Exposition of John, Chapter 12 · Verse 21
Ver. 34. The people anſwered him, We have heard out of the Law, that Chriſt abideth for ever: and how ſayeſt thou, The Sonne of man muſt be lift vp? Who is this Sonne of man?
Followeth to ver. 37. the laſt particular in this part of the Chapter, containing an objection of the people againſt Chriſts former doctrine concerning his ſufferings, together with Chriſts anſwer thereunto, and the cloſe of this purpoſe.
In this verſe is their objection; Wherein, underſtanding well that title of the Sonne of man, to be underſtood by Chriſt of himſelfe, and that his lifting up, was meant of his death who gave out himſelf to be the Meſſiah: They do object, that the Scripture (Pſal. 110.4. and elſewhere) ſpeaks of the perpetual endureance of the Meſſiah; and therefore do diſdainfully enquire who this Son of man is; ſeeing by his own conceſſions he could not be the Meſſiah, ſince he was to be lift up and die? The errour and miſtake in all this objection, is, their not conſidering and diſtinguiſhing of two natures in Chriſts perſon, of both which the Scripture ſpeaks, Iſa. …3.7, 8. Seeing he might be lift up in the one, and yet abide for ever in reſpect of the other. Likewiſe, their confounding his ſtate of humiliation unto the death with his ſtate of exaltation after his ſufferings; in which reſpect he abideth for ever. Doctrine 1. Chriſts ſweeteſt doctrine will not gain on wicked unbeleevers, but they will carp and ſtumble; Yea, they will rather voluntarily ſeek occaſion of quarrelling, then embrace and beleeve it; for, notwithſtanding Chriſt hath even now been owned from heaven, and his doctrine hath been moſt ſweet, yet the people anſwered him, and objected againſt his doctrine. 2. Its a neceſſary and commendable duty in the members of the viſible Church, to be well acquaint with Scriptures, and to emprove all means for that end; for, albeit they be the people, or multitude, as the word ſignifies, yet they can give an account what they have heard out of the Law. Where, albeit the Scripture pointed at, be found in other places in the Old Teſtament, rather then in the books of Moſes, yet they call it the law, for reaſons mentioned on Chap. 10.34. And they mention only what they have heard out of it, either becauſe being unlearned, they had no means of inſtruction, but their hearing the Word read in their Synagogues, and yet they underſtand ſo much. Or, becauſe whatever other means of inſtruction they had, by their own reading, meditation, or conference; Yet they neglected not that ſpecial mean of edification by the publike Ordinances. 3. It is from the Scriptures only, that contraverſes in Religion ought to be determined; for, they object nothing to determine this contraverſie, but what they heard out of the Law. 4. Mens knowledge and good parts will not lead them to beleeve in Chriſt, unleſſe they be ſanctified; But will rather furniſh them with weapons, wherewith to oppoſe him and his truth; For, theſe are men who underſtand Chriſts language of lifting up, which John thinks needful to explain, ver. 32.33. And who are well verſed in the Scriptures; and yet all the uſe they make hereof, is to carp and quarrel. 5. It is the great comfort of beleevers, that the Meſſiah endureth for ever, to apply his own purchaſe, and interceed for them, and to make them eternally happy with himſelfe, who is the eternal and alſufficient God: Therefore was this ſweet doctrine regiſtrate in the Law, that Chriſt abideth for ever. See Heb. 7.25. 6. Chriſts lifting up by death, and his abiding for ever, do very well conſiſt together, if rightly underſtood; for, both theſe are true of him, when the Law ſaith, that Chriſt abideth for ever, and when himſelfe (who is truth it ſelfe) ſaith, the Sonne of man muſt be lift up. And indeed, concerning Chriſt there are many ſeeming contradictions in Scripture, as Iſa. 53.7, with 8. Iſa. 53.2. with Pſal. 45.2. Iſa 9.6. with Joh. 12.…7. See alſo Matth. 22.42, 43. and elſewhere; Which as they may be eaſily reconciled; By conſidering that he is true God, and true man, in one perſon; By diſtinguiſhing betwixt his ſtate of humiliation and of glory, and betwixt the carnal look that wicked men take of him, and the ſpiritual look of right diſcerners: So they are very comfortable to ſtudy. For hereby is held out how low he ſtooped to reach ſinners, and yet how high he is, that he may exalt them. Thus alſo do the Scriptures ſpeak of his Church and her conditions in different, and ſeeming contrary, tearms, as Cant. 1.5. 2 Cor. 6.9, 10. and elſewhere; which alſo are eaſily reconciled, by diſtinguiſhing betwixt the worlds thoughts, (and ſometime her own alſo) of her, and Gods thoughts of her; Betwixt what ſhe is in her ſelfe, and what ſhe is in her head: and, betwixt what her conditions are, and do portend in themſelves, and what Chriſt brings out of them. 7. As all erroneous perſons do ſeek patrociny for their errours in Scripture, (as here they do) So a ſpecial mean of deluding ſouls, and breeding errour, is, when they look on one parcel of Scripture, without ſearching into it (Joh. 5.39) or comparing it with other Scriptures, which might illuſtrate and clear it; (1 Cor. 2.13.) for, ſo do they run upon errour, by fixing only on ſuch Scriptures as ſpake of the Meſſiah's abiding for ever, never looking to theſe which ſpake as clearly of his ſufferings, as Iſa. 53. throughout, Dan. 9.26. Pſal. 22.16, 17, 18. and frequently. 8. Such members of the viſible Church as are not acquaint with ſoul-miſery, and are prepoſſeſſed with carnal deluſions and fancies concerning Chriſt and his Kingdome, will eaſily fall in errours, concerning him, were the contrary truths never ſo clear in Scripture; for, this was another occaſion of their errour. Albeit other Scriptures might have cleared this objection, and theſe people generally knew the Scriptures exactly; Yet becauſe, not only they were not exerciſed under the ſenſe of miſery, needing a ſuffering Saviour (which is an uſual companion of deluſion,) but, their heads were filled with a dream of the carnal glory of his Kingdome; Therefore this blinded their eyes, that they ſaw not, or conſidered not theſe other Scriptures. This alſo for a time blinded the diſciples eyes, that they little pondered the doctrine of Chriſts ſufferings, Matth. 20.18, 19, with ver. 20. Yea, and underſtood it not, Luk. 18.31, 32, 33, 34. 9. It is an evidence of an impenitent, unhumbled, and wicked diſpoſition in men, when they think baſely of a ſuffering Chriſt, and of his humiliation and death; for, ſuch is their temper here, in enquiring ſo diſdainfully, who is this Sonne of man? and that becauſe he muſt be lift up. 10. Ignorance errour, and deluſion, are ordinarily accompanied with much pride and conceit; for, ſo was it with theſe here. They think they have reaſoned ſo ſtrongly out of the Law, againſt his doctrine of the Sonne of mans ſuffering, that they inſultingly conclude, who is this Sonne of man? As if they ſaid; We have undeniably argued, that though the Sonne of man cannot be the Meſſiah, be what thou wilt: For, by thy own confeſſion thou muſt dye, and by the Law Chriſt abides for ever. Thus 1 Tim. 6.3, 4, pride is joined with errour, and knowing nothing, and with doting, about idle queſtions, which is an uſual mark of deluſion.