Page:Lazarus, a tale of the world's great miracle.djvu/69

Rh and their clear, truthful intonations, were beginning to unfold to his heart what can only be realised through revelation, but never evolved from man's philosophy; just when his flitting thoughts and wavering heart seemed to be catching hold of truths that had seemed impossibilities before; just at this moment Jesus appeared to have lost the power of working miracles. How easy it would have been, argued this human brain, to prove to the world that He was all that He professed Himself! One little word, even from a distance, if all was true that the disciples said, would have sufficed. The Jews themselves were looking for this miracle, the chief priests dreading it. With the death of Lazarus seemed buried the hopes of all the believing world. His resurrection would be the death warrant of Jesus of Nazareth. How often already had Caiaphas foretold His death, either through the gift of prophecy, or because, as High Priest, he knew that he himself would bring about the doom of Him who drew so many to Him! There was no room for Caiaphas, no room for any High Priest, either if Jesus were the Son of God, or, if not being so, the people believed in and followed Him as such.

Already the attitude of the Jewish people was becoming dangerous. They were divided into many parties, some calling Jesus a prophet, others persuaded that He was the Christ indeed, and selling all they had to follow Him. Already some of the leading rabbis had issued orders that He was to be captured and brought before them; but the order had been but a half-hearted one, and the soldiers who were sent to execute it knew the spirit of the