He cometh once again into Jewry boldly (the time that he would be killed of them, being not yet come) and raiseth Lazarus four days buried. (47) At which miracle the blind malice of the Rulers so increases, that in Council they conclude to make him away. Howbeit the high Priest prophecieth unawares, of the salvation of the world by his death. (54) He thereupon goeth again out of the way.
AND there was a certain sick man, Lazarus of Bethania, of the town of Mary and Martha her sister. 2(And Mary was she * that anointed our Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair; whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 3His sisters therefore sent to him saying: Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest, is sick. 4And Jesus hearing, said to them: This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God; that the Son of God may be glorified by it. 5And Jesus loved Martha, and her sister Mary, and Lazarus. 6As he heard therefore that he was sick, then he tarried in the same place two days; 7then after this he saith to his Disciples: Let us go into Jewry again. 8The Disciples say to him: Rabbi, now the Jews sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? 9Jesus answered: Are there not twelve hours of the day? If a man walk in the day, he stumbleth not; because he seeth the light of this world; 10but if he walk in the night, he stumbleth, because the light is not in him. 11These things he said; and after this he saith to them: Lazarus our friend sleepeth; but I go that I may raise him from sleep. 12His Disciples therefore said: Lord, if he sleep, he shall be safe. 13But Jesus spoke of his death; and they thought that he spoke * of the sleeping of sleep. 14Then therefore Jesus said to them plainly: Lazarus is dead; 15and I am glad for your sake, that you may believe, because I was not there; but let us go to him. 16Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said to his Condisciples: Let us also go, to die with him.
17Jesus therefore came, and found him now having been four days in the grave. 18(And Bethania was nigh to Jerusalem about fifteen furlongs.) 19And many of the Jews were come to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20Martha therefore when she heard that Jesus was come, went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. 21Martha therefore said to Jesus: Lord if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22But now also I know that what things soever thou shalt ask of God, God will give thee. 23Jesus saith to her: Thy brother shall rise again. 24Martha saith to him: I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection, in the last day. 25Jesus said to her: I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, although he be dead, shall live. 26And every one that liveth, and believeth in me, shall not die for ever. Believest thou this? 27She saith to him: Yea Lord, I have believed that thou art Christ the Son of God that art come into this world.
28And when she had said these things, she went, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying: The Master is come, and calleth thee. 29She, when she heard, riseth quickly and cometh to him. 30For Jesus was not yet come into the town: but he was yet in that place where Martha had met him. 31The Jews therefore that were with her in the house and did comfort her, when they saw Mary that she rose quickly and went forth, followed her, saying: That she goeth to the grave, to weep there. 32Mary therefore when she was come where Jesus was, seeing him, fell at his feet, and saith to him: Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 33Jesus therefore when he saw her weeping, and the Jews that were come with her, weeping, he groaned in spirit, and troubled himself, 34and said: Where have you laid him? They say to him: Lord, come and see. 35And Jesus wept. 36The Jews therefore said: Behold how he loved him. 37But certain of them said: Could not he that * opened the eyes of the blind man, make that this man should not die? 38Jesus therefore again groaning in himself, cometh to the grave: and it was a cave; and a stone was laid over it. 39Jesus saith: Take away the stone. Martha the sister of him that was dead, saith to him: Lord, now he stinketh, for he is now of four days. 40Jesus saith to her: Did not I say to thee, that if thou believe, thou shalt see the glory of God? 41They took therefore the stone away. And Jesus lifting his eyes upward, said: Father, I give thee thanks that thou hast heard me. 42And I did know that thou doest always hear me, but for the people that standeth about, have I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 43When he had said these things, he cried with a loud voice: Lazarus, come forth. 44And forthwith he came forth that had been dead, bound feet and hands with winding bands, and his face was tied with a napkin. Jesus said to them: [a] Loose him, and let him go.
45Many therefore of the Jews that were come to Mary and Martha, and had seen the things that Jesus did, believed in him. 46And certain of them went to the Pharisees, and told them the things that Jesus did. 47The chief priests therefore and the pharisees gathered a Council, and said: What do we, for this man doeth many signs. 48If we let him alone so, all will believe in him: and the Romans will come, and [b] take away our place and Nation. 49But one of them named Caiphas, being the high Priest of that year, said to them: You know nothing, 50neither do you consider: that it is expedient for us that one man die for the people, and the whole Nation perish not. 51And this he said not of himself: but • being the high Priest of that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the Nation. 52And not only for the Nation, but to gather into one the children of God that were dispersed. 53From that day therefore they devised to kill him. 54Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews, but he went into the country beside the desert unto a city that is called Ephrem, and there he abode with his Disciples.
55And the Pasch of the Jews was at hand: and many of the country went up to Jerusalem before the Pasch to sanctify themselves. 56They sought Jesus therefore; and they communed one with another, standing in the Temple: What think you, in that he is not come to the festival day? And the chief Priests and Pharisees had given commandment, that if any man should know where he was, he should tell, that they might apprehend him.
Footnotes
- ↑ St. Cyril. lib. 7. ch. ult. in Joh. and St. August. Tract. 49. in Joh. apply this to the Apostles’ and Priests’ authority of absolving sinners: affirming Christ to revive none from sin, but in the Church and by the Priests’ ministry.
- ↑ All men, but specially Nations must take heed, that while to save their temporal state, they forsake God, they lose not both, as the Jews did. Aug tract. 49. in Joh.
ANNOTATIONS. CHAP. XI.
↑ 51. Being the high Priest.) Marvel not that Christ preserveth his truth in the Church as well by the unworthy as the worthy Prelates thereof: the gifts of the Holy Ghost following their Order and office, as we see here in Caiphas, and not their merits or person. And if this man being many ways wicked, and in part an usurper, and the Law and Priesthood being to decline and to give place to Christ’s new ordinance, had yet some assistance of God for utterance of truth which himself meant not, nor knew not: how much more may we be assured, that Christ will not leave Peter’s Seat, whose faith he promised should never fail, though the persons which occupy the same, were as ill as the blasphemous and malicious mouths of Heretics do affirm.
Margin Notes
- 1–45. The Ghospel upon Friday in the 4. week of Lent.
- 21–27. The Ghospel in a mass for the dead upon the day of the burial or deposition, also the 3rd, 7th, and 30th day.
- 47–54. The Ghospel upon friday in Passion week.
- annot. 51. Being the high priest. The privilege of the office and order, though in a wicked person.
Margin References
- 2. Luc. 7, 37. Mat. 26, 7. Mar. 14, 3. Joh. 12, 3.
- 13. de dormitione somni
- 37. Joh. 9, 6.
