John 2:22

2:12-22 The first public work in which we find Christ engaged, was driving from the temple the traders whom the covetous priests and rulers encouraged to make a market-place of its courts. Those now make God's house a house of merchandise, whose minds are filled with cares about worldly business when attending religious exercises, or who perform Divine offices for love of gain. Christ, having thus cleansed the temple, gave a sign to those who demanded it, to prove his authority for so doing. He foretells his death by the Jews' malice, Destroy ye this temple; I will permit you to destroy it. He foretells his resurrection by his own power; In three days I will raise it up. Christ took again his own life. Men mistake by understanding that according to the letter, which the Scripture speaks by way of figure. When Jesus was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered he has said this. It helps much in understanding the Divine word, to observe the fulfilling of the Scriptures.

Was risen (ἠγέρθη) Rev., more correctly, was raised. The same verb as in John 2:19, John 2:20. Had said (ἔλεγεν) Rev., more correctly, He spake. The best texts omit unto them. Believed the Scripture (ἐπίστευσαν τῇ γραφῇ) Notice that ἐπίοτευσαν, believed, is used here with the simple dative, and not with the preposition εἰς, into (see on John 1:12). The meaning is, therefore, they believed that the Scripture was true. On γραφή, a passage or section of Scripture, see on Mark 12:10. In John, as elsewhere, the word almost always refers to a particular passage cited in the context. The only two exceptions are John 17:12; John 20:9. For the Old Testament, as a whole, John always uses the plural αἱ γραφαί. The passage referred to here is probably Psalm 16:10. Compare Acts 2:27, Acts 2:31; Acts 13:35. The word The saying just uttered concerning the destruction of the temple.

22. believed the scripture—on this subject; that is, what was meant, which was hid from them till then. Mark (1) The act by which Christ signalized His first public appearance in the Temple. Taking "His fan in His hand, He purges His floor," not thoroughly indeed, but enough to foreshadow His last act towards that faithless people—to sweep them out of God's house. (2) The sign of His authority to do this is the announcement, at this first outset of His ministry, of that coming death by their hands, and resurrection by His own, which were to pave the way for their judicial ejection.

Even Christ’s own disciples at the first rather admired than perfectly understood their Lord. It is said of Christ, Luke 24:45 , a little before his ascension into heaven, Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scripture. The disciples did not distinctly understand many things till after Christ’s resurrection from the dead, when they saw the things accomplished, and when Christ further opened their eyes; which was also further done when the Holy Ghost came upon them in the days of Pentecost. Thus we hear for the time to come; and the seed which lieth a long time under the clods, at last springeth up through the influence of heaven upon it. And they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had said; the disciples then more clearly and more firmly believed the Scriptures, and were able to make a clearer application and interpretation of them. By the Scripture here, are meant the Scriptures of the Old Testament; to which is added, and the word which Jesus had said. Christ’s words gave them a clearer insight into the Scriptures of the Old Testament; and the harmony of the writings of the Old Testament with Christ’s words under the New Testament, confirmed the disciples’ faith in both.

22 . was risen ] Better, was raised . Comp. John 21:14 ; Acts 3:15 ; Acts 4:10 ; Acts 5:30 . his disciples remembered ] They recollected it when the event that explained it took place; meanwhile what had not been understood had been forgotten. Would anyone but a disciple give us these details about the disciples’ thoughts? See on John 2:11 . the scripture ] O.T. prophecy, viz., Psalm 16:10 ; see on John 10:35 . had said ] Better, spake , on the present occasion.

John 2:22 . Was risen ) His Resurrection, not His glorification, is appealed to, because the sign was fulfilled by His resurrection. Comp. ἐγερῶ , I will raise , John 2:19 .— ἐμνήσθησαν , they remembered ) Faith and memory lend mutual help to one another in this passage; and ch. John 12:16 , John 16:4 , “These things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them:” they also work together; Matthew 16:8-9 , “O ye of little faith —Do ye not yet— remember the five loaves,” etc.; Psalm 106:13 , “They soon forgat His works;” John 2:12 , having just before stated, “Then believed they His words.”— τῇ γραφῇ καὶ τῷ λόγῳ , the Scripture and the word ) concerning the raising of the temple: both being alike divine.

(22) That he had said this unto them. —The better texts omit “unto them.” For the way in which the saying, hard to be understood, fixed itself in men’s minds, comp. Matthew 26:61 ; Matthew 27:40 ; Mark 14:58 ; Mark 15:29 ; Acts 6:13 . It becomes in the mouth of false witnesses the accusation by means of which its meaning is accomplished. The death on the cross is the destruction of the Temple, but it is not unaccompanied by the rent veil; the two meanings are linked together. It fixed itself, too, on the disciples’ minds; but weeks, months, years, did not cast any light upon it until the Resurrection. These passages of those familiar Old Testament writings then came to men who had been slow of heart to see them, with the quickening power of a new life. They saw that Christ ought to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory. They saw in Moses and the Prophets the things concerning Him, and they believed in a new and higher sense the written and the spoken word. (Comp. Luke 24:26 et seq.)

When he was risen from the dead ... - This saying of our Saviour at that time seemed obscure and difficult. The disciples did not understand it, but they treasured it up in their memory, and the event showed what was its true meaning. Many prophecies are obscure when spoken which are perfectly plain when the event takes place. We learn from this, also, the importance of treasuring up the truths of the Bible now, though we may not perfectly understand them. Hereafter they may be plain to us. It is therefore important that "children," should learn the truths of the sacred Scriptures. Treasured up in their memory, they may not be understood "now," but hereafter they may be clear to them. Every one engaged in teaching a Sunday school, therefore, may be imparting instruction which may be understood, and may impart comfort, long after the teacher has gone to eternity. They believed - That is, "after" he rose from the dead. The scripture - The Old Testament, which predicted his resurrection. Reference here must be made to Psalm 16:10; compare Acts 2:27-32; Acts 13:35-37; Psalm 2:7; compare Acts 13:33. They understood those Scriptures in a sense different from what they did before. The word which Jesus had said - The prediction which he had made respecting his resurrection in this place and on other occasions. See Matthew 20:19; Luke 18:32-33.

Verse 22. - When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he spake this (to them), and believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus said. This frequent contrast instituted by the apostle between the first impression produced on the disciples (himself among them) and that which was produced by subsequent reflection after the resurrection of Jesus and gift of the Spirit, becomes a powerful mark of authenticity (compare the passages which Godet has here cited, John 4:32, 33 ; John 7:39 ; John 11:12 ; John 12:16, 33 ; John 13:28 ; with many others). "A pseudo-John imagining, in the second century, this ignorance of the apostle in regard to a saying which he had invented himself, is 'criticism' dashing itself against moral impossibility." These quiet "asides" and reflections of the biographer on the mistaken ideas which he cites and corrects, are of consummate value, as pointing out the stages by which the most stupendous ideas that have taken human spirits captive dawned on the most susceptible minds. The "Word" and the "Scripture" helped the disciples to subsequent faith. Why is "Scripture" in the singular, seeing that John used this form of expression ten times when he had one definite passage of Scripture in his mind, and used the plural when the general authority of Scripture was appealed to?

Many have looked to one or another definite Scripture text supposed to predict the resurrection of Christ, such as Psalm 16:10 and Isaiah 53 (some, very wrongly, to Hosea 6:2 , where no reference can be established to this great event). Dr. Moulton points back to Psalm 69 , and the impression which the Lord's "zeal" had produced on the disciples. It seems better to recall Christ's own words, and the comment of Luke, in Luke 24:25-27, where the whole Scripture seems to have been laid under contribution to establish the grand expectation. Further, of John 20:9 , where John, referring to the same subject, uses the word γραφή in the singular, for the general tendency of Scripture. All the passages which couple suffering and apparent defeat with triumph and victory, did prepare the mind of thoughtful men for the better understanding of the Resurrection. Thus Psalm 22 . and the closing words of Psalm 89 ; Psalm 110 ; and Isaiah 53 thereupon come into view; and, in fact, all the Scriptures which anticipate the glorious reign and victory of the Christ and the extension of his kingdom, when coupled with those which portrayed the sorrows of Messiah and of the ideal Sufferer, implicitly convey the same thought.