17 The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record.

19 For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle.

19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.

20 And there were certain

and exalted to his glorious state in heaven.

19. The world, &c. A strong method of denoting the immense throngs which seemed ready to hail Jesus as the long-expected King.

20. Greeks. These persons were probably proselytes to the Jewish religion. 21. Bethsaida of Galilee. See 1 44. We would see Jesus; we wish to see Jesus. These Greek proselytes did not live in Palestine, and had never seen Jesus. They had heard concerning him.

22. Telleth Andrew. Philip seems to have consulted with Andrew in regard to this request of the Greeks. Our Lord's disciples had often noticed that he did not encourage the spirit of curiosity. If a person was really desirous of instruction, Jesus was always ready to impart it. But when mere curiosity prompted a person to ask him questions, he either remained silent, or made the questions topics of practical exhortation.

23. Jesus answered them. The remarks of Jesus which now follow, were probably made to Philip and Andrew, after he had had an interview with the inquiring Greeks.

:

21 The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.

22 Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again, Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.

23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

25 He that loveth his life shall

The fact that persons, not of the Jewish nation, had expressed a desire to become acquainted with him, led him to speak of the glorious state on which he was about to enter, of the spread of the gospel, and of the increase of his followers. || Should be glorified; exalted to the glory which, after his death and resurrection, he would possess at the right hand of God. See Mark 16: 19.

24. A corn of wheat; a kernel of wheat. Jesus wished to convey the idea, that his cause would be established and become victorious by means of his death; just as grain, committed to the earth, must undergo a species of death in order to produce fruit, so he must die in order to accomplish the object for which he came into the world, and to gather a company of followers. In a variety of ways Jesus sought to fix in the minds of his disciples the truth, that the deliverance which he came to effect required his being put to death.

25. In view of the death which awaited Jesus, it was necessary that he himself should possess the spirit of self-denial. His disciples, too, ought to cherish this disposition. If

lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world, shall keep it unto life eternal.

26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for

they should be unwilling to endure calamities on earth for his sake, they would fail to attain the bliss which he could give them in heaven; but, should they faithfully adhere to him. and encounter the sorrows incident on earth to being his disciples, they would receive the blessing of eternal life. To them, therefore, he applied the general rule, that, if a person should love life on earth so much that he would, not part with it for his sake, he would lose eternal life; and that, if a person should love him more than life on earth, so as to be willing to expose himself to death for the sake of Jesus, he would secure life eternal. He that loveth his life; he that loves life on earth more than my cause. Shall lose it; shall lose it, in the highest sense, that is, in eternity; shall lose his soul. He that hateth his life; comparatively speaking; that is, he that loves life on earth less than he loves my cause, so as to prefer my cause before his life. || Shall keep it, &c.; shall preserve his life, in the highest sense; shall secure his soul's salvation. Compare

Matt. 10 39.

26. Follow me; obey me, and imitate my self-denial in enduring calamities for righteousness' sake. Where I am; in the glorious state to which I am going.

27. Now is my soul troubled. The near prospect of intense sufferings occasioned agitation in the Saviour's mind; he was not insensible to suffering, nor did he affect a cold indifference to it; but, while he antici

28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. 29 The people therefore that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered. Others said, An angel spake to him.

30 Jesus answered and said,

pated his painful death in all its anguish, he yet submissively resigned himself to the divine allotment. || Save me from this hour; from the expected hour of calamity. Our Lord here seems to have presented a petition which he instantly felt to be inconsistent with the object for which he had come into the world, and he therefore at once retracted it. We may regard him as for a moment feeling the dread which the prospect of suffering naturally excites, and expressing himself in the same manner as he afterwards did, according to Matt. 26: 39; or we may adopt the suggestion of distinguished editors of the Greek Testament, who place a note of interrogation at the word hour. The language of the Saviour would then be the following: What shall I say? [shall I say] Father, save me from this hour? || For this cause; for enduring the very calamities, the anticipation of which now occasions anguish to my soul.

28. Glorify thy name. Thus the Saviour meekly acquiesced in the will of God, and expressed his controlling desire that his Father might be honored, whatever sufferings he himself must endure. || I have glori fied it. God had already, through the character, the teaching, and the miracles of Jesus, in a glorious manner displayed his benevolence, and power, and wisdom. || Glorify it again; by the resurrection of Jesus, by exalting him to the heavenly throne, and causing the successful diffusion of the gospel.

This voice came not because of

me, but for your sakes.

31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

32 And I, if I be lifted up front the earth, will draw all men

unto me.

33 (This he said, signifying what death he should die.)

31. Now is the judgment of this world. The world here means the adversaries of Jesus, as distinguished from his disciples. Judgment is here equivalent to condemnation and loss of power. The adversaries of the Saviour are here represented as brought to trial, condemned, and stripped of their power to impede the progress of his cause. The prince of this world; Satan, regarded as ruling in the hearts of the Saviour's adversaries. Compare Eph. 2:2. Cast out; from his dominion. His power shall be restrained. Compare Luke 10: 18. The death of Jesus, which was approaching, would be followed by his triumphant resurrection, and the establishment of his cause.

32. Lifted up from the earth; put to death. As Jesus knew that he was to be crucified, this manner of expression was peculiarly appropriate. Compare 3: 14. 8: 28. || Will draw unto me; will turn to my interests. All men. This expression is here a general one, signifying the great multitudes that should become followers of Christ, and partakers of his blessings. Small, comparatively, as was then the number of our Lord's true followers, that number was to be immensely enlarged. The word all is used here in a sense similar to that which it has in Matt. 3: 5, and which the word every has in Luke 16: 16. There might also have been intended a comparison between "the prince of this world," who had, thus far, seemed to have entire sway among men, and the Messiah, who would

34 The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth forever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of man?

35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon

acquire a wide dominion, a dominion which would accomplish the crumbling away and the entire subversion of Satan's dominion. The current would hereafter set in favor of Jesus, and to him would "the gathering of the people be."

34. The law; the Jewish Scriptures, as in 10: 34 Christ abideth forever; that the Messiah should not die. The Scriptures taught that the reign of the Messiah should have no end. See Is. 9: 7. Dan. 7: 14. Some of the Jews inferred from such statements that the Messiah would exercise an endless reign on earth, and would, consequently, not die. Hence they inquired who it could be of whom Jesus was speaking. The phrase Son of man had probably been employed by Jesus during this conversation; and to the Saviour's use of that phrase the question of the Jews alluded.

35. Without particularly replying to their inquiry, Jesus solemnly cautioned his hearers not to reject him, but to secure the blessings which he was proposing to them, while the opportunity should continue. The light; the author of true knowledge and bliss. || Walk while, &c.; while the light shines around you, walk in it. That is, while you have the means of attaining true knowledge and bliss, avail yourselves of the opportunity. | || Lest darkness come upon you; lest you become wholly enveloped with error and wretchedness. He that walketh in darkness knoweth not, &c. As one who is travelling in a dark night is in constant danger of mis

I should heal them.

41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.

the synagogue:

43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

either to God, or to Satan, or to man. If God foresees that certain results will take place, in consequence of his commanding or permitting certain things, he is said to accomplish those results, while yet the men who are personally concerned are guilty or virtuous according to the nature of the action. See on Matt. 6: 13. Compare also Deut. 29: 4. Thus, in the passage quoted from Isaiah, God commissioned his prophet to exercise the prophetic office among the Jews, and to address them with the utmost plainness, in the name of God. At the same time, he knew that they would reject the prophet's message; and this refusing to receive the prophet's instructions, and to turn to God, was chargeable on themselves, and would greatly aggravate their guilt and their doom. But, though it was foreseen that they would thus abuse and pervert the prophet's instructions, he was still directed to go to them, and, by giving them warnings which they would pervert, make their hearts hard, and blind their eyes. Now, the prophet would not be culpable for this result, but the people themselves. So God may be said to blind the eyes of men when he spreads before them light, from which he knows they will turn away. The men blind their own eyes, but the occasion of their being thus guilty is the fact that light from God is spread before them. When, then, it is said, He hath blinded their eyes, &c., the meaning is, simply, their eyes are blinded, their hearts are hardened; and this blinding and hardening take

place, not by God's direct agency, but by occasion of his having presented religious opportunities to men, and by their abusing or neglecting of those opportunities. That they should not see, &c. In accordance with the scriptural mode of speaking, these words may be rendered, So that they will not see nor understand nor be converted. Compare Matt. 13 11-15. Mark 4: 12.

41. When he saw his glory. See Is. 6:1-4. The remarkable manifestation which was made to Isaiah was a manifestation of Jehovah. John here speaks of it as being a man ifestation of Christ. John seems to have been so much in the habit of contemplating the divine nature of our Lord, that he felt no difficulty in applying to Christ a description which originally referred to Jehovah ; just as he felt no difficulty in ascribing to Christ the work of creation. Since Christ was in reality a partaker of the divine nature, the description furnished by Isaiah was truly a description of Christ. This language of John accords, also, with the opinion which has been held from very ancient times, that all the appearances of Jehovah mentioned in the Old Testament, were, in reality, manifestations of the Messiah in his divine nature.

42. Confess; openly acknowledge. See Matt. 10:32. Put out of the synagogue; excommunicated. See on 9: 22.

44. Jesus cried; cried out, proclaimed. The particular occasion on which Jesus spoke the words which follow, is not mentioned Perhaps,