v. 1
De las peculiaridades de este Evangelio, notamos aquí solo dos. Una es su carácter reflexivo. Mientras que los otros son puramente narrativos, el Cuarto Evangelista, "se detiene, por así decirlo, a cada paso", como dice Da Costa [Four Witnesses, p. 234], "a veces para dar una razón, a veces para fijar la atención, para deducir consecuencias, o hacer aplicaciones, o para expresar el lenguaje de la alabanza". Véase Juan 2:20, 21, 23-25; 4:1, 2; 7:37-39; 11:12, 13, 49-52; 21:18, 19, 22, 23. La otra peculiaridad de este Evangelio es su carácter suplementario. Con esto, en el presente caso, queremos decir algo más que la minuciosidad con la que omite muchos detalles importantísimos de la historia de nuestro Señor, sin otra razón concebible que la de que ya eran familiares como palabras de uso común para todos sus lectores, a través de los tres Evangelios precedentes, y su sustitución en lugar de estos por una inmensa cantidad de la materia más rica no encontrada en los otros Evangelios. Nos referimos aquí más particularmente a la naturaleza de las adiciones que distinguen este Evangelio; particularmente las menciones de las diferentes Pascuas que ocurrieron durante el ministerio público de nuestro Señor, y el registro de Su enseñanza en Jerusalén, sin lo cual no es exagerado decir que habríamos tenido una concepción de lo más imperfecta tanto de la duración de Su ministerio como de su plan. Pero otra característica de estas adiciones es igualmente notable y no menos importante. "Encontramos", para usar de nuevo las palabras de Da Costa [Four Witnesses, pp. 238, 239], ligeramente abreviadas, "solo seis de los milagros de nuestro Señor registrados en este Evangelio, pero todos ellos son del tipo más notable, y superan a los demás en profundidad, especialidad de aplicación y plenitud de significado. De estos seis, solo encontramos uno en los otros tres Evangelios: la multiplicación de los panes. Ese milagro principalmente, al parecer, debido a las importantes instrucciones de las que proporcionó la ocasión (Juan 6:1-71), se registra aquí de nuevo. Los otros cinco signos de poder divino se distinguen de entre los muchos registrados en los otros tres Evangelios por proporcionar una exhibición aún mayor de poder y dominio sobre las leyes y el curso ordinarios de la naturaleza. Así, encontramos registrado aquí el primero de todos los milagros que Jesús obró: la conversión del agua en vino (Juan 2:1-11), la curación del hijo del noble a distancia (Juan 4:43-54); de las numerosas curaciones de cojos y paralíticos por la palabra de Jesús, solo una: la del hombre impotente durante treinta y ocho años (Juan 5:1-9); de las muchas curaciones de ciegos, solo una: la del hombre nacido ciego (Juan 9:1-12); la resurrección de Lázaro, no de un lecho de muerte, como la hija de Jairo, ni de un féretro, como el hijo de la viuda de Naín, sino de la tumba, y después de haber estado allí cuatro días, y de haberse descompuesto (Juan 11:1-44); y por último, después de Su resurrección, la pesca milagrosa en el Mar de Tiberíades (Juan 21:5-11). Pero todos estos se registran principalmente para dar ocasión al registro de esos asombrosos discursos y conversaciones, tanto con amigos como con enemigos, con Sus discípulos y con la multitud que ellos provocaron". Otras ilustraciones de las peculiaridades de este Evangelio ocurrirán, y otros puntos relacionados con él serán mencionados, en el curso del Comentario. CAPÍTULO 1 Juan 1:1-14. El Verbo Hecho Carne. 1. En el principio—de todo tiempo y existencia creada, porque este Verbo le dio el ser (Juan 1:3, 10); por lo tanto, "antes que el mundo fuese" (Juan 17:5, 24); o, desde toda la eternidad.
v. 2
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2. The same, &c.--See what property of the Word the stress is laid upon--His eternal distinctness, in unity, from God--the Father (Joh 1:2).
v. 3
3. Todas las cosas, etc.—todas las cosas absolutamente (como es evidente de Juan 1:10; 1 Corintios 8:6; Colosenses 1:16, 17; pero puesto fuera de toda duda por lo que sigue). sin él nada de lo que ha sido hecho—ni una sola cosa. fue hecho—traído a la existencia. que ha sido hecho—Esto es una negación de la eternidad y no creación de la materia, que era sostenida por todo el mundo pensante fuera del judaísmo y el cristianismo: o más bien, su creación propia nunca fue siquiera soñada salvo por los hijos de la religión revelada.
v. 4
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4. In Him was life--essentially and originally, as the previous verses show to be the meaning. Thus He is the Living Word, or, as He is called in 1Jo 1:1, 2, "the Word of Life." the life ... the light of men--All that in men which is true light--knowledge, integrity, intelligent, willing subjection to God, love to Him and to their fellow creatures, wisdom, purity, holy joy, rational happiness--all this "light of men" has its fountain in the essential original "life" of "the Word" (1Jo 1:5-7; Psa 36:9).
v. 5
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5. shineth in darkness, &c.--in this dark, fallen world, or in mankind "sitting in darkness and the shadow of death," with no ability to find the way either of truth or of holiness. In this thick darkness, and consequent intellectual and moral obliquity, "the light of the Word" shineth--by all the rays whether of natural or revealed teaching which men (apart from the Incarnation of the Word) are favored with. the darkness comprehended it not--did not take it in, a brief summary of the effect of all the strivings of this unincarnate Word throughout this wide world from the beginning, and a hint of the necessity of His putting on flesh, if any recovery of men was to be effected (1Co 1:21).
vv. 6-9
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6-9. The Evangelist here approaches his grand thesis, so paving his way for the full statement of it in Joh 1:14, that we may be able to bear the bright light of it, and take in its length and breadth and depth and height.
vv. 10-13
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10-13. He was in the world, &c.--The language here is nearly as wonderful as the thought. Observe its compact simplicity, its sonorousness--"the world" resounding in each of its three members--and the enigmatic form in which it is couched, startling the reader and setting his ingenuity a-working to solve the stupendous enigma of Christ ignored in His own world. "The world," in the first two clauses, plainly means the created world, into which He came, says Joh 1:9; "in it He was," says this verse. By His Incarnation, He became an inhabitant of it, and bound up with it. Yet it "was made by Him" (Joh 1:3-5). Here, then, it is merely alluded to, in contrast partly with His being in it, but still more with the reception He met with from it. "The world that knew Him not" (1Jo 3:1) is of course the intelligent world of mankind. (See on Joh 1:11,12). Taking the first two clauses as one statement, we try to apprehend it by thinking of the infant Christ conceived in the womb and born in the arms of His own creature, and of the Man Christ Jesus breathing His own air, treading His own ground, supported by substances to which He Himself gave being, and the Creator of the very men whom He came to save. But the most vivid commentary on this entire verse will be got by tracing (in His matchless history) Him of whom it speaks walking amidst all the elements of nature, the diseases of men and death itself, the secrets of the human heart, and "the rulers of the darkness of this world" in all their number, subtlety, and malignity, not only with absolute ease, as their conscious Lord, but, as we might say, with full consciousness on their part of the presence of their Maker, whose will to one and all of them was law. And this is He of whom it is added, "the world knew Him not!"
v. 14
14. Y aquel Verbo, etc.—Para elevar al lector a la altura de este clímax fueron escritos los trece versículos anteriores. fue hecho carne—SE HIZO HOMBRE, en la condición actual frágil y mortal del hombre, denotada por la palabra "carne" (Is 40:6; 1 Pe 1:24). Probablemente se dirige contra los docetas, quienes sostenían que Cristo no era real sino solo aparentemente hombre; contra quienes este espíritu gentil es vehemente en sus Epístolas (1 Jn 4:3; 2 Jn 7, 10, 11), [Lucke, etc.]. Ni podía serlo demasiado, porque con la veracidad de la Encarnación toda la cristiandad sustancial se desvanece. Pero ahora, desposado con nuestra naturaleza, de aquí en adelante es tan personalmente consciente de todo lo que es estrictamente humano como de todo lo que es propiamente divino; y nuestra naturaleza es en Su Persona redimida y vivificada, ennoblecida y transfigurada. y habitó—tabernaculizó o plantó su tienda; una palabra peculiar de Juan, quien la usa cuatro veces, todas en el sentido de una estancia permanente (Ap 7:15; 12:12; 13:6; 21:3). Para siempre desposado con nuestra "carne", Él ha entrado en este tabernáculo para "no salir más". La alusión es a aquel tabernáculo donde moraba la Shekinah (véase en Mt 23:38, 39), o la "Gloria del Señor" manifestada, y con referencia a la morada permanente de Dios entre Su pueblo (Lv 26:11; Sal 68:18; 132:13, 14; Ez 37:27). Esto se pone casi fuera de toda duda por lo que sigue inmediatamente, "Y vimos su gloria" [Lucke, Meyer, De Wette, este último crítico, elevándose más de lo usual, dice que así se perfeccionaron todas las manifestaciones parciales anteriores de Dios en una manifestación esencialmente Personal e históricamente Humana]. lleno de gracia y de verdad—Así debería leerse: "Él habitó entre nosotros lleno de gracia y de verdad"; o, en frase del Antiguo Testamento, "Misericordia y verdad", denotando todo el fruto de los propósitos de amor de Dios hacia los pecadores de la humanidad, que hasta ahora existían solo en promesa, y el cumplimiento al fin de esa promesa en Cristo; en una gran palabra, "las MISERICORDIAS CIERTAS de David" (Is 55:3; Hch 13:34; compárese 2 S 23:5). En Su Persona toda esa Gracia y Verdad que había estado flotando tanto tiempo en formas sombrías, y lanzando a las almas de los pobres y necesitados sus rayos rotos, tomó posesión eterna de la carne humana y la llenó por completo. Por esta Encarnación de Gracia y Verdad, la enseñanza de miles de años fue a la vez trascendida y empobrecida, y la familia de Dios surgió a la Madurez. y vimos su gloria—no por el ojo de los sentidos, que vio en Él solo "el carpintero". Su gloria fue "discernida espiritualmente" (1 Co 2:7-15; 2 Co 3:18; 4:4, 6; 5:16)—la gloria de una gracia, amor, ternura, sabiduría, pureza, espiritualidad insuperables; majestad y mansedumbre, riqueza y pobreza, poder y debilidad, encontrándose en un contraste único; siempre atrayendo y a veces arrebatando a los "niños" que le seguían y lo dejaban todo por Él. gloria como del unigénito del Padre—(Véase en Lc 1:35); no como, sino "tal como (pertenece a)", tal como convenía o era apropiado para el unigénito del Padre [Crisóstomo en Lucke, Calvino, etc.], según un uso bien conocido de la palabra "como".
v. 15
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Joh 1:15. A Saying of the Baptist Confirmatory of This. 15. after me--in official manifestation. before me--in rank and dignity. for he was before me--in existence; "His goings forth being from of old, from everlasting" (Mi 5:2). (Anything lower than this His words cannot mean); that is, "My Successor is my Superior, for He was my Predecessor." This enigmatic play upon the different senses of the words "before" and "after" was doubtless employed by the Baptist to arrest attention, and rivet the thought; and the Evangelist introduces it just to clinch his own statements.
v. 16
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Joh 1:16-18. Same Subject Continued. 16. of his fulness--of "grace and truth," resuming the thread of Joh 1:14. grace for grace--that is, grace upon grace (so all the best interpreters), in successive communications and larger measures, as each was able to take it in. Observe, the word "truth" is here dropped. "Grace" being the chosen New Testament word for the whole fulness of the new covenant, all that dwells in Christ for men.
v. 17
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17. For, &c.--The Law elicits the consciousness of sin and the need of redemption; it only typifies the reality. The Gospel, on the contrary, actually communicates reality and power from above (compare Ro 6:14). Hence Paul terms the Old Testament "shadow," while he calls the New Testament "substance" (Col 2:17) [Olshausen].
v. 18
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18. No man--"No one," in the widest sense. hath seen God--by immediate gaze, or direct intuition. in the bosom of the Father--A remarkable expression, used only here, presupposing the Son's conscious existence distinct from the Father, and expressing His immediate and most endeared access to, and absolute acquaintance with, Him. he--emphatic; As if he should say, "He and He only hath declared Him," because He only can.
v. 19
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Joh 1:19-36. The Baptist's Testimony to Christ. 19. record--testimony. the Jews--that is, the heads of the nation, the members of the Sanhedrim. In this peculiar sense our Evangelist seems always to use the term.
v. 20
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20. confessed, &c.--that is, While many were ready to hail him as the Christ, he neither gave the slightest ground for such views, nor the least entertainment to them.
v. 21
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21. Elias--in His own proper person. that prophet--announced in De 18:15, &c., about whom they seem not to have been agreed whether he were the same with the Messiah or no.
v. 25
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25. Why baptizest thou, if not, &c.--Thinking he disclaimed any special connection with Messiah's kingdom, they demand his right to gather disciples by baptism.
v. 26
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26. there standeth--This must have been spoken after the baptism of Christ, and possibly just after His temptation (see on Joh 1:29).
v. 28
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28. Bethabara--Rather, "Bethany" (according to nearly all the best and most ancient manuscripts); not the Bethany of Lazarus, but another of the same name, and distinguished from it as lying "beyond Jordan," on the east.
v. 29
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29. seeth Jesus--fresh, probably, from the scene of the temptation. coming unto him--as to congenial company (Ac 4:23), and to receive from him His first greeting. and saith--catching a sublime inspiration at the sight of Him approaching. the Lamb of God--the one God-ordained, God-gifted sacrificial offering. that taketh away--taketh up and taketh away. The word signifies both, as does the corresponding Hebrew word. Applied to sin, it means to be chargeable with the guilt of it (Ex 28:38; Le 5:1; Eze 18:20), and to bear it away (as often). In the Levitical victims both ideas met, as they do in Christ, the people's guilt being viewed as transferred to them, avenged in their death, and so borne away by them (Le 4:15; 16:15, 21, 22; and compare Is 53:6-12; 2Co 5:21). the sin--The singular number being used to mark the collective burden and all-embracing efficacy. of the world--not of Israel only, for whom the typical victims were exclusively offered. Wherever there shall live a sinner throughout the wide world, sinking under that burden too heavy for him to bear, he shall find in this "Lamb of God," a shoulder equal to the weight. The right note was struck at the first--balm, doubtless, to Christ's own spirit; nor was ever after, or ever will be, a more glorious utterance.
vv. 31-34
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31-34. knew him not--Living mostly apart, the one at Nazareth, the other in the Judean desert--to prevent all appearance of collusion, John only knew that at a definite time after his own call, his Master would show Himself. As He drew near for baptism one day, the last of all the crowd, the spirit of the Baptist heaving under a divine presentiment that the moment had at length arrived, and an air of unwonted serenity and dignity, not without traits, probably, of the family features, appearing in this Stranger, the Spirit said to him as to Samuel of his youthful type, "Arise, anoint Him, for this is He!" (1Sa 16:12). But the sign which he was told to expect was the visible descent of the Spirit upon Him as He emerged out of the baptismal water. Then, catching up the voice from heaven, "he saw and bare record that this is the Son of God."
v. 35
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35. John stood--"was standing," at his accustomed place.
v. 36
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36. looking--having fixed his eyes, with significant gaze, on Jesus. as he walked--but not now to him. To have done this once (see on Joh 1:29) was humility enough [Bengel]. Behold, &c.--The repetition of that wonderful proclamation, in identical terms and without another word, could only have been meant as a gentle hint to go after Him--as they did.
v. 38
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Joh 1:37-51. First Gathering of Disciples--John Andrew, Simon, Philip, Nathanael. 38. What seek ye--gentle, winning question, remarkable as the Redeemer's first public utterance. (See on Mt 12:18-20.) where dwellest thou--that is, "That is a question we cannot answer in a moment; but had we Thy company for a calm hour in private, gladly should we open our burden."
v. 39
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39. Come and see--His second utterance, more winning still. tenth hour--not ten A.M. (as some), according to Roman, but four P.M., according to Jewish reckoning, which John follows. The hour is mentioned to show why they stayed out the day with him--because little of it remained.
v. 40
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40. One ... was Andrew--The other was doubtless our Evangelist himself. His great sensitiveness is touchingly shown in his representation of this first contact with the Lord; the circumstances are present to him in the minutest details; he still remembers the Very hour. But "he reports no particulars of those discourses of the Lord by which he was bound to Him for the whole of His life; he allows everything personal to retire" [Olshausen]. Peter's brother--and the elder of the two.
v. 41
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41. have found the Messias--The previous preparation of their simple hearts under the Baptist's ministry, made quick work of this blessed conviction, while others hesitated till doubt settled into obduracy. So it is still.
v. 42
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42. brought him to Jesus--Happy brothers that thus do to each other! beheld him--fixed his eyes on him, with significant gaze (as Joh 1:36). Cephas ... stone--(See on Mt 16:18).
v. 43
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43. would go ... into Galilee--for from His baptism He had sojourned in Judea (showing that the calling at the Sea of Galilee [Mt 4:18] was a subsequent one, see on Lu 5:1). Follow me--the first express call given, the former three having come to Him spontaneously.
v. 44
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44. the city of Andrew and Peter--of their birth probably, for they seem to have lived at Capernaum (Mr 1:29).
v. 45
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45. Nathanael--(See on Mt 10:3). Moses--(See Joh 5:46). son of Joseph--the current way of speaking. (See Lu 3:23).
v. 46
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46. any good out of Nazareth--remembering Bethlehem, perhaps, as Messiah's predicted birthplace, and Nazareth having no express prophetic place at all, besides being in no repute. The question sprang from mere dread of mistake in a matter so vital. Come and see--Noble remedy against preconceived opinions [Bengel]. Philip, though he could not perhaps solve his difficulty, could show him how to get rid of it. (See on Joh 6:68).
v. 47
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47. an Israelite indeed ... no guile--not only no hypocrite, but with a guileless simplicity not always found even in God's own people, ready to follow wherever truth might lead him, saying, Samuel-like, "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth" (1Sa 3:10).
v. 48
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48. Whence knowest thou me--conscious that his very heart had been read, and at this critical moment more than ever before. Before Philip called thee--showing He knew all that passed between Philip and him at a distance. when ... under the fig tree, &c.--where retirement for meditation and prayer was not uncommon [Lightfoot]. Thither, probably--hearing that his master's Master had at length appeared, and heaving with mingled eagerness to behold Him and dread of deception--he had retired to pour out his guileless heart for light and guidance, ending with such a prayer as this, "Show me a token for good!" (See on Lu 2:8). Now he has it, "Thou guileless one, that fig tree scene, with all its heaving anxieties, deep pleadings and tremulous hopes--I saw it all." The first words of Jesus had astonished, but this quite overpowered and won him.
v. 49
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49. Son of God ... King of Israel--the one denoting His person, the other His office. How much loftier this than anything Philip had said to him! But just as the earth's vital powers, the longer they are frost-bound, take the greater spring when at length set free, so souls, like Nathanael and Thomas (see on Joh 20:28), the outgoings of whose faith are hindered for a time, take the start of their more easy-going brethren when loosed and let go.
vv. 50-51
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50-51. Because I said, &c.--"So quickly convinced, and on this evidence only?"--an expression of admiration.