And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.
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Alcuin of York
AD 804
Or, it was in memory of the dedication under Judas Maccabeus. The first dedication was that of Solomon in the autumn; the second that ofZorobabel, and the priest Jesus in the spring. This was in winter time.
It is called Solomon’s porch, because Solomon went to pray there. The porches ofa temple are usually named after the temple. If the Son of God walked in a temple where the flesh of brute animals was offered up, how much more will He delight to visit our house of prayer, in which His own flesh and blood are consecrated;.
They accuse Him of keeping their minds in suspense and uncertainty, who had come to save their souls.
And thus they intended to give Him into the hands of the Proconsul for punishment, as an usurper against the emperor. Our Lord so managed His reply as to stop the mouths of His calumniators, open those of the believers; and to those who inquired of Him as a man, reveal the mysteries of His divinity: Jesus answered them, I told you, and you believed not: the works th...
1. As I have already charged you, beloved, you ought steadfastly to bear in mind that Saint John the evangelist would not have us be always nourished with milk, but fed with solid food. Still, whoever is hardly able as yet to partake of the solid food of God's word, let him find nourishment in the milk of faith; and the word which he cannot understand, let him not hesitate to believe. For faith is the deserving: understanding, the reward. In the very labor of intent application the eye of our mind struggles to get rid of the foul films of human mists, and be cleared up to the word of God. Labor, then, will not be declined if love is present; for you know that he who loves his labor is insensible to its pain. For no labor is grievous to those who love it. If cupidity on the part of the avaricious endures so great toils, what in our case will not love endure?
2. Listen to the Gospel: And it was at Jerusalem the Encœnia. Encoenia was the festival of the dedication of the temple. For in...
And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication. Encænia is the feast of the dedication of the temple; from the Greek word signifying new. The dedication of any thing new was called encænia.
The Jews cold in love, burning in their malevolence, approached Him not to honor, but persecute. Then came the Jews roundabout Him, and said to Him, How long do you make us to doubt? If You be the Christ, tell us plainly. They did not want to know the truth, but only to find ground of accusation.
They wanted our Lord to say, I am the Christ. Perhaps, as they had human notions of the Messiah, having failed to discern His divinity in the Prophets they wanted Christ to confess Himself the Messiah, of the seed of David; that they might accuse Him of aspiring to the regal power.
He saw that they were persons predestinated to eternal death, and not those for whom He had bought eternal life, at the price of His blood. The sheep believe, and follow the Shepherd.
This is the pasture of which He spoke be...
And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication. When the first temple was dedicated, as S. Cyril holds, or rebuilt by Zerubbabel, as S. Chrysostom and others suppose, or what is more probable its rededication, after its profanation by Antiochus Epiphanes. The feast was held on the25th of the month Casleu. It was celebrated with great rejoicing, and was called the feast of Lights (see Josephus, Ant xii2 , and2Macc). All which S. John records from ( John 7:2 to this point took place in the two months between the Feast of Tabernacles and the Feast of the Dedication: and in the three following months up to the Feast of the Passover there occurred the events which are recorded here to the end of the Gospel, and also in S. Luke from chap15 onwards.
Tropologically:—These Encænia set forth the renewal of a mind polluted by sin, and sanctified and consecrated anew to God by repentance.
And it was winter. This was stated, says Theophylact, to signify the approaching time of the Passion wh...
But the Lord was not present at the feasts as one Who would share the feasting, for how could He? He Who said: I hate, I reject your feast days: but in order that He might speak His most profitable words in the presence of many people, showing Himself openly to the Jews, and to mingle Himself with them without being sought. And we must suppose that the feast of the dedication here signifies, either the chief feast [called by this name], in memory of that when Solomon performed the dedication; or [the other], when Zorobabel at a later time, together with Jeshua, rebuilt the temple, after the return from Babylon. And as it was winter and rainy weather at this time, probably all the people flocked to the porch. Therefore Christ also went there, in order that He might make Himself known to all who were willing to see Him, and distribute blessings to them. For those who saw Him were provoked to ask somewhat of Him, because at holidays more than at other times men are naturally given to stir...
This is the speech of conscious power. Yet to show, that though of the Divine nature He has His nativity from God, He adds, My Father which gave Me themis greater than all. He does not conceal His birth from the Father, but proclaims it. For that which He received from the Father, He received in that He was born from Him. He received itin the birth itself, not after it; though He was born when He received it.
The hand of the Son is spoken of as the hand of the Father, to let you see, by a bodily representation, that both have the same nature, that the nature and virtue of the Father is in the Son also.
The heretics, since they cannot gainsay these words, endeavor by an impious lie to explain them away. They maintain that this unity is unanimity only; a unity of will, not of nature, i.e. that the two are one, not in that they are the same, but in that they will the same. But they are one, not by any economy merely, but by the nativity of the Son’s nature, since there is no falling off o...
1. Every virtue is a good thing, but most of all gentleness and meekness. This shows us men; this makes us to differ from wild beasts; this fits us to vie with Angels. Wherefore Christ continually expends many words about this virtue, bidding us be meek and gentle. Nor does He merely expend words about it, but also teaches it by His actions; at one time buffeted and bearing it, at another reproached and plotted against; yet again coming to those who plotted against Him. For those men who had called Him a demoniac, and a Samaritan and who had often desired to kill Him, and had cast stones at Him, the same surrounded and asked Him, Are you the Christ? Yet not even in this case did He reject them after so many and so great plots against Him, but answered them with great gentleness.
But it is necessary rather to enquire into the whole passage from the beginning.
It was, It says, at Jerusalem, the Feast of the dedication, and it was winter. This feast was a great and national one. For the...
It was the feast of the dedication of the temple, after the return from the Babylonish captivity.
Christ was present with much zeal at this feast, and thenceforth stayed in Judea; His passion being now at hand. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch.
Being able to find no fault with His works, they tried to catch Him in His words. And mark their perversity. When He instructs by His discourse, they say, What sign show You? When He demonstrates by His works, they say, If you be the Christ, tell us plainly. Either way they are determined to oppose Him. There is great malice in that speech, Tell us plainly. He had spoken plainly, when up at the feasts, and had hid nothing. They preface however with flattery: How long do you make us to doubt? as if they were anxious to know the truth, but really only meaning to provoke Him to say something that they might lay hold of.
He reproves their malice, for pretending that a single word would convince them, whom so many words had not. If y...
The Evangelist mentions the time of winter, to show that it was near His passion. He suffered in the following spring; for which reason He took up His abode at Jerusalem.
Be you also careful, in the winter time, i.e. while yet in this stormy wicked world, to celebrate the dedication of your spiritual temple, by ever renewing yourself, ever rising upward in heart. Then will Jesus be present with you in Solomon’s porch, and give you safety under His covering. But in another life no man will be able to dedicate Himself.
After He had said, You are not of My sheep, He exhorts them to become such: My sheep hear My voice.
But how then did Judas perish? Because hedid not continue to the end. Christ speaks of them who persevere. If any sheep is separated from the flock, and wanders from the Shepherd, it incurs danger immediately.
