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 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.

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 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-