THE BOOK OF JOHN,
Chapters 1-21
CHAPTER ONE
1:1: “the Word” = The Greek for “word” can be either “G4487; rhema,” as in Matthew 27:14, meaning, “that which is spoken; declaration, saying, speech, word,” or as John uses it, “G3056; logos,” meaning, “a word; a thing uttered; speech; language; talk.” By contrast, John uses “logos” in a way to prove, that Just as God does not just express and give “love,” “God is Love,” First John 3:4; and just as God not only speaks the “word,” He is “The Word.”
1:1-2: “was” = The word “was” occurs four times in verses one and two. The Greek is “en,” which expresses continuity of existence. The Word “was” implies throughout all eternity; He never became something; He always “was” something.
The first “was” is about the eternity of the Word (“In the beginning [of whatever] was [already was] the Word”).
The second “was” considers His eternal fellowship with His Father (“And the Word was with God [implying that: “There never was a time when He was not in close fellowship with the eternal God.” EV:615]; there never was a time when He was not in fellowship with His Father).
Regarding the third and fourth “was,” in verse one it shows us equality of nature with the Father (“and the Word was [that is, a form of] God). The Verse two “was” just emphasizes again His eternal equality with the Father. “He was the Word of God, -- God’s thought made audible.” DA:19.
The Hebrew language had no distinct word in their vocabulary for “Word.” Therefore, they used the Hebrew word “davar” to express its meaning, and it meant “thing,” or when used in reference to Deity, “The Real Thing.” Thus: “In the beginning was The Real Thing, and The Real Thing was with God, and The Real Thing was God.”
1:3: “were made. . . made” = The Greek twice is “G1096; ginomai,” meaning in regard to a creation process, “came; made; became; become; god; arose; becometh; fulfilled; ariseth; brought as in brought about.” Therefore, a better translation for meaning could be, “came to be,” as in “came into existence” at that point. Examples are all in Genesis, Chapter One, and the creation of mankind. We “came to be.” Whereas Christ has always been; there never was a time when He did not exist.
“and without Him was not any thing made” = Material things are not eternal, therefore there was a time before they were made; meaning Christ existed before time, i.e., “and without Him was not any thing made.” Christ has always existed because God did not accomplish anything without Him.
In the “Targum Neofeti,” we learn, quoting Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning with wisdom, the Son of the LORD created the heavens and the earth.”
“If Christ made all things, He existed before all things. The words spoken in regard to this are so decisive that no one need be left in doubt.” RH, April 5, 1906; LHU:16; 1SM:247; 5BC:1126; 7ABC:438; TA:23.
1:12: “received” = The Greek is “lambano,” which is more power in expression, in that Jesus is saying literally, “take hold of.”
1:14: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” = In an interesting fact: On the “Dome Of The Rock” (Muslims Holy site in Jerusalem) is inscribed, “God does not beget nor has He begotten.” Obviously, this is a direct assault on Christianity.
The Greek verb used by John for “dwelt” is “skenoo,” meaning, “to pitch tent, encamp, tabernacle, dwell in a tent.” It is rendered in the “Latin Vulgate” as “tabernacula,” from which we derive the English word “tabernacle.” The allusion is clearly to the Feast of Tabernacles when the people dwelt in temporary booths.
However, let us compare this text with Exodus 25:8: “[The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us”] And let them make Me a Sanctuary {representing God’s ”flesh”}; that I may dwell among them.”
In John 1:14, there is a related verb, the Greek verb, “shakhan,” which means “to dwell,” which is used in the sense of God being, “tabernacled” [a form of dwelled] with His people (see Exo. 25:8; 29:45; etcetera). The sense is that of God’s revealing Himself on earth in the midst of His people. This is clearly distinguished from the use of the verb “yashav,” meaning “to dwell” or “inhabit,” which is only used of God “dwelling” in Heaven.
This subtle distinction was noted by the Apostle John when he recorded that, “The Word was made flesh [i.e., a bodily entity] and dwelt [“eskenosen,” literally, “was tabernacled”] among us.” With these related verbs, we can clearly see that John was emphasizing the fact that God Himself, not some “created” being, but the only true God Himself, came down to this sinful planet in order that He might “[this form of] dwell” among us.
In a final observation, the phrase, “made His dwelling,” transliterates from the Greek word, for “pitch one’s tent,” and is most likely used of John, like any other upstanding Jew, to be a reminder of the tabernacle in the wilderness (Exo. 25:8-9). The glory of Jesus that the disciples saw, recalls the glory of God’s presence in the tabernacle (Exo. 40:34-35). Things become even more interesting when we discover that in Hebrew, the word “shachan,” meaning “to dwell,” and the Greek word for God’s glory in the Sanctuary, “shechinah,” comes from the same Greek root word -- “skenos.” It could literally be translated as, “tabernacled” with us. It means to “tent,” or “encamp.” John uses this word to express the Hebrew idea of the wilderness wonderings with God’s protection over the encampment, with God literally placing His tent among His people and encamping with them.
“only begotten” = This phrase should ONLY be studied under the context of Hebrews 11:17. Here is my Note there: Abraham had a total of six (6) sons. Thus, the phrase should ALWAYS be understood as “uniqueness, not origin.” The Apostle John is the only other one to use this phrase, which led to the misunderstanding of many and the formation of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. See John 1:18; 3:16 & 18; First John 4:9.
See my Bible Study, “CHRIST, ONLY BEGOTTEN.” This is an “Enthronement” term, or “Coronation” term. It speaks to the “setting up” of Christ as King and comes to us from Psalm 2:7 (see verse 8).
1:17: “by Moses” = Literally “through Moses.” The Israelites, coming from the (slavery) captivity in Egypt, needed to be reminded of the importance of God’s Law, for It is God’s character. The misunderstanding and problem people have with this verse stems from a little added word I will discuss below (“but”).
“but” = This word has been supplied. It implies a stronger contrast between “Law” and “grace” than John apparently intended. John did not mean to imply that the system revealed through Moses was bad, or more specifically, “initiated” by Moses, as compared with that now revealed through Christ. He did teach however, that as good as God’s system is, reiterated through Moses, that of Christ’s is better. In no sense does John imply that the Old Testament system was false or in error, else no souls would have been (would be) saved under the old dispensation. The truth is, they looked forward to the living Savior, while we look back to Him.
“grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” = John certainly does not mean that no grace or truth existed before Christ came, but that the “fullness” of grace was revealed in Christ. Let us not presume that grace had not been in the world from the very beginning, for Paul clears up that thought from us with this statement, (speaking of) that “grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,” First Timothy 1:9.
Others, like Jeremiah, confirm this by speaking of the “grace in the wilderness,” Jeremiah 31:2. Noah found grace (Gen. 6:8), and so did many other Old Testament characters. So, what is John talking about?
John uses superlative expressions like these to describe the Coming of Christ into the world: “glory;” “full of grace and truth,” verse 14; “His fullness;” “grace for grace,” verse 16. And since he states that the fullness of grace appeared in the Person of Jesus, his real point is that the Law revealed the will of God, while “grace” gave us the will to keep it. “Where sin abounded (through God’s Law operating to expose it) grace did much more abound,” Romans 5:20; else none of us would be living today or then because of our sinfulness against His Law.
Here is a more theological thought and expression that may be too deep for some. What the statement of John is really expressing is that: “The grace of Jesus Christ, reiterated [or reinstated what had been forgotten] God’s Law through Moses, and appeased the wrath [or condemnation; because of the breaking of His Law] of Jesus, The Christ.” In other words, instead of implying that the Law of God may have originated at Sinai, or that the Law of God is not stronger than the “grace” of God, this verse (once the little word “but” is taken out) actually is exalting the Law of God to the same status as God’s “grace;” for God’s Law is His actual character.
1:18: “No man hath seen God” = See my Bible Study: “GOD, WHO HAS SEEN HIM.”
“. . . after the transgression of Adam, the Lord spoke no longer directly with man; the human race was given into the hands of Christ, and all communication came through Him to the world. It was Christ who spoke the Law on Mount Sinai.” FE:237.1.
“only begotten Son” = See my John 1:14 Note.
1:20: “I am not the Christ” = “It was well known that the seventy weeks of Daniel’s prophecy, covering the Messiah’s advent, was nearly ended;” DA:133.
1:21 & 25: “that Prophet” = They were referring to Moses (RH, January 21, 1873; DA:135.2; SJ:49.2) as was thought and tought by the Scribes (misunderstanding Deu. 18:15). But John points out that “that Prophet” = Jesus; John 1:25; AA:451.4; LP:276.3; RH, December 7, 1911 paragraph 15; 2SP:62; GHA:50. Had they known their own Scriptures, they could have, and should have known, according to Deuteronomy 18:15-19 (compare to John 5:39-40 & Acts 7:37), that Jesus is the Christ prophesied there. See also Acts 3:22 & 26; Matthew 26:63, where Jesus is asked if He is “the Son of God,” and both Moses and Peter affirm that “Jesus Christ” is that “Prophet.”
“The words, ‘That prophet,’ has reference to Moses. The Jews had been inclined to the belief that Moses would be raised from the dead, and taken to Heaven. They did not know that Moses had already been resurrected.” RH, January 21, 1873; 2SP:62.1. Although they should have known he was already risen. See the Book of Jude (1:9). How Jude knew this we do not know. But being a Jew, it must have been known throughout Judaism. This is confirmed by seeing John 6:14 & 7:40 (and Mat. 11:3). And the kicker is, Christ Himself says He is that “prophet” in Luke 13:33. Then the people began to recognized that Jesus is “the Prophet,” John 7:40.
“[48] They saw, in the singular dress and appearance of this prophet, a resemblance to the description of the ancient seers, and the opinion prevailed that he was one of the prophets risen from the dead.
“It was the purpose of John to startle and arouse the people, and cause them to tremble because of their great wickedness. In simplicity and plainness he pointed out the errors and crimes of men. A power attended his words, and, reluctant as the people were to hear the denunciation of their unholy lives, yet they could not resist his words. He flattered none; neither would he receive flattery of any. The people, as if with common consent, came to him repenting, and confessing their sins, and were baptized of him in Jordan.
“Kings and rulers came to the wilderness to hear the prophet, and were interested, and deeply convicted as he fearlessly pointed out their particular sins. His discernment of character and spiritual sight read the purposes and hearts of those who came to him, and he fearlessly told, both rich and poor, the honorable and the lowly, that without repentance of their sins, and a thorough conversion, although they might claim to be righteous, they could not enjoy the favor of God, and have part in the kingdom of the Messiah, Whose Coming he announced.
“In the spirit and with the power of Elijah, John denounced the corruptions of the Jews, and raised [49] his voice in reproving their prevailing sins. His discourses were plain, pointed, and convincing. Many were brought to repentance of their sins, and, as evidence of their repentance, were baptized of him in Jordan. This was the preparatory work for the ministry of Christ. Many were convicted because of the plain truths uttered by this faithful prophet; but, by rejecting the light, they became enshrouded in deeper darkness, so that they were fully prepared to turn from the evidences attending Jesus, that He was the true Messiah.” 2SP:48-49.
1:23: “one crying in the wilderness” = Here is my Matthew 3:1 Note: Here is my Luke 1:80 & 3:10 Notes: “[46] The life of John, although passed in the wilderness, was not inactive. His separation from society did not make him gloomy and morose, neither was he unreconciled with his lonely life of hardship and privation. It was his choice to be secluded from the luxuries of life, and from depraved society. Pride, envy, jealousy, and corrupt passions seemed to control the hearts of men. But John was separated from the influence of these things, and, with discerning eye and wonderful discrimination, read the characters of men. He lived in the quiet retreat of the wilderness, and occasionally he mingled in society; but would not remain long where the moral atmosphere seemed to be polluted. He feared that the sight of his eyes and the hearing of his ears would so pervert his mind that he would lose a sense of the sinfulness of sin. A great work was before him, and it was necessary that he should form a character unbiased by any surrounding influence. It was necessary that his physical, mental, and moral conditions should be of that high and noble type that would qualify him for a work which required firmness and integrity, that when he should appear among men he could enlighten them, and be instrumental in giving a new direction to their thoughts, and awakening them to the necessity of forming righteous characters. John would bring the people up to the standard of Divine perfection. He studied the peculiarities of minds, that he [47] might know how to adapt his instructions to the people.”
“John did not feel strong enough to stand the great pressure of temptation he would meet in society. He feared his character would be molded according to the prevailing customs of the Jews, and he chose the wilderness as his school, in which his mind could be properly educated and disciplined from God’s great Book of nature. In the wilderness, John could the more readily deny himself and bring his appetite under control, and dress in accordance to natural simplicity. And there was nothing in the wilderness that would take his mind from meditation and prayer. Satan had access to John, even after he had closed every avenue in his power through which he would enter. But his habits of life were so pure and natural that he could discern the foe, and had strength of spirit and decision of character to resist him.” 2SP:46-47.
“God had directed John the Baptist to dwell in the wilderness, that he might be shielded from the influence of the priests and rabbis, and be prepared for a special mission. But the austerity and isolation of his life were not an example for the people. John himself had not directed his hearers to forsake their former duties. He bade them give evidence of their repentance by faithfulness to God in the place where He had called them.” DA:150.
“John did not make his home in the cities and villages. From childhood to youth, and from youth to manhood, he lived in the wilderness.” ST, February 18, 1897.
“Christ’s life had been so retired and secluded at Nazareth that John had not a personal acquaintance with Him, and he did not positively know that He was the Messiah. He was acquainted with the circumstances of His birth, and he believed Him to be the promised One. The secluded life of Christ for thirty years at Nazareth, in which He gave no special evidence of His Messiahship, suggested doubts to John whether He was indeed the One for Whose Coming he was to prepare the way. John, however, rested the matter in faith, fully believing that God would in due time make it plain. The Lord had shown him that the Messiah would be pointed out to him by a distinct sign; when this should be done, then John could present Him to the world as the long-expected Messiah, the Lamb of God that was to take away the sin of the world.
“John had heard of the sinless character and spotless purity of Christ. His life was in harmony with what the Lord had revealed to him respecting one that was among them whose life was without the taint of sin. John had also seen that He should be the example for every repenting sinner.” RH, January 21, 1873.
“Make straight the way of the Lord” = Here is my Isaiah 40:4 Note: In the days of the kings, ruff, pot-holed androck-filled roads, servants were sometimes sent ahead of the king to level the surfaces of roadways and to take out sharp turns so as to smooth the way for the king. So, in fulfillment of prophecy, John the Baptists came before Christ in order to prepare the hearts of the people for Jesus.
1:27: “He it is, Who Coming after me is preferred before me” = Here is my Matthew 3:11 Note: “God made known to John that some day the Messiah would come to him and ask to be baptized. He had also promised that a sign should be given him, so that he might know Who it was.” GHA:47.
“John proclaimed the Coming of the Messiah, and called the people to repentance. As a symbol of cleansing from sin, he baptized them in the waters of the Jordan. Thus by a significant object lesson he declared that those who claimed to be the chosen people of God were defiled by sin, and that without purification of heart and life they could have no part in the Messiah’s kingdom.” DA:104.
John “knew that when Jesus should establish Himself as a teacher, he must die.” 1SG:29.
1:28: “Bethabara” = The Hebrew is “Bethabaras,” which is a proper noun transliterated from the Hebrew, “bayith,” and “abarah,” meaning, “house crossing place.” Therefore, this could very well be the very place where Israel, under the leadership of Joshua, crossed over the river Jordan into the promised land.
“beyond” = The Hebrew is “peran,” which is better translated, “on the other side (of).” Therefore, John was baptizing on the eastern side of the Jordan, rather than the western, or Israeli side of the Jordan river. The symbolism is that people still needed to cross over to the promised land (Heaven).
1:29: “Behold the Lamb of God” = John could have introduced Jesus as “Mighty God; Son of God; King of kings; Lord of lords; Prince of Peace; Everlasting Father.” Instead, he identifies Jesus’ ministry as taking upon the duties of the Sanctuary; the fulfilment of the sacrificial system.
“sin” = Singular. What is the singular most “sin of the world?” It most likely is the rejection of the Holy Spirit’s influence on your life. However, James 2:10 states: “For whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” The reason “sin” is singular here is that it is a collective term. It still refers to all “sin,” as in John 16:8. By contrast, Jesus died for the individual as well as for the getting rid of all “sin” forever.
1:31 & 33: “I knew Him not” = “[109] Jesus and John the Baptist were cousins, and closely related by the circumstances of their birth; yet they had had no direct acquaintance with each other. The life of Jesus had been spent at Nazareth in Galilee; that of John, in the wilderness of Judea. Amid widely different surroundings they had lived in seclusion, and had had no communication with each other. Providence had ordered this. No occasion was to be given for the charge that they had conspired together to support each other’s claims.
“John was acquainted with the events that had marked the birth of Jesus. He had heard of the visit to Jerusalem in His boyhood, and of what had passed in the school of the rabbis. He knew of His sinless life, and believed Him to be the Messiah; but of this he had no positive assurance. The fact that Jesus had for [110]
“so many years remained in obscurity, giving no special evidence of His mission, gave occasion for doubt as to whether He could be the Promised One. The Baptist, however, waited in faith, believing that in God’s own time all would be made plain. It had been revealed to him that the Messiah would seek baptism at his hands, and that a sign of His Divine character should then be given. Thus he would be enabled to present Him to the people.” DA:109-110.
1:35 & 37 & 40: “One of the two” = John’s reticence throughout his Gospel in referring to himself implies that he was the other, and “the other was John,” DA:138.
“Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these disciples.” RH, January 21, 1873.
1:38: “being interpreted” = Writing for Greek readers, John often provides the original Aramaic words of our Lord, but always translates them into the Greek language (see John 1:41 & 42; 4:25; 5:2; 9:7; 11:16; 19:13 & 17; 20:16 & 24; 21:2).
“Rabbi” = Contrary to popular teaching, “Rabbi” in Hebrew means “Great One,” while in Greek it means “Master (G4461),” not “Teacher.” Teacher comes from an associate word of “rhabbi,” that being, “didaskalos (G1320).”
This Greek word “rhabbi” comes to us from the Aramaic “rabi,” meaning “my great one.” It is generally equivalent in English to “sir,” but used also in a more restricted sense as a title of distinction and respect for a teacher of the Law. In the Book written by John, “Rabbi,” is consistently the term used in addressing Jesus by those who recognize Him as a teacher, perhaps even a prophet, but who either do not as yet realize, or who are unwilling to admit, that He is the Messiah. In the early part of the Disciple’s association with Jesus they are quoted by John as calling Him “Rabbi” (see John 1:38 & 49; 3:2; 4:31; 6:25; 9:2; 11:8), but with a deepening conviction that He was indeed the Messiah they later call Him “Lord” (see John 6:68; 11:12; 13:6 & 25; 14:5 & 8 & 22; 21:15 & 20).
By contrast, those for whom Jesus performed miracles they often called Him “Lord” right away (see John 9:36; 11:3 & 21 & 27 & 32). Also, after the resurrection the title “Lord” is always used of Jesus (1Co. 16:22). The Synoptic writers do not discriminate between these titles as does John; and John the Baptist’s disciples always called John, “Rabbi,” John 3:26.
1:39: “abode with Him that day” = It would be interesting to know what they talked about. It is with pleasure that we can know:
“And when they had come and seen where He dwelt, He opened to them the great plan of salvation. The words which He there spoke to them were too precious to be kept to themselves, and they immediately went and found their friends, and brought them to Jesus.” HS:149.
1:40: “One of the two” = See John 1:35 & 37 & 40 Note.
“One of the two was Andrew, the other John.” GHA:50; 2SP:64.
1:45: “Philip findeth Nathanael” = “Philip discovered his retreat, for they had often prayed together in this secluded spot, hidden by the foliage.” 1888M:1461.
“[139] Philip called Nathanael. The latter had been among the throng when the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God. As Nathanael looked upon Jesus, he was disappointed. Could this man, who bore the marks of toil and poverty, be the Messiah? Yet Nathanael could not decide to reject Jesus, for the message of John had brought conviction to his heart. [140] At the time when Philip called him, Nathanael had withdrawn to a quiet grove to meditate upon the announcement of John and the prophecies concerning the Messiah. He prayed that if the one announced by John was the deliverer, it might be made known to him, and the Holy Spirit rested upon him with assurance that God had visited His people and raised up a horn of salvation for them. Philip knew that his friend was searching the prophecies, and while Nathanael was praying under a fig tree, Philip discovered his retreat. They had often prayed together in this secluded spot hidden by the foliage.” DA:139-140.
“Then Philip found Nathanael. He was one of the number who heard John proclaim, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ He felt deeply convicted, and retired to a grove, concealed from every human eye, and there meditated upon the announcement of John, calling to his mind the prophecies relating to the Coming of the Messiah and His mission. He queried thus: Could this indeed be the Messiah for Whom they had so long waited, and were so desirous to see? Hope sprang up in the heart of Nathanael that this might be the One that would save Israel. He bowed before God and prayed that if the Person Whom John had declared to be the Redeemer of the world was indeed the promised Deliverer, that it might be made known to him. The Spirit of the Lord rested upon Nathanael in such a special manner that he was convinced that Christ was the Messiah. While Nathanael was praying, he heard the voice of Philip calling him. . .” RH, January 21, 1873; 2SP:64-65.
1:46: “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth” = “The inhabitants of Nazareth were proverbial for their wickedness.” DA:71.
“Come and see” = By not arguing or justifying anything, Andrew choose the wisest course.
1:51: “the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man” = “[67] All the miracles of Christ performed for the afflicted and suffering were, by the power of God, through the ministration of angels. . . [68] All the blessings from God to man are through the ministration of holy angels.” 2SP:67-68.
“The ladder that man must climb is made up of successive steps Heavenward like the rounds of a ladder. . . Christ is the Ladder; the foot on the earth in His human nature, the top in Heaven in His Divine nature. His human arm encircles the race while His Divine arm lays hold upon the Infinite. All the intercourse between Heaven and earth since the fall is by the Ladder.” 19MR:338.
“The mystic ladder of his [Jacob’s] dream represented Jesus, the only medium of communication between God and man. This is the same figure to which Christ referred in His conversation with Nathanael,” SC:9.
“. . . the angels of God, that are united with Me in the reconciliation between earth and Heaven, uniting the believers on the earth with the Father above, will be ascending, bearing the prayers of the needy and distressed from the earth to the Father above, and descending, bringing blessings of hope, courage, health, and life, for the children of men.
“The angels of God are ever moving up and down from earth to Heaven, and from Heaven to earth. All the miracles of Christ performed for the afflicted and suffering were, by the power of God, through the ministration of angels. . . All the blessings from God to man are through the ministration of holy angels.” RH, January 21, 1873.
CHAPTER TWO
2:1: “a marriage in Cana” = We learn from John 21:2 that Nathanael was from Cana. Cana is eight miles from Nazareth. At this point Jesus only had five disciples with Him; John, Andrew, his brother Peter, Philip, and his friend Nathanael.
“At this time, also, he chose John, Andrew, Simon, Philip, and Nathanael, for his disciples, all of which has been recounted in connection with the history of John the Baptist. Jesus now entered upon the great work of His life.
“There was to be a marriage in Cana of Galilee. The parties were relatives of Joseph and Mary. Christ knew of this family gathering, and that many influential persons would be brought together there, so, in company with His newly-made disciples, He made His way to Cana. As soon as it was known that Jesus had come to the place, a special invitation was sent to Him and His friends. This was what He had purposed, and so He graced the feast with His presence.” 2SP:99.
2:3: “They have no wine” = See my Bible Study: “WINE, BIBLICALLY ACCEPTABLE,” which proves that this was none other than “grape juice.”
“[99] The disciple {John} had sought Mary in her home and related to her the incidents of this meeting {when John found Jesus in the wilderness after the temptation of the Devil; see my Note in Mat. 4:11} with Jesus, as well as the event of His baptism, when the voice of God was heard in acknowledgment of His Son, and the prophet John had pointed to Christ, saying, ‘Behold the [100]
“Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.’ For thirty years this woman had been treasuring up evidences that Jesus was the Son of God, the promised Saviour of the world. Joseph was dead, and she had no one in whom to confide the cherished thoughts of her heart. She had fluctuated between hope and perplexing doubts, but always feeling more or less of an assurance that her Son was indeed the Promised One.
“She had been very sorrowful for the past two months, for she had been separated from her Son, Who had ever been faithful and obedient to her wishes. The widowed mother had mourned over the sufferings that Jesus had endured in His loneliness. His Messiahship had caused her deep sorrow as well as joy. Yet strangely, as it appears to her, she meets Him at the marriage feast, the same tender, dutiful Son, yet not the same, for His countenance is changed; she sees the marks of His fierce conflict in the wilderness of temptation, and the evidence of His high mission in His holy expression and the gentle dignity of His presence. She sees that He is accompanied by a number of young men who address Him with reverence, calling Him Master. These companions tell Mary of the wonderful things they have witnessed, not only at the baptism, but upon numerous other occasions, and they conclude by saying, ‘We have found Him of Whom Moses in the Law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, Who is the long-looked-for Messiah.’
“The heart of Mary was made glad by this assurance that the cherished hope of long years of anxious waiting was indeed true. It would [101] have been strange enough if, mingled with this deep and holy joy, there had not been a trace of the fond mother’s natural pride.” 2SP:99-101.
“She [Mary] hoped there might be opportunity for Him to work a miracle before them.” DA:145.
2:4: “Woman, what have I to do with thee” = “[101] The wine used was the pure juice of the grape, and it was impossible to provide it at that late hour. It was unusual to dispense with it on these occasions; so the mother of Christ, Who, in her capacity of relative had a prominent part to perform at the feast, spoke to her Son, saying, ‘They have no wine.’ In this communication was a hidden request, or rather, suggestion, that He to Whom all things were possible would relieve their wants. But Jesus answered, ‘Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come.’
“His manner was respectful, yet firm; He designed to teach Mary that the time for her to control Him as a mother, was ended. His mighty work now lay before Him, and no one must direct concerning the exercise of His Divine power. There was danger that Mary would presume upon her relationship to Christ, and feel that she had special claims upon Him and special rights. As Son of the Most High, and Saviour of the world, no earthly ties must hold Him from His Divine mission, nor influence the course He must pursue. It was needful that He should stand free from every personal consideration, ready to do the Will of His Father in Heaven.
“Jesus loved His mother tenderly; for thirty years He had been subject to parental control; but the time had now come when He was to go about His Father’s business. In rebuking His [102] mother, Jesus also rebukes a large class who have an idolatrous love for their family, and allow the ties of relationship to draw them from the service of God. Human love is a sacred attribute; but should not be allowed to mar our religious experience, or draw our hearts from God.
“The future life of Christ was mapped out before Him. His Divine power had been hidden, and He had waited in obscurity and humiliation for thirty years, and was in no haste to act until the proper time should arrive. But Mary, in the pride of her heart, longed to see Him prove to the company that He was really the honored of God. It seemed to her a favorable opportunity to convince the people present of His Divine power, by working a miracle before their eyes, that would place Him in the position He should occupy before the Jews. But He answered that His hour had not yet come. His time to be honored and glorified as King was not yet come; it was His lot to be a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
“The earthly relation of Christ to His mother was ended. He Who had been Her submissive Son was now Her Divine Lord. Her only hope, in common with the rest of mankind, was to believe Him to be the Redeemer of the world, and yield Him implicit obedience. The fearful delusion of the Roman church exalts the mother of Christ equal with the Son of the Infinite God; but He, the Saviour, places the matter in a vastly different light, and in a pointed manner indicates that the tie of relationship between them in no way raises Her to His level, or insures her future. Human sympathies must no longer affect the One Whose mission is to the world.
“The mother of Christ understood the character of her Son, and bowed in submission to His Will. She knew that He would comply with her request if it was best to do so. Her manner evidenced her perfect faith in His wisdom and power, and it was this faith to which Jesus responded in the miracle that followed. Mary believed that Jesus was able to do that which she had desired of Him, and she was exceedingly anxious that everything in regard to the feast should be properly ordered, and pass off with due honor. She said to those serving at table, ‘Whatsoever He sayeth unto you, do it.’ Thus she did what she could to prepare the way.” 2SP:101-103.
“The answer was, ‘Woman, what have I to do with thee?’ This should have been translated, ‘What hast thou to do with Me?’ This answer was not in any sense disrespectful. Christ was ever respectful, kind, and courteous to all, and He was especially so to His mother. But He was engaged in His Father’s Work, and He was to follow the dictation of no one but God. Mary understood His Words as encouragement, not rebuke,” ST, August 30, 1899; 1PRC:545; BEcho, August 28, 1899.
“In saying to Mary that His hour had not yet come, Jesus was replying to her unspoken thought, -- to the expectation she cherished in common with her people. She hoped that He would reveal Himself as the Messiah, and take the throne of Israel. . . But though Mary had not a right conception of Christ’s mission, she trusted Him implicitly. To this faith Jesus responded. It was to honor Mary’s trust, and to strengthen the faith of His disciples, that the first miracle was performed.” DA:147.
2:6: “after the manner of the purifying of the Jews” = That is, the ceremonial cleansing of the hands (2Ki. 3:11; Mark 7:3-4).
“six waterpots of stone” = Since there were “six waterpots of stone” we can know that this was a Parasitical wedding, because that is what the Pharisees placed at their weddings for purification purposes. Also, the master of ceremonies would have been the head Rabbi of the towns Synagogue. This ritual, of course, is never mentioned in the “Torah.” However, it is meticulously mentioned in the “Talmudic” writings of the Pharisee sages (see “Talmud Chillin,” 26b).
These pots were not to have anything in them but “purified water.” Had the Rabbi known where this “wine” [grape juice; see my Bible Study: “WINE, BIBLICALLY ACCEPTABLE”] had come from, “but the servants which drew the water knew,” John 2:9, he would have had a fit!
It is “of stone” because it is less liable to impurity, and therefore prescribed by the Jewish authorities for washing before and after meals (Mat. 15:2). At a wedding were set vessels of various sizes to wash hands and feet in. Vessels in those days were made from animal skins, or animal dung, earthen, such as clay or stone. At a wedding were set vessels of various sizes to wash hands and feet in; there was one vessel, or many vessels, which were large pitchers or basins, consisting of 20 gallons or more, out of which the whole company washed their hands and their feet. And there was another vessel or vessels, which were of a lesser size, 19 gallons or less, but more colorful and beautiful of a basin, which was set alone for the more honorable persons; such as for the bride, and for any gentlewoman. Such might be the case of these six stone jars, or pots. Thus, Jesus distinguished between the clean and the unclean.
Notice that Christ has them drink from what would normally be where they wash their hands. Here were vessels especially set aside for the cleansing of the wedding party and they are apparently not even in use, for Jesus has to ask the servants to fill these jars. Thus, Christ not only interposes to make this the best wine that they have ever tasted, He makes the entire wedding party clean through the process of partaking of what would have been neglected, i.e., their cleansing. According to Matthew 26:27-29; Mark 14:23-25 and Luke 22:17-20, wine represents the drinking of Jesus’ blood. How clean do we believe these wedding guests to be now? Notice also verse one, in which we can gain insight into another correlation into this wedding being a representation of Christ’s death, i.e., “the third day,” John 2:1. Clearly than, this wedding is used by our Lord to foreshadow His death and resurrection.
The wedding story, therefore, contains a number of indirect references to Jesus’ death and resurrection. The wedding took place “on the third day,” a reference to Jesus’ resurrection (see Mat. 16:21; Luke 24:7, 21, 46; Acts 10:40; 1Co. 15:4). Jesus turns water into wine, a symbol of His blood (Luke 22:20; 1Co. 11:25-26). References to both Jesus’ “time” and His “glory” are pointers to the Cross. And the only two times in the Gospel that Jesus is described as speaking to His mother, He calls her “woman,” in the wedding story here (John 2:4) and later at the cross (John 19:25-27). And, if I could add, the water pots “of stone,” representing the value of the people in which Christ came down to save. The disciples’ response to that sign (John 2:11) also foreshadowed not only their future response to the Cross (John 20:8, 24-29) but also the response of all who would come to believe in Jesus through their word (John 17:20; 20:30-31).
2:8-10: “Draw out now, and bear unto the governor” = In regards to the properties of this “wine,” see my Bible Study, “BIBLICALLY ACCEPTABLE WINE .”
“The servants beheld with astonishment, that instead of the crystal water with which they had just filled those vessels, there flowed forth wine.” 2SP:103.
“[148] The gift of Christ to the marriage feast was a symbol. The water represented baptism into His death; the wine, the shedding of His blood for the sins of the world. The water to fill the jars was brought by human hands, but [149] the word of Christ alone could impart to it life-giving virtue.” DA:148-149; GHA:51; 2SP:104.
The wine “was entirely free from all fermentation.” ST, September 6, 1899; DA:149; BEcho, September 4, 1899.
“The unfermented wine that He provided for the wedding guests was a wholesome and refreshing drink. This is the wine that was used by our Saviour and His disciples in the first Communion. It is the wine that should always be used on the Communion table as a symbol of the Saviour’s blood.” MH:333.
2:10: “well drunk” = Another important consideration is the fact that the Greek verb “methusko,” translated as “well drunk,” can also be interpreted as meaning ““to drink freely,” without any implication of intoxication. The Revised Standard Version renders it more accurately, “when men have drunk freely.” The stated object of the miracle was for Christ to manifest His glory so that His disciples might believe in Him. This objective was accomplished (John 2:11). Christ’s presence at the marriage feast was intended to show Divine approval of the marriage institution and of the innocent enjoyments of social life. To bring into this atmosphere toxicity, is to destroy both Christ’s mission in life and Christ’s sanction or righteous living. Christ was aware of the powerful influence His example would have on contemporary and future generations. If, with all this knowledge He created an intoxicating wine, especially after all were already “well drunk,” making them even more “well drunk” would have been irresponsible of Him.
2:11: “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana” = “[67] The angels of God are ever moving up and down from earth to Heaven, and from Heaven to earth. All the miracles of Christ performed for the afflicted and suffering were, by the power of God, through the ministration of angels. . . [68] All the blessings from God to man are through the ministration of holy angels.” 2SP:67-68.
“[103] In this miracle, Jesus illustrates the truth that while the world presents its best gifts [104] first, to fascinate the senses and please the eye, He gives good gifts, ever fresh and new unto the end.” 2SP:103-104.
From 2SP:104-105 and DA:149 we learn: “[104] This donation of Christ to the marriage supper was a symbol of the means of salvation. The water represented baptism into His death, the wine, the shedding of His blood for the purifying of the sins of the world. The provision made for the wedding-guests was ample, and not less abundant is the provision for blotting out the iniquities of men.
“Jesus had just come from his long fast in the wilderness, where He had suffered in order to break the power of appetite over man, which, among other evils, had led to the free use of intoxicating liquor. Christ did not provide for the wedding guests wine that from fermentation or adulteration was of an intoxicating character, but the pure juice of the grape, clarified and refined. Its effect was to bring the taste into harmony with a healthful appetite.”
“The guests remarked upon the quality of the wine, and presently inquiries were made that drew from the servants an account of the wonderful work that the youthful Galilean had performed. The company listened with unbounded [105]
“amazement, and exchanged words of doubt and surprise. At length they looked for Jesus, that they might pay Him due respect and learn how He had accomplished this miraculous conversion of water into wine; but He was not to be found. He had, with dignified simplicity, performed the miracle, and had then quietly withdrawn.
“When it was ascertained that Jesus had really departed, the attention of the company was directed to his disciples who had remained behind. For the first time they had the opportunity of acknowledging themselves to be believers in Jesus of Nazareth as Saviour of the world. John related what he had heard and seen of his teachings. He told of the wonderful manifestations at the time of the baptism of Jesus, by the prophet John, in the river Jordan; how the light and glory from Heaven had descended upon him in the form of a dove, while a voice from the cloudless heavens proclaimed him to be the Son of the Infinite Father. John narrated these facts with convincing clearness and accuracy. The curiosity of all present was aroused, and many anxious ones who were looking and longing for the Messiah, thought it was indeed possible that this might be the Promised One of Israel.” 2SP:104-105.
“The special object of Jesus in attending this marriage feast was to commence the work of breaking down the exclusiveness which existed with the Jewish people, and to open the way for their freer mingling with the people. He had come not only as the Messiah of the Jews, but the Redeemer of the world.” 2SP:107.
“God does not generally work miracles to advance His truth. If the husbandman neglects to cultivate the soil after sowing his seed, God works no miracle to counteract the sure result of neglect.” RH, September 28, 1897.
“forth His glory” = The Hebrew word used here for “glory” is, “doxa,” and most generally means “glory.” However, it can also be translated as “judgment,” and that is what it should have been translated here. For if you take a closer look at the “miracles” of Jesus, we can see a consistent pattern of each one designed to counteract (form a judgment against) the made-up rules of the religious system that was a yoke around everyone’s neck.
“Unlike the Pharisees and other dignitaries who preserved an austere seclusion, He had joined the mixed assembly of a festal gathering, and, while no shadow of worldly levity marred His conduct, He had sanctioned the social gathering with His presence.
“Here is a lesson for the disciples of Christ through all time, not to exclude themselves from society, renouncing all social communion and seeking a strict seclusion from their fellow-beings. In order to reach all classes, we must meet them where they are; for they will seldom seek us of their own accord. Not alone from the pulpit are the hearts of men and women touched by Divine truth. Christ awakened their interest by going among them as One Who desired their good. He sought them at their daily avocations, and manifested an unfeigned interest in their temporal affairs. He carried His Instruction into the households of the people, bringing whole families in their own homes under the influence of His Divine presence. His strong personal sympathies helped to win hearts to His cause.” 2SP:106.
2:12: “After this He went down to Capernaum” = Cana is set in the hills and Capernaum is about 15 miles to the East down by the Sea of Galilee. Therefore, they literally “went down” to get there.
“By attending this feast, Jesus sanctioned marriage as a Divine institution, and through all His subsequent ministry, He paid the marriage covenant a marked respect in illustrating many important truths by it.” 2SP:110.1.
“His mother, and His brethren” = Here is my Matthew 12:46 Note: “The sons of Joseph, His brethren, enlisted Mary to go with them; for they knew that His love for her would add to their influence in seeking to prevail upon Him to be more prudent. They felt that their own honor was compromised in the criticisms that came upon Jesus. They were not at all pleased with His startling denunciations against the religious leaders of the Jews, and felt the reproach that came upon them in consequence of their relation to Him. They knew what a great tumult His Words and works created, and were not only alarmed at His bold statements, but indignant at His denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees. His Words previous to their coming to seek to compel Him to cease this manner of doing had thoroughly aroused them. . . The Pharisees were filled with madness against Him, and they had made their threats to the brethren of Christ as to what they would do. . . His brethren knew that they were seeking to find occasion against Him, and they felt that in the works He had spoken, He had given occasion enough. They must make some determined effort to prevent Him from uttering words that would not only involve Him in difficulty, but bring down upon His family the denunciations of the Pharisees.” ST, October 1, 1896.
“[86] His brothers, as the sons of Joseph were called. . . [87] Being older than Jesus. . .” DA:86-87.
“The life of Christ was marked with respect, devotion, and love for His mother. She often remonstrated with Him, and sought to have Him concede to the wishes of His brethren. His brethren could not persuade Him to change His habits of life in contemplating the works of God, in manifesting sympathy and tenderness toward the poor, the suffering, and the unfortunate, and in seeking to alleviate the sufferings of both men and dumb animals. When the priests and rulers came to Mary to persuade her to force Jesus to give allegiance to their ceremonies and traditions, she felt much troubled. But peace and confidence came to her troubled heart as her Son presented the clear statements of the Scriptures in upholding His practices. At times she wavered between Jesus and His brethren, who did not believe that He was the Sent of God. But evidence was powerful and abundant that His was a Divine character. She saw Him sacrificing Himself for the good of others. She saw Him meeting the people where they were. She saw Him constantly growing in grace and knowledge, and in favor with God and man.” ST, August 6, 1896.
“In His youth He worked with His father at the carpenter’s trade and thus honored all labor.” ST, July 30, 1896; TMK:30.
“While Christ was working at the carpenter’s bench, others would sometimes surround Him, trying to cause Him to be impatient; but He would begin singing some of the beautiful psalms, and before they realized what they were doing, they had joined with Him in singing, influenced, as it were, by the power of the Holy Spirit which was there.” AH:443.
“This miracle pointed directly toward breaking down the prejudices of the Jews. The disciples of Jesus learned a lesson of sympathy and humanity from it. His relatives were drawn to Him with warm affection, and when He left for Capernaum, they accompanied Him.” 2SP:109.
2:14: “those that sold” = “[115] As Jesus entered, He was indignant to find the court of the Temple arranged as a cattle market and a place of general traffic. There were not only stalls for the beasts, but there were tables where the priests themselves acted as money-brokers and exchangers. It was customary for each person who attended the Passover to bring a piece of money, which was paid to the priests upon entering the temple.
“From the changing of foreign coins and different denominations of money to accommodate strangers, this matter of receiving these offerings had grown into a disgraceful traffic, and a source of great profit to the priests. Many came from a great distance and could not bring their sacrificial offerings. Under the plea of accommodating such persons, in the outer court were cattle, [116]
“sheep, doves, and sparrows for sale at exorbitant prices. The consequent confusion indicated a noisy cattle market, rather than the sacred Temple of God. There could be heard sharp bargaining, buying and selling, the lowing of cattle, the bleating of sheep, and cooing of doves, mingled with the chinking of coin, and angry disputation. A great number of beasts were annually sacrificed at the Passover, which made the sales at the Temple immense. The dealers realized a large profit, which was shared with the avaricious priesthood and men of authority among the Jews. These hypocritical speculators, under cover of their holy profession, practiced all manner of extortion, and made their sacred office a source of personal revenue.
“The babel of voices, the noises of animals, and the shouts of their drivers created such a confusion just without the sacred precincts that the worshipers within were disturbed, and the words addressed to the Most High were drowned in the uproar that invaded the temple erected to His glory.” 2SP:115-116.
2:15: “He had made a scourge of small cords” = Here is my Matthew 21:12 Note: “The beasts and birds were all hurried beyond the sacred portals. vA panic of fear swept over the multitude who felt the over-shadowing of Christ’s Divinity. Cries of terror escaped from hundreds of blanched lips as the crowd rushed headlong from the place. Jesus smote them not with the whip of cords, but, to their guilty eyes, that simple instrument seemed like gleaming, angry swords, circling in every direction, and threatening to cut them down.” 1Red:77.2.
“. . . a Divine light illuminated His countenance. . . Jesus smote them not with the whip of cords. . . How easily could that vast throng have resisted the authority of one man; but the power of His Divinity overwhelmed them with confusion and a sense of their guilt.” 2SP:119.
“As the youthful Galilean entered the enclosure, He stooped and picked up a whip of small cords that had been used in driving some of the animals.” 2SP:117.
“[117] As the youthful Galilean entered the enclosure, He stooped and picked up a whip of small cords that had been used in driving some of the animals. Jesus ascended the steps of the Temple and surveyed the scene with a calm and dignified look. He saw and heard the traffic and bartering. His expression became stern and terrible. The eyes of many turned instinctively to look at this Stranger; their gaze became riveted upon Him. Others followed their example till the whole multitude were regarding Him with a look of mingled fear and amazement.
“They felt instinctively that this Man read their inmost thoughts and their hidden motives of action. Some attempted to conceal their faces as if their evil deeds were written upon their countenances to be scanned by those searching eyes.
“The confusion was hushed. The sound of traffic and bargaining ceased. The silence became painful. A sense of awe overpowered the entire assembly. It was as if they were arraigned before the tribunal of God to answer for their deeds. The Majesty of Heaven stood as the Judge will stand at the last day, and every one of [118]
“that vast crowd for the time acknowledged Him their Master. His eye swept over the multitude, taking in every individual. His form seemed to tower above them in commanding dignity, and a Divine light illuminated His countenance. He spoke, and His clear, ringing voice, echoing through the arches of the Temple, was like the voice that shook Mount Sinai, of old: ‘My House shall be called the House of prayer; but ye have made It a den of thieves.’
“He slowly descended the steps, and, raising the whip, which in His hand seemed changed to a kingly scepter, bade the bargaining company to quit the sacred limits of the Temple, and take hence their merchandise. With a lofty zeal, and a severity He had never before manifested, He overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the coin fell, ringing sharply upon the marble floor. The most hardened and defiant did not presume to question His authority, but, with prompt obedience, the dignitaries of the Temple, the speculating priests, the cattle traders and brokers, rushed from His presence. The most avaricious did not stop to gather up their idolized money, but fled without a thought of their ill-gotten gains.
“The beasts and birds were all hurried beyond the sacred portals. A panic of fear swept over the multitude who felt the over-shadowing of Christ’s Divinity. Cries of terror escaped from hundreds of blanched lips as the crowd rushed headlong from the place. Jesus smote them not with the whip of cords, but, to their guilty eyes, that simple instrument seemed like gleaming, angry swords, circling in every direction, and threatening to cut them down. Even the disciples [119]
“quaked with fear, and were awe-struck by the Words and manner of Jesus, so unlike the usual demeanor of the meek and lowly Man of Galilee. But they remembered that it was Written of Him, ‘The zeal of Thine House hath eaten me up.’ Soon the multitude, with their cattle, their sheep, doves, and sparrows, were far removed from the Temple of the Lord. The courts were free from unholy commerce, and a deep silence and solemnity settled upon the late scene of confusion. If the presence of the Lord sanctified the mount, His presence made equally sacred the Temple reared to His honor.
“How easily could that vast throng have resisted the authority of one man; but the power of His Divinity overwhelmed them with confusion and a sense of their guilt. They had no strength to resist the Divine authority of the Saviour of the world. The desecrators of God’s Holy Place were driven from Its portals by the Majesty of Heaven.
“After the Temple was cleansed, the demeanor of Jesus changed; the terrible majesty of His countenance gave place to an expression of tenderest sympathy. He looked after the flying crowd with eyes full of sorrow and compassion. There were some who remained, held by the irresistible attraction of His presence. They were unterrified by His awful dignity, their hearts were drawn toward Him with love and hope. These people were not the great and powerful, who expected to impress Him with a sense of their grandeur; they were the poor, the sick, and the afflicted.
“After the buyers and sellers, and the promiscuous crowd with their merchandise, were driven [120] out, Jesus healed the stricken ones who flocked unto Him. The sick were relieved, the blind received their sight, the dumb praised God with loosened tongues, the lame leaped for joy, and demons were cast out from those they had long tormented. Mothers, pale with anxiety and watching, brought their dying infants to receive His blessing. He folded them tenderly to His bosom, and returned them to their mothers’ arms well and strong.
“This was a scene worthy of the Temple of the Lord. He Who, a short time before, had stood upon the steps like an avenging angel, had now become a messenger of mercy, soothing the sorrows of the oppressed, encouraging the despairing, relieving the suffering. Hundreds returned to their homes from the Passover sound in body and enlightened in mind, who had come there feeble and desponding.” 2SP:117-120; DA:158-163.
“He [Nicodemus] was a witness of the scene when Jesus drove out the buyers and the sellers; he beheld the wonderful manifestation of Divine power; he saw the Saviour receiving the poor and healing the sick; he saw their looks of joy, and heard their words of praise; and he could not doubt that Jesus of Nazareth was the Sent of God.” DA:168.
“Cattle were brought by priests and temple officials, the dignitaries, the moneyed men, who oppressed them of whom they purchased. The representation was made that these animals were to be offered as a sacrifice to God at the Passover. And thus urged the owners sold them at a cheap price. Then these scheming men brought their purchases to the Temple, -- purchases which meant double robbery -- robbery of the men of whom they had purchases, and robbery of those who wished to sacrifice, to whom they were sold again at exorbitant prices. They used the courts of the temple as though the animals brought there made them of the highest value.” SpM:138.
2:16: “said unto them that sold doves” = Notice the special regard that Jesus has for the poor by specifically speaking to those who by choice, had charge of the least expensive offering: the “doves.”
2:18: “What sign shewest thou unto us” = See Matthew 12:39 & 16:4.
“[121] The chief priests and elders counseled among themselves as to what course should be pursued toward Jesus, and what His conduct could mean, assuming an authority greater than their own, and rebuking them openly.
“They went to Jesus with a deference born of the fear that still hung over them; for they concluded that He must be a prophet sent of God to restore the sanctity of the Temple. They asked Him, ‘What sign showest Thou unto us, seeing that Thou doest these things?’ Jesus had already given them the strongest proof of His Divine [122]
“commission. He knew that no evidence He could present to them would convince them that He was the Messiah if His act of cleansing the Temple had failed to do so. Therefore He answered. . .” 2SP:121-122.
2:19: “Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up” = “His Words possessed a double meaning, referring to the Temple at Jerusalem {destroyed in 70 A.D.) as well as His Own material body {Resurrected 3 days later}.
“[122] Christ was the foundation and life of that Temple. His crucifixion would virtually destroy It, because Its services were typical of the future Sacrifice of the Son of God. They pointed to the Great Antitype, which was Christ Himself. When the Jews should accomplish their wicked purpose, and do unto Him what they listed, from that day forth sacrificial offerings, and the services connected with them, would be valueless in [123]
“the sight of God, for type would have met Antitype in the perfect offering of the Son of God.” 2SP:122-123.
2:20: “Forty and six years was this temple in building” = The “Jews” responded to Jesus by telling us that the “Temple” was built “Forty and six years” ago. Historically we know that Herod began the building of that temple in B.C. 18, according to Josephus in “Antiquities 15.380.” Not counting zero year (Jewish reckoning; they are just counting years here), that would bring us to 27 A.D.; the beginning and baptism of our Lord’s ministry.
Christ’s ministry in the Holy Place of the Heavenly Temple was completed in 1844 A.D. If we consider that the Papal control of the Church ended in 1798 A.D., and we add 46 years to that date, guess what we come to?
CHAPTER THREE
3:1: “Nicodemus” = Please see my John 3:21 Note before continuing on. His name means, “Conqueror of the people.”
“Nicodemus related to John the story of that interview, and his inspired pen recorded it for the instruction of millions.” 2SP:136.
“He anxiously perused the scrolls containing the prophecies relating to the Coming of the Messiah. He sought earnestly for clear light upon the subject, and the more he searched the stronger was his conviction that this Man was the One described by the prophets. If he was indeed the Christ, then this was an eventful epoch in the history of the world and especially of the Jewish nation.
“During the entire day after Christ had cleansed the desecrated courts of the Temple, He was healing the sick and relieving the afflicted. Nicodemus had seen with what pitying compassion He had received and ministered unto the poor and the oppressed. With the demeanor of a loving father toward his suffering children, He had wrought cures and removed sorrow.” 2SP125.
“All day, Jesus had instructed the restless, curious people, reasoning with the scribes, and silencing the caviling of the haughty rulers by the wisdom of His Words. Nicodemus, after seeing and hearing these wonderful things, and after searching the prophecies that pointed to Jesus as the looked-for Messiah, dared not disbelieve that He was sent of God.” 2SP:126.
“Nicodemus related to John the story of that interview.” 2SP:136; DA:177.
“Since hearing Jesus, Nicodemus had anxiously studied the prophecies relating to the Messiah; and the more he searched, the stronger was his conviction that this was the One who was to come. With many others in Israel he had been greatly distressed by the profanation of the temple. He was a witness of the scene when Jesus drove out the buyers and the sellers; he beheld the wonderful manifestation of Divine power; he saw the Saviour receiving the poor and healing the sick; he saw their looks of joy, and heard their words of praise; and he could not doubt that Jesus of Nazareth was the Sent of God.” DA:168.
3:2: “The same came to Jesus by night” = “Jesus, pale with the weariness of his long-continued labors, sought for retirement and repose in the Mount of Olives. Here Nicodemus found Him and desired a conference. This man was rich and honored of the Jews. He was famous throughout Jerusalem for his wealth, his learning and benevolence, and especially for his liberal offerings to the Temple to carry out its sacred services. He was also one of the prominent members of the national council. Yet when he came into the presence of Jesus, a strange agitation and timidity assailed him, which he essayed to conceal beneath an air of composure and dignity.” 2SP:126.
“But while Nicodemus had not publicly acknowledged Christ, he had in the Sanhedrin council repeatedly thwarted the schemes of the priests to destroy Him.” AA:104.
“Rabbi, we know that Thou art a teacher come from God” = It was the custom in those days to exalt the other person, which in turn would mean that the giver expected to be given the same. Jesus ignores all that and gets right to the heart of Nicodemus’ problem. And his problem is exposed in verse 18: “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” After all, Nicodemus was coming in secret, at night, to our Lord. He was not yet willing to acknowledge Jesus openly. Nicodemus’ true problem is found in John 9:22 & 12:42: “lest [he] they should be put out of the synagogue.”
3:3: “Except a man be born again” = A better translation of the Greek “ean me tis gennethei anothen,” would be “Except a man be born anew from above.” Nicodemus shows that he took the Hebrew word “deuteron,” (see verse 4) as “again,” as a second birth from the womb. However, what our Lord meant was “anew,” coming “from above,” In the other passages in John (John 3:31; 19:11 & 23) the meaning is to be born “from above,” The Hebrew would be “desuper,” while the Greek word John used was “G509; anothen.” It is a second birth, to be sure, a regeneration, through a birth “from above” by the Spirit of the Living God; made “anew” by His regenerating power. New aspirations, new desires, new motives, etcetera; based upon the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
What “born again” really implies and means is, “To escape from sin.” “That man should be changed in his principles; his way of dealing with the situations that he encounters in life.”
That “born again,” is better translated as, “born from above,” see DA:168. Something to keep in mind: If you are born physically once, you die twice, i.e., includes the Second Death. If you are born twice physically, you die once (if you do at all, i.e., the Second Coming). Jesus rebukes Nicodemus for not knowing this “born again” concept as found in Deuteronomy 30:6; Isaiah 53:2-6; Jeremiah 31:31-33; 32:37-40; Ezekiel 11:19; 36:24-26; Zechariah 7:11-12.
“This learned dignitary was a strict Pharisee. He had prided himself upon his own good works and exalted piety. He considered his daily life perfect in the sight of God, and was startled to hear Jesus speak of a kingdom too pure for him to see in his present state. His mind misgave him, yet he felt irritated by the close application of the Words to his own case, and he answered as if he had understood them in the most literal sense,” 2SP:127.
“Nicodemus had heard the preaching of John the Baptist concerning repentance and baptism, and pointing the people to One who should baptize with the Holy Spirit. . . Yet the heart-searching message of the Baptist had failed to work in him conviction of sin. He was a strict Pharisee, and prided himself on his good works. He was widely esteemed for his benevolence and his liberality in sustaining the temple service, and he felt secure of the favor of God. He was startled at the thought of a kingdom too pure for him to see in his present state. The figure of the new birth, which Jesus had used, was not wholly unfamiliar to Nicodemus. Converts from heathenism to the faith of Israel perceived that the Words of Christ were not to be taken in a literal sense. But by virtue of his birth as an Israelite he regarded himself as sure of a place in the kingdom of God. He felt that he needed no change. Hence his surprise at the Saviour’s Words. He was irritated by their close application to himself. The pride of the Pharisee was struggling against the honest desire of the seeker after truth. He wondered that Christ should speak to him as He did, not respecting his position as ruler in Israel.” DA:171; 2SP:126.
“That is, he cannot discern the requirements essential to having a part in that spiritual kingdom.” KC:64.
3:5: “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” = Read Mark 16:16.
“Nicodemus knew that Christ here referred to water baptism and the renewing of the heart by the Spirit of God. He was convinced that he was in the presence of the One Whom John the Baptist had foretold.” DA:172; 2SP:127-128.
“Rigid precision in obeying the Law would entitle no man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
“There must be a new birth, a new mind through the operation of the Spirit of God, which purifies the life and ennobles the character. This connection with God fits man for the glorious Kingdom of Heaven.” 2SP:132.
3:8: “The wind bloweth where it listeth” = The Greek word used here for “wind” is, “pneuma,” which literally means, “air,” or better, “breath.” However, it figuratively relates to “spirit.” Thus, Christ relates the movement of the “wind” to that of the Holy Spirit. He cannot be bound (most importantly to understand that) nor necessarily known which way He will go (depending upon what is important for the causes of God).
“Christ uses the wind as a symbol of the Spirit of God. As the wind bloweth whither it listeth, and we cannot tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth, so it is with the Spirit of God. We do not know through whom It will be manifested.” 2SM:15.
3:13: “no man hath ascended up to Heaven” = Christ knew that Nicodemus knew of Enoch, Moses, Elijah, and possibly more who had gone to Heaven. Therefore, He was speaking of and teaching about His pre-existence. His meaning was that no one who had gone to Heaven, or been to Heaven before, had ever come back down to earth except Himself; i.e., The One Who had existed before this earth was formed.
The meaning then is, that only Christ can teach us Heavenly things, for no man ascends, and then comes down to earth with any spiritual light and understanding (except via visions and the like). For only the Son of God Himself has Come down to us Nicodemus, and He is standing right in front of you. This teaching is explained in Deuteronomy 30:12, “Who shall go up for us to Heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?” Though Enoch, Moses, and Elias had gone to Heaven, yet it was not by their own power; nor in the sense our Lord designs; Whose meaning is, to clarify once again, that no man had, or could go up to Heaven, and then bring from thence the knowledge of Divine and Heavenly things other than Divinity Itself.
Wherefore, inasmuch as Nicodemus had acknowledged Christ to be a Teacher Come from God, our Lord would have him know that He was The Only Teacher of Heavenly things. And, as being The Only Person that had been in Heaven, and in the bosom of the Father, if he and the rest of the Jews did not receive instructions from Him, they must forever remain ignorant. For there never had been, nor was, nor could be, any mere man that could go up to Heaven and learn the mysteries of God and of the Kingdom of Heaven, and then return and instruct men about them as Jesus could/can.
“Has he read those sacred writings in vain, that he has failed to understand from them that the heart must be cleansed from its natural defilement by the Spirit of God before it can be fit for the Kingdom of Heaven? Christ made no reference here to the resurrection of the body from the grave, when a nation shall be born in a day, but He was speaking in regard to the inward work of grace upon the unregenerate heart.” 2SP:129.
“Human nature is vile, and man’s character must be changed before it can harmonize with the pure and holy {angelic beings, Etcetera} in God’s immortal Kingdom. This transformation is the new birth.” 2SP:133.1.
“which is in Heaven” = Herein is a direct reference of our Lord as to His Omnipresence; else He could not be in Heaven and on earth at once. Some manuscripts (“Aleph B,” “L,” “W,” “33”) omit this phrase, leaving over 2,200 that do not omit it.
“If Nicodemus could not receive His teachings illustrating the work of grace upon the human heart, as represented by the figure of the wind, how could he comprehend the character of His glorious Heavenly Kingdom should He explain it to him? Not discerning the nature of Christ’s work on earth, he could not understand His Work in Heaven.” 2SP:131.
3:16 & 18: “only begotten” = See my John 1:14 Note.
“Every time a soul is converted, a miracle is wrought by the Holy Spirit.” AY:190.
“For God [the Greatest Being] so loved [the Greatest Lover] the world [the Greatest Number], that He gave [the Greatest Giver] His only begotten Son [the Greatest Gift], that whosoever [the Greatest Invitation] believeth in Him [the Greatest Opportunity] should not perish [the Greatest Deliverance], but have everlasting life [the Greatest Joy].”
“love” = It is interesting to note that the first instance in which the word “love” appears in Scripture is when God commands Abraham to sacrifice “thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest,” Genesis 22:2. And thus it is also interesting to note that the first mention of God Loving His Son is found in John 3:16.
3:18: “is not judged” = The meaning is the actual meeting out of judgment (see John 5:24).
3:20: “every one that doeth evil hateth the light” = Here is my Genesis 4:8 Note: “Cain hated and killed his brother, not for any wrong that Abel had done, but ‘because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.’ 1 John 3:12. So in all ages the wicked have hated those who were better than themselves. Abel’s life of obedience and unswerving faith was to Cain a perpetual reproof. (John 3:20 quoted). ‘All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.’ 2 Tim. 3:12. The brighter the Heavenly light that is reflected from the character of God’s faithful servants, the more clearly the sins of the ungodly are revealed, and the more determined will be their efforts to destroy those who disturb their peace.” BEcho, April 8, 1912; PP:74.
3:21: “wrought in God” = “[133] In this important sermon to Nicodemus, Jesus unfolded before [134] this noble Pharisee the whole plan of salvation, and His mission to the world. In none of His subsequent discourses did the Saviour explain so thoroughly, step by step, the work necessary to be done in the human heart, if it would inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.” 2SP:133-134.
3:25-26: “a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying” = “And while Christ’s disciples were baptizing large numbers, there arose a question among the Jews and the disciples of John, whether the act of baptism purified the sinner from the guilt of sin. The disciples of John answered that John baptized only unto repentance, but Christ’s disciples unto a new life.” 2SP:68.1.
“The prejudice of the Jews was aroused because the disciples of Jesus did not use the exact words of John in the rite of baptism. John baptized unto repentance, but the disciples of Jesus, on profession of the faith, baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The teachings of John were in perfect harmony with those of Jesus, yet his disciples became jealous for fear his influence was diminishing. A dispute arose between them and the disciples of Jesus in regard to the form of words proper to use at baptism, and finally as to the right of the latter to baptize at all.” 2SP:136.
“No need of disputation as to whether Christ’s baptism or John’s purified from sin. It is the grace of Christ that gives life to the soul. Apart from Christ, baptism, like any other service, is a worthless form.” DA:181.
3:27: “John answered” = “John gave his disciples lessons in practical godliness. He showed them that true goodness, honesty, and fidelity, must be seen in their daily life, and that they should be actuated by unselfish principles, or they would be no better than common sinners.” 2SP:56.1.
3:36: “the wrath of God abideth on him” = Here is my Revelation 14:10 Note: This metaphorical expression of our Lord’s “wrath” [included in some of them about the “cup”] occurs elsewhere in the Scriptures in Job 21:20; Psalm 60:3; 75:8; 78:31; Isaiah 51:17, 21-23; Jeremiah 25:15-29; 49:12-13; Obadiah 1:15-16; Matthew 20:22; 26:39; John 3:36; 18:11; Romans 1:18; 3:5; 12:19; Ephesians 5:6; Colossians 3:6; Revelation 14:10 & 19; 15:1 & 7; 16:1 & 19; 19:15. However, here in Revelation 14:10, two Greek words for wrath are used: “thumos,” meaning, “anger, fury,” and “orge,” meaning “wrath.”
The Greek word “thumos” is a strong or passionate indignation or anger, whereas “orge” denotes a demonstration of displeasure and righteous indignation. The Greek word “orge” is the usual word used for Divine wrath in the New Testament, especially by Paul (see Rom. 1:18; 3:5; 12:19; Col. 3:6). In the Book of Revelation however, both “thumos” and “orge” are used for the eschatological “wrath of God. . . into the cup of His indignation” (see Rev. 14:10 & 19; 15:1 & 7; 16:1 & 19; 19:15).
These two words are often used together in the Septuagint as well in the Book of Revelation and once in the Book of Romans (Rom. 2:8; Rev. 14:10; 16:19; 19:15). Obviously, this is for the purpose of intensifying the reality of God’s “wrath” being manifested in judgment and disgust.
CHAPTER FOUR
4:5: “a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph” = See Genesis 48:22 & Joshua 24:32. Jacob’s well was next to Shechem where the disciples went to buy food; while Sychar, where the woman was from, was about a mile away from her town.
“It was noon when He reached the beautiful Vale of Shechem.” DA:183.
4:10: “gift of God” = The “gift” is the gift or giving of the Holy Spirit. 4ST:193.
4:11 & 19: “Sir” = Although usually translated as “Lord,” the Hebrew word “kurios” is a title of respect and is used here by the Samaritan woman just as Christ used it in His dissertations in Matthew 13:27; 18:26 & 31 & 32 & 34; 20:8; 21:30 & 40; etcetera.
4:14: “well of water springing up” = “By the living water is meant the Holy Spirit.” GHA:51.
“Jesus did not intend to convey the idea that simply one draught of the water of life would satisfy the receiver, but that whoever is united with Christ, has within his soul a living fountain from which to draw strength and grace sufficient for all emergencies.” 2SP:141.
“Jesus did not convey the idea that merely one draught of the water of life would suffice the receiver. He who tastes of the Love of Christ will continually long for more; but he seeks for nothing else.” DA:187.
4:19: “Sir, I perceive that Thou art a prophet” = “She could deny nothing; but she tried to evade all mention of a subject so unwelcome. . . Then, hoping to silence conviction, she turned to points of religious controversy. If this was a prophet, surely He could give her instruction concerning these matters that had been so long disputed.” DA:188.
4:20: “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain” = “Desiring to strengthen this alliance, the Samaritans promised to adopt more fully the Jewish faith and customs; and the apostates, determined to outdo their former brethren, erected a temple on Mount Gerizim, in opposition to the house of God at Jerusalem.” ST, January 24, 1884; PK:674; SW, July 5, 1904.
4:35: “Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields” = “As Jesus still sat at the well side, He looked over the fields of grain that were spread out before Him, their tender green touched by the golden sunlight. Pointing His disciples to the scene, He employed it as a symbol: [verse quoted]. And as He spoke, He looked on the groups that were coming to the well. It was four months to the time for harvesting the grain, but here was a harvest ready for the reaper.” DA:191.
4:22: “Ye worship ye know not what” = “[142] Just in sight was Mount Gerizim, its temple demolished, and only the altar remaining. The place of worship had been a subject of contention between the Jews and Samaritans. The latter people had once belonged to Israel, but had become divided from them because of their transgressions in neglecting to obey the statutes of God. The Lord suffered them to be overcome [143]
“by an idolatrous nation, whose religion had gradually contaminated their own. Still preserving their reverence for the true God, they represented Him by images of wood and stone, before which they bowed in worship.
“When the temple was rebuilt at Jerusalem, the Samaritans wished to join the Jews in its erection. This privilege was refused them, and, in consequence, a bitter animosity sprang up between the two people, which resulted in the Samaritans building a rival temple on Mount Gerizim, where they worshiped according to the ceremonies that God gave unto Moses, but mingled with their worship the taint of idolatry. But disasters attended the Samaritans, their temple was destroyed by the enemy, and they seemed to be under a curse.
“They were forced to believe that God was punishing them for their apostasy. They determined to reform, and solicited teachers from the Jews to instruct them in the true religion. Through this teaching, their views of God and His Requirements became clearer, and their religious service resembled more nearly that of the Jews. But to a certain degree they still clung to their idolatry, and there was a lack of harmony between them and the Jews. The Samaritans would not respect the Temple of worship at Jerusalem, and refused to admit that it was the true place of worship.
“Jesus answered the woman by saying that the time was at hand when they should neither worship the Father in that mountain nor in Jerusalem.” 2SP:142-143.
“salvation is of the Jews” = This is in PLAIN ENGLISH. And we should know that we must become “Spiritual Israel” in order to be saved (see my Bible Study: “SPIRITUAL ISRAEL”). Yet most reject the Fourth Commandment (Exodus 20:8-11) as belonging ONLY to the Jews; “faith without works,” James 2:20 & 26, as meaning “faith only;” the Sanctuary services as being no longer relevant (for the true Sanctuary in Heaven, see Heb. 8:1-2 & 5); the “second death,” Revelation 2:11; 20:6 & 14; 21:8, as meaning eternal life; etcetera; etcetera; etcetera.
Rejecting any instructions in God’s Word, just because you believe it was instructions for the Jews only, is to toss out sections needed for salvation with other truths that you would admonish to all. Granted, some things belonging to the Jewish nation as a whole no longer are practical or apply today (such as marring your dead brother’s wife to procreate in an effort to keep the land of Israel in the family; Gen. 38:8; Deu. 25:7-9). But these do not cancel individual responsibilities as listed in God’s Ten Commandments or other righteous instructions. See my Bible Study: “613 LAWS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT, THE.”
“This was a plain statement that the Jews were more nearly correct in the principles of their religion than any other nation. Jesus also alluded to the faith of the Samaritans being amalgamated with the worship of graven images. True, they held that these idols were only to remind them of the Living God, the Ruler of the universe; but, nevertheless, the people were led to reverence these inanimate figures.
“Jesus, Who was the foundation of the Old Dispensation, identified Himself with the Jews, sanctioning their views of God and His Government. He opened great and important truths before this woman. He declared to her that the time had arrived when the true worshipers need not seek a holy mountain nor sacred Temple, but were to worship the Father in spirit and in truth. Religion was not to be confined to external forms and ceremonies, but was to be throned in the heart, purifying the life and actuating to good works.” 2SP:144.1-2.
4:35: “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest” = “Before Him lay the fields of grain, their tender green lit by the golden sunlight. Viewing the beautiful scene, He employed it as a symbol,” 2SP:147.
4:38: “I sent you to reap” = “The Saviour was here looking forward to the great ingathering on the day of Pentecost.” DA:192.
4:39: “many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him for the saying of the woman” = “The Saviour was above all prejudice of nation or people; He was willing to extend the blessings and privileges of the Jews to all who would accept the light which He Came to the world to bring. It caused Him great joy to behold even one soul reaching out to Him from the night of spiritual blindness. That which Jesus had withheld from the Jews and enjoined upon His disciples to keep secret, was distinctly opened before the inquiring woman of Samaria; for He Who knew all things perceived that she would make a right use of her knowledge and be the means of leading others to the true faith.
“It was not merely the fact that Jesus told her concerning the secrets of her life which inspired the confidence of this woman in Him, but it was also His look and His solemn words that reached her soul and convinced her that He was a superior being. At the same time she felt that He was her friend, pitying and loving her. This is the Character of the world’s Redeemer; while He condemned her life of sin, He directed her to His Divine grace as the sure and perfect remedy. The pitying love of the Saviour is not confined to sect or party.” 2SP:147.1-2.
4:42: “Now we believe” = “[147] As the woman of Samaria hastened back to [148] her friends, publishing as she went the wonderful news, many left the highway and the town to go and ascertain if she indeed spoke the truth. Numbers of the citizens left their employments and hastened to Jacob’s well to see and hear this remarkable Man. They surrounded Jesus and listened attentively to His Instruction. They plied Him with questions, and eagerly received His explanation of matters that had perplexed their understandings. They were like a people in great darkness tracing up a sudden ray that had pierced their gloom and which they were eager to follow to its source, that they might bask in the light and warmth of day.
“[148] The Samaritans were attracted and interested by the teachings of Jesus. But they were not satisfied with this short conference; they were anxious to hear more and to have their fellow-citizens also listen to this wonderful Teacher. They begged Him to tarry with them and instruct them. For two days He remained in Samaria teaching the people. Many believed on Him and accepted His Words. Jesus was a Jew, yet He mingled freely with these Samaritans, setting at naught the custom and bigotry of His nation. He had already commenced to break down the partition wall between Jew and Gentile, and preach salvation to the world.
“These Samaritan listeners were in darkness and superstition; but they were not contented with their condition, and the Words of Jesus relieved them of many doubts and uncertainties that had harassed their minds. Many who had come from curiosity to see and hear this remarkable Person were convicted of the truth of His teachings, and acknowledged Him as their [149] Saviour. Eagerly they listened to the Words He spoke in reference to the kingdom of God.” 2SP:147-149.
4:46: “nobleman” = A “centurion;” see below.
“[151] The miracle that Jesus had performed in Cana prepared the way for His cordial reception. The people who had returned from the Passover had [152] brought back the report of His marvelous cleansing of the desecrated Temple, followed by His miracles of healing the sick and restoring sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. The judgment passed upon His acts by the dignitaries of the Temple, opened His way at Galilee; for many of the people lamented the abuse of the Temple and the lofty arrogance of the priests, and hoped that this Man, Who had the power to put these rulers to flight, might indeed be the looked-for Deliverer.
“The news that Jesus had returned from Judea to Cana soon spread throughout Galilee and the region round about. It reached the ears of a nobleman in Capernaum, who was a Jew of some honor. He was much interested in what he had heard of the power of Jesus to heal the sick, for he had a son suffering with disease. The father had consulted the most learned physicians among the Jews, and they had pronounced the case incurable, and told him that his son must soon die.
“But when he heard that Jesus was in Galilee his heart was encouraged; for he believed that One Who could miraculously change water into wine, and drive out the desecrators of the Temple, could raise his son to health even from the brink of the grave. Capernaum was quite a distance from Cana, and the centurion feared that, if he left his home to seek Jesus and present his plea to Him, the child, who was very low, might die in his absence. Yet he dared not trust this errand to a servant; for he hoped that the prayers of a fond parent might touch the heart of the great Physician with pity, and induce Him to accompany the father to the bedside of his dying son.” 2SP:151-152.
4:47 & 49 & 51: “down” = Westerners think of “down” as a direction, i.e., “South,” with “up” being “North.” However, we know Capernaum to be “North” of Cana. Therefore, in order for Westerners to understand Jewish verbiage, “down” and “up” are discussing “elevation,” not direction. Thus, Capernaum (212 meters; 700 feet below sea level) is lower in elevation than Cana (696 feet).
4:48: “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe” = “[152] He went to Cana, hastening for fear of being too late. Forcing a passage through the crowd that surrounded Jesus, he at length stood before Him. But his faith faltered when he saw only a plainly dressed man, dusty and worn with travel. He doubted that this person could do what he had come to ask of Him; yet he determined to make a trial. He secured a hearing from Jesus, told him his errand, and besought the Saviour to accompany him to his home for the purpose of healing his son. But Jesus already knew of his sorrow. Even before the centurion had left his home, the pitying Redeemer had read the father’s grief, and his great heart of love had gone out in sympathy for the suffering child.
“[153] But He was also aware that the father had made conditions in his mind concerning his belief in the Saviour. Unless his petition should be granted he would not have faith in Him as the Messiah. While the father waited in an agony of suspense, Jesus addressed him, ‘Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.’ He here revealed the superficial faith of the centurion, that would lead him to accept or reject Christ according as He did or did not perform the work required of Him.
“Jesus designed, not only to heal the child, but to illuminate the darkened mind of the father. He saw unbelief struggling with his faith. He knew that this man had sought His help as a last and only hope. In this centurion He saw represented the condition of many of His nation. They were interested in Jesus from selfish motives; they desired some special benefit that they hoped to receive through His power, but they were [154]
“ignorant as to their spiritual disease, and saw not their terrible need of Divine grace, but staked their faith on the granting of some temporal favor. Jesus met this case as illustrating the position of many of the Jewish people. He contrasted this questioning unbelief with the faith of the Samaritans, who were ready to receive Him as a Teacher sent by God, and to accept Him as the promised Messiah without a sign or miracle to establish His Divinity.
“The father’s soul was stirred to its depths with the thought that his doubts might cost him the life of his son. The Words of Jesus had the desired effect; the centurion saw that his motives in seeking the Saviour were purely selfish; his vacillating faith appeared before him in its true light; he realized that he was indeed in the presence of One Who could read the hearts of men, and to whom all things were possible. This thought brings his suffering child to his mind with new vividness, and he cries out in an agony of supplication, ‘Sir, come down ere my child die!’ ” 2SP:152-154. SDA’scompare with DA:196-197.
4:49: “Sir, come down ere my child die” = “Like a flash of light, the Saviour’s Words to the nobleman laid bare his heart. He saw that his motives in seeking Jesus were selfish. His vacillating faith appeared to him in its true character.” DA:198.
4:50: “Go thy way; thy son liveth” = “Instead of going to Capernaum, Jesus, by a flash of Divine telegraphy, sends the message of healing to the bedside of the suffering son. He dismisses the suppliant, who, with unspeakable gratitude, and perfect faith in the Words of the Saviour, turns his steps homeward with a peace and joy he has never felt before.” 2SP:155.
4:53: “himself believed, and his whole house” = “The centurion and all his household become disciples of Jesus. Thus their affliction was sanctified to the conversion of the entire family. They published this miracle through all Capernaum, and thus opened the way for Christ’s further labors there. Many of His most wonderful works were done at that place.” 2SP:156.
“The nobleman longed to know more of Christ. As he afterward heard His teaching, he and all his household became disciples. Their affliction was sanctified to the conversion of the entire family. Tidings of the miracle spread; and in Capernaum, where so many of His mighty works were performed, the way was prepared for Christ’s personal ministry.” DA:200.
CHAPTER FIVE
5:1: “a feast of the Jews” = This is “KJV” jargon. The Apostle John would not speak like this. Would you say, “After this there was a feast of the Christians in which they set up trees and put ornaments on them?” Certainly not! Most likely this is the Feast of Passover, because of the amount of people in Jerusalem at this time (although the text is not specific as to which particular Feast it is).
5:2: “Bethesda” = The name “Bethesda” may be interpreted as “House of Mercy,” such that Jesus shows mercy at the place where the people looked for mercy.
5:4: “For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool” = “[71] In Jerusalem there was a large pool of water called Bethesda. At certain times this pool was troubled; the people believed that an angel of the Lord went down into it, and stirred the waters, and that the first one who stepped [page 72] in after the waters were stirred would be cured of whatever disease he had.” The Story Of Jesus, Pages 71-72.
5:8: “Rise” = “Jesus had given him no assurance of Divine help. The man might have stopped to doubt, and lost his one chance of healing. But he believed Christ’s Word, and in acting upon it he received strength.” DA:203.1.
5:9: “on the same day was the Sabbath” = Consider this: By healing on the Sabbath, Jesus was claiming equality with God (see John 5:18).
5:10: “It is the Sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed” = According to Nehemiah 13:15-21; Jeremiah 17:21 & 27, the “unlawful” burden that you were not supposed to perform was to conduct business transactions upon the Sabbath day. Thus, once again, the Pharisees had taken the Commandment too far.
“[160] Jesus did not Come into the world to lessen the dignity of the Law, but to exalt It. The Jews had perverted It by their traditions and misconceptions. They had made It a yoke of bondage. Their meaningless exactions and requirements had become a by-word among all other nations. Especially was the Sabbath hedged in by all manner of senseless restrictions which made that holy day almost unendurable. A Jew was not allowed to kindle a fire upon the Sabbath, nor even to light a candle on that day. The views of the people were so narrow that they had become slaves to their own useless regulations. As a consequence, they were dependent upon the Gentiles to do many services which their rules forbade them to do for themselves.
“They did not reflect that if these necessary duties of life were sins they were full as guilty in employing others to perform them as in doing them themselves. They thought salvation was restricted to the Jews, and the condition of all others, being entirely hopeless, could neither be improved nor made worse. But a just God has given no Commandment which cannot be [161] consistently kept by all. His Laws sanction no meaningless usages nor clumsy restrictions.” 2SP:160-161.
“God has given no Commandments which cannot be obeyed by all. His Laws sanction no unreasonable or selfish restrictions.” DA:204.
“The Sabbath is not intended to be a period of useless inactivity. . . The work of Christ in healing the sick was in perfect accord with the Law.” DA:207.
5:14: “Jesus findeth him in the temple” = “He [the impotent man] had come to bring a trespass-offering, a sin-offering, and a thank-offering for the great mercy he had received.” 2SP:161; DA:204.
“sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee” = “He who had suffered for thirty-eight years, as the result, in part, of his own dissipation, was thus plainly warned to avoid the sins that had caused him such suffering.” 2SP:161.
“To many of the afflicted ones who received healing, Christ said, ‘Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.’ John 5:14. Thus He taught that disease is the result of violating God’s Laws, both natural and spiritual. . . Christ had been the guide and teacher of ancient Israel, and He taught them that health is the reward of obedience to the Laws of God. The Great Physician Who healed the sick in Palestine had spoken to His people from the pillar of cloud, telling them what they must do, and what God would do for them. [Exo. 15:26 quoted]. Christ gave to Israel definite instruction in regard to their habits of life, and He assured them, (Deu. 7:15 quoted). When they fulfilled the conditions, the promise was verified to the [Psa. 105:37 quoted].” DA:824.
5:16: “sought to slay Him” = Here is my Matthew 12:14 Note: “The life of Christ was in marked contrast to that of the Jews, and for this very reason they wished to destroy Him.” 2SP:31.
“He had done these things on the Sabbath day” = In the Jewish line of thinking, God could “work” on the Sabbath Day, because He needed to keep the universe from falling apart. But a mere Man (Jesus) must not work on the Sabbath Day. Thus, it is CLEAR that Jesus was claiming to be God in verse 17; like Father like Son.
“[161] Jesus had purposely chosen the Sabbath day upon which to perform the miracle at the pool. He could have healed the sick man as well on any other day of the week; also He might have simply cured him, and avoided arousing the indignation of the Jews, by bidding him take up his bed and depart. But a wise purpose underlay every act of Christ’s [162] life on earth; everything He did was important in itself and its teaching. He came to vindicate His Father’s Law and make it honorable. The Sabbath, instead of being the blessing it was designed to be, had become a curse through the added requirements of the Jews. Jesus wished to rid it of these encumbrances and leave it standing upon its own holy dignity.” 2SP:161-162.
5:18: “Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him” = “Now, a great uproar ensued in the court of the temple; for they sought to slay Jesus, but were prevented by the people, many of whom recognized in Him a Friend Who had healed them from their infirmities and relieved their sorrows.” 2SP:161.
“Therefore He chose the Sabbath for this special work. He selected the worst case among the afflicted ones at the pool of Bethesda upon whom to exercise His miraculous healing power, and bade him carry his bed through the city in order to publish the great work that had been wrought upon him, to call the attention of the people to his case, to the circumstances attending his cure, and to Him by Whom it had been accomplished. This would raise the question of what it was lawful to do on the Sabbath day, and would give Him an opportunity to denounce the narrow prejudice and restrictions of the Jews in regard to the Lord’s day, and declare their bigotry and traditions void.
“Jesus stated to them that the work of relieving the sufferings of the afflicted was in harmony with the Sabbath Law, whether It was relative to the salvation of souls or the removal of physical pain.” 2SP:162.
“Jesus sought to impress upon the narrow minds of the Jews a sense of the folly of their view of the Sabbath. He showed them that God’s work never ceases. It is even greater upon the Sabbath than upon ordinary occasions, for at that time His people leave their usual employments and spend the time in prayerful meditation and worship. They ask more favors of Him upon the Sabbath than upon other days, they demand His special attention, they crave His choicest blessings, they offer importunate prayers for special favors. God does not wait for the Sabbath to pass before He grants those requests, but He deals to the petitioners, with judicious wisdom, whatever is best for them to have.” 2SP:164.1.
“These adversaries of Christ had no arguments with which to meet the truths He brought home to their consciences. They could only cite their customs and traditions, and these seemed weak and vapid when compared with the arguments Jesus had drawn from the Word of God and the unceasing round of nature. Had the rabbis felt any desire to receive light, they would have been convinced that Jesus spoke the truth. But they evaded the points He made concerning the Sabbath, and sought to stir up anger against Him because He claimed to be equal with God.” DA:208.
“He [Jesus] not only had broken the Sabbath” = To use this verse to say that the apostle John is saying that Jesus “had broken the Sabbath,” instead of the context of the previous verses that clearly show that Jesus was teaching “the Jews” the difference between what man’s laws had made the Sabbath Commandment to be and what God’s Law was intended to be done on the God Commanded Seventh-Day Sabbath, is absolutely a ridiculous argument in an effort to cancel one of God’s Ten Commandments. Plus, you are in danger of teaching that Jesus, being God, can violate His Laws at any time without being in subjection to them.
If you want to argue that God can do that, let’s, for the sake of argument give you that for a minute. By contrast, the Humanity of Jesus was to be in subjection to the Laws of God, and as such, you would now be accusing Jesus of sin. Therefore, He would not be our Perfect sacrifice for sin and we are all lost.
In closing, God does not violate His Own Laws, nor does He change them. “For I Am the Lord, I change not,” Malachi 3:6. And many others.
5:19: “The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do” = “Jesus claimed equal rights with God in doing a work equally sacred and of the same character with that which engaged His Father in Heaven. But the Pharisees were still more incensed, because He had not only broken the Law, according to their understanding, but added to this offense the heinous sin of declaring Himself equal with God. Nothing but the interference of the people prevented the Jewish authorities from slaying Him on the spot.” 2SP:164.
5:21: “even so the Son quickeneth whom He will” = “Here Jesus elevated Himself to His true station before the Jews, and declared Himself to be the Son of God. He then, in mild and dignified language, instructed them regarding the Sabbath. He told them that the rest-day which Jehovah had sanctified and set apart for a special purpose, after He had completed the work of creation, was not intended to be a period of useless inactivity. As God ceased His labor of creating, and rested upon that day and blessed It, so man was to leave the occupation of his daily life, and devote those sacred hours to healthful rest, to worship, and to holy deeds.” 2SP:165.1.
5:22: “all judgement” = “God designed that the Prince of sufferers in humanity should be Judge of the whole world. He Who came from the Heavenly courts to save man from eternal death; He Whom men despised, rejected, and upon Whom they heaped all the contempt of which human beings, inspired by Satan, are capable; He Who submitted to be arraigned before an earthly tribunal, and Who suffered the ignominious death of the cross,-- He alone is to pronounce the sentence of reward or of punishment. He Who submitted to the suffering and humiliation of the cross here, in the counsel of God is to have the fullest compensation, and ascend the throne acknowledged by all the Heavenly universe as the King of saints.” RH, November 22, 1898 par. 9.
5:24: “into judgement” = The meaning is the actual meeting out of judgment (read John 3:18).
5:25: “The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live” = That Jesus selectively calls certain ones at certain times should not be debated. Had Jesus not specifically mentioned Lazarus’ name when He said, “Lazarus, come forth,” John 11:43, ALL would have “come forth” from the grave at that time. Which “hour is coming” would be His Second Coming. The “now is,” is when Jesus raises certain ones, such as Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:41) and the widow of Nain’s son (Luke 7:14) and others. Let us not stretch the “now is” to mean He raised everybody, which He didn’t. The meaning is, When Jesus wants to raise someone at any time, He can and will.
5:26: “so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself” = John is here speaking of the humanity of Christ, not His Divinity, else he contradicts His Own testimony in John 1:1 (see John 1:14 also). Luke helps to clarify this statement (see Acts 17:25) in that God has given all the breath of life.
5:30: “I can of Mine Own Self do nothing” = “The palm tree, the cedar, and the oak stand alone. They require no support. But the vine entwines about the trellis, and thus climbs Heavenward. So Christ in His humanity was dependent upon Divine power.” DA:674.3.
5:31: “If I bear witness of Myself” = “He meant that if He came bearing witness only to advance His Own interest and glorify Himself, they would be justified in not crediting His testimony.” ST, August 15, 1900.
5:33: “Ye sent unto John” = “Jesus assures them that He does not refer to the testimony of John in order to sustain His claims, but only that His persecutors may be convinced of their blindness and inconsistency in defiantly opposing Him Whom John had stated was the Son of God. They were not in ignorance regarding the evidence of John, for they had sent a deputy to him who had brought back his statement of the baptism of Jesus and the wonderful manifestations of God at that time.
“Jesus speaks of John that they may see how, in rejecting Himself, they also reject the prophet whom they had received with joy.” 2SP:170.
5:37: “Ye have neither heard His voice at any time” = Apparently these were not at Jesus’ baptism, and even if they were, they did not hear God’s voice, but only the thundering, if that.
5:39: “Search the Scriptures” = The New Testament has Its branches deeply embedded into the Old Testament, from which It draws Its nourishment and out of which It bears fruit. To belittle or neglect the Old, is to cut the New from Its source of growth and deprive the New of life and power.
5:43: “ye receive Me not” = “The truth spoken by Jesus collided with their prejudices and customs, and they cast it from them, hardening their hearts against it. They refused to listen to the teachings of Christ, because those teachings directly condemned their cherished sins. Had the Son of Man come flattering their pride and justifying their iniquity, they would have hastened to do him honor.
5:45: “even Moses” = Notice who else is an accuser other than Satan; i.e., God’s Word.
“Jesus declared that there was no necessity for Him to accuse them to the Father, for Moses, whom they professed to believe, had already accused them.” 2SP:172.
5:47: “But if ye believe not his writings” = Jesus pleaded this expression in an effort towards common sense; see Verses 45 & 46; Luke 16:29 & 31.
“The fury of the rulers knew no bounds, and it [166] was with difficulty that they were prevented from seizing upon Jesus to put Him to death.
“But the people were not excited to violence, and put the rulers to shame by the candor with which they listened to the Words of Jesus. They justified Him in healing the poor sufferer who had been afflicted for thirty-eight years. So the priests and elders were obliged to restrain their hatred for the time, and wait for a more favorable opportunity to carry out their evil designs.” 2SP:166.1.
“[172] Fear seized them, for they could not close their understanding to the convincing power which attended the ministry of Christ. But they were so bound by the chains of pride and arrogance that they rejected the evidence of His Divine power, resisted His appeals, and locked themselves in darkness.
“They had signally failed to subvert the authority of Jesus, or to turn from Him the respect and attention of the people, many of whom were powerfully affected, and deeply convicted, by His impressive discourse. His mighty works had first arrested their notice and aroused their wonder, and when His searching Words disclosed His true character, they were ready to acknowledge His Divine authority. On the other hand, His Words had thrilled the hearts of the rulers with condemnation for their course. He had pressed their guilt home upon their consciences, yet this [173]
“only made them more bitter against Him, and they were fully determined to take His life. They sent messengers all over the country to warn the people against Jesus, Whom they denounced as an Impostor. Spies were sent to watch Him and report what He Said and did. The precious Saviour was now most surely standing under the shadow of the cross.” 2SP:172-173.
CHAPTER SIX
6:1: “After these things” = “After the work of healing that Jesus had performed upon the Sabbath at the Pool of Bethesda, the malice of the leading Jews was so kindled against Him that they plotted against His life, and it was no longer safe for Him to remain in Jerusalem. Therefore He repaired to Galilee, making Capernaum the scene of His labors. At this place He taught; and upon the Sabbaths, multitudes gathered to listen to His doctrine. Here His way seemed to be unobstructed, although spies were upon His track, watching for something whereof they might accuse Him.” 2SP:173.1.
6:3: “Jesus went up into a mountain” = “As soon as it was known that He was in Capernaum, multitudes crowded to hear His Words of Heavenly wisdom. Jesus had taken His disciples up into a mountain for a little season of retirement, but when He saw the people flocking to Him {see John 6:5) He had not the heart to turn them away.
“The feast of the Jews was near {see John 6:4}, and many had come in from the region about Jerusalem, seeking Jesus, of Whose wonderful miracles they had heard. The sick and the afflicted were brought to Him, and He healed their maladies.” 2SP:174.
6:4: “Passover” = See my John 6:3 Note.
The argument is that this verse is not in “most” manuscripts. Fact: It is listed in 1,463 manuscripts, such as P66, one of the most reliable manuscripts we have today. Whereas, in 6 manuscripts they omit this verse. These are, Von Soden; NA26; NA27.8; T&T; NA27.9; NA28. See my Bible Study: “MANUSCRIPTS, BIBLICAL.” The reasoning behind this false study is to make the ministry of Christ out to be only about one year. Whereas, we know from Daniel 9:27 that our Lord’s ministry was 3 1/2 years. See my Bible Study: “CHRIST, THE JOURNEYS OF.” And according to Luke 19:42 & 44 (see my notes there) the Jewish nation should have known the time (First Coming), and timing (length of time) of their Messiah’s ministry.
“Jesus had now given three years of public labor to the world. . . Yet this short period of three years was as long as the world could endure the presence of its Redeemer.” 2SP:370.
6:5: “saith unto Phillip” = Why did Jesus ask Phillip when it was Judas that had charge of the money? Obviously, it was Phillip who needed the lesson. Only Divinity would know this.
“He inquired of Philip concerning the probability of obtaining bread for so large a number, that they might not return to their homes unrefreshed nor faint by the way. This He did to test the faith of His disciples, for He Himself was at no loss how to provide food.” 2SP:261.
6:9: “five barley loaves, and two small fishes” = Here is my Matthew 14:15 Note: What Bible Students tend to miss here is not the apparent lack of faith of the Disciples, but the fact that “Andrew,” John 6:8 (and most likely others), had been mingling amongst the people in order to even know about this food source. Here is my Matthew 5:1 Note for a possible reason:
“Jesus spent the entire night in prayer, while His disciples slept at the foot of the mountain. About dawn He came and wakened them. The disciples were now about to receive an office of sacred responsibility, second only to that of Christ Himself. They were to be set apart for the gospel work. They were to be linked with Jesus, to be with Him, to share His joys and trials, to receive His Teachings, and be faithful witnesses of His mighty works, that they might be able to impart the instruction thus gained to the world. They were to be qualified so that Jesus could at times send them forth alone to teach and work even as He taught and worked. Jesus wished His disciples to gain an experience in the gospel labor while He was on earth to comfort and direct them, so that they would be able to successfully continue the work after His death, and lay the foundation of the Christian Church.” 2SP:203.
“The food increased in the hands of Christ, and as often as the disciples returned to Him, they received a fresh supply.” RH, January 11, 1898; 2SP:262.
“About ten-thousand people -- five thousand men and women and five thousand children.” 9MR:31.
6:13: “them that had eaten” = Here is my Matthew 14:20 Note: “The disciples were bidden to feed the hungry multitude before eating themselves. After the wants of all had been supplied. . . Twelve baskets full were gathered up; and then Christ and His disciples ate of the precious, Heaven-supplied food.” ST, August 19, 1897; 4ST:218.
“The Holy Spirit exalts and glorifies the Saviour. It is His office to present Christ, the purity of His righteousness, and the great salvation that we have through Him. . . The Spirit of truth is the only effectual teacher of Divine truth.” SC:63.
6:14-15: “they would come and take Him by force, to make him a king, He departed” = Here is my Matthew 14:22 Note: “[378] In their enthusiasm the people are ready at once to crown Him king. . . The disciples unite with the multitude in declaring the throne of David the rightful inheritance of their Master. . . They eagerly arrange to carry out their purpose; but Jesus sees what is on foot, and understands, as they cannot, what would be the result of such a movement. . . Violence and insurrection would follow an effort to place Him on the throne, and the work of the spiritual kingdom would be hindered. . . Calling His disciples, Jesus bids them take the boat and return at once to Capernaum, leaving Him to dismiss the people. Never before had a Command from Christ seemed so impossible of fulfillment. The disciples had long hoped for a popular movement to place Jesus on the throne; they could not endure the thought that all this enthusiasm should come to nothing. . . [379]
“They protested against the arrangement; but Jesus now spoke with an authority He had never before assumed toward them. They knew that further opposition on their part would be useless, and in silence they turned toward the sea. Jesus now Commands the multitude to disperse; and His manner is so decisive that they dare not disobey. The words of praise and exaltation die on their lips. In the very act of advancing to seize Him their steps are stayed, and the glad, eager look fades from their countenances. In that throng are men of strong mind and firm determination; but the kingly bearing of Jesus, and His few quiet Words of Command, quell the tumult, and frustrate their designs. They recognize in Him a power above all earthly authority, and without a question they submit.” DA:378-379.
Judas “[718] was first to take advantage of the enthusiasm excited by the miracle of the loaves. . . [719] It was he [Judas] who set on foot the project to take Christ by force and make Him king.” DA:718-719.
6:19: “about five and twenty or thirty furlongs” = Somewhere around 3.5 miles.
6:28: “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God” = “They had been performing many and burdensome works in order to recommend themselves to God; and they were ready to hear of any new observance by which they could secure greater merit. Their question meant, What shall we do that we may deserve Heaven? What is the price we are required to pay in order to obtain the life to come? ‘Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him Whom He hath sent.’ The price of Heaven is Jesus. The way to Heaven is through faith in ‘the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ John 1:29.
“But the people did not choose to receive this statement of Divine truth. Jesus had done the very work which prophecy had foretold that the Messiah would do; but they had not witnessed what their selfish hopes had pictured as His work. Christ had indeed once fed the multitude with barley loaves; but in the days of Moses Israel had been fed with manna forty years, and far greater blessings were expected from the Messiah. Their dissatisfied hearts queried why, if Jesus could perform so many wondrous works as they had witnessed, could He not give health, strength, and riches to all His people, free them from their oppressors, and exalt them to power and honor? The fact that He claimed to be the Sent of God, and yet refused to be Israel’s king, was a mystery which they could not fathom. His refusal was misinterpreted. Many concluded that He dared not assert His claims because He Himself doubted as to the Divine character of His mission. Thus they opened their hearts to unbelief, and the seed which Satan had sown bore fruit of its kind, in misunderstanding and defection.” DA:385.
6:31-32: “Our fathers did eat manna. . . Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but My Father” = [Continuing from above: DA:385] “Now, half mockingly, a rabbi questioned, ‘What sign showest Thou then, that we may see, and believe Thee? what dost Thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from Heaven to eat.’ The Jews honored Moses as the giver of the manna, ascribing praise to the instrument, and losing sight of Him by Whom the work had been accomplished.” DA:385.
“The Living evidences of His Divine power had been before them day after day; yet their hard and caviling hearts asked for still another sign of His Divinity before they would believe. Had this been given them they would still have remained as unbelieving as before. If they were not already convinced of His Messiahship by what they had seen and heard, it was useless to show them more marvelous works. The dignity of God’s holy Son was not to be compromised to gratify a questioning crowd.” 2SP:277.
6:34: “Lord, evermore give us this bread” = Still thinking that it was temporal food to which Jesus referred, some of His hearers exclaimed, [verse quoted].” DA:386.
John 6:35 & 48 & 51; Exodus 16:15: “I Am the bread of life” = The metaphor “eat of this bread” obviously did not teach the necessity of literally eating the flesh of Jesus to acquire eternal life. Our Lord was simply teaching by implication that as food becomes a physical part of an individual when it is consumed, so all who come to Him and believe in Him as the One Who gives eternal life, those are the ones who are completely assimilating Him and His value system. Further on in this discourse our Lord compared this example to the relationship He has with His Father. As He and God the Father dwell together in oneness (verse 57), so will true believers be indwelt by Him (verse 56).
“It was Christ Himself. . . Who had daily fed them manna from Heaven,” 2SP:276.
“When he declared in the synagogue that He was the bread of life, many of those who had followed Him apostatized and united with the Pharisees to watch Him and spy upon His movements in the hope of finding cause to condemn Him to death.” 2SP:337.
“The figure which Christ used was a familiar one to the Jews. . . Deut. 8:3; Jer. 15:16. The rabbis themselves had a saying, that the eating of bread, in its spiritual significance, was the study of the Law and the practice of good works; and it was often said that at the Messiah’s coming all Israel would be fed.” DA:386.
“shall never hunger. . . never thirst” = “Those who experience the spiritual union with Christ never hunger for higher enjoyment. All uncertainty is gone, the weary soul finds continual refreshment in the Saviour. The feverish thirst for wealth and honor is gone. He is in them a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” 2SP:277.
6:38: “not to do Mine Own will, but the will of Him that sent Me” = “In these words is set forth the great principle which is the Law of life for the universe.” DA:21.
6:39: “And this is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that of all which he hath given Me I should lose nothing” = This is the most popular verse used for the false doctrine of (see my Bible Study on this subject), “ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED.” The simple rebuttal would be, Yes, our Lord will never give you up. By contrast, God does not force your will, and as such, you can give Him up. Yes, it is “the Father’s will” that you be saved. But sanctification is the work of a lifetime.
6:42: “Is not this Jesus, the Son of Joseph” = Here is my Matthew 13:55 Note: The implication is that carpenters were not eloquent, nor have “gracious words,” Mark 6:3, normally in their vocabulary. That Joseph may have been rude should not be understood here.
“In marked contrast with this humble Man was the expected Messiah of the Jews. They believed that He would Come with honor and glory, and set up, by power of arms, the throne of David. And they murmured: This cannot be the One Who is to redeem Israel. Is not this Jesus, the Son of Joseph, Whose father and mother we know? And they refused to believe Him unless He gave them some marked sign. They opened their hearts to unbelief, and prejudice took possession of them, and blinded their judgment, so that they made no account of the evidence already given when their hearts had thrilled with the knowledge that It was their Redeemer Who addressed them.” 2SP:112.
6:44: “No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him” = See my John 6:65 Note.
“The sinner is represented as a lost sheep, and a lost sheep never returns to the fold unless he is sought after and brought back to the fold by the shepherd. No man of himself can repent, and make himself worthy of the blessing of justification. The Lord Jesus is constantly seeking to impress the sinner’s mind and attract him to behold Himself, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world. We cannot take a step toward spiritual life save as Jesus draws and strengthens the soul, and leads us to experience that repentance which needeth not to be repented of,” NL:21; 1SM:390-391; TMK:110.
6:45: “hath learned of the Father” = “He here refers to the prophecy of Isaiah [54:13]. . . In declaring that none come to Him unless the Father draws them, the Saviour wished them to understand that God would never appear in Person to teach them concerning the way of life. Humanity could not endure the vision of His glory for a moment; only through the Son could they come to Him. In seeing and hearing the Son, they saw and heard the Father. He is Mediator between God and His disobedient children. The Jews claimed God as their Teacher, but Christ declared such profession vain, for, said He, [verse quoted].” 2SP:280.
6:52: “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat” = “Those who see Christ in His true character, and receive Him into the heart, have everlasting life. It is through the Spirit that Christ dwells in us; and the Spirit of God, received into the heart by faith, is the beginning of the life eternal.” DA:389.
6:53: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood” = “When He declared in the synagogue that He was the bread of life, many of those who had followed Him apostatized and united with the Pharisees to watch Him and spy upon His movements in the hope of finding cause to condemn Him to death.” 2SP:337.
“This Discourse of Jesus cooled the enthusiasm of the people. If, by becoming His disciples, they must live righteous lives, deny self, and suffer humiliation, they had no desire to rally under His banner.” 2SP:285.
“[285] The murmuring of His followers grieved the heart of the Saviour. In openly rebuking their unbelief before the multitude, He had increased their disaffection, and many of them went back and walked no more with Jesus. He looked after these erring ones with eyes of pitying tenderness. They were greatly displeased, and, wishing to wound Jesus and gratify the malice [286]
“of the Pharisees, they turned their backs upon Him and left Him with disdain. In doing this they made the fatal mistake of rejecting God’s Counsel to them. It was such developments as these that made the Saviour a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief. The consciousness that His kindness and compassion were unappreciated, His Love unrequited, His mercy slighted, His salvation rejected, filled His Divine soul with a grief that was inexpressible. Could these ungrateful disciples have discerned how God viewed their behavior to His dear Son, they would hardly have walked away so proudly and defiantly. They were choosing darkness rather than light, because they were too vain and self-righteous to receive a merited rebuke, and too worldly to accept a life of humility in order to secure salvation.” 2SP:285-286.
“When Jesus presented the testing truth that caused so many of His disciples to turn back, He knew what would be the result of His Words, but He had a purpose of mercy to fulfill. He foresaw that in the hour of temptation every one of His beloved disciples would be severely tested. His agony in Gethsemane, His betrayal and crucifixion, would be to them a most trying ordeal. Had no previous test been given, many who were actuated by merely selfish motives would have been connected with them. When their Lord was condemned in the judgment hall; when the multitude who had hailed Him as their king hissed at Him and reviled Him; when the jeering crowd cried, ‘Crucify Him!’ -- when their worldly ambitions were disappointed, these self-seeking ones would, by renouncing their allegiance to Jesus, have brought upon the disciples a bitter, heart-burdening sorrow, in addition to their grief and disappointment in the ruin of their fondest hopes. In that hour of darkness, the example of those who turned from Him might have carried others with them. But Jesus brought about this crisis while by His personal presence He could still strengthen the faith of His true followers.” DA:394.
“Christ’s discourse in the synagogue concerning the bread of life was the turning point in the history of Judas. He heard the words, ‘Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you.’ John 6:53. He saw that Christ was offering spiritual rather than worldly good. He regarded himself as farsighted, and thought he could see that Jesus would have no honor, and that He could bestow no high position upon His followers. He determined not to unite himself so closely to Christ but that he could draw away. He would watch. And he did watch.” DA:719.
“Jesus explained what He meant by eating His flesh and drinking His blood. He meant that His disciples were to partake of His Word. He said, {verse 63 quoted}.” GHA:24; SC:61.
“The disciples who forsook Jesus had entertained contention and unbelief. Unbelief had grown into a habit; and now had become a more distinct and startling opportunity to demonstrate that they were offended.” RH, November 16, 1897.
“Judas was among those who said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can hear it?’” ST, December 24, 1894.
6:61: “His disciples murmured at it” = “He reproved them because they had murmured when He said that He had Come down from Heaven. If they were not able to receive this truth, how would it be when He ascended before their eyes to that Heaven from whence He Came?” 2SP:283.2.
6:65: “Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto Me, except it were given unto him of My Father” = See my John 6:44 Note.
“He wished them to understand that their hearts must be open to the Spirit of God before they could be drawn to Him by faith.” 2SP:284.
6:67: “Will ye also go away” = “[289] Some may question the wisdom of Jesus in introducing a subject so easily misunderstood as that which had turned so many from Him on this occasion. But He had a purpose in view. He saw that a most trying ordeal awaited His disciples in His betrayal, His agony in Gethsemane, and His crucifixion. He knew who among His followers were unbelieving and who were of weak faith. Had no test been given them, Jesus would [290]
“have had many among His followers who were weak in character, and undecided. When the great trial came, and their Lord was betrayed and condemned in the Judgment Hall; when He was humiliated, and the multitude, who had hailed Him as their King, hissed at Him and reviled Him; when the cruel, jeering crowd cried, ‘Crucify Him!’ -- then these faint-hearted ones would have sunk beneath their fear and disappointment.
“The apostasy of these professed followers of Christ at such a time, would have been more than the twelve could have endured in addition to their great grief and the terrible ruin of their fondest hopes. The example of those who turned from Him, might, in that hour of horror, have carried all the rest with them. But Jesus brought about this crisis while He was still present to comfort and strengthen His chosen, and prepare them for what was to follow. When the hooting rabble scorned Him Who was doomed to the cross, the disciples were not overwhelmed with surprise at this insult to their Master, for they had seen the fickleness of those who had once followed Him. When those who had professed to love the Master turned from Him in the time of His trouble, the disciples remembered that the same thing had occurred before, for less reason. They had tested the inconstant favor of the world, and hung not their faith upon the opinions of others. Jesus wisely prepared the minds of His faithful few for the great trial of His betrayal and death.” 2SP:289-290.
CHAPTER SEVEN
7:3-4: “His brethren therefore said unto Him” = “[450] His brothers thought it a mistake for Him to alienate the great and learned men of the nation. They felt that these men must be in the right, and that Jesus was at fault in placing Himself in antagonism to them. But they had witnessed His blameless life, and though they did not rank themselves with his disciples, they had been deeply impressed by His works. His popularity in Galilee was gratifying to their ambition; they still hoped that he would give an evidence of His power which would lead the Pharisees to see that He was what He claimed to be. What if He were the Messiah, the Prince of Israel! They cherished this thought with proud satisfaction. . . [451]
“The ‘if’ expressed doubt and unbelief. They attributed cowardice and weakness to Him. . . These brothers of Jesus reasoned from the selfish motive so often found in the hearts of those ambitious for display.” DA:450-451.
“The people who followed Christ had been disappointed that He did not set up a new kingdom. . . Even His chosen disciples were becoming impatient that He did not assume temporal authority, and His relatives were disappointed in Him and rejected Him. They had addressed Him in these words:” 2SP:235.
7:3 & 5: “His brethren . . . His brethren” = Here is my Matthew 12:46 Note: “The sons of Joseph, His brethren, enlisted Mary to go with them; for they knew that His love for her would add to their influence in seeking to prevail upon Him to be more prudent. They felt that their own honor was compromised in the criticisms that came upon Jesus. They were not at all pleased with His startling denunciations against the religious leaders of the Jews, and felt the reproach that came upon them in consequence of their relation to Him. They knew what a great tumult His Words and works created, and were not only alarmed at His bold statements, but indignant at His denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees. His Words previous to their coming to seek to compel Him to cease this manner of doing had thoroughly aroused them. . .
“The Pharisees were filled with madness against Him, and they had made their threats to the brethren of Christ as to what they would do. . . His brethren knew that they were seeking to find occasion against Him, and they felt that in the works He had spoken, He had given occasion enough. They must make some determined effort to prevent Him from uttering words that would not only involve Him in difficulty, but bring down upon His family the denunciations of the Pharisees.” ST, October 1, 1896.
“[86] His brothers, as the sons of Joseph were called. . . [87] Being older than Jesus. . .” DA:86-87.
“The life of Christ was marked with respect, devotion, and love for His mother. She often remonstrated with Him, and sought to have Him concede to the wishes of His brethren. His brethren could not persuade Him to change His habits of life in contemplating the works of God, in manifesting sympathy and tenderness toward the poor, the suffering, and the unfortunate, and in seeking to alleviate the sufferings of both men and dumb animals. When the priests and rulers came to Mary to persuade her to force Jesus to give allegiance to their ceremonies and traditions, she felt much troubled. But peace and confidence came to her troubled heart as her Son presented the clear statements of the Scriptures in upholding His practices. At times she wavered between Jesus and His brethren, who did not believe that He was the Sent of God. But evidence was powerful and abundant that His was a Divine character. She saw Him sacrificing Himself for the good of others. She saw Him meeting the people where they were. She saw Him constantly growing in grace and knowledge, and in favor with God and man.” ST, August 6, 1896.
“In His youth He worked with His father at the carpenter’s trade and thus honored all labor.” ST, July 30, 1896; TMK:30.
“While Christ was working at the carpenter’s bench, others would sometimes surround Him, trying to cause Him to be impatient; but He would begin singing some of the beautiful psalms, and before they realized what they were doing, they had joined with Him in singing, influenced, as it were, by the power of the Holy Spirit which was there.” AH:443.
“This miracle pointed directly toward breaking down the prejudices of the Jews. The disciples of Jesus learned a lesson of sympathy and humanity from it. His relatives were drawn to Him with warm affection, and when He left for Capernaum, they accompanied Him.” 2SP:109.
7:6: “My time is not yet come” = Jesus had not attended several of these gatherings because of the enmity of the Jews.” 2SP:338.
7:8: “I go not up yet” = It was normal at this time for a public procession of hundreds of people to crowd and march together on their way to the feast in Jerusalem. Jesus did not want to be a part of that (see verse 10).
7:14: “Jesus went up into the Temple, and taught” = “Jesus spoke upon the subject of the Law. He was in the presence of the very men who were great sticklers for Its Exactions, yet failed to carry out Its Principles in their lives. These persons persecuted Jesus, Who taught so pointedly the sanctity of God’s Statutes, and freed them from the senseless restrictions which had been attached to Them.” 2SP:340.
7:15: “How knoweth this Man letters, having never learned” = “The question asked during the Saviour’s ministry, {vs. quoted} does not indicate that Jesus was unable to read, but merely that He had not received a rabbinical education.” DA:70.
7:16-17: “Jesus answered them, and said” = “The perception and appreciation of truth, He said, depends less upon the mind than upon the heart. Truth must be received into the soul; it claims the homage of the will. If truth could be submitted to the reason alone, pride would be no hindrance in the way of its reception. But it is to be received through the work of grace in the heart; and its reception depends upon the renunciation of every sin that the Spirit of God reveals.” DA:455.
7:22: “not because It is of Moses” = Jesus here clearly teaches that what the Jews and modern-day Christians call the “Law of Moses” is truly God’s Law (as given to Moses).
John 7:22; Luke 14:1-4: “ye on the Sabbath day circumcise a man” = “Jesus referred to his act of healing the man on the Sabbath, and showed that it was in accordance with the Sabbath Law. He alluded also to the custom among the Jews of circumcising on the Sabbath. If it was Lawful to circumcise a man on the Sabbath, it must certainly be right to relieve the afflicted.” 2SP:341.
7:27: “Howbeit we know this Man” = “[341] Many of those who lived at Jerusalem, and were not ignorant of the designs of the Sanhedrim council against Jesus, were charmed with the doctrine that He [342] Taught and with His pure and dignified bearing, and were inclined to accept Him as the Son of God.
“They were not filled with the bitter prejudice and hatred of the priests and rulers; but Satan was ready to suggest doubts and questions in their minds as to the Divinity of this Man of humble origin. Many had received the impression that Messiah would have no natural relationship to humanity, and it was not pleasant for them to think of Him, Whom they had hoped would be a mighty King of Israel, as One Who sprung from poverty and obscurity. Therefore they said among themselves, ‘Howbeit we know this Man whence He is; but when Christ Cometh, no man knoweth whence He is.’ The minds of these men were closed to the prophecies, which pointed how and when Christ was to Come.
“While their minds were balancing between doubt and faith, Jesus took up their thoughts and answered them,” 2SP:341-342.
7:30: “they sought to take Him” = “The Words of Jesus convinced many of those who listened; but the rage of the rulers was increased by this very fact, and they made an attempt to seize Him;” 2SP:342.
7:33: “Yet a little while” = “Jesus stood before His enemies with calm and dignified mien, declaring His mission to the world, and revealing the hidden sins and deadly designs of the Pharisees and rulers. Though these lofty persons would gladly have sealed His lips, and though they had the will to destroy Him where He stood, they were prevented by an invisible influence, which put a limit to their rage and said to them, ‘Thus far shalt thou go, and no farther.’
“The Words of Jesus found a place in many hearts, and, like seed sown in goodly soil, they afterward bore abundant harvests. The spies scattered throughout the throng now report to the chief priests and elders that Jesus is gaining great influence among the people and that many are already acknowledging their belief in Him. The priests therefore secretly lay their plans to arrest Jesus; but they arrange to take Him when He is alone, for they dare not risk the effect upon the people of seizing Him while in their presence. Jesus, Divining their malevolent intents, declares in Words of solemn pathos:” 2SP:343.
7:37: “In the last day, that great day of the feast” = See my Bible Study: “FEAST’S, THE BIBLICAL.”
“If any man thirst” = “The priest had that morning performed the imposing ceremony which represented the smiting of the Rock in the wilderness and the issuing therefrom of the water. That Rock was a figure of Christ. His Words were the water of life. As Jesus spoke thus to the people, their hearts thrilled with a strange awe, and many were ready to exclaim, with the woman of Samaria, ‘Give me of this water, that I thirst not.’ ” 2SP:346.
7:39: “the Holy Ghost was not yet given” = See my John 14:16 Note. Or better, the understanding of these things will not be fully understood until (“because that Jesus was not yet glorified,” or better, gone to Heaven) the Holy Ghost is poured out upon our Lord’s followers.
7:40: “the Prophet” = Note the capitalization of “Prophet.” This is a reference to Deuteronomy 18:15, which refers to “The Messiah,” which they improperly distinguished from being separate from the Messiah (see verse 41).
7:46: “Never Man spake like this Man” = “[347] Dealing with violence and crime had naturally hardened the hearts of these men; but they were not so unfeeling as the priests and elders, who had resolutely shut out [348] the light, and given themselves up to envy and malice.
“The officers had heard the Words of Jesus in the Temple, they had felt the wondrous influence of His presence, and their hearts had been strangely softened and drawn toward Him Whom they were commanded to arrest as a criminal. They were unequal to the task set them by the priests and rulers; they could not summon courage to lay hands upon this pure Being Who stood, with the light of Heaven upon His countenance, preaching a free salvation.” 2SP:347-348.
7:48: “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on Him” = “Those to whom the message of truth is spoken seldom ask, ‘Is it true?’ but, ‘By whom is it advocated?’ Multitudes estimate it by the numbers who accept it;” DA:459.
7:50: “Nicodemus saith” = “They then proceed to lay plans to condemn and execute Jesus immediately, fearful that if He is left free any longer He will gain all the people. They decide that their only hope is to speedily silence Him. But Nicodemus, one of the Pharisees, and he who had come to Jesus in the night and had been taught of Him concerning the new birth, speaks out boldly:” 2SP:348.
7:52: “out of Galilee ariseth no prophet” = The chief priests and Pharisees must have been ignorant of Jonah and Nahum. “Hamath,” was the birthplace of Jonah (2Ki. 14:25), and means, “winepress of the well.” It is a town of Lower Galilee, about 5 miles from Nazareth. It is the same as the “Hamath” in Second Kings 19:13. It has been identified with the modern el-Meshed, a village on the top of a rocky hill. Here, the supposed tomb of Jonah, who is called, “Neby Yunas,” is still pointed out.
Also, “Elkosh,” Nahum 1:1, the town from which Nahum was from, is believed to be in Galilee. Jerome states in the prologue to his commentary on Nahum that the village of “Helkesei in Galilee” was pointed out to him as “Elkosh.” This “Helkesei” is probably “El-Kauzeh,” which is between Ramieh and Bint Jebeil. Some Bible commentators’ site the Nestorians, who venerate the supposed tomb of the prophet in the village of Alḳush, which is not far from the east bank of the Tigris. This would make it about two days journey, and almost directly north of Mosul. Others site the treatise, “De Vitis Prophetarum,” of the Pseudo-Epiphanius, which says that Nahum came from “Elkesei beyond Jordan towards Begabor and was of the tribe of Simeon.” Thus, Christ’s true origin may now totally be established. Notice also that both prophets where sent to minister unto Nineveh.
However, this is not most likely what the Pharisees meant with their statement. Most likely they were informing Nicodemus that the Messiah would not come from Galilee (see verses 41-42). Oh so stubborn as to not search out the prophecies.
CHAPTER EIGHT
8:2: “into the Temple” = With help from John 8:20, which states, “These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as He taught in the Temple,” we can know for sure that Jesus was not in “the Temple” proper. Only the High Priest was allowed “once in a year,” Exodus 30:10 & Leviticus 16:34, into the “Most Holy Place,” which is the second compartment of the Temple Proper. And into the first compartment, only the Levitical priests from the tribe of Levi, were allowed into this compartment, called, “The Holy Place.” So it is not so confusing, the Temple Proper, which comprises those two compartments can be called, the Sanctuary.
Now Jesus was not the High Priest, neither was He of the tribe of Levi, but Judah. Thus, He was not in the Sanctuary. Rather, He was “in the treasury,” which is one of the courtyards before the Sanctuary. Or better, the courtyard which was around the Sanctuary. But not the second courtyard, which would be before the Temples court that housed the Brazen Altar and the Laver. But rather, Jesus was in what was termed, “The court of the Gentiles,” see Revelation 11:2. This would comprise the first court, before the second courtyard, the Temples courtyard before entering into the true Temple courtyard which housed the Brazen Altar and the Laver.
How do we know that Jesus was in this courtyard before the second courtyard and the proper Temple courtyard? First, Jesus was not bringing a sacrifice to the Temple, and as such, would not be going into the Temple’s second courtyard and then into the Sanctuary’s courtyard to sacrifice. Second, no sinners without a sacrifice were allowed into the Temple’s second courtyard. But all Jews and Gentiles who would profit the Temple were allowed into the very first courtyard.
It is well documented in Rabbinical history, see Albert Barnes’ Notes On The Bible, and his comments on Matthew 21;12, that “Gentiles might come into it, but they could proceed no further. On the second wall and on the gates were inscriptions in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, forbidding any Gentile or unclean person from proceeding further on pain of death.”
My point is, please don’t understand from the reading of “Temple” in this verse that Jesus stood in either the “Temple Proper,” the “Sanctuary,” or that He was in the Temple/Sanctuary courtyard. But rather, Jesus and all the parties present with the adulterous woman were in the Gentiles courtyard, two courtyards away from the Brazen Altar and the Laver courtyard.
8:3-5: “the scribes and Pharisees brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery” = If we go to verse 5, these same “scribes and Pharisees” state: “Now Moses in the Law.” This is found in Leviticus 20:10. However, and they knew that, according to “the Law” of “Moses,” really God’s Law, both the man and the woman needed to be present for these accusations to be valid.
“With all their professions of reverence for the Law, these rabbis, in bringing the charge against the woman, were disregarding Its provisions. It was the husband’s duty to take action against her, and the guilty parties were to be punished equally. The action of the accusers was wholly unauthorized.” DA:461.
8:5: “Moses in the Law Commanded us” = Notice how they are pitting Jesus against Moses. What is going on here is that this was a very political situation they were putting Jesus in. The key to understand here is that the Jews were of course very favorable of the Law of Moses. For Christ to say anything arbitrary about the Law of Moses would not only be devastating, but it would be interpreted as if He were advocating the Romans laws as binding upon man (them), and placing them above the Law of Moses. The Pharisees and the Sadducees always play on these principles and placed Christ in these situations. Such as, Should we give our money to God or to the Romans? Should we pay taxes to the Romans or God?
8:6: “that they might have to accuse Him” = “[349] The scribes and Pharisees had agreed to bring [350] this case before Jesus, thinking that whatever decision He made in regard to it, they would therein find occasion to accuse and condemn Him. If He should acquit the woman, they would accuse Him of despising the Law of Moses, and condemn Him on that account; and if He should declare that she was guilty of death, they would accuse Him to the Romans as One Who was stirring up sedition and assuming authority which alone belonged to them.” 2SP:349-350.
“Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground” = “But Jesus well knew for what purpose this case had been brought to Him; He read the secrets of their hearts, and knew the character and life-history of every man in His presence. He seemed indifferent to the question of the Pharisees, and while they were talking and pressing about Him, He stooped and wrote carelessly with His finger in the sand.
“Although doing this without apparent design, Jesus was tracing on the ground, in legible characters, the particular sins of which the woman’s accusers were guilty, beginning with the eldest {verse 9} and ending with the youngest. At length the Pharisees became impatient at the indifference of Jesus, and His delay in deciding the question before Him, and drew nearer, urging the matter. But as their eyes fell upon the Words written in the sand, fear and surprise took possession of them. The people, looking on, saw their countenances suddenly change, and pressed forward to discover what they were regarding with such an expression of astonishment and shame. Many of those who thus gathered round also read the record of hidden sin inscribed against these accusers of another.” 2SP:350.
“[351] When the woman stood before Jesus, cowering under the accusation of the Pharisees and a sense of the enormity of her crime, she knew that her life was [352] trembling in the balance, and a Word from Jesus would add fuel to the indignation of the crowd, so that they would immediately stone her to death.” 2SP:351-352.
8:7: “He that is without sin” = Jesus isn’t here saying that she shouldn’t be stoned -- after all, He made this Law -- He simply forces these men to see their own violations of the Law of God. Even the woman’s release is in harmony with the Law of Moses because there is none to point an accusing finger, for at least two witnesses are needed to administer justice (Deu. 17:6).
8:11: “No man, Lord” = This is more than a statement, it is a question; for she still does not know her fate with this “man,” and she seeks an answer. Our Lord’s, answer not only cover’s the immediate situation, but her condition for all time (all-be-it, conditional).
“Neither do I condemn thee” = Jesus handled the situation in such a way that forever afterward the woman’s accusers would be eager to leave her alone, since they never could be sure what she had read about their private lives on the pavement that morning.
“At Jesus’ words “Her heart was melted, and, casting herself at the feet of Jesus, she sobbed out her grateful love and with bitter tears confessed her sins. This was to her the beginning of a new life, a life of purity and peace, devoted to God. In the uplifting of this fallen soul, Jesus performed a greater miracle than in healing the most grievous physical disease; He cured the spiritual malady which is unto death everlasting. This penitent woman became one of His most steadfast followers.” DA:461; MH:89.
“go, and sin no more” = TAKE NOTE: Our Lord did not here instruct her to do something that she could not do.
“Jesus did not palliate sin nor lessen the sense of crime; but He came not to condemn; He came to lead the sinner to eternal life.” 2SP:351.
“[352] This was the beginning of a new life to this tempted, fallen soul, a life of purity and peace, devoted to the service of God. In raising this woman to a life of virtue, Jesus performed a greater act than that of healing the most grievous bodily malady; He cured the sickness of the soul which is unto death everlasting. This penitent woman became one of the firmest friends of Jesus. She repaid His forgiveness and compassion, with a self-sacrificing love and worship. Afterward, when she stood sorrow-stricken at the foot of the cross, and saw the dying agony on the face of her Lord, and heard His bitter cry, her soul was pierced afresh; for she knew that this Sacrifice was on account of sin; and her responsibility as one whose deep guilt had helped to bring about this anguish of the Son of God, seemed very heavy indeed. She felt that those [353]
“pangs which pierced the Saviour's frame were for her; the blood that flowed from His wounds was to blot out her record of sin; the groans which escaped from His dying lips were caused by her transgression. Her heart ached with a sorrow past all expression, and she felt that a life of self-abnegating atonement would poorly compensate for the gift of life, purchased for her at such an infinite price.
“In His act of pardoning, and encouraging this fallen woman to live a better life, the character of Jesus shines forth in the beauty of a perfect righteousness. Knowing not the taint of sin Himself, He pities the weakness of the erring one, and reaches to her a helping hand. While the self-righteous and hypocritical Pharisees denounce, and the tumultuous crowd is ready to stone and slay, and the trembling victim waits for death -- Jesus, the Friend of sinners, bids her, ‘Go, and sin no more.’
“It is not the true follower of Christ who turns from the erring with cold, averted eyes, leaving them unrestrained to pursue their downward course. Christian charity is slow to censure, quick to detect penitence, ready to forgive, to encourage, to set the wanderer in the path of virtue, and stay his feet therein.
“The wisdom displayed by Jesus on this occasion, in defending Himself against the designs of His enemies, and the evidence which He gave them that He knew the hidden secrets of their lives, the conviction that He pressed home upon the guilty consciences of the very men who were seeking to destroy Him, were sufficient evidence of His Divine character. Jesus also taught another important lesson in this scene: That those who are [354]
“ever forward to accuse others, quick to detect them in wrong, and zealous that they should be brought to justice, are often guiltier in their own lives than those whom they accuse. Many who beheld the whole scene were led to compare the pardoning compassion of Jesus with the unrelenting spirit of the Pharisees, to whom mercy was a stranger; and they turned to the pitying Saviour as unto One Who would lead the repentant sinner into peace and security.” 2SP:352-354.
8:12: “I Am the light of the world” = “As the radiant lamps of the Temple lit up the whole city, so Christ, the source of spiritual light, illuminated the darkness of a world lying in sin. His manner was so impressive, and His Words carried with them such a weight of truth, that many were there convicted that He was indeed the Son of God.” 2SP:354.
Jesus, “was in the court of the temple specially connected with the services of the Feast of Tabernacles. In the center of this court rose two lofty standards, supporting lampstands of great size. After the evening sacrifice, all the lamps were kindled, shedding their light over Jerusalem. This ceremony was in commemoration of the pillar of light that guided Israel in the desert, and was also regarded as pointing to the Coming of the Messiah.” DA:463.
“. . . when Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world,’ the people could not fail to recognize His claim to be the Promised One.” DA:465.
8:14: “but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go” = “[354] They were ignorant of His Divine [355] character and mission because they had not searched the prophecies concerning the Messiah, as it was their privilege and duty to do. They had no connection with God and Heaven, and therefore did not comprehend the Work of the Saviour of the world, and, though they had received the most convincing evidence that Jesus was that Saviour, yet they refused to open their minds to understand. At first they had set their hearts against Him, and refused to believe the strongest proof of His Divinity, and, as a consequence, their hearts had grown harder until they were determined not to believe nor accept Him.” 2SP:354-355. Note: Just like Pharaoh; see my Bible Study: “HARDENING OF PHARAOH’S HEART, THE.”
8:19: “Where is Thy Father” = This is a slur (see John 8:41). The Pharisees were really not asking a question per se. What the Pharisees where really stating by their question, is that they were accusing Jesus of being a bastard.
8:20: “in the treasury, as He taught in the Temple” = See my John 8:2 Note.
8:21: “ye cannot come” = Because they are to “die in your sins,” this verse and verse 24. That is, the “second death,” Revelation 2:11; 20:6 & 14; 21:8.
8:31: “which believed on Him” = They finally “believed on Him,” verse 30, because He said that He “does what pleases God the Father,” verse 29. However, once He called them “sinners,” i.e., not “free,” verse 32, they began to lose any faith they might have put into Him; and when He then claimed to be God, verse 58, then they, the “believers,” were ready to “stone Him,” verse 59. These are represented by Mark 4:15: “And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.”
8:34: “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” = “They were in the worst kind of bondage, -- ruled by the spirit of evil.” DA:466.
8:41: “We be not born of fornication” = “In mockery they answered, ‘We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.’ These words, in allusion to the circumstances of His birth, were intended as a thrust against Christ in the presence of those who were beginning to believe on Him.” DA:467.
8:44: “He was a murderer from the beginning” = From “John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible” we read: “he was not only spoken of from the beginning, as he that should bruise the Messiah’s heel, or should compass His death, but he was actually a murderer of Adam and Eve, and of all their posterity.”
8:45: “because I tell you the truth, ye believe Me not” = “These words were spoken with sorrowful pathos, as Jesus realized the terrible condition into which these men had fallen.” 2SP:357.
8:58: “Before Abraham was, I Am” = For those who teach that Christ NEVER claimed to be God, re-read this verse.
CHAPTER NINE
9:4: “I must work the works of Him” = “The work for which the Lord was preparing them was to teach the Commandments of God.” ST, July 7, 1898.
“the night cometh” = Christ is referring to His death, “when no man can work.”
9:6: “spit” = Here is my Mark 7:33 Note: The account contains certain affinities to the Creation story, in that of God forming the first man from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7). Thus, Jesus is just providing clay to supply to the blind man what was missing from the womb.
Why “spit,” since our Lord could merely speak and His will would be done? According to Jewish tradition the spittle of the first-born son had healing power. As unusual as this may seem to us, Jesus took advantage of it by demonstrating that He is the true First-Born of the true Father by using spittle in His method of healing. However, in John’s account, this was also done upon the Sabbath day (John 9:14). In other words, Jesus was violating Pharisaical law; on purpose. To make mud from dirt from one’s spital was to create something upon the Sabbath day. That was breaking the Pharisaical law. Jesus is teaching that one needs to have free will in order to serve God in how they believe they should serve God; as opposed to following man-made church laws. The Church should teach what God teaches and leave the decision to the individual.
9:7: “pool of Siloam” = Siloam literally means, “sent one.”
9:8-9: “Is not this he that sat and begged” = “The friends and neighbors of the young man who had been healed looked upon him with doubt; for when his eyes were opened, his countenance had been changed and brightened, and made him appear like another man. From one to another the question was passed, ‘Is it he?’ ” ST, October 23, 1893.
9:22: “put out of the synagogue” = Here is the real issue and why the “parents,” or anyone else, including “other” Pharisees (John 9:16), were afraid to give Jesus the exaltation and worship He deserves.
Let’s see a better breakdown of this account from DA:472-474: “[472] The Pharisees hoped to make Jesus out to be a sinner, and therefore not the Messiah. They knew not that it was He Who had made the Sabbath and knew all its obligation, Who had healed the blind man. They appeared wonderfully zealous for the observance of the Sabbath, yet were planning murder on that very day. But many were greatly moved at hearing of this miracle, and were convicted that He Who had opened the eyes of the blind was more than a common man. In answer to the charge that Jesus was a sinner because He kept not the Sabbath day, they said, ‘How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles?’
“Again the rabbis appealed to the blind man, ‘What sayest thou of Him, that He hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.’ The Pharisees then asserted that he had not been born blind and received his sight. They called for his parents, and asked them, saying, ‘Is this your son, who ye say was born blind?’
“There was the man himself, declaring that he had been blind, and had had his sight restored; but the Pharisees would rather deny the evidence of their own senses than admit that they were in error. So powerful is prejudice, so distorting is Pharisaical righteousness.
“The Pharisees had one hope left, and that was to intimidate the man’s parents. With apparent sincerity they asked, ‘How then doth he now see?’ The parents feared to compromise themselves; for it had been declared that whoever should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ should be ‘put out of the synagogue;’ that is, should be excluded from the synagogue for thirty days. During this time no child could be circumcised nor dead be lamented in the offender’s home. The sentence was regarded as a great calamity; and if it failed to produce repentance, a far heavier penalty followed. The great work wrought for their son had brought conviction to the parents, yet they answered, ‘We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: but by what means he now [473]
“seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.’ Thus they shifted all responsibility from themselves to their son; for they dared not confess Christ.
“The dilemma in which the Pharisees were placed, their questioning and prejudice, their unbelief in the facts of the case, were opening the eyes of the multitude, especially of the common people. Jesus had frequently wrought His miracles in the open street, and His work was always of a character to relieve suffering. The question in many minds was, Would God do such mighty works through an impostor, as the Pharisees insisted that Jesus was? The controversy was becoming very earnest on both sides.
“The Pharisees saw that they were giving publicity to the work done by Jesus. They could not deny the miracle. The blind man was filled with joy and gratitude; he beheld the wondrous things of nature, and was filled with delight at the beauty of earth and sky. He freely related his experience, and again they tried to silence him, saying, ‘Give God the praise: we know that this Man is a sinner.’ That is, Do not say again that this Man gave you sight; it is God who has done this.
“The blind man answered, ‘Whether He be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.’
“Then they questioned again, ‘What did He to thee? how opened He thine eyes?’ With many words they tried to confuse him, so that he might think himself deluded. Satan and his evil angels were on the side of the Pharisees, and united their energies and subtlety with man’s reasoning in order to counteract the influence of Christ. They blunted the convictions that were deepening in many minds. Angels of God were also on the ground to strengthen the manwho had had his sight restored. [474]
“The Pharisees did not realize that they had to deal with any other than the uneducated man who had been born blind; they knew not Him with Whom they were in controversy. Divine light shone into the chambers of the blind man’s soul. As these hypocrites tried to make him disbelieve, God helped him to show, by the vigor and pointedness of his replies, that he was not to be ensnared. He answered, ‘I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be His disciples? Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art His disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence He is.’
“The Lord Jesus knew the ordeal through which the man was passing, and He gave him grace and utterance, so that he became a witness for Christ. He answered the Pharisees in words that were a cutting rebuke to his questioners. They claimed to be the expositors of Scripture, the religious guides of the nation; and yet here was One performing miracles, and they were confessedly ignorant as to the source of His power, and as to His character and claims. ‘Why herein is a marvelous thing,’ said the man, ‘that ye know not from whence He is, and yet He hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshiper of God, and doeth His will, him He heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this Man were not of God, He could do nothing.’
“The man had met his inquisitors on their own ground. His reasoning was unanswerable. The Pharisees were astonished, and they held their peace, -- spellbound before his pointed, determined words. For a few moments there was silence. Then the frowning priests and rabbis gathered about them their robes, as though they feared contamination from contact with him; they shook off the dust from their feet, and hurled denunciations against him, -- ‘Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us?’ And they excommunicated him.”
9:24: “Give God the praise: we know that This Man is a Sinner” = What they are really saying, noticing the word “again,” that they are “again” attempting to clarify their position, and the position that their audience should adhere to, is that This Man (Jesus) is not God, therefore tell us something different that will give God the glory and not This Man.
9:24 & 29 & 31: “we know” = In these verses we have here a distinguishing feature of parasitical speech, i.e., “We know.” When Nicodemus comes to Jesus, he starts out with, “we know that thou art a teacher come from God,” John 3:2.
9:26: “how opened He thine eyes” = “The cure could be wrought only by the power of the Great Healer, yet Christ made use of the simple agencies of nature. While He did not give countenance to drug medication, He sanctioned the use of simple and natural remedies,” DA:824.
9:34: “they cast him out” = “They shook off the dust of their feet against him, and treated him with derision and contempt, hurling their denunciations against him.” ST, October 23, 1893.
“Gathering their robes about them, as though they feared contamination, shaking the dust from their feet against him, and treating him with the utmost contempt and derision. . . And in no gentle manner they thrust him out of the synagogue.” ST, December 4, 1893.
9:39: “Jesus said” = “A group of Pharisees had gathered near, and the sight of them brought to the mind of Jesus the contrast ever manifest in the effect of His Words and works. He said, ‘For judgment I Am Come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.’ ”
“For judgment I Am Come into this world” = See my John 12:47 Note.
9:41: “If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth” = That is, if there had been no opportunity to receive enlightenment of which Jesus is here trying to convict the Jews with this example, they do have the opportunity to receive the light of Jesus being the Messiah (“We see”). God judges’ men on the basis of the light they have received or might have received had they put forth the effort (see John 15:22). The point is, in rejecting Jesus the Jews rejected the channel through which Heaven was seeking to impart light.
“ ‘If ye were blind, ye should have no sin.’ If God had made it impossible for you to see the truth, your ignorance would involve no guilt. ‘But now ye say, We see.’ You believe yourselves able to see, and reject the means through which alone you could receive sight. To all who realized their need, Christ came with infinite help. But the Pharisees would confess no need; they refused to come to Christ, and hence they were left in blindness, -- a blindness for which they were themselves guilty.” DA:475.
CHAPTER TEN
10:3-4: “he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out” = “The Eastern shepherd does not drive his sheep. He depends not upon force or fear; but going before, he calls them… [Thus Christ] compels none to follow Him.” DA:480.
10:7-8: “door of the sheep” = Sheep pens in ancient Palestine were usually natural caves. The sheep would be led into the cave in the evening, and the shepherd would take his position at the entrance to the cave and sleep there. Any robber or wild animal that physically sought access to the sheep would have to get past the shepherd to do it. Where caves were not available, a fieldstone enclosure would be built with an opening at one end just big enough for the shepherd to block with his body as he slept. Therefore, when Jesus described Himself as the Good Shepherd and as the gate for the sheep, listeners would have recognized that these concepts were two different ways of describing the same activity. When Jesus describes Himself as the Gate through which the sheep must pass in order to be saved, He is replacing all other methods of salvation. There is no other way into the sheepfold, except by the Gate.
10:9: “go in and out” = From “Adam Clack’s Bible Commentary” we read: “This phrase, in the style of the Hebrews, points out all the actions of a man’s life, and the liberty he has of acting, or not acting.”
10:16: “other sheep” = Referring to the Gentile believers.
10:17: “My Father Love Me” = “That is, ‘My Father has so Loved you, that He even Loves Me more for giving My life to redeem you. In becoming your Substitute and Surety, by surrendering My life, by taking your liabilities, your transgressions, I am endeared to My Father; for by My sacrifice, God can be just, and yet the Justifier of him who believeth in Jesus.’ ” DA:483.5.
“This language can be used only by the Deity.” 5BC:1113.
10:17-18: “I lay it down of Myself” = “Christ’s death on the cross was one of willing obedience, else in it there would have been no merit; for justice would not punish in the place of the sinner an innocent being who was unwilling to bear the penalty.” ST, August 22, 1900; FLB:97.
“No one can take this life from Him. ‘I lay it down of Myself, He said. In Him was life, original, unborrowed, underived. This life is not inherent in man.” 5BC:1130; ST, February 13, 1912; LHU:261; Mar:302; 1SM:296.
10:18: “This Commandment” = The Commandment that none can take away the right of Jesus to lay down His life or to bring it back again. It is a Command that appears to be warning the entire universe.
10:22: “the feast of the dedication, and it was winter” = This is the only mention of this “feast” in the entire Bible. Hanukah is also known as the “Feast of Dedication,” and this is obviously what this verse is referring to. Thus, what Hanukah is all about is the celebration of the victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks in B.C. 164.
From “John Gills Bible Commentary” we read: “. . .this was the feast of dedication, appointed by Judas Maccabaeus and his brethren [five brothers in all; the father started the revolt, but died and his son Judas, being the predominant one, took upon himself the surname of Maccabaeus; the name of which the followers became known], on account of the purging the temple, and renewing the altar, after the profanation of them by Antiochus [Epiphanes]; which feast lasted eight days, and began on the twenty fifth of the month Cisleu, which answers to part of our December.”
10:28: “they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My [Jesus’] hand” = That is because they had already been “give[n] unto them eternal life.” Or reasoning this way, it is only those in the preceding verse (27) who “hear My [Christ’s] voice. . . and they follow Me” who are saved.
10:29: “My Father, which gave them Me” = “Because we are the gift of His Father, and the reward of His work, Jesus loves us.” DA:483.
10:30: “one” = Here is my Deuteronomy 6:4 Note: The word “one” in Hebrew, “heis,” means one in unity, not in quantity.
10:34: “Ye are gods” = Note that the word “gods” is a small “g,” but in verses 33 & 35, “God” is capitalized. Jesus was quoting Psalm 82:6. If we read this entire short Psalm, we can see that when we finish with verse two, the Psalm is teaching us to judge correctly. Now since God the Father is the Only True Judge, therefore, when we judge, we are in a sense, “gods.” In fact, the most affirmative way that the world will know that God is God is when He will sit in judgment.
Jesus is teaching them something they already knew, that when their judges sit in judgement, they are representing the true God and His Law when they come to a concluding judgement. They are in a sense, “gods.” Therefore, when the “Son of God,” makes a judgement, why do you question it? In reality, they should have recognized Jesus as “The Christ, The Messiah, The Son of God.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
11:1: “Lazarus” = The name means, “God has helped.”
“Bethany” = Here is my Matthew 21:17 Note: “On its {the Mount of Olivet} sloping descent was Bethany, where He had often found repose at the house of Lazarus.” 3SP:251.
11:9: “Are there not twelve hours in the day” = According to the parable, as given by our Lord in Matthew 20:1-16, “morning” would be 6:00 A.M. and “evening” would be 6:00 P.M., thus giving us the needed “twelve hours in the day.” This reckoning also helps us with establishing other statements such as, “the third hour,” which would be (reckoning from our beginning time of 6:00 A.M.) 9:00 A.M., while “the sixth hour” would be 12:00 noon, and of course “the ninth hour” would be 3:00 P.M. However, in regards to God’s established Sabbath Day observance, “evening,” as clearly explained from Mark 1:32, is at sunset: “And at even, when the sun did set.”
From “Adam Clark’s Commentary on the Bible” we read: “The hours in the NT are not the same as our hours today. With us an hour is 60 minutes and is never more or less. But in the NT it is the twelfth part of the space between sunrise and sunset. Consequently the hours were longer or shorter according to the seasons of the year. It is true that the sixth hour being the middle of the day would always come at twelve o’clock; but the twelfth hour, or evening, would always come at sunset. The division of the day into hours was not of Divine appointment, but originated with the heathen. It is said that if there are twelve hours in the day, then the sixth hour of the day is noon; and as there would be six hours either side of noon, or twelve o’clock, it follows that the day of twelve hours begin at six in the morning, and ends at six in the evening; and that a day of 24 hours would of course begin and end at six in the evening.
“The same defect exists in this as in the argument drawn from Mat. CH. 20; that the hours were not sixty minutes like ours; but were the twelfth part of the time between sunrise and sunset. Hence the hours were constantly varying in length, but evening would be invariably at sunset. The Jews reckoned twelve hours in the day, and of course which hour of the day, thus reckoned, must have been something longer or shorter, according to the different times of the year in that climate. The Jews, as well as most other nations, divided the day from sunrising to sunsetting, into twelve equal parts, but these parts, or hours, were longer or shorter, according to the different seasons of the year.”
From “Bloomfield’s Bible Commentary” we read: “The Jews (by a reckoning adopted from the Greeks) divided their day, or the time from sunrise to sunset, into twelve hours, of course varying a little according to the season of the Year.”
From “Cruden’s Bible Commentary” we read: “In the books of the NT we see clearly the day divided into twelve equal hours, after the manner of the Greeks and Romans. These hours were equal to each other, but unequal with respect to the different seasons. The twelve hours of the longest days in Summer were much longer than those of the shortest days in Winter.”
From “The Encyclopedia Of Religious Knowledge” we read: “The sacred writers generally divide the day and night into twelve unequal hours. The sixth hour is always noon throughout the year; and the twelfth hour is the last hour of the day. But in Summer, the twelfth hour, as all the others were, was longer than in Winter.”
From “Watson’s Biblical And Theological Dictionary” we read: “The day was divided into twelve hours, which, of course, varied in length, being shorter in Winter and longer in Summer.”
From “Nevin’s Biblical Antiquities,” pages 171-172, we read: “[171] The Jews reckoned their days from evening to evening, according to the order which is mentioned in the first chapter of Genesis, in the account of the work of creation: The evening and the morning were the first day. Their Sabbath, therefore, of seventh day, began at sunset on the day we call Friday, and lasted until the same time on the day following. . . [172] The time between the rising and the setting of the sun was divided into twelve equal parts, which were called hours. As this period of time, however, is longer at one season of the year than at another, it is plain that the hours would also be of different lengths at different times. In Winter they were, of course, shorter than in Summer. They were numbered from the rising of the sun, and not from the middle of the day, as is common with us. Hours are not mentioned till after the captivity; it is reasonable therefore, to suppose that the Jews borrowed their mode of dividing time from the Chaldeans, from whom also it passed to the Greeks and Romans.”
From “Covel’s Bible Dictionary” we read: “The word hour, in Scripture, signifies one of the twelve equal parts into which each day was divided, and which, of course, were of different lengths at different seasons of the year. This mode of dividing the day lengths changes at different seasons of the year. This mode of dividing the day prevailed among the Jews, at least after the exile in Babylon, and perhaps earlier.”
Others of interest would also be: “Greenfield’s NT Lexicon & Robinson’s Lexicon Of The New Testament.”
11:15: “that I was not there” = “Had Christ been in the sickroom, Lazarus would not have died; for Satan would have had no power over him. Death could not have aimed his dart at Lazarus in the presence of the Life-giver. Therefore Christ remained away. To a certain extent He suffered the enemy to exercise His power. He permitted him to go a certain length, that by His Own life-giving power He might drive back the conquered foe. He permitted Lazarus to pass under the dominion of death, and the suffering sisters saw their brother laid in the grave. Christ knew that as they looked on the face of their dead brother, their faith in their Redeemer would be severely tried. Thus He was pruning the branches, that they might bring forth more fruit. He knew that because of the struggle through which they were now passing, their faith would shine forth with far greater power. He suffered every pang of sorrow that they endured. He loved them no less because He tarried; but He knew that for them, for Lazarus, for Himself, and for His disciples, a victory was to be gained. This crowning miracle was to give the seal to His mission and Divinity.” YI, April 13, 1899, par. 3; DA:528; SD:92.4.
“to the intent ye may believe” = “Already some among them were questioning in their minds if they had not been deceived in the evidences of His Divine power; if He was really the Christ would he not have saved Lazarus whom He loved? Jesus designed to work a crowning miracle that would convince all who would by any means be convinced that He was the Saviour of the world.” 2SP:361.2.
11:16: “Thomas” = The Greek word “thomim,” from which comes Thomas, properly interpreted by the Greek word “Didymus,” which signifies a twin, we may learn that the first person who was called Thomas or Didymus, had this name from the circumstance of his being a twin. “Thaom” is the Hebrew name of Thomas, and means “twin.” Didymus is a literal translation of this Hebrew word into Greek. Thus, in Gen. 25:24 we learn that Jacob and Esau are called “thomeem,” the plural form of “thaom,” which literally means “twins.”
11:17 & 39: “four days” = According to the “Mishnah,” or ”Mishna,” meaning, “study by repetition,” or, “to study and review,” in reality, it is the Jewish “Oral Torah [Law],” when a person died their “spirit” floated around the body for three days then left. During that three-day period a person could receive its “spirit” back and live again. Thus, the remark from “Martha” about being “dead four days.” Jesus is going to not only teach Martha and others that this is a false teaching, but also that He is “The Resurrection And The Life.”
From “Wikipedia:” “The Mishnah was redacted (put together from many sources) by Judah the Prince at the beginning of the Third Century C.E., in a time when, according to the Talmud, the persecution of the Jews and the passage of time raised the possibility that the details of the “Oral Traditions of the Pharisees from the Second Temple period (B.C.E. 536-C.E. 70) would be forgotten. The majority of the Mishnah is written in Mishnaic Hebrew, while some parts are Aramaic.”
11:19: “many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them” = “Christ did not at once enter the house, but remained in a quiet place by the wayside. The great outward display observed by the Jews at the death of friends or relatives was not in harmony with the spirit of Christ. He heard the sound of wailing from the hired mourners, and He did not wish to meet the sisters in the scene of confusion. Among the mourning friends were relatives of the family, some of whom held high positions of responsibility in Jerusalem. Among these were some of Christ’s bitterest enemies. Christ knew their purposes, and therefore He did not at once make Himself known.” DA:529; 2SP:362.
11:20: “Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him: but Mary sat still in the house” = “Jesus did not desire to meet the afflicted sisters in such a scene of confusion as their home then presented, so He stopped at a quiet place by the road-side, and sent a messenger to inform them where they could find Him.” 2SP:362.
“The message was given to Martha so quietly that others in the room did not hear. Absorbed in her grief, Mary did not hear the words. Rising at once, Martha went out to meet her Lord, but thinking that she had gone to the place where Lazarus was buried, Mary sat still in her sorrow, making no outcry.” DA:529.
11:23: “Thy Brother shall rise again” = Notice that Jesus doesn’t say, “Thy brother shall come back from Heaven and live again.” See my Bible Study: “DEATH, THE BIBLICAL TRUTH ABOUT.”
11:25: “I Am the resurrection, and the life” = “This language can be used only by the Deity.” 5BC:1113 (MS 131, 1897).
11:26: “shall never die” = It is argued that Lazarus was dead, therefore, what is Jesus talking about. The answer is found in verse 25. Because Jesus is “the resurrection, and the life,” if you believe that, that “though he were dead, yet shall he live.” Therefore, let’s add a word to our Lord’s statement that will clear it up: “shall never die [eternally].”
11:35: “Jesus wept” = “But it was not only because of His human sympathy with Mary and Martha that Jesus wept. In His tears there was a sorrow as high above human sorrow as the heavens are higher than the earth. Christ did not weep for Lazarus; for He was about to call him from the grave. He wept because many of those now mourning for Lazarus would soon plan the death of Him who was the resurrection and the life.” DA:533.
11:38: “It was a cave” = Having a private burial place indicates that the family was wealthy, as witnessed by the fact that Joseph of Arimathaea had been wealthy enough to afford one in which he then laid our Lord in (see Mat. 27:59-60).
11:39: “dead four days” = From “Robertson’s Word Pictures” we learn: “Lightfoot (Hor. Hebr.) quotes a Jewish tradition (Beresh. Rabba) to the effect that the soul hovers around the tomb for three days hoping to return to the body, but on the fourth day leaves it. But there is no suggestion here that Martha held that notion. Her protest is a natural one in spite of her strong faith.
11:46: “But some of them went their ways” = “This demonstration of the power of Christ was the crowning manifestation offered by God to man as a proof that He had sent His Son into the world for the salvation of the human race. If the Pharisees rejected this mighty evidence, no power in Heaven nor upon earth could wrest from them their Satanic unbelief.” 2SP:366.
“[366] The spies hurry away to report to the rulers this work of Jesus, and that the ‘world is gone after Him.’ {John 12:19} In performing this miracle, the Saviour took a decisive step toward the completion of His earthly mission. The grandest evidence of His life was now given that He was the Son of God, and had control of death and the grave. Hearts that had long been under the [367]
“power of sin, in rejecting this proof of the Divinity of Jesus, locked themselves in impenetrable darkness and came wholly under the sway of Satan, to be hurried by him over the brink of eternal ruin.” 2SP:366-367.
“Christ’s crowning miracle -- the raising of Lazarus -- had sealed the determination of the priests to rid the world of Jesus and His wonderful works, which were fast destroying their influence over the people.” AA:66.
11:47: “a council” = Here is my Matthew 26:4 Note: “. . .it was impossible to procure the condemnation of Jesus without the unanimous consent of the Sanhedrim. The object of the priests had finally been obtained by calling a secret council, to which Joseph and Nicodemus were not summoned.” 3SP:175.
11:48: “the Romans shall come” = “They endeavored to arouse the Herodians against Him; they represented that Jesus was seeking to set up a rival kingdom among them, and consulted with them how they should destroy Him. They had sought to excite the Romans against Him, and had represented Him to them as One Who was trying to subvert their authority.” 2SP:368.
11:49: “Caiaphas” = “Caiaphas, who acted as high priest that year, was a proud and cruel man; he was by nature overbearing and intolerant; he had studied the prophecies, and, although his mind was shrouded in darkness as to their true meaning, he spoke with great authority and apparent knowledge.” 2SP:369.1.
11:53: “they took counsel” = “In desperation the Jews had finally passed an edict [369] that if any man confessed that he believed on Jesus he should be cast out of the Synagogue {John 9:22 & 12:42}.” 2SP:368-369.
11:55: “Jews’ Passover” = See my Matthew 26:2 Note. Note also, “the Jew’s Passover.” First of all, Passover is a proper noun and should always be capitalized. Second of all, this is how the Greeks handled anything “Jewish.” This is not “the Jew’s” anything when speaking about God’s Commandments; it is God’s Passover and should be simply translated as, “the Passover was nigh.”
“to purify themselves” = If we go to Numbers 19:13 we can better understand what this means. Then if we go to Exodus 19:10 we can learn that this simply means that no one is to go into the tabernacle without being clean.
“Jesus had now given three years of public labor to the world. . . Yet this short period of three years was as long as the world could endure the presence of its Redeemer.” 2SP:370.
CHAPTER TWELVE
12:1: “Passover” = Here is my Matthew 26:2 Note: Passover falls on the 14th of Nisan. On the 10th of Nisan a lamb was selected to be the Passover sacrifice (Exo. 12:3). It was inspected for 4 days: the 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th. And if acceptable, it was sacrificed on the 14th day of Nisan (Exo. 12:6). Thus, Jesus was inspected for 4 days before His sacrifice, and being acceptable, was sacrificed on the 14th of Nisan. The lamb is killed on the 14th day, and then eaten “that night,” Exodus 12:8, meaning the 15th day, or the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened bread. Thus, Christ our Sacrifice, was resting in the tomb on a High Sabbath Day; meaning the Feast fell on the weekly Sabbath day.
It must be noted that although Jesus was being inspected for 4 days before His crucifixion, He was also inspecting the Jewish nation as a whole.
12:4: “His disciples” = Here is my Matthew 26:8 Note: This is in “Bethany,” and as such, most likely this is Mary of Bethany, Lazarus’ sister. Again: See my Bible Study: “MARY MAGDALENE.” Also, the same under “SDA.”
According to verse 9, money is brought up, showing us clearly the reasoning for Judas to be the instigator of claiming this to be an outrageous act. In fact, John 12:6 shows this to be the case.
“He {Judas} longed to have the avails of the expensive ointment in his own hands to apply to his own selfish purposes. By his professed sympathy for the poor he deceived his fellow-disciples, and by his artful insinuations caused them to look distrustfully upon the devotion of Mary.” 2SP:376.
“Jesus might have pointed out Judas to the disciples as the cause of such severe judgment being passed on Mary. He might have revealed to them the hypocrisy of his character; he might have made known his utter want of feeling for the poor, and him embezzlement of money appropriated to their relief. He could have raised their indignation against him for his oppression of the widow, the orphan, and the hireling; but He refrained from exposing the true character of Judas. He reproached him not, and thus avoided giving him an excuse for his future perfidy.
“But He rebuked the disciples,” 2SP:378.
“. . . had Christ unmasked Judas, this would have been urged as a reason for the betrayal. And though charged with being a thief, Judas would have gained sympathy, even among the disciples. The Saviour reproached him not, and thus avoided giving him an excuse for his treachery.” DA:563.
“Judas looked upon Mary’s act with great displeasure. Instead of waiting to hear what Christ would say of the matter, he began to whisper his complaints to those near him, throwing reproach on Christ for suffering such waste. ‘Why was not this ointment sold,’ and the proceeds given to the poor? he said. Craftily he made suggestions that would be likely to awaken disaffection in the minds of those present, causing others to murmur also. Writing of this, Mark says [Mark 14:4 quoted],” RH August 7, 1900, paragraph 3.
“Judas was one of the twelve; but he had not been striving to overcome his natural traits of character in accordance with the light that was constantly shining upon him. He had a high opinion of his executive ability, and looked upon himself as superior in financial management to his fellow disciples. Constantly he strove to exalt himself, and by his business ability he had gained the confidence of the eleven. But he had a narrow, avaricious spirit. For the slight services that he performed for Christ he paid himself from the money in the bag. He took from the store committed to his care, thus narrowing down their resources to a meager pittance. He was eager to put into the bag all he could obtain; and when something that he did not think essential was bought, he would say, Why is this waste?” RH, August 7, paragraph 4.
“Judas was highly regarded by the disciples, and had great influence over them. He himself had a high opinion of his own qualifications, and looked upon his brethren as greatly inferior to him in judgment and ability. They did not see their opportunities, he thought, and take advantage of circumstances.” DA:717.1.
12:8: “the poor always ye have with you” = Here is my Matthew 26:11 Note: When Jesus said “ye have the poor always with you,” He was in the poorest town in the nation, i.e., Bethany. Bethany literally means, “the house of poverty.”
“It is the duty of other Churches to help us in our efforts in this missionary field. The selfish and stingy may say, ‘I am tired of this continual solicitation for means; will it never cease?’ No, never, never! until Christ shall clothe Himself in garments of vengeance, and the fiat shall go forth from His lips, He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still. When our Heavenly Benefactor forgets our returning wants; when God forgets to be gracious, and none of His gifts flow into our barns, our granaries, and our cellars, -- then may we plead an excuse for withholding our offerings. . . In this instance, Christ teaches His followers that they should bless the needy with their substance and render back to God in gifts and offerings the blessings He has bestowed upon them.” RH, January 4, 1881.
12:9-10 & 17-18: “that they might see Lazarus also” = Here is my Matthew 21:8 Note: “Lazarus, whose body had seen corruption in the grave, now restored to the full strength of glorious manhood, guided the humble beast upon which his Liberator rode.” 2SP:389; YI:03; DA:572; AG:47; SJ:84-85.
12:10: “that they might put Lazarus also to death” = “But another consideration came up: If they should execute Jesus, and Lazarus should remain as a witness of His miraculous power to raise from the dead, the very fact that a man existed who had been four days in the grave, and whose body had begun to decay, yet had been called to life and health by a Word from Jesus, would sooner or later create a reaction and bring disaster upon themselves for sacrificing the life of Him Who could perform such a miracle for the benefit of humanity. They therefore decided that Lazarus must also die. They felt that if the people were to lose confidence in their rulers, the national power would be destroyed. . . They placed themselves where no power, human or Divine, could reach them; they sinned against the Holy Spirit, and God had no reserve power to meet their case.” 2SP:374.1.
12:11: “believed on Jesus” = “Christ’s last and crowning miracle was the raising of Lazarus of Bethany, after he had been dead four days. The Jews were given this wonderful evidence of the Saviour’s Divinity, but they rejected it. Lazarus rose from the dead and bore his testimony before them, but they hardened their hearts against all evidence, and even sought to take his life.” COL:265.
12:13: “Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the Name of the Lord” = Here is my Matthew 21:9 Note: “It was God’s design that each event in the closing days of the Saviour’s life should be so plainly marked that no power could cause it to be forgotten. In the vast multitude surrounding the Saviour were the evidences of His miracle-working power. The blind whom He had restored to sight were leading the way. The dumb whose tongues He had loosed, shouted the loudest hosannas, the cripples whom He had healed leaped for joy, and were most active in breaking the palm branches and waving them before Him. Widows and orphans were exalting the name of Jesus for His works of mercy to them. The loathsome lepers who had been cleansed by a Word, spread their garments in the way.” GHA:60.
12:15: “sitting on an ass’s colt” = Here is my Matthew 21:5 Note: Whenever kings came into a city they would either be ridding a donkey or a horse. If he was ridding a horse it meant that he was coming as a conqueror (or that he had already conquered that city). By contrast, if he came upon a donkey, he was showing that he was coming in peace.
12:20: “certain Greeks” = “But the inquiring Greeks saw the cloud, heard the voice, comprehended its meaning and discerned Christ indeed.” 3SP:79.
“Jesus regarded these Greeks as representatives of the Gentiles at large.” 3SP:74.3.
12:24: “Verily, verily” = “ ‘Verily, verily,’ the disciples always understood that something of importance was to follow, and now, as they listened to His words, they saw Divinity revealed in humanity.” 3ST:393.
“corn of wheat” = In old English, “corn” was the word used for “wheat.” Thus, in modern-day English this should be translated as just “wheat.”
“Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die” = “By the casting of grain into the earth, the Saviour represents His sacrifice for us. . . Only thru the sacrifice of Christ, the Seed, could fruit be brought forth for the service of God.” 4ST:455.
12:28: “voice from Heaven” = “[78] A light darted from the cloud, as the voice was heard, and encircled Christ, as if the arms of [79] Infinite Power were thrown about Him like a wall of fire. The people beheld this scene with terror and amazement. No one ventured to utter a word. With silent lips and bated breath they stood with eyes riveted upon Jesus. The testimony of Almighty God having been given, the cloud lifted and scattered in the heavens. The visible communion between the Father and the Son was ended for that time.
“The spectators now began to breathe more freely and exchange opinions upon what they had seen and heard. Some solemnly declared their faith in Jesus as the Son of God, while others tried to explain away the remarkable scene they had just witnessed.” 3SP:78-79.
12:31: “Now is the judgement of this world” = Jesus cannot refer to the world being judged at that time, for He Himself states that that is not why He came (John 12:47). That this is referring to the end of Satan’s sympathy from the entities watching from Heaven, see below. Another explanation would be the cutting off of Israel as a nation for the rejection of Christ. See my Bible Study: “ISRAEL, REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY DOCTRINE.”
“prince of this world” = “When Christ cried out from the cross, ‘It is finished,’ all Heaven triumphed. The controversy between Christ and Satan in regard to the execution of the plan of salvation was ended. The spirit of Satan and his works had taken deep root in the affections of the children of men; but the holy angels were horror-stricken that one of their number could fall so far as to be capable of such cruelty as had been manifested toward the Son of God on Calvary. Every sentiment of pity and sympathy which they had ever felt for Satan in his exile was quenched in their hearts. That his envy should be manifested in such a revenge upon an innocent Person was enough to strip him of his assumed robe of celestial light, and to reveal the hideous deformity beneath; but to manifest such malignity toward the Divine Son of God, Who had with unprecedented self-denial and Love for the creatures formed in His image, Come from Heaven and assumed their fallen nature, was such a heinous crime against Heaven that it caused the angels to shudder with horror, and severed the last tie of sympathy existing between Satan and the Heavenly world.” ST, September 23, 1889 paragraph 1.
“The battle going on in this world was witnessed by the Heavenly universe, and by the worlds unfallen. They saw the purposes of hate cherished by the wily foe against the Only-Begotten Son of God. Satan’s enmity against truth and righteousness was seen. By his treatment of Christ, Satan demonstrated the falsity of his own attributes, and of his deceiving, crooked pretensions as the friend of God. He showed himself to be the enemy of God and of man. The Sacrificial Offering upon the cross of Calvary sounded the death knell of Satan and of all who choose him as their leader. He fell forever from the sympathy of the Heavenly angels.” ST, June 17, 1897, paragraph 11.
Here is my Second Corinthians 4:4 Note: “When man became Satan’s captive, the dominion which he held, passed to his conqueror. Thus Satan became ‘the god of this world.’ ” PP:67.
12:32: “men” = It should be noted that the word “men” is a supplied word and is not in the original writings. The idea is that Jesus would draw not just men unto Himself, but the entire universes, i.e., everyone is included.
“In the act of Christ dying for the salvation of man, Heaven was not only made accessible to man, but God and His Son were justified before all Heaven in dealing with the rebellion of Satan, and in his expulsion. The blot which Satan had placed upon Heaven Itself was thus to be washed away; and no sin could ever more enter There to all eternity.
“[80] The holy angels, and all created intelligences of the worlds where sin had not entered, responded in hallelujahs to the judicial sentence [81] pronounced upon Satan, applauding the act of Christ which removed the mortgage Satan held upon the souls of men.” 3SP:80-81.
12:42: “but because of the Pharisees” = “Among the chief rulers were many who were convinced that Christ was indeed the Messiah; but, in face of the angry priests and Pharisees, they dared not confess their faith, lest they should be turned out of the Synagogue. They loved the praise of men more than the approval of God; and to save themselves from reproach and shame, denied Christ, and lost their only chance of eternal life. To this class the Words of Christ were specially applicable: ‘He that loveth his life shall lose it.’ [verse 25]” 3SP:76.
12:43: “loved the praise of men” = “But the inquiring Greeks saw the cloud, heard the voice, comprehended its meaning, and discerned Christ indeed; Jesus was revealed to their understanding as the Messiah.” 3SP:79.
12:47: “for I Came not to judge the world” = This would seem to contradict our Lords statement in John 9:39, “For judgment I Am Come into this world.” However, time; place; circumstances. In the future judgment will take place.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
13:4-15: The Last Supper = Here is my Matthew 26:26-29 Note: “At this last Passover the Lord’s Supper was instituted.” 3SP:84.
“The salvation of men depends upon a continual application to their hearts of the cleansing blood of Christ. Therefore, the Lord’s Supper was not to be observed only occasionally or yearly, but more frequently than the annual Passover. This solemn ordinance commemorates a far greater event than the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt.” 3SG:228.
“. . . though Jesus knew Judas from the beginning, He washed his feet. . . He who was to betray his Lord was privileged to unite with Him in partaking of the sacrament. And today none who claim to be Christians should be excluded from this service, for who can read hearts?” 20MR:149.
“Eternal life is the receiving of the living elements in the Scriptures and doing the will of God. This is eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God.” 21MR:131.
“[644] Judas pressed next to Christ on the left side; John was on the right. If there was a highest place, Judas was determined to have it, and that place was thought to be next to Christ. . . [645]
“When the Saviour’s hands were bathing those soiled feet, and wiping them with the towel, the heart of Judas thrilled through and through with the impulse then and there to confess his sin. But he would not humble himself. He hardened his heart against repentance; and the old impulses, for the moment put aside, again controlled him. Judas was now offended at Christ’s act in washing the feet of His disciples. If Jesus could so humble Himself, he thought, He could not be Israel’s King. All hope of worldly honor in a temporal kingdom was destroyed. Judas was satisfied that there was nothing to be gained by following Christ. After seeing Him degrade Himself, as he thought, he was confirmed in his purpose to disown Him, and confess himself deceived. He was possessed by a demon, and he resolved to complete the word he had agreed to do in betraying his Lord. Judas, in choosing his position at table, had tried to place himself first, and Christ as a servant served him first.” DA:644-645.
“In His life and lessons, Christ has given a perfect exemplification of the unselfish ministry which has its origin in God. God does not live for Himself. By creating the world, and by upholding all things, He is constantly ministering for others.” DA:649.
“I was pointed back to the time that Jesus took His disciples away alone, into an upper room, and first washed their feet, and then gave them to eat of the broken bread, to represent His broken body, and juice of the vine to represent His spilled blood. I saw that all should move understandingly, and follow the example of Jesus in these things, and when attending to these ordinances, should be as separate from unbelievers as possible.” PT Nov. 1850; EY:189.
“In the place of the national festival which the Jewish people had observed, He instituted a memorial service, the ordinance of feet washing and the sacramental supper, to be observed through all time by His followers in every country.” ST, May 16, 1900; 5BC:1139.
“In the last Passover our Lord observed with His disciples, He instituted the Lord’s Supper in place of the Passover, to be observed in memory of His death.” YI, May 1, 1873; FLB:300; LHU:31.
13:4: “laid aside His garments” = According to “John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible,” “. . .not all His garments, only His upper ones, that He might better dispatch the business He was going about; and which was an emblem of His laying aside, as it were for a while, His glory and dignity as the Son of God, and of His appearing in the form of a servant.”
This would have been Jesus’ mantle or robe, which John 19:23 describes as being “without seam.” And according to “Albert Barnes Notes on the Bible,” “It was customary to lay this aside when they worked or ran, or in the heat of summer.”
13:8: “Thou shalt never wash my feet” = “The service which Peter refused was the type of a higher cleansing. Christ had come to wash the heart from the stain of sin. In refusing to allow Christ to wash his feet, Peter was refusing the higher cleansing included in the lower.” DA:646.
13:10: “He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet” = “These words mean more than bodily cleanliness. Christ is still speaking of the higher cleansing as illustrated by the lower.” DA:646.
13:11: “Ye are not all clean” = From MS:106: “These words convinced the false disciple [Judas] that Jesus read his secret purpose. Now Christ spoke out more plainly. As they were seated at the table, He said, looking upon His disciples, “I speak not of you all. I know whom I have chosen. But that the Scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with Me hath lifted up his heel against Me.” [Verse 18]. The disciples saw the grieved expression on the face of Christ, and John, sitting next to Him, and best able to observe His movements and the expression of His face, saw that He was greatly troubled and wondered what could cause Him trouble.
“At last Christ spoke. In the tone and manner of one pressed as a cart beneath sheaves, He said, “Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray Me.” [Verse 21]. As the disciples heard these words, all except Judas were spellbound with amazement. . .
“With sorrowful hearts the disciples looked at one another to see if any face showed signs of guilt. They questioned one another, and then one after another inquired, ‘Lord, is it I?’ In deep distress, John inquired, ‘Lord, is it I?’
“The disciples had searched one another’s faces closely as they asked, ‘Lord, is it I?’ Until now Judas had sat silent, as if unconcerned. Now his silence drew all eyes to him. To escape the scrutiny of the disciples, he nerved himself to ask, as they had done, ‘Lord, is it I?’ Jesus solemnly replied, ‘Thou hast said.’ [Verse 25].
“The rest of the disciples did not hear the words spoken to Judas. Neither had they in the confusion heard what Jesus said in answer to John. ‘And when He had dipped the sop, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.’ [John 13:26]. The others, not having heard the words, did not interpret the sign. Even now Judas could have acknowledged his guilt, even now broken the spell upon him. Christ was close beside him, ready to aid him.
“But his pride and the temptation of the enemy were so strong that he had no power to escape from the snare. Instead of casting himself upon the mercy of a compassionate Saviour, he braced himself in resistance. ‘He then having received the sop, went immediately out; and it was night.’ [Verse 30]. Night it was to the traitor as he turned away from Christ into the outer darkness. Till this step was taken, Judas had not passed beyond the possibility of repentance. But when he left the presence of the Lord and his fellow disciples, the final decision had been made. He had passed the boundary line. He had now given himself fully into the control of Satan, to do his will and to brave the consequences.
“The history of Judas presents the sad ending of a life that might have been honored of God. Had Judas died before his last journey to Jerusalem, he would have been regarded as a man worthy of a place among the twelve and one who would be greatly missed. The abhorrence which has followed him through the centuries would not have existed, but for the attributes revealed at the close of his history. But it was for a purpose that his character was laid open to the world. It would be a warning to all who, like him, should betray sacred trusts.”
13:18-19: “He that eateth bread with Me hath lifted up his heel against Me” = “The purpose of the Saviour in pronouncing the woe upon Judas was twofold: First to give the false disciple a last opportunity to save himself from the betrayer’s doom: and, secondly, to give the disciples a crowning evidence of His Messiahship, in revealing the hidden purpose of Judas.” 3SP:87.
“believe that I Am He” = “The purpose of the Saviour in pronouncing the woe upon Judas was twofold: First, to give the false disciple a last opportunity to save himself from the betrayer’s doom; and, secondly, to give the disciples a crowning evidence of His Messiahship, in revealing the hidden purpose of Judas.” 3SP:87.
13:23: “leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved” = See my John 18:15 Note.
13:26: “when I have dipped” = It was the custom in those days for the master of the house -- and wasn’t Jesus the Master of the house (Luke 22:11)? -- to acknowledge his guest of honor, by dipping a piece of bread and giving it to him. Thus Christ shows that He was working tremendously for the salvation of Judas’ soul; even honoring him above the others.
“Amid the confusion of questions and the expressions of astonishment, Judas had not heard the Words of Jesus in answer to John’s question. But now, to escape the searching scrutiny of the disciples, he asked as they had done, ‘Master, is it I?’ Jesus replied with solemn accents, ‘Thou hast said.’ Confused and overcome by the unexpected discovery of his crime, Judas hastily rose to leave the room; but as he went out, Jesus said, ‘What thou doest, do quickly.’
“There was a touching forbearance manifested in the dealing of Jesus with Judas. It evinced an infinite mercy, giving him one more chance of repentance, by showing him that all his thoughts and purposes were fully known to the Son of God. He deigned to give one final, convincing proof of His Divinity to Judas before the consummation of his treachery, that he might turn from his purpose before repentance was too late. But Judas, although surprised and alarmed, was not moved to repentance. He only became more firmly settled in his plan as the discovery of his guilt was made apparent. He went forth and proceeded to carry out the work he had engaged to do.” 3SP:86.
13:27: “do quickly” = “But when men reject light, and blindly follow their natural inclinations, they are led into darkness, and the plainest facts are unheeded. Judas was naturally avaricious, and he had fostered this evil propensity until it had become the ruling motive of his life.” 3SP:82.
13:30-31: “He then having received the sop went immediately out” = “But Judas was not yet wholly hardened. Even after he had twice pledged himself to betray the Saviour, there was opportunity for repentance. At the Passover supper Jesus proved His Divinity by revealing the traitor’s purpose. He tenderly included Judas in the ministry to the disciples. But the last appeal of love was unheeded. Then the case of Judas was decided, and the feet that Jesus had washed went forth to the betrayer’s work.”
13:33 & 36: “yet a little while I am with you” = “Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally. Therefore it was for their interest that He should go to the Father, and send the Spirit to be His successor on earth. No one could then have any advantage because of his location or his personal contact with Christ. By the Spirit the Saviour would be accessible to all. In this sense He would be nearer to them than if He had not ascended on high.” DA:669.
13:34: “A New Commandment I give unto you” = See Matthew 19:18-19 & Second John 5. This Commandment was not really new (see Lev. 19:18, 34). In this text Christ does not teach that we should keep His Commandment in the place of His Father’s Commandments (see John 15:12). It would be considered rebellion for the Son to free Himself and us from His Fathers Laws and set up new ones in their place. See Matthew 5:17-18.
Christ’s purpose here was to teach them to view Love in a more magnified, more Holy sense than formerly (see John 13:12-14). Strictly speaking we have here one more evidence of how Christ exalted both His and His Fathers Laws; which are the same, seeing how Jesus is God (see Php. 2:5-7). According to the Bible, you cannot separate love from the Law of God (see 1Jo. 3:2-11).
Then what does Jesus mean by “A New Commandment?” He then states, “as I have loved you.” After the incarnation of Christ, men -- if they didn’t already -- had a full manifestation of God’s Love through His selfless life and death. Jesus demonstrated the real and deepest meaning of Love. Jesus understood that there is a relationship between Commandment keeping and true Love. Though we’re not used to talking about rules of love, one could say that, in a real sense, the Ten Commandments are those rules. They show us how God wants us to express our love for Him and others. For after all, “God is Love,” First John 4:16. Thus, what Jesus was teaching was “new” to the disciples, but not “new” to His Fathers Laws.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
14:2: “mansions” = The Greek word translated “mansions” is “mone” [said mon-ay], meaning, “a staying place,” such as in a place of residence or abode. The word is used only twice in the New Testament; once in John 14:2, and again in John 14:23, where it is translated as “abode.” The Jews understood “mone” to be the special dwelling place of God, such as a palace. But they also included the universe as being included in this word “mone,” for the abode of the omnipresent God.
“Mone” therefore means either “the act of dwelling in any place,” or it means “the place where one dwells.” It is taken from the verb “meno,” which means “to remain,” and signifies the place where one dwells or remains. It is applied by the Greek writers to the tents or temporary habitations which soldiers pitch in their marches. It denotes a dwelling of less permanency than the word house. It is commonly understood as affirming that in heaven there is ample room to receive all who will come; that therefore the disciples might be sure that they would not be excluded.
A Greek writer “Thucydides, of Pausanias,” is quoted as using this word as such: “He settled at Colonae in Troas, and was reported to the Ephors to be negotiating with the Barbarians, and to be staying there.” Literally then, it would mean a place where one would be “making a stay.” The word “mansion” has a similar etymology and follows the same course of development, being derived from “meno,” to remain, noticing that it would be a “mansion,” or “palace” that the traveler of royalty would be making a temporary “abode,” or “halting-place,” during his journey. And doesn’t Christ consider His redeemed as royalty?
The “King James Version” translators understood the fact that any place where God would dwell would have to be at worst, a “mansion.” And the fact that God would dwell in man (John 14:23), shows the value that He places upon us. In reality, Christ said this to draw off their minds from an earthly kingdom to a heavenly one; to point out the place to them whither He was going, and to support them with the views and hopes of glory under all their troubles.
By “My Father’s house,” is meant Heaven: “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” Second Corinthians 5:1. This Christ says partly to reconcile the minds of His disciples to His departure from them, and partly to strengthen their hope of following Him thither; since it was His Father’s, and their Father’s house whither He was going, and in which “are many mansions.”
14:5: “Thomas saith” = “Thomas, always troubled by doubts, said, (verse quoted).” DA:663.
14:6: “and” = In the Greek the second word (or words) that come after the word “and” modifies, or explains the first word -- or is the real subject. Thus, we can read it this way: “I AM The Way, I AM The True Way, I AM The Living Way.”
14:8: “shew us the Father” = Philip may not have totally understood what he was doing here with this statement. He was acting just like the Pharisees in John, Chapter 8, verses 13-29 (especially see verses 13 & 19). I’m sure Philip didn’t understand fully what he was doing here, but it is like you or I saying to the clerk, “Let me see the manager.” It’s in a small way, disrespecting the person in front of you.
14:12: “another Comforter” = Meaning also that Jesus is a “Comforter.”
“greater works than these shall he do, [the reason is] because I go unto My Father” = “Jesus revealed no qualities, and exercised no powers, that men may not have through faith in Him. His perfect humanity is that which all His followers may possess, if they will be in subjection to God as He was. By this Christ did not mean that the disciples’ work would be of a more exalted character than His, but that it would have greater extent. He did not refer merely to miracle working, but to all that would take place under the working of the Holy Spirit.” DA:644; 12MR:259.
“The Lord is disappointed when His people place a low estimate upon themselves. He desires His chosen heritage to value themselves according to the price He has placed upon them. God wanted them, else He would not have sent His Son on such an expensive errand to redeem them. He has a use for them, and He is well pleased when they make the very highest demands upon Him, that they may glorify His name. They may expect large things if they have faith in His promises.” DA:668.
John 14:13 & 14; 15:16; 16:23: “in My Name” = These verses are the ones that teach us that we are to PRAY IN JESUS’ NAME. Notice that ONLY the Book of John teaches us this. Plus, “I will do it,” is not a blank check for anything you want. It has to be something that “in Jesus Name” can glorify Jesus (God).
14:15: “If ye love Me” = In the Greek the Hebrew thought process (their language) does not come across. The Hebrew language allows no thought for emotion. In other words, “love” is a verb and the thought process is one of action. If you “love,” your actions will show it by obedience.
“All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart work with Christ. And if we consent, He will so identify Himself with out thoughts, and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing His service. When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us.” DA:668.
John 14:16-17 & 26; 7:39; 15:26; 16:7-8 & 13-14; Luke 24:49: “He shall give you another Comforter” = The Greek word Jesus used for “another,” is ”allos,” which literally means, ”another of the same kind,” in contrast to ”heteros,” which means, “another of different kind” or “quality.”
“Before this the Spirit had been in the world; from the very beginning of the work of redemption He had been moving upon men’s hearts. But while Christ was on earth, the disciples had desired no other helper. Not until they were deprived of His presence would they feel their need of the Spirit, and then He would come. The Holy Spirit is Christ’s representative, but divested of the personality of humanity, and independent thereof. Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally. Therefore it was for their interest that He should go to the Father, and send the Spirit to be His Successor on earth. No one could then have any advantage because of his location or his personal contact with Christ. By the Spirit the Saviour would be accessible to all. In this sense He would be nearer to them than if He had not ascended on high.” DA:669.
“The apostles and their fellow believers were not to be left alone or without help after Jesus ascended to Heaven. An all-adequate Helper was to be with them. ‘By the Spirit,’ He said, He would manifest Himself to them.” DA:670.
“The Spirit was to be given as a regenerating agent, and without this the sacrifice of Christ would have been of no avail. . . The Comforter is called ‘the Spirit of truth.’ His work is to define and maintain the truth. He first dwells in the heart as the Spirit of truth, and thus He becomes the Comforter. [For] There is comfort and peace in the truth, but no real peace or comfort can be found in falsehood.” DA:671.
“It was not until after Christ’s ascension to His Father, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the believers, that the disciples fully appreciated the Saviour’s character and mission. After they had received the baptism of the Spirit, they began to realize that they had been in the very presence of the Lord of glory. As the sayings of Christ were brought to their remembrance, their minds were opened to comprehend the prophecies, and to understand the miracles which He had wrought. The wonders of His life passed before them, and they were as men awakened from a dream. They realized that ‘the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. . .’ John 1:14. Christ had actually come from God to a sinful world to save the fallen sons and daughters of Adam. The disciples now seemed, to themselves, of much less importance than before they realized this. They never wearied of rehearsing His words and works. His lessons, which they had but dimly understood, now came to them as a fresh revelation. The Scriptures became to them a new Book.” DA:506.
“Comforter” = “The Comforter is called ‘the Spirit of truth.’ [John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; 1Jo. 4:6] His work is to define and maintain the truth. He first dwells in the heart [John 14:17] as the Spirit of truth, and thus He becomes the Comforter. There is comfort and peace in the truth, but no real peace or comfort can be found in falsehood.” DA:671.
14:28: “for My Father is greater than I” = Jesus said, “for My Father is greater than I.” What we are NOT dealing with here is the “Nature” of Jesus, but His position. You can also say that the President of the United States is greater than I,” meaning that the President has greater authority but is not more human than you. Similarly, God the Father WAS greater in authority than Christ on earth, however, with the conclusion that both are still Divine. Jesus was “equal with God” the Father (Php. 2:6), “But made Himself of no reputation” (Php. 2:7), and “He humbled Himself, and became obedient” (Php. 2:8). Therefore because of His obedience, He calls His Father “greater than” Himself.
Let us not confuse Christ’s human nature, as described here, with His Divine. All though Jesus speaks of His Divine in verse 20 and we should not be having this discussion. A better way to understand this verse is to see John 17:5, where Christ asks God the Father to glorify Him with the glory which He had before; meaning that He was of the same value as the Father then. See also John 5:18; 10:30 & 33; 17:11-12.
Jesus stated: “The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do,” John 5:19; “I can of Mine Own Self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not Mine Own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me.” From this functional point of view, Jesus could state: “My Father is greater than I.”
In a marriage relationship the husband and wife are of equal value, but the husband has authority over the wife. This authority does not devalue the wife any more than the submission of Christ devalues Him. It is a question of authority and position in this verse, not of one’s value, such as whether or not Christ was Divine. When you use a category like “greater,” it doesn’t have to mean ontologically greater, certainly when dealing with one’s nature. In conclusion: God is God because of His “Nature” (see Gal. 4:8) and not necessarily, as in this case, His position.
14:30: “prince of this world” = Here is my Second Corinthians 4:4 Note: “When man became Satan’s captive, the dominion which he held, passed to his conqueror. Thus Satan became ‘the god of this world.’ ” PP:67.
“nothing in Me” = That is: “Nothing to respond to temptation. . . Not once did Christ step on Satan’s ground, to give him any advantage. Satan found nothing in Him to encourage his advances.” 13MR:19-20; 5BC:1129.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
15 & 16 & 17:ALL: “[88] These [89] Words from the lips of the Saviour, traced by the inspired John in Chapters fifteen, sixteen, and seventeen, were repeated again and again by the disciples to stay their sinking hearts in their great disappointment and trial.” 3SP:88-89.
15:1: “I Am the True Vine” = “It was night; but the moon was shining bright and revealed to Him a flourishing grapevine. [90] Drawing the attention of the disciples to it, He said [verse quoted].” 3SP:89-90.
“The Jewish nation was a fruitless branch, and was therefore to be separated from the Living vine, which was Christ Jesus.” 3SP:90.1.
15:2: “He taketh away” = The “KJV” reads, “He taketh away,” while the “NIV” version reads, “cut off.” And this is the general conception and understanding of this verse. But I am here to give even those who have strayed from the Lord hope. This verse says every branch that is in Me, that is, members of Christ’s body of believers. So this verse is not talking to or about those people of the world, but of those who have attached themselves to Christ. The Hebrew verb used here for “taketh,” or the “NIV’s” and most everybody else’s ideas “cut off,” is “airo” [pronounced ah-ee-row]. But what it really means and implies is to “take up,” and “carry,” or better, “lift up,” or “bear up.”
Take a look at the context of what is taking place here. Christ is putting Himself off as the One Who is in charge of the vineyard. His job is not to destroy, i.e., “cut off” the plants in His vineyard, but to train the vines, and prune the vines in a manner in which they will bear the most and the best fruit possible. Thus if we take a closer look at this verse, we can see that Christ is in the business of lifting up those who have lost sight of the sun. Because they may be too much in the shade, not being able to get to the sun, or not even desiring the sun, or not knowing that they are missing and needing the sun in order to grow properly. So the true Son comes along and lift’s these vines up into a position upon the trellis near the vine where they can have better access to the fresh rays of the glorious sunshine available to them. He only thus “taketh away” those vines that after they have been so cared for, yet will not produce.
15:4: “cannot bear fruit of itself” = “What is the fruit that we are to bear? ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,’ ” 21MR:117.
“ye” = Whenever you run across “ye” in the New Testament, it insinuates “you” as a pronoun in the Greek; thus meaning and having a plural connotation.
15:7: “ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” = Before jumping to conclusions, see First John 3:22.
15:10: “My Commandments. . . My Father’s Commandments” = Does this verse suggest a difference in Laws or Two Laws? Read John 5:30. I read it as: If you keep My Commandments, you shall know more of My Love; just as I have kept My Fathers Commandments and know His Love. Remember, we are speaking of Christ’s humanity here, not His Divinity.
15:12: “This is My Commandment” = See my John 13:34 Note.
15:13: “for” = The Hebrew word for “for,” is the preposition “huper,” which can mean both, “in place of,” or “for the benefit of.” See its use also in Second Corinthians 5:21 and Hebrews 2:9. In other passages however, the preposition “huper” clearly means, “instead of.” For examples, see Matthew 2:22; 5:38; 20:28; Mark 10:45; John 11:50; Second Corinthians 5:14; Galatians 3:3; First Timothy 2:6; Hebrews 4:15; First Peter 2:22; 3:18.
15:16: “whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My Name” = “The disciples did not then fully comprehend the Words of their Master, but later in their religious experience they cherished the precious promise, and presented their prayers to the Father in the Name of Jesus.” 3SP:91.2.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
16:2: “They shall” = Here is my Matthew 10:17 Note: “It is not the world, who make no profession, from whom the persecution comes. It is those who profess to be doing God service who manifest the most bitter hatred.” ST, September 2, 1897.
16:7: “It is expedient for you that I go away” = There is more behind this statement of our Lord than most Bible Students realize. Christ was limited in that He took upon Himself humanity forever: “Cumbered with humanity, Christ could not be in every place personally; therefore it was altogether for their advantage that He should leave them, go to His father, and send the Holy Spirit to be His Successor on earth. The Holy Spirit is Himself divested of the personality of humanity and independent thereof. He [Christ our Lord] would represent Himself as present in all places by His Holy Spirit, as the Omnipresent [God].” 14MR:23.
What a complete sacrifice our Lord did and does for us. He gave up an aspect of the Godhead (Omnipresence) that goes beyond anything we can imagine. Therefore, when He asks us to give of ourselves to His service, He is not asking anything more than what He has already done. What a sacrifice for our salvation; What a truly loving God!!!
“the Comforter will not come” = See my John 14:16-17 Note. The Holy Spirit was to come with more power than before. See my Acts 2:4 Note.
16:7 & 13: “the Comforter” & “the Spirit of truth” = “The Holy Spirit is called both the Comforter and the Spirit of Truth, because there is comfort and hope in the truth.” GW:310.
“He will guide you into all truth” = “Jesus had opened before His disciples a vast tract of truth. But it was most difficult for them to keep His lessons distinct from the traditions and maxims of the scribes and Pharisees. They had been educated to accept the teaching of the rabbis as the voice of God, and it still held a power over their minds, and molded their sentiments. Earthly ideas, temporal things, still had a large place in their thoughts. They did not understand the spiritual nature of Christ’s kingdom, though He had so often explained it to them. Their minds had become confused. They did not comprehend the value of the Scriptures Christ presented. Many of His lessons seemed almost lost upon them. Jesus saw that they did not lay hold of the real meaning of His Words. He compassionately promised that the Holy Spirit should recall these sayings to their minds. And He had left unsaid many things that could not be comprehended by the disciples. These also would be opened to them by the Spirit.” DA:670.
16:11: “prince of this world” = Here is my Second Corinthians 4:4 Note: “When man became Satan’s captive, the dominion which he held, passed to his conqueror. Thus Satan became ‘the god of this world.’ ” PP:67.
16:12: “I have yet many things to say unto you, but” = “Jesus knew they were not strong enough to hear all the wonderful truths relative to His humiliation and death. After His resurrection they would be better able to understand and appreciate them.” 3SP:93.1.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
17:ALL: “These Words Spake Jesus” = As opposed to what is normally referred to, “The Lord’s Prayer,” in Matthew, Chapter 6 and Luke, Chapter 11, this is truly our Lord’s prayer and should be heavily studied. See verse 21specifically.
“Like a consecrated high priest He now poured forth the burden of His soul to His Father in a petition for His Church such as the angels had never before heard. This prayer was deep and full, broad as the earth, and reaching high Heaven. With His Human arm He encircled the children of Adam in a firm embrace; and with His strong Divine arm He grasped the Throne of the Infinite, thus uniting earth to Heaven, and finite man to the Infinite God.” 3SP:93.2.
“The instruction given me by One of authority is that we are to learn to answer the prayer recorded in the seventeenth Chapter of John. We are to make this prayer our first study. Every gospel minister, every medical missionary, is to learn the science of this prayer. . . Those who fail to learn the lessons contained in this prayer are in danger of making one-sided developments, which no future training will ever fully correct.” 8T:239.
17:4: “I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do” = “That is, He had wrought out a righteous character on earth as an example for men to follow.” 3SP:260; RC:78.
17:5: “glorify Thou Me with Thine Own Self with the glory which I had with Thee before” = Jesus laid aside His “glory” in order to become humanity. Therefore, whenever attempting to understand anything Biblically about Jesus, first ask, “Are we talking about the humanity of Jesus or the Divinity of Jesus or both.” Jesus here is obviously speaking of and in His humanity.
17:21: “That they all may be one; as Thou Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us” = This is the crux of His prayer, “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” Colossians 1:27.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
18:1: “a garden” = Here is my Matthew 26:30-31 Note: “Jesus had often resorted to Gethsemane with His disciples for meditation and prayer; but never before had He visited the spot with a heart so full of sorrow.” ST, August 14, 1879; ST, November 4, 1897; BEcho, August 1, 1892; AG:169; 2T:203; PH169:4.
And here is my Matthew 26:36 Note: A “Gethsemane” is used to crush olives in order to extract the oil from them; just as Christ was “crushed” at Gethsemane and the Biblical symbol of “oil” was extracted from Christ, i.e., The Holy Spirit.
“The Redeemer, in company with His disciples, slowly made His way to the garden of Gethsemane. The Passover moon, broad and full, shone from a cloudless sky. The city of pilgrim’s tents was hushed into silence.
“[94] Jesus had been earnestly conversing with and instructing His disciples; but as He neared Gethsemane He became strangely silent. His disciples were perplexed, and anxiously regarded His countenance, hoping there to read an explanation of the change that had come over their Master. They had frequently seen Him depressed, but never before so utterly sad and silent. As He proceeded, this strange sadness increased; yet they dared not question Him as to the cause. His form swayed as if He was about to fall, His disciples looked anxiously for His usual place of retirement, that their Master might rest. . . [95] Twice His companions prevented Him from falling to the ground.” 3SP:94-95.
“At the thought of the grievous character of the guilt of the world, Christ felt that He must go apart, and be alone. The hosts of darkness were there to make sin appear as extensive, deep, and horrible as possible. In his hatred of God, in falsifying His character, in manifesting irreverence, contempt, and hatred toward the Laws of His government, Satan had made iniquity reach unto the Heavens, and it was his purpose to swell iniquity to such great proportions, that atonement should seem impossible; so that the Son of God, Who sought to save a lost world, should be crushed beneath the curse of sin. {BTS, September 1, 1915 par. 3}
“The working of the vigilant foe in presenting to Christ the vast proportions of transgression, caused such poignant pain, that He felt that He could not remain in the immediate presence of any human being. He could not bear that even His disciples should witness His agony as He contemplated the woe of the world. Even His most dearly loved friends must not be in His companionship. The sword of justice was unsheathed, and the wrath of God against iniquity rested upon man’s Substitute, Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten of the Father. {BTS, September 1, 1915 par. 4}
“In the garden of Gethsemane Christ suffered in man’s stead, and the human nature of the Son of God staggered under the terrible horror of the guilt of sin, until from His pale and quivering lips was forced the agonizing cry, ‘O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me:’ but if there be no other way by which the salvation of man may be accomplished, then ‘not as I Will, but as Thou Wilt.’ Human nature would then and there have died under the horror of the sense of sin, had not an angel from Heaven strengthened Him to bear the agony. The power that inflicted retributive justice upon man’s Substitute and surety, was the power that sustained and upheld the suffering One under the tremendous weight of wrath that would have fallen upon a sinful world. Christ was suffering the death that was pronounced upon the transgressors of God's Law.” BTS, September 1, 1915 paragraphs 3-5; 2PRC:155-156; 5BC:1102.
Here is my Exodus 25:32 Note: Just as the “candlestick” was “beaten” and olive oil was used for its fire, so Jesus was pressed into submission in the garden of Gethsemane. For Gethsemane in the Hebrew means, “olive oil press” and in the Greek, “oil press.” The soiled garments of the priests were never washed, but used as wicks for the candlestick. Thus the purification process is seen.
“the brook Cedron” = Josephus tells us that on Passover as many as 250,000 lambs were slain. Most of the blood from these lambs would be placed in the channels that led to the dumping of this blood into “the brook Cedron.” Thus, Jesus and His disciples passed over this blood.
18:3: “Judas” = Here is my Matthew 26:47 Note: “Judas believed that Christ would not permit Himself to be taken.” ST, December 9, 1897.
“When he [Judas] decided to sell his Master to the murderous priests and rulers, he had no thought that Jesus would permit Himself to be taken. He thought the priests would be cheated of their bribe, and he, the betrayer, would secure the money to use for some purpose of his own, and Jesus would have a new opportunity to display His divine power in delivering Himself from the wiles of His enemies.” 3SP:125; GHA:75.
18:5-6: “I Am He” = When they said that they came to seek Jesus of Nazareth, the Lord responded with two Greek words, “Ego eimi,” which means, “I Am,” the same words He used when He said to the Jewish leaders, “Before Abraham was, I Am,” John 8:58. This simple phrase is linked in meaning to the Hebrew name for God, is often translated as “Yahveh,” Exodus 3:11-14, and it seems to come from a Hebrew root word that means “to be.” Thus, some believe the name means the “One is Who,” or “the Self-Existing One.” By using that phrase, Jesus was subtly witnessing to them about His identity. Immediately after Jesus says “I Am,” the crowd falls backward, to the ground.
“[102] As these Words were uttered, the mob staggered back; and the priests, elders, soldiers, and even Judas, dropped powerless to the ground. This gave Jesus ample opportunity to escape from them if He had chosen to do so. But He stood as One glorified amid that coarse and hardened band. When Jesus answered, ‘I Am He,’ the [103]
“angel who had lately ministered unto Him moved between Him and the murderous mob, who saw a Divine light illuminating the Saviour’s face, and a dove-like form overshadowing Him. Their wicked hearts were filled with terror. They could not for a moment stand upon their feet in the presence of this Divine glory, and they fell as dead men to the ground.
“The angel withdrew; the light faded away; Jesus was left standing, calm and self-possessed, with the bright beams of the moon upon His pale face, and still surrounded by prostrate, helpless men, while the disciples were too much amazed to utter a word. When the angel departed, the Roman soldiers started to their feet, and, with the priests and Judas, gathered about Christ as though ashamed of their weakness, and fearful that He would yet escape from their hands.” 3SP:102-103.
“A Divine light illuminated the Saviour’s face, and a dove-like form overshadowed Him. In the presence of this Divine glory, the murderous throng could not stand for a moment. They staggered back. Priests, elders, soldiers, and even Judas, fell as dead men to the ground.” DA:694.
“But today in the religious world there are multitudes who, as they believe, are working for the establishment of the kingdom of Christ as an earthly and temporal dominion. They desire to make our Lord the ruler of the kingdoms of this world, the ruler in its courts and camps, its legislative halls, its palaces and market places. They expect Him to rule through legal enactments, enforced by human authority. Since Christ is not now here in person, they themselves will undertake to act in His stead, to execute the Laws of His kingdom. The establishment of such a kingdom is what the Jews desired in the days of Christ. . .
“The government under which Jesus lived was corrupt and oppressive; on every hand were crying abuses, -- extortion, intolerance, and grinding cruelty. Yet the Saviour attempted no civil reforms. He attacked no national abuses, nor condemned the national enemies. He did not interfere with the authority or administration of those in power. He who was our example kept aloof from earthly governments. Not because He was indifferent to the woes of men, but because the remedy did not lie in merely human and external measures. To be efficient, the cure must reach men individually, and must regenerate the heart. Not by the decisions of courts or councils or legislative assemblies, not by the patronage of worldly great men, is the kingdom of Christ established, but by the implanting of Christ’s nature in humanity through the work of the Holy Spirit.” DA:509.
18:12: “took Jesus, and bound Him” = Here is my Matthew 26:57 Note: It is interesting to note that our Lord’s trial took place in the evening, or Friday, our Thursday night. So also was the pre-Exodus night of the nation of Israel a night of judgment, where a Lamb was condemned to be slain in exchange for the lives of Its believers; the Innocent for the guilty. So it was that Israel traveled all day Friday, then they stop at the banks of the Red Sea, where our Lord places a cloud between them and the Egyptian horde, such that His Holy Sabbath day would not be desecrated.
“[105] Judas was himself surprised that Jesus should deliver Himself into the hands of those who sought to destroy Him. He had frequently [106] known the Saviour’s enemies to lay plans to take Him, but Jesus would quietly depart and defeat their murderous designs. Now the betrayer saw with astonishment that His Master suffered Himself to be bound and led away. The false disciple flattered himself, however, that Jesus had only permitted Himself to be taken that He might manifest His power by delivering Himself from His enemies in a miraculous manner. He knew that nothing else could free Him from that armed band.” 3SP:105-106.
“Jesus was followed from the garden of Gethsemane by the hooting mob. He moved painfully, for His hands were tightly bound, and He was closely guarded.” GHA:73; SP:106.
18:13: “Annas first” = Here is my Matthew 26:57 Note: According to John 18:13, Jesus was first taken to Annas.
“Having once been shown to Annas, He was hurried away; for the priests and rulers had decided that if they once had possession of His Person, there should be no delays in His trial and condemnation. This was because they feared that the people, remembering His acts of charity and mercy among them, would rescue Him out of their hands.” 3SP:106.
18:15: “another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest” = From John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7 & 20, we learn that “the other disciple” was the one “whom Jesus loved.” Also, this “other disciple” continues to attempt to remain in the background and not definitely identify himself in John 20:4. But we do know whom the disciple was by the way in which he still attempts to remain in the background, but gives himself up when he states that he wrote these things in his Book: “This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.” John 21:24. How he is known by the damsel at the door (verse 17) and the high priest (see also verse 19) is a mystery. We could assume that John’s father Zebedee apparently had a prosperous fishing business and his status may well have opened contacts within the high priest’s official family.
“The disciple whom Jesus loved most was John, because he was the closest imitator of His character and was imbued with the spirit of love.” 11MR:26.
“John is distinguished above the other apostles as ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved.’ ” AA:539; CC:315; RC:92; SL:53; RH, February 15, 1881; ST, January 8, 1885.
“The Saviour loved them all, but John’s was the most receptive spirit. He was younger than the others, and with more of the child’s confiding trust he opened his heart to Jesus. Thus he came more into sympathy with Christ, and through him the Saviour’s deepest spiritual teaching was communicated to His people.” DA:292.
“. . . there may be persons represented by John whom Jesus loved,” OFC:299; RC:199; 3SM:17; Manuscript 21, June 12, 1893; TDG:172; RH, November 8, 1956; MR311:12.
“John was the disciple whom Jesus loved,” ST, April 20, 1891.
“The humility of John did not consist in a mere profession; it was a grace that clothed him as naturally as a garment. He ever sought to conceal his own righteous acts, and to avoid everything that would seem to attract attention to himself. In his Gospel, John mentions the disciple whom Jesus loved, but conceals the fact that the one thus honored was himself. His course was devoid of selfishness. In his daily life he taught and practiced charity in the fullest sense. He had a high sense of the love that should exist among natural brothers and Christian brethren. He presents and urges this love as an essential characteristic of the followers of Jesus. Destitute of this, all pretensions to the Christian name are vain.” RH, March 1, 1881.
Here is SL:78-79: “To the beloved disciple [John] were granted such exalted privileges as have rarely been vouchsafed to mortals. Yet so closely had he become assimilated to the character of Christ that pride found no place in his heart. His humility did not consist in a mere profession; it was a (79) grace that clothed him as naturally as a garment. He ever sought to conceal his own righteous acts and to avoid everything that would seem to attract attention to himself. In his Gospel, John mentions the disciple whom Jesus loved, but conceals the fact that the one thus honored was himself. His course was devoid of selfishness. In his daily life he taught and practiced charity in the fullest sense.”
“That disciple, John. . .” RH, December 26, 1899. See also MS 109, 1897; 7BC:954.
18:16: “brought Peter in” = Notice that John must have requested that Peter be allowed to be present.
18:17: “Then saith the damsel” = Here is my Matthew 26:69 Note: “The look of dejection on Peter’s face suggested to the woman the thought that this was one of the disciples of Christ. Being one of the servants of Caiaphas’s household, she was curious to know. . . Peter was startled and confused; the eyes of the company instantly fastened upon him. He pretended not to understand her; but she was persistent, and said to those around her that this man was with Jesus.” RH, December 26, 1899; 19MR:167.
18:18: “Peter stood with them” = “The disciple John, upon entering the judgment hall, did not try to conceal the fact that he was one of the followers of Jesus. He did not mingle with the rough company that were insulting and mocking his Master. He was not questioned, for he did not assume a false character and thus lay himself liable to suspicion. He sought a retired corner secure from observation of the mob, but as near Jesus as it was possible for him to be. In this place he could hear and see all that transpired at the trial of his Lord.” 3SP:112.
18:27: “Peter” = Here is my Matthew 26:75 Note: “At this, Peter flew into a rage, and to fully deceive his questioners, and to justify his assumed character, he denied his Master with cursing and swearing. And immediately the cock crew the third time. Peter heard it then; and while the degrading oaths were fresh upon his lips, and the shrill crowing of the cock was yet ringing in his ears, the Saviour turned His face from the frowning judges, and looked full upon His poor disciple. At the same time Peter’s eyes were involuntarily fixed upon his Master. He read in that gentle countenance deep pity and sorrow; but there was no anger there.
“[109] Peter was conscience-smitten; his memory [110] was aroused; he recalled to mind his promise of a few short hours before, that he would go to prison or to death for his Lord. He remembered his grief when the Saviour told him in the upper chamber that he would deny his Master thrice that same night. Peter had just declared that he knew not Jesus, but he now realized with bitter grief how well his Lord knew him, and how accurately He had read his heart, the falseness of which was unknown even to himself. He groaned in spirit as he realized that not only was his Master enduring the bitterest humiliation at the hands of His enemies, but He was suffering additional dishonor at the hands of one of His disciples, who had forsaken and refused to acknowledge Him in the hour of His trial.
“The look of Christ conveyed volumes to the repentant Peter. He read in that glance sorrow, love, and pardon.” 3SP:109-110.
“Peter’s fall was not instantaneous, but gradual. Self-confidence led him to the belief that he was saved, and step after step was taken in the downward path, until he could deny his Master.” COL:154.
“Peter denied the Man of sorrows in His acquaintance with grief in the hour of His humiliation. But he afterward repented and was reconverted. He had true contrition of soul, and gave himself afresh to his Saviour. With blinding tears he makes his way to the solitude’s of the garden of Gethsemane, and there prostrates himself where he saw his Saviour’s prostrate form, when the bloody sweat was forced from His pores by His great agony. Peter remembers with remorse that he was asleep when Jesus prayed during those fearful hours. His proud heart breaks, and penitential tears moisten the sods so recently stained with the bloody sweat-drops of God’s dear Son. He left that garden a converted man. He was ready then to pity the tempted. He was humbled, and could sympathize with the weak and erring. He could caution and warn the presumptuous, and was fully fitted to strengthen his brethren.” GW:401; 3ST:416; 3SP:111; ST, November 11, 1897.
“He [Peter] fell prostrate upon the very spot where his Lord had sunk beneath His inexpressible weight of woe. . . If they had spent that mournful period in the garden in watching with the dear Saviour, and in prayer to God, Peter would not have been left to depend upon his own feeble strength; he would not have denied his Lord.” 3SP:111.
18:28 & 19:14: “lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the Passover” = The Passover is still yet future in John’s version possibly because of him giving the events in relation to Roman time.
18:29: “Pilate” = Here is my Matthew 27:2 Note: We learn the reason that the Jewish leaders had to bring Jesus to Pilate and not just kill Him themselves, was because Roman policy, according to Josephus, in his work, “Wars of the Jews,” 2:8, forbid any capital punishment to any power other than that of Rome. See also Josephus, in his work, “Antiquities,” 20:9.
“What accusation bring ye against this Man” = Here is my Matthew 27:23 Note: “Pilate beheld, in the Accused, a Man bearing the marks of violence, but with a serene and noble countenance and dignified bearing. Many cases had been tried before the Roman governor, but never before had there stood in his presence a Man like this. He discovered no trace of crime in His face; and something in the Prisoner’s appearance excited his sympathy and respect. He turned to the priests, who stood just without the door, and asked, ‘What accusation bring ye against this Man?’ [John 18:29].” 3SP:129.
“He had not thought it would come to that -- a Man Whom he had repeatedly pronounced innocent, to be consigned to the most dreaded of deaths. He now saw what a terrible thing he had done in placing the life of a just Man in the balance against the decision of those, who, from envy and malice, had delivered Him up to trial. Pilate had taken step after step in the violation of his conscience, and in excusing himself from judging with equity and fairness, as his position demanded he should do, until now he found himself almost helpless in the hands of the Jews.” 3SP:142.
18:30: “If He were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered Him up unto thee” = “[724] When those composing the Sanhedrin, the first men of the nation, bring to you a man they deem worthy of death, is there need to ask for an accusation against him? They hoped to impress Pilate with a sense of their importance, and thus lead him to accede to their request without going through many preliminaries. . . [725]
“The priests thought that with the weak and vacillating Pilate they could carry through their plans without trouble. Before this he had signed the death warrant hastily, condemning to death men they knew were not worthy of death. In his estimation the life of a prisoner was of little account; whether he were innocent or guilty was of no special consequence. The priests hoped that Pilate would now inflict the death penalty on Jesus without giving him a hearing. This they besought as a favor on the occasion of their great national festival.” DA:724-725.
18:31: “Then said Pilate unto them” = “Pilate was not a just or a conscientious judge; but weak though he was in moral power, he refused to grant this request. He would not condemn Jesus until a charge had been brought against Him.” DA:725.
18:34: “Sayest thou this thing of thyself” = “The direct question just asked him by Jesus was immediately understood by him, which evidenced that his soul was stirred by conviction. But pride rose in the heart of the Roman judge and overpowered the Spirit of God.” 3SP:132.
18:35: “Am I a Jew” = What is Pilot upset about here? He feels Jesus is being evasive because Pilot just wants a yes or no; something he is used to from his subjects; feeling he had Jesus within his power of life or death. But in reality, Pilot is being evasive, not wanting to entertain the concept that this Man in front of him just might be in some way special.
18:37: “Thou sayest” = Here is my Matthew 27:11 Note: Notice that Jesus was, in-a-way, having Pilot confess that Jesus was “King of the Jews.”
18:38: “What is truth” = “[132] Jesus thus sought to convince Pilate that He was innocent of aspiring to kingly honors upon earth. Pilate had been confused by the disturbed [133] and divided elements of the religious world, and his mind grasped eagerly at the Words of Jesus declaring that He had Come into the world to bear witness to the truth. Pilate had heard many voices cry, Here is the truth! I have the truth! But this Man, arraigned as a criminal, Who claimed to have the truth, stirred his heart with a great longing to know what it was, and how it could be obtained. He inquired of Jesus, ‘What is truth?’ But he did not wait for a reply; the tumult of the excited crowd was continually increasing; their impatient cries jarred upon his ears, and recalled him to his judicial position.” 3SP:132-133.
“In the judgment men will not be condemned because they conscientiously believed a lie, but because they did not believe the truth, because they neglected the opportunity of learning what is truth.” PP:55.
18:40: “Not this man, but Barabbas” = Here is my Matthew 27:16 Note: In Matthew’s account we have to added phrase, “notable prisoner.” The obvious purpose for choosing “Barabbas” was to pick a prisoner that was so reprobate that the crowd couldn’t possibly choose Jesus over him; John’s account adding, “a robber.”
“[143] Pilate, in the vain hope of exciting their pity, that they might decide this was sufficient punishment, now caused Jesus to be scourged in the presence of the multitude. The pale Sufferer, with a crown of thorns upon His head, and stripped to the waist, revealing the long, cruel stripes, from which the blood flowed freely, was then placed side by side with Barabbas. Although the face of Jesus was stained with blood, and bore marks of exhaustion and pain, yet His noble character could not be hidden, but stood out in marked contrast with that of the robber chief, whose every feature proclaimed him to be a debased and hardened desperado.
“Pilate was filled with sympathy and amazement as he beheld the uncomplaining patience of Jesus. Gentleness and resignation were expressed in every feature; there was no cowardly weakness in His manner, but the strength and dignity of long-suffering. Pilate did not doubt that the sight of this Man, Who had borne insult and abuse in such a manner, when contrasted with the repulsive criminal by His side, would move the people to sympathy, and they would [144] decide that Jesus had already suffered enough. But he did not understand the fanatical hatred of the priests for Christ, Who, as the Light of the world, had made apparent their darkness and error. . . Pilate, losing all patience with their unreasoning cruelty, cried out despairingly, ‘Take ye him,’ ” 3SP:143-144.
And here is my Matthew 27:20 Note: “With the other priests he [Caiaphas] instructed the people to choose Barabbas instead of Christ. They cried out for the crucifixion of Christ.” 12MR:388.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
19:4: “Pilot” = Here is my Matthew 27:24 Note: “[Pilot] in spite of his precautions. His honors were stripped from him; he was cast down from his high office; and, stung by remorse and wounded pride, he committed suicide not long after the crucifixion.” 3SP:146; GHA:79; DA:738; SJ:137; 5Red:66.
“I find no fault in Him” = Here is my Matthew 27:24 Note: “[146] At this exhibition of satanic madness, the light of conviction shone more clearly upon the mind of Pilate. He had never before witnessed such rash presumption and heartless cruelty. And in strong contrast with the ungovernable [147]
“passion of his persecutors was the dignified repose of Jesus. In his own mind Pilate said, He is a god, and thought he could discern a soft light shining about His head. Looking thus upon Christ he turned pale with fear and self-condemnation; then, confronting the people with a troubled countenance, he said, I am clear of His blood. Take ye Him and crucify Him; but mark ye, priests and rulers, I pronounce Him a just Man, and may He Whom He claims as His Father judge you for this day’s work, and not me. Then turning to Jesus he continued, Forgive me for this act; I am not able to save You.
“Only a short time before, the governor had declared to his prisoner that he had power to release or to condemn Him; but he now thought that he could not save Him, and also his own position and honor; and he preferred to sacrifice an innocent life rather than his own worldly power. Had he acted promptly and firmly at the first, carrying out his convictions of right, his will would not have been overborne by the mob; they would not have presumed to dictate to him. His wavering and indecision proved his irredeemable ruin. How many, like Pilate, sacrifice principle and integrity, in order to shun disagreeable consequences. Conscience and duty point one way, and self-interest points another; and the current, setting strongly in the wrong direction, sweeps away into the thick darkness of guilt him who compromises with evil.
“Satan’s rage was great as he saw that all the cruelty which he had led the Jews to inflict upon Jesus had not forced the least murmur from His lips. Although He had taken upon Himself the nature of man, He was sustained by a Godlike [148] fortitude, and departed in no particular from the Will of His Father.
“Wonder, O Heavens! and be astonished, O earth! Behold the oppressor and the oppressed. A vast multitude inclose the Saviour of the world. Mocking and jeering are mingled with the coarse oaths of blasphemy. His lowly birth and His humble life are commented upon by unfeeling wretches. His claim to be the Son of God is ridiculed by the chief priests and elders, and the vulgar jest and insulting sneer are passed from lip to lip. Satan has full control of the minds of his servants. In order to do this effectually, he had commenced with the chief priests and the elders, and imbued them with a religious frenzy. This they had communicated to the rude and uncultivated mob, until there was a corrupt harmony in the feelings of all, from the hypocritical priests and elders down to the most debased. Christ, the precious Son of God, was led forth and delivered to the people to be crucified.” 3SP:146-148.
19:6: “Crucify Him, crucify Him” = Here is my Matthew 27:22-24 Note: There is something very important that needs to be observed here. Notice that Pilot (representing the Roman law) found “no fault in Him.” However, by Jewish law (John 19:7), Jesus was under the condemnation of the Law for Biblical Blasphemy (i.e., claiming to be God: Lev. 24:16; John 8:59; 10:33 & 36). Here is the key: Notice also that stoning was the method Commanded for Biblical blasphemy (Lev. 24:16; 1Ki. 21:10; John 8:59; 10:31 & 33 & 36).
Therefore, it becomes very important why the Jews cried out for Jesus to be crucified (hung on a tree) if the method of stoning was the prescribed method for Blaspheming the Name of God! The reason is, according to Deuteronomy 21:22-23: “And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.”
Don’t miss this point: “for he that is hanged is accursed of God.” You see, the Jews believed in the non-immortality of the soul. In other words, when you die there is no life after death, unless you were raised in the future resurrection (to immortal life). Therefore, they would now have this Jesus being “accursed,” because He was hanged upon a tree (Acts 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; Gal. 3:12; 1Pe. 2:24), thus having no place in the resurrection of the righteous.
Now understand and consider this. In the Jewish understanding (and it should be ours), when a man is stoned, he has the opportunity of repenting and being reconciled to God before death. But a man who is hanged on a tree was deemed “worthy” to be put to death, and considered to be “accursed” of God. It was an irrevocable sentence, and what we would call in the New Testament, the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost (Mat. 21:31-32; Mark 3:29; Luke 12:10; Heb. 6:4-6; 10:26; 1Jo. 5:16). In other words, he could not repent, nor have any hope or part in the future resurrection. He had to face what we call, the “Second Death.”
Now that we understand this, we can see more clearly Isaiah, Chapter 53, and it can take upon itself even more meaning and significance. Especially take notice of verse 4, where this individual is considered “smitten of God,” ye rather, “cursed,” as becomes even more clear when we get to verse 8, where God’s Word does not mingle with words, stating that Messiah would be “cut off,” just as in Daniel 9:26.
The Jewish expression “cut off” is literally another way of saying “eternal death,” or, the “Second Death,” with no hope of being resurrected. Now here is my point. When the Jews were asking the Romans to Crucify Christ, they were not just asking for His death, they were asking for God to “curse” this Man and condemn Him to the “Second Death.” This is why the conversion of a Jew is an even more remarkable event. When the Disciples later on preached Christ resurrected to the Jews, what was going on in their minds was: “You expect us to believe in a crucified One; are you kidding; The Man Who is accursed by God; One Who was hanged on a tree?”
Even Christ felt the depth and significance of what dying on a tree meant (the “Second Death”). It truly meant total separation from God, for we hear Him crying out, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” Matthew 27:46. Satan said to God: “You expect Your subjects to submit all to You, but You do not submit all to (for) them.” Here we can clearly see that Jesus did, dying the “Second Death” for us.
“But many who had then shouted His praise, because it was popular to do so, now swelled the cry of ‘Crucify Him! Crucify Him!’ ” 3SP:152.
“The same rebellion and hatred against Christ will be in the hearts of men at His Second Advent. If Christ’s Second Coming should be in the same humble manner as at His First Advent, reproving sin, and commending virtue and holiness, where there was then one voice raised, crying, Crucify Him! crucify Him! there would be thousands in this apostate age. Infidelity in regard to Christ’s being the true Messiah, the Saviour of the world, will increase and spread to an alarming degree previous to His Second Coming. Satan has lost none of his skill and power which he has been exercising in past time. He can better deceive man now than at Christ’s First Advent.” 4aSG:118.
19:7: “He made Himself the Son of God” = “[144] Pilate was startled by these words; he had no correct idea of Christ and His mission; but he had an indistinct faith in God and in beings superior to humanity. The thought that had once before passed through his mind now took more definite shape, and he questioned if it might not be a Divine Personage Who stood before him, clad in the purple robe of mockery, and crowned [145] with thorns, yet with such a noble bearing that the stanch Roman trembled with awe as he gazed upon Him.” 3SP:144-145.
19:10: “knowest Thou not that I have power to crucify Thee” = “By saying this, Pilate showed that he made himself responsible for the condemnation of Christ, for the cruel scourging, and for the insults offered Him before any wrong was proved against Him. Pilate had been chosen and appointed to administer justice, but he dared not do it. Had he exercised the power that he claimed, and that his position gave him, had he protected Christ, he would not have been accountable for His death. Christ would have been crucified, but Pilate would not have been held guilty.” RH, January 23, 1900 paragraph 9 [4RH:145]; 5BC:1148-1149.
19:11: “therefore he that delivered me unto thee” = “Jesus here laid the heaviest burden of guilt upon the Jewish judges,” 3SP:145.
“By this Christ meant Caiaphas, who, as high priest, represented the Jewish nation. . . The Jewish judges had received unmistakable evidence of the Divinity of Him Whom they condemned to death. And according to their light would they be judged.” DA:737.
19:12: “thou art not Caesar’s friend” = At this point in time (31 A.D.) there was a revolt against “Tiberius Caesar,” Luke 3:1, which people were put to death for. Thus, by stating this phrase toward Pilot was is essence accusing him of being part of the treasonous actions of those already put to death for their revolt. Thus, to prove he was not part of that and in fear of being falsely accused, Pilot relents to the crowds wishes.
“[145] This was touching [146] Pilate in a weak point. He had been looked upon with some suspicion by the government; and he knew that a report of unfaithfulness on his part would be likely to cost him his position. He knew that if the Jews became his enemies he could hope for no mercy at their hands; for he had before him an example of the perseverance with which they sought to destroy One Whom they hated without reason.
“The implied threat in the declaration of the priests, regarding his allegiance to Caesar, intimidated Pilate, so that he yielded to the demands of the mob, and delivered Jesus up to the crucifixion rather than risk losing his position. But the very thing he dreaded came upon him afterward in spite of his precautions. His honors were stripped from him; he was cast down from his high office; and, stung by remorse and wounded pride, he committed suicide not long after the crucifixion.” 3SP:145-146; GHA:79; DA:738; SJ:137; 5Red:66.
19:14: “sixth hour” = How could this be the “sixth hour” (or noon -- 12:00; zJewish time Beginning at 6:00 A.M.) and Jesus standing before Pilot, if according to Marks account (15)25), Jesus was crucified at “the third hour?” A;; the “Synoptic Gospels” agree that about “the sixth hour” there was a “darkness’ that fell over the land until about the “ninth hour,” Matthew 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44. Therefore, Jesus would be on the cross already at “the sixth hour.”
This apparent discrepancy is cleared up when we consider that John’s Gospel was written many years after the others (about 90 A.D.) and that he was most likely expressing Roman time keeping (as opposed to Mark’s Jewish reckoning of time) in order to be in tune with his audience that he we writing to at the time.
Plus, a possibility is that Mark professes to give the time accurately, while John does not. He says “it was ABOUT the sixth hour,” without affirming that this was exactly the time.
19:15: “We have no king but Caesar” = This is the breaking of the First Commandment; meaning, Biblical Blasphemy. This also, at the stoning of Stephen, will eventually cut off the Jewish nation as God’s people.
“What was Christ’s grief to see the Jews fixing their own destiny beyond redemption! He alone could comprehend the significance of their rejection, betrayal, and condemnation of the Son of God. His last hope for the Jewish nation was gone. Nothing could avert her doom. By the representatives of the nation God was denied as their ruler. By worlds unfallen, by the whole Heavenly universe, the blasphemous utterance was heard, ‘We have no king but Caesar.’ The God of Heaven heard their choice. He had given them opportunity to repent, and they would not. Forty years afterward Jerusalem was destroyed, and the Roman power ruled over the people. Then they had no Deliverer. They had no king but Caesar. Henceforth the Jewish nation, as a nation, was as a branch severed from the vine, -- a dead, fruitless branch, to be gathered up and burned, -- from land to land throughout the world, from century to century, dead, -- dead in trespasses and sins, -- without a Saviour!” YI, February 1, 1900 paragraph 13.
19:16: “Him therefore unto them to be crucified” = Here is my Matthew 27:26 Note: “[146] At this exhibition of satanic madness, the light of conviction shone more clearly upon the mind of Pilate. He had never before witnessed such rash presumption and heartless cruelty. And in strong contrast with the ungovernable [147] passion of his persecutors was the dignified repose of Jesus. In his own mind Pilate said, He is a god, and thought he could discern a soft light shining about His head. Looking thus upon Christ he turned pale with fear and self-condemnation; then, confronting the people with a troubled countenance, he said, I am clear of His blood. Take ye Him and crucify Him; but mark ye, priests and rulers, I pronounce Him a just man, and may He Whom He claims as His Father judge you for this day’s work, and not me. Then turning to Jesus he continued, Forgive me for this act; I am not able to save You.
“Only a short time before, the governor had declared to his Prisoner that he had power to release or to condemn Him; but he now thought that he could not save Him, and also his own position and honor; and he preferred to sacrifice an Innocent Life rather than his own worldly power. Had he acted promptly and firmly at the first, carrying out his convictions of right, his will would not have been overborne by the mob; they would not have presumed to dictate to him. His wavering and indecision proved his irredeemable ruin.” 3SP:146-147.
19:17: “Golgotha” = Here is my Matthew 27:33 Note: “Companies of angels were marshaled in the air above the place.” 1SG:57.
“The priests had been bound by a promise not to molest any of His disciples if Jesus were delivered up to them; so all classes of people flocked to the scene of outrage, and Jerusalem was left almost empty. Nicodemus, and Joseph of Arimathea, had not been summoned to the Sanhedrim council, and their voices had nothing to do with condemning Jesus. They were present at His crucifixion, but unable to change or modify His terrible sentence.” 3SP:149.1.
19:18: “they crucified Him” = Here is my Matthew 27:35 Note: See my Bible Study: “THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS.”
“[58] Jesus murmured not; [59] but groaned in agony.” 1SG:58-59; EW:176..
“They made His death as shameful as possible.” 1SG:59.
“Treason against the Roman government was the alleged crime for which Jesus was executed, and persons put to death for this offense were taken down by the common soldiers and consigned to a burial ground reserved exclusively for that class of criminals who had suffered the extreme penalty of the law.” 3SP:173.1.
“The wounds made by the nails had gaped as the weight of His body dragged upon His hands.” 3SP:185.
“Satan saw that his disguise was torn away. His administration was laid open before the unfallen angels and before the Heavenly universe. He had revealed himself as a murderer. By shedding the blood of the Son of God, he had uprooted himself from the sympathies of the Heavenly beings. Whatever attitude he might assume, he could no longer await the angels as they came from the Heavenly courts, and before them accuse Christ’s brethren of being clothed with the garments of blackness and the defilement of sin. The last link of sympathy between Satan and the Heavenly world was broken.” DA:761.2.
“As soon as Christ was nailed to the cross, it was lifted by strong men, and with great violence thrust into the place prepared for it. This caused intense suffering to the Son of God.” GHA:80; 3SP:154-155; 1SG:59; DA:745.
“. . .the Father hid from His Son His face of pity, comfort, and Love.” YI, June 14, 1900, par. 3.
“two other with Him” = Here is my Matthew 27:38 Note: These two thieves were “companions of Barabbas,” 3SP:150.
“This was done by the direction of the priests and rulers. Christ’s position between the thieves was to indicate that He was the greatest criminal of the three. Thus was fulfilled the scripture, ‘He was numbered with the transgressors.’ Isa. 53:12. But the full meaning of their act the priests did not see. As Jesus, crucified with the thieves, was placed ‘in the midst,’ so His cross was placed in the midst of a world lying in sin.” DA:751.
Here is my Matthew 27:44 Note: “The other malefactor was not a hardened criminal; his morals had been corrupted by association with the base, but his crimes were not so great as were those of many who stood beneath the cross reviling the Saviour.
“[156] In common with the rest of the Jews, he had believed that Messiah was soon to Come. He had heard Jesus, and been convicted by His teachings; but through the influence of the priests and rulers he had turned away from Him. He had sought to drown his convictions in the fascinations of pleasure. Corrupt associations had led him farther and farther into wickedness, [157] until he was arrested for open crime and condemned to die upon the cross. During that day of trial he had been in company with Jesus in the judgment hall and on the way to Calvary. He had heard Pilate declare Him to be a just Man; he had marked His Godlike deportment and His pitying forgiveness of His tormentors. In his heart he acknowledged Jesus to be the Son of God.” 3SP:156-157.
“While the leading Jews deny Him, and even the disciples doubt His Divinity, the poor thief, upon the brink of eternity, at the close of his probation, calls Jesus his Lord! Many were ready to call Him Lord when He wrought miracles, and also after He had risen from the grave; but none called Him Lord as He hung dying upon the cross, save the penitent thief, who was saved at the eleventh hour.” 3SP:158.
19:19: “Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross” = Here is my Matthew 27:37 Note: “And set up over His Head His accusation written” = It was written in these three languages, “Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew,” that it might be known and read of all men; but God designed by it to signify that the gospel of Christ should be preached to all nations, “beginning at Jerusalem,” Luke 24:47, and all the known world would have access to this information, i.e., all languages.
However, it was written in “Hebrew” -- and we know that it was (clearly stated) -- then it would read, “THIS IS YESHUA [I AM THAT I AM] THE KING OF THE JEWS.” The “Latin” for “Jesus” would be, “Iesu,” meaning, “Yeshua.” And in the Greek, “Iesous,” meaning, “Yeshua.” Pilate purposely (or Divinely without him realizing it), wrote “HaYehudim wMelech HaNazarei Yeshua,” which breaking it down using the first letter of each word (Jews read from right to left), equals, “YHWH,” “I AM THAT I AM.”
Regarding the evangelists differing in the account of this title:
Matthew 27:37, states it this way: “THIS IS JESUS [YESHUA = I AM THAT I AM] THE KING OF THE JEWS”
Mark 15:26, this way: “THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
Luke 23:38, this way: “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
JOHN 19:19, this way: “JESUS [YESHUA = I AM THAT I AM] OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
The difficulty may be easily removed. John says that the title was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. It is not at all improbable that the inscription “varied” in these languages. One evangelist may have translated it from the Hebrew, another from the Greek, a third from the Latin, and a fourth may have translated one of the inscriptions a little differently from another.
Therefore, there are a few reasons why the accounts are different.
1) Each person is quoting from only one of the three languages posted upon the cross (Luke 23:38).
2) Most likely the sign really said “THIS IS JESUS [YESHUA] OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS,” with each writer paraphrasing (summarizing) what the sign said. The practice of the time was not necessarily to quote exactly what was said, but to put it in their own wording. Many examples of this can be seen in how even Jesus quoted the Old Testament text. Compare Isaiah 61:1 with Luke 4:18.
“Pilate, in his inscription, wrote out the sentiments which they had expressed. It was a virtual declaration, and so understood by all, that the Jews acknowledged that on account of their allegiance to the Roman power, any man who aspired to be king of the Jews, however innocent in other respects, should be judged by them worthy of death. There was no other offense named in the inscription; it simply stated that Jesus was the King of the Jews.” 3SP:155.
“A higher power than Pilate or the Jews had directed the placing of that inscription above the head of Jesus. In the providence of God it was to awaken thought, and investigation of the Scriptures. The place where Christ was crucified was near to the city. Thousands of people from all lands were then at Jerusalem, and the inscription declaring Jesus of Nazareth the Messiah would come to their notice. It was a living truth, transcribed by a hand that God had guided. In the sufferings of Christ upon the cross, prophecy was fulfilled.” GHA:172.
19:22: “What I have written I have written” = “A higher power than Pilate or the Jews had directed the placing of that inscription above the head of Jesus. In the providence of God it was to awaken thought, and investigation of the Scriptures.” The Desire of Ages, page 745.
19:23: “They had crucified Jesus” = Here is my Matthew 27:35 Note: “He planted the cross between heaven and earth, and when the Father beheld the sacrifice of His Son, He bowed before it in recognition of its perfection. “It is enough,” He said. “The atonement is complete.’ ” RH, September 24, 1901, paragraph 11.
“He planted His cross midway between Heaven and earth, and made it the object of attraction which reached both ways, drawing both Justice and Mercy across the gulf. Justice moved from Its exalted throne, and with all the armies of Heaven approached the cross. There it saw One equal with God bearing the penalty for all injustice and sin. With perfect satisfaction Justice bowed in reverence at the cross, saying, It is enough.” GCB, October 1, 1899, paragraph 22.
“took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam” = The entire Synopsis’s relate the parting of the garments (see Mat. 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34). However, John is the only one to record that His garment, or “coat,” was “without seam.” It was “without seam” just as was the High priests’ garments as instructed to Moses (Exo. 28:32). The garments of the priests are not made of needlework, but of woven work.
Josephus states, in his work, “Antiquities,” b. 3, chapter 8, Section 4, of the garment or coat of the high priest that “this vesture was not composed of two pieces, nor was it sewed together upon the shoulders and the sides; but it was one long vestment, so woven as to have an aperture for the neck. It was also parted where the hands were to come out.”
It seems that the Lord Jesus, the great High Priest of his people, had also a coat made in a similar manner (see again Exo. 28:32). Our Lord was now in the grand office of High Priest, and was about to offer the expiatory Victim for the sin of the world. And as stated before, it is worthy of remark that the very dress He was in was similar to that of the Jewish high priest. Continuing with the description given of his dress by Josephus (see, Ant. b. iii. c. 7, s. 4): “Now this coat was not composed of two pieces, nor was it sewed together upon the shoulders and sides, but it was one long vestment, so woven as to have an opening for the neck; not an oblique one, but parted all along the back and breast; it was also parted where the hands were to come out.”
A little before, the same author says that, “the high priest had a long robe of a blue color [see Exo. 39:22], which hung down to the feet, and was put over all the rest.” It is likely that this was the same with that upper garment which the soldiers divided among them, it being probably very costly.
This “coat” was a “tunica,” or “vestcoat,” over which the Jews threw an outer coat, or gown, called a “cloak,” Matthew 5:40; Luke 6:29, when they went abroad, or were not at work. The four pieces to be divided would be, the headgear, the sandals, the girdle, and the “tallith,” or square outer garment with fringes.
Delitzsch thus describes in his work, “A Day in Capernaum,” the dress of our Lord: “On His head He wore a white sudar, fastened under the chin and hanging down from the shoulders behind. Over the tunic which covered the body to the hands and feet, a blue tallith with the blue and white fringes on the four ends, so thrown over and gathered together that the gray, red-striped undergarment was scarcely noticeable, except when the sandal-shod feet came into view.”
19:25: “His mother” = “The mother of Jesus was agonized, almost beyond endurance, and as they stretched Jesus upon the cross, and were about to fasten his hands with the cruel nails to the wooden arms, the disciples bore the mother of Jesus from the scene, that she might not hear the crashing of the nails, as they were driven through the bone and muscle of his tender hands and feet.” 1SG:58.
“His mother’s sister” = This is thought to be “Salome” because of the mention of her as being one of them present in Mark 15:40 and Matthew 27:56.
19:26: “whom He loved” = See my John 18:15 Note.
“behold thy son” = “From that hour he [John] cared for her as would a dutiful son, taking her to his own home. . . This trust was to prove a great blessing to John, a constant reminder of his beloved Master.” 3SP:161.
19:27: “saith He to the disciple, Behold thy mother” = This piece of information may indicate that Christ had no brothers to take care of His Mother. Why? Because it may prove that His brothers were half-brothers and not obligated to Mary as a full blood relative would have been (like Himself). Furthermore, it was the duty of the eldest son in a family to stay home to work with his father (meaning, as far as His earthly father goes, that one of His possibly half-brothers was performing that duty) and eventually take over the family business. If Jesus had been the oldest, it would have been an insult to leave Joseph in the carpenter shop when He left to start His Own ministry, thus not honoring His parents.
“His mother was humbled, and even her faith wavered in His being the Messiah.” 1SG:64.
“From that hour he cared for her as would a dutiful son, taking her to his own home. Oh, pitiful, loving Saviour! Amid all His physical pain, and mental anguish, He had a tender, thoughtful care for the mother who had borne Him. He had no money to leave her, by which to insure her future comfort, but He was enshrined in the heart of John, and He gave His mother unto the beloved disciple as a sacred legacy. This trust was to prove a great blessing to John, a constant reminder of His beloved Master.” DG:57; 3SP:160-161 (1878).
19:30: “received the vinegar” = Here is my Matthew 27:34 Note: “Jesus thirsted in His agony; but they heaped upon Him additional insult, by giving Him vinegar and gall to drink.” 1SG(1858):60.
“In another prophecy the Saviour declared, ‘Reproach hath broken My heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. They gave Me also gall for My meat; and in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink.’ Psalm 69:20, 21. To those who suffered death by the cross, it was permitted to give a stupefying potion, to deaden the sense of pain. This was offered to Jesus; but when He had tasted it, He refused it. He would receive nothing that could becloud His mind. His faith must keep fast hold upon God. This was His only strength. To becloud His senses would give Satan an advantage.” DA:746.
“Roman soldiers, touched with pity as he looked at the parched lips, took a sponge on a stalk of hyssop, and dipping it in a vessel of vinegar, offered it to Jesus. But the priests mocked at His agony.” DA:755.
According to Matthew’s account (27:34): “when He had tasted thereof, He would not drink” = Don’t you think that our Lord knew what was being given to Him? Of course! Thus, the lesson here is that alcohol is not to be taken under any circumstance, let along casual drinking.
“it is finished” = For those who believe this phrase means that all work of Jesus in saving souls was “finished,” let’s discover Revelation 16:17: “And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the Temple of Heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.” Thus, another work had to be completed after the Cross, and that work is the cleansing of the Sanctuary in Heaven and the “Close of Probation.”
But what did this “it is finished” work accomplish? According to Hebrews 9:22, Christ’s blood accomplished the giving of the provision of the Atonement. God’s Law was now satisfied with the correct payment -- God. For only God can Atone for the breaking of His Own Law.
What was “finished” was the payment for man’s redemption, the suffering of Christ, the earthly ministry of Jesus, and one last missed thing. According to John 12:31, Satan’s “judgment” was concluded. See RH, March 12, 1901, paragraph 8, below.
“To the angels and the unfallen worlds the cry, ‘It is finished,’ had a deep significance. It was for them as well as for us that the great work of redemption had been accomplished. They with us share the fruits of Christ’s victory.” DA:758.
“. . . when the Saviour yielded up His life, and with His expiring breath cried out, ‘It is finished,’ then the fulfillment of the plan of redemption was assured. The promise of salvation made to the sinful pair in Eden was ratified. The kingdom of grace, which had before existed by the promise of God, was then established.” GC:348. See Matthew 27:37.
“When Jesus, as he hung upon the cross, cried out, It is finished, the rocks rent, the earth shook, and some of the graves where shaken open; for when Jesus arose from the dead, and conquered death and the grave; when he walked forth from his prison house a triumphant conqueror; while the earth was reeling and shaking, and the excellent glory of Heaven clustered around the sacred spot, obedient to His call, many of the righteous dead came forth as witnesses that He had risen. Those favored, resurrected saints came forth glorified. They were a few chosen and holy ones who had lived in every age from creation, even down to the days of Christ.” 1SG:69.
“He was standing in the sinner’s place, and this darkness every sinner must experience. The righteous One must suffer the condemnation and wrath of God, not in vindictiveness; for the heart of God yearned with greatest sorrow when His Son, the guiltless, was suffering the penalty of sin. This sundering of the Divine powers will never again occur throughout the eternal ages.” 7BC:924; MS93, 1899.
“When Christ came to the earth in person, Satan’s fiercest warfare was directed against Him. But by causing the Son of God to be crucified. Satan struck a blow at himself. When Christ died on the cross, Satan’s death-knell was sounded. His deceptions were narrowly watched by the inhabitants of the unfallen worlds, as he, in disguise, worked in such a way that he thought he could not possibly be detected. But he was left to follow his own course, to condemn himself by his own deeds. And before the cross of Calvary he stood revealed in his true character. When Christ cried out, ‘It is finished,’ the unfallen worlds were made secure. For them the battle was fought and the victory won. Henceforth Satan had no place in the affections of the universe.” RH, March 12, 1901, paragraph 8.
“The cross of Calvary, while it declares the Law immutable, proclaims to the universe that the wages of sin is death. In the Saviour’s expiring cry, ‘It is finished,’ the death knell of Satan was rung. The great controversy which had been so long in progress was then decided, and the final eradication of evil was made certain.” FLB:361; GC88:503; GC:503.
“The battle going on in this world was witnessed by the Heavenly universe, and by the worlds unfallen. They saw the purposes of hate cherished by the wily foe against the only-begotten Son of God. Satan’s enmity against truth and righteousness was seen. By his treatment of Christ, Satan demonstrated the falsity of his own attributes, and of his deceiving, crooked pretensions as the friend of God. He showed himself to be the enemy of God and of man. The sacrificial offering upon the cross of Calvary sounded the death knell of Satan and of all who choose him as their leader. He fell forever from the sympathy of the Heavenly angels.” ST, June 17, 1897, paragraph 11.
“As Satan had led man to sin, he had hoped that God’s abhorrence of sin would forever separate Him from man, and break the connecting link between Heaven and earth. The opening heavens, in connection with the voice of God addressing His Son, was like a death knell to Satan. He feared that God was now to unite man more fully to Himself, and give power to overcome his devices. And for this purpose Christ had come from the royal courts to the earth.” RH, March 3, 1874 paragraph 21; ST, April 5, 1883, paragraph 7; Con:29.
“When Christ presented Himself to John for baptism, Satan was among the witnesses of that event. He saw the lightnings flash from the cloudless heavens. He heard the majestic voice of Jehovah that resounded through Heaven, and echoed through the earth like peals of thunder, announcing, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ He saw the brightness of the Father’s glory overshadowing the form of Jesus, thus pointing out with unmistakable assurance the One in that crowd whom He acknowledged as His Son. The circumstances connected with this baptismal scene were of the greatest interest to Satan. He knew then for a certainty that unless he could overcome Christ, from thenceforth there would be a limit to his power. He understood that this communication from the throne of God signified that Heaven was now more directly accessible to man than it had been, and the most intense hatred was aroused in his breast.
“When Satan led man to sin, he hoped that God’s abhorrence of sin would forever separate Him from man, and break the connecting link between Heaven and earth. When from the opening heavens he heard the voice of God addressing His Son, it was to him as the sound of a death knell. It told him that now God was about to unite man more closely to Himself, and give moral power to overcome temptation, and to escape from the entanglements of satanic devices.” ST, August 4, 1887 paragraph 7; 5BC:1078.4.
“The penalty of the transgression of God’s Law is death. Christ suffered death for man, and brought life and immortality to light by coming from the dead. When He died, the death knell of Satan was sounded.” RH, March 9, 1886, paragraph 19.
“When the Lamb of God was crucified on Calvary, the death knell of Satan was sounded;” RH, September 3, 1889, paragraph 20.
“The battle going on in this world was witnessed by the Heavenly universe, and by the worlds unfallen. They saw the purposes of hate cherished by the wily foe against the only-begotten Son of God. Satan’s enmity against truth and righteousness was seen. By his treatment of Christ, Satan demonstrated the falsity of his own attributes, and of his deceiving, crooked pretensions as the friend of God. He showed himself to be the enemy of God and of man. The sacrificial offering upon the cross of Calvary sounded the death knell of Satan and of all who choose him as their leader. He fell forever from the sympathy of the Heavenly angels.” ST, June 17, 1897, paragraph 11.
“When Christ died, the death-knell of sin and Satan was sounded.” SW, July 14, 1908, paragraph 2.
“When He broke the fetters of the tomb, and came forth from the grave, He proclaimed His triumph above the rent sepulcher of Joseph, exclaiming, ‘I Am the resurrection and the life.’ This was as a death-knell resounding through the regions of Satan.” YI, November 18, 1897, paragraph 5.
“He bowed His head, and gave up the Ghost” = The phrase, “gave up the Ghost” means God’s breath departed the Humanity of Christ. But more importantly, when people die they then drop their heads. But when Christ died, He shows us He has the power over death, in that He first, “bowed His head,” then died.
19:31: “the preparation” = Meaning, “Passover.” See verse 14. This was not only Passover, it was a “High Sabbath,” see below.
“for that Sabbath day was an high day” = (High Sabbath explained): A “High Sabbath” is any feast day that happens to fall on the regular weekly Sabbath day. For the Feast Days, see Exodus 23:14 & 17; 34:23-24; Deuteronomy 16:16; First Kings 9:25; Second Chronicles 8:13. See also my Bible Study: “THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS.”
“The Jews. . . dreaded to have the attention of the people directed any farther to the events attending the death of Jesus. . . So, under protest that they did not wish the sanctity of the Sabbath to be defiled. . . the leading Jews sent a request to Pilate,” 3SP:171.
“cross” = See my Bible Study, “CHRIST, HOW CRUCIFIED.”
19:34: “with a spear” = “A soldier, at the suggestion of the priests who wished to make the death of Jesus sure, thrust his spear into the Saviour’s side, inflicting a wound which would have caused instant death if He had not already been dead.” 3SP:172.
“forthwith came there out blood and water” = Any reputable medical doctor will tell you that this is the best indication that our Lord had died.
“When the soldier pierced the side of Jesus as He hung upon the cross, there came out two distinct streams, one of blood, the other of water. The blood was to wash away the sins of those who should believe in His Name, and the water was to represent that Living Water which is obtained from Jesus to give life to the believer.” EW:209; 1SG:102-103.
19:37: “They shall look on Him Whom they pierced” = Here is my Zechariah 12:10 Note: “Zechariah, in prophetic vision, was shown the day of final triumph, when Christ shall Come in glory; and also the condition of the Jews who rejected Him at His First Advent.” 3SP:9.
And here is my Revelation 1:7 Note: This verse covers and gives credence to the Special Resurrection doctrine (see also Zec. 12:10; Dan. 12:2; Mat. 26:64; Mark 14:62; Luke 22:70). This resurrection covers those who were at the arresting of Christ in the garden of Gethsemane.
“[48] Many companies of holy angels, with each a tall commanding angel at their head, were sent to witness the scene. They were to record every act, every insult and cruelty imposed upon the Son of God, and to register every pang of anguish which Jesus should [49] suffer; for the very men should see it all again in living characters.” 1SG:48-49.
From 4SP:454 we read: “Graves are opened, and ‘many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth’ ‘awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.’ {Dan. 12:2.} All who have died in faith under the third angel’s message come forth from the tomb glorified, to hear God’s covenant of peace with those who have kept His Law. ‘They also which pierced Him,’ those that mocked and derided Christ’s dying agonies, and the most violent opposers of His truth and His people, are raised to behold Him in His glory, and to see the honor placed upon the loyal and obedient.”
And from 4SP:460-462 we read: “[460] ‘And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of His wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?’ {REV. 6:15-17} The derisive jests have ceased. Lying lips are hushed into silence. The clash of arms, the tumult of battle, ‘with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood,’ {ISA. 9:5} is stilled. Naught now is heard but the voice of prayer and the sound of weeping and lamentation. The cry bursts forth from lips so lately scoffing, ‘The great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?’ The wicked pray to be covered by the rocks of the mountains, rather than meet the face of Him Whom they have despised and rejected. Those who mocked Christ in His humiliation are in that throng. With thrilling power come to their minds the Sufferer’s Words, when, adjured by the high priest, He solemnly declared, ‘Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and Coming in the clouds of Heaven.’ {MAT. 26:64} Now they behold Christ in His glory, and they are yet to see Him sitting on the right hand of power. That voice which penetrates the ear of the dead, [461]
“they know. . . Those who derided His claim to be the Son of God are speechless now. There is the haughty Herodwho jeered at His royal title, and bade the mocking soldiers crown Him king. There are the very men who with impious hands placed upon His form the purple robe, upon His sacred brow the thorny crown, and in His unresisting hand the mimic scepter, and bowed before Him in blasphemous mockery. The men who smote and spit upon the Prince of life, now turn from His piercing gaze, and seek to flee from the overpowering glory of His presence. Those who drove the nails through His hands and feet, the soldier who pierced His side, behold these marks with terror and remorse. With awful distinctness do priests and rulers recall the events of Calvary. With shuddering horror they remember how, wagging their heads in Satanic [462]
“exultation, they exclaimed, ‘He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He be the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him.’ {Mat. 27:42-43} Vividly they recall the Saviour’s parable of the husbandmen who refused to render to their lord the fruit of the vineyard, who abused his servants and slew his son. They remember, too, the sentence which they themselves pronounced: The lord of the vineyard will miserably destroy those wicked men. In the sin and punishment of those unfaithful men, the priests and elders see their own course and their own just doom. And now there rises a cry of mortal agony. Louder than the shout, ‘Crucify Him! crucify Him!’ which rang through the streets of Jerusalem, swells the awful, despairing wail, ‘He is the Son of God! He is the true Messiah!’ They seek to flee from the presence of the King of kings. In the deep caverns of the earth, rent asunder by the warring of the elements, they vainly attempt to hide.”
Note: The rest of the “righteous dead” are not raised until page 463.
“[62] They will behold that face again, bright as the noon-day sun, and will seek to flee from before It. Instead of that shout of brutal triumph, in terror they will wail because of Him. Jesus will present His hands with the marks of His crucifixion. The marks of this cruelty He will ever bear. Every print of the nails will tell the story of man’s wonderful redemption, and the dear price that purchased it. The very men who thrust the spear into the side of the Lord of life, will behold the print of the spear, and will lament with deep anguish the part they [63] acted in marring His body.” 1SG:62-63.
19:38: “took the body of Jesus” = Here is my Matthew 27:57 Note: “[135] The scales fell from his {Nicodemus’} eyes, and faith took the place of doubt and uncertainty {remembering the prophecy, “If I be lifted up”}. Beams of light streamed from the secret interview in the mountain and illuminated the cross of the Saviour. In that time of discouragement and danger, when the hearts of the disciples were failing them through doubt and fear, Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple of Jesus, came forward and obtained the Lord’s body from Pilate, and Nicodemus, who at the first came to Jesus by night, brought a hundred pounds’ weight of myrrh and aloes. These two men with their own hands performed the last sacred rites, and laid the body of the Saviour in a new sepulchre where never man lay before. These lofty rulers of the Jews mingled their tears together over the sacred form of the dead.
“Now, when the disciples were scattered and discouraged, Nicodemus came boldly to the front. He was rich, and he employed his wealth to sustain the infant Church of Christ, that the Jews thought would be blotted out with the death of Jesus. He who had been so cautious and questioning, now, in the time of peril, was firm as the [136]
“granite rock, encouraging the flagging faith of the followers of Christ, and furnishing means to carry on the cause. He was defrauded, persecuted, and stigmatized by those who had paid him reverence in other days. He became poor in this world’s goods, yet he faltered not in the faith that had its beginning in that secret night conference with the young Galilean.” 2SP:135-136.
19:39-40: “there came also Nicodemus” = “Now, when the Jews were trying to destroy the infant Church, Nicodemus came forward in its defense. No longer cautious and questioning, he encouraged the faith of the disciples and used his wealth in helping to sustain the church at Jerusalem and in advancing the work of the gospel. Those who in other days had paid him reverence, now scorned and persecuted him, and he became poor in this world’s goods; yet he faltered not in the defense of his faith.” AA:105.
“When Nicodemus saw Jesus upon the cross. . . he remembered the solemn teaching. . . ‘As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.’ The scales fell from his eyes, and faith took the place of doubt and uncertainty.” 2SP:135.
CHAPTER TWENTY
20:1: “the stone taken away” = Here is my Matthew 28:2 Note: Do you think that the stone had to be rolled away such that our Lord could get out, even though He was later shown to be able to walk through closed doors? Not at all! It was for the first evangelists to receive the first commission of the telling of the resurrection of our Lord, i.e., the women. Also, it wasn’t because Jesus had to get out; it was so that the men and women could get in such that they could testify of the resurrection of our Lord.
“[191] One of the most exalted order of angels is sent from Heaven; his countenance is like the lightning, and his garments white as snow. He parts the darkness from his track, and the whole heavens are lit with his resplendent glory. The sleeping soldiers start simultaneously to their [192] feet, and gaze with awe and wonder at the open, lighted heavens, and the vision of brightness which approaches. The earth trembles and heaves; soldiers, officers, and sentinels all fall as dead men prostrate upon the earth. The evil angels, who have triumphantly claimed the body of Christ, flee in terror from the place. One of the mighty, commanding angels who has, with his company, been keeping watch over the tomb of his Master, joins the powerful angel who comes from Heaven; and together they advance directly to the sepulcher.
“The angelic commander laid hold of the great stone which had required many strong men to place it in position, rolled it away, and took his seat upon it, while his companion entered the sepulcher and unwound the wrappings from the face and head of Jesus. Then the mighty angel, with a voice that caused the earth to quake, was heard: Jesus, thou Son of God, thy Father calls Thee! Then He Who had earned the power to conquer death and the grave came forth, with the tread of a conqueror, from the sepulcher, amid the reeling of the earth, the flashing of lightning, and the roaring of thunder. An earthquake marked the hour when Christ laid down His life; and another earthquake signaled the moment when He took it up again in triumph. . . [193]
“Satan was bitterly incensed that his angels had fled from the presence of the Heavenly angels. . . The arch-enemy now knew that he must eventually die, and that his kingdom would have an end.” 3SP:191-193.
20:2: “whom Jesus loved” = See my John 18:15 Note.
20:8: “he saw, and believed” = He “saw” what; and “believed” what?
John is specific that he “saw” “the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.” Verse 7. It must be remembered that grave robbing was rampant during these times. Thus, to have nothing stolen, “the linen clothes,” verses 5 & 6, very valuable, and “the napkin,” or better, “face cloth,” of high value, grave-clothes that were provided by two rich men, Nicodemas & Joseph of “Arimathea,” Luke 23:50-51. John knew that grave robbers would not leave such items, let alone, take time to fold them (“wrapped,” verse 7).
John is also specific in what he then, after seeing, what he believed in verse 9: “that He must rise again from the dead.”
20:12: “two angels” = Here is my Matthew 28:5 Note: John 20:12 states that there were “two angels,” while Luke’s account states, “two men. . . in shining garments.” First of all, to call this a contradiction is to want the Bible to be in error, instead of loving God’s Word. These were obviously two separate accounts. In Matthew’s account “the [one] angel” spoke to “the women,” more than once (see verses two through five). Whereas, in John’s account, only Mary Magdalene lingered behind by herself, then she peeks “into the sepulchre” and sees “two angels.”
“Mary then hastened with all speed to the disciples, and informed them that Jesus was not in the sepulcher where they had laid Him. While she was upon this errand, the other women, who waited for her at the sepulcher, made a more thorough examination of the interior, to satisfy themselves that their Lord was indeed gone. Suddenly they beheld a beautiful young man, clothed in shining garments, sitting by the sepulcher. It was the angel who had rolled away the stone, and who now assumed a character that would not terrify the women who had been the friends of Christ, and assisted Him in His public ministry. But notwithstanding the veiling of the brightness of the angel, the women were greatly amazed and terrified at the glory of the Lord which encircled Him. They turned to flee from the sepulcher, but the Heavenly messenger addressed them with soothing and comforting words. . .
“As the women responded to the invitation of the angel, and looked again into the sepulcher, they saw another angel of shining brightness, who addressed them,” 3SP:199.
“[199] These angels were well acquainted with [200] the Words of Jesus to His disciples, for they had been with Him in the capacity of guardian angels, through all the scenes of His life, and had witnessed His trial and crucifixion.” 3SP:199-200; DA:793.
“These angels were of the company that had been waiting in a shining cloud to escort Jesus to His Heavenly home. The most exalted of the angel throng, they were the two who had come to the tomb at Christ’s resurrection, and they had been with Him throughout His life on earth.” DA:832.
20:15: “gardener” = “She stooped down to look again into the sepulchre, and beheld two angels clothed in white. Their countenances were bright and shining. One was sitting at the head, the other at the feet, where Jesus had lain. They spoke to her tenderly, and asked her why she wept. She replied, They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him. And as she turned from the sepulchre, she saw Jesus standing by her; but knew Him not. Jesus spoke tenderly to Mary, and inquired the cause of her sorrow, and asked her whom she was seeking. She supposed He was the gardener,” 1SG:73.
“tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away” = “She thought that if this rich man’s tomb was considered too honorable a place for her Lord, she would herself provide a place for Him.” RC:20.
20:16: “Jesus saith unto her, Mary” = “At the familiar voice, she turns to Him.” YI, July 21, 1898.
20:17: “Touch Me not” = The original Greek word used here and translated as “Touch,” is “haptomai,” and literally means, “to attach” one’s self to. In other words, what our Lord was really saying to Mary was, “Hold Me no longer,” that is, “Detain Me no longer.”
“Jesus refused to receive the homage of His people until He knew that His Sacrifice had been accepted by the Father, and until He had received the assurance from God Himself that His Atonement for the sins of His people had been full and ample, that through His blood they might gain eternal life. Jesus immediately ascended to Heaven and presented Himself before the throne of God, showing the marks of shame and cruelty upon His brow, His hands and feet. But He refused to receive the coronet of glory, and the royal robe, and He also refused the adoration of the angels as He had refused the homage of Mary, until the Father signified that His offering was accepted.” 3SP:202; SJ:160.
“I Am not yet ascended to My Father” = So many “Christians” miss this. They plead the thief on the cross as an example of “When you di you go directly to Heaven.” However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Hear we have One Who most assuredly should have gone directly to Heaven at death; but lay in the grave for three days!!! See my Bible Study: “DEATH, THE BIBLICAL TRUTH ABOUT.”
“[203] The spirit of Jesus slept in the tomb with His body, and did not wing its way to Heaven, there to maintain a separate existence, and to look down upon the mourning disciples embalming the body from [204] which it had taken flight. All that comprised the life and intelligence of Jesus remained with His body in the sepulcher; and when He came forth it was as a whole Being; He did not have to summon His Spirit from Heaven. He had power to lay down His life and to take it up again.” 3SP:203-204.
“to My God” = Since Jesus calls God His God, How can He be God? If this is your line of reasoning than you must also have to apply it to Hebrews 1:8 where they Father calls Jesus “God.” Therefore, Jesus is God and God the Father is not. In other words, don’t apply Divinity to the humanity of Jesus when He is praying to His Father.
20:19: “at evening” = This would make it Sunday “evening,” meaning the beginning of Monday morning.
20:22: “Receive ye the Holy Ghost” = See my John 14:16 Note.
“The Holy Spirit was not yet fully manifested; for Christ had not yet been glorified. The more abundant impartation of the Spirit did not take place till after Christ’s ascension. Not until this was received could the disciples fulfill the commission to preach the gospel to the world. But the Spirit was now given for a special purpose. Before the disciples could fulfill their official duties in connection with the Church, Christ breathed His Spirit upon them. He was committing to them a most sacred trust, and He desired to impress them with the fact that without the Holy Spirit this work could not be accomplished.” DA:805; RH, June 13, 1899.
20:23: “Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained” = See my Bible Study: “CATHOLICS, FOR HONEST.”
20:27: “behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side” = “Christ ascended to Heaven, bearing a sanctified, holy humanity. He took this humanity with Him into the Heavenly courts, and through the eternal ages He will bear it, as the One Who has redeemed every human being in the city of God the One Who has pleaded before the Father,” RH, March 9, 1905, paragraph 6; 5BC:1125; 6BC:1054. (See Romans 8:29).
20:29: “blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” = “So, I saw, that those who had no experience, in the first and second angels messages must receive them from those who had an experience, and followed down through the messages. As Jesus was crucified, so I saw that these messages have been crucified. And as the disciples declared that there was salvation in no other name under Heaven, given among men; so, also, should the servants of God faithfully and fearlessly declare that those who embrace the third message must gladly embrace the first, second and third messages as God has given them, or have no part nor lot in the matter.” 1SG:75.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
21:1: “at the sea of Tiberias” = “[225] Before his death Jesus had, in the upper chamber, told His disciples that after He was risen He would go before them into Galilee. . . The disciples were detained at Jerusalem during the Passover week, for their absence would have been interpreted as disaffection and heresy. During that time they assembled [226] together at evening in the upper chamber, where some of them had their home; here Jesus twice revealed Himself to them, and bade them tarry for a time at Jerusalem.
“As soon as the Passover was finished, the brethren left Jerusalem, and went to Galilee as they had been directed. Seven of the disciples were in company; they were clad in the humble garb of fishermen; they were poor in worldly goods, but rich in the knowledge and practice of the truth, which gave them, in the sight of Heaven, the highest rank as teachers.” 3SP:226.
21:6: “Cast the net on the right side of the ship” = “Jesus had a purpose in bidding them cast their net on the right side of the ship. On that side He stood upon the shore. That was the side of faith. If they labored in connection with him, -- His Divine power combining with their human effort, -- they could no fail of success.” DA:811; 3SP:229.
21:7: “whom Jesus loved” = See my John 18:15 Note.
“he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked” = Here is the Comment on this verse in “Vincent’s Word Study:” “An upper garment or blouse. Only here in the New Testament. In the Septuagint, First Samuel 18:4, the robe which Jonathan gave to David. Second Samuel 13:18, the royal virgin garment of Tamar. The kindred verb, “ependuomai,” occurs twice (2Co. 5:2, 2Co. 5:4), meaning ‘to be clothed upon,’ with the house which is from heaven, i.e., clothed as with an upper garment.”
21:11: “one hundred and fifty-three” = From “The Believer’s Bible Commentary” we read, “Many interesting explanations have been offered as to the meaning of this number: (1) The number of languages in the world at that time. (2) The number of races or tribes in the world, toward which the gospel net would be spread out. (3) The number of different kinds of fish in the sea of Galilee, or in the world. There is no doubt that it speaks of the variety of those who would be saved through the preaching of the gospel -- some from every tribe and nation. The fishermen knew that it was remarkable that the net had not broken. This is further evidence that ‘God’s work carried on in God’s way will never lack God’s resources.’ He will see that the net does not break.”
21:13: “and fish likewise” = That Jesus ate the fish with them also see Luke 24:42-43 & Acts 10:41.
21:15: “Lovest thou Me” = The Bible commentator Trench thus describes the distinction between these two Greek words: “‘Agapan’ has more of judgment and deliberate choice; ‘philein’ has more of attachment and peculiar personal affection. Thus the ‘Lovest thou’ (Greek agapas) on the lips of the Lord seems to Peter at this moment too cold a word, as though his Lord were keeping him at a distance, or at least not inviting him to draw near, as in the passionate yearning of his heart he desired now to do.
Therefore, he puts by the word and substitutes his own stronger ‘I love’ (Greek philo) in its room. A second time he [Peter] does the same. And now he has conquered; -- for when the Lord demands a third time whether he loves Him, He does it in the word which alone will satisfy Peter (‘Lovest thou,’ Greek phileis), which alone claims from Him that personal attachment and affection with which indeed he knows that his heart is full.”
“The disciples expected that Peter would no longer be allowed to occupy the prominent position in the work which he had hitherto held, and he himself had lost his customary self-confidence. But Jesus, while dining by the sea-side, singled out Peter,” 3SP:229.
“Christ mentioned to Peter only one condition of service -- ‘Lovest thou Me?’ ” AA:515.
“more than these” = Most if not all Bible commentators agree that the “these” is refering to the disciples that were present, for Peter had before exclaimed, “I will not deny Thee in any wise,” Mark 14:31. I agree. However, the reason they were all where they were is because Peter had decided to go back to his profession of fishing. Thus, Jesus was challenging Peter to not love the fishing gear, meaning, the “more than these,” over his love for Jesus. Therefore, the “more than these” is all conclusive; to not put anything over our love for Jesus.
21:17: “Feed My sheep” = “The close, testing questions of the Lord had not provoked one forward, self-sufficient reply; and because of his humiliation and repentance he was better prepared than ever before to fill the office of shepherd to the flock.” 3SP:231.
21:18-19: “thou shalt stretch forth thy hands” = “[815] Jesus thus made known to Peter the very manner of his death; He even foretold the stretching forth of his hands upon the cross. . . [816] When at last brought to the cross, he was, at his own request, crucified with his head downward. He thought it too great an honor to suffer in the same way as his Master did.” DA:815-816.
“Peter was now humble enough to understand the words of Christ, and without further questioning, the once restless, boastful, self-confident disciple became subdued and contrite. He followed his Lord indeed -- the Lord he had denied. The thought that Christ had not denied and rejected him was to Peter a light and comfort and blessing. He felt that he could be crucified from choice, but it must be with his head downward. And he who was so close a partaker of Christ’s sufferings will also be a partaker of His glory when He shall ‘sit upon the throne of His glory.’ ” YI, December. 22, 1898; 5BC:1152; CC:322.
“Peter, as a Jew and a foreigner, was condemned to be scourged and crucified. In prospect of this fearful death, the apostle remembered his great sin in denying Jesus in the hour of His trial. Once so unready to acknowledge the cross, he now counted it a joy to yield up his life for the gospel, feeling only that for him who had denied his Lord, to die in the same manner as his Master died was too great an honor. Peter had sincerely repented of that sin, and had been forgiven by Christ, as is shown by the high commission given him to feed the sheep and lambs of the flock. But he could never forgive himself. Not even the thought of the agonies of the last terrible scene could lessen the bitterness of his sorrow and repentance. As a last favor, he entreated his executioners that he might be nailed to the cross with his head downward. The request was granted, and in this manner died the great apostle Peter.” RH, September 26, 1912; 3SP:437; LP:329; AA:537-538.
“Peter felt that it was too great an honor to be put to death as his Lord was, and petitioned that he might be crucified with his head down. He considered it an honor to suffer for Christ. Why should not we?” HS:234.
“ ‘Peter said unto Him, Lord, why cannot I follow Thee now? I will lay down my life for Thy sake.’ Peter remembered these words when he himself was crucified. They were indeed fulfilled. After he denied his Lord, he was truly converted; and when he was called up before his persecutors, he remembered his shameful denial, and urged that he be crucified with his head downward. He did die for the Master he loved, and even in the manner of his death, he followed his Lord.” RH, October 19, 1897.
“Peter, who once denied his Lord, was afterward forgiven by our Saviour, and entrusted with the work of feeding the flock of God. Yet when condemned to death, and about to suffer for Christ’s sake, the apostle begged that he might not be crucified in the same position as his Lord and Master, but that he might be nailed to the cross with his head downward. He felt that it was too great an honor for him to be put to death in the same manner as his Saviour Whom he had denied. Would it not be well if our consciences were more sensitive? if we could possess more of the same spirit of contrition and humility?” ST, January 4, 1883.
21:20: “whom Jesus loved” = See my John 18:15 Note.