Matthew Henry
In these verses,
came for a witness; now here he tells us that he did accordingly
bear witness. Here, Observe,
How he expressedhis testimony: He
cried, according to the prediction that he should be
the voice of one crying. The Old-Testament prophets cried aloud, to show people their
sins; this New-Testament prophet cried aloud, to show people their
Saviour. This intimates,
publictestimony, proclaimed, that all manner of persons might take notice of it, for all are concerned in it. False teachers
entice secretly, but wisdom publishes her dictates in the chief places of concourse.
criedas one that was both
well assuredof the truth to which he witnessed and
well affectedto it. He that had leaped in his
mother’s womb for joyof Christ’s approach, when newly conceived, does now with a like exultation of spirit
welcomehis public appearance.
testimonywas. He appeals to what he had said at the beginning of his ministry, when he had directed them to expect one that should
come after him, whose forerunner he was, and never intended any other than to lead them to him, and to prepare his way. This he had given them notice of from the first. Note, It is very comfortable to a minister to have the testimony of his conscience for him that he set out in his ministry with honest principles and sincere intentions, with a single eye to the glory and honour of Christ. Now what he had then said he applies to this Jesus whom he had lately baptized, and who was so remarkably owned from heaven:
This was he of whom I spoke. John did not tell them that there would shortly appear such a one among them, and then leave them to find him out; but in
thishe went beyond all the Old-Testament prophets that he particularly specified the person: “
This was he, the very man I told you of, and to him all I said is to be accommodated.” Now what was it he said?
He that comes after me, in the time of his birth and public appearance, is preferred before me; he that
succeedsme in preaching and making disciples is a more excellent person, upon all accounts; as the prince or peer that
comes afteris preferred before the harbinger or gentleman-usher that makes way for him. Note, Jesus Christ, who was to be called the
Son of the Highest(Luke 1:32), was preferred before John Baptist, who was to be called only the
prophet of the Highest, Luke 1:76. John was a minister of the New Testament, but Christ was the Mediator of the New Testament. And observe, though John was a great man, and had a great name and interest, yet he was forward to give the preference to him to whom it belonged. Note, All the ministers of Christ must prefer him and his interest before themselves and their own interests; they will make an ill account
that seek their own things, not the things of Christ, Phil 2:21. He comes
after me, and yet is
preferred before me. Note, God dispenses his gifts according to his good pleasure, and many times crosses hands, as Jacob did, preferring the
youngerbefore the
elder. Paul far outstripped those that were in Christ before him.
For he was before me,
protos mou en—
He was my first, or
first to me; he was my first Cause, my original. The
Firstis one of
God’s names, Isa 44:6. He is
before me, is
my first,
seniority: he was
before me, for he was before Abraham, John 8:58. Nay, he was
before all things, Col 1:17. I am but of yesterday, he from eternity. It was but in
those daysthat John Baptist came (Matt 3:1), but the goings forth of our Lord Jesus
were of old, from everlasting, Mic 5:2. This proves two natures in Christ. Christ, as man,
came afterJohn as to his public appearance; Christ, as God, was
before him; and how could he otherwise be before him but by an eternal existence?
my prince; so some princes are called the
first;
proton, “It is he for whose sake and service I am sent: he is my Master, I am his minister and messenger.”
full of grace and truth. Now here he makes this the matter, not only of our adoration, but of our thankfulness, because
from that fulnessof his
we all have received. He received gifts for men(Ps 68:18), that he might
give gifts to men, Eph 4:8. He was filled, that he might
fill all in all(Eph 1:23), might
fill our treasures, Prov 8:21. He has a fountain of fulness overflowing:
We all have received. All weapostles; so some. We have received the favour of this apostleship, that is
grace; and a fitness for it, that is
truth. Or, rather,
All webelievers; as many as received him (John 1:16), received from him. Note, All true believers receive from Christ’s fulness; the best and greatest saints cannot live without him, the meanest and weakest may live by him. This excludes proud boasting, that we have nothing but
we have received it; and silences perplexing fears, that we want nothing but
we may receive it. Let us see what it is that we have received.
grace for grace. Our receivings by Christ are all summed up in this one word,
grace; we have received
kai charin—
even grace, so great a gift, so rich, so invaluable; we have received
no lessthan grace; this is a gift to be spoken of with an emphasis. It is repeated,
grace for grace; for to every stone in this building, as well as
to the top-stone, we must cry,
Grace, grace. Observe,
grace; the good will of God towards us, and the good work of God in us. God’s good will works the good work, and then the good work qualifies us for further tokens of his good will. As the cistern receives water from the fulness of the fountain, the branches sap from the fulness of the root, and the air light from the fulness of the sun, so we receive grace from the fulness of Christ.
Grace for grace—
charin anti charitos. The phrase is singular, and interpreters put different senses upon it, each of which will be of use to illustrate the unsearchable riches of the grace of Christ.
Grace for gracebespeaks,
freenessof this grace. It is grace for grace’ sake; so
Grotius. We receive grace, not for
our sakes(be it known to us), but even so, Father,
because it seemed good in thy sight. It is a
gift according to grace, Rom 12:6. It is grace
to usfor the sake of grace to Jesus Christ. God was well pleased in him, and is therefore well pleased with us in him, Eph 1:6.
fulnessof this grace.
Grace for graceis abundance of grace, grace upon grace (so
Camero), one grace heaped upon another; as
skin for skinis skin after skin, even all that a man has, Job 2:4. It is a blessing poured out, that there shall not be room to receive it,
plenteous redemption: one grace a pledge of more grace.
Joseph-He will add. It is such a fulness as is called
the fulness of Godwhich we are filled with. We are not straitened in the grace of Christ, if we be not straitened in our own bosoms.
serviceablenessof this grace.
Grace for graceis grace for the promoting and advancing of grace. Grace to be
exercisedby ourselves; gracious habits for gracious acts. Grace to be
ministeredto others; gracious vouchsafements for gracious performances: grace is a talent to be traded with. The apostles received grace (Rom 1:5, Eph 3:8), that they might communicate it, 1Pet 4:10.
substitutionof New-Testament grace
in the room and steadof Old-Testament grace: so
Beza. And this sense is confirmed by what follows (John 1:17); for the Old Testament had grace in type, the New Testament has grace in truth. There was a grace under the Old Testament, the gospel was preached then (Gal 3:8); but that grace is superseded, and we have gospel grace instead of it, a
glory which excelleth, 2Cor 3:10. Discoveries of grace are now more clear, distributions of grace far more plentiful; this is grace instead of grace.
augmentationand
continuance of grace. Grace for graceis one grace to improve, confirm, and perfect another grace. We are changed into the divine image,
from glory to glory, from one degree of glorious grace to another, 2Cor 3:18. Those that have
truegrace have that for
more grace, Jas 4:6. When God gives grace he saith, Take this
in part; for he who hath promised will perform.
agreeablenessand
conformityof grace in the saints to the grace that is in Jesus Christ; so Mr.
Clark. Grace for graceis grace in us answering to grace in him, as the impression upon the wax answers the seal line for line. The grace we receive from Christ
changes us into the same image(2Cor 3:18), the
image of the Son(Rom 8:29), the
image of the heavenly, 1Cor 15:49.
grace and truth, John 1:17. He had said (John 1:14) that Christ was
full of grace and truth; now here he says that by him
grace and truthcame to us. From Christ we
receive grace; this is a string he delights to harp upon, he cannot go off from it. Two things he further observes in this verse concerning this grace:—
preferenceabove the law of Moses:
The law was given by Moses, and it was a glorious discovery, both of God’s
will concerningman and his
good will toman; but the gospel of Christ is a much clearer discovery both of duty and happiness. That which was given by Moses was purely terrifying and threatening, and bound with penalties, a law which could not
give life, which wasgiven with abundance of terror (Heb 12:18); but that which is given by Jesus Christ is of another nature; it has all the beneficial uses of the law, but not the terror, for it is
grace: grace
teaching(Titus 2:11), grace
reigning, Rom 5:21. It is a law, but a remedial law. The endearments of love are the genius of the gospel, not the affrightments of law and the curse.
connectionwith truth:
grace and truth. In the gospel we have the discovery of the greatest
truthsto be embraced by the understanding, as well as of the richest
graceto be embraced by the will and affections. It is a
faithful saying, and
worthy of all acceptation; that is, it is
grace and truth. The offers of
graceare
sincere, and what we may venture our souls upon; they are made
in earnest, for it is
grace and truth. It is
grace and truthwith reference to the
lawthat was
given by Moses. For it is,
mercyand
truthput together, that is, mercy according to promise; so here
grace and truthdenote grace according to promise. See Luke 1:72, 1Kgs 8:56.
brought to us by the revelation of Jesus Christ. He is the
truepaschal lamb, the
truescape-goat, the true
manna. They had grace in the picture; we have grace in the person, that is,
grace and truth. Grace and truth came,
egeneto—
was made; the same word that was used (John 1:3) concerning Christ’s
making all things. The law was only
made knownby Moses, but the
beingof this grace and truth, as well as the discovery of them, is owing to Jesus Christ; this was
madeby him, as the world at first was; and by him this
grace and truthdo
consist.
declaredGod to us, whom
no man hath seen at any time. This was the grace and truth which came by Christ, the knowledge of God and an acquaintance with him. Observe,
No man hath seen God at any time. This intimates,
spiritual, he is invisible to bodily eyes, he is a being
whom no man hath seen, nor can see, 1Tim 6:16. We have therefore need to
live by faith, by which we
see him that is invisible, Heb 11:27.
No man hath seen God at any time; that is, what was seen and known of God before the incarnation of Christ was nothing to that which is now seen and known; life and immortality are now brought to a much clearer light than they were then.
seen God at any time. Moses beheld the similitude of the Lord(Num 12:8), but was told that he could not
see his face, Exod 33:20. But
thisrecommends Christ’s holy religion to us that it was founded by one that had seen God, and knew more of his mind than any one else ever did.
The only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him. Observe here,
fithe was to make this discovery, and every way qualified for it. He and he alone was
worthy to take the book, and to open the seals, Rev 5:9. For,
First, He is
the only-begotten Son; and who so likely to know the Father as the Son? or in whom is the Father better known than in the Son? Matt 11:27. He is of the same nature with the Father, so that he who hath
seen himhath seen
the Father, John 14:9. The servant is not supposed to know so well
what his Lord doesas the Son, John 15:15. Moses was
faithful as a servant, but Christ
as a Son. Secondly, He is
in the bosom of the Father. He had lain in his bosom from eternity. When he was here upon earth, yet still, as God, he was in the bosom of the Father, and thither he returned when he
ascended. In the bosom of the Father; that is,
special love, dear to him, in
whom he was well pleased, always his delight. All God’s saints are
in his hand, but his Son was
in his bosom, one in nature and essence, and therefore in the highest degree one
in love.
secret counsels. As there was a mutual
complacency, so there was a mutual
consciousness, between the Father and Son (Matt 11:27); none so fit as he to make known God, for none knew his mind as he did. Our most secret counsels we are said to hide
in our bosom (in pectore); Christ was privy to the
bosom-counselsof the Father. The prophets
sat down at his feetas scholars; Christ lay in his bosom as a friend. See Eph 3:11.
freehe was in making this discovery:
He hath declared. Himis not in the original. He has declared that of God which no man had at any time seen or known; not only that which was hid
of God, but that which was hid
inGod (Eph 3:9),
exegesato—it signifies a plain, clear, and full discovery, not by general and doubtful hints, but by particular explications. He that runs may now read the will of God and the way of salvation. This is the
grace, this the
truth, that came by Jesus Christ.