In none of the gospels is the glory of the Son of God so fully presented to us as in that of John. The blessed name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, has indeed the very basis of its truth brought out to light in this gospel. Who could have understood that new name, that fresh revelation of Divine glory in that new name; of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, without some new, some fresh uncovering of the glories divine. This was done by the presentation to us, in this gospel, of the Son of the Father, as sent to open the way for the Holy Ghost.
He, thus sent of the Father, had a work to do ere the Spirit could come down according to the name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and much truth to communicate with regard to the new position and its new relationships, which were about to be established,-but Himself was revealed:—and the new name, Divine, the new position, the new privileges and the coming glories, were all inseparable from Himself in that name of Son of the Father.
John 1
The First Chapter contains, as an introduction to the whole book, a list of the titles and glories connected with the work He came to do, not indeed unconnectedly following one another, as a paper drawn up by man, to describe one of the great ones of the earth would have done, but beautifully, and in an orderly way flowing forth, quietly and naturally, as a river fresh from God. ‘Tis a string of priceless pearls; glorious beads of matchless beauty! Would that the saints knew how the power of their own calling consists in the aptitude, habit, and skill, of counting over such treasures. For truly the strength of a saint is not in the telling forth of my weakness, my leanness, my poverty, but in the treasuring up, delighting in, reviewing and declaring, the riches of the Lord in His grace.
I turn now to these titles of glory in the Lord. 1. "In the beginning was the Word." -The words, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth," (Gen. 1:11In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)) evidently respect a time posterior to, or after, the time referred to by the words, "in the beginning was the Word." For the Word was before anything which was a result of its power. Indeed, the account given to us, in the first book of our Bible, is only of the generation of our heavens and of our earth. It declares their creation, in the simple yet majestic words: "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." But it gives us no account of what had been previously created-as of those angelic sons of God who shouted for joy (Job 38:77When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:7)), when the foundations of the earth were laid. It gives us no account of the creation of him who kept not his first estate, etc.
In the beginning was the Word. The word, was, here marks existence in our retrospect. We look back, and in thought we can do so before anything that now exists as a creature, in heaven or in earth, or under the earth, did exist: the Word then was. This Word is the whole mind-the very intelligence of God Himself.
2. "And the Word was with God." A little consideration will show, that this marks the personality of the Word. If the Word had been a faculty; then we should have had, ‘the Word was in God’; if the word had been an expression of mind only, then we should have had, ‘the Word was of God.’ Both of these expressions may be found in other connections than that which is now before us. But, here, speaking of a person-the Son -the proper expression is found:- ‘And the Word was with God.’ And this is again guarded by the expression-
3. "And the word was God."
As to His existence-eternal. As to His person-distinct. As to His abode—with God. As to His nature-God. Such was the Word. Not a mere faculty or attribute; not a mere power or expression of Deity-but the Word was eternal, divine, had individual personality (as man speaks), and was with God.
4. It is added, as giving emphasis and distinctness to the previous statement. “This same was in the beginning with God." (v. 2), When there was no creation of any kind, or sort, existing, ere ever any commencement of creation had taken place, “He was in the beginning with God." How perfect, how guarded, how blessed a marking out of the peculiar separateness, which had, in the beginning, belonged to Him whom men counted, in their gracelessness, the friend of publicans and sinners.
Thus, His eternal, His divine competency for all work, for every exigence, is shown. The Son, Himself the intelligence and the expression of God. From and of everlasting;—without beginning- God; and dwelling with God, for what work was not He competent and equal to?
Next, we have:
5thly. "All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made."
First, the statement that "all things were made by Him, the Word, and Secondly, the guard put upon the statement, so as to enforce its absoluteness, "and without Him was not anything made that was made."
But if the eternal power and godhead were witnessed in Creation; if He spake and it was done; if creation was thus the expression of His own mind yet was there another and a higher glory to be noted, viz.
6thly. “In Rim was life." Creation below, Creation around Him, but "in Him was life," and-
7thly. “The life was the light of men."
Things might spring up into existence around Him and below, themselves originating in His perfect wisdom, coming into existence at His bidding, themselves the expressions of His own wisdom and power in their measure-but this was not the life that was in Him.
That Creation was not apart from Him, as the Living One in its origin and testimony, is clear, from the verse already quoted from the epistle to the Romans, (i. 20)- But as the works of a master show his existence and are proofs of his skill, yet fall altogether below, and are easily to be distinguished from, the life which he has; so, though in an infinitely higher degree, while Creation wide showed the existence of its Author, and was and is a witness of His eternal power and godhead; at first fully so in all its parts, and after the fall, still doing the same in measure, though itself a ruin -still the statement in Him was Life, goes altogether beyond Creation. He had a Life of His own, and that life was the light of men. In Him was Life: and this life had moral character, certain traits and ways habitual to it wherever it displayed itself, which constituted the light of men. Alas! the Spirit of God has to add: “And the light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not."
Three things have now been brought before us as marking the competency of the One who is the subject of testimony for any work on God’s behalf among men; viz. 1St, His personal essential competency before God, (ver. 1, 2).
2nd, His competency relative to creation wide (ver. 3.)
And 3rd, His competency in essential character (ver. 4), however little men might be able to appreciate that, (ver. 5.)
Here ends, in one aspect of it, the first part of our chapter: blessed and precious setting forth of the essential glory,-dignity,-and moral character of Him with whom we Christians have eternally and for eternity to-do in Jesus of Nazareth.
The next part, which begins with ver. 6, and ends with ver. 25, gives us the state of things in John the Baptist’s days, as ushering in his testimony. Each fragment of it, however, glitters with some honor to be rendered to the self-same Jesus, or with some glory to be recognized in Him. The life who was the light of man-in coming into this world had a herald to usher His coming. Thus:
8th. "There was a man sent from God whose name was John,"
Among men he might be great-but in nothing did he boast of greatness in himself: no higher honor did he know than to be the unpretending herald sent from God to announce-Him that was to come.—"The same came for a witness of the Light, that all, through him, might believe. He was not that light but (was sent) to bear witness of that Light," (ver. 7, 8.) It was meet, and right, and worthy that such a Light should be announced, and most gracious, too, that man’s inability to recognize and appreciate it of himself should be met. If the darkness comprehended it not, there was one that did and could speak of it, and did so faithfully, and the contrast is drawn between him and the light. He was not that light, but had the honor of being the witness to it. "That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." How ineffable the grace and gracious purpose of Him who sent John as a messenger: “that all through him might believe."
Alas! the honor and glory of the Lord was not only marked thus, as we have said (8thly) by having such a fore-runner, but also as we see here by the power of detecting and making manifest man’s darkness. Yes;
9th. All glory is His, so, among the rest, that one of being the Detector and Manifestor of man’s moral evil. And, alas! it was not only thus generally that the light shining on men, men comprehended it not, but also in particular He made ‘manifest Israel’s state of alienation from God.
The Magi of the East, as coming to greet the newborn babe-Egypt, as giving Him a shelter-seemed More to comprehend that there was light, than did his own people, Israel. For the former could give Him some honor though it was written (9th). “He was in the world and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not," (v. 10.)-but the latter, though not only His by creation and upholding, but His in government and worship, knew him not. "He came unto His own and His own received Him not," (v. 11.) He came in the hour of their extremity, in every way in the hour of their affliction; He came full of power, and wisdom, and grace: offered Himself just as He was to them just as they were; for He sought not theirs, but them-but they received Him not.
His truthfulness to God in a world of evil was a glory, and will prove, hereafter, a bud germinating with blessing, and blessed consequences, to the ends of the earth, and so-,
10th. His full sustainment of Messiah’s character and place at His first coming—in associating Himself with God, where God was in the end of that time, was His glory and honor, and will prove to Israel hereafter a fountain teeming forth every Messianic and Jehovah blessing. Had He not been true to Israel’s God and Savior in the days of His humiliation, Israel would not have been detected in its state of evil: if one had come in His own name they would have received him: but because He carne as the Servant of God they received Him not: but then, blessed be God for the unspeakable benefit! if He thus proved, that in the kingdom of Israel there was none righteous, no not one; none that could cleave to the King- that King stood forth then, faithful amid unfaithfulness-mid darkness only light-and the King abides yet to be and show Himself the glory of the house of Israel as well as a light to lighten their darkness. Oh how sweet amid all the failure of man-amid all the ruin of the creature-is it to find this blessed precious One, at once showing why there is no stability in us, even because of our untruthfulness to God; and yet, at the very same time, that the contrast in Him which humbles the broken heart in the dust, is a contrast full
, of light, and peace, and blessing for the poor and needy. And here (v. 12) comes out, another glory. His light not only as shining among men (9thly) detects their darkness, and shows it to be what it will be in blessing. to the earth hereafter, the Sun of righteousness rising with healing in its wings: nor (10thly) does it as the Star of Israel’s hope, let Israel reject it and remain in its own sphere to return and bless Israel hereafter; but-
11Th. It shows forth its own wealth of glory and resource.
If there to try and prove man wanting; if there to proffer help to Israel and to be rejected by Israel-He was there also with new truth and truth of a higher order and character than pertained to Israel.
Israel was the channel of promises from Abraham only. Government in the world, under God, was their blessing. He knew about the heart of God and the sons God would adopt, and He came to give power to as many as received Him; to whomsoever might believe in Him-to become Sons of God.
The wisdom of God is perfect. Man and Israel cannot wound the heart of the blessed One without, at the same time, thrusting Him, as it were, home upon God.
And this was indeed not only His glory, but, in a certain sense, God’s reply through Him, but to a thankless world non-appreciating Him, and to a nonreceiving house of Israel-even this precious grace in Him-the eleventh brightness I have noted: "As many as received him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name."
The world of darkness comprehended not the light, Israel, as such, received Him not-but whosoever did receive Him, to them gave lie power to become sons of God. "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (v. 13). God knew how to secure His glory in securing rich eternal blessing, relationship to Himself to as many as received Him-to them that believed in His name. It was in Him to give power to become sons of God, and though a thoughtless and senseless world might not trouble itself at the thought of rejecting its Maker, nor Israel in rejecting its prophet, priest, and king, as well as Jehovah-to those that did receive Him He gave power to become sons of God. This object of His coining, when once announced, introduces, most naturally, more truth about Himself, and the Word is referred to in the double glory of what was found in Him: He was a man -yet the only begotten Son of the Father, and the effect of this was to set aside Law and Moses, and freely communicate grace and truth. "And the Lord was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth “(ver. 14.) There is thus
12Th. “The Word became flesh,"
13th. "And dwelt among us."
Man in Eden had been the center and head of a system; but lost it all through sin. Here was a marvel of marvels-the one, in whom all the glories we have been looking at Were found-He became flesh! Himself the spring and source of all that can be seen or known; He; the Word, became flesh. And this, clearly as Himself, the abiding center and head. of a new sphere and system altogether.
"It became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified (are) all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare Thy name unto my Brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto Thee. And again, I will put my trust in Him. And again, behold I and the children which God path given me (Heb. 2:10-1310For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. 13And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. (Hebrews 2:10‑13)) The Father’s house (John 14) and the glory given by the Father to Him (John 17) given unto us. These verses may-suffice as to His place of center and head, as the Word become flesh.
One amazing consequence and blessing attendant upon this is the nearness, fullness, and completeness of the revelation to us: The Word became flesh. In Him, who is the Head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead;-in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the God-head bodily. In Him there is all fullness. And it is presented to us in Him as in Jesus the man once obedient unto death, the death of the Cross, but now ascended and glorified. What perfectness was lacking to Him the Word? What greater nearness Could He give to what He was, and had to pre- sent to man than by becoming flesh?!And-
"As such He dwelt among us."-It was no passing hurried appearance, as of a man. He made large experiences on the earth in His childhood, youth, early manhood and service; and the disciple that lay in His bosom could say, that, “which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of Life; for the life was manifested; and we have seen (it), arid bear witness, and spew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us" (1 John 1:1, 21That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) (1 John 1:1‑2)). There was His life in the humiliation; there was, too, the forty days after His resurrection (Acts 1:33To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: (Acts 1:3)), when He showed Himself alive-to the apostles whom He had chosen-after His passion, by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God; and, thirdly, there is that revelation of Him ascended and glorified, which followed. The two first periods, however, alone come into the statement "He dwelt among us." Connected with this dwelling of His among us, there are several things noticed. Some of His ways of grace and wisdom are given us in the close of the chapter, but first comes His appearance, the traits and marks by which He was to be known. This gives us-
14th. "And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (v. 14.)
True simplicity (or what should be called such if it is not) and true transparency were never so presented. The eye single-God’s will and His Father’s pleasure were the simple purpose of His heart. And His whole being here below was so in accordance with this, so regulated by it, that this single simple purpose told itself out in every thought, word, or deed. It was a transparency which man could not read, which no saint can apprehend, save by the discovery of the harmony between that single simple purpose of His being and His ways.- But there it was, a glory-an all excellent, all transcending manifestation of moral beauty was His,-the glory as of the only begotten of the Father -full of grace and truth.
And mark the grace of this. The sons of God -this new class of privileged people -get an introduction. to God in the character of Abba -and that, indeed, after the very highest mode possible, viz. in seeing the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, yet in a way most suitably adapted to their own standing, viz., He became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory. To the heart that knows Him what induction more natural than one from such a Son to what the Father must be. Blessed and happy must be the Father of such a Son. Wondrous the blessedness of that Father who could show such a Son forth before a world and a people that had no hearts for Him: still more wondrous,- if possible, the grace of that Father that shows in Him all the competency to make sons by adoption and the new birth,- and then to do all the work needful to clear their way out of the world, and through the all that Satan can do against them, and right in homeward to the Father’s home. We can say, indeed, in this connection, more than the old adage-Like Father like Son-Like Master like Servant-for it is written "He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father also-how sayest thou then, show us the Father." But this glory is not all told out in this that we have looked at, viz. that in Him there was glory -peculiar glory -the glory as of the only begotten of the Father -that He was the very transcript, the express image, the effulgence and the fullness of the glory of Abba; but-
15th. That He as such was beheld by man. I notice this the rather, because my soul finds a great difference between the effects of looking at Him- as the Word become flesh, and as according to that title under which He is then spoken of-we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father: "My Lord and my God," are my words of worship before Him as the Word become flesh. My heart swells with love and confidence, as He calls us brethren, and shows Himself to me as the First-born among many brethren. But, in either and in both the backgrounds, the Rock drops honey and living water, for He is-
16th. "Full of grace and truth" (ver. 14.)
Wherever He went, whatever He did, He was full of grace and truth. And the grace and truth, of which He was full, revealed themselves to the various parties with whom He came in contact all through His course on earth, but more manifestly so in the days of His service in testimony, and yet more fully so after His resurrection, though in a more restricted narrow circle.
It is one of the precious fruits of studying the gospels that we learn how that fullness of grace and truth which was in Him, proclaimed itself in circumstances nigh akin to our own, told itself out and let His glory shine out in scenes as dark as those through which we pass today. And if we have not the same displays down here as marked the time of His humiliation, we know where He is; where to find Him always; and that He Himself is the same yesterday, to day, and forever. There is-something of a difference to be noticed between this, (16th) His fullness of grace and truth-known as such, both as (in 15th section) the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and (as in 16th) and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father-in either and both cases full of grace and truth-and that which follows in vers. 16, 17, 18. First-
17. "Out of His fullness have all we received."
The "all we" here, I take it, are the sons of God. John the Baptist could not say this. When he saw Jesus he knew Him-as the one of whom he had spoken, saying. "He that cometh after me is preferred before me, for He was before me." The words were weighty, and could apply but to one. Though He comes after.- me He is more excellent than I, for He was before me. John the Evangelist knew more than this. The Baptist called back to Moses and the Prophets as witnessing to the coming one. The Evangelist knew Himself as, even during the days of His early service, full of grace and truth. And more than this, for ere he wrote the gospel he knew Him risen and ascended, and had received out of His fullness himself, as himself a son of God by adoption and regeneration.
"Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus," (Gal. 3:2626For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26),) was not to be said by the apostles until the death and resurrection and ascension of the Lord had taken place. Nor was that word made good to them: "because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father!" (4:6) until after the ascension of the Lord, when it could be said: "Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." Full of grace and truth was He to the Syrophenician woman, to the woman of Samaria; to the Jews; to the seventy disciples whom He sent forth, and to the twelve apostles whom He drew nearer still to Himself-but into none of them did He put forth that power that was His alone by title of right to hold, or right to give, the power of being and knowing oneself a Son of God. How do I know I am a Son of God? Well, not only because I have seen the Lord, but that my knowledge of Him has been by faith-He hid in the Father’s throne, and I down here knowing the revelation of Him to be according to that glory. And according to that revelation of Him made in the word, but brought home to my soul by the Spirit-I learn those two words in Gal. 3:2626For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26), and 4:6, (just cited). This is connected with a new birth in me—-He has quickened me, put forth the life that was in Himself to work with the light, and to communicate to me, not a corruptible seed but an incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. I have received out of His fullness.
The next clause adds,
18th. The enlarged range of the blessing so received out of Him so communicated unto us-" and grace for grace." Whichever way we render this, whether "grace distributively for every grace in Him," (so connecting the divine nature communicated to us, in its traits and characteristics, with that which He has as Son of man,) or "grace piled up upon grace," (so connecting the first touch of His blessing which gives life with all the free-gift blessings which follow on the first), the clause is surely a most remarkable one, and one pregnant with blessing. Oh, what a portion Jesus is to those who know Him! But there is another thing to be noticed, viz:-
19th. The personal connection of the testimony with Himself.
First, in contrast with the Law which was given through Moses, He was a servant, and handed out what was given to him to give. But grace and truth came as inseparable from the person of Jesus Christ. In Him was life, and the life was light, and He could not but tell what He was in Himself-grace and truth-Moses had told of the Creator’s righteous requirements from the creature-Not so Jesus Christ, when He was there, grace and truth in unlimited fullness was there, and it shined out from Him. This, however, was connected with another thing, viz.-
20th. No man hath, seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.
That fullness of grace and truth which His presence brought with it, not only declared itself but declared God and the Father. For "He that was present was the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father."
Blessedly interwoven with these glories, we have the Baptist’s testimony brought forward. John the Baptist’s heart was true; and one cannot but believe fully, that that which, he counted his own high calling was the having been set apart and called of God to be the immediate harbinger of the Christ of God. His greatness was to be little, but to do God’s bidding and usher in a greater one. It is remarkable how he, in his testimony, gets rid of everything save of being a voice, and nothing but a voice. "Who art thou" said the Jews to him, through the Priests and Levites from Jerusalem (ver. 19). "I am not the Christ" (ver. 20), was his bold answer. "What then? (said they) art thou Elias?" "I am not," said John. "Art thou then the Prophet?" (said they). "No," is his simple reply (ver. 21). And, when’ pressed by them, that they might give an answer to those who sent them, and they rejoin, “Who art thou? What sayest thou of thyself?" (ver. 22), he said "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make, straight the way of the Lord, as said the Prophet Esaias" (ver. 23).
But if John had little to say for himself; and that little negative in character-not the Christ, nor Elias, nor the Prophet, though he was baptizing (ver. 25)-he had a testimony to give to them. I baptizing with water, what is that when “there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is prepared before me, whose shoe-latchet I am not worthy to unloose “(vers. 26, 27). And not only thus, generally, but also he had to bear a specific yet blessed testimony to give to his Master, to the personal distinctions that were His, and to the great and new works He had come to do.
This positive testimony to the Lord by John the Baptist, extends from ver. 28 down to the end of ver. 34.
It contains glories of the Lord to which we must look in detail. But they are glories which attach to the works which the Lord came to do-works of so arduous and overwhelming a character, that if He had not been ushered in with all that glorious power and grace that goes before, no heart could trust its all to Him: but as to whom, having seen Him. to be such an one as He is, the believing heart not only says, the works are NOT above Him whom my soul loveth; but, it can add, what riches of grace and love in Him that being, such an one as I have seen Him to be, He should undertake these works, and do these things for us. The four things we have to notice are, as to His works.
1St. Behold the Lamb of God, Which taketh away the sin of the world; and,
2nd. He it is which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And then as to the honor God put upon Him, 1St, before John, in marking Him out by the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him. • And, 2nd, by the testimony given thereupon by ‘John, that this is the Son of God.
The works to be accomplished, were the removal of sin as connected with the old things, and the gift of the Holy Ghost as introducing new things altogether.
The first of these two statements is very little appreciated in its fullness. “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world." Atonement or forgiveness through the knowledge of the blood shed on Calvary, is not here the point. From the fall, downwards, sin had been upon the whole system of this world. And whenever the world or anything connected with it came before the Divine mind, sin was the first thought; Adam and Eve, to whom it had all been given and entrusted, had rebelled against God and sold themselves and it under sin. Now it is this redemption of the system as a whole, which is referred to here. Some will here, in time of the redemption, prize and rejoice in forgiveness: others may hear of the blood of God’s Son and trample it under foot; but the system, as a whole, is claimed by God, and quite apart from the believer’s joy in forgiveness, or the judgment of the wicked who will be cast out of it into the lake of fire prepared for the Devil and his angels-the system will be set free from sin-the world will be set free-there will be a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. The Lamb once slain, alive again upon the throne, though sin may yet remain in detail, is the guarantee of this. And the scope of redemption is seen in this, the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head. Now this is the work the Lamb of God had to do, viz., to introduce it to God in another connection than as of sin being upon it -and eventually to remove every mark of sin from it. Sure I could trust no one but Jesus for my own forgiveness of sins through His blood: surely He alone has loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood -but the work referred to here is of a wider range than that of a conscience purged and made perfect by His blood. Behold the Lamb of God, whose office is to take away the sin of the world. But the undoing of the evil brought into this system by sin, was not all; nor was it enough for the Son of God. The positive blessing is in the baptizing with the Holy Ghost. This was the act of One, and one alone to do. Who but He who is the Life-giving Spirit could do so? Here again, as in the taking away sing the thing is not looked at in its bearing upon individuals as such, but in its sphere. Had the blessing to the individual been in question we should have had the new birth (as in John 3); the nature and ways of the new gift (as in John 4:1414But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14)), “The water that I shall give Him shall be in Him, a well of water springing up into everlasting life "; its full expression (as in John 7:3737In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. (John 7:37)) "Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water ": but we have none of these nor of other most blessed and precious truths brought. before us; but in contrast, though connected therewith, we have the same truth as is brought before us in the Acts of the Apostles, “Wait for the promise of the Father, which (saith He), ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence" (Acts 1:4,54And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. (Acts 1:4‑5)). This, as He explains it afterward, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me," etc., (ver. 8). The new birth; the new nature with its ways and world of its own; and its full expression all of primary importance to man as an individual, and all, together with the rich vein full of blessing in which they lie, expressions as they are of the almighty power and grace of Him of whom we speak, are not the same thing as His being able to give a power which shall form a system where God can dwell and which shall be associated with Him- self in His works..Su-Ch is He as He-that baptiseth with the Holy. Ghost. Two things are connected with this revelation of Him to John the Baptist. John found Him not out by his own wisdom, but by this gracious and glorious mark, and John knew too well in what his own glory consisted, to hide this. "And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him, and I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptiseth with the Holy Ghost “(ver. 33). This was the mark given from heaven; a simple one, yet one that had its deep full meaning as to the Lord Himself, who was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners; and it was honor to John Baptist to have been thus singled out as the announcer of this Blessed One.
Attendant hereon, and closely connected too, with every part of the subject, is the glory which John announced as to the Lamb that taketh away the sin of the world; the one alone that baptiseth with the Holy Ghost-And I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God. And this title is a different one from that of Son of the Father-though both center in one and the same person. That there is a difference will be readily felt, if we consider that the Jews knew of God, and that the expression, Son of God, is found once and again in the Old Testament, Dan. 3:2525He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. (Daniel 3:25); Prov. 8 comp. 30:4. But of the Father and the Son of the Father, they had heard nothing-even an apostle somewhile after John the Baptist’s testimony, and after he had been with Jesus, could say: Lord show us the Father, and it sufficeth us" (John 14:33And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:3)). And the Jews never could make out who Jesus meant by the Father.
These four truths connected with John the Baptist’s distinct testimony contain these four more glorious confessions about Jesus, which we might add to the twenty previously noticed, viz.-
21St. The Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world.
22nd. The Baptizer with the Holy Ghost.
23rd. The One marked out by the descent of the Holy Ghost.
24th. This was and is the Son of God.
The rest of the chapter forms, in a certain sense, a counterpart to that presented in the first 28 verses. 1St. These first 28 verses present the glories of the Lord, without which He never could have undertaken, 2ndly, these works referred to (29-34); viz., 1St: The setting aside of sin, and, 2ndly: the introduction of an entirely new and divine order of things under the Spirit’s presence and power: Then 3rdly, we have (35-51) the blessed Lord presented as a man and among men-conscious of the possession of all those glories, and knowing His own responsibility to do the works which He had undertaken to do, yet now, as a man among men, showing out all the loveliness of humanity and the most attractive grace, complete power, and all wise discernment conceivable. And this intercourse of His, as we shall see, brings into light other titles that belong to Him. For He shows Himself (ver. 41) as the giver of a new name-proof of His knowledge of the Divine counsels about Peter-Philip owns Him (ver. 45) as the Prophet foretold of Moses, and the Messiah, Deliverer, Son of Man predicted by the Prophets: Nathanael finds Him to be a reader of secrets of the heart, and confesses Him (ver. 49) as Son of God and King of Israel, etc.
When, the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples, and looked on Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" The Lord laid hold of the two men’s hearts by that word, and they followed Him. He turns round after a little, as if He were ignorant, and asks them, “What seek ye?" "Master (they reply) where dwellest Thou?" With what grace, when we think of who He was, and how attachment to His person and occupation with Himself is the very highest blessing and glory of a man—does He reply; "Come and see." What is there to a mere human mind in air this, save the strangeness of a man supposing that two men following Him must mean something and that something He would grant. But oh, when the heart knows Him, and has known a drawing. after Him, the whole scene is radiant with light, and mil of happy experimental reminiscences. And they came and saw where He dwelt, and abode with Him that day; for it was the tenth hour. The watchfulness of His love, the sensitiveness of His kindness, the quietness of His courtesy, and the openness of His hospitality, as a man toward these poor disciples of John, are all quite exquisite. Who would shrink from—who but be attracted by such a lovely gracious bearing of the Lamb of God toward poor sinners!
One of the two, Andrew, was not at all for keeping the good news secret-there is an impulsive power in joy—he goes and finds his brother Simon, and tells him what had struck his own heart the while. We have found the Messias! And he brings Simon to Jesus.
The Lord knew all about Simon, what he was to be, and what his character was; and it is remarkable how, in this first interview He takes up the conversation and reads Peter to himself. “When Jesus saw him, he said, Thou art Cephas, which, is by interpretation, a stone." Truly, if Simon had a future spread before him, such as he knew not of, and had a character such as he had but little measured, he had now met a master who was beforehand in everything and knew times, and seasons, and persons for to-morrow, better than we know ourselves of yesterday. He gives in divine title, to a stranger too, a new name here.
Next we find Him taking, even yet more decidedly, the initiative, and showing His authority. Meeting a fellow-citizen of Andrew and Simon, viz., Philip, He calmly says, "Follow me." Philip is His servant and the servant of His work at once. The claim of the Lord to be obeyed formed itself in Philip’s mind differently from what it had in others-each heart is, drawn in a way peculiar to itself-to him this was the thought, "We have found Him, of whom Moses in the Law, and the Prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph." So Philip tells his joy forth (ver. 45) to Nathanael. But Philip had been Jesus- and heard His word, and Nathanael had not. Those that had seen and heard, and felt the drawing power of a living Jesus, found no blot to take notice of in His being of Nazareth. Not so Nathanael, to whom Philip told of his rich discovery. Nathanael was a good man, and a thoughtful-but when mentality is in sway and the heart not yet kindled by a personal knowledge of the Lord, this was felt as a difficulty, and a great one too. “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?" saith he. One can sympathize with his difficulty. What! the Hope of Israel -the King of Israel be a Nazarene! And how blessedly too, can one’s heart go along with Philip in his answer. Having seen and tasted for himself of the indescribable beauty and blessedness of the power of the Lord, the question, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth-daunts him in no wise-the Lord Himself seems to rise before his mind, and He says simply "Come and see."
Jesus’ conduct as to Nathanael is remarkable. Himself surely was drawing Nathanael into His net. He waits not to see what effect the sight of Himself will produce, but goes forward lovingly, and yet aggressively, to make the new comer conscious that he was not coming to judge for himself about Jesus, but to be judged by Jesus. And what a contrast between the graceless questioning of Nathanael, whether any good thing could come out of Nazareth, when Jesus Himself, come thence, was in question; and the Lord’s abrupt, but most gracious, estimate of Nathanael pronounced about him as he approached and ere ever he had spoken: Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! If Nathanael had been merely a mentalist, this would have thrown him back upon himself; but he had a heart, and a heart that was right before God, uninstructed as it might be-a heart which pondered things in secret before God, and therefore not himself and the suitability or want of suitability to himself of the word of commendation given of himself by Jesus, ruled; but the strangeness of the secret power by which One seen for the first time professed to know all about him. “Whence knowest thou me?" is his reply. He was in light; and whence had this Stranger that light. Jesus answers his inquiry by another statement, "Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee" (48). What is there in this-in seeing a man under a tree and telling him of it-nothing at all. Ah, but when the Lord is at work, and conscience is alive, a little word that has nothing in it, is full of light and. life. So was it in this case; and Nathanael answers, "Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel."
Jesus said unto him: "Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? Thou shalt see greater things than these. And He saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man" (vers. 50, 51).
How perfect are all His ways! Those whom He sees exercised in secret before God-to them He reveals Himself as knowing them; as Son of God and as King of Israel; and as Himself able to connect these secret hidden exercises of their hearts before God, with entrance into and perception of the glories which heaven shall open upon and pour down on Him as Son of man-the center, end, and aim of all divine counsels.
This is the Man whom God delights to honor! Let the happy setting to of our concurrence, that He alone is worthy, be found in a hearty AMEN AND AMEN.