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Examples of those Jesus raised to life in the Bible
One day, as Jesus Christ was in the course of preaching, He said, “For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.” (John 5:21). To put it briefly, Our Lord Jesus claims that He has life in Himself and can dispense life to anyone at will. How true is it? Let the Bible answer.
The Bible contains many amazing stories about miracles. These miracles include the ones where people were brought back to life after dying. Out of these incredible events, there are three special cases where Jesus Himself brought individuals back to life. We are going to look at these stories to learn the truth that Jesus can give life.
1. Jairus’ daughter
In the book of Mark, there is a touching moment where a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, asks Jesus to heal his dying daughter. While they are on their way to Jairus’ house, something else amazing happens. A woman with a 12-year issue of blood reaches out and touches Jesus’ clothes and instantly receives her healing. This miracle delays Jesus on the way such that Jairus’ daughter dies before Jesus will get there.
Despite the skepticism of onlookers, Jesus takes the hand of the young girl and speaks the words, “Talitha koum,” meaning “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” In a moment that defied all logic and understanding, the girl stands up and walks, surprising all who witnessed this extraordinary miracle. Jesus’ popularity grew widely across the land after this miracle. Moreover, the miracle was a testament to the truth that Jesus has life and gives life. This event is recorded in both Mark 5:21-43 and Luke 8:40-56.
2. Lazarus
The Gospel of John recounts the inspiring account of Lazarus, a dear friend of Jesus, who fell gravely ill in Bethany. Lazarus’ family called upon Jesus to come and heal him but Jesus, intentionally, did not go. Eventually, Lazarus succumbed to death and his sisters, Martha and Mary, and loved ones mourned him. Then Jesus came to Bethany only to find out that Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days. Martha and Mary came to meet him, overwhelmed with sorrow, they blamed Jesus for not being there on time to save their brother.
Out of empathy, Jesus comforted them and requested to be taken to Lazarus’ tomb. At Lazarus’ tomb, Jesus asked them to remove the stone covering the tomb. Despite the doubts and sorrow of those around him, Jesus then yelled for Lazarus to come out, and suddenly the once-dead man appeared with burial cloths wrapped around him. Finally, Jesus instructed them to remove the burial cloth and let Lazarus go. (John 11:1-44)
3. The widow of Nain’s son
In the Gospel of Luke, we encounter the deeply moving story of a widow who lost her son. Jesus went to a town called Nain with his followers and a large crowd. As they approached the town gate, they saw a funeral procession for a young man, who was his mother’s only child, and she was a widow. A big group from the town was with her. Jesus felt pity for the mother and told her not to cry. He then walked up to the bier, touched it, and the people carrying it stopped. Jesus told the young man to get up, and he did – he came back to life and started talking. Jesus returned him to his mother. Everyone was filled with awe and amazement and praised God. News about Jesus spread throughout the region. (Luke 7:11-17)
The significance of Jesus raising the dead
All these resurrection miracles of Jesus speak the same message to us. They serve as examples of events where Jesus’ power to install life to the lifeless is seen and they testify that Jesus is a life giver just like the Father who in times past gave life to the dead through His prophets such as Elijah and Elisha (John 5:21). Though other miracles made Jesus well known, the resurrection miracles extended Jesus’ fame across the length and breadth of Israel, adding more people to Jesus’ followers. Moreover, these events reinforce the truth that Jesus tells no lie because all His claims were true, especially, John 5:26; John 5:27; and John 5:28.
Conclusion
To sum it up, the stories in the Bible about resurrection are really moving and mean a lot to people who read or hear them. These stories aren’t just about unbelievable things happening; they’re also important reminders of Jesus’ power and love, giving comfort and hope to anyone looking for it. The good part of it is that Jesus’ resurrection miracles did not end after His ascension to heaven. Through the Holy Spirit, this power was conferred to His disciples, even His later-day disciples, so that we can continue to raise the dead in His stead (1 Corinthians 12:1-11).