John 11

Chapter 11. Christ’s Discourses in John 7-9There were two discourses Jesus delivered at the Feast of Tabernacles. The Living Water (John 7:16-38) The first, on the Living Water, consists of a number of broken paragraphs spoken successively during the feast, and culminating in the striking address delivered on the last day of the feast, recorded in John 7:32-38. It might be divided into five sections:

1. The condition of true spiritual knowledge. This seems to be intended as an answer to their question respecting His wonderful wisdom in view of His obscure origin. He then tells them the true principle on which the divine knowledge depends, namely, a right spirit and an obedient heart. “If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God” (John 7:17). He seems to imply that this is the reason why He Himself has been so divinely taught, because His own aim and spirit are true to the Father’s glory (John 7:18). But still more must this be true of all who hear Him, if they would understand His doctrine, which is not to be apprehended by the mere intellect, but its true organ is the heart and the will. The word for “chooses” here is the strongest in the Greek language; literally, it means, “If any man wills to do His will, He shall know the doctrine.” The things of God, especially the deeper truths of Christianity, must become living experiences. God loves us too well to give us more light than we will really follow, for it would but add the greater condemnation.
2. Healing on the Sabbath. Jesus next proceeds to vindicate His own conduct in healing the invalid man on the Sabbath by citing the case of circumcision, which they frequently administered on the Sabbath and yet were held blameless, while He is accused of breach of the law by healing a sufferer on this day.
3. His origin. He next bears witness again to His divine descent and His heavenly origin. Still, His enemies listen with exasperation, but so great is His hold upon the people that none of them dare to touch Him. At length, however, the Pharisees are compelled to make some show of boldness, and they send a band of officers to arrest Him (John 7:32).
4. “I am with you for only a short time.” Jesus intimates in these words that He will soon be withdrawn from their midst, and that many will seek Him in vain and, indeed, never find Him. Perhaps He refers to the mournful days which were coming so soon to them when, beset by their enemies and by the resistless legions of Rome, they should look in vain for their Messiah. Perhaps some of them even should remember how they had neglected and mocked His blessed teachings, but they should see Him no more—“Where I am, you cannot come” (John 7:34).
5. “Come to me and drink.” This was His great discourse on the last day of the feast. It is the final Sabbath of the Feast of the Tabernacles, and processions of priests are carrying the vessels of water from the pool of Siloam and pouring it out on the sacred altar. Dense crowds fill all the courts, and the interest of the whole festival is at its height. Suddenly, in the midst of the celebration, Jesus lifts up His voice and cries aloud in words which, no doubt, run through all the corridors and courts, in the ears of thousands, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37-38). The allusion to the chief ceremony of the feast was so vivid, and the language so striking, while no doubt His manner added unutterable weight to the entire scene, that the profoundest impression was made upon multitudes of the hearers, and even the officers who had come to take Him were overwhelmed with awe and went away, not daring to touch Him. The address itself leads us into spiritual truths as deep and precious as the preceding chapter. In that Jesus had not only alluded to the feeding of the 5,000, but also to two of the most ancient and venerable types of Judaism, namely, the Passover which was being observed in Jerusalem, and the manna with which the people had been fed in the wilderness. In the present passage He alludes not only to the ceremony just being observed in the temple, but also to another of the most sacred of the Mosaic types, namely, the smitten rock of Horeb and the flowing water which had supplied the thirst of God’s ancient people in the wilderness. Thus He dares to attribute to Himself two of the most significant of the types of their history by claiming to be at once the Bread and the Water of life. But true to the spirit of the New Testament, He carries the figure farther than Judaism could. Here it is not merely received in selfish enjoyment and blessing, but it is given forth in still larger streams of beneficence to others. The same figure had been alluded to in His conversation with the woman of Samaria, but here it is much bolder and grander. There, the grace of Jesus was presented as the fountain in her own heart, but here it is the overflowing floods of many rivers pouring out their fullness in blessing to the world. The evangelist himself has given us the interpretation, referring as it does to the Holy Spirit as He was to be poured out upon the disciples at Pentecost and to become henceforth the impulse of Christian life and the separation and power of consecrated service. He adds that the Holy Spirit was not yet given, or, literally, was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified. It was necessary that the work of the Son should be finished on earth and He glorified at the Father’s right hand before His divine Successor could come to administer the next stage of the kingdom of God. We may, therefore, believe that under the ancient dispensation and even during the life of Christ the Holy Spirit was not imparted to the people of God in His personal fullness as He has been since Christ’s ascension. There is a solemn personal lesson for every one of us in the expression here used; not only was it true dispensationally, but it must ever be true individually: “The Holy Spirit will not be given until Jesus is fully glorified.” He comes still when Christ is fully exalted and all is laid at His feet, and He comes not to exalt us or to witness to us, but to glorify still Jesus only in our lives and services. Jesus the Light of the World (John 8:12 to John 9:41) Another beautiful custom connected with the Feast of Tabernacles is referred to in this discourse, namely, the hanging up of brilliant lamps in the Court of the Women. Pointing, perhaps, to these, Jesus exclaims, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). There may also have been an allusion to another Old Testament type, namely, the pillar of fire which led ancient Israel in the wilderness, thus connecting Christ with the whole system of Mosaic types, the manna in the wilderness, the rock in Horeb, and the guiding presence of the cloud and Shekinah.
6. The Light of Life Christ is the Light of life; not merely a teacher of truth in the abstract, but a practical and personal Guide. The light He gives is the light of life, that is, light that men can live by, shining on the path of duty, perplexity and trial, illuminating and cheering every step of Christian life. The essential condition is humble obedience. And the reason they could not understand it was because they were not willing to submit themselves to His will and direction.
7. The Divine Light It is divine light authorized by the witness of heaven and shed forth by One who has Himself come down from heaven and knows all worlds, and all the possibilities of existence, and all the secrets of time and eternity (John 8:14-19).
8. The Indispensable Light It is indispensable light, and without it they must perish in their sins (John 8:21-24).
9. The True Light It is light which they themselves shall yet recognize as true, but too late to be of any avail for them. After they have rejected Him and wrecked themselves, they shall see their fatal error. Perhaps He intimates that some of them shall even then believe on Him (John 8:28).
10. The Light That Leads to Liberty It is light that leads to liberty and holiness (John 8:41-47). They are the slaves of a master whom they are not willing to acknowledge, and the subjects of a bondage more bitter than that of Egypt. “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). They are bound by its fetters, and notwithstanding all their claims of descent from Abraham, they are not only the captives, but the very children of Satan. But He is the great Liberator as well as the Light of the world. If they will believe the truth which He brings and enter into the Sonship which He offers to share with them, they shall become free from the power of guilt and sin, and rise to all the dignity of His own Sonship, and all the privileges of the freeborn children of God. Hence, the apostle says to those who receive Him, “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son” (Galatians 4:6-7). True spiritual freedom springs from the belief of the truth and personal union with the Son of God. To believe God’s promises saves us from the consciousness of guilt and brings us into the power of full salvation. But this full salvation involves the indwelling presence and life of Christ Himself in our heart, as the divine and overcoming power that breaks the bonds of evil. “Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). A mere abstract faith, therefore, is not enough; there must be a living fellowship with Christ. Therefore, He says to the new converts who have accepted His word, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). Is there any soul under the bondage of guilt? The remedy is Christ’s blessed word of redemption and forgiveness. “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24). Is there any soul under the power of sin? The same word waits to emancipate the soul, if it will but believe it, and step forth upon it. “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you” (John 15:3). Is there any soul bound by physical evil and suffering? Only let it believe His gracious word, that He has come to bear our sicknesses and carry our infirmities, and it has the strong and immovable resting place for a faith that can claim all needed strength and deliverance. Is there any soul oppressed by Satan’s temptations? All it needs is to know the truth that it is free, and that he is a conquered foe, and to stand upon the glorious promise, “having disarmed the powers and authorities” (Colossians 2:15), “you will tread upon the lion and the cobra” (Psalms 91:13), and lo! it steps out into victory and claims its full redemption rights. During the Civil War, some of the slaves were held by their former masters for many months after the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued, and the poor captives were helpless and hopeless in their ignorance of their new freedom; but when the message reached them they knew the truth, and the truth made them free. And they arose at once to claim their lawful rights under the President’s decree. So the gospel is the divine proclamation of emancipation, and all men may claim it for themselves and enter into the fullness of their liberty. But not only have they the decree of liberty, but also the living power of the Son Himself, as the Captain of their salvation, to lead them into their freedom and conquer for them all the power that would resist their emancipation. Therefore, He adds, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:32).
11. The Light in the Valley It is light in the valley of the shadow of death (John 8:51-55). Not only does this glorious light lead us forth from our captivity, as the pillar of cloud and fire led Israel out of Egypt, but it also goes down before us as the ark went through the Jordan into the valley and shadow of death. “If anyone keeps my word, he will never see death” (John 8:51). This does not mean that the act and effect of mortality will never touch his life. It means that his spiritual consciousness shall be lifted above it, and that, though the body may sink, and the eyes of our dearest friends may see what seems to be death, yet the triumphant spirit shall be carried above it and be so enwrapped with the presence of Christ and the consciousness of His enfolding life and indwelling joy that there shall be no real consciousness of death. The victorious spirit shall pass through without a shadow into the intenser, purer and more delightful joys of the heavenly world without a moment’s interruption of its conscious life and perfect felicity. Has this not often been witnessed as the last experience of God’s departing saints? Standing on the very brink of two worlds, they have whispered back to all around them. “There is no river here; it is light and joy.” There was indeed no death.
12. The Light of Past Ages It is the light of past ages, and ancient saints and prophets (John 8:56). “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad” (John 8:56). This was the light that shone in the lamps of fire that passed through Abraham’s vision on the night of sacrifice. This was the light which rose on the altar of Mt. Moriah when Isaac was given back to his arms from the funeral pile. This was the light that shone above the midnight stars in the promise of the everlasting covenant and the future Seed—the Light of Ages.
13. The Light of Spiritual Vision It is the light of spiritual vision (chapter 9). The connection of this chapter is uncertain. The sense seems to link with the eighth chapter which we have just been considering, but many judicious interpreters consider it really a part of chapter 10 and spoken at the Feast of Dedication a few months later. The passage (John 10:22), they think, points back to the whole preceding section, and not merely to the verses that immediately follow. If this were so there would be a double allusion in the figure of light still employed, not only to the healing of the blind man and the previous discourse about light, but also to the name often given to this feast as the Feast of Lights. One part of this imposing ceremony consisted of the suspension of burning lamps from day to day in the temple, in celebration of its deliverance from the abominations of Antiochus. On the other hand it seems more natural to connect the miracle of the closing words of John 9 with the discourse of John 8 respecting light. Without determining, therefore, the question of historical connection, we shall be guided by the spiritual significance of the two chapters and treat them as one discourse. The lesson in the ninth chapter seems the true sequel and close to the previous address. It leads us up to the very highest aspect of light, as bringing not only external illumination, but what is more important, the power to receive it, and the internal vision which brings sight as well as light. What is the use of a thousand suns or a million lamps to a poor blind beggar? Therefore this is the true climax of His previous teaching. The Lord heals this poor blind man somewhere near the temple gates and then makes him an object lesson of deeper spiritual teaching, adding as He performs the miracle: “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:3-5) The subject of this miracle received something better than even his sight, for we find him springing into the freedom and boldness of a very beautiful faith, standing up in manly vindication of Christ before all the scorn and sarcasm of the Jewish rulers, and suffering even excommunication at last rather than compromise his testimony. Jesus comes to him in the hour of His expulsion and reveals Himself in His higher character as the Son of God; and the true heart that has followed the light that was previously given still follows Him and comes into all the blessedness of the life of faith. Jesus closes the chapter with a solemn reference to the readiness of the blind man to receive the light, in contrast with the willful self-conceit and blindness of the Pharisees, who, claiming that they had the light, remained in darkness, while this simple-hearted beggar, by taking the place of blindness and helplessness, had entered into all the fullness of the light of God. The first condition, therefore, of spiritual vision is to see our blindness and the insufficiency of natural light and wisdom to bring us into the knowledge of God. This is the deeper teaching of the apostles. This was the lesson which Jewish pride and Jewish wisdom constantly stumbled at in later years, and which is hiding from modern culture the truth as it is in Jesus. “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). A brilliant intellect is as helpless to know Jesus and the gospel without the special illumination of the Holy Spirit as the musical faculty is helpless to study mathematics, or the mathematical faculty to write the Iliad of Homer or the odes of Horace. We must have the mind of Christ even to understand the thoughts and words which Christ has spoken.