THE HOUSE IN JOHN'S GOSPEL
THE HOUSE IN JOHN’S GOSPEL
John 7: 53; John 8:1-11; John 8:31-36
JT I thought we might look at John 8 in order to see how the house is introduced. It is a matter of interest that things which are formally named in the epistles which introduced the establishment of Christianity are treated in John’s writings as existing, without being named in this way. So in John 2 we have the idea of the temple, but it is not called the temple of God. “Destroy this temple”, the Lord says. In this chapter we have a reference to the use of the word ‘house’. The son abides in the house for ever, it says, without any formal attention being called to it as the house of God; so that this feature, it seems to me, indicates that John’s gospel was intended for our own time, for when decline and failure have taken place, it is well not to assume to have things in any official way. The tendency with us is to take up designations and apply them formally, as if departure had not come in. So you find John avoids the use of the word ‘apostle’ in his gospel, the word ‘assembly’ and so on.
ELM Do we reach the good of the house by way of the temple?
JT Yes. Recovery of the truth has been brought to pass by attention being called to Christ; and the thought of the temple developed from that. This gospel introduces the thought of the temple as in Him; He was it. That was how matters began to take form, the truth was first seen in Christ, and then worked out in the saints. So the letters to the Corinthians contemplate the saints as temple of God, and the truth of the temple came out in that way by attention being called to Christ. Every Christian in whatever association recognises Christ as the light of [p. 158] God, but many would not be prepared to recognise saints as the temple.
Rem The truth is first set forth in Christ, and then established subjectively in the saints.
JT Yes; what He was here, they are now. But we must begin with Christ, so this gospel commences by emphasising that things are with Christ. In Him was life, and so on; attention is thus called to the Person. We begin there, and we are assured of the sympathy of every believer on these lines, though all may not go on to the thought of light in the saints. God graciously works out what men need, and He secures His own portion in the well of water springing up in the believer to eternal life. God is seeking worshippers. Then He proceeds in John 5 to open up quickening; chapter 6 contemplates the food by which men are sustained, and a constitution built up which belongs to life; and this is followed in chapter 7 by the thought of Christ in heaven and the Holy Spirit here. All this intervenes and then we get the house.
GWW The truth has been recovered by the recognition of the light, as in J.N.D.’s time; but we may take hold of terms without seeing the Person in whom the truth is set forth.
AE In chapter 10 the Lord is set forth as the good Shepherd, and in chapter 21 Peter is commissioned to care for the sheep, but he is not called a shepherd. He is not named as such, though the service is entrusted to him.
JT Exactly. So John begins in a way which would enlist the interest of every Christian. You may get any Christian to listen to you if you speak of John 1, but you may not be able to carry them into chapter 2. If we refer to Genesis 1 for a moment, what we see is really recovery. From verse 2 onwards it is not exactly creation. “God made”, it says. So it supports us in connection with this. Failure [p. 159] having taken place, there must be a fresh start.
EM There must first be adjustment, and then liberty in relation to the house.
JT Just so. God says, “Let there be light”, Genesis 1: 3. The earth was without form, we are told; the heavens were not involved in the catastrophe, there was no change there; the catastrophe was down here, so this has to be taken account of, and if you can gain the interest and sympathy of Christians in regard to Christ in heaven, you may perhaps be able to go on to what is down here.
Rem In verse 2 of this chapter we read the Lord came into the temple.
JT Yes, but not as in chapter 2; here it is the general building. The Lord would not have entered into the shrine; it is not the same idea. It is noteworthy that John gives us more of the Lord’s service at Jerusalem than any of the other evangelists; he treats largely of that which had a status religiously. The other evangelists enlarge more on what lay outside. So John tells us of no wholesale miracles or signs; the other gospel writers speak of the number of those healed without describing each in detail. But John limits us to certain isolated cases. With conditions such as he has before him, we cannot look for any great public results; it is uphill work, for the soil is extremely sterile, nevertheless there are isolated cases to draw attention to the power at work. So we get certain feasts of the Jews referred to, shewing how the Lord was operating throughout amid hostile circumstances. The soil, as I said, was extremely sterile. Yet results did accrue, and we must be prepared to work on these lines, content with small results outwardly, but assured that they are great morally. It is very difficult to work in the midst of accredited religion; and to maintain the light of grace, as there are certain legal requirements [p. 160] men insist on. So you find in the first verse we read that the Lord went to the mount of Olives. He is prepared for isolation. Every man went to his own home, Jesus went to the mount of Olives — heaven in principle — and comes from there to the temple.
Rem We should not have a home in that sense.
JT When you come to what is spiritual, your home is there; your living associations are in relation to heaven. So John qualifies us to carry on work in an isolated way, and beginning thus, we shall never be overcome, never overwhelmed by despondency. I am not alone, the Lord says. In going to the mount of Olives, He sets us an example in service as to how we may draw on Him. There could not be recovery unless someone had learned this, as recovery is by one man. It is interesting in this connection to take account of the Lord’s appearings after He rose. Paul gives six, no doubt there were more, but he gives six, as he intends to build up something on them. Among these there were three that were personal, one to Cephas, one to James, and one to Paul himself; then He appeared to the twelve, then to five hundred brethren, and then to all the apostles. Now the appearing to James would have in view what one man may do. James tells us in his writings that Elias was a man subject to like passions as ourselves, and he prayed that it should not rain, and it did not rain for three years and six months, and he prayed again and the heaven gave rain. That is what one man effected. So the Lord in appearing to James would have in view that much may be done by one man, but if so, it is to be done in the grace of Christ. The appearing would qualify him for that. I think this gospel is very much on these lines; we learn from God how to act alone.
Rem Could you give us a little help on chapter 2. There the Lord goes down to Capernaum; here, to the mount of [p. 161] Olives.
JT Capernaum comes in in connection with His mother and brethren. It is an allusion to His relations with the Jewish remnant. He cleanses the temple according to that point of view, and then the Jews ask for a sign, and He introduces the thought of “this temple”. It was a test for them to determine what that was. But here, He comes in from heaven in principle. The house is established in relation to the Spirit, and is a heavenly institution, so you may look for a supply of grace. The Lord was “full of grace and truth”. How could He deal with those conditions of accredited religion unless He were marked by super-abounding grace? The woman in this chapter is unquestionably guilty, and the representatives of accredited religion are there with the law of Moses in their hands; how is He to meet it? It must be met in a way that cannot be gainsaid; the result is, that all have to go out, and the woman is left alone. John gives no code as to how difficult matters are to be dealt with; we have divine principles, but, in addition, there must be ability to discern persons, and, as coming in from the mount of Olives, one has grace for that. A man coming in from the mount of Olives has a way with him, a new way which others who belong to accredited religion do not understand.
PL So the assembly is taken to heaven before she comes down to administer.
GWW You are emphasising the analogy between that time and the present, and the principles by which our conduct should be regulated.
JT It is noticeable what the Lord does. He stoops down and writes. There is grace in that. He writes on the ground; that is new material. The Jews had no idea of that material. What do they know of all this movement? No more than they did of the reference in chapter 2 to the temple.
GWW They could trust [p. 162] the Lord with what had been written on the tables of stone.
JT We are familiar with writing on paper, such as the catechism. But this is something new. It means His death. Love writes on the ground. Then He says, “Let him that is without sin among you first cast the stone at her”. There was the light of God, and they had to go out in the presence of it.
Ques Why is the writing repeated?
JT The first writing puts man out. Then He writes again, and when He lifts Himself up, only the woman was there. She does not go out, she need not, as in principle He had made expiation for her sin. She is retained, and when the Lord says, “Has no man condemned thee?” she replies, “No one, sir”. She uses a term of respect. The house is to be composed of such persons, persons who can stoop down. Love never fails.
AN Is this the way the truth of the temple works out, every fresh circumstance becoming the occasion for fresh light?
AE The very cavilling of the Jews brings out fresh light.
PL Do we get a suggestion of what you are bringing out in the staff Gehazi takes and lays on the face of the dead child? It is unavailing, but the prophet comes and lays himself on the child, stooping in that way, and identifying himself wholly with the child’s condition.
JT Yes, quite so. When Gideon was leader of the people, whatever the three hundred saw him do, they were to do the Lord gives us a lead here. The apostle says, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels”. The treasure is the ministry. The vessel is broken and the light shines out. Here, as we were saying, the woman is retained. There must be the full dealing with sin, but the sinner is preserved that she may be saved.
GWW How do we stoop down?
[p. 163] JT In taking things as they are and acknowledging our part in them. A man “in cloth” does not stoop. The idea of a nobleman is that he does not stoop. You can hold the truth in an objective way without letting your reputation go.
GWW Daniel is found in the deepest abasement as identified with the people publicly.
JT Hence he was “greatly beloved”. So you go along with the people of God after this pattern. The Lord addresses Himself to Thyatira, as Son of God, but Jezebel had to be dealt with. I gave her space to repent, He says; every opportunity had been afforded her. Here the Lord has to do with a woman and she is not lost, but Jezebel is lost.
EM “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free”. How far does that go?
JT Truth is adjustment in detail, the truth disentangles you.
EM Would it deal with the formal order of things?
JT Yes, quite; but the Son is in the house, so He brings in what is positive. “If therefore the Son shall set you free, ye shall be really free”; you are set free in the sphere of affection. Truth liberates me, and enables me to judge of things in detail; it deals with everything contrary to God, but the Son sets me up in the sphere of affection.
AN Does that mean sonship for us?
JT It involves that, but John would not say you are a son. You have the thing but not the name, if you are in the liberty of the house.
AN The house is a universal thought.
JT Yes; so you find the liberty of the house wherever you go. Luke speaks of the provisional institution of the house in connection with the gospel. John does not do that, but brings in what is eternal.
Ques What is the thought of “If ye continue my word”?
JT His word is His mind. Truth is that by which everything is regulated. There can be nothing organically or structurally except by truth. “Send out thy light and thy truth”, the Psalmist says (Psalm 43:3). It may go far afield and deal with conditions contrary to God, but it brings to God’s holy hill. There you find the Son.
EM Is the greatest light in the chapter the “I am”? (verse 58).
JT Yes; John leads into eternity.