THE KING’S BUSINESS
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Him and the Father, and He did every thing at the Father’s command. We, too, can know- our prayers are heard before we see the thing we ask (1 Jno. 5:14, 15). We, too, can take a position when the Father heareth us always (1 Jno. 3:22; Jno. 15:7). When Jesus'had prayed He cried, “Lazarus, come forth,” and “he that was dead came forth.” A plain, common, unvarnished statement of a wonderful fact. The story bears the marks of its genuine ness in every line. Who is He that by a word thus raises the dead? Only those who won’t see can question. Truly this is THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD. Tuesday, July 4 . John 11 : 45 - 57 . The resurrection of Lazarus who had been four days dead naturally brought many of those who were eye-witnesses of the resurrection to an intelligent and firm faitji in Him through whom the resurrec tion was wrought. But there were others who were determined not to believe, and instead of being brought to faith by this conclusive evidence that the Lord Jesus was -sent of, God, they were only embit tered in their opposition to Him and went away to the Pharisees, the most pro nounced enemies of Jesus, and told to them the things which Jesus had done. The Pharisees on their part, instead of being convinced .by what they heard, only saw in the increasing influence of the Lord Jesus among* the people a new danger to their own pre-eminence. They were forced to admit that Jesus did “many signs,” but claimed that expediency and the interests of the people demanded His death, and began to lay their plans to put Him out of the way. We have here an illustration of the possibilities of wickedness that lie hid den-in the hearts of men, even in the hearts of men prominent in religious matters. Caiaphas, the high priest, in arguing for putting Jesus out of the way, spoke far more wisely than he knew, and in saying for the purpose q i carrying out his own hellish- plots that “if is expedient for you that oner man should die for the people,”
really gave voice to a prophecy of the deep est significance, viz., that Jesus would die for the sake of that nation, that through His death they, and not only they but those of other nations also, might obtain life and be “gathered together into one,” His death breaking down the middle wall of partition between the Jews and people of other nations (cf. Eph. 2:13-16, R. V.). Jesus knew of the plots against Him and withdrew into a more .quiet place, more distant from the sphere of the ecclesiasts’ influence and power,, for the purpose of fel lowship with His disciples, and preparing them for His own death, which He clearly saw must soon come. Wednesday, July 5 . John 12 : 1 - 3 . We are now within six days of Jesus’ last “Passover.” It might appear from the account in Matthew that this supper was two days before the Passover, but Matthew and Mark bring this feast in after mention ing the conspiracy of the chief priests and elders, because the incident of the feast led Judas to his final determination to sell his Master to His enemies and is thus con nected with the plots of the Jewish leaders. This passage glorifies home life, and shows the way in which our Lord Jesus regards it. Jesus did not forget in these supreme hours of His life, crowded though they were with events of stupendous importance, the friends He loved, Martha, and Mary, and Lazarus. For His own heart’s joy, and still more for the confirmation of their faith, He plans for a few more times of communion with them. In order that He might bring them some further spiritual gift, He came to Bethany. There is some thing inexpressibly touching in those evenings at Bethany during the last week of our Saviour’s life on earth. But He had also another purpose in coming to Bethany, viz., to increase that flame of faith that had been kindled in the heart of many by the resurrection of Lazarus. In the beginning of Jesus’ ministry we read how that having performed His first, miracle at Cana, and faith having been awakened
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