(2.) The Gospel of John.
The Gospel of John, like every book, perhaps, of Scripture, has its introductory portion, a remarkably long and beautiful one, occupying nearly the first two chapters. It consists of three parts: the first, doctrinal (1:1-18); the second, the witness of John to Christ, (19-34); the third, the gathering of disciples round the Lord (35-51); to which, chapters 2:1-22, furnishes a most important appendix. If we may call the whole gospel characteristically, “the glory of the Only-begotten,” the first part gives us this glory manifested; the second, shows us the soul of man filled and lighted up with it; and the third, how that glory will fill heaven and earth in its due time, and be the attractive power, the center and joy of all in all.
The first part gives us, doctrinally, the clue to the whole book: — the Word of God, eternal, eternally a person, and divine, “God,” and “with God;” Creator of every creature; life in Him, and light for men, although the darkness comprehended not (1-5). Yet knowing what this human darkness was, God had given witness to this Light which shone for all, and met universal rejection, save where the omnipotence of God had wrought, outside of nature and of human will. To these, born of God, He, the rejected One, whom they received, gave title to become sons of God; and to these He manifested forth His glory, glory as of the Only-be gotten with the Father, where Love and Light, the two elements of Divine glory, were displayed as “Grace and Truth” to the beholders of it (6-14). John bare witness to Him as one “after him” as man on earth, yet “before him” as One Divine. We Christians bear witness that we have received out of that Divine fullness, “grace upon grace;” for, in contrast with the law given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ, and the revelation of the hitherto unseen God, by One in the Father’s bosom (15-18).
The features of the Gospel are plainly marked here. Christ, Life and Light; man in the darkness of death, till quickened by Divine power, finding then in Him the manifestation of God, One for him, pouring out all His fullness to supply his need: manifested thus in grace, in the Son, as Father, to whom those quickened are given the place of sons, that they may be able to receive and enjoy this manifestation. All this in contrast with law, when God was hidden; and the new grace, outside of Judaism, going out to men in general, without distinction of Jew or Gentile.
The second part (19-34) gives us to see in the testimony of the Baptist, how this need of man is met, and his heart filled, by this revelation. Grace and truth, come by Jesus Christ, are seen here in Him, who is “the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world,” and at the same time, “Baptizer with the Holy Ghost.” Expiation, cleansing, and spiritual power are main parts of this infinite blessing for the soul of man; but Himself, “Son of God,” fills the eye and satisfies the heart of him who came to bear witness of the Light.
Beautiful is his witness. Himself the center of men’s eyes, priests and Levites, sent on solemn embassy to enquire who he is, are fain to hear his testimony of Another, One among them whom they knew not. “Who art thou?” they ask. He, full of that Other, answers, “I am not the Christ.” And “what then? art thou Elias?” And he says, “I am not.” “Art thou that prophet?” And he answers “no.” Then, when still further pressed as to who he is, he falls only lower in that Presence by them unseen: “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.” They ask him of his baptism; he tells them of the true Baptist, whose shoes he is not worthy to unloose.
Lower still at those blessed feet he fails; for he had been partaker of the world’s guilty ignorance of Christ; Twice over he says, “I knew Him not,” the world’s own condemnation (verse 10), and then he tells how Divine power had opened his closed eyes, and his eyes opened on the Lamb of God. Blest joy of the sinner, to know and own the Saviour of even such!
The third part opens with verse 35. We have had the individual testimony of the heart to Christ. Now we have Himself the center of gathering for heaven and earth. The heavenly gathering has its representatives in those gathered through this testimony of faith to the Lamb of God. They seek Himself, find out where he dwells, (not Capernaum, but a place bearing no name of earth) and abide with Him during the night, but where no night is. We ought to be able to understand this. The next day another is added.to this circle, who gives it a very distinct character. He, naturally Simon son of Jona, transplanted out of the soil of nature and of Judaism, is given a new name, and made a living “stone” in a building of which He himself speaks to us; “To whom coming, as unto a Living Stone, ye also as living stones, are built up a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:4,54To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 5Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:4‑5)). Mark too, “Messias” is interpreted for us to be “Christ,” and “Cephas” is interpreted for us to be “a stone;” for God is beginning to speak in the language of universal man, and Judaism is over. Again I say, all this ought to be simple for us to understand. It is a significant picture of the gathering to Christ, heavenly in character, now going on: formed by faith’s testimony to Him, and leading into nearest intimacy with Himself in His own dwelling-place.
Another gathering begins in the 43rd verse; and here there is a striking change. It is a new acting of the Lord Himself, and in Galilee, where the “great light” rises for Israel. The testimony is now distinctly Jewish, and the one who receives it owns the “Son of God” as “King of Israel.” Yet at first he believes not: “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” and when at last he does believe, the Lord tells him, “Hereafter (or henceforth) shall ye see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” This is the portion plainly of the Jewish people, when brought out of their unbelief in their last days. They shall see the Son of man attended by waiting angles, standing upon earth, but earth lit up with the glory of an “opened heavens.” Nearer and more intimate joy is ours, in the many mansions of the Father’s house, and where He is.”