Greeks Seek Jesus. He Foretells That He Shall Draw All Men Unto Him.

  36 While ye have the light, believe on the light, that ye may become sons of light.

  37 But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they believed not on him. [the multitude had long oscillated between belief and unbelief, but, despite all his past miracles and the marvelous wisdom shown on this the day of hard questions, they settled down in unbelief]:

  38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet [ Isaiah 53:1 ] might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?

  39 For this cause they could not believe, for that Isaiah said again

[ Isaiah 6:10 ],

  39 For this cause they could not believe, for that Isaiah said again

  40 He hath blinded their eyes, and he hardened their heart; Lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, I should heal them.tfg.cgi?section=T#">Section The quotation from Isaiah is not exact, for there God enjoins on the prophet the duty of hardening the people's hearts, while here it is spoken of as God's own act. Had God, however, hardened their hearts by a direct act and without any reference to their moral or spiritual condition, they could not have been held morally responsible for their disbelief. But this God did not do. He hardened their hearts and blinded their eyes by the manner in which he approached them through the person of his Son, Christ Jesus. Jesus so came, so loved, and so taught that those who hunger for godliness are drawn to him and enlightened by him, while those who despise the grace and love of God are repelled and blinded. John here recognizes that the type (Isaiah) should be fulfilled in the antitype (Christ). If Isaiah was to preach that the wicked would be blinded, then Christ in his ministry should likewise so teach and preach as to produce similar results.]

  41 These things said Isaiah, because he saw his glory; and he spake of him.

  42 Nevertheless even of the rulers many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:

  43 for they loved the glory that is of men more than the glory that is of God.

[These members of the Sanhedrin believed with the head rather than with the heart ( Romans 10:10 ); their hearts already being occupied with the love of praise or man-glory. Their disbelief accorded with the words of Jesus ( John 5:44 ). As to expulsion from the synagogue, see Section 81.]

  42 Nevertheless even of the rulers many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:

  43 for they loved the glory that is of men more than the glory that is of God.

  44 And Jesus cried and said [These words were of course spoken before the departure mentioned in verse 36. They are placed here to bring out in stronger light the final unbelief of the Jews and the patient, persistent effort which Jesus had made to win those who were the better inclined], He that believeth on me, believeth not one, but on him that sent me.

  45 And he that beholdeth me beholdeth him that sent me.

  46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me may not abide in the darkness.

  45 And he that beholdeth me beholdeth him that sent me.

  46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me may not abide in the darkness.

them not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. tfg.cgi?section=T#">Section Section 80.]

  48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my sayings, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I spake, the same shall judge him in the last day.

  49 For I spake not from myself; but the Father that sent me, he hath given me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

  50 And I know that his commandment is life eternal: the things therefore which I speak, even as the Father hath said unto me, so I speak.

[The Father had sent the Son into the world to bring life and immortality to light in the gospel. Jesus therefore here declared that men will be tried by the gospel law and that some will be saved and some condemned by it.]

  49 For I spake not from myself; but the Father that sent me, he hath given me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

  50 And I know that his commandment is life eternal: the things therefore which I speak, even as the Father hath said unto me, so I speak.

* I dissent here, as in the case of a similar passage found at Section 18, and for like reasons. The apprehension of the divine voice depends upon the soul's capacity for hearing it, as appears from Saul's conversion ( Acts 9:7 ; 22:9 ; 26:13 f .). To the mass, therefore, the voice was a mere sound; to others, the utterance was articulate though incomprehensible, while to John, and perhaps to all the disciples, the voice communicated a thought. "Thus," says Godet, "the wild beast perceives only a sound in the human voice; the trained animal discovers a meaning; a command, for example, which it immediately obeys; man alone discerns therein a thought." (P. Y. P.)