f l t E KING’S BtJSlNESS ¿1 Studies in the Gospel According to John By R . a 7~TORREY John’S Introduction to the Words and Works of Jesus (1:1—18) Continued. U P to this point we bave bad the truth set before us regarding the Word in His eternal heing and the Word in
ceived his commission and his message directly from God (cf. v. 33). The word translated “from” is not the ordinary word.used to denote motion away from another. It means “from beside.”. It is the same word that is used of the Spirit proceeding from the Father in ch. 15:26. The word “was” in the verse is not a mere auxiliary to the word “sent” as the Authorized Version might suggest— two separate thoughts are set forth (as is indicated in the Revised Version); the word “was” (or, rather as it is in the Revised Version, “came”) fixes our at tention on the person of John the Bap tist; the words “sent from God” fix our attention on the mission of John the Baptist. John (the Evangelist) empha sizes the name of John (the Baptist), and there is probably an allusion to the meaning of the name, “God’s gracious gift.” The other three evangelists when they mention John the Baptist add his title. This the evangelist John never does; for he mentions no other John, omitting his own name throughout the entire Gospel. It is one of the most remarkable illustrations of humility and self-obliteration to be found in all liter ature. The sending of John is an illus tration of God’s condescension to man’s infirmity. The world would not lay hold of the Light in His unincarnate form, so God gives the Word in a form more apprehensible, an incarnate form; and God’s condescension of man’s infirmity does not stop even at that, He sends a witness to this incarnate Light. To men Who can see, light needs no witness; hut all men are blind and so need one who can “bear witness to the Light.” The title which is given to John the Baptist in this verse “a man sent from God” is one of the most glorious titles that man can bear. No earthly patent to nobility so glorious as that. But never- the less a man, Jesus was God become the clear light of demarcation is drawn between John and Jesus: John is “a man,” sent from God it is true, hut none the less a man, Jesus was God become flesh. In the words, “sent from God”
His pre-incarnation work in relation to the created universe. The section now before us has to do with His incarna tion, and is preparatory to the explicit statement of that great fact in the sec tion which follows: John, the Evange list, here naturally introduces John the Baptist, as the incarnation was heralded and prepared for by Old Testament prophecy and John the Baptist was the last representative of prophecy. (2) “The Word” Coming Unto His Own. 6-13 a. .The Ministry of John the Baptist. 6-9 R. V. 6 “There was (rather “arose" or “came”) a man, sent from God, whose name was John.” The introduction of John at this point seems abrupt, but it is logical as he marks the transition from the pre-inearnate work of “the Word” to the work of the incarnate Word. His work was preparatory to that of our Lord, the Incarnate Word. Furthermore, it was through the ministry of John thè Baptist that the author of this hook was led to the Christ (vs. 35-42), and John s Gospel is largely a relation of the com ing and work of Jesus in the way in which it affected John as an individual and brought him to a living faith in Jesus as the Christ. It is largely history written from the standpoint of personal, experience, so John, the Evangelist, na turally introduces John, the Baptist, at this point as a witness to Jesus Christ. The sixth verse presents John the Bap tist to us in his personality; the seventh verse presents the purpose of his min istry; the eighth verse carefully de scribes his nature and office. The fact that John the Baptist was “a man” is emphasized to contrast him with the Lord Jesus, who was God incarnate (vs. X, 14). But though a man, he was “sent from God.” He was not merely sent by God but sent “from God.” He had been in the very presence of God in intimate personal communion with Him and re
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