91 And passing by, he saw a man blind from birth, 2 and his disciples asked him, saying, 'Rabbi, who did sin, this one or his parents, that he should be born blind?' 3 Jesus answered, 'Neither did this one sin nor his parents, but that the works of God may be manifested in him; 4 it behoveth me to be working the works of Him who sent me while it is day; night doth come, when no one is able to work:— 5 when I am in the world, I am a light of the world.' 6 These things saying, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and rubbed the clay on the eyes of the blind man, and said to him, 7 'Go away, wash at the pool of Siloam,' which is, interpreted, Sent. He went away, therefore, and did wash, and came seeing;
8 the neighbours, therefore, and those seeing him before, that he was blind, said, 'Is not this he who is sitting and begging?' 9 others said—'This is he;' and others—'He is like to him;' he himself said,—'I am 'he'.' 10 They said, therefore, to him, 'How were thine eyes opened?' 11 he answered and said, 'A man called Jesus made clay, and rubbed my eyes, and said to me, Go away to the pool of Siloam, and wash; and having gone away and having washed, I received sight;' 12 they said, therefore, to him, 'Where is that one?' he saith, 'I have not known.'
13 They bring him to the Pharisees who once 'was' blind, 14 and it was a sabbath when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. 15 Again, therefore, the Pharisees also were asking him how he received sight, and he said to them, 'Clay he did put upon my eyes, and I did wash—and I see.' 16 Of the Pharisees, therefore, certain said, 'This man is not from God, because the sabbath he doth not keep;' others said, 'How is a man—a sinful one—able to do such signs?' and there was a division among them. 17 They said to the blind man again, 'Thou—what dost thou say of him—that he opened thine eyes?' 18 and he said—'He is a prophet.' The Jews, therefore, did not believe concerning him that he was blind and did receive sight, till that they called the parents of him who received sight, 19 and they asked them, saying, 'Is your son, of whom ye say that he was born blind? how then now doth he see?' 20 His parents answered them and said, 'We have known that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 and how he now seeth, we have not known; or who opened his eyes, we have not known; himself is of age, ask him; he himself shall speak concerning himself.' 22 These things said his parents, because they were afraid of the Jews, for already had the Jews agreed together, that if any one may confess him—Christ, he may be put out of the synagogue; 23 because of this his parents said—'He is of age, ask him.' 24 They called, therefore, a second time the man who was blind, and they said to him, 'Give glory to God, we have known that this man is a sinner;' 25 he answered, therefore, and said, 'If he be a sinner—I have not known, one thing I have known, that, being blind, now I see.' 26 And they said to him again, 'What did he to thee? how did he open thine eyes?' 27 He answered them, 'I told you already, and ye did not hear; why again do ye wish to hear? do ye also wish to become his disciples?' 28 They reviled him, therefore, and said, 'Thou art his disciple, and we are Moses' disciples; 29 we have known that God hath spoken to Moses, but this one—we have not known whence he is.' 30 The man answered and said to them, 'Why, in this is a wonderful thing, that ye have not known whence he is, and he opened my eyes! 31 and we have known that God doth not hear sinners, but, if any one may be a worshipper of God, and may do His will, him He doth hear; 32 from the age it was not heard, that any one did open eyes of one who hath been born blind; 33 if this one were not from God, he were not able to do anything.' 34 They answered and said to him, 'In sins thou wast born altogether, and thou dost teach us!' and they cast him forth without.
35 Jesus heard that they cast him forth without, and having found him, he said to him, 'Dost thou believe in the Son of God?' 36 he answered and said, 'Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?' 37 And Jesus said to him, 'Thou hast both seen him, and he who is speaking with thee is he;' 38 and he said, 'I believe, sir,' and bowed before him.
39 And Jesus said, 'For judgment I to this world did come, that those not seeing may see, and those seeing may become blind.' 40 And those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and they said to him, 'Are we also blind?' 41 Jesus said to them, 'If ye were blind, ye were not having had sin, but now ye say—We see, therefore doth your sin remain.
101 'Verily, verily, I say to you, He who is not entering through the door to the fold of the sheep, but is going up from another side, that one is a thief and a robber; 2 and he who is entering through the door is shepherd of the sheep; 3 to this one the doorkeeper doth open, and the sheep hear his voice, and his own sheep he doth call by name, and doth lead them forth; 4 and when his own sheep he may put forth, before them he goeth on, and the sheep follow him, because they have known his voice; 5 and a stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him, because they have not known the voice of strangers.' 6 This similitude spake Jesus to them, and they knew not what the things were that he was speaking to them;
7 Jesus said therefore again to them, 'Verily, verily, I say to you—I am the door of the sheep; 8 all, as many as came before me, are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them; 9 I am the door, through me if any one may come in, he shall be saved, and he shall come in, and go out, and find pasture. 10 'The thief doth not come, except that he may steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they may have life, and may have 'it' abundantly. 11 'I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd his life layeth down for the sheep; 12 and the hireling, and not being a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, doth behold the wolf coming, and doth leave the sheep, and doth flee; and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep; 13 and the hireling doth flee because he is an hireling, and is not caring for the sheep. 14 'I am the good shepherd, and I know my 'sheep', and am known by mine, 15 according as the Father doth know me, and I know the Father, and my life I lay down for the sheep, 16 and other sheep I have that are not of this fold, these also it behoveth me to bring, and my voice they will hear, and there shall become one flock—one shepherd. 17 'Because of this doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that again I may take it; 18 no one doth take it from me, but I lay it down of myself; authority I have to lay it down, and authority I have again to take it; this command I received from my Father.'
19 Therefore, again, there came a division among the Jews, because of these words, 20 and many of them said, 'He hath a demon, and is mad, why do ye hear him?' 21 others said, 'These sayings are not those of a demoniac; is a demon able blind men's eyes to open?'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 1:0
Complete ConciseChapter Contents
The Divinity of Christ. (1-5) His Divine and human nature. (6-14) John the Baptist's testimony to Christ. (15-18) John's public testimony concerning Christ. (19-28) Other testimonies of John concerning Christ. (29-36) Andrew and another disciple follow Jesus. (37-42) Philip and Nathanael called. (43-51)
Commentary on John 1:1-5
(Read John 1:1-5)
The plainest reason why the Son of God is called the Word, seems to be, that as our words explain our minds to others, so was the Son of God sent in order to reveal his Father's mind to the world. What the evangelist says of Christ proves that he is God. He asserts, His existence in the beginning; His coexistence with the Father. The Word was with God. All things were made by him, and not as an instrument. Without him was not any thing made that was made, from the highest angel to the meanest worm. This shows how well qualified he was for the work of our redemption and salvation. The light of reason, as well as the life of sense, is derived from him, and depends upon him. This eternal Word, this true Light shines, but the darkness comprehends it not. Let us pray without ceasing, that our eyes may be opened to behold this Light, that we may walk in it; and thus be made wise unto salvation, by faith in Jesus Christ.
Commentary on John 1:6-14
(Read John 1:6-14)
John the Baptist came to bear witness concerning Jesus. Nothing more fully shows the darkness of men's minds, than that when the Light had appeared, there needed a witness to call attention to it. Christ was the true Light; that great Light which deserves to be called so. By his Spirit and grace he enlightens all that are enlightened to salvation; and those that are not enlightened by him, perish in darkness. Christ was in the world when he took our nature upon him, and dwelt among us. The Son of the Highest was here in this lower world. He was in the world, but not of it. He came to save a lost world, because it was a world of his own making. Yet the world knew him not. When he comes as a Judge, the world shall know him. Many say that they are Christ's own, yet do not receive him, because they will not part with their sins, nor have him to reign over them. All the children of God are born again. This new birth is through the word of God as the means, 1 Peter 1:23, and by the Spirit of God as the Author. By his Divine presence Christ always was in the world. But now that the fulness of time was come, he was, after another manner, God manifested in the flesh. But observe the beams of his Divine glory, which darted through this veil of flesh. Men discover their weaknesses to those most familiar with them, but it was not so with Christ; those most intimate with him saw most of his glory. Although he was in the form of a servant, as to outward circumstances, yet, in respect of graces, his form was like the Son of God His Divine glory appeared in the holiness of his doctrine, and in his miracles. He was full of grace, fully acceptable to his Father, therefore qualified to plead for us; and full of truth, fully aware of the things he was to reveal.
Commentary on John 1:15-18
(Read John 1:15-18)
As to the order of time and entrance on his work, Christ came after John, but in every other way he was before him. The expression clearly shows that Jesus had existence before he appeared on earth as man. All fulness dwells in him, from which alone fallen sinners have, and shall receive, by faith, all that renders them wise, strong, holy, useful, and happy. Our receivings by Christ are all summed up in this one word, grace; we have received "even grace," a gift so great, so rich, so invaluable; the good will of God towards us, and the good work of God in us. The law of God is holy, just, and good; and we should make the proper use of it. But we cannot derive from it pardon, righteousness, or strength. It teaches us to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour, but it cannot supply the place of that doctrine. As no mercy comes from God to sinners but through Jesus Christ, no man can come to the Father but by him; no man can know God, except as he is made known in the only begotten and beloved Son.
Commentary on John 1:19-28
(Read John 1:19-28)
John disowns himself to be the Christ, who was now expected and waited for. He came in the spirit and power of Elias, but he was not the person of Elias. John was not that Prophet whom Moses said the Lord would raise up to them of their brethren, like unto him. He was not such a prophet as they expected, who would rescue them from the Romans. He gave such an account of himself, as might excite and awaken them to hearken to him. He baptized the people with water as a profession of repentance, and as an outward sign of the spiritual blessings to be conferred on them by the Messiah, who was in the midst of them, though they knew him not, and to whom he was unworthy to render the meanest service.
Commentary on John 1:29-36
(Read John 1:29-36)
John saw Jesus coming to him, and pointed him out as the Lamb of God. The paschal lamb, in the shedding and sprinkling of its blood, the roasting and eating of its flesh, and all the other circumstances of the ordinance, represented the salvation of sinners by faith in Christ. And the lambs sacrificed every morning and evening, can only refer to Christ slain as a sacrifice to redeem us to God by his blood. John came as a preacher of repentance, yet he told his followers that they were to look for the pardon of their sins to Jesus only, and to his death. It agrees with God's glory to pardon all who depend on the atoning sacrifice of Christ. He takes away the sin of the world; purchases pardon for all that repent and believe the gospel. This encourages our faith; if Christ takes away the sin of the world, then why not my sin? He bore sin for us, and so bears it from us. God could have taken away sin, by taking away the sinner, as he took away the sin of the old world; but here is a way of doing away sin, yet sparing the sinner, by making his Son sin, that is, a sin-offering, for us. See Jesus taking away sin, and let that cause hatred of sin, and resolutions against it. Let us not hold that fast, which the Lamb of God came to take away. To confirm his testimony concerning Christ, John declares the appearance at his baptism, in which God himself bore witness to him. He saw and bare record that he is the Son of God. This is the end and object of John's testimony, that Jesus was the promised Messiah. John took every opportunity that offered to lead people to Christ.
Commentary on John 1:37-42
(Read John 1:37-42)
The strongest and most prevailing argument with an awakened soul to follow Christ, is, that it is he only who takes away sin. Whatever communion there is between our souls and Christ, it is he who begins the discourse. He asked, What seek ye? The question Jesus put to them, we should all put to ourselves when we begin to follow Him, What do we design and desire? In following Christ, do we seek the favour of God and eternal life? He invites them to come without delay. Now is the accepted time, 2 Corinthians 6:2. It is good for us to be where Christ is, wherever it be. We ought to labour for the spiritual welfare of those related to us, and seek to bring them to Him. Those who come to Christ, must come with a fixed resolution to be firm and constant to him, like a stone, solid and stedfast; and it is by his grace that they are so.
Commentary on John 1:43-51
(Read John 1:43-51)
See the nature of true Christianity, it is following Jesus; devoting ourselves to him, and treading in his steps. Observe the objection Nathanael made. All who desire to profit by the word of God, must beware of prejudices against places, or denominations of men. They should examine for themselves, and they will sometimes find good where they looked for none. Many people are kept from the ways of religion by the unreasonable prejudices they conceive. The best way to remove false notions of religion, is to make trial of it. In Nathanael there was no guile. His profession was not hypocritical. He was not a dissembler, nor dishonest; he was a sound character, a really upright, godly man. Christ knows what men are indeed. Does He know us? Let us desire to know him. Let us seek and pray to be Israelites indeed, in whom is no guile; truly Christians, approved of Christ himself. Some things weak, imperfect, and sinful, are found in all, but hypocrisy belongs not to a believer's character. Jesus witnessed what passed when Nathanael was under the fig-tree. Probably he was then in fervent prayer, seeking direction as to the Hope and Consolation of Israel, where no human eye observed him. This showed him that our Lord knew the secrets of his heart. Through Christ we commune with, and benefit by the holy angels; and things in heaven and things on earth are reconciled and united together.