Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother. (Luke 7:11-15)

Jesus Raised The Dead

Living during the age of miracles must have been an amazing time. The prominent times of miracles include the rescue of the Hebrews from Egypt, the time of the prophets, during the ministry of Jesus, and the early days of the church. All of these times were days of conflict, and the miracles proved the power of God and His will. Jesus performed miracles by the Finger of God, the Holy Spirit. Each miracle proved Him to be the Son of God, and the greatest miracle, His resurrection, proved Him to be Lord and Christ. Jesus healed thousands of people of any disease that afflicted them. He never failed, and the miracle was instantaneous.

While all miracles were amazing, with individual results changing the lives of all who experienced them, the power to raise the dead was in a class by itself. The Bible does not reveal all who were raised from the dead. Jesus gave power to the twelve apostles to raise the dead. In the early church, the miracle of resurrection was exercised. The Gospels record Jesus raising three people from the dead. A friend of Jesus, Lazarus, was raised from the dead and had been in the grave for four days. The tombs were sealed after the third day because the body began to decompose. Lazarus had been in the tomb long enough for the visible sign of decay to be evident. He walked out of his tomb, still bound in his burial garments.

Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, from the dead. After Jairus had come to Jesus asking him to heal his daughter, who was at the point of death, the Lord journeyed with the ruler to his house. On the way (after the incident of the woman with an issue of blood), the girl died. Jesus assured Jairus and the multitude there was nothing to fear. Jesus raised the twelve-year-old girl from the dead, and the people were overcome with great amazement.

Luke is the only writer to tell the story of Jesus arriving in the city of Nain, accompanied by many of His disciples and a large crowd. When they came near the city gate, a funeral procession was making its way out of the city. A widow had just lost her son, and they had placed him in an open coffin to carry him to the family plot. When Jesus saw the processions and mourners surrounding the grieving widow, He had compassion on her and told her not to cry. To the astonishment of the widow and all the people, Jesus halted the procession and told the young man to arise. He did. The widow’s son sat up and began to speak. Jesus presented the son to the jubilant mother and great fear came upon all, and they glorified God.

It is impossible to suggest one is greater than the other. Stilling the storm would have been a miracle to experience, much like Peter walking on the water. Healing all diseases would have been an amazing thing to experience, especially for the victim. Bartimaeus received his sight; shortly afterward, the man who gave his sight was killed on a cross. Raising the dead is a testimony to the power of God to accomplish anything; even the impossible. Through the centuries, man has been able to cure or mediate some diseases. Technology has given man a new experience into the impossible. Miracles (Biblical) ceased two thousand years ago. Faith healers today are liars and frauds. Raising the dead is proof of that.

Jesus raised the dead to show the limitations of human wisdom and power. Nothing in the arsenal of human wisdom can raise someone from the dead. When a man dies, he cannot be raised. God allowed that power to exist on earth for a very short time, and He has now withheld it. Jesus walked up to an open coffin and spoke to a dead person, and he arose. How can a man explain that? There were no incantations, spells, or rituals to perform. Jesus spoke, and the young man sat up. There is no doubt he was dead. The family was taking him for burial. Jesus raised the dead.

If the Son of God can take a man four days in the tomb, a twelve-year-old girl, and a young man who just died and raise them from the dead, what can he do for you and me? Jesus did the impossible, and He can do the same for anyone willing to believe Him to be the Son of God. Sin is worse than death, and Jesus can take that away. Death is temporary, but the consequence of sin is eternal. Jesus can raise a person from the depths of sin and make them alive. His word will bring salvation to a dead heart. Paul describes the avenue of resurrection through the power of Christ when he writes that when a man is baptized into the death of Jesus, he can be raised as a new creature. Jesus raised the dead, and He raises people today from the spiritual death of sin. Believe in the impossible. He can raise you from the dead so that one day He will raise you from the dead and dwell with the Father forever.