{"collection":"chr","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/chr/ecf/107/1070034.htm","path":"chr/ecf/107/1070034.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/107/1070034.htm","text":"1. You remember, beloved, in the former discourses,\u2014for it was both read in the Gospel and also discussed by us according to our ability,\u2014how that the Lord Jesus went up to the feast-day, as it were in secret, not because He feared lest He should be laid hold of,\u2014He who had the power not to be laid hold of,\u2014but to signify that even in that very feast which was celebrated by the Jews He Himself was hidden, and that the mystery of the feast was His own. In the passage read to-day then, that which was supposed to be timidity appeared as power; for He spoke openly on the feast-day, so that the crowds marvelled, and said that which we have heard when the passage was read: \u201cIs not this he whom they sought to kill? And, lo, he speaketh openly, and they say nothing. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the Christ?\u201d They who knew with what fierceness He was sought after, wondered by what power He was kept from being taken. Then, not fully understanding His power, they fancied it was the knowledge of the rulers, that these rulers knew Him to be the very Christ, and that for this reason they spared Him whom they had with so much eagerness sought out to be put to death.\n2. Then those same persons who had said, \u201cDid the rulers know that this is the Christ?\u201d proposed a question among themselves, by which it appeared to them that He was not the Christ; for they said in addition, \u201cBut we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.\u201d As to how this opinion among the Jews arose, that \u201cwhen Christ comes, no man knoweth whence He is\u201d (for it did not arise without reason), if we consider the Scriptures, we find, brethren, that the Holy Scriptures have declared of Christ that \u201cHe shall be called a Nazarene.\u201d 591 Therefore they foretold whence He is. Again, if we seek the place of His nativity, as that whence He is by birth, neither was this hidden from the Jews, because of the Scriptures which had foretold these things. For when the Magi, on the appearing of a star, sought Him out to worship Him, they came to Herod and told him what they sought and what they meant: and he, having called together those who had knowledge of the law, inquired of them where Christ should be born: they told him, \u201cIn Bethlehem of Judah,\u201d and also brought forward the prophetic testimony. 592 If, therefore, the prophets had foretold both the place where the origin of His flesh was, and the place where His mother would bring Him forth, whence did spring that opinion among the Jews which we have just heard, but from this, that the Scriptures had proclaimed beforehand, and had foretold both? In respect of His being man, the Scriptures foretold whence He should be; in respect of His being God, this was hidden from the ungodly, and it required godly men to discover it. Moreover, they said this, \u201cWhen Christ comes, no man knoweth whence He is,\u201d because that which was spoken by Isaiah produced this opinion in them, viz. \u201cAnd His generation, who shall tell?\u201d 593 In short, the Lord Himself made answer to both, that they both did, and also did not know whence He was; that He might testify to the holy prophecy which before was predicted of Him, both as to the humanity of infirmity and also as to the divinity of majesty.\n3. Hear, therefore, the word of the Lord, brethren; see how He confirmed to them both what they said, \u201cWe know this man whence he is,\u201d and also what they said, \u201cWhen Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence He is. Then cried Christ in the temple, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but He that sent me is true, whom ye know not.\u201d That is to say, ye both know me, and ye know me not; ye both know whence I am, and ye know not whence I am. Ye know whence I am: Jesus of Nazareth, whose parents also ye knew. For in this case, the birth of the Virgin alone was hidden, to whom, however, her husband was witness; for the same was able faithfully to declare this, who was also able as a husband to be jealous. Therefore, this birth of the Virgin excepted, they knew all that in Jesus pertains to man: His face was known, His country was known, His family was known; where He was born was to be known by inquiry. Rightly then did He say, \u201cYe both know me, and ye know whence I am,\u201d according to the flesh and form of man which He bore; but according to His p. 190 divinity, \u201cAnd I am not come of myself, but He that sent me is true, whom ye know not;\u201d but yet that ye may know Him, believe on Him whom He has sent, and ye will know Him. For, \u201cNo man has seen God at any time, except the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him:\u201d 594 and, \u201cNone knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.\u201d 595\n4. Lastly, when He had said, \u201cBut He that sent me is true, whom ye know not,\u201d in order to show them whence they might know that which they did not know, He subjoined, \u201cI know Him.\u201d Therefore seek from me to know Him. But why is it that I know Him? \u201cBecause I am from Him, and He sent me.\u201d Gloriously has He shown both. \u201cI am from Him,\u201d said He; because the Son is from the Father, and whatever the Son is, He is of Him whose Son He is. Hence we say that the Lord Jesus is God of God: we do not say that the Father is God of God, but simply God: and we say that the Lord Jesus is Light of Light; we do not say that the Father is Light of Light, but simply Light. Accordingly, to this belongs that which He said \u201cI am from Him.\u201d But as to my being seen of you in the flesh, \u201cHe sent me.\u201d When thou hearest \u201cHe sent me,\u201d do not understand a difference of nature to be meant, but the authority of Him that begets.\n5. \u201cThen they sought to take Him: but no man laid hands on Him, because His hour was not yet come;\u201d that is, because He was not willing. For what is this. \u201cHis hour was not yet come\u201d? The Lord was not born under fate. This is not to be believed concerning thee, much less concerning Him by whom thou wast made. If thy hour is His good will, what is His hour but His good will? He meant not therefore an hour in which He should be forced to die, but that in which He would deign to be put to death. But He was awaiting the time in which He should die, for He awaited also the time in which He should be born. The apostle, speaking of this time, says, \u201cBut when the fullness of time came, God sent His Son.\u201d 596 For this cause many say, Why did not Christ come before? To whom we must make answer, Because the fullness of time had not yet come, while He by whom the times were made sets their bounds; for He knew when He ought to come. In the first place, it was necessary that He should be foretold through a long series of times and years; for it was not something insignificant that was to come: He who was to be ever held, had to be for a long time foretold. The greater the judge that was coming, the longer the train of heralds that preceded him. In short, when the fullness of time came, He also came who was to deliver us from time. For being delivered from time, we shall come to that eternity where there is no time: there it is not said, When shall the hour come, for the day is everlasting, a day which is neither preceded by a yesterday, nor cut off by a morrow. But in this world days roll on, some are passing away, others come; none abides; and the moments in which we are speaking drive out one another in turn, nor stands the first syllable for the second to sound. Since we began to speak we are somewhat older, and without doubt I am just now older than I was in the morning; thus, nothing stands, nothing remains fixed in time. Therefore ought we to love Him by whom the times were made, that we may be delivered from time and be fixed in eternity, where there is no more changeableness of times. Great, therefore, is the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, in that for our sakes He was made in time, by whom the times were made; that He was made among all things, by whom all things were made; that He became what He made. For He was made what He had made; for He was made man who had made man, lest what He had made should perish. According to this dispensation, the hour of His birth had now come, and He was born; but not yet had come the hour of His suffering, therefore not yet had He suffered.\n6. In short, that ye may know that the words refer, not to the necessity of His dying, but to His power,\u2014I speak this for the sake of some who, when they hear \u201cHis hour was not yet come,\u201d are determined on believing in fate, and their hearts become infatuated;\u2014that ye may know, then, that it was His power of dying, recollect the passion, look at Him crucified. While hanging on the tree, He said, \u201cI thirst.\u201d They, having heard this, offered to Him on the cross vinegar by a sponge on a reed. He received it, and said, \u201cIt is finished;\u201d and, bowing His head, gave up the ghost. You see His power of dying, that He waited for this\u2014until all things should be fulfilled that had been foretold concerning Him\u2014to take place before His death. For the prophet had said, \u201cThey gave me gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.\u201d 597 He waited for all these things to be fulfilled: after they were completed, He said, \u201cIt is finished;\u201d p. 191 and He departed by power, because He came not by necessity. Hence some wondered more at this His power to die than at His ability to work miracles. For they came to the cross to take the bodies down from the tree, for the Sabbath was drawing near, and the thieves were found still living. The punishment of the cross was so much the harder because it tortured men so long, and all that were crucified were killed by a lingering death. But the thieves, that they might not remain on the tree, were forced to die by having their legs broken, that they might be taken down thence. The Lord, however, was found to be already dead, 598 and the men marvelled; and they who despised Him when living, so wondered at Him when dead, that some of them said, \u201cTruly this was the Son of God.\u201d 599 Whence also that, brethren, where He says to those that seek Him, \u201cI am He;\u201d and they, going backward, all fell to the ground? 600 Consequently there was in Him supreme power. Nor was He forced to die at an hour; but He waited the hour on which His will might fittingly be done, not that on which necessity might be fulfilled against His will.\n7. \u201cBut many of the people believed on Him.\u201d The Lord made whole the humble and the poor. The rulers were mad, and therefore they not only did not acknowledge the Physician, but even were eager to slay Him. There was a certain crowd of people which quickly saw its own sickness, and without delay recognized His remedy. See what that very crowd, moved by His miracles, said: \u201cWhen Christ cometh will He do more signs than these?\u201d Surely, unless there will be two Christs, this is the Christ. Consequently, in saying these things, they believed on Him.\n8. But those rulers, having heard the assurance of the multitude, and that murmuring noise of the people in which Christ was being glorified, \u201csent officers to take Him.\u201d To take whom? Him not yet willing to be taken. Because then they could not take Him while He would not, they were sent to hear Him teaching. Teaching what? \u201cThen said Jesus, Yet a little while I am with you.\u201d What ye wish to do now ye will do, but not just now; because I am not just now willing. Why am I now as yet unwilling? Because \u201cyet a little while I am with you; and then I go unto Him that sent me.\u201d I must complete my dispensation, and in this manner come to my suffering.\n9. \u201cYe shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.\u201d Here He has already foretold His resurrection; for they would not acknowledge Him when present, and afterwards they sought Him when they saw the multitude already believing on Him. For great signs were wrought, even when the Lord was risen again and ascended into heaven. Then mighty deeds were done by His disciples, but He wrought by them as He wrought by Himself: since, indeed, He had said to them, \u201cWithout me ye can do nothing.\u201d 601 When that lame man who sat at the gate rose up at Peter\u2019s voice, and walked on his feet, so that men marvelled, Peter spoke to them to this effect, that it was not by his own power that he did this, but in the virtue of Him whom they slew. 602 Many pricked in the heart said, \u201cWhat shall we do?\u201d For they saw themselves bound by an immense crime of impiety, since they slew Him whom they ought to have revered and worshipped; and this crime they thought inexpiable. A great wickedness indeed it was, the thought of which might make them despair; yet it did not behove them to despair, for whom the Lord, as He hung on the cross, deigned to pray. For He had said, \u201cFather, forgive them; for they know not what they do.\u201d 603 He saw some who were His own among many who were aliens; for these He sought pardon, from whom at the time He was still receiving injury. He regarded not that He was being put to death by them, but only that He was dying for them. It was a great thing that was forgiven them, it was a great thing that was done by them and for them, so that no man should despair of the forgiveness of his sin when they who slew Christ obtained pardon. Christ died for us, but surely He was not put to death by us? But those men indeed saw Christ dying by their own villany; and yet they believed on Christ pardoning their villanies. Until they drank the blood they had shed, they despaired of their own salvation. Therefore said He this: \u201cYe shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, ye cannot come;\u201d because they were to seek Him after the resurrection, being pricked in their heart with remorse. Nor did He say \u201cwhere I will be,\u201d but \u201cwhere I am.\u201d For Christ was always in that place whither He was about to return; for He came in such manner that He did not depart from that place. Hence He says in another place, \u201cNo man has ascended into heaven, but He who came down from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven.\u201d 604 He said not, who was in heaven. He spoke on the earth, and declared that He p. 192 was at the same time in heaven. He came in such wise that He departed not thence; and He so returned as not to abandon us. What do ye marvel at? This is God\u2019s doing. For man, as regards his body, is in a place, and departs from a place; and when he comes to another place, he will not be in that place whence he came: but God fills all things, and is all everywhere; He is not held in places according to space. Nevertheless the Lord Christ was, as regards His visible flesh, on the earth: as regards His invisible majesty, He was in heaven and on earth; and therefore He says, \u201cWhere I am, thither ye cannot come.\u201d Nor did He say, \u201cYe shall not be able.\u201d but \u201cye are not able to come;\u201d for at that time they were such as were not able. And that ye may know that this was not said to cause despair, He said something of the same kind also to His disciples: \u201cWhither I go ye cannot come.\u201d 605 Yet while praying in their behalf, He said, \u201cFather, I will that where I am they also may be with me.\u201d 606 And, finally, this He expounded to Peter, and says to him, \u201cWhither I go thou canst not follow me now, but thou shalt follow me hereafter.\u201d 607\n10. \u201cThen said the Jews,\u201d not to Him, but \u201cto themselves, Whither will this man go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersion among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?\u201d For they knew not what they said; but, it being His will, they prophesied. The Lord was indeed about to go to the Gentiles, not by His bodily presence, but still with His feet. What were His feet? Those which Saul desired to trample upon by persecution, when the Head cried out to him, \u201cSaul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?\u201d 608 What is this saying that He said, \u201cYe shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?\u201d Wherefore the Lord said this they knew not, and yet they did predict something that was to be without knowing it. For this is what the Lord said that they knew not the place, if place however it must be called, which is the bosom of the Father, from which Christ never departed; nor were they competent to conceive where Christ was, whence Christ never withdrew, whither He was to return, where He was all the while dwelling. How was it possible for the human heart to conceive this, least of all to explain it with the tongue? This, then, they in no wise understood; and yet by occasion of this they foretold our salvation, that the Lord would go to the dispersion of the Gentiles, and would fulfill that which they read but did not understand. \u201cA people whom I have not known served me, and by the hearing of the ear obeyed me.\u201d 609 They before whose eyes He was, heard Him not; those heard Him in whose ears He was sounded.\n11. For of that Church of the Gentiles which was to come, the woman that had the issue of blood was a type: she touched and was not seen; she was not known and yet was healed. It was in reality a figure what the Lord asked: \u201cWho touched me?\u201d As if not knowing, He healed her as unknown: so has He done also to the Gentiles. We did not get to know Him in the flesh, yet we have been made worthy to eat His flesh, and to be members in His flesh. In what way? Because He sent to us. Whom? His heralds, His disciples, His servants, His redeemed whom He created, but whom He redeemed, His brethren also. I have said but little of all that they are: His own members, Himself; for He sent to us His own members, and He made us His members. Nevertheless, Christ has not been among us with the bodily form which the Jews saw and despised; because this also was said concerning Him, even as the apostle says: \u201cNow I say that Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers.\u201d 610 He owed it to have come to those by whose fathers and to whose fathers He was promised. For this reason He says also Himself: \u201cI am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.\u201d 611 But what says the apostle in the following words? \u201cAnd that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy.\u201d What, moreover, saith the Lord Himself? \u201cOther sheep I have which are not of this fold.\u201d 612 He who had said, \u201cI am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel,\u201d how has He other sheep to which He was not sent, except that He intimated that He was not sent to show His bodily presence but to the Jews only, who saw and killed Him? And yet many of them, both before and afterwards, believed. The first harvest was winnowed from the cross, that there might be a seed whence another harvest might spring up. But at this present time, when roused by the fame of the gospel, and by its goodly odor, His faithful ones among all nations believe, He shall be the expectation of the Gentiles, when He shall come who has already come; when He shall be seen by all, He who was then not seen by some, by some was seen; when He shall come to judge who came to be judged; when He shall come to distinguish who came not to be distinguish p. 193 ed. For Christ was not discerned by the ungodly, but was condemned with the ungodly; for it was said concerning Him, \u201cHe was accounted among the wicked.\u201d 613 The robber escaped, Christ was condemned. He who was loaded with criminal accusations received pardon; He who has released from their crimes all who confess Him, was condemned. Nevertheless even the cross itself, if thou considerest it well, was a judgment-seat; for the Judge being set up in the middle, one thief who believed was delivered, the other who reviled was condemned. 614 Already He signified what He is to do with the quick and the dead: some He will set on His right hand and others on His left. That thief was like those that shall be on the left hand, the other like those that shall be on the right. He was undergoing judgment, and He threatened judgment.","title":"Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. VII: Lectures or Tra...","type":"page"}