Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/647

 hand in  order  that  the  faith  of  His  disciples,  and  more  especially  of His  apostles,  might  be  strengthened,  and  “that  they  might  believe”  and not doubt  when  they  saw  their  Lord  and  Master  in  the  hour  of  His abasement; and  most  of  all  to  enable  them  to  hope,  when  they  saw His Body  laid  in  the  sepulchre,  that  He  who  had  raised  up  Lazarus would Himself  rise  again.

The necessity  of  faith.  “He  that  believeth  in  Me,  although  he  be dead,  shall  live.”  It  follows,  therefore,  that  he  who  does  not  believe will not  attain  to  eternal  life.

The causes  of  unbelief.  The  impressions  produced  by  the  miracle of the  raising  of  Lazarus  from  the  dead  were  very  different. Many believed in  Him  now  who  had  not  believed  before;  and  for  them  the miracle worked  salvation. The Pharisees  and  their  followers  could  not deny the  fact  of  the  miracle,  but  they  believed  none  the  more  in  our Lord’s divine  mission,  and  the  wonderful  miracle  only  served  to  harden them in  their  obstinate  incredulity — once  more  grace  knocked  at  their hearts for  the  last  time  by  means  of  this  stupendous  miracle  which  even they could  not  deny;  but  so  blinded  were  they  by  their  hatred  and envy of  Jesus,  that  they  resisted  and  shut  out  the  true  knowledge  of Him  which  was,  as  it  were,  forced  on  them. They had  to  admit  that our Lord  did  “many  miracles”;  but  this  undeniable  fact  so  increased their hatred,  that  they  could  not  even  bring  themselves  to  pronounce His name,  but  called  Him  “this  man”. Though they  owned  that  He worked  the  miracles  they  did  not  draw  the  logical  conclusion  that  therefore they  must  believe  in  Him,  but,  on  the  contrary,  the  illogical conclusion that  therefore  they  must  kill  Himl  However  wonderful  the miracles He  might  work,  one  thing  was  certain,  they  would  not  believe in Him! The Messias  must  die,  or  else  their  own  'position  would  be injured,  and  their  hypocrisy  unmasked! “If we  let  Him  alone”,  said they, “all  men  will  believe  in  Him.”  They  even  wished  to  put  Lazarus to death,  “because  many  of  the  Jews  by  reason  of  him  went  away  and believed in  Jesus”  (John  12,  11). Pride, envy  and  love  of  power  combined to  blind  these  men,  and  destroy  their  souls  by  reason  of  their unbelief. Pride and  envy  are  capital  sins.

The chief  doctrine  of  Christianity  is  the  doctrine  of  the  Divinity  of Jesus  Christ.  It  was  because  Martha  believed  that  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  the living God  that  she  also  believed  His  words: “I  am  the  resurrection  and the life”,  although  she  probably  did  not  understand  their  full  meaning.

The compassion  of  the  Heart  of  Jesus.  “And  Jesus  wept.”

The consolation  of  faith.  The  words:  “I  am  the  resurrection  and the life”,  are  used  at  the  service  for  the  burial  of  the  dead. They console us wonderfully  for  the  loss  of  those  dear  to  us,  for  they  convince  us that  we  shall  all  rise  and  meet  again.