EXPLANATORY AND CRITICAL NOTES
John 12:37-43. The Evangelist’s statement of the causes of Jewish unbelief, and of the timidity of many who believed, which prevented them confessing Christ.
John 12:37. τοσαῦτα, “so many,” to be distinguished from τοιαῦτα, “so great” (Reynolds, etc.).
John 12:38. Report (i.e. the message given to the prophets to be delivered by them) … arm of the Lord.—Both the teaching and the signs wrought by Christ failed to lead the mass of the people to faith.
John 12:39. Therefore they could not, etc.—It seems to be a law of the spiritual and moral life that a wilful disregard of truth, e.g., leads to an inability to be influenced by the truth. The nature remains impervious to it. Just as the prophesying of Isaiah (Isaiah 6.) tended only to harden the hearts of the unbelieving in his day, so our Lord’s teaching and miracles hardened the hearts of the Jews because of their wilful unbelief (John 12:40).
John 12:40. That they should not, etc. (ἵνα μὴ ἴδωσι).—Describes the result, and not the cause.
John 12:41. When, etc.—Better (with the best MSS.) δτι, because he saw, etc. The prophecy was given in consequence of the prophetic vision of the glory of the Lord. “Was this the glory of the triune God?” (Cyril, see Wordsworth, Greek Testament) (Revelation 4:8-11; Revelation 5:12-14: comp. Isaiah 6,).
John 12:42. Put out of the synagogue.—See John 9:22; John 7:13.
John 12:43. The glory of men.—See John 5:44.
John 12:44. Cried (ἔκραξε).—These words were doubtless uttered in the hearing of His more immediate disciples, and contain encouragement and warning for them. It was a cry from His heart, grieved at His rejection by His own people, and solicitous for the stability of His followers’ faith.
John 12:45. See John 14:9. See.—I.e. behold, contemplate.
John 12:46. See John 8:12.
John 12:47-48. See John 3:17; John 8:15-16. Those who reject Christ shall be self-condemned. The opportunity and means were given them; but they would not (Luke 10:16; Luke 19:44; Matthew 23:37).
John 12:49. Of Myself.—All through this Gospel Christ declares His unity of will and purpose with the Father (John 5:30, John 7:16-18; John 7:28-29; John 8:26-29; John 8:38; John 8:42, etc.).
John 12:50. His commandment is life eternal.— Proverbs 19:16; Romans 7:10. It is so with all God’s laws, material and spiritual. They are ordained to life. And eternal Wisdom speaks in Christ’s words (Proverbs 8:1; Proverbs 8:4; Proverbs 8:32-36).
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— John 12:37-50
John 12:37-41. “Who hath believed our report?”—What is needed in order that we may not fall into the error of those who do not believe the heavenly report, who, if not in words, yet in reality reject and despise the Saviour? This is a question of supreme moment for all who profess to be genuine disciples and followers of Christ, children of the heavenly Father. Yet to how many, confronted with the prophetic word, might Philip’s question be repeated: “Understandest thou what thou readest?” (Acts 8:30). Can anything be more important? Still are there not many whose energies and thoughts concentrated on other matters are most fruitful, but who in regard to this supreme matter are but as “babes in Christ,” subsisting on the mere elements of the faith, and never going on to perfection? Is this right? and is it wonderful, when we consider it, that the religious life of the Church is not so healthy as it should and might be, and that the progress of Christ’s kingdom is retarded? What we all need is an assured faith, and then the arm of the Lord will be revealed to us, the power of the gospel will be manifested in us and to the world. And this assured faith rests on simple elementary truths such as all men, the simplest and most unlearned, may know and understand. There need only be mentioned—
I. The sense of sin and our responsibility to God.—
1. The sense of sin is universal as humanity. Go where we will, the ideas of right and wrong will be found subsisting, and the deep sense of guilt on account of wrongdoing is expressed in all religions, in sacrificial rites, even in the fetich worship of the barbarian. You cannot escape from this universal belief in the sense of sinfulness among men.
2. And with this comes the sense of responsibility. Conscience speaks within men’s hearts, and declares that they are responsible to that Power which rules over all, and that, unless in some way it can be averted, the punishment for wrongdoing, for the transgression of the law of right which governs the universe, will be speedy and awful.
3. The realisation of this fundamental truth is essential for the true religious life. All professed Christians will confess in a general way that they are “miserable sinners.” But there must be an individual and personal realisation of the fact. Sin must be recognised in all its hideousness and horror in the light of the divine holiness; the awfulness of its indwelling power must be felt by the individual, until he turns from it with loathing, crying, “God be merciful,” etc. The next step will then be to seek—
II. A way of escape from sin and its guilt.—
1. The slave bound in fetters sighs for liberty; the shipwrecked sailor, adrift on a spar, with the lonely ocean all around, looks and longs for a passing ship; the sick man turns to the skilful and trusted physician.
2. So do those who awake to a sense of their spiritual bondage sigh for a Redeemer and deliverance; those adrift on the ocean of life, knowing not whither they are being carried, to what awful mystery beyond, long for some ark of safety; the man who feels that a subtle poison is corrupting his soul-life longs for a skilful spiritual physician.
3. And does not the history of the past tell how fruitlessly men endeavoured for themselves to discover a remedy, construct an ark, and gain a spiritual freedom? They still groan in their chains, many of them; the wrecks of their flimsy arks are scattered all along the shores of time, and the physicians they sought have proved spiritual charlatans.
4. Still the feeling which prompted to this was true and right. It showed the existence of the sense of sinfulness. Those who do not feel that they are in danger will make no effort to escape. Those who do will make earnest efforts to find deliverance and safety. Is there, however, any way of escape, any means of deliverance? We have seen how vain and futile all merely human attempts have been to bring deliverance. Are we shut up to despair? It is here Revelation meets us with the announcement that—
III. The cross of Christ is the means of redemption.—
1. That and not less is the claim made by our Lord and His apostles. “He was wounded for our transgressions,” etc. (Isaiah 53:5; 1 John 1:7; Ephesians 1:7; Revelation 1:5). This is the central truth of redemption. There are other truths most grand and important, other aspects of this divine work necessary in their proper place. This is fundamental so far as sinful men are concerned. Take away this and there remains a beautiful moral system, high above others even in this aspect, but nothing more.
2. And that the atoning purpose of Christ’s cross is the central and all-embracing purpose so far as man is concerned is shown by this: that it is only when that purpose is realised and personally appropriated by faith that the full blessedness of the gospel comes to individuals. It has always been where faith in this great central truth has been firm and clear that men have entered into truest peace, have become most Christlike, have reached highest heights of attainment.
3. But there must be the personal acceptance of and trust in Christ and His cross in order to this end. A mere general and vague belief can hardly be dignified with the name of faith. True, even though genuine faith be “as a grain of mustard seed,” it will have power. But it must be genuine and it must be personal. It uplifts the burden of guilt; it frees from the bondage of sin, of corruption. “The mountain is removed, and is cast into the sea” (Mark 11:23). When this point has been reached, then it is seen that—
IV. The saving power of Christ’s gospel is the true proof of His Messiahship.
1. Those to whom these things are realities need no further proof that Christ and His message are divine. The proof is within them; and however fierce may be the storms around them, “the anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, which entereth into that within the veil” (Hebrews 6:19) will hold. And the proof will not only be a personal one; it will assuredly affect others, it will be a test of their sincerity.
2. True, many will pass by or slight this proof, just as the Jews slighted our Lord’s miracles. But in doing so they will condemn themselves, for examination would have convinced them that the moral miracles effected by the gospel during the eighteen centuries that have passed away since Christ’s passion never have been and cannot be effected by any other power. A dispassionate historical survey would convince unbiassed minds that “the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation,” etc. (Romans 1:16).
3. Those who “despise and reject,” who are unbelieving, are in a greater or less degree themselves to blame. They have permitted themselves to be led away by authority inimical to Christ, without making earnest search themselves; or they are shackled by some besetting sin and do not desire freedom; or they are merely nominal disciples of the Redeemer and have not personally known the saving power of His gospel. Such considerations should lead professing Christians to give diligence to make their calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10). Is it not the lack of this that leads to such feeble, listless confession of Christ, such worldliness in the Church? “The wheat and tares are to grow together till the harvest” (Matthew 13:30). But make sure that your life is a wheat and not a tare life! For that is the end of Christ’s atonement. “When thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed,” etc. (Isaiah 53:10). And His seed will yield fruit.
(1) Here is the test of a sincere faith: it works by love, it leads to consecration and self-sacrifice. Those whose hearts are filled with divine love give a holy service. The mother who truly loves her child will do and give all that is possible, apart from what is wrong and evil, for her child. And so in all ranks and grades of pure human affection.
(2) Love to the Redeemer must manifest itself in the same way. But how feeble it is in the case of many when we consider how little is done by the mass of Christians to make known the love of Christ! How many “spend and are spent” in the service of the world, whilst the service of Christ hardly costs them a thought! Is it not because they have never really known and loved Him, never truly felt the guilt of sin, the need of pardon, the peace of Christ? And are they not thereby cumbering the ground and hindering Christ’s kingdom?
(3) Were all who profess to be Christ’s disciples truly consecrated to His service, this would prove the greatest check to unbelief, and not afar, but near, would be the hour when Ho should “see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied.”
John 12:44-50. The declaration of Jesus in view of the world’s unbelief.—Of these words Bengal says: “He spoke these words in the act of going away, when He had already gone a considerable distance from the men; wherefore it is said that He cried, so that those to whom He had been speaking might hear.” Rather it would seem an utterance of His heart in the presence of His disciples, in view of the unbelief of Israel—a cry to them to witness that He had testified the truth to the unbelieving, since He had not spoken of Himself, but as the Father commanded Him. In these words Jesus declared that He had delivered the appointed message, the reception of which is life to men.
I. The mission of Christ.—
1. Light was what the world was longing for, and life was what it above all needed. And Jesus came to earth to be the light and life of the world.
2. And the manner in which He brought light and life to men was by revealing, in Himself, the Father. It was this He was sent to accomplish—to speak what God had commanded, to do the Father’s will.
3. And this He could do because He Himself was the revelation of the Father, “the brightness of His glory,” etc. So that those who see Jesus in reality see the Father, and those who believe on Him believe on the Father who sent Him.
4. And thus He is the light of those who follow Him, who believe on Him. His revelation of the Father was not in vain for all. He became obedient unto death. Had He not turned aside from Satan’s wiles, then the world had remained in darkness and the shadow of death. But now through Him the light of the divine love, mercy, and wisdom hath for those who believe for ever dispelled the darkness.
5. In this revelation of the Father’s will, and in the doing of it, Jesus brought life to men. His commandment is life. He wills not the death of sinners, but their salvation. “The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16).
II. The result of rejecting Christ.—
1. Whilst millions rejoice for time and eternity in this divine life and light, there are those who will not listen to the Revealer, and who, in rejecting Him, treasure up for themselves wrath in the day of wrath and of the revelation of the righteous judgment of God (Romans 2:5).
2. In their case the Word designed to bring life rises up as an avenger. Opportunities neglected, entreaties slighted, commands despised, shall rise up in judgment against those who will not hear and believe “in the last day.” Jesus came to save; but the rejection of His salvation must of necessity issue in judgment.
3. Men who reject the gospel remain in their sins, and thus are unlike God. Clinging to sin, they must be shut out from God, for with Him sin cannot dwell. Rejecting Christ, they choose darkness, and cannot dwell with light. Rejecting Christ, they reject the Father.
4. This, then, is no matter to be lightly thought of or set aside. Christ comes with lofty claims for acceptance before men. The witnesses of His gospel testify to Him on every side. Thus a terrible responsibility rests on those who hear the gospel. It is the part of true wisdom to examine it earnestly and sincerely. Woe to those who refuse to listen or who scornfully reject!
III. Christ has obediently and fully performed His mission.—
1. If men reject Christ, it is not because He has failed in any way to proclaim the Father’s will. With that will the Son is in complete agreement, and what He speaks is His Father’s word, His Father’s commandment, which is life everlasting for men. He is “the Word,” the divine Logos, the very expression of the Father’s mind and will.
2. Thus His mission had been fully performed, in willing submission to the Father. Not His own glory, but the Father’s; not His own work, but the Father’s, given Him to do; not His own words, but the Father’s. “Although He was the Saviour of the world, He will not seek to be looked on as the builder of that temple which is being raised in the world; but the Father had given Him, as it were, all the plans and designs; He is the Master-builder who carries out the Father’s designs. He speaks and interprets according as the Father desires, so entirely is His will merged in the will of His Father” (Lecher).
3. Christ, then, has done all things well. He can look back on that ministry now closing with the consciousness that the purpose of Him who sent Him has been carried out and His will obeyed.
4. And the path of safety for men is to obey His word as He obeyed the Father. Openly confess Him, undeterred by the fear of men (John 12:43); bend the will to the obedience of faith; overcome yourselves; consent to count all things but loss for Him; and lay hold of the better and enduring inheritance. For the divine commandment is to life; and “He that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
HOMILETIC NOTES
John 12:43. The fear of men.—The ban of the Pharisees made those men afraid, and their fear was more powerful than the attraction toward the household of God.… They loved the praise of men. Therefore they could not be perfect in faith. The judgment which John heard from our Lord’s own mouth (John 5:44, etc.) he would never have uttered concerning a Nicodemus or a Joseph of Arimathæa.… No, not such weak ones are here meant, who slowly grew in faith and became strong in that hour in which the strong became weak; but those wretched souls who had experienced indeed the enlightening activity of the Light, yet had choked the germ of faith in its springing, because they loved darkness more than light, honour with men—their carnal Judaic honour—more than honour with God. Notice earnestly therefore that not alone those who have been inimical to the Gospel and stiff-necked in their opposition, but also some who “believed,” may be hardened, when they deny the power of faith, and do not learn to “hate” their own life in this world (John 12:25). Yes! the hardening of such as have known the truth, and yet wilfully turn their backs on it, is the most terrible result of all (2 Peter 2:21; Hebrews 6:4).—Translated from, Besser.
John 12:46-48. The end of rejection of Christ.—There is a darkness that will come, come upon all, must come. Men call it night; men call it death. Death is night; death is darkness. We must all die. That sentence is now called commonplace—to such vulgarity have we grown. If a preacher should stand up and say, “Man is mortal,” he would be said to have uttered a platitude—so have we fooled ourselves away! Yet we speak of spendthrifts and prodigals and persons who do not take hold of life by the right end, but prosper at the bank, in the shambles, in the market-place. Why, we are spendthrifts who have got through these elementary truths that ought to constitute the very capital of Christian meditation and practice. We must—I repeat it at the risk of uttering a commonplace—we must all face the darkness of death one by one. We have wronged ourselves by living much in crowds. It is well for us now and then to know that each for himself alone—alone—must die. What preparation have we made for death? There is only one rational and sufficient preparation, and that is walking while we have the light. Christ is the light of the world. Walking whilst we have Christ—an opportunity of studying Christ, an opportunity of receiving Christ into the heart, an opportunity of serving Christ by all good deeds. If you have made any other preparation for death you are foolish; and the very wisdom you have shown in making other preparation aggravates your folly. You have insured your life—you have let your soul go without defence. You have barred all the upper windows against the thief—you have left the front door of the house wide open. Sevenfold in folly are they who have made every possible preparation for death except walking in that light which sends a glorifying beam through the whole valley of its shadow.—Dr. Joseph Parker.