BETHESDA. CHRIST AND THE SABBATH 1-47. A miracle at the Pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath Day, and a controversy arising therefrom. This miracle may be regarded as a parable illustrating the deadly effects of sin, and the power of the Saviour to deal with the most hopeless cases. This poor man in his... [ Continue Reading ]
A FEAST] i.e. the Feast of Purim, which occurs in March (Adar 14, 15), about a month before the Passover. Its origin is doubtful, though the Jews commemorated in it the triumph over Haman, who proposed to exterminate the Jews in the Persian empire on a particular day (13th Adar, 473 b.c.), chosen by... [ Continue Reading ]
SHEEP _market_] RV 'sheep gate': cp. Nehemiah 3:1; Nehemiah 12:39. BETHESDA] i.e. 'house of mercy,' or, possibly, 'house of the stream,' is perhaps the Virgin's pool, SE. of the Temple, the only natural spring in Jerusalem. It is an intermittent spring, and when 'the troubling of the waters' occurs,... [ Continue Reading ]
THY BED] i.e. mat.... [ Continue Reading ]
The man's act was not unlawful, even from the OT. standpoint. Jeremiah 17:21 and Nehemiah 13:19 only forbid the bearing of burdens on the sabbath in connexion with labour and trade.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND TOLD THE JEWS] doubtless to win honour for Jesus as a prophet and worker of miracles.... [ Continue Reading ]
RV 'My Father worketh even unto now, and I work.' (1) These words enunciate a new ideal of the sabbath. The 'rest' of God after the creation, which the sabbath typifies, is not mere inertia, but activity in doing good. So man's true sabbath rest is not inactivity, but leisure for work of a higher ch... [ Continue Reading ]
LOVETH THE SON] Hence God is love (1 John 4:8) from eternity. GREATER WORKS] something greater than miracles; the giving of new life to those dead in sins (see John 5:21; John 5:24).... [ Continue Reading ]
This v. speaks both of spiritual and literal death.... [ Continue Reading ]
HEARETH] and obeyeth.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DEAD] i.e. the spiritually dead. They are raised from the death of trespasses and sins to a new life by the preaching of the gospel.... [ Continue Reading ]
The Father is the fountain of life even within the Godhead. From Him the Son is begotten, and the Spirit proceeds.... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE HE IS THE SON OF MAN] rather, 'because He is _man_,' lit. 'a son of man.' As man He can sympathise with the nature which he shares: cp. Hebrews 4:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
The literal resurrection at the last day is meant.... [ Continue Reading ]
DAMNATION] i.e. condemnation, lit. 'judgment.' 30-36. Our Lord mentions four 'witnesses' through which men may be brought to believe in Him: (1) the witness of the Baptist, good, but insufficient; (2) the witness of the Father, which Christ's hearers are not willing to receive; (3) the witness of M... [ Continue Reading ]
AS I HEAR] viz. from the Father.... [ Continue Reading ]
Christ's witness to Himself could not be received according to the principles of Jewish law: see John 8:13, and cp. Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 17:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
ANOTHER] i.e. the Father, not the Baptist. 34. 'I attach little importance to John's testimony, for he, though a prophet, was but a man. Nevertheless, since _you_ attach importance to it, I will use it, for I wish, in whatever way, to bring you to believe in Me, and so to be saved.' 35. 'John is o... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORKS] include the miracles, but should not be confined to them. The gracious character, and redemptive purpose of Christ's acts, prove that they come from God.... [ Continue Reading ]
The witness of the Father is given (1) in the OT. Scriptures, (2) in the response of all that is good in the heart of man to the teaching of Christ. The divine element in man, which the Father planted there, recognises and welcomes the divine in Christ: cp. John 3:21.... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS WORD] is not here the Scripture, but the Divine Voice speaking through the conscience and spiritual nature of man.... [ Continue Reading ]
SEARCH] rather, 'Ye search' (RV).... [ Continue Reading ]
IF ANOTHER] 'A false Messiah, adapting his views to your carnal ideas, you will receive.' Our Lord's words were literally fulfilled a century later, when the bulk of the nation accepted the claims of the impostor Barcochba.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE WROTE OF ME] in type and figure as well as in direct prophecy.... [ Continue Reading ]