The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 102

II. Tm, PRAYER OF JEms AS A PREFAOE TO TA& MJRAOLB, "FRther, I thRnk thee hmrn~e thou hRet beard me." 1. It t's more a thanksgiving than a prayer, (1) It implies that the prayer for power to do the miracle had been alrcAdy offered up and RlrcRdy heRrd. (2) It implies that there WAB at a.II times the most perfect conformity between the will of Christ and the will of his Father, 2. His de.rJign in this miracle was f,<; dispo.~e the Jews to Bee in it the gwry of G<xl. "I BRid it becRUBO of the people who stirround me, that they mRy believe that thou hast sent me." They attributed hie cure Clf the blind man to the work of a demon or to deception, Dy bis prayer Jesus mAkes his Father a Participator in the miracle. Ill. THE IIIRAOLE. "And when he had thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lnzarus, come forth J " 1. The loud voie.6 contrasts with the muttered incantations of sorrerers, and is tho expression of a.n a.uthoritAtive Divine will. 2. Tlie voice doe, not say, "Lazarus, wme to life J" but "come forth I" "They mny be alive to Christ who are dead to UB." 3. That voiai of power suggests (1) that it is the voice of JesUB that pierces the hearts of sinners a.nd quickens them to spiritual life; (2) that it is the same voice that will he heard in the end of tho world, saying, "Arise, ye dead, and come to judgment." 4. The immedi,aoo effect of the voice. "And he that wo.e dead came forth, his feet and hands bound with bandages, and hie face wrapped in a napkin." (1) It must have been a strange awaking to L:LZa.rus after four days' experience of dee.th. But Scripture gives us no record of his death-experiences. (2) His first move- ments would be restricted by the grave-clothes. His a.ppea.rance at the mouth of the sepulchre in that strange guise suggests, in the spiritual sphere, that: (a) Christian men, especially those converted la.te in life, find themselves hindered by the" grave-clothes'' of old habits. (b) 'l'he grave-clothes ought soon to be laid aside that believers may walk free and unimpeded in the vigour of their new life. (c) Our Lord's command, " Loose him, and let him go," suggests ( a) the propriety of the new powers being freed from restriction; (/J) the influence of Cbristian men in helping to unbind the burdens that habit may have fastened upon the individual life. Vers. 45--47.-The effect of the miracle on the spectator,. There is still the same dh·ision among the Jews as on the occasion of every miracle. L THE MIBACLE ACTS WITH CONVINCING POWER. "Then many of the Jews, those who bad come to Mary, and had seen the things which be did, believed in him." 1. They saw in the miracle the evidence of his Messiahship, and heartily accepted Christ as their Redeemer. 2. It was a providenti-ally happy visit that led them to Bethany on that day. '!'hey came to comfort the sisters, and found for themselves "the Consolation of Israel." II. THE lll!U.CLE ACTB LIKEWISE WITH A REPELLENT POWER. .. But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what Jesus had done." 1. They had a strange story to tell, which it was impossible to gainsay. 2. It was a hostile motive that prompted the errand to the Pluvrisees, the implm:able enemies of Christ. Vers. 48-53.-The decision of th~ &nhedrin. The miracle at Bethany had still more momentous effects. I. '!'HE MEETING OIi' TBE SANHEDRIN, " Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, a.nd said, What are we doing? for this Man doeth many miracles." 1. It was a conjU,t1,ction of the Pharisee.rJ and the Sadducees, for the chief priests belonged to the Sadducean faction. A common danger engaged them in a. common cause. 2. TJ,ey frankly admitted, not only the Bethany miracle, but other miracles that Jesus did, but did not on that account recognize his :Messiahship. 3. They received the success of Jesus in maldng C011,11erts with alarm, as likely to destroy the nation. "If we let him thus alone, all will believe on him ; and tho Romans will come and destroy both our place and our nation." (1) The dread of the Roman power waa always present to the Jewish mind of that generation because of the def:e~mination with. which it ~ad once and again crnsbed Jewish revolts. (2) Th,:i authorit~ee feared that if ~~e :Mess~ah were recognized generally as "King of lsrael there might be a fresh nsmg, which would iead to the utter destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the whole nation. II. THE DLUIOLIO SUGGESTION OF CAIAPHAB, "But one of them, Caiaphas, being 1111. xt. 1-1i7,] 'fHE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOIIr-f. lO!'i