divisions of religious life among ~he Jews themselves weTe in abeyance under the influence of the con,mon ch1nger, The Pharisees acted in harmony with the chief priests, who were Sncld ucees. IV. Timm AOTION BU0GEBTS TO OUR LORD THE IDEA OF ms COMD1G DEATH. "Jesus therefore said unto them, Yet a little while I.am with you, and then I go unto him that sent me. Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither yo cnnnot come." 1. He invites the Jews to profit lnj the time, now narrowed to six months, thnt he would be with them, 2. The fatal, effect of disregarding his timely warning. (1) He would soon be beyond the reach of their malice, for he would "go to him that sent him." Jesus still emphasizes his death as a return to heaven and t-0 his former glory with the Father. (2) They would hereafter seek him in their impotent distress, but they would not find him. Their future history was to be marked by a constant series of disappointed expectations. 3. Their strange misapprehensi= of his words. (1) They see no trace of a reference to his death or to his return to heaven. (2) They see merely an allusion to some transference of his activities beyond the bounds of Palestine to the Jews of the Dispersion, and through them ultimately to the Gentiles. "Will he go unto the dispersed among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks ? " (a) This was an involuntary prophecy like that of Caiaphas. (b) The Jews of the Dispersion, scattered in.Babylonia, Egypt, and Syria, were the most interesting section of the Jews, the links to connect the old with the new revelation, and in their syna- gog11es the apostles were privileged ·to make Jesus known as the Messiah. (c) It is e. significant fact that this unconscious prophecy should be recorded in the Greek language by a native of Palestine, dwelling at the time in a Gentile city. Vers. 37-'--39.-The address of Jesus. He makes no reply to Jewish objection. I. OcoASION OF 'l'HIS ADDRESS. "The last and great day of the feast." 1. It was the eighth day, and was kept as a sabbath. 2. It was designed to commemorate the entrance of the Israelites into Canaan. 3. It was usual on this day for the people to go, under the guidance. of the priest, to the fountain of Siloam, where a pitcher was filled with water, and brought back with joy to the temple. This usage probably suggested. the figure used by our Lord in his address.. II. CHRIST OFFERS THE ONLY SATISFACTION THAT CAN MEET THE SPmITUAL WANTS OF MAN. " If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink." 1. The language ,:mplies the sense of spiritual need. (1) There is in man a thirst for righteousness. (2) There is a thirst for peace. • (3) There is a thirst for the reconciliation of difficulties. 2. ·The language implies that Ghrist is himself the Rock in the wilderness, O'Ut of which the waters of salvation flow. (1 Cor. x. 4.) (1) This water was emblematic of future blessing in the ancient prophets (Ezek. xlvii. 1, 12). He is the Fountain of gardens, the Well of living waters, " as rivers of water in a dry place" to thirsty souls. There is fulness of grace in Christ; i,t flows incessantly into the hearts of his people ; they can drink of it till their souls are as a watered garden. (2) Mark how the Lord transfern to himself figure after figure of Old Testament times-the rock, the manna, the brazen serpent, the fiery pillar. 3. It implies that the thirst can only be relieved by the actual drinking of the living water. Our Lord refers directly to faith. III. 'l'BE BELIBVER HIMSELF IS- TRANSFORMED INTO A ROCK. .. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture bath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." 1. We have here the refreshing vigour of faith. 2. The reception of blessing from Christ leads to its fuller distribution of believers to all within their influence. " Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." IV, 'fHE EXPLANATION OF THE NEW VI0OUR AND INFLUENCE OF THE IlF.LIEVF.R. "But this spake he of the Spirit, which they thRt believe on him should recei..-e: for the Spirit was not yet given; b,·cause that Jesus was not yet glorifiecl." The relerence is to the approaching Pentecost. 1. The language does not imply that the Spirit had not yet existed in believers, for Old Test~ment saints were saved in the same manner as Now 'l'esta'ment ~aints. It is the Spirit's office in all dispensations alike to apply the reclemption of Christ to believer~. 2. It implies that the Spirit was to come, not for mere sanctifying work, but as the fountain of gifts to the Ch?trch. This \Yas the peculiarity of the Pentecostal ~ifts. '!'his was the origin of the "unction" of believers (1 John ii. 20). 3. The gift of the Spirit was essentially connected with the glorification. S2B THE GOSPEL ACOORDING TO ST. JOHN. [011. vu.1-58,
of Ohrist. " Dees use that Jesus was not yet glorified." Jesus must first die, rise again, and ascend to heaven before the Holy Ghost would descend upon the Church. This is the first allusion to Christ's glorification.
Vere. 40-44.-Ejfect of this address upon the multitude. It me.deagreat impression, L IT DETILOPED DIFFERENCES OF OPINION. "Many then of the multitude who had heard this discourse, said, Truly this is the Prophet. Others said, This is the Christ." 1. .A sectwn of the multitude was favourab'le to Ohr1~t's Messianic claims-(1) one part holding that he was the prophet (Deut. xviii. 18), aud therefore, practica.J.ly, the Messiah, or either Elijah or Jeremiah, who was to be a precursor of the Messiah; (2) another part holding that he was really the Messiah. 2. A section-perhaps the larger part-'held that he could not be the Messiah, because he was born in Galilee. " Doth the Christ, then, come out of Galilee?" (1) They were ignorant of the true place of his birth; (2) yet they were acquainted with the Scripture that spoke of Bethlehem as the scene of the Messiah's birth. " Hath not the Scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?" The whole incident shows (a) that they did not take pains to inquire concerning the real birthpiace of Jesus; (b) that divisions of opinion concerning Christ began o.t a very early period, and still continue. "What think ye of Christ?" is still the question which tests the Christian attitude of men and Churches. Il. THE DIFFERENCES OF OPINION PREVENTED THE IMMEDIATE ABREST OF JESUS. " And some of them desired to take him ; but no man laid hands on him." 1. The unbelieving Jews would have gladly arrested Jes'U8, and brought him before the Sanhe- drin on a charge of blasphemy. 2. Their hands were restrained by Divine Providence, mainly through the risks of a collision with those Jews who were inclined to favour Christ's claima.