exercise of that power.  The words of Jesus at the grave (John xi. 41, 42) show that he was confident of the resurrection of Lazarus, because he had prayed and was sure he was heard.  It may be that his delay after hearing of the sickness of his friend (xi. 6) was a time of waiting for answer, and that this explains his confidence of safety when the time came for him to expose himself again to the hostility of Judea.  Jesus indicated not only that on this occasion he had help from above in doing his miracles, but that it was the rule in his life to seek such help and guidance (xi. 42).  In fact, at a later time he ascribed all his works to the Father abiding in him (John xiv. 10; compare x. 25).  The effect of the resurrection of Lazarus was such as to intensify the determination of the leaders in Jerusalem—­both Pharisees and Sadducees—­to get rid of Jesus as dangerous to the quiet of the nation (John xi. 47-54).  In this it simply served to fix a determination already present (John vii. 25, 32; viii. 59; x. 31, 39).  The miracle does not appear in John as the cause of the apprehension of Jesus, but rather as one influence leading to it.  It was indeed the total contradiction between Jesus and all current and cherished ideas that led to his condemnation; the raising of Lazarus only showed that he was becoming dangerously popular, and made the priestly leaders feel the necessity of haste.  The silence of the first three gospels concerning this event is truly perplexing, yet it is not any more difficult of explanation, as Beyschlag (LJ I. 495) has shown, than the silence of all four evangelists concerning the appearance of the risen Jesus to James, or to the five hundred brethren (I.  Cor. xv. 6, 7).  Room must be allowed in our conception of the life of Jesus for many things of which no record remains, all the more, therefore, for incidents to which but one of the gospels is witness.  Moreover, after the collapse of popularity in Galilee, the great enthusiasm of the multitudes over Jesus when he entered Jerusalem (Luke xix. 37-40; Mark xi. 8-10) is most easily understood if he had made some such manifestation of power as the restoration of Lazarus.

174.  After the visit to Bethany Jesus withdrew to a little town named Ephraim, on the border between Judea and Samaria, and spent some time there in seclusion with his disciples (John xi. 54), doubtless strengthening his personal hold on them preparatory to the shock their faith was about to receive.  Of the length of this sojourn nothing is told us, nor of the road by which Jesus left Ephraim for Jerusalem (John xii. 1).  The first three gospels show that he began his final approach to the Holy City at Jericho (Mark x. 46).  It may be that he descended from Ephraim direct to Jericho some days before the Passover, rejoining there some of the people who had been impressed by his recent ministry in the region “where John at the first was baptizing.”  It is natural to suppose that it was on this journey to Jericho