John 10:23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Christ also appeared at this feast. He now came often to Judea, since the time of the Passion was already at the doors.

Jesus also came to this feast. Now He often went about in Judea, because the Passion was at the door.

As long as winter stands, that is, the present life, which always has disturbances from spirits of malice, strive also to celebrate the renewal of your spiritual temple.

Be constantly renewed, and set "ascents in your heart" (Ps 83:6). Then Jesus will come to you and help you celebrate this feast of renewal.

He will do this in Solomon's Porch, guarding you by His protection and granting you peace from the passions. For He Himself will be Solomon, which means "peaceful."

Therefore, whoever, according to the prophet's expression, "dwells in the shelter" (Ps 90:1) of Christ, the Peaceful One, Christ Himself celebrates with him the renewal of his soul while winter lasts.

The Lord was present at the feasts not in order to celebrate together with the Jews. How could this be possible for Him who said, "I have hated, I have rejected your feasts" (Amos 5:21)?

Rather, He came in order to speak His profitable words in the presence of many. He revealed Himself to the Jews and mingled with them even without their seeking Him.

Since at that time it was "winter" and raining, everyone naturally came into the porch.

Therefore Christ also came there, in order to reveal Himself to all who wished to see Him and to give them profit.

Those who saw Him desired to address some question to Him. During leisure, people usually stir up such conversations more often.

They did not thirst for righteousness, but were preparing to slander Him. It was winter, and they were cold, because they did not hasten to draw near to this divine fire.

But "to draw near" means "to believe." Whoever believes draws near. Whoever denies withdraws. The soul moves not by feet, but by affections.

They were cold in the manifestation of love and burned with the desire to do harm. They were far from Him, and yet they were there, in the temple.

They did not approach Him through faith, but pressed upon Him through persecution.

They wanted to hear from the Lord, "I am the Christ." Apparently they thought of the Christ as a man.

The Feast of Dedication was established in memory of the cleansing of the temple from its defilement by Antiochus Epiphanes (1 Macc 4:36; 2 Macc 10:5-6).

It was celebrated for eight days, from the twenty-fifth day of the month Chislev, in the first half of our December.

Since it was winter and cold in the open courts of the temple, Jesus Christ was at this time in a covered colonnade called Solomon's Porch (Acts 3:11).

It was so called chiefly because, according to tradition, in the second temple of Jerusalem it represented a remnant of Solomon's temple, which survived the destruction of the latter under Nebuchadnezzar.

This porch was on the eastern side of the temple and, together with the wall, formed the outer temple enclosure on that side.

The Evangelist John says that it was then winter, and therefore Jesus walked, that is, taught, in Solomon’s Porch. In Palestine, December is generally warm. Yet that year it was probably cold, and it was inconvenient to teach the people in the open courts of the temple. Therefore Jesus chose Solomon’s Porch for His discourses, one of the covered galleries by which the temple was surrounded on every side.

As usual, many people had gathered in Jerusalem for the feast. Yet the solemnity was greatly spoiled by damp and cold weather. Therefore the festive crowd had to seek shelter from the rain beneath the roof of the vast colonnade called Solomon’s Porch. This was the part of the temple that had survived its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar. In its restored and adorned form for the feast, it served as the finest memorial of the people’s former glory. There Christ also found Himself among the people, and He could not escape the watchful eyes of the Pharisaic party.

"Then the Feast of Dedication took place in Jerusalem." A completely new discourse begins, spoken a considerable time after the preceding one.

Everything described in Jn 7:10-10 took place during the Lord's stay in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles (Jn 7:2). It followed one event after another, with only small intervals, as the continuous course of the narrative shows.

It is not evident that the Lord left Jerusalem during this time.

But a considerable time passed between the discourse on the good shepherd (Jn 10:1-21) and the discourse at the Feast of the Dedication of the temple.

From the Feast of Tabernacles to the Feast of Dedication there were about two months. Where did the Lord spend them?

"Then the Feast of Dedication took place in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon's Porch" (Jn 10:22-23).

The Feast of the Dedication of the temple was established in memory of the consecration of the temple after its defilement by the paganism of Antiochus Epiphanes (1 Macc 4:32, 56, 59; 2 Macc 10:6-8).

It was celebrated from the twenty-fifth day of the month Chislev, from December 15.

The Jews could keep this feast in their homes, but many of the pious went to Jerusalem to celebrate it. The feast lasted eight days, and houses were illumined with lamps (Josephus, Antiquities 12.7).

For those unfamiliar with Jewish customs, the Evangelist notes the time of the feast. By this he explains why the Savior walked in Solomon's Porch.

From the middle of Chislev a cold wind blew and rain fell. Solomon's Porch was a colonnade with marble columns on the eastern side of the temple, by the magnificent eastern gate (Josephus, War 6.12).

The statement that it was cold explains why the Lord taught not in the open air or in one of the open courts of the temple, but in a covered colonnade, στοὰ, as also in Acts 5:13.

This was called Solomon's Porch. In Josephus, Antiquities 15.14, there is a reference to the colonnades or porches built by Herod I.

These covered colonnades, whose roof was supported by massive columns, were made like those which, according to tradition, Solomon had built around a structure near the temple.

Compare Josephus, Antiquities 8.2, on four colonnades built by Solomon not around the temple itself, but around another building standing outside the temple enclosure.