Беседа 6

John 1:6. There was a man sent from God; his name is John. 1. The message of John the Baptist. – Explanation of the saying: “there was a man sent from God.” – Why and how Christ accepts the testimony of John. Teaching without good deeds is of no benefit. The evangelist, having first told us about God the Word what was especially necessary, then sequentially and in order moves on to the preacher of the Word of the same name with him, John. And you, hearing that he was sent from God, do not take his words as human. He spoke everything not from himself, but from the One who sent him. Therefore, he is also called an angel (messenger), since the job of a messenger is not to say anything on his own. The word: “was” here does not mean its origin, but precisely its message - “He was ... sent from God,” i.e., God sent him. How can they say that the words: “being in the image of God” (Phil. 2:6) do not express the equality of the Son with the Father, because (to the word: God) there is no member attached? Here too 10 has no penis at all. Meanwhile, isn’t this about the Father? And what can we say about the words of the prophet: “Behold, I am sending My angel, and he will prepare the way before Me” (Mal.3:1)? The words: “I send” and “he will prepare” indicate two persons. “He came for a testimony, to testify of the Light” (John 1:7). What, someone will say, does a servant testify about the Lord? But won’t you be even more amazed and perplexed when you see that the Lord not only receives a testimony from the slave, but also comes to him and, together with the Jews, receives baptism from him? However, one should not be embarrassed or waver in thought, but should be amazed at His unspeakable goodness. If anyone remains in bewilderment and confusion, then the Lord will tell him the same thing that he said to John: “Leave it now, for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). And whoever after this would begin to be embarrassed, He will say to him the same thing that he said to the Jews: “I do not receive testimony from man” (John 5:34). But if He does not need such testimony, why was John sent from God? Not because he needed his testimony (to say that would be extreme blasphemy). And for what? The Evangelist explains this to us when he says: “so that through him all might believe” (John 1:7). And if Christ himself says: “I do not receive testimony from man,” then let not the foolish think that He contradicts Himself, saying here like this, and in another place like this: “There is another who testifies about Me; and I know that the testimony with which he testifies about Me is true” (John 5:32). In the latter case, he meant John, and having said: “I do not receive testimony from man,” he immediately adds an explanation to his words, namely: “I say this so that you may be saved” (John 5:34). As if he were saying: “I am God and the true Son of God, one (with the Father) immortal and blessed being, and therefore I have no need of any witness. Even if no one wanted to testify about Me, that is why I do not humiliate myself in the least in my nature. And since the salvation of people is the subject of My care, I have condescended to such self-abasement that I allow man to bear witness to Me.” And because of this, due to the weakness of the Jews, faith in Him could be all the easier and more accessible for them. Therefore, just as He took on flesh, so that, having appeared to people in His deity without cover, He would not destroy them all, so He sent a man to preach about Himself, so that the listeners of that time, hearing a voice akin to themselves, would follow Him the more easily. And that the Son of God had no need for the testimony of John, for proof it would have been enough for Him only to reveal Himself as He is in His essence, and to strike everyone with horror. But He did not do this, because, as I already said, He would have destroyed everyone in this way, since no one would have been able to withstand the attacks of this impregnable light. That is why, I say, He puts on flesh and entrusts the testimony of Himself to one of our fellow servants, arranging everything for the salvation of people and bearing in mind not only His dignity, but also the acceptability and benefit of His listeners. He himself expressed this when he said: “I say this so that you may be saved.” And the Evangelist, repeating the saying of the Lord, after the words: “to testify to the Light,” adds: “so that through him all might believe” (John 1:7). As if he were saying this: do not think that John the Baptist came to testify in order to give credibility to the teaching of the Lord; No; but so that his fellow tribesmen would believe through him. That the Evangelist was in a hurry to prevent such a thought is evident from the subsequent words that he adds: “he was not light” (John 1:8). And if he had added this not to eliminate such a thought, then it would only be an unnecessary expansion of words and would rather be an identity than an explanation of the doctrine. In fact, having said that John “was sent to testify about the Light,” why else does he say: “he was not the light”? Not without purpose and not in vain. With us, the one who testifies is usually greater than the one about whom he testifies, and is often considered more worthy of trust. Therefore, so that no one thinks the same about John, the Evangelist immediately, from the very beginning, destroys this thought and, uprooting it, shows who this witness is, and who is the One about whom he testifies, and what the difference is between the one and the other. Having done this and showing the incomparable superiority of the latter over the former, the Evangelist, without fear, moves on to the subsequent story; and if there was anything absurd in the thoughts of unreasonable people, having carefully eliminated everything, he without any difficulty and unhindered proceeds to continue the word. So, let us pray that with the revelation of such lofty truths, with the teaching of the right, our life will be pure and our behavior impeccable, since teaching does not bring us any benefit when we have no good deeds. Even if we had complete faith and understanding of the Scriptures, but if we do not have a good direction in life, then nothing will save us from the fire of hell and the unquenchable flame in eternity. Just as people who do good deeds will be resurrected to eternal life, so people who dare to do evil deeds will be resurrected to eternal and endless punishment. Therefore, let us make every effort to ensure that in bad deeds we do not destroy the fruits of the right faith, but through a good life we ​​contemplate Christ with boldness - and there can be nothing higher than this bliss - which we can achieve by doing everything to the glory of God, to Whom be glory, with the Only Begotten Son and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” In the words: “There was a man sent from God.” You might be interested in: