Volume 11 · Chapter 37

THE CONVERSION OF MANY JEWS WHEN that happened, Lazarus recognized Me immediately and came quickly to Me. He knelt before Me and called out loudly: “My Lord and My God.”

[GGJ.11_37,2] But I lifted him up, hugged him to My chest and said: “Lazarus, you overcame death by Me. See to it that you will also be able to do that without My help, for a man is only really free from all the bonds of death when he pulls My power unto himself, and then, as a conqueror and ruler, will come out of his grave in which his soul was slumbering. But go inside now and strengthen yourself so that your body will gather new strength for the earthly life.”

[GGJ.11_37,03] Lazarus did not say a word anymore but greeted silently, and sustained by his sisters, he slowly walked home, dressed in the clothing of the grave.

[GGJ.11_37,04] However, all the others who were present at this scene were so much seized by amazement that it was only after a long time that they could find the words to express themselves.

[GGJ.11_37,05] Especially the Jews who first spoke out skeptically about My miracle power, looked with fearful embarrassment in My direction, so that I said to them: “Are you afraid of Me, now that you have seen that I can command death? Do you then not see that I am a Lord of life? But if you fear Him, then what will happen if you knew that I am leading death as My companion? Do you not have all reason to rejoice? Thus, why do you hesitate?”

[GGJ.11_37,06] One of them, who already had been the spokesman of the others before, said: “Lord, we can clearly see now that truly all of God’s power is embodied in You. But when we realize that, should we then not be afraid to stand before the One whose breath called us to life and who, because of our many sins, could again destroy us with one breath? For look, after our eyes have seen the works of Your power it became very clear to us how miserable we are in Your eyes and how useless in what we do. Therefore, we are afraid to exist before You.”

[GGJ.11_37,07] I said: “If justice would be the only quality of God you truly would not – and no one of you here – be able to exist before Me, for there is not one hair on you that did not fall prey to sin and therefore to destruction. But God’s love, meekness and mercy are as infinite as the infinity of the entire universe, and therefore He does not forget even the least of all creatures which He ever created.

[GGJ.11_37,08] But He wants to be a caring Father for you all – not a God for whose wrath you shiver and tremble. The God of revenge lives only in your imagination. You made him that way because only a vengeful, severe God seemed for the Jews to be worthy of worship. That is why multiple judgments were so much emphasized, which were however never real judgments but solely the consequences of the evilness, stupidity and stubbornness of the people.

[GGJ.11_37,09] However, I am the Father Myself who came down now in human form to proof His more than great love to the people and to open for them the gates of life which they themselves have blocked. Then why are you afraid when you see that I break open the gates of death so that life can enter in full streams?”

[GGJ.11_37,10] The spokesman, who became more confident now, came closer and said: “O Lord, we are also no more afraid. If You would like to accept us we would gladly stay with You forever.”

[GGJ.11_37,11] I said: “Have you ever heard that I rejected someone who longed for Me? Therefore, come all to Me so that I revive you and release you completely from all bonds of death.”

[GGJ.11_37,12] After these words, all the hesitating spectators rushed to Me, and each one of them tried to grab My hands or to touch My 165 garment. Because of that they all had tears in their eyes, for they were mightily permeated with My Spirit of love which woke up a fervent longing for Me.

[GGJ.11_37,13] I urged them to be calm and to come with Me to Lazarus who meanwhile had reached the house. At first he was fearfully stared at by his numerous personnel as if he was a ghost, but when his sisters gave an explanation, they stood around him with great shouts of joy, for Lazarus was a very just man who was very loved by everyone in his house. And by his death the subsistence of his landed property became very uncertain, because, as already mentioned before, Lazarus did not leave any manly heirs behind so that the many workers, handmaids and helpers who were active on his landed properties were very worried about their further employment and especially about who their next lord might be. Now these worries became suddenly unnecessary, and their shouts of joy were extremely happy for two reasons, namely for Lazarus and for their own free future.

[GGJ.11_37,14] It is not difficult to imagine that when I entered the house – after they finished their shouts of joy – that everyone ran to Me and greeted Me as Savior of people in great need. I kindly accepted all those expressions of gratitude and told those who were simply drunk of joy to give thanks to the Lord and to thank Him who accomplished such great things in the Son of man. I had to speak that way there because many of them were by far still not ripe enough to know that I Myself was the Lord whom they had to thank.

[GGJ.11_37,15] Lazarus, who meanwhile had strengthened himself with food and drink and who was now more fresh and fit as ever before, gave instructions for a great festive dinner which, according to Jewish custom, should not be lacking on any happy occasion. He invited Me to share it with his household and asked Me if he also could invite his neighbors who were still not there. I gladly allowed this to him, for it was according to My will that this deed should become known in the wide environment because now would start the last and greatest draught of fishes for My Kingdom.