The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 317

Samaritans, the Gl\lilmans. (2) Accepting or water, the rising oom, and the coming revealing the mightiest and most enduring ha,rvest. names-" The Son of God," "the La,mb of One remarkable aspect of this preliminary God." the Ba,ptizer with the Holy Ghost, ministry is the light it throws upon the pro- " the King of Israel,'' the Opener of the foundly difficult passage in the synoptloe, kingdom of henven, the Crea,tor of a,ll things, desoriptive of the temptation of Jesus-a the Head of the theocracy, the Rebuilder of subject on which thisevC1ngelist BBys nothing, the temple of his body, the Teacher of the Lnter on, indeed, he tells us thnt Jesus said, teacher of Israel, the "Son of man," the "The prince of this world cometh, and bath Sanour, the Giver of eternal life, the nothing in me;" and, •• Now is the crisis of Light, the Bridegroom of the trne bride, this world : now is the prince of this world the Object of the eternal Father's love, the oast out. And I, if I be lifted up, will draw Revealer of the Father in his most essen- all men to me" (oh. xii. 81; xiv. 80). In these tial features and most perfect will, the chapters the evangelist records certain events ·" Prophet that should come into the which correspond iu a remarkable way with world," the "Saviour of the world," the threefold temptation of the devil, which .the " Christ of God." (8) We see him, in we know to have preceded the public ministry 1.he majesty of his omnipotence, hiding in Galilee. Thus, (1) over a.go.inst the devil's himself, ae the Almighty always does, temptation to make stones into bread for his behind and in his works; we see him bal- own sustenance, and as proof of his sonsbip -low:iug and heightening the joys of nuptial to hin1self, we find that Mary his mother said love, and age.in pnrifying the house of God to him, at the marriage-feast, " They have ·from all contaminating adjuncts; we see him no wine." His reply was, "Not in the way in his exalted mood consumed by holy zeal, which you propose will I make myself known and also weary and thirsty by the well, to the world." "Mine honr [for that] is not asking for water from an alien, and me.king yet come." He did, however, in a manner to her the most astonishing revelations, baffling to all but his disciples, turn water hushing the pride, e.s they have secured into wine for the behoof of poverty and the the reverence, of all after-ages by their hallowing of earthly joy, and the manifes- spirituality and refinement. (4) We have tation, not so much of the glory of his specimens of every kind of reception and power as of the fulness o.nd sweetness of his non-reception e.ccorded to his teaching. love. Compare with this his asking for Some at once perceive his extra.ordinary teater from the well for his own refreshment claims, and pour forth their homage ; as a weary, thirsting man, e.nd also the spirit others are silent, and pass out of sight of his reply to hie disciples, " I have meat for ever. Some are cold and reserved, to eat which ye know not off;" "My meat critical and puzzled; others glow and gush is to do the will of him who sent me." (2) with instantaneous conviction. We see in Over age.inst the devil's temptation to descend these chapters the shadow of the cross, and in splendid supernatural effect from the gleams also of the crown of Jesus. (5) We pinnacle of the temple upon the astonished have, moreover, remarkable forthshe.dowing multitude, trusting in the mean while to the of the immense human personality which is hands of angels to hold him up, we have sustained, not only by what follows in this John's account of his sndden appearance Gospel, but by what was well known and in the temple, when, consumed by holy zeal widely circulated when this Gospel was for its purity, instead of loud acclaim, he en- written, e.g. the impression which he spon- countered the first muttering of the storm taneously gave of reserves of power and which culminated on Calvary, and made it troth. A necessity seems imposed upon evident that he only looked to victory over him c;f speaking in parabolic, enigmatic their prejudices by eventually building up language. He continually rises from the that temple of his body which they, by their commonest incident and material to the obtuseness, were beginning to destroy. (8) Divinest truth ; utilizing for his purpose Over against the temptation to win the the fig tree, the wine-cup, the temple courts powers of the world and the glory of them and sanctuary, the roaring wind, the flowing by a sinful compromise, I.e. by 11dmitting the OH, IV, 1-54.] 'fHE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN, 181