=39-42. They sought again to take him.= To arrest him. Their passion had time to cool, and they abandoned the idea of mob violence, which would have brought, as in Paul’s case (Acts 21:31, 32), the interference of the Romans. Instead, they endeavored to seize Christ and bring him before the authorities for trial.--=But he escaped out of their hand.= There is no reason to suppose a miracle. In the throng were some at least who believed in him, and under cover afforded by them he could have escaped.--=Where John at first baptized.= See ch. 1:28, note.--=All things that John spake of this man were true.= Being dead he yet spake. Gave his testimony to Christ. See ch. 1:15-34. This was the end of Christ’s Judean ministry proper, which had lasted three months. It had been one of continuous storm. Twice during this period he had been mobbed (ch. 8:59; 10:31); once an attempt was made to arrest him (ch. 7:32, 45); secret plans for his assassination were laid (ch. 7:19, 25; 8:37). All that we know of this ministry is contained in John, chapters 7, 8, 9 and 10; though it is not improbable that the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Pharisee and the Publican, and the incidents at the house of Mary and Martha belong to the same era (Luke 10:25-42; 18:9-14).--=And many believed on him there.= A period of a little over three months, from some time in December to the first of April, intervened between the retreat of Christ from Judea and his final entry into Jerusalem at the Passover week. I believe that this time was devoted to his ministry in Perea, the district beyond Jordan; a ministry of which John here gives a hint, to which Matthew and Mark also refer (Matt. 19:1, 2, etc.; Mark 10:1, etc.), but of which Luke alone gives any full account. See Luke, ch. 10, Prel. Note. Many thronged his ministry there (Luke 11:29; 12:1; 14:15, 25; 15:1). This ministry was broken in upon by the message from the sisters of Lazarus, as recorded in the next chapter. See Prel. Note there. CHAPTER XI. Ch. 11:1-44. THE RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS.--THE DIVINE OBJECT IN ALL SEEMING EVIL: NOT HUMAN DEATH BUT DIVINE GLORY (4).--THE MYSTERY OF THE DIVINE SILENCE IN OUR SORROW ILLUSTRATED AND PARTIALLY INTERPRETED (6, 12).--THE CONDITIONS OF DIVINE PROTECTION AND THE CHRISTIAN’S SAFETY (9, 10).--THE CHRISTIAN’S DEATH A SLEEP (11).--THE ANGUISH OF “IF” (21, 32).--THE PHARISAIC CREED AND THE CHRISTIAN’S FAITH CONCERNING DEATH AND THE RESURRECTION CONTRASTED (23-27).--CHRIST’S INDIGNATION AT HUMAN FALSEHOOD (33, 38).--CHRIST’S SYMPATHY WITH HUMAN SORROW (35).--THE RESISTANCE OF FAITHLESSNESS; THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH (39, 41).--THE PRAYER OF ASSURANCE OF FAITH (42).--THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE (43, 44).--A PARABLE OF HUMAN SORROW AND DIVINE COMFORT.--A PARABLE OF HUMAN SIN AND DIVINE REDEMPTION. See Supplementary Note.