Christ's words, though despised and rejected by the Jews, did not fall to the ground. Those whom they did not save they will condemn. There will be a resurrection of all faithful sermons at the last day.— Great is the responsibility of preachers ! Their words are always doing good, or adding to the condemnation of the lost. They are a savour of life to some, and of death to others. Great is the responsibility of hearers ! They may ridicule and despise sermons; but they will rind to their cost at last that they must give account of all they hear. The very sermons they now despise may be witnesses against them to their eternal ruin.
Let us note that our Lord speaks of judgment and the last day as great realities. Let us take care that we always account them such, and live accordingly. The Christian's best answer to those who ridicule his religion is to say, "I believe in a judgment and a last day."
Let us note that condemnation is taken for granted, if not directly expressed, as the portion of some at the last day. Then let us not listen to those who say that there is no future punishment, and that all persons of all characters, both good and bad, are at last going to heaven.
Zwingle remarks that the expression, " My word shall judge," is parallel to such expressions as, " The law puts a man to death," though it is not actually the law, but the executioner that does it. The law only shows him to be worthy of death. So the works and words of Christ will show the unbelieving to be worthy of judgment and condemnation.
49.— [For I have not spoken of myself.'] In these words our Lord once more,, as if for the last time, declares that mighty truth which we find so often in St. John,— the intimate union between Himself and His Father. " I have not spoken of myself, of my own independent mind, and without concert with my Father in heaven."
The object of saying this is evident. Our Lord would have the Jews know what a serious sin it was to refuse His words, and not believe them. In so doing men did not refuse the words of a mere man, or a prophet, like Moses or John the Baptist. They were refusing the words of Him who never spake alone, but always in closest union with the Father. To refuse to receive the words of Christ was to reject not merely His words, but the words of God the Father.
Here, as in many other places in St. John's Gospel, the Greek does not mean, " I have not spoken concerning myself, but out of or from myself."
[But the Father. ..gave.. .commandment. ..speak.'] Here our Lord explains and enforces more fully what He said of " not speaking from Himself." He declares that when He came into the world, the Father gave Him a 'commandment" oj a
john, chap. xn. 3dl
commission, as to what He should say and speak to men. The things that He had spoken were the result of the eternal counsels of the ever-blessed Trinity. The works that He had done were works which the Father gave Him to do. The words which He spoke were words which the Father gave Him to speak. Both in His doing and speaking nothing was left to chance, unforeseen, unprovided, or unpremeditated. All was arranged by perfect wisdom, both His words and His works.
When we read of the Father "sending" Christ, and giving Christ a "commandment," we must carefully dismiss from our minds all idea of any inferiority to God the Father on the part of God the Son. The expressions are used in condescension to our weak faculties, to convey the idea of perfect oneness. We are not speaking of the relation that exists between two human beings like ourselves, but between the Persons in the Divine Trinity. — The " sending " of the Son was the result of the eternal counsel of that blessed Trinity, in which Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are co-equal and co-eternal. The eternal Son was as willing to be "sent" as the eternal Father was to "send" Him. — The " commandment " given by the Father to the Son as to what He should teach and do, was not a commandment in which the Son had no part but to obey. It was simply the charge or commission arranged in the covenant of redemption, by all three Persons in the Trinity, which the Son was as willing to execute as the Father was willing to give.
The distinction between "say " and " speak " in the Greek is not very clear. Burgon thinks the phrase is meant to include " every class of discourse ; as well the words of familiar inter- course, as the grave and solemn addresses." But lam not satis- fied that this can be proved, — " A Lapide" says that " to say is to teach, and publish a thing gravely, and to speak is to utter a thing familiarly." — Bengel, however, distinguishes them in pre- cisely the contrary way !
There certainly seems to be an intention in the verse to refer the Jews to the well-known words of Deuteronomy, concerning the Prophet like unto Moses. " I will raise up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words into His mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall com- mand Him." Our Lord's hearers, familiar from their infancy with Scripture, would see at once that Jesus claimed to be the promised Prophet. The Father's words were in His mouth. ne spoke what was commanded Him. (See Deut. xviii. 18.)
50. — [And I know. ..his commandment.. .life everlasting.] The meaning of this sentence seems to be, — "I know, whether you like to believe it or not, that this message, commandment, or commission, which I have from my Father, is life everlasting to all who receive it, and believe. You, in your blindness, see no beauty or excellence in the message I bring, and the doctrine I preach. But I know that in rejecting it you are rejecting life