The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 112

fur t-hRt. refusRl they !!Uffered the most terrible diAAsten. But their fall ms the rise of the Gi>nt.ilee, and tbe time is yet to come wbPn the Jews ehi\11 ho gi\thered In. 3. '!'hat JeBus slwuld die for the spiritual brMI. "Not for that nation only." To this con- ~eption CRiBpha.s could not rise; but St.. John, by Divine inspiration, read this meaning mto his words. No doubt, St. Paul did very much to enlarge the general concoptlon entert.nined fflgRrding the objects of Christ's mission to earth. Ho showed how Christ hR<l broken down the middle wall of partition, and had made of Jew l\nd Gentile II one new humanity." Thus the mystery which hRd been bidden wa.s disclosed; that the eah'lltion of God is for all, irrespective of l'I\Ce and privilege. 'l'he text makes it manl- fei;t t.bat, in this view of Christianity, St. John was in perfect sympathy with the apoi,t.le of the Gentiles. 4. That the dP,ath of Jesus should issue in the union in Christ of all the scattered children of God. This fifty-second verse is one of the sublimest in the whole <'.ompnss of revelation. Not only shall the children of the Jewish dispersion be reunited. All lowly, faithful, prayerful, obedient hearts in every l:ind shall come under the mighty ~way of Christ's precious cross. Christ is the divinely nppointed bead of the ransomed race; in him its true unity shall be realized, and in him the benevolent. purposes of the Father shall be completely and eternally fulfilled.-'l', Ver. 11.-Three mews of three vital subjects. We have here- I. A VIEW OF CHRISTIAN FRIENDSHIP. 1. It has (Jhrist as its CentrtJ and Inspiratioll. (1) He is its Author, its Model, and Inspi,rer. He is the only true Friend of humanity. ID him all the elements of true friendship pre-eminently meet; and they are pure, elevating, and Divine. (2) By union with him itis alone attainable. Apart from Christ there can be no true Christian friendship. (3) Love is its leooingfenture. It-has other features, such as sincerity, truth, fidelity, guilelessness, and constancy; but they are all the em.a.na.tions of deep, high, broad, pure, and burning love. 2. It is common and m'Ut'Ual. " Our friend." Not "my" nor" your friend," but " our friend." The friend of Jesus and that. of his disciples. The friendshlp is common and mutual. Friendship expects and deserves the same in return. It manifests itself specially to Christ and hie followers, and generally to man.kind for Christ's sake. Many profess great friendship to Christ, who is personally absent and invisible, but act not as such to his followers, who are visible and present-a proof of a lack of Christian friendship altogether, or a great scarcity of it. The true friend of Jesus is the friend of all hie disciples. 3. It is a mark of a high Christi-an e:=Jllency. Our Lord wished to make an hononrable mention of La.zaru.s, and speak of him in high but appropriate terms. He did so by calling him a friend. There are degrees of Christian excellence, and there are outer and inner circles of Christian fellowship. Christian friendship is one of the inner ones. Lazarus had attained to this. Every believer is a brother, but every brother is not a friend. This is a distinction attained but by a comparative few. 4. It is not altogether t1a:repted by (U(J,th. Lazarus, though a friend, yet died. Christian friendship does not prevent all actions of death. In spite of it, the change, with its pangs and pains and separation, is experienced. The law of dissolution is left by Christ to take its natural course, even with regard to most of his best friends. 5. .Although not e,xcepted by death, yet it triumphantly survives it. Lazarus was dead, still he was the friend of Jesus and of his disciples. "Our friend Lazarus." Death, so far from destroying Christian friend- ship, serves ibl highest interests, intensifies and purifies it. It burns in the pangs of dissolution, ble.zes even in the swelling river, and shines with increasing brightness through the intervening -gloom. lL A CHRIBTIAN VIEW OF DEATH. "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth." 1. With regard to his .fri,mds, Jesus has changed the name of (U(J,th. It is not to be called any more death, but sleep. Christ not only changes human character, and the character of human events, but changes human language. In the Christian dictionary the word ..,death" is not found but as an explanation of the word II sleep." The worldly mind can- not understand this new language of Christianity. And even the disciples could not yet understand it. Christ had to speak to them in their own language, the language of tho old world, and say," Lazarus is dead." 2. With regard to his friends, death is really flranu;Jorrr,«l, into 11leep. Death to them is abolished. To his foes, death is death still, and will ever be so ; but to hie friends, all that makes it really death is taken away. They are too near him who is the Life for death to hurt them; it acts as their friend, Rnd tJR, XI. 1-67.] 'rHE GOSPEL .ACCORDING TO BT. JOHN. tu; --------------------------- -··· .... ------- lulle them Into & quiet and b11ppy"eleep. DMth ie friendly to all the friends of ,Jesus. 3. Tl1is view of der,th is very consoling. (1) In this view, defKJ,rted pi011,s friends (Jll'e still ,n a co11scio11s a11d a happy existenetJ. They are neither annihilated nor Jost, only asleep. N oither nro thoy in a st11te of dormancy, Physical sfoep is a stato of unconsciousneiis, but the term ns nppliod by Christ refers not to the Btn.te of the soul in relation to the spirit-life, but in rolntion to this life, with its trials, e.ffiictions, and sin. In relation to thesr, it is nsleep ; but in relation to the spirit-life, it is nwako anrl inten~ely and happily alive. (2) In this view, death is necessary and rejreJJhing. Physicnl sleep is a refresh- ing rest, nnd one of the essential conditions of life and health. We could not fully enjoy spiritual life without physical death. We cannot stand a bard day's work with• out o. good night's rost. The sleep of death is a necessary and most refreshing prepara-- tion for tho" weight of glory," and the pleasant enjoyments 8Ild duties of an eternal day. (3) In this view, death is natural. Had man retained his primitive innocency, doubt-- less there would. be some process of transit from this world tantamount to death, although not so called-called perhaps "birth;" but it would be perfectly natural, timely, desirablP, and beautiful, like the falling of a ripe apple from the tree. But stn has made this transit unnatural, painful, and filled it with horrors; but union with Christ makes it natural again. It becomes natural and even desirable in the degree this union approaches perfection. "Having a desire to depart." It is not death, but sleep. ( 4) In this view, death is robbed of all its real, terrors. We may be afraid of sleep in the day, when duty calls; but at night, after the day's work is done, who is afraid of sleep? We are far more afraid to be a.wake. "What parents a.re afraid in the bedroom at mid• night, surrounded by their sleeping children'( Christians' death is but sleep, and their graves a.re but beds in which they enjoy rest from their labours. III. THE RESURRECTION OF THE FRIENDS OF JESUS. 1. It will involw (I) Divine process. It will involve the exercise of Divine power. Divine power alone conld restore Lazarus to· life. All the power of men and angelll would be insufficient. The same power 'which made man at first a living soul can a.lone reunite body and soul at last, after the great dissolution. 2. Thia Divine process will he performed by Ohrist. He raised Lazarus, and he shall raise all the dead at last. This is most becoming and essential, as the resurrection is a most vita.I part of his redemptive work. 3. A Divine process most easily performed '!Jg Jesus, and most natural and improving to them. When on his way to raise Lazarus, he spoke of his Divine process not as an exploit of power, but as an easy task; as easy as it would be for one of his disciples to awake a friend out of his slumbers. '' I go that I may awake him." The resurrection of his friends to Jesus will be a most easy process, and to them a most natural and refreshing experience. There will be no sudden shock, no painful consciousness of the pangs of death and the grief of separation ; but the throbbing delight and gratitude of a.waking after a sweet and a refreshing sleep. The Christian's death being sleep, hls resurrection will be an a.waking out of it. How natural and delightful ! 4. A pro- cess of Divine friendship.· Not alone of power, but of friendship as well. "Our friend Lazarus sleepetb," etc. He approached his grave as a Friend, and, as a Friend, called his friend back to life. The resurrection of the wicked will be an a.et of retributive justice, but that of the good of Christian friendship. Mutual friendship was an element in the resurrection of Lazarus, and will be at the resurrection of the last day. LESSONS. 1. The death of Lazarus was an opportunity for Jes'IUI to show his power and friendship. Our greatest miseries nre his special occasions of mercy. 2. His power and friendship manij6$ted in the resurrection of Lazarus were only specimens. Whai he did to him he will do to all his friends. 3. If the friends of Jesw, we may venturti to die. Death will be only sleep. 4. lf so, we may venture to sleep. Jesus will a.wake us in due time. He cannot leave his friends to sleep long. It is worth while awak- ing a friend. We would leave a foe to sleep a.long, unless we a.woke him to try to make a friend of him. His friends shall not e~p too long. He is on his way now to the resurrection. 5. It is worth while to sletp in order to be awakened. by Jesus. How sweet bis voice in the morning I But this oannot be experienced without the ~leep. But the sleep would be intensely dismal but as au introduction to the glorious awaking. 6. The friends of Jesus at the gertero.l resurrection will be betur off than Lazarus. NO'\\' be awoke to the old life; they to a new one. He awoke to experience, perhaps, trial" untold, and weep over the grave of sisters, and pay with interest tears shed on his own ;  118 TilE GOSrEL ACOORDING TO ST. ,TORN. [CB. Xl, l-57.