V. JOHN XII. 34-37. When Jesus said these words, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me," signifying what death He should die, the people understood at once, that He spoke of His death, for to be "lifted up," was in their manner of speech, the same thing as to be crucified." 66 They were perplexed by His words. They answered him,— Verses 34. "We have heard out of the law, that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, the Son of Man must be lifted up? who is this Son of Man?" The first and second coming of the Son of Man are both distinctly foretold, and even described in the Old Testament; but the Jews, full of the prominent glory of the Messiah's reign, quite overlooked that which had been as plainly set forth, that first He must suffer, being rejected of men; "that for the transgression of His people he should be stricken," and for their sakes "cast out of the land of the living." They could not comprehend that the cross was to lead to the crown. Impatient at what seemed to them to be a contradiction, they asked "Who is this Son of Man?" They knew very well that Jesus spoke of Himself by that title, but what did it mean? Was the Son of Man the same as the Messiah or not? He did not think proper to answer their question directly. Had He done so, there would no doubt immediately have been a fierce and bitter dispute among those around Him; but the calm wisdom of His reply, could scarcely fail to be remembered afterwards by His enemies. * Isaiah liii. Verses 35, 36. "Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of the light. They could scarcely have forgotten that, in that very place, in the Temple in which He now stood, He had declared himself to be "the Light of the world," and that he that followed Him, should not walk in darkness, but should have the Light of life.* "Yet a He warns them now that the time is hastening on : little while the light is with you," a very little while. A few more days and He, the Light of the world, should be withdrawn, and if they now refused to walk in the light, that is, to learn from Him while they might, darkness must fall upon them. From that time though light, spiritual light, would be in the world, they would see it not. Darkness was upon the Egyptians in the time of old, while light was in the dwellings of Israel, and so would it be with them; for they were about to declare themselves the enemies of God, the persecutors of His followers. Were they all so bent upon destruction, that none of them would hear His counsel ? "While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.” Verse 36. "These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.” Jesus arose to depart, it appears for Bethany, where He remained privately, as is supposed, with the family of Lazarus. To this St. John immediately adds: Verses 37, 38. "But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the say *John viii. 12. ing of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" We must not suppose that these men were prevented from believing, in order that an ancient prophecy might be fulfilled. This is by no means the intention of St. John's declaration ; on the contrary, it is evidently to show that this unbelief of their's did not at all set aside the purposes of God, but on the contrary fulfilled them. Long before that time, the prophet had foretold that they should refuse to listen, and the reason. Verse 39, 40. "Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them." If we look at the place from which these lines are taken, Isaiah vi. verses 9 to the end, we shall find a most remarkable prophecy of the state of mind of the Jews in the time of Christ, and of the consequences of that state of mind, continuing on to this day, and of the end of those things, which is yet to come. The words we have just been reading,-"Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said,"-may be explained in this manner: "They could not believe, and the reason why they could not, has been declared by the prophet Esaias, for it is the very curse and punishment of wilful wickedness that it destroys all powers of seeing and understanding what is right, that it is a real paralysis of the soul, and this, (is it not awful to think that it is so,) by God's own appointment." St. John further adds, Verse 41. "These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.” By these words John clearly shows that he considers "the Lord" whom the prophet saw in a vision, "sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up," to be the Lord Jesus Christ. Surely it must move our hearts with solemn awe to picture to our minds our own Messiah, who for our sakes endured the contempt of men, and was about to suffer death at their hands, as He before whom the very Seraphim covered their faces with their wings, as "they cried one unto another and said, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.* It is by lifting our eyes from earth to heaven, by tracing our blessed Lord from his throne of Glory to his cradle in Bethlehem, then through his suffering life, back again to that throne on high, that we shall best understand all that he has done for us, and the greatness of his love. It is only thus that we shall see how real was the fall of man. Created for God, by God, and in God's own image, Man had fallen into sin, and so had become unfit for the kingdom of God where nothing stained by sin can enter. How glorious, how wonderful was the plan by which God once again raised him to His own companionship. Who would have dared to conceive the thought that the Eternal Son of the Father, one with Him, God blessed for ever, should by taking manhood upon Himself, at once suffer the just punishment of Adam's race and restore it to the favour of God! Yet this hath God done. Is it possible that we can believe this and yet remain coldly indifferent? Or is it possible that we can hear of this miracle of love and yet be content to remain in doubt? To all who still ask, "Who is this Son of Man?" Jesus replies now as He did of old: "Yet a little while is the light with you: walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light." *Isaiah vi. 1-3. None would remain in unbelief, did they simply follow the guiding of the light they have. It is the very nature of light to make itself seen ;- -so long as there is a single ray, it will shine, and thus is it with the light of truth. It shines across the darkness of man's understanding and will not be quite extinguished. Is there a single unbeliever who by chance may read these lines? Let his own heart declare whether the light does not still struggle within him against the darkness of his unbelief. Take heed," the night cometh. Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom Lead Thou me on! The night is dark, and I am far from home- Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou I loved to choose and see my path; but now, I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears, So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still O'er moor, and fen-o'er crag, and torrent-till The night is gone: And with the morn those angel-faces smile, Lyra Apostolica. |