- "No one can take My life from Me." He says this for those who intended to kill Him. You, he says, thirst for my blood; but know with certainty that without My will no one can shed it. Lest anyone think that He dies as a servant and servant, at the command of another and as a result of subjection to him, He says: I Myself am sovereign in My death, as the Lord of death. I have the power to lay down My life. Although each one of you has the power to give his life, for anyone who wills can kill himself, the Lord does not speak about this way of death, but about the fact that without His will no one could do it. It doesn't happen with people. For even without our will, others can kill us. And Christ would never have suffered without His will. Therefore, submitting to death only of His own volition, He has a greater right to take life again. - This commandment "to die for the world" I received from the Father. I, he says, am not an adversary of God, and moreover, to such an extent that this very death is commanded to Me by the Father. First He said lofty things about Himself: I have the power to receive My life, which shows in Him the Lord of death and the Author of life. Now he adds the humble: "This commandment I have received from my Father." So wonderfully does He unite the two, so that they do not consider Him less than the Father and His servant, so that they do not consider Him an adversary of God, but equal to Him and of one will. Such a speech of His really served to the benefit of many of His listeners. There was a division between them. Some, to whom these words of His seemed mysterious, thought that He was without understanding. Others, understanding a few, said: these are not the words of a demoniac man. Since the Lord could not stop their mouths with words (for even the prudent did not fully understand His words, nor would they convince their opponents), they try to defend Christ with deeds and say that these are not the words of a demoniac man. Where can this be seen from? From business. Can the demon really open the eyes of the blind? And if this deed is divine, so are the words. Why did Christ not answer those who said that He was possessed? Because both their opponents and His defenders could not force them to be silent and be more reliable to them. Since they were divided and rebelled against each other, why should He contradict the blasphemers, when He would have no confidence in them?

Then the feast of dedication came to Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch. Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long shall You keep us in perplexity? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, "I have told you, and you do not believe, the works that I do in the name of my Father, they bear witness to me." But you do not believe, for you are not of My sheep, as I told you. What kind of renewal was there in Jerusalem? Some say that the dedication was celebrated on the day on which the temple of Solomon was built. Others do not say so, but that the Evangelist here means the renewal of the temple built after the return from captivity. This feast was bright and crowded. Since the city, after a long captivity, received in the temple, as it were, its own decoration, the day of the renewal of the temple was considered a day of joy. Jesus also came to this feast. Now He often walked in Judea, because the sufferings were at the door. - It was winter, and after this winter, in the first month of spring, the Lord suffered. For this reason the Evangelist also noted this time, in order to show that the time of suffering was near, and therefore the Lord arrived in Jerusalem. The Jews surrounded Him, and apparently out of some zeal for Him and a desire to know the truth, they asked Him to tell them, "Is He the Christ?" but in fact their question was idle and malicious. For while His works prove that He is the Christ, they require words to convince. This is more typical of naughty and mockers. However, their question, full of ingratitude and pretense, reveals their corruption. They say: tell us "directly". Yet He spoke plainly many times when He came to the feasts, and said nothing secretly, calling Himself the Son of God, and the Light, and the Way, and the Door, and referring to the testimony of Moses. Therefore, convicting them of asking with evil intent, the Lord answers them: "I have spoken to you many times, and you do not believe. "In other words, why do you pretend to obey one simple word?" You do not accept the works that I do, not as an adversary of God, but in the name of My Father. How can you believe one simple word? For there is no doubt that deeds are much more convincing than words. This was also expressed by the most moderate of them: "A sinful man cannot work such miracles" (John 9:16). "You," he says, "do not believe Me, because you are not of My sheep." I, as a good shepherd, on my part, have fulfilled all that I should have done; but if you do not follow me, it is not I who am unworthy to be called a shepherd, but you are not worthy of the name of sheep. - As long as winter stands, that is, the present life, which is always troubled by the spirits of evil, strive to celebrate the renewal of your spiritual temple, constantly renewing yourself and placing ascents in your heart (Psalm 23:6). Then Jesus will come to you and help you to celebrate the feast of this renewal, in Solomon's porch, protecting you with His veil and giving you peace from passions. For He Himself will be Solomon, which means "peaceable." Thus, whoever, according to the expression of the prophet (Psalm 90:1), dwells in the shelter of Christ, the Peaceful, Christ Himself celebrates the renewal of his soul, as long as winter, that is, real life, lasts. For the age to come is like spring; then everything will come to life and receive a new existence; then no one can renew the soul; All such things will end with the present century.

My sheep obey my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; and no man shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who gave them to me, is greater than all; and no man can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one. Having told them that they were not of His sheep, He now induces them to become His sheep. For this reason He adds, My sheep hear My voice, and they come after Me. Then, inciting them, He also tells what those who follow Him will receive. I, he says, give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and so forth. Of course, by such words He arouses them and inspires them with zeal and a desire to follow Him, since He gives such gifts. "Why, he says, won't they die?" For no man can snatch them out of my hand; for my Father, who gave them to me, is greater than all, and out of his hand no man can snatch them, and therefore out of my hand. For My hand and the Father's hand are one, I and the Father are one, that is, in authority and power. "Hand" refers to power and force. Thus, I and the Father are one in Nature, and in Essence, and in power. Thus the Jews understood that by these words He declared Himself to be of one essence with God, and because He made Himself the Son of God, they seized stones to beat Him. "But another will ask: How did the Lord say that no man shall snatch them out of my Father's hand, when we see that many perish?" To this we can answer that no one can steal from the hand of the Father, but many can deceive. For no one can forcibly and autocratically distract them from the Father, God; but because of deception we stumble every day. How then does He say, "My sheep shall follow Me, and they shall not perish"? And yet we see that Judas died. But he perished because he did not follow Jesus and did not remain a sheep to the end. And the Lord says of His true followers and sheep that they will not perish. If anyone leaves the flock of sheep behind and ceases to follow the Shepherd, he will soon perish, What happened to Judas can be used against the Manichaeans, Judas was a saint and a sheep of God, but he fell behind: he fell away precisely by his own choice and autocracy. This means that evil or good does not exist by nature, but appears and ceases from free will.

Then again the Jews seized stones to beat Him. Jesus answered them, "Many good works have I shown you from My Father; for which of them do you stone me? The Jews answered and said to him, "We do not want to stone you for a good deed, but for blasphemy, and because you, being a man, make yourself God." Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, You are gods' (Psalm 81:6)

The Lord, rebuking them and showing that they have no blessed cause for their fury against Him, but rage in vain, reminds them of the miracles He has performed, and says: I have shown you many good works; for which of them do you stone me? They answer: we want to stone You for blasphemy, for making Yourself God. He does not deny this, does not say that I do not make Myself God, I am not equal to the Father, but confirms their opinion even more. And that He is God, He proves it by what is written in the law. And the Book of David is called the Law, as well as all the Scriptures. His words have the following meaning: if those who have received deification by grace are gods (Psalm 81:6), and this is not blamed on them, then what justice is there when you condemn Me, Who by nature is God, Whom the Father sanctified, that is, appointed to be slaughtered for the world? For that which is set apart by God is called holy. Obviously, when the Father sanctified Me and ordained Me for the salvation of the world, I am not equal to other gods, but I am the true God. But if also those to whom the Word of God came, that is, I, for I am the Word of God, and I, having dwelt in them, granted them sonship, if they are gods, how much more can I call Myself God without any guilt, I, Who by Nature am God, and to others I grant deification. - Let the Arians and Nestorians be ashamed of these words. For Christ is the Son of God and God in Essence and Nature, and not a creature, and gives deification to others, to whom the Word of God was, and is not adored Himself by grace. Obviously, by these words He distinguishes Himself from those adored by grace and shows that He granted them deification, being the Word of God and dwelling in them. For this is signified by the words, "To whom was the Word of God," with whom it was, in whom it dwelt. How then do I blaspheme when I call Myself the Son of God? For although I bear flesh and come from the offspring of David, yet you do not know the mystery that the carnal nature of man could not otherwise accept a conversation with God, except if He appeared to him in the flesh, as under a veil.

If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not; but if I do, then, when you do not believe Me, believe My works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me and I in Him. Do you, he says, want to know My equality with the Father? You cannot know equality in Essence, because it is impossible to know the Essence of God; but take the equality and identity of deeds as a proof of the identity of force; for works will be for you a testimony of My Divinity. And you'll know and believe that I'm none other than the Father. For, being the Son and differing in Person, I have one and the same Being; in the same way, the Father, being the Father and differing in Person, is nothing other than the Son, of course, in Essence and Nature. Though We differ in Persons, the Persons are inseparable and inseparable, and the Father and the Son dwell in one another unmerged. With us, the father exists separately from the son, although he is one by nature. But in the Divine Persons it is not as with us; but they dwell in one another unmerged. For this reason it is said of us: "three men," for we are separate Persons, and do not actually constitute one; and of the Holy Trinity it is said: "one" God, and not three, because the Persons are inconfluently co-existent with one another. Add to this the identity of will and will.

Then again they sought to seize Him; but He turned away from their hands, and went again beyond the Jordan, to the place where John had baptized before, and remained there. Many came to Him and said that John had not performed any miracle; but all that John said about Him was true. And many there believed in Him. They seek to seize the Lord, unable to bear His lofty testimony about Himself, for they have not endured His excellent theology. But He withdraws, yielding to their wrath, and arranging so that through His departure the passion of their wrath may be subsided. He withdraws against their will, in order to show (as we have said many times) that He would not have been taken to the cross if He had not given Himself up voluntarily. Where does it go? Beyond the Jordan, to the place where John baptized. He did not retire here without purpose, but in order to remind many of what had happened there and what John had said about Him. That His presence there benefited many is evident from the fact that the Evangelist adds: "And many came to Him" and, remembering this place, said: "John did not perform any miracle." Their words have this meaning: if we believed him (John), although he did not perform any miracle, then much more should we believe this (Jesus), since He performed so many miracles. Since John had already testified about Christ, but did not perform any miracle and therefore could be considered unreliable, the Evangelist adds: everything that John said about Him was true. Faith is not given to Jesus by the testimony of John, but to John by the works that Jesus did. Wherefore, he says, many believed there. The word "there" shows that this place brought them much benefit. For this reason Jesus often leads the people out into the wilderness and removes them from the company of evil people, so that there may be more fruit. This, it seems, was what He did in the Old Testament: He brought out of Egypt and in the wilderness He formed and organized the people, giving them the Law. - Note that the removal of Christ is also accomplished in a spiritual sense. He departs from Jerusalem, that is, from the Jewish people, and goes to a place that has springs, that is, to the Church of the Gentiles, which has sources of baptism. And many come to Him, passing through baptism. For "beyond the Jordan" means this, that is, passing through baptism. For no one comes to Jesus and becomes truly faithful except by having passed through baptism, which is signified by the Jordan.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

There was a certain Lazarus from Bethany, from the village where Mary and Martha, her sister, lived. But Mary, with whom Brother Lazarus was sick, was the one who anointed the Lord with myrrh and wiped His feet with her hair. The sisters sent to say to Him: Lord! behold, whom Thou lovest, sick. Only John tells this story. He tells us in order to teach us not to be offended if any illness befalls zealous and God-pleasing people. For Lazarus was a friend of Christ, yet he also was sick. It is also necessary to know that this Mary, who anointed the Lord with myrrh, was neither the harlot mentioned in the Evangelist Luke (7:37-50), nor the woman mentioned in the Evangelist Matthew (26:7), but another, not a harlot, but honest, God-loving and zealous. For she was anxious to receive Christ and served Him, as John himself later testifies (12:2). The Lord also testifies of her that she chose the good part, as the Evangelist Luke remarks (10:42). These sisters were so wonderful and venerable that Lazarus became more famous because of them. For Lazarus, it is said, was from Bethany, from the village of Mary and Martha. Why do they send to call for Jesus, and do not go to Him themselves, like the centurion and the king's man? Because they had strong hope in Christ, because they were weak women, and it was unseemly for them to go out of the house, because they too were obsessed with sorrow and were busy caring for their brother. And that they did not do this through negligence, it appears from what follows, for they show Christ great honor and respect, and offer firm prayer. "This is whom You love." They say this in order to incline the Lord to compassion in the name of friendship. Such an expression of these women also reveals a certain faith in them. They are so confident in the greatness of the Lord's power that they wonder how sickness has touched a man He loves. For it seems surprising that the one whom You, O Lord, love is sick.

When Jesus heard this, he said, "This sickness is not unto death, but to the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." And Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. When he heard that he was sick, he stayed two days in the place where he was. Since Jesus intended to stay in that place for two days, he says that "this sickness is not unto death," although it served to death; He speaks in order to encourage the messengers and give them, as it were, some consolation, so that they do not insist and do not strain. For this reason he says: "This sickness is not unto death." And it is different. If you look closely, you will see that this illness was not unto death, such as many die, that is, to a long-term death, but temporary and lasting four days. And since on the fourth day Lazarus rose again, then, looking at the end of the matter, we say: this sickness is not unto death. "But to the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." You see, the Father and the Son have the same glory. For, having said, "To the glory of God," he added, "That the Son of God may be glorified," for the glory of God, that is, of the Father, is in no way different from the glory of the Son. Consequently, the Son is properly and truly God, just as the Father, for he who has one glory has one Being. Let the Arians be ashamed of this saying. "Let him be glorified." Understand this not as a cause, but as an event and the end of the matter (which we have talked about more than once). For Lazarus was not sick so that God might be glorified, but Lazarus fell ill, and the Lord turned it to the glory of God. "He stayed two days" so that Lazarus would die, so that no one could say that he had a deep sleep, exhaustion and frenzy, and not death. For this reason the Lord remains so long that the decay has already begun, and the sister herself says that "it stinks already" (v. 39).

And he said unto his disciples, Let us go again into Judea. The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi! how long have the Jews sought to stone Thee, and Thou art going thither again? Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day?" He who walks by day does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world; but he who walks at night stumbles, because there is no light with him. In other cases, the Lord never expressed in advance where He intended to go, but only here He declares ahead, it seems, because His disciples were very afraid to go to Judea. He announces ahead that they should not be troubled by the surprise if He suddenly led them to a country to which they were afraid to go.

Or to put it another way: if he who sees this light does not stumble, how much more will he who is with Me stumble, unless he himself leaves Me behind. Wherefore ye also, abiding with Me, the True Light, fear in vain. Others understand by "day" the time before suffering, and by "night" the time of suffering. And so, he says, as long as the "day" passes, that is, before the time of suffering has come, you will not stumble, for you will not meet with persecution from the Jews, nor any other trouble. And when the "night" comes, that is, My sufferings, then you will be confused and gathered together in one house for fear of the Jews. From that time on, you will experience sorrows and illnesses, and many angers and troubles. When I, the Light, no longer live with you bodily, the night of sorrows will pass you by.

Having said this, he said to them afterwards: Lazarus, our friend has fallen asleep; but I am going to wake him up. His disciples said, "Lord! if he fell asleep, he will recover. Jesus spoke of his death; but they thought that He was speaking of ordinary sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead: and I rejoice for you that I was not there, that you might believe; but let us go to him. Then Thomas, otherwise called the Twin, said to the disciples, "Let us go and die with Him." Since the disciples of the Lord were afraid to go into Judea, He said to them, "The Jews sought to stone Me because I refuted them and rebuked them." But now I do not go to rebuke them, but to visit my friend. Therefore, there is no need to be afraid. I am not going after what I went for before, to expect danger from the Jews, but I am going to wake up a friend. The disciples, wishing to keep Him from going there, say: It is enough if He has fallen asleep; if he has fallen asleep, he will recover; therefore we do not need to walk, for there is no need. Although the Lord, speaking of Lazarus, added "My friend" to show the need to be there, the disciples assert that His visit is not necessary, since he can recover from falling asleep. Even more, they say, Thy Coming is not only unnecessary, but also harmful to one's friend. For if sleep, as we think, serves for his recovery, and You go and wake him, then You will prevent him from recovering. Therefore, there is no need to go and wake up, for this is harmful. The Lord, seeing that His disciples still do not understand Him, directly says that Lazarus "died." Why did He first express Himself not directly, but covertly, calling death "sleep"? For many reasons. First, out of humility, for he did not want to appear boastful, but secretly called the resurrection a wake-up from sleep. How would He have used this expression if He had not called death a dream? And that this is just, that is, that He expressed Himself secretly out of humility, is evident from what follows. For having said that Lazarus "died," the Lord did not add: "I will go and raise him up." Do you see how He did not want to boast in words of what He intended to confirm by His very deeds? At the same time, the Lord teaches us not to be hasty in our promises. For if at the request of the centurion (for the healing of his servant) the Lord made a promise, saying: "I will come and heal him" (Matt. 8:5-6), He said this in order to reveal his faith. So, this is the first reason why the Lord called death sleep. The other is to show us that all death is sleep and rest. The third is that although the death of Lazarus was death for others, it was no more than a dream for Jesus Himself, since He intended to resurrect him. As it is easy for us to awaken a sleeping man, so, and a thousand times more, it is convenient for Him to raise up the dead. "I rejoice," he says, "for you," that you can henceforth be more convinced of My divine dignity from the fact that I have not been there and am far away from there, but I tell you first that death followed in Bethany, and I say this, not basing myself on hearing, but as God, Himself seeing what happened at a great distance. Some of the Lord's words, "I rejoice for you," were understood to mean that I was not there, this will serve to strengthen you in the faith. For if I had been there, I would have healed the sick. That would be a miracle, but it would show little of My power. And now that I was not there, and the death of Lazarus followed, and I will go and raise him up, you must be strengthened in your faith in Me. For you will see that I am able to do what I have not yet revealed, namely, to recreate and raise up the dead, who are already decomposed and give off a rotten smell. When the Lord said this and proved to His disciples the necessity of His march into Judea, then Thomas, who feared more than others, said: "Let us go and we will die with Him." For these words do not express cheerfulness, but fear and faint-heartedness. In order to stop the other fellow disciples, he reminds them of death and deliberately adds: "Let us die," saying, as it were: "And we, fools, fools, and not caring about our salvation and life, let us go to die with Him." Let Him value His life dearly; Therefore must we also be imprudent? Such speeches are befitting a fearful person. But look at him afterwards. He, like an apostle, was slain for the truth. The grace of God has so "strengthened" him that the words of the Apostle Paul can be applied to him: "Our ability is from God" (2 Corinthians 3:5), and "not I, but grace" (1 Corinthians 15:10). And Origen says of Thomas something like a dream, Thomas, he says, having learned the prophecies about Christ and having understood that He would descend with His soul into hell for the liberation of souls, when He heard that the Lord was coming to awaken Lazarus, He thought that He could awaken him, that is, free his soul, only if He Himself laid down the body and descended into hell. Therefore, as a sincere disciple of Christ, who does not wish to lag behind his Teacher in this as well, he advises his fellow disciples and himself volunteers to lay down their bodies in order to descend into hell together with Jesus, who, according to his understanding, will lay down His soul in order to free the soul of a friend from hell. Such a ridiculous explanation I have applied to shame those who extol all that is Origen's. For such an explanation of the sage is not manifest idle talk and a real dream? And I ask you to note that although Lazarus died, the Lord nevertheless said: "We go to him," as if to a living one. For for Christ, as God, Lazarus himself was alive.

When Jesus came, he found that he had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, fifteen stades; and many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them in their sorrow for their brother. And when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; Maria was sitting at home. The Lord deliberately delayed so that Lazarus would be four days old, then went to make the miracle free from slander on all sides. Why does the Evangelist add that Bethany was fifteen stades from Jerusalem? In order to show that indeed many of the Jerusalemites came, for Bethany was not far away. The Jews comforted these women not because Christ loved them (for the Jews had already conspired to excommunicate from the synagogue the one who recognized Him as Christ - John 9:22), but either because of the severity of the calamity, or because those who came were not of the wicked, from which many of them believed. Martha only goes forward to meet her, and does not take her sister with her, because she wanted to see Him alone and tell Him about what had happened. When the Lord aroused good hope in her, then she left and called her sister. Before, she had not told Sister Mary about the coming of the Lord, in order to conceal it from those who were with her. For if Mary had heard that Jesus was coming, she would have gone immediately to meet Him, and the Jews who had come would have followed her: but Martha did not want them to know of the coming of Jesus.