devoted the last few quiet days that remained before His cruci- fixion, to uninterrupted communion with the Father, and pri- vate instruction of His disciples,
55. — [And... Jews' passover...nigh at hand.'] This expression, like many others in John's Gospel, shows that he wrote for the Church generally, and for many readers who were not familiar with Jewish feasts and customs.
[And many ivent... country. ..before. ..passover.] This seems mentioned as a simple matter of custom among the Jews, and not as a thing done this year more than any other. They always did so; and thus drew together, for seven days before the pass- over, a larger collection of people at Jerusalem than at any other time of the year. Hence the crowds and expectation when our Lord appeared. He had been talked of by people from all parts of Palestine.
[To purify themselves.] This refers to the ceremonial wash- ings, purifications, and atonements for ceremonial uncleanness, which all strict Jews were careful to go through before eating the passover. (See 2 Chron. xxx. 18, 19.) It is impossible to read the book of Leviticus carefully, and not to be struck with the almost endless number of ways in which an Israelite could be- come ceremonially unclean, and need going to the priest to have an atonement made. (See Numbers ix. 6 — 11.) That the Pharisees, in such matters, added to legal strictness by their absurd scrupulosity, such as " straining at a gnat," we cannot doubt; but the simple law as it stood was a yoke that was very hard to bear. No wonder that thousands of devout Jews came anxiously before the passover, to Jerusalem, to be made ceremo- nially clean and fit for the feast.
It is worth noting how singular particular men are some- times about forms and ceremonies, and outward correctness, while they coolly plan and execute enormous crimes. The Jews, zealous about " purifying" themselves while they were planning the murder of Christ, have had imitators and followers in every age of the Church. Strictness about forms and ceremo- nies, and utter recklessness about gross sin, are found quite compatible in many hearts.
66.— [Then sought they. ..Jesus, and spake, etc., etc.] The persons here mentioned seem to me to have been the Jews from all parts of Palestine, mentioned in the last verse, who had come up to prepare for the passover. The fame and history of our Lord were probably so great throughout Palestine, tbat one of the first inquiries the comers would make of one another would be about Him. And as they stood in the temple court, waiting for their turn to go through ceremonial purification, or talking with old friends and acquaintances who had come up, like them- selves, from the country, Jesus would probably be a principal topic of conversation.
[What think ye... that... not come... feast.] This is mentioned as