Quiet Talks on John's Gospel

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d rests upon it and upon the earth under all. The whole of the long mountain range and of the earth lies under the pea

to its full in the death. The highest point is touched when death is allowed to lay Him lowest. It was the life tha

e to the intrigues of hate. The joy of communion is quickly followed by the jostling of the crowd. Out of the secret place of prayer into the hurly-burly of passion. And t

shifting. The wooing goes from closer to wider, from the disciples to the outer crowd, from the direct

ew distinctively to Roman representatively, from Annas standing in God's flood light rejected to Pilate

He has been able to get through the human channels to the crowd. He was lifted up and at once men began coming a-running b

s His great spirit-conflict, and great victory. The touch with sin so close, so real, now upon Him within a few hours, the sin of others upon His sinless soul,-this shakes Him terrifica

ers, the ever present rabble, and in the lead the shameless traitor. They are pushing their quest now, see

er of the trees to meet them. And as their torches turn full upon His advancing figure again that marvellous power not only of restraint but decidedly more is felt by them. And

oes with stubbornness. In a moment Jesus reveals His purpose in this, to shield His disciples. Now the power of restraint is withdrawn and He yield

rtunity for the coarseness of their hate to vent itself upon His person. They pretend an examination here in

riend, regardless of personal danger. Peter just the reverse. And the hate of the leaders has soaked into all their surroundings even d

ould easily have killed Jesus and Pilate would never have concerned himself about it. But they couldn't have put Him t

rsonal power in action here set on spilling out the utmost that malignant hate can upon the person of Jesus. But t

ight action with an ugly fight for it, and yielding to wrong with an easy time of it. Clearly he feels the purity and th

torically? With rare touch and winsomeness Jesus woos. And Pilate feels it to the marrow under all his rough speech

wins. A sharp fling brings a cry of allegiance to Caesar from their reluctant throats, as their hatred wins the day. He strikes them back an ugly blow as He surrenders. That reluct

n, these months and years, finds its full vent. Its hateful worst is done, and horribly well done. And they stan

rful

faithful love-opened eyes the dominating purpose of Jesus in yielding to death. Strong, thoughtful, self-controlled, anticipat

interposing nothing to change the purpose of His accusers. When Pilate's final decision is given John notes that Jesus "went out bearing the cross for Himself," though provision had been made for this.[123] His influence upon Pilate is seen in the a

ation He had done the thing He had set Himself to do. Never was yielding so masterful. Never was a great plan carried out so fully through the se

gave up His spirit. It was His own act. The self-restraint was strong upon Him till all was done that was needed for the great pur

cifixion. But that body is sacredly guarded from their profane hand by unseen restraint. John with solemn simplicity points to the unmistakable physical e

, now take steps at once to have the precious body of their dear friend tenderly cared for without regard to expense. So He is laid away in a new tomb in a garden among the fl

act fitted into the circumstances surrounding Him. This makes His death mean just what He meant

and incessantly held up and pressed were the Father's ideals. His mere presence told the Fathe

ough this their bondage to sin and to Satan would be broken and they would be set free.[126] And they would be drawn, their hearts would be utterly melted and broken by His love for them.[12

Jesus understood it. All the bitter enmity to Himself traces straight back to that source. That enmity found its worst expression in Jesus' death. The

hing ideals of right, and the great strength and tenderness of His love for men. He would even give His Son. It was greatest in its intensity of meaning to th

to yield to the wooing. And it was greatest in its intensity of meaning to us men. For it showed to our confused eyes the one ideal of right standing out clear and full. It

n the in-reach to all the life of each one who came under its blessed influence. The whole ministry taught this. It would mean newness

In Hebrew the religious language of the world whose literature told of the one true God, in Latin the language of the masters of the world, in Greek the language of the cultu

arts, and bending wills, and changed lives, men of all the race bow