1589. So far the Evangelist has been showing the power of Christ’s divinity by what he did and taught during his public life. Now he begins to show the power of his divinity as manifested in his passion and death. 1589. In praecedentibus Evangelista ostendit divinitatis Christi virtutem per ea quae in vita fecit et docuit; hic autem incipit ostendere virtutem divinitatis ipsius quantum ad passionem et mortem eius: et First, he treats of Christ’s passion and death; primo agit de passione et morte eius; second, of his resurrection: and on the first day of the week (John 20:1). secundo de resurrectione ipsius, XX capitulo, ibi una autem sabbati etc. The first is divided into three parts: Prima pars dividitur in tres. in the first he states what caused or occasioned Christ’s passion and death; In prima ostendit causas sive occasiones passionis et mortis eius; in the second, how Christ prepared his disciples, since his death involved his physical separation from them, before the festival day of the Pasch (John 13:1). in secunda ponitur praeparatio discipulorum, a quibus per mortem erat corporaliter recessurus, XIII capitulo, ibi ante diem festum Paschae etc.; in the third, he describes his passion and death, when Jesus had said these things, he went forth (John 18:1). in tertia agitur de ipsa passione et morte eius, XVIII capit., ibi haec cum dixisset Iesus, egressus est etc. Now there were two things which caused or occasioned the passion of Christ: the glory of Christ, which aroused the envy of the Jews, and their disbelief, which blinded them. Causa autem, sive occasio passionis Christi fuit duplex: scilicet gloria ipsius Christi, quae invidiam excitavit, et infidelitas Iudaeorum, quae ipsos excaecavit. So first, he treats of the glory Christ received; Primo agit de gloria Christi; second, of the unbelief of the Jews; and whereas he done so many miracles before them, they believed not in him (John 12:37). secundo de infidelitate Iudaeorum, ibi cum autem tanta signa fecisset coram eis, non credebant in eum. In regard to the first he does two things: Circa primum tria facit. first, he shows how Christ received glory from other people; Primo ostendit quomodo Christus glorificatus est ab hominibus; second, how he received glory from God: now is my soul troubled (John 12:27). secundo quomodo glorificatus est a Deo, ibi nunc anima mea turbata est etc. Concerning the first he does three things: Circa primum tria facit. first, he shows how Christ received glory from his intimate friends; Primo ostendit quomodo glorificatus est a familiaribus et domesticis; second, from the crowd of the Jewish people; a great multitude (John 12:9); secundo quomodo glorificatus est a turbis Iudaeorum, ibi cognovit ergo turba multa etc.; third, from the gentiles; now there were certain gentiles among them (John 12:20). tertio quomodo glorificatus est a gentilibus, ibi erant autem gentiles etc. Concerning the first he does two things: Circa primum duo facit. first, he shows the glory Christ received by being ministered to by his friends; Primo proponit gloriam Christi in ministerio sibi a familiaribus exhibito; second, how this kindled the indignation of the one who was to betray him; then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot. secundo zelum proditoris ex hoc concitatum, ibi dixit ergo unus ex discipulis etc. In regard to the first he does three things: Circa primum tria facit. first, he describes the time; Primo describit tempus; second, the place; Jesus therefore. secundo locum, ibi venit Iesus in Bethaniam etc.; and third, the kindness shown to Christ: and they made him a supper there. tertio obsequium Christo exhibitum, ibi fecerunt autem ei coenam etc. 1590. He says first, what we have already stated: that before the Passover Christ went into a region near the wilderness, and since the feast was drawing near, the Jews began to look for him. Thus, when the Paschal season was at hand, during which the symbolic lamb was immolated, he, as the True Lamb, came to the place where he would suffer and of his own free will be immolated for the salvation of the world: he was offered because it was his own will (Isa 53:7). 1590. Dicit ergo primo: dictum est, quod Christus ante festum Paschae abiit in regionem iuxta desertum, et quod imminente solemnitate Paschali quaerebatur a Iudaeis. Ergo imminente paschali tempore, quo agnus typicus immolabatur, ipse tamquam Verus Agnus ad locum passionis accessit, pro salute mundi voluntarie immolandus: secundum illud Is. LIII, 7: oblatus est, quia ipse voluit. The Evangelist says Christ came there six days before the Pasch, to inform us that by the day of the Passover he did not mean the fourteenth day of the first month, when the Passover lamb was slain in the evening (Exod 12), but the fifteenth day. This entire day was festive, and that year it fell on the Friday our Lord suffered. Thus the sixth day before the Passover was the first day of the week, i.e., the Palm Sunday on which our Lord entered Jerusalem. Consequently, Christ came to Bethany on the previous day, that is, on the Sabbath. This is what he means by the phrase, six days before the Pasch. Dicit autem ante sex dies Paschae, ut intelligas diem Paschae non quidem quartum decimum diem primi mensis, in qua ad vesperam immolabatur paschalis agnus, ut habetur Ex. XII, sed potius hic dicitur Pascha decimaquinta dies, quae tota erat festiva, et illo anno occurrit feria sexta in qua passus est Dominus; ita quod sextus dies ante Pascha, fuit prima feria, id est dies Dominicus, in qua Dominus ramis palmarum Ierosolymam intravit, et in die praecedenti, scilicet Sabbato, Christus venit in Bethaniam: et hoc est quod dicitur ante sex dies Paschae. 1591. This number is very appropriate to the mystery to be enacted. First of all, because of the number itself, for six is a perfect number. For God completed the works of creation in six days. For this reason it was appropriate that it should take six days to accomplish the work of the passion, which would restore all things: to reconcile all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross (Col 1:20); God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself (2 Cor 5:19). 1591. Convenit autem hic numerus mysteriis. Primo quidem quantum ad numerum: numerus enim senarius perfectus est, unde et Deus opera creationis perfecit sex diebus, ut dicitur Gen. I. Et propter hoc decuit quod sex diebus quodammodo compleretur opus passionis, quo omnia sunt restaurata, secundum illud Coloss. I, 20: pacificans per sanguinem suum sive quae in caelis, sive quae in terris sunt etc. II Cor. V, v. 19: Deus erat in Christo mundum reconcilians sibi. Second, it is appropriate to the mystery, considering its foreshadowing. For Exodus commanded that on the tenth day of the first month every man was to take a lamb for his household and keep it for the sacrifice (Exod 12:3). Thus it was also on the tenth day of the first month, i.e., on the sixth day before the fifteenth day, that our Lord decided to enter Jerusalem, drawing near to the place where he would be sacrificed. This is clear from what follows: and on the next day, a great multitutde came to the festival day, when they had heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him (John 12:12–13). Secundo congruit mysterio quantum ad figuram. Mandatur enim Ex. XII, quod decima die mensis primi tollat unusquisque per familias suas agnum paschalem immolandum. Unde et Dominus decimo die primi mensis, hoc est sexta die ante decimum quintum diem, Ierusalem intrare voluit, quasi ad locum immolationis accedens; ut patet per id quod dicitur infra eodem: in crastino autem turba multa quae venerat ad diem festum, cum audissent quia venit Iesus Ierosolymam, acceperunt ramos palmarum, et processerunt obviam ei. 1592. Then when he says, Jesus, therefore, six days before the Pasch, came to Bethany, the place is mentioned. Bethany was a village near Jerusalem, and it means the ‘house of obedience’. This also is appropriate to the mystery. 1592. Deinde describitur locus: venit Bethaniam etc. Bethania autem erat vicus prope Ierusalem, et interpretatur ‘domus obedientiae’: unde congruit mysterio. First, as regards a reason for the passion: he became obedient unto death (Phil 2:8). Second, with respect to the fruit of the passion, which is obtained only by those who obey Christ: he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him (Heb 5:9). Primo quidem quantum ad causam passionis, secundum illud Phil. II, 8: factus est obediens patri usque ad mortem; secundo quantum ad fructum passionis, quem consequuntur soli illi qui ei obediunt, secundum illud Hebr. V, 9: factus est omnibus obtemperantibus sibi causa salutis aeternae etc. It is significant that he added, where Lazarus had been dead, whom Jesus had raised from the dead, because in the house of obedience those who are spiritually dead are raised to life by being restored to the way of righteousness: by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous (Rom 5:19). According to the literal sense, however, this was written to show that Christ came to Bethany in order to revive the memory of the resurrection of Lazarus: he has caused his wonderful works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful (Ps 11:4). Signanter autem additur ubi fuerat Lazarus mortuus, quem suscitavit Iesus, quia in domo obedientiae illi qui sunt spiritualiter mortui in peccatis, resuscitantur reducti ad viam iustitiae. Rom. V, 19: per unius hominis obedientiam, iusti constituentur multi. Sed secundum litteram hoc dicitur ad ostendendum quod Christus in Bethaniam venit ut memoriam resurrectionis Lazari revocaret. Ps. CX, 4: memoriam fecit mirabilium suorum misericors et miserator Dominus. 1593. Then when he says, and they made him a supper there, he mentions the kindness shown to Christ by his friends: 1593. Deinde cum dicit fecerunt autem ei coenam ibi, ponit obsequium Christo exhibitum a suis familiaribus, et first, by his friends in general; primo in communi quantum ad omnes; second, in particular, at Martha served. secundo in speciali quantum ad singulos, ibi et Martha ministrabat. 1594. It was also appropriate to this mystery that they served him a supper there, at Bethany, because the Lord is spiritually refreshed in the house of obedience since our obedience pleases him, according to: behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me (Rev 3:20). 1594. Convenit autem mysterio, quod ibi, idest in Bethania, fecerunt ei coenam, quia Dominus in domo obedientiae spiritualiter reficitur, delectatus in obedientia nostra, secundum illud Apoc. III, 20: si quis audierit vocem meam, et aperuerit mihi ianuam, introibo ad illum, et coenabo cum illo, et ipse mecum. 1595. Next he mentions the three people who attended or sat with Jesus: Martha, Lazarus and Mary. 1595. Deinde ponuntur tres personae ei assistentes vel ministrantes: scilicet Martha, Lazarus et Maria.