Auofustine and Bernard both remark, that it is far " greater work" to repair ruined human nature, than to make it at first, and to re-create it, than to create it.
21, 22. — [As the Father raiseth up the dead, &c.'\ Our Lord here proceeds to tell the Jews one of His mighty works which He had come to do, in proof of His divine nature, authority, and commission. Did they find fault with Him for making Himself equal wiin God ? Let them know that He had the same power as God tiie Father to give "life" and quicken the dead. Let them know furthermore, that all "judgment" was committed to Him. Surely He who had in His hand the mighty prerogatives of giving life and judging the world, had a right to speak of himself as equal with God 1
When we read "the Father raiseth up the dead, and quick- eneth them," we must either understand the words to refer generally to God's power to raise th3 dead at the last day, — which the Jew would allow as an article of faith, and a special attribute of divinity, — or else we mu^t understand it to apply to the power of spiritually quickening men's souls, which God had from the beginning exercised in calling men from death to life, — or else we must simply take it to mean that to give life, whether bodily or spiritual, is notoriously the peculiar attribute of God. The last view appears to me the most probable one, and most in harmony with what follows in after verses.
When we read " the Son quickeneth whom he wills," we have a distinct assertion of the Son's authority to give life at His will, either bodily or spiritual, with the same irresistible power as the Father. The highest of all gifts He has but to " will " and to bestow. The Greek word translated " quickeneth," is very strong. It is, literally, " makes alive," and seems to imply the power of making life of all kind, both bodily and spiritual.
Burkitt remarks, that it is never said of any prophet or apostle, that he did mighty works "at his will."
When we read " the Father judgeth no man, but hath com- mitted all judgment to the Son," we must understand that in the economy of redemption, the Father hL.s honoured the Son by devolving on Him the whole office of judging the world. It cannot of course mean that judgment is work with which the Father from His nature hath nothing to do, but that it is work which He has completely and entirely committed to the Son's hands. He that died for sinners, is He that will judge them. Thus it is written, — '• He will judge the world in righteousnesa by that man whom he hath ordained," (Acts xvii. 31.)
Burgon remarks, " There is an origiuMl, supreme, judicial power; and there is also a judicial power derived, given by commission.
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Christ, p^ God, hath the first together with the Father : Christ, as man, hath the second from the Father,"
I think it highly probable that the " all judgment committed to the Son," includes not merely the final judgment of the last day, but the whole work of ordering, governing, and deciding the afi'airs of G-ods kingdom. "To judge" is an expression constantly used in the Old Testament in the sense of " to rule." The meaning then would be, that the Father has given to the Son the office of King and Judge. The whole administration of the Divine government of the world is put into the hands of the Son, Christ Jesus. Everything connected with the rule of the church and world, as well as the last judgment, is placed in the Son's hands.
We should carefully mark the distinction between " quicken- ing " and "judging" in the language of these two verses.
(a.) It is not said that " the Father quickeneth no man," but hath committed the power of giving life to the Son. Had this been said, it would have contradicted the texts "no man can come unto Me except the Father draw him," and "the Spirit giveth life." (John vi. 44 ; 2 Cor. iii. 6.) Quickening is the work of all three Persons in the Trinity, of one as much as another.
(b). It is said that judgment is the special work of the second Person of the Trinity. It is not the pecuhar office either of the Father, or the Spirit, but of the Son. There seems a fitness in this. He who was condemned by an unjust judgment, and died for sinners, is He whose office it will be to judge the world.
(c.) It is said that " the Son quickeneth whom he will " The power of giving life is as much the prerogative of the Son as of the Father, or of the Spirit. Surely this teaches us that to place the election of God the Father, or the work of the Spirit, before men, as the first and principal thing they should look at, is not good theology. Christ, after all, is the meeting-point between the Trinity and the world. It is His office to quicken as well as pardon. No doubt He quickeneth by the Spirit whom He sends into man's heart. But it is His prerogative to give life as well a^ peace. This ought to be remembered. There are some in this day who in a mistaken zeal put the work of the Father and the Spirit before the work of Christ.
23. — [That all men should honour the Son, <&€.] By these words our Lord teaches us that the Father would have the Son to receive equal honour with Himsel£ We are to understand dis- tinctly that there is no inferiority in the Son to the Father. He is equal to Him in dignity and authority. He is to be worshipped with equal worship. If any man fancies that to honour the Son equally with the Father, detracts from the Father's honour, our