The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 329

Ver. 13.-How to get at thefulness of truth. Jesus said," I am the Truth." Hence it is just the thing to be expected that he should talk a.gain and agnin concerning the bl86Bing to men which is so bound up with his being. The truth as it is in Jesus must become truth in 118. What glorious aims he has wilh respec,t to his friends I He wants us to master the whole truth of what every human being ought to experience. We cannot look ahead to the fulness, but Jesus can. He sees the end toward which we are to be guided, and be points out the Guide. He cannot do things all in a hurry, in grace, any more than in nature. I. LooK AT THE POesmn.tTY HEBE BET BEFOI\E us. We may be led into the whole truth. He wants us thoroughly to know the fulness of which we already know the part. What we need above everything, and what is quite possible if only we choose to make it possible, is to get the full benefit meant to come to every human being from the entrance of Jesus into the world. We are already better off in an indirect way. But indirect benefit must always be superficial benefit. Jesus, having great expectations for us, wants us also to have great expectations for ourselves; expectations going out after the true crown and glory of humanity. Our own wish surely ought to be to know all a humau being can know about this wondrous Jesus, and have all the transactions with him that a human being can. IL 'l'HE wAY IN wHlCH THIS WHOLE TBOTJI m TO BE GAINED. 1. There is the signi- ficant word about being guided. We may be among those taking things just as they come, followiDg our own inclination when we can, and, when we cannot, submitting to necc:ssity ; or we may be distinctly conscious that we are led-Jed as by one in authority, whom we feel that we ought to follow. In lesser things it makes all the difference whether we are led or not led. The child left to grow up pretty much as it likes, with- out any attempt to guide it and put something like order into its life, is sure to suffer. We al ways gain in being led by those who are competent to lead. '£hose whom we call pioueers, who aeem to have found out a way for themselves, have often been under some overmastering impulse which b1LS really amounted to a leading. And if the loBS of leadizig be so aerious a loss in lower, visible affairs, what must it be in dealing with the unseen and eternal I 2. The Guide is pointed out. The Spirit of the truth will lead us into the whole truth. The process is a gradual, persuasive, and certain one. The Spirit of Jesus did for these disciples what Jesus in the flesh was never able to do. '£he Resurrection came to lift the obscuring film from their eyes. Their thoughts were sent into a new channel The ordinary objects of human ambition became very paltry and worthless. Wha.t a difference between the Peter of the Gospels and the Peter of the First Epistle! These men were actually guided into a firm and satisfying grasp of the whole truth; and we want the same. We want a power all-sufficient to guide our feelings and behaviour every day of life. 'l'he influence of the unseen and eternal must swallow up the influence of the seen and temporal. And this is all secured by submitting to the leadership and absolute disposition of the Spirit promised by JesW!.-Y. Ver. 24.-The ground of su,ccesiful prayer. The presence of the Lord Jesus in the I.ai.d of his sojourn during his incarnate life made a great difference to many dwellers in that land. It made a great deal of difference in point of resource and hope to r.11 suffer- ing from afflicted bodies. And thus also Jesus brought a great change in the region of religious need aud duty. He did not collle into the midst of a land all unused to prayer. The quality of the prayer may have been very defective, but there is no rea~on to doubt that the quantity would be great. And now Jesus comes to make a difference, an a.biding difference, in prayer. To pray with a knowledge of Jesns in our minds, and orr, xvi. 1-88.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN. .339