Jesus Raised the Dead

When a loved one dies, we face the reality that our own death is coming also. As we gaze at the corpse, we sometimes wish our dear one would rise up and live again.

Only God has the power to revive a dead person so that he lives again. Resurrection power is miraculous. Yes, it has happened! Some two thousand years ago one man raised several dead persons back to life. The Qur'an tells us that Jesus was that man. (Sura 3:49; 5:113)

The Bible, in which I trust, agrees with the Qur'an that Jesus raised the dead. In fact, in the gospels there are several accounts of persons Jesus raised.

A twelve-year-old girl died in her bed but Jesus came, took her by the hand and told her to get up. At once the dead girl's spirit returned to her, and she stood up, alive again. (Luke 8:40-56)

Jesus met a funeral procession coming out of the town of Nain. The dead person was the only son of a woman who was a widow. Jesus told her not to cry. He went up and touched the coffin and told the young man to get up. The dead man sat up and began to talk. Jesus gave him back to his mother. (Luke 7:11-17)

One of the most amazing stories is found in John 11:17-27; 38-44.

". . . Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. 'Lord,' Martha said to Jesus, 'if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.' Jesus said to her, 'Your brother will rise again.' Martha answered, 'I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.' Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?' 'Yes, Lord.' she told him? 'I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.'

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 'Take away the stone,' he said. 'But, Lord,' said Martha, the sister of the dead man, 'by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.' Then Jesus said, 'Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?' So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, 'Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.' When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out!' The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, 'Take off the grave clothes and let him go.' "

Just as Jesus had the power to raise the dead, God has given him power to raise the spiritually dead, and give them not merely temporary life on this earth, but eternal life with God in Heaven. Consider this verse:

". . . God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)