Amen, amen I say to you: If any man keep my word, he shall not see death for ever.

“(tom. xx. s. 31.) We must understand Him, as it were, to say, If a man keep My light, he shall not see darkness for ever; for ever being taken as common to both clauses, as if the sentence were, If a man keep My saying for ever, He shall not see death for ever: meaning that a man does not see death, so long as he keeps Christ’s word. But when a man, by becoming sluggish in the observance of His words, and negligent in the keeping of his own heart, ceases to keep them, he then sees death; he brings it upon himself. Thus taught then by our Saviour, to the prophet who asks, What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? (Ps. 88) we are able to answer, He who keepeth Christ’s word.”

“(Tr. xliii. 10, 11) See is put for experience. But since, about to die Himself, He spoke with those about to die, what means this, If a man keep My saying, he shall never see death? What, but that He saw another death from which He came to free us, death eternal, the death of the damned, which is shared with the devil and his angels! That is the true death: the other is a passage only.”

“(Hom. xviii. in Evang.) As the perversity of the wicked increases, preaching so far from giving way, ought even to become more active. Thus our Lord, after He had been accused of having a devil, imparts the treasures of preaching in a still larger degree: Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep My saying, he shall never see death.”

“Above, the Lord had promised two things to those who follow him: namely, liberation from darkness, and the attainment of life, saying: "he who follows me does not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." And of the first indeed it was spoken above; but now he deals with the second, namely with the attainment of life through Christ, and first he sets forth the truth; second he repels the contradiction of the Jews, at the place "The Jews therefore said: now we know," and so on. Now it should be known that although Christ had been provoked with injuries and reproaches, he did not for that reason cease from teaching; but after he had been said to have a devil, he bestowed the benefits of his preaching all the more abundantly, saying "amen, amen I say to you," and so on. In which an example is given to us, that when the perversity of evil men grows, and those who are converted are trampled down through the reproaches of men, preaching ought not only not to be broken off, but even to be increased; Ezekiel 2:6: "therefore, son of man, do not fear them, nor be afraid of their words"; 2 Timothy 2:9: "I labor even unto bonds, as an evildoer; but the word of God is not bound." Now the Lord does two things in these words. One indeed is what he requires, the other what he promises. He requires indeed the keeping of his word; hence he says "if anyone keeps my word." For the word of Christ is truth; therefore we ought to keep it, first indeed through faith and continual meditation; Proverbs 4:6: "keep her and she will keep you"; second through the fulfillment of the work; below, John 14:21: "he who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me." But he promises liberation from death; hence he says "he will not see death forever," that is, he will not experience it; Ecclesiasticus 24:30: "they who work in me," namely in the divine wisdom, "shall not sin; and they who make me clear shall have life everlasting." And fittingly such a reward is owed to such merit. For eternal life consists chiefly in the divine vision; below, John 17:3: "this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." Now a certain seedbed and beginning of this vision comes about in us through the word of Christ; Luke 8:11: "the seed is the word of God." Therefore just as he who keeps the seed of some plant or tree so that it not be spoiled arrives at the reception of the fruit, so he who keeps the word of God arrives at eternal life; Leviticus 18:5: "the things which a man shall do, he shall live in them." Consequently, when he says "the Jews therefore said," and so on, the refutation of the Jews' contradiction is set forth. Now they contradict Christ in three ways. First indeed by charging him with falsehood; second by mocking, at the place "the Jews therefore said to him: you are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" Third by persecuting, at the place "they therefore took up stones to cast at him." Concerning the first they do two things. First they attempt to convict him of presumption; second Christ responds to certain of the things that were said, at the place "if I glorify myself, my glory is nothing." Concerning the first they do three things. First they hurl a reproach; second they set forth a fact, at "Abraham is dead," and so on; third they question, at "are you greater than our father Abraham?" Now they hurled the reproach of lying when they say "now we know that you have a devil." And this they said for this reason, because it is known among the Jews that the deviser of sins is the Devil, and especially of lying, according to that saying, 3 Kings 22:22: "I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets." Now because it seemed to them that what the Lord said, namely "if anyone keeps my word, he will not see death forever," was an open lie — for they, being carnal, understood of bodily death what he had said of spiritual and eternal death, and especially because it seemed to contradict the authority of Sacred Scripture, Psalm 88:49: "who is the man who lives, and shall not see death, shall he deliver his soul from the hand of hell?" — therefore they say to him "you have a devil," as if to say: from the instigation of the Devil you speak a lie. And in order to convict him of lying, they do two things. First indeed they set forth the death of the ancients; second they repeat the words of Christ, at "and you say," and so on. They say therefore: truly what you say is false: "if anyone keeps your word," and so on, for "Abraham," a man, "is dead," as is clear in Genesis 25. Likewise the prophets also have died; 2 Kings 14:14: "we all die, and like water we slip down into the earth, which does not return." And indeed although they have died bodily, nevertheless they have not died spiritually; Matthew 22:32, the Lord says: "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Afterward it follows: "he is not the God of the dead, but of the living." Therefore they are dead in body, but they live in spirit, because they kept the word of God, and lived by faith. And it was of that death that the Lord understood, not of bodily death. Now they repeat the word of Christ when they add "and you say: if anyone keeps my word, he will not taste death forever." Like careless and malicious hearers, confusing the Lord's saying, they do not repeat the same words. For the Lord said "he will not see death," but they in fact uttered "he will not taste death." But as to their intention it is the same: because by either expression they understand that death, namely bodily death, he will not experience forever. But as to the true meaning, there is a difference, as Origen says, between tasting death and seeing it: for to see death is to experience it perfectly; but to taste is to have some taste or participation of death. Now just as it is a greater penalty to see death than to taste it, so it is a greater glory not to taste death than not to see it. For those do not taste death who are on high with Christ, that is, who keep their standing in an intellectual place: of whom it is said, Matthew 16:28: "there are some of those standing here who will not taste death, until they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." Some, however, there are who, even if they do not see death by sinning mortally, nevertheless taste something through some light affection for earthly things. And therefore the Lord, as is found in the Greek, and as Origen also expounds, said "he will not see death forever": because he who has received and kept the word of Christ, even if he taste something, will nevertheless not see death. Now they question when they say "are you greater than our father Abraham, who has died?" And first indeed they ask concerning the comparison of him to the ancient fathers: "are you," they say, "greater than our father Abraham?" They could, as Chrysostom says, according to their carnal understanding, have asked something higher: namely, "are you greater than God?" For Abraham and the prophets kept the commandments of God, and nevertheless died bodily. So then if anyone keeps your word he will not die, it seems that you are greater than God. But they are content with this lesser charge, because they thought him lesser than Abraham; whereas it is written in Psalm 85:8: "there is none like you among the gods, O Lord"; and Exodus 15:11: "who is like you among the mighty, O Lord?" — as if to say, none. Second, they ask concerning his own estimation, namely what he makes himself to be; as if to say: if you are greater than these, namely Abraham and the prophets, it seems that by this it is understood that you are of a higher nature, perhaps an angel, or God. But we do not think this of you. And therefore they do not say "who are you," but "what do you make yourself?" Because whatever is said above these men, since we do not recognize it of you, we shall reckon that you are fabricating it. Similarly they said below, John 10:33: "for a good work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy: because you, being a man, make yourself God." Consequently, when he says "Jesus answered," and so on, the Lord's response is set forth, and first he responds to the second question; second to the first, at "Abraham your father rejoiced that he might see my day." Concerning the first the Lord does three things. First he excludes the falsity which they intended; second he teaches the truth, which they did not know, at "it is my Father who glorifies me"; third he makes manifest both of the things they had proposed, at "and you have not known him." He says therefore: you ask me, saying, "what do you make yourself?" as though I usurped for myself a glory that I do not have. But this utterance was superfluous, since I do not make myself to be what I am, but I have received it from the Father: for "if I glorify myself, my glory is nothing." This could be understood in this way of Christ according as he is the Son of God, so that it be said with precision, "if I," namely alone, "glorify myself," that is, attribute to myself glory which the Father does not attribute to me, "my glory is nothing": for the glory of Christ, according as he is God, is the glory of the Word and Son of God; but the Son has nothing except as born, that is, what he received by being born from another: if therefore it were granted, per impossibile, that his glory were not from another, it would not be the glory of the Son. It seems better, however, that this be said of Christ according as he is man. For whoever attributes to himself a glory which he does not have from God, that glory is false: for whatever is of truth is from God; but what is contrary to truth is false, and consequently, nothing. Glory therefore which is not from God is nothing; Hebrews 5:5, it is said of Christ, that "he did not glorify himself, that he might be made a high priest"; 2 Corinthians 10:18: "for it is not he who commends himself who is approved, but he whom God commends." Thus therefore the falsity of the Jews is made clear. Now the truth, which he intends to teach, he sets forth, saying "it is my Father who glorifies me," as if to say: I do not glorify myself, as you fabricate; but there is another who glorifies me, namely my Father: whom indeed he describes from his property, and from his nature. From the property indeed of fatherhood; hence he says "my Father," and not "I." From which word indeed, as Augustine says, the Arians calumniate against our faith, saying that the Father is greater than the Son: for greater is he who glorifies than he who is glorified by him. If therefore the Father glorifies the Son, the Father is greater than the Son. But it must be said that the argument would indeed have an appearance of truth, unless it were found conversely that the Son glorifies the Father: for the Son says, below, John 17:1: "Father, the hour has come, glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you." And in the same place: "I have glorified you on earth." Now in the Greek "to glorify" and "to make clear" are the same; and, according to Ambrose, "glory is a clear knowledge accompanied by praise." Now this saying, "it is my Father who glorifies me," can be referred to Christ both according as he is the Son of God, and according as he is the son of man. According indeed as he is the Son of God, the Father glorifies him with the glory of divinity, begetting him equal to himself from eternity; Hebrews 1:3: "who, being the brightness of glory and the figure of his substance...sits at the right hand of majesty on high"; Philippians 2:11: "every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father." But according as he is man, he had glory through the overflow of divinity into himself, and of a singular grace and glory; above, John 1:14: "we shall see his glory, glory as of the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." Now from the nature of divinity he describes him, when he says "whom you say is your God." But lest you think he means another father than God, he says he is glorified by God; below, John 13:31: "now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God also will glorify him in himself." But, according to Augustine, this saying is against the Manicheans, who say that the Father of Christ was not announced in the Old Testament, but is one of the princes of the evil angels. Now it is established that the Jews do not say that their God is other than the God of the Old Testament. Therefore the God of the Old Testament is the Father of Christ who glorifies him. Now he makes manifest both things, namely the falsity of the Jews, and his own truth, when he says "and you have not known him." Now he makes this manifest in two ways. First indeed by showing the ignorance of the Jews; second his own knowledge, at "but I have known him." Concerning the first it should be known that the Jews could say: you say that you are glorified by God; but his judgments are known to us, according to that saying, Psalm 147:20: "he has not done in like manner to every nation, and he has not made known his judgments to them." Therefore if what you say is true, we surely would know this: since therefore it escapes us, it is established that it is not true. And therefore, concluding, he says "and you have not known him"; as if to say: it is no wonder if you do not know the glory with which my Father glorifies me, whom you say is your God, since you do not even know God himself. But against this, Psalm 75: "God is known in Judea." I answer: as God, but not as Father, is he known by them; hence above he said "it is my Father who glorifies me." Or it must be said that "you have not known him" in affection: because you worship in a carnal manner him who is to be worshiped spiritually; above, John 4:24: "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." Likewise in effect, because you have scorned to fulfill his commandments; Titus 1:16: "they profess that they know God, but in their deeds they deny him." But because they could say: granted that we do not know your glory, how do you know that you have glory from God the Father? Therefore he adds his own knowledge, saying "but I know him," and first he sets forth his own knowledge; second he shows the necessity of declaring this knowledge, at "and if I should say that I do not know him, I shall be a liar like you"; third he explains what he says, at "but I know him." He says therefore: I know that I have glory from God the Father because I know him, with that knowledge indeed with which he himself knows himself, and no one else except the Son; Matthew 11:27: "no one knows the Son but the Father, nor does anyone know the Father but the Son," namely by the perfect knowledge of comprehension. And because everything imperfect takes its beginning from what is perfect, hence it is that all our knowledge is derived from the Word: hence it follows, "and to whomever the Son wills to reveal him." But because, to those judging according to the flesh, it could be ascribed to arrogance in Christ to say that he knows God, therefore he adds the necessity of his statement, when he adds "and if I should say that I do not know him, I shall be a liar like you." For, according to Augustine, arrogance is not to be avoided in such a way that truth be abandoned and a lie be incurred. Therefore he says "if I should say"; as if he said: just as you, saying that you know him, lie; so I, if I should say that I do not know, when I do know him, would be a liar like you. Hence this comparison follows from the contrary, so that the likeness is in the lying; because just as these men lie, saying that they know him whom they do not know, so Christ would be a liar, if he said he did not know whom he does know. But there is unlikeness in the knowledge: because these men do not know him, whereas Christ does know him. But could Christ have said this? He could indeed have uttered the words materially, but not have intended to express a falsehood: because this could not have come about except through an inclination of Christ's will toward falsehood, which was impossible, just as it was impossible for him to sin. Nevertheless the conditional statement is true, even though the antecedent and the consequent are impossible. Now that he knows the Father, he makes manifest by adding "but I know him": and by speculative knowledge, when he says "I know," intellectually through the said knowledge, "him," namely the Father; likewise by affective knowledge, namely through the consent of the will toward him: hence he says "and I keep his word"; above, John 6:38: "I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me." Consequently, when he says "Abraham your father rejoiced that he might see my day," he responds to the first question which the Jews had put to him, saying "are you greater than our father Abraham?" showing himself greater, by this reasoning. For whoever expects some good from someone, and his own perfection, is less than the one from whom he expects it; but Abraham had the whole hope of his perfection and his good in me: therefore he is less than me. And as to this he says "Abraham your father," of whom indeed you boast, "rejoiced that he might see my day." Here he sets forth a twofold vision and a twofold joy, but in one order and then another. For first he places beforehand the joy of rejoicing, saying "he rejoiced," and adds the vision, saying "that he might see." Then he places beforehand the vision, saying "he saw," and adds the joy, saying "and he was glad." And thus the joy stands between two visions, proceeding from one, and tending toward the other: as if he said, "he saw, and was glad that he might see my day." First then it must be seen what this day is which he saw, and rejoiced that he might see it. Now there is a twofold day of Christ: namely the day of eternity, of which in Psalm 2:7: "today have I begotten you." Likewise the day of the incarnation and of his humanity, of which below, John 9:4: "I must work...while it is day"; Romans 13:12: "the night has passed, and the day has drawn near." In both ways therefore we say that Abraham saw first the day of Christ, namely of eternity, and of the incarnation, through faith; Genesis 15:6: "Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice." And that he saw the day of eternity is manifest: for otherwise he would not have been justified by God, because, as it is said Hebrews 11:6, "he who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder to those who seek him." Now that he saw the day of the incarnation is made manifest from three things: namely from the oath which he exacted from his servant, for Genesis 24:2, he says to his servant whom he was sending: "put your hand under my thigh, and swear to me by the God of heaven." From which, as Augustine says, it was signified that from his thigh the God of heaven was to proceed. Second, as Gregory says, when in the figure of the highest Trinity he received three angels as guests. Third when he recognized the passion of Christ prefigured in the offering of the ram and Isaac; Genesis 22. Thus therefore from this vision he rejoiced; but he did not rest in it, rather from this he leapt forward in rejoicing to another vision, namely the open vision and vision through the divine essence, placing his whole joy, as it were, in it. Hence he says "he rejoiced that he might see," by an open vision, "my day," namely of my divinity and my humanity; Luke 10:24: "many kings and prophets desired to see the things which you see, and they did not see them." Consequently, when he says "the Jews therefore said to him," and so on, he shows how the Jews mock the words of Christ, and first the mockery of Christ's words by the Jews is set forth, for the purpose of refutation; second the manifestation of these very words by Christ is added, in order to avoid the mockery, at "Jesus therefore said: amen, amen I say to you," and so on. Since therefore Christ had said that Abraham rejoiced that he might see his day, the Jews, having a carnal mind, and weighing in him only the age of his flesh, mock the saying, and say "you are not yet fifty years old." Truly he was not yet fifty years old, nor even forty, but he was around thirty years old; Luke 3:23: "Jesus was beginning to be about thirty years old." Now that they say "you are not yet fifty years old" is perhaps for this reason, because among the Jews the jubilee year was held in the greatest reverence, as though reckoning everything by it, in which they also freed captives, and released purchased possessions. As if they said: you have not yet passed the span of a single jubilee, and have you seen Abraham? Although the Lord had not said that he had seen Abraham, but that Abraham had seen his day. And therefore the Lord, in order to avoid the mockery, responding to the Jews, explains his words, saying "amen, amen I say to you, before Abraham was made, I am": in which words the Lord says two notable things about himself, and things effective against the Arians. One is that, as Gregory says, he joins together at once the verb of the present tense and of the past. For "before" signifies the past; "I am" is of the present tense. Therefore, in order to show that he is eternal, and to suggest that his being is the being of eternity, he does not say "before Abraham I was," but "before Abraham I am": for eternal being does not know past and future time, but includes all time in one indivisible present. Hence that saying can be applied, Exodus 3:14: "he who is has sent me to you"; and "I am who am." Therefore before or after Abraham he had being, who was able both to approach through the display of a present, and to withdraw through the course of a life. The other is, according to Augustine, that when he was speaking of Abraham, who is a creature, he did not say "before Abraham was" but "before Abraham was made." But speaking of himself, in order to show that he was not made as a creature, but was begotten from eternity of the essence of the Father, he does not say "I am made," but "I am," he "who in the beginning was the Word"; above, John 1:1; Proverbs 8:25: "before all the hills the Lord begot me." Consequently, when he says "they therefore took up stones to cast at him," the intention of the Jews against Christ is set forth: and first the persecution of the Jews is set forth; second the escape of Christ. Now the persecution of the Jews proceeds from unbelief. For the minds of unbelievers, unable to bear the words of eternity, nor to understand them, reckoned it blasphemy; and therefore, according to the command of the law, wishing to stone him as a blasphemer, "they took up stones to cast at him," and so on. And, as Augustine says, such was the hardness of the stones — where would it run except to stones? Below, John 10:33: "for a good work we do not stone you." Similar is the action of those who, through hardness of heart not understanding a truth openly uttered, blaspheme the one who utters it; hence it is said in the canonical letter of Jude: "whatever things they do not know, they blaspheme." Now the escape of Christ is from his own power: hence it follows "but Jesus hid himself," who indeed, if he had wished to exercise the power of his divinity in his own acts, could have bound them, or overwhelmed them with the penalties of sudden death. Now he "hid himself," specifically for two reasons. First, that he might give to his faithful an example of avoiding their persecutors; Matthew 10:23: "if they persecute you in one city, flee into another." Second, because he had not chosen this kind of death, but rather wished to be immolated on the altar of the cross; and because the time was not yet fulfilled, he still fled. Thus therefore, as a man, he fled from the stones. Now he did not hide himself under a stone or in a corner, but by the power of his divinity, making himself invisible to them, he went out, and withdrew from the temple. He did something similar, Luke 4:29, when they wished to cast him down from the brow of the hill. By which, as Gregory says, it is given to be understood that truth itself is hidden from those who scorn to follow its words. For truth flees the humble mind which it does not find; Isaiah 8:17: "who hides his face from the house of Jacob." And likewise also because he had to leave them, who were not accepting correction and truth, and go to the Gentiles; Matthew 23:38: "behold, your house shall be left to you desolate." Chapter 9”

“In these verses we have, I. The doctrine of the immortality of believers laid down, Joh 8:51. It is ushered in with the usual solemn preface, Verily, verily, I say unto you, which commands both attention and assent, and this is what he says, If a man keep my sayings, he shall never see death. Here we have, 1. The character of a believer: he is one that keeps the sayings of the Lord Jesus, ton logon ton emon - my word; that word of mine which I have delivered to you; this we must not only receive, but keep; not only have, but hold. We must keep it in mind and memory, keep it in love and affection, so keep it as in nothing to violate it or go contrary to it, keep it without spot (Ti1 6:14), keep it as a trust committed to us, keep in it as our way, keep to it as our rule. 2. The privilege of a believer: He shall by no means see death for ever; so it is in the original. Not as if the bodies of believers were secured from the stroke of death. No, even the children of the Most High must die like men, and the followers of Christ have been, more than other men, in deaths often, and killed all the day long; how then is this promise made good that they shall not see death? Answer, (1.) The property of death is so altered to them that they do not see it as death, they do not see the terror of death, it is quite taken off; their sight does not terminate in death, as theirs does who live by sense; no, they look so clearly, so comfortably, through death, and beyond death, and are so taken up with their state on the other side death, that they overlook death, and see it not. (2.) The power of death is so broken that though there is no remedy, but they must see death, yet they shall not see death for ever, shall not be always shut up under its arrests, the day will come when death shall be swallowed up in victory. (3.) They are perfectly delivered from eternal death, shall not be hurt of the second death. That is the death especially meant here, that death which is for ever, which is opposed to everlasting life; this they shall never see, for they shall never come into condemnation; they shall have their everlasting lot where there will be no more death, where they cannot die any more, Luk 20:36. Though now they cannot avoid seeing death, and tasting it too, yet they shall shortly be there where it will be seen no more for ever, Exo 14:13. II. The Jews cavil at this doctrine. Instead of laying hold of this precious promise of immortality, which the nature of man has an ambition of (who is there that does not love life, and dread the sight of death?) they lay hold of this occasion to reproach him that makes them so kind an offer: Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead. Observe here, 1. Their railing: "Now we know that thou hast a devil, that thou art a madman; thou ravest, and sayest thou knowest not what." See how these swine trample underfoot the precious pearls of gospel promises. If now at last they had evidence to prove him mad, why did they say (Joh 8:48), before they had that proof, Thou hast a devil? But this is the method of malice, first to fasten an invidious charge, and then to fish for evidence of it: Now we know that thou hast a devil. If he had not abundantly proved himself a teacher come from God, his promises of immortality to his credulous followers might justly have been ridiculed, and charity itself would have imputed them to a crazed fancy; but his doctrine was evidently divine, his miracles confirmed it, and the Jews' religion taught them to expect such a prophet, and to believe in him; for them therefore thus to reject him was to abandon that promise to which their twelve tribes hoped to come, Act 26:7. 2. Their reasoning, and the colour they had to run him down thus. In short, they look upon him as guilty of an insufferable piece of arrogance, in making himself greater than Abraham and the prophets: Abraham is dead, and the prophets, they are dead too; very true, by the same token that these Jews were the genuine offspring of those that killed them. Now, (1.) It is true that Abraham and the prophets were great men, great in the favour of God, and great in the esteem of all good men. (2.) It is true that they kept God's sayings, and were obedient to them; and yet, (3.) It is true that they died; they never pretended to have, much less to give, immortality, but every one in his own order was gathered to his people. It was their honour that they died in faith, but die they must. Why should a good man be afraid to die, when Abraham is dead, and the prophets are dead? They have tracked the way through that darksome valley, which should reconcile us to death and help to take off the terror of it. Now they think Christ talks madly, when he saith, If a man keep my sayings, he shall never taste death. Tasting death means the same thing with seeing it; and well may death be represented as grievous to several of the senses, which is the destruction of them all. Now their arguing goes upon two mistakes: - [1.] They understood Christ of an immortality in this world, and this was a mistake. In the sense that Christ spoke, it was not true that Abraham and the prophets were dead, for God is still the God of Abraham and the God of the holy prophets (Rev 22:6); now God is not the God of the dead, but of the living; therefore Abraham and the prophets are still alive, and, as Christ meant it, they had not seen nor tasted death. [2.] They thought none could be greater than Abraham and the prophets, whereas they could not but know that the Messiah would be greater than Abraham or any of the prophets; they did virtuously, but he excelled them all; nay, they borrowed their greatness from him. It was the honour of Abraham that he was the Father of the Messiah, and the honour of the prophets that they testified beforehand concerning him: so that he certainly obtained a far more excellent name than they. Therefore, instead of inferring from Christ's making himself greater than Abraham that he had a devil, they should have inferred from his proving himself so (by doing the works which neither Abraham nor the prophets ever did) that he was the Christ; but their eyes were blinded. They scornfully asked, Whom makest thou thyself? As if he had been guilty of pride and vain-glory; whereas he was so far from making himself greater than he was that he now drew a veil over his own glory, emptied himself, and made himself less than he was, and was the greatest example of humility that ever was. III. Christ's reply to this cavil; still he vouchsafes to reason with them, that every mouth may be stopped. No doubt he could have struck them dumb or dead upon the spot, but this was the day of his patience. 1. In his answer he insists not upon his own testimony concerning himself, but waives it as not sufficient nor conclusive (Joh 8:54): If I honour myself, my honour is nothing, ean egō doxazō - if I glorify myself. Note, Self-honour is no honour; and the affectation of glory is both the forfeiture and the defeasance of it: it is not glory (Pro 25:27), but so great a reproach that there is no sin which men are more industrious to hide than this; even he that most affects praise would not be thought to do it. Honour of our own creating is a mere chimera, has nothing in it, and therefore is called vain-glory. Self-admirers are self-deceivers. Our Lord Jesus was not one that honoured himself, as they represented him; he was crowned by him who is the fountain of honour, and glorified not himself to be made a high priest, Heb 5:4, Heb 5:5. 2. He refers himself to his Father, God; and to their father, Abraham. (1.) To his Father, God: It is my Father that honoureth me. By this he means, [1.] That he derived from his Father all the honour he now claimed; he had commanded them to believe in him, to follow him, and to keep his word, all which put an honour upon him; but it was the Father that laid help upon him, that lodged all fulness in him, that sanctified him, and sealed him, and sent him into the world to receive all the honours due to the Messiah, and this justified him in all these demands of respect. [2.] That he depended upon his Father for all the honour he further looked for. He courted not the applauses of the age, but despised them; for his eye and heart were upon the glory which the Father had promised him, and which he had with the Father before the world was. He aimed at an advancement with which the Father was to exalt him, a name he was to give him, Phi 2:8, Phi 2:9. Note, Christ and all that are his depend upon God for their honour; and he that is sure of honour where he is known cares not though he be slighted where he is in disguise. Appealing thus often to his Father, and his Father's testimony of him, which yet the Jews did not admit nor give credit to, First, He here takes occasion to show the reason of their incredulity, notwithstanding this testimony - and this was their unacquaintedness with God; as if he had said, "But why should I talk to you of my Father's honouring me, when he is one you know nothing of? You say of him that he is your God, yet you have not known him." Here observe, a. The profession they made of relation to God: "You say that he is your God, the God you have chosen, and are in covenant with; you say that you are Israel; but all are not so indeed that are of Israel," Rom 9:6. Note, Many pretend to have an interest in God, and say that he is theirs, who yet have no just cause to say so. Those who called themselves the temple of the Lord, having profaned the excellency of Jacob, did but trust in lying words. What will it avail us to say, He is our God, if we be not in sincerity his people, nor such as he will own? Christ mentions here their profession of relation to God, as that which was an aggravation of their unbelief. All people will honour those whom their God honours; but these Jews, who said that the Lord was their God, studied how to put the utmost disgrace upon one upon whom their God put honour. Note, The Profession we make of a covenant relation to God, and an interest in him, if it be not improved by us will be improved against us. b. Their ignorance of him, and estrangement from him, notwithstanding this profession: Yet you have not known him. (a.) You know him not at all. These Pharisees were so taken up with the study of their traditions concerning things foreign and trifling that they never minded the most needful and useful knowledge; like the false prophets of old, who caused people to forget God's name by their dreams, Jer 23:27. Or, (b.) You know him not aright, but mistake concerning him; and this is as bad as not knowing him at all, or worse. Men may be able to dispute subtly concerning God, and yet may think him such a one as themselves, and not know him. You say that he is yours, and it is natural to us to desire to know our own, yet you know him not. Note, There are many who claim-kindred to God who yet have no acquaintance with him. It is only the name of God which they have learned to talk of, and to hector with; but for the nature of God, his attributes and perfections, and relations to his creatures, they know nothing of the matter; we speak this to their shame, Co1 15:34. Multitudes satisfy themselves, but deceive themselves, with a titular relation to an unknown God. This Christ charges upon the Jews here, [a.] To show how vain and groundless their pretensions of relation to God were. "You say that he is yours, but you give yourselves the lie, for it is plain that you do not know him;" and we reckon that a cheat is effectually convicted if it be found that he is ignorant of the persons he pretends alliance to. [b.] To show the true reason why they were not wrought upon by Christ's doctrine and miracles. They knew not God; and therefore perceived not the image of God, nor the voice of God in Christ. Note, The reason why men receive not the gospel of Christ is because they have not the knowledge of God. Men submit not to the righteousness of Christ because they are ignorant of God's righteousness, Rom 10:3. They that know not God, and obey not the gospel of Christ, are put together, Th2 1:8. Secondly, He gives them the reason of his assurance that his Father would honour him and own him: But I know him; and again, I know him; which bespeaks, not only his acquaintance with him, having lain in his bosom, but his confidence in him, to stand by him, and bear him out in his whole undertaking; as was prophesied concerning him (Isa 50:7, Isa 50:8), I know that I shall not be ashamed, for he is near that justifies; and as Paul, "I know whom I have believed (Ti2 1:12), I know him to be faithful, and powerful, and heartily engaged in the cause which I know to be his own." Observe, 1. How he professes his knowledge of his Father, with the greatest certainty, as one that was neither afraid nor ashamed to own it: If I should say I know him not, I should be a liar like unto you. He would not deny his relation to God, to humour the Jews, and to avoid their reproaches, and prevent further trouble; nor would he retract what he had said, nor confess himself either deceived or a deceiver; if he should, he would be found a false witness against God and himself. Note, Those who disown their religion and relation to God, as Peter, are liars, as much as hypocrites are, who pretend to know him, when they do not. See Ti1 6:13, Ti1 6:14. Mr Clark observes well, upon this, that it is a great sin to deny God's grace in us. 2. How he proves his knowledge of his Father: I know him and keep his sayings, or his word. Christ, as man, was obedient to the moral law, and, as Redeemer, to the mediatorial law; and in both he kept his Father's word, and his own word with the Father. Christ requires of us (Joh 8:51) that we keep his sayings; and he has set before us a copy of obedience, a copy without a blot: he kept his Father's sayings; well might he who learned obedience teach it; see Heb 5:8, Heb 5:9. Christ by this evinced that he knew the Father. Note, The best proof of our acquaintance with God is our obedience to him. Those only know God aright that keep his word; it is a ruled case, Jo1 2:3. Hereby we know that we know him (and do not only fancy it), if we keep his commandments. (2.) Christ refers them to their father, whom they boasted so much of a relation to, and that was Abraham, and this closes the discourse. [1.] Christ asserts Abraham's prospect of him, and respect to him: Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and was glad, Joh 8:56. And by this he proves that he was not at all out of the way when he made himself greater than Abraham. Two things he here speaks of as instances of that patriarch's respect to the promised Messiah: - First, The ambition he had to see his day: He rejoiced, ēgalliasto - he leaped at it. The word, though it commonly signifies rejoicing, must here signify a transport of desire rather than of joy, for otherwise the latter part of the verse would be a tautology; he saw it, and was glad. He reached out, or stretched himself forth, that he might see my day; as Zaccheus, that ran before, and climbed the tree, to see Jesus. The notices he had received of the Messiah to come had raised in him an expectation of something great, which he earnestly longed to know more of. The dark intimation of that which is considerable puts men upon enquiry, and makes them earnestly ask Who? and What? and Where? and When? and How? And thus the prophets of the Old Testament, having a general idea of a grace that should come, searched diligently (Pe1 1:10), and Abraham was as industrious herein as any of them. God told him of a land that he would give his posterity, and of the wealth and honour he designed them (Gen 15:14); but he never leaped thus to see that day, as he did to see the day of the Son of man. He could not look with so much indifferency upon the promised seed as he did upon the promised land; in that he was, but to the other he could not be, contentedly a stranger. Note, Those who rightly know any thing of Christ cannot but be earnestly desirous to know more of him. Those who discern the dawning of the light of the Sun of righteousness cannot but wish to see his rising. The mystery of redemption is that which angels desire to look into, much more should we, who are more immediately concerned in it. Abraham desired to see Christ's day, though it was at a great distance; but this degenerate seed of his discerned not his day, nor bade it welcome when it came. The appearing of Christ, which gracious souls love and long for, carnal hearts dread and loathe. Secondly, The satisfaction he had in what he did see of it: He saw it, and was glad. Observe here, a. How God gratified the pious desire of Abraham; he longed to see Christ's day, and he saw it. Though he saw it not so plainly, and fully, and distinctly as we now see it under the gospel, yet he saw something of it, more afterwards than he did at first. Note, To him that has, and to him that asks, shall be given; to him that uses and improves what he has, and that desires and prays for more of the knowledge of Christ, God will give more. But how did Abraham see Christ's day? (a.) Some understand it of the sight he had of it in the other world. The separate soul of Abraham, when the veil of flesh was rent, saw the mysteries of the kingdom of God in heaven. Calvin mentions this sense of it, and does not much disallow it. Note, The longings of gracious souls after Jesus Christ will be fully satisfied when they come to heaven, and not till then. But, (b.) It is more commonly understood of some sight he had of Christ's day in this world. They that received not the promises, yet saw them afar off, Heb 11:13. Balaam saw Christ, but not now, not nigh. There is room to conjecture that Abraham had some vision of Christ and his day, for his own private satisfaction, which is not, nor must be, recorded in his story, like that of Daniel's, which must be shut up, and sealed unto the time of the end, Dan 12:4. Christ knew what Abraham saw better than Moses did. But there are divers things recorded in which Abraham saw more of that which he longed to see than he did when the promise was first made to him. He saw in Melchizedek one made like unto the Son of God, and a priest for ever; he saw an appearance of Jehovah, attended with two angels, in the plains of Mamre. In the prevalency of his intercession for Sodom he saw a specimen of Christ's intercession; in the casting out of Ishmael, and the establishment of the covenant with Isaac, he saw a figure of the gospel day, which is Christ's day; for these things were an allegory. In offering Isaac, and the ram instead of Isaac, he saw a double type of the great sacrifice; and his calling the place Jehovah-jireh - It shall be seen, intimates that he saw something more in it than others did, which time would produce; and in making his servant put his hand under his thigh, when he swore, he had a regard to the Messiah. b. How Abraham entertained these discoveries of Christ's day, and bade them welcome: He saw, and was glad. He was glad of what he saw of God's favour to himself, and glad of what he foresaw of the mercy God had in store for the world. Perhaps this refers to Abraham's laughing when God assured him of a son by Sarah (Gen 17:16, Gen 17:17), for that was not a laughter of distrust as Sarah's but of joy; in that promise he saw Christ's day, and it filled him with joy unspeakable. Thus he embraced the promises. Note, A believing sight of Christ and his day will put gladness into the heart. No joy like the joy of faith; we are never acquainted with true pleasure till we are acquainted with Christ. [2.] The Jews cavil at this, and reproach him for it (Joh 8:57): Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Here, First, They suppose that if Abraham saw him and his day he also had seen Abraham, which yet was not a necessary innuendo, but this turn of his words would best serve to expose him; yet it was true that Christ had seen Abraham, and had talked with him as a man talks with his friend. Secondly, They suppose it a very absurd thing for him to pretend to have seen Abraham, who was dead so many ages before he was born. The state of the dead is an invisible state; but here they ran upon the old mistake, understanding that corporally which Christ spoke spiritually. Now this gave them occasion to despise his youth, and to upbraid him with it, as if he were but of yesterday, and knew nothing: Thou art not yet fifty years old. They might as well have said, Thou art not forty; for he was now but thirty-two or thirty-three years old. As to this, Irenaeus, one of the first fathers, with this passage supports the tradition which he says he had from some that had conversed with St. John, that our Saviour lived to be fifty years old, which he contends for, Advers. Haeres. lib. 2, cap. 39, 40. See what little credit is to be given to tradition; and, as to this here, the Jews spoke at random; some year they would mention, and therefore pitched upon one that they thought he was far enough short of; he did not look to be forty, but they were sure he could not be fifty, much less contemporary with Abraham. Old age is reckoned to begin at fifty (Num 4:47), so that they meant no more than this, "Thou art not to be reckoned an old man; many of us are much thy seniors, and yet pretend not to have seen Abraham." Some think that his countenance was so altered, with grief and watching, that, together with the gravity of his aspect, it made him look like a man of fifty years old: his visage was so marred, Isa 52:14. [3.] Our Saviour gives an effectual answer to this cavil, by a solemn assertion of his own seniority even to Abraham himself (Joh 8:58): "Verily, verily, I say unto you; I do not only say it in private to my own disciples, who will be sure to say as I say, but to you my enemies and persecutors; I say it to your faces, take it how you will: Before Abraham was, I am;" prin Abraam genesthaî egō eimi, Before Abraham was made or born, I am. The change of the word is observable, and bespeaks Abraham a creature, and himself the Creator; well therefore might he make himself greater than Abraham. Before Abraham he was, First, As God. I am, is the name of God (Exo 3:14); it denotes his self-existence; he does not say, I was, but I am, for he is the first and the last, immutably the same (Rev 1:8); thus he was not only before Abraham, but before all worlds, Joh 1:1; Pro 8:23. Secondly, As Mediator. He was the appointed Messiah, long before Abraham; the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8), the channel of conveyance of light, life, and love from God to man. This supposes his divine nature, that he is the same in himself from eternity (Heb 13:8), and that he is the same to man ever since the fall; he was made of God wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, to Adam, and Abel, and Enoch, and Noah, and Shem, and all the patriarchs that lived and died by faith in him before Abraham was born. Abraham was the root of the Jewish nation, the rock out of which they were hewn. If Christ was before Abraham, his doctrine and religion were no novelty, but were, in the substance of them, prior to Judaism, and ought to take place of it. [4.] This great word ended the dispute abruptly, and put a period to it: they could bear to hear no more from him, and he needed to say no more to them, having witnessed this good confession, which was sufficient to support all his claims. One would think that Christ's discourse, in which shone so much both of grace and glory, should have captivated them all; but their inveterate prejudice against the holy spiritual doctrine and law of Christ, which were so contrary to their pride and worldliness, baffled all the methods of conviction. Now was fulfilled that prophecy (Mal 3:1, Mal 3:2), that when the messenger of the covenant should come to his temple they would not abide the day of his coming, because he would be like a refiner's fire. Observe here, First, How they were enraged at Christ for what he said: They took up stones to cast at him, Joh 8:59. Perhaps they looked upon him as a blasphemer, and such were indeed to be stoned (Lev 24:16); but they must be first legally tried and convicted. Farewell justice and order if every man pretend to execute a law at his pleasure. Besides, they had said but just now that he was a distracted crack-brained man, and if so it was against all reason and equity to punish him as a malefactor for what he said. They took up stones. Dr. Lightfoot will tell you how they came to have stones so ready in the temple; they had workmen at this time repairing the temple, or making some additions, and the pieces of stone which they hewed off served for this purpose. See here the desperate power of sin and Satan in and over the children of disobedience. Who would think that ever there should be such wickedness as this in men, such an open and daring rebellion against one that undeniably proved himself to be the Son of God? Thus every one has a stone to throw at his holy religion, Act 28:22. Secondly, How he made his escape out of their hands. 1. He absconded; Jesus hid himself; ekrubē - he was hid, either by the crowd of those that wished well to him, to shelter him (he that ought to have been upon a throne, high and lifted up, is content to be lost in a crowd); or perhaps he concealed himself behind some of the walls or pillars of the temple (in the secret of his tabernacle he shall hide me, Psa 27:5); or by a divine power, casting a mist before their eyes, he made himself invisible to them. When the wicked rise a man is hidden, a wise and good man, Pro 28:12, Pro 28:28. Not that Christ was afraid or ashamed to stand by what he had said, but his hour was not yet come, and he would countenance the flight of his ministers and people in times of persecution, when they are called to it. The Lord hid Jeremiah and Baruch, Jer 36:26. 2. He departed, he went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, undiscovered, and so passed by. This was not a cowardly inglorious flight, nor such as argued either guilt or fear. It was foretold concerning him that he should not fail nor be discouraged, Isa 42:4. But, (1.) It was an instance of his power over his enemies, and that they could do no more against him than he gave them leave to do; by which it appears that when afterwards he was taken in their pits he offered himself, Joh 10:18. They now thought they had made sure of him and yet he passed through the midst of them, either their eyes being blinded or their hands tied, and thus he left them to fume, like a lion disappointed of his prey. (2.) It was an instance of his prudent provision for his own safety, when he knew that his work was not done, nor his testimony finished; thus he gave an example to his own rule, When they persecute you in one city flee to another; nay, if occasion be, to a wilderness, for so Elijah did (Kg1 19:3, Kg1 19:4), and the woman, the church, Rev 12:6. When they took up loose stones to throw at Christ, he could have commanded the fixed stones, which did cry out of the wall against them, to avenge his cause, or the earth to open and swallow them up; but he chose to accommodate himself to the state he was in, to make the example imitable by the prudence of his followers, without a miracle. (3.) It was a righteous deserting of those who (worse than the Gadarenes, who prayed him to depart) stoned him from among them. Christ will not long stay with those who bid him be gone. Christ did again visit the temple after this; as one loth to depart, he bade oft farewell; but at last he abandoned it for ever, and left it desolate. Christ now went through the midst of the Jews, and none of them courted his stay, nor stirred up himself to take hold of him, but were even content to let him go. Note, God never forsakes any till they have first provoked him to withdraw, and will have none of him. Calvin observes that these chief priests, when they had driven Christ out of the temple, valued themselves on the possession they kept of it: "But," says he, "those deceive themselves who are proud of a church or temple which Christ has forsaken." Longe falluntur, cum templum se habere putant Deo vacuum. When Christ left them it is said that he passed by silently and unobserved; parēgen houtōs, so that they were not aware of him. Note, Christ's departures from a church, or a particular soul, are often secret, and not soon taken notice of. As the kingdom of God comes not, so it goes not, with observation. See Jdg 16:20. Samson wist not that the Lord was departed from him. Thus it was with these forsaken Jews, God left them, and they never missed him.”

“Jesus answered, if I honour myself, my honour is nothing,.... It is empty and vain, and will not continue; see Co2 10:18; it is my Father that honoureth me: by a voice from heaven, both at his baptism, and transfiguration, declaring him to be his beloved Son, and by the works and miracles he did by him; as he afterwards also honoured him by raising him from the dead, and setting him at his own right hand, by pouring forth his Spirit on his disciples, and succeeding his Gospel in every place: of whom ye say that he is your God; your covenant God and Father, being the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; of this the Jews boasted. The Alexandrian copy, and some others, and all the Oriental versions read, "our God".”

“Shall never see death - As Moses promised a long life, with abundance of temporal blessings, to those who should keep his statutes and ordinances, so he who keeps my doctrine shall not only have a long life, but shall never see death - he shall never come under the power of the death of the soul, but shall live eternally with me in glory.”

“He shall not see death, he shall not die, for ever. That is, he shall not incur an eternal death, as they who die in sin: but they understood his words of the death of the body. (Witham) — You accuse me of being possessed with a devil, because I preach to you a doctrine far different from what you are accustomed to hear; but I speak nothing but the truth; I give honour to my Father, I execute his orders; and the words I now speak to you, are the words of eternal life. Whoever observes them shall not die. Moses promised a long life to those who observed what was commanded in the old law, and offered them as their reward goods and temporal prosperity. But I now offer you an eternal life. Believe my words, keep them, and observe my ordinances, and you shall not feel the death of the soul, the second, eternal, and most miserable of deaths. (Calmet)”

“If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death--Partly thus vindicating His lofty claims as Lord of the kingdom of life everlasting, and, at the same time, holding out even to His revilers the scepter of grace. The word "keep" is in harmony with Joh 8:31, "If ye continue in My word," expressing the permanency, as a living and paramount principle, of that faith to which He referred: "never see death," though virtually uttered before (Joh 5:24; Joh 6:40, Joh 6:47, Joh 6:51), is the strongest and most naked statement of a very glorious truth yet given. (In Joh 11:26 it is repeated in nearly identical terms).”