Quiet Talks on John's GospelGordon, S. D. (Samuel Dickey)
Religion
Quiet Talks on John's Gospel
Gordon, S. D. (Samuel Dickey)
Bible. John -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.
Jesus withdraws from the crowds who would like a bread-maker for a king,
gets a bit of quiet alone with His Father on the mountainside, and then
walks on the water in the storm to keep His appointment with the
disciples. Then follows a long disputation and another fine bit of
Jesus' teaching.[33] These two incidents make another distinct group,
separated from the previous one by a year on the far side and six months
on the hither side. And the contrast continues, between the acceptance
by the Galilean crowds and the intensifying opposition by the chief
group of Jerusalem leaders.
Then comes _the second chief group of incidents_. About six months later
Jesus returns to Jerusalem for the autumn Feast of Tabernacles. He
boldly teaches in the temple in the midst of much opposition, bitter
discussion, and concerted official effort against Him.[34] The dramatic
incident of the accused woman and the conscience-stricken leaders[35] is
followed by a yet more bitter discussion and by the first passionate
attempt at stoning.[36]
Then the incident of the man born blind but now blessedly given his
sight leads to the bitterest opposition thus far, and the casting of the
man out from all religious privileges; and is followed by the rare bit
of sheepfold and shepherd teaching.[37] These four incidents make up the
second great outstanding group of incidents, and mark the sharpest clash
and crisis thus far.
A few months later at another Jerusalem feast called the Feast of the
Dedication, comes a second hotly impulsive riotous attempt at stoning,
and then an attempt to arrest, both foiled by the restraint of Jesus'
mere presence and personal power.[38] And another connecting link traces
His going away beyond the Jordan River, where the crowds gather to Him,
and are won to warm personal belief.[39]
Another little gap of a few months passed over in silence, brings the
narrative to the _third_ and last _chief group of incidents_ in this
part of the book, and so leads immediately up to the great final events
of the whole book.
The illness and death of Lazarus draws Jesus back to a suburb of
Jerusalem, Bethany. Then the stupendous incident of the raising of
Lazarus leads to the official decision to put Jesus to death.[40] And a
connecting link of verses tells of Jesus' cautious withdrawal, of the
inquiring crowds coming to the approaching Passover, and of the public
notice given that Jesus was under official condemnation.[41]
It is at the home feast given in Bethany as a tribute of love to Jesus
that Judas, coldly criticizing a warm act of tender love, and gently
rebuked by Jesus, gets into that bad heat of temper out of which came
the foul bargaining and betrayal.[42] Another brief connecting link lets
us see the crowds more eagerly inquiring for Jesus because of the
raising of Lazarus, and the determined priests coolly plotting Lazarus'
death, too.[43]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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