The Great Gospel of John
Volume 8
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord and His adversaries
- Chapter 11 -
The Lord commends Lazarus.
I said however to Lazarus who came back to us again: "My son, My friend and My brother. You have accomplished your present task to My greatest satisfaction, because now the last of the still clear thinking temple servants are won, and that is good for My case, because the high counsel rested mainly on those who are now won. For they have knowledge and experience and they are fluent in speech. Those who are still dwelling and ruling now in the temple - even if there are still a great number - are totally blind, dumb and evil.
2
But these who are now won should nevertheless stay with the temple, just as our Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. For if they would completely leave the temple the others would start to rage and to yell full of bitter dissatisfaction to such extend that the Romans would have to take up the arms before the right time and bring the people and the land to ruin. However, if these elders will stay, then they can still prevent many things in our favor and moderate the fury of the others. But still, it is good that by a clever pretext they would come to Bethany tomorrow and that their considerable earthly treasures would go into the safe of Lazarus, because by that the 10 men are no more bound to the temple and will be free to go whenever they want and to stay away as long as they want, while they still will remain members of the temple, and so their place will not be taken by evil hypocrites.
3
The reason that they will give as to why they will stay for a longer time away from the counsel and the temple is very good, because the temple servants who have put all their evil trust in these ten, think that they will go out to catch Me somewhere. But in this they will be greatly mistaken. The ten will indeed go out to make a closer investigation about Me, however not in favor of the temple, but in favor of their souls.
4
For this reason, today was a last and good capture out of the temple, because the ten were still the last green twigs at the old, already totally withered and stone-dead tree of the temple. When they will be put to a young and fresh trunk as still useable grafts, then before long they still can bring forth a lot of good fruits.
5
One thing I still want to do for them today, and this will consist of the fact that all ten of them will have a very memorable dream. This will give them tomorrow and still a long time after that many subjects for discussion and will bring them to reflection. What this dream is all about, they will tell you with al their eloquence tomorrow in Bethany.
6
Now however, we will start our evening meal, because first I had to tell you word for word what happened outside with the temple servants and what had been discussed. And thus, My friend Lazarus, you can order to serve good bread and still more good wine on the table for the well-prepared fishes. Because during this night, which will be for all of you a very memorable one, we will not spend our time with sleeping but will stay awake and by that we will still experience a lot of things. Therefore friend, do now as I have told you."
7
Then Lazarus went immediately with Raphael outside, and in a few moments everything had been excellently taken care of. We ate and drunk now very cheerfully and discussed many things that were beneficial for the people, and also what the Pharisees had discussed among themselves and about what they agreed upon.
8
More in particular the Romans, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea took great pleasure in the fact that the 10 worst Pharisees, who always in an inflexible way went to war against Me in the high counsel, had been willing now to bring themselves to other ideas.
9
I said: "Indeed, by that a great victory was fought for the good cause of life, but Hell is therefore still continuously extremely active, and the prince of the lie and darkness is now more active than before to bring the seed of the new life out of Me to ruin. And before from now on 1 year will have passed, you will already clearly see the evil fruits of his activities."