The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 404

olnlmcd in Go.lilee, nA well as in Jernealem, gm1s o.nd torriblo offence which marle the tho deepest things of hie own consoiousnese erms a stamhling-block to the Jew (see eh. and lnlontione: tliat the teBohing in Onlilee xii. 3-l ; l Cor. i. 23 ; Gal. v. II ; l\Iatt. xvi. wo.s not, o.s Reunn would lmvo us a.pprchend, 21, etc.). Who is able to listen to him 1 nothing more thnn 11n idyllic progress of This seems not only to be the possible, but personfll popularity o.nd mploroue hosanna. most probable, translation of the genitive 'rhe Lord knew that ho must olfcnd those with a.1Co6.,,, It wns the Iangunge, not of who would by force constrain him to Le "the Jews," but of" the clisciplee." their l\Icssinnio King, nncl mode it by this Ver. 61.-But Jeans, knowing inh.i.illself- discourse clonr that spiritual communion not necessarily by supcrnaturnl penetration, with bis innor life, ns a Divine, Heaven-sent for many signs of impatience may have been Roprcsontntivo, ne Ono suffering nnd dying manifested-that his disciples murmured for tl,e world, was the only c.nd supremo (see ver. 41, note) conoerning this hard condition of dori ving o.nd shnring in his argument, said unto them, Doth this cause own supernatural and eternal life. you to rtumble 1 (see note on eh. xvi. 1). Ver. 62.-If it doea put difficulties in The effect of this discourse nnd the crisis your way, then how will it be if you behold that followed in his public ministry is now the Bon of man ascending u11 to where ha described. The words of Jesus led to deeper was before1 This unfinished and ambiguous faith and to a. more determined antagonism. sentence and query have been v:i.riously "The light shono into the darkness, and interpreted. Somo have argued that our Lord here simply refers to the "resurrection;" the do.rkuess comprehended it not." "He that he told his hearers they would have co.me to his own, and his own received him an opportunity of observiDg that, e.fter death, not: but to as many as received, he gave he would return to where he was before, power to become sons of God." that is, to the conditions of earthly life. The striking antithesis between " descending Vera. 60-71.-(4) The twofold effect of from " and "asccrnling" almost compels the these instructions. repudiation of this view. Did Christ, how- Vere. G0-66.-(a) The unbelief of some, ever, menn to e.sk them whether, under the which led him to predict the ascension of his new condition of things, all ground of humanity to where HE was before. offence would not be to.ken awo.y? or to Ver. 60.-llto.ny therefore of his disciples. imply that their faith would have to be put This word is used in a. wider sense than of to a still greater strain, and that they would the twelve. The eynoptists tell us of much stumble at length irretrievably? Liicke, labour already done in this neighbourhood, De Wettc, Kuinoel, Meyer, chiefly nrge the o.nd a considerable harvest of souls reaped, latter, and on the ground: (1) The.tin John'~ so far ns a ge.nel'll.l o.cknowledgment of his Gospel the death of Christ is always looked claims and 11n expectation that he was the at e.s his rcs.1 glorification, and that thereforo Messiah was involved: When they heard it by iiva./3a.fveiv he was referring in his (i.e. the entire instrnction given in open euphemistic fashion to his lleath in the true synagogue), said, This iD t1 hard say'u1g Johannine phrase e.s o. going to God (cf. eh. (A&.,,os cannot or need not be confined to xiii. 3, o. return to the Father; xiv.; xvi. 5, any one of these {,1,µa.Ta., but mo.y easily 28). (2) That John docs not describe the embrace them all). The diseourso was Ascension as a physical fact. Meyer does dx>..11p&r, harsh, the opposite of µa.Aa.1C&s, 11 not nllow that eh. iii. 13 and xx. 17 are word userl by the unprofitable servo.nt of his sufficient with this phrase to justify such a master (Mntt. xxv. 2'1). It does not mcnn reference to the great eYent referred to by "hard lo bo understood," but di.fileult to l\Iark, Luke, o.nd Paul, and the author of the accept or be content with. Luthardt here Epistle to the Hebrews. .Against Meyer reiterates his conviction that there is no and those who agree with him it should be reference in it to the clenth of Christ, and noticed that iiva./3a.fv.,v is never used for tho.t the disciples were simply unwilling to "death" of Christ. The phrases, 61rcf."teill T:; accept the idea of hie supreme clnims 11Dd Ticl.Tp, and (AO.,v, etc., 11.1'0 used for this his constant return to the eating o.nd purpose. Moreover, when a phrase was drinking of his flesh nnd blood aud identifl- wnntod to denote the twofold idea of up- eo.tion of this eternal life with pnrticipo.tion lifting on the cross and o.scension to tl.to in his eorporo.lity. But surely Meyer and skies, ~,j,w81,ea., is the word twice used in ,v esteott-, etc., are far nearer to tho truth the Fourth Gospel (eh. iii. H; xii 32- in referring the oxprcasion to their un- 34). Moreover, if death could be realize,! willingness to accept the bloody death of as such a. 6,wp,iv of glory o.nd fulnese of life, their Messiah, or to entrust themselves to o. the offence of the cross, and sco.nda.l of Divine Personality whoso most distinctive participation in nnd depenclence upon the act would be his s11eri1lce. 'rhis wns the ftosh and blooJ of Christ, woulcl be reduced  THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOUN. [ en. vr. 1-71.