The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV
Page 529
8:41 We were not born of fornication. The Jews may well have been referring to the controversy surrounding Jesus’ birth. The Jews knew the story about Mary’s betrothal and that Joseph was not Jesus’ real father; thus they implied that Jesus’ birth was illegitimate (see Matt. 1:18–25; Luke 1:26–38).
8:42 If God were your Father, you would love Me. The construction here (as in v. 39) denies that God is truly their Father. Although the OT calls Israel His “firstborn son” (Ex. 4:22) and affirms that God is Israel’s father by creation and separation (Jer. 31:9), the unbelief of the Jews toward Jesus demonstrated that God was not their Father spiritually. Jesus stressed that the explicit criterion verifying the claim to be a child of God is love for His Son, Jesus. Since God is love, those who love His Son also demonstrate His nature (1 John 4:7–11; 5:1).
8:44 your father the devil. Sonship is predicated on conduct. A son will manifest his father’s characteristics (cf. Eph. 5:1, 2). Since the Jews exhibited the patterns of Satan in their hostility toward Jesus and their failure to believe in Him as Messiah, their paternity was the exact opposite of their claims, i.e., they belonged to Satan. He was a murderer from the beginning. Jesus’ words refer to the fall when Satan tempted Adam and Eve and successfully killed their spiritual life (Gen. 2:17; 3:17–24; Rom. 5:12; Heb. 2:14). Some think that the reference may also refer to Cain’s murder of Abel (Gen. 4:1–9; 1 John 3:12).
8:46 convicts Me of sin. Although the Jews argued that Jesus was guilty of sin (5:18), the sense here is that the perfect holiness of Christ was demonstrated, not by the Jews’ silence at Jesus’ question here, but by the assurance of His direct consciousness of the purity of His whole life. Only a perfectly holy One who has the closest and most intimate communion with the Father could speak such words. The Jews could martial no convincing evidence that could convict Him of sin in the heavenly court.
8:48 You are a Samaritan. Since the Jews could not attack Jesus’ personal life and conduct (v. 46), they tried an ad hominem attack of personal abuse toward Him. The reference to Jesus as a “Samaritan” probably centers in the fact that the Samaritans, like Jesus, questioned the Jews’ exclusive right to be called Abraham’s children (see vv. 33, 39).
8:51 never see death. Heeding Jesus’ teaching and following Him results in eternal life (6:63, 68). Physical death cannot extinguish such life (see 5:24; 6:40, 47; 11:25, 26).
8:52 Abraham is dead. Jesus’ assertion that anyone who keeps His word will never die (v. 51) prompted the Jews to offer a retort that once again revealed their thinking on strictly a literal and earthly level (see 3:4; 4:15).
8:56 Hebrews 11:13 indicates that Abraham saw Christ’s day (“having seen them afar off”; see note there). Abraham particularly saw in the continuing seed of Isaac the beginning of God’s fulfilling the covenant (Gen. 12:1–3; 15:1–21; 17:1–8; cf. 22:8) that would culminate in Christ.
8:58 Most assuredly. See note on 1:51. I AM. See note on 6:22–58. Here Jesus declared Himself to be Yahweh, i.e., the Lord of the OT. Basic to the expression are such passages as Ex. 3:14; Deut. 32:39; Is. 41:4; 43:10 where God declared Himself to be the eternally pre-existent God who revealed Himself in the OT to the Jews. See also notes on vv. 24, 28.
8:59 they took up stones. The Jews understood Jesus’ claim and followed Lev. 24:16, which indicates that any man who falsely claims to be God should be stoned. hid Himself…going through the midst of them. Jesus repeatedly escaped arrest and death because His hour had not yet come (see notes on 7:8, 30). The verse most likely indicates escape by miraculous means.
John 9
9:1–13 Jesus performed a miracle by recreating the eyes of a man who was born with congenital blindness (v. 1). Four features highlight this healing: 1) the problem that precipitated the healing (v. 1); 2) the purpose for the man’s being born blind (vv. 2–5); 3) the power that healed him (vv. 6, 7); and 4) the perplexity of the people who saw the healing (vv. 8–13).
9:2 who sinned. While sin may be a cause of suffering, as clearly indicated in Scripture (see 5:14; Num. 12; 1 Cor. 11:30; James 5:15), it is not always the case necessarily (see Job; 2 Cor. 12:7; Gal. 4:13). The disciples assumed, like most Jews of their day, that sin was the primary, if not exclusive, cause of all suffering. In this instance, however, Jesus made it clear that personal sin was not the reason for the blindness (see v. 3).
9:3 Jesus did not deny the general connection between sin and suffering, but refuted the idea that personal acts of sin were the direct cause. God’s sovereignty and purposes play a part in such matters, as is clear from Job 1, 2.
9:4 while it is day. Jesus meant as long as He was still on earth with His disciples. The phrase does not mean that Jesus somehow stopped being the light of the world once He ascended but that the light shone most brightly among men when He was on the earth doing the Father’s will (cf. 8:12). the night is coming. See notes on 1:4, 5; 1 John 1:5–7. The darkness has special reference to the period when Jesus was taken from His disciples during His crucifixion (v. 5).
9:5 I am the light of the world. See note on 8:12; cf. 1:5, 9; 3:19; 12:35, 46. Not only was Jesus spiritually the light of the world, but He would also provide the means of physical light for this blind man.
9:6 made clay with the saliva. As He had done when He originally made human beings out of the dust of the ground (Gen. 2:7), Jesus may have used the clay to fashion a new pair of eyes.
9:7 wash in the pool of Siloam. The term “Siloam” is Heb. for “Sent.” The pool of Siloam was SE of the original City of David. Its water source was through a channel (Hezekiah’s tunnel) that carried water to it from the spring of Gihon in the Kidron Valley. It may be identified with the “lower pool” or “old pool” mentioned in Is. 22:9, 11. Water for the water-pouring rites at the Feast of Tabernacles was drawn from this pool (see notes on 7:37–39).
9:8, 9 In ancient times, such severe physical deformities as congenital blindness sentenced a person to begging as the only means of support (see Acts 3:1–7). The drastic change in the healed man caused many to faithlessly believe that he was not the person born blind.
9:13–34 This section in the story of the healing of the blind man reveals some key characteristics of willful unbelief: 1) unbelief sets false standards; 2) unbelief always wants more evidence but never has enough; 3) unbelief does biased research on a purely subjective basis; 4) unbelief rejects the facts; and 5) unbelief is self-centered. John included this section on the dialogue of the Pharisees with the blind man most likely for two reasons: 1) the dialogue carefully demonstrates the character of willful and fixed unbelief, and 2) the story confirms the first great schism between the synagogue and Christ’s new followers. The blind man was the first known person thrown out of the synagogue because he chose to follow Christ (see 16:1–3).
9:13 They. This has reference to the blind man’s “neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind” (v. 8). to the Pharisees. The people brought the blind man to the Pharisees most likely because the miracle had happened on the Sabbath (v. 14), and they were aware that the Pharisees reacted negatively to those who violated the Sabbath (cf. 5:1–15). The people also wanted advice from their local synagogue and religious leaders.
9:16 not from God. The reasoning may have been that since Jesus violated their interpretation of the Sabbath law, He could not be the promised Prophet of God (Deut. 13:1–5). a division. Earlier the crowds were divided in opinion regarding Jesus (7:40–43); here the authorities also became divided.
9:17 “He is a prophet.” While the blind man saw clearly that Jesus was more than a mere man, the sighted but obstinate Pharisees were spiritually blind to that truth (see v. 39). Blindness in the Bible is a metaphor for spiritual darkness, i.e., inability to discern God or His truth (2 Cor. 4:3–6; Col. 1:12–14).
9:18 called the parents. While neighbors may have been mistaken as to the man’s identity, the parents would know if this was their own son. The authorities considered the witness of the healed man worthless.
9:27 In order to forcefully emphasize their hypocrisy, the healed man resorted to biting sarcasm when he suggested they desired to be Jesus’ disciples.
9:28 You are His disciple, but we are Moses’. At this point, the meeting degenerated into a shouting match of insults. The healed man’s wit had exposed the bias of his inquisitors. As far as the authorities were concerned, the conflict between Jesus and Moses was irreconcilable. If the healed man defended Jesus, then such defense could only mean that he was Jesus’ disciple.
9:30 The healed man demonstrated more spiritual insight and common sense than all of the religious authorities combined who sat in judgment of Jesus and him. His penetrating wit focused in on their intractable unbelief. His logic was that such an extraordinary miracle could only indicate that Jesus was from God, for the Jews believed that God responds in proportion to the righteousness of the one praying (see Job 27:9; 35:13; Pss. 66:18; 109:7; Prov. 15:29; Is. 1:15; cf. 14:13, 14; 16:23–27; 1 John 3:21, 22). The greatness of the miracle could only indicate that Jesus was actually from God.
9:34 are you teaching us? The Pharisees were incensed with the man, and their anger prevented them from seeing the penetrating insight that the uneducated, healed man had demonstrated. The phrase also revealed their ignorance of Scripture, for the OT indicated that the coming messianic age would be evidenced by restoration of sight to the blind (Is. 29:18; 35:5; 42:7; cf. Matt. 11:4, 5; Luke 4:18, 19).
9:35–41 While vv. 1–34 dealt with Jesus’ restoration of physical sight in the blind man, vv. 35–41 featured Jesus bringing spiritual “sight” to him.
9:35 Do you believe… ? Jesus invited the man to put his trust in Him as the One who revealed God to man. Jesus placed great emphasis on public acknowledgment of who He was and confession of faith in Him (Matt. 10:32; Luke 12:8). Son of God. As in the marginal note, this should be Son of Man (cf. 1:51; 3:13, 14; 5:27; 6:27, 53, 62; 8:28).
9:36 Lord. The word here should be understood not as an indication that he understood Jesus’ deity but as meaning “sir.” See also v. 38. Since the blind man had never seen Jesus (v. 7) nor met Him since he went to wash in the pool, he did not recognize Jesus at first as the One who healed him.
9:39 For judgment. Not that His purpose was to condemn, but rather to save (12:47; Luke 19:10); saving some, nevertheless, involves condemning others (see notes on 3:16–18). The last part of this verse is taken from Is. 6:10; 42:19 (cf. Mark 4:12). those who do not see. Those people who know they are in spiritual darkness. those who see. Refers in an ironic way to those who think they are in the light, but are not (cf. Mark 2:17; Luke 5:31).
9:40 “Are we blind also?” Apparently Jesus found (v. 35) the man in a public place, where the Pharisees were present listening.
9:41 your sin remains. Jesus had particular reference to the sin of unbelief and rejection of Him as Messiah and Son of God. If they knew their lostness and darkness and cried out for spiritual light, they would no longer be guilty of the sin of unbelief in Christ. But satisfied that their darkness was light, and continuing in rejection of Christ, their sin remained. See note on Matt. 6:22, 23.
John 10
10:1–39 Jesus’ discourse on Himself as the “Good Shepherd” flowed directly from chap. 9, as Jesus continued to talk to the very same people. The problem of chap. 9 was that Israel was led by false shepherds who drew them astray from the true knowledge and kingdom of Messiah (9:39–41). In chap. 10, Jesus declared Himself to be the “Good Shepherd” who was appointed by His Father as Savior and King, in contrast to the false shepherds of Israel who were self-appointed and self-righteous (Ps. 23:1; Is. 40:11; Jer. 3:15; cf. Is. 56:9–12; Jer. 23:1–4; 25:32–38; Ezek. 34:1–31; Zech. 11:16).
10:1 sheepfold. Jesus spoke in vv. 1–30 using a sustained metaphor based on first century sheep ranching. The sheep were kept in a pen, which had a gate through which the sheep entered and left. The shepherd engaged a “doorkeeper” (v. 3) or “hireling” (v. 12) as an undershepherd to guard the gate. The shepherd entered through that gate. He whose interest was stealing or wounding the sheep would choose another way to attempt entrance. The words of Ezek. 34 most likely form the background to Jesus’ teaching since God decried the false shepherds of Israel (i.e., the spiritual leaders of the nation) for not caring properly for the flock of Israel (i.e., the nation). The gospels themselves contain extensive sheep/shepherd imagery (see Matt. 9:36; Mark 6:34; 14:27; Luke 15:1–7).
10:3 the doorkeeper. The doorkeeper was a hired undershepherd who recognized the true shepherd of the flock, opened the gate for Him, assisted the shepherd in caring for the flock, and especially guarded them at night. the sheep hear his voice. Near Eastern shepherds stand at different locations outside the sheep pen, sounding out their own unique calls which their sheep recognize. As a result, the sheep gather around the shepherd. he calls his own sheep by name. This shepherd goes even further by calling each sheep by its own special name. Jesus’ point is that He comes to the fold of Israel and calls out His own sheep individually to come into His own messianic fold. The assumption is that they are already in some way His sheep even before He calls them by name (see vv. 25–27; 6:37, 39, 44, 64, 65; 17:6, 9, 24; 18:9).
10:4, 5 Unlike Western shepherds who drive the sheep from the side or behind, often using sheep dogs, Near Eastern shepherds lead their flocks, their voice calling them to move on. This draws a remarkable picture of the master/disciple relationship. NT spiritual leadership is always by example, i.e., a call to imitate conduct (cf. 1 Tim. 4:12; 1 Pet. 5:1–3).
10:6 illustration. The word here is best translated “illustration” or “figure of speech” and conveys the idea that something cryptic or enigmatic is intended in it. It occurs again in 16:25, 29 but not in the synoptics. Having given the illustration (vv. 1–5), Jesus then began to draw salient spiritual truth from it.
10:7–10 I am the door. This is the third of 7 “I AM” statements of Jesus (see 6:35; 8:12). Here, He changes the metaphor slightly. While in vv. 1–5 He was the shepherd, here He is the gate. While in vv. 1–5, the shepherd led the sheep out of the pen, here He is the entrance to the pen (v. 9) that leads to proper pasture. This section echoes Jesus’ words in 14:6 that He is the only way to the Father. His point is that He serves as the sole means to approach the Father and partake of God’s promised salvation. As some Near Eastern shepherds slept in the gateway to guard the sheep, Jesus here pictures Himself as the gate.
10:9, 10 These two verses are a proverbial way of insisting that belief in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God is the only way of being “saved” from sin and hell and receiving eternal life. Only Jesus Christ is the one true source for the knowledge of God and the one basis for spiritual security.
10:11–18 Jesus picked up another expression from vv. 1–5, i.e., He is the “good shepherd” in contrast to the present evil leadership of Israel (9:40, 41). This is the fourth of 7 “I AM” statements of Jesus (see vv. 7, 9; 6:35; 8:12). The term “good” has the idea of “noble” and stands in contrast to the “hireling” who cares only for self-interest.
10:11 gives His life for the sheep. This is a reference to Jesus’ substitutionary death for sinners on the cross. Cf. v. 15; 6:51; 11:50, 51; 17:19; 18:14.
10:12 sees the wolf coming…flees. The hireling (or, hired hand) likely represents religious leaders who perform their duty in good times but who never display sacrificial care for the sheep in times of danger. They stand in contrast to Jesus, who laid down His life for His flock (see 15:13).
10:16 not of this fold. This refers to Gentiles
who will respond to His voice and become a part of the church (cf. Rom. 1:16). Jesus’ death was not only for Jews (see notes on vv. 1, 3), but also non-Jews whom He will make into one new body, the church (see notes on 11:51, 52; cf. Eph. 2:11–22).
10:17, 18 take it again. Jesus repeated this phrase twice in these two verses indicating that His sacrificial death was not the end. His resurrection followed in demonstration of His messiahship and deity (Rom. 1:4). His death and resurrection resulted in His ultimate glorification (12:23; 17:5) and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (7:37–39; cf. Acts 2:16–39).
10:19–21 The Jews once again had a mixed reaction to Jesus’ words (see 7:12, 13). While some charged Him with demon possession (see 7:20; 8:48; cf. Matt. 12:22–32), others concluded His works and words were a demonstration of God’s sanction upon Him.
10:22 Feast of Dedication. The Jewish celebration of Hanukkah, which celebrates the Israelite victory over the Syrian leader Antiochus Epiphanes, who persecuted Israel. In ca. 170 B.C. he conquered Jerusalem and desecrated the Jewish temple by setting up a pagan altar to displace the altar of God. Under the leadership of an old priest named Mattathias (his family name was called the Hasmoneans), the Jews fought guerrilla warfare (known as the Maccabean Revolt—166–142 B.C.) against Syria and freed the temple and the land from Syrian dominance until 63 B.C. when Rome (Pompey) took control of Palestine. It was in 164 B.C. on 25 Chislev (Dec. approximately), that the Jews liberated the temple and rededicated it. The celebration is also known as the “Feast of Lights” because of the lighting of lamps and candles in Jewish homes to commemorate the event. it was winter. John indicated by this phrase that the cold weather drove Jesus to walk on the eastern side of the temple in the sheltered area of Solomon’s porch, which after the resurrection became the regular gathering place of Christians where they would proclaim the gospel (see Acts 3:11; 5:12).