Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

John 12:44

John 12:44. But Jesus cried and said. In what sense are we to understand the cry and utterance about to be mentioned? Was it public or private? Or is it strictly speaking no utterance of Jesus at all, but only a summary by the Evangelist himself of the main points of that teaching of Jesus which he had recorded in the previous part of his Gospel? That it was not public is clear from the fact that the ministry had closed at John 12:36; and it is impossible to meet this difficulty by the supposition that the cry is merely a continuation of the first words of that verse. That it was not private is equally clear, partly from the use of ‘cried' (comp. John 7:28; John 7:37), partly because the nature and tone of the words themselves are such as to suggest that Jesus is speaking to ‘the Jews,' not to His disciples. The only supposition therefore is, that the passage contains an epitome or summary of the words of Jesus to the Jews. The words ‘cried and said' are therefore equivalent to, This was the teaching of Jesus when He spake openly to the world. The Evangelist, however, does not give the summary in his own words, but (we can hardly doubt) makes use of actual sayings uttered by his Master at various times, sayings which for the most part combine and give forcible expression to truths which we have found stated in the discourses of this Gospel. There is in this section but little that is new; on the other hand, there is very little actual repetition of verses from earlier Chapter s. If our view of the passage is correct, the words were spoken by Jesus; the selection is made by John.

He that believeth in me, believeth not in me, but in him that sent me. This is the first and almost the only place in this Gospel (see chap. 1) in which the words ‘believe in,' so constantly associated with our Lord (see chap. John 2:11), are used in reference to the Father. Once indeed, in chap. John 5:24, the Authorised Version reads ‘believeth on Him that sent me,' but, as we have seen, this is a mistranslation. No words could more strikingly express what Jesus had accomplished for those who received Him: He had led them to the Father, and through Jesus they are now believers in God (1 Peter 1:21), ‘throwing themselves with absolute trust' on God revealed in Christ. Hence the appropriateness of the words in this place, where the full effect of the mission of Jesus upon the many (John 12:40) and upon the few is traced. The form of expression here recalls chap. John 7:16: as there Jesus declares that the words which He speaks are words received from God, so here that the faith He has awakened and rendered possible is faith in God. In each relation He is Mediator between God and men.

Continues after advertising

BibliaPlus

Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

John 12:44

Old Testament

New Testament