The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 148

from mo, ye worker& of iniquity," 8. The popular misapprehenBion of our Lord's meatn- ing. "'rhe people answered him, We have heard out of the Law that Christ abideth for over: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?" (1) The question implied that they understood their own Scriptures. Yet thoy bad no true insight into their meaning, for they imagined the Messiah would be o. temporal prince who would deliver them from Roman bondage. (2) They could not reconcile their idea. or th.e Messiah with the idea or his death anrl hie transportation from earth, for earth was to be the scene of the achievements of their Messiah. 9. The last appeal of Jesua to the Jews. "Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you." (1) It is au appeal to the Jews to use their opportunities while the light was among them, and not to trifle with their destinies by captious and idle objections. (2) The words of Jesus imply that the last hour of Israelite opportunity was at hand. He would be but "a little time" with them. (3) They imply that progress heavenward was still possible and necessary, for the darkness had not yet descended. (4) The way to become children of light is to believe in the light. "While we have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light." (a) Believers become like Christ by believing in him. (b) They will become" light-bearers" (Phil. ii. 15) to the world in proportion as they receive of the light of life. 10. Our Lord's farewell. "These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them." Jesus had no other answer to give, and here closed his ministry to the Jews. "He then retired, and did not reappear on the morrow. This time it was no mere cloud which obscured the sun, but the sun it.self had set." V ers. 37--41.-The causes of Jewish '11111,belief. The evangelist now turns to the remarkable failure of the Messiah's work in Israel, and proceeds to account for it. I. THE UNBELIEF OF THE JEWS WAS INEXCUSABLE. "But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him." 1. It is implied that Jesus did many more miracles than the seven recorded in this Gospel. 2. The miracles were done "before them," so as to leave them without this excuse of ignorance. 3. The imperfect tense of the verb, " believed," emphasizes the persistence of their unbelief. II. l'HEIR UNBELIEF WAS PBEDIOTED. "That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spe.ke, Lord, who bath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?" 1. The '11,11,belief of the 'large body of the Jewish nation was clea1'ly foreseen centuries before the advent of Ohrist, as well as their disregard of the evidence of his miracles. " The arm of the Lord." 2. Let not ministers be surprised that their gospel is neglected or refused, for their Master encountered a similar disappointment. 3. Yet the prediction waa not the cause of Jewish unbelief. III. THE TRUE 0AUSE OF THEIR UN13ELIEF, "Therefore they could not believe, because that Isaiah said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart ; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, rand be converted, and I should heal them." 1. God in judgment gave them over to hardness of heart. It is a fixed law that power disused destroys itself. Thus the persistent dis- regard for religion makes it more difficult to obey or to believe. The callous heart is the effect of wilful unbelief. 2. What an obstacle it would have been to a pure spiritual Ohristianitg if the Jews had been received by Ohrist on their own conditions of a carnal and legal Phariseeism I 3. The apostle does: not attempt to ea:plain or reconcile the mystery of God', sovereignty and man's responsibility, but simply accepts the two facts as standing each on its own impregnable foundation. IV. THIS PREDICTION EXPRESSLY REFERRED TO CHRIST. .. These things said Isaiah, when he saw his glory, and spake of him." 1. The glory was that of the pre-incarnate Word of God. 2. The supreme Deity of Ohrist is here implied. Vers. 42, 43.-A movement Ohristward among the chief rulers. The unbelief of the Jews was neither total nor final. I. THE ADHESION OF MANY CHIEF RULERS. "Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him." 1. Some of them, like Nicodemus and Joaeph of Arimathrea, were true believers. 2. OtiitJTs, probably, were inwardly persuaded that he was the Messiah, but could not briag themselves to an. open discipleship. 'l'he causes were two- fold. (1) 'l'h.e fear of excommunication, "But because of the Pharisees they did uot 1M THE GOSPEL A.OOORDING TO ST. JOHN, (on. xn. 1.....bO,