these remaining verses, and
before he turns to a somewhat different aspect of Christ's ministry, he
gives in rapid and brief retrospect the sum of what Jesus had advanced
as His claim. He introduces this paragraph, indeed, with the words,
"Jesus cried and said"; but as neither time nor place is mentioned, it
is quite likely that no special time or place is supposed; and in point
of fact each detail adduced in these verses can be paralleled from some
previously recorded utterance of Jesus.

First, then, as everywhere in the Gospel, so here, He claims to be the
representative of God in so close and perfect a manner that "he that
believeth on Me, believeth not on Me, but on Him that sent Me. And he
that seeth Me, seeth Him that sent Me." No belief terminates in Christ
Himself: to believe in Him is to believe in God, because all that He is
and does proceeds from God and leads to God. The whole purpose of
Christ's manifestation was to reveal God. He did not wish to arrest
thought upon Himself, but through Himself to guide thought to Him whom
He revealed. He was sustained by the Father, and all He said and did
was of the Father's inspiration. Whoever, therefore, "saw" or
understood Him "saw" the Father; and whoever believed in Him believed in
the Father.

Second, as regards men, He is "come a light into the world." Naturally
there is in the world no sufficient light. Men feel that they are in
darkness. They feel the darkness all the more appalling and depressing
the more developed their own human nature is. "More light" has been the
cry from the beginning. What are we? where are we? whence are we?
whither are we going? what is there above and beyond this world? These
questions are echoed back from an unanswering void, until Christ comes
and gives the answer. Since He came men have felt that they did not any
longer walk in darkness. They see where they are going, and they see why
they should go.

And if it be asked, as among the Jews it certainly must have been asked,
why, if Jesus is the Messiah, does He not punish men for rejecting Him?
the answer is, "I came not to judge the world, but to save the world."
Judgment, indeed, necessarily results from His coming. Men are divided
by His coming. "The words that I have spoken, the same shall judge men
in the last day." The offer of God, the offer of righteousness, is that
which judges men. Why are they still dead, when life has been offered?
This is the condemnation. "The comma