Many of the Jews who were present when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, believed in Him. Some of these went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the Scribes and Pharisees assembled together, and said one to another: “What do we, for this man doth many miracles? If we let Him alone so, all men will believe in Him.” From that day they resolved to put Jesus to death. But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, walked no more openly among the Jews[1].
COMMENTARY.
The Divinity of our Lord Jesus. Throughout all this story our Lord spoke and acted as God.
a) He called Himself the Son of God, and said that He was the (author of the) resurrection and the life.
b) He solemnly addressed God as His Father, thanking Him for having always heard Him; for the will of God the Father is one with the will of God the Son.
c) He accepted Martha’s confession of faith: “I believe that Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.”
d) He manifested His Omniscience by knowing that Lazarus was dead, though He was far from Bethania, and no one had brought Him the news of his death.
e) He revealed His Omnipotence in the most glorious way, by calling back to life, by His sole word, a man who had been four days in the grave, and whose body was already corrupt[2] He called Lazarus not only from the grave but from corruption, overcoming death in the very midst of its work of devastation, and thus revealing Himself to all present as the very Lord of life and death— as the resurrection and the life. Our Lord worked this miracle before many witnesses. They had all known Lazarus, and they all knew that he was dead: many of them had seen him laid in the tomb, and the mouldering decay of his body was perceptible to their senses, as they stood around the open grave: and, behold, by the mighty power of one omnipotent word he who was dead stood alive and in the full vigour of his manhood in their midst! Not even our Lord’s bitterest enemies could deny the miracle!
The especial object of this miracle. The time of our Lord’s Passion and Death was at hand, and He wrought this mighty miracle before-
- ↑ Jews. He hid himself from these deadly enemies, retiring to the wilderness near Jericho, because His hour, that is the time pre-ordained for His Sacrifice and Death, was not yet come.
- ↑ Jesus raised up the daughter of Jairus, but a few moments after she had died; the young man of Naim, as he was being taken out to be buried; and Lazarus, after he had lain four days in the grave.
