to throw himself and will again. not forsake him.

into danger, The Jews lately sought his life, They will now put him to death. But let us Let us attend him, and die with him."

17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

In the grave.' It was sometimes the custom to embalm the dead. But in this case it does not seem to have been done. He was probably buried soon after death.

18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:

'Nigh unto Jerusalem.' This is added to show that it was easy for many of the Jews to come to the place. Fifteen furlongs. Nearly two miles. It was directly east from Jerusalem.

19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

6 Many of the Jews.' Probably their relatives or friends from some distance. To comfort.' These visits of consolation were commonly extended to seven days.

20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

'Then Martha,' &c. It is probable that she first heard of his coming, and without waiting to inform her sister, went immediately out to meet him. See ver. 28. 'Sat still in the house." The word still' is not in the original. It means that she remained sitting in the house. The common posture of grief among the Jews was that of sitting, Job ii. 8. Ezek. viii. 14. Compare Ezra ix. 3, 4; Neh. i. 4; Isa. xlvii. 1.

21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

'Whatsoever thou wilt ask of God.' It is possible that she meant gently to intimate that he could raise him up, and restore him again to them.

23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

Thy brother shall rise again. It cannot be doubted that by rising again, here, Jesus referred to the miracle he was about to perform. But as Martha understood it, referring to the future resurrection, it was full of consolation. The idea that departed

friends shall rise to glory is one that fills the mind with joy, and excites our warmest gratitude to Jesus.

24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

'At the last day.' The day of judgment. Of this Martha was fully convinced. But this was not all which she desired. She, in this manner, hinted what she did not presume expressly to declare, her wish that Jesus would even now raise him up.

25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

'I am the resurrection.' I am the author, or the cause, of the resurrection. This is a most expressive way of saying that the power to effect the resurrection was his. See 1 Cor. i. 30. And the life,' John i. 4. As the resurrection of all depends on him, he intimated that it was not indispensable that it should be deferred to the last day. Though he were dead.' Faith does not preserve from temporal death. But the believer, even if he dies, yet shall hereafter live.

26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

'Whosoever liveth.' He had just spoken of the prospects of the pious dead. He now says that the same prospects are before the living who have like faith. Whosoever liveth and believeth.' In the Greek: "Every one living, and believing on me.' 'Shall never die.' They shall never come into eternal death. Seech. vi. 50, 51, 54, 58. In the Greek: "Shall

by no means die for ever." Believest thou this?' This question was doubtless asked because it implied that he was then able to raise up Lazarus, and because it was a proper time for her to try her own faith. The time of affliction is a favourable period to try ourselves, to ascertain whether we have faith. He that loves God when he takes away his comforts, has the best evidence possible of true attachment to him.

27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

'Yea, Lord.' This was a noble and most proper confession. It showed her full confidence in him as the Messiah, and her full belief that all he said was true. See Matt. xvi. 16.

28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. 29 As soon as she

heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. 30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.

'Secretly.' Privately. So that the others did not hear her. This was done, perhaps, to avoid confusion, or because it was probable that if they knew Jesus was coming, they would have made opposition. The Master is come.' This appears to have been the appellation by which he was known in the family. It means literally, teacher, and was a title which Jesus claimed for himself. Matt. xxiii. 8, 10.

31 The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. 32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

'Saying, She goeth unto the grave.' They had not heard Martha call her. The first days of mourning among the Jews were observed with great solemnity, and many ceremonies of grief.

33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

"He groaned in the spirit.' The word rendered 'groaned' denotes violent agitation of mind. He saw the sorrow of others, and he was moved with sympathy and love. The word here does not mean that utterance was given to the internal emotion, but that it was deep, agitating, but internal. In the spirit.' In the mind. See Acts xix. 21. Matt. v. 3. Was troubled.' Was affected with grief. Perhaps this expression denotes that his countenance was troubled, or gave indications of sorrow.

34 And said, where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

'Where have ye laid him ?" Jesus spoke as a man. In all this transaction he manifested the deep sympathies of a man.

35 Jesus wept. 36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! 37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?

'Jesus wept.' This shows the Lord Jesus as a friend, a tender friend, and evinces his character as a man. Piety binds stronger

the ties of friendship, makes more tender the emotions of love, and seals and sanctifies the affections of friends. It is right, it is natural, it is indispensable, for the christian to sympathize with others in their afflictions, Rom. xii. 15. Sorrow at the death of friends is right. It is the expression of nature, and religion does not forbid or condemn it. All that religion does in that case is to temper and chasten our grief, to teach us to mourn with submission to God, to weep without murmuring, and to seek to banish tears, not by hardening the heart or forgetting the friend, but to bring the soul, made tender by grief, to receive the sweet influences of religion, and to find calmness and peace in the God of all consolation.

38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

This was a common mode of burial. See
A stone lay upon it.' Over the mouth of

'It was a cave. note, Matt. viii. 28. the cave. See Matt. xxvii. 60.

39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

Four days.' This shows that there could be no deception in this case. Impostors do not mention minute circumstances like these. They deal in generals only. Every part of this narrative bears the marks of truth.

40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

"The glory of God?" ver. 25. The power and goodness displayed in the resurrection. It is probable that Martha did not expect that Jesus would raise him up, but supposed that he went there merely to see the corpse.

41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

'Lifted up his eyes.' In an attitude of prayer. See Luke xviii. 13; Matt. xiv. 19. 'I thank thee that thou hast heard me.' The thanks which Jesus renders here are evidently because he knew that he would be able to raise up Lazarus. In all his doings he recognised his union to the Father, and his dependence on him as Mediator.

42 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.

'And I knew.' I had no anxiety, no doubt as to myself, that I should always be heard; but the particular ground of gratitude is the benefit that will result to those who are witnesses. Jesus never prayed in vain. He never attempted to work a miracle in vain.

43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

'A loud voice.' He uttered a distinct, audible voice, that there might be no suspicion of charm or incantation. The ancient magicians and jugglers performed their wonders by whispering and muttering, Isa. viii. 19. Jesus spoke openly and audibly, and thus asserted his power. 'Lazarus, come forth.' Jesus did this by his own power. He spake as having authority. The power of raising the dead is the highest power of which we can conceive. It implies not merely giving life to the deceased body, but the power of entering the world of spirits, of recalling the departed soul, and of re-uniting it with the body. He that could do this must be omniscient as well as omnipotent; and if Jesus did it by his own power, it proves that he was Divine. This is a striking illustration of the day of the general resurrection. In the same manner Jesus will raise all the dead. O how important it is that we should be prepared for that moment when his voice shall be heard in our tombs, and he shall call us forth again to life!

44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

'He that was dead.' The same man, body and soul. 'Bound hand and foot.' It is not certain whether the whole body and limbs were bound together, or each limb separately. See Acts v. 6. Perhaps the body was simply involved, as we sometimes do, in a winding-sheet. "And his face,' &c. This was a common thing when they buried their dead. See ch. xx. 7. It is not known whether the whole face was covered in this manner, or only the forehead. In the Egyptian mummies, it is only the forehead that is thus bound. Loose him. Remove the bandages, so that he may walk freely.

45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.