_JESUS VINDICATES MARY ANOINTING HIS FEET. THE PEOPLE FLOCK TO SEE
LAZARUS: THE CHIEF PRIESTS CONSULT TO KILL HIM. CHRIST RIDETH INTO
JERUSALEM. CERTAIN GREEKS DESIRE TO SEE JESUS: HE FORETELLETH HIS
DEATH. THE JEWS ARE GENERALLY BLINDED: YET MANY CHIEF RULERS BELIEVE,
BUT DO NOT CONFESS HIM: THEREF... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN JESUS—CAME TO BETHANY,— This was in his way to Jerusalem; and
he might choose to stop here, in order to renew the idea of the
resurrection upon the minds of his disciples, by carrying them once
more to the house of one who had been raised from the dead by him; and
this was the more necessary, a... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE THEY MADE HIM A SUPPER,— It was customary for the Jews to
entertain their friends in a more noble manner than usual, about six
or seven days before the passover; and it was in compliance with this
custom, as well as out of a particular respect to Jesus, whom they
most highly reverenced and lov... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN TOOK MARY A POUND OF OINTMENT— This supper is supposed by many
to have been the same with that mentioned Matthew 26:6 and Mark 14:3
but upon examination, they will appear to have been different. _This_
happened in the house of Lazarus, _that_ in the house of Simon the
leper: at this, Mary the s... [ Continue Reading ]
SOLD FOR THREE HUNDRED PENCE,— The Roman penny, which is here spoken
of, was equal to seven-pence half-penny of our money; three hundred of
these pence therefore amounted to about nine pounds, seven shillings,
and six-pence sterling. From the value of the ointment it would
appear, that Lazarus and h... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BARE WHAT WAS PUT THEREIN.— _And carried off what was put into
it._ Elsner; who refers to John 20:15.Matthew 3:11; Matthew 8:17 for
instances of such an use of the word; εβασταζεν : but it by
no means appears that the word is ever used in a bad sense. The
meaning here seems to be, not only that... [ Continue Reading ]
AGAINST THE DAY OF MY BURYING, &C.— The Jews first washed the corpse
all over with water, after it was laid out, Acts 9:37 and then
anointed it with _liquid spices,_ or odours, as appears from this
apology which our Lord makes for Mary; for the full import whereof,
see the note on Matthew 26:10.... [ Continue Reading ]
MUCH PEOPLE OF THE JEWS THEREFORE— Bethany being within two miles of
Jerusalem, the news of the arrival of Jesus soon reached the city, and
drew out great numbers of the citizens; for they had a laudable
curiosity to see the man who had been raised from the dead, and the
still more wonderful man who... [ Continue Reading ]
MUCH PEOPLE THAT WERE COME TO THE FEAST, &C.— The news of our Lord's
approach having reached the city, great numbers of the people who were
come from the country to attend the feast, and who had a favourable
opinion of his character, went forth with _palm-branches_ in their
hands, the usual emblems... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS, WHEN HE HAD FOUND A YOUNG ASS, SAT THEREON, &C.—
'Ευρων δε. _Now Jesus having found a young ass, sat,_ &c. For
the evangelist does not mean that Jesus was saluted by the multitude
from Jerusalem before he mounted; but his meaning is, that Jesus was
_riding_ when they saluted him: or, beca... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE THINGS UNDERSTOOD NOT HIS DISCIPLES— Though the disciples
believed him to be the Messiah, yet there were many occurrences of his
life, which they understood not at the time when they happened, to be
foretold of the Messiah; but which, after his ascension, they found
exactly to quadrate with, a... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PEOPLE THEREFORE, &C.— Because the forwardness which the
multitude now shewed to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, was
altogether extraordinary, the evangelist assigns the cause thereof.
The witnesses of the resurrection of Lazarus zealously bestirred
themselves on this occasion; they had publis... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE WERE CERTAIN GREEKS— After the conquest of Darius by
Alexander, all his successors of different nations were called
_Greeks,_ whence came the name of "the Grecian monarchy," otherwise
called "the Syro-Macedonian." Thus Antiochus Epiphanes is said to have
_reigned in the hundred and thirty-... [ Continue Reading ]
WE WOULD SEE JESUS.— This transaction appears to have been in the
passover-week, when Christ taught daily in the temple, but retired to
Bethany in the evening with his disciples. So that by _seeing him,_
ιδειν, cannot barely be meant seeing his person, which they might
have done with the rest of the... [ Continue Reading ]
PHILIP COMETH AND TELLETH ANDREW, &C.— From Philip's not venturing
to introduce the men himself, it seems probable that there was some
difficulty in the case. Perhaps they were only "proselytes of the
gate," who, according to custom, could not be admitted into the
company of Jews. See Acts 10:28.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS ANSWERED THEM,— If we suppose that our Lord spoke these
words as the Greeks were introduced to him, the following discourse
will discover many a latent beauty. Our Lord might enlarge perhaps on
some of the hints in this discourse; and if his hearers took a due
notice of them, and made a pr... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT LOVETH HIS LIFE, &C.— He told them further, that as he,
their Master, was to_suffer_ before his exaltation, so must they, his
disciples, expect the like; for which reason they were to expect
persecution, firmly resolving to lose even life itself, after his
example, when called to do so; and... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW IS MY SOUL TROUBLED:— Having taken a view of his own sufferings,
and proposed them as an example to his disciples, the prospect moved
him to a great degree, and he discovered to them the conflict which he
felt in his bosom: _"Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say?_
Shall I say, _Father,... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PEOPLE THEREFORE—SAID THAT IT THUNDERED:— The sound of this
voice was evidently supernatural, being strong and loud as thunder;
but at the same time so articulate that all who heard Jesus address
the Father, heard also the words. The word rendered _voice,_ and that
rendered _thunder,_ are used p... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS VOICE CAME NOT BECAUSE OF ME, &C.— Dr. Heylin renders this
better, _This voice came not for my sake, but for yours._ It is
literally, _This voice came not for me, but for you—"_not to assure
_me_ of the love of my Father, but to confirm _you_ in the belief of
my mission; that you may not be off... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW IS THE JUDGMENT OF THIS WORLD:— The subject of our Lord's
address to the Father, and the answer which he received, naturally led
him to meditate on the happy effects of his coming into the world;
namely, the destruction of Satan's kingdom,andtheexaltationofthe
faithful with himself into heaven.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PEOPLE ANSWERED HIM,— The people, on hearing Jesus affirm that
he was to be lifted up, told him, that was inconsistent with the
character of the Messiah, who, according to the _law,_ (so they named
the whole of their sacred writings,) was never to die. _Who then is
this Son of man?_ "What sort o... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT THE SAYING OF ESAIAS THE PROPHET, &C.— So _that the
saying—was fulfilled,_ &c. Heylin, Jeffryes, &c. See the note on
Isaiah 53:1. The phrase _Hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?_ is
thought by some to allude to the _habit_ generally worn by the Eastern
people, and especially by persons of r... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE,— That is, by the just judgment of
God for their obstinate and wilful resistance to the truth, they were
so hardened, that the doctrine and miracles of our Lord could make no
impression on them, as Isaiah had foretold, Isaiah 6:9 where see the
note, and also on Matth... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE THINGS SAID ESAIAS, WHEN, &C.— He uttered these remarkable
words, when in vision he saw the glory of the Son of God, and the
manifestations which he was to make of the divine counsels; and
described the effect which these manifestations were to have upon his
hearers; for which reason they are... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS CRIED, &C.— To strengthen the faith of those who believed on
him, and to inspire them with courage to _confess him,_ (see John
12:42.) our Lord _cried and said_ in the temple, "Be it known unto you
all, that in these extraordinary steps which I take for the
reformation of abuses and the vindic... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM COME A LIGHT, &C.— "I am _the light of the world, s_ent down
from heaven, to dispel the darkness of ignorance, superstition, and
wickedness, and to reveal the will of my Father, and the way to
eternal life and happiness, clearly and fully. Whosoever therefore
believes on me, shall not want suff... [ Continue Reading ]