Ingersoll Tried to Prove Lazarus Didn’t Rise

I once heard a story about Robert Ingersoll, the famous atheist of some decades ago. It is told that at one time he sought to show how the miracle of Lazarus being raised from the dead by Jesus was just a trick to bolster His waning fortunes. To clinch his point, Ingersoll said to the audience, “Can anyone tell me now why Jesus said: ‘Lazarus, come forth!’” (John 11:43)? An old Christian in the back got up and said: “Yes! Because if He had not said ‘Lazarus,’ He would have had the whole graveyard of Bethany coming out to Him.” (The Possible Years, Concordia).