast” relief. The Upper Room Discourse is not a “play by play” account of the events that took place in the Upper Room, as the disciples experienced and perceived them at the time. The Upper Room Discourse is a reconstruction of these events, recorded years later, after the death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord. These words were written by John after the Holy Spirit’s coming at Pentecost, who enabled the disciples to recall and understand what they had seen and heard in their last hours with the Lord (see 16:12-16).

The immediate effect of our Lord’s words to His disciples was confusion and sadness. I would like to suggest that this was exactly what our Lord intended them to produce—for the moment. Suppose the disciples really did grasp what Jesus was about to do. Suppose, for example, that the disciples understood that Judas was about to betray our Lord and to hand Him over to the Jewish authorities, so that they could carry out a mock trial and crucify the Son of God on the cross of Calvary. I think I know what Peter would have done—he would have used his sword on Judas, rather than the high priest’s slave. I believe the disciples would have attempted to prevent what was about to happen, had they known what that was. But the confusion our Lord’s words produced threw them off balance. The result was that when Jesus was arrested, they fled. They did not die trying to defend the Savior, and in part this was because they were utterly confused by what was happening. Jesus’ words were not intended to produce instant “relief,” but eternal joy. The confusion and sadness that the Upper Room Discourse created in the disciples enabled Jesus to die just as He knew He must, just as it had been planned, purposed, and promised long before. The disciples were surely not “in control” at this point in time, but, as always, the Master was.

While our Lord’s words in the Upper Room are intended to comfort and encourage His disciples later on, they are also words that apply to Christians today as well. Whose spirit does not find comfort in these words: “Do not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in me. There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. Otherwise, I would have told you …”? Let us turn, then, to this assuring, comforting text to find peace for our souls in these troubled times.

The “Bad News” Is Really “Good News”
(14:1-3)

1 “Do not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. Otherwise, I would have told you. I am going away to make ready a place for you. 3 And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be too.”

The disciples are told what will give their troubled hearts relief: faith—faith in God the Father and in God the Son. I have read the words of verse 1 many times before, but have not really understood them. I suspect I am not alone in this, because there is considerable discussion in the commentaries about how we should take the word “believe.”[535] As I now understand this passage, I would paraphrase our Lord’s words in verse 1 in this way:

“Don’t be distressed that I am going away, and that you cannot come with me right now. You believe in God, don’t you? Can you see Him? Does He have a physical body that you can see and touch? No. I am going away, and you will not be able to see Me as you have for these past three years. I challenge you, therefore, to believe in Me in the same way that you believe in God the Father, as your unseen Lord. I will be just as real in My absence as I have ever been while dwelling among you.”

I don’t think that I’m overreaching the text here. I believe that the word “also” in verse 1 is intended to link the way the disciples believe in the Father with the way they must also believe in the Son. The disciples are in danger of a temptation as old as the Garden of Eden. From the very beginning, men have been tempted to rely more on what they can see than on what God has said. Let me call your attention to the biblical account of the fall in Genesis 3:

1 Now the serpent was more shrewd than any of the animals of the field which the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Is it indeed true that God said, ‘You shall not eat from every tree of the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden God said, ‘You shall not eat from it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die, 5 for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eye, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some of it to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves (Genesis 3:1-7, emphasis mine).

I will not go into detail here, but it is my conviction that everyone but God was visibly present at the temptation and fall of Adam and Eve. Eve was there, as was the serpent. I believe Adam was there also, but kept silent: “She took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some of it to her husband who was with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3:6b, emphasis mine).

Adam was there, as was Eve and the serpent. Only God was absent (see Genesis 3:8ff.). Though God was absent,[536] Adam and Eve had a clear command from Him regarding the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They were not to eat of it, lest they die. Eve chose to believe the serpent and her own eyes, rather than the Word of God. Satan said the fruit was good; when Eve looked at it, it did look good, and so trusting in what she saw, she ate and gave some of it to her husband as well. Notice that her “sight” was not as good as she thought, for after she and her husband ate of that forbidden fruit, their eyes were opened, and they saw that they were naked (Genesis 3:7). Eve should have believed what God had said. For Eve, seeing (the fruit as good) was not believing (in God).

A similar incident occurs in the Book of Exodus:

1 Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” 5 So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD.” 6 Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 7 And the LORD said to Moses, “Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!’” (Exodus 32:1-8, NKJV, emphasis mine).

The sin of Israel was prompted by the absence of Moses. He was up on the mountain, obtaining the law on tablets of stone. The Israelites could not stand to be left alone, with no visible leader, and so they engaged Aaron in an idol-making project. The end result was the golden calf, which the people could see, carry along with them, and worship. They worshipped this image as the true God, who led them out of their Egyptian slavery. In so doing, they committed the sin of idolatry. They wanted to “see” their “god,” but the God they served could not be seen and could not be represented by any image. How tempting it is in the absence of a visible leader for men to want someone, or something, they can worship and that can serve as “god.”

Is this not a danger for the disciples as well? Jesus has been very visible and very real to His disciples for nearly three years:

1 This is what we proclaim to you: what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and our hands have touched (concerning the word of life—2 and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and announce to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us). 3 What we have seen and heard we announce to you too, so that you may have fellowship with us (and in­deed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ). 4 Thus we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete (1 John 1:1-4).

The disciples don’t want this to change. They want a God who is not only near them, but one who can be seen and touched.[537] It is better that Jesus returns to the Father, and that they begin to worship Him just as they do the Father. Strangely enough, while He will no longer be with them as He once was, they will come to know Him more intimately than they ever did while He was with them.

What we read in verse 1 is not really that difficult for us, as Gentiles, but let us remember that our Lord’s words would have stuck in the throat of a Jew. As early as John chapter 5, the Jews are violently reacting to our Lord’s claim to be equal with God. The Jews did not (and do not) believe in the Trinity, and thus our Lord’s exhortation to His disciples to believe in Him as they did the Father would sound blasphemous. Our Lord’s claims and teaching are revolutionary to the Jews living in those times, including our Lord’s disciples.[538]

Let me sum up a very important principle which Jesus is teaching His disciples in the first verses of chapter 14: The relationship which Jesus sustained for a few years with His disciples was temporary and exceptional. In the light of His imminent death, burial, resurrection, and return to the Father in heaven, they must now relate to Him in a very different manner—the same manner in which they relate to God the Father.

This is a point well worth pondering, because the expectations of the disciples at the time of the Upper Room Discourse are very much like the expectations of many Christians today. Many of us, like the disciples, would prefer to sustain a physical relationship with Jesus. We often look back longingly on Old and New Testament times, wishing that we could have been there, or that those days could be re-lived in our day. We wish we could walk and talk with Jesus, as they did. We see the days of our Lord’s earthly ministry as “the good old days.” The truth of the matter is that those days weren’t as good as we may imagine. The disciples didn’t understand Jesus well at all, even though they walked and talked with Him and spent much time in His presence. They sought to talk Him out of the very thing He came to do—die on the cross for sinners. It was not until after His ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit that these disciples entered into real intimacy with their Lord. It was after His departure that they came to understand what His earthly life and death were all about. It was after His departure that they spent much time in prayer. It was after His exodus that they experienced great joy, even in the midst of persecution and adversity. In short, it was better for the disciples that Jesus departed from them. It is better for us that He did as well. Let us ponder the privilege that is ours to know our Lord more intimately than we could have and would have had we lived in the days of the disciples.

Let us realize as well that we will never be able to “turn the clock back” to those “good old days” we are reading about in John’s Gospel. At Christmas time, we think of Jesus as a tiny, helpless babe in a manger, surrounded by cattle. That is how He came to this earth, but it is not the way we are to remember Him. Neither should we think of Him as He was at this moment in the Upper Room. We should think of our Lord as John last saw Him, and as we shall all see Him in the future:

9 I, John, your brother and the one who shares with you in the persecution, kingdom, and endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island named Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony about Jesus. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day when I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 saying: “Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches—to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” 12 I turned to see whose voice was speaking to me, and when I did so, I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands was one like a son of man. He was dressed in a robe extending down to his feet and he wore a wide golden belt around his chest. 14 His head and hair were as white as wool, even as white as snow, and his eyes were like a fiery flame. 15 His feet were like polished bronze that has been refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp double-edged sword extended out of his mouth. His face shone like the sun shining at full strength. 17 When I saw him I fell down at his feet as though I were dead, but he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid! I am the first and the last, 18 namely, the one who lives! I was dead, but look, now I am alive—forever and ever—and I have the keys of death and Hades!” (Revelation 1:9-18)

The “Jesus” that Peter rebuked and resisted (Matthew 16:21-23; John 13:6-8) came as one whose deity and glory was “veiled” (not set aside), and who was not recognized for who He really was:[539]

1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. 3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted (Isaiah 53:1-4, NKJV).

The glory which the disciples beheld was not evident by His physical appearance or earthly form. When Jesus was transfigured, His glory was seen by the inner three, but there His appearance changed or was transformed, so that they saw Him differently than they usually did. Jesus, as He appeared at His transfiguration, was like the One who appeared to John in Revelation. Those who desire to “turn back the clock” to the “good old days” when we would have been able to walk and talk with Jesus wish for something that never was, and can never be. When we see our Lord at His second coming, He will not look like the Jesus we read about in the Gospels. Let us therefore be careful not to wish for a return to the “good old days” of our Lord’s presence as the disciples experienced it when they followed Him on this earth. Times have never been better for true believers than since our Lord’s departure, and they will be even better yet when He returns!

The bad news for the disciples (so far as they perceived it) was that Jesus was going away without them. The good news puts all this into perspective. He is going to His Father’s house; He is going back to heaven. He is going there to prepare a place for His disciples, so that they can be with Him for all eternity. His Father’s house has plenty of “dwelling places.” The word “mansions” is not really accurate, as both Leon Morris and D. A. Carson point out to us:

The Greek word translated in the King James Version as ‘mansions’ is found only here and in verse 23 in the New Testament. It is connected with the verb that means ‘to abide, dwell,’ which is used quite often in chapter 15. It points to places to stay. The translation ‘mansions’ is due to the fact that when Jerome translated the New Testament into Latin he used the word mansiones at this point, and the King James translators used the English word that came closest to that. But the Latin word means ‘lodging-places’; it refers to places to stay and not to elaborate houses.[540]

The King James Version promises ‘many mansions’ rather than ‘many rooms’; and no doubt the prospect of an eternal mansion is more appealing to many than the prospect of an eternal room. The word mansion has called forth quite a number of songs which picture eternal bliss in largely materialistic categories: ‘I’ve got a mansion just over the hilltop,’ we sing, scarcely able to restrain our imaginations from counting the valets at our beck and call. ‘A tent or a cottage, why should I care?/They’re building a palace for me over there.’ Here we even manage to upgrade ‘mansion’ to ‘palace.’[541]

Our Lord is telling His disciples and us that there is plenty of room for us all in His Father’s heavenly house. Dwelling with Him there will be a significant improvement on their “housing” while on earth with Jesus: “As they were walking along the road, someone said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head’” (Luke 9:57-58). A good deal of the time, the Lord and His disciples may have been camping rather than living comfortably in some spatial home. What Jesus promises His disciples is a dramatic (what an understatement!) improvement.

The question must occur to the reader, “But why is it taking Him so long to prepare this place for us? After all, doesn’t the Father’s house already have many dwelling places? Is Jesus taking up carpentry again, in heaven, and busily building rooms for His followers?” I think we know better than that. It only took seven days to create the heavens and the earth, so why is it taking Him so long to make a place ready for us?

While on this earth, Jesus referred to the temple as His Father’s house (John 2:16; 14:2). Now, it is apparent that He is speaking of His heavenly “home” and not the temple in Jerusalem. In heaven, there will be no temple, for God’s place of dwelling will be with His saints:

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had ceased to exist, and the sea existed no more. 2 And I saw the holy city—the new Jerusalem—descending out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Look! The residence of God is among men and women. He will live among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more—or mourning, or crying, or pain; the former things have ceased to exist.” … 22 Now I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God All-Powerful is its temple, and the Lamb. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God lights it up, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light and the kings of the earth will bring their grandeur into it. 25 Its gates will never be closed during the day (for there will be no night there). 26 They will bring the grandeur and the wealth of the nations into it, 27 but nothing ritually unclean will ever enter into it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or practices falsehood, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 21:1-4, 22-27).

Compare this passage in Revelation with these texts from Ephesians and 1 Peter:

19 So then you are no longer foreigners and non-citizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, 20 because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:19-22).

4 So as you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but chosen and priceless in God’s sight, 5 you yourselves as living stones are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood and to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it says in Scripture, “See, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and priceless cornerstone, and whoever believes in him will never be put to shame.” 7 So you who believe see his value, but for those who do not believe, the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, 8 and a stumbling-stone and a rock to trip over. They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 You once were not a people, but now you are God’s people. You were shown no mercy but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:4-10).

If the “place” our Lord is preparing is this heavenly temple, a house made up of living stones (saints), then this “house” will not be completed until the last of His elect is brought to faith. Is this not what Paul is saying in Romans 9?

22 But what if God, willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And what if he is willing to make known the wealth of his glory on the objects of mercy that he has prepared beforehand for glory—24 even us, whom he has called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? (Romans 9:22-24).

God is delaying the outpouring of His wrath on guilty sinners, destined to condemnation, so that He might manifest His grace by saving those who are His “objects of mercy.” The punishment of guilty sinners is delayed until the full measure of those prepared for glory are saved. This, in my opinion, is what our Lord is presently preparing—a holy temple, a congregation of believers in whom, and among whom, He will dwell for all eternity. When the disciples comprehend what Jesus is saying here, they will look on His “absence” in an entirely different light. It is better for them that He leave them, for a time, so that they may dwell with Him for all eternity.

Which Way?
(14:4-7)

4 “And you know the way where I am going.”[542] 5 Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you have known me, you will know my Father too. And from now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Jesus has just told His disciples that He is going to “His Father’s house” so that they can be with Him there. He then tells them that “they know the way where He is going” (verse 4). Thomas chooses to differ with His Master. He says, in effect, “Master, we don’t know your destination, so how can we possibly know the way to get there?” We have a couple of computer programs which map out the best route to various destinations. There are two pieces of information which these trip planners must know before they can map out a route: (1) the point of departure, and (2) the destination. Once the program knows the starting point and the destination, it can quickly and easily lay out a travel route between these two points. Both pieces of information are required. The disciples actually do know the Master’s starting point (Jerusalem), but they think they do not know His destination. If this were true, they could certainly not know “the way” to where He was going.

But Thomas was wrong. They did know where Jesus was going. They had simply forgotten it, or at least put it out of their minds. Over and over again Jesus had told them that He had come from the Father in heaven, and that He was going to return there: “For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me” (6:38).

33 Then Jesus said, “I will be with you for only a little while longer, and then I am going to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come” (7:33-34).

Jesus replied, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here. I have not come on my own initiative, but he sent me” (8:42).

34 Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If those people to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ (and the scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say about the one whom the Father set apart and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?” (10:34-36)

I was a school teacher for several years. Many are the times when I’ve asked a student a question and gotten a blank look and silence, or a statement that he or she didn’t know the answer. But I knew that they did know. They just didn’t know that they knew. They needed to be reminded. They needed to hear the question put differently. Then, suddenly, their face would light up, and they would blurt out the answer they knew all along. This is the way it would be with the disciples. They were so taken back by what Jesus had told them that they thought they did not know where He was going, even though He had told them.

How gentle and comforting is our Lord’s response. There is no rebuke, simply a statement—one of the most comforting statements of our Lord recorded in the Gospels: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (14:6). One could preach an entire sermon on this one verse. Jesus is not merely One who has shown men the way; He is the way. It is His death, resurrection, and ascension that has made a way for men to spend eternity with God in heaven. He is not merely a way; He is the way. He is the one and only way that God has provided for men to obtain the forgiveness of their sins and the gift of eternal life. Lest anyone miss this point, Jesus says it again, in the plainest of words: “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” To know Jesus is to know the way to the Father, for He is the way.

Jesus is also the truth. He does, of course, teach the truth. His words are truth. But beyond this, He is the truth.[543] He is the “wisdom” of Proverbs chapter 8. All truth has its source in Him, as the Apostle Paul writes: “My goal is that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be encouraged, and that they may have all the riches of full assurance in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2-3). He is all the truth that men need for salvation, life, and godliness. This is why Paul restricted his preaching to proclaiming Christ and Christ crucified. The “wisdom” which the false teachers taught was contrary to the truth which is in Jesus. It is this “truth” in Jesus which reveals God to men, which discloses the way to eternal life, which is the basis for sanctification, and which provides the content of the gospel.

Finally, Jesus is the life. We know that He has raised the dead to life. In John’s Gospel, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, after he had been in the tomb four days! Jesus gives life, but this is because He is the source of life. He is the One who called heaven and earth (and the church) into existence (John 1:1-5; Colossians 1:15-20). To reject Him is to reject life and to choose death (see John 5:21-40; 6:33-63). Because He is the life, His life cannot be taken away from Him. He lays it down, just as He has authority to take it up again (John 10:17-18).

To know Jesus is to know the Father (verse 7). The disciples have not known Jesus fully, but from the time of His glorification they will know Him and the Father. Indeed, Jesus can not only say that they have known the Father, but that they have seen the Father, in Him.

Seeing and Believing
(14:8-31)

8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be content.” 9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you for so long, and you have not known me, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father! How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own initiative, but the Father residing in me performs his miraculous deeds. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me; but if you do not believe me, believe because of the miraculous deeds themselves. 12 I tell you the solemn truth, the person who believes in me will perform the miraculous deeds that I am doing, and will perform greater deeds than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

15 “If you love me, you will obey my commandments. 16 Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he resides with you and will be in you. 18 I will not abandon you as orphans, I will come to you. 19 In a little while the world will not see me any longer, but you will see me; because I live, you will live too. 20 You will know at that time that I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you. 21 The person who has my commandments and obeys them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal myself to him.”

22 “Lord,” Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “what has happened that you are going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him. 24 The person who does not love me does not obey my words. And the word you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me. 25 I have spoken these things while staying with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and will cause you to remember everything I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. 30 I will not speak with you much longer, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me, 31 but I am doing just what the Father commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Get up, let us go from here.”

There is enough material in these verses to keep a preacher going for a long time. It will take all eternity to plumb the depths of these words, so I will not attempt to do so here—as though I could. Instead, I would like to try to capture the main point which unifies the entire passage and constitutes the principle argument John is seeking to develop in chapter 14. That will make sense of the whole text and help us plug in some of the details as we continue to study this great text in the days and years to come.

Philip’s question contains the key to this text, in my opinion: “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be content.” Philip is basing his request on the premise that “seeing is believing.” If they could but see the Father, then they would believe all that Jesus has told them about the Father, and then they could have peace of mind. Jesus is going to turn this reasoning inside-out. He is going to say that it is not “seeing that leads to believing,” but rather it is “believing the leads to seeing.” Believing is seeing. It is to those who believe in Jesus to whom He reveals Himself (verse 21). Let us attempt to trace the argument as John sets it out.

Philip asks Jesus to “show them” the Father, so that they can believe. Jesus begins with a gentle rebuke. Has He been with His disciples all this time, without Philip really coming to know Him? If he had known Him as he should, he would not be asking Jesus to show them the Father. They should have known that to see and know Jesus is to know the Father. He and the Father are intimately connected. The Father dwells in Him, as He dwells in the Father. To know one is to know the other. To reject one is to reject the other.

The words that Jesus has spoken to them have been the Father’s words. I am reminded of the opening words of this great Gospel:

14 Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only full of grace and truth, who came from the Father. 15 John testified about him and cried out, “This one was the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than I am, because he existed before me.’” 16 For we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The only One, himself God, who is in the presence of the Father, has made God known (John 1:14-18, emphasis mine).

Jesus was the Logos, the Word. He did not speak independently of the Father. He spoke the words which the Father gave Him to speak (John 8:26, 28, 38; 12:49-50). The disciples should have believed His words because they were the words of the Father; they were the truth. But if this was too much for them to do, they should believe His words because of His works. They are the Father’s testimony that Jesus is the Son, and that He speaks for the Father.

These miraculous works which God has accomplished in Jesus are not the greatest works that men will see. Those who believe in Jesus will do even greater works. The basis for these greater works is the Lord’s presence and ministry in heaven. Once again, we see that it is better for the disciples that Jesus leave them behind for a time, because His absence makes possible the “greater works” of the disciples. Whatever they ask in His name, the Father will do in order to glorify Himself through the Son.

Jesus gave sight to a man born blind. He made the lame walk. He raised the dead. Just what would the disciples do that was greater? First, I would think the miracles which the apostles and the early church performed would be greater in number than those done by our Lord, in the three short years He ministered to men on this earth. Second, the miracles were greater in their outworking. Jesus healed the paralytic in John 5, but like many others He healed, this man was not saved as a result. The saving of a lost sinner, the transfer of one from death to life, and from darkness to light, is the greatest miracle of all. What a miracle a transformed life is! Such were the miracles about to take place through the disciples and their preaching. Third, I believe the miracles God accomplished through the disciples were greater because of those whom God used to achieve them. Are we surprised that the Lord Jesus Christ could heal the sick or raise the dead? We shouldn’t be. The wonder is that God empowered men like Peter and John to heal the sick and even to raise the dead.

The Lord’s statements in verses 12-14 are often twisted by those who insist that there must be miracles and signs today.[544] They wish to hear our Lord assuring them that anything they ask will be granted, if the request is but made in Jesus’ name. They insist that miracles like those accomplished by our Lord (and even greater ones) should be expected today. The purpose of the miracles our Lord promises is not the glorification of the men God uses to accomplish them; the purpose is to bring glory to Himself (verse 13). He is not obliged to grant us every selfish request we might make (see James 4:1-3).

Jesus is not encouraging His disciples to become miracle-workers here. In fact, He is doing the opposite. He is urging His disciples to believe His words, because they are the Father’s words. If they must have added verification, let them take note of His miraculous works as the Father’s accreditation and approval of His teaching. The “high road” is to simply believe in what Jesus has said. The “lower road” is to believe what He has said because of the miracles He has done. Let us not twist this text and our Lord’s words to promote miracles, signs, and wonders, when Jesus speaks of sign-faith as second-class faith (see also John 2:23-25). Soon, Jesus will be speaking these words to Thomas, who must see in order to believe:

24 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “Unless I see the wounds from the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the wounds from the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe it!” 26 Eight days later the disciples were again together in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and examine my hands. Extend your hand and put it into my side. Do not continue in your unbelief, but believe.” 28 Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are the people who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:24-29).

Ideally, it is not “seeing” that should result in believing, but believing that should result in seeing. Philip would like to see (some dramatic revelation of the Father, some theophany), so that he might believe, and so that his mind can be at ease. Jesus urges Philip to believe His words, if necessary because of His works. Verses 15-21 spell out the “high road” for Philip and for every follower of Jesus Christ.

Those who love the Lord Jesus should eagerly seek to obey His commandments—His Word. Having trusted in Him and having obeyed His commandments, Jesus will request that the Father send “another Advocate” who will be with them forever. He is an “Advocate,” a “Helper” like our Lord. He is not an “Advocate” of a different kind, but an “Advocate” of the same kind, an “Advocate” like Jesus.[545] The difference is that this “Advocate” will be with them forever. When He comes, He will not leave them. In order for Him to come, to be sent to them, Jesus must first go away. He will ask the Father, who will send the Holy Spirit to be with them—forever. He will not only dwell among them, He will indwell them. He is called the “Spirit of truth.” It is He who will call our Lord’s teaching to their remembrance. It is He who will cause all that once confused them to become clear. It is He who will transform them into bold witnesses who proclaim the gospel in the face of great opposition.

The Lord is leaving this world, and He is leaving His disciples behind, at least for a time. But Jesus is not abandoning His disciples as though they were orphans (verse 18). These are those whom He regards as His “little children” (13:33). When He ascends to the Father, the world will see Him no longer. This is not a detriment to the gospel, but a witness to the righteousness of Jesus Christ (see 16:8, 10). While the world will not “see” Him, His disciples will. This “seeing” is not with one’s physical eyes, but with the eyes of faith. They will “see” Him by faith. It is then that they will grasp the unity of the Father, the Son, and the sons of God. It is those who love God and who keep His commandments whom God will love, and to whom the Lord Jesus will reveal Himself (verse 21). Believing and obeying (the Word of God) results in seeing.

There is yet one more question to be asked, this time by Judas. This is not Judas Iscariot, who betrayed the Lord, but another Judas (verse 22). He understands Jesus to say that henceforth He will reveal Himself to His disciples, but not to the world. Judas questions Jesus as to what has happened, what has gone wrong, to produce this change. What has changed so that Jesus will no longer reveal Himself to the world, but only to His disciples?

I believe that Judas, like his fellow-disciples, was wrong. Jesus did promise to reveal Himself to His disciples. He made it clear that “the world” would not see Him any longer. But Judas was wrong to assume that Jesus had given up on all but His handful of disciples. Jesus means that He will no longer reveal Himself physically and visibly to the world, just as He will no longer be (literally) seen by His disciples. Jesus will continue to reveal Himself to the world in the same way He reveals Himself to His disciples—through His Word. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ words to His disciples will be remembered and recorded in the Gospels. This gospel will be proclaimed throughout the world. Anyone who loves Jesus and keeps His commandments will enjoy the Lord’s dwelling among and within them through His Spirit, just as His disciples will (verse 23). Those who reject His Word do not love Him, nor do they keep His commandments. In rejecting the words of our Lord, they reject the words of the Father. In so doing they reject both the Father and the Son.

These words have been spoken by our Lord to the disciples, but they have not been understood. When Jesus leaves this earth and returns to His Father in heaven, the Holy Spirit will be sent by the Father in the name of the Son. He will teach the disciples what they are to proclaim to the world, and by means of this teaching, some will believe, obey, and “see” Jesus.

The final verses of this chapter (27-31) return to the peace which our Lord gives, which will keep their hearts and minds so that they need not be distressed by His absence. He gives them peace, but it is not a peace like the world offers. It is not a peace rooted in what is seen. It is a peace based upon what is unseen, upon what is said by our Lord, who is “the way, the truth, and the life.” They heard Him say that He was leaving, but these words should bring them great joy. He is leaving them to go to the Father, who is even greater[546] than He (verse 28). Having died on the cross of Calvary, and having been raised from the dead, it is from heaven that our Lord can be of the greatest help and comfort to His disciples. He can, and will, be their Intercessor with the Father. And, from heaven, the Father and the Son will be glorified, as they accomplish great things through the disciples.

Our Lord’s words are the basis for men’s faith and comfort. Jesus is telling His disciples all these things, not because they will immediately understand them and find comfort in them, but because they will remember that He told them all these things before they took place. Our Lord’s words to His disciples here are actually prophecy. When His prophetic words are fulfilled, the faith of the disciples will be greatly strengthened. If the things He promised in the near future are fulfilled, then surely His promises about heaven are sure and certain as well. There is little time left for Jesus to say more, because Satan is drawing near in the person of Judas Iscariot and the religious leaders, who are seeking to arrest Him. But in what He is doing, Jesus is Himself obeying the command He has been given by the Father. In doing this, the world will know (if not now, in the future) that He loves the Father.

Jesus now says to His disciples, “Get up, let us go from here.” Jesus does not wish to stay too long in any one place. Is Judas leading the Jewish authorities to this Upper Room at this very moment? It could be. Jesus may therefore have directed His disciples to leave that place, so that they can continue their conversation elsewhere—somewhere Judas cannot find them until it is His “time.” Once again, Jesus is in full control of the situation. He will not be arrested or put to death until it is “His time.”

Conclusion

It is not in this present world, not in things that we presently see, that we find hope and comfort. It is in those things that are unseen. This is the “hope” we find throughout the New Testament:

18 For I consider that our present sufferings cannot even be compared to the glory that will be revealed to us. 19 For the creation eagerly waits for the revelation of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly but because of God who subjected it—in hope 21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers together until now. 23 Not only this, but also we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, inwardly groan as we eagerly await our adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with endurance. 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes on behalf of the saints according to God’s will. 28 And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 Because those whom God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those God predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified (Romans 8:18-30).

11 For we who are alive are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our mortal body. 12 As a result, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. 13 But since we have the same spirit of faith as that shown in what has been written, “I believed; therefore, I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak. 14 We do so because we know that the one who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus and will bring us with you into his presence. 15 For all these things are for your sake, so that the grace that is including more and more people may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not despair, but even if our physical body is wearing away, our inner person is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary light suffering is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house, the tent we live in, is dismantled, we have a building from God, a house not built by human hands, that is eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this earthly house we groan, because we desire to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 so that after we have taken off our earthly house we will not be found naked. 4 For indeed we groan while we are in this tent, since we are weighed down, because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment. 6 Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth we are absent from the Lord— 7 for we live by faith, not by sight. 8 Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So then whether we are alive or away, we make it our ambition to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil (2 Corinthians 4:11–5:10).

1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see. 2 For by it the people of old received God’s commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were set in order at God’s command, so that the visible has its origin in the invisible. 4 By faith Abel offered God a greater sacrifice than Cain, and through his faith he was commended as righteous, because God commended him for his offerings. And through his faith he still speaks, though he is dead. 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death, and he was not to be found because God took him up. For before his removal he had been commended as having pleased God. 6 Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, when he was warned about things not yet seen, reverently constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family. Through faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, and he went out without understanding where he was going. 9 By faith he lived as a foreigner in the promised land as though it were a foreign country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were fellow heirs of the same promise. 10 For he was awaiting the city with firm foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 By faith, even though Sarah herself was barren and he was too old, he received the ability to procreate, because he regarded the one who had given the promise to be trustworthy. 12 So in fact children were fathered by one man—and this one as good as dead—like the number of stars in the sky and like the innumerable grains of sand on the seashore. 13 These all died in faith without receiving the things promised, but they saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth. 14 For those who speak in such a way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 In fact, if they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them (Hebrews 11:1-16).[547]

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 that is, into an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is reserved in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:3-5).

For us, it is not what we “see” with our natural eyes that gives us this hope, but it is what God has said. It is God’s Word which is the basis for our hope, even as it was for the saints of old. I am constantly reminded of how materialistic I am, how attached I am to what I can see and touch and use (like cars and computers and tools). Our text reminds us of where “home” really is, and this is where our heart should be; this is where our treasure should be laid up. This should be where we desire to be. Most of all, let us remember that “home” is where our Savior is and why we should desire to be there, with Him:

The supreme hope of the church has always been the return of Jesus Christ. But in contemplating that happy prospect, we must never lose sight of the fact that the goal is to be with Christ. It is true that the second advent promises an end to history as we know it, and constitutes a guarantee that moral chaos and human rebellion shall not ultimately prevail. It is true that we are thereby reassured that history is neither out of control nor meaningless. But one must not neglect the greatest source of comfort of all: the prospect of being with Christ. Small wonder Jesus places such emphasis on the personal implications of his return. The consummation itself would be an empty triumph if Jesus were not there.[548]

May our Lord’s absence produce greater intimacy with Him, and greater works to His glory. May His absence cause our hearts to grow fonder and cause us to be a little “homesick” for heaven. Is heaven your home? It can be only if you have trusted in Jesus as “the way, the truth, and the life.” It is through Him alone that we can “come home to the Father.” It is by His death, burial, and resurrection that a way has been made, a way to have our sins forgiven, a way to enter into heaven as our home. I pray that you have embraced the words of our text, and even more so, that you have embraced Jesus as your Savior and your hope.


! Lesson 35:
Abiding in Christ
(John 15:1-17)

Introduction

This past week, I attended the board meeting of the Urban Evangelical Mission (formerly BEE—Black Evangelistic Enterprise). I have been associated with this fine organization for nearly 20 years. I look forward to getting together with friends and fellow board members like Dr. Ruben Conner, John Dodd, Dr. Willie Peterson, Terry Woodson, and Dr. Tony Evans. This was a lunch meeting, and, as always, most of the board members were pressed for time. We moved through our agenda as quickly as we could so that one of the men could make an appointment. But when we formally adjourned the meeting, the rest of the men remained seated at the conference table. It was just as though we all sensed that the meeting was not really over, or at least that it was not yet time to go. For the next 20 or 30 minutes, we just sat and talked, about our lives, our ministries, our relationships, our struggles.

When I got home, it dawned on me that something out of the ordinary had happened. It was not like any of the meetings I had attended in the last 20 years. Nothing really dramatic happened; it was just a relaxed time of sharing in the things of our Lord. It has happened before a few times in other meetings, but this time was special. It was like a few moments of calm in the midst of a storm. Together, we shared a few moments of solitude and fellowship. I think it must have been something like those few hours our Lord shared with His disciples in the Upper Room, which John is describing in our text. In spite of their distress and sorrow, I think that as the eleven disciples looked back on these final, intimate moments with their Lord, they sensed that something very special had happened, even if they did not understand it at the time.

Not everyone in that Upper Room found these moments so peaceful and refreshing. The time Judas spent in that Upper Room must have been almost unbearable for him. A good portion of chapter 13 is devoted to Judas and to his departure that night, a departure that forever sealed his doom. As they sat at the table, Jesus shocked every one of His disciples by indicating that one of them was about to betray Him. The eleven believing disciples were perplexed and greatly troubled. But imagine what it must have been like for Judas. Jesus knew what Judas was up to! What would happen next? What would Jesus do? What would the disciples do? (Peter, we know, was armed with a sword—see 18:10.) Judas must have been wide-eyed as he watched Peter gesture to John, and as this disciple asked his Lord (who seems to have been just on the other side of Jesus) who the traitor was. Jesus indicated that the traitor was the one to whom He would hand the bread He had dipped. Judas’ heart must have stopped when Jesus handed him the bread. Surely the others would now know that he was the traitor! Our Lord’s words to Judas, “What you are about to do, do quickly” (13:27), must have been “music to the ears of Judas,” who couldn’t get out of the Upper Room quickly enough. And all of this was calmly brought about by our all-knowing Lord, so that His death would perfectly fulfill the plans, purposes, and prophecies of God.

After the departure of Judas, Jesus announces to His disciples that He will be leaving them behind, and that they will not be able to follow Him where He is going, at least for a while. The disciples are caught completely off guard. Peter seeks to assure Jesus of his dedication, supposing (it would seem) that this might convince Jesus that he could be taken along, even if the other disciples could not be trusted. What a blow our Lord’s words were to Peter. Did Peter wish to assure Jesus that he was trustworthy? In but a short time, he would deny his Master, not once, but three times!

Peter was silent from this point on, but not the rest of the disciples. Chapter 14 is John’s record of the “question and answer session” that takes place in response to what Jesus is saying. The disciples supposed Jesus meant that they would no longer enjoy the intimate relationship with Him that they had been privileged to experience up to this point in time. How wrong they were! It was our Lord’s “departure” that made it possible for them to enjoy His presence and fellowship more intimately than they had ever experienced it before.

In our text in John chapter 15, we come to the final “I am” of John’s Gospel. The words of our text are some of the most familiar words in the Gospel of John, but this does not necessarily mean they are well understood. Many are the interpretations of this passage, and while people are drawn to this text, they are also perplexed by it:

… Christians have long been attracted to these verses, both because they are profound and because they are perplexing. They are profound in that they deal with certain deep realities in the Christian faith. … But the passage is as perplexing as it is profound. Exactly what kind of fruit are we expected to bear? Does any believer really enjoy the extravagant prayer promises in verses 7 and 8? Exactly what does ‘remaining in Christ’ really mean? Above all, how is it that branches are said to be in this vine, yet fruitless? And how can these branches be cut off and destroyed?[549]

Texans use the expression, “between a rock and a hard place.” Verses 1-17 deal with the disciples of our Lord as those who are caught “between a rock and a hard place.” The “rock” is our Lord’s distressing announcement that He will be leaving His disciples behind (chapter 13). The “hard place” is that the Jews will turn against them:

18 “If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own. But because you do not belong to the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed my word, they will obey yours too. 21 But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me” (John 15:18-21).[550]

1 “I have told you all these things so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue, yet a time is coming when the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 They will do these things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 But I have told you these things so that when their time comes you will remember that I told you about them” (John 16:1-4).

The disciples are not only going to be left behind by their Master, they are also going to be rejected by their peers. Yet in all of this, they are not being abandoned by their Lord. He is sending His Spirit to dwell within them, uniting them with Himself and with one another. The disciples will now be able to “abide in Him” in a way they never could have previously. Things are about to change significantly, but all for the better. Later on, this same change is recognized by the Apostle Paul:

15 And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised. 16 So then from now on we acknowledge no one from an outward human point of view. Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view, now we do not know him in that way any longer. 17 So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away, see, what is new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:15-17, emphasis mine).

This new relationship with Christ is described by our Lord as “abiding in Him.”[551] It is apparent that the central concept in these verses is abiding in Christ. Eight times in these eight verses the word rendered “abide” is found.[552] I know from my own experience that abiding in Christ is one of my greatest struggles. From what others tell me, it is their struggle, too. It is perhaps the most serious failure among Christians. The benefits of abiding in Christ are as great as the dangers of neglecting it. Let us first seek to learn what it means to abide in Christ, and then let us strive to do so, by His grace, to His glory, and for our good.

“I Am the True Vine”
(15:1-3)

1 “I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. 2 He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me. He prunes every[553] branch that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit. 3 You are clean already because of the word that I have spoken to you.”

In the Old Testament, the “vine” is a well-known symbol for the nation Israel.[554]

1 Now let me sing to my Well-beloved A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard:
My Well-beloved has a vineyard On a very fruitful hill. 2 He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, And also made a winepress in it; So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes. 3 “And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard. 4 What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes? 5 And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. 6 I will lay it waste; It shall not be pruned or dug, But there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds That they rain no rain on it.” 7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help (Isaiah 5:1-7, NKJV, emphasis mine).

The text in Isaiah speaks of the failure of Israel to produce “fruit” as God’s vine. Psalm 80 speaks of this “vine” as well, but then changes the focus to “the branch,” who appears to be none other than our Lord:

8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt; You have cast out the nations, and planted it. 9 You prepared room for it, And caused it to take deep root, And it filled the land. 10 The hills were covered with its shadow, And the mighty cedars with its boughs. 11 She sent out her boughs to the Sea, And her branches to the River. 12 Why have You broken down her hedges, So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit? 13 The boar out of the woods uproots it, And the wild beast of the field devours it. 14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; Look down from heaven and see, And visit this vine 15 And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, And the branch that You made strong for Yourself. 16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down; They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance. 17 Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. 18 Then we will not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name (Psalm 80:8-18, NKJV, emphasis mine).

In our text, Jesus employs the imagery of a vine to describe the new relationship which His disciples are about to enjoy with Him and with the Father. Our Lord is the “vine”; unbelievers are the fruitless branches,[555] while believers are the fruit-bearing branches. The grapes are the “fruit” which God produces in and through the saints as they draw their life and strength from the “vine,” the Lord Jesus Christ. And God the Father is the gardener, who tends the vine, removing dead branches and purifying the living branches.

Jesus speaks of Himself not merely as a vine, or even as the vine, but as the true[556] vine. He who created the light (and everything else), is called the truelight” in John 1:9. The “bread” God gave Israel in the wilderness sustained the lives of the Israelites for a time, but Jesus identifies Himself as the true bread” that comes down from heaven, because He gives eternal life to all those who partake of Him by faith (John 6:30-35). In our text, Jesus identifies Himself as the truevine,” the full and final revelation of all that the “vine” anticipated and foreshadowed in the Old Testament. Believers in Jesus (specifically, the disciples) are branches, who are a part of the vine, and yet who need somehow to “abide” or “remain” in the vine.

The Father is the “vinedresser” (NKJV) or “gardener” (NET Bible), the One who tends the vine. Every branch which does not produce fruit in the Vine is removed by the Father. As we would expect, this verse is understood differently by students of the Bible. There are two key expressions in verse 2, the translation of which will determine (or justify) our understanding of what our Lord means in this verse. The terms are “in Me” and “takes away.” If the phrase “in Me” indicates that these branches are true believers, then we must either conclude (against a mountain of contrary evidence in John and the rest of the Scriptures) that Christians can lose their salvation, or we must show that “takes away” does not refer to eternal condemnation (hell). One solution is to translate the Greek word airw “lifts up,” with the sense of helping or assisting. Thus, unfruitful branches are given special care by the Father, with the view to helping them become fruitful. The majority of translations seem to render this verse in a way that indicates that the unfruitful branches are taken away in judgment. This view is consistent with verse 6, which is much more clear about the fate of unfruitful branches, branches which did not abide in the vine. There, unfruitful branches are cast into the fire.

I believe the weight of the evidence falls on the side of that interpretation which concludes that the unfruitful branches are removed from the vine and destroyed.[557] In much more blunt language, the unfruitful branches burn in the eternal fire of hell. If this is the case, then how do we explain the phrase “in Me” (verse 2)? Three passages in the Gospels and one in the Book of Romans help me to understand what Jesus is saying here in verse 2. The first is found in Matthew chapter 3:

7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit worthy of repentance! 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ because I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones! 10 Even now the ax is ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:7-10).

In this text, many of the Pharisees and Sadducees were coming to John for baptism. They certainly appeared to be identifying themselves with John and his message. John rebukes them because they assumed they were going to enjoy the blessings of the kingdom of God based upon their lineage. They trusted in the fact that they were descendants of Abraham. And yet John warned them of God’s coming wrath. Surely the fruitless “trees” here are dead trees—unbelievers—and the fire is that of eternal punishment. Those who believe they are truly saved, and may even appear to be to others, are not really saved, but are destined for the coming wrath of God on the unbelieving.

The second passage also comes from the Gospel of Matthew:

15 “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruit. People don’t gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they? 17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will recognize them by their fruit. 21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven, only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do many powerful deeds?’ 23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, lawbreakers!’” (Matthew 7:15-23).

Here, we learn from the lips of our Lord that not everyone who claims to be a spokesman for God is a true prophet. True prophets and false prophets can be distinguished by their “fruits.” The people Jesus describes in verses 21 and 22 certainly thought they were true believers, and many others may have thought so too. But Jesus says that in spite of their profession, and in spite of their impressive deeds, He never knew them. It is by one’s fruit that his profession of faith is found to be either true or false. Though they may claim to be the people of God, those who profess faith without producing fruit are cast into the fire of God’s eternal judgment.

The third text is from the Gospel of Mark:

1 Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a great crowd gathered around him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the sea and all the crowd was on the land by the sea. 2 He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching said to them: 3 “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it did not have much soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. 6 When the sun came up it was scorched, and because it did not have a root, it withered. 7 Other seed fell into the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it did not produce grain. 8 But other seed fell on good soil and produced grain, sprouting and growing, some bore thirty times, some sixty and some a hundred times.” 9 And he said, “Whoever has ears to hear, listen!” 10 When he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 He said to them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those outside, everything is in parables, 12 ‘so that when they look, they may look but not see, and when they hear, they may hear but not understand, so they may not repent and be forgiven.’”

13 He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? Then how will you understand any parable? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: whenever they hear, immediately Satan comes and snatches the word that was sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on the rocky ground: whenever they hear the word, they receive it at once with joy. 17 But they have no root in themselves and are temporary. Then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they fall away immediately. 18 Others are the ones sown among the thorns: they hear the word, 19 but the cares of life, the deceit of wealth and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it produces nothing. 20 And these are the ones sown on good soil: they hear the word and receive it and are productive, one thirty times, one sixty, and one a hundred” (Mark 4:1-20).

It should be said at the outset that the relevance of this text to our text in John 15 is somewhat dependent upon the conclusion that the first three soils represent those who are not saved, and that only the fourth soil represents genuine believers. If this is the case, then the ultimate proof of one’s faith[558] appears to be the bearing of fruit. Believers do not all produce the same quantity of fruit, but they do all produce some fruit. Each of the other three soils fails to produce any fruit. Notice, too, that one might assume for a time that the seed sown in the second and third soils has produced true believers. The first soil rejects the gospel immediately, but the second and third soils appear to have life for a time. It is not until persecution and hard times come that they fall away. These seeds sprout, and they appear to be lively, but they ultimately fail to produce any fruit.

The fourth and most compelling text comes from the pen of the Apostle Paul:

13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Seeing that I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if somehow I could provoke my people to jealousy and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the first portion of the dough offered is holy, then the whole batch is holy, and if the root is holy, so too are the branches. 17 Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them and participated in the richness of the olive root, 18 do not boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 Then you will say, “The branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 Granted. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you. 22 Notice, therefore, the kindness and harshness of God: harshness toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And even they—if they do not continue in their unbelief—will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree? (Romans 11:13-24, emphasis mine).

Jewish branches were removed from the olive tree because of their unbelief, even as Gentile branches are grafted into the tree by faith. Surely Paul refers here to the very thing that our Lord is speaking about in John 15. Those Jewish branches which falsely assume they will inherit God’s blessings through Israel (“the olive tree” here, according to their way of thinking) will be severed from the “tree,” Jesus Christ, because they do not believe in Him, and thus they do not abide in Him or bear fruit through Him.[559]

I believe these New Testament texts give us a great deal of help in interpreting and applying our Lord’s words in John 15:2. The Jews of His day (not to mention our own) believe they are in “the vine.” They suppose that by being descendants of Abraham they have a relationship with God which will gain them an entrance to the Kingdom of God, and which assures them that they will not face eternal judgment. Paraphrased according to my understanding of verse 2, our Lord’s words would be something like this:

I know that many of the Jews think they already have a living relationship with “the vine.” That is to say they suppose that just because they are Jews physically they are in fellowship with God and therefore eternally secure. I must say that this is not the case. In truth, anyone who trusts in anything or anyone but Me—the way, the truth, and the life—is not saved at all. Those who are truly “in Me” are those who enjoy a union with Me by faith, and who thus bear fruit in Me. Those who do not bear fruit in Me will sooner or later be severed from any relation to Me, and will ultimately face the fire of God’s eternal wrath.

Having come to this conclusion, let me call your attention to several things I believe we are meant to learn from these first three verses of chapter 15.

First, notice that the purpose of the vine is to bear fruit. We know from the Synoptic Gospels that our Lord cursed the unfruitful fig tree (Matthew 21:18-19). Our purpose as Christians is to abide in Christ so that we might bear fruit. Just what is the “fruit” which is either absent or present? What is the difference between a “fruitful” branch and an “unfruitful” branch? Some think that the “fruit” our Lord refers to here is the “fruit of the Spirit” (see Galatians 5:22-23). Others think of the “fruit” as new converts—those who have been saved as a result of the witness of the branches. I understand the term fruit a bit more broadly. I believe that as we abide in Christ, He abides in us, and when He abides in us, Jesus Christ becomes evident in and through us. The “fruit” then, is being Christ-like. The church is the body of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 4:12). I believe we bear fruit as Christ is manifested in and through our lives. He is seen in us as we manifest His character (Galatians 5:22-23). He is evident in us as we carry on the work He began when He was on this earth (see Acts 3:6, 12-16; 4:13). Being fruitful, then, is manifesting Christ in our lives.

Second, the branches are the instrument through which fruit is produced. While our Lord produced much “fruit” when He was physically on the earth, He now produces “fruit” through those (branches) who believe in Him.

Third, these branches only bear fruit in union with the vine. The branches obtain life through the vine; they are sustained by the vine; they produce fruit through the vine. The only way to bear fruit is for the branches to abide in the vine.

Fourth, the Father is the gardener, who tends the vine. He removes the lifeless, fruitless branches—those branches which were never truly “in the vine,” but only supposed themselves to be. He “cleanses” (some versions render this “prunes”) the branches, so that they will bear even more fruit. We really need to pause here for a moment, to reflect on what these words of our Lord really mean. There is a way in which Christians can very quickly and easily turn things around, losing the emphasis and focus we should have. For example, we think of the Lord’s return, and rather than seeing this as the time when our Lord will prevail over His foes and receive the glory He deserves, we think of it mainly in terms of the cessation of our suffering and pain, and in terms of the benefits we will gain.

When our pleasure becomes paramount, rather than God’s glory, then we have fallen far short of what God’s Word teaches. Our purpose in life is not to “fill our cups” with all the pleasure we can experience; it is to abide in Christ so that we may bear fruit for Him. The process by which this fruit-bearing is promoted is often painful. Thus, the Father cleanses or prunes us, so that we will be more fruitful. And lest you think the Father is being arbitrary, do not forget that the “fruit” which our Lord produced by His life and sacrificial death at Calvary came at great cost to Him, and to the Father.

Fifth, the Word is the instrument which the Father employs to tend the vine. The Word is the instrument which God employs to cleanse the branches (15:3; cf. also 17:17). Put in different terms, the Word is the super-sharp cutting instrument by which God prunes us (see Hebrews 4:12). Further, it is also my opinion that the Word is often the “cutting instrument” which the Father employs to “remove” the unfruitful (and unbelieving) branches (15:2). As I read through the Book of Acts, I see the closing of a chapter for Israel and the Jews.[560] The gospel is proclaimed, and some Jews receive it. But many are those who reject the Word of God, bitterly opposing Paul and others who proclaim it. It is in response to the proclamation of the Word that some are “cleansed” and others are “clipped off.” The Word of God is at one and the same time the instrument which separates some from the vine, while drawing others all the more closely.  

Exhortation and Explanation
(15:4-8)

4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me—and I in him—bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up, and they gather them up and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is honored by this, that you bear much fruit and show that you are my disciples.

The teaching of our Lord concerning “abiding” in Him is based upon a fundamental premise, stated in verses 4 and 5: “Apart from Me, you can accomplish nothing.” This is a very basic biblical principle. Jesus means us to understand that the term “nothing” refers to spiritual fruit. There is a certain sense in which men can do nothing at all without Christ. They cannot live or breath or eat, apart from the provisions God has made:

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it, who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone. 26 From one man he made every nation of the human race to inhabit the entire earth, determining their set times and the fixed limits of the places where they would live, 27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 For in him we live and move about and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring’” (Acts 17:24-28, emphasis mine).

Here, our Lord is quite clearly saying that we cannot bear spiritual fruit apart from abiding in Him.

In and of ourselves, we can do nothing to earn God’s favor or to merit His salvation. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We are all under divine condemnation, helpless and hopeless, apart from Christ (Ephesians 2:1-3). So, too, apart from abiding in Christ, Christians cannot do anything that will please Him. This is the point of Romans 7. Romans 6 teaches us the necessity of dying to sin and of living righteously, but Romans 7 informs us of the impossibility of doing so in the power of our flesh. And so Paul cries out, “Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24). It is only through the work of our Lord Jesus Christ that we are enabled to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law (Romans 8:3-4).

In theory, Christians know the truth that our Lord is emphasizing here, but very often we simply don’t believe it in a practical way. We really don’t believe that apart from Him we can do nothing. The message that we constantly hear from the “human potential” advocates and motivational speakers is that “we have much more power within us than we know, and that by digging deep within ourselves and drawing upon our own hidden strengths, we can do great things.” This is not what our Lord teaches us concerning the bearing of spiritual fruit. He instructs us that we can do “nothing” apart from a vital union with Him, in which we constantly draw from His life, His strength, His truth. When we do “abide” in Christ, we bear much fruit (verses 5, 8), we bring glory to the Father (verse 8), and we prove ourselves to be disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ (verse 8).

Abiding in Christ is fundamental and essential. But just what does it mean to abide in Him? Our understanding of this great text depends upon our understanding of the word “abide” (KJV) or “remain.” The NET Bible has chosen to consistently render the Greek term (menw) “remain” in our passage.[561] The difficulty with the Greek term is that it conveys more than any one English word is able to capture. Let me illustrate this by pointing out the various ways this word is rendered by the translators of the King James Version. Out of 120 occurrences in the New Testament, menw is rendered “abide” 61 times, “remain” 16 times, “dwell” 15 times, “continue” 11 times, “tarry” 9 times, “endure” 3 times, and still in other ways 5 more times. In our text, the idea of “remaining” is clearly present, but the word “remain” somehow fails to convey the full force of our Lord’s words. A number of times in John’s Gospel, the term is used of “dwelling” in a certain place, of staying somewhere as one’s dwelling place:

38 Jesus turned around and saw them following and said to them, “What do you want?” So they said to him, “Rabbi” (which is translated Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 Jesus answered, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. Now it was about four o’clock in the afternoon (John 1:38-39, emphasis mine).

After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there a few days (John 2:12).

So when the Samaritans came to him, they started asking him to stay with them. He stayed there two days (John 4:40, see also 8:35; 10:40; 11:6).

In addition to these instances, where menw speaks of one’s dwelling somewhere as a place of residence (even if only for a day or so), there are the two occurrences of the related term (monh) in John 14:1 and 23, which refer to the “rooms” (sometimes rendered “mansions”) or “dwelling places” that await us in heaven, in the Father’s house. Because of John’s use of these terms, I would suggest that we render the term menw “make one’s home” or “make one’s abode.” To “abide” in Christ as the True Vine is to “make our home” in Him, just as He also “makes His abode” in us. If we wish to stress the “remain” aspect of the term, we might translate menw “to make our permanent home.”

The idea of having God as our “dwelling place” is found as well in the Old Testament:               

A Prayer of Moses the man of God. LORD, You have been our dwelling place in all generations (Psalm 90:1, NKJV, emphasis mine).

1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. … 9 Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, 10 No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling (Psalm 91:1, 9-10, NKJV, emphasis mine).

For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy (Psalm 61:3, NKJV, emphasis mine).

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe (Proverbs 18:10, NKJV, emphasis mine).

Consequently, it would seem that “making your permanent dwelling place” is not far from the meaning of menw in our text. This helps us discern the message that our Lord is seeking to convey to His disciples, and ultimately to us. What, then, does it mean to “make the Lord Jesus our permanent dwelling place”? Let’s simplify this definition, and say that Jesus is instructing us to make Him our “home” as He makes His “home” in us. Think about what “home” means to us:

·         Home is where your heart is; it is where you want to be (especially during holidays).

·         Home is the place to which you return, the place to which you are eager to get back to (e.g., when  you’ve been on vacation).

·         Home is where you feel comfortable, and can really be yourself.

·         Home is a place of safety and security.

·         Home is where you bring your friends when you wish to have fellowship with them.

·         Home is our base of operations; it is at the center of what we do.

·         Home is where you find your strength for life; it is where you eat and sleep.

·         Home is where the people and the things we love the most are found.

Isn’t this what Jesus Christ should be for the Christian? Shouldn’t He be our place of refuge and security? Should He not be the source of our life and strength? Shouldn’t He be the reason for our fellowship with others? Shouldn’t He be where our heart is?

To further explore this matter of Jesus Christ as our “abiding place,” our “home,” let us consider the opposite of making Him our home. What is it that should not be our “home”? Answer: this world. The old song goes, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passin’ through …” Isn’t that really true? John warns us not to become too attached to the world, not to love it:

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; 16 because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away with all its desires, but the person who does the will of God remains forever (1 John 2:15-17).

Isaiah had it right, and so did “righteous Lot”:

So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5, NKJV).

7 … and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked. 8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds) (2 Peter 2:7-8, NKJV).

This is why Christians are not to be “at home” in this world, but to find their home in Christ:

11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation (1 Peter 2:11-12, NKJV).

4 For indeed we groan while we are in this tent, since we are weighed down, because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment. 6 Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth we are absent from the Lord— 7 for we live by faith, not by sight. 8 Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So then whether we are alive or away, we make it our ambition to please him (2 Corinthians 5:4-9).

Allow me to attempt to sum up the meaning of the word “remain” in our text. Jesus Christ is the “abiding place” for the Christian. He is the One from whom we derive spiritual life and strength and the means to become Christ-like. It is only through Him that we can “bear fruit.” It is by “abiding” in Him that we also enter into the deepest union and fellowship. Thus, Jesus urges His disciples to “abide” in Him when He departs to be with the Father, assuring them that He will likewise “abide” in them.[562]

Further Instruction on Abiding
(15:9-17)

9 Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete. 12 My commandment is this—to love one another just as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this—that one lays down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything I heard from my Father. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that remains, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. 17 This I command you—to love one another.

A good teacher employs repetition to clarify and to emphasize his content. In verses 9-17, Jesus reiterates and further explains what He has just said concerning abiding in Him in verses 1-8. He now gives us some specifics as to how we are to abide in Him. He also spells out some of the benefits of abiding in Him. Let me summarize our Lord’s teaching by setting down several principles.

PRINCIPLE ONE: WHEN WE ABIDE IN CHRIST, WE ABIDE IN HIS LOVE. You will remember that John introduces the Upper Room Discourse in chapter 13 with a reference to our Lord’s love for His disciples:

Just before the Passover feast, Jesus knew that his time had come to depart from this world to the Father. He had loved his own who were in the world, and now he loved them to the very end (John 13:1).

Jesus now speaks of abiding in Him as abiding in His love. Our Lord’s love for His disciples is like the Father’s love for Him. As our Lord speaks, He is virtually standing in the shadow of the cross. How can He speak of the Father’s love for Him at a time like this? Usually, we tend to emphasize the Father’s love for us, and that this love prompted Him to send His Son to the cross (see Ephesians 2:4). I believe we must also recognize that the Father sent the Son to Calvary out of His love for the Son, as well as out of His love for lost sinners. How can this be? Dying on the cross of Calvary was indeed an act of humility on our Lord’s part (see Philippians 2:5-8), but it was also intended for His greater exaltation:

9 As a result [of His death on Calvary, as described in the previous verses] God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue should confess to the glory of God the Father that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:9-11).

18 He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead so that he himself may become first in all things. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him 20 and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross—whether things on the earth or things in heaven (Colossians 1:18-20; see also Ephesians 1:18-23).

It is my understanding and conviction that the Father purposed our Lord’s suffering for His own glory, as well as to bring glory to the Son. So, too, God purposes our suffering for His glory, but also for our good. And so it is that our Lord’s love for us includes our suffering (see John 15:18ff.), just as the Father’s love for the Son included His suffering. Abiding in Christ involves “cleansing” or pruning, which is painful for us at the time, but which causes us to cling to the vine, and thus to bear more fruit, and this increased fruit is for His glory, as well as our good.

One more thing should be said about abiding in His love. Abiding in His love is not automatic; it is something which we are commanded to do, and which takes effort and action on our part (albeit, inspired and empowered by God—see Philippians 2:12-13). Abiding in Christ requires the self-discipline that Paul talks about (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) and which the Holy Spirit produces (see 1 Timothy 1:7).

PRINCIPLE TWO: WHEN WE ABIDE IN CHRIST, WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. How, then, do we abide in His love? Jesus is very clear on this matter. We abide in His love when we keep His commandments. We are to keep His commandments just as He has kept His Father’s commandments, thus abiding in His love (verse 10). Just what commandments would these be that our Lord has kept? John certainly indicates what some of these are:

Then Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak just what the Father taught me” (John 8:28).

17 “This is why the Father loves me—because I lay down my life, so that I may take it back again. 18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This is the commandment I received from my Father” (John 10:17-18).

49 “For I have not spoken from my own authority, but the Father himself who sent me has commanded me what I should say and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. Thus the things I say, I say just as the Father has told me” (John 12:49-50).

Jesus never acted independently of the Father, even when Satan sought to tempt our Lord to do so in His testing in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-12). He spoke only what the Father gave Him to speak. He even went to the cross of Calvary, in obedience to the commandment He received from the Father. Do you remember the expression, “Your wish is my command?” The Father’s wish (will) was our Lord’s command. That is the way one truly submits.

We often flatter ourselves here, telling ourselves that Jesus died on the cross of Calvary because He loved us so much. There is a certain amount of truth in this, but we often carry it too far. I often cringe when I happen to be listening to a Christian radio station, and I hear these words, “Could it be that He would really rather die than live without us?” Let’s not flatter ourselves. God’s love for the lost did prompt Him to send His precious and sinless Son to the cross of Calvary, but let us not lose sight of the fact that Jesus went to that cross in obedience to the command of the Father.

Our Lord does not say that we abide in His love “if we keep His commandment (singular),” but rather if we “keep His commandments” (plural). Here, Jesus does not say that we abide in His love when we “keep the law.” So long as the term “law” is properly defined, one might say this. Paul said that the “law” was holy, righteous, and good (Romans 7:12). He called the law “spiritual” (Romans 7:14). And in the next chapter of Romans, Paul said that those who walk in the Spirit will “fulfill the requirements of the law” (Romans 8:4). I believe that our Lord avoided the term “law” here and employed the word “commandments” because He did not want to give legalistic Judaisers an occasion to attempt to put the Gentiles under the Old Testament law.

The Judaisers separated the law from love,[563] though they should not have done so:

“Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments”[564] (Deuteronomy 7:9, NKJV, emphasis mine).

Jesus inseparably joins love and commandment keeping. Jesus summed up the whole law by two commandments, both of which were commands to love:

34 Now when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled together. 35 And one of them, an expert in religious law, asked him a question to test him: 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is like it, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:34-40).

The Judaisers seemed to be ignorant of the fact that the law was given out of love. God gave Israel the law because of His love for those He had chosen to be His people (Deuteronomy 7:7, 12-13; 10:14-16). He expected His people to obey His law out of their love for Him (Deuteronomy 7:9; 30:16). Whenever we separate God’s love from God’s law, we get ourselves into trouble.

God gave the law out of His great love for His people. What God prohibited, He prohibited for man’s own good. What He required, He required for man’s own good. The law is a manifestation of God’s love for His people.[565] No wonder the psalmists can say these things about God’s law:

1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night (Psalm 1:1-2, NKJV).

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes (Psalm 19:7-8, NKJV).

I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart (Psalm 40:8, NKJV).

Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law (Psalm 119:18, NKJV).

Let Your tender mercies come to me, that I may live; For Your law is my delight (Psalm 119:77, NKJV).

Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day (Psalm 119:97, NKJV).

98 You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me. 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the ancients, Because I keep Your precepts (Psalm 119:98-100, NKJV).

The law of God should be the delight of every saint because it is a manifestation of God’s love. God gave us His law to keep us from those things which would destroy us and to point us to the only One who can save us—Jesus Christ. Whenever we begin to look upon God’s commands as something other than an expression of God’s love, then we are headed for serious trouble.

For example, consider the account of the fall of man in Genesis 3. When God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden, He gave them a good work to do, and also many good things to eat. The only thing He prohibited was the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17). Deceitfully, Satan questioned Eve in such a way as to cause her to question God’s love for her. The serpent convinced Eve that God had not prohibited eating from this tree out of love (which, indeed, He had), but out of some less-than-noble motivation. Satan convinced Eve that God was withholding something good, and that she would have to disobey God’s commandment in order to obtain what was “good” for her. Had she trusted in God and believed that He forbade the illicit fruit for her good, she would not have desired to eat of that fruit.

It is quite easy for us to see the truth as it applies to Adam and Eve, so long ago and so far away. But let us pause for just a moment to consider a present day example.

As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak. Rather, let them be in submission, as in fact the law says. 35 If they want to find out about something, they should ask their husbands at home. 36 Did the word of God begin with you, or did it come to you alone? 37 If anyone considers himself a prophet or spiritual person, he should acknowledge that what I write to you is the Lord’s command. 38 If someone does not recognize this, he is not recognized (1 Corinthians 14:33b-38).

Not just in this passage, but in other New Testament texts as well, Paul calls for men and women to function differently in the church, particularly in its gathering for teaching and worship. Paul instructs the women to be “silent in the churches.” He then indicates that this is part of the submission of women which the law requires. And then he goes so far as to insist that his instruction is the “command” of our Lord. Why is it that a distressingly large number of evangelical Christians cannot accept this prohibition in the same way that Adam and Eve should have accepted the prohibition of the forbidden fruit? Why is there the assumption that a loving God would not, and could not, restrict the public ministry of women? Why is it that students and scholars are rushing back to their texts, trying to find some loophole which will allow them to set this command of our Lord aside? This prohibition is one of our Lord’s commands, and we should look upon it as a manifestation of His love. And if we are to truly abide in His love, then we must keep this command, as well as all the other commandments of our Lord.

18 Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20, emphasis mine).

PRINCIPLE THREE: WHEN WE ABIDE IN CHRIST, WE LOVE THE BRETHREN. While the words of our Lord make it clear that we are to keep all of His commandments (verse 9), at this moment Jesus gives His disciples but one commandment: they must love one another, just as He has loved them (verse 12). In some ways, this one command encompasses all other commands in that if one acts in love toward others, he will keep the commandments. This command has already been given by our Lord:

34 “I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

In chapter 13 and in our text in chapter 15, Jesus is commanding His disciples to love each other. The command does not appear to encompass the world at large, but their relationships with one another as His disciples. As the world witnesses this love, they will see that its origin is divine, and that these men really are the disciples of Jesus. Very shortly, Jesus is going to reveal to His disciples that the world will hate them because they love Him. No wonder it is vital for these men to love one another. It is apparent that these men have not always been of one mind. This very night these men were arguing with one another over which of them was considered the greatest (see Luke 22:24). In our Lord’s absence, the potential for division was increased. The Holy Spirit would give them a supernatural unity in Christ, but they must strive to maintain this unity by living in love.

PRINCIPLE FOUR: WHEN WE ABIDE IN CHRIST, WE HAVE GREAT JOY (verse 11). Leon Morris calls our attention to the fact that the word “joy” occurs only once before the Upper Room Discourse, but it will now occur seven times.[566] Obviously, “joy” is a prominent theme in our text, at a time when we might not expect it. Hearts were heavy that evening, for Jesus had told them some very distressing things, which troubled them greatly (13:22; 14:1, 27; 16:6, 22). If His disciples would abide in Him, their sorrows would be dispelled, and they would be replaced by great joy. Not only would His joy be in them, but their joy would be full. Their hearts would overflow with joy. When we read through the Book of Acts, we find joyful believers, very often in the midst of adversity (see Acts 2:28; 8:5-8; 13:52; 15:3; 20:24).[567]

What is it that will give the disciples—and us—great joy? The first thing I would say is that the “joy” one experiences as an unbeliever is very different from the “joy” of the Christian. In fact, the “joy” we experience as Christians is almost the opposite of the joy we once experienced apart from Christ. Unfortunately, Jonah illustrates the wrong kind of joy. He could rejoice in his own personal comfort, thanks to the vine that afforded him some shade (4:6), but he was greatly distressed by the salvation of the people of Nineveh (Jonah 4:1-4).

Our joy is very different …

First and foremost, our joy is really His joy (John 15:11; 17:13). As we abide in Him and He in us, we experience great joy from those things that bring Him joy, as we would also be grieved by what grieves Him.[568]

Second, the disciples had a very special joy. As they were greatly grieved at the death of their Master, their joy at seeing Him alive, raised from the dead, can hardly be described (see John 16:22; 20:20; 21:7).

Third, joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:42; Romans 14:17; Galatians 5:22; 1 Thessalonians 1:6).

Fourth, we have joy when we become born-again Christians by faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 8:5-8; Romans 15:13).

Fifth, we rejoice when others come to faith in Christ, as well as when they grow in their faith (Acts 11:23; 15:13; 2 Corinthians 7:13; 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20; 3:9; Philemon 1:7; Hebrews 13:17; 1 John 1:4).

Sixth, we have joy in taking part in the plans and purposes of a sovereign God, even when this brings about our own suffering (Acts 4:23-31).

Seventh, we find joy in doing that which brings the Father’s approval (Hebrews 12:2).

Eighth, we have joy in sacrificial service (2 Corinthians 8:2).

Ninth, we have joy in being with other saints and enjoying their fellowship (Philippians 1:3-4; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 2 Timothy 1:4; 2 John 1:12).

Tenth, we have joy when we ask God for what He desires and for what we need, and in seeing Him answer our prayers (John 16:24).

PRINCIPLE FIVE: WHEN WE ABIDE IN CHRIST, WE ARE HIS FRIENDS. Jesus tells His disciples that He no longer calls them slaves, but rather friends. Nevertheless, in the Epistles, the apostles call themselves “slaves” of Christ (see Romans 1:1; 2 Corinthians 4:5; Galatians 1:10; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 4:12; Titus 1:1; James 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; Jude 1:1). They also urge others to think of themselves in this way (Ephesians 6:6; 1 Peter 2:16).

Nevertheless, Jesus speaks of a change which is about to take place in His relationship with His disciples. He will no longer deal with them as His slaves but rather as His intimate friends. A slave is expected to do what his master instructs him to do, whether or not he likes it, and whether or not he understands why he is commanded to do it. The best analogy today would be found in the armed forces. The change would be from the status of a “private” in the army to a “pal” of the sergeant. When new recruits are sent to boot camp, it is to train them to be “slaves.” That is, it is to train these men to obey orders, instantly, and without question. If the sergeant orders a private to dig a hole four feet square, the private is to do it. If the sergeant then orders the private to fill the hole back in again, he is to obey without hesitation. The “private” is virtually the “sergeant’s” slave (at least that’s how it used to be). The private would never think of expecting the sergeant to explain his reasons for giving any order.

Up till now, there was a sense in which the disciples were more like slaves than friends. It was not because Jesus was treating them unkindly, but because they were incapable of being anything else. A “friend” is one with whom you share your thinking, your goals, your motivations, your reasons for doing things. The disciples were simply not able to understand any of these things, even though our Lord communicated many of them to His disciples. But now, with the coming of the Holy Spirit and their abiding in Him, He could openly disclose His plans and purposes, so that they knew not only what He was seeking to do, but how and why He was doing it. No longer were His disciples to be “in the dark”; they were to be fully enlightened as to what He was doing. Abiding in Christ intimately connects us with Christ, so that we not only draw life and strength from Him, but we also come to know His heart and mind.

We see hints of this kind of friendship with God in the Old Testament.[569] God called Abraham “My friend” in Isaiah 41:8. When He was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, He would not keep this from His “friend”:

17 And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, 18 since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?” (Genesis 18:17-18, NKJV; see Isaiah 41:8.)

The same kind of intimacy can be seen with Moses:

9 And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. 10 All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door. 11 So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle. 12 Then Moses said to the LORD, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ 13 Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” 14 And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Exodus 33:9-14, NKJV, emphasis mine).

I would ask you to take note of the fact that both Abraham and Moses are called the friend of God. In both cases, God reveals things to His “friend” that He does not reveal to others. And in both cases, on the basis of what God did reveal to His “friend,” this “friend” petitioned God on behalf of others, and the petition was granted.

Throughout the Gospels, we are told that the disciples did not know or did not understand much of what Jesus was here to do. They misunderstood and misapplied much of what He did tell them. But after His death and resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit, things became clear to the disciples. And since the apostles wrote the New Testament Gospels and Epistles under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they have passed on to us what they learned. And so from the time of Pentecost onward, any saint can be an informed “friend” of our Lord, knowing what He is doing, and why, through His Word.

Think of someone you know of who is powerful and influential, and who is sought after by many. Can you imagine what it would be like to know that person intimately, to spend time with this one, and to be able to speak freely about the most confidential matters? This is the relationship which our Lord not only makes possible for us, it is a relationship He urges us to enter into, and in which we are to abide.

Conclusion

One’s last words must be assumed to be significant. Prominent among our Lord’s last words to His disciples was the command to abide in Him. It is the key to fruitfulness, but it is much more than that. It is as essential to our spiritual lives as eating or breathing is to sustaining physical life. As I was reflecting on what it meant to abide in Christ, my attention turned to the words of our Lord in John 14:6, where He claimed to be “the way, the truth, and the life.” No born-again Christian would think of denying the truth of these words, but some are inclined to restrict and limit them to the time when people come to faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins and for the gift of eternal life. Jesus is “the way” to the Father, but we must continue in that way. Jesus is “the truth,” and we must believe in the truth of the gospel in order to be saved. But we must constantly be in “the truth” of God’s Word because the world and the devil are constantly dealing in deception and illusions (see Ephesians 4:17-25). Jesus is “the life,” and we must abide in Him, drawing life from Him daily, for these earthly bodies in which we live are, in Paul’s words, “bodies of death” (Romans 7:24). If there are many texts which instruct us regarding our initial entrance into the faith, there are also many texts like our text in John 15 which instruct us to continue to abide in Christ.

And so I would ask a very simple question of you, my friend, “Are you abiding in Christ?” Have you come to recognize your sin, your need for truth, for life, for a way to God the Father and to His heaven? Have you placed your trust in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of your sins and the gift of eternal life? In other words, are you a Christian? There are many who suppose themselves to be, based upon family background, church attendance, an occasional prayer offered God-ward. But are you abiding in Christ, looking only to Him for life, for strength, for fruit? Do you have a daily sense of your inadequacy in and of yourself? Do you find that it is only “in Christ” that you are assured of eternal life and of spiritual fruit? If you are not abiding, it may be appropriate to ask whether or not you are really “in the vine,” whether or not you are one of God’s chosen people.

If, indeed, you are a true child of God, then you should daily seek to abide in Christ. How is this done? How does one abide in Christ? Jesus has told us in this text. We abide in His love as we obey His commands. We abide in Christ as we draw near to Him and rely on Him to meet our every need, which we cannot meet ourselves.

As I conclude this lesson, let me highlight two things which I believe are very detrimental to our obedience to our Lord’s command to abide. The first is complacency—the false sense that we are self-sufficient, and thus do not need to draw our life and strength from our Lord. This was the case with those in Laodicea:

14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write the following: “This is the solemn pronouncement of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originator of God’s creation: 15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either cold or hot! 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth! 17 Because you say, “I am rich and have acquired great wealth, and need nothing,” but do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked, 18 take my advice and buy gold from me refined by fire so you can become rich! Buy from me white clothing so you can be clothed and your shameful nakedness will not be exposed, and buy eye salve to put on your eyes so you can see!” (Revelation 3:14-17)

If we feel self-sufficient, we are greatly deceived, and we need to reassess our total dependence on Christ for our life. When we see that “apart from Him” we “can do nothing,” then we will be prompted to actively abide in Him.

Second, we are greatly hindered by the hectic pace of our times. As I have sought to teach this text over the past two weeks, I have emphasized my own appraisal that Christians today are not abiding because they are working so hard to “achieve” for Christ, rather than to “abide” in Christ. We have become preoccupied with programs and activities. We are spending more and more time at church and “in ministry,” but less and less time “with our Lord.” We see Him as the “Giver,” but not the “Gift.” We are intent upon obtaining the “power” that He gives, but we are not as intent on knowing the “person” of God in Christ. Of all the time which you are spending “for Christ,” how much time is spent in the pursuit of Christ? I do not ask this as one who is successful in this area, but as one who sees how badly I have failed here. And my guess is that you are struggling in this same matter.

The words “effective” and “successful” are often found in print in a Christian bookstore. And so it is that we continue to read those books which tell us how to be an “effective” leader or husband or parent. We grab up any book that promises us a successful marriage. I do not think in this day and age (and in this culture) that we are doing a great deal of abiding, but only seeking to achieve. It is my opinion that Christians are doing more and more, but abiding less and less. Perhaps it is time for us to have fewer programs, fewer nights at the church, fewer meetings, with the expressed purpose of giving ourselves to abiding in Christ.

Please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that we should completely do away with church functions and devote ourselves only to “individual” activities with the Lord. I do not think it is possible for a Christian to abide in Christ apart from commitment to and involvement in a local church body (see Hebrews 10:23-25). But we can be tempted to look to programs to give us what only Christ can give. Christians are so busy that they are running themselves ragged, and when they finally have a moment to sit down quietly with the Word of God, they fall asleep (I speak from experience here).

I have spoken about too much church activity, and I believe it to be true in many cases. But I must also say that many of the families I see that are stressed out and spiritually fatigued are not just consumed with church functions, but with family functions, especially those related to the children. We feel that we must have our kids in little league baseball, in soccer, in music lessons, and a myriad of other activities. Somehow, somewhere, we must stop and say that enough is enough. When was the last evening that you spent together quietly at home as a family? When was the last time you invited your unsaved neighbors over for coffee?

One of my fellow-elders remarked that he agreed with much of what I had said about abiding and over-activity. He also pointed out that busyness is not, in and of itself, an anathema to abiding. He is right, of course. No one was busier than our Lord, and yet He never failed to “abide” in His Father’s love. But even here, Jesus was able to abide because He purposefully removed Himself temporarily from these busy activities to spend time alone with His Father. We need to do likewise.

It occurred to me that many of those whom I would call “abiders” in the Gospels were women, not men. We see them described, not so much in terms of their great works for our Lord, but rather in terms of simply being with Him (see Luke 8:1-3). I was thinking about Mary and Martha, as described in Luke chapter 10:

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted with all the preparations she had to make, so she came up to him and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work alone? So then tell her to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the best part; it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38-42).

What was “the best part” that Mary chose and that Martha neglected? Was it not simply “abiding” in Christ, sitting at His feet, enjoying Him? Are we not so much more like Martha than Mary? I would simply ask you to take the time to sit down and assess the quality of your abiding, and if your abiding is lacking, to purpose before God to do something about it. We are not commanded to produce fruit, for this is what our Lord does in and through us. We are commanded to “abide in Christ,” and thus it would behoove us to have a plan and a process by which we seek to obey His command to abide in Him. After all, isn’t this what we should really want to do anyway? Should we not desire to delight in Him, even as He has chosen to delight in us? May God use this text to stimulate us to actively seek to enhance the quality of our abiding in Him, to His glory, and for our eternal good.


! Lesson 36:
The Christian and the World
(John 15:18–16:11)

Introduction

A couple of years ago, Jeannette and I had the delightful opportunity to visit our friends Bill and Marilyn McRae at their cabin on Loon Call Lake in Ontario. We were there in the Fall, just as the leaves were changing color. It was an absolutely breathtaking sight. Except for one other person we saw some distance away, the four of us seemed to be the only people remaining at the lake. There were many summer homes along the lake, but virtually everyone had gone back to the city before winter arrived. There was a piece of property for sale across the cove from Bill and Marilyn, and I began to ponder all that could be done with such a place. I was especially fascinated with the thought of spending the entire winter there on the lake. I happened to mention this “winter fantasy” as an “old timer” was standing nearby. I could see his expression change noticeably when I spoke. I didn’t have long to wait to learn what he was thinking. He simply said to me, “You haven’t ever spent a winter up here, have you?”

No, I hadn’t. I was entertaining fantasies of curling up in a cozy chair, looking out over the ice-covered lake, protected from the elements by a quaint little cabin, with a cheerful fire crackling nearby in the fireplace. The snow that fell would provide me with the opportunity to do all kinds of exciting things. I could almost hear the roar of the engine of a ski mobile, with Jeannette seated behind me, clinging to me for dear life and shouting, “Bob, slow down!” (She’s been there before!) For exercise, we could go ice skating on the frozen surface of the lake. And then, of course, I would get down to work, diligently pecking away at the keyboard of my (large and powerful) computer, recording profound biblical thoughts for posterity.

That Canadian fellow had me pretty well sized up. He knew I had no idea what I was talking about. In spite of all my romanticized ideas about spending the winter on a Canadian lake, there was a harsh reality that I knew nothing about, because I hadn’t experienced it. To him, spending the winter on that lake meant having to thaw frozen pipes, and enduring cold, bone-chilling nights—and days! It meant going out to the car and finding a dead battery. It inevitably entailed going without power for days at a time. From his own experience, this fellow could vividly recall shaving with ice cold water, living and sleeping in multiple layers of clothing, and staying within a few feet of the fireplace, not only for the little bit of warmth it would provide, but also to cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner (hot dogs, again).

When I come to our text, I must confess that the subject of persecution is something else I know almost nothing about. I am told there are more martyrs for the Christian faith today than ever before. And for all those who are killed, there are many others who are allowed to live, so that their persecution can be prolonged. From what I have read, I know that at this very hour, Christians in Egypt are facing intense persecution. This is often the case in those countries where Muslim fundamentalists are in power. In India, many Christians are experiencing persecution at the hands of zealous Hindus, something that was virtually unknown just a few years ago. I must confess that the worst persecution I have faced personally is a little scoffing (when I taught school in a medium security prison), or an uplifted eyebrow. As I approach this passage, aware of the suffering of many of my fellow-believers in distant places, I must readily admit that Christians in America are the exception to the rule, knowing very little of suffering solely for being a Christian. Though the words of our Lord may sound distant and foreign to us, one never knows how soon the day will come when believers here may experience the very things of which our Lord speaks in our text. We should listen well, not only to sympathize with our fellow-saints, but to prepare ourselves for the days to come.

Jesus and His disciples have just observed the Passover. Judas has already gone out, setting in motion his final acts of the betrayal of Jesus. Jesus has shocked His disciples by telling them that He is leaving them behind, and that they will not be able to follow Him immediately. The disciples have been shaken by our Lord’s words that one of them is about to betray Him, and that Peter is going to deny Him, repeatedly. They have asked a number of questions, but it is very clear that they have no grasp of what is about to happen to Jesus, or to them.

In the first half of chapter 15, Jesus has instructed His disciples to “abide in Him.” In our text, He does not turn to a different subject, but rather to a different aspect of abiding. Abiding in Christ is the source of our life, our fruit-bearing, and of our fellowship, both with God and with our fellow Christians. Abiding in Him is also the reason the world will hate us. The same hatred for Jesus which prompts unbelievers to call for His crucifixion will soon be vented upon those who have identified with Jesus, and through whom our Lord will continue to work in this world. And so Jesus turns to the subject of persecution, and the ministry of His Spirit, who will not only give His disciples joy in the midst of their afflictions, but who will enable them to witness and to reap a harvest of souls from among those who hate both Jesus and those who abide in Him.

Let us listen well to these last words of our Lord, to find comfort and courage in the face of rejection and persecution from an unbelieving world.

A Love-Hate Relationship
(15:17-21)

17 “This I command you—to love one another.[570] 18 If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you do not belong to the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’[571] If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed my word, they will obey yours too. 21 But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me.”

I remember a song that was popular when I was growing up. The words of the song went something like this:

Everybody loves a lover
I’m a lover
Everybody loves me[572]

This is not a song that would have been sung by the disciples after the crucifixion of our Lord. They were commanded to be lovers—that is, to love one another—but this did not mean that they would be loved by the world. Quite the opposite is indicated by our Lord.

In verse 17, Jesus once again commands His disciples to love one another (see also, John 13:34, 35; 15:12-13). If they truly are abiding in Christ, then they will keep His commandments, and the most emphatic commandment He has given them so far is that they love one another. There is a very good reason why this command is repeated in verse 17:

9 “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations because of my name. 10 Then many will be led into sin, and they will betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will appear and deceive many; 12 and because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the person who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:9-14).

Abiding in Christ has many benefits, but one of the painful side effects is that because the world hates our Lord, it will likewise hate us. Thus, the abiding in Christ which produces a love for the brethren also incites the hatred of unbelievers towards us.

In the very near future, “the world”[573] will manifest its hatred toward our Lord’s disciples. For a short time, this animosity toward the disciples will be predominantly Jewish.[574] As the Jewish religious leaders rejected Jesus, they will likewise reject and oppose His followers. In verse 2 of chapter 16, Jesus tells His disciples that they will be put out of the synagogue. I take it that the temple is not mentioned here because our Lord knows full well that it will be destroyed in 70 A. D., which may have occurred before the Gospel of John was written (see Matthew 23:34-38; Mark 13:1-2). Considerable Jewish persecution of Christians is documented in the Book of Acts (see Acts 4:1ff.; 5:17ff.; 6:8ff.; 8:1; 13:45ff.; 14:2ff.; 14:19ff.). It wasn’t long before Gentiles likewise opposed the spread of the gospel (see Acts 16:19ff.; 19:23ff.). I believe that while the disciples had experienced some resistance and opposition previously (see John 5:16), the crucifixion of our Lord seems to unleash a storm of bitter opposition from the Jews, similar to what happened after the stoning of Stephen (see Acts 8:1). The “triumphal entry,” just a few days earlier, may have given the disciples a false sense of success and acceptance, but this popularity would prove to be very short-lived.

Our Lord’s words to His disciples not only indicate that they will experience great persecution from “the world,” they also explain just why this hostility will be unleashed on them. Abiding in Christ will result in the “fruit” of being Christ-like. Thus, when the world observes Jesus living in and through His disciples, unbelievers will respond to them just as they once responded to the Lord Jesus. When this happens, the disciples are to recall that the world hated their Master first. If those who followed Jesus were to abide in the world, rather than to abide in Christ, the world would embrace them as one of their own. But since Jesus has chosen to snatch them out of the world, the world will hate them, just as it hated Him.

Later on we can see that Peter grasped the meaning of our Lord’s words because he virtually repeats the essence of what our Lord says to His disciples in his first epistle:

3 For the time that has passed was sufficient for you to do what the non-Christians desire. You lived then in debauchery, evil desires, drunkenness, carousing, boozing, and wanton idolatries. 4 So they are astonished when you do not rush with them into the same flood of wickedness, and they vilify you (1 Peter 4:3-4).

Jesus wants His disciples to understand that others will respond to them in one of two ways. Those who reject the Lord Jesus will reject His disciples and persecute them. Those who accept Jesus as their Messiah will also accept them:

19 “I am telling you this now, before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I am he. 20 I tell you the solemn truth, whoever accepts the one I send accepts me, and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me” (John 13:19-20).

Guilty, as Charged
(15:22-27)

22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. But they no longer have any excuse for their sin. 23 The one who hates me hates my Father too. 24 If I had not performed among them the miraculous deeds that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen the deeds and have hated both me and my Father. 25 Now this happened to fulfill the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without reason.’ 26 When the Advocate comes, whom I will send you from the Father[575]—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me; 27 and you also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

Jesus speaks about guilt for sin, a guilt for which there is no excuse. The “sinners” are simply referred to as “they” (verses 22, 24-25). John tells us of this sin of unbelief at the very beginning of his Gospel:

10 He was in the world, and the world was created by him, but the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him (John 1:10-11).

Jesus’ words in verse 23 would be absolutely shocking and scandalous to the Jews: “The one who hates me hates my Father too.”

The Jews falsely assumed that they had a relationship with God, based upon: (1) their ancestry, namely the fact that Abraham was their forefather (see Matthew 3:9-10; John 8:33ff.); and (2) their keeping of the Law of Moses, at least by their definition of it (see Matthew 5:20; Romans 2:17–3:20). Ironically, they accused Jesus of being just the opposite: (1) that He was an illegitimate child (John 8:41), and (2) that He was a law-breaker and a sinner (John 5:18; 9:16, 24; 18:30-31). They claimed God as their father and were incensed when Jesus claimed God was His Father (John 5:17ff.; 8:31ff.). Jesus now indicates that if anyone hates Him, they also hate the Father. How incredible! The very ones who believe that they love God have demonstrated that they hate Him, and the proof of this is the fact that they hate Jesus.

How is it that apart from our Lord’s coming and speaking to them, they would not be guilty of sin? Does Paul not argue in Romans that all men are sinners, rightly condemned by God (Romans 3:9-23)? How, then, can Jesus say that apart from His coming and the words He has spoken, the Jews would have no sin? Let me suggest a solution. In every dispensation (regardless of what that number might be), God establishes a clear standard of righteousness, which all men fail, thus proving themselves to be sinners, condemned by God, and desperately in need of grace. The Law of Moses proved men to be sinners under the old covenant; Jesus’ coming and rejection by men would prove men to be sinners under the new covenant. Jesus is the ultimate, consummate, revelation of the righteousness of God. To reject Him is to reject God the Father. To reject Him is to demonstrate the immensity of one’s sin.

Put differently, all men since Adam and Eve were born sinners, and their lives have shown it. But, as Paul tells us, apart from the law, they could not be charged with sin. Sin is lawlessness, and thus there must be a law that is broken for one to be charged with sin:

12 So then, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all people because all sinned— 13 for before the law was given, sin was in the world, but there is no accounting for sin when there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam until Moses even over those who did not sin in the same way that Adam (who is a type of the coming one) transgressed (Romans 5:12-14).

Jesus is the “Light of the world,” the ultimate revelation of God (John 1:4-5, 9; see also Hebrews 1:1-3). By His life and His words, Jesus revealed God to men. When men reject Jesus Christ, they reject the ultimate revelation of God. The rejection of Jesus as the Son of God (whom He claimed to be) is compelling evidence of one’s sin and guilt. In this “new covenant” age, men’s sin or righteousness is evidenced by their response to Jesus Christ. Confronted with Jesus, the people of Israel had to make a decision. The decision to reject Him—indeed, to crucify Him—was proof of how sinful they were. The same standard, of course, applies to the Gentiles.

Jesus is even more specific about the sin of the Jews. Jesus had not merely mingled with the Jews, He had performed countless miracles as they looked on: “Now Jesus performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples that are not recorded in this book. But these are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31).

In spite of these compelling proofs of His identity, they still rejected Him. In so doing, they hated both Jesus and the Father. It was our Lord’s words, as well as His works, which proved the truth of His claim to be Israel’s Messiah, God incarnate. The ultimate sin is not just to break the law, which partially reveals the righteousness of God. The ultimate sin is to reject Him who is the full revelation of God, Jesus Christ, and to crucify Him as a sinner, deserving the penalty of death.

Was this rejection of the Messiah something completely unexpected? Was God caught off guard by the unbelief of the Jews? Far from it! It was all a part of His plan (see Romans 9–11). Indeed, in rejecting Jesus without cause, the Jews were fulfilling prophecy, which foretold of His rejection without a cause:

Let them not rejoice over me who are wrongfully my enemies; Nor let them wink with the eye who hate me without a cause (Psalm 35:19, NKJV, emphasis mine).

Those who hate me without a cause Are more than the hairs of my head; They are mighty who would destroy me, Being my enemies wrongfully; Though I have stolen nothing, I still must restore it (Psalm 69:4, NKJV, emphasis mine).

It was, in fact, God’s plan to employ Jewish unbelief as the occasion to bring the gospel to the Gentiles:

11 I ask then, they did not stumble into an irrevocable fall, did they? Absolutely not! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their transgression means riches for the world and their defeat means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness bring? … 28 In regard to the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but in regard to election they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. 30 Just as you formerly were disobedient to God, but have now received mercy due to their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may receive mercy. 32 For God has consigned all to disobedience so that he may show mercy to all (Romans 11:11-12, 28-32).

This opposition and persecution should not cause the disciples to withdraw or retreat. It will be their task not only to abide in Christ, but to proclaim Christ to the world that hates Him, and them. How can Jesus possibly expect His disciples to testify to the world with all this hostility and persecution? He gives them and us the answer. He will send His Holy Spirit, who will testify about Christ through them. The disciples have been with Jesus since the beginning of His ministry, and thus they have witnessed the hand of God on His life and ministry. As they testify about Him, the Holy Spirit will facilitate their witness:

26 When the Advocate comes, whom I will send you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me; 27 and you also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning (verses 26-27).

No Surprises
(16:1-4a)

1 “I have told you all these things so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue, yet a time is coming when the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 They will do these things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 But I have told you these things so that when their time comes you will remember that I told you about them.”

Jesus was always very open and direct about the cost of discipleship with those who wished to follow Him:

23 Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man be will ashamed of this one when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels (Luke 9:23-26, see also verses 57-62).

We know from the parable of the four soils (see Mark 4:1-20) that those who were surprised by their sufferings did stumble over them (4:17). Jesus does not want His disciples to be taken by surprise, and so He tells them about the difficulties which lie ahead for them as His disciples. These men will be rejected by their fellow-Jews, put out of the synagogue, and even put to death. And the irony of all this is that when their opponents do such things, they will actually suppose that they are serving God by their opposition to Christ and His disciples.[576]

Who better illustrates this than Saul, before his conversion?

“I persecuted this Way even to the point of death, tying up both men and women and putting them in prison” (Acts 22:4).

9 “Of course, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is what I did in Jerusalem: not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons by the authority I received from the chief priests, but I also cast my vote against them when they were sentenced to death. 11 I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to force them to blaspheme. Because I was so furiously enraged at them, I went to persecute them even in foreign cities” (Acts 26:9-11; see also 1 Timothy 1:12-16).

Up to this moment in time, the disciples had not experienced anything like this kind of persecution in the time they had spent with Jesus. Jesus’ warnings here about future persecution are prophetic. His purpose in telling them these things now is so that when this persecution comes to pass, they will not be shocked, as though it were unexpected, but rather they will be able to remember that He had told them these things would happen to them. Thus, their faith will not be shaken (they won’t be “caused to stumble”), but will be strengthened.

Jesus’ Presence and Power in the Midst of Persecution
(16:4b-11)

“I did not tell you these things from the beginning because I was with you. 5 But now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Instead your hearts are filled with sadness because I have said these things to you. 7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong concerning sin and righteousness and judgment— 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

Earlier in His ministry, Jesus had warned the disciples generally about coming persecution, but there was no need then to be as specific as He is now. He was with them, then. He will not be with them physically when they undergo the persecution of which He now speaks. He will be with them “in spirit,” or, better yet, “in the Spirit.” The disciples appear to be in a state of emotional shock. They are overwhelmed with sadness. There seems to be nothing to say. Think of it. Jesus is going to leave them,[577] and when He does, they are not only going to be forsaken by their own people, they are going to hunted down by them as though they were criminals.

Jesus notes the fact that His disciples are not now asking Him where He is going. Earlier, Peter did ask (13:36), and Thomas came close to asking (14:5). It is not that they hadn’t asked; it is that they have stopped asking. It is as though the more they have asked, and the clearer Jesus’ meaning has become (He really was leaving them behind, and they could not accompany Him), the more the disciples have become distressed. And so they simply (as we would say) “clammed up.”

This is similar, I think, to the questions which Nicodemus was asking Jesus in John chapter 3. His questions and comments got shorter and shorter, and finally they just ceased. The more Jesus told him, the worse it seemed to get, and so Nicodemus, like the disciples, chose to keep quiet. Jesus seems to be calling their quietness to their attention, perhaps gently rebuking them by doing so. They were so caught up in their own sorrow and their own sense of loss that they did not wish to consider anything else, anything beyond themselves.

D. A. Carson challenges us to consider the lessons we should learn from our Lord’s gentle rebuke of His disciples for their silence:[578] they are too preoccupied with themselves, and with their own problems, and not focused upon their Lord. Is this not true of us as well? Are we so absorbed in our own lives, that we not only fail to “fix our eyes on Jesus,” but we also fail to see the needs of those about us?

Things are not nearly as bad as they seem to the disciples. Jesus assures them that what He is telling them is the truth. That is, He is assuring them that they will see His words of comfort come to pass in the future. Our Lord’s “going away” is not only necessary, it is to their advantage. It is not that Jesus is abandoning them when He goes away, and that He is sending the Holy Spirit as a kind of consolation gift. He must go away, or the Holy Spirit cannot come. And when the Spirit does come, the disciples will see that they could never have had it better.

Here, Jesus speaks specifically of the Holy Spirit as their Advocate,[579] as they seek to proclaim the gospel to a world that hates them, a world that has crucified Jesus and would also like to kill them. I am reminded of one of my favorite scenes from the movie, “The Bear.” The “bear” is an awesome Grizzly, and he somewhat unwillingly adopts a young cub whose mother has been killed. In one of the final scenes, the baby Grizzly is being pursued by a mountain lion. Finally, the lion has the cub trapped. In desperation, the cub stands erect and sounds the most fierce “roar” he can produce. The mountain lion suddenly cowers and retreats. One wonders how this cub could produce such fear, from such a pathetic “roar.” Then the camera angle widens, so that we are now able to see Pappa Griz, standing some distance behind the cub, towering high above it and the mountain lion. Now we know why the mountain lion decided he had an appointment somewhere else, one which was so pressing he would have to skip lunch. I would contend that when we proclaim the gospel to a hostile world, we are no more awesome than that cub, but we have an Advocate—the Holy Spirit—who seconds what we say, and He is not so easily ignored.

Our Advocate has an agenda. There are certain things to which He will testify as being true, and these are spelled out in verses 8-11. He proves the world wrong with regard to sin, to righteousness, and to judgment. Let us take a closer look at each of these three elements of the Spirit’s convicting[580] work.

First, the Holy Spirit will prove the world wrong concerning sin. The most compelling evidence of a person’s sin is their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus is the ultimate and final revelation of God to men (John 1:1-18; Hebrews 1:1-4). Thus, to reject Jesus as the promised Messiah is the ultimate sin. Those who have heard the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, who have witnessed its truth and power, and in spite of this testimony, reject Jesus as God’s only provision for their salvation, have shown themselves to be guilty of sin:

1 Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken through angels proved to be so firm that every violation or disobedience received its just penalty, 3 how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first communicated through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him, 4 while God confirmed their witness with signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will (Hebrews 2:1-4).

It is on the basis of this rejection of Jesus that the Spirit proves men guilty of sin.[581]

This is consistent with the argument of Romans, chapters 1-3. All men have been given a certain knowledge about God and have turned from that knowledge, worshipping something other than the Creator. The Jews have received a higher revelation of God in the Law, and they stand condemned by it. And now that Jesus has come to the earth, fully revealing God, they have rejected Him. This is John’s indictment in the first part of John chapter 1. Jesus is God (1:1, 4), made known (verse 18) to men. Yet in spite of this revelation of God to His own people, they did not receive Him as God (1:5, 10-11). To reject Him who is the ultimate revelation of God is to be guilty of the ultimate sin.

Second, the Holy Spirit will prove the world wrong concerning righteousness, because Jesus is going to the Father and will be seen no longer. The Holy Spirit will prove the world wrong with regard to righteousness. The Jews felt they could justify the crucifixion of Jesus because they had condemned Jesus as a sinner, while at the same time deeming themselves to be righteous. To be convinced that Jesus was, indeed, righteous would be to prove the Jews wrong, and Jesus right. It is only when we see ourselves as sinners, deserving of God’s eternal wrath, and Jesus Christ as the righteous One, that we see our need to trust in Him for salvation.

The final proof of our Lord’s righteousness is His resurrection from the dead:

18 So then the Jewish leaders responded, “What sign can you show us, since you are doing these things?” 19 Jesus replied, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.” 20 Then the Jewish leaders said to him, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and are you going to raise it up in three days?” 21 But Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 So after he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the saying that Jesus had spoken (John 2:18-22).

22 “Israelite men, listen to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man clearly demonstrated to you to be from God by powerful deeds, wonders, and miraculous signs that God performed through him among you, just as you yourselves know— 23 this man, who was handed over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you executed by nailing him to a cross at the hands of Gentiles. 24 But God raised him up, having released him from the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held in its power”(Acts 2:22-24).

13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate when he had decided to release him. 14 But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a man who was a murderer be given to you. 15 You killed the Originator of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this fact we are witnesses. 16 And on the basis of faith in Jesus’ name, his very name has made this man strong whom you see and know. The faith that is through Jesus has given him this complete health in the presence of you all. 17 And now, brothers, I know you acted in ignorance, as your rulers did too. 18 But the things God foretold long ago through all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he has fulfilled in this way” (Acts 3:13-18, emphasis mine).

39 We are witnesses of all the things he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him up on the third day and caused him to be seen, 41 not by all the people, but by us, the witnesses God had already chosen, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to warn them that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 About him all the prophets testify, that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name (Acts 10:39-43; see also 4:1-2, 33; 13:27-34).

1 From Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God 2 that he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 3 concerning his Son who was a descendant of David with respect to the flesh, 4 who was appointed the Son-of-God-in-power according to the Holy Spirit by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 1:1-4, emphasis mine).

The point of these texts is that the resurrection of our Lord was witnessed by the apostles, and this was to be proclaimed as proof that Jesus is precisely who He claimed to be—the Son of God. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead was the Father’s sign of approval. It was the last and final sign, of which Jesus spoke (see Matthew 12:38-40). The enemies of our Lord remembered His prediction of His resurrection after His death, and took measures to insure that no one stole His body to give substance to His claims (see Matthew 27:62-66). The disciples were witnesses of His resurrection.[582] They testified to the fact that He was raised from the dead. They saw Jesus no more, because they saw Him after He had risen from the dead, and they watched as He ascended into heaven. The Holy Spirit uses the absence of Jesus (at a minimum, the absence of His body in the tomb) to underscore the witness of the apostles, that Jesus is the righteous One, the One who alone can save men from their sins.

Third, the Holy Spirit will prove the world wrong concerning judgment. The “judgment” of which the Holy Spirit will “prove the world to be worthy” is the future judgment of those who have refused to believe in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. It is the judgment of which Jesus has spoken earlier in John:

21 “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. 22 Furthermore, the Father does not judge anyone, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all people may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 I tell you the solemn truth, the one who hears my message and believes the one who sent me has eternal life, and will not be condemned, but has crossed over from death to life. 25 I tell you the solemn truth, a time is coming and is now here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and the ones who hear will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in himself, thus he has granted the Son to have life in himself; 27 and he granted the Son authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and will come out—the ones who have done what is good to the resurrection resulting in life, and the ones who have done what is evil to the resurrection resulting in condemnation. 30 I can do nothing on my own initiative. Just as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me” (John 5:21-30; see also 8:16, 26; 9:39).

It is the judgment of which the apostles spoke:

24 Some days later, when Felix arrived with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 While Paul was discussing righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and said, “Go away for now, and when I have an opportunity, I will send for you” (Acts 24:24-25).

The basis on which the Holy Spirit proves the world wrong, and thus worthy of that judgment which is yet to come, is the fact that Satan has already been judged. Jesus spoke of this judgment of Satan and linked it to the judgment of the world: “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out” (John 12:31).

Satan is the source of man’s sin and rebellion against God. He is the driving force behind all sin. When Jesus died on the cross of Calvary, He defeated Satan. If Satan has been condemned at the cross, then surely every other sinner’s judgment is certain as well. It is the reality of Satan’s defeat, and its consequences, which the Holy Spirit drives home to the world as proof that all sinners will be judged.

Conclusion

Surely this text informs us that we should not expect the world to embrace Christians with open arms. The cross of Calvary assures us that the world does hate Him. Our Lord’s words should prepare us for opposition from the world as well. If the world hates us, then we surely should not love the world in the sense that we seek its approval, embrace its values, or attempt to find our identity with it:

Adulterers, do you not know that friendship with the world means hostility towards God? So whoever decides to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy (James 4:4).

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; 16 because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away with all its desires, but the person who does the will of God remains forever (1 John 2:15-17).

Therefore do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you (1 John 3:13).

4 You are from God, little children, and have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world’s perspective and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God; the person who knows God listens to us, but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit (1 John 4:4-6).

The Christian and the world are in an adversarial relationship. How, then, do we explain biblical texts like this one?

When a man's ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him (Proverbs 16:70, NKJV)

I believe we must view such texts in the light of other biblical texts, such as this exhortation from Paul in the Book of Romans:

16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people. 19 Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heap burning coals on his head. 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:16-21).

We are to endeavor to live in peace with others, including unbelievers, even those unbelievers who actively oppose and persecute us (see Acts 7:60). We are to live in peace with all men, as much as possible, to the degree that we are able (Romans 12:18). We have heard it said, “It takes two to tangle.” While this statement may not be totally accurate, it is certainly true that two hot-headed people will have more strife than a hothead who seeks to pick a fight with a Christian, who purposes to live in peace.

I saw this demonstrated this past week as my wife and I were driving on North Central Expressway. There was a fellow trying to merge into traffic from the access ramp. Since there was a lot of traffic, this was not an easy task. The fellow seeking to enter the freeway encountered another fellow who was already on the freeway, and who was not inclined to reduce his speed to let him into “his” lane. The man entering the traffic, turned on his turn signals, and then just started easing over into the lane he desired. The fellow who was already in that lane did not like the way this driver was forcing his way into traffic, and so he refused to slow down. It was apparent that both men were determined not to give in, and the result was a collision, one which could have been much worse. Had one of these drivers been a Christian, who purposed to live peaceably, there would have been no accident. And so it is true that Christians who live according to God’s Word may have less conflict than others. Having said this, those who abide in Christ, and who manifest Christ in their lives, should expect to be treated as Christ was by the world.

It is sad to say that all too often there is more animosity and hostility among Christians than there is between Christians and the unbelieving world. We should recall that Jesus commanded Christians to “love one another,” while He told us to expect the world to hate and to oppose us.

It seems as though Christians in America fail to grasp the fact that opposition and hostility from the world is the norm. We seem to have a sense of entitlement, a misguided expectation that our lives should be filled with blessings, yet be free from trials and tribulations. Listen to these words from the pen of D. A. Carson:

But are there no painful aspects to being a Christian? Is all happiness and light, though Christ himself was a man of sorrows who walked through the valley of the shadow of death? Do we participate only in his joy, but not in his tears? Does he alone bear the cross? Even to ask such questions is to show that much modern evangelicalism borders on the frivolous. We are so often taught to think that the Christian way brings blessings without buffetings, triumphs without trials, witness without weariness. We are encouraged to believe that Christians exude overcoming joy, and rarely face discouraging defeat; that they live in a realm of constant excitement, and never wrestle with boredom; that they love and are loved, and need not confront persecution, ostracism, hate, rejection; that they are self-confident and ebullient, and never taste terror, loneliness, doubt; that they are fulfilled and satisfied, but not as a result of self-denial and daily death. It is not so much that the promises are false, that they have no substance, as that they distort truth by promising a crown without a cross. We too easily want the fruitfulness of a well-kept vine-branch, but think little about the disciplined pruning performed by the divine ‘gardener.’[583]

From what our Lord has told us, we should recognize that evangelism is not just a difficult obligation; it is an impossible one! We have been commissioned to take the gospel to a world that is opposed to Jesus Christ, to His gospel, and to His disciples. How, then, can we ever expect to see anyone come to faith in Jesus Christ? We can expect them to come to faith in the same way we did—through the faithful proclamation of God’s Word, and through the supernatural ministry of the Holy Spirit, who illuminates the Word of God, and who effectually calls men to faith in Jesus Christ. Specifically, from our text, the Holy Spirit is the One who convinces men of their sin, of Christ’s righteousness, and of the judgment which is coming upon all who do not receive the gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ.

This text has much to say to each of us who believes in Jesus Christ, and who are commanded to proclaim the gospel to an unbelieving and hostile world. First, we are assured that God is working in and through us to win lost sinners to Himself. While we are to proclaim the gospel, it is the Holy Spirit who works from the inside out, to convince sinners of the truth of the gospel. Surely, since the Holy Spirit’s ministry pertains to the issues of sin, righteousness, and judgment, we know what our subject matter should be—these same topics. This certainly is the case with the apostles. Notice how Peter includes all three elements in his epistle:

4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but threw them into hell and locked them up in chains in utter darkness, to be kept until the judgment, 5 and if he did not spare the ancient world, but did protect Noah, a herald of righteousness, along with seven others, when God brought a flood on an ungodly world, 6 and if he turned to ashes the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah when he condemned them to destruction, having appointed them to serve as an example to future generations of the ungodly, 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man in anguish over the debauched lifestyle of lawless men, 8 (for while he lived among them day after day, that righteous man was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard) 9 —if so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from their trials, and to reserve the unrighteous for punishment at the day of judgment, 10 especially those who indulge their fleshly desires and who despise authority (2 Peter 2:4-10).

Our text in John’s Gospel, which speaks both of the world’s hostility and the Spirit’s help, reminds me of the story of Elijah, when he confronted the false prophets of Israel. He alone withstood the 850 prophets on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18). After these prophets failed to call fire down from heaven, Elijah instructed that barrels of water be poured out on his altar, wood, and sacrifice. That way, if Elijah could call down fire to consume the offering, there would be no doubt that it was God who had done this great miracle. The hatred and opposition of the unbelieving world is like those barrels of water, which Elijah had poured on the altar. It only serves to show the power of God, manifested through the gospel, and empowered by His Spirit. If the world truly hates us because of Christ, then if men get saved, it will be apparent that this was God’s doing, and not the work of men.

This certainly means that we do not need to compromise or “water down” the gospel, thinking this will make it easier for unbelievers to embrace the gospel:

14 But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and who makes known through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of him in every place. 15 For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing— 16 to the latter an odor from death to death, but to the former a fragrance from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? 17 For we are not like so many others, hucksters who peddle the word of God for profit; but we are speaking in Christ before God as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God (2 Corinthians 2:14-17).

1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, just as God has shown us mercy, we do not become discouraged. 2 But we have rejected shameful hidden deeds, not behaving with deceptiveness or distorting the word of God, but by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience before God. 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing, 4 among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said “Let light shine out of darkness,” is the one who shined in our hearts to give us the light of the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:1-6).

I find it most interesting that the ministry of the Holy Spirit, as described in our text, deals with those things which cannot be seen. We cannot really see sin, righteousness, or judgment, but the Spirit of God proves the world wrong in these matters. It should not surprise us that these crucial things are “unseen” because faith deals with unseen things:

1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see. 2 For by it the people of old received God’s commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were set in order at God’s command, so that the visible has its origin in the invisible (Hebrews 11:1-3).

Let me close by speaking a word to those who do not yet believe in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and the gift of eternal life. If you do not believe that you are a sinner, that Jesus Christ and His righteousness are your only hope for eternal life, and that as a sinner you are under divine condemnation and will stand in judgment before God in the future, then I simply encourage you to try to forget everything you have read in this message. Try to forget what the Bible teaches you about your sin, about the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and about the coming judgment of God on all sinners. But if what our Lord has said in John chapter 16 is true, then the Holy Spirit will bear witness to these truths from within your heart. Don’t try to debate these things with me; try to ignore the inner testimony of God’s Spirit. And if you cannot, then confess your sin, and turn in faith to Jesus Christ for the righteousness which He alone can give. The truths of our text are a great source of comfort to the Christian, and the cause for much consternation and conviction for the unbeliever.


! Lesson 37:
The Ministry of the Holy Spirit
(John 16:12-33)

Introduction

Over 25 years ago, Jeannette and I moved into our first home. The house was exactly what we had hoped for. (It even had a fireplace. I confess, we turned on the air conditioning and lit a fire in the fireplace, just to try it out.) A number of our friends from church helped us move in, and we wanted to show our appreciation by having an open house after church on a particular Sunday evening. As you might imagine, that Sunday Jeannette was most eager to get home from church as quickly as possible, before our guests started to arrive.

I was on my way out of the church when Howard Prier, a highly respected elder, stopped me in the hallway. He wanted to engage me in a discussion, and I was not about to refuse. He led me into the sound and tape room, off the main hall, and then proceeded to ask me what I thought of a certain Greek preposition in a particular text. Jeannette and the girls were out in the hall, eager to get home. Every once in a while, I would look past Howard, where I could see my wife waiting for me in the hall. She would catch my eye and I knew exactly what she was trying to communicate: “Come on; let’s get going. We have company waiting at our house!”

Eventually, the Greek grammar discussion ended, and we hurried out to the car. It was obvious that we were late, but I just could not seem to disengage Howard from the conversation. We were a bit distressed, to say the least, when we finally arrived home. We discovered many more cars there than we had expected—indeed, than we had invited. You see, while we had been planning a gathering for our friends, these same friends had been planning a celebration for us. Mr. Prier and his wife Ann were there, a little late as well.

Suddenly, it all became very clear to us. So that’s what the discussion about Greek prepositions was all about. Howard had been assigned the task of delaying me, so that all our friends could arrive at our house first to surprise us. Jeannette and I now looked upon that discussion and our delay in an entirely different light. We had no earthly idea what Howard Prier really had in mind. All I could think of on the way home was that some of our friends were waiting at our house, wondering where we were. It appeared that Howard was keeping us from something we really wanted, but in truth he was preparing us for something even better (they surprised us with a new refrigerator). Once we realized it was all a part of a ploy so that we would be delayed and our friends could surprise us, we understood everything. Jeannette and I were no longer distressed—we were delighted!

This is the way it was with the disciples of our Lord as well. In John’s Gospel, as the time of our Lord’s death draws near, He seeks to prepare them for the future. The Upper Room Discourse contains a significant portion of our Lord’s preparatory teaching. As we read the things which Jesus told His disciples, it all makes sense to us. Of course, He was speaking of His crucifixion, death, resurrection, and return to the Father in heaven. But what is clear to us in retrospect was not at all clear to the disciples in prospect. They were confused and greatly distraught by Jesus’ words. They did not understand what He was talking about, and what they thought they understood, they did not like.

What a change a few days will make! Once the disciples see Jesus, raised from the dead, their sorrow turns to joy. When the Holy Spirit comes, our Lord’s teaching will seem obvious, and when compared to the events which will have occurred by then, they will see that Jesus foretold and fulfilled all this precisely. We must recall that when John writes this Gospel, he writes in retrospect, looking back on the events he is describing with understanding. But within the timeframe that John is writing about, the disciples are in a complete fog. They do not understand what is happening, or what Jesus is saying. And what they think they do understand, they don’t. What they think and say they grasp, they do not like.

Lest we suppose we are dealing only with matters of history, let me remind you that in many ways, our circumstances today are very similar to those of the disciples so many years ago. They were concerned with our Lord’s departure, as He had spoken of it to them. We are concerned about our Lord’s return, as He has described it as well, in His Word. Much of what our Lord has said of His return is unclear to us, just as much of what He said to them of His departure was unclear. Even with the Holy Spirit’s presence, our understanding of spiritual things is partial and imperfect: “For now we see in a mirror indirectly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know in part, then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

I would say this is particularly true of “things to come”: “Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. But we know that whenever it is revealed we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is” (1 John 3:2).

Just as Old Testament saints awaited the coming of the Messiah and the disciples looked forward to the departure of our Lord, so we wait for His final return and the consummation of all things. Our Lord’s words of instruction and comfort to His disciples apply to us on at least two levels. First, they speak of blessings which are future for the disciples, but which are present for us. Second, they instruct us how and why we should live in the present, in light of the certainty that His purposes and promises will be fulfilled. Therefore, let us heed the Lord’s words in our text, knowing that they are as important to us as they were to those men, so many years ago.

The Spirit of Truth
(16:12-15)

12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you what is to come.[584] 14 He will glorify me, because he will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you. 15 Everything that the Father has is mine; that is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you.”

While all Bible students do not agree on this point, it would seem that the Lord and His eleven disciples are no longer in the Upper Room. It appears to me that they have left, immediately after the question and answer discussion of chapters 13 and 14: “Get up, let us go from here” (John 14:31b).

I take it that the disciples are now winding their way through the narrow streets of Jerusalem, making their way toward the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane.[585] Judas has long since left the group and is at this very moment making arrangements to hand Jesus over to the authorities (Jewish and Roman). Jesus can now speak freely and frankly, preparing His disciples for what lies ahead. He has spoken to them about the ministry of the Holy Spirit to the world (verses 8-11); now He speaks of the Spirit’s ministry to His disciples (16:12ff.).

Jesus has much more to say to them, but this is not the time to do so. I would like to suggest that we often wish God would tell us all that He is doing, or is about to do, at the time we wish to know it. And yet how gracious God is to withhold from us those things we do not need to know, those things which would only cause us needless anguish if we did know them. Jesus withheld information from His disciples for their own good. It was another manifestation of His grace not to tell them all they wanted to know. God is gracious, both in what He reveals, and in what He conceals. I wonder if this is how we view the “unknowns” in our life. “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29, NKJV).

We should also see from our text an example of the fact that God reveals truth to us progressively. Jesus had much to say to them, but not at that moment. Jesus will teach them after His resurrection and before His ascension (see Luke 24:13ff.), but most of the teaching will be done by the Holy Spirit, after our Lord’s departure. This is the subject of verses 13-16. While Jesus will be physically absent, the Holy Spirit will be present among and within them. The things which the Spirit teaches them are the things which Jesus will be teaching them. The reason Jesus can say this is that the truth which the Spirit is teaching is the truth which He hears from our Lord. The Spirit’s teaching comes from and glorifies the Lord Jesus (verses 3-4), just as our Lord’s teaching came from and glorified the Father (John 8:26, 40).

We should take note of the important fact that Jesus is speaking to His disciples here. He promises to reveal truth to them through the Spirit. He does not make a general statement, that new truth will be revealed to an indefinite number of people, over an indefinite period of time.[586] He informs them that He will reveal His truth to them. I believe that this promise of future revelation through the Holy Spirit is a promise that pertains to the New Testament apostles[587] and is not a promise which can be claimed by men today. By future revelation, I mean revelation which claims to be Scripture and which has authority as Scripture (i.e., the Bible). It seems clear to me that the apostles, through whom the New Testament Scriptures were given, were viewed as a distinct group, confined to New Testament times. Those who were to be regarded as true apostles were accredited by the “signs of a true apostle”:

1 Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken through angels proved to be so firm that every violation or disobedience received its just penalty, 3 how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first communicated through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him, 4 while God confirmed their witness with signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will (Hebrews 2:1-4).

16 For we did not follow cleverly concocted fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; no, we were eyewitnesses of his grandeur. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father, when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory: “This is my dear Son, in whom I am delighted.” 18 When this voice was conveyed from heaven, we ourselves heard it, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 Moreover, we possess the prophetic word as an altogether reliable thing. You do well if you pay attention to this as you would to a light shining in a murky place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you do well if you recognize this: no prophecy of scripture ever comes about by the prophet’s own imagination, 21 for no prophecy was ever borne of human impulse; rather, men carried along by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (2 Peter 1:16-21).

Indeed, the signs of an apostle were performed among you with great perseverance by signs and wonders and powerful deeds (2 Corinthians 12:12).

A further observation should be noted. Jesus promises to reveal all truth to the apostles. We know that this does not mean that He will reveal all knowledge. How could the omniscience (all-knowing) of God be revealed to men? John makes clear that his Gospel, as all the others, is but a sampling of the things Jesus said and did: “This is the disciple who testifies about these things and has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. There are many other things that Jesus did. If every one of them were written down, I suppose the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 21:24-25).

Jesus must therefore mean that all the truth which is necessary for the church will be revealed through the apostles, and that there will be no lack to be made up later on. The words of Paul seem to support this conclusion as well:

18 When they arrived, he said to them, “You yourselves know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears, and with the trials that happened to me because of the plots of the Jews. 20 You know that I did not hold back from proclaiming to you anything that would be helpful, and from teaching you publicly and from house to house, 21 testifying to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. … 25 And now I know that none of you among whom I went around proclaiming the kingdom will see me again. 26 Therefore I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of you all. 27 For I did not hold back from announcing to you the whole purpose of God. 28 Watch out for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son. 29 I know that after I am gone fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Even from among your own group men will arise, teaching perversions of the truth to draw the disciples away after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you with tears. 32 And now I entrust you to God and to the message of his grace. This message is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:18-21, 25-32).

In this text, Paul claims to have taught the Ephesians all the truth they needed to know. If they were taught all they needed to know, then there is no need for further revelation. Beyond this, Paul warns that false teachers will seek to convey “new truth,” which is nothing more than “man-made teaching” that appeals to fleshly desires and which will attract a following.

Peter’s words also imply a completeness concerning that which our Lord will reveal to and through His apostles:

3 I can pray this because his divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence. 4 Through these things he has bestowed on us his precious and most magnificent promises, so that by means of what was promised you may become partakers of the divine nature, after escaping the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desire (2 Peter 1:3-4).

Leon Morris therefore issues a sober warning:

Believers should be very careful here, for from time to time through the history of the Christian church, people have arisen who have said that they had new revelations and they have led people astray. It is important for us to keep a firm hold on the truth that the definitive revelation has been given in Scripture. Christian teaching is the teaching God gave through Christ and Christ’s apostles. Nothing can claim to be authentic Christian teaching that does not agree with this.[588]

Allow me to point out one more observation. The revelation which our Lord promises the apostles is not only from Christ, it is Christ-centered: “He will glorify me, because he will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine; that is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you” (John 16:14-15).

The revelation which is promised is that truth which has come from the Father, to the Son, and through the Spirit. It is thus our Lord’s teaching. But it is not merely the teaching of (i.e. from) our Lord; it is the teaching concerning our Lord. False revelations are those which appeal to man’s fallen desires (2 Timothy 4:1-4; 2 Peter 2:18-22), which elevate men (Acts 20:30; 1 Corinthians 1:10ff.), and which draw men’s focus away from Christ (1 Corinthians 1:22-31; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 John 2:18-25). Any teaching which claims to be divine revelation and does not exalt Christ is false teaching. A preacher friend of mine used to say, “All false teaching is either the Bible plus, or the Bible minus.” False teaching either seeks to add to or to take away from Scripture. I think one can also say, “All false teaching is either Christ plus, or Christ minus.” Paul would say, “True teaching is Christ only.”[589]

The Disciples’ Joy[590]
(16:16-24)

16 “In a little while you will see me no longer; again after a little while, you will see me.” 17 Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What is the meaning of what he is saying, ‘In a little while you will not see me; again after a little while, you will see me,’ and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they kept on repeating, “What is the meaning of what he says, ‘In a little while’? We do not understand what he is talking about.” 19 Jesus could see that they wanted to ask him about these things, so he said to them, “Are you asking each other about this—that I said, ‘In a little while you will not see me; again after a little while, you will see me’? 20 I tell you the solemn truth, you will weep and wail, but the world will rejoice; you will be sad, but your sadness will turn into joy. 21 When a woman gives birth she has distress because her time has come, but when her child is born, she no longer remembers the suffering because of her joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. 23 At that time you will ask[591] me nothing. I tell you the solemn truth, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.[592] 24 Until now you have not asked[593] for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive it, so that your joy may be complete.

Jesus made a comment about the future, which His disciples found impossible to understand: “In a little while you will see me no longer; again after a little while, you will see me” (verse 16). No one seemed willing to address their questions to Jesus. Instead, they spoke among themselves. It would appear that this took place as the disciples wound their way through the narrow streets of Jerusalem, on their way to the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane. How and why would they not see Jesus? To what period of time was Jesus referring by the expression, “a little while”? How and when would they see Jesus after a little while? What did He mean by saying He was “going to the Father”?[594]

Jesus overheard His disciples (although He would have known through His omniscience), and graciously began to explain His words to them, although they still didn’t understand. Jesus lets them know that He is answering the questions which they had just discussed among themselves. Soon, they will “weep and wail,” while the world will rejoice. The term “weep” is frequently employed for the mourning that occurs due to the death of someone (see Mark 5:39; Luke 7:13; 8:52; John 11:31, 33). Indeed it is used in Mark 16:10 for the disciples, who wept over the death of our Lord. Jesus is therefore telling His disciples that they will momentarily experience great sorrow over His death. At this same period of time, the unbelievers (the world) who have crucified Jesus will rejoice over His death. It will seem like their hour of triumph. At last, they are rid of Jesus, or so it appears. The disciples’ time of sorrow will be short, and then their sorrow will be turned to joy. How great the joy of the disciples was when they learned that Jesus had been raised from the dead (Luke 24:41, 52).[595]

It has been observed that Jesus does not tell His disciples that their sorrow will be replaced by joy, but rather that their sorrow will be turned into joy. There is a very significant difference. Many wish to have joy, but they want to have it without sorrow. If joy is sorrow which God has transformed into joy, then we must endure the sorrow to experience the joy. This truth is illustrated by our Lord’s words which follow in verse 21. What a blessing it is for a woman to be able to bear a child … and, what a pain! She must first endure the pains of childbirth before she can enjoy the pleasure of holding that child in her arms. The birth of a child comes only through the pain of childbirth. So it is with suffering and sorrow in the lives of our Lord’s disciples. There is a short time of pain, but that very pain is transformed into eternal joy. Paul describes it this way:

16 Therefore we do not despair, but even if our physical body is wearing away, our inner person is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary light suffering is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

As it is for a woman in childbirth, so it will be for the disciples. They will experience great sorrow because of the death of Jesus, but they will see Him again, raised from the dead. This will turn their sorrow into everlasting joy, a joy that no one will ever be able take away from them.

In 16:5, Jesus seems to mildly rebuke His disciples for not asking Him any more questions about where He is going. They did not ask for all the wrong reasons. They didn’t want Jesus to know they didn’t understand. They didn’t want to admit their ignorance. They didn’t want to look bad. But when they see Him again, raised from the dead, then they will not ask Him anything (16:23), because they will not need to. At that time, whatever they ask[596] the Father in the name of the Son will be given to them. Jesus commands them to pray in His name, assured that they will receive what they have requested, and in so doing, their joy will be made complete.

Consider the inference of these words. Christian joy is not to be found in having everything you’ve ever wanted. Joy is not the lack of want,[597] but rather in having needs so great that only God can fill them, and then in seeing Him provide for us in response to our prayers. The Father will give us what we have requested, so that we may experience great joy. In other words—words which we have heard before—joy is the result of abiding in Christ.

Though the disciples will experience great sorrow for the next few days, their hearts will rejoice when they see Jesus once again. This joy cannot be taken from them. The disciples were concerned because Jesus was going away, where they could not follow. They thought they were losing Him, but in truth they were gaining Him. His promise is that He will never leave them nor forsake them (Hebrews 13:5). Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, our Lord will continue to dwell among them, in a more intimate and permanent way. Since their joy is in Him and He will never leave them, no one will ever be able to rob them of their joy in Him.

The disciples have not yet begun to enjoy the benefits of this new relationship. They have not yet petitioned the Father for their needs in the name of Jesus Christ. They are now encouraged to do so. Jesus assures them that when they make their requests in His name, the Father will provide for them, and in this they will experience an even greater joy than they have known up to this point in time. It is not getting worse for the disciples, as they fear; it is getting better and better.

Is this promise of our Lord’s presence, of answered prayers, and of permanent joy not ours, as well as the disciples who first heard Jesus speak of it? Why is it, then, that we find so many joyless Christians? I would suggest it may be because we are looking for joy in all the wrong places. It is His joy that we are to pursue (see John 15:11). This is not the “joy” that the world seeks. The world seeks for a “joy” that is rooted in the absence of trials and suffering, that delights in the promotion of self-interest, and often in the downfall of one’s rivals. First and foremost, our joy is knowing for certain that Jesus is alive, risen from the dead (see Matthew 28:8; Luke 24:41, 52). Our joy is in the abasement of self, in the exaltation of Jesus Christ (see John 3:29), and in sacrificial service (Philippians 2:17). Our joy is in the Lord, in His salvation, and His working in the lives of others (Acts 15:3; Romans 15:13; 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20; 1 John 1:4; 3 John 4).

If we abide in Him, what pleases Him pleases us; what grieves Him grieves us; what gives Him great joy becomes our joy as well. When false teachers come, they seek to turn us from Christ, and to the degree that they are able to do this, they rob us of our hope, our joy, our love, and all that comes from Him. No wonder Paul is so emphatic about the sufficiency and centrality of Christ:

1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not met me face to face. 2 My goal is that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be encouraged, and that they may have all the riches of full assurance in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this so that no one will deceive you through arguments that sound reasonable. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, rejoicing to see the order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. 6 Therefore, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and firm in your faith just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 Be careful not to allow anyone to captivate you through an empty, deceitful philosophy that is according to human traditions and the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him all the fullness of deity lives in bodily form 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head over every ruler and authority. 11 In him you also were circumcised—not, however, with a circumcision performed by human hands, but by the removal of the fleshy body, that is, through the circumcision done by Christ. 12 Having been united with him in baptism, you also have been raised with him through your faith in the power of God who raised him from the dead. 13 And even though you were dead in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he nonetheless made you alive with him, having forgiven all your transgressions. 14 He has destroyed what was against us, a certificate of indebtedness expressed in decrees opposed to us. He has taken it away by nailing it to the cross, 15 and disarming the rulers and authorities, he has made a public disgrace of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Colossians 2:1-15).

The Disciples’ Peace
(16:25-33)

25 “I have told you these things in obscure figures of speech;[598] a time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in obscure figures, but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 At that time you will ask in my name, and I do not say that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and entered into the world; but in turn, I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”

29 His disciples said, “Look, now you are speaking plainly and not in obscure figures of speech! 30 Now we know that you know everything and do not need anyone to ask you anything. Because of this we believe that you have come from God.”

31 Jesus replied, “Do you now believe? 32 Look, a time is coming—and has come—when you will be scattered, each one to his own home, and I will be left alone. Yet I am not alone, because my Father is with me. 33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering; but have courage, I have conquered the world.”

You can see that verses 25-33 are an interchange between Jesus and His disciples. In verses 25-28, Jesus makes His disciples a very encouraging promise. He knows that they are mystified about all that He has been saying to them about the future. He is speaking in vague terms so that they will not understand immediately, but also in order that they will understand in the future. They will soon look back and recall that the very things that had happened to them were the things Jesus foretold.

Jesus promises that a time is coming when His obscure speech will be replaced by very clear teaching. At that time, He will tell them plainly about the Father. At that time, they will ask in His name, and their petitions will be granted. He has already promised this, but here He indicates a substantial change. It is but another one of those “improvements” which the disciples are about to experience in the future, because of His going away. When they petition the Father in the name of the Son, they will not merely receive the answer to their prayers through the Son. They will receive the answers to their prayers directly from the Father. Jesus will have an intercessory ministry on our behalf, but His work on the cross will bring about a personal, intimate relationship between the Father and all who trust in His Son. No wonder the veil was torn asunder when Jesus died on the cross (Matthew 27:51). We now can come to God directly, because of the Son:

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the fresh and living way that he inaugurated for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in the full assurance that faith brings, because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. 23 And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy. 24 And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, 25 not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near (Hebrews 10:19-25).

The Father will personally attend to the prayers of Jesus’ disciples, because of His love for them, a love which is the same as His love for the Son (14:23; 17:26). He will do so because of the Son’s coming to this earth (to die for our sins) and because He has returned to the Father. These benefits are the fruit of our Lord’s coming and leaving. Once more, it is better for them that He should depart (John 16:7).

What incredible blessings Jesus promises His disciples! But they didn’t understand a thing He was saying, as John makes very clear by the words of verses 29 and 30. Paraphrased, the disciples seem to be saying:

“Why didn’t you say so sooner? Now we get it. Okay, it’s all clear to us now. You’re no longer speaking in riddles, but plainly. Now we see that You really do know everything, so that we don’t have to ask You any more questions, to help You clarify any points. And because we now see this clearly, we believe that You have truly come from God.”

Notice what they are saying here. They have not repeated any of the content of Jesus’ latest words. They have not told Him what they think He has just said, so that He can confirm the accuracy of their interpretations. They have only told Him that they understand, and because of this, they won’t need to question Him further. This is a very neat way of giving the impression you know something that you don’t and of explaining why you are not asking any questions.

No doubt they did believe that Jesus had come from God. I do doubt that they grasped what His return to the Father was all about, and I’m virtually certain they don’t have a clue as to what He has just told them. They are embarrassed at their ignorance, and they want to look good in His eyes. They want His approval, and at the same time, they want Him to think they understand everything He is saying so that He won’t be frustrated by their confusion. The simple fact is that no matter what they profess to grasp, they cannot and do not understand what Jesus has been telling them. He has, in fact, been telling them that they would not understand what He was saying to them, not now anyway.

Jesus patiently and lovingly deals with His disciples at this moment of ignorance and confusion. He did not expect them to understand. However, He does not allow their pretense to stand, unchallenged. He is the One who is all-knowing, and this includes His knowledge of what they claim to know, and yet do not. And so He says to them (loosely paraphrased):

“I know you really don’t understand, and the level of your present belief is far from impressive. Time will tell. There is a time coming, coming very soon, when you will all abandon Me and scatter, hiding out in your own homes. You will leave Me alone, but I won’t really be alone because the Father is with Me. The reason I have told you these things is not with the expectation that you would understand them immediately (as you have professed to do), but so that you may have great peace in the future, when you see how all these things of which I have spoken take, just as I said. You will then see that all things are under My control. You will see how this tribulation of mine was purposed to bring about great blessing for you. Thus, in the midst of your tribulations on My behalf, you will have courage, knowing that I have conquered the world.”

Jesus lets His disciples know that they have not put anything over on Him, that He knows full well that they still do not understand what He is saying, or what is about to take place. The belief they profess is not nearly as strong as they suppose. The events of the next few hours will prove this, for virtually every one of them will abandon Him. And when these traumatic days pass and the words of our Lord come to pass, then they will be greatly strengthened in their faith, and empowered to live courageously in a hostile world, knowing that Christ has won the victory over the world.

Conclusion

We need to exercise caution in the application of this passage because it applies directly to the eleven disciples, and indirectly to us. We are the benefactors of much that Jesus has foretold here, and which has subsequently come to pass. We will never face some of the things which the disciples did. We will never know the sense of loss and defeat that the disciples did when Jesus died on the cross of Calvary. Neither will we experience the relief and joy at seeing Jesus, raised from the dead (John 20:20). We will not be those through whom the gospel was defined and by whom the New Testament Scriptures were written. Nevertheless, while we are not apostles as these men were to become, we are His disciples, and thus this text applies to us as well.

We are able to read these words of our Lord in the light of their fulfillment. We can understand what completely confused the disciples. We will never know the bewilderment and apprehension that they did, simply because our Lord’s words were a puzzle to them at that moment in time. But we can identify with the disciples in this sense: there are things yet future for us, which are declared in Scripture, but which we do not fully understand. We live at a time when we do not yet “fully know” all that God has in store for us and for the future. We, too, “see through a glass darkly” (1 Corinthians 13:12), but then we will know (cf. 1 John 3:2).

Why did Jesus tell the disciples things that they could not understand at the moment? Why do the Scriptures contain many prophecies which we do not understand at the time? One reason is to remind us that we don’t fully understand. That is what it means to be a disciple. We are learners, who learn at His feet as we abide in Him. He knows. He is the Truth. And it is clear that He does not reveal everything we might wish to know at one time. He reveals what we need to know and conceals what we should not know (Deuteronomy 29:29). As these prophecies are fulfilled and we look back on our Lord’s words, we will see that He has done just as He said He would. This will be even further basis for praising Him.

While our Lord’s words will, in the future, be understood in all their particulars, they have a message for us now, in general. From what Jesus was telling the disciples, one should discern that He knows the future, indeed, that He controls the future. His life will not be taken from Him; He will lay it down, voluntarily, and He will take it up again (John 10:14-18). We know that what is yet to happen is not only for His glory, but for our good. We know that He will sustain us through our times of trial and tribulation, just as we know that He will bring us to glory. If we know that He is in control, and that His plans are for our good, why should we worry? We don’t need to know the details of what He has for us in the future. We need only to trust in Him who is in control of the past, the present, and the future.

Let me illustrate what I am saying by calling your attention to the Book of Revelation. Who would dare to say that they understand every detail of this great book, penned by the same author—John? We do not understand many of the details, but there are certain truths which should leap out at us. First, Jesus is in heaven, exalted and glorified, and magnificent, so that one like John, who used to recline on His breast, falls before Him as a dead man (Revelation 1:17). Second, we know that the church will face many temptations and trials, and that our faithfulness will be tested and rewarded (see chapters 2 and 3, for example). Third, we know that a time of great satanic activity and resistance is coming, when saints will undergo suffering unlike anything the people of God have ever experienced before. Fourth, we know that our Lord is in complete control of every event in the future, and that in the end He will put away sin and Satan and death for all time. He will judge the wicked and usher the righteous into His kingdom, a kingdom beyond our ability to fathom now (compare 1 Corinthians 2:9). Is this not enough to know from the Book of Revelation, even if the details of that book perplex us? I think that it is.

We should be admonished by the puffed up claims of the disciples. The disciples claimed to fully understand Jesus, His ministry, and His message. They most certainly did not. We should be very careful about assuming that we “have it all together” in matters which we may not understand as well as we claim. The fundamentals should be clear to us, but there are many other things which we will only “know” clearly and completely “then.” We should especially be wary of those who would seek to teach us, claiming they have a full and complete grasp of God’s truth. The most brilliant scholars and students of Scripture that I know are still the best students, ever seeking to understand His Word better, and willing to listen to the insights of other students of Scripture. Those who know it all do not need to learn any more, they think. They need only to teach, and not to be taught.

This passage teaches us that those things which are most perplexing, and even most distressing, are often the things which God transforms into His richest blessings. In the Bible, some of man’s darkest moments were transformed into times of blessing. The curse of death which came because of Adam’s sin became the cure when Jesus Christ, the “last Adam,” died in the sinner’s place. Abraham and Sarah were as good as dead, humanly speaking, so far as child-bearing was concerned. They tried to figure out some way to produce a child on their own, which only led to trouble. Finally, God gave them a child in a miraculous way, glorifying Himself and bringing about good for Abraham and Sarah. Think of how difficult it must have been for Noah to have spent many years of his life preparing an ark, when he may not have even seen rain up to this point in time. Think of all the people in the Gospels who suffered from blindness, demon-possession, being lame, and leprosy. It was these suffering saints who experienced God’s gracious hand, and many of them came to saving faith. No wonder our Lord could say, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. Blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:3-4).

In your darkest moments, when life makes no sense, and you have no idea what God is doing, you can rest in the simple fact that God is infinitely good, infinitely loving, and infinitely powerful. He can and will cause “all things to work together for good” to those who are His chosen, to those who trust in Him (see Romans 8:28). God delights in transforming those things which seem most threatening, most unpleasant, and most dreaded, into blessings. He took death and the fear and bondage it produces and defeated it on the cross (see Hebrews 2:14-15). Now, all that death can do is usher us into the presence of God (see 1 Corinthians 15:54-58; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23).

If there is one thing that has most struck me from this text, it has been this realization: It is the cross of Jesus Christ which puts everything in focus. The disciples had no idea what was about to happen. They were completely perplexed about what Jesus was telling them. The cross was the goal of our Lord’s life and the means by which He fulfilled the Father’s (and His) purposes and promises. After the cross, the disciples understood what Jesus’ mission was all about. They understood what He had been teaching them. It is the cross which makes Jesus’ teachings clear. It is the cross which is the key to understanding all of the Bible, Old Testament or New. Take away the cross of Calvary, and the Bible makes no sense at all. It is from the vantage point of the cross that the message of the Bible becomes clear. Is this not what Paul was saying in his Second Epistle to the Corinthians?

7 But if the ministry that produced death, carved in letters on stone tablets, came with glory so that the Israelites could not keep their eyes fixed on the face of Moses because of the glory of his face (a glory that was fading away), 8 how much more glorious will the ministry of the Spirit be? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry that produced condemnation, how much more does the ministry that produces righteousness excel in glory! 10 For indeed, what had been glorious now has no glory because of the tremendously greater glory of what replaced it. 11 For if what was fading away came with glory, how much more has what remains come in glory. 12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we behave with great boldness, 13 and not like Moses who used to put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from staring at the end of the glory that was fading away. 14 But their minds were closed. For to this very day, the same veil remains when they hear the old covenant read. It has not been removed because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 But until this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; 16 but whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled faces reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another, which is from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:7-17, emphasis mine).

The cross is the test of orthodoxy. Those who would turn us from the cross of Christ are false teachers, who should be avoided (see 1 Corinthians 1; Colossians 1 & 2). The cross of Christ is what removes the “veil” of blindness from the eyes of unbelieving Jews, and Gentiles too. Have you come to the cross? Have you trusted in Jesus Christ as the Holy One of God, who died on the cross of Calvary for your sins? Once having come to the cross by faith in Jesus Christ, we must always stay near the cross. It is the view from the cross which brings everything else into focus. This is why, in our church, we observe the Lord’s Table weekly. We must always, daily, come back to the cross. It is by means of the cross that Jesus saved us. It is by means of the cross that all of His promises will be fulfilled. It is the cross which should shape our perspective (we should take up our cross daily). It is in the light of the cross that the Scriptures become clear. No wonder the disciples could not yet grasp what Jesus was saying about the future. For them, at that moment, the cross was still future. How different it will soon be for them, as they look back from the cross and the empty tomb. How different it should be for us, looking ahead from the cross and the empty tomb!


! Lesson 38:
The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus: Part I
(John 17:1-5)

1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he looked upward to heaven and said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, so that your Son may glorify you—2 just as you have given him authority over all humanity, so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life—that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent. 4 I glorified you on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me at your side with the glory I had with you before the world was created.

Introduction

Any number of times, I have witnessed an event something like the following. There is a room filled with Christians, with perhaps refreshments nearby. People are milling about the room, chatting with one another. There is the sound of many voices, because everyone is talking at the same time. The master of ceremonies decides it is time to officially start the meeting with a word of prayer. Though the prayer is announced, not all hear the announcement due to the commotion and the noise. The designated individual begins to pray, while a few folks continue to chatter on. It looks a bit like “the wave” at an athletic event. Those near the one praying stop talking and bow their heads. Then those next to them do likewise. And within a few seconds, the entire room is quiet, attentively listening to the prayer.

I think something like this happened when Jesus began to pray His magnificent prayer in chapter 17 of John’s Gospel. Jesus and His disciples had left the Upper Room (John 14:31) and were making their way toward the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane. It may have been that along the way, they passed a vineyard, and that this provided the occasion for our Lord to teach His disciples about abiding in Him (John 15:1-17). I believe the instruction of chapters 15 and 16 was given while the disciples were winding their way through the dark streets of Jerusalem, on their way to the Mount of Olives, where they had been camping out that week. As we come to chapter 17, Jesus continues to speak to His disciples, preparing them for the future, and assuring them of His provision for all their needs in His absence. At one moment, He is teaching His disciples, and at the next, He is praying to the Father. It probably takes the disciples a few seconds to figure this out. They seem to have been talking among themselves along the way, especially concerning those things Jesus had said that they did not understand (see 16:17-19). Eventually, one of the disciples realizes that Jesus is no longer talking to them, but rather to His Father in heaven. I can almost see John punching Peter in the ribs and whispering hoarsely, “Peter, be quiet! Jesus is praying.” Of course this is mere speculation, but it could have happened something like this.

John 17 contains the inspired record of our Lord’s prayer to the Father. In the fifth century, Clement of Alexandria remarked that in this prayer, Jesus was acting as a high priest on behalf of His people.[599] Over the years, some have debated whether this prayer should be known as the “high priestly prayer of Jesus,” but no one who takes the Bible seriously as the Word of God would dare to deny the importance of this prayer, no matter what label we may give to it.

In one sense, this prayer in John 17 is one of many prayers of our Lord. Jesus is often found in prayer in the New Testament. He was in prayer at His baptism, when the Holy Spirit come upon Him (Luke 3:21). He was in prayer when He was transfigured before His three disciples (Luke 9:29). Jesus taught His disciples to pray (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-4).[600] He prayed to bless the little children (Matthew 19:13), and He prayed that Peter’s faith might not fail (Luke 22:32). Often in the Gospels, we read of our Lord’s private prayers, prayers which are not recorded for us to read and to reflect upon (Matthew 14:23; Mark 1:35; 6:46; Luke 5:16; 6:12; 9:18).

There were times, however, when Jesus prayed for the benefit of those who were intended to overhear Him. Jesus publicly blessed the meager portion of food available before feeding the 5,000 (John 6:11). No doubt this was to make it clear that God the Father was equally at work in this miracle. In John 11, Jesus also prayed for the benefit of those who would witness the raising of Lazarus:

41 So they took away the stone. Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you that you have listened to me. 42 I knew that you always listen to me, but I said this for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, he shouted in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The one who had died came out, his feet and hands tied up with strips of cloth, and a cloth wrapped around his face (John 11:41-44).

The prayer of our Lord in John 17 is one that Jesus wanted His disciples to hear. To me, it does not appear that Jesus wanted His disciples to hear His prayer in Gethsemane, but that’s another story, one we shall take up later on in this message. The prayer recorded in John 17 is the longest recorded prayer of our Lord in the New Testament. It is found only in the Gospel of John. I like the way John G. Mitchell has outlined it,[601] which I will summarize in this chart:

A Brief Overview of John 17

Verses Persons Key Word
1-5 Christ and His Father “Glory”
6-19 Christ and His Disciples “Kept”
20-26 Christ and His Church “One”

Jesus and His Father
John 17:1-5

1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he looked upward to heaven and said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, so that your Son may glorify you— 2 just as you have given[602] him authority over all humanity, so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life—that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent. 4 I glorified you on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me at your side with the glory I had with you before the world was created.

Verses 1-5 lay a foundation for the entire prayer. While they focus on our Lord’s relationship with His Father, they have much to say concerning our relationship with the Father. Allow me to make several observations from these verses.

First, this prayer is what we might call a “conversational prayer.” About the time I was in college, “conversational prayer” became popular for my generation. Conversational prayers are more casual. Praying to God conversationally is done in terms that make it sound more like you are talking to a friend that you know well. In this prayer, Jesus might be said to be praying conversationally. In part, I base this on the fact that in verse 1 John does not write, “When Jesus had finished saying these things, he looked upward to heaven and prayed, ‘Father, the time has come …’” In verse 1, the word saying and the word said are not the same Greek word, but both terms describe speech. There are several words employed for prayer, but the word “said” is not one of them. In this sense, we might say that our Lord’s prayer was, to one degree or another, conversational.

There is yet another line of supporting evidence. In this prayer, our Lord uses the word “Father” to address God the Father. Leon Morris observes:

He began his prayer with the simple address ‘Father.’ We have become used to this as a normal Christian way of beginning a prayer, but it was not usual in that day. The address was that used by a little child in speaking to his parent, but when God was addressed it was usual to add some qualifier; for example, a praying person might say, ‘Our Father in heaven.’ God was so great and so high that he must not be addressed in the language appropriate for familiar use within the family. But Jesus constantly used this way of speaking to his heavenly Father, and Christians picked up the habit from him. Notice the way it runs through this prayer (vv. 5, 11, 21, 24, 25). That God is Father was specially important at this point in Jesus’ life.[603]

The term “Father” is also a kind of “conversational” address, the kind of conversation that takes place between a son and his “daddy.”

This “conversational” element makes it easier for me to understand what took place. Jesus and His disciples had left the Upper Room and were on their way to the Garden of Gethsemane. Along the way, Jesus taught them about abiding in Him, and He also told them of the hard times ahead. Jesus also spoke of those future things which they would comprehend only after the events of the next few days. At the end of this time of instruction, Jesus just keeps speaking, but now He is speaking to His Father— in the hearing of His disciples. It may have taken them a moment to comprehend this. How they must have treasured these words as they reflected on them later.

Our Lord’s intimacy with the Father is not only reflected in His prayer to the Father here, Jesus indicates that it should greatly influence our prayers to the Father as well. Just a few moments earlier, Jesus said to His disciples,

25 “I have told you these things in obscure figures of speech; a time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in obscure figures, but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 At that time you will ask in my name, and I do not say that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and entered into the world; but in turn, I am leaving the world and going back to the Father” (John 16:25-28).

I believe our Lord has made it possible for Christians today to enjoy an incredible level of intimacy with the Father. We can actually experience at least a portion of the intimacy with the Father which our Lord enjoyed in His prayer life. When we do, we ought never forget the holiness and the majesty of the One we address as Father. To be able to call God our Father is no excuse for irreverence or for moral sloppiness:

17 And if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, live out the time of your temporary residence here in reverence. 18 You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors, you were ransomed—not by perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, Christ. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was manifested in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you now trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God (1 Peter 1:17-21).

Intimacy with God as our Father is a privilege which should inspire humility, gratitude, and reverence in each of us.

Our Lord’s natural transition from talking with men to talking with the Father is not altogether unique in the Bible. When I read Paul’s epistles, I find this same kind of easy transition from instruction to prayer, which seems so appropriate we hardly even recognize it:

13 For this reason I ask you not to lose heart because of what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. 14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on the earth is named. 16 I pray that according to the wealth of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, by being rooted and grounded in love, 18 you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think, 21 to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:13-21).

I cannot help but wonder if this is not an illustration of “praying without ceasing.” Prayer comes so naturally to our Lord, and to the Apostle Paul, that they move almost seamlessly from one to the other. Would that our prayers were as natural and as frequent.

Second, John links this prayer with the Upper Room discourse which precedes it. Notice how this chapter, and this prayer, begins: “When Jesus had finished saying these things, he looked upward to heaven and said, …” A very clear link is made between the teaching of our Lord in the Upper Room Discourse in chapters 13-16 and the high priestly prayer of Jesus, recorded in chapter 17. The sequence is, of course, chronological. The prayer of chapter 17 follows our Lord’s teaching, as recorded in the previous chapters. But I think there is much more involved than mere chronological sequence. Allow me to explain.

In the Bible, prayer is closely related to teaching and preaching. Note, for example, these verses which we find early in the Book of Acts:

1 Now in these days, when the disciples were growing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Greek-speaking Jews against the native Hebraic Jews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the twelve called the whole group of the disciples together and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to wait on tables. 3 But carefully select from among you, brothers, seven men who are well-attested, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this necessary task. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the word.” 5 The proposal pleased the entire group, so they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a Jewish convert from Antioch. 6 They stood these men before the apostles, who prayed and placed their hands on them. 7 The word of God continued to spread, the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith (Acts 6:1-7, emphasis mine).

Prayer not only glorifies God, it acknowledges that the preaching (and even the hearing) of God’s truth is not enough. The truth of God’s Word does not benefit us apart from the work of God through His Holy Spirit.

6 Now we do speak wisdom among the mature, but not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are perishing. 7 Instead we speak the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, that God determined before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it. If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But just as it is written, “Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined, are the things God has prepared for those who love him.” 10 God has revealed these to us by the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the things of a man except the man’s spirit within him? So too, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things that are freely given to us by God. 13 And we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. 14 The unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The one who is spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is understood by no one. 16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to advise him?” But we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:6-16).

The disciples did not understand much of anything that Jesus spoke to them until after His ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit. This is exactly what Jesus said in the Upper Room Discourse. The cross of Christ (including His resurrection and ascension) and the coming of the Holy Spirit enabled the disciples to grasp what Jesus had said to them earlier. Our Lord’s prayer was based upon what He had taught them, but it also petitioned the Father to cause that word to come to life, and thus to bear fruit in the lives of His children.

We see this same pattern in the New Testament epistles. The apostles not only found it essential to devote themselves to the proclamation of the Word, but also to prayer. This is because the proclamation of the Word is not enough. God must “open the spiritual eyes” of men to comprehend the Word. This is why the apostles spent so much time in prayer. They prayed that God would take the Word they had proclaimed and bring it to life in the hearts of those who heard (see James 1:21-25; 1 Peter 1:23; Acts 16:14). Proclamation and prayer are, as one song writer once put it, “like a horse and carriage: you can’t have one without the other.”

Third, I find it impossible to study the high priestly prayer of Jesus in John 17 apart from our Lord’s agonizing prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, a few moments later. I have a confession to make. As I began to study our text, I was predisposed to assume that our Lord had already prayed His prayer in Gethsemane before He prayed His high priestly prayer of John 17. After all, I reasoned, Jesus agonized over the realities of the cross which lay ahead, resolved them, and then calmly prayed the prayer of John 17.

The Scriptures really don’t seem to allow this order of events. We read these words in the eighteenth chapter of John, just after our Lord’s high priestly prayer is ended: “When he had said these things, Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley. There was an orchard there, and he and his disciples entered into it” (John 18:1).

This certainly seems to indicate that after He had concluded His high priestly prayer, Jesus and His disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane, where His prayer of agony was uttered. Luke gives us this account of that prayer:

39 Then Jesus came out and went, as he usually did, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 When he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not fall into temptation.” 41 Then he went away from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him to strengthen him. 44 And remaining in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. 45 When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping, worn out by grief, 46 so he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not fall into temptation!” 47 While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He walked up to Jesus to kiss him (Luke 22:39-47).

Notice the words of verse 47: “While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them.” It would seem that our Lord’s arrest came immediately after His prayer in the Garden. There would have been no time for His high priestly prayer after His prayer in Gethsemane. Therefore, the order of events must be: (1) Jesus’ high priestly prayer of John 17; and then (2) Jesus’ prayer of personal agony, as recorded in Luke and the other Synoptic Gospels.

How different these two prayers were, so different that we can hardly conceive of them being prayed by the same person, within minutes of each other. In John 17, Jesus is calm, and while the mood of the moment is serious, it is not sad or gloomy.[604] When He prays in Gethsemane, Jesus is in agony. He is sweating, and His sweat is like great drops of blood. He is not standing, looking up to heaven, He is kneeling, and perhaps lying prostrate upon the ground. His anguish was so great an angel was dispatched to strengthen Him. The high priestly prayer of Jesus was uttered in the presence of His disciples, so that they might hear what He was saying. The prayer in Gethsemane seems to have been private. Some might wonder about this, since Jesus took three of His disciples with Him (Matthew 26:37; Mark 14:32-34). We are told, however, that Jesus went a little beyond the three (Mark 14:35), and that He came back to find them sleeping. This would suggest that there was some distance between Jesus and the three. Could this be the “stone’s throw” of Luke 22:31? There is no indication that the disciples heard Jesus at the time. If they had, could they have slept? Did they see the angel minister to Jesus? It seems as though this was a very private prayer, one known to the disciples only after our Lord’s death and resurrection, only after the Spirit revealed it to them.

Why were these two prayers of our Lord (the high priestly prayer of John 17 and the Gethsemane prayer of Jesus as recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke), which took place so close in time, never found together in at least one Gospel? Why does John record the high priestly prayer of Jesus in chapter 17, and not mention the Gethsemane prayer? Why do the Synoptic Gospels describe the Gethsemane prayer of Jesus, but say nothing about His high priestly prayer?

I think we could begin by noting that John’s Gospel has a unique purpose. His emphasis is surely on the deity of our Lord. Both the Upper Room Discourse and the high priestly prayer of our Lord contribute to this theme. The Synoptic Gospels exclude both the discourse and the prayer of John’s Gospel. It would be tempting to say that the Synoptic Gospels emphasize the humanity of our Lord, and that the prayer in Gethsemane shows the “human side” of Jesus. I’m not quite certain that we can divide our Lord into His “two sides.” I think the incarnation of our Lord united deity and humanity in a seamless way. Perhaps, then, it is not good to speak of His “humanity” or His “deity” as though they were separate entities.

For example, if one were to argue that the prayer of our Lord in Gethsemane revealed His “human side,” I think I would be inclined to insist that this prayer was informed by His “divine side.” Who but a holy and righteous God could grasp the horror of becoming sin for us (see 2 Corinthians 5:21)? Who but an all-knowing God could know ahead of time all that He was going to endure on the cross? Perhaps these prayers are kept apart, simply because we, in our humanity, are not really able to deal with them when they are in too close proximity. You will recall that the prophets of old had the same difficulty as they foretold the sufferings and the glory of our Lord (1 Peter 1:10-12). Both these dimensions are true, but we struggle to harmonize them, just as divine sovereignty and human responsibility are difficult to reconcile. Nevertheless, both are true, and both must be taught.

I am reminded of Paul’s words in Ephesians: “You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need, that it may give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29).

Paul has already emphasized the need to “speak the truth to one another” (4:25), but this does not mean that we may speak anything that is true, anytime we want, in any manner we wish. In verse 29, Paul tells us that our speaking must be governed by the principle of edification. We should speak in a way that edifies others, so that they are built up by our words. This does not mean that we avoid all rebuke or correction. It does mean that there is a proper time and a place for doing so.

Jesus has already said to His disciples, “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now” (John 16:12). I do not believe the disciples would have been able to bear witnessing the actions and words of our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane. They were already troubled enough. And so Jesus chose to bear this agony alone, as He would suffer alone on the cross of Calvary. The agony of our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane is not known to the disciples or to the church until after our Lord’s resurrection. It is recorded in Scripture three times, so that we will not overlook the immensity of His suffering, and thus of His sacrifice so that we might have the forgiveness of our sins.

Fourth, Jesus speaks of His authority at the very time when it appears that His enemies are prevailing over Him.[605] The arrest of our Lord is imminent, and His trial, and crucifixion only a few hours away. Outward appearances are that His enemies have finally gotten the best of Him. Jesus seems to be powerless to resist or to overcome His adversaries. This is not the time you would expect Him to speak of His authority. But then much of what Jesus has been saying was not what the disciples would have expected. Jesus prays, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, so that your Son may glorify you—just as you have given him authority over all humanity, so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him” (verses 1b-2).

Notice that Jesus does not merely say that the Father gave Him authority only over His disciples and those who would later believe. Jesus says that the Father gave Him authority “over all humanity.” Here is but another example of the sovereignty of the Lord Jesus. Jesus had full authority over Judas, over the high priests, and those Roman officials instrumental in His death. Jesus had complete authority over the hostile mob, who cried out, “Crucify! Crucify!” While they were doing a terrible thing, they were also fulfilling the purposes and prophecies of God. As Peter would later put it,

Israelite men, listen to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man clearly demonstrated to you to be from God by powerful deeds, wonders, and miraculous signs that God performed through him among you, just as you yourselves know— 23 this man, who was handed over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you executed by nailing him to a cross at the hands of Gentiles” (Acts 2:22-23).

As we shall soon demonstrate, Jesus was never more “in control” than He was at the cross of Calvary. He had orchestrated the time and manner of His death. He had made certain that all prophecies were fulfilled. At the proper moment in time, He gave up His spirit. No one took His life away from Him; He gave it up, just as He would also raise it up again. We need to be very careful not to think of God as “waiting”[606] on man for anything, as though He is dependent upon us. He has authority over all flesh, and this enables Him to save those whom the Father has chosen. Jesus has authority over every unbeliever. He has authority over every believer. Too often men portray our Lord as One who is dependent upon man, One who “waits” for us, and who is incapacitated by our disobedience or unbelief. Not so!

Fifth, in this text, Jesus defines “eternal life.” Jesus says in verse 3: “Now this is eternal life—that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.” For many, especially pagans, the best one can hope for is eternal existence. It is what we would seek if medical science permitted it. Some Christians would define it as having our sins forgiven, and this is certainly an important part of it. But Jesus defines eternal life here as “knowing[607] God,” God the Father, and God the Son. The Jews would define “eternal life” in terms of knowing only the Father and of rejecting the Son (see John 10:34-39). Jesus insists that men cannot know the Father except through the Son, and that to reject the Son is to reject the Father as well:

45 “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who hears and learns from the Father comes to me. 46 (Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God—he has seen the Father.) 47 I tell you the solemn truth, the one who believes has eternal life” (John 6:45-47).

Then they began asking him, “Who is your father?” Jesus answered, “You do not know either me or my Father. If you knew me you would know my Father too” (John 8:19).

Jesus replied, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here. I have not come on my own initiative, but he sent me” (John 8:42).

37 If I do not perform the deeds of my Father, do not believe me. 38 But if I do them, even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds, so that you may come to know and understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” 39 Then they attempted again to seize him, but he escaped their clutches (John 10:37-39).

“I tell you the solemn truth, whoever accepts the one I send accepts me, and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me” (John 13:20).

6 Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you have known me, you will know my Father too. And from now on you do know him and have seen him” (John 14:6-7).

10 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own initiative, but the Father residing in me performs his miraculous deeds. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me; but if you do not believe me, believe because of the miraculous deeds themselves” (John 14:10-11).

20 “You will know at that time that I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you. 21 The person who has my commandments and obeys them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal myself to him.” 22 “Lord,” Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “what has happened that you are going to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him” (John 14:20-23).

23 “The one who hates me hates my Father too. 24 If I had not performed among them the miraculous deeds that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen the deeds and have hated both me and my Father” (John 15:23-24).

“They will do these things because they have not known the Father or me” (John 16:3).

If one defines eternal life in terms of “knowing God,” then one can hardly think of eternal life in static terms, but rather in dynamic terms. Eternal life is not just a moment in time when one trusts in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Eternal life begins with the moment of salvation and continues throughout eternity, as one comes to know God. And since God is infinite, infinitely wise, infinitely loving, gracious, and so on, then we will never come to know Him fully in this life. Thus, it will take all eternity to know Him fully. This is why we are not only called to faith, but also to discipleship. We must trust Him for our salvation, and we must follow Him as His disciples.

Sixth, in our text, Jesus speaks of His work in the past tense, even though much of it is still future. The Bible often speaks of future events by using a verb in the past tense. The “time had come” (verse 1), John tells us, and yet this “time” was the “time” of His death. It may not be far off in the future, but it is nevertheless still future. He says that He has “glorified the Father on earth by completing the work He gave Him to do” (verse 4). It will be a few hours before our Lord will cry out, “It is finished,” yet Jesus can speak of the work as though it were already finished in His prayer.

The student of the Old Testament is not at all surprised by the fact that future events are described by verbs in the past tense, as this is common in the Old Testament. From God’s point of view, the future is virtually the present. And since God is sovereign, there is no occasion when God’s purposes will not be accomplished. Thus, it is both legitimate and logical for Jesus to speak of the future as though it were the past. It is, we say, “as good as done.” It not only indicates the certainty of these events, but also of our Lord’s resolve to endure the suffering and sorrows which these events necessitate.

Seventh, in our text, Jesus speaks of His glory and the Father’s glory[608] as one and the same.[609] This is the reason Jesus can ask that the Father glorify Him. He is not seeking His glory alone[610] (see 8:50, 54), but the glory of the Father (see 13:31-32), brought about as He is glorified (see 14:13). Earlier in this Gospel, Jesus said, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless. The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you people say, ‘He is our God’” (John 8:54). Jesus’ request for glory is not self-seeking; it is yet another manifestation of His servanthood. He prays that the Father glorify Him so that He might in this way glorify the Father. This is because the Father is glorified in and through the Son.

Eighth, the glorification which Jesus requests of the Father is accomplished by means of the cross of Calvary. Jesus spoke of His glorification earlier in the Gospel of John. At times, this “glorification” was spoken of in more general terms:

Jesus did this as the first of his miraculous signs, in Cana of Galilee. In this way he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him (John 2:11).

Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless. The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you people say, ‘He is our God’” (John 8:54).

“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13).

At other times, “glory” is used in a way that would encompass the whole of His saving work: His death, resurrection, ascension, and exaltation in heaven:

(Now he said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were going to receive; for the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.) (John 7:39)

(His disciples did not understand these things when they first happened, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about him and that these things had happened to him.) (John 12:16)

Jesus replied, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (John 12:23).

31 When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him right away” (John 13:31-32).

“I glorified you on earth by completing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4).

In our text, the glorification of our Lord (and the Father) may include the resurrection, ascension, and exaltation of the Lord Jesus, but it must surely include His sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary. The cross is a symbol of shame to the world, but it is a symbol of glory to the Christian:

In chapter 7 He said to His brethren, ‘Your hour is here. My hour is not yet come.’ In chapter 12, when the Greeks wanted to see Jesus, He said, ‘Now is mine hour come, that the Son of man should be glorified.’ Note that it wasn’t the hour that the Son should be crucified, but glorified. When the leaders took Jesus captive in the Garden of Gethsemane shortly after this prayer, He said to them, ‘This is your hour, and the power of darkness’ (Luke 22:53). Did you ever stop to think of the fact that the power of darkness, the forces of hell, had an hour? Their hour was the taking of the Son of God, scourging and rejecting Him, and then crucifying and killing Him. And yet the Lord took that very same thing, and showed that the ultimate purpose of Calvary is not salvation but the glorification of God.[611]

The Jews thought of the Law as being glorious, but the teaching of the New Testament is that the Gospel of Jesus Christ (in which the cross of Christ is central) has much greater glory (2 Corinthians 3). The false teachers in Corinth, along with their followers, began to glory in human wisdom, but Paul refused to glory in anything but Christ, and Christ crucified:

17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—and not with clever speech, so that the cross of Christ would not become useless. 18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will thwart the cleverness of the intelligent.” 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the expert in the Mosaic law? Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made the wisdom of the world foolish? 21 For since in the wisdom of God, the world by its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe by the foolishness of preaching. 22 For Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks ask for wisdom, 23 but we preach about a crucified Christ, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. 24 But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. 26 Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were members of the upper class. 27 But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, 29 so that no one can boast in his presence. 30 He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:17-31).

No wonder Paul would glory only in Christ and His cross:

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world (Galatians 6:14, KJV).[612]

Our Lord prayed to be glorified, so that He might glorify the Father. This glorification came at the price of the cross. He paid the price for our sins; He suffered God’s eternal wrath. We shall never fully comprehend the magnitude of His sacrifice, but we can glory in it. Earthly men glory in their shame (Philippians 3:19); Christians find glory in the shame which our Lord Jesus bore for us at Calvary.

Conclusion

The lessons we can learn from our text are many. Let me highlight a few and suggest some implications of these eternal truths.

First, there are lessons to be learned regarding prayer. While our Lord prayed often, we have only a few recorded prayers. I would point out that even the “longer” prayers are relatively short. Jesus warned about “lengthy” prayers, prayers extended because there was the false assumption that “longer was better.” It is not wrong to pray lengthy prayers, but it is not always necessary either. The prayers of our Lord are all different. They do not have a “boiler plate” form, in which He merely fills in the blanks. There is no one style of prayer, and not even one consistent posture for prayer. What is consistent is our Lord’s submission to the will of His Father, and His constant desire to bring glory to the Father. There are times when our Lord’s prayers are private, just as there are times when His prayers are public. There are times when others can benefit (be edified) by hearing our prayers. There are other times when our prayers need to be absolutely private (as, for example, when we confess our secret sins). Also, prayer is an essential companion and counterpart to the proclamation of God’s truth.

The principle lesson should undoubtedly come from the primary theme of our text, and that is the glory of God. It is not only the dominant theme of our text, it is the dominant purpose of history. We are all familiar with Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

We know from this text and others that God uses every circumstance to produce that which is for the ultimate good of His saints. Nothing will ever come into our lives that does not will work together for our good.

The same is true for God’s glory. God employs all creation, every human being, every circumstance, to bring glory to Himself. He uses the rebellion of sinful men to glorify Himself:

Surely the wrath of man shall praise You; With the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself (Psalm 76:10, NKJV).

For the scripture says to Pharaoh: “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may demonstrate my power in you, and that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth” (Romans 9:17).

Is it any wonder, then, that the glory of God should be the ultimate goal of every Christian?

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

11 And in this regard we pray for you always, that our God will make you worthy of his calling and fulfill by his power your every desire for goodness and work of faith, 12 that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:11-12).

My confident hope is that I will in no way be ashamed but that with complete boldness, even now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or death (Philippians 1:20).

Whoever speaks, let it be with God’s words. Whoever serves, do so with the strength that God supplies, so that in everything God will be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen (1 Peter 4:11).

One of the most joyful wedding ceremonies I have ever performed I conducted for a couple who attends our church. These two lovely people had been dating for some time, and they wanted to be certain that it was God’s will for them to marry. We spent a good deal of time talking through some biblical issues. One evening we were all sitting in our living room, and the fellow turned to me and said, “You know, Bob, I’ve decided that whether we should get married or not depends on the answer to one simple question: ‘Will our marriage glorify God?’” He could not have said anything more true, and more encouraging to me than that. They did get married, and I was privileged to conduct the ceremony.

It is popular among young Christians today to wear a bracelet which has the letters “WWJD” on it. The letters stand for, “What would Jesus do?” That’s not a bad question. From our text and others, we can always safely say, “Jesus would do what brings glory to the Father.” Do you agonize over some decision in your life? Are you seeking to know the will of God in some particular matter? I would suggest that your first response should be that you ask this simple question: “Will it glorify God?” The answer to that question will provide you with much of the guidance you may be seeking.

Christmas is just a few days away. The Lord Jesus came to this earth to glorify God. This He accomplished by His life, by His death, and by His resurrection from the dead. At His birth, the angels who appeared to the shepherds praised God, saying, “Glory to God in the highest. …” That is what Christmas should be for us—a time when we ponder the gift of our Lord, who came to die for our sins, and then to proclaim with hearts filled with joy and gratitude, “Glory to God in the highest.” Often, the glory of God is overlooked or neglected because of our focus on other things—namely, what we hope to gain from Christmas. Let this Christmas season be a time when we seek, first and foremost, to glorify God. And let this be the pattern for the rest of the year. The glory of God is never contrary to our “good”; indeed, the glory of God is the Christian’s highest good. Let it be so for each of us.


! Lesson 39:
The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus: Part II
(John 17:6-19)

Introduction

Years ago, I was privileged to participate in a missions conference in India, at which a well-known preacher was also speaking. I remember a young Indian fellow approaching this speaker, seeking his counsel. The young man shared his desire to teach the Scriptures, indicating with considerable regret that he was not able to attend seminary. This well-known speaker had not graduated from a seminary either, but it certainly did not seem to hinder his preaching. His response to the young Indian Christian did surprise me. He said to him, “Read a book.”

Now I think I know what he meant. He meant that if one cannot attend a seminary, he can learn a great deal by reading good books. I would agree. In fact, some of the men I know and respect have not had the opportunity to attend seminary either, but they have become very good students of the Word of God. A good part of their theological education did come from reading books. But even though reading good books is of great benefit, there is something beneficial about being personally exposed to a brilliant mind, and even more importantly, a godly life.[613] I have been privileged to attend seminary, but the greatest contribution to my own life and ministry has come through personal contact with godly men. They have taught me much. Sometimes they have pointed out flaws in my thinking, theology, methodology, and practice.

In the days of our Lord, there were no printing presses, no Bible concordance programs on CD ROM, no Internet web sites from which to download good Bible study materials. In Old and New Testament times, books were exceedingly rare. One had to copy a book by hand, rather than reproduce another copy by a mere push of a button. Much learning took place by means of discipleship. A disciple followed his chosen “master” around, serving him, listening to him, and learning from him. This is the way our Lord taught, or “discipled,” His disciples. They accompanied Him virtually everywhere He went. They listened and asked many questions, and they learned. Jesus sometimes sent them out two-by-two, which gave them an opportunity to put their teaching and training into practice.

By the time we come to John 17, the discipleship program which our Lord had designed for His disciples was virtually complete. Jesus was ready to return to His Father, leaving His disciples behind. Chapter 17 is our Lord’s “High Priestly Prayer.” The portion of that prayer which we will study in this message is specifically focused on those eleven disciples who remained with Jesus, and who overheard this prayer as they were making their way to the Garden of Gethsemane.

It is not an easy prayer to expound, and reading the commentaries tends to confirm this assessment. As I have agonized in my attempts to trace the argument of our text, I found it helpful to create a grid which traces the development of this chapter by means of several themes or dimensions.

Grid for the Study of John 17

Time  Eternity Past Christ’s Earthly Ministry The Future
Place  Jesus in heaven with the Father Jesus on earth with His disciples Jesus in heaven, with disciples remaining behind
Relationship  Father and Son Son and disciples Father, Son, disciples, and believers in the Son
Function  The Father is known by the Son The Son reveals the Father to His disciples Disciples make the Son known to the world
Possession  Believers belong to Father Believers given to and possessed by the Son Believers entrusted to Father’s keeping
Mission  Father’s plan to send His Son to earth Son accomplishes His mission on earth Son sends His disciples into the world

It is also beneficial to remind ourselves of the structure of John 17, and of our text, verses 6-19.

The Structure of John 17

Verses 1-5 Jesus and the Father
Verses 6-19 Jesus and His disciples  
Verses 20-26 Jesus and future generations of believers

The Structure of John 17:6-19

Verses 6-10 Jesus and His earthly mission: mission accomplished
Verses 11-19 Jesus’ return to heaven—His prayers for the disciples who remain

Mission Accomplished
(17:6-10)

6 “I have revealed your name to the men you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they understand that everything you have given me comes from you, 8 because I have given them the words you have given me. They accepted them and really understand that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying on behalf of them. I am not praying on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those you have given me, because they belong to you. 10 Everything I have belongs to you, and everything you have belongs to me, and I have been glorified by them.”

Verses 6-8 summarize the ministry of our Lord from the time of His coming to the moment He is speaking, only minutes from His arrest. In verses 11-19, Jesus concentrates on the time following His arrival. From our Lord’s words in verses 6-10, we see His estimate of what His ministry has brought about in His disciples:

They belonged to the Father in eternity past. verse 6
They were given to Jesus by the Father. verse 6
They have obeyed the Father’s word. verse 6
They understand all that Jesus was given came from the Father. verse 7
They have accepted the teaching Jesus has given them from the Father. verse 8
His disciples now understand and believe Jesus was sent into the world by the Father. verse 8

Verses 9 and 10 set forth the basis of our Lord’s prayer for His disciples:

He is praying for His disciples because they are believers. verse 9
He is praying for those who belonged to the Father, and now belong to Him. verse 9
He is praying for those whom He and the Father possess together. verse 10
He is praying for them because He is glorified by them. verse 10

The things which have been accomplished in the lives of His disciples are those things which our Lord has Himself accomplished. And so it is in verses 6-10 that we also find our Lord summing up the ministry which He has performed in the lives of His disciples:

1.        He has revealed the Father to them—verse 6.

2.        He has given them His Word—verses 7-8.

3.        He has been glorified by them—verse 10.

It would be easy to spend a great deal of time on the details of these verses, but time will not permit, and it would hinder us from following the flow of the argument of these verses. I am seeking to convey the “big picture” here, and I think it can be summarized in two words: “Mission accomplished.”

Notice that virtually everything Jesus claims to have accomplished is described in the past tense. We realize that some of these “accomplished” items are not yet “realized.” We also know that these words will prove to be true. Is it not wonderfully encouraging to realize that even before His disciples have become what they will be, our Lord can speak confidently about them, as though they have already attained their destiny? This is because our destiny is ultimately in His hands:

28 And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 Because those whom God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those God predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified (Romans 8:28-30).

For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).

23 Now may the God of peace make you completely holy and may your spirit and soul and body be kept entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is trustworthy, and he will in fact do this (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).

Because of this, in fact, I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, because I know the one in whom my faith is set and I am convinced that he is able to protect until that day what has been entrusted to me (2 Timothy 1:12).

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, 2 keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2).

24 Now to the one who is able to keep you from falling, and to cause you to stand, rejoicing, without blemish before his glorious presence, 25 to the only God our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and for all eternity. Amen (Jude 1:24-25).

What an encouragement it is to know that He is not only the one who sought us and saved us, but He is also the One who keeps us, and who perfects us! We will most certainly become what He has purposed and promised, and so it is that He can speak of our future as though it were already realized.

The emphasis of verses 6-10 is that Jesus has accomplished all that the Father sent Him to do, in terms of equipping the disciples for their “mission.” Jesus has revealed the Father to them and given the Word of the Father to them. He has told them all that they need to know,[614] and thus His earthly mission of making disciples of them has been completed. Of course, His atoning work on the cross of Calvary still lay ahead, but that too is as good as done. Jesus is now free to leave and to return to the Father because He has accomplished all that the Father gave Him to do.

One can hardly estimate the benefits we have gained because our Lord was able to speak these words. On the one hand, the completion of His mission means that He has defeated Satan, and that He has accomplished the salvation of all those the Father has given Him. It means that He can return to the Father in heaven, so that the Spirit can be sent into the world in a new and better way. It is the basis for our mission and ministry. It is the basis of our security and our ultimate perfection (which takes place in heaven, not here on earth—1 John 3:2).

The apostle Paul desired to “finish well” in his life and ministry. We can see for ourselves the kind of disqualification which Paul dreaded and sought to avoid:

24 Do you not know that all the runners in a stadium compete, but only one receives the prize? So run to win. 25 Each competitor must exercise self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. 26 So I do not run uncertainly or box like one who hits only air. 27 Instead I subdue my body and make it my slave, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

As Paul approaches the time of his departure, he can rejoice, knowing he has finished well and that the work God had given him to do has been accomplished:

6 For I am already being poured out as an offering and the time for me to depart is at hand. 7 I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. 8 Finally the crown of righteousness is reserved for me. The Lord, the righteous Judge, will award it to me in that day; and not to me only, but also to all who have set their affection on his appearing (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

Men do not always “finish well.” In the secular world, it is seldom so. This past week, we have witnessed the impeachment of our President by the House of Representatives. We have also seen the resignation of the next Speaker of the House of Representatives. What dramatic examples these are of being disqualified! We who have come to know Jesus as our Savior should dread disqualification and should desire to finish well. How thankful we can be that He who is the “author and perfecter of our faith” finished well.

Prayer Prompted by Our Lord’s Departure
(17:11-19)

11 I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them safe in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one[615] just as we are one. 12 When I was with them I kept them safe and watched over them in your name that you have given me. Not one of them was lost except the one destined for destruction,[616] so that the scripture could be fulfilled.[617] 13 But now I am coming to you, and I am saying these things in the world, so they may experience my joy completed in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated[618] them, because they do not belong to the world just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but that you keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to the world just as I do not belong to the world. 17 Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. 19 And I set myself apart[619] on their behalf, so that they too may be truly set apart.

In verses 6-10, our Lord has dwelt upon the fact that He has accomplished what He came to do, and thus that He is ready and able to return to the Father in heaven. In verses 11-19, our Lord’s prayer is for His disciples in light of the fact that He is going to the Father. I should point out that these verses apply, first and foremost, to the eleven disciples.[620] The divisions which we have assumed in chapter 17 are not iron-clad, however. For example, verses 20-26 seem to focus on those who will believe as a result of the preaching of the apostles and others (verse 20). Nevertheless, verses 24-26 appear to be restricted to the Lord’s disciples. Even though our Lord’s prayer may be directed toward the disciples, they may still relate to us by way of implication and application.

Once again, there are many details here which rightfully merit further study, but our intent in this lesson is to trace the main themes of our Lord’s prayer. As I study this prayer, there seems to be one primary request, with a three-fold outcome. The request of our Lord is that the Father keep His disciples safe. The three-fold outcome is: (1) their unity in Him; (2) their joy in Him; and (3) the fulfillment of their mission. When all of our Lord’s statements are reduced to their least common denominator, Jesus indicates that He is leaving His disciples and returning to His Father. The Father has given His name to the Son, and so it is in this name that Jesus asks the disciples to be kept (verse 11). Jesus states that He has watched over His disciples and kept them safe while He was with them. He did not lose a one. Our Lord did not lose Judas, because he never truly believed in Jesus as the Messiah. His departure was not an exception to the rule, but the fulfillment of prophecy (verse 12).

The first result of the disciples’ safe keeping is their unity. The second result of their safe keeping is joy: “But now I am coming to you, and I am saying these things in the world, so they may experience my joy completed in themselves” (verse 13). Notice that Jesus calls this “joy” which His disciples will experience “my joy.” I believe the request to keep the disciples safe is the equivalent of keeping them abiding in Christ. To be kept safe is to be kept in Christ. It is believing in Him, depending on Him, looking for Him, obeying His Word. When believers “abide in Christ,” they should evidence Christian love and unity, and as a result, they should experience the joy of our Lord. It is His joy that we experience when we abide in Him.

We should look at the words of our Lord in verse 13 carefully. Jesus is not praying that the Father will keep His disciples safe so that they will find joy, as though for the first time. He is praying that the Father will keep them so that His joy may by completed or perfected in them. It is a joy that they already possess, in measure, but also a joy that they will possess in even fuller measure as they abide in Him.

If I understand Jesus correctly, the Word of God plays a crucial role in the safe keeping of the disciples. Our Lord spoke only that which the Father gave Him to speak (John 8:28, 38; 12:49-50). It is this word that is the truth, and it is by means of this truth that the disciples will be set apart (sanctified), just as Jesus set Himself apart from the world. Nevertheless, the world hates His disciples, because they do not belong to this world, just as Jesus does not call this world “home” (verse 14). Even though they are hated by the world, Jesus is not asking the Father to take them out of this world. It is to this world that they are to be witnesses of the Savior’s death and resurrection.

The safety for which our Lord petitions the Father is not that of freedom from suffering and pain, or from persecution. He prays that the Father might protect His disciples from “the evil one” (verse 15). The world will hate the disciples and oppose them, but behind this resistance is Satan. He is the ultimate source of that opposition which seeks to undermine the faith of believers and to defeat their witness to the world. He is the one who desires to rob believers of their unity and their joy.

Let me seek to illustrate this. In the Garden of Eden, Satan successfully deprived Adam and Eve of their unity and their joy. He deceived Eve, so that she ceased to enjoy what God had richly provided for her—and for Adam. Somehow, the bounty of the fruit of the garden was not enough. Furthermore, Satan not only robbed Eve of her joy, he destroyed the unity which she once had with Adam, her husband. She seems to have listened to the serpent and to have acted independently so as to have disobeyed God. Satan was successful in undermining the unity of Cain and Abel. Where there is disunity, man’s relationship with God is in disrepair, and Satan is not far away.[621]

Third, the disciples are to be kept safe so that they can fulfill their mission. Jesus came to this earth to carry out the mission the Father had given Him. He came to reveal God to men and to die for the sins of men, thus providing an atonement for sin. This is God’s only provision for obtaining eternal life. Jesus was sent into this world by His Father. Now, Jesus is about to send His disciples into the world, to proclaim the gospel. Being kept safe assures that the disciples will complete their mission, just as Jesus completed His mission on earth. Jesus set Himself apart for His disciples’ sake, and they, likewise, are to set themselves apart to proclaim the gospel to guilty sinners. It is the Word of God which sets us apart from the world. It sets the standard. It defines sin and righteousness. It speaks of sin, righteousness, and judgment. When men turn away from the Word to the world, it should come as no surprise that they become worldly. When men turn to the Word of God, they are set apart from the world, and the world comes to hate them.

Conclusion

Our text contains the last public prayer of our Lord before His arrest, trial, and crucifixion on the cross of Calvary. I find that this prayer becomes much more meaningful to me when I consider it in the light of two other events which are recorded for us in the New Testament. The first (and closest in time) is the prayer of our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane, recorded in the Synoptic Gospels. It takes place only moments after the high priestly prayer is concluded. In His prayer in Gethsemane, we see the depth of our Lord’s agony, knowing that He is to “become sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21), to suffer the wrath of God for our sins, and not for His own.

The second event is that of our Lord arranging for someone to assume the responsibility of caring for His mother (John 19:25-27). I see from these two events that even in the midst of great personal agony, our Lord does not let His suffering keep Him from attending to the needs of those whom He loves. Thus, Jesus prays for His disciples and for those who will believe through them, before He prays that agonizing prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. And on the cross, Jesus sees to it that His mother is cared for. In both cases, Jesus is taking care of those He will leave behind. We can go even further with this, because our Lord’s agony itself is for the sake of others. It is by means of His death that Satan is defeated and the penalty for our sins is paid. Therefore our Lord’s high priestly prayer is typical of His love and concern for His own.

In the light of this, how dare we ever question God’s love and care for us. How many times have we found ourselves in some kind of pain or discomfort and cried out to God in our distress, thinking that He does not care (cf. Mark 4:38)? He cares enough to endure the agony of the cross. And even when the horrors of the cross are immediately before Him, Jesus cares enough to pray this prayer for His disciples. No wonder the writer to the Hebrews and the Apostle Peter can write,

5 Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.” 6 So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6)

6 Humble yourselves then under the mighty hand of God and he will exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care on him, because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:6-7).

We would do well to ponder these words by D. A. Carson:

Would to God that the truths of these verses might burn themselves into our memories. It is a rare and holy privilege to observe the divine Son of God not only formulating his prayers but formulating the grounds for his petitions. These grounds reflect the essential unity of Father and Son, and reveal that Jesus’ prayers for his people trace their argument back to the inscrutable purposes of Deity. When the Son of God himself has offered prayers for his followers like these prayers, and when the prayers have been grounded as these prayers have been grounded, it is horrifying to remember that, in moments of weakness and doubt, we still rebelliously question the love of God for his own people. This passage ought rather to engender the deepest and most stable faith, the most adoring gratitude. The disciples of Jesus Christ are loved with a special love … which distinguishes them from the world.[622]

I am deeply indebted to D. A. Carson for reminding us that this prayer of our Lord teaches us what we should pray for:

The spiritual dimensions to this prayer are consistent and overwhelming. By contrast, we spend much more time today praying about our health, our projects, our decisions, our finances, our family, and even our games than we do praying about the danger of the evil one. Materialists at heart, we often discern only very, very dimly the spiritual struggle of which Paul (for instance) was so deeply aware (Eph. 6:10ff.). The Lord’s (model) prayer likewise teaches us to pray, ‘Deliver us from the evil one’ (most likely the correct rendering). Certainly the church will not produce many spiritual giants when it fails to discern its chief enemy.[623]

At the outset of this lesson, I pointed out that our text divides into two major sections: verses 6-10, which focus on the time our Lord has spent with the disciples up till the present moment, and verses 11-19, which address the disciples’ needs because of His departure. If you broaden the scope of your thinking to include verses 1-5 and 20-26, then you find that this prayer of our Lord covers every period of time, from eternity past to eternity future. Verses 1-5 look back in time, to the glory which our Lord had with His Father from eternity past. Verses 20-26 look forward in time, down through the ages of church history to the present moment for us. And, this last part of His prayer includes all those yet to be saved, until the time of His return. Thus the prayer encompasses all of time.

I would suggest to you that this is really the only vantage point from which we can rightly appraise our circumstances at the moment. Jesus could pray as He did because He knew not only the past, but the future. It goes far beyond this, as you know. He not only knows what the future holds, He controls the future. Our Lord manifests the calm certainty that only God can exhibit, because He is God, and because He sees the trials and tribulations of the moment from an eternal perspective.

I could not help but recall Psalm 73, in which Asaph complains to God about the prosperity of the wicked, and the suffering of the righteous. To Asaph, it looked like God had lost control, and as though God was not living up to His promise to prosper the righteous. It was only when the psalmist began to view his circumstances from a divine and eternal perspective that he saw things clearly, and began to think and to respond rightly to God.

I was struck by the structure of our Lord’s prayer in John 17. Jesus clearly separates and distinguishes between those who were our Lord’s disciples at the time (verses 6-19), and those who would later come to believe in Him through the witness of the disciples or others (verses 20-26). I take this distinction to imply that there is a substantial difference between His disciples (or apostles) and other Christians, who are saved at a later time. There are those who would teach that there are apostles today, just as much as there were apostles in New Testament times. At least some would maintain that these contemporary “apostles” speak for God, with greater authority than others. Jesus speaks of His disciples as a distinct group, a very restrictive group. The disciples themselves seem to concur with this, as can be seen by their insistence in Acts 1:12-26 that one who would replace Judas must have been present with Jesus. It would seem as though only two men met the requirements set down by the disciples for Judas’ replacement. We need to be careful about calling men apostles today, when Jesus seems to have restricted them to His day. The apostles of the first century church seem to be in a class of their own. Our Lord’s prayer appears to assume this distinction. I am reminded of the writer to the Hebrews, who also distinguishes the apostles from those who will believe because of the gospel that they proclaimed:

1 Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken through angels proved to be so firm that every violation or disobedience received its just penalty, 3 how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first communicated through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him, 4 while God confirmed their witness with signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will (Hebrews 2:1-4).

The “us” of verse 3 seems to be synonymous with the “those who believe in me through their testimony” of John 17:20. The “those who heard him” of verse 3 seems to be synonymous with “the disciples” for whom Jesus prays in verses 6-19.

Safe. What a wonderful assurance. Earlier in John, Jesus said, 27 “My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. 29 My Father who has given them to me is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one” (John 10:27-30). Do you remember that song, “Safe am I”? “Safe am I; Safe am I, in the hollow of His hand.” And notice that the safety of the sheep is linked to the unity of the Father and the Son (10:30). Safety is His work. We are to abide, but He keeps us safe.

This safety that our Lord prays for is linked to the work He has given us to do. Do you remember how many times in John’s Gospel the Jews sought to kill Him? They could not lay a hand on Him until it was His time. He was “safe” from the opposition of the devil and from men. It did not keep Him from suffering, and from death. But it did keep Him from being prevented from fulfilling His mission. I would suggest to you that no one is ever more safe than the one who is pursuing God’s will, who is fulfilling their God-given mission. Blessed assurance!

This text weaves together two themes which might be considered antithetical. On the one hand, we find very clear indications that the outcome of the disciples’ lives is certain and secure. Jesus speaks of their future growth and ministry as though it were already accomplished. On the other hand, our Lord speaks of the opposition and resistance of Satan, who seeks to bring about their downfall, and ours. Our Lord’s intercession on behalf of His own, along with the Father’s “keeping” of those who are His, guarantees the future of the disciples, and, by extension, the future of all who trust in the Lord Jesus. Nevertheless, in chapter 15, Jesus teaches that abiding in Christ is something that every believer needs to work at, through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and through the provision of the Word of God.       

It is very clear from our Lord’s words in this passage that one of His major concerns is that there be unity among His disciples. One should not at all be surprised that Jesus saw this as a problem. Frequently in the Gospels, we read of the disciples arguing with one another about who was the greatest (cf. Luke 9:46ff.; 22:24ff.). It wasn’t just a matter of them getting along, either. It was a matter of them staying together. In 16:1, Jesus spoke of the possibility of them “falling away.” Later on in chapter 16, Jesus said, “Look, a time is coming—and has come—when you will be scattered, each one to his own home, and I will be left alone” (John 16:32a).

Indeed, this is precisely what happened. When Jesus was arrested, the disciples did not gather together for a prayer meeting; they all fled (Mark 14:50). Even after Jesus had risen from the dead and His tomb was found to be empty, the disciples “went back to their homes” (John 20:10). When it was apparent that Jesus had been raised from the dead, the disciples were seldom all together in one place, and in chapter 21, Peter sets out to go fishing, with only a partial gathering of the disciples (John 21:1-3). There was not the “unity” we would have hoped for until after our Lord’s departure (Acts 1:12-14; 2:1).

Christian unity is a very difficult issue. We should certainly say that there should never be division over matters like race or economic status (cf. Galatians 2:11-21; Ephesians 2:11-22; James 2:1-13). Neither should there be divisions over matters of personal conviction (Romans 14:1–15:6, esp. 15:6), or over material gain (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:1-8, esp. v. 7). We should, however, divide over immorality and open sin (Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5; 2 Thessalonians 3:10-15; Titus 3:10-11) and doctrinal heresy (Galatians 1:6-10; 1 Timothy 1:18-20; 2 John 1:7-11). It is actually those who teach heresy who divide the church, and thus should be put out to avoid divisions (Jude, especially verses 17-19; Titus 3:10-11). Let us be sure that we are not denying our unity in Christ when we refuse to be identified with those who trust in the shed blood of Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins, even though they may be of a different theological persuasion or belong to a different denomination. If Christian unity is so important to our Lord, it should be important to us as well.

This week we will celebrate Christmas. One may wonder what this text has to do with Christmas. Actually, it has a great deal to do with our Lord’s first coming, which we celebrate at Christmas. Our Lord’s prayer in John 17 tells us what Jesus came to this earth to do. We should have a much greater appreciation for our Lord’s first coming as we look back from the cross, than men did looking forward from His birth. When Jesus came to this earth, He came to reveal the Father to men and to make an atonement for the sins of men. Jesus came to do the very things He speaks about and prays about in this high priestly prayer. Everything He came to do, He accomplished. There are many who have big plans and lofty goals, but few achieve them, and none achieve them perfectly. None but Jesus, that is. Jesus came to this earth to reveal the Father to men, to proclaim the Father’s word to men, and to procure the salvation of those whom the Father had given to Him. This He accomplished, every part of it. And even the apparent failure of Judas was a part of the plan of God, determined in eternity past. Jesus does all things well. What He came to earth to do, He did. And because of it, we do well to hear and to heed Him.


! Lesson 40:
The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus: Part III
(John 17:20-26)

Introduction

In the last few weeks, a lawsuit has gone to trial over the possession of the 77-acre Branch Davidian Compound outside Waco, Texas. You will recall that this compound was burned to the ground, with the loss of many lives, including leader David Koresh and many of his followers. Several factions have laid claim to the property and are now fighting it out in the courts.

This seems to be a modern-day example of what Gamaliel said nearly 2,000 years ago. The story is recorded in Acts 5. Peter and John had healed a lame man on their way to the temple, attracting a great deal of attention and affording them the opportunity to preach the gospel, which included the proclamation that Jesus had been raised from the dead. Soon, people were bringing their sick from the surrounding towns so that the apostles could heal them. This caused great concern on the part of the Jewish religious leaders, who thought they had neutralized the threat Jesus posed by putting Him to death. Now, it seemed as though things were going from bad to worse. And so they arrested the apostles of our Lord and put them in jail for preaching in the name of Jesus. The next day, when they were to appear for trial, it was discovered that they were not in their cell. (The truth was that an angel had released them and instructed them to return to the temple and to resume their preaching of the gospel.) It soon became known that the apostles were once again in the temple, and so they were brought before the Sanhedrin and rebuked for failing to obey their command to cease preaching in the name of Jesus. The apostles made it clear that they must obey God rather than men.

When the apostles indicated that they would not be silenced, and then proceeded to start preaching the gospel to them, the religious leaders were furious. They wanted to kill the apostles, as they would soon kill Stephen (see Acts 6:8–8:1). Then, a sensible leader named Gamaliel spoke out:

34 But a Pharisee whose name was Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the council and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time. 35 Then he said to the council, “Israelite men, pay close attention to what you are about to do to these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and nothing came of it. 37 After him Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census, and incited people to follow him in revolt. He too was killed, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in this case I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, because if this plan or this undertaking originates with men, it will come to nothing, 39 but if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them, or you may even be found fighting against God.” He convinced them, 40 and they summoned the apostles and had them beaten. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them (Acts 5:34-40).

Gamaliel spoke words of human wisdom, based upon experience and observation. Various movements had come and gone in Israel, as Gamaliel noted. Specifically, he names two men who had led revolts. Both men were killed, and when they died, their movements died with them. Gamaliel saw a principle in this, which we might sum up in these words: “Leaders may arise who are capable of gaining a following, but when they die, their movements tend to die with them.” To Gamaliel, this was very likely the case with Jesus. He had gained a following, including a dedicated core of men who had become His disciples. But the Jews had succeeded in putting Jesus to death. If Jesus was like these other men, then it would not be long before His disciples would scatter, and the movement would die. If, perchance, the movement was of God, then it would not die, and it could not be overcome. To resist a divinely-inspired movement would be to oppose God, a terrifying thought to Gamaliel and apparently to his colleagues.

Until now, I have never thought of Gamaliel’s counsel in relation to the Upper Room Discourse of our Lord, and especially in relation to the Lord’s high priestly prayer in John 17. Would we not agree that Gamaliel was right in what he said? Wasn’t the natural tendency of the disciples to disband and give it up after the death of Jesus? Is this not precisely the reason our Lord teaches His disciples the material found in the Upper Room Discourse? Does this not underscore the importance of our Lord’s teaching concerning abiding in Him (John 15)? I believe it helps to explain our Lord’s prayer for the protection and preservation of the disciples. We can easily see why our Lord prays for the unity and continuity of His band of disciples after He is gone.

We have already noted that the first five verses of chapter 17 focus on our Lord and His relationship with the Father. He prays for the Father to restore to Him the glory that He had formerly enjoyed in heaven, before His incarnation. Verses 6-19 contain our Lord’s prayer for His disciples, whom He is about to leave behind in a hostile world to carry on the ministry He began. His prayer for them is that the Father will keep them from the evil one. Now, in verses 20-26, our Lord turns His attention to those who will become believers down through the ages of church history until He returns.[624] Let us listen to our Lord’s prayer for us, like a child who overhears his parents as they pray for him. Let us keep in mind that this prayer is the expression of our Lord’s love and concern for each of us who trusts in Him.

The Circle Expands
(17:20-21)

20 “I am not praying only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their testimony, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they may be in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me.”

Verses 1-5 concern the Father and the Son. Verses 6-19 pertain to the Father, the Son, and the eleven disciples of our Lord. Verses 20-26 widen in focus, to include all those who will subsequently come to faith in Jesus Christ. We are tempted to say that these verses pertain to us, but of course they include a much broader group than that. They encompass the time from the moment Jesus spoke these words to the present—nearly 2,000 years now, and counting.

I believe it is worth noting that our Lord’s words are carefully chosen so that they can include a great multitude of believers over a considerable period of time. While His words allow for these things, they do not necessarily indicate or suggest them. The disciples were inclined to think that our Lord would commence His reign in their lifetime. Even after our Lord’s death and resurrection, they were still thinking in terms of the near future: “So when they had gathered together, they began to ask him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’” (Acts 1:6).

Jesus does not wish to give them the false impression that His return is immediate, but neither does He intend to convey the fact that it is at least 2,000 years away, and for good reason:

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their food at the proper time? 46 That slave whom his master finds doing this when he returns will be blessed. 47 I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But if that evil slave says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he begins to beat his fellow slaves and to eat and drink with drunkards, 50 that slave’s master will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee. 51 The master will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 24:45-51).

Our Lord desires us to conduct ourselves as though His return were imminent, even though it may not happen in our lifetime. The language of this text and others is sufficiently broad enough to allow for a long period of time before His return, but not specific enough to require a delay. I believe our Lord wants us to think in terms of “sooner,” rather than “later.”

Those who believe[625] are described as having come to faith through the testimony (literally “word”) of His disciples. Certainly there were those who came to faith apart from the disciples, people like the woman at the well (John 4), for example. What our Lord emphasizes is the fact that in the future, men will come to faith through the preaching of the gospel (Romans 1:16-17; 10:6-15). The gospel is declared, defined (e.g., Acts 15), enscripturated,[626] and defended (e.g., Galatians) by the apostles. Because it is through the Word of God that men are saved (see 1 Peter 2:22-25; James 1:21), subsequent believers can be said to have become believers through the word of the apostles.

Jesus does not petition the Father to save these people. Those who will come to faith have already been given to Him as a gift by the Father (see verses 2, 24). Our Lord prays that all those who believe may be one. This is not mere organizational unity; it is an organic and functional unity. It is the same kind of unity that the Father has with the Son. As the Father is “in” the Son, and the Son is “in” the Father, and thus the two are one, so all believers are “in” Christ. Because of their unity with the Son, they are also one with the Father, and one with each other.

This unity is both positional and practical. It is also supernatural. It is for the practical outworking of this supernatural unity that our Lord prays here. The unity of those who are believers in Jesus Christ should be visible to the unsaved world. As the world beholds this unity, they see the presence and the power of the resurrected Christ in His church. Put another way, as believers abide in Christ, Christ abides in them, and the fruit that is produced is a demonstration of our Lord’s presence and power. This is a testimony to the world that Jesus really was sent from the Father, and thus that He really is Who He claimed to be—the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

Present Glory Promotes Unity
(17:22-23)

22 The glory you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—that they may be completely one, so that the world may know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me.

Much of verses 22 and 23 is a repetition of verses 20 and 21. In both places, Jesus prays for unity among believers. Again, in both places, this unity is based upon the unity that exists between the Father and the Son. Further, the purpose for demonstrating this unity is so that the world may know that the Father sent the Son. Two new elements are introduced, however, which are very significant. We shall therefore focus our attention on these new elements, which further expand upon the petition of verses 20 and 21.

The first additional element is that of the “glory” which the Father gave to the Son and the Son has given to believers in Him. What is the nature of this “glory”? It cannot be the glory which our Lord had with the Father before the foundation of the world, the glory which the Son set aside at His incarnation. This is the “glory” which our Lord has just requested from the Father: “And now, Father, glorify me at your side with the glory I had with you before the world was created” (verse 5).

This is the glory which our Lord prays that His saints might behold, by coming to be with Him in heaven: “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they may see my glory that you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world” (verse 24).

How can our Lord speak of a “glory” He has already given to His own if He does not yet have it Himself? How can He speak of giving them the “glory” on earth which they can only behold in heaven? We must conclude, then, that the “glory” of which our Lord is speaking is not His “future glory,” but another “glory.”

We may begin by asking this question: If Jesus can say, ‘I have given them the glory that you gave me,’ then what is the nature of the glory which the Father gave the Son? The answer to that question is straightforward: the glory the Father gave the Son was the glory of the humility of the incarnation, culminating both in the glorification of the Son at the crucifixion and in the glory of his resurrected and exalted state. Believers have seen something of this glory, except for the glory Christ now enjoys; and that, too, they shall one day see, since Jesus prays to that end (17:24).[627]

Jesus purposed to glorify the Father through His incarnation, earthly life and ministry, and through His death, resurrection and ascension. The earthly sufferings[628] of our Lord are part of His glory (John 12:23; 13:31-32; 17:1). And it is this glory—the glory of servanthood and of sacrificial service—which our Lord has given to His disciples. As Jesus was glorified by His coming to this earth, being rejected by men and put to death, so His disciples are also given the same glory, the glory of suffering for the sake of Christ:

7 Such trials show the proven character of your faith, which is much more valuable than gold—gold that is tested by fire, even though it is passing away—and will bring praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed (1 Peter 1:7).

12 Dear friends, do not be astonished that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice in the degree that you have shared in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice and be glad. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory, who is the Spirit of God, rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or thief or criminal or as a troublemaker. 16 But if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God that you bear such a name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin, starting with the house of God. And if it starts with us, what will be the fate of those who are disobedient to the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous are barely saved, what will become of the ungodly and sinners? 19 So then let those who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator as they do good (1 Peter 4:12-19).

Our Lord’s earthly glory through His sufferings was consummated in His death on the cross. No wonder He instructs His disciples to take up their cross: Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24; see also Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23). It was His glory to suffer and to die, and it is our privilege and glory as well, to “take up our cross,” whatever that may mean for us personally. This is the way that the Apostle Paul saw it:

20 My confident hope is that I will in no way be ashamed but that with complete boldness, even now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 Now if I am to go on living in the body, this will mean productive work for me; yet I don’t know what I prefer: 23 I feel torn between the two, because I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far, 24 but it is more vital for your sake that I remain in the body. 25 And since I am sure of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for the sake of your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that because of me you may swell with pride in Christ Jesus, when I come back to you (Philippians 1:20-26).

This puts our suffering for Christ in a whole new light. It is for His glory. It is also for our good. But the words of our Lord’s prayer indicate that it is also our glory. No wonder Paul writes these words:

10 My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:10-11).

The second new element in our text has to do with the intended impact of the believers’ unity upon unbelievers. Jesus prays, “I in them and you in me—that they may be completely one, so that the world may know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me” (verse 23, emphasis mine). The first half of the intended result of Christian unity is repeated from our Lord’s earlier words in verse 21. Christian unity will show the world that God the Father sent the Son. But here Jesus goes on to say that Christian unity is also intended as an expression of the Father’s love for those who trust in Jesus. This love which the Father has for Christians is the same love which He has for His Son. The Father loves the Son, and because Christians are “in the Son” by faith, the Father loves us just as He loves the Son.

The unity of the believers reflects the Father’s love. Let’s consider the relationship between unity and love for a moment. In Ephesians 5, Paul is instructing husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church (5:25). Having described how the Lord Jesus loved the church (5:26-27), Paul now instructs husbands to love their wives as their own bodies:

28 In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife; and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is great—but I am actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, each one of you must also love his own wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband (Ephesians 5:28-33).

Remember as well the command to love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18, 34; Matthew 19:19; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27; Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8). The assumption underlying all of this is that we do love ourselves. We love our own bodies. As members of the body of Christ, we are joined not only to our Lord, but to the Father, and to one another. Our unity should express itself in love toward one another. And since this is a divine love, it reveals God’s love to the world. Men should see God’s love in action, as Christians love one another, because they are one with one another, and with God.

This is a marvelous thought, but also an awesome responsibility. The standard for our love is incredibly high. It is not a merely human love, a love like that expressed by unbelievers. It is not just a romantic love, like we see portrayed on movie and television screens. It is the love of God for our Lord and for us, a love which will prompt one to lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).

Prayer for the Presence of His Own
(17:24)

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they may see my glory that you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world.”

When Jesus told His disciples He was going away to a place where they could not follow Him, they may have wrongly concluded that He did not want them to be with Him any longer. This conclusion would be completely wrong. Jesus very much wants them to be with Him, and that is precisely what He prays for in verse 24. The reason that they cannot be with Him is because He is going to the Father in heaven, and they have work yet to do on earth. They will thereby experience the glory of identifying with Him as the suffering Savior. They will not behold His heavenly glory until they are in heaven with Him. This is what Jesus asks the Father to do—to bring His disciples to be with Him in heaven, so that they can behold His heavenly glory.

Peter, James, and John—the inner three—were given a glimpse of this glory at the transfiguration of our Lord. Before too long, the Apostle John will have a vision in which he will behold even more of our Lord’s heavenly glory, which he describes for us in the Book of Revelation (see, for example, Revelation 1:9ff.). Paul also seems to have been given a glimpse of this future glory (2 Corinthians 12:1ff.). But for all of our Lord’s disciples and us, the full display of His glory will not come until we are taken up into heaven. As the words of the song put it, “Oh, that will be, glory for me.” And so it will. This glory that we will see is yet another demonstration of the Father’s love for the Son (John 17:24).

The glory which the Father gives the Son is a token of His love for the Son. We should all be able to relate to this. A young man loves a young woman very much, and he asks her to marry him. He buys the most beautiful ring he can afford, as a visible demonstration of his love. And when the young woman accepts her beloved’s proposal of marriage, she puts on that ring. And, without exception, she will find a way to move her hands in such a way as to draw attention to that ring. She wants everyone to see it and to comment about how beautiful it is. Why? Because the ring is a token of her beloved’s love for her, and she is proud of it. That is the way it is with our Lord’s glory. It is a token of the Father’s love for Him. And so He desires for all those He loves to be with Him and to see His glory, which is an indication of the Father’s great love for Him as the Son.

The Unknown God
(17:25-26)

25 “Righteous Father, even if the world does not know you, I know you, and these men know that you sent me. 26 I made known your name to them, and I will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them, and I may be in them.”

In the introduction to this Gospel, John wrote, “No one has ever seen God. The only One, himself God, who is in the presence of the Father, has made God known” (John 1:18). Our Lord’s mission in life was to make the Father known to men. That He has done. He has yet another mission to accomplish by His death:

14 “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” 16 For this is the way God loved the world: he gave his one and only Son that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 18 The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God (John 3:14-18).

Soon, our Lord will have completed His mission of providing an atonement for sin. But at this moment, He is dwelling on the fact that He has revealed the Father to men. His disciples have gotten the message; they have come to believe that the Father did send Jesus down to earth from heaven. In contrast to Jesus and His disciples, the world has not come to know the Father in Christ. In spite of all the proofs of His identity (only a few of which signs John presents in this Gospel), many still reject Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus’ words indicate that having made the Father’s name known to His disciples, He will continue to do so. This is the ministry of which He has spoken in the Upper Room Discourse. In the future, our Lord will make the Father known to the disciples through the Holy Spirit. In this way, they will enter into the unity for which He has prayed (see also 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 4:3) and enjoy the love which the Spirit produces (see Romans 5:5; 15:30; Galatians 5:22; Colossians 1:8; 2 Timothy 1:7).

Conclusion

There are many lessons to be learned from our text. Let me conclude by pointing out a few.

First, Jesus informs us in our text that there are two glories. I have heard it said many times, and I know I have said it myself: “Suffering, then glory.” I believe there is much truth summed up in this statement.

7 But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. 8 We are experiencing trouble on every side, but are not crushed; we are perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are knocked down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our body. 11 For we who are alive are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our mortal body. 12 As a result, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. 13 But since we have the same spirit of faith as that shown in what has been written, “I believed; therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak. 14 We do so because we know that the one who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus and will bring us with you into his presence. 15 For all these things are for your sake, so that the grace that is including more and more people may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not despair, but even if our physical body is wearing away, our inner person is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary light suffering is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:7-18, emphasis mine).

11 This saying is trustworthy: If we died with him, we will also live with him. 12 If we endure, we will also reign with him (2 Timothy 2:11-12a).

Like our Lord, we must suffer in this life, so that we many enter into the glories of heaven.

There are some Christians who seek to avoid the necessity of our earthly glory through suffering. They seem to believe that Jesus did all the suffering for us, leaving us with nothing but glory. In so doing, they deny a very clear biblical truth—that in His earthly suffering, our Lord gave us an example:

19 For this finds God’s favor, if because of conscience toward God someone endures hardships in suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if you sin and are mistreated and endure it? But if you do good and suffer and so endure, this finds favor with God. 21 For to this you were called, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example for you to follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin nor was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was maligned, he did not answer back; when he suffered, he threatened no retaliation, but committed himself to God who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we may leave sin behind and live for righteousness. By his wounds you were healed. 25 For you were going astray like sheep but now you have turned back to the shepherd and guardian of your souls (1 Peter 2:19-25).

There are those who would tell us that if we but had enough faith, we would not need to suffer now, and that we may experience heaven’s glories now. They believe that on the cross, Jesus defeated all suffering and sickness and sorrow so that if we but claim His blessings by faith, we will obtain them in this life. It is these last words, “in this life,” which are troublesome. This is the ever-popular error of “realized eschatology,” the belief that what God has for us in heaven, He has for us now. Peter, along with the other apostles, sees it another way:

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 that is, into an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is reserved in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 This brings you great joy, although you may have to suffer for a short time in various trials. 7 Such trials show the proven character of your faith, which is much more valuable than gold—gold that is tested by fire, even though it is passing away—and will bring praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 You have not seen him, but you love him. You do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9 because you are attaining the goal of your faith—the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:3-9).

1 So, since Christ suffered in the flesh, you also arm yourselves with the same attitude, because the one who has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin, 2 in that he spends the rest of his time on earth concerned about the will of God and not human desires. 3 For the time that has passed was sufficient for you to do what the non-Christians desire. You lived then in debauchery, evil desires, drunkenness, carousing, boozing, and wanton idolatries. 4 So they are astonished when you do not rush with them into the same flood of wickedness, and they vilify you. … 12 Dear friends, do not be astonished that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice in the degree that you have shared in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice and be glad. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory, who is the Spirit of God, rests on you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or thief or criminal or as a troublemaker. 16 But if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God that you bear such a name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin, starting with the house of God. And if it starts with us, what will be the fate of those who are disobedient to the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous are barely saved, what will become of the ungodly and sinners? 19 So then let those who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator as they do good (1 Peter 4:1-4, 12-19).

18 For I consider that our present sufferings cannot even be compared to the glory that will be revealed to us. 19 For the creation eagerly waits for the revelation of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly but because of God who subjected it—in hope 21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers together until now. 23 Not only this, but also we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, inwardly groan as we eagerly await our adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with endurance (Romans 8:18-25).

By our sufferings for His sake, we identify with our Lord and experience a deeper fellowship with Him:

8 More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things—indeed, I regard them as dung!—that I might gain Christ, 9 and be found in him, not because of having my own righteousness derived from the law, but because of having the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness—a righteousness from God that is based on Christ’s faithfulness. 10 My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:8-11).

In one sense, it is proper to speak of suffering, then glory. In another sense, it is not accurate, because it implies that suffering is not itself glory. Consider these words of D. A. Carson, who comments on our text:

… the text is telling us that our true glory is the way of the cross. That way is vindicated by the glory of triumph later; but already we have something of Jesus’ glory inasmuch as we, like him, are to endure the enmity of the world and walk as suffering servants. This is our glory, not our shame. W. Barclay comments, ‘We must never think of our cross as our penalty; we must think of it as our glory. … The harder the task we give a student, or a craftsman, or a surgeon, the more we honour him. …So when it is hard to be a Christian, we must regard it as our glory, as our honour given to us by God.’[629]

From our Lord’s words in our text, as well as from other texts in the Bible, we can safely say that there are at least two “glories.” There was, for our Lord, the glory of His humiliation at the incarnation and of His sacrificial service in His life and death on earth. But there is also His “future glory,” the glory that will be restored to Him, with interest, because of His obedient service and sacrifice (see Philippians 2:5-11). We should likewise look upon our earthly trials and difficulties as our present “glory,” while we anxiously await our future glory in heaven with Him.

This recognition that there are two glories solves what has been a real mystery for me. I have always been troubled by these words, written by Paul: “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18, NASB).

In the light of our Lord’s words in John 17, I think I am finally beginning to understand Paul’s words above. Paul is writing about the great glory of the New Testament ministry which God has given him, the apostles, and us under the New Covenant, a ministry of the Spirit. He contrasts the glory of his apostolic ministry “in the Spirit” with the previous but inferior glory of Moses’ ministry “of the Law” under the Old Covenant. The ministry of Moses was glorious, but it was a “fading glory.” That is why he placed a veil over his “glowing” face. That glowing face grew dim over time, because that glory faded. Paul says that the glory of New Testament ministry is unfading. And every time the gospel is proclaimed, and people trust in Jesus as the Messiah, the veil is removed. With “unveiled face,” we are transformed from glory to glory. I think he is saying that we are being transformed from this present glory (of suffering for Christ’s sake) to the even greater glory of Heaven. We are being transformed from the earthly glory of suffering for Christ to the heavenly glory of reigning with Christ.

I wonder how many of us are really ready and willing to speak of suffering as glory. Jesus did. The apostles did. I think that tells us how our thinking should change in regard to suffering for Christ’s sake.

Second, Jesus’ words remind us of the importance of Christian unity. One can hardly overlook the emphasis which our Lord places on unity:

Seven times in this prayer Jesus prays ‘that they may all be one’ (vv. 11, 19; twice in 21, 22, 23, 24), and four of the seven are prayers that his followers may be one. It is clear that Jesus was very concerned with what they would be in the days ahead and that he was particularly concerned that they should be united. It is clear throughout the New Testament that unity among the believers is thought of as extremely important (which is natural enough following the last prayer of Jesus for them), and it is also clear that the early Christians found it difficult to maintain unity.[630]

This time Jesus prays that his followers may be ‘perfected into one,’ where the verb for ‘perfected’ is interesting. It derives from a root that conveys the idea of ‘end’ or ‘aim’; to reach that aim is to be perfected. The point of this verb in this place is that it draws attention to the truth that unity is a necessary part of the perfection at which Christians aim. When we become followers of Jesus we are not embarking on a quest for individual blessing and happiness. These good gifts may well come to us, but our aim is to realize our salvation in the fellowship of Christ’s people. We belong together in the church of God.

John Wesley reports that ‘a serious man’ once said to him, ‘The Bible knows nothing of solitary religion. Therefore a man must find companions or make them.’ This is an important aspect of New Testament Christianity. It is not a faith that can be lived out in solitude. Someone has defined religion as what a person does with his solitariness. This may fit some religions, but not Christianity. We who follow Christ must bear in mind that Christ was one with the Father and in that spirit he expects his followers to be one with him and one with each other.[631]

As I seek to take our Lord’s words literally and seriously, I come to the following conclusions:

1.        To the degree that I practice “rugged individualism,” I violate Christian unity.

2.        To the degree that I neglect or violate true Christian unity, I reflect badly on my Lord.

3.        To the degree that I violate True Christian unity, I hinder the gospel.

4.        To the degree that I violate true christian unity, I deny the gospel (see 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Galatians 2:11-21; 3:26-29; Ephesians 2:11-22).

5.        To the degree that I violate Christian unity, I hinder the praise of God (see Romans 15:5-13).

Having stressed the importance of Christian unity, I must also state what I do not mean to say. I do not mean that Christian unity is evidenced by uniformity, and that all Christians should look and think alike. If I understand 1 Corinthians 12 correctly, unity is best demonstrated in diversity, not in uniformity (or conformity). The importance of Christian unity is not a mandate for overlooking sin (see 1 Corinthians 5) or serious doctrinal error (1 Timothy 1:20; Titus 3:10-11).

It does seem to me that homogeneous grouping in churches does violence to the doctrine of Christian unity. From a purely secular, marketing mentality, “birds of a feather do flock together.” People do feel more comfortable around others who are just like them. But God has not called us to comfort. God has called us to conform to the image of His Son. What a testimony it is when a church has a mix of races, cultures, and social strata. Here is where the world can behold true Christian unity and stand in awe. Let us be careful not to compromise biblical standards or doctrine in an effort to appear formally united, but let us strive to practice that organic and functional unity which God intended for us to demonstrate, to His praise and glory, and to our good.

One more comment about Christian unity. Christian unity is not merely to be practiced in a particular church, or even in a particular city. The unity of which our Lord speaks is surely as wide as the world—it is a global unity. In the last few days, we have witnessed the terrible plight of many in Central America due to a disastrous hurricane. As members of the body of Christ, we are one with those Christians who are suffering in far away places. And it is because of this unity that we, along with many other churches, have contributed a substantial sum of money, sending it in care of a particular church in the disaster-torn area to minister to the saints (and through these saints, to others) there. We need to rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep, and minister to those in need, whether they are in our church or across the ocean. You will remember that one of the first ways the Gentile saints gave expression to their unity with their Jewish brethren was by sending a contribution to them in their time of need (see Acts 11:27-30; 1 Corinthians 16:1-4; 2 Corinthians 8 and 9).

Third, our Lord’s prayer in John 17 surely has something to teach us about prayer. Let me mention a few lessons on prayer from this, our Lord’s prayer.

1.        Our Lord prays for Himself, that He will fulfill God’s mission and ministry.

2.        Our Lord prays for others, because He loves them and cares for them.

3.        The primary goal of our prayers, like His, should be the glory of God.

4.        Since earthly suffering can be glory, our prayers should not be obsessed with the termination of our suffering, but with the realization of God’s purposes in our suffering, for His glory.

5.        Our prayers should seek our protection from Satan, the evil one, who seeks to destroy us.

6.        Our prayers should seek to gain a proper perspective of the present, in the light of eternity.

7.        Our prayers should look to, and ask for, the time when we will dwell for all eternity with Him.

8.        Our requests in prayer should include a request that demonstrates Christian unity through us, in every way possible.

9.        Our prayers should recognize God’s provisions through His Word and His Spirit.

Finally, our Lord’s prayer reminds us that our faith should be proclaimed and practiced:

The truth of the gospel, announced without the demonstration of the power of the gospel in transformed and loving lives, is arid. It may be beautiful in the way that the badlands can be beautiful; but not much grows there. On the other hand, the demonstration of love within a believing community does not by itself proclaim the source or cause of that love. Attractive in its own right, like a luxuriant south sea island, nevertheless such love does not call forth disciplined obedience or informed belief, and cannot of itself call others to true faith. It is merely a place to rest. The multiplying witness Jesus has in mind is both propositional and exemplary, both confessional and demonstrative. It is a witness of word and of love.[632]


! Lesson 41:
Jesus, Lord at Thy Death
(John 18:1-11)

Introduction

In the past two weeks, we have celebrated Christmas and New Year’s Day. One of my favorite Christmas carols is “Silent Night.” One line of this carol reads, “Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.” And so He was. No one makes this more clear than John, who does not even record the birth of our Lord in his Gospel. Instead, John takes us all the way back to the beginning, to creation. He informs us that our Lord was not only present at creation, He was the Creator. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word was with God in the beginning. All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created (John 1:1-3).

Throughout the Gospel of John, our Lord claims to have “come down” from heaven, sent by the Father to reveal Him to men. He further claims that He will return to the Father in heaven. The Son of God does not have His beginnings in Bethlehem. Indeed, He has no beginning. And so when He took on human flesh at His incarnation, He was Lord at His birth. Is this not what Matthew and Luke tell us in their description of our Lord’s birth? And so it is at Christmas time that we must remind ourselves that the Lord Jesus was, even in the cradle, the sovereign Son of God. He was Lord at His birth, no matter how certain appearances may seem to contradict this reality.

That phrase from “Silent Night” came to my mind as I was preparing this message. Jesus was, is, and will always be Lord. The more I have studied the events leading up to the crucifixion of our Lord, the more convinced I have become that Jesus was in control of all that took place in the final hours of His life. And so I have chosen to title this lesson, “Jesus, Lord at Thy Death.” How easy this is to forget. In truth, it could be the epitaph for chapters 18-20.

In chapter 18, John’s Gospel describes the betrayal, arrest, and initial appearances of our Lord before Annas and Pilate. Never before have I appreciated how much earlier events paved the way for this crucial moment in history. We should recall that Jesus not only foretold His death, but also indicated that He would die by crucifixion (3:14; 8:28; 12:34), after having been betrayed by one of His own disciples (13:18, 21). The Jewish religious leaders were committed to our Lord’s death as well, but they were determined that He would die at a different time (not during the feast) and in a different way (stoning). Earlier events set the stage for our Lord’s death in precisely the way He had indicated. Let me briefly review some of the ways our Lord had prepared for this moment.

Early in John (not to mention the other Gospels—see Luke 4:28-29), the Jews had determined to put Jesus to death:

16 Now because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish authorities began persecuting him. 17 So Jesus told them, “My Father is working until now, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason the Jewish authorities were trying even harder to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own Father, thus making himself equal with God (John 5:16-18).

Several things serve as the catalyst to solidify the Jewish leaders’ resolve to kill Jesus. These events set the scene for what we will read in chapters 18 and 19. Most of these watershed events happen in (or near) Jerusalem. First, there is the failed attempt of the Jewish leaders to arrest Jesus in John 7.[633] It was a humiliating defeat when the temple police came back empty-handed, not because Jesus was nowhere to be found, but because the officers who were sent to arrest Jesus were so impressed by what they heard Him say (7:45-46). In chapter 8, our Lord’s words were more than the Jews could bear:

58 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, before Abraham came into existence, I am!” 59 Then they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out from the temple area (John 8:58-59).

In John 9, we read of our Lord’s healing of the man born blind. Once healed, this fellow made the adversaries of Jesus look so foolish that they put him out of the synagogue. Yet they were not able to score any points against Jesus. Once again, their opposition to Jesus was thwarted. In chapter 10, Jesus again claims to be one with the Father, so that another unsuccessful attempt is made to stone Him (10:30-31). When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, that was the “straw that broke the camel’s back.” The Jews not only resolved to put Jesus to death, they determined to kill Lazarus as well:

47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together and said, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs. 48 If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary and our nation.” 49 Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is more to your advantage to have one man die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.” 51 (Now he did not say this on his own, but because he was high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not for the Jewish nation only, but to gather together into one the children of God who are scattered.) 53 So from that day they planned together to kill him. … 57 (Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus was should report it, so that they could arrest him.) (John 11:47-53, 57).

10 So the chief priests planned to kill Lazarus too, 11 for on account of him many of the Jewish people from Jerusalem were going away and believing in Jesus (John 12:10-11).

The triumphal entry of Jesus must have thrown the Jewish leaders into a panic. It looked as though their fears that everyone would follow Jesus (11:48) had come to pass. What a welcome event it must have been to have Judas come to them, offering to hand Jesus over to them (John 12:1-8; Mark 14:10-11). These Jewish leaders had looked bad the last time they attempted to arrest Jesus (John 7), and so they were determined to do it right the next time. They knew that they dare not attempt to arrest Jesus during the feast of the Passover:

3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people met together in the palace of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas. 4 They planned to arrest Jesus by treachery and kill him. 5 But they said, “Not during the feast, so that there will not be a riot among the people” (Matthew 26:3-5).

1 Two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the chief priests and the experts in the law were looking for a way to arrest him by treachery and kill him. 2 For they said, “Not during the feast, so there will not be a riot among the people” (Mark 14:1-2).

They did not want to try to take Jesus into custody in public, nor during the feast, lest the crowds riot. The population of Jerusalem had swollen considerably during the feast, due to all the pilgrims who came to celebrate Passover. Since messianic hopes ran very high at this time, Rome was very much on alert during this religious holiday. Pilate, who normally lived in Caesarea, would remain in Jerusalem, along with a sizeable army, lest a riot break out. To attempt to arrest Jesus during the feast would be foolish, and the religious leaders were determined not to make fools of themselves one more time.

But Jesus was in control, forcing His adversaries to act in a way that was contrary to their plan. He carefully arranged for the place where He and His disciples would eat the Passover. No one but Peter and John knew the location in advance (Luke 22:8ff.). Once they gathered in the Upper Room for the Passover celebration, Jesus took Judas by surprise. First, He indicated that one of the twelve would betray Him (John 13:21). When pressed by John to tell him who this disciple was, Jesus designated Judas by passing him the bread (John 13:26). In Matthew 26:25, Judas asked Jesus if it was he, hoping no doubt that Jesus would indicate otherwise. Jesus informed Judas that it was, indeed, he who was His betrayer.

Can you imagine the panic Judas must have experienced at this moment? Judas had hoped to find an occasion to betray Jesus secretly, and not during the feast. He intended to keep his dealings with the Jewish religious leaders a secret. That way he could arrange for our Lord’s arrest in a way that caught Jesus and the eleven off guard. But when Jesus identified Judas as the betrayer, this traitor was certain that all of the disciples would soon know this as well, and when this happened, his opportunity to hand Jesus over was gone.

When Jesus gave Judas a reason to leave, I can almost see him bolting for the door. He could hardly have gotten out of there fast enough. He’s been discovered. His window of opportunity is now exceedingly small. Whether the Jewish religious leaders liked it or not, the only time Judas would be able to hand Jesus over to them was during the next few hours of that night.

Judas would be reasonably confident of knowing where Jesus could be found in the next few hours because the Master has followed a consistent pattern while in Jerusalem (Luke 21:37; 22:39). While Jesus and His disciples finished the meal and talked together, Judas was frantically setting in motion the sequence of events leading to his betrayal of Jesus. I doubt very much that the Jewish leaders were happy with the timing, but they must have realized it was their only chance, so they had to hastily arrange for enough armed men to see to it that Jesus did not get away from them this time. Given the holiday season and the shortness of time, they found it necessary to request the assistance of Rome; a sizeable force of soldiers was dispatched to accompany the religious authorities, the temple police, and the crowd that had gathered.

Judas may have first led this arresting force to the Upper Room, where he had left Jesus. Unknown to Judas, Jesus would have already left with His disciples (14:31). Perhaps they went next to another place or two until they reached the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus and His disciples seemed to camp out each night. All of this frantic search for Jesus took place as Jesus was teaching His disciples, praying for them (John 17), and then agonizing in prayer in the Garden. As Jesus was concluding His prayer, Judas and the mob that accompanied him were arriving. It is here that our story takes up. My point in this lengthy introduction is to demonstrate that Jesus had perfectly prepared everything for this moment. Jesus was in charge, as is evident in the events that led up to this confrontation, and it will shortly be evident that He was still in charge even as they placed Him under arrest, bound Him, and led Him away.

Gethsemane and the Gestapo
(18:1-3)

1 When he had said these things,[634] Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley. There was an orchard there, and he and his disciples entered into it. 2 (Now Judas, the one who betrayed him, knew the place too, because Jesus had met there many times with his disciples.) 3 So Judas obtained a squad of soldiers and some officers of the chief priests and Pharisees. They came to the orchard with lanterns and torches and weapons.

The timing was perfect. Jesus had not only spoken everything to His disciples which needed to be said at the time, He had also finished His high priestly prayer to the Father. His “hour” truly had come. John very briefly refers to the Garden of Gethsemane and does not mention our Lord’s agonizing prayer in the garden. He does tell us something which no other Gospel mentions, however. John informs us that among those present in this arresting “mob” were a significant number of Roman soldiers. There is some discussion as to how many soldiers John is referring. As the study notes in the NET Bible inform us, a “cohort” was normally a force of 600 men. Some scholars think the number is really less than this. Perhaps so, but I believe it is safe to assume that the number of those present to arrest Jesus that night was in the hundreds.

What a sight this must have been. It was something like a torchlight parade, streaming out of Jerusalem toward the Mount of Olives and into the Garden of Gethsemane. There were the chief priests and Pharisees, accompanied by the temple police, a sizeable crowd of Jews, and a few hundred Roman soldiers. They were armed with torches, swords, and even clubs. (I doubt that the Romans allowed the Jews to bear arms, so it is likely that the club-bearers were Jews.) It would seem they had prepared for the worst. They expected Jesus to attempt to escape, or at least to resist arrest. They came with torches, ready to pursue Him into the darkness if He attempted to evade them.

The whole thing must have been hastily put together so as to assure them of success in this desperation attempt to be rid of Jesus. They came expecting trouble, and they were prepared to deal with it. As an added precaution they had enlisted Rome’s help as well. Since the Roman soldiers (and others, perhaps) did not know what Jesus looked like, Judas was to identify Him by going up to Him and giving Him a kiss. It seemed like such a great plan. They could not fail this time. And they did not. But it was not due to their brilliant scheme, nor to their superior numbers. It was because this was our Lord’s “hour,” and He was in complete control. This will be evident in the events that follow.

The Police Rattled, the Disciples Released
or
One Step Forward, and Two Steps Backward
(18:4-9)

4 Then Jesus, because he knew everything that was going to happen to him, came and asked them, “Who are you looking for?” 5 They replied, “Jesus of Nazareth.” He told them, “I am he.” (Now Judas, the one who betrayed him, was standing there with them.) 6 So when Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they retreated and fell to the ground. 7 Then Jesus asked them again, “Who are you looking for?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 Jesus replied, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, let these men go.” 9 He said this to fulfill the word he had spoken, “I have not lost a single one of those whom you gave me.”

From the Synoptic Gospels, we know what the plan was. Judas had prearranged a signal by which he would positively identify Jesus. When Judas kissed Jesus, the arresting officers would know that He was their man, and they would then seize Him. We know from the other Gospels that Judas did indeed kiss Jesus. John, however, leaves the kiss of Judas out of his account, and I think I know why. It was both unnecessary and irrelevant. The only purpose it serves is to reveal the character of Judas. How fitting that our Lord’s betrayer should do so with a kiss. He used the token of love and affection as the means to hand Jesus over to His adversaries.

John leaves the kiss of Judas out because things do not go according to the prearranged plan of Judas and the Jews. Jesus would not attempt to elude them or to conceal His identity. Jesus would not attempt to avoid His arrest, illegal though it might be. Instead of our Lord’s identity being revealed deceitfully by the kiss of Judas, our Lord identified Himself. Judas had nothing to contribute other than to indicate the place where Jesus could be found. As Judas, the Jews, and the Roman soldiers arrived, it was Jesus who took change, bringing to pass the events that followed.[635]

Do the Jewish authorities or the Roman soldiers think they are in control? They are not! Is Jesus a helpless victim? Far from it! John tells us in verse 4 that Jesus “knew everything that was going to happen to Him,” and this is why He stepped forward and asked them, “Who are you looking for?” Did the Jews think that Jesus would run and seek to hide from them? Did they expect to conduct a manhunt that night? Did they wonder how they would identify Jesus for sure? Jesus stepped forward and asked who it was they were seeking, and then when they gave His name, He identified Himself as the One they were looking for.

When Jesus identified Himself there was a spontaneous and seemingly involuntary reaction on the part of those standing in front of Him. If you look at the New American Standard Bible, you will see that in both verse 5 and verse 6 the statement, “I am He” has the He italicized. This is the translators’ way of indicating that this word is not actually found in the Greek manuscripts. It is a word the translators have supplied for clarity. Literally, then, Jesus responded, “I Am.” There are some who would understand what happened next in this manner. The chief priests, their servants, the temple police, and the Roman soldiers all surrounded Jesus. When Jesus asked who they were seeking, and He responded, “I Am,” the people suddenly realized the significance of this statement and fell involuntarily before Jesus, out of fear.

I am inclined to understand these words just a little differently. The Jewish religious leaders expected trouble when they set out to arrest Jesus. This is why they brought a large crowd with them, equipped with weapons ranging from clubs to swords. They also carried torches along so they could hunt Jesus down if He sought to escape them and avoid arrest. They had a pre-arranged signal, so that Judas could indicate who Jesus was, and to make sure there would be no mistake when they seized Him. But instead of the scenario they had pictured in their minds, it was completely different. Jesus did not flee from them; He boldly walked right up to them. Then He asked who they were seeking. When they indicated they were seeking “Jesus of Nazareth,” Jesus identified Himself as the One they were seeking. Jesus responded, “I Am (He),” but I do not believe that they grasp the full significance of these words.[636] They were disarmed (so to speak) by our Lord’s boldness, and those nearest Jesus stepped backward. I think it was a comic scene, where their feet got all tangled up, and they all fell down together. If the Jewish officials and the temple police were trying to maintain an aura of authority, it was no longer possible. I’m sure that they jumped to their feet and recovered as quickly as possible, but the damage was already done. The authorities were rattled, as we shall soon see.

This was all for a purpose. By throwing the authorities off balance (pardon the pun), Jesus was now able to make a request that they might not have otherwise granted—the release of His disciples. Think about this for a moment. If one of the charges against Jesus was that He was a revolutionary, then His disciples would have been, in present day terms, terrorists. Do you think that under normal circumstances the authorities would have intended to let Jesus’ disciples just walk away? I don’t think so. But Jesus had them so rattled they didn’t attempt to arrest anyone else. Jesus had twice asked them who they were seeking, and twice they answered, “Jesus the Nazarene.” It was as if Jesus had asked them if they had an arrest warrant, and if so, whose name was on the warrant. Only His name was on the arrest warrant, as it were. So Jesus reasons that if the warrant is only for His arrest, surely His disciples must be free to leave.[637] And so they did.

John points out that in securing the release of His disciples, Jesus was once again fulfilling the prophecy He Himself had spoken earlier. This “prophecy” appears to be the words our Lord had spoken only moments earlier:

“When I was with them I kept them safe and watched over them in your name that you have given me. Not one of them was lost except the one destined for destruction, so that the scripture could be fulfilled” (John 17:12).

The point of this remark is that Jesus is doing exactly what He promised He would do. Jesus is bringing about future events, just as He foretold them. At every step of the way, Jesus was fulfilling prophecy, some of which was His own words. If Jesus’ disciples were not doing very well at taking care of Him, Jesus was doing an excellent job of taking care of them.

Friends, Romans, Countrymen, Lend Me Your Ears–Literally
(18:10-11)

10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, pulled it out and struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his right ear. (Now the slave’s name was Malchus.) 11 But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath! Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

Here is another scene that for all its apparent intensity is really quite comical. You will recall these words from the Gospel of Luke: “So they said, ‘Look, Lord, here are two swords.’ Then he told them, ‘It is enough.’ … 49 When those who were around him saw what was about to happen, they said, ‘Lord, should we strike with the sword?’” (Luke 22:38, 49).

Jesus was here informing His disciples that things had now changed from the time that He had sent them out two-by-two. Then Jesus was popular and those who taught in His name were welcomed and shown hospitality. Now, Jesus indicates, His disciples will be hated by those who have rejected Him as the promised Messiah. Thinking that they have gotten the point, the disciples inform Jesus that they have two swords in their possession. When the authorities drew near to arrest Jesus, someone had that second sword, and the question was asked, “Shall we strike with the sword?” (Luke 22:49).

Before Jesus could answer—perhaps even before the question was raised—Peter had already drawn his sword and lopped off the ear of Malchus, a servant of the high priest. I think we would all agree that Peter would have admitted that he “missed.” Surely he was attempting to remove the head of Malchus. Only John tells us that it was Peter who wielded the sword, removing at least a portion of the servant’s ear. It is also John alone who tells us the name of the man whose ear was severed by Peter’s sword.

John does not inform us that Jesus restored the servant’s ear; only Luke does this (22:51). To John, this detail is not important. It does cause me to chuckle a bit, as I ponder how this “ear incident” may have played itself out. The Jews felt it was absolutely essential for them to have “backup,” so they arranged for Roman soldiers to accompany them. The Roman soldiers were probably standing by (I think at a distance, but close enough to act quickly and decisively), ready to intervene if necessary, but not unless it was called for. Can you imagine what the normal reaction would have been, once Peter had his sword out and was lopping off the ear of the man nearest to him? This was like striking a match in a room filled with gasoline fumes. How quickly and easily both Jewish and Roman arms could have been employed, so that the situation would have gotten completely out of control.

But before anything like this happened, Jesus intervened. It looks like Peter got in only one stroke of his sword before Jesus rebuked him. Our Lord’s words stopped Peter in his tracks: “But Jesus said to Peter, ‘Put your sword back into its sheath! Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?’” (John 18:11).

Jesus is in the middle of securing the release of His disciples when Peter draws his sword. One wonders if any of the Jewish authorities sought to protest the disciples’ release. Someone might have said, “Wait a minute. We can’t let these men go; just a moment ago, one of these Galileans assaulted one of us with his sword. He even cut off this man’s ear.” I can almost hear the Roman commander respond, “Which ear? So far as I can see this man has two ears.” The commander then goes over to Malchus and inspects both of his ears more closely. “I don’t see any missing ear, nor any blood; not even a scar. Let’s turn these men loose and take Jesus into custody. He’s the one we were told to arrest.” I know it was an intense moment, but there must have been some humor in what took place. Few, if any, were laughing at the time, however.

What John communicates to us is that Jesus is still in complete control. Even at the moment when our Lord was being taken into custody and His hands were being bound, His “hands were not tied” in the sense that He was powerless to act. Jesus’ words to Peter in Matthew 27 make this abundantly clear:

52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back in its place! For all who take hold of the sword will die by the sword. 53 Or do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and that he would send me more than twelve legions of angels right now? 54 How then would the scriptures that say it must happen this way be fulfilled?” (Matthew 26:52-54)

The only reason this crowd could lead Jesus away was because it was the will of the Father, and of the Son. Jesus acted in such a way as to stop a massacre and to secure the release of His disciples. Jesus was in complete control.

I am reminded of the joke that is sometimes told of the airplane full of passengers headed for some destination when the first engine catches fire and is shut down. The pilot’s voice booms over the intercom: “This is your pilot speaking. We have lost one engine, but there is no reason to be concerned. We have three more engines, and everything is under control.” A few moments later, the pilot announces that a second engine has failed, but there is still no reason for concern. They still have two engines left. Then, after the third and the fourth engines fail, the pilot’s voice is again broadcast throughout the passenger compartment: “Ladies and Gentlemen, if you look out your windows to the left, you will see four parachutes. This is your pilot and crew. We do not wish you to be alarmed, however, because this plane is flying on auto pilot, and everything is under control … control … control …” It was not like that with Jesus. Even though they were leading Him away with His hands bound, He was in control.

It seems as though Peter can do nothing right. Here he is, trying so hard to prove to Jesus that he will follow Him to the very end, even unto death. And he is right in one sense. He is willing to die. It is he alone who draws the sword and seeks to prevent the arrest of his Master. But in so doing, he is wrong; in fact, he is resisting the plans and purposes of God. His use of his sword would appear to endanger the lives of the Lord and all the disciples. It implied the opposite of what our Lord would later claim before Pilate, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would fight to prevent me being handed over to the Jewish authorities. But now my kingdom is not from here” (John 18:36). Peter endeavors to save the Lord’s life when He is committed to voluntarily giving up His life in order to provide “the way” to the Father. Jesus is about to “drink the cup” which His Father has given Him, and Peter would (so to speak) thrust it out of His hands.

Conclusion

In this lesson which deals with the arrest of our Lord, I have sought to help you view the cross of our Lord through John’s “eyes,” as conveyed by the entire Gospel of John. When I was in college years ago, I had an economics professor who was an American prisoner of war in Japan toward the end of World War II. In this p.o.w. camp, the prisoners came from many different parts of the world. In order to keep active and alert, the prisoners organized classes. There was a British naval officer in the camp, who had been the captain of the Royal Yacht. He had many stories to tell about the royal family, but he also taught a course entitled, “American History From the British Point of View.” I’ll bet he had a little different perspective of American history than we have.

In these two chapters (18 and 19), John is setting out to present “The Cross of Jesus Christ, from the Divine Point of View.” Many are those who would like to paint a picture of Jesus as a helpless victim, a man whose plans went astray, and who was put to death because He lost control of the situation. Such people fail to grasp the sovereignty of God, and some would go so far as to deny the deity of Jesus Christ. Jesus was very much in control. This is the message which John has been giving us from the very beginning. He does not begin his Gospel with the birth of our Lord (as do Matthew and Luke), but with the birth of this world. And there, at the beginning of creation, is our Lord. He is not “created” there; He is the Creator. He does not come into being then; He calls the whole creation into being. To this, the Apostle Paul would say a hearty “Amen!”:

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, 16 for all things in heaven and on earth were created by him—all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers—all things were created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him (Colossians 1:15-17).

This theme of the deity of Jesus Christ, and of His control over all things, is constantly reiterated and reinforced in John’s Gospel. In chapter 2, Jesus creates wine out of water, something that we could reasonably expect from the Creator. He likewise goes up to Jerusalem, where He cleanses the temple, His Father’s house.” In chapter 3, Jesus speaks to Nicodemus about the necessity of His death on a cross. In chapter 5, Jesus heals the paralytic, claiming that in so doing, He is doing the work of His Father in Heaven. The Jews do not miss the point. Much to their dismay, they grasp His claim to be equal with God. In chapter 6, Jesus feeds the 5,000 and claims to be the “bread from heaven,” bread which gives men eternal life. In chapter 7, the Jewish religious leaders send the temple police to arrest Jesus, but these men return empty-handed, explaining that they have never heard anyone speak like Jesus. In chapter 8, Jesus claims to have existed before Abraham, speaking of Himself as “I Am.” In chapter 9, Jesus restores sight to a blind man, something unheard of in Judaism. In chapter 10, Jesus claims that He has the authority to lay down His own life, and that He likewise has the authority to take it up again. He makes it very clear that His life will not be taken from Him, but that He will give it up voluntarily:

14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold. I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, so that there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17 This is why the Father loves me—because I lay down my life, so that I may take it back again. 18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This is the commandment I received from my Father” (John 10:14-18).

Jesus also claims the power and authority to keep every one of His sheep:

27 My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. 29 My Father who has given them to me is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one” (John 10:27-30).

We should not be surprised, then, that when we come to the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of our Lord, John makes it very clear that Jesus is the One who is in control—not the Roman soldiers, not the Jewish religious leaders, not the mob, not Judas, and certainly not the disciples. Jesus is in control. And so it is that He confronts those who seek to arrest Him. So it is that they fall down before Him. So it is also that Jesus prevents a massacre and secures the release of His disciples. Jesus is able to bring about His death at just the right time, and in just the right manner, even though the Jews wanted to stone Him at some time other than during Passover. Jesus is Lord at His death, just as He was Lord at His birth.

Jesus is always Lord, as He is Lord at this very moment. I think many of us who profess to be Christians need to be reminded of this fact daily. Does our world seem chaotic and out of control? When governments topple, when leaders die or are removed from office, when Y2K fears send some into a state of panic, we need to be reminded that our Lord is employing “all things” to bring about His perfect plan.

If this is so, then the words of our Lord to Peter most certainly apply to us also: “Put your sword back into its sheath! Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?” (verse 11). Peter mistakenly supposed he was furthering the cause of Christ by taking up the sword. Jesus told him to put it away. The kingdom of God is not furthered, nor the kingdom of Satan defeated, by our taking up arms. There is a militant branch of professing Christianity today which does not seem to understand or accept what our Lord is saying to us here. If He is in control, we need not seek to further His work with the sword, or with any other fleshly weapons. The warfare we are to wage is spiritual, not fleshly. I am not calling for every Christian to rid his home of every firearm. I am saying that we dare not put our trust in our guns, or in our gold, but only in our God. I am saying that God’s purposes are not dependent upon fleshly weapons or defenses. Indeed, without knowing it, Peter was seeking to prevent what God had purposed for the Son—His innocent suffering, so that guilty sinners might be saved.

It is an amazing thing to read the first verses of John 18 and to realize that Jesus made no effort to save Himself, while at the same time He was saving His disciples. He saved their physical lives by His deeds and words in the Garden where He was arrested; He saved their spiritual lives (and ours) by His death at Calvary. Peter momentarily put his trust in his sword, rather than in his Shepherd. Only Jesus can save anyone from their sins, and from divine condemnation. Have you trusted in Him for the forgiveness of your sins? He is the Good Shepherd, who laid down His life for His sheep. May God grant that you are one of His sheep, and that you will rejoice in His salvation, and in His sovereignty. What peace there is in knowing that the Good Shepherd is the Sovereign Son of God, whose promises and purposes always come to pass.

In a day when there is much chaos and danger around us, how good it is to know Him Who is in control.


! Lesson 42:
Did Jesus Take the Fifth Amendment?
(John 18:12-27)

Introduction

Let’s be honest. When someone exercises his Fifth Amendment right not to testify against himself, aren’t you inclined to think he is guilty? We ask ourselves, “Why would someone who is innocent be unwilling to tell the truth?” You may even wonder why there should be a Fifth Amendment. In our text, Jesus exercises what today would be known as His Fifth Amendment right not to testify against Himself. His interrogation helps us to understand why the Fifth Amendment is so important to every American. Once we understand why Jesus refused to respond to the questions put to Him, we will better understand what took place on the cross of Calvary.

In our text, both Jesus and Peter are questioned. Jesus is questioned by Annas, the most powerful religious leader in the land; Peter is questioned by servants and bystanders. Jesus keeps silent, but Peter speaks out. Jesus stands fast; Peter folds. In order to understand what is taking place at this time, I have summarized the contribution of each of the Gospels in the chart attached at the end of this lesson.[638]

The story of Peter’s failure begins sometime before his actual denials. Several contributing factors play a part in Peter’s failure which we should keep in mind as we read our text. First, there are our Lord’s predictions of Peter’s failure. In Matthew and Mark, Jesus tells His disciples that they will all fall away. Peter protests, seeking to assure Jesus that even though all the rest may fall away, he most certainly will not (Matthew 26:31-35; Mark 14:26-31). In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus informs Peter of Satan’s opposition, and of his failure, but assures Peter that He has prayed for him. He then instructs Peter to minister to his brethren after his restoration (Luke 22:31-34). In John’s Gospel (13:31-38), Jesus tells His disciples that He is going away, and that they cannot follow Him there. Peter asks Jesus why he cannot follow, assuring Jesus that he is willing to lay down his life for Him. Jesus then predicts Peter’s three denials.

Until now, I have always assumed that Jesus predicted Peter’s denials only once. When I consider all four of the Gospels, however, it appears that more than one prediction of Peter’s failure is made, and that not all of these predictions are made on the same occasion. I must confess I am tempted to say there may be as many as three separate predictions of Peter’s failure. How ironic, if this is true.

We then come to the prayer of our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane. In Matthew (26:40-41), Mark (14:32-43), and Luke (22:39-46), Jesus exhorts His three disciples (especially Peter) to pray that they (he) not enter into temptation. You will recall that Jesus returns to His disciples, only to find them sleeping. When He awakens them, He once again urges them to pray. Three times Jesus went off to pray, after urging His disciples to pray with and for Him. At least twice, Jesus asked them to pray that they not enter into temptation (see Luke 22:40, 46). Could it be that Jesus warned Peter three times that he would fall, and then urged him to pray (three times) that he would not fall? If not three times, at least it was more than once.

We should not be shocked that Peter denied his Lord three times. Indeed, when all of the Gospels are taken into account, it would appear that Peter denied Jesus to more than three people, on three different occasions. Mark’s Gospel includes a very significant addition to the other accounts. Here, Jesus predicts that the rooster will crow twice before Peter denies Him thrice (14:30). Mark then informs us that the rooster did crow a first (14:68), and a second (14:72) time. This means that before Peter denied his Lord the last time, he was actually warned, though it would appear he completely missed this warning. Peter’s denials fulfilled our Lord’s prophecies of his fall, a warning which Jesus may have repeated three times. We all know that in John 21 Jesus will restore Peter to fellowship by means of a three-step process.

The Unique Contribution of Each Gospel

As we compare the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, we see that each Gospel makes a unique contribution. In Matthew, Peter is given two reasons why he should put down the sword: (1) Jesus does not need to be defended by Peter; He could summon more than twelve legions of angels to rescue Him if He chose to do so; and, (2) Jesus must fulfill the Scriptures by His arrest and crucifixion. Mark tells us that the rooster crowed twice, not just once. Luke reports the presence of an angel, who ministered to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. In Luke, we find our Lord’s disclosure of Satan’s role in Peter’s failure, along with the assurance of our Lord’s intercession on his behalf, resulting in Peter’s restoration and future ministry. We are told that there are two swords in the disciples’ possession, one of which we know to be Peter’s. We also find the disciple’s question to Jesus, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” In Luke’s Gospel, we are told that Jesus restores the ear which Peter cut off. We also are informed of our Lord’s soul-stirring look at Peter, who had just denied Him.

John’s Gospel omits the prayer of our Lord in Gethsemane, recorded in all three of the Synoptic Gospels. John also makes no mention of Peter’s tears of remorse, after having denied his Lord. John’s Gospel is unique in recording our Lord’s “hearing” before Annas, former high priest, and the real power behind Caiaphas. John’s account of Peter’s denials incorporates a break between his first denial (18:15-18) and the last two (verses 25-27). John alternates between the interrogation of our Lord by Annas and the interrogation of Peter by those in the courtyard. It would seem that his purpose is to contrast these two questionings. John’s Gospel also mentions “the other disciple,” who many (including me) believe to be John himself. Only John’s Gospel records the restoration of Peter (John 21), though Paul mentions a private appearance of the risen Lord to Peter in 1 Corinthians 15:5.

Since I have pointed out the distinctive contributions of each Gospel based upon a comparison of all four accounts, let me go on to say a word about some apparent discrepancies in these accounts. Both Matthew and Mark tell us of Peter’s denials before: (1) a slave girl; (2) a slave girl;[639] and (3) bystanders. John’s record of Peter’s denials involves: (1) a slave girl; (2) those warming themselves by the fire; and, (3) the slave who was a relative of Malchus. Critics and skeptics leap on this apparent discrepancy, claiming that the Bible is in error here because it contradicts itself. Such reasoning is not only foolish, it fails to grasp the dynamic nature of this event and the way each writer chooses to focus upon it.

Take, for example, the different accounts of the anointing of the feet of our Lord in the Gospels.[640] There are discrepancies in the three parallel accounts of Matthew, Mark, and John, but none of these are without a reasonable explanation. In Matthew and Mark, a number of the disciples are unhappy with the “waste” of the perfume that is poured out on the feet of Jesus, and so they grumble among themselves. In John’s Gospel, we are told that Judas is the one who objects. There is no real conflict here. As our Lord’s feet were being anointed, Judas realized that he could have pilfered some or all of the proceeds had this perfume been sold instead of “wasted on Jesus” (as Judas would have reasoned). He was upset, and verbalized this to his fellow-disciples. Agreeing with Judas, they also began to grumble among themselves. John tells us how the grumbling started; Matthew and Mark describe how it spread.

In our text, John is seeking to show how the Lord’s prediction of Peter’s three-fold denial was fulfilled. There were three separate incidents, each of which included a denial of our Lord by Peter. But at least one denial was made to more than just one person (see Matthew 26:70) and may have been reiterated several times. In Peter’s second denial, one can see how the identification of Peter as a disciple of Jesus may have started with the slave girl, and then was taken up by those who stood nearby. Peter made his denial to the slave girl first, and then to the others who took up the question she initially raised. Matthew and Mark seem to have focused on the woman who initiated this confrontation, while John calls our attention to all those who joined in. While Matthew and Mark have the bystanders in the second denial, John has bystanders in the last denial. The order of the denials is not necessarily chronological. Precise chronological sequencing does not seem to be important to the Gospel writers, which was also true of other writings in those days. The fact is that Peter denied his Lord three times, just as Jesus said he would.

Jesus Is Arrested and Brought Before Annas
(18:12-14)

12 Then the squad of soldiers with their commanding officer and the officers of the Jewish religious leaders arrested Jesus and tied him up. 13 They brought him first to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 (Now it was Caiaphas who had advised the Jewish leaders that it was to their advantage that one man die for the people.)

Jesus has just agonized in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, and He is now making His way to meet the mob Judas is guiding in His direction. John does not even mention Judas’ kiss of betrayal. It was not this kiss that gave away Jesus’ identity; our Lord identified Himself to those who had come to arrest Him. Jesus acted with full authority, and it “disarmed” those surrounding Him, psychologically, if not literally. Twice Jesus asked who it was they sought (to arrest), and twice they named Him alone. Jesus then responded that if they had come only for Him, then His disciples should be released. It was at this crucial moment that Peter drew his sword and severed the ear of the high priest’s servant. Jesus immediately brought the situation under control by rebuking Peter and instructing him to holster his sword. Jesus was fully committed to “drink the cup that His Father had given Him” (18:11). Jesus was determined to be “lifted up” on a cross, thus providing the way of salvation that He and the Old Testament prophets had promised.

The Roman soldiers (mentioned only by John) may have kept their distance, unwilling to involve themselves in this arrest unless trouble broke out. Now, officers (the Jewish temple police?) place Jesus under arrest and tie His hands (as though this could restrain the Son of God!). Jesus is now led away to stand before Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas (verse 14). Only John mentions this “hearing” before Annas. The Synoptic Gospels focus on the subsequent hearings before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin. John’s only reference to Caiaphas is a passing one, reminding the reader that this fellow is the same man whose words were recorded earlier in John 11:        

46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and reported to them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together and said, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs. 48 If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary and our nation.” 49 Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is more to your advantage to have one man die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.” 51 (Now he did not say this on his own, but because he was high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not for the Jewish nation only, but to gather together into one the children of God who are scattered.) 53 So from that day they planned together to kill him (John 11:46-53).

John wants us to know that Caiaphas, before whom our Lord will stand trial, is a judge who has already made up his mind about Jesus. Caiaphas, by whom Jesus would be condemned to die, was a man who had already determined that Jesus must die. This is not going to be a just trial. That much is clear already. And so John tells us the only thing about Caiaphas that really matters – that his mind is already made up.

In recent weeks, a young man was preparing to stand trial for his role in the death of a mentally challenged young woman. Before the trial commenced, the judge made a statement to the effect that this young man was “not the brightest apple that had ever fallen off the tree.” Immediately, this defendant’s lawyers seized on this statement and had the judge disqualified, claiming that he was biased against their client. A new judge was quickly appointed. Surely we can see that Caiaphas was biased, having concluded that Jesus must not only be found guilty, but must be put to death—for being too popular with the people.

Why does John virtually ignore Caiaphas and focus instead on Annas? First of all, I believe that John dwells on Annas because he is the real power, the driving force, behind the condemnation of Jesus. Annas was not the high priest at this time; Caiaphas was, as John informs us in 11:49. Annas had been the high priest from A.D. 6 to A.D. 15. He was then deposed by the Roman prefect Valerius Gratius, according to Josephus. This did not mean that he was stripped of all his authority, however. In the years that followed, he succeeded in arranging for the appointment of each of his five sons as the high priest, followed by his son-in-law, Caiaphas.[641] Annas was the real power so far as the office of high priest was concerned, and those who officially held the title of high priest were mere figureheads.

It is very likely that Annas and his family were the owners of the Temple Bazaar, which would explain a great deal:

It is probable that it was Annas who had established, for reasons of personal gain, the traffic of the bazaar within the Temple courts which Jesus had so sternly denounced.[642]

‘If the stalls in the Temple which Jesus had overturned really were the property of Annas and his family, no doubt Annas used his position to arrange that Jesus should be brought to him first, that he might gloat over the downfall of the presumptuous Galilaean’[643]

Peter’s First Denial
(18:15-18)

15 Simon Peter and another disciple followed them as they brought Jesus to Annas. (Now the other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, and he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard.) 16 But Simon Peter was left standing outside by the door. So the other disciple who was acquainted with the high priest came out and spoke to the slave girl who watched the door, and brought Peter inside. 17 The girl who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, “You’re not one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” He replied, “I am not!” 18 (Now the slaves and the officers were standing around a charcoal fire they had made, warming themselves because it was cold. Peter was standing with them, warming himself too.)

All but two of our Lord’s disciples fled for their lives (Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:50). Peter and “another disciple” have followed Jesus to the palace of Annas. We will probably not go wrong if we assume that the “other disciple” is John, although we cannot be certain. The “other disciple” is said to have been acquainted with the high priest.[644] We are not told how this came to pass, but we have no reason to doubt it. It would appear that John’s father had a fairly successful fishing business, and this may be the way John’s life intersected that of the high priest.[645]

John’s acquaintance with the high priest got him into the courtyard of Annas, while Peter remained at the entrance. John came back to where Peter was waiting and spoke to the slave girl, who was the doorkeeper. He no doubt indicated to this girl that Peter was with him, and that it was okay to let him into the courtyard also. The doorkeeper allows Peter to enter, but perhaps with some hesitation. She seems to have recognized John (the “other disciple”) as an acquaintance of the high priest. She also must have known that John was a disciple of Jesus (note the “too” in verse 17). It was a risky thing for any disciple of Jesus to be seen in public at this time, and even more dangerous to be seen in close proximity to Jesus and to the officers who arrested Him. A disciple of Jesus who was recognized as such could be arrested, simply for being one of His disciples. A disciple who lingered in the area where Jesus was being held might trigger suspicions that there was a plot to bring about our Lord’s escape.

And so when John came back to the doorway of the courtyard and instructed the slave girl to let Peter enter, this young woman may have had some reservations. Something causes her to phrase the question she asks in a way that supposes Peter will deny being one of our Lord’s disciples. Thus, this slave girl asks Peter, “You’re not one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” (verse 17). Perhaps without even thinking, Peter gave her the answer she seemed to expect: “I am not!”[646] It happened so quickly that Peter may hardly have realized how much trouble two words[647] could cause. The slave girl seems to accept Peter’s denial, at least for the moment. John goes on in verse 18 to describe the setting more fully. It was obviously cold that night, and there was a charcoal fire burning in the courtyard. Warming themselves around this fire were some of the slaves and some officers. Peter was there by the fire with them, warming himself.

The term “officers” is the same one used in 18:3 for the “officers” who came out with the chief priests and Pharisees to arrest Jesus. It is these “officers” who bound Jesus and took Him into custody (18:12). The term “slaves” is the same term found in 18:10, in referring to the high priest’s “slave.” Peter now finds himself in a very awkward (not to mention dangerous) situation. He is right back where he was a few hours before – surrounded by those who arrested Jesus, and who could just as easily arrest him now.

I have heard some of the sermons that Peter’s presence at this charcoal fire has inspired, and I’m not altogether convinced by some of the “lessons” that are extracted from this text. Peter, we are told, was warming himself by the enemy’s fire. This is supposed to warn us about getting too friendly with the world. Is Peter so wrong to be where he is? I’m not so sure. First, let’s give Peter credit for putting himself in harm’s way by being there in the courtyard of Annas’ palace. Peter’s use of his sword a little earlier that night had drawn attention to himself. Some of those standing around the fire may have been involved in the arrest of our Lord. If so, they would have been much more likely to recognize Peter as the fellow who severed the ear of Malchus. (Malchus himself may have been close by, for he was a servant of the high priest.) This courtyard was a dangerous place for Peter to be. Let us not think of Peter as a coward for being there.[648] And so far as the enemy’s fire is concerned, let us not require that Peter stand somewhere else on that bone-chilling evening, shivering in the cold. I believe that John is simply setting the scene for Peter’s next denial, which is taken up in verses 25-27. These same people who are standing around the charcoal fire in verse 18 are those who will begin to question Peter about his relationship to Jesus in verses 25-27.

It is interesting to observe the providential hand of God in all of this. What were the chances that any of our Lord’s disciples would avoid arrest, and later be allowed to stand in the courtyard of the high priest as Jesus is being questioned? God had orchestrated matters so that John (or one of the disciples) was personally acquainted with the high priest and, on the basis of this relationship, was allowed to enter the high priest’s courtyard and to bring Peter along with him. It is here, in this courtyard, that our Lord’s prophecies about Peter’s denials are fulfilled. Once again, God’s providential hand is evident in the life of our Lord, so that every prophecy pertaining to Him is fulfilled exactly.

The Interrogation of Jesus
(18:19-24)

19 While this was happening, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. 20 Jesus replied, “I have spoken publicly to the world. I always taught in the synagogues and in the temple courts, where all the Jewish people assemble together. I have said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said. Look, these know what I said.” 22 When Jesus had said this, one of the high priest’s officers who stood nearby slapped him and said, “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” 23 Jesus replied, “If I have said something wrong, confirm what is wrong. But if I spoke correctly, why do you strike me?” 24 Then Annas sent him, still tied up, to Caiaphas the high priest.

The words, “While this was happening,” are significant. They inform us that the interrogation of Peter (by the slave girl) and the interrogation of our Lord are taking place simultaneously. John chooses to alternate between one interrogation and the other in order to place our Lord’s responses in juxtaposition to those of Peter. Peter fails, while our Lord stands fast.

The nature of the questions asked by Annas is revealing: “The high priest therefore questioned Jesus about His disciples and about His teaching” (John 18:19). It was obvious, even to Pilate, that the real issue behind the trial of Jesus is that of jealousy. The Jewish religious leaders are jealous of our Lord’s prestige, popularity, and power (Matthew 27:18). The religious leaders have become greatly distressed by the tremendous influence of this Galilean. Annas therefore questions Jesus about His disciples. He seems to care more about the number of those following Jesus than about the content of His teaching. If George Gallup had lived in those days, Annas would have employed him full-time as a pollster. Here was a man who cared a great deal about public opinion, not because he cared about what the people thought, but because he cared about his power and position (see 11:48).

Jesus carefully avoided any reference to His disciples,[649] probably in order to protect them. There was no need to question Jesus concerning His teaching. He had spoken publicly, for all to hear and judge His words (verse 20). He did not have two teachings – one for His disciples and another for public consumption.[650]

There is an important legal issue here, however, because this hearing is illegal:

“Barclay says: ‘One curious feature of legal procedure in the Sanhedrin was that the man involved was held to be absolutely innocent, and, indeed, not even on trial, until the evidence of the witnesses had been stated and confirmed. The argument about the case could only begin when the testimony of the witnesses was given and confirmed. That is the point of the conversation between Jesus and Annas in John 18:19-21. Jesus in that incident was reminding Annas that he had no right to ask him anything until the evidence of witnesses had been taken and found to agree’ (op. cit., p. 58).”[651]

It was because His interrogation was illegal that Jesus responded to Annas, “Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what I spoke to them; behold these know what I said” (John 18:21). In Jewish justice, as in our own system, no one can be compelled to testify against himself. Annas was seeking to compel Jesus to testify against Himself. Jesus rightly refused to respond to this kind of questioning. One of the officers who stood by considered the response of Jesus to be insolent, and so he struck Him (verse 22).

This slap explains why the Fifth Amendment (or some counterpart) is important. The officer who struck Jesus is probably acting out of habit. If there is no such thing as a Fifth Amendment right, then a person can be compelled to testify against himself. If the person refuses to cooperate by giving the kind of “testimony” the “examiners” are seeking, then force is applied, until the testimony conforms to what the interrogators want. When Fifth Amendment rights do not exist, or are violated, “interrogation” becomes synonymous with physical abuse and torture. This is precisely what we see in the New Testament (see Acts 22:24, 29), and today.

Some have accused Jesus of not following His own instruction to “turn the other cheek” here. May I suggest that the actions of Jesus here are an excellent commentary on His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. There Jesus taught that one should never lash back or seek to retaliate for personal insults. But here, it was not a matter of insult so much as a question of obeying the law. Jesus would not allow this injustice to go unnoticed. He is putting this matter on record. It was not a matter of personal feelings in this situation, but one of principle. We see Paul conducting himself in a similar fashion in Acts 16.

I believe there is another reason John records our Lord’s response to Annas. Annas is the most powerful religious leader in Jerusalem at the time. Annas supposes that he is in charge, and that by using (or abusing) his authority, he can force Jesus to testify against Himself, thereby making a case for Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin. In this whole exchange, Annas gets absolutely nothing from Jesus. Jesus rightly refuses to answer Annas’ questions and thereby assist this corrupt religious leader in making a case against Him. Even beyond this, as this interview comes to a conclusion, we find that while Annas has not been able to indict Jesus for any wrongdoing, Jesus has instead indicted the high priest, for wrongfully conducting this trial and for allowing the guard to strike Him. Once again, Jesus has turned the tables (pardon the pun)[652] on the high priest.

John’s account of the Jewish segment of Jesus’ trials is selective and condensed. Jesus was brought before Annas, no doubt the leader of the Jewish opposition to our Lord. This was no trial at all, but a mere ‘fishing expedition’ by which the “high priest” had hoped to gather evidence for the trial to come. As Jesus was led away to stand before Caiaphas—the official high priest—Annas must have felt extremely frustrated. All he got out of Jesus was a rebuke for his abuse of power and for breaking Jewish law in his handling of this case.

Peter’s Second and Third Denials
(18:25-27)

25 Meanwhile Simon Peter was standing in the courtyard warming himself. They said to him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?” Peter denied it and said, “I am not!” 26 One of the high priest’s slaves, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the orchard with him?” 27 So Peter denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed.

The spotlight shifts back to Peter. Annas has been grilling Jesus, hoping to compel Him to incriminate Himself. Jesus has not only refused to do this, He has indicted Annas for violating the law. (How humiliating for an expert in the law to be indicted for law-breaking, and particularly by one you are seeking to indict!) Peter, on the other hand, is not doing so well. His first denial in verse 17 does not seem to have alarmed Peter, nor to have laid to rest questions concerning his allegiance. And so John takes us back to where he left us in verse 18 —to the charcoal fire, where a number of slaves and officers are warming themselves.

The words of the slave girl now seem to be taken up by those standing nearby, who may have heard her begin to question Peter: “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?” (verse 25). They, too, indicate by the form of their question that they expect a negative answer. Peter has already committed himself, and now he finds it necessary to reiterate his denial. Were he to change his answer, this would raise other questions, questions like, “Why did you lie to the doorkeeper earlier? What are you trying to hide? What are you doing here?”

The recent White House scandal vividly illustrates how a simple initial denial has to be reiterated more and more emphatically. Here is Peter, trapped by his own words. No one expected to hear that Peter was devoted to Jesus, and that he was willing to lay down his life for Him. And so when he is asked about his relationship with Jesus, the question is phrased in a way that makes his denial the “path of least resistance.” From this point on, things begin to snowball.

One of the high priest’s slaves—and a relative of Malchus—knows better. He must have been standing very close to Malchus (and thus to Peter) when Peter drew his sword and severed the slave’s ear. He was there in the Garden of Gethsemane when the arrest was made. He knew that Peter was there, too, with Jesus. Peter was a disciple of Jesus! This man was sure of it. The form of the question now changes. Unlike the first two questions, which expected Peter to answer in the negative, this fellow asks in a way that informs Peter he expects a response in the affirmative.[653] It would therefore be correct to read this man’s question in this way: “I did see you there in the orchard with him, didn’t I?” Peter decides to stick to his story, and so he denies his relationship to Jesus for the third time. Immediately thereafter, the rooster crows.

How gracious John is here in dealing with Peter’s failure. You will remember that these men are both fishermen; they have already worked together (Luke 22:8), and they will work together very closely in the Book of Acts (3:1, 3, 11; 4:13, 19; 8:14). John does not tell us that Peter found it necessary to underscore his lie with cursing (see Matthew 26:73), that Jesus looked at Peter from a distance (Luke 22:61), or that after the rooster crowed Peter went out and wept bitterly (Matthew 26:74-75). The Synoptic Gospels supply all of these details. I believe John’s purpose in recording the denials of Peter is not to make Peter look bad, but rather to contrast Peter’s testimony with that of Jesus and show how Jesus’ words of prophecy are, once again, fulfilled exactly.

Conclusion

There are many lessons to be learned from our text. Let me highlight a few.

First, Peter’s failure here is Elijah-like. I have heard a number of sermons on Elijah, and especially about his “failure” as described in 1 Kings 19. Many of the attempts to explain the reasons for Elijah’s failure in this text are based upon physical factors. We are told that Elijah had not eaten properly and had not gotten enough rest. (What a great text to make a pitch for a paid vacation to Hawaii!) I believe that Elijah’s hunger and fatigue are the result of his failure, not its cause. I believe Elijah was angry with God because he made a gallant effort to save the nation, and God did not bless this effort with success. Let me explain.

God did not instruct Elijah to confront Ahab and Jezebel and the false prophets by arranging for a contest on Mount Carmel. God told Elijah to announce to Ahab that the rains would stop (1 Kings 17:1-2), and then in the third year of the famine, God ordered Elijah to announce to Ahab that it would rain (1 Kings 18:1). The contest on Mount Carmel seems to have been Elijah’s inspiration. God graciously answered Elijah’s request that fire come down from heaven and consume his offering, but this dramatic display of God’s power did not bring about the repentance of Ahab and Jezebel, or the nation Israel. When Jezebel threatened to kill him, Elijah knew that he had not succeeded in turning the nation to God. He was angry and disappointed. He had made a valiant effort to turn the nation around, and God had not blessed it with success. As a result, Elijah attempted to turn in his badge and quit. He wanted to resign as a prophet, and even to resign from life.

God does graciously provide Elijah with a good meal and some much-needed sleep, but this is not the solution to his problem. In chapter 19, God instructs Elijah through what He does and says to him on Mount Horeb (19:8ff.). He teaches Elijah that He does not restrict Himself to speaking and acting only through spectacular means—the great wind, the earthquake, or the fire. He also speaks through the gentle breeze and the still small voice. God did not need Elijah to do something spectacular, like challenging the false prophets to a contest on Mount Carmel. God simply asked Elijah to speak to the king, and then to pray for rain. God would later bring about great changes in the nation, but this would not be through Elijah; this would come about through others such as Hazael, Jehu, and Elisha (19:15-18).

I see Peter’s failure in our text as being very similar to that of Elijah. Peter had made some bold claims about his loyalty to Jesus. By his use of his sword and his presence in the courtyard of Annas, Peter acted with bravery and heroism. It is my opinion that just as Elijah expected God to bless his contest on Mount Carmel with success, Peter expected our Lord to bless his bravery when he drew his sword, taking on not only the temple police and a Jewish mob, but the Roman army as well. As he sat there in that courtyard and saw how things were going, it must have suddenly dawned on Peter that Jesus was not going to rescue Himself. Jesus was letting all of this happen without making any effort to defend Himself. Peter courageously attempted to save Jesus from arrest, and yet all he got in return from Jesus was a rebuke. I believe Peter’s failure is his reaction to our Lord’s refusal to applaud or to grant success to his acts of heroism.

Have you ever attempted to do something “for God” that you thought was really commendable, only to have your efforts miserably fail? How often Christians look at a situation and think that God is in trouble, and that He desperately needs our help. And when we are in such crisis situations, we are tempted to act in a way that is inconsistent with God’s will and His word. And so we act impulsively, presuming that God will bless, that He must bless. And when He allows us to fall flat on our faces, we are angry and hurt, and this is the time when we are tempted to give it all up and to deny Him. Let us beware of assuming that we know better than God how He should work in a given situation. Let us beware of assuming that God is obliged to bless our efforts, no matter how heroic they appear, when our efforts are contrary to His plan.

Second, let us bear in mind that Peter’s failure is little different from that of the other disciples. It is very easy to cast stones at Peter for his denials, but let us keep in mind that all of the disciples forsook our Lord. In one sense, we may have to concede that Peter and John are the “best of a bad bunch.” These two men chose to risk following Jesus and being near Him during His trials before Annas, Caiaphas, and the Jewish Sanhedrin. Lest we feel a little smug when we read of Peter’s denials, let me ask how many opportunities you and I have had to “stand up and testify of our faith in Jesus Christ,” and yet we have chosen to remain silent? We are not that different from Peter.

Third, in spite of how wrong Peter was to deny his Lord, it appears as though God providentially used his denials for good. We know that “God causes all things to work together for good …” (Romans 8:28). We know that what men intend for evil, God can use for good (see Genesis 50:20). I believe that God used Peter’s denial for good, in spite of the fact that it was sin. The normal course of events would have been for the disciples of our Lord to have been arrested, and perhaps crucified, along with Jesus. John portrays the release of the eleven disciples not only as the fulfillment of our Lord’s own words, but also as a miracle, proof of the Savior’s sovereignty. Peter’s denials may have been instrumental in putting the Jewish religious leaders’ minds to rest regarding any ongoing threat that the disciples of Jesus may have posed. After all, if only a few hours after Jesus’ arrest His most loyal follower denies Him, then they may very well feel justified in assuming that the “Jesus movement” is as good as dead. From Peter’s actions and words, they may have felt it was better to let the disciples live than to attempt to arrest and execute them. If the leading disciple has already given up, then surely the others are soon to follow, or so it seems.

Fourth, Peter’s failure here is typical of the way men usually fail. Peter had been repeatedly warned about his denial. Even when told by the Lord Jesus that he would fail, Peter confidently affirmed his loyalty, even to death. I believe Peter meant what he said. But in spite of Peter’s resolve, he did fail. How did this happen? How did Peter fail to see this coming? I think we must say that, at the time, Peter did not see his actions for what they were. He did not realize what he was doing until after the rooster crowed and the Lord looked him in the eye.

Peter’s failure was progressive. He failed by degrees over a period of time. Each step in his failure led to the next. And yet each step, in and of itself, did not seem so terrible. As I look through the Bible, and at the failures of men today, it seems quite evident that those sins which appear to have happened “suddenly” and “unexpectedly” usually have come about much more gradually. Take David’s sin with Bathsheba, for example. It may appear that David acted on impulse, and indeed he did. But David was not supposed to be sleeping late in his palace. David was supposed to be out in the field with his men, at war. David should have been with Uriah, in the battlefield, and not with Uriah’s wife, in his bedroom. Peter’s fall took place a step at a time, and each step, in and of itself, did not seem so terrible—until it was too late.

I am reminded of the warnings to the naïve in the Book of Proverbs. Time and time again, we are exhorted to consider the path we are on. There are only two paths: the path which leads to life, and the path which leads to death. Satan (portrayed by the seductress in Proverbs) has a way of camouflaging the path of sin, which leads to death, so that it appears to offer us what we really want. Those who are wise will heed the warnings of Scripture and consider the destination of the path they are on. Peter was on the wrong path, and he went his way—step by step—until he found himself denying the One he loved, the One he said he would never deny, and never intended to deny. Let us beware of those small steps we take in the wrong direction, and let us give heed to where they will lead us. In the Scriptures, the false path is clearly labeled, as is the path of life.

Fifth, this text gives us insight into the unique contribution of the Gospel of John. When studying a book of the Bible, it is always profitable to ask and to answer the question, “What is the unique contribution of this book to the overall message of the Bible?” In the case of one of the Gospels, this is a more obvious question because there are four different accounts of the same subject matter, covering the same period of time. Why did the Spirit of God find it important for us to have the Gospel of John, in addition to the Synoptic Gospels? Our text has helped me to identify some of the unique contributions of the Book of John to the teachings of Scripture.

The entire Gospel of John is about “witnesses” and “testimony.” In chapter 1, Jesus is introduced, not as a babe in the manger (as with Matthew and Luke), but as the Logos, the word made flesh. Jesus is the supreme witness, the full and final testimony of God to men:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The Word was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. 5 And the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it. … 14 Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father. 15 John testified about him and cried out, “This one was the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than I am, because he existed before me.’” 16 For we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The only One, himself God, who is in the presence of the Father, has made God known (John 1:1-5, 14-18).

Repeatedly in this Gospel, Jesus claims to have spoken the words the Father has given Him to reveal to men:

11 “I tell you the solemn truth, we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. … 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he does not give the Spirit sparingly” (John 3:11, 34).

“If anyone wants to do God’s will, he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority” (John 7:17).

28 Then Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak just what the Father taught me. 29 And the one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do those things that please him” (John 8:28-29).

“I am telling you the things I have seen while with my Father, but you are practicing the things you have heard from your father” (John 8:38).

49 “For I have not spoken from my own authority, but the Father himself who sent me has commanded me what I should say and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. Thus the things I say, I say just as the Father has told me” (John 12:49-50).

“The person who does not love me does not obey my words. And the word you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me” (John 14:24).

8 “Because I have given them the words you have given me. They accepted them and really understand that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. … 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them, because they do not belong to the world just as I do not belong to the world” (John 17:8, 14).

If John’s Gospel is about the witness of Jesus, then I must take note of the fact that in John’s Gospel, there is no account of our Lord’s baptism. There is no account of our Lord’s transfiguration. There is no “Great Confession” from the lips of Peter. And the one time that the Father audibly bears witness to the Son it is regarding His death:

27 “Now my soul is greatly distressed. And what should I say? ‘Father, deliver me from this hour’? No, but for this very reason I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard the voice said that it had thundered. Others said that an angel had spoken to him. 30 Jesus said, “This voice has not come for my benefit but for yours. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 (Now he said this to indicate clearly what kind of death he was going to die.) (John 12:27-33)

The great confession in John is not that of Peter, nor that of any man, though there are many confessions that Jesus is the Son of God. The “great confession” in John is the confession of our Lord Himself:

13 I charge you before God who gives life to all things and Christ Jesus who made his good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 to keep this command without fault or failure until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 that the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, will reveal at the right time. 16 He alone possesses immortality and lives in unapproachable light, whom no human has ever seen or is able to see. To him be honor and eternal power! Amen (1 Timothy 6:13-16, emphasis mine).

In the Gospel of John, the great witness is our Lord Jesus Himself. And the “great confession” is made by our Lord, not Peter. Indeed, one could say that John has structured his argument in such as way as to place the “great confession” of our Lord alongside the “great denial” of Peter. The question put to Peter is, “Are you His disciple?” to which Peter responds, “I am not.” The question put to Jesus is, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And our Lord’s answer is, “Yes, I am.”[654]

I was troubled by the fact that in the Gospels Jesus says very little in response to the questions which He is asked. In effect, Jesus takes the Fifth Amendment. How can Jesus bear testimony to Himself as the Messiah by keeping silent? And then I remembered the prophecy of Isaiah: “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth” (Isaiah 53:7, NKJV).

Legally, Jesus was not required to defend Himself, just as He was not required to offer testimony against Himself. Biblically, Jesus had to remain silent in order to fulfill prophecy. Our Lord’s purpose was not to defend Himself and avoid the cross; it was to give His life as a ransom for many. Jesus kept quiet because it was the Father’s will for Him to die on that cross, bearing the guilt and punishment for sinners like you and me.

Looking at it another way, Jesus made His “great confession,” not by speaking words in His defense, but by His deeds. From the very beginning, Jesus came to this earth to die in the sinner’s place. In John, Jesus repeatedly speaks of His death on the cross (see John 3:14-16; 8:28; 12:34). His death on the cross of Calvary was our Lord’s “great confession.” This was, as it were, God’s final word (see Hebrews 1:1-2; 2:1-4). After His resurrection and ascension, and the coming of the Holy Spirit, the testimony of the apostles was about the cross of Christ.

The question John’s Gospel poses to its readers is this: “How do you stand in relation to Jesus as the promised Messiah, the King of the Jews?” There is no more important question in all the world. Your eternal destiny is determined by your answer to this question. As we read this text about the trial of our Lord, it is no longer Jesus who is on trial, nor the Jewish religious leaders, nor Annas, nor Pilate, nor Peter—it is you who are on trial. When Jesus Christ comes again, and you stand before the judgment bar of God, He will want to know only one thing from you: “What have you done with My Son?” This is the question you must answer. John tells you what your answer should be:

32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men who had been crucified with Jesus, first the one and then the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and blood and water flowed out immediately. 35 And the person who saw it has testified (and his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth), so that you also may believe. 36 For these things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled, “Not a bone of his will be broken.” 37 And again another scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced” (John 19:32-37, emphasis mine).

30 Now Jesus performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples that are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20:30-31, emphasis mine).


 

EVENT MATTHEW MARK LUKE JOHN
Prediction of Peter’s Denial  26:30-35 Sang hymn, going out to Mount of Olives (30).Jesus: “All will fall away.” Peter: “Even if all fall away, not me.” Jesus: “Peter, you will deny me three times.” Peter: “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you.” 14:26-31 Sang hymn, going out to Mount of Olives (26). Jesus: “You will all fall away …” (27). Peter: “Even if they all fall away, I will not.” (29)Jesus: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times” (30).Peter (emphatically): “Even if I must die, I will not deny you” (31). 22:31-34 Dispute over who is greatest (24). Peter informed of Satan’s opposition and Lord’s intercession. He will fail, but will be restored—strengthen brethren (31-32). Peter is ready to go to prison with Jesus and die (33). Jesus foretells Peter’s denial (34). Jesus’ statement about buying a sword (36). 13:31-38 In the upper room. Jesus has told of His departure; they can’t follow (33). Peter asks why he can’t follow. He will lay down his life for Jesus (37). Jesus predicts Peter’s denial 3 times, before rooster crows (38).
Peter in
Gethsemane  
26:40-41 Jesus took three with Him, told of His anguish, asked them to watch with Him. “Pray that you will not come to time of testing. 14:32-42 Jesus to the three: “I am deeply grieved, even to point of death. Remain here and stay alert with me” (34).“Peter, why are you sleeping?” (37). Pray not to come into temptation (38). 22:39-46 To all: “Pray that you may not fall into temptation” (40). Angel appears to Jesus (43). Jesus rebukes, “pray not to enter temptation” (46). No Gethsemane scene
Cutting off of man’s ear  26:51-54 An unnamed disciple cuts off ear of the slave of the high priest. Jesus orders him to put back his sword, for two reasons: (1) He could call more than 12 legions of angels, and (2) The Scriptures must be fulfilled. 14:43-52 Bystander cut off ear of high priest’s slave (47). Jesus rebukes those arresting Him for coming with arms, as if after a robber (48-49). Disciples flee, including one young man who they tried to arrest, but ran off naked (50-52). Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” (49).One of them struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his right ear (50). Jesus: “Stop this!”Jesus heals the ear (51). 18:8-11 Jesus is securing the release of disciples (8-9). Peter pulls his sword, cuts off right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave (10). Jesus orders Peter to put up sword. He must fulfill the Father’s purpose (11).
Peter’s denials  26:57-75 Jesus taken to Caiaphas (26:57). Peter was following Jesus at a distance (58). He sat with officers while Jesus was questioned (59-67).Slave girl: “You were with Jesus the Galilean, too” (69).Peter: “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” (70).Another slave girl: “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth” (71).Peter (with an oath): “I do not know the man!” (72).Those standing there: “You really are one of them too, because your accent shows it clearly” (73).Peter: Began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” (74). Rooster crowed, Peter remembered, wept bitterly (74-75). 14:43-65 Jesus led to the high priest” (14:53). Peter followed from a distance (66-72). Peter in the courtyard.One of high priest’s slave girls: “You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus” (67). Peter: “I don’t know or understand what you are talking about” (68).ROOSTER CROWS FIRST TIME (68).Slave girl: “This man is one of them” (69). Peter denied it again (70).Bystanders: “Truly you are one of them, for you are also a Galilean” (70). Peter cursed and swore: “I do not know this man you are talking about!” (71). Rooster crows second time, Peter remembers, weeps. 22:54-62 Jesus taken to “the high priest’s house.” Peter follows at a distance, sits among them (54-55).Slave girl: “This man was with him, too!” (56). Peter: “Woman, I don’t know him!” (57).Later, someone else: “You are one of them too!” Peter: “Mister, I am not!” (58).Still another insisted, “Certainly this man was with him too; for he too is a Galilean!” (59). Peter: “Mister, I do not know what you are talking about!” Rooster crowed while he was still speaking (60).The Lord turned and looked at Peter, he re-membered, and went out, weeping bitterly (61-62). 18:13-27 Jesus brought to Annas (13), then sent to Caiaphas (24). Peter and another disciple follow Jesus and are in the inner courtyard (15-16).Slave girl/doorkeeper (to whom other disciple had spoken): “You’re not one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” Peter: “I am not!” (17).Jesus interrogated by Annas, sent to Caiaphas (18-24).Those warming themselves by the fire: “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?” (18, 25). Peter: “I am not!” (25).High priest’s slave (relative of the former earless one): “Did I not see you in the orchard with him?” (26). Peter denied it, rooster crowed (27).No mention of weeping.


! Lesson 43:
Jesus Before Pilate: Part I
(John 18:28-38)

28 Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the Roman governor’s residence. (Now it was very early morning.) They did not go into the governor’s residence so they would not be ceremonially defiled, but could eat the Passover meal. 29 So Pilate came outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They replied, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” 31 Pilate told them, “Take him yourselves and pass judgment on him according to your own law!” The Jewish religious leaders replied, “We cannot legally put anyone to death.” 32 This happened to fulfill the word Jesus spoke indicating what kind of death he was going to die. 33 So Pilate went back into the governor’s residence, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 34 Jesus replied, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or have others said it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own people and your chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would fight to prevent me being handed over to the Jewish authorities. But now my kingdom is not from here.” 37 Then Pilate said, “So you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. I have been born and have come into the world for this reason—to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate asked, “What is truth?”

Introduction

Last night, Jeannette and I were on our way home from our ministry group[655] meeting. We approached a major intersection and observed that the traffic light was out. We slowed down to make sure it was safe to proceed through the intersection. Two other automobiles did not. One approached us from the east as the other, a pickup truck, was headed south. Within a second or so, the pickup truck struck the other vehicle broadside. Both cars ricocheted off each other. The passenger car toppled a utility pole and finally came to a rest on the median. It took me a little while to find a place to park our car off the road, ask a neighbor to call for help, and get back to the scene of the accident. When I arrived, glass and debris were all over the road. The passengers of the pickup truck were out of their vehicle, as were three of the four passengers from the sedan.

As I came near the wrecked car, I saw a sizeable puddle of fluids on the ground that had escaped from the badly damaged sedan. It was my opinion that some of this exposed fluid was gasoline. There were electrical wires on the ground nearby, severed and exposed when the utility pole was struck. I concluded that the one passenger who was still trapped in the badly damaged automobile needed to be removed as quickly as possible. I forced the rear door open to free the dazed young woman inside, shaken and bleeding, but apparently not seriously wounded. She was covered with glass fragments from the window beside her that had virtually exploded as the car was struck. Blood was running down her forehead from one cut, and there was blood all over her hands from the cuts she had received from the broken glass. When I held out my hand to her, she took it and slid out of the car. Firemen and an ambulance quickly arrived, and when I knew that she was in good hands, I went back to our car and we set out, once again, for home.

In the car, I happened to look at my hands and saw they had blood on them. I realized that when I had taken the injured woman’s hand to help her out of that car, some of her blood had gotten on my hands. With all of the health concerns that exist today, I washed my hands as soon as I got home—three times! And then I sat down to work further on this text in the Gospel of John. I could not help but see a connection. Pilate did not literally have blood on his hands, but nevertheless, he washed his hands—in a futile effort to rid himself of any responsibility for his part in the death of Jesus Christ. What a horrible feeling of guilt this man must have carried with him from that day forward.

This is not the first time I have preached on the death of our Lord, although this is the first time I have preached through the Gospel of John. I must admit that in doing so, I have come to realize that I have been mistaken in some of my assumptions. John’s Gospel has forced me to take a second look at the way I view our Lord’s death. It was my assumption that the Jews really wanted to crucify Jesus, and that they wished to enlist the assistance of the Roman government to do so. It was my opinion that God allowed the Jews to gain the upper hand for a short period of time, so that Jesus would die on a Roman cross. John’s Gospel calls some of these assumptions into question.

I also assumed that the Jews got exactly what they wanted, and when Jesus died on that Roman cross, they were jubilant. There was a measure of rejoicing on the part of those who appeared to prevail over Jesus at the cross (see John 16:20), but we must also take Luke’s words into account when he informs us that, seeing what had happened at the cross, the multitudes went away “beating their breasts” (Luke 23:48). Those who crucified Jesus did not get everything they wanted. They wanted to stone Jesus, but they had to settle for crucifixion. They wanted to kill Jesus themselves, and yet they had to involve Rome. Annas wanted to compel Jesus to incriminate Himself, and instead, Jesus indicted the high priest for wrong-doing. Pilate wanted to find a way to make the “Jesus crisis” go away, but he did not succeed. Strange as it may seem, at the cross of Calvary, it was only our Lord who got His way.

My goal in this lesson is to focus on the “big picture” of our Lord’s trial before Pilate. Once this picture is clear in our minds, the details will be more easily grasped. I shall attempt to set the scene by concentrating on four statements found in our text. The first is a statement by the Jews in verse 31: “We cannot legally put anyone to death.” The second is the question raised by Pilate in verse 38: “What is truth?” The third is the declaration of our Lord in verse 37: “You [rightly or correctly] say that I am a King.” The final statement is made by John in verse 32: “This happened to fulfill the word Jesus spoke, indicating what kind of death he was going to die.”

Before we turn to these four statements, I want to call your attention to a summary[656] of the sequence of events which occurred from the time the Jews decided that Jesus must be put to death, to the time when Jesus rose from the dead. This summary not only reminds us of the final events of our Lord’s life, it also points out the unique contributions of each of the Gospels. Allow me to call your attention to some of the unique contributions of each of the four Gospels.

MATTHEW. Matthew’s Gospel has several unique contributions. It is Matthew’s account that includes an account of the suicide of Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus and handed Him over to the Jewish religious leaders. This story is inserted into Matthew’s report of our Lord’s arrest. Matthew 27 begins with Jesus being brought to Pilate by the chief priests and elders of Israel (verses 1-2). Verses 3-10 then contain an account of Judas’ suicide. Then, at verse 11, the account of Jesus’ trial before Pilate continues. It seems to me that Matthew wants his readers to know that in the midst of our Lord’s trials, the one who turned Jesus over to the authorities has already come to regret his treachery. The testimony of Judas is added to that of others, including Pilate: “Jesus is innocent!

Matthew also records the intervention of Pilate’s wife, who had a sleepless night and therefore warned her husband not to be a part of the execution of Jesus, since He was an innocent man. Actually, she did not refer to Jesus merely as innocent, but as righteous (27:19, NAB). Matthew is the one who includes an account of Pilate washing his hands (27:24), a symbolic gesture intended to indicate that he did not approve of the crucifixion of Jesus. This does not release him from his guilt for taking part in the death of Jesus. He gave Jesus over to the Jews to put to death, and he facilitated their plans by having Roman soldiers conduct the crucifixion. And this Pilate did, knowing that Jesus was innocent. Finally, Matthew records that incredible statement of the Jews: “Let his blood be on us and on our children!” (27:25).

MARK. Mark has the distinction of being the shortest account of Jesus’ trial before Pilate, a mere 20 verses long. Mark makes no unique contribution here, although he does join Matthew in telling us that Pilate had figured out that the Jews had turned Jesus over to him out of envy (Mark 15:10; see also Matthew 27:18).

LUKE. Luke’s account is only 25 verses long. Luke alone informs us that Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, who declared Jesus innocent as well, and then returned Him to Pilate (23:6-12). We also learn that these two men were at odds with each other, and that they were somehow reconciled in the midst of their mutual dealings with Jesus.

JOHN. John has the longest and most detailed account of our Lord’s hearing before Pilate. In John, we see an increasing sense of awe and dread on the part of Pilate. We are also told of his cynical remark, “What is truth?” (verse 38). But perhaps the most interesting contribution John makes is his record of the conversation which occurred between Pilate and Jesus. In the other Gospels, Jesus says almost nothing, either to the Jews, to Pilate, or to Herod. In John’s account, Jesus and Pilate do have a conversation of sorts. There is no contradiction here, however. When Jesus refuses to speak, it is (1) because the law does not require Him to testify against Himself, and (2) because He refuses to defend Himself. Jesus would not interact with Herod because he was merely hoping to see some miracle. If Jesus had defended Himself by speaking or performing miracles, it could have prevented His death. When Jesus refused to speak, it was when He was in the presence of the Jews. When Jesus did speak with Pilate, it was inside his residence, where the Jews would not enter. The conversation was not of His guilt or innocence, but about His identity and His mission. We might say that it was evangelistic.

The Jews: “We Cannot Legally Put Anyone to Death.”
(18:31)

The Jewish religious leaders appear to have incorrectly assessed the situation. They may have assumed that since Pilate had provided Roman soldiers to assist in the arrest of Jesus, he was giving them a “blank check” to deal with Jesus as they saw fit. Their appearance before Pilate early on this morning does not look like a humble petition being made by the religious leaders of a subject nation. The Jewish leaders boldly arrive at Pilate’s home in the early hours of the morning, with Jesus in their custody (verse 28). It may have been at the very first signs of light. Their arrival at this early hour could almost be characterized as “cruel and unusual.” They further insult Pilate by refusing to enter his residence. In their minds, to do so would be to defile themselves by entering the house of a Gentile. Consequently, they virtually force Pilate to come outside to speak with them. Such actions would not be unusual, if it were Pilate demanding such things of the Jews, but for the Jews to act this way toward Pilate is nothing less than insulting.

Pilate’s response to their demands caught the religious leaders off guard. They seem to have expected Pilate to “rubber stamp” their indictment of Jesus and to quickly authorize His execution. Instead, Pilate required them to declare formal charges against Jesus, charges that they had not been able to establish, even though they worked at this all night long (see Matthew 26:59-60; Mark 14:57-59). Before the Jews, Jesus had confessed that He was “guilty” of being the Son of God. They reasoned that this “confession” made Him guilty of blasphemy, and that because of this, Jesus must be put to death (Matthew 26:62-65, Mark 14:64). However, they were not able to substantiate any charges that would make Jesus worthy of death under Roman law. As they stand before Pilate, they find themselves in a real bind. They believe Jesus is guilty of blasphemy, and deserving of death, but they do not have any solid evidence that Jesus is guilty of any capital offense under Roman law; thus, they are hard pressed to convince Pilate that Jesus really should be put to death.

It wasn’t that the Jews never put anyone to death without Rome’s consent. We know from the account of the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7 that the Jews were more than willing to put someone to death, without permission from Rome. Stephen’s death was different, however. It did not occur during the feast, and it would seem that Rome was not even aware of what took place. It was very different with Jesus and with Pilate. The words of the Jews in our text mean something like this: “We really want to kill Jesus ourselves, by stoning, but we can’t get away with that at the moment—not now anyway, during the feast, while all of your Roman soldiers are ‘on alert’ and watching us like a hawk.” If they could kill Jesus without Rome’s help, and even without Rome’s permission, they would gladly do so. But they are powerless to do so now, and they know it. Their words convey a feigned submission to Roman authority, but this is all hypocrisy, as Acts 7 underscores, and as Pilate surely knows.

This is not just a matter of obtaining Rome’s permission. The Jewish religious leaders are unwittingly revealing their inability to accomplish what they have attempted on many occasions. They do not seem to realize that they are (to use God’s words to Saul), “kicking against the goads” (Acts 9:5, KJV). I have not attempted to count all of the times that attempts to kill Jesus are recorded in the Gospels, but they are numerous. One of the first attempts came in our Lord’s hometown of Nazareth (Luke 4:28-29). When we come to the fifth chapter of John, we read of the Jews’ desire to put Jesus to death, and John makes it very clear that this is not the first time the Jews wanted to kill Jesus. Here, John is telling us that they strengthened their (already existing) resolve to put Jesus to death (John 5:18). And so we often find references to the Jews’ intent to put Jesus (and even Lazarus—12:10) to death (7:1, 19, 25; 8:37, 40, 59; 10:31; 11:8, 16, 47-53, 57). Yet all of these efforts were thwarted, because it was not yet “His time” (see 7:30). It never seems to have occurred to them that they were seeking to accomplish that which God’s purposes and prophecies made impossible.[657]

It must have been their fumbled attempt to arrest Jesus in John 7 that convinced the Jewish religious leaders they needed all the help they could get if they were to arrest and execute Jesus. Officers were dispatched to apprehend Jesus. It was not that He was hard to find, because He was teaching openly in the Temple. The officers dispatched to arrest Jesus did not take Him into custody and bring Him to the chief priests and Pharisees because they had never heard anyone speak as He did (7:46). It is my opinion that from that time on, the religious leaders vowed they would not make the same mistake again. Did they seek to employ Roman soldiers in this final attempt to arrest Jesus because they felt confident these soldiers would not be favorably impressed with the words of a Jew (as the temple police had been)? Many failed attempts to stone Jesus may have led them to conclude that they must go about this legally, so that the power of Rome could be enlisted in their efforts to be rid of Jesus. It never seems to occur to these Jews that their words to Pilate were a confession of failure on their part and also an admission that our Lord was really in control.

Pilate: “What Is Truth?”
(18:38)

It might be helpful to remind ourselves of the political situation at this point in time. Rome had succeeded in gaining dominance as a world power, and had divided its subject territories into provinces for administration. Syria was one of these Roman provinces, of which Palestine was a part. Herod the Great once ruled over all five areas of Palestine, but when he died, his territory was divided among his three sons. Due to misrule, Archelaus (who governed Judea and Samaria) was removed and replaced by one known as “the Governor of Judea.” Pontius Pilate was the “Governor of Judea” at the time of our Lord’s crucifixion. At the same time, Herod Antipas[658] ruled over Galilee and Perea. We know from Luke 23:12 that Herod and Pilate had been adversaries until the trials of our Lord.

Rome chose to give its subject provinces a fair degree of freedom, so long as they were submissive and cooperative. This meant that the Jews were allowed to govern themselves by making and enforcing laws, and by trying and punishing law-breakers. Rome could intervene at any time, at its discretion, but under normal conditions, they would not do so. The one exception came in the area of capital punishment. There was too much risk of abuse here, and so (in theory, at least) any execution required Roman permission and was normally carried out by crucifixion, at the hands of Roman soldiers.

Normally, Pilate would reside at his palace in Caesarea. During the Passover season, the population of Jerusalem would swell considerably. Pilgrims came from afar to celebrate this feast, and there was a very high level of messianic expectation and enthusiasm. Consequently, the chance of some kind of uprising was considered much greater at this time. Therefore, a sizeable force of Roman soldiers would be stationed in Jerusalem or nearby, and Pilate himself would temporarily reside in Jerusalem. Because of the season, Pilate must bear the burden of responsibility for dealing with the Jews and for determining the fate (humanly speaking, of course) of Jesus.

Until 1961, there was no archaeological proof of the existence of Pontius Pilate.[659] In the summer of 1961, Italian archaeologists were excavating an ancient theater at Caesarea, the Mediterranean port which served as the Roman capital of Palestine.[660] They unearthed a stone that bore a partial inscription, bearing the name of Pontius Pilate. It refers to the presentation of “the Tiberieum” to the Caesareans. The “Tiberieum” was apparently some kind of public structure named after the Roman emperor Tiberius.

Nevertheless, the name of Pontius Pilate has been well known to many over the centuries. His name has been repeated by countless Catholics and others reciting the Apostles’ Creed. It begins,

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ,
His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.

Readers of the New Testament are familiar with Pilate, who is not portrayed in a very favorable light. Luke’s Gospel informs us that Pilate was governor when John the Baptist commenced his ministry (Luke 3:1-2). Later in Luke, we read of his abusive and blasphemous treatment of the Galileans: “Now there were some present on that occasion who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices” (Luke 13:1).[661]

What we know of Pilate from history is not very flattering either. He made several major mistakes,[662] which set the scene for what takes place in our text. Normally, when Roman governors arrived in Jerusalem, they removed their standards (a pole with a Roman eagle or an image of the emperor mounted on the top) because of the Jews’ disdain for such images.[663] In spite of his awareness of these Jewish scruples and past Roman practice, Pilate’s troops marched into Jerusalem carrying medallions with the emperor’s image or bust among their standards. This precipitated a protest demonstration by the Jews lasting five days, and eventually, Pilate was forced to give in to public pressure by removing the standards.

A second incident occurred when Pilate later constructed an aqueduct to convey water from cisterns near Bethlehem to Jerusalem. This provoked a riot, not because of the aqueduct itself, but because Pilate funded the project with funds he took from the temple. Roman troops had to be used to put down the riot, and Pilate warned them not to use their swords. His instructions were not carried out properly, and there was bloodshed. Paul Maier enumerates some good reasons why Pilate’s actions may not have been as evil or as foolish as they seemed,[664] but this did not prevent the riot or the resulting bloodshed. It was yet another black eye for Pilate’s administration.

The straw which broke the proverbial “camel’s back” seems to have occurred when Pilate set up several golden shields at his headquarters in Jerusalem. These shields had no images, but only an inscription of dedication to Tiberius. Nevertheless, the people protested strongly, backed up by Herod Antipas and his brothers. This time, Pilate refused to back down. In other places like Alexandria, shields were tolerated by the Jews. This was Jerusalem, however, and this was a “golden” opportunity for Herod to make Pilate look bad to Tiberias. Herod wrote a letter of official protest to the emperor, who ordered Pilate to have the shields sent to Caesarea, warning him about offending the Jews by violating their customs.

All of this is to say that Pilate was none too popular with the Jews at this point in time. I doubt very much that he cared either, because his actions toward the Jews seem to indicate that he held a great disdain for them. You can imagine, then, how Pilate must have responded to the knock on his palace door early that fateful morning. “He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, It will be counted a curse to him” (Proverbs 27:14).

The Jews are in a hurry, and they need to dispense with the legal formalities as quickly as possible if they are to have this whole horrible thing finished by sunset (so that they can “worship God” at this Passover). They have been up all night with Jesus, preparing for this moment. Now, they demand to see Pilate, but they also refuse to “defile themselves” by entering into the dwelling of this Gentile pagan (18:28). And then, when Pilate asks them to indicate what formal charges they wish to press against Jesus, they are unable to articulate any charges which would make Him worthy of the death penalty. Instead, they come up with a pious sounding version of “trust me”: “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you” (verse 30).

Pilate is already impatient with them. If this is the way they want to go about this matter, then let them deal with Jesus according to their own law. Pilate does not yet seem to grasp that they will be content with nothing less than the death penalty. They now reveal this to him: “We cannot legally put anyone to death” (verse 31). Pilate is (as we would say in Texas) “caught between a rock and a hard place.” He is undoubtedly angry with these Jews for disturbing and insulting him, as they have done, and yet he does not wish to get into trouble with the Jews again, since he appears to be on “thin ice” with Rome at the moment. He hopes to be able to resolve this crisis in a way that does not anger the Jews, and yet does not give them what they demand.

Pilate takes Jesus aside privately—into his quarters—where the Jews will not enter, lest they defile themselves. He asks Jesus this question: “Are you the King of the Jews?” (verse 33). We know from Luke’s Gospel that this charge was made against Jesus (Luke 23:3). Pilate is virtually forced to explore this charge further, and so he asks Jesus directly whether or not He is the “King of the Jews.” Jesus does not keep quiet, as He does before the Jews and Herod. Neither does Jesus deny the charge. Jesus is not seeking to defend Himself, but rather to probe the heart of Pilate. Does Pilate ask this for his own benefit, or is he simply doing so because he is forced to follow up on the charge of the Jews that He is a revolutionary, claiming to be the “King of the Jews”?

Pilate’s response to Jesus’ question is negative: “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own people and your chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” (verse 35). Pilate assumes that the real issues are Jewish, and thus that they do not really involve him. Jesus is a Jew. If He claims to be the “King of the Jews” that has nothing to do with Pilate, unless, of course, Jesus is actively seeking to overthrow Roman rule—otherwise, this a really a matter between Jesus and His Jewish countrymen. You will recall that this same approach was later employed by Gallio:

12 Now while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews attacked Paul together and brought him before the judgment seat, 13 saying, “This man is persuading people to worship God in a way contrary to the law.” 14 But just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or serious piece of villainy, I would have been justified in accepting the complaint of you Jews; 15 but since it concerns points of disagreement about words and names and your own law, settle it yourselves. I will not be a judge of these things.” 16 Then he had them forced away from the judgment seat (Acts 18:12-16).

This approach just does not work for Pilate. He seems to suspect that whatever Jesus did, it was not as serious as the Jews represented it to be. On the other hand, the intensity of their accusations would incline one to suppose that Jesus had done something pretty awful to get these folks so worked up. And so Pilate asks Jesus, in effect, “What have you done wrong to make these folks so angry?” In Pilate’s mind, there had to be some wrong-doing on Jesus’ part. How else could one explain the hostility of the Jews? As the case drags on, Pilate begins to see things for what they are. Those who so vehemently oppose Jesus are jealous of Him (Matthew 27:18; Mark 15:10).

Jesus does not deny that He is the “King of the Jews,” but He does explain to Pilate that this is no threat whatsoever to him, or to Roman rule. Jesus’ kingdom is “not from this world.” If it were, then His servants would fight to resist His arrest (as Peter had attempted to do, momentarily, before being stopped short by Jesus). His kingdom is not from earth. Pilate had nothing to worry about.

Pilate was listening carefully to what Jesus said. He drew the correct inference: “So then, you really are a King!” Jesus replies in a way that clearly indicates this is true: “You say that I am a King …” In more contemporary terminology, we would say, “You said it!” The Lord’s meaning is therefore something like this: “You are absolutely right that I am a King!” His “kingdom” is centered around revelation, not revolution; around truth, not treason. Jesus was a teacher, not a traitor. This was the purpose for His incarnation; this was His mission in life—to testify to the truth. And everyone who embraces Him as the promised Messiah (who “belongs to the truth”) listens to His voice.

Here is the challenge to Pilate—to accept Jesus’ teaching as the truth. Pilate’s response is tragic. It is phrased as a question, but it is really an admission of complete cynicism. He does not ask, “What is the truth?” Such a question would indicate that Pilate believes in truth but does not know what the truth is. The question, “What is truth?”, is a completely different matter. It is as though Pilate had said, “Truth? You don’t mean to tell me that you believe there is such a thing as truth, do you? Truth is whatever you want it to be.” I am sure Pilate had heard many who claimed to know the truth, and who were willing to reveal it to him (for a price of some kind). But here, it is as though Pilate has finally come to the point of giving up so far as ever knowing anything to be absolutely true.

I heard Josh McDowell speaking on the radio the other day, and he was describing the same attitude on the part of many college students today. He said that he has spoken on hundreds of college campuses over the years. In the past, students would argue with him as to whether or not the teachings of the Bible were true. They believed there was such a thing as truth; they just weren’t sure what the truth was. Today, McDowell said, when he goes onto a college campus, there is cynicism as to whether anyone can ever know anything to be absolutely true.

There is a very important principle to be learned from our text, one that is just as relevant for today as it was for Pilate 2,000 years ago: “WHENEVER ONE LOSES FAITH IN THE FACT THAT THERE IS ABSOLUTE TRUTH, THERE IS ONLY ONE STANDARD BY WHICH THAT PERSON’S ACTIONS CAN BE MEASURED: POLITICAL CORRECTNESS.” Jesus claims to be the source of truth. Pilate has come to doubt that there is such a thing as absolute truth. And so Pilate’s actions are guided by the principle of political correctness. He does not do what is right. He has already come to the realization that Jesus is innocent. And if this is not enough, Pilate’s wife will send him the message that Jesus is much more than innocent, He is righteous: “While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, ‘Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him’” (Matthew 27:19, NAB).[665]

And so it is that Pilate opts to do what is “politically correct,” even though it is morally wrong. Pilate decides to act out of expedience, handing Jesus over to those who are crying for His blood. Today, we are watching the very same thing happen before our very eyes. No longer are our leaders acting out of principle; all too many are acting out of pure pragmatism.

Jesus: “You Are Right in Saying I Am a King”
(18:37)

The Jewish religious leaders took issue with Jesus in slightly different terms:[666]

66 When day came, the council of the elders of the people gathered together, both the chief priests and the experts in the law. Then they led Jesus away to their council 67 and said, “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe; 68 and if I ask you, you will not answer. 69 But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” 70 So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” He answered them, “You say that I am.” 71 Then they said, “Why do we need further testimony? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!” (Luke 22:66-71)

They were interested in His claim to be the Son of God, or as John expresses it in his Gospel, His claim to be equal with God (5:18; 10:33, 36). I don’t think Pilate really cared about such matters. His concern was much more pragmatic: Was Jesus claiming to be Israel’s king? Our Lord’s answer to the Jews and to Pilate was a very clear, “Yes, I am!”

And they all said, “Are You the Son of God, then?” And He said to them, “Yes, I am” (Luke 22:70, NAB).

They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You are right in saying I am” (NIV).

Then they all said, “Are You then the Son of God?” So He said to them, “You rightly say that I am” (NKJV).

Literally, Jesus responded, “You say that I am,” but that was the equivalent to His saying, “Yes, I am.” And so we see the translations cited above indicate this affirmation on the part of our Lord.

It was not the safest thing for Jesus to say. To tell Pilate that He was the King of the Jews was to risk being condemned for high treason (which, of course, He was). To admit to the Jews that He was the Son of God was to convince them that Jesus was guilty of blasphemy (for which they excused their initiative in putting Jesus to death). In both cases, the penalty for such offenses (if proven guilty) was death. The fact is that Jesus is not only “the way” and “the life,” He is also “the truth.” Jesus cannot lie about anything, and especially not about His identity. This is why I view our Lord’s statement to Pilate as the “great confession” in the Gospel of John. Peter’s “great confession,” recorded in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 16:16; Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20), is not found in John. It is Jesus Himself who is the true witness in John. “You say that I am a King. I have been born and have come into the world for this reason—to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice” (John 18:37).

There are those who seek to convince us that Jesus never claimed to be God, that He never said He was the promised Messiah. Such people seem not to have read the Gospels, or at least to have read them very carefully. At the time when such a confession would likely lead to His death, Jesus testified that He was the Son of God and the King of the Jews. Jesus claims to be God and acknowledges that He is the One whom God has appointed to rule over the whole earth. Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior of the world, and the King of the Jews. There may be those who reject Jesus as the Son of God and King of the Jews, but none should deny that this is who Jesus claimed to be. This is our Lord’s “great confession.” Thus, to reject Jesus as the Son of God is to reject His testimony as well.

John’s Explanation
(18:32)

This happened to fulfill the word Jesus spoke indicating what kind of death he was going to die (verse 32).

These words from the author of this Gospel are John’s explanation of what he has just described. The Jews had brought Jesus to Pilate, hoping that he would grant His execution. If they got what they really wanted, it would have been for Pilate to have handed Jesus over to them, so that they could stone Him. This would have been much quicker than crucifying Jesus, and it is something the Jews could have done for themselves. I think it is what they would have most enjoyed. And, to cap matters off, it would have looked more “legal,” so far as Old Testament law was concerned. Those guilty of blasphemy were to be stoned:

“‘And whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him, the stranger as well as him who is born in the land. When he blasphemes the name of the Lord, he shall be put to death’” (Leviticus 24:16, NKJV).

The Jews did not get exactly what they wanted, but they did finally have Jesus in custody, and they are well on their way to getting rid of Jesus—or so they think.

Pilate certainly does not get what he wants. He wants this whole thing to just “go away.” Jesus makes him uneasy—which is an understatement. There is something going on here which Pilate does not fully grasp, but what he does grasp, he does not like. He wants to avoid angering the Jewish leaders one more time, and yet he really does not wish to give in to their demands. He does not like the idea of crucifying an innocent man, either. But Pilate does not get what he wants. He tries to avoid taking responsibility for his actions, but he nevertheless hands Jesus over to be crucified, knowing that He is innocent, indeed, that He is a righteous man.

At this moment in time—when one might wrongly conclude that things have “gotten out of hand”—John reminds us that everything he has been describing is taking place in accordance with the divine plan. It is not just that the Old Testament prophecies concerning Messiah’s death are being fulfilled; our Lord’s own words, by which He indicated how He would die, are being fulfilled. It was not enough that Jesus should die. It was not enough that He should die during Passover, as the Passover Lamb. It was also necessary that Jesus should die as He had indicated—by being lifted up on a Roman cross:

17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve aside privately and said to them on the way, 18 “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the experts in the law; they will condemn him to death, 19 and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged severely and crucified. And on the third day, he will be raised!” (Matthew 20:17-19)

14 “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15).

32 “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 (Now he said this to indicate clearly what kind of death he was going to die.) 34 Then the crowd responded, “We have heard from the law that the Christ will remain forever. How can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” (John 12:32-34)

Although I have said it before, I must say it again—Jesus was Lord at His death. As we view the arrest, the trial and crucifixion of our Lord through John’s eyes, we should be overwhelmed with this truth. Jesus was not a helpless victim, who was overcome by His adversaries. Jesus was not only the sinless Son of God, He was the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe (see John 1). He was and is the Sovereign God, who does what He has purposed and promised to do. Every event which John describes is something which God purposed to accomplish. Many of these things were prophesied, not merely by the Old Testament prophets, but by our Lord Himself. Jesus was in complete control as the officers bound Him and led Him away from the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus was in control when He stood before Annas, before Caiaphas, the Sanhedrin, Pilate and Herod.

The irony is that the Jews and Pilate appear to be sitting in the judge’s seat, and that it is Jesus who is on trial. In one sense, of course, this is true. But in the ultimate sense, it is not Jesus who is on trial but the Jews and Pilate. And both of them fail the test. Both rejected Jesus as the Son of God, as the King of the Jews. It is possible that as you hear this message and the claims of Christ, you may somehow take the same posture as Pilate. You may think that you are giving Jesus a “hearing,” but that you haven’t yet decided in His favor. I can say to you with absolute certainty that there will be a day when you will stand before Him as your judge. The only means God has provided for your salvation is the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Those who trust in His death, burial, and resurrection for their salvation will enter into His kingdom. Those who do not receive His gift of salvation, brought about by His death, burial, and resurrection, will suffer eternal judgment. Trust Him today.

14 “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” 16 For this is the way God loved the world: he gave his one and only Son that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 18 The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. 19 Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. 21 But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God (John 3:14-21).

His shed blood will either cleanse you from all sin, or it will be on your hands for all eternity.

Sequence of Events

Jews’ decision to kill Jesus, but not before the feast—Matthew 26:1-5; Mark 14:1-2; Luke 22:1-2; John 11:45-53 (a different occasion and time—the resurrection of Lazarus).

Judas’ decision to betray Jesus after anointing—Matthew 26:6-16; Mark 14:3-11; Luke 22:3-6 (Satan enters Judas, who makes deal to betray, but no account of anointing here); John 12:1-8 (no account of Judas’ decision to betray here).

Passover Meal

Preparations—Matthew 26:17-19; Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22:7-12 (Peter and John are the two sent); not in John.

Prediction of Judas’ betrayal (Matthew 26:21-25, where Jesus lets Judas know that it is he—Mark 14:17-21; Luke 22:21-23 (followed by dispute about who was to be regarded as greatest, vv. 24-30); John 13:11, 18-30.

Bread and cup—Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20; not in John.

Prediction of Peter’s denial—Matthew 26:31-25; Mark 14:26-31; Luke 22:31-34 (different from Matthew and Mark, then followed by need to take money and sword, 35-38); John 13:34-38.

Upper Room Discourse—(only in John 13-16), and High Priestly prayer (only in John 17).

Gethsemane—Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 29:39-46; John (virtually not there, see 18:1-2).

Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested—Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52 (including naked escapee); Luke 22:47-53 (Jesus heals ear); John 18:2-11 (Peter named as the swordsman, also Malchus).

Jesus brought before Annas—John 18:12-27.

Jesus brought before Caiaphas and Sanhedrin—Matthew 26:57-68 (great confession of Jesus obtained; blasphemy claimed and verdict pronounced); Mark 14:53-65; Luke 22:54-63 (intertwined account of Jesus before the high priest, and Peter’s denial; then, when day comes, Jesus is brought before the council and condemned—verses 66-71; great confession, condemned); John 18:24, 28 (not really dealt with in John).

Peter’s denials—Matthew 26:69-75 (all in one paragraph); Mark 14:66-72; Luke (see above); in John (Peter’s denials are split between first denial, in verses 15-18, and the second and third in verses 25-27).

Jesus brought before Pilate, handed over for crucifixion—Matthew 27:1-2, 11-31; Mark 15:1-20; Luke 23:1-5 (sent to Herod, verses 6-12, and then back to Pilate, who caves in and turns an innocent man over to this mob to crucify Him, verses 13-25); John 18:28–19:16 (certainly the most detailed account).

Judas’ suicide—(Only in Matthew 27:3-10).

Jesus’ crucifixion—Matthew 27:32-44; Mark 15:21-32; Luke 23:26-43; John 19:27.

Jesus’ death—Matthew 27:45-56; Mark 15:33-41; Luke 23:44-46; John 19:28-37.

Jesus’ burial—Matthew 27:57-61; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:47-56; John 19:38-42.

Guard posted at tomb—Matthew 27:62-66.

Resurrection—Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12; John 19:1-9.

Guards’ story concocted—Matthew 28:11-15.


! Lesson 44:
Jesus Before Pilate: Part II
(John 18:28–19:16)

Introduction

This week two separate events converged in such a way as to put our text into perspective. On Thursday evening I happened upon the ABC network television program, 20/20, titled “Judgment at Midnight.”[667] It was about the execution of two-time convicted murderer, Antonio James, at the Angola State Prison in Louisiana. Antonio James was convicted for two separate murders. Mr. James admitted that twice he had participated in a robbery which resulted in the death of the victim. He had a different partner for each of the two robberies. He claims that in both robberies, it was his partner who pulled the trigger while the victim pled for mercy. Both partners offered to testify against Mr. James, in exchange for greatly reduced punishment.

I was most interested in those whose lives intersected that of Antonio James, even if only for a few hours. For example, the warden of the Angola State Prison, Burl Cain, was certainly an exceptional individual. Burl Cain had developed a unique relationship with Antonio James over the years that Mr. James was on death row. Before the execution, ABC reporter Cynthia McFadden asked Warden Cain, “If Antonio asks you to hold his hand [during the execution], would you?” Warden Cain responded,

“The victims are going to say, ‘I wish someone had held my daughter’s hand while somebody was … killing her.’ And I’m going to say, ‘If I had been there with your daughter and I was in a position where I could have done that, I would have held your daughter’s hand.’ … But since I couldn’t be there, it doesn’t mean I shouldn’t do what I should do while I’m here with him. The answer then has to be, ‘Yes, I’d hold his hand.’”

And so he did. Afterwards, Burl Cain described the execution:

“Well, he was laying there, and then he kind of grabbed my hand, so I held his hand, and then I told him, ‘He’s waiting for us. Get ready, we’re going for the ride.’ And I said, ‘The angels are here.’ He kind of smiled, and he said, ‘Bless you.’ That’s the last words he said. And then I nodded my head to go ahead. He was holding my hand real tight. And then after a couple of minutes, he took about three or four deep breaths, and then he relaxed my hand. I do believe right now his soul is in heaven, and he’s OK. And since I believe that, then that makes it easier.”

Outside the prison, a couple was waiting to hear the news that Antonio James was dead. Sixteen years earlier, their daughter had been brutally murdered. They were not there this night because Antonio James had killed their daughter. For the past 16 years, they held their own vigil, supporting every execution at this prison. For these individuals and those whose family members were killed by Antonio James (or his partners in crime), there was a sense of having seen justice meted out.

In addition to the warden and to those who were eagerly awaiting news that the execution had been carried out, there was the family of Antonio James. Earlier, they wept as they said their final farewells inside the prison. Now they wept when they learned that every last minute appeal had been turned down, and that the execution was taking place. Antonio James Jr. was convinced of his father’s innocence. When asked how he felt, he said, “That’s my father! How do you think I feel? … [He’s] about to be killed for something he hasn’t done!” Antonio’s emotions undoubtedly reflect the way the women who stood by the cross of our Lord felt, as they saw One they knew to be innocent put to death.

Also this week, I read a very different interpretation of John’s account of the trial of our Lord before Pilate. This account was written by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin. His book is entitled, Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People, and Its History.[668] As I cite his words below, I would remind you that I do not agree with his conclusions. I include them so that you will see how some in Judaism view the words of the Gospel writers, like John. Again I would caution you that these are not the words of a Christian, committed to the inerrancy of the Word of God:

Concerning Jesus’ executioner, Pontius Pilate, we have a considerable body of data that contradicts the largely sympathetic portrayal of him in the New Testament. Even among the long line of cruel procurators who ruled Judea, Pilate stood out as a notoriously vicious man. He eventually was replaced after murdering a group of Samaritans: The Romans realized that keeping him in power would only provoke continual rebellions. The gentle, kind-hearted Pilate of the New Testament—who in his ‘heart of hearts’ really did not want to harm Jesus—is fictional. Like most fictions, the story was created with a purpose. When the New Testament was written, Christianity was banned by Roman law. The Romans, well aware that they had executed Christianity’s founder—indeed the reference to Jesus’ crucifixion by the Roman historian Tacitus is among the earliest allusions to him outside the New Testament—had no reason to rescind their anti-Christian legislation. Christianity’s only hope for gaining legitimacy was to ‘prove’ to Rome that its crucifixion of Jesus had been a terrible error, and had only come about because the Jews forced Pilate to do it. Thus, the New Testament depicts Pilate as wishing to spare Jesus from punishment, only to be stymied by a large Jewish mob yelling, ‘Crucify him.’ The account ignores one simple fact. Pilate’s power in Judea was absolute.[669] Had he wanted to absolve Jesus, he would have done so: He certainly would not have allowed a mob of Jews, whom he detested, to force him into killing someone whom he admired.[670]

While I strongly differ with Rabbi Telushkin in most of his conclusions, I did find a couple of his other statements most interesting and informative:

Crucifixion itself, a Roman form of execution, was forbidden by Jewish law because it was torture. Some 50,000 to 100,000 Jews were themselves crucified by the Romans in the first century. How ironic, therefore, that Jews have historically been associated with the cross as the ones who brought about Jesus’ crucifixion (see Christ-killer).[671]

My understanding of Jesus has been largely shaped by Hyam Maccoby, Revolution in Judaea.[672]

Most statements attributed to Jesus in the New Testament conform to Jewish teachings. This is, of course, not surprising, since Jesus generally practiced *Pharisaic (rabbinic) Judaism. However, at least three innovative teachings ascribed to Jesus diametrically oppose Jewish teachings.

1. Jesus forgives all sins …

2. Jesus’ attitude toward evil people: …

3. Jesus’ claim that people can come to God only through him: …[673]

I could not help but see a relationship between Pilate according to John, Pilate according to Rabbi Telushkin, and Burl Cain at the Angola State Prison. Rabbi Telushkin wants us to view Pilate as a cruel and heartless Roman governor, who due to his own hatred and political ambitions, put Jesus to death. By his version, the Jewish religious leaders hardly played a role in the death of Christ. To Telushkin, John’s Gospel is a myth, fabricated to make the Jews look bad, and the Roman governor look good, with the hope of shaming Rome into protecting Christianity. Telushkin views John’s description of Pilate as making this cruel and vindictive governor appear to be as kind and merciful toward Jesus as Burl Cain was toward Antonio James. The fact is that John does no such thing. John’s account of the trial and crucifixion of our Lord depicts the sin and guilt of Pilate, the Roman soldiers, the Jews, and even (to some degree) the disciples—especially Peter. The purpose of this lesson is to consider the condemnation of Jesus as John portrays it, so that we see the guilt of Jews and Gentiles alike. No one but our Lord comes out of this looking good.[674]

Pilate, the Jews, and Jesus
(18:28-32)

28 Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the Roman governor’s residence. (Now it was very early morning.) They did not go into the governor’s residence so they would not be ceremonially defiled, but could eat the Passover meal. 29 So Pilate came outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They replied, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” 31 Pilate told them, “Take him yourselves and pass judgment on him according to your own law!” The Jewish religious leaders replied, “We cannot legally put anyone to death.” 32 This happened to fulfill the word Jesus spoke indicating what kind of death he was going to die.

The Jewish religious leaders brought Jesus to Pilate’s residence, rudely summoned the governor at a most uncivilized hour, and then refused to enter his residence, lest they defile themselves! This forced Pilate to come out to them. This is hardly the way for a subject people to treat their Roman governor. Pilate asks the Jews to state their formal charges against Jesus, and they have no direct answer, only the evasion, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.” This is the equivalent to, “Don’t ask questions, just trust us.”

I find it very difficult to believe that Pilate is as ignorant and uninformed about Jesus as he lets on to these Jews. I believe there must have been the equivalent of what I would call “the Jesus file” in Pilate’s possession. Think about it for a minute. Today, the CIA, the FBI, and who knows how many other federal agencies make it their business to keep track of any person or group that seeks the overthrow of our government. The identity and activities of every known enemy, as well as all those even suspected, are closely monitored, and all of this information is kept on file. So each possible enemy of the state would have his or her own file, containing all kinds of information concerning their statements and their activities.

Do you think it reasonable that Rome would not have kept a “file” on Jesus in that day? It may not have been a file, as such, but I am virtually certain that Pilate kept track of anyone who was popular and had a following among the Jews. Such people had the potential of leading the Jews in rebellion against Rome. Every time Jesus made an appearance in Jerusalem, there was some kind of commotion or disturbance. Surely Pilate was aware of this and kept track of Jesus’ activities. When the Jews brought Jesus before Pilate, it is difficult to believe that He was unknown to the governor, at least by reputation. Pilate no doubt knew what Jesus had claimed, and how the Jewish leaders reacted to Him and His teaching.[675] But Pilate is initially playing out this trial “by the book,” and so he insists that they declare formal charges against Jesus.

When they fail to come up with a suitable charge against Jesus, Pilate instructs them to handle this matter themselves, according to their law. Why are they troubling him with such matters?  They could handle the problem, except for the fact that they have already decided upon the penalty. Those who could not articulate the crime had already determined the punishment.  They were forced to admit it—the reason they brought Jesus to Pilate was because they wanted Him put to death, and according to Roman law, the Jews could not execute anyone. Only Rome could do this, and that is what they are asking Pilate to do, even without a formal charge.

Unwittingly, the Jews were fulfilling prophecy: “This happened to fulfill the word Jesus spoke indicating what kind of death he was going to die” (verse 32). Old Testament prophecies (such as Psalm 22, for example) had hinted that the Messiah would die by crucifixion. Stoning was the penalty the Old Testament law prescribed for blasphemy, but Jesus Himself had indicated that He would die by being “lifted up” (John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32). From eternity past, it had been determined that Jesus would die by crucifixion. Though the Jews often tried to stone Jesus, this was not the way He must die. And so the words of the Jews to Pilate, indicating that Jesus must die, and that they could not execute Him, meant that Jesus must die the “Roman way,” by crucifixion, and not by the “Jewish way” of stoning.

Pilate Takes Jesus Aside
(18:33-38a)

33 So Pilate went back into the governor’s residence, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 34 Jesus replied, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or have others said it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own people and your chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would fight to prevent me being handed over to the Jewish authorities. But now my kingdom is not from here.” 37 Then Pilate said, “So you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. I have been born and have come into the world for this reason—to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate asked, “What is truth?”

John does not record all the accusations that the Jews had made against Jesus, but Luke’s Gospel indicates that Jesus was accused of several offenses:

1 Then the whole group of them rose up and brought Jesus before Pilate. 2 They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation, forbidding us to pay the tribute tax to Caesar and claiming that he himself is Christ, a king” (Luke 23:1-2).

Only one of these charges seems to interest Pilate—the charge that Jesus claimed to be Christ, a king. Was Jesus a threat to his throne? Would He attempt to overthrow Roman rule? If this were the case, Pilate could not ignore it, not just for Caesar’s sake, but for his own.

And so Pilate goes back inside, into his own residence, away from the clamoring crowd outside. He summoned Jesus to him and asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus does answer Pilate’s question, as we see in verse 37, but first He probes Pilate concerning his interest in such matters: “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or have others said it to you about me?” (verse 34). In other words, is Pilate asking for himself, personally, or is he merely interrogating Him? Does Pilate really have an interest in Jesus’ identity? Does he care about such things? It would surely appear that Jesus was gently probing Pilate, testing for any spiritual interest on his part. Our Lord knew who His sheep were (John 10:14, 26-27; 13:18), but even so He sought to encourage Pilate to seek Him.

Pilate’s answer effectively shuts off this line of conversation: “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own people and your chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” (verse 35). First of all, his answer informs Jesus that he is not really interested in pursuing the spiritual issues that are involved here. Second, Pilate’s response reveals that he does not think that he, as a Gentile, has any part in what this Jew is doing. All he wishes to know is why Jesus has managed to get the Jews so worked up. What kind of trouble was Jesus stirring up? The people who had gathered outside were certainly agitated about something Jesus had said or done, so just what was it He did to provoke them? He must have done something very wrong.

Jesus would not deny that He was the King of the Jews, for this was the truth. Instead, He assured Pilate that His “kingdom” was of no immediate political threat to him. “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would fight to prevent me being handed over to the Jewish authorities. But now my kingdom is not from here” (verses 36-37). This is why Jesus would not allow Peter to continue fighting against those who were seeking to arrest Jesus.

Pilate did not miss the meaning of our Lord’s words, which were clear enough for him: “You are a king, then?” (verse 37). Jesus answers, “You say that I am a king” (verse 38). I believe the NIV rightly captures the sense of our Lord’s words with the rendering, “You are right in saying I am a king.” This closely resembles the translations of the NKJV and the NASB, which have the reputation of being more literal.[676] Our Lord’s response informs Pilate that he is right to understand Him to mean that He is the King of the Jews. But Jesus wants it to be clear that His purpose in coming is revelation, not revolution. He has come to testify to the truth. Those who belong to the truth pay attention to His words.

Pilate’s answer, which we looked at more closely in our last lesson, reveals his cynical attitude: “What is truth?” He had sat in judgment on countless occasions. In Pilate’s mind, he had heard every explanation, every excuse, every justification known to man. He had come to doubt that anyone really spoke the truth. Worse yet, it would seem, he seems to have come to the conclusion that there was no such thing as truth.

Several years ago, I received a traffic ticket for making what was alleged to be an illegal turn. I did it in front of a police officer, as he was giving a ticket to another driver. I knew he saw what I was doing, and yet it never occurred to me that I was doing anything wrong. In fact, I wasn’t. I pled my case, and the judge threw it out, along with several other tickets for the same “offense.” But while I was waiting for my chance to play Perry Mason, I had to listen to some other drivers as they attempted to justify their actions to the judge. The person who was just before me was a young fellow, who owned a high performance automobile and was cited for speeding. He tried to convince the judge that his car would not idle slow enough to allow him to drive it 35 miles per hour. The judge was unimpressed. Pilate must have heard many such explanations.

Pilate Confronts the Crowd
(18:38b-40)

When he had said this he went back outside to the Jewish religious leaders and said, “I find no reason for an accusation against him. 39 But it is your custom that I release one prisoner for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?” 40 Then they shouted back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” (Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.)

Inside his private quarters, and apart from the clamor of the Jews, Pilate interrogates Jesus. Jesus’ claim to be the King of the Jews explains, at least in part, the animosity of the Jewish religious leaders. They have no intention of relinquishing their authority. But whatever threat Jesus poses to them, Pilate seems confident that Jesus is not a threat to him. He returns, intending to announce his “not guilty” verdict to the Jews who are waiting outside. He declares that the charges against Jesus are ill-founded, and thus he has concluded that Jesus does not deserve to die.

At this point, Pilate seems to have an inspiration. Perhaps they would settle for a victory in principle. Pilate could appease them by declaring Jesus guilty, and then graciously releasing Him to them, as was his custom at Passover. In this way, Jesus would not be put to death, but He would have been declared guilty. It was a sort of compromise, which gave both sides (the Jews and Pilate) a token victory. The Jews could boast that Pilate had declared Jesus guilty; Pilate could be at ease that he had not crucified an innocent man. And so he put the matter before the Jews. Should he release Jesus to them on this Passover?

If Pilate expected this ploy to work, he had greatly underestimated how determined the Jews were to kill Jesus. They shouted back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” (verse 40). In John’s Gospel, the name “Barabbas” seems to appear out of nowhere, mentioned first by the Jews. One senses that some orchestration has already occurred behind the scenes. John tells us, parenthetically, that Barabbas was a revolutionary. The Synoptic Gospels provide us with some very helpful additional details at this point. Luke’s account seems to confirm our suspicions that the Jews were the first ones to think of Barabbas.

18 But they all shouted out together, “Take this man away! Release Barabbas for us!” 19 (He was a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city, and for murder). 20 Pilate addressed them once again because he wanted to release Jesus. 21 But they kept on shouting out, “Crucify, crucify him!” (Luke 23:18-20)

Even Mark’s account leaves room for the view that the idea of releasing Barabbas originated with the Jews, rather than Pilate.

6 During the feast it was customary to release a prisoner to them, whom they requested. 7 A man named Barabbas was imprisoned with rebels who had committed murder in a riot. 8 Then the crowd came up and asked Pilate to carry out the custom for them. 9 So Pilate asked them, “Do you want the king of the Jews released to you?” 10 (For he knew that the chief priests had handed him over because of envy.) 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. 12 So Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you want me to do with the one you call king of the Jews?” 13 They shouted back, “Crucify him!” 14 Pilate asked them, “Why, what has he done wrong?” But they shouted more insistently, “Crucify him!” 15 Because he wanted to satisfy the crowd Pilate released Barabbas for them. Then he had Jesus flogged and handed over to be crucified (Mark 15:6-15).

Mark first informs us that Pilate would, at Passover, release one prisoner to the Jews, whomever they requested. In other words, this was a matter requiring Jewish initiative. (Surely Pilate was not eager to release anyone whom he had imprisoned.) Mark then goes on to tell us about Barabbas, and what a menace he was to society. When the Jews approached Pilate, to request the release of a prisoner, he leaped at the chance to release Jesus in this way, but they immediately rejected this proposal, insisting rather that Barabbas be released to them. I do not think that all of this happened spontaneously, but rather that it was planned by the Jewish leaders, and then the crowds were persuaded by their leaders to carry out this plan. It may have appeared spontaneous to Pilate. It was probably designed to look this way. But from the beginning, the Jews sought to gain the release of Barabbas, knowing that Pilate’s desire was to release Jesus. In my opinion, they were skillfully removing this option.

I realize that one could interpret these texts differently, so that releasing Barabbas is initially Pilate’s idea, but I am inclined to see it the other way. To me, Mark and Luke imply that the people first brought up the name of Barabbas. The Jews could see that Pilate did not want to put Jesus to death. They knew from his own lips that he wanted to release Him. The Jews made one last, desperate, move. It was the custom for Pilate to release one man before the Passover, as a gesture of goodwill. The Jews could see that Pilate was about to release Jesus. What if they beat him to the punch, asking for the release of Barabbas, instead? Regardless of who first raised the name of Barabbas,[677] the Gospels agree as to how wicked and violent Barabbas was. He really did deserve to die! He was a robber (John 18:40), and a revolutionary who was guilty of murder (Mark 15:7-8; Luke 23:18-19). Matthew sums it up by calling Barabbas “notorious” (Matthew 27:16).

Pilate is obliged to release someone to the Jews. The Jews have made it clear that it must not be Jesus. They have asked, instead, for Pilate to release Barabbas. As dangerous as Barabbas is, they do not consider him as great a threat as Jesus to the well-being of their nation. In their minds, Jesus is worse than a robber, a revolutionary, and a murderer. They want Jesus executed, and Barabbas released.

Isn’t it interesting that Barabbas is substituted for Jesus, and Jesus for Barabbas? Jesus, the Prince of Peace, dies in the place of a revolutionary, intent on overthrowing Roman rule. Jesus, who restores the dead to life, is put to death in the place of a murderer. Jesus, who instructed Peter to put away his sword, and who restored the ear of Malchus, is portrayed as a greater threat to Roman rule than Barabbas. When man rebels against God, he always seems to substitute something for God. The heathen worship the creature, rather than the Creator (Romans 1:18-23).

Pilate Under Pressure
(19:1-7)

1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged severely. 2 The soldiers braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they clothed him in a purple robe. 3 They came up to him again and again and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck him repeatedly in the face. 4 Again Pilate went out and said to the Jewish religious leaders, “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no reason for an accusation against him.” 5 So Jesus came outside, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Look, here is the man!” 6 When the chief priests and their officers saw him, they shouted out, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate said, “You take him and crucify him! For I find no reason for an accusation against him!” 7 The Jewish religious leaders replied, “We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God!”

Have you ever heard a child say something like this: “When I grow up, I’m going to be the President of the United States, and then I can do whatever I want!” What a tempting thought—to be a person so powerful you can have your way. The fact is, it isn’t true. Pilate is proof of this. In the introduction to this lesson, I quoted from the words of Rabbi Telushkin, who contends that John deliberately distorted the facts about Pilate. According to Telushkin, John painted a picture of Pilate as a kind and compassionate man, who really cared about Jesus, and who wanted to keep Him out of harm’s way, but was forced by the Jews to crucify Him.

That is not the picture we find in any of the Gospels, including John! We know that Pilate was a cruel and harsh governor. He did not care for the Jews; indeed, he seems to have despised them. It was not out of the kindness of his heart that he sought to spare the life of Jesus. It was out of self-interest, pure and simple, that he sought to release Jesus. It is not a tender-hearted man that we see here, which makes the point even more dramatic. Pilate is a cruel despot, who seems to take pleasure in offending the Jews. He has no concern for Jesus. He does not wish to make yet another politically incorrect blunder, for which he must give account to Caesar. And he does not wish to be pushed around by these troublesome Jews. He believes that he has no other choice but to give in to their demands, try as he had to persuade them otherwise.

I’ve watched men run their businesses like tyrants, only to go home and cower before their wives, and even their children. It does not make them any less tyrannical; it only accentuates the “power” of those who are able to push them around. Telushkin tries very hard to get the Jews off the hook, and to make Rome and Pilate the real villains in the story of Jesus’ condemnation and execution. It just isn’t true. These Jews (especially the leaders) have taken a very hard-line stance with Pilate. Even though they are a subject people, they would rather risk the wrath of Pilate and of Rome than to allow Jesus to remain alive and free. For them, it is “all or nothing.” They brought Jesus to Pilate to be condemned and to be put to death, and they will settle for nothing less. They “pull all the stops” in their effort to force Pilate to act as they wish. They do not intend to allow Pilate to release Jesus, and they virtually demand the release of the notorious Barabbas.

Pilate has Jesus severely beaten, and orders Him to be brought out for the crowd to look upon Him, wearing the clothing of a king. Is Pilate trying to inspire pity for Jesus on the part of the Jews?[678] Or is he attempting to convince them that their fears of such a “king” are groundless? Does this beaten and bloody fellow really look like a king? Can such a fellow really pose a threat to these Jewish leaders? Pilate has Jesus brought out before them with the words, “Behold the man” (verse 5). Unwittingly, perhaps, Pilate has said more than he knows. The study notes on verse 5 in the NET Bible inform us,

Pilate may have meant no more than something like ‘Here is the accused!’ or in a contemptuous way, ‘Here is your king!’ Others have taken Pilate’s statement as intended to evoke pity from Jesus’ accusers: ‘Look at this poor fellow!’ (Jesus would certainly not have looked very impressive after the scourging). For the evangelist, however, Pilate’s words constituted an unconscious allusion to Zech 6:12, ‘Look here is the man whose name is the Branch.’ In this case Pilate (unknowingly and ironically) presented Jesus to the nation under a messianic title!

Like a teacher trying to gain control of an unruly class, Pilate is attempting to gain control over this situation, which has by now gotten quite out of hand (see Matthew 27:24). As he brought Jesus out for the Jews to behold this bloody and beaten king, Pilate informed them once again that he found no basis for condemning Him. The Jews cried out, demanding that Pilate crucify Jesus: “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Pilate saw that there was no way he could change their minds. And at this point, when his position and power were on thin ice with Rome, he sensed that he did not dare to anger these Jews once again. And so he responded, “You take him and crucify him! For I find no reason for an accusation against him!” (verse 6). The Jews quickly responded, “We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God!

A Whole New Issue
(19:8-16)

8 When Pilate heard what they said, he was more afraid than ever, 9 and he went back into the governor’s residence and said to Jesus, “Where do you come from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said, “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know I have the authority to release you, and to crucify you?” 11 Jesus replied, “You would have no authority over me[679] at all, unless it was given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of greater sin.” 12 From this point on Pilate tried to release him. But the Jewish religious leaders shouted out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar! Everyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar!” 13 When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus outside and sat down on the judgment seat in the place called ‘The Stone Pavement’ (Gabbatha in Aramaic). 14 (Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover, about noon.) Pilate said to the Jewish religious leaders, “Look, here is your king!” 15 Then they shouted out, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!” Pilate asked, “Shall I crucify your king?” The high priests replied, “We have no king except Caesar!” 16 Then Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

Now, the real reason for the animosity of the Jews toward Jesus is out in the open. Jesus is not merely claiming to be the “King of the Jews,” He is claiming to be the Son of God.[680] Pilate was uneasy before, but now he is truly afraid. It was one thing for him to condemn an innocent man. It was even worse to condemn the Jewish Messiah. But to crucify the Son of God—that was an entirely different matter. The stakes in this very risky competition could hardly get any higher than this! I don’t think that Pilate believed these claims were true; it was just that he was not certain that they were false. Pilate was caught in the middle, between a highly agitated and committed group of Jews, and a man whom he now understood was claiming to be more than a king, but that He was the Son of God.

It was time for yet another conference behind closed doors, back in Pilate’s residence, away from the chaotic scene outside. Pilate asked Jesus, “Where do you come from?” Throughout His ministry (and throughout the Book of John), the answer to this question was given: Jesus came down to earth from the Father in heaven (John 3:13, 31; 6:38, 41-42, 50-51, 58). But this was not the time to be speaking of such things. Regardless of where Jesus came from, the issue was about His guilt or innocence under the law. The issue was whether or not Pilate would give in to the pressure being applied by the Jews. Although Jesus had spoken to Pilate earlier, He now keeps silent. (Can you imagine what Pilate might have thought or done had Jesus told him He had come down from heaven?)

Pilate is amazed, and baffled. He resorted to the only thing that seemed to work for him—his authority. Did Jesus not understand what he, as governor, could do? Pilate let Jesus know that His life was in his hands. He had the power to release Jesus, or to crucify Him. Now this ought to strike terror into His heart, or so Pilate must have thought. But it didn’t. The reason it didn’t is because Pilate’s power and authority were both limited and delegated. It was Jesus who was “Lord” here, as elsewhere. Pilate may have been a powerful man, but he was not sovereign. Jesus has one last thing to say to Pilate, something which seems to have caused Pilate’s knees to begin to meet each other. How amazing it is that Pilate’s most calculated words seem to have no impact on Jesus, but our Lord’s words strike terror into the heart of a man who loved to terrorize others: “You would have no authority over me at all, unless it was given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of greater sin.”

Verse 11 has always been a difficult verse for me to understand. Why does Jesus speak to Pilate about his authority over Him? What do these words about Pilate’s authority over Him mean? Who is “the one who handed Jesus over to Pilate”? Why would Jesus bother to mention this individual’s sin to Pilate? And why is Pilate so distressed by our Lord’s words? Let’s seek to answer these questions by looking once more at our Lord’s statements.

You would have no authority over me at all, unless it was given to you from above.”  As indicated previously in footnote 14, I am inclined to favor the rendering of the New King James Version which reads, “Jesus answered, ‘You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.’” When Jesus added perfect humanity to His undiminished deity at the incarnation, He submitted Himself to human authority—to His parents, as well as to religious and political leaders. He therefore did not challenge Pilate’s authority to try Him, and to release or crucify Him. He would fully agree with the truth that is stated later by the Apostle Paul:

1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God’s appointment, and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God. 2 So the person who resists such authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur judgment 3 (for rulers cause no fear for good conduct but for bad). Do you desire not to fear authority? Do good and you will receive its commendation, 4 for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be in fear; for it does not bear the sword in vain. It is God’s servant to administer retribution on the wrongdoer (Romans 13:1-4).

I think Jesus goes beyond stating a general principle here. It was true that Pilate’s authority to rule was God-given, and that he would have to give account for his stewardship in this matter. I believe the words Jesus spoke to Pilate were more pointed. Pilate is trying to frighten Jesus into speaking. “Don’t you know who I am, and the power I possess? Don’t you know what I can do to you if you don’t cooperate? Your fate is in my hands.” Our Lord’s answer might be paraphrased this way: “I understand that you have certain power and authority, but you should understand that yours is a God-given authority. If you are trying to instill fear in Me, it won’t work, because you do not have the power to harm Me unless it is the will of God for Me, as indeed it is.” Pilate is issuing a threat, and Jesus’ response informs Pilate that his threat is an empty one. Pilate cannot do anything to Jesus that he wants; he can only do to Jesus what God wants. Pilate is not free to harm our Lord unless this is God’s will. And since it is God’s will, Pilate is surely not sovereign, as he wishes to imply. He cannot do whatever he chooses to Jesus.

Who is “the one who handed Jesus over to Pilate”? After qualifying Pilate’s power in relation to Himself, Jesus adds, “Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of greater sin.” Who is this person who has “handed Jesus over” to Pilate? Notice in the first place that Jesus uses the singular, not the plural. He speaks of one person “handing Him over,” and not a group of people. He can hardly be speaking of the Jews, or even of the Jewish religious leaders here. He cannot mean the Sanhedrin, who tried Jesus and condemned Him. He can hardly be referring to Annas alone, or to Caiaphas alone, since there are many Jewish leaders who have played a part in Jesus’ arrest, trial, and condemnation, leading up to this moment before Pilate.

John’s expression, “handed over,” is used 11 times previously in this Gospel (6:64, 71; 12:4; 13:2, 11, 21; 18:2, 5, 30, 35, 36). In its first 8 occurrences (6:64–18:5), this verb is consistently rendered “betray” by the NASB, and in each case, it clearly is used in reference to Judas. The next 3 instances of this verb (18:30, 35, 36) are found in the context of Jesus’ trials, after His betrayal and arrest, and thus they are rendered “handed over” by the NASB. I would have to conclude that when this verb is used here, it must be referring to Judas.

My conclusion is hardly new or novel. But why would Jesus mention Judas to Pilate? And why would Jesus’ reference to Judas strike such fear into the heart of Pilate? From Matthew’s Gospel, it would seem that Judas may already have died by his own hand (Matthew 27:3-10). Is it possible that Pilate knew about Judas’ role in all this, and also that Judas had already killed himself? That might give Pilate pause for thought!

Look once more at what Jesus said to Pilate: “You would have no authority over me at all, unless it was given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of greater sin.” Jesus has pointed out that Judas was guilty of a great sin. Judas is now dead, by suicide. While Judas may be guilty of greater sin, Jesus implies that Pilate will also be guilty, of a somewhat lesser sin. Now we begin to see why Pilate is getting more and more uneasy about condemning Jesus, and why he wants so much to release Him. Pilate seeks to instill fear in Jesus, by trying to impress Him with his authority. Instead, Jesus instills fear in Pilate, by reminding this governor where his power comes from, and by indicating that any harm done to Him is God’s will. Even though the death of Christ is God’s will, it will also be the result of Pilate’s sin, for which he must some day give account. No wonder Pilate is getting nervous!

This may be a very important point. Pilate seems to have been involved in the arrest of Jesus from the early stages. Judas’ role in this matter must have been known to Pilate. How else would Roman soldiers have been dispatched, along with Judas and the arresting party (see John 18:3, 12)? This may also help to explain why the Jews brought Jesus to Pilate, expecting him to pronounce Jesus guilty, without formal charges.[681] Pilate may well have sought to rationalize his role in this whole affair by trying to convince himself that he was not to blame for the outcome of this matter. After all, wasn’t this the doing of Judas? Hadn’t he made the deal with the Jewish leaders and set up the arrest of Jesus? Wasn’t it really Judas who had handed Jesus over for trial? Our Lord’s words send Pilate a very disturbing message: “Judas bears the guilt for his great sin, Pilate, but you will bear the guilt of your sin, too, even if it is a lesser sin.” The guilt of one man in the betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus does not absolve the other guilty parties of their guilt.

Pilate must now go back out to the hostile Jewish mob, which is demanding the release of Barabbas and the death of Jesus. Pilate earlier was convinced that Jesus must have done something terribly wrong to provoke the wrath of these Jews. Then he realized that Jesus was innocent. Now, he is aware that Jesus could be far more than an innocent man; He may be the Son of God. And so he goes out to face the crowd, intent on convincing them that Jesus must be released. The crowd will have none of this talk! In desperation, they finally play their trump card: If Pilate releases Jesus, he proves that he is no friend of Caesar.[682] And, the inference is that they will see to it that Caesar hears about this. Jesus has claimed to be a king; let Caesar hear about Pilate turning such a fellow loose in Jerusalem.

Pilate has been out-maneuvered, and he knows it. And so he has Jesus brought outside, and then he sits down on the judgment seat called Gabbatha, to render his verdict. Time is marching on, and time is of the essence, not so much for Pilate as for the Jews. It is the day of preparation for the Passover. The crucifixion must be over by nightfall, and it was already almost noon. Was it out of malice that he said to the Jews, “Look, here is your king!”? Their response was predictable. They shouted out, “Away with him! Crucify him!” Pilate then asked them, “Shall I crucify your king?” This was a foregone conclusion, wasn’t it? Why does Pilate go through all these seemingly needless motions? I think this is his attempt to endear himself to these folks (who had just threatened to destroy his career by registering their complaint with Caesar) by seemingly bowing to their will. They know they have this governor by the throat (or, “over a barrel,” as we would say), and that they have won. And so Pilate gives Jesus over to them to be crucified.

The words of the Jews are chilling. In response to Pilate’s question, “Shall I crucify your king?” the high priests reply, “We have no king except Caesar!” This statement is matched by the equally sobering words recorded in Matthew: “Let his blood be on us and on our children!” (Matthew 27:25). In one final act of rebellion against God, the Jewish religious leaders have seemingly renounced all Messianic hope, placing their faith and hope in Caesar, rather than in Jesus, the Christ (the Messiah). They have exchanged Jesus Barabbas for Jesus of Nazareth, and Caesar for Christ. What a horrible bargain they have made!

Conclusion

The great question which is still hotly debated today is, “Who was guilty for the death of Jesus Christ?” We can see from our text that Judas was certainly guilty. We know as well that Pilate was guilty. He was not a kind-hearted man, eager to release Jesus. He was a cruel and calculating tyrant, who sought to release Jesus for his own self-serving reasons, and not out of justice or compassion. He wanted to release Jesus because the Jews wanted to kill Him. This governor, though one of the meanest, most powerful men in history, was powerless to save Jesus from death, even though he sought to do so.

Pilate was guilty for condemning Jesus to death, but he does not bear the guilt alone. The Jews were guilty as well. They were the ones who sought to execute Jesus, even though they could not even legally condemn Him for wrong-doing. They were the ones who pressured and threatened Pilate, so that he finally gave in to their demands and handed Jesus over for crucifixion. As hard as some may work to excuse the Jews for what they did, they too were guilty for the death of our Lord.

The point is that both Jews and Gentiles are responsible for rejecting Jesus as the Messiah, and for nailing Him to the cross. All men are guilty before God. If we had been there that day, we also would have cried out, “Away with Him! Crucify Him!” John’s account makes the guilt of all those present evident, both Jews and Gentiles. At the same time, as our Lord had indicated to Pilate, His death was the plan and purpose of God—His means for providing salvation for lost men:

23 When they were released, Peter and John went to their fellow believers and reported everything the high priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices to God with one mind and said, “Master of all, you who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything that is in them, 25 who said by the Holy Spirit through your servant David our forefather, ‘Why do the nations rage, And the peoples plot foolish things? 26 The kings of the earth stood together, And the rulers assembled together, Against the Lord and against his Christ,’ 27 For both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together in this city against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, 28 to do as much as your power and your plan had decided beforehand would happen (Acts 4:23-28).

For the last 2,000 years, the question has not changed; only those who must decide have changed. John’s Gospel puts before us the assertion that Jesus is indeed who He claimed to be—the Son of God, who came to this earth as the God-man, by adding perfect humanity to His undiminished deity. He came to reveal God to men, and to be rejected by His own people, the Jews, and also by the Gentiles. He was crucified, buried, and raised from the dead. He shed His blood for the salvation of all who trust in Him. And so as you read the words of our text, the decision you must make is virtually the same as that which faced Pilate: Who do you believe Jesus to be, and what will you do with Him? The answer of the Bible is this: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).


! Lesson 45:
The Crucifixion
(John 19:17-37)

Introduction

This week the impeachment trial of William Jefferson Clinton continues, and the case now appears to rest on the testimony of four witnesses: Monica Lewinsky, Sidney Blumenthal, Vernon Jordan, and U.S. President Bill Clinton. Each one has their own version of the truth, and the Senate must decide what testimony, if any, to believe as true. There are some scholars who approach the Gospels in a similar fashion. Four individuals bear witness here also: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Some scholars are quick to say they do not believe any one Gospel is altogether true and reliable. Thus, they think they must sort through all of the Gospels, picking and choosing (and sometimes even modifying an account), in an attempt to discern the “truth” from the New Testament Gospels.

How grateful I am to God that this is not my approach to the Gospels. When I come to the four Gospels, I believe that each one is completely true and reliable. There are differences between the Gospels, but this is by divine design. With the human limitations posed by my knowledge and intelligence, I could not handle the overload of knowing all that Jesus said and did in His earthly life and ministry. Each Gospel writer presents the truth from a slightly different perspective, giving us an important slice of the truth. John indicates that he has selectively recorded a number of significant signs, so that the reader might come to “believe” in Jesus as the promised Messiah, thereby obtaining eternal life (John 20:30-31).

In their accounts of our Lord’s crucifixion and death, Matthew, Mark, and Luke (the so-called Synoptic Gospels), all mention Simon of Cyrene. They describe the mockery of Jesus by the crowd, by the Jewish religious leaders, and by the two robbers who were crucified beside our Lord. They tell us about the three hours of darkness, and Matthew and Mark record the cry of our Lord, “My God, My God, Why hast Thou forsaken Me?” The Synoptic Gospels refer to the women who kept their vigil at the cross, as close to their Lord as they could get. In the Synoptics, we read of the curtain of the temple being torn in two, from top to bottom, and of the soldiers casting lots for our Lord’s garments.

Each Gospel has its own unique contribution to the overall picture of what took place when our Lord suffered and died on the cross of Calvary. Matthew gets our attention with his account of the earthquake, which followed our Lord’s death, so that the tombs of some in the vicinity of Jerusalem were opened, and these resurrected folks made appearances in Jerusalem (Matthew 27:52-54). Mark informs us that Simon of Cyrene is the father of Alexander and Rufus (15:21). Luke has his own story to tell of Jesus on the road to Calvary, of His prayer that God forgive those who were crucifying Him (23:34), of the Lord’s conversation with one of the two thieves who believed, and a record of the Lord’s words, “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit!” (23:46). Perhaps Luke’s most unique contribution is his account of the people leaving the scene of our Lord’s execution, “beating their breasts” (23:48).

John’s Gospel is truly unique in its portrayal of our Lord’s death. John may have been the only Gospel writer to have been an eye-witness of the crucifixion (see 19:35). John omits much that is recorded in the Synoptic Gospels, including:

Any reference to Simon of Cyrene
Everything but a brief reference to the two others being crucified beside Jesus
The mockery of the crowd, the Jewish religious leaders, and the two thieves
The cry, “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken Me?
The three hours of darkness
The torn veil of the temple
The testimony of the centurion

John’s material in our text can be summarized in this way:

Verses 17-22:         Yet another “sign” in John: The “King of the Jews
Verses 23-27          Lottery and loyalty: four men and four women, at the foot of the cross
Verses 28-30          Two statements: “I thirst.”; “It is finished!
Verses 31-37          No bones broken, but a pierced side

“The King of the Jews”
(19:17-22)

So they took Jesus, 17 and he went out, carrying his own cross, to the place called ‘The Place of the Skull’ (called in Aramaic Golgotha). 18 There they crucified him along with two others, one on each side, with Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate also had a notice written and placed on the cross. This is what was written on it: “Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews.” 20 So many of the Jewish residents of Jerusalem read this notice, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the notice was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. 21 Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The king of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am king of the Jews’.” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

John’s statement that Jesus “went out, carrying His own cross” (verse 17) does not contradict the account of the Synoptics, which inform us that Simon of Cyrene[683] carried our Lord’s cross to Calvary. Jesus must have taken up His cross in Jerusalem and carried it as far as outside the city. Then, at some stage of the journey to Golgotha, it must have become evident that Jesus could no longer bear the weight of His cross. He appears to have been beaten more than the two others who were crucified. It may also have been a matter of time. Time was now short, and there was pressure to get on quickly with the crucifixion. If someone were to carry our Lord’s cross for Him, they would get to Golgotha more quickly. Simon of Cyrene was on his way to Jerusalem from out in the country and was drafted to carry our Lord’s cross for Him. One cannot help but wonder what impact his encounter with Jesus made on Simon’s life. The fact that Mark mentions that he was the father of Alexander and Rufus (15:21) makes one wonder if he and his sons did not come to faith, so that those who read Mark’s Gospel would recognize these two sons as fellow-saints.

In one verse (17), John takes us from the judgment seat of Pilate to the “Place of the Skull.” John does not belabor the process of crucifixion, though we know it was the most cruel form of execution devised by man.[684] The two robbers (whom Luke calls “criminals”) are crucified with our Lord, one on His left, and the other to His right. It seems significant that Jesus was placed in the center. Surely He was the focus of this event, as everyone seemed to know, and as those who passed by could figure out for themselves.

John chooses to expand his account concerning the written notice that was attached to the cross above the head of our Lord. The other Gospels mention it, but it is John who gives us the most detail and the greatest insight here. Indicating the charges for which the condemned was crucified was common practice. In this way, those who witnessed the crucifixion would be warned by seeing that Rome took this particular offense seriously. We do not know whether the two men beside Jesus had notices above their heads, but we are told by every Gospel that the charges against Jesus (with slight variations) were written out: “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”

The place where Jesus was crucified outside Jerusalem was not far from the city and was close to the road. Many Jews—a number of whom were pilgrims—were on their way to or from Jerusalem and therefore passed by the cross of our Lord. Messianic hopes ran high, especially at Passover, and so the words written above the head of Jesus caught the attention of those passing by. The words were written in Aramaic, the language of the Jews of Palestine, Latin, the language of the Romans, and Greek, the common language of the day in that part of the world. It would have been difficult to pass by that way and not look upon Jesus, and to read the notice above His head. Many of those who saw the sign paused to ponder its meaning, making Jesus the center of attention.

This notoriety and publicity upset the Jewish religious leaders. They did not wish for Jesus’ claims to be advertised publicly. They especially did not like the inference of Pilate’s wording, which may have been intended as a barb for those who wanted Jesus crucified. Pilate’s words almost implied that Jesus’ claim to be the “King of the Jews” was true. Seeking to remedy the situation, the Jews appealed to Pilate, urging him to modify the words posted on the cross of Jesus. They wanted the notice to indicate only that Jesus claimed to be “King of the Jews,” the inference being that His claim was false. These Jews were highly skilled in debating over words and their meaning,[685] but they did not win this battle of the wills. Pilate had had just about enough of them for one day; he was not going to let them tell him what to do this time. Pilate’s words would stand as they were written. And that was the end of this discussion.

Is it not interesting that both Caiaphas and Pilate find themselves unwittingly bearing witness to the fact that Jesus is indeed the Son of God, the King of Israel? Not long before, Caiaphas, as the high priest, spoke prophetically about our Lord’s substitutionary death (John 11:47-52). And now, here in our text, Pilate refers to Jesus as “the King of the Jews.” Neither of these powerful men had any intention of giving glory to God, but both of them spoke (or wrote, in Pilate’s case) of Jesus in a way that was prophetic. If God can speak through a dumb animal (i.e., Balaam’s donkey, Numbers 22:28-30), He can surely speak through men who do not even believe in Him. It may have been out of spite for the Jews that Pilate wrote what he did, but what he wrote was true, and in so doing, Pilate called attention to Jesus as Israel’s Messiah, the “King of the Jews.”

For the wrath of man shall praise You; With a remnant of wrath You will gird Yourself (Psalm 76:10, NASB).

Loyalty and Lottery or Four Soldiers and Four Saints
(19:23-27)

23 Now when the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothing and made four shares, one for each soldier, and the tunic remained. (Now the tunic was seamless,[686] woven from top to bottom as a single piece.) 24 So the soldiers said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but throw dice to see who will get it.” This took place to fulfill the scripture that says, “They divided up my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.” So the soldiers did these things. 25 Now standing beside Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 So when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, look, here is your son!” 27 He then said to his disciple, “Look, here is your mother!” From that very time the disciple took her into his own home.

It is John’s Gospel which most emphatically underscores the fulfillment of prophecy in the events surrounding our Lord’s death. Three times in our text John specifically informs his readers that prophecy has been fulfilled (verses 24, 36 and 37). When our Lord’s garments are divided according to lot, John informs us that this fulfills the prophecy of Psalm 22:18: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots” (NKJV).

Translators have a choice to make at verse 25. They must decide just how many women John is referring to here. As you can see, the translators of the NET Bible (like most others) have opted to identify four women, though the mere movement of a comma could reduce this number to three. I believe that John does mean to specify four women here. There are a number of reasons for doing so, which we shall not belabor at this point. I am inclined to read verses 23-27 in a way that contrasts the four soldiers at the foot of the cross with the four saintly women who are also standing by their Lord.

The four men John focuses on are all Roman soldiers. It has fallen to their lot to carry out the crucifixion of Jesus and the two robbers. They appear to be oblivious to the suffering of the three men hanging on their crosses. According to Luke (23:36), the soldiers joined in with the others who mocked Jesus, virtually daring Him to come down from the cross to save Himself. John characterizes these four soldiers using this one scene. As Jesus hung there, beaten and bleeding, the solders were down on their knees. They weren’t praying; they were casting lots. They were, so to speak, rolling the dice to see which one of them would get the one-piece tunic. I can almost see one of the men shaking the dice in the palm of his hand, saying, “Com’ on, snake eyes …Yes! It’s mine!”

It almost sounds as if these soldiers were bored. Perhaps they had carried out this duty so many times they were just mechanically doing their job. There was nothing new or unexpected here, not yet, that is.[687] From experience, these soldiers must have felt they knew almost exactly what would happen over the next few hours. Their ears very likely tuned out every moan and cry. They may have learned not to even look at their victims. If there is going to be any excitement for them at all, it will be in the casting of lots to see who wins the garments the dying men will leave behind. I cannot think of any way John could have better captured the cold-heartedness of these four men than by seizing upon this moment in time as they huddle together on the ground, casting lots for our Lord’s garments. They see nothing to gain from Jesus but some item of clothing. In today’s terms, they would look upon Jesus as the source of a baseball cap, an Izod shirt, a pair of Haggar slacks, or maybe—if they are lucky—a pair of Nike shoes. That’s all Jesus was to them—a chance to win a piece of clothing. As He hung there on that cross, shedding His precious blood for guilty sinners, all they could think about was our Lord’s tunic. When Jesus was “rolling away the burden of our sins” (as the hymn celebrates), they were rolling the dice.

Yet, let us not be too quick to judge these soldiers. They are no different, in heart, than many today. They ignore the atoning work of Jesus and look to Him only to meet their material needs—not the need for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life—but for their physical needs. Even we who name the name of Christ as Savior and Lord all too often only look to Him to care for our material needs. Our prayers sound more like shopping lists than serious petitions for our spiritual needs and those of others.

In stark contrast to the four male dice-rolling soldiers are the four dedicated women John identifies by name. The soldiers seem to have no appreciation for who Jesus is. They may never have seen Him before. They have no compassion on Him, even though He is suffering beyond words. These four women linger as close to the cross as they can get. They are among those women who followed Jesus, supporting Him from their own means (Mark 15:40-41; Luke 8:1-3). They did not look upon His death as a means of gaining some of His possessions (as was the case with the soldiers), but as the greatest loss they had ever suffered. Was it one of these women who gave Jesus the seamless garment for which the soldiers gambled?

Recently, I had to go to the doctor for my annual physical examination. You all know what that is like. They hand you something that seems little bigger, and probably thinner, than a paper towel. You sort of wrap it around yourself, and then desperately attempt to hold the thing together, struggling to preserve what little dignity remains. My experience at the doctor’s office helped me appreciate something I had not thought of before, which William Hendriksen called to my attention in his commentary on John:

“The clear implication of the passage which we are studying must not escape us. It is this: Jesus bore for us the curse of nakedness in order to deliver us from it! Cf. Gen. 3:9-11, 21; then II Cor. 5:4; Rev. 7:12, 13. Surely if what Ham did to his father Noah is singled out for special mention because of its reprehensible character, what the soldiers did when they disrobed Jesus and then divided his garments among themselves, casting lots, should cause us to pause with horror.”[688]

Hanging upon that cross, our Lord was almost naked as He bore our punishment for sin. After man first sinned, nakedness became shameful (see Genesis 9:20-27; 2 Samuel 10:1-5; Isaiah 20:4). Can you imagine the humiliation our Lord endured as He hung upon that cross, half-naked, with hundreds of people looking on? It is no wonder that David wrote of our Lord: “For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me” (Psalm 22:16-17, NKJV, emphasis mine). Our Lord bore the curse of nakedness for us, so that we might be clothed in His righteousness.

It was as Jesus was hanging there, half-naked, on that cross that He made arrangements for the care of His mother: “So when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, look, here is your son!’ He then said to his disciple, ‘Look, here is your mother!’ From that very time the disciple took her into his own home” (John 19:26-27).

Once again we come upon “the other disciple,” whom we can reasonably assume to be John. Much is made of this text, too much by some. As D. A. Carson notes, Roman Catholicism seeks to find here a mandate for the veneration of Mary. This is a view which Carson rejects as contrary to the text and to the tenor of John’s Gospel:

Roman Catholic exegesis has tended not so much to see Mary coming under the care of the beloved disciple, as the reverse; and if the beloved disciple is also taken as an idealization of all true disciples, the way is cleared to think of Mary as the mother of the church.[689]

… the Fourth Gospel focuses on the exclusiveness of the Son, the finality of his cross-work, the promise of the Paraclete as the definitive aid to the believers after Jesus has been glorified, and correspondingly de-emphasizes Mary by giving her almost no part to play in the narrative, and by reporting a rebuke, however gentle, that Jesus administered to her (2:4). With such themes lying on the surface of the text, it is most natural to see in vv. 26-27 an expression of Jesus’ love and care for his mother, a thoughtful provision for her needs at the hour of supreme devastation. … To argue, then, that this scene is symbolic of a continuing role for Mary as the church comes under her care is without adequate contextual control. It is so anachronistic an interpretation that [it] is difficult to imagine how it could have gained such sway apart from the developments of centuries of later traditions.[690]

The common Protestant interpretation of this incident is that Jesus, knowing He was about to die and to return to the Father, made arrangements for the long-term care of His mother.[691] This “long-term” element does raise some questions in my mind. We are told in Scripture that it is the responsibility of the immediate family to look after their own:

3 Honor widows who are truly in need. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they should first learn to fulfill their duty toward their own household and so repay their parents what is owed them. For this is what pleases God (1 Timothy 5:3-4).

Why, then, would Jesus assign the responsibility of caring for His mother to John, who is not one of her sons? The answer most would give is that none of her other sons were believers (see John 7:5). This is true, of course, but not for long. We know that within days or weeks, James, Jesus’ half-brother, will come to faith and eventually become a prominent leader in the church at Jerusalem (Acts 12:17; 15:13; 1 Corinthians 15:7; Galatians 1:19). Why would Jesus assign the long-term care of Mary to John, knowing that James, her son, will soon come to faith?

I would suggest that our problems are solved if we see Jesus providing here for Mary’s short-term care. Surely we would agree that Jesus knew James was one of the elect. If James is one of our Lord’s “sheep,” then Jesus would know it and would not act in a way that was contrary to this knowledge. I would suggest to you that Jesus was providing for the care of His mother for the next few days or weeks. We know that John immediately began to care for Mary, because he tells us so in verse 27 (“from that very time”—literally, “from that hour”). There are those who believe that John (or his family) may have actually owned a home in Jerusalem. This could explain why John (“the other disciple”) was known to the high priest and to the servant girl at the gate (18:16). Mary, like the disciples, could have been in danger and would certainly need to be looked after for a while. John would have been the one most able and willing to carry out this task.

The next few days were going to be pure agony. We do not know for certain that Mary’s other sons were present in Jerusalem (though we would expect so—see John 7:1-9), but if they were, can you imagine what kind of comfort these unbelieving sons would have been to their believing mother?[692] I can almost hear James trying to comfort Mary after the death of Jesus: “Mom, you know I told Jesus to give up His insane talk about being the Messiah. He must have been out of His mind. And now, all of this foolishness was for nothing, except to shame us.” I believe that Jesus assigned John to care for Mary because he was the one closest to the heart of our Lord, and because he was the first disciple to believe (see John 20:8). He also seems to have had the means to do so. Who better to look after Mary in the next dark and difficult days than John?

It Is Finished!
(19:28-30)

28 After this Jesus, because he knew that by this time everything was completed, to fulfill the scripture, said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine was there, so they put a sponge soaked in sour wine on a branch of hyssop and lifted it to Jesus’ mouth. 30 So when he had received the sour wine, Jesus said, “It is completed,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

I am amazed at the words of verse 28. Jesus knew that everything was completed. He was no helpless victim, powerless, and therefore subject to the whims of those who had arrested Him. Jesus was aware of every Scripture that spoke of His atoning death as the promised Messiah. In the last few weeks especially, Jesus has been orchestrating events so that His death would perfectly fulfill all these prophecies. In the final moments of His life, Jesus takes note of the fact that every prophetic detail has been arranged for so that He now may proceed to complete His mission, in a way that fulfills the remaining prophecies concerning His death.

Jesus utters the words, “I am thirsty,” which prompts one of those standing nearby to dip a sponge into sour wine and convey it to the lips of our Lord. This is not the same offer of wine that was made as the crucifixion began (Matthew 27:34; Mark 15:23). The “wine” that Jesus refused at the outset of His crucifixion was mixed with a narcotic-like pain killer.[693] Jesus refused this because He insisted on drinking the “cup of God’s wrath” to the full (John 18:11). The “wine” Jesus now accepts is a cheap wine. It did not deaden any of His pain. Our Lord’s thirst and His partaking of this “wine” seems to have served a two-fold purpose. First, it fulfilled Scripture:

My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death (Psalm 22:15, NKJV).

I am weary with my crying; My throat is dry; My eyes fail while I wait for my God (Psalm 69:3, NKJV).

They also gave me gall for my food, And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink (Psalm 69:21, NKJV).

While there is considerable discussion about John’s reference to the “branch of hyssop” that was used to lift the sponge to our Lord’s lips,[694] we can hardly fail to see the significance of the hyssop in relation to the blood of the Passover lamb: “And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning” (Exodus 12:22, NKJV).

Second, it would seem as though the vinegar-like wine served to help clear the throat of our Lord, so that He could end His life triumphantly, with a shout. So far as John informs us, the “shout” is not, “It is completed,” but rather as Luke informs us, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46). These two statements must have come in close proximity to each other, however. The words that John records were no doubt spoken first, and then were followed by the words that Luke records. John simply tells us that Jesus “said,” “It is completed.” Jesus declares that His work is completed, and then He gives up His Spirit.

It really has been completed, hasn’t it? Everything for which John has been preparing us in this Gospel has now been accomplished by our Lord. John 1 declares that Jesus is the eternal Son of God, who called the world into being. He is the One sent to earth by the Father, in order to reveal Him to men. He is the One who “came unto His own place and to His own people,” and yet those who were “His own”—the Jews—rejected Him. He was “lifted up” so that He could draw all men unto Himself (3:13-18). He came to do His Father’s will (4:34) and has now completed it. He came to declare His Father’s Word, and He has proclaimed it (8:26-28, 38; 12:49-50; 14:10). He came to glorify the Father, and on the cross, He has done that (12:23, 28, 41; 13:32; 17:1, 4). It truly is finished; His task has been completed.

And because all of His prerequisite work has been completed, our Lord can now die. His life is not taken away from Him; He voluntarily gives it up, just as He had indicated earlier:

14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold. I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, so that there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17 This is why the Father loves me—because I lay down my life, so that I may take it back again. 18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This is the commandment I received from my Father” (John 10:14-18).

Jesus gave up His spirit; it was not taken from Him. In fact, Pilate will be surprised to hear that Jesus has died so soon (Mark 15:44). The soldiers had to hasten the death of the two thieves, but not that of our Lord. Even the timing of His death was indicative of His sovereign control over all things. Because Jesus died when He did, His legs would not be broken, thus fulfilling yet another prophecy as we shall see in the next verses.

Making Sure
(19:31-37)

31 Then, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies should not stay on the crosses on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was an especially important one), the Jewish religious authorities asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies taken down. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men who had been crucified with Jesus, first the one and then the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and blood and water flowed out immediately. 35 And the person who saw it has testified (and his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth), so that you also may believe. 36 For these things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled, “Not a bone of his will be broken.” 37 And again another scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced.”

John chooses not to repeat much of what the other Gospels have recorded. Verses 31-37 are unique to John’s Gospel. They describe what football fans know as the “two-minute offense.” This is the offensive plan implemented by the team which is behind when there are two minutes or less left on the clock. Everything is hurried up, or designed to stop the clock. The quarterback may call the next two plays so that they can skip the huddle. The quarterback throws the ball rather than runs it so the clock will stop if it is an incomplete pass. The team will also use its time-outs strategically. All of this is done because there is little time left in the game.

The Jews were now in their “two-minute offense.” Time was running out for them. They had been forced to go through the formalities of a trial and to obtain Pilate’s cooperation in the crucifixion of Jesus. They were still under great time constraints because this was the day of preparation; they must be done with this crucifixion by evening so they could begin to observe the Sabbath by evening. Normally, death by crucifixion would take much longer, and this was no problem to Rome. While the Romans liked to leave the bodies of those crucified exposed for some time, to serve as a warning to all, the Jews could not allow these bodies to remain exposed after nightfall. The men would have to die more quickly than normal so that their bodies could be taken down.[695]

Rome had a solution for this situation.[696] A heavy hammer was used to crush the bones of the victims’ legs. This would make it impossible for those being crucified to push up with their legs in order to facilitate the breathing process. Once their leg bones were broken, the victims died within a short time. The soldiers therefore set out to break the legs of all three. For some reason, they started on the outside, waiting to deal with Jesus last. (Is it possible that having seen and heard the events of that day—such as the three hours of darkness—they were now reluctant to do further bodily harm to Jesus?) When they came to Him, it was apparent that He was already dead. There was no need to break His legs.

One of the soldiers must have wanted to make absolutely sure that Jesus was dead, so he thrust his spear into our Lord’s side. Immediately, both blood and water gushed out, a fact to which John gives special significance. There have been many interesting attempts to explain the spiritual significance of this fact. For example, some have seen the “water” to be a symbol of Christian baptism, while the “blood” is said to symbolize communion. This is a very difficult connection to prove, and it seems forced to me.

Others have gone to considerable effort to show that this was a natural phenomena,[697] as though it were necessary to prove that what happened to Jesus happens to others as well. In other words, they wish to show that this is humanly possible. I remember when I was studying the Book of Jonah, several commentators referred to other historical accounts of men being swallowed by fish and surviving. That such things could, in fact, happen was construed as proof that, in Jonah’s case, it did happen. I would have been content to believe in Jonah’s miraculous rescue, whether or not it had ever happened to anyone else before. Why do we work so hard to prove that things which are supernatural are natural?

Perhaps the “water and blood” that poured from our Lord’s wound was a normal phenomena, something that one should expect in a death such as our Lord’s. But I am perfectly content for this phenomena to be absolutely unique. Was His birth not unique? Why should His death not be unique in some respects as well? As I read John’s words in verse 35, he seems to make a point of the fact that “blood and water” came from the wound that was inflicted by the thrust of the soldier’s spear. Might John not have been referring to this as something unique, and therefore most noteworthy? Does he not seem to employ this as yet another “sign” that points to the deity of our Lord and the truth of the Gospel? “And the person who saw it has testified (and his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth), so that you also may believe” (verse 35). May this not have been one of the factors that the centurion took into account, which contributed to his astonishment at the way Jesus died? “When the centurion, who stood in front of him, saw that he breathed no more, he said, ‘Truly, this man was God’s Son!’” (Mark 15:39).

Already in John’s day, there were those seeking sophisticated alternative explanations for the death and resurrection of our Lord. One of these was known as docetism, the view that Jesus did not come in “flesh and blood,” but as some kind of spirit being. John’s description of our Lord’s death, especially of the “blood and water,” shows the folly of denying that Jesus Christ came in the flesh (see 1 John 4:2). There were also those who contended that, although Jesus was truly “flesh and blood,” He did not actually die; He just “swooned” and was revived by the cool temperature in the tomb. This account of the spear thrust into the side of our Lord deals a death blow to swoon theories and to docetism.

Once again, John wishes us to see that the things which took place at Calvary were the very things God had prophesied.[698] Jesus, by giving up His life earlier than expected, was spared from having His legs broken. John sees in this a fulfillment of prophecy. Though the Old Testament text that is fulfilled is not indicated, very likely it comes from Exodus 12 or Psalm 34:20, or both:

43 And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat it. 44 But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat it. 45 A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat it. 46 In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones” (Exodus 12:43-46, NKJV; see also Numbers 9:12).

He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken (Psalm 34:20, NKJV).

The other fulfilled prophecy, referred to by John in verse 37, is from Zechariah 12:10:

“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10, NKJV).

The piercing of the side of our Lord was prophetically necessary, since Zechariah 12:10 refers to the Messiah. And so what John describes is what Zechariah foretold. Everything was truly going according to God’s plan. Not one prophecy failed to be fulfilled.

All of this, mind you, happened in spite of the norm, and in spite of the Jews’ request. The Jews, alarmed by how long the execution was taking, were desperate to get this over with so that they could get on with “worshipping God.” They requested of Pilate that he have the legs of all three men broken, which was a common practice. Had things gone as everyone expected, the legs of our Lord would have been broken as well. But the Jews did not get their way. The soldiers broke the legs of the other two, but seeing that Jesus was already dead (because, we are told, Jesus gave up His spirit—verse 30) they chose not to go to the trouble of breaking the legs of a dead man. Instead, perhaps at a whim, one soldier thrusts his spear into the Savior’s side. The result is that two prophecies are fulfilled in one stroke. The legs of Jesus are not broken, and the side of Jesus is pierced. Even in death, our Lord perfectly fulfilled the Scriptures.

Conclusion

One of the most striking things about the accounts of our Lord’s death in the Gospels is the absence of sensationalism. The physical suffering of our Lord was designed to be as great as men could devise. Many are those who attempt to expand upon the New Testament’s account of our Lord’s death, so we can appreciate more fully the physical torture He endured for us.

I do not in any way desire to minimize the physical suffering of our Lord on the cross, but neither do I wish to make more of it than the Gospels do. Why isn’t there more emphasis on the physical pain that our Lord endured? I would suggest several answers. First, the physical suffering of our Lord was but a small part of what He endured at Calvary. To put it differently, our Lord’s physical pain was the suffering which men were able to impose upon Him. But the great suffering which our Lord endured at Calvary was the spiritual suffering our Lord experienced at the hand of God. Our Lord became sin for us, and He suffered in our place to save us from our sins. Our Lord suffered the eternal wrath of God. Compared to this suffering, our Lord’s physical suffering was but a drop in the bucket.

Second, there is really no way we can fathom God’s wrath. If you are like me, you have tried to imagine what heaven will be like. No matter how hard we try, no matter how far we let our imaginations go, our minds fall far short of grasping the wonders of heaven: “But just as it is written, ‘Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined, are the things God has prepared for those who love him’” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

If our minds cannot begin to fathom the good things God has in store for His children, why would we think that our minds would be able to comprehend the horror of God’s wrath, which will come upon those who have rebelled against Him? God has graciously kept us from understanding what would only horrify us. As Jesus Himself said, “So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).

Third—and here I can be justly criticized for speculation—I wonder if knowing how much our Lord suffered might cause us needless suffering. I am a husband, a father, and a grandfather. I must tell you that I don’t like to suffer, but it is even more painful for me to watch one of those close to me, one whom I dearly love, suffer. I think, at times, that my suffering—vicariously through the pain of a loved one—is greater than the actual suffering which is experienced. If the purpose of our Lord’s suffering was to suffer in our behalf, to suffer instead of us, then why would He graphically describe His own immense suffering for us? Would this not cause us great agony? What I am trying to say here is that God was gracious in not telling us any more than He did, because it would cause us to suffer. We need not suffer for those sins for which He suffered and died.

Perhaps this helps to explain the three hours of darkness, which John chooses not to mention. It is my opinion that God “turned out the lights” so that no one would be able to see the bulk of the spiritual suffering our Lord endured at the Father’s hand. Do you remember in the Book of Exodus, when Moses asked God to see His glory (Exodus 33:18)? God allowed Moses to see a portion of His glory, but not the totality of it. God covered Moses with His hand, so that he would not die beholding His unveiled glory. I wonder if God did not do something similar with the darkness, as our Lord suffered on the cross. Would men have survived if they beheld the wrath of God being poured out in full measure upon the Son? How good God is to keep us from knowing any more of the suffering of the Son than He has revealed, than He wants us to know.

The cross is a great revealer of truth. The cross is the measure of the magnitude of our sin. When we read of what took place at the cross, we almost tremble at the way men mocked God, knowing that had we been alive then, we would have joined them, apart from the grace of God. The cross reveals to us the dreadfulness of our sins. It is just such sin that required the cross to cure it. If the price of the cure is also the measure of the magnitude of the disease, sin is a horrible malady. The cross is the measure of God’s hatred of sin. The cross is also the measure of God’s love and grace, poured out upon those whom He saves.

The cross, as terrible as it is, is a wondrous and even beautiful thing, for the Christian. We sing that song, “The Old Rugged Cross,” with gratitude and wonder. We sing that we “love that old cross …”, and so we do, or rather, we love Him who died on it. And every week, in our church at least, we gather to celebrate, once again, the sacrifice which our Lord made on our behalf, through the shedding of His precious blood. No matter how many times I read the accounts of our Lord’s death, I am always struck with wonder, gratitude, and praise. I am reminded of the words of a hymn that is not in our hymnal, but should be, “Jesus, keep me near the cross …” So it should be.

I am sure that the events which occurred at the cross had a great impact on those who witnessed the death of our Lord. The centurion was convinced from what he saw that Jesus was the Son of God. Some of those who heard Peter preach at Pentecost may well have witnessed our Lord’s death at Calvary. Luke (23:48) tells us that the multitudes, when they beheld this sight, went away beating their breasts. It was a horrible day for those who thought it might be entertaining. I wonder how many of these folks were later saved.

If you are a Christian, you should be stirred in your soul every time you read of our Lord’s death. We should never tire of remembering Him and His death, as our Lord commanded (see Luke 22:19; cf. 1 Corinthians 11:23ff.). We should take every temptation to sin seriously, knowing what our sin cost Him at Calvary. We should never cease to preach Christ crucified, for this is what the gospel is all about.

Is it possible that someone is reading these words who has not yet grasped the fact that the death of Jesus Christ is no mere historical fact, unrelated to men and women today? The death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross was His full and final payment for the penalty of our sin. It is on the basis of His death and resurrection that the offer of salvation is made to all. Those who trust in the work of Jesus at Calvary are saved. Have you received the gift of salvation, which was purchased at Calvary? If not, I urge you to acknowledge your sin, and to own up to the fact that His suffering at Calvary is what you deserve. Receive the gift of the forgiveness of your sins, trusting that He has paid the penalty for your sin.

As I think of the picture of the cross which John has painted for us, I remember the crowds as they taunted and mocked the Lord Jesus Christ. I hear their words ringing in my ears, “We have no king, but Caesar!” (19:15), and “His blood be upon us and our children!” (Matthew 27:25). These are the most horrifying words imaginable. Not many years later, Jerusalem will pay a heavy price for the Jews’ part in the rejection and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Thirty years later, on this very spot, judgment was pronounced against some of the best citizens of Jerusalem. Of the 3,600 victims of the governor’s fury, not a few were scourged and crucified! Judas died in a loathsome suicide, the house of Annas was destroyed some years later, Caiaphas was deposed a year after the crucifixion, and Pilate was soon after banished to Gaul and there died in suicide. When Jerusalem fell, her wretched citizens were crucified around her walls until, in the historian’s grim language, ‘space was wanting for the crosses, and crosses for the bodies.’ The horrors of the siege of Jerusalem are unpar­alleled in history.[699]

As I have reflected on our text, I have asked myself this question: “What is the unique contribution which the Gospel of John makes to the description of our Lord’s death on the cross of Calvary?” In the Synoptic Gospels, we read a great deal concerning the mockery of the crowds, of the Jewish religious leaders, of the Roman soldiers, and even of the two thieves. But John passes these matters by. Why? I think there is a good reason, one that makes a lot of sense once you stop to think about it—John wants our Lord Jesus to be central and preeminent in his account of the death of the Savior at Calvary. Jesus is center stage in John, as He ought to be. Calvary is about a cross, the cross of Jesus Christ. It is He alone, through His cross, who saves sinners. Let us never lose this focus.


! Lesson 46:
The Burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
(John 19:38–20:9)

Introduction

When I was more deeply involved in prison ministry a few years ago, I had the opportunity to meet a number of prison chaplains. Among these was the chaplain for the death row unit in Huntsville, Texas. He told of some condemned men he had dealt with who had truly come to faith, and of others who were hardened to the gospel. As a death row chaplain, one of his responsibilities was to meet with each condemned man just before his execution. Whether or not they wished to speak with him about spiritual things, there were some other matters which had to be discussed. In particular, they had to discuss their burial arrangements. Unless other arrangements were made in advance by family or loved ones, the body of the executed criminal would be buried in what was, in effect, “boot hill”—a gravesite designated for executed criminals near the prison.

As we come to John’s account of the burial of our Lord, I am reminded of the fact that in all likelihood, our Lord would have been buried in the “boot hill” of His day:

Under Roman law, the bodies of executed criminals were normally handed over to their next of kin, but not so in the case of those crucified for sedition. They were left to the vultures, the culminating indignity and shame. The Jews never refused to bury any executed criminal, but instead of allowing the bodies of such sinners to be placed in family tombs, where they might desecrate those already buried, they provided a burial site for criminals just outside the city (cf. Jos., Ant. v. 44).[700]

Most of the disciples were keeping their distance from Jesus at this point in time.[701] It does not even appear to be possible for any of Jesus’ disciples or family to secure His body and give it a proper burial. And to make the situation even more difficult, time to give Jesus a proper burial had virtually run out. By the time Jesus and the two men beside Him had died, it was getting late. The bodies must be quickly buried, before dark, when the Sabbath began (see Luke 23:54). Every indication was that the body of our Lord would be hastily buried in “boot hill.”

Looking back on this great moment in history, we know something else, something which the disciples did not realize at the time: the Old Testament had prophesied that the Messiah would be buried in a rich man’s tomb: “He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth” (Isaiah 53:9, NIV). Somehow, the Messiah would be put to death as a criminal (Isaiah 53:3-4), with criminals (53:9), and yet He was also to be buried with the rich (53:9). How could all these things possibly take place at the same time?

In spite of the difficulties, Jesus was crucified as a criminal, with criminals. And in our text, we shall see that after His death He was given a rich man’s burial. We might even say that Jesus was given a burial “fit for a king.” How did all of this come about? What caused this amazing turn of events? Our text, complimented by the parallel accounts of the Synoptic Gospels, gives us the answer.

Before we concentrate on John’s account of the burial and resurrection of our Lord, allow me to call your attention to the contribution of the Synoptic Gospels. Matthew’s Gospel has some especially important information, which enhances our study in John. Matthew informs us of the request the Jewish religious leaders made of Pilate after the death and burial of Jesus. They remembered that Jesus claimed He would rise from the dead after three days:

39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights” (Matthew 12:39-40; see also Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:34; John 2:19).

Even though the disciples had forgotten our Lord’s words about His resurrection, the Jewish religious leaders had not:

62 The next day (which is after the day of preparation) the chief priests and the Pharisees assembled before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember that while that deceiver was still alive he said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ 64 So give orders to secure the tomb until the third day. Otherwise his disciples may come and steal his body and say to the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “Take a guard of soldiers. Go and make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went with the soldiers of the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone (Matthew 27:62-66).[702]

In my mind’s eye, I can see the smug look of satisfaction on the faces of those who had brought about the death of our Lord. What could be more perfect? The body of Jesus was in a chamber hewn out of rock, with a very large stone sealing the entrance to the tomb. Once the stone was “sealed,” no one would dare to try to steal the body of Jesus, to make it look as if He had been raised from the dead in fulfillment of His own prophecies. And to be doubly sure, guards were posted at the tomb so that no one could gain access to the body of Jesus. These guards would terrify anyone who dared to attempt to gain entrance to the tomb.

Matthew’s account shows how useless these efforts were to “contain” the Son of God:

2 And there was a severe earthquake, for[703] an angel of the Lord descending from heaven came and rolled back the stone, and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were shaken and became like dead men because they were so afraid of him (Matthew 28:2-4).

Did the Jewish religious leaders hope to strike terror into the hearts of our Lord’s disciples to prevent them from attempting to steal the body of Jesus from that tomb? It was not the disciples they were opposing; it was God. The guards were no match for the angels, and a sealed stone was no match for an earthquake. In an instant, every barrier to that tomb was removed. And to think that the women had wasted their time worrying about how they would remove that stone (see Mark 16:3)! It was the Roman guards who were “all shook up” by the earthquake. They were petrified with fear at the sight of the angel of the Lord.

I don’t think you need to be reminded of this, but that stone was not removed so that Jesus could get out of the tomb (see John 20:19). The stone was removed to make it completely clear to those outside that Jesus was not inside—that He had been raised from the dead, just as He had said.

Matthew supplies us with some other valuable information. He alone informs us that Joseph of Arimathea was a “rich man” (27:57). He also is the one who tells us that the tomb in which our Lord is buried is Joseph’s own new tomb, which has been hewn out of solid stone (27:60).

The Synoptic Gospels portray Joseph of Arimathea in a favorable light. He is said to be a “disciple” of our Lord (Matthew 27:57; see also John 19:38), who was looking for the kingdom of God (Mark 15:43; Luke 23:51). He was a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin (Mark 15:43; Luke 23:50), but he opposed their plans to put Jesus to death (Luke 23:51). All the Gospels identify him as the one who went to Pilate, requesting the body of Jesus:

43 Joseph of Arimathea, a highly regarded member of the council, who was himself looking forward to the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate was surprised that he was already dead. He called the centurion and asked him if he had been dead for a long time. 45 When Pilate was informed by the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph (Mark 15:43-45).

From what we are told in John’s Gospel, I am not so sure that I am willing to accept the translation in verse 43, which would indicate that Joseph “boldly” approached Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus. I doubt that anyone would boldly approach Pilate on such an occasion. For one thing, Joseph was a “secret disciple” of Jesus. For him to identify himself with Jesus at this point did take courage, but I don’t think that his courage was reflected by a “boldness” in his approach to Pilate. Pilate may have had just about enough from the Jews for one day, especially when it came to Jesus. He was far from happy over the way the religious leaders had forced his hand in bringing about the crucifixion of Jesus. I think that these translations more accurately reflect the sense of Mark’s words:

Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus (Mark 15:43, NAB).

Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus (Mark 15:43, NKJV).

It was a courageous thing that Joseph of Arimathea did, going before Pilate and requesting the body of Jesus. But I don’t think that it was something he did “boldly.” I think that he worked up the courage to request an audience with Pilate and then made his request, but not with the arrogance and smugness with which the Jewish religious leaders had dealt with him. His was a humble request, but a reasonable one. Unlike the crucifixion of our Lord, it does not appear to be something that Pilate begrudgingly granted. Indeed, if he felt guilty over condemning an innocent man, he may have felt good that Jesus (this “righteous man,” as Pilate’s own wife had referred to Him—Matthew 27:19) was given an honorable burial. And if the other religious leaders happened not to like it, so much the better.

The Synoptic Gospels all call attention to the women who were present at the cross, and then followed those who buried Jesus to note the place where the body of Jesus was laid to rest (Matthew 27:61; Mark 15:47; Luke 23:54-56). It was their intention to come back after the Sabbath and do a more thorough job of preparing the Lord’s body for burial.

The Burial of Jesus
(19:38-42)

38 After this Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus (but secretly, because he feared the Jewish authorities), asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission, so he went and took away the body. 39 Nicodemus, who had come to Jesus earlier at night, went with Joseph too, carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing seventy-five pounds. 40 So they took Jesus’ body and wrapped it, with the aromatic spices, in strips of linen cloth according to Jewish burial customs. 41 Now at the place where Jesus was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden was a new tomb where no one had yet been buried. 42 So because it was the Jewish day of preparation and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

The trial(s), execution, death, and burial of our Lord were all hurried. The Jews did not wish to arrest and do away with Jesus during the Passover, but their hand was forced and they had to act quickly. The trial of Jesus had been prolonged (with Jesus being sent to Herod), and because Passover was soon to commence, it was necessary to break the legs of the two men beside Jesus to speed up their deaths. Pilate was surprised to learn that Jesus had already died (Mark 15:44). The bodies had to be taken down and buried before nightfall. It was this “rush” which seemed, at first, to be an obstacle to a proper burial for our Lord, but it actually played an important part in bringing about our Lord’s “royal” burial.

John’s account makes a point of indicating that the Lord’s burial was a hurried one (19:42). Time was short, and no one who was close to Jesus seems to be able to secure the body of Jesus. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, two men emerge: Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. Nicodemus is never mentioned in the Synoptic Gospels, and Joseph of Arimathea is referred to only after the death of Jesus. While the Synoptics speak very favorably of Joseph, John is not quite as complimentary in his description of this man. John does not mention that Joseph was a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin or that he opposed their efforts to kill Jesus. John describes Joseph only as a disciple who kept his allegiance to Jesus a secret, for fear of the Jews.

It looks as though John wants us to view Joseph as a pretty unlikely candidate to bring about what the Scriptures require, so far as our Lord’s burial is concerned. Added to this is the fact that Nicodemus is just as unlikely. Who can pull off what is required here, and in such a short period of time? From what I know of Nicodemus, and from what little I know of Joseph of Arimathea, these two men would not be at the top of my “most likely to be helpful” list.

So far as their loyalty to our Lord in the past is concerned, these two men are not impressive. But so far as their ability to accomplish the task (of burying Jesus in a kingly fashion), they are well qualified. This is not the time for a family member or a close follower of Jesus to request His body for burial. But Joseph of Arimathea is a member of the Sanhedrin and a very wealthy man. He offers Pilate the opportunity to rid himself of the responsibility for burying the body of Jesus.

Joseph of Arimathea is not alone in his efforts to obtain the body of Jesus and to give Him a proper burial. He is working with Nicodemus, another very prominent member of the Sanhedrin. These two men must have begun their association as colleagues on the Council of the Sanhedrin. When Nicodemus objected to the way the Council was proposing to deal with Jesus, Joseph must have taken notice. They may have talked privately and discovered that they were of like mind regarding Jesus. They may have attempted to support each other as they objected to the course the Sanhedrin seemed bent on taking. While Jesus was being crucified, they seem to have mutually agreed upon a plan to obtain His body in order to give Him a proper burial.

One cannot discern from the Gospels just when Joseph and Nicodemus agreed to work together, or when they commenced their efforts to prepare for the burial of Jesus. It may be that Joseph agreed to ask Pilate for permission to remove and bury the Lord’s body. At the same time, Nicodemus could have begun to acquire the necessary spices and material to prepare the body of Jesus for burial. Working together, these two men are able to accomplish something that none of our Lord’s family or His eleven disciples could achieve—they are able to gain access to Pilate and to gain possession of the body of Jesus.

In his account of the burial of Jesus, John gives us some very important details. He not only mentions Joseph of Arimathea, he tells us about Nicodemus. It is only from John’s Gospel that we even know of Nicodemus. No other Gospel mentions this fellow. Nicodemus is the same man who “came to Jesus by night,” as we read in John 3:1-2, and as he reminds us in 19:39. It is John’s mention of Nicodemus in chapter 7 of his Gospel that now catches my attention. You will remember that Jesus had come to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (7:1-10ff.). The Pharisees and chief priests decided it was time to arrest Jesus, so they sent the temple police to bring Jesus to them (7:32). When these men returned empty-handed, the Pharisees were incensed. The officers explained that they had never heard anyone speak as Jesus did (7:45-49).

Nicodemus then sought to speak a word (cautiously, it would seem) on Jesus’ behalf. He did not openly defend Jesus and His teachings, but he did question his fellow Pharisees about the legality of the method by which they proposed to deal with Him.

50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before and who was one of the rulers, said, 51 “Our law doesn’t condemn a man unless it first hears from him and learns what he is doing, does it?” 52 They replied, “You aren’t from Galilee too, are you? Investigate carefully and you will see that no prophet comes from Galilee!” (John 7:50-52)

In today’s legal terminology, Nicodemus is objecting that Jesus is not being given “due process of the law.” Jewish law required that charges against Jesus first be substantiated and, after this, that Jesus be given the chance to speak in His own defense. This had not been done, Nicodemus pointed out, and no one seemed to be heading in the direction of making things right. His peers were not at all gentle in the way they responded to his objections. Here was a highly respected teacher of the law, a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin, and yet he was dealt with as though he were an incoming freshman. “You are not a Galilean, too, are you?” This was no compliment. It was like saying, “How could you be so ignorant?” And then, adding insult to injury, they challenged Nicodemus to look into this subject more carefully, implying that his grasp of the issues was shallow and superficial.

I must admit that I had nearly written Nicodemus off in chapter 3, but after reading about Nicodemus in chapter 7, I had totally given up on this man. I assumed that he just sort of wilted under the criticism of his peers, never to be heard from again. I now must rethink my hasty conclusion. I believe that Nicodemus rose to the challenge. I think that he did investigate more thoroughly and found that the Scriptures did point to Jesus as the Messiah. Furthermore, I think that as Nicodemus became more convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, he spoke out more openly, and at least one other person on the Council agreed with him—Joseph of Arimathea. I am willing to go even farther. I wonder if it was not because of the objections of Nicodemus (and perhaps Joseph as well) that the Sanhedrin felt compelled to modify the way they sought to deal with Jesus, so that they at least appeared to be following Jewish law. Is this why Jesus was first brought before Annas, and then Caiaphas, and then finally brought before the whole Council? Is this why the assistance of Rome was requested? If this is the case, then Nicodemus contributed greatly to the process which led to our Lord’s crucifixion rather than to death by stoning, as the Jews seemed to prefer. It would also seem that the Sanhedrin voted to hand Jesus over to Pilate, but not without hearing objections from both Joseph and Nicodemus (if, indeed, they were both present). This act of requesting the body of Jesus and giving Him a proper burial may have been a public protest on the part of these two members of the Sanhedrin. All of this would mean that Joseph and Nicodemus were not as passive in their disagreement with their peers on the Sanhedrin as I had assumed.

It is John’s Gospel alone that informs us of these two men’s lavish use of spices in their preparation of Jesus’ body for burial (19:39-40). From the accounts of the Synoptic Gospels, we might have assumed that our Lord’s body was not even properly prepared for burial. We read there only that the body of Jesus was “wrapped in a clean linen cloth” (Matthew 27:59; see also Mark 15:46; Luke 23:53). We read also in the Synoptics of the intent of the women to return to the tomb and to prepare the Lord’s body with spices (Mark 16:1; Luke 23:55-56; 24:1). It was almost as though the women were unaware of the fact that nearly 75 pounds of spices had been used by Joseph and Nicodemus. Or, perhaps they just felt they could not trust these men to do it right, and they would have to come back later to improve on the work of these two men.

The thing that strikes me in John’s account is that no mention is made of the fact that the tomb in which Jesus was laid was the one that Joseph had custom-built for himself (Matthew 27:60). From a reading of John’s account, one would assume they were carrying the Lord’s body away from the cross and through a garden (only John mentions the garden). It was getting late, and they had no time to lose. There was an available tomb nearby, in the garden, and they made use of it. It appears the reason for using this tomb was not because it belonged to Joseph, but because it was close, and it seemed expedient to use it because they had run out of time.

This makes sense to me. The question which the reader must ask is, “How was it possible for Jesus to be given a rich man’s burial, when none of His eleven disciples were present, and when the time was so short?” Putting together all of the data from the four Gospels, I would conclude that something like this occurred. Joseph and Nicodemus had opposed the Sanhedrin’s plan to kill Jesus. At some time during the crucifixion process, they determined to acquire the body of Jesus to give Him a proper burial. Joseph went to Pilate and obtained the body while Nicodemus acquired the necessary spices and cloth. They both went to the cross, took down the Lord’s body, and wrapped it in a clean linen sheet. They were carrying the body through the garden, noting the lateness of the hour, and wondering what they should do. Joseph may have looked up and seen the freshly-hewn tomb which he had acquired for his own burial (and perhaps for the use of his family as well). Realizing they were out of time, Joseph told Nicodemus that they would stop right here and bury the body of Jesus in his own tomb. There was no time to do anything else.

I am assuming here that Joseph had intended from the beginning to give Jesus a proper burial, but that he had not necessarily planned to bury Jesus in his own tomb. As nightfall approached, Joseph realized that he was in trouble, time-wise. He looked about, and his eyes fixed on his own personal burial place. There was really no other choice, given the time, and so this is the place where they chose to lay the body of Jesus. John tells the story in such a way that the reader sees, once again, the sovereign hand of God, orchestrating these events so that they fulfill the prophecies of old. Jesus was put to death with criminals, but in the final analysis, He was buried with the rich. The One who seemed destined to be buried on “boot hill” is now buried on “snob hill.” And in so doing, prophecy is once again fulfilled.

Note, incidentally, that John does not tell us every time that a prophecy is fulfilled. Three times in his account of our Lord’s death he indicates that the details of Jesus’ death fulfilled prophecy. But here he does not tell us that the Scriptures were fulfilled, even though they were. I believe John expects his readers to figure some things out for themselves. A good teacher does not give the student the answer to every question. A good teacher teaches the student how to find the answers to his questions. John is a good teacher.

The Resurrection
(20:1-9)

1 Now very early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw the stone had been moved away from the opening. 2 So she went running to Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him!” 3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out to go to the tomb. 4 The two were running together, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 Bending over, he saw the strips of linen cloth lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter, who had been following him, arrived and went right into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen cloth lying there, 7 and the face cloth, that had been around Jesus’ head, not lying with the strips of linen cloth but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first came in, and he saw and believed. 9 (For they did not yet understand the scripture that Jesus must rise from the dead.)

In this text, we come upon another unlikely player in the drama of our Lord’s burial and resurrection. Mary Magdalene is mentioned at this point in all the Gospel accounts. Only Luke refers to Mary Magdalene earlier in the life of Christ:

1 Sometime afterward he went on through towns and villages, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and disabilities: Mary (called Magdalene), from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna, the wife of Cuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their own resources (Luke 8:1-3).

This is not a very flattering introduction, is it? Mary Magdalene is the woman from whom Jesus had earlier cast out seven demons. From that point in time, she seems to have faithfully followed Jesus, along with the other women named. These women supported Jesus and His disciples out of their own means.

All the Gospels honor Mary Magdalene by naming her as the first woman to come to the tomb to anoint the body of her Lord. Matthew also mentions the “other Mary” (27:61), Mark refers to “Mary the mother of Joses” (15:47), and “Mary, the mother of James and Salome” (16:1). Luke includes “Joanna” and “other women” (24:10). These women came prepared to anoint the dead body of Jesus. They did not come with the intention of becoming witnesses to His resurrection, but that is precisely what happened.

John chooses to focus only on Mary Magdalene. This woman is the first one to arrive at the empty tomb. She came to the tomb while it was “still dark” (20:1), and when she got close enough she saw that the stone had been removed. That was all the information she needed. She jumped to the wrong conclusion. She was right, of course, in assuming that the body of her Lord was gone. She was wrong to conclude that someone (“they”) had taken the Lord’s body from the tomb. Exactly who “they” are is not indicated. She may have been thinking in terms of thieves, but more likely she was thinking of the Romans, or perhaps the Jewish religious leaders, or even the “gardener.” No matter; she was wrong.

Mary first ran to where Peter was and then to where John (and Mary, the mother of our Lord) was staying.[704] She repeated the conclusion she had reached. The body of Jesus had been taken, and she had no idea where His body could be found. Her highest ambition was to locate the Lord’s body, so that she could see to it that He was properly buried. Is this not an illustration of a marvelous biblical truth?

6 Now we do speak wisdom among the mature, but not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are perishing. 7 Instead we speak the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, that God determined before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it. If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But just as it is written, “Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined, are the things God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:6-9).

20 Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think, 21 to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:20-21).

Mary was to experience a far greater blessing than she could have imagined at this dark moment in her life, no doubt the darkest she had ever known. She had been delivered from bondage to Satan. She had been privileged to follow her Lord and to help support Him and His ministry. She had placed all her faith and hope in Him, and yet He had been put to death as a criminal. That was bad enough, but now she thought that she would not even be able to honor His memory by properly anointing His body for burial. It couldn’t get any worse—or so she thought. But the truth was that it could not get much better. How slow we are to see God’s richest blessings in the things which appear to be great adversity!

Peter may have followed Mary to the home of John, where Mary repeated her story. The two men must then have alternately walked and run to the tomb to check out the situation. John seems to have outrun Peter. Was this because he was younger, or might it be because Peter had already run some distance from his house to John’s home? We don’t know, and it doesn’t really matter. The entrance to the tomb would not be any bigger than necessary. After all, this tomb was hewn out of solid rock. A smaller entrance would make it easier to seal the tomb, and it was not as if people routinely entered the place. John therefore had to stoop to look into the tomb. Some have wondered why he was so slow to enter in and investigate more thoroughly. I think John was too good a Jew to defile himself by rushing into a tomb. Peter, on the other hand, was not as scrupulous. When he arrived, he seems to have entered the tomb without giving it a thought. Peter came out scratching his head, so to speak. It was a mystery to him, one that he couldn’t reason out. The body of Jesus was definitely gone, but the scene inside the tomb was not what one would expect if the grave had been robbed. And where were the guards? Who had moved the stone? What was going on? Peter simply didn’t know (see Luke 24:12).

John’s curiosity now overcomes his scruples about entering the tomb. He had earlier noted the strips of linen cloth. They may not have been in the form of a cocoon, but neither were they the unraveled mess one would expect after grave robbers had done their work. Entering into the tomb and looking more closely, John could now see the whole scene. In addition to the linen strips, he could see the face cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. It was laying separately, neatly placed by itself. John pondered as he looked, and believed (20:8).

It is incredible that some would conclude from this statement that John “believed that Mary was right, and that Jesus’ body was gone.” That would be to state the obvious. It seems to me what John wants us to grasp is that while Peter was still pondering the evidence, John had reached his conclusion. John had come to believe that Jesus really had somehow risen from the dead. John “saw” and he “believed.”

The parenthetical comment in verse 9 is further confirmation of this. Neither Mary Magdalene, nor Peter, nor John understood at this point that it was prophesied that their Lord would rise from the dead. Of course Jesus had said it, and Old Testament prophecies had foretold it as well. But like many of the things Jesus had spoken to His disciples, they simply did not remember or comprehend what He meant.

Why does John tell us this here and now? I think the reason is very simple, and very important. The disciples were not predisposed to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. It was not something which Jesus suggested to them, so that when His body was found to be missing, they would jump to the conclusion that He had truly been resurrected. John is telling us that he came to believe in the resurrection of Jesus before he even realized that he was supposed to do so.

There is a country and western song that goes something like this: “I was (fond of) country (music), when country wasn’t cool.” John is telling us here that he became a believer in the resurrection of Jesus before it was understood to be a necessary part of the Christian faith (see Romans 10:9). John believed Jesus had risen from the dead, by the sheer force of the evidence, not because he thought he was supposed to. What an incredible event this must have been. There, in the darkness of that tomb, John “saw the light.”

Conclusion

There are a number of things which catch my attention in our text. The first is that there is a clear change of players. The regular team—the eleven disciples—have been called off the field, and a number of substitutions have been made (to speak in sports terms). Among these are Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and Mary Magdalene. Who would have expected such folks to play a key role in the burial and resurrection of our Lord?

There is a lesson to be learned here: God provides. I am reminded of the story of Abraham, when he took his son Isaac up Mount Moriah to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. Isaac asked his father where the animal to be sacrificed was, and Abraham assured him that the Lord would provide the sacrifice. And God did provide. Our text is another demonstration of God’s faithful provision of all that He has purposed and promised. He provided a rich man’s burial for Jesus, who should have been buried on “boot hill.” He provided a place near the cross, within a very narrow window of time. He provided, not through the expected means, but through a man whose name (Joseph of Arimathea) we have never seen before in the Gospels, and through another (Nicodemus) whom we would never have expected to help bury the body of our Lord. The women who followed Jesus wanted to be able to anoint the body of our Lord, but the barriers to entering the tomb seemed insurmountable. A large stone covered the tomb; it had been sealed by Rome, and soldiers were there guarding the tomb to make certain it was undisturbed. God provided. Neither the stone, the seal, nor the soldiers kept Jesus in the tomb—or the disciples out.

God always provides for the fulfillment of His promises. He does so by the instruments of His choosing. He does so in His time. The human instruments were those we would not have chosen, people we would never even have considered. It never occurred to me that, among the members of the Sanhedrin that condemned Jesus to die, there would be some who believed in Jesus, who opposed the plan of their peers, who managed to obtain the body of Jesus and give it a rich man’s burial. God was at work in the hearts of these two men—Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus—and at just the right time, He used them for His glory, and their good.

How often we are like the eleven disciples of our Lord, so frightened and lacking in faith that we do nothing, or like the women in our text who are preoccupied with fears about how we can move a stone. How foolish these fears seem to us now, and yet is it not our own fears that keep us from attempting what our Lord has commanded us to do?

As I read through this text describing our Lord’s burial and resurrection, I am impressed with how unlikely it all seemed at the time. It looked impossible to secure the Lord’s body and to properly prepare it for burial before nightfall. It seemed impossible to find a burial place. There seemed to be no one who would be able to secure the release of our Lord’s body. And once the body of our Lord was discovered to be missing, there seemed to be no way to recover it. Much of what occurred in our text was contrary to the expectations and desires of those who were present. It does not seem as though Joseph really intended to have Jesus buried in his burial place, but as time ran out, it became the only thing he could do. For John, at least, there is an unavoidable conclusion: God raised Jesus from the dead. All these things were orchestrated by God, at just the right time, and in just the right way, so that the Scriptures would be fulfilled.

This was not a conclusion John felt he was obliged to reach, based upon our Lord’s prophecies of His resurrection. John had completely forgotten about these prophecies. He believed in the resurrection of Jesus because there was no other explanation. The resurrection is a foundational truth for the Christian. Saving faith is resurrection faith. Christians do not believe in the resurrection simply because they feel obliged to do so; they believe in the resurrection because it is true, and there is no other reasonable explanation for the events which we find described in our text, or in the rest of the Bible.

By bringing about the fulfillment of prophecy in the way He did, God gave compelling proof of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The disciples and followers of Jesus believed in the resurrection because the evidence was compelling. That’s the way God wanted it to be. That’s the way God caused it to work out. He arranged for the body of Jesus to be placed in a hewn tomb, the entrance of which was covered by a great stone, sealed with the Roman seal, and guarded by Roman soldiers. The open and empty tomb was compelling proof that the claim of our Lord to be the Messiah, the King of the Jews, was true.

As I think of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, I am reminded that these were men of position and power, and at least Joseph was a man of wealth. I would never have imagined God would have used them to provide for our Lord’s royal burial, but this is precisely who He used. While it is true that God uses the weak and foolish things of this world, it is also true that He sometimes uses the rich and the powerful, as He does here in our text. God always uses just the right instrument to accomplish His purposes.

As I have reflected on this passage, I have come to realize that it describes one of the great turning points of all time. Our Lord is put to death, and His body is placed in a tomb, only to be raised to new life on the third day. This event turned the disciples’ sorrow to joy, their weakness to strength, their fears to boldness and courage. It was the turning point for men and women like Joseph, and Nicodemus, and Mary Magdalene, not to mention Peter and John and the other disciples.

It is by His death, burial, and resurrection that Jesus Christ saves us from our sins, and from the penalty of death. Have you trusted in Him, in His death on the cross of Calvary for your sins, and His resurrection from the dead, so that you may have eternal life? Let me invite you to do so this very hour. May the truth of this text be a turning point in your life, to His glory and to your eternal good.


! Lesson 47:
On Seeing and Believing
(John 20:10-31)

Introduction

Last night we attended the wedding of a friend. Jeannette went early to help set things up, and I came later. When I arrived, I parked the car and was walking toward the building where the wedding ceremony was to be held. Another car arrived just moments after I did, parking just a couple of spaces away. The sun had gone down, and the parking lot was only partially illuminated. A woman emerged from the other car and began to walk in the same direction I was going. She said something like, “Hi, there!” and I turned to see who it was. In the light, I could see a woman who looked very familiar. The woman saw that I was looking intently at her and said, “It’s me, Sally Rackets.” I knew it was Sally, but I could not believe it. Sally and her husband Steve attended our church until they left to take a job in California. It was beyond my ability to comprehend that the person speaking to me was really Sally, but of course it was.

There is one more twist to this story. As I was on the way to the wedding, I passed a car that looked very similar to one Steve Rackets used to drive. Seeing this car had reminded me of Steve and Sally, and that he is looking for job, so I prayed for him as I made my way to the wedding, not more than fifteen minutes before I saw his wife, Sally. That’s why I was so taken back to see her—I knew who she was—but I just didn’t believe she was in Dallas, because I assumed she and Steve were both in California.

There is a point to this story: seeing is not necessarily believing. I saw Sally, but I could not believe it was really her. This is the way it was with the disciples of our Lord in our text. On several occasions, Jesus appeared to those who had followed Him, but because they assumed He was dead, they could not believe their eyes. Among those who “saw,” but did not believe (immediately), were Mary Magdalene and the seven disciples of our Lord at the Sea of Tiberias (also called the Sea of Galilee—see John 6:1). The disciples all came to believe that Jesus had been raised from the dead, but it was not because they expected this to happen. Their “believing” came hard, all the more proof that Jesus truly did rise from the dead.

Our text deals with the first three of our Lord’s four post-resurrection appearances in the Gospel of John. The first appearance is to Mary Magdalene, and the next three are to the disciples. Jesus will appear to Mary Magdalene (20:10-18), then to the disciples, minus Thomas (20:19-23), then to the disciples, with Thomas (20:26-29), and finally to the seven disciples, including Thomas, who were fishing on the Sea of Tiberias (21:1ff.). There are some very important lessons to be learned here, so let us listen and learn, looking to the Spirit of God to interpret, apply, and implement these truths in our lives.

General Observations

It would serve us well to begin with several observations concerning our text and its relationship to the other Gospels.

We do not really know a great deal about the time between our Lord’s resurrection and His ascension. When you stop to think about it, a significant portion of each of the Gospels is taken up with the events of the last week of our Lord in Jerusalem. And yet, the 40 days following our Lord’s resurrection gets very little attention in comparison. The material we do have about this period is not meant to satisfy our curiosity about all that happened during this time, but is recorded to prove one important fact: Jesus Christ rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the Father!

Of the details we do find regarding our Lord’s ministry after His resurrection, a number of them are recorded only in Acts and 1 Corinthians. Until now I did not realize how much of my understanding of our Lord’s ministry after His resurrection is based upon New Testament books other than the Gospels. Some of the most important details come from Acts 1 and 1 Corinthians 15:

1 I wrote the former account, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after he had given orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering he had also presented himself alive to these apostles by many convincing proofs. He was seen by them over a forty-day period and spoke about matters concerning the kingdom of God. 4 While he was with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for “what my Father promised, which you heard about from me. 5 For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 So when they had gathered together, they began to ask him, “Lord, is this the time when you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He told them, “You are not permitted to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.” 9 After he had said this, while they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud took him away from their sight. 10 As they were staring into the sky while he was going, suddenly two men in white clothing stood near them 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking up into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:1-11).

3 For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received—that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, 4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still living, though some have died. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as though to one born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

I am not sure why I had concluded that my understanding of the post-resurrection period was dependent solely upon the Gospels. It was probably due, in part, to my assumption that if one Gospel didn’t mention something I knew about this time period, it was because it was recorded in one of the other three Gospels. But this is not necessarily true. If it were not for Acts 1 and 1 Corinthians 15, we would not know nearly as much about the Lord’s ministry during the 40 days following His resurrection. From Acts 1:3 we learn that during this time, Jesus taught His disciples about the kingdom of God which was yet to come. While our Lord’s instruction to His disciples to wait for the coming of the Spirit can be found in Luke’s Gospel (24:49), we probably remember this command from Acts 1:4-5. Apart from 1 Corinthians 15:5, we would not know that Jesus appeared to over 500 people at one time after His resurrection. It is from Paul (1 Corinthians 15:5), as well as from Luke (24:34), that we know Jesus made a private appearance to Peter. We would certainly not expect the replacement for Judas to be Saul, to whom our Lord made another (albeit, a later) post-resurrection appearance (1 Corinthians 15:8). A good part of what little we know of this period in our Lord’s life and ministry comes from outside the Gospels.

Some of the details about events which occurred in this time period may appear to be contradictory. For example, in Mark we read that after the women saw and heard the angel at the tomb, “they went out and ran away from the tomb. They were in a state of trembling and amazement, and said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid” (Mark 16:8, emphasis mine). In Luke’s Gospel we read, “Then they remembered his words, and when they returned from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest ” (Luke 24:8-9, emphasis mine). I believe the solution to this apparent contradiction is found in Matthew’s account: “So they left the tomb quickly, with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. But Jesus met them, saying, ‘Greetings!’ They came to him, held on to his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee. They will see me there’” (Matthew 28:8-10, emphasis mine).

By putting all these details in sequence, we get a pretty good idea of what happened from the time the women left the tomb till they spoke with all the disciples and others. The women saw and heard the angel, who instructed them to go tell the disciples that Jesus was alive and would meet them in Galilee. The women rush off toward the city, but they are in a virtual state of shock. They tell no one they encounter on their way what they have just seen and heard (this conforms with what Mark tells us). Then, as they are still on their way to the city, Jesus Himself appears to them. This is the first time they have actually seen Him. He tells the women to go and tell the others, and indeed they do. Thus, all statements (those of Mark, of Luke, and of Matthew) harmonize when viewed in terms of the entire event. I believe we must assume this to be the case in every instance where an apparent contradiction appears. The details that differ are not an occasion for wringing our hands, they are the opportunity for a fuller grasp of what happened. Let us keep that in mind as we approach our text.

We find that some of the Gospel accounts are particularly brief at this point. This is especially true of Matthew and Mark’s accounts. Matthew writes of one appearance of Jesus to the women (28:9-10) and of one appearance of Jesus to His disciples (28:16-20). Mark’s account is terse as well, depending to some degree upon where you think his account really ends. Mark does briefly mention the appearance of Jesus to the two men on the road to Emmaus (16:12-13; compare Luke 24:13-35). He also tells of the appearance of our Lord to the eleven disciples (Mark 16:13-18). Mark does not include an account of Jesus appearing to any of the women, but only of the angel speaking to them (16:1-8). Luke and John have the most lengthy accounts of the post-resurrection ministry of our Lord. Luke does not describe an appearance of Jesus to the women; he chooses instead to emphasize the appearance to the two men on the road to Emmaus (24:13-35). He then writes of our Lord’s subsequent appearance to the disciples (24:36-39) and then of His ascension (24:50-53). John focuses on four of the Lord’s post-resurrection appearances: first to Mary Magdalene (20:11-18), then to the disciples minus Thomas (20:19-25), then the disciples with Thomas (20:26-29), and finally to the seven disciples as they are fishing on the Sea of Tiberias (21:1-25).

Finally, each Gospel has something unique to add to the story. Matthew informs us that the tomb was secured by a Roman seal and guards, provided at the request of the Jewish religious leaders who recalled Jesus’ promise that He would rise from the dead in three days, and who were afraid His disciples would steal His body. Matthew then follows up with an account of how the guards and the religious leaders fabricated a cover story to explain the missing body of our Lord. Mark’s account is indeed unique, causing much discussion as to where his Gospel should end. Luke provides us with a detailed account of the appearance of our Lord to the two men on the road to Emmaus. John’s account is almost entirely unique. He alone describes the investigation of the tomb by both Peter and John (Luke 24:12 tells us only that Peter went to see the tomb), of the appearance of Jesus to Mary, of three appearances of Jesus to His disciples—more than any other Gospel. His focus on Thomas’ reluctance to believe in our Lord’s resurrection is unique. The appearance of Jesus to the seven disciples at the Sea of Tiberias is also unique, including our Lord’s three-fold question and exhortation to Peter. With this background information in mind, let us take a closer look at the first three post-resurrection appearances of our Lord, as described in John 20.

Jesus’ First Appearance: Mary Magdalene
(20:10-18)

10 So the disciples went back to their homes. 11 But Mary stood outside the tomb and wept. While she was weeping, she bent over and looked into the tomb. 12 She saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’ body had been lying, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” Mary replied, “They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have put him!” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” Because she thought he was the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will take him.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus replied, “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene came and informed the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them what Jesus had said to her.

It was Mary Magdalene who first arrived at the empty tomb in the early hours of the first day of the week. When she saw the stone had been removed, she seems to have jumped to a hasty conclusion—someone had taken the body. We do not know to whom the “they” (“They have taken the Lord from the tomb …”—verse 2) refers, and I doubt that Mary did either. I believe it is safe to say that it never occurred to her that any of the disciples took the body. She seems to have assumed it was either the Jews, or the Roman soldiers, or someone like “the gardener” (see 20:15). It never occurred to Mary that Jesus had been raised from the dead. She did not hope to see her risen Lord; she simply wished to locate His body and give it a proper burial.

A year or so ago a young woman’s body was stolen from its grave at Restland Cemetery, just a mile or so down the road from our church. It was a terrible thing to do, and the family was most eager to get the body back and see to it that it was buried properly, once for all. Someone had added insult to injury. Not only had this family lost a loved one, they suffered the agony of not knowing what had become of her body. Mary must have felt the same way this young woman’s family felt. She had devoted herself and her livelihood to following Jesus and supporting Him, along with some other women. She had watched helplessly as Jesus was tried, convicted, and crucified. She looked on as His body was laid in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. Now, she believed that the body of her Lord had been taken. It was almost too much to bear.

When Peter and John left the tomb, Mary remained behind. At first she stood outside the tomb, weeping. She stooped sufficiently to be able to see inside the tomb, apparently for the first time. Two angels were inside, clothed in white. An angel was sitting at each end of the place where Jesus’ body had been laid. From Mary’s response to these angels, one can hardly avoid the conclusion that Mary did not recognize these angels as angels. But then why should she? It is true that in Matthew’s account the one angel who sat on the stone had an appearance that was like lightening (28:3), and this fellow was so awesome the guards were terrified (28:4). But John does not tell us that these two angels were as awesome in appearance as the first angel was. And this should come as no surprise. Often in the Bible, angels simply look like men, so that their appearance alone would not reveal their true identity (see Genesis 18 and 19; Acts 1:10-11; Hebrews 13:2). It would seem that the two angels made no effort to identify themselves as angels, nor even to inform Mary that Jesus was not there. Perhaps it was because our Lord was going to do this personally.

The angels asked Mary, “Woman, why are you weeping?” The inference is that her tears were not really called for. They were tears of love, and of sorrow, but they were also ill-founded. In Mary’s mind, this was the darkest moment of her life, and yet her tears were based upon false assumptions: that Jesus was dead; that His body had been stolen; that she would not be able to find His body. If Mary had known the real reason why the tomb was empty, she would not have been crying.

Some have suggested that the angels gave a look of recognition when they saw Jesus behind Mary, outside the tomb. We do not know why, but for some reason Mary turned around to gaze at the risen Lord. She saw Him, but she did not recognize Him, in much the same way that I had seen Sally Rackets in the parking lot this past week, but did not recognize her. Mary’s vision may have been obscured by her tears, and Jesus may not have looked exactly the same as He did before His resurrection. He most certainly looked different from the way she saw Him last, from the horrible sight she could not erase from her mind—a badly beaten, bloody figure, who could hardly be recognized for all the abuse His body had taken: “Just as there were many who were appalled at him—his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness” (Isaiah 52:15, NIV).

Jesus asks Mary the same question the angels had asked her moments earlier: “Woman, why are you weeping?”, but He adds a further question, “Who are you looking for?”. Jesus knew why she was weeping. He knew that the empty tomb caused her great grief. He knew that she was seeking His body. His words indicate to Mary that He knows something about her dilemma. Mary’s grief still blinds her to the truth, but she nevertheless seems to discern that this “gardener” holds the key to her quest for the Lord’s body. She pleads with Him to convey any information He may have to her: “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will take him” (verse 15).[705]

Jesus answered with but one word—“Mary.” For Mary, seeing was not believing, but hearing was. Would you not love to have heard this one word just the way Mary did? That one word was spoken in the voice she knew so well. It was also spoken in the manner she knew so well. What love, what compassion, what healing was conveyed by this one word—“Mary.” I cannot help but recall the words of our Lord, spoken earlier:

1 “I tell you the solemn truth, the one who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The doorkeeper opens the door for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought all his own sheep out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. 5 They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him, because they do not recognize the stranger’s voice” (John 10:1-5, emphasis mine).

Immediately Mary recognized that it was her Lord, and called Him “Rabboni” (or teacher). We know from our Lord’s words that Mary has already locked Him in her grasp. It is as though she intended to keep holding on to Him, so that He would never leave her again. And it is because of this that Jesus responds, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God’” (John 20:17, NAB). I must differ with the NET Bible translation here (“Do not touch me,  …”) for two reasons. First, it is not that Jesus could not be touched. In but a few verses we will read, “Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here, and examine my hands. Extend your hand and put it into my side. Do not continue in your unbelief, but believe’” (John 20:27). Why would Jesus tell Mary not to touch Him, and instruct Thomas to do so? In Matthew 28:9, Jesus allowed the women to take hold of His feet and worship Him. Second, the tense of the imperative is present, and this grammatical construction often conveys the thought of ceasing to do something.[706] Jesus is not trying to prevent Mary from touching Him; He is trying to make it clear to her that He is going to leave this world to return to His Father. She should not suppose that by clinging to Him she can prevent His departure.

John does not include the command which Jesus gave to Mary, though it is clear that He instructed her as to what she was to tell the disciples (20:18). She who was the first to go out to the tomb was the first to see the risen Lord, and apparently the first to be privileged to share the good news of His resurrection with others.

Before we go on to the next appearance of our Lord, I would like to make a comment or two. I would like you to note that our Lord’s first appearance is not to one of the eleven disciples, but to Mary Magdalene. She will never be one of the apostles. She will never write a Gospel. She will never become a great preacher or leader. Nevertheless, our Lord chose to manifest Himself to her first. Why do you think this was? I would call your attention to three important factors. First, she had a great love for her Master, as He did for her. Second, she seemed to be the one with the greatest measure of grief. I am reminded of the words of our Lord in the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). In the context of this sermon, Jesus did not promise blessings to those who were the greatest, or the most powerful, but to those in the greatest need, with the greatest desire for spiritual things. There is a third reason: Mary was there first. Jesus revealed Himself first to the one who was there first. Mary came to the tomb early, because of her great love, and her great grief, and Jesus revealed Himself to her, first.

I would also like to point out an important lesson which this text teaches us: When we come to see things as they really are, we will find that many of our tears were unnecessary. To put it in different words, Many of our tears are ill-founded. Both the angels and our Lord questioned Mary as to why she was weeping. The reason she gave was that her Lord’s body had been taken, and she did not know where to find it. The truth of the matter was that Jesus was not dead; He had been resurrected. And beyond this, His body was not missing at all, and no one had taken it. Jesus did not need to be found by Mary; Jesus found Mary.

We know that in heaven there will be no more tears: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more—or mourning, or crying, or pain; the former things have ceased to exist” (Revelation 21:4). Why will there be no more tears in heaven? The first answer is because there will no longer be those things which cause us to cry—no more suffering, no more sin, no more injustice, no more death. But the second reason is that we shall then see all of our sorrows in an entirely different light. We shall see them in the context of the perfect work God was achieving through the things which caused us to weep.

When you and I get to heaven, we will see things in a very different light, and when we do, we will discover that many of our tears of sorrow were as groundless as Mary’s tears were. I am not saying that Christians should not cry. What I am saying is that a good deal of our sorrow is the result of our inadequate knowledge of what God is doing in and through our adversities. When Christians get to heaven, they will see the entire picture, and thus they will find that everything that has ever happened to them is for their good and His glory. No wonder there will be no tears in heaven! Our comfort and joy may not come as quickly as Mary’s did, but it will be just as great, just as real, and it is just as certain.

Jesus’ Second Appearance: The Disciples, Minus Thomas
(20:19-23)

19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the disciples had gathered together and locked the doors of the place for fear of the Jewish authorities. Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you!” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you! Just as the Father has sent me, I also send you.” 22 And after he said this, he breathed[707] on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained.”

John very kindly does not tell us what Mark and Luke record in their accounts—that when the disciples were told that Jesus was alive, they refused to believe it without seeing Him:

9 Early on the first day of the week, after he arose, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had driven out seven demons. 10 She went out and told those who were with him, while they were mourning and weeping. 11 And when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe (Mark 16:9-11; see also verses 12-13).

10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles. 11 But these words seemed like pure nonsense to them, and they did not believe them (Luke 24:10-11).

It was on the first day of the week—the same day that Mary saw Jesus—and the disciples were gathered together behind locked doors. They were afraid of the Jews, and rightly so. They were disciples of Jesus, and He had just been crucified for sedition. And now, the story was circulating that they had stolen the body of Jesus (Matthew 28:11-15). Remember that the tomb was sealed by Rome, and guarded by Roman soldiers. The disciples may have felt in greater danger here than on any previous occasion. They must have been deeply troubled by the reports they had heard that Jesus was alive. What were they to think of all this? What were they to do? They did not know.

And so the disciples met together behind locked doors. We are told that one disciple was missing—Thomas. We are not told why he was absent. There is no particular blame cast on him for his absence. In some miraculous way, Jesus enters the room, even though the door is locked. We do not know what the disciples saw, but John certainly leaves us with the impression that our Lord’s entrance was unusual—one more proof of His resurrection. Our Lord twice repeated the words, “Peace be with you” (20:19, 21). This certainly reminds us of what Jesus had said earlier to these men:

25 “I have spoken these things while staying with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and will cause you to remember everything I said to you. 27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe” (John 14:24-29, emphasis mine).

It would appear that this was our Lord’s first appearance to the disciples after His resurrection. If this is so, it may be the same appearance that Luke describes, providing us with additional details:

30 When he had taken his place at the table with them, he took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 At this point their eyes were opened and they recognized him. Then he vanished out of their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us while he was speaking with us on the road, while he was explaining the scriptures to us?” 33 So they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem. They found the eleven and those with them gathered together 34 and saying, “The Lord has really risen, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how they recognized him when he broke the bread. 36 While they were saying these things, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 But they were startled and terrified, thinking they saw a spirit. 38 Then he said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself! Touch me and see; because a spirit does not have flesh and bones like you see that I have.” 40 Then when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still could not believe it for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 So they gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in front of them (Luke 24:30-43, emphasis mine).        

Jesus would have appeared to Mary and the other women by now, and they have already announced to the disciples that Jesus was alive. But the disciples refused to believe. Then, the two men who talked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus arrived to tell the disciples of their encounter with the risen Lord. Once again, the disciples refused to believe:

12 After this he appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. 13 They went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. 14 Then he appeared to the eleven themselves, while they were eating, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen him resurrected (Mark 16:12-14, emphasis mine).

John spares us from yet another account of the unbelief of the disciples, and of Jesus rebuking them for their unbelief. While their unbelief deserved rebuke, John moves on to tell us how Jesus convinced His disciples of His resurrection. He shows them His nail-scarred hands and His spear-pierced side. There was no mistaking the fact that His wounds, now healed, were incurred at His crucifixion. It was Jesus, and there was no denying it, incredible as that may be.

The disciples had a job to do, and they were being left behind so that they could accomplish it. This task is summed up in the “Great Commission”:

18 Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).

To accomplish this task, the disciples are in need of divine enablement. This was promised by our Lord in the Upper Room Discourse (John 13–16):

15 “If you love me, you will obey my commandments. 16 Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he resides with you and will be in you. … 25 I have spoken these things while staying with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and will cause you to remember everything I said to you” (John 14:15-17, 25-26).

26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me; 27 and you also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:26-27).

7 “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong concerning sin and righteousness and judgment— 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned. 12 I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you. 15 Everything that the Father has is mine; that is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what is mine and will tell it to you. 16 In a little while you will see me no longer; again after a little while, you will see me” (John 16:7-16).

I had never noticed before that in His high priestly prayer in John 17, Jesus does not ask the Father to send the Spirit, which He has promised in chapters 14-16. Indeed, the Holy Spirit is not even mentioned in this prayer! How can this be? I believe that while our Lord prepared His disciples for the coming of the Spirit in the Upper Room Discourse, He did not intend to send the Spirit until after His ascension. In other words, the Holy Spirit would not come until Pentecost. Some suggest that in our text Jesus is temporarily bestowing the Spirit upon His disciples, until Pentecost comes. I don’t agree.

In the first place, John does not report anything out of the ordinary happening as a result of our Lord’s actions. The disciples are not transformed, as they will be at Pentecost. The gospel is not preached. In fact, the next thing to happen in John’s Gospel is that some of the disciples go fishing. I do not believe that the Holy Spirit was immediately bestowed upon the disciples at this moment, as a result of what Jesus says and does. I believe Jesus is symbolically bestowing the Spirit upon His disciples, although it will not actually take place until Pentecost. Jesus will have ascended to the Father then, and so this gesture indicates to the disciples that when the Spirit comes at Pentecost, it will be as a result of what Jesus had promised earlier, and symbolically indicates here.

I wish to be very clear here, both as to what I am saying, and as to what I am not saying. I am saying that our Lord is here symbolically bestowing His Holy Spirit on the church. This symbolic act will literally be fulfilled at Pentecost. Jesus wants it to be clear that it is He who is sending His Spirit to indwell and to empower His church. I am not saying that the Spirit is given at the moment Jesus breathes upon His disciples. I am not saying that this is a temporary bestowal of the Spirit, until the permanent coming of the Spirit at Pentecost.

Specifically, I believe that what Jesus is symbolically bestowing is the coming of the Holy Spirit upon His disciples as those who will act as His apostles. Earlier, Jesus outlined some of the ministries of the Holy Spirit. For example, the Spirit would call Jesus’ teaching to their minds. He would convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. But here, none of these ministries seems to be in view. Here, the Holy Spirit is given to the apostles so that they can either proclaim the forgiveness of sins, or the retention of sins. I do not think this text justifies some priestly hierarchy, who hears confessions and grants absolution from one’s sins. Instead, I believe Jesus is giving the apostles the authority to declare men and women to be cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. I believe we see an example of this in the Book of Acts:

1 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers took issue with him, 3 saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and shared a meal with them.” 4 But Peter began and explained it to them point by point, saying, 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, an object something like a large sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came to me. 6 As I stared I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, and birds of the air. 7 I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; slaughter and eat!’ 8 But I said, ‘Certainly not, Lord, for nothing defiled or ritually unclean has ever entered my mouth!’ 9 But the voice replied a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not consider ritually unclean.’ 10 This happened three times, and then everything was pulled up to heaven again. 11 At that very moment, three men sent to me from Caesarea approached the house where we were staying. 12 The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 He informed us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter, 14 who will speak a message to you by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ 15 Then as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them just as he did on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, as he used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 Therefore if God gave them the same gift as he also gave us after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to hinder God?” 18 When they heard this, they ceased their objections and praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted the repentance that leads to life even to the Gentiles” (Acts 11:1-18, emphasis mine).

It takes a monumental work of God to convince the Jews that God has purposed from eternity past to save Gentiles (see Acts 22:21-23). Our Lord had promised to send the Spirit, which He did at Pentecost. After Pentecost, the Holy Spirit directed Peter to go to the house of a Gentile and to proclaim the gospel to those gathered in his house. The Spirit then came upon all those who had come to faith, thus indicating that the gospel (the forgiveness of sins) was not just for Jews alone, but for all who believe, Jew or Gentile. It is difficult for Gentile believers today to grasp how hard it was for Jews to accept the salvation of the Gentiles. Even the apostles found this difficult. As the Spirit came upon the apostles, this truth was embraced, proclaimed, and defended by them. By means of the Spirit’s guidance and illumination, the truth that the gospel was for Jews and Gentiles was declared by the apostles, and particularly by Paul:

11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh—who are called “uncircumcision” by the so-called “circumcision” that is performed in the body by hands—12 that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, the one who turned both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, in his flesh, 15 when he nullified the law of commandments in decrees. The purpose of this was to create in himself the two into one new man, thus making peace, 16 and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; 18 so that through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer foreigners and non-citizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, 20 because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:11-22).

1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— 2 If indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that by revelation the divine secret was made known to me, as I wrote before briefly. 4 When reading this, you will be able to understand my insight into this secret of Christ. 5 Now this secret was not disclosed to mankind in former generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, 6 namely, that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, fellow-members of the body, and fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus. 7 I became a servant of this gospel according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the exercise of his power. 8 To me—less than the least of all the saints—this grace was given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ 9 and to enlighten everyone about the divine secret’s plan—a secret that has been hidden for ages in the God who has created all things (Ephesians 3:1-9).

Jesus’ Third Appearance: The Disciples, Including Thomas
(20:24-31)

24 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “Unless I see the wounds from the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the wounds from the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe it!” 26 Eight days later the disciples were again together in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and examine my hands. Extend your hand and put it into my side. Do not continue in your unbelief, but believe.” 28 Thomas replied to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are the people who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The disciples seem to have been convinced of our Lord’s resurrection, except for Thomas who was not there. He did not see the resurrected Lord, nor did he behold the Savior’s wounded hands and side. And so it was that when Thomas was told that Jesus had appeared to them, he refused to believe. He insisted that in order for him to believe, he would have to see Jesus with his own eyes. He would have to personally inspect the Lord’s nail-pierced hands and His pierced side. Only then would he believe. Before we become too harsh with Thomas, let me remind you that the other disciples did not believe until they saw, either. Thomas is really demanding to see the same things that convinced the others. He is not asking for anything more than what the others saw.

Eight days passed. Apparently Jesus did not appear to any of His disciples during this period of time. The disciples were all together once again, including Thomas. The doors were locked, but in spite of this Jesus arrived and stood in their midst.[708] Jesus repeats the greeting He gave at His earlier appearance, “Peace be with you” (verse 26; see also verses 19, 21). Immediately, Jesus turns His attention to Thomas. He summons Thomas to come and to put his finger where the nails had pierced His hands, and to feel His side where the spear had pierced it. He challenged Thomas to forsake his unbelief and to believe.

We do not know whether Thomas actually pressed his fingers into our Lord’s nail-pierced hands or not. Since John does not tell us that Thomas actually felt the wounds of our Lord, it may well be that after seeing Jesus alive he no longer required this proof. It may have taken this sight to convince Thomas, but once convinced, Thomas got it right. He does not merely profess a belief that Jesus has risen from the dead. Thomas professes to believe in what the resurrection proved—that Jesus was God, and that He was Lord (verse 28). Thomas now has it right.

Bible translations handle our Lord’s response differently. Some render the first words of verse 29 as a question, “Have you believed because you have seen Me?” (as does the NET Bible). Others render it as a statement: “Because you have seen me, you have believed” (NIV, KJV, NKJV). The difference is not important. The contrast Jesus seeks to emphasize is between those who must see in order to believe, and those who will believe without seeing. Peter seems to take up this same thought in his first epistle:

8 You have not seen him, but you love him. You do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9 because you are attaining the goal of your faith—the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:8-9).

It is not too hard to see what John is leading up to. John is writing this Gospel for those who have never seen the risen Lord. He has selected just a few of the many miraculous signs Jesus performed to demonstrate that Jesus is who He claimed to be, who John proclaims Him to be.

The Bottom Line: Believing Jesus Is the Christ, the Son of God
(20:30-31)

30 Now Jesus performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples that are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

If there is one thing I despise, it is deceptive advertising. I hate those phone calls that come from unidentified (“out of the area”) sources, which begin with the assurance that the caller is not “selling” anything. John could not be more open and direct about the purpose of this book. I believe John has two conclusions. The first is found in chapter 20. It is aimed at those who have not yet come to faith in Jesus Christ. The second is aimed at those who have believed, and it is found in chapter 21.

In our text, John informs his unbelieving readers about the “bottom line” of all that he has written. John has one goal for the unbeliever: He wants to demonstrate as clearly and as forcefully as he can that Jesus not only claimed to be the Christ (the Messiah), the Son of God, but that by many miraculous signs He proved it! The last and greatest of these signs was His resurrection from the dead:

38 Then some of the experts in the law along with some Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 41 The people of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; yet something greater than Jonah is here! 42 The Queen of the South will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; yet something greater than Solomon is here! (Matthew 12:38-42).

While the resurrection of Jesus from the dead was prophesied in the Old Testament, and by our Lord Himself, John makes it very clear that the disciples were not predisposed to believe it. Only after the most forceful and compelling evidence would the disciples believe Jesus really was alive. And having become convinced of this great truth, the disciples never ceased to proclaim it. The resurrection of Jesus is the final and compelling proof that He is the Son of God and the Savior of the world:

1 From Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God 2 that he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 3 concerning his Son who was a descendant of David with respect to the flesh, 4 who was appointed the Son-of-God-in-power according to the Holy Spirit by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 1:1-4).

Believing in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, is the only way God has provided for the forgiveness of your sins and for the gift of eternal life. By believing in Him, you will be saved:

9 Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and thus has a right standing and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation. 11 For the scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, who richly blesses all who call on him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:9-13).

11 He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children 13 —children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God (John 1:11-13).

In many ways, the Gospel of John is not a simple book. But its message to the unsaved is incredibly simple, and John sums it up in these last verses of chapter 20. If you have never come to believe in Jesus as the Christ, the promised Messiah, the Son of God, then John has written this book to you, and for you, to give you all the evidence you need to believe in Him. Have you believed? This is the most important decision you will ever make. It determines your eternal destiny.


! Lesson 48:
What Is This Thing Called Love?
(John 21:1-25)

Introduction

This week I happened to look at a series I did on “Highlights in the Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ” nearly 20 years ago, and there it was, a message on John chapter 21! I don’t “warm up” old messages, but I did find some helpful material from that old message. For one thing, I was in need of a good introduction for this lesson. Frankly, I had forgotten the story I used way back then, but it was so good I’m going to use it again, if you’ll pardon me for doing so.

I have a friend who devised a very clever plan for “getting away” from friends and guests after his wedding ceremony. He and his wife were married in a southern city, which had only one major highway going through town. He and his bride drove slowly from the church, making their way to the edge of town, with no attempt to evade or outrun all their friends who were following behind, honking their horns and just being a general nuisance. The road out of town passed through a tunnel on the outskirts of the city. He had prearranged for a friend to be waiting there. As they approached the tunnel, the friend fell in line, right behind the bride and groom. As soon as the groom’s car entered the tunnel, the friend blocked the tunnel with his car, preventing the others from following any longer.

The newlyweds congratulated themselves for being so shrewd and laughed all the way to their honeymoon hotel, an hour or more down the highway. After a leisurely dinner, they returned to their suite—only to discover that all of their friends were gathered there in their room, waiting for them. Their friends had found them, even though they were some 60 or 70 miles from their hometown! One of them had gone to the trouble of calling every hotel along that highway for many miles to see if my friend had made reservations for that night. These ‘friends’ blessed the newlywed couple with their presence long into the night.

If I were to sum up that situation in one word, it would have to be the word ‘frustrating.’ This newly-married couple never imagined spending their first night of marriage this way, with all their friends gathered in their hotel room. In many ways, “frustrating” also describes what it must have been like for the disciples during that 40-day interval between Jesus’ resurrection and His ascension. With few exceptions,[709] the disciples had spent three wonderful years with Jesus. They traveled together, ate together, camped out at night together, and shared a common purse. Their private, relaxing times together were exceedingly few and far between, but at least they were continually in close contact during the time of our Lord’s earthly ministry.

The last few hours our Lord spent with His disciples before His arrest were private and uninterrupted. After the horror of our Lord’s arrest, trials, and crucifixion, it would be tempting to think of this 40-day interval as a time of wonderful fellowship for our Lord and His disciples, but this was not really the case. For one thing, the disciples expected Jesus to immediately commence His kingdom, but it quickly became evident that this wasn’t happening. For another thing, the disciples were not really seeing a great deal of their Lord. After Jesus appeared to them, and they were convinced that He was alive, they were filled with joy. But if the disciples were thinking they would now be spending a lot of time with Jesus once again, they were wrong. Things had changed. This change was first indicated to Mary by our Lord, when He appeared to her after His resurrection:

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God’” (John 20:16-17, NIV, emphasis mine).

Jesus informs Mary that things are no longer going to be as they once were. Jesus was not going to be with His disciples on earth much longer, but was returning to His Father, as He had indicated earlier. He promised that after His ascension, He would dwell among them, and in them, through the Holy Spirit, but at the time they had no idea what He meant.

And so the disciples found themselves relating to Jesus in an entirely different way during this 40-day period of time. They were formerly with Him day and night. Now, they only saw Him from time to time. Eight days passed from the time Jesus first appeared to His disciples (John 20:19-23) to the time of His second appearance (John 20:26). He appeared to them only a handful of times in those 40 days (see 1 Corinthians 15:5-7). He came and went in such a way that they never knew when to expect Him. And He did not always look exactly the way He once did—there was something different about Him, which sometimes caused them to wonder whether or not it was really Him (see Mark 16:12; Luke 24:16, 31; John 21:12). I’m sure the disciples wished for the “good old days,” when they enjoyed much more intimate fellowship with Him. Jesus, however, was “weaning” them from those days, because He would no longer dwell among them as He once had. He was soon to ascend into heaven to be with His Father.

There were other things that made this time difficult. These were perilous days. The tomb of Jesus had been sealed and was under Roman guard, by order of Pilate. When Jesus was raised from the dead, the Jews and the Roman soldiers agreed on a cover-up. They sought to explain the resurrection and the empty tomb by circulating the story that Jesus’ disciples had stolen His body. This would have been a serious crime. The disciples could have been the targets of a manhunt. No wonder they were hiding out in a locked room when Jesus came to them (John 20:19, 26).

In addition to this, there was really very little the disciples could do during these 40 frustrating days. They were told to wait until they were given power from on high. The Holy Spirit had not yet come, because Pentecost was still a few days away. These men were not yet transformed, nor were they supernaturally empowered to heal the sick, raise the dead, or proclaim the gospel. The kingdom was on hold, there was little for them to do, and Jesus was seldom seen or heard from.

It was not an easy time for the disciples at all. I can imagine that Peter could have gone home, only to find Mrs. Peter standing in the doorway, with her hands on her hips. “Peter,” she might have said sharply, “we’ve got bills to pay and mouths to feed. When are you going back to work? How long are you going to wait around, wondering what to do with yourself?” All of the disciples must have been thinking similar thoughts. They had families to support. They had to do something. They couldn’t just wait around …

Why would we be surprised that it was Peter who decided to do something? Why would we find it unusual for Peter to speak out? This is precisely where the final chapter of John’s Gospel takes up.

Jesus’ Third Appearance to the Disciples
( 21:1-14)

1 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberius. Now this is how he did so. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael (who was from Cana in Galilee), the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples of his were together. 3 Simon Peter told them, “I am going fishing.” “We will go with you,” they replied. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 When it was already very early morning, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 So Jesus said to them, “Children, you don’t have any fish, do you?” They replied, “No.” 6 He told them, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they threw the net, and were not able to pull it in because of the large number of fish. 7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” So Simon Peter, when he heard that it was the Lord, tucked in his outer garment (for he had nothing on underneath it), and plunged into the sea. 8 Meanwhile the other disciples came with the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from land, only about a hundred yards. 9 When they got out on the beach, they saw a charcoal fire ready with a fish[710] placed on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said, “Bring some of the fish you have just now caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and pulled the net to shore. It was full of large fish, one hundred fifty-three, but although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 “Come, have breakfast,” Jesus said. But none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

For the third time in John’s Gospel, our Lord appears to His disciples. This time He reveals Himself to seven of His disciples as they are fishing on the Sea of Tiberias—the Sea of Galilee (John 6:1). Most of these men were fishermen by trade. When Peter informed them that he was going fishing, they knew he was not planning to go out and do a little fly fishing on the Sea of Galilee, hoping to catch a fish or two. They understood that Peter was going back to work as a fisherman. They all must have had financial obligations they needed to meet. In addition, they needed to eat. And so those who were with Peter agreed to go fishing with him. There seemed to be nothing better to do. I do not find this decision to go fishing something unbefitting for a disciple. It was better for them to be doing something productive than nothing at all.

I do not think it is possible to understand the meaning of the miracle which occurred here on the Sea of Tiberias without recalling the miracle that took place some time earlier, perhaps at this same spot. This earlier miracle is recorded in the Gospel of Luke:

1 Now Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing around him to hear the word of God. 2 He saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then Jesus sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing! But at your word I will lower the nets.” 6 When they had done this, they caught a great many fish; and their nets began to break. 7 So they gestured to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they were about to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord!” 9 For Peter and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were Simon’s business partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” 11 So when they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him (Luke 5:1-11).

The first miraculous catch of fish came fairly early in the ministry of our Lord. Jesus was teaching beside the Sea of Galilee, and the crowds were pressing in on Him. There were at least two boats pulled up on shore nearby. One belonged to Peter and his brother Andrew, the other to James and John (and apparently their father—see Matthew 4:18-22). These men had been out fishing all night, unsuccessfully, and were now washing their nets. Jesus got into Simon Peter’s boat and asked him push out from shore, so that He could use the boat as His speaker’s platform. When Jesus finished teaching, He told Peter to launch out into deeper waters and to lower the nets for a catch. Peter gently protested, informing Jesus that they had just spent the entire night fishing, without success. Nevertheless, Peter did as his Master instructed. As the nets were drawn in, it was evident that they had a huge catch of fish, so large that the nets were beginning to tear. Peter and his brother gestured to their partners, James and John, who came alongside with their boat. They filled both boats so full with the fish that they began to sink. Peter fell at Jesus’ knees (they were still in the boat) and said, “Go away from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord!” (Luke 6:8). Jesus comforted the men with these words, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people” (6:9). It would seem that from this point in time, they ceased fishing for their livelihood and followed Jesus wherever He went.[711]

In John 21, we read of a very similar miraculous catch of fish. It is my opinion that it took place at virtually the same place, with the same boats, and most of the same fishermen. You will recall that before His crucifixion, Jesus told His disciples that He would go ahead of them to Galilee (Matthew 28:7; Mark 14:28). Then, after His resurrection, Jesus instructed His disciples to meet Him in Galilee (Matthew 28:10; Mark 16:7). The disciples who have gone fishing with Peter may very well be in Galilee because they have done what Jesus instructed them to do—go to Galilee, where He will meet them. This took them out of Jerusalem and Judea, the source of the strongest Jewish opposition. Like most of the disciples, Peter was a Galilean. These were his old “stomping grounds.” If they had been waiting for some time, Peter might well have concluded that they may as well occupy themselves by doing something profitable. And so he announced to his colleagues that he was going fishing.

In my mind’s eye, I can almost see Peter and the others fishing in the same waters where the miracle in Luke 5 took place.[712] Peter’s boat and net were apparently available nearby. Why not make use of them and go fishing? It is what these men had done most all of their lives. And so they set out to fish through the night.[713] On a typical night of fishing, I would suppose they might have caught a few larger fish.[714] They would do this by repeatedly spreading their nets out in the water and then drawing the ends of the nets together, entrapping their catch. Each time their nets were drawn in, a handful of fish might be obtained. Over and over again the nets would be played out and then drawn in; sometimes there were fish within, and sometimes not. When the night was over, the fishermen would hope for enough fish to feed themselves and their families, and perhaps enough fish left over to sell.

On this night (John 21), like that night a couple of years before (Luke 5), these fishermen had cast out their nets and drawn them in repeatedly through the night, with absolutely no success. As morning light was approaching, they decided to give it up. (I wonder what the others thought of Peter’s idea now.) I believe they were approaching the place where Jesus had taught the crowds earlier, the place where their boats were pulled up on shore, and where they washed their nets. Someone was standing on the beach, hardly distinguishable from 100 yards away. He called out to these weary, unsuccessful, fishermen, “Children, you don’t have any fish, do you?” (21:5).

I can still remember the way my little brother, Danny Boy (as we then called him—probably no more than 4 or 5 years old at the time), would approach the fishermen as they made their way back to their car after they had finished fishing for the day. He would stand there in his coveralls, with his hands tucked into his pockets and ask the men, “Did ya’ catch anything?” (I wish I could reproduce the exact way he pronounced his words at that age.) His question was hopeful. Very often, the answer was, “Yes,” and the fishermen would gladly take out their catch and show it to Danny. That did not happen here. Jesus’ question was asked in such a way that we could translate it, “You didn’t catch any fish, did you?” I love their terse response: “No.” They really didn’t want to talk about it. Can you blame them? These professional fishermen came back, skunked.

I know this form of question and answer all too well, from painful experience. When I started teaching school, Jeannette and I lived close to a part of Puget Sound, and I was “hooked” on fishing, particularly salmon fishing. A friend had a ¾ inch thick plywood boat, 16 feet long. It was a heavy boat! Every time I borrowed it, I had to drag it from the boathouse on the beach, over the driftwood, and down to the water’s edge. (I don’t know why, but it seemed as though the tide was always out when I went fishing.) I would fish for a couple of hours before dark, and then I had to winch the boat back into the boathouse. Time after time I came back empty-handed. It got to the point where I knew what Jeannette was going to say when I arrived home: “You didn’t catch anything, did you?” The second question was equally certain: “Why don’t you quit?”

Jesus knew that these men had worked all night and had caught nothing. I am tempted to think that Jesus actually orchestrated things so that these men would not catch anything. Anyway, Jesus let the fishermen know that He knew they had caught nothing. He then instructs them to cast out their nets on the right side of the boat, assuring them that when they do so, they will find some fish. I don’t know why these weary fishermen did it, but for some reason they were willing to make one last effort. When they drew in their nets, they did not contain just a few fish, or even a lot of fish. Their nets were virtually filled with fish.

It was at this point that John seems to have realized what was happening. Instinctively, he knew that the man on the beach was Jesus. And now that he knew, he told Peter as well. That was all it took for Peter. He tucked in his outer garment and plunged into the sea, swimming to shore to see Jesus. Someone has remarked that what we find here is typical of both Peter and John. John was the first to understand; Peter was the first to act.[715] We cannot be sure that Peter actually arrived on shore first. One thing does seem certain: Jesus must have personally forgiven and restored Peter on His previous, private meeting with him (see Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5). Peter certainly shows no reluctance to see Jesus face to face here!

If I were one of the other disciples, I would have been perturbed with Peter for leaving me behind with a full net and an unsecured boat, still several hundred feet from shore. They seem to have learned from the miracle in Luke chapter 5 that it was unwise to try to empty the net full of fish into the boat—since their two boats nearly sank on that occasion. And so they simply drug their bulging nets behind the boat and made their way to shore, with their nets still in the water, teaming with fish.

When the disciples landed on the beach, they observed that Jesus had already prepared a charcoal fire, with fish placed on it, and there was bread as well. Jesus told them to bring some of the fish they had caught, and so Simon went and drew the nets up on shore. John tells us that the nets did not tear as they had begun to do on their first miraculous catch. I think this was especially unusual with the quantity of fish, and given the fact that the fish, still in the nets, were drug up on shore. Nets were not made for this kind of abuse.

Jesus then invites the disciples to join Him for breakfast. We are not actually told that they ate some of their fish for breakfast, and I am inclined to believe that Jesus supplied their entire meal. This was true of the bread, it would seem, and I think it was true as well for the fish. If Jesus had not already prepared a sufficient quantity for all these men (something a little hard to believe), then He could simply have fed them the same way He fed the 5,000, on the other side of the sea. These men had worked hard to provide for themselves, and they had nothing to show for it. Then they come to Jesus, who has more than enough to meet their needs. And in the process, He provides this great catch, enough to supply for their future needs.[716] I suspect that Jesus had them bring some of their fish so they could actually see how great the catch was. John tells us it was 153 large fish. Much has been made of the number 153,[717] but it may be enough to note that the author knew the exact number of fish caught, and that it was a great quantity. Such details give credibility to one’s testimony, and John certainly provides us with details.

Once again, it would seem as though Jesus did not look exactly as He did before His death and resurrection. Even after the disciples had gotten close enough to get a good look at Jesus, they were still wondering to themselves, “Is this really Him?” They wanted to ask, but no one dared. They knew it was Jesus, but He probably did not look exactly as He had before, and so they just found it hard to believe.

So what does this miraculous catch of fish accomplish? What message was it supposed to send to the disciples, and to us? Let me begin by pointing out that it sets the scene for what follows in verses 15-25. In verses 1-14, Jesus feeds His disciples. In verses 15 and following, Jesus speaks to Peter about feeding His sheep.

I believe there are lessons to be learned from this miracle in the light of its similarity to the great fish harvest of Luke 5. Because of the fishing miracle in Luke 5, Peter and the other disciples came to see Jesus (and themselves) in a whole new light. There, Peter realizes he is not worthy to be in the same boat with Jesus. In John 21, Peter and the others are once again awed by our Lord and His works. In both texts, these professional fishermen were not able to catch anything on their own, even though they were laboring in the area of their expertise. Jesus taught them that He is the source of their success, He is the One Who, when obeyed, makes men fruitful fishermen. In Luke 5, the disciples were called to leave their fishing boats and to become “fishers of men” (5:10). I believe that John 21:1-14 is a reaffirmation of that original call. The disciples are all waiting around, wondering what to do with their lives. I believe that by means of this miracle Jesus reiterates and reinforces their original call, which came in Luke 5.

There are some interesting differences in these accounts as well—and lessons to be learned from them. The most obvious (and probably the most important) difference is that in Luke 5, Jesus was in the boat. In John 21, Jesus is on the shore. You may think I am pressing the limits of this story, but there is a lesson here: “Jesus is able to guide, to provide for, and to watch over His disciples just as well (better?) from a distance, as He is able to care for them “up close and personal.” From 100 yards away, Jesus knew they had caught no fish. From 100 yards away, Jesus could guide them to an abundance of fish. Even before they saw Him, Jesus was prepared to provide for their needs. He had breakfast “on the table,” so to speak, when they arrived on shore. Were the disciples uneasy about Jesus going away, about Jesus leaving them to return to His Father? Such fears are unfounded. He is just as able to care for them when He is in heaven as He was to care for them while He was on earth. I think this was a significant part of the lesson He wanted them to learn.

Having fed His disciples fish and bread, Jesus will now speak to Peter about “feeding His sheep.” Having spoken more about evangelism in verses 1-14, Jesus is now about to speak to His disciples about discipleship. Let us notice how our Lord builds upon this miracle of the great harvest of fish.

From Fish to Sheep, From Catching to Caring For
(21:15-23)

15 Then when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these do?” He replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus told him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Jesus said a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus told him, “Shepherd my sheep.” 17 Jesus said a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that Jesus asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” and said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus replied, “Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the solemn truth, when you were young, you tied your clothes around you and went wherever you wanted,[718] but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will tie you up and bring you where you do not want to go.” 19 (Now Jesus said this to indicate clearly by what kind of death Peter was going to glorify God.) After he said this, Jesus told Peter, “Follow me.” 20 Peter turned around and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them. (This was the disciple who had leaned back against Jesus’ chest at the meal and asked, “Lord, who is the one who is going to betray you?”) 21 So when Peter saw him, he asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” 22 Jesus replied, “If I want him to live until I come back, what concern is that of yours? You follow me!” 23 So the saying circulated among the brothers and sisters that this disciple was not going to die. But Jesus did not say to him that he was not going to die, but rather, “If I want him to live until I come back, what concern is that of yours?”

I am inclined to understand verses 1-14 in terms of evangelism—being fishers of men. But it is not enough to simply bring a lost sinner to faith in Jesus Christ; that person should also be discipled, and thus brought to maturity in Christ. This seems to be implicit in the Great Commission:

18 Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).

As we approach these very familiar verses in John’s Gospel, it seems necessary to make a few introductory comments about this text:

First, in my opinion, Jesus is not seeking to correct (or even rebuke) Peter here for his three-fold denial. Jesus personally revealed Himself to Peter, probably before He appeared to the disciples as a group (1 Corinthians 15:5; Luke 24:34; Mark 16:7). I believe it is there that our Lord dealt with Peter’s three-fold denial, and forgave him. In our text, Peter is eager to be with our Lord. I believe this is because Peter’s sins have already been confronted and forgiven, and thus he has already been restored to fellowship with the Master.

Second, I certainly do not agree with Roman Catholicism’s interpretation and application of this text, which seeks to establish the primacy of Peter as the first pope. D. A. Carson writes: “Matthew 16:13-20 certainly establishes a unique role for Peter in the founding of the church. … It does not establish him in a position of ruling authority over other apostles. As for John 21:15-17, neither founding pre-eminence nor comparative authority is in view.”[719]

Third, I am not even inclined to see this text as Peter’s restoration to leadership. There are some scholars who hold that Peter was restored to fellowship in his private interview with Jesus, and that this incident is his public restoration to leadership. I see the emphasis of this passage falling on humble service, not on leadership, per se.

Fourth, this passage is more about love than about leadership. Love for Jesus is demonstrated by faithfully caring for His sheep. Let me attempt to illustrate this. The nation is at war, and a son receives notification that he has been drafted into the armed forces. The son ships out, leaving his loving parents behind. He also leaves behind his most prized possession, a 1930 Ford Model A coupe. Do you think that the father of this son will simply allow that car to sit out in the weather, unattended? Do you think he will now use it to haul his trash to the dump? No; the father will wash and wax and tenderly care for that car, because it is the expression of his love for his son, in the son’s absence. So, too, when we care for the sheep whom our Lord loves, and for whom He gave His life, we show our love for the Shepherd.

Fifth, caution should be exercised in making too much of the two different words for “love” which are employed in this text. The two verbs are agapao and phileo. The first two times Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him, the word for love is agapao. The third time Jesus asks, He employs the term phileo. Every time Peter responds to Jesus’ question, indicating his love, he employs the word phileo. The distinctions that some make between these two terms may hold true in some cases, and for some authors. They do not seem to hold true for John, who often uses different terms for the same concept. When commentators do seek to emphasize the distinctions between the two Greek words John uses, they do not agree as to what the meaning and emphasis of these terms are. We should keep in mind that when Jesus spoke to Peter and asked him these three questions, He spoke not in Greek (the language in which the Gospel of John is written), but in Aramaic, the language spoken by the Jews of that day. The change in words may have some significance, but I hardly think it is the key to understanding the passage.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus turned to Simon Peter and asked, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these do?”[720] Our Lord’s addition of the words, “more than these do,” really got to the heart of the matter. Our Lord’s prediction of Peter’s denials came in the midst of Peter’s confident boasting that even if all the others denied Jesus, he certainly would not. In other words, Peter was claiming a higher level of devotion than the rest. Jesus is simply asking him to re-evaluate his boastful claim. And this Peter did. Peter could truthfully affirm that he did love Jesus, but he would not go so far as to claim that his love was greater than that of his fellow-disciples. He also speaks of his love in terms of the Savior’s assessment of it: “Yes, Lord, You know I love You.” To this our Lord replied, “Feed My lambs.”

How Peter wished that Jesus would leave it at that. But Jesus will ask the question two more times, so that this conversation is understood in relation to that occasion when Peter denied his Master three times.[721] And so Jesus asks Peter a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter replies with the identical words he spoke in answer to the first question, “Yes, Lord, You know I love You.” Jesus responded, “Shepherd My sheep.”

It was when Jesus asked the same question the third time that Peter was deeply grieved, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” It was not that Jesus changed from agapao to phileo that troubled Peter. Peter was grieved because Jesus found it necessary to ask virtually the same question three times. I do not like to be asked the same question repeatedly. I conclude that either the person asking the question wasn’t paying attention (this could not be the case with Jesus), or that my answer was not acceptable or credible. The three-fold repetition must have registered with Peter as being related to his three-fold denial. Peter was grieved because he realized that the bold and even arrogant claims he had made proved to be empty. Peter is not distressed with Jesus; he is grieved over his own sin. Jesus is not attempting to shame Peter; he is seeking to reaffirm his call to service. Did Jesus question Peter about his love for Him three times? Then note that three times Jesus instructed Peter to care for His sheep. Does Peter fear he has been cast aside as useless? Jesus tells him to return to His[722] work, three times!

Peter really did love Jesus. But Peter needed to understand that his love for the Savior was not as great as he thought, just as his ability to catch fish was not as great as he seemed to think. In loving, and in landing fish, Jesus was supreme. Even in the thing Peter did best (fishing), he could not hold a candle to Jesus, who proved to be far better at fishing than he. Peter sought to prove his love for Jesus by boasting about it, by arguing with his fellow-disciples about it (see Luke 22:24), and by being the first to draw his sword and lop off an ear, or perhaps even by being the first man into the water and onto the shore. These were not the benchmarks our Lord had established for testing one’s love for Him. The proof of one’s love for God is sacrificial service[723]—feeding our Lord’s sheep.

The way I understand verses 15-19 is something like this: “Peter, do you really love Me as much as you say? Then prove your love for Me by taking care of My sheep.” Jesus is the “Good Shepherd,” Who cares for His sheep (see John 10). If Peter really loves his Lord, then his passion will be the Lord’s passion. Jesus came to be the “Good Shepherd.” If Peter really loves the Lord, he will be a good shepherd, and shepherds shepherd by feeding the lambs, by caring for the weakest and most vulnerable of the flock. Jesus is the “Good Shepherd”; He is the Shepherd who came to lay down His life for His sheep. If Peter really loves Jesus, he will care for the Master’s sheep, and he, like the Master, will lay down his life for the sheep. Love manifests itself in service—humble, sacrificial, service.

                You become like the people you love. The things they love, you love. If Peter really loves his Lord, Who is the Good Shepherd, then Peter will surely seek to shepherd in the same way. He will seek the lost sheep (evangelism). He will feed and tend the young and vulnerable lambs (discipleship). And, like the Good Shepherd, he will lay down his life for the sheep. That is why the Lord moves so quickly and easily from verses 15-17 to verses 18 and 19. Peter had assured his Lord that he was willing to die for Him (Matthew 26:35), and so he will. But he will not die in the manner that he once supposed—seeking to keep His Master from being arrested and crucified. Peter will die, as the Savior did, as a good shepherd, and for the sake of the gospel.

Notice that Jesus does much more than predict Peter’s death. John wishes us to understand that Jesus went so far as to predict the way in which Peter would die: “(Now Jesus said this to indicate clearly by what kind of death Peter was going to glorify God.)” (verse 19). Peter’s previous effort to resist the arrest of Jesus was contrary to the gospel, and this is why Jesus rebuked him and abruptly ordered him to stop resisting His arrest. The death which Peter will experience is a death that will glorify God. Jesus also indicates that Peter will die in his old age, and thus he is informed that his death is not imminent. But his death for the Savior’s sake is certain: “I tell you the solemn truth, when you were young, you tied your clothes around you and went wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will tie you up and bring you where you do not want to go” (verse 18). Some see in these words only a vague and general reference to the manner of Peter’s death, but this does not square with John’s explanation in verse 19, which seems to be a more specific prophecy. I agree with those who see here a prophecy that Peter truly will follow Jesus, by dying on a Roman cross:

More important is the way stretch out your hands was understood in the ancient world: it widely referred to crucifixion (Haenchen, 2. 226-227). … Bauer (p. 232) proposed long ago that this ‘stretching’ took place when a condemned prisoner was tied to his cross-member … and forced to carry his ‘cross’ to the place of execution. The cross-member would be placed on the prisoner’s neck and shoulders, his arms tied to it, and then he would be led away to death.[724]

The words, “Follow Me,” constitute the first calling of the disciples (Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17; John 1:43). As time passed, these words took on a much deeper meaning. Following Jesus meant putting Jesus above family (Matthew 8:22). It meant a whole new way of life, where former practices would be unacceptable (Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:14). Before long, Jesus let His disciples know that following Him meant taking up one’s cross (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34). (At this point in time, our Lord’s reference to “taking up one’s cross” was, at best, understood metaphorically.) For the rich young ruler, it meant giving up his possessions (Matthew 19:21; Mark 20:21). And now, for Peter, it means not only carrying on the Master’s work, but taking up a very literal cross. It would seem that at every point where following Jesus is more precisely defined, another challenge to follow Him is given. So it is in our text.

I fear that Christians today understand these two words, “Follow me,” in a most shallow and superficial way. When Paul writes, “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21), we interpret his words in a somewhat hedonistic fashion. We suppose that Paul means living as a Christian is glorious, trouble-free, and fulfilling. It is, to put it plainly, “the good life.” In other words, we get to live it up here, and then when we die, it gets even better. There is a certain sense in which this is true. But we must understand Paul’s words in the light of what Jesus is telling Peter here, in our text, about following Him. To follow Christ is to walk in His steps, to live as He lived, to serve others as He did, and to lay down your life for the sheep, like Him. In Philippians chapter 1, Paul is therefore saying, “For me, to live is to live just as Christ did, taking up my cross daily, laying down my life for His sheep.”

Peter got the message. He was willing to lay down his life for the Savior. But why was Jesus singling him out? What about the rest? What about John? At some point, it appears that Jesus and Peter have gone off by themselves, apart from the others. Verse 20 seems to indicate that Jesus and Peter are walking by themselves, with John following behind, at a distance. Peter turns around and sees John, some distance away. He and John had been closely associated in the fishing business, and even as disciples. Later, they will work very closely together as apostles, as we see in the Book of Acts. Peter could not resist asking Jesus about John’s fate. If Peter had to die to follow Jesus, was this also true of John?

When I was growing up, I had two sisters and one brother. I was especially competitive with my older sister. Whenever we had pie, you had better believe that she and I were eyeing each piece, to make sure that the other didn’t get a bigger piece than we did. We had such a keenly developed sense of weight and size that we could have worked for the Federal Bureau of Standards. We did not wish for our rival sibling to get more than what we got. We expected complete equality. Peter seems to have the same attitude toward suffering. If he had to suffer, then surely John should be expected to suffer in just the same way, for the same period of time.

How easy it is for us to stand back, far removed in space and time, and criticize Peter for his foolish words. Let us remember that Peter does not have the depth of field that we have. He has not yet come to grasp the full impact of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord. He has not yet experienced the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, Who will come shortly, at Pentecost. Peter cannot yet look upon dying for Christ as a high calling, as a privilege. He views it only as a sacrifice, and thus he wishes to be sure that every other disciple pays the same price.

It occurred to me (later than I would wish to admit) that by the time John was writing this Gospel, Peter was probably already dead. If this is the case, then what is John’s purpose in writing about this incident? It is clearly not for Peter’s benefit. John tells us his reason for writing about this. It was to clear up the misconception some had that John would not die before the coming of our Lord. Jesus did not say that John would be alive at His return. He simply told Peter that if it was His will that he (Peter) die, and that John remain alive until His return, that was of no concern to Peter—it was none of his business. Death, like everything else, falls within the boundaries of our Lord’s sovereign control of all things. If death is God’s business, His sovereign business, then it is not Peter’s business to raise questions about John’s death.[725]

Peter was guilty of giving too much attention to John, when our Lord had narrowed the focus of the discussion to Peter’s love, and Peter’s service. Jesus further indicated to Peter that he would glorify his Master by his death, a death that was similar to His death, a death by crucifixion. Peter had fixed his attention on John. From John’s words here, we know that others erred in the same way Peter had. It was a popular misconception that Jesus promised John that he would not die until His return. It was only that—a popular misconception—and John corrects it here.

As I have been studying this final chapter in John’s Gospel, I re-read 1 Peter and was impressed with the way John 21 and 1 Peter were so similar in their themes. Peter certainly “got the message” Jesus was giving him here. But I also had to remind myself that John 21 was not written by Peter; it was written by John! Then it struck me—if I didn’t constantly remind myself of the fact, I would tend to forget that John wrote the Gospel of John. John is writing this chapter, and he is even a character in this closing scene, but he is completely in the background. I believe this is just the way John wanted it.

In fact, this is the way it is throughout the Gospel of John. John does not refer to himself by name, but rather as “the one Jesus loved.” Notice that John never refers to himself as “the one who loved Jesus.” Of course he loved Jesus, but then he had heard Peter boast the same thing. Better to focus on the great, unfailing love our Lord has for us, than our feeble, fickle love for Him. Good decision, John! And keep in mind that of all the Gospel authors, only Matthew and John were one of the twelve. Only John was one of the inner three—Peter, James, and John—who witnessed some things to which the other nine were not privy. You would think, would you not, that John would be more than eager to write about some of those events in our Lord’s life, where he was one of the privileged few to be present, and to witness such great things? There was the transfiguration of our Lord, for example (Matthew 17:1; Mark 9:2; Luke 9:29), the raising of the synagogue ruler’s dead daughter (Mark 5:37), and the prayer of our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:33). In each case, only the inner three were present, as stated in the Synoptic Gospels. And yet none of these incidents is even mentioned by John. John refuses to place himself in the spotlight. What an amazing man he is! Peter may be overly concerned about John (as he is), and so may those others who wrongly supposed that he would not die, but John himself is not so taken with himself. John keeps the focus on our Lord, and on the truths He spoke. Our eyes should not be on ourselves, but on Christ. Our focus should not be on what others are doing for Christ, or what God is doing for them. Our focus should be on Him, and on our love for Him, as shown by our loving service to His flock.

This is the “Great Commission” of John’s Gospel. It is certainly different from the Great Commission of Matthew’s Gospel. But when you stop to think about it, the point of both Gospels is the same. Matthew emphasizes the authority of our Lord, and the Lord’s command to make disciples. John focuses on our love for the Lord, and the privilege we have to show our love for Him by caring for those He loves, in a way that is consistent with His sacrificial death at Calvary.

One more thing should be said about the “love” which our Lord (and John) emphasizes in this closing chapter of John. We would do well to consider where John was when he penned this Gospel. The place of writing is not certain, but it is likely that it was Ephesus, which was apparently John’s home in his later years. Is it not interesting to think that when John writes his epistles, he places such emphasis on love? Is it not noteworthy that in the Book of Revelation, our Lord’s words to the church at Ephesus indicate that their great deficiency was that of love? And is it not noteworthy that when Paul wrote to Timothy, who was staying in Ephesus, he stated that the goal of his instruction was love (1 Timothy 1:5)? What a fitting way to end the Gospel of John, not by stressing the believer’s duty (which is very real, and very important), but by stressing the believer’s love and sacrificial service, the visible demon­stration of that love.

John’s Closing Words
(21:24-25)

24 This is the disciple who testifies about these things and has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. 25 There are many other things that Jesus did. If every one of them were written down, I suppose the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

This past few months, there has been a great deal of inquiry into the life and leadership of our President. The body of evidence against him is known as the “Starr Report.” Literally truckloads of documents and exhibits went into this report. Thousands of pages were written about this narrow window of time in the President’s life. How much more—and how much bigger and better—the “report” would be of all that our Lord did in His earthly ministry! When John tells his readers that “the whole world would not have room for the books that could be written,” he is hardly exaggerating. John has been very selective in what he has chosen to present as evidence in favor of his conclusion that Jesus is, indeed, the Son of God and the Savior of the world. And in his final words, John testifies that the words of this book are “the gospel truth.” It is not for lack of evidence that men are eternally lost. John has now set the evidence before his readers, and he urges each of us to draw the conclusions this evidence merits.

The verdict is clear. You should believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah—the Christ—and that by His sinless life and sacrificial death, your sins may be forgiven. And having believed the verdict, you should not only be overcome with His love for you, but you should be compelled by your love for Him, to serve Him as you shepherd His lambs. The evidence abounds; the verdict is clear. The question that remains is this: Given this evidence, how will you respond to Jesus Christ?


! Lesson 49:
An Overview of John in Retrospect

Introduction

If someone were to ask you what the Gospel of John is all about, what would you say? How would you sum up the message of this Gospel? Dr. S. Lewis Johnson[726] has said that we ought to be able to think our way through the argument of every book of the Bible, chapter by chapter. I’m not able to do that yet, but I can do so with a few books, like Romans, for example. Romans is easy to reason your way through because Paul is so logical in his argument. But a Gospel like John is a completely different matter. How can we think our way through this Gospel, in a way that gives us a clear sense of what it is all about?

This lesson is the result of the recommendation of a friend, Marvin Ball, who suggested that I needed to end this series in the Gospel of John with some kind of summary or overview of the book. It was a good idea. And so, having reached the end of John’s Gospel, we now take the opportunity to glance back in the rear view mirror, so to speak, for one last look at this great book.

It has not been an easy task, but I think I have finally settled on an approach to this Gospel that works for me, and perhaps it will be of help to you as well. To begin with, we must have a fairly good grasp of the nature of this Gospel. In the introductory lesson to this series, I described some of the characteristics of John’s Gospel, which you may wish to review. For one thing, I pointed out that most of John’s material is original. Over 90% of John’s material is not found in any of the Synoptic Gospels.[727] The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia makes this statement concerning the few events John shares in common with the Synoptic Gospels:

In relation to the Synoptics, the differences are great, but more surprising is the fact that the points of contact between these Gospels and the Fourth Gospel are so few. The critics to whom reference has been made are unanimous that the writer or the school who compiled the Johannine writings was indebted to the Synoptics for almost all the facts embodied in the Fourth Gospel. Apart, however, from the Passion Week, only two points of contact are found so obvious that they cannot be doubted, namely, the feeding of the 5,000, and the walking on the sea (Jn 6:4-21).[728]

The next thing we must keep in mind is the high level of selectivity John has employed in choosing the material he will include. He himself indicates this at the end of the Gospel:

30 Now Jesus performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples that are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20:30-31).

There are many other things that Jesus did. If every one of them were written down, I suppose the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written (John 20:25).

Having read these verses many times, I still did not sense their full impact. It was these comments on John in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia which finally got my attention:

… the first thing that strikes the reader is the small amount of the real time filled up, or occupied, by the scenes described in the Gospel. We take the night of the betrayal, and the day of the crucifixion. The things done and the words spoken on that day, from one sunset to another, occupy no fewer than 7 chapters of the Gospel (John 13 through 19). Apart from the supplementary chapter (21), there are 20 chapters in the Gospel, containing 697 vs, and these 7 chapters have 257 verses. More than one-third of the whole given to the ministry is thus occupied with the events of one day. … If we continue to follow the clue thus afforded, we shall be surprised at the fewness of the days on which anything was transacted. …

We make these remarks, which will be obvious to every reader who attends to them, mainly for the purpose of showing that the Gospel on the face of it does not intend to, at least does not, set forth a complete account of the life and work of Jesus. It gives at the utmost an account of 20 days out of the 1,000 days of our Lord's ministry. This is of itself sufficient to set aside the idea of those who deal with the Fourth Gospel as if it were meant to set aside, to supplement, or to correct, the accounts in the Synoptics. Plainly it was not written with that purpose.[729]

The Gospel of John is not a sequential presentation of most of the events of our Lord’s three-year ministry, but a mere sampling of a few of these events, essentially in chronological order. The Gospel of John focuses on a few events, which occur during a very few days, most of which are not mentioned in the Synoptic Gospels. These observations not only underscore the uniqueness of John’s Gospel, they also provide us with some helpful clues as to the organizing principle John employed in the writing of this great Gospel.

I have read a number of commentaries on the Gospel of John, and each of them seeks to present some kind of structure or outline of this Gospel. That is all well and good, but few seem to agree about the structure of the Book. I would suggest that the key to the structure of this Gospel is to be found when one identifies the Gospel’s organizing principle. In the Book of Romans, Paul’s organizing principle is logical. In Genesis and many other historical books of the Bible, the principle is chronological.[730] In John, with so few days and so few events described, we must find another organizing principle. After considerable thought (and, I confess, agony), I think I have settled on the organizing principle which underlies the structure and argument of the Gospel of John.

The key is found in our Lord’s repeated visits to Jerusalem. These are:

John 2 Jesus’ first visit to Jerusalem, when He cleanses the temple
John 5 Jesus’ second visit to Jerusalem, when He heals the handicapped man
John 7 Jesus’ third visit to Jerusalem, when He cries out on the great day of the feast
John 11[731] Jesus’ fourth visit (almost), to Bethany, a suburb of Jerusalem, where He raises Lazarus
John 12 Jesus’ final visit to Jerusalem, beginning with dinner at Bethany, followed by the triumphal entry, and then the arrest, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection of our Lord

This is a marked contrast to the organizational scheme of the Synoptic Gospels. A substantial portion of these Gospels is devoted to the Galilean ministry of our Lord.[732] In Mark, for example, it is not until chapter 11 that Jesus arrives in Jerusalem for the first and last time in this Gospel. This is the case with the other Synoptics. They give much attention to the Galilean ministry of Jesus because this is where Jesus spent most of His time. John, on the other hand, alternates between our Lord’s Galilean ministry and the Jerusalem campaigns, for a very important reason. John’s Gospel, more than the Synoptics, reflects the strategy of our Lord in dealing with the nation Israel. John pictures our Lord making several appearances in Jerusalem, each of which produces additional revelation about the person and work of Jesus, with each visit ending in questions or conflict. This conflict then prompts our Lord to retreat from Jerusalem in order to allow the situation to cool. The effect is a very carefully calculated one. Each visit to Jerusalem served to raise the “temperature” of the Jews (and especially the Jewish authorities), until it finally reached the boiling point at His final appearance. The Jews in Jerusalem are virtually forced to arrest and crucify Jesus during the Passover, which was “His time.”

John is an excellent historian. I have had my share of history classes, and to be perfectly honest, most of them weren’t that great. I can summarize what a bad history teacher is like: “First this happened, and next this happened, and then this, and this, and so on and on and on …” A bad historian simply retells history in its proper chronological order. Such historians are worthy of the label “boring.” A good historian is one who does not give equal weight to every event in history, but who focuses on what I would call the “turning points” of history. Whether it be World War I, World War II, or some other war in history, each war usually has many battles, but only a few turning points. A great historian is one who helps us understand the events of a certain period by focusing on a handful of key “turning points” in that period of history. John is a great historian. He does not attempt to repeat, once again, an account of the same events which are reported in the Synoptic Gospels. He presents original material,[733] focusing on those critical events which were the turning points in our Lord’s ministry to the nation Israel.

Think about some of the great “turning points” in the Bible. The fall of man in the Garden of Eden was the first great turning point in the Bible. After this event, everything changed. Knowing about the fall in Genesis chapter 3, we can understand what follows—the death of Abel at the hand of Cain (Genesis 4), the sin of the whole world which required the flood (Genesis 6-9), the tower of Babel (Genesis 11), and so on. Abraham’s departure to an unknown land (Genesis 11 and 12) and the offering up of his son, Isaac (Genesis 22), were also great turning points, not only in his life, but for all mankind. The exodus of Israel from Egypt (The Book of Exodus) was another great turning point in the history of Israel.

The greatest “turning point” in the history of the world since the fall of man was the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, followed by His triumphant resurrection and ascension. The cross and resurrection are the climax of all the Gospels, but John’s Gospel is laid out in a way that shows us all of those smaller “turning points” which inevitably led to the rejection of Jesus by the nation Israel, culminating in the cross of Calvary.  A turning point often begins with our Lord’s appearance in Jerusalem, resulting in some very significant miracle, action, or discourse (or a combination of them). The result is an even more pointed declaration of who Jesus is, and a more heated and animated rejection of Jesus by many of the Jews, and by most of the Jewish leaders. With the exception of His final appearance in Jerusalem, Jesus then leaves for Galilee or some more remote place, to let things cool off until His next visit to Jerusalem.

Let’s attempt to apply this organizing principle to John’s Gospel and see if it helps us to trace the development of John’s argument. At the end of the lesson, we will focus on the “bottom line” of the book, to see just what John wishes his readers to do with his message.

Prologue: John’s Introduction to This Gospel
The First Turning Point
(John 1:1-18)

Unlike Matthew or Luke, John does not start with the birth of Jesus or even with the ministry of John the Baptist (Mark). John starts at the beginning, at creation. Our Lord has no true beginning, because He is God. He was already there when the earth was called into being. In fact, according to John, He was the One who called the world into being (John 1:1-3). John 1:1-18 describes our Lord’s incarnation in a very different way than Matthew and Luke do. John does not write of angelic messengers announcing the birth of John the Baptist and of Jesus. We do not read of the mystery of the virgin birth, as important as it is—the mechanism of our Lord’s incarnation. Instead, we are told in the clearest of terms that the eternal Word, Who was in the presence of the Father and Who called the world into existence, broke into time and space in the form of a man, a man named Jesus. In John’s words, “Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father” (John 1:14).

Can we not say that the incarnation of our Lord was one of the greatest turning points in all of human history? God came down to earth, adding sinless humanity to His perfect and undiminished deity. The world would never be the same. Here is the great divide between the Old Testament (covenant) and the New. What a turning point it was! And lest one should suppose that our Lord came to earth, expecting that He would be received and welcomed as Messiah, John makes it very clear that Jesus came to be rejected by men (John 1:9-11).

Beginning in Galilee
(John 1:19–2:12)

John the Baptist was baptizing beyond the Jordan River (on the East side of the Jordan) when Jesus came to him to be baptized. The baptism of our Lord is another turning point in our Lord’s life and ministry. It is at our Lord’s baptism, that God indicates to John that Jesus is the promised Messiah, of whom he has been speaking. Shortly afterward, two of John’s disciples begin to follow Jesus. It was at His baptism that Jesus commenced His ministry as Israel’s Messiah. Jesus then goes to Galilee where He calls His other disciples. Jesus and His disciples are invited to a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and it is there that Jesus performs His first sign, turning water into wine. How better to demonstrate that Jesus is the Creator? And yet, due to the way our Lord performed this sign, only His disciples knew what He had done. Jesus was not yet ready to publicly disclose His identity to those outside the circle of His disciples.

There is a very interesting “turning point” indicated by John in the course of his account of this first sign. It is obvious that this wedding was somewhat of a family affair. We know that our Lord’s mother was at the wedding (2:1), and it would also seem that some of His half-brothers were present as well, since they all left Cana and went to Capernaum (2:12). Mary was the one who pointed out that the wine was running out. She was the one who looked to Jesus to do something about it. At this early stage of His ministry, Jesus was still fairly closely associated with His family. Our Lord’s words to Mary are a pointed (but not impolite) message to her that His relationship to His earthly mother has changed. His ministry will not be directed by her. Never again will Mary seek to suggest to Jesus how He should minister. Never again (until after His death and resurrection) will our Lord be close to His brothers, for they do not believe in Him as the Messiah (as is evident in John 7:1-5), at least not until after His resurrection (see Acts 1:14; Galatians 1:19).

The Lord’s First Appearance in Jerusalem[734]
(John 2:13–3:21)

Virtually every visit of our Lord to Jerusalem was in conjunction with a Jewish feast.[735] No doubt, this was because these feasts were directly related to our Lord and to His ministry (Colossians 2:16-17). But another reason would be that during such festive times the population of Jerusalem would swell considerably with pilgrims, so that He would have maximum exposure during the feasts. On this occasion, it was to celebrate the Passover that Jesus went up to Jerusalem. His introduction was indeed unique. When He went into the temple He threw out those who were making God’s house a place of business rather than a place of prayer. John informs us that this fulfills the Messianic prophecy of Psalm 69:9. It certainly gets the attention of the Jews, who challenge Jesus to produce some sign, to prove His authority to act as He has. In His response, Jesus makes a claim that no one understands at the time:

18 So then the Jewish leaders responded, “What sign can you show us, since you are doing these things?” 19 Jesus replied, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.” 20 Then the Jewish leaders said to him, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and are you going to raise it up in three days?” 21 But Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 So after he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the saying that Jesus had spoken (John 2:18-22).

There were those who saw and heard Jesus on His first visit to Jerusalem who “believed in His name” (2:23). Even so, Jesus was not willing to commit Himself to them. There was too much they did not know about Him and about the purpose of His earthly visitation. They were not fully committed to Him, nor could they be at this early stage in His ministry. Potentially, this could have been a “turning point” in the ministry of our Lord, but He purposefully avoided it as such.

While Jesus was there in Jerusalem, a Jewish Rabbi named Nicodemus sought Him out by night (3:1ff.). Nicodemus was no ordinary Rabbi; he recognized something in Jesus which made it apparent that God was with Him. When he began to inquire into our Lord’s ministry and message, Jesus stopped Him short with the words, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). It would seem that our Lord’s words to Nicodemus went way over his head, leaving him virtually speechless and silent by the end of chapter 3. There was much he needed to ponder, so we are not surprised to see him again later in John. In this interview with Nicodemus, Jesus did reveal a great deal about His mission and message:

12 “If I have told you people about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16 For this is the way God loved the world: he gave his one and only Son that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 18 The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God” (John 3:12-18).

Back to Galilee
(John 3:22–4:54)

Jesus’ retreat from Jerusalem is not a hasty one, nor is it necessitated by angry Jews who are seeking to kill Him—not this time, anyway. His retreat is a more subtle one. Jesus first leaves Jerusalem and journeys about the land of Judea, teaching and baptizing (3:22). John the Baptist seems to have been doing the same, and a comparison between Jesus and John could not be avoided. Jesus and His disciples were now more popular than John. While this did not bother John at all, Jesus knew that word of His success would reach the Pharisees, and that this would trouble them greatly (since they already seem to perceive Him as a threat). Jesus therefore returns to Galilee. The Jerusalem Jews do not perceive anything or anyone from Galilee as posing a threat to the Jerusalem power structure (see 7:52).

Jesus was determined to journey from Judea to Galilee through Samaria (4:3-4). The words of verse 4 suggest that His appearance in Samaria was deliberate. Our Lord’s journey through Samaria marks another turning point in our Lord’s ministry. It sends the message that the salvation He was bringing was inclusive rather than exclusive (racially speaking).[736] This is implied by our Lord’s words to the “woman at the well”:

22 “You people worship what you do not know. We worship what we know, because salvation is from the Jews. 23 But a time is coming—and now is here—when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers. 24 God is spirit, and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:22-24).

After this Samaritan city had come to faith, Jesus continued His journey to Galilee, where He was warmly welcomed, particularly by (and because of) those who had been to Jerusalem at the time of His first visit (4:43-45). They had witnessed His power at work in Jerusalem; now they were hopeful that His ministry in Galilee would be accompanied by many similar miracles (4:45). For this sign-seeking, they were rebuked (4:48). While Jesus was in Cana of Galilee (where He had turned water into wine), a royal official arrived to plead with Jesus to come to his home in Capernaum and heal his son. Jesus did not go to Capernaum, but told the royal official to go home, assuring him that his son would live. This “second sign” (4:54) was again performed in such a way as to minimize excitement among the Galileans,[737] but this calm was soon to end.

Jesus’ Second Appearance in Jerusalem
(John 5:1-47)

It is not certain exactly which “feast” brings Jesus to Jerusalem for the third time. John simply informs us that it was a[738] “Jewish feast” (5:1). Near the Sheep Gate was a pool called Bethesda, at which a disabled man had lain for some time, unable to walk for 38 years. This man (who is never named) did not expect to be healed, nor did he ask for healing. Looking upon the man as He passed by, Jesus had compassion on him and asked if he wished to become well. The man wished to be healed, but his hope was in being able to be the first one into the pool after the waters were troubled. Jesus simply commanded the man to stand up, take up his mattress, and go his way. The man obeyed, was healed, and went his way. So did Jesus.

When the “Sabbath police” (the Jews) saw this man carrying his mattress on the Sabbath, they immediately rebuked him. His only explanation was that the man who had healed him had commanded him to do so. This wonderful miracle should have signaled the presence of the Messiah among them:

18 John’s disciples informed him about all these things. So John called two of his disciples 19 and sent them to Jesus to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” 20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’” 21 At that very time Jesus cured many people of diseases, sicknesses, and evil spirits, and granted sight to many who were blind. 22 So he answered them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news proclaimed to them. 23 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me” (Luke 7:18-23).

Instead, these Jews were incensed that anyone would instruct this man to violate the Sabbath by carrying his mattress. There seemed to be nothing these Jews could do because Jesus had slipped away in the crowd (5:13), and the healed man had no idea who his healer was. Jesus was not willing to let this matter drop, however, and so He sought this man out in the temple. When He found him, Jesus warned this fellow not to persist in his sin, lest something worse happen to him (5:14). Instead of giving heed to this warning, the man seems to have been offended, because he immediately went to the Jews to inform them that it was Jesus who had made him well (5:15).

This leads to the first major confrontation between Jesus and the Jewish authorities, who immediately begin to harass Him (5:16). Their initial grievance is that Jesus has violated the Sabbath by healing this man, and to make matters worse, He instructed this fellow to violate the Sabbath as well. In the Gospels, Jesus responds in several different ways to the accusation that He has violated the Sabbath, but He does not employ any of His usual defenses here. Instead, He makes an incredibly bold statement, which sets His adversaries back on their heels:

16 Now because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish authorities began persecuting him. 17 So Jesus told them, “My Father is working until now, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason the Jewish authorities were trying even harder to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own Father, thus making himself equal with God (John 5:16-18).

This immediately escalates the conflict between Jesus and the Jewish authorities to a much higher level. Jesus’ defense to the accusation that He is a Sabbath-breaker is that He can and must act as He has because He is the Son, and therefore He does what His Father does. Now, Jesus is no longer viewed merely as a man who has broken the Sabbath, but as a man who has brazenly claimed to be equal with God. To them, this is blasphemy, and they will not tolerate it!

Jesus is not intimidated by their hostile opposition. Instead, He turns the tables on them, accusing them of refusing His testimony because they do not have God’s Word residing in them. Jesus is not condemned by the Law of Moses, as they insist; rather, it is they who in the judgment will be condemned by Moses:

“You people have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time, 38 nor do you have his word residing in you, because you do not believe the one whom he sent. 39 You study the scriptures thoroughly because you think in them you possess eternal life, and it is these same scriptures that testify about me; 40 but you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life. 41 I do not accept praise from people, 42 but I know you, that you do not have the love of God within you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe, if you accept praise from one another and don’t seek the praise that comes from the only God? 45 Do not suppose that I will accuse you before the Father. The one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 47 But if you do not believe what Moses wrote, how will you believe my words?” (John 5:37b-47)

They maintained that Jesus had sinned by claiming to be God. Jesus insisted that they had sinned by refusing to believe that He had come from God. With this stinging rebuke ringing in their ears, Jesus left Jerusalem and returned once again to Galilee (6:1).

Back to Galilee
(John 6:1-66)

In John’s Gospel, this return to Galilee is the beginning of the end, so far as our Lord’s Galilean ministry is concerned. It is His last public teaching and healing tour in Galilee. John 6 is certainly the “turning point” for Galilee in terms of their response to Jesus and His claim to be the Messiah. When He returns from Jerusalem, Jesus is welcomed by large crowds attracted largely by the miraculous signs Jesus had been performing. With His disciples, Jesus withdrew to the mountainside across the Sea of Galilee (6:3). John notes that the Jewish feast of the Passover was near (6:4). It was here, in this remote place, that Jesus fed the 5,000. This great miracle was all it took to convince these Galilean Jews that they wanted Jesus to be their Messiah, and they were ready to make Him king by force, if necessary (6:15). Jesus sent His disciples away and then retreated up the mountainside alone. Jesus no longer had transportation back to the other side of the lake, since earlier He had ordered His disciples into the boat to return to the other side. And so it was that Jesus walked on the water, and finally got into the boat with His disciples.

The word was now out. Those present at the feeding of the 5,000 told others, and soon there was a great multitude of those who were looking for Jesus. Eventually they found Him in the synagogue at Capernaum. Jesus saw through their eagerness to be with Him. He knew that they were not looking for Messiah as much as they were a meal. And so Jesus delivers His great “Bread of Life Discourse” in chapter 6. Jesus taught that He was greater than Moses, and offered Himself as better bread than that which God provided through Moses. To enter into eternal life, they would have to “eat His flesh” and “drink His blood” (6:53). This was too much for most of His audience, and virtually all the crowd slipped away, never again to follow Jesus. Only His disciples were left, knowing it was He who possessed “the words of eternal life” (6:68).

This is really the last chance for the people of Galilee to accept Jesus as their Messiah. This is the place were Jesus was raised, and where nearly all of His disciples lived. It is where the vast majority of our Lord’s time was spent in ministry. And yet when all is said and done, they were willing to follow a miracle-worker, but they were not willing to follow the Christ of the cross. When Jesus revealed the centrality of the cross and the necessity of personally partaking of His atoning death, these half-hearted “disciples” would hear no more. John seems to indicate that our Lord continued to minister in Galilee for a time (7:1), but for all intents and purposes, the Galilean ministry of our Lord is over. Jesus is rejected by the masses in Galilee in John 6, and by the masses in Jerusalem in chapter 12, as we shall soon see.

Our Lord’s Third Appearance in Jerusalem
(John 7:2–10:39)

With the mention of another feast comes another visit to Jerusalem (7:2). This time it is the feast of Tabernacles. Passover was celebrated in the Spring, in March or April; Pentecost in May or June; the feast of Tabernacles was observed in the Fall, in September or October. It was our Lord’s brothers who first urged Jesus to go to Jerusalem and “make His move” (7:3-5). They did not say this out of faith, but in unbelief. If Jesus was the Messiah, as He claimed, then it was time to (pardon the crass language, but I think it conveys the spirit of our Lord’s brothers at the time) “put up or shut up.” Jesus declined to go up with them, but urged them to go ahead. He gave them little reason to expect Him to make an appearance.

But after His brothers had gone up to the feast in Jerusalem, Jesus followed, but in a way that would not attract a lot of attention (and thus a lot of resistance and opposition). Jesus was clearly the topic of the day in Jerusalem, and the Jews were very much divided in their response to Him. Because the people feared the Jewish authorities, no one dared to speak of Jesus openly (7:12-13). Midway through the feast, Jesus went up to the temple and began to teach (7:14).

It is important to take careful note of John’s words in chapter 7 (as we would in every chapter of the Bible!), because here John distinguishes between the Jewish religious leaders and the crowds. The crowds were divided over Jesus, but the leaders did not even want Jesus to be spoken of. The religious leaders predictably began to oppose Jesus. They were amazed at His command of the Scriptures (7:15-19). But when Jesus spoke of the Jewish authorities wanting to kill Him, the crowd who heard this accused Jesus of being possessed by a demon (7:20). Others knew that the rulers of the people did want to kill Him (7:25-27). It is important to recognize that at this point, even the crowds are beginning to turn against Jesus. The healing of the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda still seems to be on their minds, as can be seen from our Lord’s defense in 7:21-24.

On this visit to Jerusalem, our Lord precipitates a good deal of turmoil. We must remember that because this was one of the three major Jewish holidays, there were many pilgrims present in Jerusalem who had not yet seen Jesus personally, but who must have heard many of the rumors about Him, both good and bad. While the pilgrims couldn’t believe that some were trying to kill Jesus (7:20), those who actually lived in Jerusalem knew better (7:25). The Jerusalemites were amazed that the Jewish authorities were actually allowing Jesus to teach publicly. They knew the Jewish authorities were intent on putting Jesus to death. Jesus boldly claimed to have come from the Father, accusing those who would not believe in Him of not believing in the Father either (7:28-29). Nevertheless, He did invite those who would to come to Him (7:37-39).

The Jewish religious leaders wanted to silence Jesus. They sent some of the temple police to arrest Jesus and to bring Him to them. They did not want Jesus to teach publicly in the temple because there were many who were believing in Him. Much to the dismay of the Jewish leaders, the temple police returned empty-handed. This was not because Jesus could not be found, but because these officers were so impressed with Jesus’ teaching that they didn’t arrest Him. The religious authorities were disgusted by the “gullibility” of these men and marveled that they had been as easily deceived as the Galileans. They pointed out to these officers that none of the Jewish leaders had been taken in by Jesus (7:45-49).

Well, almost none, anyway. Nicodemus was virtually forced to come out into the open. He did not forthrightly say that he believed in Jesus. Perhaps he had not come that far as yet. But he did come to our Lord’s defense by pointing out that their course of action was illegal. In terms of today’s legal language, it did not give Jesus “due process of the law.” They were ready to condemn Jesus without obtaining a formal indictment, without holding a public trial, and without affording Him the opportunity to defend Himself. He was being denied His constitutional (the constitution being Jewish law) rights.

Previously, I had thought of Nicodemus’ protest here as pathetic. In my mind, Nicodemus had rather meekly protested, and when His peers “put him down,” he quickly changed his tune, or just kept quiet. I had concluded that his words hardly phased the other members of the Sanhedrin, even momentarily. I now see this failed attempt to arrest Jesus and the protest of Nicodemus as a very significant turning point for our Lord and for the Jewish leaders who opposed Him. Since chapter 5, the “crime” for which Jesus was accused by the Jews was blasphemy. By His claims, Jesus made Himself out to be equal with God (John 5:18; 10:33, 36; 19:7). The biblical punishment for blasphemy was stoning, which the Jews had unsuccessfully attempted on several occasions (8:59; 10:31-33; 11:8). In John 18, we find not only the Jewish leaders, but also a crowd and a squad of Roman soldiers coming to arrest Jesus (18:3; see Luke 22:47). In John, when Jesus is arrested, He is first brought before Annas; then He is taken to Caiaphas; and finally He is accused before Pilate, who caves in to the pressure applied by the Jews, and hands Jesus over to the them to be crucified.

We know that it was God’s plan for our Lord to be crucified, and not stoned, and to be rejected and put to death by the Gentiles as well as the Jews. But how did this come to pass? What caused the Jews to ask for Roman involvement, rather than to simply stone Jesus themselves? I think chapter 7 is the turning point. It is here that the Jewish authorities make an official attempt to take Jesus into custody, so that they can kill Him away from the crowds. They send temple police officers to seize Jesus, but these men come back without Him. The officers were so impressed with the way He taught they could not bring themselves to arrest Him, even though they were ordered to do so. The Jewish Sanhedrin was the driving force behind this effort to arrest and execute Jesus, but one of their own members (Nicodemus) objects because the way they are dealing with Jesus is illegal. It was one thing to have a divided opinion among the masses; it was quite another for members of the Sanhedrin to be divided among themselves. I believe that what we see in chapters 18-20 is the direct result of the Jewish authorities’ failed attempt to seize Jesus—including Nicodemus’ protest—in chapter 7. Having miserably failed to arrest Jesus (let alone to kill Him), the Jewish leaders seem to have decided to take a different approach the next time they attempt to arrest Jesus. They are determined that next time they will not fail. They will do whatever is necessary to secure the success of their mission, even if this means humbling themselves to ask Rome for its help. John 7 therefore is a turning point in the Jewish approach to doing away with Jesus, and so this chapter sets the stage for the events of chapters 18-20.

But wait; there’s more (as the television commercials always say). While the method of our Lord’s arrest and execution are largely determined, the motivation for doing so must still intensify. And so it does in chapters 8 and 9. The incident with the woman taken in adultery plays an important part in this intensification. The Jews intend to kill Jesus, but they would very much like to discredit Him, to shame Him publicly, so that the public sentiment is in their favor, not His. They use this poor woman in their attempt to show Jesus up as one who is unwilling to keep the Law of Moses. They put Jesus on the spot, virtually daring Him to refuse to take part in having her stoned. They well knew He is gracious and compassionate, and thus inclined to forgive. And they, like the Prophet Jonah of old, hate grace, as all legalists must. Instead of Jesus leaving that encounter with His head down, shamed by these religious authorities, every one of them leaves silently and in shame. Jesus prevailed over His opponents once again. The impact of this blow to their pride can hardly be overestimated.

Jesus then declares that He is “the Light of the World” (8:12), which brings an immediate objection from the Pharisees. The debate gets even uglier, to the point that they accuse Jesus of being an illegitimate child whose father is unknown (8:41). Jesus counters by indicating that their “father” is known, and he is the devil (8:44). They are like him, who is both a liar and a murderer (8:44). This is why they will not believe what He says to them, and this proves that they do not belong to God (8:45-48). They then call Jesus a demon-possessed Samaritan, only to have Jesus say, “Before Abraham came into existence, I am!” (8:58). The Jews exploded, taking up rocks to stone Jesus, but He slipped away from them. They were now more determined than ever to kill Him. You could almost hear them mumbling to themselves, “Just you wait, Jesus, just you wait.”

I remember the story of the scientist who lectured all over the country. His chauffeur had driven him to these lectures, and thus he had heard the same speech many times over. One day the chauffeur told the scientist that he had heard his presentation so often that he knew it by heart, and could deliver it himself. And so the two men changed places. The chauffeur took the scientist’s place, delivering his lecture, while the scientist served as the chauffeur. The chauffeur gave a flawless presentation, but then a man in the audience stood and asked a question the chauffeur had never heard before, for which he had no answer. He was quick on his feet, however, and responded to the questioner, “Why, sir, that is indeed a most elementary question. It is so elementary that even my chauffeur can answer it. …”

Something like this happens to the Jewish leaders in chapter 9. It was one thing for Jesus to have handled every confrontation with the Jews in such a way that they always ended up with “egg on their faces.” It was another thing for a beggar to take them on and win. This man had been blind all of his life, and he made his living as a beggar. When Jesus saw him, He had compassion on him and healed him. He did so by placing mud (made with dirt and spit) on the man’s eyes, and having him wash in the pool of Siloam (9:7). The man came away healed, but because of the way Jesus performed this miracle, he never really saw Jesus, and so he could not identify Him to the Jews. It was the Sabbath, and rather than rejoice in this miracle and see it pointing to Jesus as the Messiah, the Jews attempted to achieve some measure of “damage control.” If they could not prevail against Jesus, they could surely win their point by taking on this beggar. They tried, and they failed. Again.

Never before had a man born blind been given his sight. The Pharisees first attempted to discredit the miracle by showing that it was a hoax. They set out to prove that the man who claimed to have been healed was not the man who had been born blind. When this effort failed, they sought to force the healed man to make some statement which would discredit Jesus. Instead, this man “saw” through their hypocrisy, and he turned his interrogation around, making them look foolish, again. Jesus later returned to this man, and led him to faith in Himself as the true Messiah (9:35-38), but He also indicted the Jews for their blindness (9:39-41). Things were now heating up. The Jewish authorities were more than motivated to do away with Jesus.

But the animosity of the Jews is still not yet sufficiently intense, and so John records the “straw that broke the camel’s back” in this visit to Jerusalem (John 10:1-39). There seems to be no real break between the events of chapter 9 and those of chapter 10. Jesus speaks of Himself as the “Good Shepherd,” contrasting Himself with “strangers,” “thieves,” and “robbers.” These words draw upon Old Testament texts such as this one in Jeremiah, which condemns the Jewish religious leaders for being wicked shepherds, and which also promises the coming of Messiah, the Good Shepherd:

1 “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” says the LORD. 2 Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the LORD. 3 “But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. 4 I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking," says the LORD. 5 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 6 In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jeremiah 23:1-6).

There is no way the Jews could fail to grasp the implications of our Lord’s words. He was claiming to be the Messiah and was, at the same time, identifying them as wicked shepherds, destined for divine judgment. Jesus was also speaking of His sacrificial death on the cross, by which He would bring about the salvation of His flock. Not only did He indicate that He was going to voluntarily lay down His life, but He also declared that He would take it up again. Jesus quite openly spoke of His death and resurrection. These words once again divided our Lord’s audience (10:19ff.). Some wrote these words off as the ravings of a demon-possessed man; others found it difficult to set aside the fact that the One speaking these words had just given sight to a man born blind.

In John 10:22, John refers to yet another feast, the Feast of Dedication, also known as the Feast of Lights or Hanukkah. During this feast, Jesus was in Jerusalem,[739] walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. The Jews surrounded Him, and pressed Him to publicly declare Himself. If He was the Messiah, then let Him say so now, clearly! Jesus insisted that He made His declarations, not merely with words, but by His works. They bore witness that He was indeed the Messiah (10:25). The problem was not that were was insufficient evidence; the problem was that Jesus’ opponents would not believe. And, in another sense, they could not believe, because they were not of His sheep. Those who are His sheep hear His voice and follow Him. He gives eternal life to His sheep, life which no one can take away.

Jesus could have stopped here, but He chose to press on with a statement He knew would be inflammatory: “The Father and I are one” (verse 30). This was all the Jews could take. They began to take up stones to kill Him. Jesus pressed them for an explanation. He had performed many good works among them. For which of these good works was He being stoned? They said that it was not for His good works that they were seeking to stone Him; it was for blasphemy, for claiming to be God (verse 33). Jesus offered an explanation, but they would have none of it. They attempted to seize Him, but once again He evaded them.

Jesus Seeks Seclusion
(John 10:40-42)

Things were now “white hot” in Jerusalem, but it was not yet “His time.” His “time” would come at Passover, a few months later. This time, Jesus does not return to Galilee, as He has done before. The Galileans had already rejected Him (John 6), and so His ministry there was virtually over. Instead, Jesus went beyond the Jordan, to the place where John the Baptist used to minister. As people learned that Jesus was there, they came out to Him, as they had gone out to John. They noticed something different about Jesus, the very thing which John himself had constantly emphasized: Jesus was greater than he. The people took note of our Lord’s miracles, and remembered that John performed none. Many came to believe in Jesus there in this remote place beyond the Jordan.

Bethany: As Close to Jerusalem as One Can Get
(John 11:1-57)

Technically speaking, after retreating beyond the Jordan, Jesus returned to Jerusalem only one last time—when He made His triumphal entry into the city. But in chapter 11, Jesus gets as close to Jerusalem as one can get without actually entering the city. And in spite of the fact that He did not enter the city of Jerusalem, His visit to Bethany had a great impact on the people of Jerusalem, especially the Jewish authorities. This visit would certainly prove to be a major turning point in the life and ministry of our Lord.

The disciples must have been delighted to “keep a low profile” beyond the Jordan. They realized that another visit to Jerusalem would be very dangerous (11:8). But when Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that His friend Lazarus was seriously ill, it was apparent that these sisters expected Him to come, immediately. Jesus delayed, much to the relief of His disciples, and to the regret of the sisters. Then, when He was ready to set out for Bethany, Jesus explained to His disciples that He had delayed so that Lazarus would be good and dead, but that He would now go and “awake” him (11:11). In spite of the danger, the disciples decided to accompany Him, but they feared that it might be the death of them all (11:16).

We shall not repeat the story of the raising of Lazarus, except to point out that since Bethany was a relatively short walk from Jerusalem, many of those who came to mourn with Martha and Mary were from Jerusalem (11:18-19). When these folks from Jerusalem witnessed the miracle of the raising of Lazarus, many of them came to faith in Jesus (verse 45). But there were others who did not believe. These folks hurried to Jerusalem to inform the Jewish religious authorities what had happened (verse 46). An emergency session seems to have been called by the Sanhedrin. The Jewish authorities had to reluctantly admit that Jesus was winning the nation over. They had to do something to stop Him, and they had to do it soon! It was Caiaphas who unwittingly prophesied that one person must die to save the nation (11:49-51). And so the Sanhedrin agreed together to put Jesus to death (11:53). They put the word out that anyone who knew the whereabouts of Jesus was to report this to them, so that they could arrest Him.

A Last Retreat
(John 11:54-57)

Do you notice that as John alternates between Jerusalem and more remote places, each subsequent visit to Jerusalem seems to be longer, and is reported in greater detail? On the other hand, the reports of His retreats to Galilee or other remote places get shorter and shorter. Now that the Sanhedrin was actively seeking to arrest and kill Jesus, our Lord “went underground” (as we would say). He would no longer go out in public where He might be identified and arrested. He went out into the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and remained there with His disciples until the time came for His last appearance in Jerusalem.

The Final Assault on Jerusalem
(John 12:1–20:31)

Six days before the Passover was to begin, Jesus made His way to Bethany. His last appearance at Bethany certainly paved the way for this visit. The raising of Lazarus had not gone unnoticed. And so when a dinner was prepared for Jesus, with Lazarus attending, it rekindled the excitement this great miracle initially created. A very large crowd of Jews from Jerusalem was attracted to Bethany where they came for a look at Jesus and Lazarus, and as a result, many came to faith in Jesus.

But there was also the opposite effect. The anointing of Jesus with the expensive oil of nard was a significant turning point for Judas. He complained that the ointment could have been sold, and the proceeds used for the poor. But John tells us that his real motivation was greed, since it was his practice to steal from the money box, which was entrusted to him. We know from the Synoptic Gospels that it was this event which was the “last straw” for Judas, who went to the chief priests (Matthew 26:14), where they agreed on a price for Judas’ betrayal of Jesus. The Jewish leaders leaped at this opportunity to privately get their hands on Jesus, setting the stage for the final events of our Lord’s life. And when it became apparent that Lazarus was also a threat to them, the chief priests agreed that they should kill Lazarus also (John 12:10-11).

The Jewish authorities had determined they did not want to arrest Jesus publicly, or during the feast. This would attract too much attention, and would run the risk of inciting the people to riot (Matthew 26:5; Mark 14:2). Several things occurred which forced the Jews to change their plans and to arrest and crucify Jesus during the celebration of Passover. The first of these compelling factors was the triumphal entry. The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem set the Jewish authorities into a panic. Those who had witnessed the raising of Lazarus were telling everyone about it. I would think that this would have been of special interest to the pilgrims who were just arriving to celebrate Passover. And so as Jesus approached Jerusalem, not only did many congregate to greet Him along the way, but a great crowd was also there to welcome Him in Jerusalem. It was the sight of these crowds which terrified the Jewish authorities:

17 So the crowd who had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead were continuing to testify about it. 18 Because they had heard that Jesus had performed this miraculous sign, the crowd went out to meet him. 19 Thus the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you can do nothing. Look, the world has run off after him!” (John 12:17-19)

When some Greeks sought an audience with Jesus (12:20), Jesus did not directly answer. Instead, He began to speak about the need for Him to die:

23 Jesus replied, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 I tell you the solemn truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 The one who loves his life destroys it, and the one who hates his life in this world guards it for eternal life. 26 If anyone wants to serve me, he must follow me, and where I am, my servant will be too. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him” (John 12:23-26).

His impending death caused Jesus great distress, but He would not ask the Father to spare Him. And it was at this point that God Himself spoke from heaven:

27 “Now my soul is greatly distressed. And what should I say? ‘Father, deliver me from this hour’? No, but for this very reason I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that stood there and heard the voice said that it had thundered. Others said that an angel had spoken to him. 30 Jesus said, “This voice has not come for my benefit but for yours. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 (Now he said this to indicate clearly what kind of death he was going to die.) (John 12:27-33)

Somehow, the response of the crowd to these words did not impress me until now. It is the opinion of some, that the Jewish authorities were primarily responsible for the rejection and crucifixion of our Lord. I have frequently heard teachers say that it was the leaders who bullied the crowds into calling for the blood of Jesus. I have heard others say that the “crowd” that stood outside Pilate’s residence, crying for the crucifixion of Jesus, was “rabble,” enticed or even bribed to play their role, while the devout folks were still asleep, unaware of what was taking place. I don’t believe it. At the very beginning of the Gospel of John we are told:

10 He was in the world, and the world was created by him, but the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him (John 1:10-11).

Throughout the Gospel of John, the author speaks of “the Jews” opposing Jesus. There are times when John speaks specifically of the Jewish authorities, of the chief priests, or of the Pharisees. The leaders did pressure the people to reject Jesus. But it must also be seen that the crowds also rejected Jesus on their own. John 12:34-43 describes the rejection of Jesus by the crowds, a rejection for which they are responsible. It is also a rejection which Isaiah the prophet had foretold, as we see in verse 40 (a citation of Isaiah 6:10). In spite of the unbelief of this crowd (12:34-43), Jesus made one last appeal to the people to believe in Him (12:44-50). In John’s Gospel, these words are our Lord’s final public appeal to the Jews before His death.

The early part of John 13 is another turning point in this Gospel. It is the second major contributing factor which virtually forced the Jewish authorities to make their move against Jesus during the feast, even though they were determined not to do so. The agreement to betray Jesus had already been reached with Judas. The plan was for Judas to wait for an opportune moment, when he would quietly hand Jesus over at a time when Jerusalem was not swelling with pilgrims who were running over with messianic enthusiasm. Judas almost certainly planned to wait until after the Passover, but Jesus caught him completely off guard in the Upper Room, when He not only indicated that He would be betrayed, but even by whom. It was almost unbelievable that the other disciples didn’t figure it all out. But Judas knew, and he couldn’t get away fast enough. This was his only chance to hand Jesus over. Either he betrayed Jesus right now, on this very night, or he would never get another opportunity. Both Judas and the Jews seized the moment, and in so doing, the perfect plan of God for the crucifixion of Jesus as the Passover Lamb was set in motion.

Our Lord’s dealings with His disciples in chapters 13-17 play an important role in the Gospel of John. The Upper Room Discourse of our Lord is a turning point in and of itself, because here Jesus plainly tells His disciples what lies ahead. (They still don’t comprehend it all, but they will in time.) The substance of our Lord’s words to His disciples is that He has now come to a great turning point in His ministry, as they also have in theirs. He will no longer live among them, as He has for these past three years. He will return to the Father. Nevertheless, He will be present with them through the Holy Spirit, Whom He is about to send. And what a turning point it is. After Pentecost and the coming of the Spirit, the disciples become new men, and they minister in a way they would never have imagined earlier.[740]

Chapters 18-20 depict the arrest, trials, crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord. We can sum up the central theme of these chapters in few words: “the cross of Christ.” After the fall of man, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the greatest turning point in all of human history. Satan, sin and death were defeated. The penalty for sin was paid, and the assurance of eternal life was achieved for all who believe.

Chapter 21 is another turning point. At the beginning of the chapter, Peter and some of his fellow-disciples have gone fishing. It was almost as though they were contemplating going back to their former way of life, before Jesus had sought them out as His disciples. Jesus focuses on Peter, instructing him to demonstrate his love for his Master by caring for the Master’s sheep. Chapter 21 describes the turning point when the disciples are transformed from fishermen to fishers of men. One can especially see how the events of this last chapter of John’s Gospel proved to be a major turning point in Peter’s life. The one who denied his Master three times will boldly declare Him as the promised Messiah. He will not be silenced again.

The Purpose of John’s Gospel

There is some discussion among the scholars as to what John’s purpose was in writing this Gospel. Many believe that John’s Gospel was written to believers, to better inform their faith, and perhaps to head off certain doctrinal errors already appearing in the churches (such as gnosticism). Others believe that John’s Gospel is written to unbelievers, and that its purpose is primarily evangelistic. I believe that John’s Gospel was written for both purposes.[741] I view chapter 20 as John’s conclusion for unbelievers:

30 Now Jesus performed many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples that are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20:30-31).

I believe chapter 21 is John’s second conclusion, aimed at believers. Jesus did not spend three years pouring His life into Peter and the other disciples, just so they would come to faith. He called them to be His disciples. They were soon to be His apostles.  John is written so that unbelievers may believe, and thus obtain eternal life. John is written so that believers may believe (more fully), and take the message of the gospel to others, so that they may have eternal life. Why is it that we do not sense the nearness of our Lord’s return, or the desperate need of our neighbors to be saved? I would suggest that it is, in part, due to an inferior belief. If we really believed the gospel, we would be compelled to share it with the lost. John’s Gospel truly is the “Gospel of Belief,” a Gospel written for both unbelievers and believers alike.

John’s Gospel depicts the great turning points in history, related to the person and work of Jesus Christ. It was written to serve as a turning point in each of our lives. Have you come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and the only Way to obtain eternal life? If so, have you come to see that we have been saved in order to serve our Lord by serving others, to seek out lost sheep, and shepherd His lambs? I pray that this study has been, and will continue to be, a turning point in your life.


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[1] A. M. Hunter, Introducing the New Testament (London, 1945), p. 50, as cited by Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 9.

[2] See Morris in footnote 1, p. 8.

[3] Some evangelical scholars believe that John is the source of this Gospel, but that he may have had help writing it, something akin to Mark writing his Gospel, but with Peter as his source. I am not convinced of this view, but neither would I call it heretical.

[4] “When we turn to the external evidence we are confronted by the fact that, while John the son of Zebedee is not named as the author of this Gospel in the earliest days, there is no other name in the tradition. The first person of whom we have record who definitely ascribes this Gospel to John appears to be Theophilus of Antioch (c. A.D. 180). Irenaeus also says it was written by John the Apostle, and his source appears to have been Polycarp, who knew John personally.” Leon Morris, p. 21.

[5] “The Fourth Gospel has been designated since the second century ‘according to John’; and this has been taken to imply in Christian tradition that the authority of the apostle John, the son of Zebedee, lies behind it, and that it embodies his testimony to the life and teaching of Jesus. The present commentator is in full agreement with the dictum of the late Archbishop William Temple, who wrote: ‘I regard as self-condemned any theory about the origin of the Gospel which fails to find a very close connection between it and John the son of Zebedee. The combination of internal and external evidence is overwhelming on this point.’” R. V. G. Tasker, The Gospel According to St. John: An Introduction and Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1980 [tenth printing]), p. 11.

[6] Morris, p. 9; see John 21:24.

[7] “It is interesting that John uses both verbs [for love] more than twice as often as anyone else. … Clearly love matters a good deal to this author.” Leon Morris, p. 229, fn. 71.

[8] Leon Morris, p. 12.

[9] D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), p. 21.

[10] The translator’s note in the NET Bible reads: “Or ‘now he loved them completely,’ or ‘now he loved them to the uttermost’” (see John 19:30).

[11] In dealing with the problem of the cleansing of the temple in chapter 2, Morris points out: “… nothing else in the first five chapters of this Gospel is to be found in any of the Synoptics.” Morris, p. 190.

[12] “Thus John’s distinctive portrait of Jesus contains 93 percent original material in comparison to the Synoptics.” Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.), 1983, 1985. “John,” en loc.

[13] The Greek verb for believe appears 98 times in John. Strangely, the noun form does not appear at all in John.

[14] “No Gospel preserves more instances of misunderstanding and of failures to understand than does John.” Carson, p. 98.

[15] Carson, p. 98.

[16] Morris, p. 32

[17] William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary: Exposition of the Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953), p. 3.

[18] Philip Wesley Comfort, I Am the Way: A Spiritual Journey Through the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1994), p. 11.

[19] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 7.

[20] Carson, p. 95.

[21]Joyful Noise Music Company, Logos Hymnal (Fort Worth, TX: Joyful Noise Music Company, 1994).

[22] J. I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1973), p. 48.

[23] In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the phrase in Genesis 1:1 is the same as the phrase in the Greek text of John 1:1.

[24] “He does not bring the term ‘son’ into his opening sentences at all; instead, he speaks first of the Word. There was no danger of this being misunderstood; Old Testament readers would pick up the reference at once. God’s Word in the Old Testament is His creative utterance, His power in action fulfilling His purpose. The Old Testament depicted God’s utterance, the actual statement of His purpose, as having power in itself to effect the thing purposed. Genesis 1 tells us how at creation ‘God said, Let there be …and there was …’ (Gen. 1:3). ‘By the word of the LORD were the heavens made … he spake, and it was done’ (Ps. 33:6, 9). The Word of God is thus God at work.” J. I. Packer, p. 48.

[25] It is true that one might speak of the “Messiah” or the “Son of God” in a prophetic sense, before the incarnation.

[26] In the NET Bible, New Testament quotations from the Old Testament are indicated by a combination of boldface and italic type. Less direct allusions to Old Testament passages are indicated by italic type only.

[27] See also 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; Titus 2:11-14; 1 John 5:20.

[28] See footnote 7 above. These words are an allusion to Psalm 36:9.

[29] See Colossians 1:15-20, cited above.

[30] “Mastered” seems to best convey and allow for the two possible meanings of the Greek word used here.

[31] Verses 9 and 10 seem to combine the two nuances of the word, so that the world neither “knew” Him who was the light nor “received” Him as the light.

[32] There is a clear contrast here between the Word and John. The Word was; John came. The term translated “came” in verse 6 is employed three times in John 1:3, where in each case it refers to things created, things which came into being at the will of God. John came (into being, we might say); the Word was. Morris writes, “Jesus ‘was’ in the beginning. John ‘came into existence.’ The contrast is continued when John is described as ‘a man,’ for Jesus has already been spoken of as ‘the Word.’” Morris, p. 88.

[33] Of the 27 occurrences of the word always (in the KJV) rendered “true,” other writers employ the term but 5 times; all the rest of the occurrences are in one of John’s writings. The word “true” can mean “true as opposed to what is false” (see Luke 16:11). It can also (as here) mean “true” in the sense that it is the ultimate and final fulfillment of earlier prototypes. Thus, our Lord is the true light (John 1:9; 1 John 2:8), the true bread (6:32), the true vine (15:1), and the true witness (Revelation 3:14).

[34] I am inclined to agree with Leon Morris, who renders this “he came home,” but I will take this matter up in our study of the “cleansing of the temple” (John 2:12-22). Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 96.

[35] This is R. C. Sproul’s title for a most excellent chapter in his book, R. C. Sproul, The Holiness of God (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1985), chapter 9, pp. 221-234.

[36] “The ‘name’ meant much more to people of antiquity than it does to us. … For men then it stood for the whole personality. When, for example, the Psalmist spoke of loving the name of God (Ps. 5:11), or when he prayed, ‘The name of the God of Jacob set thee up on high’ (Ps. 20:1), he did not have in mind simply the uttering of the name. He was thinking of all that ‘God’ means. The name in some way expressed the whole person.” Morris, p. 99.

[37] See also John 15:16. This is not to say that we have no choice to make; it is to say that His choice of us precedes our choice of Him.

[38] I paraphrase the words, “a husband’s decision,” “the twinkle in a husband’s eye.”

[39] The Greek word, rendered “lived” would literally be rendered “tabernacled.” This can hardly be coincidental. John again plays upon Old Testament history and imagery. The tabernacle was God’s means of dwelling in the midst of His people. How much better our Lord’s incarnation was to the Old Testament tabernacle.

[40] The word “begotten” is omitted in the NET Bible, but I believe it must be present. It is deeply embedded in the Greek word, and it is a key element in the messianic scheme in the Bible. Begetting can refer to physical birth (Hebrews 11:17), and to spiritual birth (1 Corinthians 4:5; Philemon 1:10). In its messianic sense, to be “begotten” is not to be “born,” but to be appointed and enthroned as God’s King (see Psalm 2:7). God the Father did not quote Psalm 2:7 at the birth of our Lord, but later (see Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5; 5:5).

[41] It is interesting to consider Satan’s strategies in this regard. At the fall of man, described in Genesis 3, Satan promises man (technically, he promised Eve this) that he can become like God (see Genesis 3:5). In Genesis 6:1-4, it would appear that Satan is seeking to bring about a kind of “incarnation” by having fallen angels cohabit with the “daughters of men.”

[42] See footnote 19 above.

[43] The writer to the Hebrews would prefer the term “better.”

[44] Philip Wesley Comfort, I Am the Way: A Spiritual Journey Through the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1997), pp. 33-34.

[45] Packer, p. 50.

[46] Liberal scholarship wants to confine our Lord’s life and ministry to the category of “example.” The biblical view sees our Lord first as the Son of God and the Lamb of God, who by His atoning death and resurrection has accomplished salvation for all who believe. Then, and only then, does it look beyond to the marvelous example of our Lord. The two elements (of atonement and example) are not to be separated, as Philippians 2 demonstrates.

[47] J. I. Packer, Knowing God, pp. 45-46, from chapter 5, “God Incarnate.”

[48] There are a very few times in my life when I have made commitments, not knowing at that moment how God would provide, but assured somehow that He would. By what I am saying, I am not encouraging you to “put God to the test” by taking some precipitous action, assuming that God will bail you out. On the other hand, it may well be that God will give you opportunities to exercise your faith by taking action without knowing how God will provide, if you are convinced that God is leading you to act.

[49] That is, the delegation John sent to Jesus (see 11:2ff.).

[50] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the NET Bible.

[51] As an old country boy, I would not say “aimed,” but “poised.”

[52] William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-1954), p. 76. I have modified his words somewhat, but the essence of this contrasting chart comes from his work.

[53] I am referring to John the Baptist as “the Baptist” to clearly distinguish between the Apostle John and John the Baptist. I do this knowing that the title “John the Baptist” is not found in John’s Gospel, but only in the Synoptic Gospels.

[54] I prefer “outranks Me,” which is closely approximated in the NAS, NAB, and NRS translations.

[55] It is logical that the priests came, since John the Baptist came from a priestly line (Luke 1:5). The Levites were almost a kind of security guard for the temple. No high level Jewish authorities appear to be present. They remained in Jerusalem, for it was from there that they dispatched this delegation to look into John’s ministry.

[56] In reading of the arrival of this delegation and the questions they ask John, I have the distinct impression they have never personally heard John speak. How can they possibly ask such questions if they had?

[57] An illustration of what I am saying might be found in the bread and the wine which we eat and drink in the celebration of Communion. Symbolically, the bread is our Lord’s flesh and the wine is His blood; in reality they are not, they are just symbols (see Luke 22:17-20; John 6:51-66).

[58] It seems evident that then, as now, the various elements of prophecy are confused. The Prophet and the Messiah were one and the same person. “Elijah” was not. It is easy to see this when looking back on fulfilled prophecy, but not at all easy when looking forward.

[59] Circumcision was another required ritual for Jewish (or Jewish proselyte) males (see Acts 15:1; 16:3).

[60] This may have been self-baptism, but it was baptism nonetheless.

[61] Verses 29-34 certainly give us one of the reasons why John baptized—to obey God and thus discern who the Messiah was.

[62] You will remember that John the Baptist was born before our Lord (see Luke 1 & 2), so this prior existence cannot be understood to mean that Jesus was older than (born before) John. Furthermore, John has not yet been informed that Jesus is the Coming One. He must therefore be speaking of our Lord’s pre-existence (i.e. pre-incarnation existence) as God.

[63] “Loosing the sandal was the task of a slave. A disciple could not be expected to perform the task. To understand the full impact of this, we must bear in mind that disciples did do many services for their teachers. Teachers in ancient Palestine were not paid (it would be a terrible thing to ask for money for teaching!). But instead, in partial compensation, disciples were in the habit of performing little services for their Rabbis. But the line must be drawn somewhere, and menial tasks like loosing the sandal thong came under this heading. There is a Rabbinic saying (in its present form, dating from c. A.D. 250, but probably much older): ‘Every service which a slave performs for his master shall a disciple do for his teacher except the loosing of his sandal-thong’ (SBk, I, p. 121). John selects this task which the Rabbinic saying stresses as too menial for any disciple, and declares himself unworthy to perform it.” Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 141,

[64] Much has been written on this verse. It is true that one may not be able to clearly link John’s words with any one verse or portion of Scripture (e.g., the Passover Lamb of Exodus or the “lamb led to slaughter” in Isaiah 53), but they may well sum up the sacrificial references to Messiah in the Old Testament. John the Baptist’s words are pregnant with meaning, more than he knew at the time (see Luke 7:18-19ff.; 1 Peter 1:10-12).

[65] At the outset of the Book of Acts, Barnabas is the prominent person (see Acts 4:36-37; 9:26-29), who is the leader when he and Paul minister together (Acts 11:19-30; 13:1), but then suddenly Paul emerges as the leader, who overshadows Barnabas from that point on (Acts 13:9ff., see especially verse 13). Barnabas not only graciously accepts this, one gets the distinct impression this was his intention from the beginning.

[66] The “Synoptic Gospels” tend to view the life of Christ from the same perspective. John, on the other hand, takes a very different approach. This we have pointed out in greater detail in the introduction to this series.

[67] Matthew 4:18-21; Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:1-10.

[68] It is also called the “Sea of Galilee” (Mark 1:16) and the “Sea of Tiberias” (John 5:1).

[69] Matthew 10:1-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16.

[70] In John, it is to Philip alone that our Lord speaks the words, “Follow Me” (John 1:43). The others are certainly encouraged to follow Jesus, but they are not “called” in the technical sense.

[71] I see no contradiction between our text in John 1:39 and that found in Luke 9:57-58. Early on in His ministry Jesus did have a place to stay (see John 2:12), but as His ministry grew and became more mobile, He had no permanent place of residence. Incidentally, this also made it more difficult for the enemies of our Lord to arrest or kill Him “before His time,” since they would not know where to find Him from one day to the next. Telling this “would be” disciple of Luke 9 that He had no place to call home was not only true, it was all it took to put this fellow off.

[72] Because of a variation of the word rendered “first” here in the Greek manuscripts, there is some discussion as to which word was used and how it should be translated. I refer you to the commentaries to pursue this if you think it worthwhile. Frankly, it does not change the sense of the text much in terms of its meaning.

[73] 1:20, 25, 41; 3:28; 4:29, 42; 6:69; 7:26, 27, 31, 41 (2x), 42; 10:24; 11:27; 12:34; 20:31.

[74] “The giving of a new name when done by men is an assertion of the authority of the giver (e.g. II Kings 23:34; 24:17). When done by God it speaks of a new character in which the man henceforth appears (e.g. Gen. 32:28).” Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p.160.

[75] This was the case in other instances of renaming in the Bible as well. God did not rename an individual after the changes took place, but before they came about. Abram (meaning “exalted father”) was renamed Abraham (“father of a multitude”) before Isaac was born (Genesis 17:5).

[76] Literally “he.” Jesus is supplied for clarity by the NET Bible (see translator’s note). There is some question as to whether this “he” actually refers to Jesus. D. A. Carson (The Gospel According to John, pp. 157-158) argues that the “he” (“Jesus” in the NET Bible) refers not to Jesus, but to Andrew. If his view is accepted, it would be Andrew who is now seeking Nathanael.

[77] The translator’s note in the NET Bible indicates to us that the text literally reads, “and Jesus said to him, ‘Follow Me.’”

[78] There is some scholarly discussion as to whether or not there were two Bethsaida’s. I do not think this is a matter worth pursuing in this lesson, though the commentaries do discuss the matter in greater detail. The translator’s note in the NET Bible suggests that the Greek preposition rendered “from” here should be understood to mean “originally from.”

[79] I like Carson’s comment here, when he writes, “Philip provides exactly the kind of information that positively identifies a man in the first-century Palestine: the name of his village, and the name of his (reputed) father.” Carson, p. 159. Some are troubled that Philip would speak of Joseph as the father of Jesus. Two major options are possible. First, Philip may have actually assumed that Joseph was the biological father of our Lord. In such case, he would be wrong, not because he denied the virgin birth of our Lord, but because he had not yet even considered it. He, like all of his fellow-apostles, had many misconceptions about Jesus in the beginning. Second, it may be that he is merely identifying Jesus in the normal way of doing so. He would thus be referring to Joseph as Jesus’ father in terms of common perception. This would set Jesus apart from others by the same name, but not with the same (reputed) father.

[80] This is probably not the time or place to go into the subject of angels, but let me simply suggest a thought for further consideration. These are days in which “angels” are a very popular topic. We should consider the fact that angels are not only inferior to our Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1), but that their ministry is closely related to and subordinate to our Lord. They ascend and descend upon Jesus. When we begin to think of angels independently of our Lord, we begin to go astray from the picture our Lord has drawn here and what the Bible teaches elsewhere.

[81] Carson (p. 154) points out that “follow” usually refers to more than just “trailing along after” someone; it is our Lord’s way of speaking of being His disciple. This is not always the case, but it is usually so. Here, there may be a little of both senses implied. Jesus invites Philip to “come along” and to “join with Him as a disciple.”

[82] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John, p. 162.

[83] “Others … suggest that Nathanael is to be identified with Bartholomew, an apostle who is never mentioned in John, just as Nathanael is never mentioned in the Synoptists. Bartholomew is coupled with Philip in all three Synoptists (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14), while another link is that he is mentioned immediately after Thomas in Acts 1:13 and Nathanael is in the same position in John 21:2. Moreover Bartholomew is not really a personal name, but a patronymic meaning ‘son of Tolmai’ (cf. Barjona = ‘son of Jona’). The man who bore it almost certainly had another name. The other disciples mentioned in this chapter all became apostles, and it is suggested that Nathanael is, accordingly, likely to have done so too. If he is to be identified with one of the apostles Bartholomew is probably our man.” Morris, p. 164. I should point out that Morris is not entirely persuaded that this is the case. Carson seems more convinced: “The most likely suggestion is that Nathanael is the personal name of ‘Bartholomew,’ which is then understood to be an Aramaic patronymic (i.e. identifying the person as the son of someone: ‘the son of Tholomaeus’ or the like).” Carson, p. 159.

[84] Morris, p. 167.

[85] Morris, p. 169.

[86] This truth will be emphatically taught in John 4.

[87] Of course, James made a great contribution by his death.

[88] The Pharisees had this same error with regard to wealth. They seemed to think that the richer one was, the more spiritual he must be. Conversely, the poorer one was, the more unspiritual. Jesus’ words about the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16 challenged this mindset. See also the Beatitudes, where those who are blessed seem to be those who are “cursed.” Psalm 73 also deals with this same issue.

[89] In the entire Bible, Cana is mentioned only in the Gospel of John (2:1, 11; 4:46; 21:2). There are a number of theories as to its whereabouts, but no one can really say where it was located with certainty. We will be told in 21:2 that Nathanael was from Cana, so he probably knew the couple being married.

[90] Mary is never called “Mary” in the Gospel of John, but is referred to only as the mother of Jesus, as here in our text.

[91] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), pp. 178-179.

[92] “To run out of supplies would be a dreadful embarrassment in a ‘shame’ culture; there is some evidence it could also lay the groom open to a lawsuit from aggrieved relatives of the bride.” D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), p. 169. Morris goes into even greater detail. Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John, p. 177, see also fn. 7.

[93] Calvin writes, “It may be doubted if she expected or asked any thing from her Son, since he had not yet performed any miracle; and it is possible that, without expecting any remedy of this sort, she advised him to give some pious exhortations which would have the effect of preventing the guests from feeling uneasiness, and at the same time of relieving the shame of the bridegroom.” John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries, Volume 7: The Gospels (Grand Rapids: Associated Publishers and Authors Inc., n.d.), p. 622. I find Calvin’s explanation hard to believe. It seems more natural that Mary hoped Jesus would do something, without knowing what that might be.

[94] The cynical half-brothers of Jesus suggested this in John 7:1-5, so it would not be surprising for Mary to suggest it sooner, in sincerity.

[95] Literally, Jesus asked, “What to Me and to you, woman?” The various translations give this expression somewhat different nuances: “Woman, what have I to do with thee?” (KJV); “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” (NIV); “Woman, what does that have to do with us?” (NAB); “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me?” (NRS).

[96] Morris writes, “Sometimes Roman Catholic scholars see Mary as asking for a miracle. Thus J. Cortes sees Jesus’ words as meaning: ‘What has changed between us? Why do you hesitate to ask me for a miracle? The hour of my Passion in which you will not be able to ask me for miracles nor will I work them, has not come yet. You are as always my mother and I am your son. Therefore I will gladly accept your petition’ (New Testament Abstracts, III, 1958-59, p. 247). The difficulty with this position is that there was a change. Jesus had never previously worked a miracle (v. 11), so Mary might well hesitate to ask for one.” Morris, p. 180-181, fn. 20.

[97] On several occasions in the Book of John, Jesus refers to “His time.” In chapter 7, the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was at hand, and our Lord’s brothers urge Him to go up to Jerusalem with His disciples and “show Himself to the world,” performing miracles so that He could be recognized for what He was. They did not say this in sincerity, but tongue-in-cheek, because they did not believe in Him as yet (7:1-5). Jesus declined to go up to Judea with them because He was not yet ready. He encouraged them to go on without Him. Later, He went up to the feast secretly to avoid, rather than to gain, attention (7:6-13). Later in the chapter, we are told that even though some of the Jews tried to seize Jesus, they were not able, because it was not “His time” (verse 30). A similar thing happens in chapter 8, verse 20. On other occasions, Jesus spoke of “His time” as having come (12:23, 27; 13:1; 16:32; 17:1).

[98] Morris (p. 181), says that by this Jesus means, “It is not yet time for Me to act.”                 

[99] Sadly, many look to this text primarily to prove their point about the use or non-use of alcoholic beverages, and thereby miss the main point of the story. One must work very hard to convince himself or anyone else that the “wine” was merely grape juice. On the other hand, the “wine” of that day and the wine of our own are probably not the same. The Bible does not forbid drinking any alcoholic beverage at all, but it does condemn the use of “strong drink” and drunkenness (Proverbs 20:1; Isaiah 5:11, 22; 28:1, 7; 56:12; Ephesians 5:18). It should be remembered that while John the Baptist was a “tee-totaler” and criticized for it, Jesus was not, and was accused of being a “winebibber” (Luke 7:33-34). Much can be said about the abuse of alcohol today, as in ancient times, but it is going too far to say that all alcohol is flatly condemned, or to attempt to convince us that the wine our Lord created was completely free of alcohol.

[100] I had better add this caveat. While God does care about the little things that trouble us, He is not pleased with our petty, selfish petitions. James tells us that our prayers may not be answered because they are self-serving—James 4:3. Many of our prayers are self-serving, and God may not answer them because of this.

[101] Morris cites Richardson, who sums up what “glory” means in our text: “Richardson points out that John ‘records no scene of Transfiguration, as do the three Synoptists; he regards the whole of Christ’s incarnate life as an embodiment of the [glory] of God, though the glory is revealed only to believing disciples and not unto ‘the world’” (An Introduction to the Theology of the New Testament, London, 1958, p. 65), as cited by Morris, p. 186, fn. 38.

[102] Satan thought in these terms as well, as we can see in Luke 4:9-11.

[103] Carson, p. 175.

[104] I found this quotation in one of the front pages of Michael Horton’s book, In the Face of God: The Dangers & Delights of Spiritual Intimacy (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1996).

[105] There had been a kind of “cleansing” of this temple by Nehemiah (Nehemiah 13:4-9). Eliashib the priest was related to Tobiah, to whom he gave permission to use one of the large rooms in the temple courts. This room had been used for storing grain offerings, utensils, frankincense, and other items needed for sacrifice and worship. Nehemiah threw out Tobiah’s goods, had the room cleansed, and restored it to its original use.

[106] These words are not to be found in Luke 2, but this is what we imply from the context. It certainly is clearly stated in John 2, verse 16.

[107] “Capernaum … lay on the northwest shore of Galilee, about sixteen miles east-northeast of Cana: so travellers literally ‘went down’ to Capernaum. The modern site is Tell-Hum.” D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), p. 176.

[108] This is the last time Mary, the mother of Jesus, is mentioned in this Gospel, until we find her at the foot of the cross (John 19:25-27).

[109] I will not take the time to refute the views of those who would try to convince us that our Lord’s “brothers” are not His earthly half-brothers: James, Joses, Jude, and Simon (see Mark 6:3).

[110] Morris believes that the family of our Lord may have moved to Capernaum, and thus writes, “It may support this in that in Mark 3:31ff. our Lord’s mother and brothers appear at Capernaum, and that in Mark 6:3, while Jesus brothers are named, only his sisters are spoken of as remaining at Nazareth. This would be natural if the sisters had married, and later the rest of the family had moved to Capernaum.” Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p.187, fn. 42.

[111] “After this, the first thought which occurs to us is that what is about to be recorded took place shortly after the wedding at Cana. This would seem to follow from the very expression that is used, for elsewhere in the Fourth Gospel it indicates an event which followed soon after (11:11; 19:28). This inference receives further corroboration from the very next verse where we read, ‘And the Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.’ Now, all of this is very logical: Jesus in February or early March changes the water into wine; from Cana’s wedding he proceeds to Capernaum where he stays a few days; there follows the Passover festival, which was held in early Spring (about April). We cannot agree, therefore with those who are of the opinion that the temple-cleansing here recorded took place at the close of Christ’s ministry and is to be identified with the one about which we read in Matt. 21.” William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-1954), p. 120.

[112] In the first part of chapter 2, Jesus turned cleansing water into wine. In the second half of the chapter, Jesus cleansed the temple and the religious leaders “whined.” It seems that John is contrasting Jewish ceremonial cleansing with Jesus’ cleansing of ceremonial Judaism.

[113] “John keeps meticulous track of Jewish feasts. In addition to other feasts, he mentions three Passovers (2:13; 6:4; 11:55), possibly a fourth (5:1). This one probably takes place in AD 28.” Carson, p. 176.

[114] “…  true in this case even in a literal sense (actually ascending from 680 feet below sea-level near the Sea of Galilee to 2,500 feet above sea-level, the altitude of the Holy City), but ever true in the religious sense.” Hendriksen, p. 122.

[115] “So very close was the connection between the Passover-meal proper and the immediately following Feast of Unleavened Bread that the term Passover is frequently used to cover both. Thus, in Luke 22:1—a very significant passage—we read: ‘Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover.’ Also in Acts 12:4 (see the preceding verse) the term Passover clearly covers the entire seven-day festival. The Old Testament, too, calls the Passover a feast of seven days (Ezek. 45:21).” Hendriksen, pp. 121-122.

[116] See Deuteronomy 16:16.

[117] Hendriksen, p. 121. Hendriksen then goes on to detail the events of the Passover meal itself.

[118] Carson, p. 178.

[119] Hendriksen, p. 122.

[120] “Now at this occasion Jesus, entering Jerusalem’s temple, notices that the court of the Gentiles had been changed into what must have resembled a stockyard. There was the stench and the filth, the bleating and the lowing of animals, destined for sacrifice.” Hendriksen, p. 122.

[121] Grocery stores very often have a bakery, and the smell of freshly baked goods beckons one to the bakery to buy something. As one came to the temple, one would smell the aroma of the sacrificial offerings, and the fragrance of the incense (Luke 1:9-11). It would surely be a pleasant aroma, but not when the temple courts were turned into a stock market.

[122] The Greek word John uses here could be transliterated “emporium.” The temple courts had been transformed into a shopping mall.

[123] I do not believe John intends for us to conclude that the disciples understood this immediately, but that they eventually came to understand it, in the light of His death, burial, and resurrection, and by means of the illumination of the Holy Spirit (see John 16:12-14).

[124] “Now, in expressing this thought use is made of Ps. 69, which is one of six Psalms most often referred to in the New Testament (the others being Pss. 2, 22, 89, 110, and 118). Other echoes of various passages of this Psalm (which is Ps. 68 in LXX) are heard in Matt. 27:34, 48; Mark 15:36; Luke 23:36; John 15:25; 19:28; Rom. 11:9, 10; 15:3; Heb. 11:26; Rev. 3:5; 13:8; 16:1; 17:8; 20:12, 15; and 21:27. While some of these are quotations, others are allusions, references more or less indirect. Jesus himself (15:25) cites Ps. 69:4, ‘They hated me without cause,’ and refers it to his own experience. In fulfillment of Ps. 69:21 he uttered the word from the cross, ‘I thirst’ (19:28).” Hendriksen, p. 123. See also Ezekiel 10:15-19; 11:22-23; Zechariah 14:21; Malachi 3:1, 3.

[125] “It was the failure to understand that the disciples regarded the Psalmist’s words as prophetic of Christ’s death and the assumption that they referred to the energy and fearlessness of Jesus on this occasion, that gave rise to the later and poorly attested reading followed by AV hath eaten me up in verse 17.” R. V. G. Tasker, The Gospel According to St. John: An Introduction and Commentary (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1980 [tenth printing]), p. 63.

[126] See Appendix: “Were There Two Temple Cleansings or Just One?”

[127] “With other New Testament writers, however, John detects in the experiences of David a prophetic paradigm that anticipates what must take place in the life of ‘great David’s greater Son.’ That explains why the words in 2:17, quoted from the LXX, change the tense to the future: Zeal for your house will consume me.… For John, the manner by which Jesus will be ‘consumed’ is doubtless his death.” Carson, p. 180.

[128] “This expression [‘the Jews’] is rare in the Synoptic Gospels. Each of them refers a few times to ‘the King of the Jews’ and scarcely uses the term otherwise. But in John it is used some seventy times. Sometimes the Evangelist employs it in a neutral sense (e.g. 2:6, ‘the Jews’ manner of purifying’). He can even use it in a good sense (e.g. ‘salvation is from the Jews,’ 4:22. But more often he uses it to denote the Jewish nation as hostile to Jesus. It does not necessarily denote the whole nation. In fact characteristically it means the Jews of Judea, especially those in and around Jerusalem.” Morris, p. 130-131. Morris then cites G.J. Cuming in a footnote: “Especially does it apply to ‘the chief priests and Pharisees, whom he depicts as our Lord’s bitterest opponents.’” (p. 131, fn. 2).

[129] “The Synoptists report that at Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin false witnesses charged him with making the statement, ‘I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man’ (Mk. 14:58 par.; cf. Mk. 15:29). The only record of such a statement is in this account provided by John: the Fourth Gospel here provides a detail that corroborates the Synoptic evidence.” Carson, p. 181.

[130] “‘The action is not merely that of a Jewish reformer; it is a sign of the advent of the Messiah’ (Hoskins)” Morris, p. 196.

[131] In our text, it is our Lord who raises Himself from the dead: “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again” (verse 19; see also John 10:18). Elsewhere, the resurrection of our Lord is viewed as the work of the Father (Acts 2:24, etc.) and of the Spirit (Romans 8:11). The resurrection, like creation, is the work of the Trinity.

[132] “We ought to observe the connection of the words, that they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had spoken; for the Evangelist means that, by comparing the Scripture with the word of Christ, they were aided in making progress in faith.” John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries, Volume 7: The Gospels (Grand Rapids: Associated Publishers and Authors Inc., n.d.), p. 630.

[133] Morris, p. 96.

[134] The three “you’s” of verses 16 and 17 are all plural. Here, Paul is speaking of the church, collectively, as the temple of God.

[135] Here is a verse that needs to be etched in stone, and put in neon lights for any woman who would assert her right to have an abortion, because it is “her” body.

[136] Whether or not certain things should ever be sold by or to church members is another question. In our text, Jesus is most concerned about where these animals and birds were being sold.

[137] I do not wish to be understood as making a blanket condemnation here, but I do believe that many secular systems are embraced by Christians without any consideration of whether they truly have a biblical basis.

[138] Tasker, p. 61.

[139] Carson, p. 178.

[140] Tasker, p. 61.

[141] I should point out, however, that the term “Sadducee” never appears in the Gospel of John.

[142] I am inclined to make the break at the end of verse 15, but this could certainly be disputed.

[143] It has been suggested by some that our Lord’s ministry to the Samaritans here is what paved the way for the later revival in Samaria, described in Acts 8:1-25.

[144] I should clarify a bit. It is the same Greek verb in both verses. When describing the faith of those who believed in Jesus, John uses the aorist tense, focusing upon the moment of faith. When describing our Lord’s refusal to “commit” Himself to these “believers,” John uses the imperfect tense. John was informing us that this was Jesus’ course of action, something that He practiced consistently, in case after case, situation after situation.

[145] To be omniscient is to know all. It is an attribute of God alone. Jesus, as God, has this attribute.

[146] I have purposely formatted the text so that the words of Nicodemus are distinguished from those of our Lord. Notice that as the interview between our Lord and Nicodemus develops the comments of Nicodemus get shorter and shorter, and those of our Lord get longer and longer. In verses 16-21, I have changed the font, indicating the question of whose words these are, John’s or our Lord’s. 

[147] So too, we might add, with the teaching of John the Baptist. There was something forceful about his teaching, that even attracted and fascinated a man like Herod, and yet John never performed a sign (John 10:41).

[148] The Sadducees are named seven times in Matthew, and once each in Mark and Luke. John never names them.

[149] I am not suggesting that the priests or the leaders of the Sadducees were actually present at the cleansing of the temple at the outset, but they most certainly got there in time to challenge our Lord (see John 2:18ff.).

[150] The “we” could also include the Jews more generally.

[151] “The word rendered “anew” [‘from above’ in our text] might equally be translated by ‘from above.’ Both senses are true, and in the Johannine manner it is likely that we should understand both here (as Barclay does; he gets the best of both worlds with his ‘unless a man is reborn from above’).” Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), pp. 212-213. In the Gospel of John, this term, which is capable of both meanings (“from above,” and “again”), is used three times in John 3 (verses 3, 7, 31) and twice elsewhere in this Gospel (19:11, 23). In the three uses not involving Nicodemus, the term always means “from above.”

[152] For the Jews in general or for Nicodemus in particular, “seeing was believing” (see John 2:18, 23; 3:2; 6:30); Jesus reversed this, telling Nicodemus that “believing is to see.”

[153] The expression ‘Truly, truly’ or ‘Verily, verily’ is a translation of the repeated Greek word amhn, which would be transliterated ‘amen.’ John uses the word only as a doubled expression (‘Truly, truly’), and this he does 25 times in his Gospel. Matthew (31x), Mark (14x), and Luke (6x) use the term in a single form (‘Truly’), but never doubled. The statement by Morris, cited earlier in this series, bears repeating: “‘Verily’ is not a translation of a Greek word, but the transliteration of an Aramaic (or Hebrew) word, namely Amen. It is the participle of a verb meaning ‘to confirm,’ and it was used to give one’s assent. For example, it was (and still is) the response of the congregation to a prayer uttered by him who leads their worship. In this way they make it their own (1 Cor. 14:16). Very occasionally it is the conclusion to one’s own prayer (e.g. Tobit 8:7f.), when it has the nature of a wish. But this use is rare. Characteristically it is one’s assent to words uttered by another. In the Gospels it is used only by Jesus, and always as a prefix to significant statements. Presumably this is to mark them out as solemn and true and important. This use of Amen to introduce one’s own words appears to be Jesus’ own, no real Jewish parallel being adduced.” Morris, p. 169.

[154] Morris, p. 212.

[155] I like what L. S. Thornton has written: “‘The Christian doctrine of a new life stands in contrast to the contemporary Jewish expectation of a new world. Doubtless the two doctrines overlap in the New Testament. But the relation between them might be not inappropriately described in terms of kernel and husk.’” Cited by Morris, p. 209, fn. 1.

[156] Often in the Gospel of John, men err by taking statements literally that were meant to be understood spiritually or symbolically (see, for example, John 2:18-22; 4:10-11; 6:48-65).

[157] This “you” (soi) is singular.

[158] This “you” (uma") is plural.

[159] It should be pointed out that the same Greek word (pneuma) is rendered both “wind” (John 3:8) and “spirit” (John 1:32-33; 3:5, 6, 8, 34) in the New Testament. In John 3:8, the term occurs twice; the first time it is rendered “wind,” the second time “Spirit.”

[160] This is a lesson which Simon the magician had to learn the hard way (see Acts 8:9-24).   

[161] In the Greek text the first two words of Nicodemus’ questions in verses 4 and 10 (pw" dunatai) are identical. Both inquire as to the possibility of what Jesus has just said. The same two words are found in Matthew 12:29; Mark 3:23; John 6:52; 9:16. In each of these instances, the issue is a matter of logic. Mary’s question to Gabriel in Luke 1:34 is similar, but significantly different, I think. She is not asking how it can be, but how it will be. She does not question God’s ability to give her a child as a virgin, she only asks by what means it will be. Zacharias, on the other hand, reveals his own doubts and asks for some verification, for which he is rebuked (see Luke 1:18-20).

[162] The translation, “you people,” along with the informative footnote in the NET Bible make it clear that the “you” is plural, not singular as it was in verse 10.

[163] The term “lifted up” (Greek, uywsen) has a double meaning. It can mean, literally, “lifted up,” but it also has the sense of exalting (see, for example, Matthew 11:23; 23:12; Acts 2:33). Our Lord was literally “lifted up” on a cross, but in the same breath we must also say He was “exalted” by being “lifted up” in this manner. His death on the cross also necessitated His being “lifted up” by His resurrection and ascension.

[164] “He has borne witness to ‘earthly things’ without being believed. The simplest way of understanding this is to see a reference to the present discourse. It was taking place on earth and concerned a process with effects discernible on earth. In contrast with this, Jesus can impart ‘heavenly things,’ i.e. higher teaching. But if men like Nicodemus will not believe the simpler things they cannot be expected to believe what is more advanced.” Morris, p. 222.

[165] The latest text of the NET Bible translation has been changed to more accurately reflect the meaning of the original text of John 3:16.

[166] Matthew 2:5; 3:15; 5:12; John 3:16; Acts 13:8, 47; 20:13; 1 Peter 3:5; 2 Peter 1:11.

[167] In this instance, the NET Bible did not convey the full sense of the expression, which I have supplied in brackets. The NAS version does capture the correct sense, however: “But Jesus answering said to him, ‘Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to filfill all righteousness’” (emphasis mine).

[168] The same Greek word, rendered “so” in verse 16, is found here. It is not, however, the two-word combination referred to above.

[169] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), pp. 235-236.

[170] John the Baptist is mentioned again (5:33; 10:40-41), but he essentially departs here. In John’s Gospel we are not given an account of his death (see Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29; Luke 9:9), nor of his doubts (see Matthew 11:2-6; Luke 7:18-23).

[171] This is the first and only reference to our Lord or His disciples baptizing.

[172] “The tense of the last two verbs is continuous and we might give the force of it as ‘they kept coming and being baptized.’” Morris, p. 237.

[173] Jesus seems to have settled here for several months. Hendriksen theorizes that our Lord remained on here from May to December of 27 A.D. William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-1954), vol. 1, p. 146.

[174] The exact location of Aenon is not known, nor is the location of where Jesus was baptizing.

[175] Morris writes, “We do not read of Jesus as baptizing in any other Gospel than this, and from 4:2 we learn that the actual baptizing was carried out by the disciples, not by Jesus in person. It is difficult to think of this as Christian baptism in the later sense. More probably it represents a continuation of the ‘baptism of repentance’ that was characteristic of John the Baptist.” Morris, p. 237.

[176] Some manuscripts have the plural here. It really doesn’t seem to matter whether the dispute was with one Jew or many.

[177] If the Apostle John was the second disciple of John the Baptist to follow Jesus, think how he must have felt as he wrote this account, realizing this could have been him, and knowing that he is exposing the self-serving attitude of his former associates.

[178] One can hardly dismiss the distinct possibility that John has a double meaning here, based on the fact that Israel is represented as the “bride” of God (Isaiah 62:4-5; Jeremiah 2:2; Hosea 2:19; Ezekiel 16; Malachi 2:11. See also Matthew 22:1ff.; 25:1ff.; Ephesians 5:32; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 19; 21:2, 9; 22:17.).

[179] I am inclined to say, rather, “He must become more prominent, and I less so.”

[180] Note the way John uses the expression “the one who …” He first uses it to contrast Jesus and John. He then employs it to contrast those who believe in Jesus with those who do not.

[181] “Some forty times in the Gospel through John, Christ is spoken of as being sent from heaven or going back to heaven.” John G. Mitchell, with Dick Bohrer, An Everlasting Love: A Devotional Study of the Gospel of John (Portland: Multnomah Press, 1982), p. 63.

[182] In John 3:12, Jesus claimed the ability to speak both “earthly things” and “heavenly things.” John claims to be able to speak only “earthly things.”

[183] This e-mail message came from my friend, Dick Plowman. Dick and his wife Beth were members of our church before they moved to Waco, Texas. Dick and I served together in prison ministry, as he continues to do with Bill Glass Ministries.

[184] I cannot vouch for the authenticity of this report, as it was handed to me by a friend. It was probably circulated on the Internet. I have given the report as I received it.

[185] Just to be clear, I consider the Pharisaism of Nicodemus to be a corruption of true Judaism also.

[186] Morris observes, “John’s word for ‘left’ is unusual in the sense of leaving a place. It often has the meaning ‘abandon’ (as in v. 28 of the woman’s waterpot), and there may be something of this meaning here.” Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 253. Morris then cites Morgan: “‘We should not misinterpret the thought if we said He abandoned Judaea. He did go back, but very seldom. He had been to Judaea. He had gone to the Temple. He had exercised His ministry in the surrounding country with marvellous success; but hostility was stirring there, and He left Judaea; He broke with it.’” Morris, p. 253, fn. 10.

[187] “Although some take the impersonal verb dei' (dei, ‘had to’) here to indicate logical necessity only, normally in John’s Gospel its use involves God’s will or plan (3:7, 14, 30; 4:4, 20, 24; 9:4; 10:16; 12:34; 20:9).” NET Bible study note on verse 4.

[188] “Popular commentators have sometimes insisted that the longer route through the Transjordan was the customary route for Jewish travelers, so great was their aversion to Samaritans; this in turn suggests that the ‘had to’ language (edei) reflects the compulsion of divine appointment, not geography. Josephus, however, provides ample assurance not only that the antipathy between Jews and Samaritans was strong, but also that Jews passing from Judea to Galilee or back nevertheless preferred the shorter route through Samaria (Ant. Xx.118; Bel. Ii. 232; Vita 269).” D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), p. 216. Morris adds, “Josephus uses exactly the expression rendered ‘must needs’ when he says, ‘for rapid travel, it was essential to take that route (i.e. through Samaria).’” Morris, p. 255. He further adds, “Josephus says that it was the custom of the Galileans to pass through Samaria when they went up to Jerusalem for the feasts (Ant. xx, 118).” Morris, p. 255, fn. 16.

[189] There is some discussion about the time here, since there were two ways of reckoning time in that day: the Roman method (by which reckoning it would have been evening), and the Jewish method, which puts the woman’s arrival at noon. Overall, it seems best to assume that the woman reached the well at noon, when others may not have been so likely to come. This also serves to contrast the woman’s arrival with that of Nicodemus, who came to Jesus at night.

[190] The exact location of “Sychar” is not known. Morris writes, “Sychar is perhaps to be identified with the village called Askar, near Shechem. There is a reference to Jacob’s buying of a piece of ground in this vicinity (Gen. 33:19). … There is no Old Testament reference to his having dug a well there, but there is nothing improbable about it.” Morris, p. 257.

[191] The word John uses here is phgh‰, rather than the usual Fre‰ar. “On the difference between the two Loyd comments: ‘A spring is a God-given thing. God creates the spring; man only digs the well.’ It is a curiosity that such a deep well should have been dug in a country where there are many springs. (Godet says that there are as many as eighty springs in the region.) The well must originally have been well over a hundred feet deep, so that digging and lining it was no small task. This has been worked into an argument that the well really was dug by Jacob. Only ‘a stranger in the land’ would have gone to all the trouble to construct such a well in a land as plentifully endowed with springs! Many commentators give the depth of the well as about seventy-five feet, but according to Hendriksen a great deal of debris has been cleaned out and the well restored to its original depth.” Morris, p. 257, fn. 20.

[192] Time does not permit an extensive exploration of the “well motif” in Genesis, but it has been noted elsewhere. Many of the important events in Genesis took place at a well. It was at a well that Abraham’s servant found a wife for Isaac (see Genesis 24). It was also at a well that Jacob first met Rachel (Genesis 29). A spring plays a vital role in the survival of Hagar and her son, Ishmael (Genesis 16).

[193] See also John 8:1-11.

[194] “A woman could not divorce her husband in Jewish law. But under certain circumstances she could approach the court which would, if it thought fit, compel the husband to divorce her (see for example, Mishnah, Ket. 7:9, 10). Or she might pay him or render services to induce him to divorce her (Git. 7:5, 6). In theory there was no limit to the number of marriages that might be contracted after valid divorces, but the Rabbis regarded two, or at the most three marriages as the maximum for a woman (SBk, II, p. 437).” Morris, p. 264, fn. 43.

[195] “Whatever might be thought of the propriety of asking for a drink …, no Rabbi would have carried on a conversation with a woman. One of their sayings ran: ‘A man shall not be alone with a woman in an inn, not even with his sister or his daughter, on account of what men may think. A man shall not talk with a woman in the street, not even with his own wife, and especially not with another woman, on account of what men may say.’” Morris, p. 274, citing SBk, II, p. 438.

[196] Note the change in Peter’s view of women, as reflected in 1 Peter 3:7.

[197] “The verb sugra‰omai has usually been understood here in the sense ‘to have familiar intercourse with.’ However D. Daube has shown that this sense is not found elsewhere and that it is highly unlikely in the present passage (JBL, LXIX, 1950, pp. 137-147). The verb means properly, ‘to use with,’ and this appears to be the meaning in the present passage. Jews do not use (utensils) with the Samaritans.” Morris, p. 259, fn. 25.

[198] See Lesson 4, “The First Disciples.”

[199] Was this woman looking for a Samaritan “Messiah,” or had she already come to embrace our Lord’s words about “salvation coming from the Jews” so that she was willing to accept the Jewish Messiah, whenever He came? I am inclined to see progress in this woman’s faith, even as our Lord speaks to her. She believes Jesus, as He moves from physical, literal “water” to the “spiritual water” of eternal life, and from the Jewish hope of Messiah, to Messiah Himself—Jesus. I believe all this happens within hours, not only for this woman, but for the people of Sychar as well.

[200] Literally, the Greek text reads, “I am, the One speaking to you.” The “I am” is almost certainly tied to the “I am” of John 8:58, which the Jews understood to be a reference to Exodus 3:14. They knew this was a claim to be God.

[201] See footnote 3.

[202] Some would argue that “people” should be translated “men,” and that the males of Sychar are those to whom this woman spoke. Given her situation, this is at least possible. No wonder the “men” of the city came out to see this One who told the woman “all she ever did.”

[203] I understand that salvation has a past, present, and future aspect. Here, however, I am speaking of the final step in the process of one’s coming to faith in Jesus Christ, and not of one’s subsequent progressive sanctification or ultimate and final salvation.

[204] Morris, p. 274, fn. 68.

[205] I would hasten to add here that I do not see the issue as being something inappropriate in the way Jesus is dealing with one of the opposite sex. What Jesus does is shocking, because He gives this woman credit for being capable of an intelligent spiritual and theological conversation, not because He is acting in a morally inappropriate manner toward the opposite sex.               

[206] Isn’t it interesting that Adam and Eve did not eat of the fruit of the tree of life, but fell because they disobeyed God by eating of the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? The Corinthians were not willing to miss a meal, so they insisted on eating “meats offered to idols” (1 Corinthians 8-10). So too they would not wait for their brothers and sisters to arrive at the Lord’s Table, choosing rather to indulge themselves to the detriment of those of lesser means (1 Corinthians 11). Food really is a test, is it not?

[207] “J. A. T. Robinson has argued, convincingly to my mind, that the reference is primarily to the work of John the Baptist and his followers. His work in this very area had prepared the way for Jesus and His band.” Morris, pp. 281-282.

[208] The “harvest” seems to have lasted longer than our Lord’s short stay. “Cullmann, who is supported by M. Simon (St. Stephen and the Hellenists, 1958, 00. 36ff.), sees in the ‘others’ the Hellenists of Acts 8 (pre-eminently Philip), who took the gospel to Samaria after which the apostles Peter and John entered the fruits of their labor.” Morris, p. 282, fn. 93.

[209] I know all about the fact that the “go” of Matthew 28:19 is a participle, and not an imperative, but the force of our Lord’s words makes it so, and the grammar supports this. There is an excellent note in the NET Bible at verse 19:

 “Go … baptize … teach” are participles modifying the imperative verb “make disciples.” According to Wallace (Exegetical Syntax 645) the first participle (poreuqevnte", “Go”) fits the typical structural pattern for the attendant circumstance participle (aorist participle preceding aorist main verb, with the mood of the main verb usually imperative or indicative) and thus picks up the mood (imperative in this case) from the main verb (maqhteuvsate, “make disciples”). This means that semantically the action of “going” is commanded, just as “making disciples” is. As for the two participles that follow the main verb (baptivzonte", “baptizing,” and didavskonte", “teaching”), according to Wallace these do not fit the normal pattern for attendant circumstance participles, since they are present participles and follow the aorist main verb. However, some interpreters do see them as carrying additional imperative force in context. Others regard them as means, manner, or even result.

[210] The word “hometown” here is the same Greek term as found in Matthew 13:54, 57; Mark 6:1, 4 and Luke 4:24. In each case, the NET Bible renders it “hometown.” It is therefore reasonable to assume that this same term means basically the same thing in John 4:44.

[211] This is a most interesting turn of events. John wrote this Gospel, including all the signs that He did, so that men might come to believe in Jesus as the Christ (20:31). The people of Nazareth do not believe, and thus they see very few miracles.

[212] The Greek word, rendered “fall away” in Mark 4:17, is essentially the same word rendered “took offense” in Matthew 13:57.

[213] See Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 288.

[214] “Although basilikov" has often been translated ‘nobleman’ it almost certainly refers here to a servant of Herod, tetrarch of Galilee (who in the NT is called a king, Mark 6:14, 22; Matt 14:9). Capernaum was a border town, so doubtless there were many administrative officials in residence there.” Translator’s note from NET Bible.

[215] Compare Martha’s words in John 11:21.

[216] Some agonize about what time it was when Jesus assured the official that his son would live. Since there are two means of reckoning time (Roman and Jewish), there is a certain amount of room for discussion about the exact time that Jesus assures the official his son will live. By the Roman system of reckoning time, it would have been 7 p.m. By the Jewish system, it would have been 1:00 p.m. Some are troubled as to why it took the man a full day to return to his home, and theories abound to explain the apparent discrepancy. Frankly, John didn’t find these details important enough to supply, and they appear to have nothing to do with the meaning and the message of this miracle, so I will pass this matter by.

[217] One may wish to consult the translator’s note on this word in the NET Bible.

[218] Note that this official is now called “the father” in verse 53, for this is his prominent role. He has dealt with this situation, not as a royal official, but as a concerned father.         

[219] I guess that this means one cannot dance at night.

[220] Barbara Seuling, More Whacky Laws (New York: Scholastic Inc., 1975).

[221] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 305, fn. 25.

[222] J. W. Shepard, The Christ of the Gospels (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1939), p. 161.

[223] Rav Yehoshua Y. Neuwirth, Shemirath Shabbath: A Guide to the Practical Observance of Shabbath, English edition, prepared by W. Grangewood (Jerusalem: Feldheim, 1984).

[224] Ibid, p. xxx.

[225] Ibid, p. xxxii.

[226] Ibid, p. 1.

[227] Ibid, p. 17.

[228] Ibid, p. 11.

[229] This is my understanding of the view expressed on pages 66-67.

[230] Ibid, pp. 141-142.

[231] Ibid, p. 146.

[232] Ibid, p. 154.

[233] Morris, p. 306, fn. 28.

[234] The Greek New Testament manuscripts differ as to whether the definite article is to be found with the word “feast.” The NET Bible has chosen (with what seems to be the majority of conservative scholars) to follow the texts without the article. If it was “the” feast, the reference here would most likely be to the Passover. As it is (“a feast”), we are not certain as to which of the feasts reference is being made.

[235] William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-1954), p. 190. D. A. Carson adds: “The name of the pool is variously attested in the manuscripts as Bethesda, Bethzatha, Belzetha and Bethsaida. The first of these is almost certainly right, not only on various transcriptional grounds, but because it is now supported by the corresponding Hebrew name in the Copper Scroll from Qumran, first published in 1960. ‘Bethesda’ is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew [word rendered] ‘house of outpouring’; the Copper Scroll attests … the dual form of the same expression: ‘house of twin outpourings.’ … A Bordeaux pilgrim visited Jerusalem in AD 333, and described a pair of pools with five arcades (though he called the pools ‘Betsaida’). Sporadic excavations have probed the site for more than a century. It is located near the Church of St. Anne, in the north-east quarter of the Old City (near Nehemiah’s ‘Sheep Gate’). There were two pools, lying north and south, surrounded by four covered colonnades in a rough trapezoid, with a fifth colonnade separating the two pools.” D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), pp. 241-242.

[236] I don’t wish to delve into the debate between differing schools of textual criticism here, but I must at least point out that not all scholars agree as to which texts are the most highly respected.

[237] I should point out to those who are fans of John Calvin’s works that in his commentary on the Gospel of John, he makes no mention of any problem in verses 3 and thus seems to assume that the story about the angel troubling the waters is true.

[238] Hendriksen, p. 190.

[239] Carson, p. 243.

[240] Hendriksen, p. 192.

[241] “This healing differs from many others in that, not only is there no mention of faith on the part of the man, but there seems no room for it. The man did not even know Jesus’ name (v. 13) … Jesus is not limited by man as He works the works of God.” Morris, pp. 303-304.

[242] Carson, p. 243.

[243] I use the term “lucky” advisedly because it seems to me that it is either luck or assertiveness that wins one a miracle under these circumstances.

[244] “‘Just as the thirty-eight years prove the gravity of the disease, so the carrying of the bed and the walking prove the completeness of the cure’ (Barrett, p. 254).” Cited by Carson, p. 244.

[245] Notice how John refers to this fellow as “the man who had been healed,” while the Jews can only see him as the man carrying his mat on the Sabbath.

[246] “There may also be a hint of irony (much more strongly developed in the healing of Jn. 9): the Jews hear of the wonderful healing and of the formal breach of their code, and are interested only in the latter. They think they see what is important, but in religious matters there are none so blind as those who are always certain that they see (cf. 9:39-41).” Carson, p. 245.

[247] No doubt they would point to texts like Exodus 20:10; Nehemiah 13:15; and Jeremiah 17:21-22. Nevertheless, it was “their interpretation” of these texts which led to the extreme and hypocritical applications they drew from them.

[248] Morris points out (p. 307, fn. 33) that the word rendered “slip out” is found only here in the New Testament, and that it means “‘to bend the head aside’ (AS), and thus ‘to dodge.’”

[249] We must understand our Lord’s words here in the light of His words to His disciples in John chapter 9. There, the disciples automatically assumed that the man’s blindness was the result of someone’s sin. In that case, it was not so. That man had been born blind so that God might be glorified when our Lord healed him. In this case, the man’s sickness actually did result from his sin (see also Numbers 12:9-15; 2 Kings 5:25-27; Acts 5:1-11; 1 Corinthians 5:5; 11:30). Sickness may be the direct result of sin, but it is not always, not necessarily, the case.

[250] There is some discussion as to the subtleties of the present imperative (with a negative: “stop _____”). The note in the NET Bible downplays this emphasis, but I am inclined to stick with Morris on this point, who writes: “‘Sin no more’ means ‘sin no longer’ (Goodspeed: ‘Give up sin.’). There is the implication that the man has sinned, and continues in his sin. Jesus enjoins him to break with it and be reconciled to God.” Morris, p. 307.

[251] “Indeed, the verb behind ‘answered’ (apekrinato) is in the aorist middle—in John, found only here and in v. 19 (the aorist deponent passive, aprkrithe, might be expected). Abbott (par. 2537) argues that this verbal form has legal overtones: Jesus responds to their charge, he offers his defense. The fact that the middle voice of this verb is so regularly attested in legal documents (MM, pp. 64-65) may provide some support for this view.” Carson, p. 247.

[252] “The expression ‘My Father’ is noteworthy. It was not the way Jews usually referred to God. Usually they spoke of ‘our Father,’ and while they might use ‘My Father’ in prayer they would qualify it with ‘in heaven’ or some other expression to remove the suggestion of familiarity. Jesus did no such thing, here or elsewhere. He habitually thought of God as in the closest relationship to Himself. The expression implies a claim which the Jews did not miss.” Morris, p. 309.

[253] In the Greek text, the word translated “save” is the word often used to describe our Lord’s work of healing men (see, for example, Matthew 8:25; 9:21-22; Mark 3:4; 5:23).

[254] Carson, p. 240.

[255] “We are thus introduced to a theme which is important in the rest of this Gospel. Jesus does His mighty works, His ‘signs.’ But, instead of faith, strenuous opposition is aroused among the national religious leaders.” Morris, pp. 298-299.

[256] In the Greek text, John simply refers to these folks as “the Jews.” From the context, we would infer they are the “Jewish religious authorities.”

[257] This is not at all to suggest that the Jews said nothing. It is to say that John did not find their words profitable for us, and thus included only our Lord’s words.

[258] In the NET Bible this expression is rendered, “I tell you the solemn truth.”

[259] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 311.

[260] Morris, p. 311, fn. 52.

[261] Morris, p. 311, fn. 53.

[262] The study notes in the NET Bible suggest that the plural, “these things” refers to other miracles which Jesus performed on the Sabbath. While this is possible, and we know that Jesus did perform other miracles on the Sabbath, reference to this must be found elsewhere. I believe the plural refers to “sins” which the Pharisees would find in our text. I would therefore be more inclined to understand the plural as referring to two sins the Jews think Jesus is guilty of in this one incident John records: (1) breaking the Sabbath by healing this man on the Sabbath; and, (2) commanding the paralytic to break the Sabbath by carrying his bed on the Sabbath. Thus, in their minds, Jesus is not only guilty of breaking the Sabbath Himself, but also of commanding others to do so.

[263] This same term is only found once elsewhere in John (15:20). From this text and Luke 11:49, I would think that more than “harassing” is in view. No wonder we read in the next verse (John 5:17) that the Jews were “trying even harder to kill him.”

[264] Timothy died of crib death when he was three and one-half months old.

[265] In John 3:16, we read that the Father “loved” the world; He loved the world through the Son, and specifically through the sacrificial death of the Son. Now we read that the Father “loves” the Son. This is an ongoing, persistent love. In the temptation of Eve, Satan implied that God did not love Adam and Eve, and that He was withholding something good from them. Our Lord knows better. His Father loves Him and withholds nothing from Him. There is no possibility of Him acting independently of the Father, because they are one. There is no need for Him to act independently of the Father, because the Father loves the Son and shows Him all that He is doing.

[266] Jesus is talking to His opponents. He does not say that greater deeds will be accomplished so that you may believe, but rather, so that you may be amazed. These folks are dead in their trespasses and sins and will not be convinced or converted by signs and wonders.

[267] “The idea was accepted throughout Judaism. SBk cite a Rabbinic saying: ‘Three keys are in the hand of God and they are not given into the hand of any agent, namely that of the rain (Deut. 28:12), that of the womb (Gen. 30:22), and that of the raising of the dead (Ezek. 37:13)’ (I, p. 523). Cf. ‘Blessed art Thou, O Lord, the shield of Abraham. Thou art mighty for ever, O Lord; Thou restorest life to the dead … who sustainest the living with beneficence, quickenest the dead … who can be compared unto Thee, O King, who killest and makest alive again …? And faithful art Thou to quicken the dead. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who restorest the dead’ (E. Schurer, A History of the Jewish People, II, ii, Edinburgh, 1885, pp. 85f.).” Cited by Morris, p. 314, fn. 66.

[268] See Matthew 12:38-40.

[269] This same issue is taken up later in John. In chapters 5 and 6, why people don’t believe in Jesus is dealt with from a human perspective (“but you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life,” verse 40). In later chapters, it is again taken up from a divine perspective (see John 6:44, 65; 8:43).

[270] My wife Jeannette and I have five lovely daughters, and as “Dad” I have built or rebuilt nearly all of their cars.

[271] I speak of things “going wrong,” not in the sense that God’s plan failed, but that men failed to respond to our Lord as they should have. This “failure” on Israel’s part was in accordance with God’s eternal plan. Nevertheless, it is good for us to consider the causes of Israel’s failure, because there are lessons for us to learn from the failures of the people of old.

[272] The NET Bible has rendered this verse literally, but in the process leaves the appearance of a contradiction with John 8:13-18. I have thus added the words in brackets. I believe this is the sense of what John meant to convey to the reader. The NASB attempts to do something similar: “If I alone bear witness of Myself, My testimony is not true.” There is a marginal note in the NASB which informs the reader that “true” should be understood as “admissible as legal evidence.” The New English Bible renders verse 31: “If I testify on my own behalf, that testimony does not hold good.” J. B. Phillips paraphrases: “You may say that I am bearing witness about myself, that therefore what I say about myself has no value, …” Our Lord’s testimony is true on its own merits, but not in the eyes of the Jewish religious authorities. I like what Calvin has to say here: “He does not here take any thing away from the credit due to his testimony, which he elsewhere asserts in strong terms, but he speaks by way of concession; for Christ, having been in other respects most abundantly supported, consents that they should not believe his word. ‘If my testimony concerning myself,’ says he, ‘is suspected by you according to the ordinary custom of men, let it go for nothing.’ Now we know that what any man asserts about himself is not reckoned to be true and authentic, although in other respects he speak truth, because no man is a competent witness in his own cause. Though it would be unjust to reduce the Son of God to this rank, yet he prefers to surrender his right, that he may convince his enemies by the authority of God.” John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries, Volume 7: The Gospels (Grand Rapids: Associated Publishers and Authors Inc., n.d.), p. 684.

[273] Notice the past (more precisely, the perfect) tense here. This is testimony the Father has already given regarding the Son, a testimony given in the past with lingering effects.

[274] There is a certain overlapping of argument in these verses, and thus the repetition of verses 37b-40 above.

[275] “Cf. The saying attributed to Hillel: ‘the more study of the Law the more life … if he has gained for himself words of the Law he has gained for himself life in the world to come’ (Ab. 2:7). There are several sayings like Baruch 4:1f., ‘This is the book of the commandments of God, and the law endureth for ever: all they that hold it fast are appointed to life.’” Morris, p. 330.

[276] UEM was formerly known as BEE (Black Evangelistic Enterprise), an organization committed to planting churches in the urban community, where crime and poverty are abundant, but where there is a scarcity of Bible-believing, gospel-proclaiming churches.

[277] In Matthew 14:21, the author makes it clear that there are 5,000 men there, not counting the women and children. It seems to be generally conceded that on this occasion there must have been approximately 20,000 people present.

[278] D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), p. 269.

[279] There is also the “wine” of chapter 2 and the “water” of chapter 3.

[280] Today we know this place as the Golan Heights.

[281] See the study note in the NET Bible, and also Carson, p. 268. It is interesting that Morris is more inclined to think that the definite article is significant here: “The place of these happenings is defined as ‘the mountain.’ This expression occurs several times in the Gospels (e.g. Matt. 5:1; Mark 3:13), and raises the question whether there was a particular mountain which Jesus and His immediate followers familiarly knew as ‘the’ mountain.” Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 342.

[282] Morris (p. 343) points out that Philip is the logical one to ask, since his home town is Bethsaida (John 1:44).

[283] See Matthew 14:21.

[284] “The ‘small fish’ (opsaria) are probably pickled fish to be eaten as a side dish with the small cakes (scarcely ‘loaves’) of barley bread …” Carson, p. 270.

[285] Matthew, Luke, and John mention only taking up the portions of bread; only Mark mentions the fish (Mark 6:43).

[286] There are some pathetic efforts to explain this miracle away, so that it is no miracle at all. One “explanation” is that Jesus used the lad’s contribution to shame the rest of the crowd into sharing the food they brought with them. Another is that Jesus gives the crowd a symbolic meal, something like communion. If this is the case, how can John tell us they are all satisfied?

[287] It is clear from the other Gospels that Jesus healed many on this occasion.

[288] It is at this point in Matthew’s account that Peter walks on water—momentarily (see Matthew 14:28-30).

[289] There are different ways of understanding verse 21, but I see this as another miracle. I believe this miracle took place because Jesus needed to be on shore before daylight, when His arrival would be noted by all who looked out on the sea.

[290] David’s sin with Bathsheba resulted in a marriage from which Solomon was later born. David’s foolish act of numbering the Israelites resulted in the purchase of the land on which the temple was later built. The jealous act of Joseph’s brothers was used of God to “save” Jacob and his family, to prosper them in Egypt, and to prepare them to possess the promised land.

[291] It occurs to me that while Jesus is here instructing His audience to “cease working,” it is He who is indicted in chapter 5 by the Jews for working (on the Sabbath). There, in effect, the Jews are instructing Jesus to “stop working.”

[292] “Rabbi” is surely a term of respect, but it also falls short of a confession or acknowledgement of the deity of our Lord, as John sets it down in this Gospel.

[293] Some would minimize the emphasis on ceasing this working, but many would agree that it is to be seen here, as is often the case with a negated present imperative.

[294] “So here Jesus terms belief in him as the work of God. These Jews were thinking of various deeds of the Pharisaic type and rules. Jesus turns their minds to the central fact. ‘This simple formula contains the complete solution of the relation of faith and works’ (Westcott).” Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1931), 6 vols., en loc.

[295] I have chosen to differ with the NET Bible here, because I feel that our Lord’s meaning is clear. The words in brackets are my translation. The Jews thought salvation was their work. Jesus taught that it was God’s work. The Jews say, “What must we do to earn God’s favor?” Jesus replies, in effect: “Salvation is God’s work. The result is that when God works to save you, you will believe in Me, the One whom He sent to save you.”

[296] This translation is a bit unfortunate. The NET Bible unfortunately does not capitalize pronouns referring to God. Because the pronoun “He” is the first word of the (English) sentence, we might be inclined to think that the people are referring to God here, but they most certainly are not. They are referring to Moses. If the word order of the original text had been followed a little more closely (something not always necessary, or even advisable), the sentence would read, “Bread from heaven he [Moses] gave them to eat.” This would make it much clearer that the people believe Moses gave the Israelites bread from heaven.

[297] This is now the second time (see also verse 26) in our text that Jesus has prefaced His words with “Verily, verily …,” giving a very clear signal to the importance of His words.

[298] See footnote 13 in lesson 2.

[299] Grumble here is the same Greek word in the Greek text as is found in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament Scriptures, when the Israelites grumbled against Moses (Exodus 17:3; Numbers 11:1; 14:27, 29; 17:6, 20). Is Jesus greater than Moses? He surely is, but He is also the “prophet like Moses” (Deuteronomy 18:15), who also experiences the grumbling of God’s people, the Jews.

[300] The doctrine of election is a part of the doctrine of the sovereignty of God in man’s salvation. Ultimately, man does not choose God; God chooses man (see John 15:16). Men do not open their hearts to Jesus, God opens men’s hearts and minds to Him (see Acts 13:48; 16:14). It is God who chooses to save men, not men who choose to be saved. Those whom the Father has chosen will choose to trust in His Son, but only because they have first been chosen by God (see 1 John 4:19). Men are called to make a choice regarding Jesus Christ, but all who “choose to trust in Christ” are those who have first been chosen by the Father. This is a difficult doctrine for some to accept, but it is taught in the Bible. We find it difficult to accept, not because the Bible opposes it, but because our flesh and our pride opposes the thought that God is in control of everything, including our salvation. Sin is about man’s rebellion against God’s rule.

[301] See the chart in lesson 15.

[302] Our Lord’s substitutionary work on the cross of Calvary is alluded to prophetically by John in John 1:29, 36. Jesus also spoke about the destroying of “this temple”—His body—in John 2:19. Once again, our Lord spoke of being “lifted up” in John 3:14-16, but no one understood what He meant by this until after His death and resurrection. This is the clearest statement about the sacrificial and atoning death of Jesus as the Messiah made by our Lord up to this point in John’s Gospel.

[303] “Strove … to fight in armed combat (Ac 7:26), then to wage a war of words as here and 2 Ti 2:24. They were already murmuring (41), now they began bitter strife with one another over the last words of Jesus (43-51), …” Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1931), 6 vols., en loc.

[304] Note the “I tell you the solemn truth” (“Verily, verily,” KJV).

[305] I love the translation of the New English Bible here: “This was spoken in synagogue when Jesus was teaching in Capernaum. Many of his disciples on hearing it exclaimed, ‘This is more than we can stomach! Why listen to such words?’”

[306] The word in the Greek text, rendered “fall away,” is the same word that is rendered “offended” in John 6:61.

[307] The question is posed in a way that encourages them to stay, and not to leave.

[308] I do not mean to say that there was no debate between Jesus and His adversaries before this. What I am saying is that John has not previously recorded a full account of their objections and arguments. In John 3, Nicodemus has his questions and concerns, but John limits his account of what Nicodemus says to Jesus. His words of response to our Lord get fewer and shorter as the conversation plays out. In chapter 5, the Jews in Jerusalem take on Jesus for “breaking the Sabbath,” but John does not give a full account of their arguments. All that changes at chapter 7, when John spells out the Jewish objections fully. John now gives the reader a much more thorough version of the opposition’s “best shot” at Jesus. Both their words and our Lord’s responses demonstrate just how shoddy their thinking and objections were.

[309] At this point, Leon Morris footnotes with a comment by Dodd: “C. H. Dodd points out that in chs. 7, 8, there is a strongly polemical tone, with the enemies of Jesus having more to say than at any other place in the four Gospels. This is doubtless, as he says, in order to bring out the constant pressure of the opposition that Jesus met (note the repeated statements that Jesus’ life was in danger, 7:1, 13, 19, 25, 30, 32, 44; 8:37, 49, 59). It should also be noted that ‘The evangelist has brought together here most of what he has to say in reply to Jewish objections against the messianic claims made for Jesus’ (IFG, p. 346). Messiahship is central for John. This section of his Gospel is one in which he shows that objections to the messiahship of Jesus can all be met.” Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 392, fn. 1, citing C. H. Dodd, The Interpretation of the Fourth Gospel (Cambridge, 1953), p. 346.

[310] Morris, p. 392.

[311] William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-1954), vol. 2, p. 4.

Morris adds, “The Feast of Tabernacles was a feast of thanksgiving primarily for the blessings of God in the harvest, but it was also observed with special reference to the blessings received during the wilderness wanderings, the time when God was pleased to manifest Himself in the tabernacle. It may be this which gives significance to John’s recording of the happenings in this chapter. Neither in the tabernacle in the wilderness, nor in the temple which replaced it, was God fully manifested. The final and … perfect manifestation of God was in Jesus, whose ministry would result in God’s dwelling neither in a tent nor in a temple, but in men’s hearts by His Spirit.” Leon Morris, pp. 392-393.

In a footnote, Morris adds, “This was not ‘a’ feast. It was ‘the’ feast. Tabernacles was the great feast held when the harvest was finally gathered in (Exod. 23:16 calls it ‘the feast of ingathering, at the end of the year, when thou gatherest in thy labors out of the field’; see also Lev. 23:33ff., 39ff.; Deut. 16:13ff.). There are references to the feast as lasting for seven days (e.g. Lev. 23:34), and also to the eighth day (as Lev. 23:36), from which the conclusion is drawn that an original feast of seven days had been extended by one day. Together with the note of thanksgiving for harvest the feast commemorated the goodness of God to His people during the wilderness wanderings.” Morris, p. 394, fn. 5, in part.

[312] There is a textual problem here, and so there is also much discussion by the scholars. If the word in question is “not” (as most scholars seem inclined to believe—see Morris, p. 399, fn. 20), then we do appear to have a problem of consistency. Why would Jesus tell His brothers He is not going up to Jerusalem, only to go a little later? If the Greek term rendered “not yet” is present in the original text then no problem exists. He is not saying that He isn’t going to Jerusalem, only that He isn’t going yet, i.e. with them. There are a number of possible solutions to this problem, and so I simply refer the reader to the commentaries. As for me, I am inclined to embrace the “not yet” reading of the Greek text. If the term “not yet” is not in the original text, then Jesus seems to be telling His brothers that He is not going up to the Feast in Jerusalem in the way they have challenged Him to do, namely publicly, to attract a larger following. The text is very clear and emphatic in contrasting the motive and means the brothers indicate as opposed to the actual motive and means of our Lord.

[313] Hendriksen, vol. 2., p. 3.

[314] “So forbidding was their attitude (‘sought’ does not denote a solitary action; the tense is continuous, ‘they kept on seeking’) that Jesus withdrew from Judea altogether. He ‘walked’ in Galilee. The verb expresses the itinerant ministry of a Rabbi moving among the people with his disciples. ‘Would not’ signifies that He set His will against walking in Judea.” Morris, p. 394.

[315] See Matthew 13:55, where these brothers are named.

[316] Note the reference to Psalm 69:9 in John 2:17.

[317]I differ with the NET Bible’s use of the word “grumbling,” preferring “mumbling” or “murmuring” instead.

[318] “According to the present chapter of John’s Gospel there were two opinions among the Jews regarding the origin of the expected Messiah: a. according to some, no one would know where he came from (7:27); b. according to others, he would be born in Bethlehem (7:41, 42; cf. Matt. 2:3-5).

“The first of these two ideas—that Messiah would appear very suddenly, as if from nowhere—seems to have been a piece of popular theology, probably based upon inferences from certain passages in the Apocrypha (although we do not find it clearly stated in any of those books). The second idea (as the given references indicate) was correct, and was the official position of the Sanhedrin. On either score, however, since everybody ‘knew’ where Jesus came from, namely, from Nazareth in Galilee, he could not be the true Messiah!” Hendriksen, vol. 2, pp. 15-16.

A. T. Robertson writes, “This is a piece of popular theology. ‘Three things come wholly unexpected—Messiah, a godsend, and a scorpion’ (Sanhedrin 97a). The rulers knew the birthplace to be Bethlehem (7:42; Mt 2:5f.), but some even expected the Messiah to drop suddenly from the skies as Satan proposed to Jesus to fall down from the pinnacle of the temple. The Jews generally expected a sudden emergence of the Messiah from concealment with an anointing by Elijah… (Apoc. of Bar. XXIX. 3; 2Esdr. 7:28; 13:32; Justin Martyr, Tryph. 110).” A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, vol.5, en loc.

[319] I would suggest Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), pp. 419-428; William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-1954), vol. 2, pp. 21-27; and, D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), pp. 321-329, in that order.

[320] Hendriksen, vol. 2, p. 22.

[321] “The principal features of the observance, in addition to the erection of the leafy bowers in which the people camped out and the offering of the sacrifices, appear to have been these. The people carried with them bunches of leaves, called lulabs. There was apparently a disagreement between the Sadducees and the Pharisees over the correct interpretation of Lev. 23:40, ‘And ye shall take you on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm-trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook …’ The former took the words to refer to the material out of which the booths for the observance of the feat were to be constructed, while the latter held them to mean that the worshippers were actually to carry branches of the trees named as they entered the temple. The Pharisaic interpretation prevailed among the people, and accordingly each worshipper, as he marched in procession, would carry a lulab in his right hand and a citron in his left. The lulab symbolized the stages of the wilderness journey (marked by different kinds of vegetation), and the fruit of the goodly land that God had given His people. As certain Psalms were recited the worshippers shook their lulabs. The rejoicing was marked further by the flute-playing and dancing that went on for most of the feast and by bringing in young willow branches and arranging them round the altar (Sukk. 4:5). The tops thus were bent over the altar forming a leafy canopy for it. The reciting of the words, ‘Save now, we beseech thee, O Jehovah: O Jehovah, we beseech thee, send now prosperity’ (Ps. 118:25), is probably to be understood as a prayer for rain and fruitful season. On each of the seven days of the feast a priest drew water from the pool of Siloam in a golden flagon and brought it in procession to the temple with the joyful sounding of the trumpet. There the water was poured into a bowl beside the altar from which a tube took it to the base of the altar. Simultaneously wine was poured through a similar bowl on the other side of the altar. These symbolic ceremonies were acted … thanksgivings for God’s mercies in giving water in past days (probably looking right back to the smiting of the rock in the wilderness and then on to the giving of rain in recent years. … It is also significant that the words of Isaiah are associated with these ceremonies, ‘with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation’ (Isa.12:3). The Jerusalem Talmud connects the ceremonies and this scripture with the Holy Spirit: ‘Why is the name of it called, The drawing out of water? Because of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, according to what is said: “With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”’

“Jesus’ words are to be understood against this background. Up till now nothing has been recorded of His teaching at this feast, for all His words in this chapter hitherto have been replies to the accusations of His foes. But now, at the culmination of the greatest feast of the Jewish year, He unfolds its significance in terms of the life that He came to bring. He takes the water symbolism of the feast and presses it into service as He speaks of the living water that He will bestow. The people are thinking of rain, and of their bodily need. He turns their attention to the deep need of the soul, and to the way He would supply it. In chapter 4 we have had references to the living water, but here only is the explanation given of its significance in terms of the Holy Spirit.” Morris, pp. 420-421.

[322] “At the same time His primary reference may be not to the temple rite, but to the supply of water from the rock in the wilderness. The water supplied the physical needs of the Israelites, whereas no one drank from the water poured out of the golden ewer.” Morris, p. 422.

In an excellent footnote, Morris adds: “Godet favors this view and he points out that it accords with the symbolism of this Gospel in terms of Old Testament figures: ‘In chap. ii. He had presented Himself as the true temple, in chap. iii., as the true brazen serpent, in chap. vi., as the bread from heaven, the true manna; in chap. vii., He is the true rock; in chap. viii., He will be the true luminous cloud, and so on, until chap. xix. where He will finally realize the type of the Paschal lamb.’” Morris, p. 422, fn. 75.

[323] We must recall the words of Paul here, as recorded in 1 Corinthians 10: “1 For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they were all drinking from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:1-4, emphasis mine).

[324] After a lengthy discussion of all the issues related to this text, Morris sums up what he understands the meaning of our text to be: “The meaning of our passage then, in accordance with such Old Testament prophecies appears to be that when any man comes to believe in Jesus the scriptures referring to the activity of the Holy Spirit are fulfilled. On the day of Pentecost Peter claimed the fulfilment of the prophecy of Joel (Acts 2:16ff.). It is something like that we should understand here.” Morris, p. 424.

[325] Notice how frequently the subject of Jesus’ origins arises. The Apostle John, John the Baptist, and Jesus have all maintained that He came from above. Many who will not and who cannot believe in Jesus insist that He came from Galilee. How easy it would have been to learn that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, as the prophet Micah had foretold, but these folks had already made up their minds. They would not be confused—or corrected—by the facts.

[326] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1931), vol. 5, p. 135.

[327] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 882.

[328] There is a great debate taking place over the issue of whether the oldest manuscripts are also the best.

[329] I am not conceding that this passage was written by someone other than John, but even if it were, I would still consider it a part of the inspired text. (We don’t reject the Book of Deuteronomy simply because someone other than Moses wrote the words about the death of Moses—see Deuteronomy 34.)

[330] Leon Morris, p. 883.

[331] John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries, Volume 7: The Gospels (Grand Rapids: Associated Publishers and Authors Inc., n.d.), p. 734.

[332] There is clearly a curling of the lip, a clear note of disdain—“such women.” Morris comments, “It is perhaps worth noticing that they slightly manipulate the text of the law. They speak of ‘such’ as being stoned, the word being feminine, ‘such women,’ whereas Lev. 20:10 and Deut. 22:22 both lay it down that the man as well as the woman is to be put to death. They are also a little more specific than the Old Testament, for they speak definitely of stoning, whereas the passages we have cited do not indicate the manner of execution. Stoning is prescribed for the guilty pair when the woman is ‘a virgin betrothed unto a husband’ (Deut. 22:23f.).” Morris, p. 886.

[333] Carson writes, “The teachers of the law (lit. ‘scribes’) and the Pharisees are often mentioned together in the Synoptics, but never in the genuine text of John. The scribes were the recognized students and expositors of the law of Moses, but so central was the law in the life and thought of first-century Palestinian Jews that the scribes came to assume something of the roles of lawyer, ethicist, theologian, catechist, and jurist. Most of them, but certainly not all, were Pharisees by conviction …” D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), p. 334.

Morris cites Barclay, with this helpful observation, distinguishing the scribes and the Pharisees: “For a useful account of the scribes and the Pharisees see W. Barclay, The Mind of Jesus (London, 1960), pp. 158ff. He neatly sums up the differences between the two by saying, ‘It was the scribes who worked out all these rules and regulations; it was the Pharisees who devoted their whole lives to the keeping of them’ (op. cit., p. 161).’” Morris, p. 884, fn. 9.

[334] Morris, p. 885. Morris here cites some very interesting work by Derrett, which may be of interest to the student of Scripture.

[335] They wrongly conclude that His silence is like their own (see Matthew 21:27; 22:34, 46; Mark 12:34; Luke 20:40).

[336] John Calvin, p. 734.

[337] “There is a tradition that Jesus wrote down the names and sins of these accusers. That is not likely.” A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1932), vol. 5, p. 139.

[338] Morris, citing Derrett (op. cit., p. 22), p. 889.

[339] Morris, p. 889.

[340] This seemingly incidental comment is intriguing. Jesus raises the question as to who should be first to cast the stone, and none is willing to step forward. There seems to be no problem deciding who should be the first to leave.

[341] Calvin comments: “In this way, however, Christ appears to take out of the world all judicial decisions, so that no man shall dare to say that he has a right to punish crimes. For shall a single judge be found, who is not conscious of having something that is wrong?

 “I reply: this is not an absolute and unlimited prohibition, by which Christ forbids sinners to do their duty in correcting the sins of others; but by this word he only reproves hypocrites, who mildly flatter themselves and their vices, but are excessively severe, and even act the part of felons, in censuring others. No man, therefore, shall be prevented by his own sins from correcting the sins of others, and even from punishing them, when it may be found necessary, provided that both in himself and in others he hate what ought to be condemned; and in addition to all this, every man ought to begin by interrogating his own conscience, and by acting both as witness and judge against himself, before he come to others. In this manner shall we, without hating men, make war with sins.” Calvin, p. 735.

[342] D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), p. 337.

[343] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), pp. 436-438.

[344] Carson, pp. 337-338.

[345] It is the followers of our Lord who do not “walk in darkness,” but in the light, not just those who “believe.” The inference here is found elsewhere in John (e.g. 2:23-25), that there are those who “believe” who do not also “follow” as a disciple. Nicodemus seems to be such a person.

[346] This causes me to view the “two witnesses” of Revelation 11:3 in a different light. Even there, God testifies through two witnesses, consistent with the requirement of the Old Testament law (see also 1 Timothy 5:19).

[347] This should be “where,” which is the way virtually all other translations render this question, and the way we would expect from the Greek text.

[348] This may be due to the fact that up until now they don’t understand who He is claiming to be, strange though this may seem to us (see John 8:27).

[349] “If Jesus really stands in the relationship to God in which He says He does, then no mere man is in a position to bear witness. No human witness can authenticate a divine relationship. Jesus therefore appeals to the Father and Himself, and there is no other to whom He can appeal.” Morris, p. 443.

[350] Carson, p. 341.

[351] William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-1954), vol. 2, p. 44.

[352] “Temple maintains that this ‘cannot be reproduced in English, for it combines three meanings: (a) that I am what I say—sc. The Light of the World; (b) that I am He—the promised Messiah; (c) that I am—absolutely, the divine Name. All these are present; none is actually indicated.’” Morris, p. 447.

[353] Of this expression, “die in your sins,” Morris comments, “It is an Old Testament expression, but there, as here, it is not explained (Prov. 24:9, LXX; Ezek. 3:18; 18:18).” Morris, p. 445.

[354] Morris, p. 439, fn. 13.

[355] John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries, Volume 7: The Gospels (Grand Rapids: Associated Publishers and Authors Inc., n.d.), p. 737.

[356] Calvin, p. 736.

[357] Morris, p. 447.

[358] John G. Mitchell, with Dick Bohrer, An Everlasting Love: A Devotional Study of the Gospel of John (Portland: Multnomah Press), 1982, p. 164.

[359] Morris, p. 443.

[360] See especially 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; 2 Corinthians 11:3-4; Ephesians 5:6-14; Colossians 1:15–3:4.

[361] The Greek word oun can be merely a temporal indicator, and thus be rendered “then,” but it often has a more logical sense, rendered by “therefore.” I think “therefore” is the better choice here, because our Lord’s words are in response to the faith of some, which is mentioned in the immediately preceding verse.

[362] I still prefer the rendering, “abide in My word.” Both menw (abide) and logo" (word) are significant and frequently employed terms in this gospel.

[363] Many struggle with an apparent discrepancy here. They are troubled that those who are referred to as believers in verses 30 and 31 appear to be those speaking and acting like unbelievers in verses 32 and following. The difficulty seems to center around the “they” of verse 33, if one assumes the antecedent to be those who believed. Some seek to solve the problem by concluding that those who “appear” to have believed have not really come to a saving faith in Jesus. I am inclined toward the view that there are both believers and unbelievers in this crowd. Jesus speaks the words of verses 31 and 32 to those who are believers, but the unbelievers present interrupt and seek once again to engage Jesus in debate.

[364] Jesus clearly indicates that true disciples will abide in His Word. By inference, Jesus adds His word to the Old Testament Scriptures, which His Jewish audience would already assume to be the inspired Word of God. The true believer will see Jesus as the Messiah whose coming is foretold in the Old Testament, and whose word is inscripturated in the New Testament. His Words, as He has said, are not His own words, but those the Father has given Him. Thus, just as God spoke to men at various times and in various ways through the Old Testament Scriptures, He has now spoken fully and finally to men through Jesus Christ, as recorded in the New Testament Scriptures (see Hebrews 1:1-4).

[365] Particularly in chapters 14-16.

[366] The Jews who oppose our Lord seem to have two ways of responding to His teaching: (1) to quickly grasp what He is saying (or implying), and to seek to refute it; or, (2) to fail to grasp what He is saying at all. This seems to be how much communication breaks down today.

[367] How interesting that John would call those who claim to be offspring of Abraham the “offspring of vipers.” This is not very far from our Lord calling them sons of the devil.

[368] In Romans 6, Paul takes up this same theme in dealing with saints who would turn grace into an occasion for sin.

[369] Is there a subtle but significant change here? They insisted that they had never been enslaved to anyone; Jesus speaks of being enslaved to anything (namely sin).

[370] This assumes, of course, that these folks were present earlier in our Lord’s ministry in Jerusalem, when the events of John 7:53–8:11 took place.

[371] I know that “bastard” is not a nice word, but it is found in the Bible. Though it is not employed here, it is exactly the point our Lord’s opponents are attempting to make. These folks enjoy pointing out what they wrongly assume to be fact—that Jesus was the illegitimate child of Mary and a man who was not her husband, perhaps not even Joseph. They are not trying to be delicate here, but striving to employ the shock value of their words, hoping to shake Him from His confidence and claims. It isn’t true, and it doesn’t work.

[372] For examples of their seeking glory from men, see Matthew 6:2, 5, 16, 18; 23:5-7; Luke 16:14-15. For this issue earlier in John’s Gospel, see 5:41-44; 7:18.

[373] Virtually all died. There were men like Enoch, who was translated into heaven, and Elijah, who was taken into heaven in a fiery chariot, but for all intents and purposes, we can say that all the great Old Testament saints died.

[374] Jesus said that Abraham saw His day and rejoiced. The Jews speak as though Jesus claimed to see Abraham. Jesus seems to be saying that Abraham looked ahead, by faith, to the time when the Messiah would come—seeing His day. The Jews seem to be hearing Jesus claim that He was there, back in Abraham’s day, seeing him. While this does not appear to be what Jesus means, it is true. John has already told us that the “Word” was with the Father and actively involved in the creation of the world, so we know that He was also there, later, in Abraham’s time. At various times in Old Testament history, our Lord seems to have appeared to men as what theologians have called a theophany, an earthly appearance of our preincarnate Lord. Was He one of the three “men” who visited Abraham in Genesis 18?

[375] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 473, fn. 118.

[376] William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-1954), vol. 2, p. 67.

[377] I am probably working too hard at this, but it is interesting that this blind man does not “see” until after he is first “seen” by the Savior. This is similar to the truth that we love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).

[378] I would prefer, “and came away seeing.” This man came to the pool blind; he came away seeing. Many translations render this, “He went back seeing.” I doubt that he immediately went back to the place where he practiced begging, although he might have done so in an attempt to “see” Jesus and thank Him. At some point he does go “home,” and thus some render this, “he went home seeing,” or something similar (cf. Phillips, NIV).

[379] Have you ever noticed that it is easier to deal with some things theoretically than it is to do something practical?

[380] William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-1954), vol. 2, p. 73.

[381] Hendriksen, vol. 2, p. 74.

[382] Hendriksen, vol. 2, p., 76.

[383] I am fully capable of speculation myself, as the reader will note (and beware).

[384] John G. Mitchell, with Dick Bohrer, An Everlasting Love: A Devotional Study of the Gospel of John (Portland: Multnomah Press, 1982), p. 179.

[385] “Jesus’ method of dealing with the man is not to be overlooked. First He healed him, then He left him to debate the situation with the Pharisees, and only after they had taken disciplinary action against the man did Jesus approach him to deal with his spiritual need. The result was that the man came to believe (v. 38). In His ministry to the souls of men Jesus adopted no stereotyped approach. He dealt with each man as his peculiar need required.” Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 476.

[386] As I recall hearing them on the radio this morning, and pulled off the road to hastily write them down.

[387] “It would not be true to say that there are no accounts of the healing of the blind in antiquity other than those of Jesus, but there are remarkably few in canonical scripture. There is no story of the giving of sight to the blind anywhere in the Old Testament. Nor is this function anywhere attributed to the followers of Jesus. The nearest we come to it is when Ananias laid hands on Saul of Tarsus and that Pharisee’s temporary blindness disappeared (Acts 9:17f.). But this exceptional case is not on all fours with the giving of sight as Jesus gave it.” Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John, p. 475.

[388] Leon Morris, p. 475.

[389] Was this a symbolic healing? Hendriksen (p. 76) thinks so. He says,

“(1) This miracle is certainly symbolical, picturing Jesus as the light of the world (8:12; 9:5).

“(2) In this Gospel Jesus constantly presents himself as the One who is sent by the Father (see on 3:17, 34; 5:36, 37; 6:57; 7:29; 8:18, 27, 29; etc.)

“(3) The waters of Shiloam flow from the temple-hill and are even in the Old Testament regarded as symbolical of the spiritual blessings which issue forth from God’s dwelling-place (see Is. 8:6 and cf. Ezek. 47:1).”

[390] To my knowledge, I have reproduced the letter as I received it, typographical errors and all.

[391] Let us not forget, however, that they are leaders in the movement which arrests and arranges for the crucifixion of our Lord. In this sense, we must take them most seriously.      

[392] Hovestol, for example, writes, “Interestingly, the Pharisees’ attitudes toward the Scripture match those of conservative Christians today. We, as they did, hold a high view of Scripture and pride ourselves on our fidelity to the Word. On all levels of the church, from the cradle role to the senior citizens, we encourage and honor Bible study. So did they. We favor the broad dissemination of the Scriptures so that the common person can understand them. So did they. We, like the Pharisees of old, believe and teach that the Bible is to be trusted and obeyed. And like the Pharisees, we Protestants pride ourselves on our ability to apply God’s truth to changing cultural settings. The Pharisees in the Bible resemble our biblical aspirations and actions!” Tom Hovestol, Extreme Righteousness: Seeing Ourselves in the Pharisees (Chicago: Moody Press, 1997), p. 29.

[393] I should point out that the Greek text does not say “Jewish leaders” but simply “the Jews.” The NET Bible renders this in a way that indicates to us that it was undoubtedly the Jewish religious leaders who sent this delegation, and not “the Jews” generally.

[394] In Luke 13:10-17 and John 5:1-17, the Sabbath controversies are between the Jews and Jesus, but the Pharisees are not specifically identified. It is likely that here too it is the Pharisees who “led the charge” against Jesus for “breaking the Sabbath.” In virtually every other Sabbath controversy, it is the Pharisees who protest our Lord’s “work” on the Sabbath.

[395] Even in the case of the paralytic, whom Jesus healed and subsequently warned to give up his sin (John 5:1-15), not much time was devoted to the past. This man obviously knew what his sin was. Now it was time for him to give it up.

[396] “The Pharisees question the man. The verb denotes a continuing process, and not simply an invitation to rehearse the matter. They were evidently persistent.” Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 484.

[397] “It is possible that the Pharisees were acting as official representatives of the Sanhedrin. Hendriksen argues cogently that they were an official body, possibly even ‘the minor Sanhedrin or synagogue-court, of which there are said to have been two in Jerusalem.’ If this is the case it will explain such things as the fear of the parents in the face of interrogation. But neither the proceedings nor the sentence read like the account of formal proceedings and it may be better to think of an influential but unofficial inquiry.” Leon Morris, p. 484.

[398] The NET Bible does use the word “Jesus” in verse 23, footnoting the fact that the Greek text actually reads “him.” I think it would be better to render it “him,” because John seems to purposely avoid the name of Jesus because the Pharisees avoid it.

[399] “And finally, there was a division of opinion amongst the authorities as to whether or not anointing the eyes was legal on a Sabbath (B. Abodah Zarah 28b).” D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), p. 367.

[400] Note the plural “signs” here. They called attention to the fact that it was not just this miracle that they had to explain away, but a large number of miracles, all of which were “signs,” testifying to our Lord’s identity.

[401] “Give glory to God does not mean something like ‘Praise God for what he has done in your life,’ still less ‘Praise God and not Jesus,’ but, as in Joshua 7:19, something like ‘Before God, own up and admit the truth.’ The ‘truth’ they want confessed, of course, is that Jesus is a sinner, a transgressor of the law (by which they mean the oral law, which many conservative Jews understood to have the same divine, binding force as the written code); therefore there must be some other fragment of information that the man is hiding from them, something that would enable them to be at ease with their ‘given,’ the sinfulness of Jesus.” D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), pp. 372-373.

[402] The question expects a negative answer, but the note of sarcasm is evident. There is a barb in this question!

[403] A literal rendering of the text would read something like this: “If (perhaps “whether”) he is a sinner, I do not know.” I don’t think the man is saying (as many translations seem to imply), “I’m not really willing or qualified to pronounce whether or not he is a sinner.” I think his response is stronger. They say, “We know he is a sinner.” He responds (in effect), “I don’t know this.”

[404] This, of course, is precisely where the Pharisees go wrong. They contrive a mechanical system where there is no place for “innocent suffering.” But at this point, the man born blind is arguing a general truth, and a principle which the Pharisees consider foundational. He is turning their own teaching against them.

[405] Some manuscripts read “Son of God” here. The difference seems insignificant, so far as the meaning is concerned. Jesus is asking the man if he believes in the Messiah.

[406] Amos (5:18-20) had to warn God’s people that they should not eagerly await this “day of the Lord” as though it were only a time for God to judge the Gentiles. The “day of the Lord” was the time when God would judge all sinners, and Israel had many sins to judge. Thus, the “day of the Lord” was a day of judgment for Israel, as well as for the nations.

[407] “They instantly perceived that they were smitten by this saying of Christ, and yet they appear not to have belonged to the worst class; for the open enemies had so strong an abhorrence of Christ that they did not at all associate with him. But those men submitted to listen to Christ, yet without any advantage, for no man is qualified to be a disciple of Christ, until he has been divested of self, and they were very far from being so … The word also is emphatic; for it means that, though all the rest be blind, still it is improper that they should be reckoned as belonging to the ordinary rank. It is too common a fault among those who are distinguished above others, that they are intoxicated with pride, and almost forget that they are men.” John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries, Volume 7: The Gospels (Grand Rapids: Associated Publishers and Authors Inc., n.d.), p. 768.

[408] In John 1:36, John the Baptist identified Jesus as the “Lamb of God,” but now He speaks of Himself as the “Good Shepherd.”

[409] Israel is called God’s flock (Psalm 74:1; 78:52; 79:13; 95:7; 100:3). God is described as Israel’s Shepherd (see Psalm 23; 77:20; 78:52; 80:1; 107:31-32, 39-42). Moses (and next Joshua) served God as shepherds of the nation Israel (see Numbers 27:15-17), as did David (Psalm 78:70-71). God even employed the leadership of pagan’s so that He could call Cyrus His “shepherd” (Isaiah 44:28). Under divine judgment, Israel is described as sheep without a shepherd (Jeremiah 10:21; 50:6; Ezekiel 34:5-6; Zechariah 10:2; 11:1-17). Those who led Israel astray were also referred to as “shepherds” (Jeremiah 23:1f.; 50:6; Ezekiel 34:10f.; Zechariah 10:3). God promised to restore Israel by sending One who would be their “shepherd” (Isaiah 40:9-11; Jeremiah 23:3-8; 31:10; Micah 2:12-13).

[410] See, for example: Matthew 2:6; 7:15; 9:36; 10:6, 16; 12:11-12; 15:24; 18:12-13; 25:32-33; 26:31.

[411] See Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:4; Hebrews 13:20; Revelation 7:17.

[412] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 501.

[413] “Some have felt that there is little connection between the opening of this chapter and the end of the preceding one. Various reconstructions have been proposed. But these are not necessary. … It is apt, accordingly, that, immediately after Israel’s shepherds have failed so conspicuously in the case of the man born blind, we should have set forth the nature and functions of the Good Shepherd. The sequence is tolerably plain.” Leon Morris, p. 499.

[414] The Pharisees considered themselves the doorkeepers of the kingdom of God (see Matthew 23:13). They thought they had just “slammed the door” in the face of the man who was born blind, but in truth he just found the “door” in Christ and entered into eternal life.

[415] It seems to me that Matthew 11:12 may well be speaking of those who would break into the sheepfold.

[416] John reminds us that it was not so clear to those who heard Jesus as He spoke these words (verse 6). Some never understood, and even our Lord’s disciples did not really understand until after His death, burial, and resurrection.

[417] See John 1:11.

[418] “When Jesus says, ‘I—emphatic; i.e., I alone—am the door of the sheep,’ he means that he is the only One through whom anyone obtains legitimate access. There simply is no other entrance.” William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-1954), vol. 2, p. 107.

[419] “According to Hegesippus, a second-century writer, James the half-brother of Jesus was executed by Jewish opponents, in part because of his answer to the question, ‘What is the gate (thyra, as in Jn. 10:7, 9) of Jesus?’ (by which they probably meant the gate of which Jesus spoke). When James answered in terms reminiscent of Matthew 26:64, he was thrown off the temple and, still alive, was stoned to death (H. E. II. xxiii. 12-19). Whatever the reliability of this report, it attests that Jesus did indeed speak of himself as the door or gate.” D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), p. 389.

[420] There is a footnote here in the NET Bible, indicating that the verb is present tense (“are”), not past tense (“were”). Morris comments, “We should almost certainly take ‘before me’ as part of the imagery, rather than as indicating Jesus’ predecessors as religious leaders. The shepherd comes to the fold for his sheep (vv. 2f.) first thing in the morning. All who preceded him accordingly must be thieves and the like working in the darkness. All the more is this likely to be the case in that Jesus does not say that they ‘were’ but that they ‘are’ thieves and robbers. The emphasis is on His own day.” Morris, p. 507.

[421] “Note the emphatic position of the phrase by me [in the Greek text].” Hendriksen, vol. 2, p. 109.

[422] “There is no good reason to restrict the meaning of the verb in this passage, as if it meant no more than, ‘he will be safe.’ To be sure, safety is implied also in the words, and will go in and out; but this is only part of the meaning. Not only will he go in and out, i.e., experience perfect freedom from all real harm and danger, and this even in the small affairs of every-day living, and feel himself entirely at home in the daily routine of God’s people (see especially the beautiful words of Ps. 121:8), but in addition, he will find pasture; i.e., life and abundance, as the following verse indicates. The pasture which the true sheep finds in the study of the Word is certainly included.” Hendriksen, vol. 2, p. 109.

[423] “By going in and out, Scripture often denotes all the actions of the life, as we say in French, aller et venir, to go and come, which means, to dwell. These words, therefore, present to us a twofold advantage of the Gospel, that our souls shall find pasture in it, which otherwise become faint and famished, and are fed with nothing but wind; and, next, because he will faithfully protect and guard us against the attacks of wolves and robbers.” John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries, Volume 7: The Gospels (Grand Rapids: Associated Publishers and Authors Inc., n.d.), p. 772.

[424] “… ‘I’ is emphatic …” Morris, p. 509.

[425] “This is a proverbial way of insisting that there is only one means of receiving eternal life (the Synoptics might have preferred to speak of entering the kingdom, although entering into life is also attested there), only one source of knowledge of God, only one fount of spiritual nourishment, only one basis for spiritual security—Jesus alone.” Carson, p. 385.

[426] “Jesus continues, I am the good shepherd, really: the shepherd, the good one. The adjective is stressed! This adjective, however, is not agaqo" but kalo". The basic meaning of this word is beautiful. Here it indicates excellent. This shepherd answers to the ideal both in his character and in his work. And he is the only one in his class.” Hendriksen, vol. 2, p. 110.

[427] “The words ‘for (hyper) the sheep’ suggest sacrifice. The preposition, itself ambiguous, in John always occurs in a sacrificial context, whether referring to the death of Jesus (6:51; 10:11, 15; 11:50ff.; 17:19; 18:14), of Peter (13:37-38), or of a man prepared to die for his friend (15:13). In no case does this suggest a death with merely exemplary significance; in each case the death envisaged is on behalf of someone else. The shepherd does not die for his sheep to serve as an example, throwing himself off a cliff in a grotesque and futile display while bellowing, ‘See how much I love you!’ No, the assumption is that the sheep are in mortal danger; that in their defence the shepherd loses his life; that by his death they are saved. That, and that alone, is what makes him the good shepherd.” Carson, p. 386.

“The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The preposition is uper, a word which has the root-meaning over. In the Fourth Gospel it is always used with the genitive. Thus used, its meaning pendulates all the way from the colorless concerning (1:30), through for the benefit of and the closely related for the sake of (6:51; 11:4; 17:19), to the very meaningful instead of (see 10:11, 15; 11:50, 51, 52; 13:37, 38; 15:13; 18:14). However, it is probably incorrect to say that this preposition in itself ever means instead of. That is its resultant connotation when it is used in certain contexts. The good shepherd lays down his life for the benefit of the sheep, but the only way in which he can benefit the sheep, saving them from everlasting destruction and imparting everlasting life to them, is by dying instead of them, as we learn from Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45, where the preposition anti (instead of, in exchange for) is used. It is easy to see how by a very gradual transition for the benefit of or in behalf of may become instead of. Thus, in the papyri the scribe who writes a document in behalf of someone who cannot write is writing it instead of that unlettered individual.” Hendriksen, vol. 2, pp. 110-111.

[428] “‘Hireling’ is perhaps a little too strong for the word, as this has connotations in the English that are missing from the Greek. In the only place where the word is used in the New Testament apart from this verse and the next it refers to fishermen working for pay (Mark 1:20; MM cite its use for men paid to carry bricks). But certainly it indicates someone other than the owner. It speaks of a man whose interest is in what he is paid for doing his job rather than in the job itself.” Morris, p. 510.

[429] “Four times in these two verses the verb know (ginwskw) occurs.” Hendriksen, vol. 2, p. 113.

[430] Hendriksen, vol. 2, pp. 99-100.

[431] Morris, pp. 500-501, fn. 9.

[432] D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, p. 383.

[433] “The fuller explanation in these verses cannot easily be accommodated as long as we think of vv. 1-5 as a cohesive narrative parable, and the verses before us as mere explanation of them. Now Jesus is not the shepherd who goes through the gate; rather, he is the gate (v. 7). Before, the shepherd led the sheep out of the fold; now he leads them in and out (v. 9). Hired hands are introduced (v. 12), along with sheep from other sheep pens (v. 16), and the death of the shepherd (v. 15). The tensions are largely alleviated when we recognize that the expansions in these verses are not predicated on a single, narrative parable, but are further metaphorical uses of the three dominant features of the shepherding language introduced in vv. 1-5—viz. The gate, which generates further metaphorical expansion in vv. 7-10; the shepherd, whose parallels with Jesus are further elucidated in vv. 11-18; and the notion of his own sheep, further expanded in vv. 26-30. This last section is placed a little further on in the chapter because it admirably explains the Jews’ unbelief of Jesus’ messianic claims. In short, John 10 makes sense as it stands, as long as we do not approach it with false expectations of a formally coherent narrative.” Carson, pp. 383-384.

[434] “The ensuing verses suggest that All who ever came before me excludes from the indictment such leaders as Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah and others who heard God’s voice in former times, and who served him faithfully in the terms of the covenant to which they had sworn allegiance. Nevertheless, the expression surely hints at more than despotic local leaders who care more for their own gain than for the sheep in their care (cf. ‘thieves and robbers’ in v. 8). It sounds, rather, as if reference is being made to messianic pretenders who promise the people freedom but who lead them into war, suffering and slavery.” Carson, pp. 384-385.

[435] Hendriksen, vol. 2, p. 111.

[436] Carson, p. 387.

[437] “The good shepherd also has other sheep. He has them even now because they have been given to him by the Father in the decree of predestination from eternity (6:37, 39; 17:6, 24). That is also the reason why even before they are gathered out they can be called his sheep.” Hendriksen, vol. 2, p. 113.

[438] “The outgathering or election of a remnant is taught in many Old Testament passages: Jer. 3:14; 23:3; Am. 3:12; 5:15; Mic. 2:12; 5:3, 7, 8; 7:18-20; Hab. 2:4; Zeph. 3:12, 13; Hag. 1:12, 14; Zech. 8:6, 12; 13:8, 9. In Mic. 2:12 this outgathering of the remnant is even associated with the idea of the shepherd. Cf. Am. 3:12.” Hendriksen, vol. 2, p. 107.

“The great blessing of Pentecost and the Gospel Age which followed it is here predicted. It is a wonderful theme. In a sense it was predicted even in the Old Testament: Gen. 12:3; Ps. 72:8, 9; 87:4-6; Is. 60:3; Joel 2:28; Zeph. 2:9; Mal. 1:11. But there the idea that elect from among the Gentiles will come in on the basis of equality with the elect of Israel does not receive emphasis.” Hendriksen, vol. 2, p. 114.

[439] p. 498.

[440] Note that in the closing verses of this chapter, John the Baptist is described as the one who pointed men to Jesus as the Messiah.

[441] Calvin, p. 772.

[442] Is it not interesting that the chapter in John which is so “Calvinistic,” and which stresses so strongly the sovereignty of God in the salvation of men, is also one of the most winsome and attracting texts in the Bible?

[443] “This feast of dedication, celebrated for eight days about the middle of our December, was instituted by Judas Maccabeus B.C. 164 in commemoration of the cleansing of the temple from the defilements of pagan worship by Antiochus Epiphanes (1Macc. 4:59). The word enkainia (en kaino", new) occurs here only in the N.T. It was not one of the great feasts and could be observed elsewhere without coming to Jerusalem. Jesus had apparently spent the time between tabernacles and dedication in Judea (Lu 10:1–13:21).” A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament.

[444] “A covered colonnade or portico in which people could walk in all weather. See Ac 3:11; 5:12 for this porch. This particular part of Solomon’s temple was left uninjured by the Babylonians and survived apparently till the destruction of the temple by Titus A.D. 70 (Josephus, Ant. XX. 9,7). When John wrote, it was, of course, gone.” A. T. Robertson.

[445] We see this word employed in Acts 14:20, where Paul’s companions circle around his apparently lifeless body, after he had been stoned and left for dead at Lystra. Here, this “surrounding” was friendly, but in many other instances it is hostile (see Psalm 22:16; 88:17; 109:3, where the same Greek term is employed in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament).

[446] In today’s vernacular, we would say that the Jews “got in Jesus’ face.”

[447] Morris puts it this way: “It is one of the precious things about the Christian faith that our continuance in eternal life depends not on our feeble hold on Christ, but on His firm grip on us.” Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971) p. 521.

[448] Morris writes, “‘Took up’ is ebastasan, ‘carried.’ There would be no stones in Solomon’s colonnade, and they would have to bring them there.” Morris, p. 524, fn. 81. A. T. Robertson writes in Word Pictures in the New Testament, “Perhaps here ebastasan means ‘they fetched stones from a distance.’” I have to chuckle as I read this and try to imagine what this scene would have been like. As Morris points out, they could not take up rocks and begin to throw them at Jesus because they were in the temple area. They would have to go outside and gather rocks, so that they could stone Him. This took time and effort, and we know from the text that they sought to stone Him several times. But every time they had a sizeable pile accumulated, Jesus would in some way elude their grasp, so their efforts were in vain. I can imagine that the temple custodian, whoever he might be, would have gotten tired of cleaning up the rock piles after these zealous Jews.

[449] It is true the Martha and Mary do not specifically ask Jesus to do anything, but the word “look” or “behold” is not used lightly (see John 1:29, 36, 47; 3:26; 5:14; 7:26; 11:36; 12:19; 16:29; 18:21; 19:4, 14, 26, 27). They expect Jesus to drop everything and come to Bethany to heal him.

[450] The Greek word used here is Filew.

[451] This is my paraphrase of this passage, drawing heavily from the NET Bible and the New English Bible.

[452] Their only other appearance is the well-known account of Luke 10:38-42, where Martha was distressed because Mary was not helping her prepare the meal.

[453] The New English Bible calls Lazarus “your friend,” which is not a bad way of rendering the term filew, one of the biblical terms employed for love. This distinguishes between this term for "love" and agapaw, which occurs in verse 5.

[454] Such misunderstandings are not unusual, as we see also in 21:20-23.

[455] We cannot really be dogmatic about the precise timing of Lazarus’ death in relationship to the arrival of the messenger, but it seems that since Lazarus has already been dead four days when Jesus arrives, that he must have died shortly after the messenger was sent. Morris comments, “Indeed the death must have already taken place when the messengers arrived. In v. 39 we find that Lazarus had been dead for four days when Jesus reached Bethany, and the journey would scarcely have taken more than a day.” Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 539.

[456] This same tension is repeated in verses 36 and 37.

[457] “Notice that they address Him as ‘Rabbi’, this being the last occasion in this Gospel on which this term is used.” Morris, p. 540.

[458] The “you” here is singular, not plural. At this point in time, any discussion about going back to Judea was, in the minds of His disciples, a personal trip for Jesus. They seem to have no intention of accompanying Him at this point, as I understand the text.

[459] It is noteworthy that the word “recover” is the translation of the Greek word swzw, which is the verb that means “to save.” This word is used broadly in the Gospels, to refer to various kinds of healings (of lepers, the blind, of those demon possessed, and so on), as well as spiritual salvation. It is interesting that we would find it here, and I suspect it is significant, though I will not attempt to press the point here.

[460] "But in view of Jesus’ repeated statement that He is ‘the light of the world’ (8:12; 9:5) we should probably discern a deeper meaning, in the Johannine manner. Men should make the most of the presence of Christ, the Light of the world. For when He is withdrawn from them there is no possibility of their 'walking' without stumbling. It is not impossible in view of the use of ‘hour’ in this Gospel that the reference here to “hours” contains also an allusion to the work that Jesus, the Light of the world, came to do. The disciples need not fear to go up with Him, because He cannot die before the appointed time, and there is still a little time left. There will also be the thought that to be with Him is to be in the light, and the next verse brings out the reverse—if they are away from Him they will certainly stumble in the darkness.” Morris, p. 541.

[461] Jesus does not speak of going to Bethany, or to Martha and Mary, but of going to Lazarus. He does not speak of going to his tomb, or to his body, but to Lazarus. This is surely significant, and another indication of His certainty about the raising (or should we say “awakening”—see verse 11) of Lazarus.

[462] As in verse 3, the verb is yilew, not agaph as in verse 5.

[463] There is a tension here, which must be kept in balance. There are many who, like the Corinthians of old, expect (and even demand) all of heaven’s future blessings now, at this very moment. Therefore, they scorn any sickness, suffering or sorrow in the present, blaming it on a lack of faith. There are others who wrongly deny anything supernatural in this present age, supposing that God has left us to our own devices. Neither extreme is true or biblical. But in Martha's case, she seems to have too little faith in what Jesus can do at the moment, while she has greater faith in what He can do in the distant future.

[464] Or, all too often, they feel guilty for not having enough faith.

[465] “Broken and Spilled Out,” written by Gloria Gaither and Bill George. Copyright 1984 Gaither Music Co./Yellow House Music (ASCAP). As far as I know, this beautiful song is still available on tape and CD. It is possible that this song was written with regard to the anointing of Jesus by the “sinful woman” of Luke 7:36-48, which I believe to be a separate anointing. Nevertheless, the words of the song apply equally well to our text.

[466] “Whether he came directly from Ephraim where the Fourth Gospel last located him (11:54) or whether he now came from Jericho (from the home of Zaccheus; cf. Luke 18:35—19:10), as seems possible, the Fourth Gospel does not say. If Jesus withdrew to Ephraim in the early part of February and remained there two or three weeks, there would be sufficient time for other journeys before Passover in April. Accordingly, there is certainly no conflict here between John and Luke.” William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-1954), vol. 2, p. 171.

[467] Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; Luke 7:36-48; John 12:1-8.

[468] For a discussion about the apparent “contradiction” in the timing of this meal (the second day or the sixth day before the Passover), see William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-1954), vol. 2, pp. 171-173.

[469] Women would not be seated with the men. The women would be serving, or eating somewhere else, if present at all. I remember eating meals in Indian homes where the wife refused to be seated at the table for the entire meal. One woman told me that as long as her mother-in-law was alive, she never sat at the table!

[470] “The essence of this ointment was derived from pure nard, which is an aromatic herb grown in the high pasture-land of the Himalayas, between Tibet and India” (Hendriksen, vol. 2, p. 175, citing from M. S. and J. L. Miller, Encyclopedia of Bible Life, New York and London, 1944, pp. 204, 205).

[471] Some may differ with me here, largely due to the problems that confront the translator in verse 7.

[472] R. V. G. Tasker, The Gospel According to St. John: An Introduction and Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1980 [tenth printing]), p. 144.

[473] Tasker, p. 144.

[474] “The Passover festival at Jerusalem in the days before the temple was destroyed was an impressive occasion. Perhaps the only comparable event in the modern world is the annual Haj to Mecca. From all over the Eastern Mediterranean world, wherever Jews had settled or foreigners had embraced the Jewish religion, they came each year. Nobody knows exactly how many came. Ancient reports range from half a million to twelve million! A more conservative modern estimate reckons that Jerusalem, quite a small town by modern standards (perhaps 30,000 inhabitants), was swollen to six times its normal population at Passover time. The city itself could not hold them, and they filled the surrounding villages, while large numbers set up tents outside the city.” R. T. France, I Came to Set the Earth on Fire (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1976), p. 126. It should be noted, however, that Joachim Jeremias (on whose calculations France rests his estimate of 180,000 people) later suggested that this estimate might still be a bit too high. Cf. Joachim Jeremias, Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1969), p. 84.

[475] “Sir Robert Anderson by a careful analysis of the prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 calculated that Jesus, to the very day, fulfilled Daniel’s prophecy concerning the appearance of the Messiah. Dr. Alva McClain has written, ‘April 6, 32 A.D., therefore, is fixed definitely as the end of the era of the first 69 Weeks; and according to Daniel’s prophecy, it should mark the very day of Messiah’s manifestation as the Prince of Israel.’ Without attempting to enter into the clear but intricate chronological calculations set forth by Anderson in his book, The Coming Prince (Pages 95-105), I shall simply state his conclusion that April 6, 32 A.D., was the tenth of Nisan, that momentous day on which our Lord, in fulfilment of Messianic prophecy, rode up to Jerusalem on the ‘foal of an ass’ and offered Himself as the Prince and King of Israel.” Alva J. McClain, Daniel’s Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1969), p. 20.

[476] “The ass or donkey is commonly associated with pursuits of peace (Judg. 10:4; 12:14; II Sam. 17:23; 19:26; Is. 1:3); the horse, with warfare (Ex. 15:1, 19, 21; Ps. 33:17; 76:6; 147:10; Prov. 21:31; Jer. 8:6; 51:21; Zech. 10:3; and Rev. 6:4).” William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-1954), vol. 2, p. 191.

[477] The other Gospels go into much greater detail, informing us that Jesus prepared for His “transportation” to Jerusalem in such a way that it perfectly fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9.

[478] Hendriksen, vol. 2, p. 188.

[479] “Also this psalm may have been sung in the Upper Room after the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 26:30).” Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.), 1983, 1985.

[480] I merely point out here what I will expand upon in our next lesson. “The Greeks” who seek an interview with Jesus in the next verse surely represent “the world” to which the Jews allude here.

[481] From Matthew 23:15, we get an insight into how hard they worked to gain a disciple, and you can very well imagine how they felt about losing one of their disciples to Jesus.

[482] “John’s” name has been changed.

[483] I like what Carson says: “The Greeks who request to see Jesus not only represent ‘the whole world’…, but they stand in contrast to the Pharisees who are exasperated by Jesus’ growing influence… These Greeks were not necessarily from Greece: as elsewhere in the New Testament, the term refers to Gentiles who come from any part of the Greek-speaking world, possibly even a Greek city as near as the Decapolis. That they were God-fearing is intimated by John’s remark that they went up to worship at the Feast (sc. of Passover, 12:1). It is possible that they were proselytes, i.e. fully fledged converts to Judaism who would have been permitted to worship with Jews, but this cannot be inferred from the text, since other Gentiles who are said to have gone up to worship could not possibly be proselytes (e.g. the Ethiopian eunuch, Acts 8:27; cf. Jos., Bel. Vi. 427). Like Cornelius (Acts 10) or the centurion who loved the Jews and built them a synagogue (Lk. 7:5), such Greeks admired much that they saw in Judaism without becoming official converts, and sometimes attended the great Jewish festivals in Jerusalem, where they were admitted to the court of the Gentiles. The Greek construction suggests that these Gentiles were drawn from those who regularly made such pilgrimages.” D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), p. 436.

[484] I am warning the reader that what I am about to write is conjecture, and not biblical fact. As a respected teacher, Dr. S. Lewis Johnson, used to say, “There may be a difference between what the Bible says and what I think it says.” If this is true, there surely could be a substantial difference between what the Bible says and what I imagine it says. I do not wish to venture into speculation here, but simply to help the reader picture in his or her mind what the text describes.

[485] More literally, the text reads, “Jesus responded (or replied) to them …,” making it clear that the words which follow are our Lord’s direct response to the request of the Greeks, as conveyed to Him by Philip and Andrew. It is not that these Greeks received no response from Jesus. Our problem comes as we seek to understand the relationship of our Lord’s response to the question the Greeks raised.

[486] This is the same Greek term that we find rendered the same way in John 11:33.

[487] The NET Bible rightly indicates in a footnote that the word rendered “praise” is literally “glory.” This is a very significant word in the Gospel of John.

[488] The same word (shouted out) is found in John 7:37, where Jesus “shouted out” His words in the temple (see also 7:28). Jesus wants to be certain everyone hears these most crucial words.

[489] John G. Mitchell, with Dick Bohrer, An Everlasting Love: A Devotional Study of the Gospel of John (Portland: Multnomah Press, 1982), p. 247.

[490] There are many technical questions involved in the timing of this meal, which are of much interest to scholars, but not of much profit to our exposition. Suffice it to say that John is not really interested in such matters, either. He must have read the Synoptic Gospels before he wrote this Gospel, and yet he did not see it profitable to clarify every apparent discrepancy. For a more careful look into these issues and possible solutions, see D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), pp. 455-458; William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-1954), vol. 2, pp. 221-227.

[491] The NET Bible has a footnote indicating that the Greek text literally reads “all things.” I believe the “all” is necessary to our understanding of this verse, and so I have inserted it.

[492] It would seem to me that the lack of a servant to wash the disciples’ feet was deliberate on our Lord’s part. First of all, it was the host’s responsibility to provide this (see Luke 7), and Jesus was the host. Furthermore, throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus very carefully arranging for things in advance (the procuring of the donkey and its colt, and of a place in which to celebrate Passover, etc.). I cannot imagine that our Lord—who is omniscient (knowing all)—would forget to provide for the foot washing. And finally, all the things that were necessary for the foot washing were present (the basin, the water, the towel). I am therefore inclined to think that Jesus purposefully arranged for a servant not to be present, so that He could wash the disciples’ feet, knowing (as He did) all that would take place during this meal.

[493] Hendriksen, vol. 2, p. 228.

[494] This entire paragraph is speculative, and thus the reader should beware, but it does at least suggest how things may have happened.

[495] In a criminal trial, the state of mind of the accused is usually given considerable attention, especially in crimes which have different degrees (first, second, third) of guilt, and therefore of punishment. Here, while it is unusual perhaps, John describes our Lord’s “state of mind” so that we can determine the degree of goodness of this foot washing. I think we should conclude from what we are told that Jesus is to be assessed with “first degree goodness.”

[496] “I am of the opinion that this was added for the purpose of informing us whence Christ obtained such a well-regulated composure of mind. It was because, having already obtained a victory over death, he raised his mind to the glorious triumph which was speedily to follow. It usually happens, that men seized with fear are greatly agitated. The Evangelist means, that no agitation of this sort was to be found in Christ, because, though he was to be immediately betrayed by Judas, still he knew that the Father had given all things into his hand. It may be asked, How then was he reduced to such a degree of sadness that he sweat blood? I reply, both were necessary. It was necessary that he should have a dread of death, and it was necessary that, notwithstanding of this, he should fearlessly discharge every thing that belonged to the office of the Mediator.” John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries, Volume 7: The Gospels (Grand Rapids: Associated Publishers and Authors Inc., n.d.), p. 821.

[497] Being omniscient, Jesus knew everything. He knew that Judas had decided to betray Him to the Jewish religious leaders. Jesus would also have known that all of His disciples would abandon Him and that Peter would deny Him, but in verses 1-3, this is not John’s emphasis.

[498] John G. Mitchell, with Dick Bohrer, p. 248.

[499] “… (this noun only here in this Gospel) is ambiguous, meaning both ‘to the end’ and ‘to the utmost.’ It is likely that here we have a typical Johannine double meaning, with both meanings intended. But the aorist, hgaphsen, is more consistent with love shown in a single act than with the continuance of love (imperfect).” Carson, p. 614, fn. 8.

[500] The NET Bible carefully renders “you” (plural) so that we understand that Jesus is not just speaking to Peter, but to all the disciples. Morris comments, “But Jesus goes on to affirm that the apostolic band (‘ye’ is plural, showing that Jesus is now looking beyond Peter) are clean in the sense meant, i.e. clean from sin (cf. 15:3). But He immediately adds ‘but not all.’” Morris, p. 619.

[501] We might be tempted to agree with Peter. As often as he “put his foot in his mouth,” his feet may have been clean!

[502] John Calvin, p. 821.

[503] Calvin’s words here are powerful when he writes, “We are taught by these words, that we ought simply to obey Christ, even though we should not perceive the reason why he wishes this or that thing to be done. In a well-regulated house, one person, the head of the family, has the sole right to say what ought to be done; and the servants are bound to employ their hands and feet in his service. That man, therefore, is too haughty, who refuses to obey the command of God, because he does not know the reason of it. But this admonition has a still more extensive meaning, and that is, that we should not take it ill to be ignorant of those things which God wishes to be hidden from us for a time; for this kind of ignorance is more learned than any other kind of knowledge, when we permit God to be wise above us.” John Calvin, pp. 821-822.

[504] John Calvin, p. 822.

[505] “The Old Testament priests were ceremonially bathed just once when they were inducted into the priest’s office. After that, they washed only their feet and hands at the laver of cleansing.” Mitchell, p. 252.

[506] John Calvin, p. 824.

[507] Hendriksen, vol.2, p. 236, fn. 134.

[508] Mitchell, pp. 253-254.

[509] The term “example” is found not only here (this one time) in John, but also in Hebrews 4:11; 8:5; 9:26; James 5:10; and 2 Peter 2:6.

[510] I will quote Calvin one more time here: “Now, therefore, he discloses the reason of what he had done; namely, that he who is the Master and Lord of all gave an example to be followed by all the godly, that none might grudge to descend to do a service to his brethren and equals, however mean and low that service might be. For the reason why the love of the brethren is despised is, that every man thinks more highly of himself than he ought, and despises almost every other person. Nor did he intend merely to inculcate modesty, but likewise to lay down this rule of brotherly love, that they should serve one another; for there is no brotherly love where there is not a voluntary subjection in assisting a neighbour.” Calvin, pp. 823-824.

[511] This sequence may not be flawless, although I think it comes close to reality, but let the reader judge for himself.

[512] This prophecy is from Psalm 41:9. It is a psalm of David and may not have been recognized as prophecy had John not told us so here. I find it ironic that the psalm begins, “Blessed is he who considers the poor; The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.” Judas had virtually accused our Lord of not considering the poor when He allowed Mary to anoint His feet with the precious fragrance.

[513] See Exodus 24:9-11.

[514] See Isaiah 48:5-7.

[515] Our text reads, “… so that when it happens you may believe that I am he.” The “I am” is, of course, significant, and the “he” must be referring to His identity as Israel’s Messiah.

[516] This Greek word here rendered distressed is used in reference to the waters of the pool of Bethesda being “troubled” or “stirred up” in John 5:7. While Jesus is said to be distressed three times in John, this term is also used by our Lord when instructing His disciples not to be distressed (John 14:1, 27). How can Jesus tell His disciples not to be distressed, when He is? In the case of our Lord, He is distressed in spirit (11:33; 13:21) and in His soul (12:27). His disciples are told not to be distressed in heart (14:1, 27). This forbidden distress seems to be that of unbelief (14:1) resulting in fear and the loss of courage (14:27). The distress our Lord experienced was legitimate, while that which He forbade was not.

[517] This is the first time in John’s Gospel that this expression is used, but not the last (see 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20).

[518] “There is no wickedness, indeed, that is perpetrated by men, to which Satan does not excite them, but the more hideous and execrable any crime is, the more ought we to view in it the rage of the devil, who drives about, in all possible directions, men who have been forsaken by God. But though the lust of men is kindled into a fiercer flame by Satan’s fan, still it does not cease to be a furnace; it contains the flame kindled within itself, it receives with avidity the agitation of the fan, so that no excuse is left for wicked men.” John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries, Volume 7: The Gospels (Grand Rapids: Associated Publishers and Authors Inc., n.d.), p. 821.

[519] “Archbishop Ussher on a memorable occasion called it the eleventh commandment. It is recorded that having heard of the simplicity and beauty of the ordering of Rutherford’s home, he resolved to visit it for himself. One Saturday night he arrived alone at the manse, and asked for entertainment over the next day. A simple but hearty welcome was accorded him; and after partaking of the frugal fare, he was invited to join the household in religious exercises that ushered in the Lord’s Day. ‘How many commandments are there?’ the master asked his guest, wholly unaware who he was. ‘Eleven,’ was the astonishing reply; at which the very servants were scandalized, regarding the newcomer as a prodigy of ignorance. But the man of God perceived the rare light of character and insight that gleamed beneath the answer, and asked for a private interview. This issued in the invitation to preach on the following day. To the amazement of the household, so scandalized on the previous night, the stranger appeared in the master’s pulpit, and announced as his text the words on which we are meditating, adding, ‘This may be described as the eleventh commandment.’” F. B. Meyer, Great Thoughts From the Upper Room (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1983), pp. 10-11.

[520] The NET Bible renders this “children” as opposed to “little children” as found in many of the translations. I prefer to retain the word “little.” Morris writes, “teknion is found here only in the Gospels. It appears in a variant reading in Gal. 4:19, and elsewhere in the New Testament only in I John where it is found 7 times. It is thus a Johannine word, and one not used excessively. Since John has teknon on three occasions the diminutive should be regarded as significant. Jesus is speaking with tenderness, like a father to his little children. The word incidentally is always in the plural in the New Testament.” Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 632., fn. 67.

[521] “The moment when Judas left the upper room and Jesus made no attempt to bring him back, but expedited his departure, is the moment which brings supreme honour to Jesus Himself, for He is now irrevocably committed to the death which Judas has gone out to make certain. Hence He can say Now is the Son of man glorified (31).” R. V. G. Tasker, The Gospel According to St. John: An Introduction and Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1980 [tenth printing]), p. 160.

[522] “It is significant that the words ‘and shall not find me’ are here omitted. Unlike the Jews, the little children, the new-born members of Christ’s family learning from Him the graces of Christian living, would in no unreal sense ‘find’ Him even though they could not follow Him at once into the heavenly sphere.” Tasker, p. 163.

[523] Is this not what the temptation of our Lord was all about—Satan seeking to tempt our Lord to gain His messianic glory independently of the Father?

[524] Could this have played any part in Peter’s denial of Jesus? If some of the last words Jesus had spoken to you were to inform you that He was away and leaving you behind, might you not feel abandoned? Peter’s denial came from somewhere, and I don’t think that it was simply fear. Why would a man afraid of dying pull a sword on such a large armed force at our Lord’s arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane?

[525] “This is the one place in this Gospel where Jesus uses this word for ‘new’ (it is used also in 19:41 of the ‘new’ tomb in which he was laid). There is another Greek word for ‘new’ that means ‘recent,’ whereas this word has about it the notion of ‘fresh.’ It is not so much that the commandment has not been given before as that it has a different quality about it, a quality of freshness that differentiates it from any other. The commandment to love was not, of course, in itself a novelty. There was a very old commandment that we should love our neighbor as ourselves (Lev. 19:18). But this commandment is that we should love each other as Jesus loved us.” Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John, vol. 3, p. 484.

“‘Just as I have loved you’ is what makes this commandment ‘new.’ There had never been a situation in which the sinless Son of God had laid down his life for sinners … Yet Jesus loved them, loved them so deeply that he was about to go to the cross for them. And it is love like this that he looks for from them. They are to love as he loved.” Morris, Reflections, vol. 3, p. 484.

Calvin has a kind of novel twist to this: “I consider what Christ said to be more simple; for we know that laws are more carefully observed at the commencement, but they gradually slip out of the remembrance of men, till at length they become obsolete. In order to impress more deeply, therefore, on the minds of his disciples the doctrine of brotherly love, Christ recommends it on the ground of novelty; as if he had said, ‘I wish you continually to remember this commandment, as if had been a law but lately made.” John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries, Volume 7: The Gospels (Grand Rapids: Associated Publishers and Authors Inc., n.d.), p. 831. Isn’t this what Madison Avenue does with marketing? It isn’t Tide, it’s “new, improved, Tide.” (For those from outside the United States, Tide is a detergent used to wash clothes.)

[526] It is my understanding that many—perhaps most—of the Old Testament commands are renewed in the New Testament. As Dr. Bruce Waltke used to put it, “When we look at the Old Testament commandments, we must ask whether the New Testament ratifies, modifies, or abrogates (negates) them.” The command to “love” is “ratified” or “renewed” by our Lord here, and upgraded.

[527] Morris, Reflections, p. 485.

[528] Morris, Reflections, p. 486.

[529] Is it not amazing how we bristle at what God says we cannot do? God told Adam and Eve they could not eat of the forbidden fruit, yet it may have been the first fruit they tasted. Jesus says here to Peter, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now …” And so what does Peter do but resist this prohibition? And what of us? I saw an interesting segment on the evening news the other night. Someone has been putting up billboards which have God as the speaker. One billboard went something like this: “Just what is there about ‘Thou Shalt Not’ that you don’t understand?” We don’t like to be told no.

[530] “The prediction evidently shocked Peter, for he took no further part in the discussions in the Upper Room (we next hear of him in 18:10). It was incredible to him that he would fail Jesus in this way. But he did.” Morris, Reflections, p. 487.

[531] William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-1954), vol. 2, pp. 255-256.

[532] Elmer Towns, The Gospel of John: Believe and Live (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1990), p. 257.

[533] I should point out here what might already be obvious to the reader. Some translations don’t render this term “rooster,” as does the NASB, NIV, and NRS versions. The KJV, NKJV, and ASV render this word “greyhound.” The mere fact that some translators view the “strutting rooster” as fitting into the context of “regal” lions and pompous kings, backed up by their armies, makes my point, if indeed there is one to be made.

[534] John G. Mitchell, with Dick Bohrer, An Everlasting Love: A Devotional Study of the Gospel of John (Portland: Multnomah Press, 1982), pp. 261-262.

[535] See, for example, D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), pp. 487-488.

[536] We know, of course, that God is omnipresent, and thus in one sense, we can never say that God is absent (see Psalm 139:7-12; John 1:48). But somehow we must say that God drew near to men in a special way in the person of Jesus Christ (John 1:18).

[537] This seems to be the case with Mary Magdalene as well, as can be seen in John 20:11-18, especially verse 17.

[538] Carson writes, “Despite the clarity of Jesus’ claim, the apostles cannot accept it at face value. Steeped in Jewish heritage in which monotheism played so strong a part, they could scarcely conceive of a trinitarian monotheism like that which Christians came in time to confess. They were still maintaining a fundamental chasm between Jesus and the Father. Sad to tell, some of Jesus’ most bitter opponents discerned what Jesus was claiming more swiftly than did his apostles. We seek to stone you, they said, ‘for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God’ (10:33). But at this late date, Philip can still ask, ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us’ (14:8).” D. A. Carson, The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus: An Exposition of John 14-17 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980), p. 33.

[539] One might argue with this conclusion, based upon John 1:14-18, but I would contend that these verses describe how the disciples perceived Jesus after His death, resurrection, and ascension. They did not fully realize who He was until after He was glorified.

[540] Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), vol. 3, p. 491.

[541] D. A. Carson, The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus: An Exposition of John 14-17 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980), p. 20.

[542] The New King James Version reads, “And where I go you know, and the way you know.” There is a longer reading of verse 4, which is reflected in the King James Versions, but the sense of either reading is the same, so I will not pursue this matter here.

[543] “We do not read simply that what he speaks is true, but that he himself is the truth. He is the truth incarnate, just as he is love incarnate and holiness incarnate; for he is the Word incarnate. ‘The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (1:14).” D. A. Carson, The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus, p. 28.

[544] Let the reader hear me well here. I am not saying that signs and wonders cannot take place today. I am saying that it is wrong to insist that they must, and especially on the basis of our text.

[545] The argument here is based upon the particular word John employs, which is translated “another.” In many places this particular word means “another of the same kind.” There are those who think this may be pressing the word too far, at least as John employs it.

[546] He is the One to whom the Son is in subjection.

[547] Steve Novakovich, a friend and member of our church made this observation, which I pass along to you for your edification: The disciples wanted to believe what they saw. In our text, Jesus urges His disciples to believe what they could not see. The writer to the Hebrews urges us to believe in spite of what we do see, based upon what God has said. I like that. 

[548] D. A. Carson, The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus, pp. 25-26.

[549] D. A. Carson, The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus: An Exposition of John 14-17 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980), pp. 90, 91.

[550] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the NET Bible.

[551] It had never occurred to me before that the exhortation of our Lord in John 13-17 is similar to that found in the Book of Hebrews, where the Greek term menw (“abide”) is found six times. Just as the writer to the Hebrews seeks to keep them from stumbling when persecution intensifies against them, so our Lord speaks to His disciples in the Upper Room, to keep them from stumbling (16:1) and to encourage, instead, their abiding in Him.

[552] The Greek term menw occurs 120 times in the New Testament, nearly half of which (55) appear in one of John’s writings. The term occurs 34 times in the Gospel of John, 20 times in the Johannine epistles (18 times in 1 John, 2 times in 2 John), and 1 time in Revelation.

[553] Note the word “every,” used twice in this verse, so that “every” unfruitful branch is removed, just as “every” fruitful branch is cleansed or pruned. I believe that John intended for us to recognize this repetition of “every” as significant. The fact that “every” branch that does not bear fruit is removed seems to speak of one thing—the eternal destiny of the fruitless. All unbelievers will perish in the lake of fire, away from God’s presence (Revelation 20:11-15), while “every” true branch will go through various cleansings to make it more fruitful. The “every” in both instances presses me to conclude that Jesus is contrasting true believers and unbelievers. It is in these two instances that the destiny or experience of each is all-inclusive.

[554] In addition to the verses cited below, see Psalm 80:8, 14; Isaiah 27:2ff.; Jeremiah 2:21; 12:10-13; Ezekiel 15:1-8; 17:8; 19:10-14; Joel 2:22; Zechariah 8:12; Malachi 3:11. Rosscup adds, “… the vine had been an emblem of Israel on Maccabean coins as well as on the gate of Herod’s Temple.” James E. Rosscup, Abiding in Christ: Studies in John 15 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1973), p. 246.

[555] In the context, unbelieving Jews are in focus, but in its broader application “fruitless branches” would include all unbelievers, especially those who falsely suppose themselves to be true believers in God.

[556] This word is found 28 times in the New Testament. It is found only once in the Synoptic Gospels. It occurs once in 1 Thessalonians, three times in Hebrews, and the other 21 times it is found in one of John's writings (John, 9 times; 1 John, 2 times; Revelation, 10 times). Carson writes, “The word for ‘true’ (alethinos), here and often in John, means ‘real’ or ‘genuine.’ … In some passages this notion of ‘true’ or ‘genuine’ shades off into ‘ultimate’, because the contrast is not simply with what is false but with what is earlier and provisional or anticipatory in the history of God’s gracious self-disclosure.” D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), p. 122.

[557] The best defense of this interpretation I have seen is that of James E. Rosscup, Abiding in Christ: Studies in John 15 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1973), pp. 248-249.

[558] This is speaking from man’s point of view, as in Matthew 7:20. God knows men’s hearts; we don’t.

[559] Hendriksen writes, “In no sense whatever do such passages as 15:2 and 15:6 suggest that there is a falling away from grace, as if those who were once actually saved finally perish. This allegory plainly teaches that the branches which are taken away and burned represent people who never once bore fruit, not even when they were ‘in’ Christ. Hence, they never were true believers; and for them the in-the-vine relationship, though close, was merely outward. There is, accordingly, nothing here (in 15:1-11) that clashes in any way with 10:28. … The true believers of chapter 15 are represented by those branches which, abiding forever in the vine, bear fruit, more fruit, much fruit. These never perish!” William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-1954), vol. 2, p. 296.

[560] We know from Romans 11 that this “hardening of Israel” is not total, but partial; not permanent, but temporary.

[561] I much prefer the rendering “reside” which the NET Bible suggests in its footnotes.

[562] His “abiding” in us is not exactly the same as our “abiding” in Him. By abiding in Him, we draw life and strength, and thus we bear fruit. As He abides in us, He imparts His life, truth, and strength to us. Thus, Christ is manifested both to us and through us. He does not draw His strength from us, but imparts it to us. Our abiding is that of dependence; His abiding is the gracious manifestation of His presence and power in and through us.

[563] In Luke 13:10-17, we read of our Lord healing the woman who had been bent over double for 18 years. Because she was healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue official was indignant—the law had been broken (by his reckoning). Jesus rebuked the official for not caring about this woman’s affliction, and for not rejoicing in her healing. The official was only concerned about the law; Jesus acted in love, and in so doing, the law was not broken, but fulfilled (cf. Matthew 5:17). 

[564] Notice that here, the keeping of the law was spoken of as keeping God’s “commandments,” virtually the same words we find on the lips of our Lord in John 15:10.

[565] This is a point at which some dispensationalists need to be very careful. In their efforts to contrast “law” and “grace” (the old covenant and the new), they tend to portray the law as being evil, and opposed to grace, when the law was given out of God’s love to point men to the grace they desperately need as sinners, condemned by the law, and which they can obtain only in Christ.

[566] “Up till this point the word joy has occurred in only one verse in this Gospel (3:29). But in the Upper Room it is used seven times.” Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), vol. 3, p. 521.

[567] See also James 1:2; 1 Peter 4:13.

[568] Compare Romans 12:15, which instructs us to enter into the joy of fellow-believers, and also into their sorrows.

[569] “We should remember that in the Old Testament we read that Abraham was the friend of God (Isa. 41:8) and that God did not hide from Abraham what he proposed to do (Gen. 18:17). Similarly, God spoke to Moses as to a friend (Exod. 33:11). The disciples had been admitted to a relationship like that. They were not slaves, but friends.” Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John, vol. 3, p. 525.

[570] Scholars have difficulty deciding whether verse 17 goes with the verses before it, or those which follow it—our text. I am inclined to conclude that it is a transition verse, linking what has gone before with what follows, and thus I will include it in this lesson, even though we are technically starting at verse 18.

[571] It certainly seems apparent that these words must be taken into account in relation to John 15:15. In 15:20, the disciples are still viewed as slaves, at least in some sense, while in verse 15, they are not slaves.

[572] I wasn’t sure who the female artist was who sang this, though I’ve had several suggestions. That’s what comes with the passing of time.

[573] Morris writes, “The word kosmoV [world] has an especially Johannine ring about it in the New Testament. Altogether it occurs 185 times, of which 78 occurrences are in John, 24 in the Johannine Epistles, and 3 in Revelation. Its occurrence in the Synoptic Gospels is not frequent (Matthew 8 times, Mark and Luke 3 times each). It occurs in the Pauline Epistles a total of 47 times. It is thus a word of some importance for John and to a lesser extent for Paul, but it is not much used by other New Testament writers.” Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p.126.

Carson adds, “Although some have argued that for John the word kosmoV (‘world’) sometimes has positive overtones (‘God so loved the world,’ 3:16), sometimes neutral overtones (as here; cf. also 21:24-25, where the ‘world’ is simply a big place that can hold a lot of books), and frequently negative overtones (‘the world did not recognise him,’ 1:10), closer inspection shows that although a handful of passages preserve a neutral emphasis the vast majority are decidedly negative. There are no unambiguously positive occurrences. The ‘world,’ or frequently ‘this world’ (e.g. 8:23; 9:39; 11:9; 18:36), is not the universe, but the created order (especially of human beings and human affairs) in rebellion against its Maker (e.g. 1:10; 7:7; 14:17, 22, 27, 30; 15:18-19; 16:8, 20, 33; 17:6, 9, 14). Therefore when John tells us that God loves the world (3:16), far from being an endorsement of the world, it is a testimony to the character of God. God’s love is to be admired not because the world is so big but because the world is so bad. … In fact, the ‘world’ in John’s usage comprises no believers at all. Those who come to faith are no longer of this world; they have been chosen out of this world (15:19).” D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), pp. 122-123.

[574] “There should be little doubt that the first virulent opposition Christians faced came from the Jews, precisely because the church sprang out of Judaism and all of its earliest members were Jews. It is not surprising that Paul five times received the thirty-nine lashes (2 Cor. 11:24)—a distinctive punishment meted out by synagogue authorities—or that Acts reports many forms of opposition stimulated by the opposition of Jewish authorities (e.g. ch. 7).” Carson, The Gospel According to John, p. 531.

“There is certainly evidence that some rabbinic authorities held that slaying heretics could be an act of divine worship (e.g. Numbers Rabbah 21:3 (191a) [with reference to Nu. 25:13]; Mishnah Sanhedrin 9:6­).” Carson, The Gospel According to John, p. 531.

[575] It should be pointed out here that it was a difference over the words of John 15:26 that split the Eastern (Greek) Orthodox church off from the Western church, the church of Rome. The Eastern church adhered to the Nicene Creed, which affirmed belief in the Holy Spirit, “who proceeds from the Father.” The Western church sought to place emphasis on the Son, as well as the Father, and thus modified the wording of the Nicene Creed, to read, “who proceeds from the Father and the Son.” The Eastern church insisted that the Western church correct its creed to conform to the exact words of the Nicene Creed, and if not, they threatened that they would not remain in communion with the Western church. And so it was that after a bitter strife, they separated. This text in John, which has so much to say about loving one another, and about hatred from the world, is not one that you would think of as divisive among the saints. But indeed, that is precisely what happened in the history of the church. Morris has commented, “We cannot but feel that it is a pity that theologians have been so bitter about a passage that is really not dealing with their subject.” Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), vol. 3, p. 534.

[576] “Whether in the first century or in the twentieth, Christians have often discovered that the most dangerous oppression comes not from careless pagans but from zealous adherents to religious faith, and from other ideologues. A sermon was preached when Cranmer was burned at the stake. Christians have faced severe persecution performed in the name of Yahweh, in the name of Allah, in the name of Marx—and in the name of Jesus.” D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), p. 531.

[577] Notice that Jesus does not merely say, “I am going away,” but rather, “I am going to the one who sent me. …” Once again, our Lord emphasizes that He was sent to earth by the Father, and that having completed His mission, He is returning to heaven, to be with His Father. How easy it would have been to dwell on His betrayal, cruel treatment by men, and the agony of His suffering on the cross of Calvary. Instead, He focuses on the “joy set before Him” (see Hebrews 12:2). All of this emphasizes the fact that He has accomplished the task which He was given.

[578] “Christians today need to meditate long on this rebuke. Some branches of Christendom stress the believer’s experience, the believer’s privilege, the believer’s blessings, the believer’s faith, the believer’s love, the believer’s conduct. … Of course true Christianity transforms the personality and can be richly described in the categories of personal experience: but who is more concerned to please Jesus and fulfill Jesus’ desires than to please himself and fulfill his own desires?

“Other branches of Christendom underline the importance of sacrifice and the need for service. … Of course it is true that biblical Christianity demands self-denial and thrusts believers out in sacrificial service and profound sympathy for the outcast; but is it not possible to become so enamored with the trappings of self-discipline and so occupied with the urgencies of injustice that activity displaces adoration and personal sacrifice dethrones a personal Savior?

“Still others tremble at the doctrinal declension which threatens to ravage Christianity from the inside. They see defection from a high view of Scripture as an evil of mind-numbing proportions, and warn against the syncretism which is surreptitiously intruding itself into the flaccid flanks of evangelicalism. Defenders of the truth, they scent heresy in the earliest stages and are quick to pounce on it and expose it. Of course, true Christianity is indeed a religion of the Book, and it boasts certain non-negotiable doctrines and exclusive claims—the denial of which places one outside the camp; but is it not possible to be orthodox and much concerned about correct formulations of the truth while all the time only minimally concerned to follow Jesus himself in a full-orbed and adoring manner?

 “The disciples in John 16 do not fall into precisely these errors of imbalance. Nevertheless their conduct has one thing in common with such deficient representations of Christianity; something other than Jesus himself and all that he is and says receives primary attention. The other things in question may be worthy, good, and even necessary: who, after all, would demean personal experience, sacrificial service, or firm commitment to truth? Yet if these good and essential things displace the centrality of Jesus Christ in our worship, empathy, and commitment, we come close to prostituting the good news of Jesus and following the disciples’ sorry example.” D. A. Carson, The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus: An Exposition of John 14-17 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980), pp. 136-137.

[579] “In John’s usage, the legal overtones are sharpest in 16:7-11, but there the Paraclete serves rather more as a prosecuting attorney than as counsel for the defence. NIV’s ‘Counsellor’ is not wrong, so long as ‘legal counsellor’ is understood, not ‘camp counsellor’ or ‘marriage counsellor’—and even so, the Paraclete’s ministry extends beyond the legal sphere. The same limitation afflicts ‘Advocate.’ AV’s ‘Comforter’ was not bad in Elizabethan English, when the verb ‘to comfort’ meant ‘to strengthen, give succour to, to encourage, to aid’ (from Latin confortare, ‘to strengthen’). In today’s ears, ‘Comforter’ sounds either like a quilt or like a do-gooder at a wake, and for most speakers of English should be abandoned.” D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), p. 499.

[580] “The verb occurs eighteen times in the New Testament (cf. Mt. 18:15; Lk. 3:19; Jn. 3:20; 8:46; 1 Cor. 14:24; Eph. 5:11, 13; 1 Tim. 5:20; 2 Tim. 4:2; Tit. 1:9, 13; 2:15; Heb. 12:5; Jas. 2:9; Jude 15, 22; Rev. 3:19). Arguably, in every instance the verb has to do with showing someone his sin, usually as a summons to repentance … The ‘exposure,’ then, is the exposure of one who does evil and who hates the light; it brings the shame that makes the evil person shrink from the light.” D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), pp. 534-535. [I would only add to this the fact that when the Holy Spirit convicts so as to effectively call the lost to faith in Christ, the exposure turns the convicted sinner to the light.]

[581] Though it is not in view here, I would understand that those who have never heard the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ would continue to be judged and condemned on the basis of their rejection of the knowledge of God in nature (see Romans 1:18ff.). Jesus is talking to His disciples, who will proclaim the gospel, and who will suffer persecution from the world for doing so. Thus, those who oppose them will be those who have heard the truth and have rejected it.

[582] See Acts 1:22.

[583] D. A. Carson, The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus: An Exposition of John 14-17 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980), p. 114.

[584] I do not think that the expression “what is to come” refers primarily (or at least exclusively) to distant prophecy. The verb “tell” here is elsewhere (John 4:25) rendered “explain” by the NIV. I believe that Jesus is telling His disciples that when the Holy Spirit comes, He will enable the disciples to understand the events surrounding His death, resurrection, and ascension. Is this not clear to Peter in Acts 2 and afterward?

[585] “Are Jesus and his eleven disciples still making their way along narrow streets and paths toward the Kidron Valley? Are the men clumping together in little groups of various combinations as the confines of the way rearrange them again and again? Is this what prompts the questions to flit around the group? Perhaps so; it is difficult to be certain of the physical setting at this point.” D. A. Carson, The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus: An Exposition of John 14-17 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980), p. 156.

[586] In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul speaks of the ministry of the Holy Spirit, whereby He enables Christians to understand spiritual truth, but this is not the same as having the ability to reveal truth which is regarded as Scripture.

[587] It is self-evident that more than the twelve were known as “apostles” in the New Testament. It is also apparent that a number of the New Testament books were not written by one of these apostles, but by other New Testament “apostles” (e.g., Mark, Luke, Acts, Paul’s Epistles). In my opinion, all the New Testament authors should be viewed as “apostles,” and in a distinct category from anyone else, from that time on.

[588] Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), vol. 3, p. 546.

[589] See Colossians 2:1-19.

[590] “… the first century was a time of sadness. Maurice Jones wrote of the ancient world: ‘It was a world where the burden of sin and of human misery was intensely realised.’ Stoicism was a grim creed, pessimistic at its heart. And Epicureanism, with its pursuit of pleasure, denied that the gods had any concern for mortals in their troubles—we are left to do the best we can for ourselves. Other philosophies and the religions of the day were little better. They brought no certainty of divine help, and people were conscious that their efforts did not measure up. There is evidence of widespread dissatisfaction with life but no solution to the quest for better things.” Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), vol. 3, p. 549.

“New Testament Christianity introduced something new into the world of religion—the note of real and deep joy. Few things are as important for an understanding of Christianity (and few things are as little noticed) as the recognition that the note of joy runs right through the New Testament. A. M. Hunter speaks of ‘that radiant optimism which began with the coming of Christ and which fills the pages of the New Testament from the four Gospels to the Revelation of St. John the Divine.’ William G. Morrice has a book entitled Joy in the New Testament, in which he examines twenty-four words the New Testament writers used to convey this sense of joy, words that occur a total of 326 times. Joy is not a minor part of New Testament Christianity but something that runs through and through the whole. It was not that the early Christians had it easy. Far from it, their lot was often a very hard one indeed. But they had learned that joy can be all-pervasive, so that it persists even in suffering (Rom. 5:3; Col. 1:24; etc.). It is this aspect of the Christian way that comes before us in the passage that forms our present study.” Morris, vol. 3. pp. 549-550.

[591] “The verb here means ‘ask a question’ rather than ‘ask for something.’ In ‘that day,’ once Jesus has risen from the dead and the Holy Spirit has been bequeathed, they will no longer need to ask the questions with which they ply Jesus and demonstrate their profound confusion. They will enjoy a fullness of understanding which will swallow up their present confusion in joyful comprehension.” D. A. Carson, The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus: An Exposition of John 14-17 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980), p. 162.

[592] “We should bear in mind that, with small variations, this promise is repeated six times in this discourse (14:13, 14; 15:16; 16:23, 24, 26; cf. also 15:7). Quite clearly Jesus means his followers to take prayer with much greater seriousness than we often do.” Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), vol. 3, p. 555.

[593] “The verb for ‘ask’ in this text means ‘ask for something’ rather than ‘ask a question’: the thought has moved on from 16:23a. But the real stress lies on the phrase ‘in my name.’ Of course, the disciples could not yet have asked for things in Jesus’ name: the mediatorial role of Christ in this regard turns on his cross-work. Now, however, in anticipation of that completed work, they are invited to ask the Father for things—to ask in Jesus’ name.” Carson, The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus: An Exposition of John 14-17, pp. 162-163.

“The meaning of these words [in verse 23] is not beyond dispute for, while the verb ask can mean ‘ask a question,’ it can also mean ‘ask in prayer.’ In the next sentence Jesus refers to prayer, and some scholars think that he is doing that here and simply using two different words for prayer. But the strong expression ‘you will ask me nothing’ is against this. In point of fact the disciples did pray to Jesus, so if this refers to prayer they did not fulfill it. It seems more likely that we should take the verb in its more usual sense of asking a question. The disciples had been asking quite a lot of questions in the Upper Room, but the resurrection would answer so many of them that they would be in a completely new situation.” Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), vol. 3, p. 554.

[594] The disciples found themselves struggling to grasp what these words meant, not unlike the way we struggle to understand prophecies of “things to come” for us. At least they honestly admitted their ignorance.

[595] Some dispute the interpretation that Jesus is speaking of the disciples’ sorrow and their joy as being related to our Lord’s imminent death and resurrection. Carson forcefully defends the view that this is, indeed, what our Lord is saying:

“There are, however, several indications which argue strongly that the passage … refers simply to Jesus’ departure by the death of the cross and his return by resurrection. The following points should be noted: (1) Only John 16:16 adds the phrase ‘after a little while’ to the promise ‘you will see me.’ This is not accidental. (2) The picture of the disciples weeping and mourning while the world rejoices (16:20) fits only the period during which Jesus is in the grave. After the resurrection, John is careful to point out, the ‘disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord’ (20:20). Acts attests that the early Christians after Pentecost experienced great joy (Acts 13:52; cf. 5:41; 16:25). Only while Jesus’ body lay in the tomb were the disciples overwhelmed with grief. (3) The analogy of the woman giving birth likewise fits best into the sharp, short agony of the three-day period immediately ahead. (4) This interpretation fits best into the Farewell Discourse. Jesus’ departure and subsequent return at the parousia have already been treated, as also has his return by the Spirit; but so far Jesus has said nothing unambiguous about the three-day departure into death.” D. A. Carson, The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus, p. 158.

[596] It is important to note that in the NET Bible, the first word translated “ask” in verse 23 is erwtaw, while the second “ask” is a translation of the Greek word aitew. The NAB reflects the distinction in these verbs and their meaning by this rendering: “In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you” (emphasis mine). After our Lord’s resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit, the disciples will no longer need to question our Lord about the meaning of His words and the events which are taking place. They will, however, be constantly asking Him to provide for their every need.

[597] It may occur to someone that in Psalm 23:1 the psalmist says, “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” We must surely see that this is no “blank check,” assuring us that we can have whatever we want (athough Asaph at one time wrongly supposed so—see Psalm 73), whatever we ask for (see James 4:2-3 here), but rather we will never lack anything we truly need, anything which is for our good and His glory.

[598] “Our passage begins with an expression difficult to translate exactly. I have rendered it ‘I have said these things to you figuratively’ (v. 25), but the problem is in the words translated ‘figuratively.’ More literally they mean ‘in dark sayings,’ which might be understood as ‘in parables’ or ‘in metaphors’ or ‘in figures of speech.’ The expression could be used for a parable (though it is not the normal word in the New Testament for this way of teaching), or it could be used for a proverb or for almost any kind of ‘wise saying.’ It has quite a range of meaning, but essentially it points to a way of speaking in which the meaning is not obvious. It requires some hard thinking to get through to the truths being expressed.” Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), vol. 3, p. 557.

[599] “In the early fifth century, Clement of Alexandria said that in this prayer Jesus was a high priest acting on behalf of his people, and the prayer has often been called his high priestly prayer. Sometimes objection is made to this as, for example, when Barrett says that this does not do justice to the wide-ranging nature of the prayer. Perhaps there is more than one opinion on what we should look for in a high priestly prayer, and as there are no accepted rules to govern such a prayer the estimate is highly subjective. But the expression does draw attention to the fact that this is a very solemn and important prayer and one that is invested with deep interest for all Christian people, for it contains Jesus’ final intercession for his people before the events of the passion.” Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), vol. 4, pp. 565-566.

[600] “At least a few parallels stand out between the prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray and this prayer which Jesus himself prayed. The expression ‘Our Father’ is reflected here in the simple ‘Father’ (17:1). ‘Hallowed be your name’ may find some echo in the mention of God’s name in 17:6, 11, 12, 26. … ‘Your kingdom come’ has certain thematic connections with ‘glorify your Son’ (17:1, 5). We might also compare ‘lead us not into temptation’ with ‘I protected them and kept them safe’ (17:12), and ‘deliver us from the evil one’ with ‘protect them from the evil one’ (17:15).” D. A. Carson, The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus: An Exposition of John 14-17 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980), p. 174.

[601] “The chapter divides itself into three simple sections. In the first five verses, it is ‘Christ and His Father.’ The great word there is ‘glory.’ Jesus requests the Father to glorify Him with the glory they shared from eternity. And then from verse 6 through verse 19, we have ‘Christ and His Disciples.’ The great word there is ‘kept.’ Jesus asks the Father to preserve His disciples. Then from verse 20 to verse 26 we have ‘Christ and His Church.’ The great word there is ‘one.’ Jesus desires for His church to be in oneness with each other.” John G. Mitchell, with Dick Bohrer, An Everlasting Love: A Devotional Study of the Gospel of John (Portland: Multnomah Press, 1982), p. 322.

[602] “The repeated use of didwmi in this chapter should not be overlooked (see vv. 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 22, 24). The verb is a favorite one of this Evangelist, being found 76 times in the Gospel (Matthew 56 times, Mark 39 times, Luke 60 times). In this prayer of our Lord it occurs 17 times. Often the perfect tense is used (11-13 times depending on the resolution of textual points) denoting the permanence of the gift. Thirteen times the Father is the subject of the verb and on every occasion the gift is made to the Son. The other four occasions all refer to the Son’s giving to the disciples. Abbott comments on the frequency of the verb in this Gospel, ‘What grace is in the Pauline Epistles, giving is in the Fourth Gospel’ (2742).” Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 718.

[603] Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), vol. 4, p. 567.

[604] “This is the longest of our Lord’s recorded prayers, and, spoken as it is in the shadow of the cross, it is invested with a peculiar solemnity. ‘No attempt to describe the prayer can give a just idea of its sublimity, its pathos, its touching yet exalted character, its tone at once of tenderness and triumphant expectation’ (MiM). The last words are important. We so often understand this prayer as though it were rather gloomy. It is not. It is uttered by One who has just affirmed that He has overcome the world (16:33), and it starts from this conviction. Jesus is looking forward to the cross, but in a mood of hope and joy, not one of despondency. The prayer marks the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, but it looks forward to the ongoing work which would now be the responsibility first of the immediate disciples and then of those who would later believe through them. Jesus prays for them all.” Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 716.

[605] “He exercised authority in bringing men life even as He hung, apparently helpless, on the cross.” Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 719.

[606] All right, I confess. I’m thinking of that hymn that goes like this, “The Savior is waiting … why don’t you let Him come in …?” The impression this hymn gives is that God has done all He can, and that He is now dependent upon us to act. This implies that He is powerless to save, ultimately, and that salvation rests primarily on our decision, not God’s (but see John 15:16).

[607] “There are two Greek verbs for ‘to know,’ and each of them occurs in John more often than in any other New Testament book. Knowledge matters for John, and it matters because Jesus has come to bring us knowledge and supremely, as we see here, because the knowledge of God and of Jesus is itself eternal life.” Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), vol. 4, p. 571.

[608] “Glory is frequently before us in this Gospel from 1:14 on. John uses the noun glory eighteen times (which is more than in any other New Testament book except 2 Corinthians) and the verb glorify twenty-three times (no other New Testament book has it more than nine times).” Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), vol. 4, p. 567.

[609] See John 11:4.

[610] “This part of the prayer is often said to be Jesus’ prayer for Himself. As He prays that He may be glorified (vv. 1, 5) there is perhaps something in this. But this is not prayer ‘for’ Himself in the way we usually understand this. Since His glorification is to be seen in the cross it is a prayer rather that the Father’s will may be done in Him. If we do talk about this as Jesus’ prayer for Himself we should at least be clear that there is no self-seeking in it.” Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 717.

[611] John G. Mitchell, with Dick Bohrer, An Everlasting Love: A Devotional Study of the Gospel of John (Portland: Multnomah Press, 1982), p. 323.

[612] The KJV and the ASV use the word “glory” here, even though it is not the same Greek word found in our text. The point is that Paul saw and exulted in the glory of the cross.

[613] When one does not have the opportunity to get to know great and godly men personally, reading the biographies of godly men and women can be of much help.

[614] I understand that our Lord has indicated earlier in this discourse that there were things He had not revealed to them, because they were not able to bear them at the time. The point here is that Jesus had revealed to them all that He needed to reveal before His death. Future instruction would, of course, come, both from our Lord (see Luke 24:13-49), and from the Holy Spirit (John 16:13).

[615] “It is crucial to the understanding of this petition to note that Jesus does not simply request unity for his followers, but rather requests his Father to grant protection to his followers so that they may be unified. The implication seems to be that various dark forces will strive to break up this unity; and nothing less than the power of the Father’s name—that is, the revealed character of God—is adequate for the task of protection.” D. A. Carson, The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus: An Exposition of John 14-17 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980), p. 189.

[616] “There was one exception, Judas. The past tense seems to show that the loss was irrevocable: Jesus does not see any possibility of his coming back again. There is a play on words in the original, meaning something like ‘none of them was lost except the son of lostness’ (cf. NEB, ‘Not one of them is lost except the man who must be lost’). The exact expression is used of the man of sin in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. In both cases the thought is that the person’s characteristic is ‘lostness’; neither of them belonged among the loyal and faithful. It is said in Acts 1:25 that Judas fell away ‘to go to his own place,’ and there is something of that thought here. His heart was not with Jesus; he really belonged elsewhere and would go where he belonged.” Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), vol. 4, pp. 583-584.

[617] “Jesus speaks of Scripture being ‘fulfilled.’ It is not certain which passage is specially in mind, but Psalm 41:9 and Psalm 109:4-13 have both been suggested. It does not matter which of them is to be preferred or even whether we can pin the prophecy down to any one passage. What Jesus is saying is that the purpose of God was fulfilled in the one as well as in the eleven.” Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), vol. 4, p. 584.

[618] “It is not without its interest that John, who writes so often and so feelingly about love (is he not often called ‘the apostle of love’?), uses the verb hate more often than anyone else in the New Testament. He has it twelve times and nobody else has it more than seven times. The reason is that he uses it so often, as he does here, for the hatred the world has for God and the people of God.” Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), vol. 4, pp. 585-586.

[619] “Jesus ends this part of his prayer by saying that ‘for them’ he sanctifies himself, so that they may be sanctified. The idea of sanctifying oneself is found only here in this Gospel and is rare elsewhere. It points to a solemn setting of oneself apart for the service of God. We should notice also that the verb is used in the Old Testament for the ‘sanctifying’ of the firstborn of people and of animals. They were set apart for the Lord (Exod. 13:1), which meant, in the case of animals, that they were sacrificed (if not, they were killed in some other way); in the case of men, they had to be redeemed (Exod. 13:12-13). It was also used of animals for sacrifice (2 Chron. 29:33).” Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), vol. 4, p. 589.

[620] Or, perhaps, to the New Testament apostles who authored the books of the New Testament. This would include Mark, Luke, and Paul, for example.

[621] Is this not what we see in 1 and 2 Corinthians? First Corinthians begins with Paul’s admonition concerning the divisions which existed at Corinth. By 2 Corinthians 11, we see that Satan is behind this disunity (see 2 Corinthians 11:3, 13-15).

[622] D. A. Carson, The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus: An Exposition of John 14-17 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980), p. 188.

[623] D. A. Carson, The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus, pp. 191-192.

[624] I should point out that these divisions are not really water-tight. For example, it would seem that “these men” in verse 25 refers specifically to the eleven disciples. Nevertheless, the general distinctions in these three sections of chapter 17 seem to be valid.

[625] It is interesting, and perhaps significant, that the verb rendered “believe” is in the present tense, rather than the future tense. Jesus is, of course, speaking of those who will come to faith at a future time, but the emphasis seems to be that those who become believers should keep on believing. Faith is not just a one-time event, but an ongoing process.

[626] It is the apostles who, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote the Gospels and the New Testament Epistles. These inspired authors include more than just the eleven disciples, and thus I am inclined to think of those referred to in verses 6-19 as being more than just the eleven. At least some others like Paul and Barnabas and James will also be called apostles (see Acts 14:4, 14; Galatians 1:19).

[627] D. A. Carson, The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus: An Exposition of John 14-17 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980), p. 197.

[628] I understand our Lord’s earthly sufferings to be plural, rather than merely singular (the cross). From texts like Philippians 2:5-7 and Hebrews 2:14-18; 6:7-9, it seems that our Lord’s entire life involved considerable suffering. Would you not consider it suffering to leave heaven and all of its glory to dwell in a fallen world, among sinful men?

[629] D. A. Carson, The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus: An Exposition of John 14-17 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980), p. 198.

[630] Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), vol. 4, p. 592.

[631] Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), vol. 4, p. 597.

[632] D. A. Carson, The Farewell Discourse and Final Prayer of Jesus: An Exposition of John 14-17 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1980), p. 200.

[633] Verses 30-32, 45-53.

[634] The NIV renders this, “When he had finished praying. …” While this is not a very literal rendering of the text, it may be true that John is referring to our Lord’s speaking to the Father in prayer, recorded in chapter 17.

[635] This is not to suggest that Jesus did not orchestrate the events prior to their arrival. I have already dealt with this in the introduction to this lesson.

[636] Compare our Lord’s words which He cried out on the cross, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46), the people standing by who heard it had no idea that Jesus was citing the words of Psalm 22:1. They thought Jesus was crying out for Elijah (verse 47).

[637] Rome may have required the equivalent of an arrest warrant from the Jewish authorities. Only our Lord seems to have been named. While the Jews would have been tempted to arrest everyone there (especially after Peter’s use of his sword), they felt powerless to do so in the light of their interchange with Jesus, which underscored the fact that they had been authorized to arrest only Jesus.

[638] In this chart, important topics are highlighted in bold type; contributions unique to that one Gospel are in bold type and underscored.        

[639] In Matthew, it appears to be a different slave girl (26:71); in Mark (14:69), the wording would allow for the same slave girl, or a different one.

[640] As you may recall from Lesson 27 (John 12:1-8), I understand that Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, and John 12:1-8 all refer to the same incident, while Luke 7:36-48 describes another anointing. 

[641] Originally, the high priest held the office for his lifetime, but under Roman rule the high priest was appointed whenever the Roman ruler saw fit. The Jews may have refused to accept anyone but Annas as the true high priest, which would explain his powerful role in the nation, and in the death of Jesus.

[642] James S. Stewart, The Life and Teaching of Jesus Christ (Nashville: Abington, 1978), p. 196.

[643] William Barclay, Crucified and Crowned (London, 1961), p. 61, as cited by Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 749, fn. 27.

[644] “The other disciple had the advantage of being known to the high priest, and it seems agreed that the word known means more than casual acquaintance. It seems to indicate that the man belonged to the high priest’s circle.” Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), IV, p. 613.

[645] Some have conjectured that John came to Jerusalem, where he sold fish to the high priest’s family. That would explain John’s words here, perhaps. It could also be as simple as the high priest owning a vacation cottage on the Sea of Galilee, where John met and befriended one his sons, and thereby became known to the family. John does not wish to elaborate on such matters. He only tells us that the “other disciple” and the high priest were somehow acquainted.

[646] I may be making too much of too little, but there is not a great deal of difference between our Lord’s “I am’s” (see for example, John 14:6; 15:1, 5; 18:5-6, 8) and Peter’s “I am not’s.”

[647] In the Greek text, the expression translated, “I am not” is only two words.

[648] “‘No one should wonder that he followed, or cry him up for his manliness. But the wonder was that matter of Peter, that being in such fear, he came even as far as the hall, when the others had retreated. His coming thither was caused by love, his not entering within by distress and fear’ (LXXXIII. 2; p. 308).” Chrysostom, cited in Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 751, fn. 29.

[649] Note our Lord’s repeated use of the personal pronoun “I,” focusing on His own actions, and thereby diverting attention from His disciples.

[650] This is not to deny the fact that Jesus veiled His teaching due to the rejection of His words (cf. Mark 4:1‑25, 33‑34). The point here is that there was no duplicity in His teaching. He taught His disciples in much more depth and detail than the masses, but His teaching was consistent. He had no hidden agenda.

[651] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John, p. 755, fn. 40.

[652] Remember the temple cleansing and the overturned tables of the money changers.

[653] This staggering and sudden thrust expects an affirmative answer by the use of ouk, not mh as in verses 17 and 25, but Peter's previous denials with the knowledge that he was observed by a kinsman of Malchus, whom he had tried to kill (verse 10), drove him to the third flat denial that he knew Jesus, this time with cursing and swearing (Mark 14:71; Matthew 26:74). Peter was in dire peril now of arrest himself for attempt to kill. Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1931), vol. V, p. 290.

[654] Luke 22:70; see also 23:3; Matthew 26:64; 27:11.

[655] Ministry groups are small groups which meet regularly to study the Bible, to share and sing and pray. They are a vital part of our church and are essential to our knowing and caring for the flock.

[656] See “Sequence of Events” summary at the end of this lesson.

[657] The thought seems to have occurred to Gamaliel later on, as we can infer from his words of warning in Acts 5:33-39.

[658] J. Sidlow Baxter writes, “He was the son of Herod the Great and Malthace, a Samaritan woman. Half Idumean and half Samaritan, there was not a drop of Jewish blood in his veins; and ‘Galilee of the Gentiles’ seemed a fitting domain for such a prince.” J. Sidlow Baxter, Explore the Book (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, [six volumes in one] 1960), vol. 5. p. 65.

[659] My young friend, Eric Ritchie, provided me with a reference to Pontius Pilatus by Tacitus in The Annals of Imperial Rome, Book XV, chapter 47: “… neither human resources, nor imperial generosity, nor appeasement of the gods, eliminated the sinister suspicion that the fire had been deliberately started. To stop the rumor, NERO, made scapegoats—and punished with every refinement the notoriously depraved CHRISTIANS (as they were popularly called). Their originator, CHRIST, had been executed in Tiberius’ reign by the Procurator of Judaea, PONTIUS PILATUS (governor from 26 to 36 A.D.) But in spite of this temporary setback, the deadly superstition had broken out again, not just in Judaea (where the mischief had started) but even in Rome. All degraded and shameful practices collect and flourish in the capital. First, NERO had the self-admitted Christians arrested. Then, on their information, large numbers of others were condemned—not so much for starting fires as because of their hatred for the human race. Their deaths were made amusing. Dressed in wild animals’ skins, they were torn to pieces by dogs, or crucified, or made into torches to be set on fire after dark as illumination. … Despite their guilt as Christians, and the ruthless punishment it deserved, the victims were pitied. For it was felt that they were being sacrificed to one man’s brutality rather than to the national interest.”

[660] This information comes from Paul L. Maier, In the Fullness of Time (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1991), pp. 145ff.

[661] A study note in the NET Bible reads, “This is an event that otherwise is unattested, though several events similar to it are noted in Josephus (Jewish War 2.169-74; 2.175-77; Antiquities 13.372; 18.55-59; 18.60-62; 18.85-87). It would have caused a major furor.” The NET Bible (Dallas, TX: Biblical Studies Press), 1998.

[662] These are outlined by Maier on pages 148-153.

[663] This disdain was based upon their understanding of Exodus 20:4-5, which prohibited the use of engraved images.

[664] Maier, pp. 148-149.

[665] I am aware that the NET Bible renders it differently (“innocent”). Technically, the term can be rendered either “righteous” or “innocent,” but here it seems to me that “innocent” does not go quite far enough. Perhaps there is a two-fold meaning (not uncommon for John). She may have referred to Jesus as “innocent” when we know that He was really “righteous.”

[666] Although the terms differ, the issue is really the same for both Pilate and the religious leaders. Both are concerned about their power and positions. Both are concerned that Jesus might cause their downfall (see John 11:47-48).

[667] “Judgment at Midnight,” 20/20, January 21, 1999.

3 Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People, and Its History (New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1991).

[669] Is this not precisely the point Pilate tries to make with Jesus, and which Jesus challenged so forcefully that it instilled even greater fear in Pilate? This we shall discuss shortly, when we come to John 19:10-11.

[670] Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, Jewish Literacy, p. 127. Rabbi Telushkin’s conclusions fall short of the facts in a number of areas. He tries very hard to pin the death of our Lord on Rome, rather than upon the Jews. Throughout the Gospel of John, the term “the Jews” is employed to show that it was, in fact, the Jews to whom Jesus came and presented Himself as their Messiah, and it was these same Jews who rejected Him, and who orchestrated His death. The Romans share in the guilt of the rejection and crucifixion of Jesus, but the guilt of the Jews is emphasized in John’s Gospel. Further, Telushkin states that Christianity was banned by Roman law. This was not the case. Christianity was viewed as a faction of Judaism. The Jews sought to isolate Christianity from Judaism in Acts chapter 18, but this effort failed miserably. The decision of Gallio (Acts 18:12-17) that Christianity was, in fact, Jewish assured the protection of the church for some time to come, and Paul’s protection under Roman law demonstrates this, as we see in later chapters of the Book of Acts. One would be hard pressed to conclude from the New Testament that the Gospels portray Pilate in a favorable and sympathetic light. In our previous chapter, we have already shown the cruelty of Pilate. It is true that the more information Pilate obtained from and about Jesus, the more uneasy he was about putting Him to death, but this in no way suggests that he felt kindly towards Jesus. Pilate was concerned with only one thing—protecting his interests and promoting his own agenda.

[671] Telushkin, pp. 127-128.

[672] Telushkin, p. 129.

[673] Telushkin, pp. 128-129.

[674] If anyone looks “good” at all, it would be the women who faithfully stood by their Lord at the cross.

[675] For example, we read in Matthew 27:18 and Mark 15:10 that Pilate knew the religious leaders had delivered Jesus to him “out of envy.” This would seem to be information he had discerned or obtained before this trial.

[676] “You say correctly that I am a king” (NASB); “You say rightly that I am a king” (NJKV).

[677] It is interesting that some manuscripts refer to Barabbas as “Jesus Barabbas,” and thus the question of Pilate, as rendered by the NET Bible: “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Christ?” (Matthew 27:17).

[678] The parallel accounts have a slightly different emphasis. There, it does not seem as though Pilate beats Jesus in order to appease the Jews, and to turn them from their plans to have Him crucified. There it would seem that Jesus is beaten by the Romans soldiers, out of sight of the Jews, for the amusement of the soldiers, and in preparation for His crucifixion. If they can beat the life out of Jesus, so that He is already half-dead before He is placed on the cross, the whole process will go more quickly. When we read that our Lord’s cross was taken up by Simon of Cyrene, it does seem as though our Lord has little strength left. The beatings (He was beaten several times) would surely account for much of this.

[679] After tracking the use of this expression, I have come to prefer the rendering of the NKJV (followed closely by the KJV) which reads, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above.”

[680] See Matthew 26:63-64; 27:40, 43; Luke 22:69-70.

[681] As suggested earlier, the “trial” of our Lord before the Jewish Sanhedrin may have been a formality, to salve their consciences, and to silence the objections of members like Nicodemus (see John 7:50-51).

[682] The NET Bible has a very helpful study note here, which I quote in part: “… Pilate was of the equestrian order, that is, of lower nobility as opposed to senatorial rank. As such he would have been eligible to receive such an honor. It also appears that the powerful Sejanus was his patron in Rome, and Sejanus held considerable influence with Tiberius. Tacitus (Annals 6.8) quotes Marcus Terentius in his defense before the Senate as saying that close friendship with Sejanus “was in every case a powerful recommendation to the Emperor’s friendship.” Thus it is possible that Pilate held this honor. Therefore it appears that the Jewish authorities were putting a good deal of psychological pressure on Pilate to convict Jesus. They had, in effect, finally specified the charge against Jesus as treason: “Everyone who makes himself to be king opposes Caesar.” If Pilate now failed to convict Jesus the Jewish authorities could complain to Rome that Pilate had released a traitor. This possibility carried more weight with Pilate than might at first be evident: (1) Pilate’s record as governor was not entirely above reproach; (2) Tiberius, who lived away from Rome as a virtual recluse on the island of Capri, was known for his suspicious nature, especially toward rivals or those who posed a political threat; and (3) worst of all, Pilate’s patron in Rome, Sejanus, had recently come under suspicion of plotting to seize the imperial succession for himself. Sejanus was deposed in October of AD 31. It may have been to Sejanus that Pilate owed his appointment in Judea. Pilate was now in a very delicate position. The Jewish authorities may have known something of this and deliberately used it as leverage against him. Whether or not they knew just how potent their veiled threat was, it had the desired effect. Pilate went directly to the judgment seat to pronounce his judgment.”

[683] “…  the second-century gnostic heretic Basilides in his commentary on John argues that Simon the Cyrene took Jesus’ place and died on the cross in his stead—the common view of Muslims to this day.” D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), p. 609.

[684] “Crucifixion was regarded as a very shameful thing, and the writers of antiquity apparently did not care to dwell on it; they certainly shrank from recording details. The words of Cicero are often quoted, when he spoke of crucifixion as ‘that most cruel and disgusting penalty.’ We should perhaps notice also the words of the Jewish writer Josephus who spoke of it as ‘the most wretched of deaths.’” Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), vol. 4, p. 655.

“And it was painful. The Roman philosopher Seneca speaks of the very slow and painful way the crucified died and asks whether anyone would willingly die in this way: ‘Can anyone be found who would prefer wasting away in pain dying limb by limb, or letting out his life drop by drop, rather than expiring once for all? Can any man be found willing to be fastened to the accursed tree, long sickly, already deformed, swelling with ugly weals on shoulders and chest, and drawing the breath of life amid long-drawn-out agony? He would have many excuses for dying even before mounting the cross’ (cited from Martin Hengel, Crucifixion [London, 1977], pp. 30-31.” Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John, IV, p. 655.

[685] Legalists (then or now) always seem inclined to haggle over words (see Acts 18:15; 1 Timothy 6:4). There are times when words and their technical meanings are important, but let us not forget that those who wish to debate the technical meaning of words sometimes do so to avoid or deny the clear meaning of these words (see, for example, Luke 10:29). Those of us who take pride in our ability to probe the “deep meanings” of words should be cautioned.

[686] “The Jewish historian Josephus tells us that the high priest’s robe was seamless: ‘… this tunic is not composed of two pieces, to be stitched at the shoulders and at the sides: it is one long woven cloth, with a slit for the neck, parted not crosswise but lengthwise from the breast to a point in the middle of the back’ (it was this slit that the high priest prolonged when he tore his robes, as in Mark 14:63). It is possible that John is hinting at Jesus’ priestly activity when he mentions this seamless robe at the time of his death, but the point cannot be insisted upon. In any case we do not know how many people other than priests wore seamless tunics.” Morris, Reflections, IV, pp. 663-664.

[687] Something changed all this, as we can see from the statement of the centurion (Matthew 27:54; Mark 15:39). The three hours of darkness must have had an impact on them all, not to mention the unusual way in which Jesus died, followed by the violent earthquake of Matthew 27:51ff.

[688] William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-1954), vol. 2, p. 420.

[689] D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), p. 617.

[690] D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, pp. 617-618.

[691] “As William Barclay says, ‘There is something infinitely moving in the fact that Jesus in the agony of the Cross, in the moment when the salvation of the world hung in the balance, thought of the loneliness of His mother in the days when He was taken away. Jesus never forgot the duties that lay to His hand.’ Earlier in this Gospel we are told that Jesus’ brothers did not believe in him (7:5), and we may fairly infer that they were out of sympathy with Mary. So it was important that there should be somebody who would look after her when Jesus was no longer there.” Leon Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1988), vol. 4, p. 665. Morris does not emphasize the “long-term” element here, but it seems to be implied.

[692] See Psalm 69:8.

[693] “It is good to know that it was customary for a drug to be offered to the crucified so that some of the pain was mitigated. We read of the custom in Sanh. 43a, ‘When one is led out to execution, he is given a goblet of wine containing a grain of frankincense, in order to benumb his senses, for it is written, Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto the bitter in soul. And it has also been taught: The noble women in Jerusalem used to donate and bring it’ (Soncino edn., pp. 279ff.).” Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), p. 814, fn. 72.

[694] See Morris, The Gospel According to John, pp. 813-814, fn. 71.

[695] What irony we see here. The Jews zealously seek to keep the law regarding the defilement of the land through the exposure of dead bodies, and yet they are in the process of killing the Son of God. Is this not a case of “straining a gnat and swallowing a camel” (see Matthew 23:24)?

[696] “Stripped naked and beaten to pulpy weakness …, the victim could hang in the hot sun for hours, even days. To breathe, it was necessary to push with the legs and pull with the arms to keep the chest cavity open and functioning. Terrible muscle spasm wracked the entire body; but since collapse meant asphyxiation, the strain went on and on. This is also why the seducula … prolonged life and agony: it partially supported the body’s weight, and therefore encouraged the victim to fight on.” Carson, The Gospel According to John, p. 610.

[697] Morris, for example, includes this footnote in his commentary on John: “This was argued by William Stroud, M.D., in his book, Treatise on the Physical Cause of the Death of Christ (London, 1847). He maintained that rupture of the heart may be caused by great mental agony and that it ‘is usually attended with immediate death, and with an effusion into the pericardium (the capsule containing the heart) of the blood previously circulating through that organ; which when thus extravasated, although scarcely in any other case, separates into its constitutent parts, so as to present the appearance commonly termed blood and water’ (op. cit., 2nd edn., 1871, pp. 74f.). This view was accepted by Sir Alexander Simpson (Expositor 8, xi, 1916, pp. 334ff.) who said that he had examined several cases ‘in which the pericardial bag was greatly distended and the blood had separated into clot and watery serum’ (op. cit., p. 336). It has been urged against it that John does not tell us whether it was the left or right side that was pierced. We cannot be certain that the spear was thrust into the region of the heart. Tasker cites a paper by a medical man, J. L. Cameron, arguing that the passage indicates a flow of blood from the heart and great blood vessels adjacent, and water from the acutely dilated stomach. Dodd refers us to a study by Raymond Schmittlein which sees traumatic shock as the fundamental cause of death (HTFG, p. 136).” Morris, The Gospel According to John, p. 819, fn. 88.

[698] “Dr. J. P. Free in his excellent book, Archaeology and Bible History, p. 284, calls attention to the fact that according to Canon Liddon there are three hundred thirty-two distinct prophecies in the Old Testament which have been literally fulfilled in Christ, …” William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-1954), vol. 2, p. 430.

[699] Shepard, The Christ of the Gospels  (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1939), p. 592.

[700] D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), p. 629.

[701] From Luke 23:49, it would appear that some or all of Jesus’ disciples watched the crucifixion from a distance, with the exception of John, who stood near our Lord, along with some of the women who followed Him (John 19:26-27).

[702] Ironically, the religious leaders must have been pleased to learn that Jesus’ body had been secured by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus and placed in a grave hewn out of stone, with a large stone sealing the entrance. This was the perfect place to “secure” the body of our Lord.

[703] I am impressed by the term “for” here, and am tempted to say that the angel somehow employed the earthquake to move the stone. I know that we might be inclined to think that the angel put his shoulder to the stone and moved it, but it almost seems that he simply summoned an earthquake, the rolling motion of which would make short work of this massive stone. It may be worth noting that the word John uses (rendered “moved away” in John 20:1) is not the normal word for rolling (as the Synoptic Gospels describe it), but a word which can mean “lifted” or “removed,” among other things. We think in terms of “rolling” a great stone because of its mass and our human weakness. God is able to dispose of such things with the greatest of ease. It seems that the earthquake was the means of moving this great stone, and the angel appears to have dispatched it.

[704] In the Greek text, there is a repetition of the word “to” in John 20:2: “So she went running to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved and told them, …” This implies that Peter and John were staying at two different places.

[705] Some have criticized Mary for being so naïve as to assume she will be able to carry away the body of our Lord. They are missing the point. She is not thinking in terms of logistics here. She is simply saying that if this “gardener” will tell her where to find the body, she will see to it that it is returned to its proper place. Of course she will get help to accomplish this. For now, she just wants to know where His body has been placed.

[706]A. T. Robertson comments, “Present middle imperative in prohibition with genitive case, meaning “cease clinging to me” rather than “Do not touch me.” Jesus allowed the women to take hold of his feet … and worship … as we read in Mt 28:9. The prohibition here reminds Mary that the previous personal fellowship by sight, sound, and touch no longer exists and that the final state of glory was not yet begun. Jesus checks Mary’s impulsive eagerness.” Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1931), 6 vols. Vol. V, p. 312.

[707] I am reminded that the breath of God is the source of life (Genesis 2:7; Job 33:4; Psalm 33:6; Ezekiel 37:9), even as it is also the means of divine judgment (2 Samuel 22:16; Job 4:9; Psalm 18:15). The breath of God is sometimes a symbol for His Spirit (Job 33:4). In a symbolic way, our Lord is breathing life into His church.

[708] Both the NET Bible and the NIV smooth out the translation here. The NIV reads: “A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’” (John 14:26). Both the old and the new King James Versions and the NAS leave the translation a bit rough, in order to convey the unusual word order: “After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, ‘Peace be with you’” (NAS). “And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, ‘Peace to you!’” (NKJ). The original text seems to be emphasizing the fact that Jesus entered the room, in spite of the fact that the doors were shut and locked.

[709] Such as the times when Jesus sent them out in pairs (e.g., Mark 6:7ff.; Luke 10:1ff.).

[710] The word for “fish” here has no article, so it could be read, “a fish” as the NET Bible has rendered it. This need not be the case, however, and thus most translations do not render it “a fish,” as though there were only one fish—just enough for Jesus—but “fish”—enough for all the men to eat.

[711] It is my understanding that Matthew 4:18ff. describes an earlier incident, when these disciples left their boats for a short time. It would seem that in Luke 5 these men left their boats for good, or so it appeared, until the events of John 21.

[712] I would not be so bold as to claim that I am a fisherman, but as I was growing up, my parents purchased an old fishing resort, which we ran for several years. I can tell you one thing: If you tell a fisherman where someone else made a big catch, he will almost certainly go try his luck in that same place.

[713] I should say here that just after teaching this lesson, my wife and I were able to travel to Israel, where we spent one night in a cottage at the edge of the Sea of Galilee. There, from the shore, we watched the lights of the fishing boats as they worked in the darkness. And in the morning we watched them transferring their catch to shore. Some of the fish were as small as herring, while there were a few “large” fish in the range of ten pounds. When we crossed from the eastern shore to the west, we may well have been near the spot that Jesus was waiting for His disciples on shore.

[714] The boat we saw unloading its small fish had only two large fish set aside on the seat.

[715] William Hendriksen remarks, “Peter is the man of action. He generally acts before John does. John generally understands before Peter does.” William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-1954), II, p. 479.

[716] What could one do with 153 large fish? I can guess. First, you cook some up for eating for the next day or two. Then, you take what you know you won’t eat and sell it. This was how Peter and his partners made their living for a number of years.

[717] Hendriksen, in an interesting footnote, summarizes some of the fanciful interpretations of the number 153, the exact count of the fish caught that morning: “Among the strange and, for the most part, allegorical interpretations of this item of information I have found the following: a. The fish were not counted until the shore had been reached, in order to teach us that the exact number of the elect remains unknown until they have reached the shore of heaven. b. The ancients counted one hundred fifty-three varieties of fish! c. There is here a veiled reference to Matt. 13:47, 48, and an indication that all kinds of people are going to be saved. d. The reference is to an important date in Church History, namely, 153 A.D. e. The total represents the sum of all the numbers from 1 to 17. Well, what of it? f. In Hebrew characters the numerical equivalent of Simon Iona is one hundred fifty-three. g. The number one hundred fifty-three represents 100 for the Gentiles, 50 for the Jews, and 3 for the Trinity.” Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, II, pp. 483-484, fn. 300.

[718] Could our Lord be picking up on what Peter had just done, as recorded in verse 7? “Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ So Simon Peter, when he heard that it was the Lord, tucked in his outer garment (for he had nothing on underneath it), and plunged into the sea.” The proximity of these two statements in verses 7 and 18 could be coincidental, but I see fewer and fewer coincidences in the Bible.

[719] D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), p. 678.

[720] There is some discussion over what Jesus means here. The verse could be translated (and understood) in several ways. (1) “Peter, do you love me more than these fish, more than this boat and the nets, and the things which represent your life of a fisherman?” (2) “Peter, do you love Me more than you love these men?” (3) “Peter, do you love me more than these men do?” The NET Bible has opted for the third rendering, and I would agree.

[721] “The circumstances must have reminded Peter of the scene of his denial. And if the circumstances as such did not remind him of this, what was about to happen was bound to do so. Note the following resemblances: 1. It was at a charcoal fire that Peter denied his Master (18:18). It is here at another charcoal fire (21:9) that he is asked to confess (his love for) his Master. 2. Three times Peter had denied his Master (18:17, 25, 27). Three times he must now own him as his Lord, whom he loves (21:15-17). 3. The prediction with reference to the denial had been introduced with the solemn double Amen (13:38; see on 1:51). The prediction which immediately followed Peter’s confession was introduced similarly (21:18). But it has been shown that the resemblance is even more pointed. In reverse order the same three ideas—1. following, 2. a cross, 3. denying—occur here in 21:15-19 as in 13:36-38.” William Hendriksen, Exposition of the Gospel According to John, II , p. 486.

[722] My capitalization of this word is not a mistake. Peter’s work (like that of all the disciples) is to carry on the Master’s work.

[723] John has much more to say on this point in his first epistle. A search in my concordance program shows that “love” appears in John’s Gospel 57 times, far more often than in all the Synoptic Gospels combined (Matthew, 13; Mark, 6; Luke, 16 = 35 times). Love appears 46 times in the Epistle of First John.

[724] D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), p. 679.

[725] I’m sure I need to clarify. God’s sovereignty does not exclude our involvement. Salvation is God’s sovereign work, but we should surely be involved (Romans 10:14-15). But one who is sovereign is not obliged to explain His actions, nor is it appropriate for the subject to challenge the sovereign by demanding an explanation (see Romans 9:19-21).

[726] Dr. Johnson was a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary for many years and also a Bible teacher at Believers Chapel, where my wife and I attended during my seminary days.  I taught at “the Chapel” for several years until Community Bible Chapel was established, with the blessing and assistance of the elders at Believers Chapel.

[727] “Thus John’s distinctive portrait of Jesus contains 93 percent original material in comparison to the Synoptics.”  Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.), 1983, 1985.  “John,” en loc.

[728] The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, James Orr, General Editor (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1939), electronic copy, “The Gospel of John”, en loc.

[729] ISBE, “The Gospel of John,” en loc.

[730] And so in Genesis, we begin with the creation of the world and of man, then move to the fall, and then to men like Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.  This is essentially a chronological scheme.  A book like Proverbs has an entirely different ordering principle, one which I am still seeking to identify and understand.

[731]Technically speaking, this was not an official appearance of our Lord in Jerusalem.  Jesus did not go into Jerusalem, and there was not an official feast of the Jews at this time (though it was near—John 11:55).  Nevertheless, John makes it clear that this visit has a great impact on Jerusalem (11:18-19, 45-46), and especially upon the Jewish religious leaders (11:47-53).

[732] This past month my wife and I were privileged to travel to Israel for the first time.  As we were making our way across the Sea of Galilee in a boat, the tour guide commented, “This is Galilee, where 90% of our Lord’s ministry was conducted.”  These words struck me since I had nearly completed this study in the Gospel of John, which describes very little of our Lord’s Galilean ministry.

[733] By “original material” I mean biblical events which the other Gospel writers have not used.

[734] Obviously, Jesus had been in Jerusalem as a child (see Luke 2:41-51), but this was His first public appearance as Messiah.

[735] John 2:13, Passover; 5:1, “a feast of the Jews”; 7:2, the “feast of  Tabernacles” (or booths); 10:22, the “feast of the Dedication”; 12:1; 13:1, the “feast of the Passover.”

[736] In Luke 4, Jesus conveys the same message to those in His hometown of Nazareth.  His coming was intended to bring salvation to the Gentiles, as well as the Jews.  It was yet another issue between Jesus and the Jews.

[737] Notice the words of verse 44.  Jesus purposed to go to the place where He would not be honored, so that He would not prematurely fuel the fires of Messianic hope, and thus precipitate an untimely reaction from the Jerusalem Jews. 

[738] “Some manuscripts read, “the Jewish feast” (referring to Passover).”  NET Bible note at John 5:1.

[739] It is difficult to determine with certainty whether John 10:22-39 is a separate visit to Jerusalem or not.  We do not find a reference to intense opposition in 10:21, but rather in 10:39, which results in our Lord’s retreat to a deserted place (10:40-42).  This gives the impression that John wishes us to view Jesus’ appearance(s) in Jerusalem in 7:1–10:39 as a whole.

[740] The Book of Acts more fully describes this great turning point.  Not only is the church born, but the gospel is preached first to the Jews, and then to the whole world.

[741] A friend, David Schlimme, contributed a very interesting insight after I preached this message.  He said that it is his conviction that John’s purpose in writing 1 John is also two-fold: (1) as a message to the unsaved; and (2) as a message to believers.  David’s suggestion may apply equally well to the Gospel of John also, and it seems to make a lot of sense.  Whether in his Gospel or in his epistles, why do we find it necessary to restrict John to only one purpose?  I think David may well be right.

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