Expository Thoughts
22. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23.
He who hates me hates my Father also. 24. If I had not done among them the works which no other man did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both me and my Father. 25. But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. 26. But when the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me. 27. And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
22.—[If I had not come, etc.] In this and the three following verses, our Lord shows the peculiar guilt and wickedness of the Jews in not believing him. "If I had not come among them and spoken such words as no one ever spoke before, and taught such truths as no one ever taught before, they would not have been so guilty as they are.
But now they have no excuse for their unbelief. They cannot say that they were not taught in the plainest way who I am and who sent Me."
Does not our Lord in this verse point to the famous prophecy (Deut.
18:18,19 of a Prophet to be raised up like Moses, to whom the Jews were to hearken? Does He not seem to say: "I have come as that Prophet and have spoken my Father's words, and they ought to have received and hearkened to them. The refusal of the promised
Prophet is of itself their condemnation, and leaves them without excuse."
When our Lord says "that would have no sin," He does not of course mean they would not have been sinners at all. It is only another way of putting the degree of their guilt. "They would have been less guilty than they are now. To have heard Me and not believed will increase their condemnation." (Compare John 9:41.)
Let us note that there are degrees of sin, and that nothing seems to increase man's guiltiness so much as to have privileges and not use them aright.
23.—[He who hates Me hates my Father also.] The object of this verse is to supply a reason why the guilt of hearing Christ without believing was so great. It was because Christ's words were not only
His words but the Father's also. "He who hears Me and hates and refuses my teachings, is hating not Me only but my Father, because I and my Father are one." Once more we are reminded of the close union between the first and second Persons of the Trinity. The idea that we can worship and serve God while we neglect Christ is a baseless dream. Neglecting Christ, we neglect the Father. (See Psalm
69:9.)
Poole remarks: "It is a common error of the world, that many pretend to love God while yet they are manifest haters of Christ and His Gospel. Our Savior says this is impossible. Whoever hates him who is sent, hates also him who sent him."
Hengstenberg observes: "The Jews professed that they loved God, and that on the ground of that love they hated Christ. However, the God whom they loved was not the true God but a phantom, which they named God. The fact that they rejected Christ, in spite of all His words of spirit and truth, showed them to be enemies of the Father."
24.—[If I had not done, etc.] In this verse our Lord gives another proof of the exceeding wickedness of the Jews. They had seen works and miracles done under their eyes, in confirmation of Christ's
Divine mission, more numerous and mighty than anyone had ever worked before, and yet they continued unbelieving. The more they saw of Him, the more they hated Him; and in so hating Him they hated not Him only, but the Father who sent Him. "The Jews would not be so guilty as they now are if they had not seen my miracles as well as heard my words. But now they have both seen and heard overwhelming proofs of my Divine mission and yet remain unbelieving. They have had the clearest evidence that could be given
—the evidence of works and words. And yet they have persisted in hating both Me and the Father who sent Me."
Burgon here remarks: "It is not meant that every single miracle that our Lord performed surpassed in wonder any single miracle recorded of Moses, Elijah, or Elisha; for that would not be true. But Christ's works were made so great by the way He worked them.
Without effort, by a mere word, He showed that all creation was obedient to His will." Let us carefully observe how our Lord appeals to His miracles as a proof of His Messiahship, which ought to have convinced the Jews. They are a part of the evidences of Christianity, which ought never to be kept back or omitted.
25.—[But this happened, etc.] The manner in which our Lord quotes
Scripture here is so common in the Gospels that it needs little remark. The things He mentions did not happen in order that Scripture might be fulfilled, but by their happening Scripture was fulfilled. "Their law" here is a general expression denoting the Old
Testament Scripture.
"Without a cause" means literally "gratuitously, as a free gift." The word occurs only nine times in the New Testament. Six times it is rendered "freely," once "in vain," once "for nought," and once "without a cause." What precise text our Lord has in view is not quite clear, and some have thought that He only referred generally to Scripture testimony, like Matt. 2:23. Others, however, point to Psalm
31:19 and 69:4. Let us note that gratuitous, ceaseless hatred was our Lord's portion on earth, and His true disciples in every age must never wonder if they share His lot.
26.—[But when the Comforter, etc.] The object of this verse appears to be the encouragement of the disciples. They were not to despond or feel hopeless because of the unbelief and hardness of the Jews. A witness would be raised up by and by, whose evidence the Jews would not be able to resist. There would come One who would give such testimony to the Divine mission of Christ that even the wicked
Jews would be silenced and crushed, although unconverted. Who was this promised witness? It was the Holy Ghost, who was to come forth with peculiar power in the day of Pentecost, and to abide in the early Church. The second chapter of Acts was the first fulfillment of the verse. The irresistible influence which the Gospel obtained in Jerusalem, in spite of all the efforts of scribe and priest, and Pharisee and Sadducee, was another fulfillment. The "proceeding" here spoken of, we must remember, does not merely mean that the Spirit is sent by the Father and comes from the Father. All the best interpreters agree in thinking that it means the eternal procession of the Holy Spirit.
We should carefully note in this verse the language that our Lord uses concerning the Holy Ghost. He is the "Comforter," or rather the Advocate, as we have seen before. He is the "Spirit of truth," also, as we have seen before. But we should specially mark that Christ says "I will send Him," and also says He "proceeds from the Father." The singular number is used: "He proceeds," not "will proceed." This then is one of those texts that appears to supply evidence of the Holy Ghost proceeding both from the Father and from the Son, though not direct evidence. The whole
Greek Church, however, denies the procession from the Son, and it must be honestly conceded that the Scripture does not so distinctly and directly assert it as the procession from the Father. Yet, on the other hand, it is hard to understand how the Son can send the Spirit and the Spirit in no sense proceed from the Son. The subject is a deep and mysterious one, and we have not eyes to see everything about it. The difference between the Eastern and Western Churches may, after all, be more apparent than real; and we must beware of denouncing men as heretics whom perhaps God has received. But in any case, the text before us is one that ought to be carefully noted as one on which much of the controversy hinges. Let us take care that we ourselves have the Holy Spirit in our hearts, and when we die we shall know all about the point in dispute.
One thing at any rate comes out very plainly here, and that is the personality of the Holy Ghost. In the Greek it stands out very prominently in the gender of the pronouns, which our English language cannot reach. The word we render "whom" in the Greek text is masculine, "which" is neuter, and "he" is masculine again.
27.—[And ye also shall bear witness, etc.] In this verse our Lord continues the line of encouragement that he began in the preceding verse. Notwithstanding all the hardness and unbelief of the Jews, even the disciples would be enabled to bear a testimony to their Lord's Divine mission, which none of their enemies would be able to gainsay or resist. How remarkably this was fulfilled we know from the first seven chapters of the Acts of the Apostles. For instance, Acts
4:32— "with great power gave the Apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus"—is an exact accomplishment of the promise of the text.
It is noteworthy that both the verbs in this verse are in the present tense. They would be naturally rendered "Ye do bear witness" and "Ye are with Me." Does this point to the certainty of the testimony being borne? "Ye do bear witness"—you are sure to be enabled to do it. In leaving this chapter let us not fail to note how systematically our blessed Master gave His disciples instruction on three most important points. The first was their relation to Himself. They were to abide in close union with Him, like branches in a vine. The second was their relation to one another. They were to love one another with a deep, self-sacrificing love, like their Master's. The third was their relation to the world. They were to expect its hatred and not be surprised at it, to bear it patiently, and not be afraid of it.
John – Chap. 16
JOHN 16:1-7 "I have told you all these things so that you will not fall away.
They will put you out of the synagogue, yet a time is coming when the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God. They will do these things because they have not known the Father or me.
But I have told you these things so that when their time comes you will remember that I told you about them."
"I did not tell you these things from the beginning because I was with you. But now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking me, 'Where are you going?' Instead your hearts are filled with sadness because I have said these things to you. But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you."
The opening verses of this chapter contain three important utterances of Christ, which deserve our special attention.
For one thing, we find our Lord delivering a remarkable prophecy. He tells His disciples that they will be cast out of the Jewish Church, and persecuted even to the death— "They shall put you out of the synagogues—yes, the time comes, that whoever kills you will think that he does God service."
How strange that seems at first sight! Excommunication, suffering, and death, are the portion that the Prince of Peace predicts to His disciples. So far from receiving them and their message with gratitude, the world would hate them, despitefully use them, and put them to death. And, worst of all, their persecutors would actually persuade themselves that it was right to persecute, and would inflict the cruelest injuries in the sacred name of religion.
How true the prediction has turned out! Like every other prophecy of Scripture, it has been fulfilled to the very letter. The Acts of the Apostles show us how the unbelieving Jews persecuted the early Christians. The pages of history tell us what horrible crimes have been committed by the Popish Inquisition. The annals of our own country inform us how our holy Reformers were burned at the stake for their religion, by men who professed to do all they did from zeal for pure Christianity. Unlikely and incredible as it might seem at the time, the great Prophet of the Church has been found in this, as in everything else, to have predicted nothing but literal truth.
Let it never surprise us to hear of true Christians being persecuted, in one way or another, even in our own day. Human nature never changes. Grace is never really popular. The quantity of persecution which God's children have to suffer in every rank of life, even now, if they confess their Master, is far greater than the thoughtless world supposes. They only know it who go through it, at school, at college, in the counting-house, in the barracks-room, on board the ship. Those words shall always be found true— "All who will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution." (2 Tim. 3:12.)
Let us never forget that religious earnestness alone is no proof that a man is a sound Christian. Not all zeal is right—it may be a zeal without knowledge. No one is so mischievous as a blundering, ignorant zealot. Not all earnestness is trustworthy—without the leading of God's Spirit, it may lead a man so far astray, that, like
Saul, he will persecute Christ himself. Some bigots imagine they are doing God service, when they are actually fighting against His truth, and trampling on His people. Let us pray that we may have light as well as zeal.
For another thing, we find our Lord explaining His special reason for delivering the prophecy just referred to, as well as all His discourse. "These things," He says, "I have spoken unto you, that you should not be offended."
Well did our Lord know that nothing is so dangerous to our comfort as to indulge false expectations. He therefore prepared His disciples for what they must expect to meet with in His service.
Forewarned, forearmed! They must not look for a smooth course and a peaceful journey. They must make up their minds to battles, conflicts, wounds, opposition, persecution, and perhaps even death.
Like a wise general, He did not conceal from His soldiers the nature of the campaign they were beginning. He told them all that was before them, in faithfulness and love, that when the time of trial came, they might remember His words, and not be disappointed and offended. He wisely forewarned them that the cross was the way to the crown.
To count the cost is one of the first duties that ought to be pressed on Christians in every age. It is no kindness to young beginners to paint the service of Christ in false colors, and to keep back from them the old truth, "Through much tribulation we must enter the kingdom of God." By prophesying smooth things, and crying "Peace," we may easily fill the ranks of Christ's army with professing soldiers. But they are just the soldiers, who, like the stony-ground hearers, in time of tribulation will fall away, and turn back in the day of battle.
No Christian is in a healthy state of mind who is not prepared for trouble and persecution. He that expects to cross the troubled waters of this world, and to reach heaven with wind and tide always in his favor, knows nothing yet as he ought to know. We never can tell what is before us in life. But of one thing we may be very sure—we must carry the cross if we would wear the crown. Let us grasp this principle firmly, and never forget it. Then, when the hour of trial comes, we shall "not be offended."
In the last place, we find our Lord giving a special reason why it was expedient for Him to go away from His disciples. "If I do not go away," He says, "the Comforter will not come unto you."
We can well suppose that our gracious Lord saw the minds of His disciples crushed at the idea of His leaving them. Little as they realized His full meaning, on this, as well as on other occasions, they evidently had a vague notion that they were about to be left, like orphans, in a cold and unkind world, by their Almighty Friend. Their hearts quailed and shrunk back at the thought. Most graciously does our Lord cheer them by words of deep and mysterious meaning. He tells those who His departure, however painful it might seem, was not an evil, but a good. They would actually find it was not a loss, but a gain. His bodily absence would be more useful than His presence.
It is vain to deny that this is a somewhat mysterious saying. It seems at first sight hard to understand how in any sense it could be good that Christ should go away from His disciples. Yet a little reflection may show us that, like our Lord's sayings, this remarkable utterance was wise, and right, and true. The following points, at any rate, deserve attentive consideration.
If Christ had not died, risen again, and ascended up into heaven, it is plain that the Holy Spirit could not have come down with special power on the day of Pentecost, and bestowed His manifold gifts on the Church. Mysterious as it may be, there was a connection in the eternal counsels of God, between the ascension of Christ and the outpouring of the Spirit.
If Christ had remained bodily with the disciples, He could not have been in more places than one at the same time. The presence of the Spirit whom He sent down, would fill every place where believers were assembled in His name, in every part of the world.
If Christ had remained upon earth, and not gone up into heaven, He could not have become a High Priest for His people in the same full and perfect manner that He became after His ascension. He went away to sit down at the right hand of God, and to appear for us, in our human nature glorified, as our Advocate with the Father.
Finally, if Christ had always remained bodily with His disciples, there would have been far less room for the exercise of their faith and hope and trust, than there was when He went away. Their graces would not have been called into such active exercise, and they would have had less opportunity of glorifying God, and exhibiting His power in the world.
After all, there remains the broad fact that after the Lord Jesus went away, and the Comforter came down on the day of Pentecost, the religion of the disciples became a new thing altogether. The growth of their knowledge, and faith, and hope, and zeal, and courage, was so remarkable, that they were twice the men they were before. They did far more for Christ when He was absent, than they had ever done when He was present. What stronger proof can we require that it was expedient for those who their Master should go away!
Let us leave the whole subject with a deep conviction that it is not the bodily presence of Christ in the midst of us, so much as the