The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 134

Vere. 28-26.-(1) T/1" glorljlcation of !11e tion is to ho foand in the facl; thot th'l Son or Bon of man in and through death. mo.u is indeed the Logos made flesh, o.nd the Ver. 28.-And J'esns attllwereth I them. Lamb slo.in, a11d like the Serpeni is being Mony oommentators (Ewold Godet, Heng- lifted op, and as the trno Shepherd is laying etenberg) think thBt Jesus dicl not od<lress down his life that he might trike it ago.in. Tho the following words to the Greeks, that advent of the Greeks opens prophetic vistas until he had gone through the agony of which involve tremendous experiences of death, and entered In human nature on his his own, and also great principles of service Divine ond mediotorial reign, the mieeion for all bis followers. Hie Po.seion was eo to the Gentiles could not commence. Tho- inextricably interwoven with hie glory, thBt luok supposed thot the interview was over, the former becomes verily the prelnde of his and that the solemn words are addressed to victory e.nd supreme exaltation. Hie death the disciples in the presonoe both of Greeks is but hie glory. Moreover, the approach nnd of othel'll afterwarda; but there ie no of the Gentiles suggested the universal suoh breo.k suggested. It is more probable belief in him which would follow upon his (with Lutho.rdt, Edersheim, Le.nge) the.t Passion and resurrection, and he " foretells the Greeks were close behind Andrew ond that the hour of his glorification wa.s already Philip, and tho.t our Lord ot once, for their come" (Augustine). (See remarks in Intro- o.d vantage, o.s well as for that of the dis• duction, pp. lxxviii.-lxxx., on the several ciples, proceeded to explain the solemn im- epochs in this record of the Lord'B life, pression made upon himself by this remo.rk- where the "hour" seems to strike, but is o.ble desire. Surely it is unnecessary to Rgain and again postponed with a view to soy that our Lord was anxious not to give fresh revelations, exactly o.s the climax is umbrage to the priests, or to rouse the deferred throughout the Apoci,lypse.) animosity of the people. Every word of Ver. 24.-The oracle is introduced with the terrible address of Mott. xxiii., all a solemn 'Aµ.t,v, cl.µt,v, 71.0., oµ.."v: Verily, the controversies in the temple, even the verily, l say unto yon, Except the oom (or, triumphal entry itself, would and did give grain) of wheat, having fallen to the ground, mortal umbrage to the priestly party and die, it abideth by itself alone : but if it die, to the Sanhedrin. He had boldly chal- it beareth much fruit. The simple illustra- lenged their entire position. He he.d smit- tion of life through dee.th, life triumphing ten down their prejudices and assailed their over death. " Even nature protests against notions of exclusive privilege, and therefore the Hellenic fear of death" (Lange). As would not have shrunk, on that ground, long as the corn ofwheo.t is scrupulously kept from intercourse with devout Greeks wor- &om decomposition and death in the grano.ry, shipping at the feast. The words are surely the hidden germ is dormant; let it be sown said to them and about them, but in the as " bare grain " (1 Cor. xv. 36, etc.), then main for the instruction of the disciples the strange force within it puts forth its themselves. The hour is oome for which hidden faculty, the outer covering of this he had been waiting (eee eh. ii. 4; xiii. 1)- point of energy falls away, and the new the myetorious "hour" on which his glory thing appears. God gives it a body, and would depend, o.nd the destiny of the world much fruit is brought forth. Thoma sug- turn. God not only contemplates great gests that the Joha.nnist here is putting periods, mons of time, but " acceptable into the lips of Jesus the thoughts of Paul. years," "days of the Lord," "moments of How much more probable is it that P1ml time," as pe.rts of the eterno.l plan. That grasped the thought of Jesus, and applied the Son of man should be gloruled. The a port of it to the gmnd o.rgument for tlie "Son of man," rather the.n "Son of God," resurrection, both of Christ and Christians I is the term he uses in reference to, and ill Compare with this the teaching of eh. vi., the preeenoe of, the Greeks. The highest where the Bread of life is given for the Man is now about to assume his supreme food of men. Even the "bread-making" glory, to go forth, as the mighty Man, to for mo.n :involves, in ouother way, the tem• rule the world of men. The Sou of man is pomry destruction of the living germ in tlie abont to ascend into his eterno.l throne, to gre.in of which it is composed, that it muy clothe himself with 1111 authority of judgment become the life of men. Christ is himself and mercy in heaven ancl earth. 'l'he glori- the " Son of God," the " Logos incarnate," fico.tion of the Son of man is one of the high the "Son of man." By becoming, in his me.in themes of the Gospel, and its justifica- death, the food of man's soul, he oreoted thus o new life in the heuts of men. Over l Tregelles, Tisohendorf(Sth edit.), West- and over again our Lord has declared him- cott and Hort, and R.T. read tl..-oitpCv.-rnc, self to be " the Life," and '' the Source of with N, D, L, 83. T.R. and Laohmonn life,'' for men; but he here lays down the read tl..-•1tp/1111To, with A, D, r, .b., Vulgate. princii;>le that this life-giving power of his is and Syrio.o, oondit1onated by his deo.tb. The great har-  140 THE GOSPEL AOOORDING TO ST. JOHN. [oa. 111. 1-80.