because He not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that 19 God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do: for what things soever He doeth, these also 20 doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth Him all things that Himself doeth: and He will show 21 Him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so 22 the Son quickeneth whom He will. For the Father judgeth no 23 man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: that all men should honour3 the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which 21 hath sent Him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting as no merely created being could share, appears from the sequel. The Jews understood Him, by this claim, to make Himself equal with God. The charge of violating the sabbath was instantly lost sight of in the more serious one of having spoken blasphemy. It was the charge which was urged against Him, and of which the high-priest declared Him guilty, before the Sanhedrin, when He was pronounced worthy of death (Matt. xxvi. 65). He reiterates and explains His declaration. He asserts that the Father does nothing independently of the Son, nor the Son independently of the Father, but that they work together in ineffable union and love. He claims not only equal power but equal exercise of power with the Father. The Jews charged that He had used language by which, according to a fair interpretation, He made Himself equal with God. If they had misunderstood Him this was the time for Him to disabuse their minds; but He makes no attempt of the kind. 2 These greater works were not alone those that were to mark His ministry on earth. The raising of the dead, and the judgment of the world at the last day, were to be committed to Him. 3 We have no stronger argument for the Divine nature of the Saviour of the world in all those passages in which He is expressly called God. The worship of Christ, if He were not Divine, would be idolatry. But instead of rebuking He encourages and sanctions this worship. The eastern Magi worshipped Him in His cradle. Those on whom He had exerted miraculous power fell at His feet and worshipped Him. The mother of John, the woman of Canaan, the father of the lunatic who met Him at the foot of the mount of transfiguration, worshipped Him, and His disciples as He was carried up from them into heaven; and after His ascension the dying Stephen called "upon God," saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Paul cannot write an epistle without repeated acts of worship to Christ, as "God blessed for ever." In the writings of the Christian fathers we find this worship not only inculcated, but defended when it was charged upon them. The hymns of the early Church are full of Christ. The younger Pliny, in his report to Trajan concerning the Christians, gave special emphasis to the fact that they " sang hymns to Christ as to God," quasi Deo (Epistolæ, x. 97). The universal faith of the Church has not been accorded to a falsehood. life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from 25 death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead' shall hear the voice of the 26 Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have life 27 in Himself; and hath given Him authority to execute judg28 ment also, because He is the Son of man. Marvel not at this for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves 29 shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. 12. God's testimony to Jesus as His Son and our Saviour, in the miracles He wrought and the prophecies fulfilled in Him. 30 [Ver. 30-47. : 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 31 the will of the Father which hath sent Me. If I bear wit32 ness of Myself, My witness is not true. There is another5 that beareth witness of Me; and I know that the witness 33 which He witnesseth of Me is true. Ye sent unto John, and 34 he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony 1 That is, He claims to possess the power of bestowing spiritual life on every one that believes. He raises dead souls, a greater work than to raise dead bodies. The believer in Him passes from death unto life, so that if we have faith we may know that we have been born again. 2 The power of Christ in the resurrection of men is still the subject; primarily the resurrection of their bodies, but by implication or inference their spiritual resurrection. It is in His character as Messiah and Mediator that the Son of God, who is also the Son of man, here speaks. It is the Divine and human so mysteriously blended in His person, which imparts such force and beauty to His discourse on this occasion, and makes it so suited to the design of the inspired evangelist so to present Jesus to His readers that they may believe in Him, and believing may have life. 3 This event would be one of such amazing grandeur that there would be no place for wonder at the previous and lesser displays of His power. Not one individual, as at the gate of Nain or as in the case of Lazarus, but the whole human race, will be recalled to life. 4 As His opposers were doubtless disposed to apply to Him the principle of the Jewish civil law in regard to testimony, He accommodates Himself to the notion, and shows that He is prepared to satisfy their demand. 5 This other witness is not John the Baptist, as some have seemed to suppose, but the Father Himself; for in supporting His extraordinary claims He did not rely upon mere human testimony. This leads Him to allude to the testimony of John. Literally the testimony, Thy μapruplav, i.e., the only or highest testimony, in support of His claims. : 35 from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. He was a burning and a shining light; and ye were willing for a 36 season to rejoice in his light. But I have greater1 witness than that of John for the works which the Father hath given Me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of Me, that 37 the Father hath sent Me. And the Father Himself, which hath sent Me, hath borne witness of Me. Ye have neither heard His 38 voice at any time, nor seen His shape. And ye have not His word abiding in you: for whom He hath sent, Him ye believe 39 not. Search the Scriptures ;3 for in them ye think ye have 40 eternal life and they are they which testify of Me. And ye 41 will not come to Me, that ye might have life. I receive not 42 honour from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love 43 of God in you. I am come in My Father's name, and ye receive Me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye 1 This "greater witness" is the same as the "another," verse 32. 2 First the Father bears witness to Jesus by "the works" which He gave Him to do. Storr, Flatt, Kuinoel, and Olshausen understand the "works" as referring to the miracles of Christ alone. Lücke, Tholuck, Stier, J. J. Owen, make the expression include all His acts during His earthly ministry, but as also having primary reference to the miracles He wrought. These miracles were proofs of the Divine mission of Jesus; they were virtually the testimony of the Father Himself that He had sent the Son. "It hardly need be said," says Dr. J. J. Owen, "that the term works is here and elsewhere inclusive also of His doctrines and instructions, which, no less than His miracles, proved His Divine mission to man." The character and doctrine of Christ went along with the miracles He wrought, proving that they could not have been the works of a mere pretender. Not only did the miracles of Christ prove His doctrine Divine, but His doctrine was the evidence that His works were wrought by the power of God, and that He came forth from God. 3 Again, the Father bore witness to Jesus by the mouths of Old Testament prophets, and all the previous forms of Divine revelation. "Search the Scriptures; or we may take épevvâre as indicative, rather than imperative, as is done by the great majority of modern commentators: "Ye do search the Scriptures." They are told that in the very Scriptures which they searched, thinking to find eternal life, they would find a revelation of Him; they would find types and promises descriptive of His person; they would find predictions containing distinct mention of the particular seed, line, and even family of which He was born,-the place, the time, and the circumstances of His birth, His forerunner described, and the miracles He performed. They would find it foretold in one of the best known of their Messianic prophecies that He was to be despised and rejected of men, which was then so signally fulfilled by them. The very spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus (Rev. xix. 10). 4 The residue of the chapter is taken up with faithful rebuke, because notwithstanding all this evidence they refused to believe. 5 Tholuck mentions that in the course of history sixty-four false Messiahs had appeared, and that one named Bar Cochba had gathered 24,000 adherents. And he remarks that "it shows a profound insight into the human heart when the Saviour |