Jn 1:29 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him.
Here begins that section which concerns the leading of the hearers to faith through testimony. This section is divided into two parts. In the first are set forth the testimonies of John that turn the hearers toward faith in Christ; in the second is set forth the conversion itself as accomplished in the hearers, at verse 37: ‘And they heard him…’
The first of these parts is further divided into two. In the first, by his testimony he stirs up the hearers; in the second, by a repeated testimony he leads those who already believe, at verse 35: ‘Again the next day…’
The earlier of these is again divided into three parts. In the first he stirs up the hearers to consider the excellence of Christ as the one who restores the fall of humanity in two natures. In the second he repeats Christ’s dignity, which he possesses from the eternity of his divinity and from his predestination to the work of redemption, at verse 30: ‘This is he of whom I said…’ In the third he leads them to consider his operative power in the sacraments, at verse 31: ‘And I did not know him…’
In the first of these three, three things are touched upon: first, John’s clarity of perception with regard to Jesus; second, the humility of Jesus; third, the truthfulness of the testimony.
Therefore he says, ‘The next day,’ because on one day he had borne witness to the Pharisees concerning one who was absent; on that day the light of John’s understanding shone with respect to the absent one. But on the next day, after that, the light of understanding, reflected into sense perception, shone with respect to the one who was present. As Proverbs 4:18 says: ‘The path of the just is like a shining light, advancing and increasing unto the perfect day.’
Such indeed is the vision of the light which is the true Light that enlightens every human being coming into this world; it truly makes a “day” in the hearts of the saints. Hence Wisdom 18:1 says: ‘But for your saints there was great light.’ And shortly after (v. 3): ‘Therefore they had a burning pillar of fire as a guide on an unknown way, and a sun that gave harmless hospitality.’ And so they were led by the pillar of light to the knowledge of truth, and by the sun, dwelling and encircling them in the tent of its light, they were defended from the darkness of error.
And therefore, in this light John saw Jesus and knew him, as in Job 42:5–6: ‘Now my eye sees you; therefore I reprehend myself.’ And Luke 2:30: ‘My eyes have seen your salvation.’ And this is one of the graces bestowed upon John, that both inwardly and outwardly, with the eyes of heart and body, he merited to see Jesus.
Behold the humility of the Lord as seen: for he who was greater came to one who was lesser. Thus Matthew 3:14: ‘I ought to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ But this is at once an act of love and of humility, as in John 14:23: ‘We will come to him and make our dwelling with him.’ And Matthew 8:7: ‘I will come and heal him.’ So also now, coming to heal the world through the sanctification of baptism, he comes to John.
And he says: ‘Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sin of the world.’ Behold the truth of the one testifying concerning the excellence of the Savior, who restores the fall of humanity in both natures. Therefore he says two things, namely the meekness of the one who suffers and the power of the passion. The first belongs to humility; the second to divinity.
The first he touches upon when he says, ‘Behold the Lamb.’ In this he touches upon three things: the indication of Christ’s presence, meekness, and power, and the divine immolation.
He indicates the presence of Christ when he says ‘Behold,’ by way of demonstration—‘Behold,’ he who always presented himself as working our salvation. As Psalm 40:8–9 says: ‘In the head of the book it is written of me, that I should do your will, O my God.’ And Isaiah 62:11: ‘Behold, your Savior comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.’
‘Lamb.’ In this is signified meekness. As Jeremiah 11:19 says: ‘I was like a gentle lamb that is led to the slaughter.’ Or because “lamb” in Greek signifies what is “pious,” while in Latin agnus is said to come from agnoscere (“to recognize”), because the lamb recognizes the voice of its mother among the whole bleating flock and is recognized by her; thus in the lamb are noted meekness, piety, and recognition of one’s own. For he is meek toward those who turn to him in their evils, pious—that is, benevolent—toward the good, and one who recognizes his own.
Concerning meekness, Numbers 12:3 says: ‘Now Moses was the meekest man above all men who dwelt upon the earth.’ Moses, however, is a figure of Christ, who, as Isaiah 53:7 says, ‘Like a sheep he will be led to the slaughter, and like a lamb before its shearer he will be silent and will not open his mouth.’
Concerning piety, 1 Timothy 4:7–8 says: ‘Exercise yourself unto piety; for piety is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.’
Concerning recognition, John 10:14 says: ‘I know my own, and my own know me.’ And 2 Timothy 2:19: ‘The Lord knows who are his.’
Therefore he is a Lamb. He is also called a lamb on account of usefulness, because he gives the wool of his conduct as an example for the garment of virtue, his flesh as food for spiritual nourishment, and milk of doctrine as drink for little ones not yet able to take solid food. Of the first, Job 31:20 says: ‘If his loins have not blessed me, and if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep.’ Of the milk, 1 Corinthians 3:1–2: ‘As little ones in Christ, I gave you milk to drink, not solid food.’ Of milk and wool together, Ezekiel 34:3: ‘You ate the milk and clothed yourselves with the wool.’
He is also innocent like a lamb, and therefore Exodus 12:5 says that ‘the lamb shall be without blemish.’ He gives his flesh as food to the perfect, as John 6:56 says: ‘My flesh is truly food, and my blood is truly drink.’
In Luke more is said concerning the lamb, especially Luke 10:3: ‘Behold, I send you as lambs among wolves.’ And let these suffice concerning the Lamb.
‘Of God.’ This is said because the lamb is God’s sacrifice, as is said in Exodus 12:5: ‘You shall take a lamb, and the whole multitude shall sacrifice it in the evening,’ that is, at the end of the world. Therefore Numbers 28:6 says that the lamb is the perpetual holocaust which is always to be offered. For this one, who is the Son of God, is in a special way the Lamb of God. As Revelation 14:1 says: ‘And I saw, and behold, the Lamb stood upon Mount Zion, and with him one hundred and forty-four thousand,’ who signify the totality of the redeemed.
Second, he touches upon the power of the passion, which he has from divinity, when he says that it is ‘for sins,’ or ‘the Lamb of God,’ because ‘behold, he who takes away the sin of the world.’ As if he were to say: I go before and point out sins, inviting to repentance; but he takes them away, both by the sacrament of regeneration and by the power of his blood, surpassing the angelic forerunner. In figure of this, the doorposts and lintels were commanded to be marked with the blood of the lamb.
Isaiah 53:12 says: ‘Because he delivered his soul unto death and was numbered among the transgressors, and he bore the sins of many and made intercession for transgressors,’ namely, that they might not perish. And 1 Peter 2:24: ‘He himself bore our sins in his body upon the tree.’
Jn 1:30 ‘This is he of whom I said: After me comes a man who has been made before me, because he was before me.’ Here he repeats the testimony and stirs up the hearers by the dignity of Christ’s eternal divinity and his predestination to the work of redemption. And he says three things: Christ’s later manifestation in time, the excellence of his dignity and operation with respect to John, and his very eternity.
Concerning the first he says: ‘This is he,’ now present and pointed out, of whom I spoke. For he offers himself freely for salvation, as Proverbs 1:23 says: ‘Behold, I will pour out my spirit to you.’
‘After me comes a man.’ This is added when he says ‘man,’ because he was man—flourishing in nature, flourishing in grace, flourishing in virtue and wisdom, making all things flourish in the work of salvation. Of the first, Jeremiah 31:22: ‘The Lord has created a new thing upon the earth: a woman shall encompass a man.’ Of the second, Job 1:3: ‘That man was great among all the men of the East.’ Of the third, Isaiah 4:1: ‘Seven women shall take hold of one man,’ that is, Christ—the seven virtues in which the fullness of virtues is contained. Of the fourth, Zechariah 6:12: ‘Behold, the man whose name is the Rising,’ and under him he shall rise. And Psalm 72:7: ‘In his days justice shall arise, and abundance of peace.’ Likewise Psalm 1:1–3: ‘Blessed is the man who has not walked… and he shall be like a tree planted beside running waters, which shall give its fruit in due season.’
‘Who has been made before me.’ That is, as first. He was made first in dignity by divine predestination and ordination. ‘Before me,’ that is, so as to be before me, as a king before a herald, and as the sun before the morning star. Of the first, Revelation 1:5: ‘The firstborn of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth.’ Of the second, Malachi 4:2: ‘For you who fear my name, the Sun of Justice shall arise, with healing in his wings.’ Hence, just as when the sun rises the morning star wanes and disappears, so when Christ’s light shone forth, John the Baptist decreased, as John 3:30 says: ‘He must increase, but I must decrease.’
“Who has been made before me.” That is, as one who was first. He was made first in dignity by divine predestination and ordination. “Before me,” that is, so that he might be before me, as a king is before a herald, and as the sun is before the morning star. Of the first, Revelation 1:5: “The firstborn of the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” Of the second, Malachi 4:2: “For you who fear my name, the Sun of Justice shall arise, and healing shall be in his wings.” Hence, just as when the sun increases the morning star diminishes and disappears, so, when the light of Christ shone forth in splendor, John the Baptist decreased, as John 3:30 says: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
“Who was before me.” This refers to eternity, because from eternity he was predestined to be prior to John and to every saint whatsoever. As Romans 1:4 says: “Who was predestined Son of God in power, according to the Spirit of sanctification.” For to none of the saints is it granted to take the Church as his bride by his own blood and to cleanse her; this belongs to Christ alone. For he possesses this by the power of his divinity, which alone cleanses from sins, and by the power of his humanity, by which he is conformed to the bride. And thus he is prior in eternity, in dignity, and in the efficacy of the grace of redemption.
Jn 1:31 “And I did not know him; but that he might be manifested to Israel, therefore I came baptizing in water.”
Here begins the third part, in which he leads them to consider the excellence of Christ working in the sacraments. And this is divided into two parts: in the first he touches upon those things which make the testimony unsuspected of false suspicion; in the second he touches upon the testimony itself, at verse 34: “And I saw and bore witness.”
In the former part he touches upon three things. The first is the removal of an evil suspicion that might arise from the grace of familiarity; the second is the bodily sign appearing as an argument of truth, at verse 32: “And John bore witness…”; the third is the authority of revelation, at verse 33: “And I did not know him.”
In the first, he does two things. First, he denies any acceptance of persons arising from familiarity, and he sets forth the end and necessity of his testimony. And he says: “And I,” although I bear witness concerning him, “did not know him” by any familiarity of friendly acquaintance, because I did not live with him in the same house or homeland, but in the desert. Although, therefore, I knew his divinity in my mother’s womb, nevertheless I did not accept his person on account of any familiar knowledge of blood relationship or social interaction, so as to bear witness for that reason. For I know no one according to such carnal friendship. As 2 Corinthians 5:16 says: “Therefore, from now on, we know no one according to the flesh; even if we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him so no longer.” This alone is a commendable knowledge in the saints, which proceeds not from the flesh but solely from the grace of God. As Matthew 16:17 says: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you…”
Thus, according to Chrysostom, this is what he means: I never knew him according to carnal affection, because while I was dwelling in the desert, his bodily presence was unknown to me. “But that he might be manifested to those hearing me in Israel,” that is, in Judea, where the knowledge of God ought to be, and to whom the Savior was promised, and from whom faith in him ought to be derived for the Gentiles. “Therefore I came,” sent by God, “baptizing in water,” which washes only the body, and leading people to his baptism and accustoming them to it. As Luke 3:2–3 says: “The word of the Lord came upon John, the son of Zechariah, in the desert; and he went into all the region of the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance.” And Isaiah 12:4: “Make known his deeds among the peoples; remember that his name is exalted.”
Augustine, however, says that John “did not know him,” that is, not as man or as God—whom he had long known from early childhood—but he did not know him as the true baptizer and as the one who takes away sins. And therefore they say that, since the power of baptizing can be known in five ways—namely, the power of authority, the power of cooperation, the power of invocation, the power of excellence, and the power of ministry—John did not know him as conferring such power. For he did not know that Christ would grant any of these powers to others except the power of ministry.
In order to understand this, it is necessary to explain these powers. The power of authority is that by which one works in baptism by one’s own authority, for the imprinting of the character, the sanctification that cleanses from sins, and the institution of the sacrament. This power God alone possesses and can confer upon no one else, just as he cannot confer that someone be God. For no one can forgive sins by his own authority except God alone. As Isaiah 43:25 says: “I, I myself, am he who blots out your iniquities for my own sake.” And Psalm 51:6: “Against you alone have I sinned, and done evil before you.” And Mark 2:7: “Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
The power of cooperation is that by which a human being cooperates by his own power with God toward interior cleansing and the sanctification of baptism. This also God could not confer on another, because he could not grant that any creature be God together with himself. As Isaiah 63:3 says: “Of the nations there was no man with me.” And again in the same chapter (v. 5): “I looked, and there was no helper.” And Sirach 51:10: “I looked for the help of men, and there was none.”
The power of invocation is that by which, when someone’s name is invoked, baptism is sanctified, as when the name of the Trinity is invoked. This he could have conferred, but he did not will to do so, lest there be as many baptisms as there are baptizers, since Ephesians 4:5 says: “One faith, one baptism.”
The power of excellence is that by which, if one who is more excellent baptizes, the baptism would be more excellent. This he did not will to confer upon a human being, lest hope be placed in man. For Jeremiah 17:5 says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm.”
The power of ministry, however, he could confer and did confer, so that the ministers of the Church might be ministers of Christ in the conferral of the sacraments; and so that the unworthiness of ministers could do no harm where the Lord is good, as Augustine says, though a good minister can often be of benefit. As 1 Corinthians 4:1 says: “Thus let a man regard us, as ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.”
John, however, did not know that Christ would confer the intermediate powers upon no one, though he could have conferred them. Just as, according to Gregory, he did not know whether Christ would descend into hell himself or accomplish liberation from hell through another; but he did know well that Christ would confer the power of authority on no one and would confer the power of ministry upon ministers. And in this way that long gloss of Augustine is to be understood, which says that upon seeing the dove he learned through it, and so on. The exposition of Chrysostom is more literal, but that of Augustine is more subtle.
Jn 1:32 “And John bore witness, saying: ‘Because I saw the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven, and he remained upon him.’”
Here he makes his testimony credible by the sign of the Holy Spirit in a bodily form. And here he touches upon three things: first, he presents this vision lest it seem frivolously reported; second, its certainty; third, the sign itself.
Therefore he says: “And John bore witness,” as if to say: he did not recount this vision out of lightness or boasting, but because it was necessary, since he bore witness for those who did not believe. As 1 Corinthians 14:22 says: “Tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers.” And 2 Corinthians 12:11: “I have become foolish—you have compelled me.” And earlier in the same chapter (v. 1): “I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.” And Psalm 109:2: “O God, do not be silent in my praise, for the mouth of the sinner and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me.” Thus the necessity of testimony among unbelievers demanded this witness.
Saying, “Because I saw,” he touches upon certainty, for testimony is borne from sight. As Acts 4:20 says: “We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”
“The Spirit descending.” Behold, thirdly he sets forth the sign that was seen, and he mentions five things. The first is that it is seen only by the heart, and this he touches upon when he says, “I saw the Spirit,” that is, with the eyes of the heart I recognized the Holy Spirit in a sensible sign. As Isaiah 61:1 says: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me.”
“Descending.” This is to be understood secondly according to effect, since even this appears only to the eyes of the heart through the illumination of faith. For the Spirit descended by effect into the sanctification of the water, to which he imparted a regenerative power; for he is everywhere powerful by essence, power, and presence. As Ecclesiasticus 1:6 says: “Surveying all things in a circuit, the Spirit goes forth and returns to his circles.” And Wisdom 1:7: “The Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole world.” And again in Wisdom 7:27: “Passing into holy souls from nation to nation, he makes friends of God and prophets.” For in this way the Spirit descends, and not otherwise.
Or it is said that he descends because he causes one to descend, so that the sacrament may be received humbly; whereas the evil spirit is said to ascend, because he causes ascent through contempt of the sacraments. As Isaiah 14:13 says: “I will ascend into heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne.” And Psalm 74:23: “The pride of those who hate you ascends continually.” For a human being ought to descend humbly, as Jerome says, so as to seek salvation in creatures which are the matter of the sacraments—he who, through pride, found death in the tasting of a creature against God. Thus he touches upon the manner of receiving the sacrament and the grace of the sacrament through humility. As James 4:6 says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
“Like a dove.” Behold, thirdly he here touches upon the figure of goodness, because the dove is an innocent bird and without the bitterness of gall. And this figure was fitting, because, as Genesis 8:8 says, the dove was the messenger of mercy after the waters of the flood that submerged sinners, by the fact that it brought back to the ark a branch of a green olive. So now, in the waters of baptism, it brings the fulfillment of benevolence through the submersion of sins. As Matthew 3:16 says: “He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove.” And Luke 3:22: “The Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.”
But it is asked: in what way was the Holy Spirit in this dove more than in another? Either he was united to it, and then the Holy Spirit would have been a dove according to being, just as the Son is man; or he was not united to it, and then he was no more in it than in another creature. Further, it is asked why he chose to appear in the form of a dove rather than of another animal or creature.
To these questions it must be said, without prejudice, that although bodily appearances are attributed to the divine persons in ways proper to them and not to the others—as the voice that sounded over the Son, “This is my beloved Son,” is attributed to the Father and not to the Son or the Holy Spirit, and the appearance of the dove is attributed properly to the Holy Spirit and not to the Father or the Son—nevertheless, neither was the Father united to the voice nor the Holy Spirit united to the dove.
For God appears in a creature in four ways. First, by vestige and by image, and thus he is essentially and by presence in every creature. Second, he appears for the manifestation of some operation, and thus the Father is in the voice and the Holy Spirit in the dove. He also appears in an operation of grace, and thus the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are in the saints, and also in others in whom the effects of sanctifying grace or gratuitous gifts are at work. He also appears by union, and thus only the Son appeared in human nature; and therefore the Holy Spirit appeared by manifestation in the dove and not by union, nor in other creatures.
To the second point it must be said that the properties of this bird show forth the goodness of the Holy Spirit, and also because the dove brought the first sign of mercy upon the waters. Many such things, moreover, are noted in Luke 1:22, and it is not necessary to repeat them here.
This, then, is what he says. Fourth, he mentions the place from which he descended, saying “from heaven,” because coming from heaven—where there is the place of grace and glory—he indicated that through baptism the opening of the heavens would be granted to those reborn. Thus Luke 3:21 and Matthew 3:16: “The heavens were opened to him.” And Ezekiel 1:1: “The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.”
“And he remained upon him.”
This is the fifth point: because, although in others the Spirit does not rest permanently, in Christ he rests and from him proceeds to others. As Isaiah 11:2 says: “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: the spirit of wisdom and understanding.” And Deuteronomy 33:12: “Benjamin”—that is, the son of the right hand—“the beloved of the Lord, shall dwell confidently in him, as in a bridal chamber; all the day long he shall abide.”* But one cannot be “beloved” except through the love of the Holy Spirit, and therefore in him the Holy Spirit rests.
Jn 1:33-34 “And I did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me: ‘He upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him, this is he who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ And I saw, and I bore witness that this is the Son of God.”
Here he renders the testimony credible from the authority of the revealer and of the revelation. And he touches upon three things: first, the repeated removal of suspicion; second, the authority of the revealer; third, the authority of the revelation.
He says, “And I did not know him,” either because he did not know him by carnal affection, or because he did not know him face to face, since he had become unknown through long absence, or because through the great concealment of his humiliation he did not recognize that this one was the person whom he nevertheless knew to exist in the world through the presence of the flesh, or because he did not know him in the sacramental power which Christ would exercise by himself and not entrust to another.
Something similar is said in Genesis 27:23 concerning Isaac: “He did not know him,” namely his son, because the hairy hands expressed the likeness of the elder. Thus also in Christ the likeness of rough flesh, taken on for the likeness of sins, made Christ not recognizable even to the saints. As Isaiah 53:3 says: “As one whose face is hidden and despised, we did not esteem him.” For who would recognize the Son of God under the signs of a robber? As Psalm 17:4 says: “Because of the words of your lips, I have kept hard paths.”
And if it is objected that John knew Christ in his mother’s womb, it must be said that this is true, but this was by the impulse (instinctus) of the Holy Spirit. And Gregory says that the Holy Spirit often touches the hearts of the prophets in regard to one thing and does not touch them in regard to another. Thus here he did not touch John’s heart with personal recognition, and therefore it was necessary that Christ be shown by a visible sign as the sanctifier of the sacrament. In this way he says, “I did not know him.” Psalm 144:3, according to the translation of Theodotion, says: “And who knows him?”
“But he who sent me.”
Behold the authority of the revealer: “to baptize with water,” so that people might be introduced to the matter and the act of baptism. “He of such great authority said to me.” As Acts 26:19–20 says: “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but announced first to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent.”
“Upon whom you shall see.”
By a bodily sign. As Psalm 89:20 says: “Then you spoke in a vision to your holy ones and said: I have placed help upon one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from among my people,” that is, Christ, my Son. Hosea 12:10: “I multiplied visions.” Thus the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove for the manifestation of the sanctifier and of the sanctification of the sacrament, and “remaining upon him” with permanence and for every act—whereas in other saints he is not present for every act, but for certain ones. As John 1:34 says: “For God does not give the Spirit by measure,” namely to the Son.
“This is he who baptizes.”
Truly, he baptizes by the power of his own authority, by the invocation of his own name, and by the cooperation of the Father—not as a minister, but as Lord and omnipotent. And therefore there is one baptism, just as there is one faith. As Acts 1:5 says: “You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” And this is what follows: “In the Holy Spirit.”
For in this way Christ, as the image (character) of God the Father, imprints an interior character upon the baptized, and in the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from him, he remits sins—although a human minister may at times exercise the outward ministry.
“And I saw.”
This is testimony that stirs the hearers to full faith. Therefore he says: “And I saw,” namely the Spirit descending and remaining. As Habakkuk 3:2 (according to the Septuagint) says: “I considered your works, and I trembled.”
“And I bore witness.”
As Psalm 119:129 says: “Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul has searched them.” And again, Psalm 93:5: “Your testimonies are exceedingly credible.”
“That this is the Son of God.”
Whom he had earlier called “man,” he now, having heard the voice of the Father—“You are my beloved Son” (Luke 3:22)—names and declares to be the Son of God. And therefore the Father, who cannot lie, now openly declared this. As Psalm 2:7 says: “The Lord said to me: You are my Son; today I have begotten you.” And Matthew 27:54: “Truly this was the Son of God.”
Here the curious, more than the devout, ask whether others besides John also saw the form of the dove and heard the voice of the Father. To this it seems reasonable, without prejudice, to say that it is probable that others neither saw nor heard—except perhaps some holy and devout persons—because if all had seen and heard, the testimony of John would not have been necessary.
The curious also ask what became of the dove after this apparition. To this it must be said that although God knows, Bede says that it was reduced back into the underlying matter. For God did not wish it to remain in the Church, lest it become an occasion for idolatry, just as he also caused the serpent which Moses had made in the desert to be destroyed.
Jn 1:35 “Again the next day John was standing, and two of his disciples.”
“And looking at Jesus as he walked, he said: ‘Behold the Lamb of God.’”
Here, by repeated testimony, he leads those who believe. And four things are said. First, the disposition of the one testifying is described; second, John’s abundance in disciples; third, John’s gaze toward the author of salvation; fourth, the testimony of truth.
Therefore he says, “Again the next day,” that is, the day of a new illumination, when once more the Holy Spirit touched the heart of man and Christ presented himself to him. As Psalm 76:5 says: “You shine wondrously from the eternal mountains; all the foolish of heart were troubled.” And 2 Peter 1:19: “We have the more sure prophetic word, to which you do well to attend, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” For below, at verse 35, John is both lamp (lucerna) and morning star (lucifer); but the day and illumination are brought about through Christ.
“John was standing,” one who did not bend away from the rectitude of truth. As 1 Kings 18:15 says: “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whose face I stand.” Hence the Gloss says: “He stands immovable on the summit of perfection.”
“And two of his disciples.”
The Gloss says: “Firmly adhering to his teaching.” They are two on account of the affection of a twofold love, which cannot be less than two. As Proverbs 18:19 says: “A brother helped by a brother is like a strong city.” And Ecclesiastes 4:11: “If two sleep together, they shall warm one another.” And Luke 10:1: “He sent them two by two before his face into every city and place where he himself was to come.”
He does not mention the others, as Chrysostom says, because these were devout, while the others were held back by envy, being jealous for John’s glory against Christ.
Jn 1:36 “And looking at Jesus.”
Because John’s love multiplied his gaze upon Jesus. As Baruch 3:14 says: “Learn where there is wisdom, where there is strength, where there is understanding, that you may also know where there is length of days, and life, and the light of the eyes, and peace.” And Ecclesiastes 1:8: “The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.”
“Walking,” that is, advancing toward us in the procuring of our salvation. As 1 John 2:6 says: “He who says that he abides in him ought himself also to walk just as he walked.” And Ezekiel 1:14: “The living creatures went and returned like flashes of lightning.” Thus he walked more by the steps of virtues than by the steps of feet, advancing from virtue to virtue in the work of our salvation.
“He said,” repeating the testimony…
CONTINUE: BEGIN AT 36, NOT 34
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