PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels — St. John — Volume 3
Ryle, J. C. (John Charles), 1816–1900 · 220,804 words · 484 reading sections
; JOHN, CHAP. XVII. ISO
markable. I take it to mean, " Through Thine own attributes of power, love, and wisdom." The " name " of God, as before remarked, is frequently used in Scripture to signify His char- acter and attributes. [TJiat tlieymay he one, as we are.] Here our Lord mentions one special object for which He desires that His people…
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carefully guarded those disciples whom Thou hast given Me, that not one of them has perished, or is lost." [But the son of perdition.'] This remarkable expression of course refers to Judas Iscariot, the traitor, the only one of the A])Ostles who was lost and cast away in hell. The name given to Judas is a strong Hebra…
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I can liardly tliink tliat our Lord is referring to the discourse wliich preceded this prayer. It seems more natural to apply " these things I speak " to His prayer. The expression, " my joy," occurs before, in chapter xv. 11. It must mean that peculiar, inward sense of comfort that Christ imparts to believers, and wh…
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benefit of their teacliing and example. Believers would never value Clirist and heaven as much as they will do one day, if thej were not kept here on earth a good deal, taught to know their own hearts, and, like their Master, "perfected by sufier- ing." (Heb. ii. 10.) Hutcheson remarks, " However much we ought to have…
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" evil " in tlie abstract, and not tlie devil, that our Lord means I think so, partly because the devil is not anywhere brought forward in this prayer, and partly because it is more consistent to reason to suppose our Lord would have His disciples kept from ,all kind of " evil," than from the devil only. This is the mo…
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17 Sanctify them through thy truth : thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the ■world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. 20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall be- lieve on …
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the most wonderful prayer that was ever prayed on earth, — the last Lord's prayer after the first Lord's Sup- per. They contain -three most important petitions which our Lord ofiered up in behalf of His disciples. On these three petitions let us fix our attention. Pass- ing by all other things in the passage, let us lo…
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tune for heaven if we are to enjoy it. There must be a moral " meetness for the inheritance of the saints in light," as well as a title. Christ's blood alone can give us a title to enter the inheritance. Sanctification must give us a capacity to enjoy it. Who, in the face of such facts as these, need wonder that incre…
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ed work. But even the best of us, at our best, walk by faith and not by sight, and our poor halting faith often makes us walk very feebly in the way to heaven. There shall be an end of all this state of things one day. We shall at length see Christ as He is, and know as we have been known. We shall behold Him face to f…
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Notes. John xvii. 17—26. 17. — [Sanctify them, etc.] In this verse our Lord proceeds to name the second thin<^ He asks for His disciples in prayer. Preservation was the first thing, and sanctification the secoad. Ho asks His Father to make the disciples more holy, to lead them on to higher degrees of holiness and puri…
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wrought in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, and never quite per- fect so long as we live in this body of sin. The disciples need- ed no prayer for justification ; they were completely justified already. They did need prayer for their sanctification ; for they were not completely sanctified, (c) Sanctification is a thing…
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I believe, with Clirysostom, the meaning- must be, " I consecrate myself, and ofter myself up as a sacrifice and a priest, for one special reason, to say nothing of others : in order that these my disciples may be sanctified by the truth, and made a holy peo- ple."— Is it not as good as saying, " The sanctification no …
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21. — [TJiat they all. ..one in us.] The meaning of this sentence 1 take to be, " I pray that both these my disciples, and those who hereafter shall become my disciples, may all be of one mind, one doctrine, one opinion, one heart, and one practice, closely united and joined together, even as Thou, Father, and I are of…
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" glory " in liis countenance when coming down from the mount (2 Cor. iii. 7.) This same power and influence Christ gave to the Apostles. (See Acts iv. 38.) (c) Some, as Zwingle, Brentius, Gualter, and Pearce, think that " o-lory " means tlie power of working miracles, which was the special and peculiar glory of our L…
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without uniformity, as between godly Episcopalians and godly Presbyterians. Uniformity no doubt may be a great help to unity, but it is not unity itself. The unity which our Lord prays about here is that true, sub- stantial, spiritual, internal, heart unity, which undoubtedly ex- ists among all members of Christ of ev…
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Stier maintains that " I will " " is no other tlian a testament ary word of the Son, who in the unity of the Father, is ap pointing what He mills, at the second limit of the prayer where petition ceases." Alford says " this is an expression of will founded on ac- knowledged right." The expression, " Be with Me where …
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come to Thee from a world wliicti knows Thee not, and has re- fused to know Thee throughout my ministry. But in the midst of this world I have known Thee and steadily adhered to Thee. And these my disciples have acknowledged and con fessed that Thou didst send Me to be the Messiah." It is not clear why our Lord uses t…
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I leave the world." The latter seems the more probable mean- ing. The expression, " Thy love may be in them," is another grave difficulty. It must either be " That Thy love, the same love wherewith Thou lovest Me, may be directed on and to- ward them ; " or else, " That they may feel in their own hearts a sense of tha…
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1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his dis- ciples over tlie brook Cedrou, where was a garden, into the which he en- tered, and his disciples. 2 And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place : for Jesus oft- times resorted thither with his dis ciples. 3 Judas then, having received • 208…
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band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and Bald unto them. Whom seek ye ? 5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said unto them, I am lie. And Judas also, w…
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moment when our Lord seemed weak, He showed that He was strong. Let us carefully remember that our blessed Lord suffered and died of His own free will. He did not die because He could not help it ; He did not suffer be- cause He could not escape. All the soldiers of Pilate's army could not have taken Him, if He had no…
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Shepherd was taken, the sheep were allowed to flee away unharmed. We need not hesitate to see in this incident an in- structive type of all our Saviour's dealings with His people even at this day. He will not suffer them " to be tempted above that which they are able to bear." He will hold the winds and storms in His …
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at every stage of his journey, " Give me what thou wilt^ place me where Thou wilt, do with me as Thou wilt , but not my will, but Thine be done." This is the man who has the mind of Christ. By self-will Adam and Eve fell, and brought sin and misery into the world. Entire submission of will to the will of God is the bes…
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[Over the hrook Cedron.l The Cedron here mentioned, is the game as the Kidron named more than once in the Old Testa- ment. The word " brook " means, literally, a " winter torrent," and this, according to all travellers, is precisely what the Kid- ron is. Excepting in winter, or after rains, it is merely the dry bed of …
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of the narrative. The order of things is : first, the Lord's Sup- per,— then the long discourse recorded by John alone, — then the marvellous prayer, — then the going over Cedron into the garden, — then the agony, — and then the arrival of Judas and the capture of our Lord. It is plain therefore that there is a pause i…
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May we not learn from this verse that there is nothing to be ashamed of, nothing wrong, in loving one place more than an- other, and choosing one place more than another, for com- munion with God? Even our blessed Lord had one special place, near Jerusalem, more than other places, to which He often resorted. The common…
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trees. And in a deep valley tliere would be many dark and shady places. The " weapons " most probably apply to the Jewish servants of the priests. It is unreasonable to suppose that Roman sol- diers would ever move without their arms. For fear of resist- ance the Jewish portion of the party took arms also. Burkitt re…
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[And said... Whom seek ye ?] Jesus Himself was tlie first to epeak, and did not wait to be challenged or commanded to sur- render. This sudden question no doubt would take the party of Judas by surprise, and prepare the way for the mighty mir- acle which followed. The soldiers must needs have felt, " this is not the la…
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divine power, Tliere seems to me mucli probability in this last idea. 6 — [As soon then as He had said, etc.] I cannot doubt tliat tbe thing here related was a great miracle. I have not the slight- est sympathy with Alford and others, who try to explain it away partially, by reminding us of the awe and reverence which…
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the soldier being daunted by the appearance of the Eoman General Caius Marius, is weak and evasive. A whole cohort of Roman soldiers would not fall down without miraculous in- terference. If not a miracle, the event is utterly inexplicable and contrary to experience. 7. — [Then asked He them again, etc.] Our Lord repe…
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"svhicTi are so often found in John's Gospel. He reminds us that our Lord's interference to secure the safety of His disci- ples at this crisis was a fulfilment in fact of His expression in prayer, " none of them is lost." Some persons see a difiiculty here, and object that in the prayer our Lord speaks of eternal sal…
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mentioned is recorded by all the four Gospel- writers, but John alone gives tiie name of Peter as the striker, and of Malchus as the person struck. The reason commonly assigned for this is prol^ably correct. John's Gospel was written long after the other three, when Peter and Malchus were both dead, and their names cou…
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The wars of the Protestants on the Continent after the Refor- mation, and the American war between North and South, fur- nished melancholy proofs of this. Some of the best Christians have died on battle fields. Taking the sword, they perished by the sword. St. John, for wise reasons, does not mention the miraculous he…
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12 Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him, 13 And led him away to Annas first ; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that satne year. 14 Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the peopl…
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In this part of St. John's history of Christ's suifer- ingg, three wonderful things stand out upon the surface of the narrative, lo these three let us confine our at- tention. We should mark, for one thing, the amazing hard- ness of unconverted men. We see this in the conduct of the men by whom our Lord was taken pris…
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the plainest possible warnings — under ihe pressure of no very serious temptation. " Lord," we may well say, " what is man that Thou art mindful of him ? " " Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall." (1 Cor. X. 12.) This fall of Peter is doubtless intended to be a lessor to the whole Church of Christ…
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and Christ's great compassion, then Peter's fall has not been recorded in vain. Notes. John xvin. 12—27. 12. — [Then the hand and the captain, etc.] This verse begins tlie story of our Lord when He was actually in the hands of His deadly enemies. For the first time in His earthly ministry we see Him not a free agent,…
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Tlie object of tlie Jews in bringing our Lord before the liigb priest and in the Sanhedrim first, is very plain. They wished to convict him of heresy and blasphemy, and then after that to denounce him to the Romans. Augustine thinks that Caiaphas arranged that our Lord should be taken to Annas first, because he was hi…
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Let us note how tlie great wicked men of this world — the Sennacheribs and Neros, and bloody Marys, and Napoleons — are used by God as His saws and axes and liammers to do His work and carry out the Building of His Church, though they are not themselves in the least aware of it. Indeed Caiaphaa helps forward the one gr…
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communication witli the family of Caiaplias, wlien le visited Jerusalem on business. All these, it must be confessed, are only conjectures ; and it is perhaps the safest to admit our ig- norance. Enough for us to read that the high priest knew John ; but why and how we cannot tell. Hengstenberg suggests an explanation…
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turned back, and mixed with the multitude escorting our Lord, which he might easily do by night, and amidst the confusion of the whole event. It is noteworthy that some think the houses of Caiaphas and Annas were adjacent, and that " the hall" was common to both of them. I am strongly disposed to think that this is a …
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18. — [And.. .servants. ..officers. ..stood there.] Tliis seems to indicate that when Peter entered, the hall, he found the common ser- vants, and the higher attendants of the high priest, standing round a fire. It is the pluperfect tense, " they had stood," or " had been standing there " some little time. [ Who had m…
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jaentators think it was Caiaplias. He alone is called by John " tlie higli priest," that same year in which Jesus was crucified. Some few think it was "Annas," because Jolm says Jesus was brought to him. (Ver. 13.) This at first sight seems the plain meaning of the narrative, and is confirmed by verse 24. Yet this theo…
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23. — [And when Re had thus spohen, etc.'] This verse mentions an event which John alone has recorded. One of the attendants standing by rudely interrupts our Lord by striking Him, and coarsely taxing Him with impertinence and disrespect in so speaking, as He had spoken to the high priest. The Greek words literally re…
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may be times wlien, in defence of truth and for tlie honor of justice, a Christian must firmly protest against violence, and publicly refuse to countenance it by tame submission. Augustine observes, " Our Lord here showed that His^reat precepts of patience are to be put in practice, not by outward show of the body, bu…
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which is fully recorded in tlie other three Gospels. The insti- tution of the Lord's Supper is an example. His Gospel was em- inently supplementary. Writing later than the others, he was specially inspired to dwell at great length on the examination of Jesus before Pilate the Gentile ruler, and to say comparative- ly l…
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28 Then led they Jesus from Caia- phus unto the hall of judgment : and it was early; and they them- selves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled ; but that they might eat the pass- over. 29 Pilate then went out unto them, and said. What accusation bring ye againat this man ? 30 They answered an…
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That was scrupulosity indeed ! These hardened men •were actually engaged in doing the wickedest act that mortal man ever did. They wanted to kill their own Messiah. And yet at this very time they talked of be- ing " defiled," and were very particular about the pass- over ! The conscience of unconverted men is a very c…
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of God. The Pharisees paid tithe of mint, anise, and cummin, and compassed sea and land to make prose- lytes, while they neglected "judgment, mercy, and faith." (Matt, xxiii. 23.) The very Jews who thirsted for Christ's blood were the Jews who feared the defile- ment of a Roman judgment hall, and made much ado about ke…
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the Roman Emperors need not be afraid. In the high- est sense it was a kingdom " not of this world." But our Lord did not intend to teach that the kings of this world have nothing to do with religion, and ought to ignore God altogether in the government of their subjects. No such idea, we may be sure, was in His mind.…
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is the account that our Lord gives of His own mission. He says, '* To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth." Of course we are not to suppose our Lord meant that this was the only end of His mission. No doubt He spoke with special reference to what He …
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when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." (Mark viii. 38.) The last point that we should notice in these verses is the question that Pontius Pilate addressed to our Lord. We are told that when our Lord spoke of the truth, the Roman Governor replied, " What is truth ? " We are not told with what …
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not honestly take pains, and search the Scriptures. The followers of unhappy Pilate, as a rule, do not deal fairly and honestly with their consciences. Their favorite question, — What is truth ? — is nothing better than a pretence and an excuse. The words of Solomon will be found true as long as the world stands : " If…
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it was day." (Lake xxii. 66.) Considering that the day begins at the equinox about six, we may assume that ' early " cannot mean sooner than seven or eight o'clock. [And they went not...judgment hall... defiled.'] The meaning of this sentence is, that the Jews would not go within the walls of Pilate's palace, lest by …
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fear to be defiled witli the toucli of Pilate's pavement ? Doth so small a gnat stick in your throats, while ye swallow such a camel of flagitious wickedness ? Go out of Jerusalem, ye false disbelievers, if ye would not be unclean ! Pilate hath more cause to fear, lest his walls should be defiled with the presence of s…
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passover lamb and keeping tlie feast, at the very time when they were about to slay the true Lamb of God, of whom thia passover was a type 1 No wonder that Samuel says, " To obey is better than sacrifice." (1 Sam. xv. 22.) Bullinger calls attention here to the wide difference between inward sanctification of the heart…
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the prisoner as worthy of death, they would not have brought him to the procurator, as none but criminal cases needed con- firmation by him." 81. — [Then said Pilate.. ..take... judge. ..lawl] This sentence indi- cates a desire on Pilate's part to have nothing to do with the case. From the very first he evidently wish…
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statesmen evading the plain line of duty, and trying to shuffle responsibility on others, rather than give offence to the mob. This is precisely what Pilate did here. The spirit of his reply to the Jews is, ** I had rather not be troubled with the case : cannot you settle it yourselves, without asking me to interfere V…
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The idea of Clirysostom and Augustine, that the sentence only means that the Jews could not put any one to death during the passover feast, looks to me utterly improbable. 32. — [That the saying...fulfiUed, etc.] This verse is one of John's peculiar parenthetical comments, which are so frequent in his Gospel. Here, as…
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though he said, " Come in hither. Prisoner, that I may speak with thee privately ! " [And said... art Thou. .. King... Jews ?^ The first question that Pilate asked of our Lord, was whether he really admitted that He was what the Jews had just accused Him of being. " Tell me, is it true that Thou art the King of the Je…
533 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical edition (1857). Text from OCR of an original Internet Archive scan; OCR may contain recognition errors.
Project Gutenberg source record →
Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.