The Gospel of John By J.C. ryle

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hypocrites, it is one which those who really feel in themselves the workings of the Spirit should hold firmly and never let go. Well says the judicious Hooker--"No man's condition so safe as ours--the prayer of Christ is more than sufficient both to strengthen us, be we ever so weak; and to overthrow all adversary power, be it ever so strong and potent." We learn, for another thing, in these verses, that Christ does not wish His believing people to be taken out of the world, but to be kept from the evil of it. We need not doubt that our Lord's all-seeing eye detected in the hearts of His disciples an impatient desire to get away from this troubled world. Few in number and weak in strength, surrounded on every side by enemies and persecutors, they might well long to be released from the scene of conflict, and to go home. Even David had said in a certain place, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove, then would I flee away and be at rest!" (Psalm 55:6.) Seeing all this, our Lord has wisely placed on record this part of His prayer for the perpetual benefit of His Church. He has taught us the great lesson that He thinks it better for His people to remain in the world and be kept from its evil, than to be taken out of the world and removed from the presence of evil altogether. Nor is it difficult on reflection to see the wisdom of our Lord's mind about His people, in this as in everything else. Pleasant as it might be to flesh and blood to be snatched away from conflict and temptation, we may easily see that it would not be profitable. How could Christ's people do any good in the world, if taken away from it immediately after conversion? How could they exhibit the power of grace, and make proof of faith, and courage, and patience, as good soldiers of a crucified Lord? How could they be duly trained for heaven, and taught to value the blood and intercession and patience of their Redeemer, unless they purchased their experience by suffering? Questions like these admit of only one kind of answer. To abide here in this valley of tears, tried, tempted, assaulted, and yet kept from falling into sin, is the surest plan to promote the sanctification of Christians, and to glorify Christ. To go to heaven at once, in the day of conversion, would doubtless be an easy course, and would save us much trouble. But the easiest course is not always the path of duty. He that would win the crown must carry the cross, and show himself light in the midst of darkness, and salt in the midst of corruption. "If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him." (2 Tim. 2:12.) If we have any hope that we are Christ's true disciples, let us be satisfied that Christ knows better than we do what is for our good. Let us leave "our times in His hand," and be content to abide here patiently as long as He pleases, however hard our position, so long as He keeps us from evil. That He will so keep us we need not doubt, if we ask Him, because He prays that we may be "kept." Nothing, we may be sure, glorifies grace so much as to live like Daniel in Babylon, and the saints in Nero's household--in the world and yet not of the world--tempted on every side and yet conquerors of temptation, not taken out of the reach of evil and yet kept and preserved from its power. 232 of 282
JOHN 17:17-26 "Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I set myself apart on their behalf, so that they too may be truly set apart. "I am not praying only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their testimony, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they may be in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me. The glory you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one-- I in them and you in me--that they may be completely one, so that the world may know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me. "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they may see my glory that you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, even if the world does not know you, I know you, and these men know that you sent me. I made known your name to them, and I will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them, and I may be in them." These wonderful verses form a fitting conclusion of the most wonderful prayer that was ever prayed on earth--the last Lord's prayer after the first Lord's Supper. They contain three most important petitions which our Lord offered up in behalf of His disciples. On these three petitions let us fix our attention. Passing by all other things in the passage, let us look steadily at these three points. We should mark, first, how Jesus prays that His people may be sanctified. "Sanctify them," He says, "through your truth--Your word is truth." We need not doubt that, in this place at any rate, the word "sanctify" means "make holy." It is a prayer that the Father would make His people more holy, more spiritual, more pure, more saintly in thought and word and deed, in life and character. Grace had done something for the disciples already--called, converted, renewed, and changed them. The great Head of the Church prays that the work of grace may be carried higher and further, and that His people may be more thoroughly sanctified and made holy in body, soul, and spirit--in fact more like Himself. Surely we need not say much to show the matchless wisdom of this prayer. More holiness is the very thing to be desired for all servants of Christ. Holy living is the great proof of the reality of Christianity. Men may refuse to see the truth of our arguments, but they cannot evade the evidence of a godly life. Such a life adorns religion and makes it beautiful, and sometimes wins those who are not "won by the Word." Holy living trains Christians for heaven. The nearer we live to God while we live, the more ready shall we be to dwell forever in His presence when we die. Our entrance into heaven will 233 of 282
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CTL.TODAY PRESENTS EXPOSITORY THOUG
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CONTENTS PREFACE - 5 I. JOHN 1:1-51
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theological views of the Reformers
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when matter was first created, and
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2:40.) This was the whole tenor of
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The main truth which this verse tea
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JOHN 1:15-18 John testified about h
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JOHN 1:19-28 The Testimony of John
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Salvation is within their reach; bu
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Last, but not least, Christ is a PE
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who have done most for Christ's cau
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Himself, and the agency of man seem
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son of Abraham--a Jew inwardly, pos
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is lightly esteemed. They who light
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JOHN 2:12-25 Cleansing the Temple,
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that are taught by parents to child
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CHAPTER III JOHN 3:1-8 Conversation
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(Rom. 8:7.) We come into the world
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We have in these verses the second
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when we die. Christ has been "lifte
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the Spirit sparingly. The Father lo
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The truth before us, is one of the
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inconsistent with the fact announce
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the people who worship him must wor
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feels its disease. Never does a man
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How much astonishment every fresh c
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JOHN 4:31-42 Workers for the Harves
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The words of Paul should never be f
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hours, while the old and feeble lin
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CHAPTER V JOHN 5:1-15 Healing a Par
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We are taught, lastly, the lesson t
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We learn, for another thing, from t
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the way to heaven. Until we know so
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scriptures thoroughly because you t
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JOHN 5:40-47 "But you are not willi
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doubts. Is it at all likely, probab
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something was amended or restored t
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Jerusalem, it was on a borrowed don
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The Lord Jesus, we should never for
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JOHN 6:28-34 So then they said to h
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come to Christ, and eat the bread o
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no restriction. The terms of the Go
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These things, no doubt, are deep an
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Let us next consider carefully, wha
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the idea of eating His flesh and dr
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sower, many "have no root in themse
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CHAPTER VII JOHN 7:1-13 The Feast o
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We should observe, lastly, in this
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Whatever some may say about their i
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is true. You do not know him, but I
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It is far too much forgotten that t
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one thing, that all who come to Chr
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God who knows anything of these thi
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CHAPTER VIII JOHN 8:1-11 A Woman Ca
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Conscience is a most important part
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seen from a different point of view
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him, and he may possibly return at
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JOHN 8:31-36 Abraham’s Children a
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captive by it. Liberty, like this,
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"By baptism," we are confidently to
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The true Christian in the present d
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CHAPTER IX JOHN 9:1-12 Healing a Ma
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will not be tied down to the use of
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works of mercy, in ministering to t
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God," he cries, "He could do nothin
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CHAPTER X JOHN 10:1-9 Jesus as the
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etween bitter and sweet is one of t
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hearer, would be singularly full of
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own words literally fulfilled--"I c
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doubtless make shipwreck forever, u
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inspiration are to be numbered by t
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us to our Bibles, and teaches us to
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ecover." (Now Jesus had been talkin
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main are led by one Spirit, and lov
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the only Savior is often all that w
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Weeping and mourning are sadly tryi
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of inward faith, that when our turn
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We should observe, for one thing, i
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flesh," but they do not tend to pro
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It is a comfortable thought, that t
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Let us thank God if we know anythin
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willing Savior at the right hand of
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find at length that he has lost eve
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on our Divine Substitute, and borne
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their graves, and appear before the
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to find unbelief among the hearers
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Another thing shown in these verses
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CHAPTER XIII JOHN 13:1-5 Washing th
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knowledge. To know things with our
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more remembered, and real humility
Page 182 and 183: The lesson is one of which we all n
Page 184 and 185: Jesus said to him, "What you are ab
Page 186 and 187: God. Let us watch jealously over ou
Page 188 and 189: every relation of life. Specially i
Page 190 and 191: elievers. They do not see clearly w
Page 192 and 193: deeds. Believe me that I am in the
Page 194 and 195: that cannot be mistaken. "If you ha
Page 196 and 197: they who never forget the words, "O
Page 198 and 199: ody is united to the head. So long
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Page 202 and 203: find Him saying, "Peace I leave wit
Page 204 and 205: CHAPTER XV JOHN 15:1-6 The Vine and
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Page 210 and 211: sweeping condemnation. Sound views
Page 212 and 213: Facts, painful facts in every age,
Page 214 and 215: utterly without excuse." They had s
Page 216 and 217: CHAPTER XVI JOHN 16:1-7 "I have tol
Page 218 and 219: We never can tell what is before us
Page 220 and 221: The difficulty of rightly explainin
Page 222 and 223: and, ‘because I am going to the F
Page 224 and 225: We may well believe that up to this
Page 226 and 227: disciples--"The Father Himself love
Page 228 and 229: CHAPTER XVII JOHN 17:1-8 When Jesus
Page 230 and 231: with attention, and fail to see tha
Page 234 and 235: e entirely by grace, and not of wor
Page 236 and 237: CHAPTER XVIII JOHN 18:1-11 Betrayal
Page 238 and 239: just as willing to receive and pard
Page 240 and 241: oth remained unmoved, cold, indiffe
Page 242 and 243: etter man? If Peter's fall has made
Page 244 and 245: Our Lord's main object in saying "M
Page 246 and 247: understanding; if you do you seek h
Page 248 and 249: picture, it contains special points
Page 250 and 251: governors that a country can have.
Page 252 and 253: utterly unlike the kingdoms of this
Page 254 and 255: crucifixion, were inspired by Him w
Page 256 and 257: JOHN 19:38-42 After this Joseph of
Page 258 and 259: passage before us was meant to conv
Page 260 and 261: owed so much to Christ. None felt s
Page 262 and 263: JOHN 20:11-18 But Mary stood outsid
Page 264 and 265: was not the highest style of faith.
Page 266 and 267: infusion of grace and charity--to s
Page 268 and 269: The story of the unbelief of Thomas
Page 270 and 271: it go. Unless our Lord Jesus is ver
Page 272 and 273: We should observe, for one thing, i
Page 274 and 275: JOHN 21:15-17 Then when they had fi
Page 276 and 277: scattered throughout this sinful wo
Page 278 and 279: the sermons they preached, and all
Page 280 and 281: J.C. Ryle Bio and Resources: John C
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The Gospel of John By J.C. ryle

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