The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 98

The Apocalypse, with its promise of the Lord's return In ml\jesty to claim his own, to .iudge the dead, small and great, was the Johannine record of the A~censiou. Dut this is not all. Jesus is represented in the Gospel as in the fuluess of his Divine nnture boing in heaven. although accessible to men on earth. He camo <lown from heaven. He commenced a ma~ifostation in the flesh-he who was for evermore in heaven (eh. iii.13). But more than this, he forewarned those who doubted the possibility of eating his flesli and drinking his blood, that the time was coming; when some at lcnst should see him "ascend to where he was before" (eh. vi. 62). He told the Macrdalene that he was &bout to" ascend to the Father" (eh. xx. 17), and, when that was"effected, slrn might with the touc~ of the Spirit grasp and hold him fast. So though the formal and stately departure of his corporeal manifestation is not again recited, all the conditions on which it rests are more abundantly exhibited by John than by either of the synoptists. We now proc<'ed to notice-- (3) Inciden'tal, allusions in the Fourth Guspcl to features of Christ's teaching and imagery with which we a.re familiar in the synoptists. These allusions reveal an identity of personage in the sublime cha.racter they all alike portray. "'l'he bride and bridegroom" in Matt. ix. 15, given in special reference to the questions raised by dis- ciples of John the Daptist, is curiously consonant with John's language a.bout the bride, the briilcgroom, and friend of the bridegroom (see notes, eh. iii. 29). The reference to the hanest in eh. iv. 35 corresponds to the frequent employment of the same imagery in Matt. ix. 37 and xiii. 30. The comparison of the vine in ell. xv.1 wilh Matt. xxi. 33. Numerous sayings which are attributed to Jesus by the synoptists fell from his lips amid other circumstances, as Matt. xiii. 57; Mark vi. 4; Luke iv. 24, where the diminished honour of a prophet amongst his own people is referred to. This finds a strikiug though difficult occasion on eh. iv. 44 (see notes). The remarkable, para- doxical saying, " He that loveth his life loseth it," etc. (eh. xii. 25), is repeated twice in Matthew (x. 39; xvi. 25) and Luke (xvii. 33). Tile proverbial utterance (eh. xiii. 16), "The servant is not greater than his lord," is repeated with rich variety of illustration in Luke vi. 40 and Matt. x:. 24. And eh. xiii. 20, "He that receiveth whomsoever I shall send, receiveth me; he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me," must be com- pared with Matt. x:. 40 and Luke x. 16. The mode of calling the impotent man, "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk," in eh. v. 8, verbally agrees with the summons given to the paralytic in Ma.rk ii. 9. In eh. vi. 20, "It is I; be not afraid," closely corresponds with Matt. xiv. 27. The idiomatic expression, "taste of death," is found eh. viii. 52 and Mark ix. L The awful announcement (eh. :xiii. 21), "One of you shall betray me,"must be compared with Matt. :u:vi. 21 and Mark xiv. 18. There is curious correspondence as to the value and quantity of bread, required for the feeding of the :five thousand (eh. vi. 7 and Ma.rk vi. 37). The description of believing union with himself as "coming" to him is common to eh. vi. 37 and Matt. xi. 28; and eh. vi. 46 should also be compared with Matt. xi. 27. Our Lord's obnoxiousness to the Pharisees on the sabbatic question is expressed in much the same form in eh. ix.16 and Matt. xii. 2. His startling language about the poor, in eh. xii. 8, is found Riso in Matt. xxvi. 11; the idiosyncratic expression, " He that sent me," in eh. xii. 44 and Luke ix. 48. The promise that he gave, to come again and a.bide with his disciples (eh. xiv. 18, 19), is grandly represented in Matt. mill. 20. The wa.rninge of future distress to his disciples (eh. xvi. 1, 2) should be compared with Matt. x. 17; xiii. 21. Numerous correspondences may be also noticed between the statements of John and the synor,tists with reference to the trial-scenes, notwithstanding the characteristic differences. These allusive and varied ha:monies must be added to all the other facts alleged to show that the great Personag,; refem,d to in the synoptist and Fourth Gospels is identica.1 'l'hey both alike show tb.i.t "neyer man SJJll,ke like this man." (Cf. here table by Godet, 'Gospel,' vol. i. p. 155 ; Lutha.rdt, 'St.John the Author of the Fourth Gospel,' pp. 232-235.) 'l'he following are important: In Matt. xxvi. 61; xxvii. 40; Mark xiv. 58; xv. 29, there is distinct reference to words of Jesus which a.re to be found only in eh. ii. 19, "Destroy this temple," etc. The great utterance in eh. vi. 35, " He that cometh to me shall 11ever hunger," eto., corresponds with Matt. v. 6. Ch. xii. 7 most curiously corresponds with Mark xiv. 8. The bitter cry in eh. xiL 27 must be compared with Matt. xxvi. 39, and cb. xiii. 8 with Matt. xi. 27. The reference to the cock-crowing in eh. xiii. 38 with Matt. xxvi. 34; Mark xiv. 30; Luke xxii. 34; a.nd eh. xv. 20, 21 with Matt. x. 22, 25; and eh.  THl<; GORPF,L AOOORDING TO ST. ,JOHN. c,1