The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 8

previous contro'l'ersy (oh. v.) had produoed Ver. 17.-They ; i.e. the Ph1Lrisees, divide1l no effect upon Jesus. Ho continued, in in opinion, though probably united in their their opinion, to invalid11te e.ll his cle.ime by interrogation. Those, on the one hand, who violating the enbbe.th le.we, which they had believed in the mimole, and held that it brong-ht to the highest point of perfection. carried Divine approbation of the oonduot Renitn and others insist on Chriet's repooted of Jesus, and, on the other hanrl, those who violittion of the se.bbath ; but the fact is that were so satisfied of tho moml fault involved the Lord sustained the highest me1ming in the transaction, thllt they held that the of the ee.bbath, though he resolutely repu- miracle itself, if not a pieoo of deception or die.tro the inhuman glosses e.nd manifest collusion, might oven indicate some dm- 11.bsurditiee of the traditionnry customs 11.nd moniac source, rather th1m a Divino one, rabbinical rnles. Jesus could not be, they aay therefore unto the blind mu again-the thought (or e.rgued), "from God," invested .,,.,£>,w points to the virtual repetition of in- with his authority, or doing his works, so quiries lllready made (ver. 15)-Whu.t dost long as he would not te.ke their view of the thou say concerning him, aeeing that he sabbe.th This Jesus is me.king obstinate opened thine eyes I " What exple.nlltion hast aee:e.ult upon their prejudices. On seven thou to offer? What view dost thou entert11in distinct occe.sions the Lord chose t.o heal on of the Man himself 1 Some of us think that the sabbath, and thus to set the restrictions his trifling with the so.bbatio law puts out of august rabbis at defiance. But even in of con.rt the idea of 11uy Divine aid having the great Sanhedrin, in the highest council enabled him to work this marvel. Other of the nation, sat men of the che.re.cter of some, e.s yon see, declare that the faot Joseph, Nicodemus, and Ge.me.lie!, who which has occurred is proof that Jesus must would get some idea of the Divine com- have had God's approve.I, and be sustained mission of Jesus from the simple fact of the by Divine ~ace. But what dost thou, the miracles. In this smaller court the op- healed man, say ? What conclusion hast ponents of Christ ignore and doubt the thou adopted? Seeing that he has opened miracle itself, on acconnt of the unse.bbatic thine eyes, what eayest thou. of Jesus?" heresy, while a few o.re convinced the.t signs There is a bare chllnce that the man might of this kind (and probably they had many give a vague answer, or one which would in their minds) were in themselves proof minimize the miracl-e. It is obvious that, of Divine co-operation and approval But while the Pharisees were contradicting each othem said, Row can a man that is a sinner other and in danger of open collision, the (on your hypothesis) do such si.gus ! "As faith of the blind man who had received his far as they go, these miracles are demon- eight became stronger. The light was dawn- strative proof the.t e.t lea,,--t God must be ing on him. The answer, so far as it went, with him, as he has so.id, and they make it boldly took the side of Jesus, and perhaps extremely doubtful whether he can be a its cue from the language of those who had bad man after all-can have verily broken said, "How ce.n a bad m11n do such signs RB the Divine Law." Such a speech as this these ? " And he se.id, He is a Pro.phet (cf. from Pharisees is an emphatic proof of the eh. iv. 19; vi. 14). Prophets, as divinely profound effect produced by Jesus upon the sent men, are even more authoritative than life of the nation. It stands in close asso- learned rabbis. If Joens has broken through ciation with the remarkable statement of some of these restrictions by which they have Nicodemus (eh. iii. 2), "We know that no "placed e. hedge about the Law," surely he man can do t!Jese miracles (signs) which had a prophetic right to do it. The heal- thou art doing, except God be with him." ing marks e. Divine commission, and the Jesus and rabbinism are here face to face. healed man owned and freely confessed to Eituer he is from God and they are actually so much as this : "Ho is e. Prophet." Mai• m1Lking the LILW of God void and vapid by monidee (quoted by Dr. Farrar) shows that their tre.ditious, or they and their code are the idea was current that a pr<Yphet might, from Gud and he, having broken with on his own ipse dizit, alter or relax even the them, has broken with God, and the miracle sabbath law, e.nd that then the people were will turn out to be magic or falsehood. col- e.t liberty to obey him. lusion or worse. Thus a solemn crisis of Vere. 18, 19.-T!Je narrative once more profound importo.nce occurs. And there wu brings "the Jews" into prominence-the e. division (rrxfrr,u,. cutting into two parties) hiemrchical party, adverse to Jesus. The amongst them. 'l'hese opposite effects and angry magistrates who were in the court cone! us ions a.re the confirmation of the allowed it to be seen at once that they will words of the prologue ( eh. i. 4, 5, 11, 12), not be tampered with, nor lose the oho.nee, and they further triumphantly refute the if possible, of pursuing their malicious plans charge that the author of the Gospel W&II already formed against Jest'\11. They take o.ctuo.u,d by an untiring hostility to the tho ground that no miracle had occurred. kingdom and polity of the ancient Israel At iill events, they must have further err. 1x. 1-41. J THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. 9