the desire of ages-第113节

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emoved　the　stone。　But　it　was　to　be　taken　away　by　human　hands。　Thus　Christ　would　show　that　humanity　is　to　co…operate　with　divinity。　What　human　power　can　do　divine　power　is　not　summoned　to　do。　God　does　not　dispense　with　man's　aid。　He　strengthens　him；　co…operating　with　him　as　he　uses　the　powers　and　capabilities　given　him。

The　command　is　obeyed。　The　stone　is　rolled　away。　Everything　is　done　openly　and　deliberately。　All　are　given　a　chance　to　see　that　no　deception　is　practiced。　There　lies　the　body　of　Lazarus　in　its　rocky　grave；　cold　and　silent　in　death。　The　cries　of　the　mourners　are　hushed。　Surprised　and　expectant；　the　company　stand　around　the　sepulcher；　waiting　to　see　what　is　to　follow。

Calmly　Christ　stands　before　the　tomb。　A　sacred　solemnity　rests　upon　all　present。　Christ　steps　closer　to　the　sepulcher。　Lifting　His　eyes　to　heaven；　He　says；　〃Father；　I　thank　Thee　that　Thou　hast　heard　Me。〃　Not　long　before　this；　Christ's　enemies　had　accused　Him　of　blasphemy；　and　had　taken　up　stones　to　cast　at　Him　because　He　claimed　to　be　the　Son　of

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God。　They　accused　Him　of　performing　miracles　by　the　power　of　Satan。　But　here　Christ　claims　God　as　His　Father；　and　with　perfect　confidence　declares　that　He　is　the　Son　of　God。

In　all　that　He　did；　Christ　was　co…operating　with　His　Father。　Ever　He　had　been　careful　to　make　it　evident　that　He　did　not　work　independently；　it　was　by　faith　and　prayer　that　He　wrought　His　miracles。　Christ　desired　all　to　know　His　relationship　with　His　Father。　〃Father；〃　He　said；　〃I　thank　Thee　that　Thou　hast　heard　Me。　And　I　knew　that　Thou　hearest　Me　always：　but　because　of　the　people　which　stand　by　I　said　it；　that　they　may　believe　that　Thou　hast　sent　Me。〃　Here　the　disciples　and　the　people　were　to　be　given　the　most　convincing　evidence　in　regard　to　the　relationship　existing　between　Christ　and　God。　They　were　to　be　shown　that　Christ's　claim　was　not　a　deception。

〃And　when　He　thus　had　spoken；　He　cried　with　a　loud　voice；　Lazarus；　come　forth。〃　His　voice；　clear　and　penetrating；　pierces　the　ear　of　the　dead。　As　He　speaks；　divinity　flashes　through　humanity。　In　His　face；　which　is　lighted　up　by　the　glory　of　God；　the　people　see　the　assurance　of　His　power。　Every　eye　is　fastened　on　the　entrance　to　the　cave。　Every　ear　is　bent　to　catch　the　slightest　sound。　With　intense　and　painful　interest　all　wait　for　the　test　of　Christ's　divinity；　the　evidence　that　is　to　substantiate　His　claim　to　be　the　Son　of　God；　or　to　extinguish　the　hope　forever。

There　is　a　stir　in　the　silent　tomb；　and　he　who　was　dead　stands　at　the　door　of　the　sepulcher。　His　movements　are　impeded　by　the　graveclothes　in　which　he　was　laid　away；　and　Christ　says　to　the　astonished　spectators；　〃Loose　him；　and　let　him　go。〃　Again　they　are　shown　that　the　human　worker　is　to　co…operate　with　God。　Humanity　is　to　work　for　humanity。　Lazarus　is　set　free；　and　stands　before　the　company；　not　as　one　emaciated　from　disease；　and　with　feeble；　tottering　limbs；　but　as　a　man　in　the　prime　of　life；　and　in　the　vigor　of　a　noble　manhood。　His　eyes　beam　with　intelligence　and　with　love　for　his　Saviour。　He　casts　himself　in　adoration　at　the　feet　of　Jesus。

The　beholders　are　at　first　speechless　with　amazement。　Then　there　follows　an　inexpressible　scene　of　rejoicing　and　thanksgiving。　The　sisters　receive　their　brother　back　to　life　as　the　gift　of　God；　and　with　joyful　tears　they　brokenly　express　their　thanks　to　the　Saviour。　But　while　brother；　sisters；　and　friends　are　rejoicing　in　this　reunion；　Jesus　withdraws　from　the　scene。　When　they　look　for　the　Life…giver；　He　is　not　to　be　found。




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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Chapter　59

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Priestly　Plottings


Bethany　was　so　near　Jerusalem　that　the　news　of　the　raising　of　Lazarus　was　soon　carried　to　the　city。　Through　spies　who　had　witnessed　the　miracle　the　Jewish　rulers　were　speedily　in　possession　of　the　facts。　A　meeting　of　the　Sanhedrin　was　at　once　called　to　decide　as　to　what　should　be　done。　Christ　had　now　fully　made　manifest　His　control　of　death　and　the　grave。　That　mighty　miracle　was　the　crowning　evidence　offered　by　God　to　men　that　He　had　sent　His　Son　into　the　world　for　their　salvation。　It　was　a　demonstration　of　divine　power　sufficient　to　convince　every　mind　that　was　under　the　control　of　reason　and　enlightened　conscience。　Many　who　witnessed　the　resurrection　of　Lazarus　were　led　to　believe　on　Jesus。　But　the　hatred　of　the　priests　against　Him　was　intensified。　They　had　rejected　all　lesser　evidence　of　His　divinity；　and　they　were　only　enraged　at　this　new　miracle。　The　dead　had　been　raised　in　the　full　light　of　day；　and　before　a　crowd　of　witnesses。　No　artifice　could　explain　away　such　evidence。　For　this　very　reason　the　enmity　of　the　priests　grew　deadlier。　They　were　more　than　ever　determined　to　put　a　stop　to　Christ's　work。

The　Sadducees；　though　not　favorable　to　Christ；　had　not　been　so　full　of　malignity　toward　Him　as　were　the　Pharisees。　Their　hatred　had　not　been　so　bitter。　But　they　were　now　thoroughly　alarmed。　They　did　not

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believe　in　a　resurrection　of　the　dead。　Producing　so…called　science；　they　had　reasoned　that　it　would　be　an　impossibility　for　a　dead　body　to　be　brought　to　life。　But　by　a　few　words　from　Christ　their　theory　had　been　overthrown。　They　were　shown　to　be　ignorant　both　of　the　Scriptures　and　of　the　power　of　God。　They　could　see　no　possibility　of　removing　the　impression　made　on　the　people　by　the　miracle。　How　could　men　be　turned　away　from　Him　who　had　prevailed　to　rob　the　grave　of　its　dead？　Lying　reports　were　put　in　circulation；　but　the　miracle　could　not　be　denied；　and　how　to　counteract　its　effect　they　knew　not。　Thus　far　the　Sadducees　had　not　encouraged　the　plan　of　putting　Christ　to　death。　But　after　the　resurrection　of　Lazarus　they　decided　that　only　by　His　death　could　His　fearless　denunciations　against　them　be　stopped。

The　Pharisees　believed　in　the　resurrection；　and　they　could　not　but　see　that　this　miracle　was　an　evidence　that　the　Messiah　was　among　them。　But　they　had　ever　opposed　Christ's　work。　From　the　first　they　had　hated　Him　because　He　had　exposed　their　hypocritical　pretensions。　He　had　torn　aside　the　cloak　of　rigorous　rites　under　which　their　moral　deformity　was　hidden。　The　pure　religion　that　He　taught　had　condemned　their　hollow　professions　of　piety。　They　thirsted　to　be　revenged　upon　Him　for　His　pointed　rebukes。　They　had　tried　to　provoke　Him　to　say　or　do　something　that　would　give　them　occasion　to　condemn　Him。　Several　times　they　had　attempted　to　stone　Him；　but　He　had　quietly　withdrawn；　and　they　had　lost　sight　of　Him。

The　miracles　He　performed　on　the　Sabbath　were　all　for　the　relief　of　the　afflicted；　but　the　Pharisees　had　sought　to　condemn　Him　as　a　Sabbathbreaker。　They　had　tried　to　arouse　the　Herodians　against　Him。　They　represented　that　He　was　seeking　to　set　up　a　rival　kingdom；　and　consulted　with　them　how　to　destroy　Him。　To　excite　the　Romans　against　Him；　they　had　represented　Him　as　trying　to　subvert　their　authority。　They　had　tried　every　pretext　to　cut　Him　off　from　influencing　the　people。　But　so　far　their　attempts　had　been　foiled。　The　multitudes　who　witnessed　His　works　of　mercy　and　heard　His　pure　and　holy　teachings　knew　that　these　were　not　the　deeds　and　words　of　a　Sabbathbreaker　or　blasphemer。　Even　the　officers　sent　by　the　Pharisees　had　been　so　influenced　by　His　words　that　they　could　not　lay　hands　on　Him。　In　desperation　the　Jews　had　finally　passed　an　edict　that　any　man　who　professed　faith　in　Jesus　should　be　cast　out　of　the　synagogue。

So；　as　the　priests；　the　rulers；　and　the　elders　gathered　for　consultation；　it　was　their　fixed　determination　to　silence　Him　who　did　such　marvelous

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works　that　all　men　wondered。　Pharisees　and　Sadducees　were　more　nearly　united　than　ever　before。　Divided　hitherto；　they　became　one　in　their　opposition　to　Christ。　Nicodemus　and　Joseph　had；　in　former　councils；　prevented　the　condemnation　of　Jesus；　and　for　this　reason　they　were　not　now　summoned。　There　were　present　at　the　council　other　influential　men　who　believed　on　Jesus；　but　their　influence　prevailed　nothing　against　that　of　the　malignant　Pharisees。

Yet　the　members　of　the　council　were　not　all　agreed。　The　Sanhedrin　was　not　at　this　time　a　legal　assembly。　It　existed　only　by　tolerance。　Some　of　its　number　questioned　the　wisdom　of　putting　Christ　to　death。　They　feared　that　this　would　excite　an　insurrection　among　the　people；　causing　the　Romans　to　withhold　further　favors　from　the　priesthood；　and　to　take　from　them　the　power　they　still　held。　The　Sadducees　were　united　in　their　hatred　of　Christ；　yet　they　were　inclined　to　be　cautious　in　their　movements；　fearing　that　the　Romans　would　deprive　them　of　their　high　standing。

In　this　council；　assembled　to　plan　the　death　of　Christ；　the　Witness　was　present　who　heard　the　boastful　words　of　Nebuchadnezzar；　who　witnessed　the　idolatrous　feast　of　Belshazzar；　who　was　present　when　Christ　in　Nazareth　announced　Himself　the　Anointed　One。　This　Witness　was　now　impressing　the　rulers　with　the　work　they　were　doing。　Events　in　the　life　of　Christ　rose　up　before　them　with　a　distinctness　that　alarmed　them。　They　remembered　the　scene　in　the　temple；　when　Jesus；　then　a　child　of　twelve；　stood　before　the　learned　do