21 "JESUS answered and said unto them, I did one work, and 22 ye all marvel. For this cause hath Moses given you circumcision (not that it is of Moses, but of the fathers; and on 23 the Sabbath ye circumcise a man. If a man receiveth circumcision on the Sabbath, that the law of Moses may not be broken; are ye wroth with me, because I made a man 24 every whit whole on the Sabbath?" Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
25 "Some therefore of them of Jerusalem said, Is not this 26 he whom they seek to kill? And lo, he speaketh openly, and they say nothing unto him. Can it be that the rulers 27 indeed know that this is the Christ? Howbeit we know this man whence he is; but when the Christ cometh, no one 28 knoweth whence he is. Jesus therefore cried in the temple, teaching and saying, Ye both know me, and know whence I am; and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is 29 true, whom ye know not. I know him; because I am from 30 him, and he sent me. They sought therefore to take him; and no man laid his hand on him, because his hour was 31 not yet come. But of the multitude many believed on him; and they said, When the Christ shall come, will he do more signs than those which this man hath done?"
QUESTIONS.
What previous miracle did Jesus now mention?
What rite had the Jews received from Moses? Was it first known in the time of Moses?
Did they regard the work of circumcising as a transgression of the fourth commandment?
What argument did Jesus build upon this well-known fact?
What principle of judging did he command to them?
What inquiry did the people make concerning him?
At what did they express their astonishment?
What reason did they suggest for the course taken concerning Christ?
Did they really believe their own suggestion?
How far did Jesus declare that their knowledge of him extended?
With whom were they unacquainted?
Was Jesus acquainted with him? To what extent?
What were they desirous of doing? Why did they not carry their desire into execution?
How did the people respond to his teaching?
In what inquiry did they show their confidence in him?
NOTES.
1. IN speaking of the "one work," in verse 21, "Jesus referred to his act of healing the man on the Sabbath (chapter 5:8, 9), and showed that it was in accordance with Sabbath law. He alluded also to the custom among the Jews of circumcising on the Sabbath. If it was lawful to circumcise on the Sabbath, it must certainly be right to relieve the afflicted."
2. CIRCUMCISION did not originate with Moses. Gen. 17:10; Rom. 4:11. In fact, both the moral and the ceremonial law were given to Adam. "If man had kept the law of God as given to Adam after his fall, preserved by Noah, and observed by Abraham, there would have been no necessity for the ordinance of circumcision. And if the descendants of Abraham had kept the covenant, of which circumcision was a sign, they would never have been seduced into idolatry, nor would it have been necessary for them to suffer a life of bondage in Egypt; they would have kept God's law in mind, and there would have been no necessity for it to be proclaimed from Sinai, or engraved upon the tables of stone. And had the people practiced the principles of the Ten Commandments, there would have been no need of the additional precepts given to Moses. The sacrificial system, committed to13Adam, was also perverted by his descendants. Superstition, idolatry, cruelty, and licentiousness corrupted the simple and significant service that God had appointed. Through long intercourse with idolaters, the people of Israel had mingled many heathen customs with their worship; therefore the Lord gave them at Sinai definite instructions concerning the sacrificial service." So, altho it was repeated to Moses and by him given to the people, yet in reality it was not "of Moses but of the fathers."
3. THE boldness with which Jesus taught in the most public manner astonished the people and induced the inquiry, "Have the rulers come to know that this is the Christ indeed?" "Many of those who lived at Jerusalem, and were not ignorant of the designs of the Sanhedrin council against Jesus, were charmed with the doctrine that he taught and with his pure and dignified bearing, and were inclined to accept him as the Son of God. They were not filled with the bitter prejudice and hatred of the priests and rulers; but Satan was ready to suggest doubts and questions in their minds as to the divinity of this man of humble origin. Many had received the impression that the Messiah would have no natural relationship to humanity, and it was not pleasant for them to think of him whom they hoped would be a mighty king of Israel, as one who sprung from poverty and obscurity. . . . The minds of these men were closed to the prophecies, which pointed out how and when Christ was to come." "They thought they could account for Christ and trace him to his origin; and therefore they could not believe he was from God. This is the common difficulty. Men find it difficult to believe that one who was really born on earth, and did not suddenly appear, nobody knew whence, can in any peculiar sense be from God."
4. "THEY claimed a knowledge of what the origin of Christ should be, while they were in reality utterly ignorant of it, and were locked in spiritual blindness. If they had lived in accordance with the will of the Father, they would have known his Son when he was manifested to them. The words of Jesus convinced many of those who listened; but the rage of the rulers was increased by this very fact, and they made an attempt to seize him."
5. OBSERVE "the insufficient tests used both by the people and the authorities for ascertaining whether Jesus was or was not their promised king. The tests they used were such as these: 'Will Christ do more miracles?' 'Will he come from the same part of the country?' and so forth. . . . In all his conversations with the unbelieving Jews, he condemned them for their unbelief, ascribed it to moral defects, and persistently maintained that it was within the reach of any man to ascertain whether he was true or a pretender."
Suggestions for Further Study.
What was and is the true circumcision?
Who were "the fathers?" and why so called?
Study the evil consequences of resting our decision concerning Christ upon a knowledge of him which is merely human.
How is the unity of purpose between Father and Son in the plan of salvation shown in verse 29?
