The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 407

pmli<'Hone of the 11pproRohing Pnssion. part of tl1c phntscology of r0<lemption Wt\B '.fhis forelmc,wlcdge of iesnos is no inter- derind from the method of Christ. l\fen fC'l'<'n<'C' with frl.'O l!CH-<'onsoiousnese in itself. "onme" to him; they" followed" him; thev It nrny imply th11t the n11tures thus known " wn.lkcd "with him; they conhl "go baok/' ('c,ntniaed in themseh-es the seeds of the desert, formke t.b.cir Lord. These notions of future growth. He knew wbnt would be, his first disciples have created the vocnbulruy but he did not oompol it. There WllS pos- of the kingdom of God. Christ's teaching llibly some frC'sh m11nifestntion of feeling, of tested as well as 11ttrnctcd men. There wns failing sympnthy, even of enmity, which led n repellent forM 1\8 well n.s 11n infinite fose!i.- the evangelist to notice the mo.nner and nation. He sifted as well 11s soved. Tho interjlret the mind of the Lord. l'ery deeds and words that broke some henrls Ver. 65.-And he said, For this oause have into penitence roused impatient and angry I &aid unto you, that no man oan oome unto remonstrance in others. There is seen in tllis me, e:i::cept it were given unto him of the Gospel a continunl dcpnrturo o.nd a deepen- Father (µou ie omitted by RT. and Tisohen- ing faith. dorf (8th edit.); the nutborities seem here Vers. 67-71.-(1,) The loyalty of the twelve, more cqnnlly dil'ided); see notes on Tera. tDilh a Rote of prophetio toaming. 37 nnd H. Christ bas come completely Ver. 67.-.Tesus therefore said unto the round to the fundamental principles with twelve. He spalre to them because of the "l\·hich he started. The coming to him, the wide defection from bis ro.nks. " The bclicl'ing on him, the spiritual apprebeneion twelve" hnvo never been mentioned before of his Dime humanity, the adoring accept- in t.b.e Gospel, but this passing reference once of bis precious blood, the reception of reveals ncquaiutnnce with the foot on the the spiritual lifc-gil'ing energy which went pa.rt of tho evnngelist. He assumes the forth from him in word, depended on the historic number ns perfectly explico.ble to Father's "drawing "--on those fundamental his readers. The reference to the twelve chnracteristics of appetite and capacity to baskets in ver. 13 almost presupposes the.t receive the grace of Christ which are sub- there were the snme number of disciples, jectil'e e.nd are referrible to the Father's and this pathetio appenl is in ho.rmony with good plea.sure. Chril!t does not give the the synoptio account of their "call." Would hunger, but the bread. From the beginning ye also go a.way t M¾, 8<>,E-r< suggests o. he saw the presence of the a-ppetite after negnti ve answer, "Ye cnnnot wish, can tho.t which he came to bestow. Sometimes yon?" (Meyer). Godet Rays, on the contrary, ::i morbid absence of all hunger, o. moribund "If yon wish, you can I " Westcott, " The cessntion of thirst, may be and is transformed form of the question implies that such deser- into po.ssiono.te a.nd life-sanng eagerness by tion is incredible, and yet to be feared" ( cf. the sight of food. The Fe.ther gives both eh. vii 47, 52; xviii. 17, 25). The question the hunger and the food. the sense of need is far from identical with that query which and the hea vcnly snpply. The love of God, once more the Lord pnt to the twelve, after which is in Christ Jesus om Lord, is the many subsequent mont.b.s of varied activity drawing of the Father through the Son to and critical discourse, which showed how himself. The drawing of the Father is the Jesns had at length broken wit.b. the narrow giving of souls to the Son. !1,- fresh th~nght literalism of Judaio privilege, On thatocco.- is here added. This drawing, thus mter- sion he was summing up the vnried convic- prctoo, is God's gift al.so to the human soul tione produced upon the Ge.lilman multi- The question :irises-If the Lord knew, why tudes, and he asked," But whom so.y ye that did he choose the traitor, or call Judas into I am?" Here he is simply suggesting the the innermost circle (see l'er. 71)? possibility, but yet the incredibility, of his de- Ver. 66.-Upon this(J,c -ro6-rou; cf. l( ai, sertion by the twelve apostles, merely beenuse equivolcnt to qua propter). Not" from that he had affirmed the spiritual aims of his time forwnrds," not o. gmdn11l thinning entire mission, and had mnde an unreserved down or depa.rlnre of some direiples, one offer of his Divine humanity to their need. to-day and another to-morrow, but a kind of The pathos of this inquiry shows how rnsh and Btampcde took place. Those who serious a crisis we.a being enacted. It has a few hours before were ready to ce.11 him reference in its issues rather to himself than their Messianic King, were entirely disen- to the twelve. The critical school see in chanted. The cle.ims of Christ were so pro- this verse the Johannine treatment of the foundly difi'erent from what they anticipated great apoelolio confession, and Weiss here that upo!l this me.ny of bill disciples went ogrces with it. Even Godet thinks that two be.ak, and walked no more with him. The such questions with their answers, under fascination those felt who had seen some of comparatively simililr conditions, are iJll- the excellences of Jesus led them to put probable. He suggests tho.t the l,c .-06-rov themselves at his disposal, to wait upon him, (ver. 66) points to o.greatscattcring, nnd toot w desert their ordinary occupations. Hence months me.y have elapsed before the scene CB, VI. 1-71,] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. 2i;j