1-57 CHAPTER 11 VER. 1. _Lazarus_, a man honourable and rich, and therefore another person than the Lazarus who lay full of sores at the doors of the rich glutton (Luke 16) _Bethany_, _the town of Mary and her sister Martha_, in which, _i.e._, they dwelt as honoured residents, and as disciples and... [ Continue Reading ]
_It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair_ (Luke 7:37). I have shown that the Mary who twice, or as some say, three times, anointed Christ, was without doubt the same as Mary Magdalene; although some think that there were two, and others three. _Whose brothe... [ Continue Reading ]
_When Jesus heard that He said, This sickness is not_, &c. First, because this death of Lazarus shall not be so much death, as sleep; for he shall wake again and rise from it. Whence (Joh 11:11) He saith: _Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that I may awake him out of sleep_. Secondly, as if He s... [ Continue Reading ]
_When he had heard_, &c. He remained therefore in the same place for two days, during which Lazarus died, because He willed not to cure a sick man, but to raise one dead, and even four days buried and decaying; which was a far greater benefit and miracle, and was not open to the calumnies of the Jew... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then after that saith He to His disciples, Let us go into Judea again._ By thus forewarning, Christ calms the fears of His timid disciples; for they feared to return with Him into Judæa, because the Jews had a little before sought to stone Him (Joh 10:31). So S. Chrysostom: "Never at any other time... [ Continue Reading ]
_His disciples say_, &c. The disciples say this, because they feared the Jews on account of Christ, and still more for themselves.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day?_ Lyra and those who follow him expound thus, as if it were "As the twelve hours change through the day, and the breezes change with them, so the minds of the Jews may easily be changed, that those who before hated Me may now love and receive Me... [ Continue Reading ]
_But if a man walk in the night_, &c. _While it is day_, that is, while the time of life remains to Me, ye will not stumble, 0 disciples, while following Me into Judea; but when the night shall have come, that is, death and the close of My life, then the Jews will persecute and kill you as My discip... [ Continue Reading ]
_These things said He_, &c. He calls death _sleep_, because Lazarus was soon to be aroused and awakened from it. Hear S. Augustine: To the Lord, who called him from the sepulchre with as much ease as thou callest one sleeping from his bed, he was merely asleep; to men, who were not able to raise him... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then said His disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well_. For in the sick sleep is usually the sign and forerunner, and often the cause, of health. The sense is as if it were said, Let us suffer him to sleep, that he may the more quickly recover: wherefore there is no reason that we should go... [ Continue Reading ]
_Howbeit_ _Jesus_ s _pake of his death_, &c. Because they took the "sleepeth" simply, not symbolically, of death, as Christ meant it.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead._ He showed Himself to be a prophet, yea, the Son of God, inasmuch as He reveals things secret and distant: for such was this death of Lazarus, which He here clearly declares, to take away the disciples' error as to his sleep. For the messenger had... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then when Jesus came_ [to Bethany, as some Greek Codices add] _He found that he had lain in the grave four days already._ That is, he had been buried four days ago. For the messenger respecting the illness of Lazarus came from the sisters to Jesus (says Chrysostom) on the day on which Lazarus died;... [ Continue Reading ]
_But I know that even now, whatsoever Thou wilt ask of God, God will give it Thee._ And consequently, if Thou shouldest beg of God the raising again of Lazarus, although he has been four days in the tomb, God will give it Thee. "She thought," says Cyril, "that Christ came, not that He might raise up... [ Continue Reading ]
_Followed her._ The Providence of God ordained that very many Jews following Mary should see Jesus raising Lazarus, and should therefore be irrefragable witnesses of his being raised from the dead; and should thus believe in Jesus, and bring others to believe likewise. _Then when Mary was come_, &c... [ Continue Reading ]
_When Jesus therefore saw her weeping_, &c. You will ask, of what nature was the groaning and trouble of Christ? First, Eusebius Emissenus, or rather Gallus: He groaned that He might teach us to groan over sinners. (_Infremuit_) that is, _He groaned_ : But the groan is of one who pities, the murmur... [ Continue Reading ]
_And some of then said, Could not this man_, &c. Certainly He was able to do that, but would not, because He had determined to do something far greater, namely, to raise him up when dead and four days buried, which the Jews thought impossible, and therefore wondered that Christ had not hindered the... [ Continue Reading ]
_Jesus therefore, again groaning in Himself_, &c. Note that Christ was here thrice greatly distressed, and wept. First, when He sees Mary and the Jews weeping (ver. 33). Secondly, when He saw the sepulchre of Lazarus (ver. 34). Thirdly, here, when He came to it, to show how pitiable was the lot of L... [ Continue Reading ]
_And when He had thus spoken_, &c. First, to show this voice to have great and prevailing authority, by which He was raising up Lazarus from death, as God ruling nature and death. Whence Cyril says, His command is kingly, and worthy of God: _Lazarus, come forth._ For He said this not as praying, but... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he that was dead came forth_, &c. The power of the voice of Christ is made manifest, which instantly raised up the dead man, so that the things spoken might be done. _Grave-clothes_, bindings for the sepulchre, with which the hands and feet of the dead man are bound, so that they may be insert... [ Continue Reading ]
"VER. 44. _And he that was dead came forth_, &c. The power of the voice of Christ is made manifest, which instantly raised up the dead man, so that the things spoken might be done. _Grave-clothes_, bindings for the sepulchre, with which the hands and feet of the dead man are bound, so that they may... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then many of the Jews_... _believed on Him._ For they were convinced by the evidence of the miraculous raising of Lazarus, so great and wonderful, that Jesus was a prophet, yea, more, the Messiah, as He professed.... [ Continue Reading ]
_But some of them went their ways_, &c. S. Augustine doubts whether they did this with good or evil intention; whether to announce to them that they might believe, or to betray Him that they might use severity, as says the Gloss. For they might do this with a good intention, namely, in order that th... [ Continue Reading ]
_And one of them named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them._... [ Continue Reading ]