The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 479

of 1tpocryph11l litcml.uro. If tlw text is so Tho lifo of mon prrrluc, rl by him who is vnrlorl, conflicting, ancl ill-s11atninod as to Life lighte11s Lhe world with its glory. He envelop it in doubt; if the plo.M in the ie the Light of the world, beco.neo he is tho gospol no.rmtive bo uncerlo.in; if the nee of Source of ite life. Thie iuversion of the 6 fow words suggests a, non-Joha.nnine sequences belonging to modern science nnd eourco; nnrl if the position between eh. vii. even to Mosaic coemogony, partly sh0ws 52 nnd viii. 12 bo clifficul t to accept ;-there whRt is meant by "Light," and the Light is yot nothing inconsistent with the Johan- of life. Life in the Johannine thought is nino tenching, or the sublime e.nd uno.p- Divine blesscdnees, the very essence of proncho.ble origino.lity of the character of Divine activity and essential being. The tlio J oho.nnine Christ. The narrnti ve will Father hath it in himself, an,] he has given remo,in for o.11 timo o.n illustration of the to lhe Son to ba eimilarly eelf-completP,. He blending· of judgment with mercy, which can confer tliie life on others, communicating hns received its highest expression in the his own perfection to some of the creatures life-wo1·k e.nd Person of the Obrist. of his hand, even bestowing upon them snme Ver. 12-ch. ix. 41.-4. Christ the Light of of the essential elemen te of his own being. the world, with consequent discussions. There are varied emanations and forth- Ver.12.-(1) The solemn and formal MBer- puttings of this life-vegeta.ble, animal, tion. If the pe.sso.go we he.ve just reviewed psychical, spiritual-and in each case the were e.n integral portion of the Gospel, e.nd life becomes a lnminollll source of direction, in its right pie.co, the reference to the break- e. self-revelatory force, a. light. The highest ing of the morning, the first eye of the sun Life of all is the brightest Light-the true over the purple hills suddenly transforming Lamp of all onr seeing (see eh. i. 9 and their dark outline into the e.spect of semi- xi. 9, 10). Jesus ea.id, "1 am the Light of tre.nspe.rent jewellery, e.nd their misty liol- the world," illuminating its darkness far lows into luminous folds of light, would be more impressively than temple fireworks, or the obvious meaning or reason of the new even pillars of radiant cloud, nay, more than imagery which be adopted : "I am the the sunbeams themselves; and that bec;i.nse Light of the world." If, however, the entire he was the Holder and Giver of life. Again pericope is not in Ha correct place, we must therefore Jesns spe.ke to them, saytig, I a.m link vers. 12-20 with the discourses of the the Light of the world. The "again" may previous chapter. On the gi·eat day of the point back to the discomses of the previous fee.st, in obvious allusion to the mystic draw- chapter, or to the disturbance of the audience ing _of water in Siloam, and transference of and the teaching of that early morning. If it to the temple-oourt, Jesus had said, " If it were the morning of the departure of any man thirst, let him come to me, e.nd thousands from the holy city, peculiar drink." Many critics imagine that now he e.ppropriateness is felt in the continuation: refers to the habit, on the first evening of Xe that followeth me she.ll not (by any the Feast of Tabernacles, e.nd probably, means) we.l.k in the darkness-shall not start though not surely, on the other evenings, off along the defiles of his pilgrimage in the of kindling the golden candelabra in the murk of the night and thd heavy biding court of the women, giving the signal for a mists, but he sha.11, in my companionship, brilliant illumination which was visible have the light of life. My follower will see over the city and surrounding hills. As his way. Those who have entered into the water was a symbolic memorial of the living fellowship with the living One a.wake smiting of the rook, so the sudden blaze in from e.11 death-slumber and darkness," wo.lk the temple-court was a similar reminder of in the light, as he is in the light;., "become the fiery pillar in the wilderness, and com- ligl.J t in the Lord ; " "being made manifest mentators have found in such ceremonial are light;" being with the Lord become e.nd memories an occasion for our Lord's </JwrrTfrpes, toroh-bearers to the rest; and, words. Surely they go much deeper, and moro than all (Matt. v. H), are themselves have II wider signification. The creation of "the light of the w0rhl." 'fhe Messiah had light by the Word of the Lord, and St. John's been antioipe.ted as " Light," as the Light own statement in the prologue that in the of Gentiles as well as Jews (Isa. xlii. 6 ; Lo11:os was life, and the Life we.a the light, xlix. 6; Mel. iv. 2; cf. Luke ii. 32, where and the Light shone into the darkness before Simeon he.d caught ti,e spirit of the ancient the Inoe.rnation, is a more adequnte interpre- prophets). Edersheim (quoting 'Bemidb. tation. " The Word was ma.de flesh," and R.,' 3 e.nd 15, and 'Ye.lkut on Isa. 13:.'): this we.a the grand ooca.sion for the revelation "The rabbis speo.k of the original light of the glory of God. "We beheld bis glory," in which God he.d wrappt>d himself as in says the apostle, " that of e.n only begotten a garment, which was so brilli,mt that it Son of the Father." The gospel narrative could not shine by dt\Y because it would supplies the mnterial which induced the have dimweu. the light of the sun. From evf\ngelist to preface it with imposing words. this light tho.t of sun, moon, ~nd sta.rs h,\d  352 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. [en. vm. 1-59,