Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistle to the Hebrews

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom216[2.] “I lay down My life.” This He saith continually, to show that He is no deceiver. So alsothe Apostle, when he desired to show that he was a genuine teacher, and was arguing against thefalse apostles, established his authority by his dangers and deaths, saying, “In stripes above measure,in deaths oft.” ( 2 Cor. xi. 23 .) For to say, “I am light,” and “I am life,” seemed to the foolish tobe a matter of pride; but to say, “I am willing to die,” admitted not any malice or envy. Whereforethey do not say to Him, “Thou bearest witness of thyself, thy witness is not true,” for the speechmanifested very tender care for them, if indeed He was willing to give Himself for those who wouldhave stoned Him. On this account also He seasonably introduceth mention of the Gentiles;Ver. 16 . “For other sheep also I have,” He saith, “which are not of this fold, them also must Ibring.”Observe again, the word “must,” here used, doth not express necessity, but is declaratory ofsomething which will certainly come to pass. As though He had said, “Why marvel ye if these shallfollow Me, and if My sheep shall hear My voice? When ye shall see others also following Me andhearing My voice, then shall ye be astonished more.” And be not confounded when you hear Himsay, “which are not of this fold” ( Gal. v. 6 ), for the difference relateth to the Law only, as alsoPaul saith, “Neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision.”“Them also must I bring.” He showeth that both these and those were scattered and mixed, andwithout shepherds, because the good Shepherd had not yet come. Then He proclaimeth beforehandtheir future union, that,“They shall be one fold.” 1611Which same thing also Paul 1612 declared, saying, “For to make in Himself of twain one newman.” ( Eph. ii. 15 .)Ver. 17 . “Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take itagain.”What could be more full of humanity than this saying, if so be that on our account our Lordshall be beloved, because He dieth for us? What then? tell me, was He not beloved during the timebefore this; did the Father now begin to love Him, and were we the causes of His love? Seest thouhow He used condescension? But what doth He here desire to prove? Because they said that Hewas alien from the Father, and a deceiver, and had come to ruin and destroy He telleth them, “Thisif nothing else would persuade Me to love you, namely, your being so beloved by the Father, thatI also am beloved by Him, because I die for you.” Besides this He desireth also to prove that otherpoint, that He came not to the action unwillingly, (for it unwillingly, how could what was donecause love?) and that this was especially known to the Father. And if He speaketh as a man, marvelnot, for we have often mentioned the cause of this, and to say again the same things is superfluousand unpleasant.“I lay down My life, that I might take it again.”Ver. 18 . “No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down,and I have power to take it again.”Because they often took counsel to kill Him, He telleth them, “Except I will, your labor isunavailing.” And by the first He proveth the second, by the Death, the Resurrection. For this is thestrange and wonderful thing. Since both took place in a new way, and beyond ordinary custom.1611“ and there shall be one fold, one shepherd, ” N.T.1612al. “ Which Paul also himself. ”327