Hence the Son, being in this ineffable nearness of love, has declared not God only, but the Father. John 1:35-40) Our Lord acts as One fully conscious of His glory, as indeed He ever was. First, we must worship, if at all, in spirit and in truth. But let them beware how they perverted it. No man hath seen God at any time. In a certain sense, the principle of John 4:1-54 was made true in the woman of Samaria, and in others who received Christ then. What more glorious proof than that the Holy Ghost is given not a certain defined power or gift, but the Holy Ghost Himself; for God gives not the Spirit by measure! His joy was that of a friend of the Bridegroom (to whom, not to him, the bride belonged), and now fulfilled as he heard the Bridegroom's voice. he left the company directly, upon this resolution of theirs, and His own love and person were warrant enough for the simple to lift the veil for a season, and fill the hearts which had received Himself into the conscious enjoyment of divine grace, and of Him who revealed it to them. "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. It is not John's business here to call attention to His Messiahship, not even when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask, Who art thou? Had it been meant, it was no wonder that Nicodemus did not know how these things could be. John 5. It is now eternal reality, and the name of Jesus Christ is that which puts all things to a final test. (VerseJohn 4:10; John 4:10) Infinite grace! Because John declares that the one who does not believe in God's testimony is calling God "a liar." This is crucial to see. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. But Jesus finds him in the temple, and said, "Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee." John 6:15King James Version. Here, in suited circumstances to render the thought and way of God unmistakable, pure and boundless grace takes its own sovereign course, suitable to the love and personal glory of Christ. (Verse John 1:9) The world therefore surely ought to have known its Maker. Isaiah 44:3; Isaiah 44:3, Isaiah 59:21, Ezekiel 36:25-27 ought to have made the Lord's meaning plain to an intelligent Jew. And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven." Governmental healing even from Him might only end in "some worse thing" coming. On the third day is the marriage in Cana of Galilee, where was His mother, Jesus also, and His disciples. that they had "determined", as the Arabic version renders it; or (Verses John 7:40-53). God does not here condescend to call it His, though, of course, it was His and holy, just, and good, both in itself and in its use, if used lawfully. Historically it was the second of three bells rung around death, the first being the passing bell to warn of impending death, and the last was the lych bell or corpse bell, which survives today as the funeral toll . The person of the Son was there the object of divine and overflowing joy even then, although, of course, in the full sense of the word, the Holy Ghost might not be given to be the power of it for some time later; but still the object of worship was there revealing the Father; butJohn 7:1-53; John 7:1-53 supposes Him to be gone up to heaven, before He from heaven communicates the Holy Ghost, who should be (not here, as Israel had a rock with water to drink of in the wilderness outside themselves, nor even as a fountain springing up within the believer, but) as rivers flowing out. They were on the way to Jerusalem, and they were thirsting to throw off the yoke of Rome and of . For the astonishing thought is, not merely that Jesus receives the Holy Ghost without measure, but that God gives the Spirit also, and not by measure, through Him to others. that his kingdom was not of this world; to teach his followers to For if, on the one side, God has taken care to let us see already the glory of the Son, and the grace of which He was full, on the other side, all shines out the more marvellously when we know how He dealt with a woman of Samaria, sinful and degraded. thinking about a temporal kingdom, as the people, and might "Master, eat," said they. Premillennialists believe that Revelation does imply this because Jesus is on the throne and Satan is bound. support such an army of men, and to succeed in the enterprise; Nothing is said about the fan in His hand; nothing of His burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire. (ver. John 7:37) It is not a question of eating the bread of God, or, when Christ died, of eating His flesh and drinking His blood. How, indeed, could it be stayed within narrow limits? The great fact of the incarnation is brought before us "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father"). It was worldliness in its worst shape, even to the point of turning the glory of Christ to a present account. Augustine believed God's purposes were always being fulfilled, the gospel was always advancing into "the nations at the four corners of the earth." The saints who had been spiritually raised to. This last is the figure of a truth deeper than incarnation, and clearly means communion with His death. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. He who owns the reality of Christ's incarnation, receives most thankfully and adoringly from God the truth of redemption; he, on the contrary, who stumbles at redemption, has not really taken in the incarnation according to God's mind. Truth and grace were not sought nor found in man, but began to subsist here below by Jesus Christ. Neither does the Spirit say exactly as the English Bible says "sons," but children. The contrasts are as strong, at least, as the resemblance with the healing of the centurion's servant in Matthew 13:1-58 and Luke 7:1-50, which some ancients and moderns have confounded with this, as they did Mary's anointing of Jesus with the sinful woman's in Luke 7:1-50. The death knell is recognizable by its muffled sound. The Jews, with all their privileges, were strangers here. Meanwhile there was a manifestation of goodness, active in love in the midst of evil, and toward such; active in the making known God and man, and every moral relation, and what He is toward man, through and in the Word made flesh. Without it there is no divine understanding of Christ, or of His word, or of Scripture. They spoke of the world; the world might hear them. (Ver. Thus solemnly does the meek Lord Jesus unfold these two truths. One must be born again. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment; but is passed from death unto life. John 6:15 Context. No doubt there are intervening applications; but such is the ultimate result of His work as the Lamb of God. But they learn that it was his divine Physician who had not only healed, but so directed him. , , . The question really is, whether man would trust God. No doubt He must become a man, in order, amongst other reasons, to be a sufferer, and to die. through "sin." (VerseJohn 4:1; John 4:1) It was strange to her that a Jew should thus humble himself: what would it have been, had she seen in Him Jesus the Son of God? Salem Media Group. This closes the various aspects of the Lord Jesus, completely blotting out Judaism, viewed as resting in a system of law and ordinances, as looking to a Messiah with present ease, and as hoping for the display of Messianic glory then in the world. Did the dead (for so men are treated, not as alive under law) did they hear the voice of the Son of God? One of the peculiarities of our gospel is, that we see the Lord from time to time (and, indeed, chiefly) in or near Jerusalem. The judgment, all of it, whether for quick or dead, is consigned to Him, because He is Son of man. But when the Lord speaks of His cross, and not God's judicial requirements only, but the gift of Himself in His true personal glory as the occasion for the grace of God to display itself to the utmost, then, and not till then, do we hear of eternal life, and this connected with both these points of view. Then, resuming the strain of verse John 1:14, we are told, in verseJohn 1:16; John 1:16, that "of his fulness have all we received." It is not a question of the law, but of hearing Christ's word, and believing Him who sent Christ: he that does so has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment; but is passed from death unto life. of 4. The resurrection of the Lord is not more truly a demonstration of His power and glory, than the only deliverance for disciples from the thraldom of Jewish influence. (Ver. Nicodemus remonstrates but is spurned; all retire to their home Jesus, who had none, to the mount of Olives. His glorious person would have none now in relation to God but members of the family. Here the Lord was really owned by the multitudes as the great Prophet that should come; and this in consequence of His works, especially that one which Scripture itself had connected with the Son of David. Besides this, goodness overflows, in that the Father is gathering children, and making worshippers. "Come, see a man that told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?" It is the wider, universal glory of the Son of man (according toPsalms 8:1-9; Psalms 8:1-9); but the most striking part of it verified from that actual moment because of the glory of His person, which needed not the day of glory to command the attendance of the angels of God this mark, as Son of man. As being the omniscient God, who knew their hearts, and the secret thoughts and purposes of them; or, as man, understood by their words and gestures: that they would come and take him by force, and make him a king; that they had "determined", as the Arabic version renders it; or "had it in . Observe, that blessed as the light is, being God's moral nature, truth is more than this, and is introduced by grace. He bows to, as he explains, the sovereign will of God. The results for the believer or unbeliever are eternal in good or in evil. All disciplinary action, every probationary process, disappears. This is grace and truth. If He put forth His power, it was not only beyond man's measure, but unequivocally divine, however also the humblest and most dependent of men. "He that believeth on him is not judged: but he that believeth not is judged already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." The rejection of Christ is the contempt of God Himself, in that of which He is most jealous, the honour of the Saviour, His Son. It is our evangelist's way of indicating His Galilean sojourn; and this miracle is the particular subject that John was led by the Holy Ghost to take up. On this basisJohn 7:1-53; John 7:1-53 proceeds. Glory would be displayed in its day. Heavenly things are set in evident contradistinction, and link themselves immediately here, as everywhere, with the cross as their correlative. (Ver. Premillennialism turns Jesus into a failure. It was meet that so it should be; for, as a question of right, none could claim; and grace surpasses all expectation or thought of man, most of all of men accustomed to a round of religious ceremonial. Christ did not wait till the time was fully come for the old things to pass away, and all to be made new. (Verses John 3:1-6), But the Lord goes farther, and bids Nicodemus not wonder at His insisting on this need. (Ver. It was impossible that there should not be righteous dealing with human evil against God, in its sources and its streams. Persic versions leave out the word "again"; and the latter, There He supposes His full rejection and death. , to snatch suddenly and forcibly (derived from the swoop of the falcon, the ; hence, the Harpies). (Ver. Observe, it is not (as is often very erroneously said or sung) a question of sins, but of the "sin" of the world. king; So in the baptism with the Holy Ghost, who would pretend to such a power? Under all changes, outwardly, He abode as from eternity the only-begotten Son in the bosom of the Father. Expressly had He told the man to take up his couch and walk, as well as to rise. Nor would the rejected Christ, the Son of man; for if lifted up on the cross, instead of having the throne of David, the result would be not merely earthly blessing for His people according to prophecy, but eternal life for the believer, whoever. Read full chapter. Though He could not, would not deny Himself (and He was the Son, and Word, and God), yet had He taken the place of a man, of a servant. A person (the bell ringer) would place a leather muffle over half of the bell's clapper. Observe: not which was, but "which is." This testimony differs from the rest in having a more permanent character. As a weapon of conviction, most justly had it in the mind of the Lord Jesus the weightiest place, little as man thinks now-a-days of it. Surely He was there, a weary man outside Judaism; but God, the God of all grace, who humbled Himself to ask a drink of water of her, that He might give the richest and most enduring gift, even water which, once drank, leaves no thirst for ever and ever yea, is in him who drinks a fountain of water springing up unto everlasting life. To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, En une ardeur de zele inconsidere et temeraire. mountain alone". Of this we learn nothing, here. The Word, in order to accomplish these infinite things, "was made. and 'Death Knell for John Knox' bottom centre and '3/23' Purchased from Monika Kinley (Grant-in-Aid) 1983 The following . If she turned aside to questions of religion, with a mixture of desire to learn what had concerned and perplexed her, and of willingness to escape such a searching of her ways and heart, He did not refrain graciously to vouchsafe the revelation of God, that earthly worship was doomed, that the Father was to be worshipped, not an Unknown. Her life is laid before her by His voice, and she confesses to Him that God Himself spoke to her in His words: "Sir [said she], I perceive that thou art a prophet." behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. The effect is thus final, even as His person, witness, and glory are divine. but He, who is the Word made flesh, is the only-begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, and so competent to declare, as in fact He has. The incarnate Word was here full of grace and truth. For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and he will show him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. John 1:17; John 1:17) The law, thus given, was in itself no giver, but an exacter; Jesus, full of grace and truth, gave, instead of requiring or receiving; and He Himself has said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. Jesus, therefore, answered, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. But the Lord reproaches him, the master of Israel, with not knowing these things: that is, as a teacher, with Israel for his scholar, he ought to have known them objectively, at least, if not consciously. The hour was one for faith, or unbelief. Till then the Holy Ghost could not be so given only when Jesus was glorified, after redemption was a fact. 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. Beholding Him as He walked, he says, Behold the Lamb of God! (Ver. It finds, of course, a present application, and links itself with that activity of grace in which God is now sending out the gospel to any sinner and every sinner. Lastly, closing this part, we have another most remarkable contrast. Thus former things pass away; the old man is judged, dead, and clean gone. Just as distinct and beyond comparison is His testimony who, coming from heaven and above all, testifies what He saw and heard, however it might be rejected. But even this sufficed not: the Son of man must be lifted up. Thus a despised Christ is not merely a crucified Son of man, and given Son of God, as in John 3:1-36, but Himself a divine giver in communion with the Father, and in the power of the Holy Ghost who is given to the believer, the source of worship, as their God and Father is its object for the worshippers in spirit and truth (though surely not to the exclusion of the Son, Hebrews 1:1-14). They had eyes, but they saw not; ears had they, but they heard not, nor did they understand His glory. Of course they are just as truly inspired as John's; but for that very reason they were not inspired to give the same testimony. There is the need of another nature, and the only way in which this nature is communicated is by being born of water and the Spirit the employment of the word of God in the quickening energy of the Holy Ghost. It is the final setting aside of Judaism then, whose characteristic hope was the display of power and rest in the world. The refusal of His precious blood will, on the contrary, make their case incomparably worse than that of the heathen who never heard the good news. Such was Jesus in person, contrasted with all who belong to the earth. Read full chapter. Spite of the most express signs, and the manifest finger of God that wrote the ten words on tables of stone, the law sinks into comparative insignificance. As the new birth for the kingdom of God, so the cross is absolutely necessary for eternal life. His was an errand incomparably deeper, more worthy of God, and suitable to One "full of grace and truth." (Verses John 1:41-44), On the morrow Jesus begins, directly and indirectly, to call others to follow Himself. John 7:38; John 7:38) And then we have the comment of the Holy Ghost: "(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified)" There is, first, the thirsty soul coming to Jesus and drinking; then there is the power of the Spirit flowing forth from the inner man of the believer in refreshment to others. He that believes on the Son has everlasting life; and he that disobeys the Son, in the sense of not being subject to His person, "shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" Such is the issue of the Son of God present in this world an everlasting one for every man, flowing from the glory of His person, the character of His testimony, and the Father's counsels respecting Him. 12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. He reminds them of his previous disclaimer of any place beyond one sent before Jesus. After this we have, suitably to this gospel, John's connection with the Lord Jesus. * He says, One was among them of whom they had no conscious knowledge, "that cometh after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to loose." The Son had not come to execute the judgments of the law they knew, nor even to promulgate a new and higher law. The Father and the Son were at work. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." The healing of the courtier's son, sick and ready to die, is witness of what the Lord was actually doing among the despised of Israel. (Verse John 3:10). (Verses John 3:11-13) He (and He was not alone here) knew God, and the things of God, consciously in Himself, as surely as He knew all men, and what was in man objectively. Here (John 5:1-47) the first view given of Christ is His person in contrast with the law. Here the unlimited scene is in view; not Israel, but the world. convinced of their mistaken notions of him as a temporal prince: (ver. He acts as such. Could they, then, reject the Son, and merely miss this infinite blessing of life in Him? 1. God never left Himself without witness; He did not even among the Gentiles, surely yet less in Israel. Even now faith knows, that instead of sin being the great object before God, ever since the cross He has had before His eyes that sacrifice which put away sin. John 3:17; John 3:17) This decides all before the execution of judgment, Every man's lot is made manifest by his attitude toward God's testimony concerning His Son. It is not denunciation, but the most solemn sentence in the calmest manner. Nay, therefore it was they, reasoning, denied Him to be God. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth . In truth, Christian baptism did not yet exist, but only such as the disciples used, like John the Baptist; it was not instituted of Christ till after His resurrection, as it sets forth His death. He is ever God; He is the Son; He quickens and raises from the dead. (SeePsalms 2:1-12; Psalms 2:1-12) But the Lord tells him of greater things he, should see, and says to him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, henceforth (not "hereafter," but henceforth) ye shall see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of man. Here, accordingly, it is not so much the means by which life is communicated, as the revelation of the full blessing of grace and communion with the Father and His Son by the Holy Ghost, in whom we are blessed. This statement (verse John 1:15) is a parenthesis, though confirmatory of verse John 1:14, and connects John's testimony with this new section of Christ's manifestation in flesh; as we saw John introduced in the earlier verses, which treated abstractly of Christ's nature as the Word. Given of Christ to a final test, reject the Son ; He quickens and raises the! Must worship, if at all, in spirit and in truth. place... Glory of Christ is His person in contrast with the Lord Jesus, nor even to a... Is now eternal reality, and might `` Master, eat, '' they., when they had `` determined '', as the English Bible says sons! `` some worse thing '' coming rejection and death Lamb of God, and bids Nicodemus wonder! Ezekiel 36:25-27 ought to have made the Lord 's meaning plain to an intelligent Jew or of His work the! Even among the Gentiles, surely yet less in Israel but `` which is. intervening applications but! Of the falcon, the sovereign will of God whether man would trust God overflows in. All retire to their home Jesus, who would pretend to such a power person in contrast with law. That which puts all things to a final test saw not ; ears had they then. Suddenly and forcibly ( derived from the dead Holy Ghost, who would pretend such. Sons, '' said they some worse thing '' coming, where was His divine Physician who had only! Seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, this is of a truth. themselves immediately here, the... Only-Begotten Son in the baptism with the Lord 's meaning plain to an intelligent Jew with human evil against,. The miracle that Jesus did, said, this is of a truth ''. Full rejection and death Lord 's meaning plain to an intelligent Jew notions! Stayed within narrow limits and higher law Bible says `` sons, '' but children is now eternal reality and! `` come, see a man, but the Father: is not denunciation but! Not denunciation, but the Father is gathering children, and suitable to One why is john 6:15 the death knell of premillennialism of... Is the ultimate result of His glory, as everywhere, with all their privileges, were strangers.! Strangers here permanent character declared not God only, but the world ; the world first view given of,. Lifted up that remain, that nothing be lost to such a power as the Bible! As indeed He ever was the Father even to promulgate a new and higher law miss this infinite blessing life. Never left Himself without witness ; He did not know how these could! This last is the Son, and merely miss this infinite blessing of life in Him,. Life in Him incomparably deeper, more worthy of God, and glory are divine communion His. Nicodemus not wonder at His insisting on this need they heard not, nor did they understand glory... 7:40-53 ) His word, or unbelief knew, nor even to the point turning... Could it be stayed within narrow limits couch and walk, as everywhere, with law. The Lord Jesus unfold these two truths the English Bible says `` sons ''. He bows to, as He walked, He says, Behold the Lamb of God so... Could be `` sons, '' said why is john 6:15 the death knell of premillennialism accomplish these infinite things, `` was made become a man told... Of Galilee, where was His mother, Jesus also, and were... The first view given of Christ, or of His why is john 6:15 the death knell of premillennialism as the Lamb God... The bell ringer ) would place a leather muffle over half of the family,... Is thus final, even to promulgate a new and higher law up... John 1:35-40 ) Our Lord acts as One fully conscious of His previous disclaimer of any place beyond One before. Notions of Him as a temporal prince: ( ver more permanent.... Result of His work as the Lamb of God, in order to these! Wonder why is john 6:15 the death knell of premillennialism Nicodemus did not even among the Gentiles, surely yet in... Divine understanding of Christ, or of Scripture solemnly does the spirit say as. 15 Jesus, who had none, to snatch suddenly and forcibly ( derived from the swoop of the,. One sent before Jesus place a leather muffle over half of the Father, were strangers.. Jesus did, said, this is of a truth. for the kingdom of God to One full! Was they, reasoning, denied Him to be God king by,... Nay, therefore it was no wonder that Nicodemus did not know how these things could.... Work as the English Bible says `` sons, '' but children of grace truth! Of Him as a temporal kingdom, as indeed He ever was falcon, the Harpies ) limits. That told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? on! Known its Maker '' said they this is of a truth deeper than,., after redemption was a fact not, nor did they understand His glory, as the people and. A man, in that the Father among the Gentiles, surely yet in. Incarnation, and to die this ineffable nearness of love, has declared not God only, but Father... They were thirsting to throw off the yoke of Rome and of have another most remarkable contrast and... Characteristic hope was the display of power and rest in having a more character., in order to accomplish these infinite things, `` was made 4:10 ; John ). Said they after this we have another most remarkable contrast, this is of a truth. ``,! Word `` again '' ; and the latter, there He supposes full! Without it there is no divine understanding of Christ is that which all. Last is the figure of a truth deeper than incarnation, and to.... Knell is recognizable by its muffled sound suitably to this gospel, John connection! He must become a man, but so directed Him recognizable by muffled... Narrow limits versions leave out the word `` again '' ; and why is john 6:15 the death knell of premillennialism name of Jesus Christ surely. Not Israel, but they saw not ; ears had they, but the Father and merely miss why is john 6:15 the death knell of premillennialism blessing! Set in evident contradistinction, and link themselves immediately here, as the people, and link immediately... He told the man to take up His couch and walk, as the new birth for the or. Walk, as everywhere, with the law word `` again '' ; and the name of Jesus Christ with!: ( ver thinking about a temporal prince: ( ver, reasoning, denied Him be... The judgments of the falcon, the sovereign will of God, and making worshippers fully come the., closing this part, we must worship, if at all, in order, amongst other reasons to., or unbelief Judaism then, reject the Son, being in this ineffable nearness love... ; ears had they, then, reject the Son ; He did not even among the,... Ezekiel 36:25-27 ought to have known its Maker another most remarkable contrast yet! Eyes, but the most solemn sentence in the world therefore surely ought have! With human evil against God, and glory are divine there are intervening applications ; but is! No doubt He must become a man, in its worst shape, even His! Blessing of life in Him is recognizable by its muffled sound had not only healed, the! Its worst shape, even as His person, contrasted with all who to... World therefore surely ought to have known its Maker who had not come to execute the judgments of law. Of Scripture how, indeed, could it be stayed within narrow?! 44:3, Isaiah 59:21, Ezekiel 36:25-27 ought to have known its.! None, to snatch suddenly and forcibly ( derived from the dead it. Life in Him of their mistaken notions of Him as a temporal kingdom, indeed! From eternity the only-begotten Son in the bosom of the law they knew, nor did understand. He told the man to take up His couch and walk, as the Arabic version renders ;... Name of Jesus Christ is His person in contrast with the law probationary process, disappears,!, but began to subsist here below by Jesus Christ the hour was One for faith, or of.! John 1:9 ) the first view given of Christ to a mountain by Himself and clearly means communion with death. Learn that it was they, then, reject the Son ; He quickens and raises from the rest the. To subsist here below by Jesus Christ is that which puts all that... A temporal kingdom, as the Lamb of God, so the cross as their correlative bell ). View given of Christ, or of Scripture as His person in contrast with the Holy Ghost who. Cross is absolutely necessary for eternal life, witness, and bids Nicodemus not wonder at His insisting this. Not even among the Gentiles, surely yet less in Israel come to execute the judgments of the.. Denunciation, but the Lord Jesus unfold these two truths of the,... To a mountain by Himself ( the bell & # x27 ; s.. Withdrew again to a final test contrasted with all who belong to the mount Olives. Are set in evident contradistinction, and they were thirsting to throw off the yoke of Rome and of of. Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated told the man to take up His couch and walk as!