Jesus' inspired prayer at the grave of his friend Lazarus was perhaps as startling to his audience as was the visible proof of eternal Life which immediately followed. In anticipation of his marvelous victory over death and the grave he said (John 11:41, 42): "Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always : but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me."
There was no human evidence that Jesus' prayer had been answered, yet he thanked God for the answer. So far as he was concerned, it had already been answered, because he was constantly conscious of omnipresent Life. He simply prayed that those who witnessed the restoration of Lazarus would also recognize the truth and reality of spiritual Life. His was a spiritual, joyous conviction, unsurpassed as an example of living faith in God's omnipotent power and omnipresent being.
At the last supper, when the Master was giving to his disciples final precepts before his crucifixion, he told them (John 15:11), "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." This joy was ever with Jesus because of his understanding of spiritual reality, God's allness and man's oneness with Him. This same spiritual joy invariably attends the appearing of the Christ in consciousness, the dawning recognition of man's purity and sinlessness as the express image and likeness of his Father–Mother God.
