The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 60

The Gospel record makes it manifest that from the early days of his ministry Jesus knew how thnt ministry would end. In his conversations with his disciples he gave them to understand thnt his life of service was to be crowned by a death of sacrifice. II. Tms OFFERING WAS VOLUNTARILY RENDERED, There had been times when the, life of Jesus seemed to be in danger, and on such occasions he had escaped out of his enemies' hande, for his hour was not yet come. And to the last be possesserl power either to crush or to evade his foes. But when the time came for him to be offered up, he made no resistance. He set his face towards Jerusalem. He acted in a manner certain to bring on the crisis. His miracles, his teaching, and especially his denuncia- tions of the Pharisees, were of a nature to ensure the open opposition of his bitter foes. He withheld his supernaturnl power when he might have saved himself. In short, he laid down his life as something precious, which nevertheless he was content and ready to part wi tb. III. Tms OFFERING WAS VICARIOUS IN ITS MORAL IMPORT. 1. Christ died on behalf of his sheep, and in defence of them. This, which was obscurely seen by the high priest, was very present to our Lord's own mind. He had no personal end to serve by consenting to a death of pain and ignominy. It was for the sake of his flock that the Shepherd sacrificed himself. 2. Christ died in the stead of his sheep. As a shepherd may fight with a wild beast that attacks the flock, may receive wounds of which he himself may die, and yet may slay the beast and deliver the sheep of his charge; so our Saviour, by his death, delivered bis spiritual flock "from the bitter pains of eternal death." Not by way of a bargain, as if suffering were something that could be trans- ferred from one to another, as though Jesus endured an equivalent for the punishment men deserved; but by way of substitution and moral mediation. IV. THIS OFFERING WAS REDEMPTIVE IN ITS PURPOSE. "Ye were redeemed," writes Peter, "with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish." The bondage of sinful men was exchanged for liberty, their malady for health, their death for life. V. Tms OFFERING WAS ACCEPTED DY THE FATHER. Of this onr Lord was confident beforehand. "'l'herefore doth the Father love me," he himself says in the anticipation of his sacrifice (ver. 17). It was necessary that this should be the case, that the ]father should approve the offering. This language may easily be misunderstood and mis- represented, as if there were something arbitrary in the pleasure or displeasure of the Eternal. But the fact is that the Father delights in that which is in accordance with unchanging reason and righteousness. What Christ did and suffered, and the aim he set before him, was what commended itself to the mind of the God of wisdom and justice. And, indeed, it was by the Father's will that Christ's work was undertaken, and his acceptance of it was the ratification of bis own counsels. VI. 'l'ms OFFERING WAS EFFECTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL IN ITS RESULTS FOR MEN. In this supreme instance, benevolence was not in vain. If the Shepherd died, the flock was ransomed. And Christ" sees of the travail of bis soul, and is satisfied."-T. Ver. 16.-The sheep of the other fold. The purposes which animated our Saviour's heart, in undertaking labours so severe, and in enduring sufferings so keen, were no doubt always clearly before his own mental vision, But, to judge by the records, it was only. occasionally that an intimation of some of these purposes was afforded by his language. St. John records some sayings of our Lord, mostly uttered towards the close of his ministry, from which we learn that be contemplated results as certain to ftow from bis work on earth, far beyond what even his nearest and most sympathetic friends were at that period able to anticipate, In this discourse Jesus appears to have been conscious of the growing hostility of bis powerful enemies at Jerusalem. Did he seek a consolation for the pain thus inflicted upon him by prominent representatives of bis own nation, in cherishing expectations of the vast and far-reaching results which he, as the spiritual Shepherd of humanity, should in future ages attain, by his affection for bis sheep, and by his self-sacrificing devotion to their welfare? I. THE GLORIOUS AND INSPIRING VIEW WHICH JESUS TOOK OF ms OWN OFFICE AND WOBK AMONGST MEN, He was regarded in Palestine, both by friends and foes, as a Jewish Rnbbi. But this was not the view he was accustomed to take of himself. He did his daily work for those amongst whom he lived ; but he was aware that there was a vaster sphere of service which was truly his. He was the Shepherd, not of  6i THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN, [ea. x. 1-42.