The Lord had been praying about this matter before he came to the grave: “Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.” Notice that past tense. Perhaps he had done so when he first received the news of Lazarus’ sickness. He had prayed and had received the assurance that his prayer was answered. When he started back across the Jordan, it was with the full assurance that Lazarus would be raised to life. 2. He was conscious, also, of a life of unceasing prayer. There was unbroken and constant co-operation between him and the Father. He always did the things that pleased God and God was always answering him. ‘This, also, might be our constant experience. 3. Christ made this prayer that. those who stood around, as they saw the effect of prayer, should understand that prayer alone can work great miracles, which become the credentials of Christ, and of all who love and obey him. His people similarily can do great miracles, as missionaries, Christian workers, and philanthropists.

John 11:45-57. The friends of the family who had come to lament with them, were disposed toward Jesus and believed; but the mere spectators hastened with the news, to inflame the hatred of the Pharisees. The Romans dreaded the power acquired by permanent office, and often exchanged one high priest for another. Hence the expression, being high priest that year. By his vote Caiaphas may be said to have appointed and sacrificed his victim, who in that memorable year was to bring in everlasting ‘righteousness, and to cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease. See Dan. 9: 24, 27.

Caiaphas professed to fear that Jesus would presently gain such an ascendency over the people as to lead a revolt against Rome, which would cause a deluge of blood in which the whole nation would perish. Therefore he recommended that they should compass the death

of Jesus. But, as the evangelist puts it, he spoke more widely and truly than he knew, because the death of Jesus is gathering into one the children of God who are scattered abroad—that is, the heathen who were living up to their light, as in John 10: 16—that of the twain he might make one new man.