John 12:16-18

These things understood not His disciples at first

1.

Men may be in the midst of great mercies and actings, and may not only be witnesses of the Lord’s working and the works of others, but even actors themselves in that which for the time they do little or nothing understand; for these things understood not the disciples at the first. Men have much brutish ignorance fed with inadvertency and may be little expecting the things that God is doing in such a time or case (Gen_16:13; Gen_28:16), and therefore do not discern them.

2. When the Lord’s people are ignorant and under a cloud, He useth not to take advantage of them, but can guide them as right as may be, so that a back-look thereunto when they get light will be sweet unto them; for in all this they act as rightly as if they had understood, and afterward they find that what was written of Him they had done unto Him (Psalms 73:22).

3. However, the Lord for a time suffer His people to lie under clouds, and ignorant of what He or they are doing, yet in due time He will clear them in so far as is needful; for afterward they remembered (John 13:7).

4. The treasures of knowledge hid up in Christ were not fully opened up till Christ was glorified; for when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they, etc. Hereby is kept a due proportion betwixt the head and his members, that he shall be first exalted before they get their full allowance. And hereby also Christ being exalted giveth evidence that He remembers His people (John 7:39; Acts 2:33; Ephesians 4:8).

5. Confession of infirmity and ignorance is a sweet fruit of the Spirit poured out; and the more one have received they will be the more sensible of, and ready to acknowledge their frailties; for John, the beloved disciple, being now enlightened, is most forward to record that they understood not these things at the first.

6. When the Spirit of God is most amply poured out, He will still lead men to the Scriptures to discern of Christ and compare their own actings by it; for so was it in the disciples’ best days, they remembered that these things were written of Him and that they had done these things to Him. It is an evidence of Christ’s being exalted at the right hand of the Father for the good of His people when He brings Scriptures to their minds, makes them clear to them, and clears their practice there, for, when Jesus was glorified, this was a comfortable evidence of it, they remembered these things. (G. Hutcheson.)

Prophecy

I. GOD DOES FORETELL IN HIS WORD MANY EVENTS BEFORE THEY COME TO PASS. This appears from the text and from the whole history of His conduct from the first prediction of Genesis to the last in Revelation. Witness the fulfilled promises concerning the Jews, heathen nations, Christ, His Church, etc.

II. GOD ALWAYS BRINGS TO PASS THE EVENTS WHICH HE FORETELLS. This will appear if we consider

1. That we have no evidence that. He has ever failed to bring to pass any event that He has foretold. Though the disciples did not know at first that Zechariah’s prophecy had been fulfilled, they knew it afterwards.

2. God never foretold any events but such as

(1) He was willing to bring to pass. He never could be under any compulsion to foretell.

(2) His own glory requires to be brought to pass.

(3) He is able to bring to pass. God can do anything that power can do and that does not involve a contradiction. His opponents He can break in pieces.

III. GOD HAS GOOD REASONS FOR FORETELLING EVENTS BEFORE THEY COME TO PASS.

1. To convince men that He is concerned in bringing them about.

2. To demonstrate the truth of His bringing to pass other events not predicted. Predicted events stand inseparably related to unpredicted. The Messianic prophecies are connected with other events which took place in every part of the world. Improvement: It appears from the design of prophecy, that the Bible predictions

1. Are the last He will ever give (Revelation 22:18).

2. Will answer their end though not understood till fulfilled.

3. Being disbelieved does not destroy their evidence or importance.

4. Are an infallible evidence of the truth of the Bible. (N. Emmons, D. D.)

The continuous fulfilment of Scripture

There was much written as in sympathetic ink, invisible for a season, yet ready to flash out in lines and characters of light whenever the appointed hour had arrived. Or to use another figure, Holy Scripture progressively unfolding what it contains may be likened to some magnificent landscape on which the sun is gradually rising, and even as it rises is bringing out one headland into light and prominence, and then another; anon kindling the glory smitten summit of some far mountain, and presently lighting up the recesses of some near valley which had hitherto abided in gloom, and so travelling on till nothing remains in shadow, but the whole prospect stands out in the clearness and splendour of the brightest noon. The Church informed and quickened by the Spirit of God, more and more discovers what in Scripture is given her. She has always possessed what she now possesses, only not always with the same distinctness of consciousness. He has not added to her wealth, but she has become more and more aware of that wealth; her dowry has remained always the same, but that dowry was so rich and rare that only little by little she has counted over and taken stock and inventory of her jewels. She has consolidated her doctrine compelled thereto by the provocation of her enemies, or induced to it by a growing sense of her own needs. She has brought together utterances of Holy Writ, and those which apart were comparatively barren, when thus married, have been fruitful to her. And yet all this she possessed implicitly though not explicitly--even as the shut hand is as perfect a hand as the open, or as our dominion in that huge island of the Pacific is as truly ours, and that region as vast in extent now as it will be when every mountain and valley, rivulet and bay, have been explored, and the flag of England has waved over all. (Archbishop Trench.)

The people therefore … bare record

The popular testimony to the resurrection of Lazarus

1. It is the part of all such as have been witnesses to Christ’s working on themselves or others to publish the same to His praise; for the people that was with Him when He called Lazarus, etc., bare record.

2. As it is at all times a sin to smother the praises of Christ. So, in particular, in days of solemnity, it is our sin not to join and bring in what we know to make up the song, for they bring in that particular to make up the triumph.

3. In a day of Christ’s power, and when He is to get glory to Himself, He can furnish means and make them effectual to bring it to pass, for He makes that miracle an occasion to bring about this triumph.

4. It may encourage men to publish the praise of Christ’s working as they know of it, that God may make their weak endeavours effectual to work upon very many, for the testimony of some drew out this great confluence to Christ.

5. It is the duty of them who hear anything of Christ’s commendation to go and seek Him, and do homage to Him, for, for this cause, the people also met Him, for that they had heard that He had done this miracle. (G. Hutcheson.)