The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 216

rlicitly IIRYB (J) tht the entire goal -of this about God and man nnd Mnoornlng the wondrous win· of his is the 'Father himself. wny to the Fnther. llloro thnn this, nnd· From the Fniber he came, to the Father he becBuee of this, he adds, "I a.m tho Life"- WIU! moving, not for his own eake only, but " the life eternal.," tho PosscBBor, Author, alBO &11 King MeMiah for all his eubjocts. 01\ptain, Giver, and Prince of life-the He l!llggeBbl (2) that mankind generally, NI life in the heart of mrm lhnt cnn nover well as his disciples, are 1mxio11s to find their die ; the oooasion, gc:rm, oondition, and way t.o the Father's house, to the Father's force of the new life. It were impossible to heart, i.e. t.o resting nnd rejoicing in God, and im&gine higher ole.im. Dut ho leaves hie ll&tisfnotion in their entire conception of him henrers without any doubt RB to his persounl and relation to him. (3) He declares posi- and conscious idcntiflcation of himself with tively that tl1is idcn of God ae Father, this the Father. Hitherto he hnd not so oloorly approach to God for every ma.n, is through unveiled himself 11B in thl\t which he has him-through wha.t he is and what he is doing here said and is now doiug. Hence his nearest o.nd hR.1! eo often described, for them. True, and dearest only partinlly knew him. If he had said, in eh. vi. 37, 44, that the Father they had seen all they might have seen, gave to him aud drew towards him those they would hnve seen the Father also. Then, who ea.me to him. A fatherly monition and as though he would olose all aperture to inwu.rd working of grace opened men's eyes doubt about the glory involved in his hu- in Christ t.o the mystery of true human son- miliation, and the wny in which his human ship of the etema.l Father. The statement life hnd revealed the Father, he sitys &..-cl.pT, of this verse snpplements the former utter- -henCJJfortDard this must be a fa.et of your nnce. They may best understnnd the way consciousness, that !fOU do learn and oome he is taking when they grasp the fact that to know Mm by personal experience (')'111'6- he is going to the Father to prepare a place 1T1t"'•) ; and as a matter of foot ye have seen for them, and so he beoomes "the Way, the him ( lr.>pd1tll1'E). Possibly in the A..-&.p.-,, in- Truth, the Life," for all who are coming volving the notion of a period rather than o.ftor him, " following him afterwn.rds" t.o a moment, the Lord wos including the full the Fatlrnr. Grotius sums up ibis great revelation of the glory of self-BO,Orilicial love saying by regarding Christ as " the Exem- given alike in his death and :resurrection. plum, Doctor, et Dator vitm etemm;" Luther And the important thought is suggested that speaks of it BB referring to the past, present, neither the knowledge of God can ever he aud furure; Ce.lvin, us "the Principium, complete, nor the vision either. Is Thomas Medium, et Fin.is ; " and Augustine "vera answered or no? He is silent, and perhaps vitm Via ; " but each term means more than is pondering the words, which will lead him, this. The way of approach t.o God is con- before long, notwithstanding his doubts, to stituted by his simply being the incamnte make the grandest confession contained··in Logos, by his revealing the mind and the entire Gospel, the answer of convinced nature of God, by his laying down his life though ouce sceptiool humanity to the for the sheep that he might take it a.gain. question, "Whom say ye that I am?" The In doing this he supplies the method. and other apostles feel that Christ's words have motive of holy living. It is not easy to met the l!lystio vague_ fen:r of Thomas, and sa.y why our Lord should hne a.dded "the that "henceforward" they all belong with Truth and the Life." Mo.ldonatus exclaimed, Christ to the Father's house. They wolild " Si Christus minus fuisset in respoudendo go to the Father, and at the right time liberaliB, minus nobis in hujus loci int.erpre- dwell in the place prepared for them; but tBtionc labomndwnesset." The two furtl.Jer bow can they he so.id to know and have seen terms used by himself are probauly iutro- the Father already-to have passed into the duced l.o throw light upon the way to the light or received the bealifio vision? Father. Thus there are numerous e.ssur- Vers. 8-21.-(5) The question of Philip, o.nces that he is tb.e Truth. iuelf, that is, the tcith the reply. adequate and sufficient expression of Divine Vere. 8-11.-(a) Jesus thafull Bevelatioo Owugl.t. " All the promises of God uro !lea of the Father. [i.e. are uttered] and .A.men [i.e. confirmed] Ver. 8.-Philip has been introduced in in )rim." He is the absolute Truth (1) eh. i. 44-4G; vi. 7; xii. 21, etc. (see notes), about God's nature; (2) the perfoot Expo- as one early acquainted with the sons -of nent of God's idea of hu.mnnity; (3) the Zebedee, with Andrew and Nathanael. He Light of the world; (4) the Expression of is described o.s convinced of the MeBBinnio the reality touchir g the relations between character of Jesus, and able, by what he moral beings and God-all the relations, had seen and heard, to overcome nll pre-, not only those of saints u.nd holy angels, judiccs. Philip, with pra.oticnl mind, took but those of rebels and sinners, whose des- part in the conversations and prcpara.Uons tiny he has to.ken upon himself. He u for our Lord's great miracle on the loaves. the We.y bceause he is the whole Truth Philip woe thought of as a suitable persoD ou. xrv. i-31.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. 22.3