He stood there for a few moments wrapt in meditation and showing evidences of strong mental concentration.  His eyes took on a strange look, and in every muscle He showed that He was summoning to the task every particle of the power at His command.  He was throwing off the matters that had been occupying His mind during the past weeks, that He might hold his mind “one-pointed,” as the Oriental occultists term it—­that He might concentrate clearly and forcibly upon the task before Him.

Then, arousing His reserve force, in a mighty effort, He cried loudly, in a voice of authority and power, “Lazarus!  Lazarus!  Come forth!”

The people gasped with horror at this calling forth a corpse which was in the process of disintegration and decay, and a cry of remonstrance went up, but Jesus heeded it not.  “Lazarus!  Lazarus!  Come forth, I command thee!” he cried again.

And then at the mouth of the cavern could be seen something startling.  It was a ghastly figure, bound and clad in the grave-clothes of that country, which was struggling to free itself and to move toward the light.  It was indeed Lazarus!  And, after tearing off the stained grave-clothes which still retained the horrid stench of decaying matter, his body was found to be sweet and clean and pure as that of the infant.  Jesus had performed a wonder-work far beyond any manifestation He had heretofore shown to the world.

The excitement occasioned by this crowning wonder, coming to Jerusalem after a lull in which it had thought that the Master had retired into insignificant seclusion, aroused again into activity the authorities, who now determined to make an end to the matter and to suppress this pestilent charlatan once and for all.  Raising a decaying corpse from the tomb, indeed!  What new fraudulent marvels would He not work next in order to delude the credulous people and to bring them once more around his rebellious standard?  The man was dangerous without doubt, and must be put where He could do no harm—­and that at once.

Within a few hours after the receipt of news that Lazarus had walked from the tomb, the Sanhedrin, the great Jewish ecclesiastical council, was in session, called hastily by its officers to take vigorous action concerning this impious, heretical imposter who had been allowed to mock at established order and religion for too long a time.  He must be quieted ere he arouse the people once more.  The Roman authorities were warned by the Jewish ecclesiastics that this dangerous man now approaching the capital claimed to be the Jewish Messiah, and that His aims were to overturn the Temple authorities first, and then establish Himself as King of the Jews, and place Himself at the head of a revolutionary army which would attempt to defy and defeat the rule of mighty Rome herself.