Letters from Adina - #27a

Letter XXVII (i). The Prophet! The Nazarene! He comes!

“‘I AM’ the Resurrection and the Life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”

My Dear Father,

I have not yet made known to you the manner of the greatest miracle of power and love which He, Jesus, has wrought - the raising up of Lazarus from the dead; and I will here recount this wonder as it came to pass.

The morning of the third day the messenger returned, and said that he had found the Prophet on the farther bank of the Jordan, where John had baptised.

The bearer of the sad tidings from the two sisters told us he delivered his simple and touching message -  “Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick!”

“And what said He? - how did His countenance appear?’’ asked Martha, of the man.

‘‘He did not marvel, but said calmly to me, “Son, I know it! This sickness shall not be unto death: it shall be for the glory of God: for hereby will my Father have me to be glorified, that men may see and believe truly that I came out from God.”  

“What said He more?’’ asked Martha, sorrowfully and doubting.

“Nothing more, lady; and having given my message, I departed,’’ answered the man.

“Alas! He knew not how ill His friend was,” said Mary; “or He would not have said it was not unto death, and would surely have hastened with you.”

With what deep sorrow they mourned their brother! and their tears fell the faster for that they felt assured he would not have died had Jesus been there.

‘‘He has forgotten us,” said Martha, “else He would be near to console us in our deep affliction, though He came not to heal our brother. ’’

“Nay, sister, think not hardly of the blessed friend of Lazarus,’’ said Mary, with soothing tones, as she caressed her elder sister. “I feel that if He had seen fit, He could have raised up our brother by speaking the word, even at Bethabara.”

"And why, oh! why, did He not save Lazarus!" exclaimed Martha, bitterly.

“In that he did not, sweet sister,’’ answered Mary, gently, ‘‘we may know it was not meet He should. Did he not say to the messenger, the sickness of Lazarus should be to the glory of God?”

“But not his death, Mary, not his death! He is dead four days already; and how can the grave give glory to the power of Jesus?”

While they were thus discoursing, there came one came running swiftly towards the house, who, breathless with haste, cried to them and to the Jews sitting there, who had come to comfort them concerning their brother -

“The Prophet! the Nazarene! He comes!”

Almost at the same moment, Melec, the Gibeonite, entered and said -

“Jesus, the Messias of God, is at hand! Already He entereth the village with His disciples.’’

At this intelligence, the mourners who sat with Mary and Martha in the vine porch rose up to go and meet Him; but Martha, crying out aloud with sudden joy, sprang up, and more quickly than they: she reached the street, and, flying with great speed, came where Jesus was.

Mary, who had received the news without showing she was moved otherwise than the secret and holy joy of a heart that had always trusted in her Lord, instead of hastening to meet Him, or rending her hair with grief, like her sister, proceeded to prepare a room for the hospitable entertainment of the beloved Prophet when He should come in, thus taking upon her Martha’s office; and when she had prepared all, she sat down with me in the house, her heart filled with joy, and her face showing forth her calm and quiet happiness.

‘‘I knew He would come! I knew He would not leave or forsake us in our deep sorrow, Adina,’’ she said to me two or three-times; and as the confused noise of advancing footsteps fell upon our ears, her heart beat quicker; and, with the glow that joy and expectation spread over her face, I thought she looked more beautiful than ever.

When Martha came nigh unto Jesus, whom she met just entering Bethany, walking on the dusty road with four of his disciples, and looking weary and travel-worn, she ran and threw herself at His feet, crying -

“Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died!”

Jesus, taking her hand; raised her up, and said with emotion, while He seemed deeply moved by her grief -

‘‘Lazarus sleepeth, Martha. I am now come to awake him out of his sleep.’’

“Lord, if my brother slept only, he would not have been buried. He is dead, and hath been dead four days.’’

“To those whom my Father loveth death is but a sleep. The good die not. Lazarus is not dead, but sleepeth; and he shall rise again!”

“I know, O Rabboni, that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus then said unto her, as He raised His eyes towards heaven:

“I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, shall he live! and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall ever die! Believest thou this, daughter?’’

“Yea, Lord, I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. I know that whatsoever Thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.”

Jesus turning to Martha, said softly - “I rejoice that thy faith in me hath come back into thine heart, for thou hast doubted, O daughter, in that I came not at thy call. It was needful that thy brother should die, that I might display the power of God in me.

This day my Father shall be glorified, and the world shall truly know that I come from Him who is Life, and the giver of life. Go, thou, and tell thy sister that I am here, and would have her come and speak with me!’’

Martha, then, overjoyed, and wondering that Jesus should have known her thoughts, insomuch as to reproach her for her little faith, hastened to her sister, and entering the house, cried -

“I have seen the Lord! He calleth for thee, Mary. Come and see him as he sits by Isaiah’s fountain, near the market-place.”

Her words made my heart bound with an indescribable thrill.

Mary rose quickly, and went out, scarcely able to walk, her limbs failing for trembling joy, and a sweet, undefined hope of she knew not what immeasurable and unutterable happiness about to come upon her...

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LADY DONNA PROGRAM

The new Lady Donna Immersion in Spirituality, Academics and Citizenship @ the "I AM" School will study abridged excerpts of the Letters from Adina taken from Reverend Ingraham's original edited version of 'The Prince of the House of David', published by Cassell & Co. Ltd (1903), that reveal remarkable insights into the Living Etheric Record left by Beloved Jesus's Ministry in the Holy Land.