The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 1 — Section 521

"Your fnther Abraham rejoiced to see my day." The incarnate life of Jesns was rovealed to him in the promise which God repeatedly mado t.o him. This excited his Interest, o.nd bocamo the subject of his ardent study. He meditated on it with delight, rniscd himself, as it were, on tiptoe to look over the shoulders of ages to catch a glimpse of it; strotchcd forw11rd with eagerness and joy to behold it; made use of every licrht, Rad earnestly prnyed for more, (2) A vi,i1)1'1, ef hi., incarnate life was granted him. "And he saw it." His faithful efforts met with success, and his enger faith was rew11rded with the desired vision. Whether this refers to the general vision of his lifo of faith, or to some special one, is not certain. Perhaps it was specially enjoyed on the summit of Morinh, and through his own experience in offering up his only son he had a special vision of the incarnate life of the Son of God. 'l'his served as a telescope through which he saw the dist1mt day close at hand, and beheld its leading features, and grasper\ its Divine and human bearings nnd import. (3) This visi/)1'/, filled his soul with joy. " He saw it, and was glad." Being the chief vision of his life, his soul overflowed with delight and gladness. His was the joy of overflowing gratitude, intense satisfaction, and Divine fulfilment. Since he saw that day his joy was in bis soul, a springti<lc which carried him at last to the brighter visions and diviner joy beyond. 2. In relation to .Abraham's age. "Before Abraham," etc. This implies: (1) The priority of his being. It was very little for him to so.y that he was before A braba.m, considered in the full light of his statement, but it was a step in the right directioa, and a reply to the objection of his opponents, (2) The eternity of his being. "I am." "I was" here would place him among created beings, but "I am" at once reveals him as uncreated, eternal, self- existent, and independent of time and material conditions and circumstances, and makes him belong to the highest order of being. (3) The unchangeabi1ity of his 'being. "I am." In time, o.ud amid the changes of his visible and earthly existence, his eternal personality and consciousness are~preserved unchanged. He is still the" I am.n (-!) His unquesti1)1'1,able Divinity. If his being is uncreated, eternal, self-existent, a.ncl unchangeable, be must be Divine. This he most emphatically and solemnly asserts: "Verily, verily," etc. III. His REVELATION OF Hll!SELF IN RELATION TO HIS OPPONENTS. 1. They under- stood it. It was intellectually intelligible to them. They were too acquainted with the attributes and designatioilll of Jehovah to misunderstand tho language of Christ, and their application to himself was felt by them, as their conduct J;lroves. 2. It became to them unbearable. "They took up stones,n etc. A proof of: (1) Inability to refute his statement. When stone-throwing begins, arguments are o.t an end. Stone- throwing is a sign of weakness. (2) Inability to be convinced. 'rheir false and malicious nature was patent against conviction. They could not rise to the Divinity of his Person and mission. This inability was sad, but wilful and criminal. (3) Iaability to control themselves. Passion was their master; hatred was on the throne. They fail to conceal them. 3. It widened the gulf between him and them. It was wide before-wider now. As he revealed himself in the sublimest manner as their promised Messiah and the Son of God, they in consequence revealed themselves in stone-throwing as his most implacable and deadly foes. 4. His revelation was 8'11,itahly appended by his apparmtly miraC'Ulo'US escape. "But Jesus hid himself," etc. Hid himself in the folds of his glory. A. suitable sequel to his revelation of himself as their Divine Deliverer. How easily and effectively could he defend himself, and retaliate in their fashion! But he preferred his own. He had a royal road. He departed as a 'King. He could walk through the crowd unobserved, and through the stones unhurt. The weak a.re more ready to attack than the strong, but there is more majesty in the retreat of the strong than in the attack of the weak. When stone-throwing begins, it is time for the messenger of peace to retire. The stones may kill his person, but cannot kill his publishod messaii;e, and he may be wanted elsewhere. LESSONS. 1. Natural relation.ships often suroive the spirit'Ual. The natural rela- tionship between these people and Abraham, and even between them and God, still remained, while the spiritual was all but gone. This is true of God and evil ~pirits. 2. When the spiritual relationship is destroyed, the natural availeth nothing, It is only the foundation of an empty boast and hypocritical self-righteousness, and at last the source of painful reminiscences nnd contrnsts. 3. T/ie best of fathers ofte11 have tli~ worst of child1-en, '!'his is true of Abraham, and even of Gfd-t-he be~t l<'ather of all.  898 THE GOSrEL AOOORDING '1'0 S'l'. JOHN. [oH. vm. 1--69, -------------------------- 4. Jlfod of the religiou~ capital qf tl" p1·esent is dc1·ivcd cntfrely from the 1,ast. Mnn:,, clnim ~cl~tionship_ with, 111;1d boast of, th_e refonners nnd i11~1st~ons m~n of bygone ngos, ancl 1111~ 1s nll their stock-10-trado. Their names are on their lips, wlulo thoir principles aro under their foC't. 5. It was the cliief mi.~sion ef Christ to explain and establish the spiritual .relntio11ship between man a.nd God. To establish it on R sound bnsia-tho basis of faith, obedience, e.nd love. To be the real children of God and of our pious nucostol'll we must partake of their spiritual nature and principles. This Josus tm1ght wit]~ fidelity, although it cost him at last n crud cross. 6. ll'e a.re indirectly indebted to tho crcvils of foes/or some ef the sublimest ,·evelatio11s of Jesus of liimself. It wns so hero. Their foul blasphemies, after all, served as advantageous backgrounds to hi~ gmnJ pictures of incarn11.te Divinity and lovo; so thnt we arc not altogether sorry thnt they called him a "Samaritan" and a demon, as in consequence he shines forth with peculiar brilliancy as the Friend of sinners, the Son of Goo, nnd the Saviour of man- kind.-B. T.