45 And he that seeth me, seeth him that sent me.

that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

49 For I have not spoken of

46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in dark-myself; but the Father which

ness.

47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one

without referring to any one occasion, John intended to present a brief summary of our Lord's instruc

tions.

45. He that seeth me; he that beComes acquainted with me.

sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

instructions, being disregarded, would inevitably be followed by an awful doom. The Saviour's teaching, if perverted or neglected, would be a savor of death unto death. Compare 2 Cor. 2: 15, 16.

49. Of myself; by my own authority, independently of the Father, || A commandment; a direction. Compare 8: 26, 28.

50. His commandment is life everlasting; the commission, or direction, which the Father gave me, was intended to secure men's eternal happiness. It was salvation then for which Jesus was sent into the world. The instructions which he imparted were in accordance with this design; but if they are rejected, they will issue in the condemnation of men.

46. A light; one who bestows knowledge and bliss, a Saviour. Darkness; ignorance and misery. 47. I judge him not. The word judge is here equivalent to the word condemn, or the phrase adjudge to misery. In this verse and the following, Jesus makes a distinction between himself and the word, that is, the instruction, which he had communicated. He says, It is not I that will cause a person's misery; his final doom cannot be ascribed to me as its procuring cause. Not to judge; not to condemn to misery. To make men miserable was no part of the TOPICS FOR REFLECTION. 1. The Saviour's office. Whatever misery death of Jesus Christ was a part of would result to men by occasion of the divine plan for the salvation of his coming into the world, must not men. To the suffering of death Jesus be imputed to him as a part of his de- voluntarily submitted. v. 24. Comsign, but must be ascribed to the per-pare Luke 24: 26. Acts 2:23. Rom. verseness of men in slighting and 5: 8. rejecting him.

48. Hath one that judgeth him. The word one here does not relate to a person, but to the term word, which follows. The idea would be better expressed by the term that. The thought would then be expressed in a manner somewhat like the following: Whoso rejecteth me, and receiveth not my instructions, hath that which will condemn him to misery. These

2. Great will be the glory and bliss of the Saviour's followers. v. 26. How cheerfully, then, ought we to choose Christ as our teacher and example !

3. Whatever sorrows we may be called to endure, and however we may shrink from the anticipation of sufferings, we ought to cherish a su preme regard to the glory of God. A solicitude to honor him will strengthen us for duties and for trials. vs. 27, 28.

Now

CHAPTER XIII. TOW before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved

4. While our privileges are continued, let us beware of neglecting them. v. 35. How dreadful the doom which must result from abusing them! v. 48. Compare Matt. 11: 23. 5. Fear of human censure is exceedingly injurious to our best interests. v. 43. Compare Prov. 29: 25. If we possess the approbation of God, how lightly ought we to estimate both the applause and the frown of man. Compare 1 Cor. 4: 3.

his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

2 And supper being ended, (the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him,)

eaten on the evening which introduced the fourteenth day. The next evening, which commenced the fifteenth day, the festival of unleavened bread, or, as it came to be also called, the passover, commenced. See Lev. 23: 6. The name unleavened bread came afterwards to be applied to the whole time; namely, the day of eating the lamb and the seven following days. Thus this supper, though it was, strictly speaking, the paschal, or passover supper, was really a day before the festival called the passover, The evangelist, having furnished or feast of unleavened bread. That so many specimens of our Lord's pub-it was the supper of the paschal lamb lic instructions, now, in several successive chapters, directs our attention to him in private with his disciples, preparing them for the last sad scenes of his earthly career, and for their subsequent duties.

sense,

CHAPTER XIII.

1. Before the feast of the passover. The word passover sometimes refers specially to the supper when the paschal lamb was eaten; and at other times to the festival of seven days which followed the day of this supper, and which was called the festival of unleavened bread. In this latter the word is here used. The supper which is mentioned in the following verses, was the paschal supper, when the lamb appointed by the law was eaten. This paschal supper was one day before the festival of unleavened bread. The law of Moses prescribed that the paschal lamb should be eaten on the fourteenth day of the first month [called Nisan] at even. See Lev. 23:5. The evening, according to the Jewish mode of reckoning, was not the end, but the beginning, of a day; so that the evening of the fourteenth day was the time immediately after sunset of the thirteenth, and the lamb was to be 20

VOL. II.

which Jesus was eating with his disciples, is plain from Matt. 26: 2, 17 -20, &c. It has sometimes been thought that the expression "before the feast of the passover," shows that Jesus ate the paschal supper on this occasion before the usual time. But the view above presented removes the difficulties which have been felt, and shows that the statement of John is in perfect agreement with those of the other evangelists. Compare Matt. 26: 17. Mark 14: 12. Luke 22: 7. || His own; the disciples, who were peculiarly his friends and objects of his regard. || Unto the end; to the end of his life. He persevered in giving them proofs of his love.

2. Supper being ended. The word which is here translated being ended, is used in several places to signify not the end, but simply the being, or the progress, of an affair or an event. In Mark 6: 2, the word translated was come is the same as is here employed; in Matt. 26: 6, the word rendered was is the same. In the Greek of Matt. 13: 21, is a similar instance. By the aid of this remark, we perceive that the phrase under consideration might have been translated

3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;

4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.

5 After that, he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith

while supper was going on, or during supper. This agrees with what is stated in the fourth verse- He riseth from supper; and in the twelfth verse, he was set down again [he had again reclined at the meal].

3. All things into his hands. pare 17 2. Matt. 11: 27.

unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?

7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save

The thought of being separated from his Master, and of not enjoying the bliss which he could bestow, was too painful to be endured. Peter, also, probably perceived the meaning of Jesus in respect to an inward purifyCom-ing, and instantly expressed his wish to be cleansed throughout from moral defilement.

6. Dost thou wash my feet? Peter objected, because the act seemed too low a service for his Master to perform. The washing of a guest's feet

was a servant's work.

10. He that is washed; more strictly, according to the original, a person that has been bathed. The word in the original is a different one from the 7. Thou knowest not now; thou word translated wash in the preceding dost not now understand the meaning verses and in this same verse, and it of this act. Hereafter; by and by. signifies a general washing, or bathing. Jesus was intending to explain this The other word is applied to a slight act, and to enforce the lesson he was washing, as of the hands or feet. thus emblematically teaching, as soon||| Needeth not save to wash his feet; has as he should have finished the washing.

8. If I wash thee not. Jesus immediately used the word wash in a metaphorical sense, as signifying inward, moral purifying. Thou hast no part with me; thou canst not be a partaker with me of the blessings of the divine government. Without the moral cleansing which proceeds from Jesus, Peter would be destitute of the favor of God and the final bliss of heaven.

9. Not my feet only, but, &c.; that is, wash me all over, from head to foot.

no need of an entire washing, or bathing; he needs only to wash his feet.

Clean every whit; clean throughout. The bathing of a person would impart entire cleansing; but in coming to a friend's house, the feet would become soiled, and would therefore need to be washed anew. As sandals were worn, and the foot was often for the most part uncovered, it would be exposed to the dust; and, therefore, before the person took his place among the guests, it was necessary that his feet should be washed. By this illustration Jesus would convey to Peter

to wash his feet, but is clean | Master, have washed your feet; every whit and ye are clean, ye also ought to wash one anothbut not all. er's feet.

that the Scripture may be ful-[ filled, He that eateth bread with me, hath lifted up his heel against me.

19 Now I tell you before it come, that when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.

20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me.

21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily,

20. He that receiveth, &c. The connection of these words with the preceding is not very obvious. Per

ture might be fulfilled. It had been foretold in the Scripture that the Messiah would suffer and die. See Is. 53: 2-9. As a circumstance lead-haps our Lord spoke more at length, ing to that result, he would be be- reminding the disciples of the greattrayed; and one who had been on ness and solemnity of their office, and intimate terms with him, was to be the assuring them that, notwithstanding means of his coming into the power the sorrows through which he was to of his adversaries. This thought our pass, and in which they were to parLord expressed in the words of Ps. ticipate, they would find friends who 419. He that eateth bread with me; would give them a welcome recephe that has enjoyed my hospitality tion, and that those who should reand been on terms of friendship with ceive them would be regarded as reme. Lifted up his heel; to attack ceiving him. Thus he mingled consoand injure me. The ungrateful, un-lation with his predictions of evil, and provoked conduct of a man who should rise up against one who had befriended him and admitted him to his table, would well illustrate the conduct of Judas in betraying his Master.

19. Ye may believe that I am he; that I am the Messiah. The treachery of Judas might naturally have a bad effect on the disciples, in suggest ing the suspicion whether he had not discovered something that had destroyed his confidence in Jesus, and, therefore, whether they had not committed a mistake in following him as the Messiah. And when, in consequence of this treachery, Jesus should be taken by the Jews and put to death, their confidence would be put to a severe test, as they were not expecting such an event. But, amid these perplexities, if they should consider that Jesus foretold what was to take place, and foretold that one of their own number was to be the criminal instrument of such a result, they would perceive, in this knowledge of the future, an additional evidence of his being what he had claimed to be.

kept constantly before their minds the thought that they were the representatives of the Messiah, while at the same time they ought to cherish the spirit which would make them willing, each to be the servant of all.

REFLECTIONS. 1. The betraying of Jesus might well be traced to the influence of Satan. It was truly a diabolical act. v. 2. But instead of cherishing indignation against the memory of Judas, let us, each, watch against the wiles of the adversary.

2. We cannot too highly estimate the spirit of mutual condescension and kindness. vs. 14, 15. Compare vs. 34, 35. 15: 12.

3. We need both an entire purification of our moral natures, and cleansing from our daily sins. v. 10. Compare 1 John 1: 7—9. Rev. 1: 5. Have we been cleansed from the defilement of sin?

21. Troubled in spirit; enduring painful emotion. Testified; declared. || Shall betray; will betray. See on Matt. 26: 23.