mean that one and the same person can be a dying person, and yet also the eternal Christ? Dost Thou claim "to be the eternal Christ, and yet talk of being lifted up on a cross? Explain this apparent contradiction, for we cannot understand it."— It is just the old story over again. The Jews could not and would not understand that Messiah was to suffer as well as to reign, to die as a Sacrifice as well as to appear in glory. They could not and would not see that the two things could be reconciled, and could meet in one person. Hence their perplexity exhibited in the question of the text.
The title, " Son of man," is first found applied to Messiah in Daniel vii. 13. We cannot doubt that the Jews understood and remembered that passage.
Let us note that a half knowledge of Scripture, a suppression of some texts, and a misapplication of other texts, will account for a large portion of mistakes in religion. In this way people get a heresy or a crotchet into their heads on some doctrinal point, and seem blind to the truth. No heresies are so obsti- nately defended, and so difficult to meet, as those which are based on a perverted view of some portion of Scripture. In reading our Bibles, we must be careful to give every part and portion its due weight.
Let us remember, before we judge the blindness of the Jews too severely in this place, that many Christians are just as slow to see the whole truth about the second advent of Christ and His coming glory, as the Jews were to see the whole truth about the first advent and the cross. Multitudes apply texts to the first advent which only belong to the second advent, and are just as much prejudiced against the second personal coming of Christ to reign, as the Jews were against the first personal advent to suffer. Not a few Christians, I fear, are ready to say, " We have heard out of the Scriptures that Christ was to come in humilia- tion to be crucified ; and how say ye, then, that Christ must come in power to reign? "
The expression, " this," is rather emphatic, and has something contemptuous about it. " We have heard of a Son of man who is eternal. Who is this Son of man about to be lifted up on the cross, of whom you speak? "
35. [Then Jesus said unto them.. light with you.'] It is noteworthy that our Lord makes no direct answer to the question of the Jews. He only warns them, in a very solemn manner, of the danger they were in of letting their dav of grace slip away un- improved. He draws a figure from the light of day, and the acknowledged importance of walking and journeying while we have the light. By " the light" He evidently means Himself. " I, the Light of the world, am only going to be with you a very little, longer. My day is drawing to a close. The sun will soon set." (Compare Jer. xiii. 15.)
Here, as elsewhere, we see how clearly and distinctly our