The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-07-17
The Sunday SehooI.
BY REV. G. L. DEMAREsT, ID.
LESSON FOR JULY rs, 1886.
THE RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS.
fJohn xi. 20-27; BAL
The NARRATIVE.

lHE NARRATIVE.
The story of the death and resurrection OF
Lazarus is related with such consistent nat
uralness that the candid reader feels bound
to accept il as the record of one who must
have been familiar with the incidents and
surroundings of the scene described, and a
witness of what he relates. 1t is quite prob
able from the known circumstances that the
entire number of JESUS chosen disciples
the twelve-were not present at the raising
of Lazarus; but it is equally probable that, if
any one of them were present, T" the disciple
whom JESUS loved" was that one, in whose
gospel the incident is related. Nor is it
against the probable truthfulness of the story
that it relates circumstances not within ordi-
nary human experience, and that the one
unquestionably common experience is one
about which we know bu very little.
The Lesson of last Sunday comprised the
story to the departure of JESUS and his disci-
pies from Bethany beyond Jordan to the
home of the bereaved family. A days jour-
ney would probably bring them to Bethany
of Olivet, as the distance was about twenty
five miles. The customary mourning cere-
monies were not ended when JESUS arrived
at the village, and many of the Jews from
Jerusalem were present as friends and
mourners. JESUS was prudent, and did not
at once expose himself to their prejudice and
wrath. Martha was informed of his arrival,
and went out to meet him, and with over
flowing heart said to him what the sisters had
doubtless said over and over again in their
grief, that if he had been there their brother
would not have died, adding an expression
of her confidence that even now GoD would
do for them whatever he would ask. JESUS
informed her that her brother would rise
again, and explained to her Jewish mind the
true idea of the resurrection with respect to
believers, whether living or dead, and re-
ceived from her confession that she had
believed that he was the long looked for Mes
slab. JESUS inquiries for Mary, and Martha
returns to the house, where Mary sits with
the mourners,. and calls her privately, for
fear of the Jews, it may be. But the sympa-
thizing Jews followed her, supposing that she
was going to the tomb, as was the custom
frequently to do, during the continuance of
the mourning,-either to mourn there, or to
look upon the embalmed face of the depart
ed, or yet, during the first three days Gin ac-
cordance with the popular belief that the dis
embodied spirit fingered for that period near
the body, before its final departure to SheoD
with the hope of finding life restored. Going
to where JESUS was, Mary piteously pros
trated herself at his feet and mournfully re-
peated what had before been first said by
Martha. JESUS was deeply moved by Mary's
overpowering grief and the lamentations of
the mourners, and wept. On the way to the
tomb, where JESUS had proposed to go, some
of the Jews who observed him weeping re-
marked that he must have greatly loved the
brother; others, less sympathetic, or with
positive malevolence, said, "Why could not
this man who gave sight to the blind have
prevented his death?" Still agitated with
emotion, modified, perhaps, by the remarks
of the Jews, JESUS approached the tomb of
Lazarus, which was a cave closed with a
stone. The stone was rolled away, against
the remonstrance of Martha, who seems not
to have understood the Masters intentions
or his previous declarations, and who in
stinctively shrank from what must now be
an offensive sight of her so long dead broth
er. JESUS gratefully implored the aid of the
Father in Heaven, and with loud voice
commanded him that was dead to come
forth; and he came forth bound in his grave
clothes. He was released from the bandages,
and rejoined his family and friends.
Many of the Jews who were at the mourn
ing and witnessed what JESUS had done, 'be-
leved on him." Others reported the occur
renee to the ruling Pharisees. The High
Priest convened the supreme council to con-
slider the case, to whom he admitted the mar
vellous work and commended that if he was
permitted to continue such signs, the masses
would believe in him and the Romans would
take away their authority. The council was
advised that it was better that one man
should perish, whatever his pretentions or
character, than that the nation should be de-
stroyed. And SO it was determined by the
highest court of the Jewish commonwealth
that JESUS should "die in behalf of the peo-
pie, ian unconscious prophecy of the deter
mined counsel of GoD.