The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: S. John
Ver. 27. — But we know this man , &c. We know that His parents are Joseph and Mary, and they themselves confessed elsewhere in general that they knew He was to be born in Bethlehem of the seed of David. But these were the words of the ignorant people, who thought that Christ would suddenly appear to the world from unknown ancestors, that He would remain hid in Bethlehem for a long time, or else be carried away to a distance, be there brought up to man’s estate, and then appear unexpectedly in Judea. Other strange myths were invented concerning Him, derived mainly from wrong interpretations of Is. liii. 8, Heb. vii. 3, Micah v. 2, and Ps. cix. 3 (see Vulg.), “Before the morning star I begat Thee from the womb : ” all which passages should be understood of His divine and not of His human nature. But the Jews considered Him a mere man, and thought that He had been begotten from eternity in Bethlehem. On which account Christ teaches them that they knew His human, but not His divine origin. So Toletus and others.
Ver. 28.— Jesus therefore cried in the temple, &c. I grant what you say, that ye know My ancestry and My parents ; though ye are much mistaken. Ye do not know them ; for the Jews knew not the Godhead of Christ, regarding Him only as the son of Joseph. But S. Chrysostom and Maldonatus explain thus : “Ye know Me, i.e., ye ought, and are able to know that I am the Messiah. For I have proved this from prophecy, and confirmed it by miracles.”
He cried as showing that He knew their secret murmurings. And the things which they spake secretly (says S. Chrysostom), He openly proclaimed, and confounded them. In order also by His loud speaking to gain attention and add weight to His preaching.
I am not come of Myself but sent of the Father. But He is true in faithfully and truthfully fulfilling in My person the promises made to Abraham and David. But ye know him not, i.e., to be My Father, and that He sent Me to redeem the world. Or otherwise, “ye know Him not, ye do not obey, love, or worship Him, as though ye knew Him.” So Theophylact.
Ver. 29. — But I know Him, for 1 am from Him, and He hath sent Me. “Born,” saith S. Augustine, “by divine and eternal generation , inasmuch as I am His own proper and natural Son : ” and He sent Me “into the world by My Incarnation.” “See,” saith Theophylact , “ the two natures in Christ set forth in this passage, for by His saying, ( I am of Him,’ His Divine Substance is set forth ; but His human when He says, ‘and He sent Me.’” Christ here refutes them of Jerusalem, who excused themselves for not believing in Him, because they knew His parents, whereas no one was to know the parents of Christ. For He shows that they knew not either His Divine generation from the Father, nor His human generation, by having been Incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary ; and that this was no hindrance to their duty of believing in Him as the Messiah, even though His parentage were not known.
Ver. 30. — They therefore sought to take him, but no man laid hands on him. Who were they? asks S. Chrysostom. Not the multitude, but the priests, who hated Jesus because the people preferred Him to them, and He was held to be the Messiah. Because his hour was not yet come , the hour at which He had resolved to die (says Theophylact ), for when He thought it the time for Him to suffer He gave
Himself to His crucifiers. This manifestly shows the wisdom of the Saviour “ in not wishing to die except at the fitting and suitable time which was destined for Him. For the passion of Christ was free and voluntary, not of force or compulsion. His hour means the hour chosen by Himself, and determined on for His death.” S. Cyril here argues at length against the brethren who thought that some hours were favourable, and others unfavourable to man. For he teaches that times as well as men are subjected to and regulated by God's providence.
Ver. 31. — But many of the people, &c. For the people were more simple-minded, candid, and eager for their own salvation, than the priests, who hated Jesus, whom the people regarded as the Messiah, while they themselves were but little regarded; which greatly excited their hatred against Christ. When Christ cometh, &c. Why then should we not accept this man who is here as the Christ? For it is prudence to prefer a certainty to an uncertainty, and the present to the future. For they had seen many miracles wrought, of which S. John says nothing, as having been related at length by the other Evangelists. So says S. Chrysostom, “The people conjectured rightly, being led, as it were, on their own feet to proper belief, through the greatness of what they had seen, but waiting for the teaching of the rulers respecting Christ;” and further on, “the head (as is said) became the tail. For the rulers simply follow, and consenting to the wickedness of the Pharisees make a headlong attack on Christ.”
Ver. 32. — The Pharisees heard , &c. As though He were exciting the people to sedition (Euthymius) ; but more truly from envy. The Greek adds “the chief priests .” The Pharisees belonged to the Council, and accused Jesus before the chief priests, and drew them over to their resolve to kill Jesus.
Ver. 33. — Jesus therefore said unto them , &c., that is, to the officers of the chief priests, to win them over (says Chrysostom) by showing that He knew the cause of their coming, “ and that they might tell it to their masters.” “ Yet a little while” I will not for long trouble your masters, for I am weary of dwelling with murderers. “ I will fly from the ungodly,” says Cyril. “I will preach for six months more among you, till the Passover. For then will be My time, appointed by the Father, to die for the salvation of the world. It is in vain that ye now seek to kill Me. Ye can do nothing against God’s will. Ye are labouring in vain, and kicking against the pricks.” Christ here displays His greatness of mind, and His divine foreknowledge and power, wherewith He laughs their efforts to scorn, and disperses them as spiders’ webs. I go; that is, I shall soon go, signifying that His death was voluntary, says Theophylact, quoting S. Chrysostom. It was in vain that they attempted violence against Him. “I go” means “I will go of My own accord and give up myself to you for bonds, scourging and death.” To him that sent me. This signifies (1.) that He would go willingly, (2.) that the persecution of the rulers would do Him no hurt (so Chrysostom and Euthymius). (3.) He would alarm them, for, going to the Father, He would declare to Him their hatred towards Him, and demand punishment. So S. Chrysostom and S. Cyril. “ In vain ye sharpen against Me the sword of wickedness. Ye will not make life subject to death ; I shall ascend into heaven, bearing before angels and men the accusation of your wickedness. For the first will wonder at His return, and the others, going forth to meet Him, will ask ‘What are these wounds in Thy hands?’ And I will answer, ‘With these was I wounded in the house of My beloved.’” (Zech. xiii. 6).
Ver. 34. — Ye shall seek Me , &c. Ye will seek for another Messiah, but ye will not find Him, for there is no other Christ but Myself. So Toletus. But this is far from clear, and not to the point. It means more plainly and simply : When ye hear that I have risen, and by My disciples am working miracles, ye will seek to kill Me again, and thus utterly extirpate My name and My religion. But ye will not find Me, for I shall ascend with glory into heaven, and though ye slay My Apostles, I will put others in their place to propagate My doctrine and Church through all the world. So Rupertus.
But (4.) Jansen and others explain thus. After My death and
ascension many of you who despised Me, will by the preaching of the Apostles desire to see and hear Me, but will not find Me because I go up to heaven. So Cyril, who teaches that a blessing should be embraced when present, lest afterward we should seek for it in vain. For opportunity has locks (of hair) in front (as is said), but is bald behind.
Morally. Learn to admire and imitate Christ's calmness and
patience in answering. “For,” says S. Cyril, “a mind devoted to God ought to avoid all assaults of anger, and to take pleasure in gentle thoughts. Labour greatly to be versed in endurance, that thou mayest appear to all to bear adversities patiently, to have a gentle mind, and not to speak unseemly words even against thine enemies.”