On returning to Bethany, Jesus heard that Lazarus, the brother of Martha
and Mary, two sisters whom He loved, had died during His absence. Martha
met Him weeping, and told Him of their grief saying "Lord, if Thou hadst
been here, my brother had not died," for she knew Jesus would have saved
him. Jesus Himself wept to see their sorrow, and going to the grave
ordered the stone to be rolled away and called Lazarus to come forth;
Lazarus did so, and many of those present believed in Jesus, but others
went away and told the High Priests and rulers, who were much troubled,
for they said "If we let this man go many will believe in Him, and His
adherents will become too powerful, and will take our nation away from
us."

The people of Bethany made a supper for our Lord, and Lazarus and Martha
and Mary were there, together with the disciples; the Feast of the
Passover was near, and Jerusalem was crowded, and the Chief Priests
became still more uneasy for more and more of the people every day
believed in Christ, and when they heard He was coming to Jerusalem went
out to meet Him with branches of palm, crying "Hosannah--Blessed is He
that cometh in the Name of the Lord," and the people said "Behold, the
world is gone after Him."

[Illustration]

Jesus knew that the time was now come when He should depart from this
world and go to His Father, and told His disciples so, saying they must
not be troubled, for there were many mansions in His Father's House and
He was but going before to prepare a place there for them. Then, being
sorrowful at heart, our Lord went up to a garden called Gethsemane, and
prayed to His Father that the souls of all mankind might be saved and