Exposition of John, Chapter 12 · Verse 23
Ver. 37. But though he had done ſo many miracles before them: yet they beleeved not on him;
38. That the ſaying of Eſaias the Prophet might be fulfilled which he ſpake, Lord, who hath beleeved our report? and to whom hath the arme of the Lord been revealed?
Followeth the fourth and laſt part of the Chapter, wherein John, being about to cloſe the Narration of Chriſts doctrine and miracles among the Jewes, doth give an account of his ſucceſſe among the moſt part of them, (ſecluding the ſmall number who beleeved in him.) Who were either wicked misbeleevers, and were nothing moved with his doctrine and miracles, but rather hardned, as had been forepropheſied, to ver. 42. or hidden and timorous friends, who for carnal reſpects durſt not avow or confeſſe him, ver. 42, 43. And unto this he ſubjoins Chriſts farewell-Sermon to them, ver. 44, &c.
In theſe verſes is recorded. 1. The open incredulity of the moſt part of his hearers. 2. An aggravation of this fault, from the great diligence uſed to draw them to him, not only by doctrine, but by miracles, which they ſo much ſought after. 3. This is illuſtrate by comparing this event with a foregoing prophecy, Iſa. 53.1. For clearing whereof, and the citation of it in this place, Conſider. 1. This prophecy is applied to Chriſts Miniſtry, not as if it had no accompliſhment in others: for Iſaiah makes mention of our report; which includes both himſelf and his fellow Prophets, who did publiſh and fore-propheſie of the Goſpel; and Chriſts Apoſtles and Miniſters alſo, Rom 10 15.16. But the meaning is; That as Iſaiah in his time, preaching of Chriſt, had cauſe to complain of bad ſucceſſe, ſo his complaint is alſo a prediction of the like ſucceſſe of Chriſt, his Apoſtles and Miniſters; in the dayes of the Goſpel. Conſider. 2. This their carriage is compared with the prediction, and they are ſaid not to beleeve, that the ſaying of Eſaias might be fulfilled, not to free them from the ſin and guilt of their unbelief, nor doth it hold out that this prediction was a cauſe thereof, or that God by foretelling thereof, had any ſinful influence in producing their unbelief. But it tends to ſhew that the event came to paſſe according to the prediction: and by comparing the prediction with the event, he would, partly, point out the abſolute and holy providence of God, without which nothing comes to paſſe, either acting or permitting it, and therefore he can foretel it ſo long before hand: And partly, he would prevent the ſtumbling of others at Chriſt and the Goſpel, by occaſion of the Jewes rejecting of him; Seeing this was rather a proofe, that he was the Meſſiah, of whom it was forepropheſied that he ſhould be rejected by them. Conſider. 3. As for the citation it ſelf, it contains a propoſition of their fault, in a ſad complaint, that few or none gave credite to the report of the Goſpel; And an explication and amplification hereof; wherein. 1. This report is called t…e arme of the Lord, becauſe of its power and efficacy unto ſalvation, and chiefly becauſe of Chriſt in it, of whom Iſaiah ſpeaks in the reſt of that Chapter, and who is the power of God, 1 Cor. 1.24. 2. Their unbelief is illuſtrate from a negative cauſe thereof, to wit, that this arme of the Lord is not revealed to them, Namely, inwardly and effectually, for otherwiſe they did hear it. And this is ſpoken without all imputation unto God, who is not a debtor unto any, to reveal Chriſt and his Goſpel to them, but may juſtly leave them in their natural eſtate.
From verſe 37. Learn, 1. Where Chriſt doth ſow and take pains among a people, he will alſo reap and take notice what fruits they produce; as here, he records by his penman the fruits of his miniſtry and pains. 2. The fruit of the Goſpel which Chriſt requires, is, that men take him up, who is offered there, what he is, and by faith cloſe with him and make uſe of him accordingly; for, this is the fruit he miſſeth they beleeved not on him. 3. It is the judgment of the Lord upon the world, that the offer of Chriſt in his Goſpel doth not work upon the moſt part of hearers, and moſt faithful labourers do miſſe the fruits of their labours among them; for, notwithſtanding Chriſts pains, yet they (generally) beleeved not on him. See Matth. 11.16, 17. Iſa. 49.4, 5. 4 The great pains taken upon men contributes to aggravate the ſinne of their obſtinate infidelity; for, ſo is their ſin agreaged here, Though he had done ſo many miracles before them, yet they beleeved not. Theſe miracles were many in number, great in their nature, (as the Word will alſo bea…) and clear, as being done before them, to their conviction, and yet they prevailed not. 5. Such as are not bettered by the Word, nor will beleeve it for it ſelfe, no other help they can crave, will work upon them, nor cauſe them beleeve it; Therefore doth he aggravate their fault from the many miracles had been done, not to ſeclude the clear light of his doctrine from being an aggravation, but to ſhew that theſe deſpiſers of the Word were nothing the better for all the ſignes and miracles they ſo much ſought after.
From ver. 38. Learn, 1. The meane whereby ſinners are brought to faith in Chriſt, is, their receiving and cloſing with the report of the Word concerning themſelves and him, in the mouth of ſent meſſengers; for, herein conſiſted their not beleeving on him, that they beleeved not our report. 2. What ever be unbeleevers carriage, yet it brings no diſcredite to the Goſpel, but to themſelves; for, In this complaint it gets ſtill its honourable titles. 3. The Goſpel is the power of God to ſalvation, and Chriſt offered in it, is the power of God to effectuate that for loſt ſinners, which their own weakneſſe (Rom. 5.6.) or the law (Rom. 8.3.) could not bring to paſſe; for, this is the honourable title of Chriſt and the Goſpel, the arme of the Lord. See Rom. 1.16. 4. The Goſpel, and Chriſt offered in it, are only effectual in theſe, to whom the offer is inwardly reve…led by God; for, they only beleeve our report, to whom the ar…e of the Lord hath been revealed? …ee Matth. 11.25. 5. The Goſpel, in all ages, is met with unbelief in the moſt part of men, who are left to their own darkneſs and wickedneſs, to reject it; for, Iſaias ſaid this of old, as true in his own time, and in Chriſt and his Apoſtles dayes, who hath beleeved our report, and to whom hath the arme of the Lord been revealed? The queſtion imports that few or none did it, or were partakers of this mercy. 6. The obſtinacy of men againſt the Goſpel, is ma…ter of wonder, and of ſad complaint to God, from his faithful ſervants; Therefore is it propounded ſo here, Lord, who hath beleeved our report? where John, following the Greek Interpreters, addes the word, Lord, which is not expreſſed in the Hebrew, though it be virtually included in this, that faithful Miniſters know not where to pour out their complaints, but in their Maſters boſome. 7. As even they who lived under Chriſts Miniſtry, did, for moſt part, profit as little as theſe whom his ſervants labour among; So he will joyne in this ſad complaint with his faithful ſervants againſt ſuch; for, he had cauſe to ſay, and did ſay with the reſt, who hath beleeved our report? And this is ve… …d when the S…vi…ur and Interceſſour is put to complain of us. 8 …n …ark and miſty caſes it is uſeful to look to what the Scriptures ſay of them, that we may direct and compoſe our thoughts accordingly; Therefore are the foregoing Propheſies looked unto in this matter …as a ground of many uſeful thoughts. 9. Whatever other duties be required of Miniſters, who are ſenſible of the unfruitfulneſs of their Miniſtry; It is alſo required, that they comfort themſelves in this, that the holy and ſoveraigne good pleaſure of God is ſtill accompliſhed by the Miniſtry of the Word; Therefore is this prediction pointed at, as a ſpecial mean to comfort Miniſters, when they ſee that things are according as God foretold they ſhould be. See Matth. 11.25, 26. Acts 13.48. Rom. 11.7. 10. However unbeleevers may think to affront Chriſt, by their rejecting of him; Yet he will be diſappointed by none of them, and he will emprove their oppoſition to ſpecial advantages: Therefore alſo is this prophecy cited, to ſhew that he knew well enough what they would prove, even long before they were, and that their not beleeving in him was an evidence he was the true Meſſiah, as hath been cleared. 11. God hath an holy Providence, even about things that come to paſs by contingent ſecond cauſes, and depend upon mens free will; for, he can foretell them here before they come to paſs. 12. Gods Providence is ſo infallible, that he will not be fruſtrate of his purpoſes; And an argument from the prediction of his Word concerning any thing, is ſufficient to conclude that it will come to paſſe; for, here the event anſwereth exactly to the prediction. 13. Whatever be the providence of God about ſinful men, and their miſcarriages; Yet God and his providence are wholly free of blame (He being the ſoveraigne Lord, above the Laws given to his creatures, bound to none, and not concurrent in the wickedneſs of their actions) and the guilt is wholly the ſinners, as being under the Law, and voluntarily chooſing the wicked courſe which he followeth. Therefore, albeit it be declared here, that Gods providence had an hand in this buſineſs, yet both in the prediction it is propounded by way of complaint, and here, by way of chalenge againſt ſuch ſinners.