V. [3. The fuller Revelation, and Growth of Unbelief among the Jews (John 5:1 to John 12:50). (1) JESUS IS LIFE (John 5:1 to John 6:71). (_a_) _This follows from the unity of Son and Father_ (John 5). (_α_) Energy given to strengthen the weak (John 5:1). (_β_) Persecution by the Jews (John... [ Continue Reading ]
A FEAST OF THE JEWS. — The writer does not tell us what feast this was, and we must be content to remain without certain knowledge. There is, perhaps, no Jewish feast with which it has not been identified, and it has been even proclaimed confidently that it must have been the Day of Atonement! (Casp... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THERE IS AT JERUSALEM. — We have no certain knowledge of the time referred to in the last, nor of the place referred to in this, verse. For “sheep-market,” we should read with the margin, _sheep-gate_ (Nehemiah 3:1; Nehemiah 3:32; Nehemiah 12:39). This gate was known well enough to fix the local... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THESE LAY A GREAT MULTITUDE. — The word “great” before multitude, and the latter clause of the verse “waiting for the moving of the water,” and the whole of John 5:4, is omitted by most of the oldest MSS., including the Sinaitic and the Vatican, and is judged to be no part of the original text by... [ Continue Reading ]
THIRTY AND EIGHT YEARS. — The period expresses, not his age on the one hand, nor the time of his being at Bethesda on the other, but the time during which he had suffered from the infirmity. Helpless and friendless, having spent half the lot of human life in that condition, he appeals without an utt... [ Continue Reading ]
And now Jesus sees him lying there among the throng of sufferers, and every ache of every limb, and. every sorrow of every heart told of the perfection of life marred by the curse of sin; but this man’s own sin had left its mark upon him, which men may read and condemn, though within the whited fair... [ Continue Reading ]
What does the question mean? Will this Stranger, whom he has never seen before, do for him what none of those who often saw him had ever done? Will he watch for the bubbling water, and place him first in it? Is there one being in all the world who regards his state as calling for loving pity, rather... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS SAITH UNTO HIM. — There is no formal demand, or formal statement of faith as preceding the healing. (Comp., _e.g.,_ Notes on Matthew 13:58; Mark 9:24.) Men have often wondered at this. If faith is an expression in words or anything outside man, then there is room for wonder; but if it be a liv... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MAN WAS MADE WHOLE. — The sufferer was known; the healing is in the striking form that none could gainsay.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE JEWS THEREFORE SAID UNTO HIM. — But what they cannot deny they can cavil at. One might have expected from human hearts wonder and thankfulness that the man could walk at all. We find from the formalism which had bound the letter round men until it had well nigh crushed all heart out of them, the... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT MADE ME WHOLE. — The man bases the use of his power upon the will of Him who had given it. That has been the one divine voice he has heard, and it cannot be wrong for him to obey it.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT MAN IS THAT WHICH SAID UNTO THEE...? — They pass over the giving of the power, and quote only the command which comes under their technical prohibition. The life and strength of once-palsied limb is as nothing; the fact that this man was breaking their tradition is secondary. The real motive is... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR JESUS HAD CONVEYED HIMSELF AWAY. — The second clause of this verse, as is shown by the marginal rendering, was not intended by our translators to convey the impression that a crowd had assembled round the scene of the miracle, and that to avoid this Jesus passed away from the place. In that case... [ Continue Reading ]
AFTERWARD. — There is no mark of time. Probably it was on the same day. Perhaps the first use of his restored power was to go to the Temple and pay his thank-offering to God. SIN NO MORE. — These words connect his past sufferings with individual sin. He has been freed from the effects, but if they... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MAN DEPARTED, AND TOLD THE JEWS. — We are not told what reason underlay his report to the Jews. It is natural that he should give the answer which he could not give before (John 5:13), and that he should wish to secure himself from the charge of Sabbath-breaking by supplying his authority. The n... [ Continue Reading ]
The words, “and sought to slay Him,” should be omitted. They have been inserted in some MSS. to explain the first clause of John 5:18. For “He had done,” read _He was doing._ The word is in the imperfect tense, expressing continuance or custom. It is either that from this one instance they generalis... [ Continue Reading ]
MY FATHER WORKETH HITHERTO (or, _up to this moment_). — They charge Him with breaking the law of God. His answer to this charge is that His action was the result of His Sonship and unity with that God. The very idea of God implied action. This was familiar to the thought of the day. Comp., _e.g.,_ i... [ Continue Reading ]
For “had broken,” read _did He break,_ and for “His Father,” _His own Father._ They recognise as beyond doubt what He means by the term “My Father,” and the attribute of ceaseless energy. It was a claim which none other had ever made, that God was in a peculiar sense His own Father. They feel it is... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SON CAN DO NOTHING OF HIMSELF. — The key to this and the following verses is in the relation of Father and Son, from which they start. The Jews saw in this equality with God blasphemy, and sought to kill Him. Men have since seen and now see in it inferiority, and a proof that Christ did not clai... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE FATHER LOVETH THE SON. — Do men deny His divinity? God is His Father. There is, therefore, oneness of essence. The unity of His work with God’s work has for its basis the Eternal Love, which showeth to the Son all that the Father doeth. As the relation of Son implies moral inability to do an... [ Continue Reading ]
The following verses (John 5:21) show what these greater works are. They are the Resurrection and the judgment; but these are regarded as spiritual as well as physical, as present as well as future. Once again the background of the thought is to be found in John 5:17. Resurrection and Judgment were... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE FATHER JUDGETH NO MAN. — Better, _For not even doth the Father judge any man;_ and if not the Father, to whom judgment belongs, then none other but the Son to whom He hath committed all judgment. To judge (comp. John 5:29) is the opposite of to quicken in the previous verse. The fact that th... [ Continue Reading ]
VERILY, VERILY, I SAY UNTO YOU. — (Comp. John 5:19; John 5:25, and Note on John 1:51.) For “shall not come into condemnation,” read _doth not come into judgment._ (Comp. Note on John 3:18.) The repeated “verily” introduces, as elsewhere, one of the deeper spiritual truths which He came to teach. Thi... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HOUR IS COMING. — The same solemn words repeat in another form the same great truth. The reference here, as in the whole of this paragraph (John 5:21), is to the spiritually dead. This is shown by the “now is,” which cannot be applied to the physical resurrection (comp. John 5:28), and cannot be... [ Continue Reading ]
HATH HE GIVEN TO THE SON. — Better, _gave He to the Son also._ LIFE IN HIMSELF. — The Son has spoken of the dead hearing His voice and living, but this giving of life to others can only be by one who has in himself an original source of life. This the Father has, and this the Son also has. To the S... [ Continue Reading ]
HATH GIVEN. — As above, _gave._ The “also” after judgment should be omitted. In these verses, as before, the two relations of Father — Son, Life — Judgment, are emphatic. Both Life and Judgment can belong to God only, but both are the Father’s gift to the Son. THE SON OF MAN. — Render, _a son of man... [ Continue Reading ]
MARVEL NOT AT THIS — i.e., that He has Himself a source of life and authority to judge. There shall follow from this “greater works,” at which they shall marvel. There is an hour coming (here not with the addition “and now is,” verse.25) when the victory over physical death shall also make manifest... [ Continue Reading ]
DAMNATION. — Better, _judgment._ See Note on John 3:20. On “done good” and “done (_practised_) evil,” see Notes on John 3:20. It is remarkable that these are the only instances where the words here and there used for “practice” and for “evil” occur in St. John. This double opposition, and the use of... [ Continue Reading ]
For “the will of the Father which hath sent Me,” in the last clause, read, with nearly all the best MSS., _the will of Him that sent Me._ (Comp. John 5:36.) The verse is the expression, once again, but now with special reference to judgment, of the thought with which the discourse opened, and which... [ Continue Reading ]
IF I BEAR WITNESS OF MYSELF. — This verse is the link between the thoughts of Christ’s person (John 5:17) and the witness to Him (John 5:32). He can do nothing of Himself (John 5:30), and does not even bear witness of Himself. If He did, it would be on technical grounds not to be credited. He meets... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE IS ANOTHER... — _i.e.,_ the Father. The reference to the Baptist is excluded by the words which follow. The difficulty which has been seen in this indirect reference to the Father is removed if we connect the words closely with those preceding them. The point is in the fact that another, diffe... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SENT... — Both verbs are perfects. Better, therefore, _Ye have sent; He hath borne witness._ The pronoun “ye” is emphatically opposed to the “I” of the following verse. They sought human witness. He had witness which was divine. The object of John’s mission was to bear witness of the Light (John... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I RECEIVE NOT TESTIMONY... — There is no reason for changing the word. The substantive, and verbs from John 5:31, have been rendered by “witness,” and it is better to keep it here. The English also fails to give the article, and is therefore misleading. He did receive witness from men — had rece... [ Continue Reading ]
HE WAS A BURNING AND A SHINING LIGHT. — Better, _He was the lamp that is lighted and_ (then) _giveth light._ The statement of the Prologue, “He was not the Light, but came to bear witness of the Light” (John 1:8), shows how important this change is. The word rendered “light” occurs again in Matthew... [ Continue Reading ]
For “hath given Me” read, with the better MSS., _gave Me._ The pronouns in “But I have” and in “that I do,” are emphatic. In this verse He returns to the thought of John 5:32. The parenthesis in John 5:33 show that John was not the other there spoken of, and this verse shows that the special form o... [ Continue Reading ]
HATH BORNE WITNESS OF ME. — The marginal reference interprets this testimony of the Father by the voices from heaven spoken at the Baptism and on the Mount of Transfiguration Both are indeed illustrations, and are naturally suggested by the imagery of voice and shape in the latter half of the verse;... [ Continue Reading ]
ABIDING IN YOU. — This striking thought of the word taking up its abode in the mind, and forming the mind in which it dwells, meets us only in St. John. (Comp. John 15:7; 1 John 2:14; 1 John 2:24; 1 John 3:9; 1 John 3:17; and Note on John 6:36.) They had, indeed, the word of God, but they had it not... [ Continue Reading ]
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES. — Better, _Ye search the Scriptures._ The question whether the mood is imperative or indicative, whether we have here a commandment to examine the writings of the Old Testament canon, or a reference to their habit of doing so, is one which has been discussed through the whole... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE WILL NOT COME TO ME. — The real hindrance is once more traced to the will. (See Note on John 3:9.) It is moral, not intellectual. The result of a true willingness to know the truth is certain, not problematic. “Ye search because ye think ye have: if ye were willing to come, ye should really h... [ Continue Reading ]
I RECEIVE NOT HONOUR. — The word is better rendered _glory_ here, and in John 5:44. Jesus continues to dwell, in the remainder of the discourse (John 5:41), on the true cause of their incredulity. “Ye will not come to Me,” is the central thought. But were they, then, to follow this young Teacher, wh... [ Continue Reading ]
YE HAVE NOT THE LOVE OF GOD. — The principle which excludes the seeking honour from men, is the love of God. They were, they said, jealous for God’s honour. The first precept of the Law, and the foundation of the Theocracy, was the love of God. This every Jew professed, and bound round brow and arm... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM COME IN MY FATHER’S NAME. — So far from self-assertion or honour-seeking, He came in the name of, as representing, the Father, guided only by His will, doing only His work (John 4:34). Had they loved the Father, they must have received and reverenced His Son (John 8:42; Matthew 21:37 _et seq._)... [ Continue Reading ]
HOW CAN YE BELIEVE...? — The emphasis is again on the pronoun. It is not possible that _ye_ should believe in Me, as our whole position is entirely different. Ye receive glory from men. I do not (John 5:41). I am come in My Father’s name (John 5:43). Ye do not seek the glory which is from God. We ar... [ Continue Reading ]
DO NOT THINK THAT I WILL ACCUSE YOU TO THE FATHER. — His words were words of direct accusation, which must have cut to the very quick. He had come from the Father, and it might have seemed to follow from what He said, that He would accuse them to the Father. He guards against this misinterpretation.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HAD YE BELIEVED MOSES. — The present incredulity springs from that of the past. If they had really believed Moses, they would have seen in the whole spirit of the Pentateuch a manifestation of God, which would have led them to the fuller manifestation in Christ. Worship, and sacrifice, and offer... [ Continue Reading ]
The emphasis of the contrast here is not between “writings” and “words,” but between “his” and “My.” It is a repetition of the thought of the previous verse, with an advance in time. They had not believed Moses, and therefore had not believed Him. They do not believe, for they do not read the spirit... [ Continue Reading ]