The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-07-24
realise how completely the resurrec' ion tri.
aunphs over death

mighty ptterance. In it Jesus asserts that
the true lie by which the future resurrec-
ton shall coms is in Himself and derived
from him. The word life and its verb live,
are in the original noe, a word which in this
gospel Is used especially with reference to
the spiritual life as distinct from the physi-
cal. He that believeth in me. 1t j. faith In
Christ which gives union with Him, brings
His divine life into us, and thu imparts
the true life to U.s. Though He were
dead. A mistrans' alton, corrected In the
Rev. Ver.. "though He die" Yet shall He
1--we. He who believes in Christ shares in
Christ's life, divine in its origin and spiritual
in its nature He may die, but he has in
him the power which shall yet rse above
death.
% Whoso,ver lveth AMI believeth In
our opn on this means. whatsoever poss sses
that spiritual lie by believing in me shall
never die" Oiher commentators II gard it
As meaning, "Whoever, while in the physical
life, believes on me. Bslievest thou thisl
No ice how Christ by hint 10y statement,
and by appeal was drawing forth the faith
of Martha.
"a | believe that thou art the Christ We
ar not to Suppose that Martha hal an en-
ligh ened conception OF Christ's personality,
h divine na,u G, and his spiritual kingdom.
But she b level in him As Il Messiah, and
that was faith sufficient for her day. Clearer
views would come later t. one VINO had laid
the foundation of belief in the Me ,siahship
of Jesus
2S-3S These connecting verses are omitted
in the lesson-helps, but they saoull be read
from the Bible in the c!aSs.) After her
interview with Jesus, Martha returned to
the use and quietly informed Mary that
J.sus hal came and hal inq IA red for her--a
fact winch is not gwen in Inc account of the
conversation. Mary went at ono, to meet
Jesus. and fell at his feet, saying the same
wo ds that had been spok by her sister in
verse 81. All around were weeping, and
Jesus also wept in sympathy wi them
They came to the sepulcher, which was a
cave, covered with stone.
80. Take ye away the stone. He could
have caused it to roll away 10y word, but
he chose to exercise their faith and make
them, by partaking in the work. believe in
the miracle more thoroughly. We cannot
raise those who are dead in sin but we can
remove the hinderances which keep Christ
from them. Martha saith unto him. This
remark comes more naturally from
eho ae'iNo, Pia|'Nt'l 4"'i .ua man iioAh
quiet, retiring Mary. By this tine
that he desired as friend to look
upon the face of the dead: and reminds him
That this woull not be conso ing, but rather
repukive, for corruption had already begun
it, work. ncdentally, her word prove tie
certainty of Lazarus death, AMI thereby
makes tue miracle more manifest.
SaiI I To tbna pApboy, fhic {c a
to the message sent to The sisters
in vers, of the last lesson; perhaps to some
utGerance of Sis. If thou
wouldest believe, thou shou!deS5 see. There
was a sense in which the miracle of the ras-
ing of Lazarus was Deepen lent upon the faith
OF the two sisters Had they not possessed
III, heart of fli,h, a Willingness to b lieve
Christ the miracle would not have taken
place. Faith is spiritual insi .ht, aud he who
believes sees. The glory of God. That Is,
miracle which, by revealing Gods power,
disc.oses his glory.
Al jesus lifted up his eyes. A natural
and expressive attitude of prayer Father,
| thank thee that thou hast heard In this |
prayer there seems to be refer nee to some |
previous prayer, perhaps on the way to
Bethany, eliminating il the grooming" b. !,
fore the sepu.cher ". 29. There can be no
great spiritual triumph without spiritual
struggle
az. l knew that thou nearest me always. =,
Would that we might realize this as true
with us as il was with himl No true prayer !
remains unheard or unanswered. Even !
when to "our blind old eye" the answer |
seems denied, the true and better answer 10
always given. Because Of the people W hich
stand by. The thanks was uttered publicly
Tor the peoples sake, not for Coils; because
God knew what was in the heart Of his son,
while the people needed to have their thought
urned from the event at that moment
o take pace, to God who was about to ef
'ect the miracle May believe that Thou
last sent Me- He said this before the mira
,le, showing an absolute confidence tn His
power 10 work the miracle. and revelation
# His purpose In working il. which was to
how to mon that He came with divine au-
horty.
AZ He cried with loud voica He could
,aye Gale the dead man forth ia a whisper,
n by an act OF His will without spoken
word; but He wished to show to all present
among whom were many unbelievers-
hat the over dwelt in Himself Lazarus.
oms forth. Literally. Lazarus hither!
'u;i" There is no verb In the original.
"A II, tat was dead came forth. Prompt
o obey the call Of Christ, as the dead will
hey 1t on the resurrection morning Bound
and and foot. The body was wrapped
ound and round with long strips of cloth,
he grave clothes the arms were pinioned to
he side, and the feet together so that there
reason in the ancient opinion that the .
oming forth Of zaru, was "a miracle
within miracle" Face was bound about.
cloth was wrar ped around the face, but it is
OF certain whether it covered it. Loose him
let him go. This command broke the
pei. upon those arounl by giving them
to do. The gospel answers no
uestions about tho condition of Lazarus
uring "lhoe four days." and thus shows
IS truthfulness, for a fabricator would have
vented many stories One tradition is
1t Is said that the first question .
hitch he asked Christ after being restored
D life was whether he must die again; and
cling told that he must he was never more
zen to smile. The reader who would study |
most realistic conception of Lazarus after
is resurrection will find it in Robert
rowning's poem, "An Episte Containing ,
he Strange Medical Experience of Karshish,
le Arab Physician" Another fine poem of
try different style. is by Tennyson, in ain
lemoriam," No. XXXL 4