1. The widow of Zarephath’s son (1 Kings 17:17–24) Elijah raised the widow of Zarephath’s son. Elijah was staying in an upper room of the widow’s house during a severe drought. While he was there, the widow’s son became ill and died. In her grief, the woman brought her son's body to Elijah with the assumption that his presence in her household had brought about the death of her boy as a judgement on her past sin. Elijah took the dead boy from her arms, went to the upper room, and prayed. Elijah stretched himself out on the boy three times as he prayed, and the Lord heard his cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. Elijah brought the boy to his mother, who was filled with faith in God's power through Elijah: She said “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth”.
2. The Shunammite woman’s son (2 Kings 4:18–37) Elisha raised the Shunammite woman’s son. Elisha regularly stayed in Shunem in an upper room prepared for him by a woman and her husband. One day, when he was at Mount Carmel, the couple’s young son died. The woman carried him to Elisha’s room and laid him on the bed. Then, without even telling her husband, she went to find Elisha. When she found him, she pleaded for him to come to Shunem. Elisha sent his servant, Gehazi, with instructions to lay Elisha’s staff on the boy’s face. As soon as Elisha and the Shunammite woman arrived, Elisha went to the upper room, shut the door and prayed. Then he stretched out on top of the boy and the body began to warm. Elisha rose, walked round the room and stretched himself out on the boy again. The boy sneezed seven times and woke from death. Elisha then delivered him, alive again, to his grateful mother.
3. The man raised by Elisha after his death (2 Kings 13:20–21) Elisha is connected with another resurrection that occurred after his death. Some time after he had died and was buried, some men were burying someone in the same area. The grave diggers saw a band of Moabite raiders approach, and, rather than risk an encounter with them, they threw the man into Elisha’s grave. It says that “when the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet”.
4. The widow of Nain’s son (Luke 7:11–17). This is the first of the resurrections that Jesus performed. As the Lord approached the town of Nain, He met a funeral procession leaving the city. The dead man was a young man, the only son of a widow. When Jesus saw the procession, his heart went out to the woman and he told her not to cry. He then came near and touched the boy and spoke to the boy ordering him to get up. Obeying the divine order, the dead man sat up and began to talk. Thus Jesus turned the funeral into a worship service: “God has come to help his people,” they said.
5. Jairus’ daughter (Luke 8:52–56) Jesus also showed His power over death by raising the young daughter of Jairus, a synagogue leader. The Lord was surrounded by crowds when Jairus came to Him, begging Him to visit his house and heal his dying 12 year-old daughter. Jesus began to follow Jairus home, but on the way a member of Jarius’ household approached them with the sad news that his daughter had died. Jesus turned to Jairus with words of hope: “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed”. On arriving at the house, Jesus took the girl’s parents, Peter, James, and John and entered the room where she was. he then took her by the hand and said, ‘My child, get up!’ Her spirit returned, at once she stood up. Jesus and His disciples then left her with her astonished parents.
6. Lazarus of Bethany (John 11). The third person Jesus raised was His friend Lazarus. Word had come to Jesus that Lazarus was ill but he did not go to Bethany to heal him. Instead, He told His disciples, the sickness would not end in death. Rather, it was for God’s glory so that God’s Son would be glorified. A couple of days later, Jesus told His disciples that Lazarus had died, but He promised a resurrection: “I am going there to wake him up”. When Jesus reached Bethany, four days after the death, Lazarus’ grieving sisters both greeted Jesus with the same words: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died”. Jesus, speaking to Martha, promised to raise Lazarus and proclaimed Himself to be “the resurrection and the life”. Jesus asked to see the grave. When He got to the place, He commanded the stone to be rolled away from the tomb, and prayed and called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’”. Just as Jesus had promised, the dead man came out. The result was that God was glorified and many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and seen what Jesus did, believed in him. Others, however, refused to believe and plotted to destroy him and Lazarus.
7. Various saints in Jerusalem (Matthew 27:50–53) The Bible mentions some resurrections that occurred en masse at the resurrection of Christ. When Jesus died, “the earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open”. Those open tombs remained open until the third day. At that time, “the bodies of many holy people ... were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people”. On the day Jesus was raised to life, these saints were also raised and became witnesses in Jerusalem of the life that only Jesus can give.
8. Tabitha (Acts 9:36–43). Tabitha, whose Greek name was Dorcas, was a believer who lived in the coastal city of Joppa. Her resurrection was performed by the apostle Peter. Dorcas was known for “always doing good and helping the poor”. When she died, the believers in Joppa were filled with sadness. They laid the body in an upper room and sent for Peter, who was in the nearby town of Lydda. Peter came at once and met with the disciples in Joppa, who showed him the clothing that Dorcas had made for the widows there (verse 39). Peter sent them all out of the room and prayed. Then “turning toward the dead woman, he said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet”. The overjoyed believers received their resurrected friend, and the news spread quickly throughout the city. “Many people believed in the Lord” as a result.
9. Eutychus (Acts 20:7–12). Eutychus was a young man who lived (and died and lived again) in Troas. He was raised by the Apostle Paul. The believers in Troas were gathered in an upper room to hear the apostle speak. Since Paul was leaving town the next day, he spoke late into the night. One of his audience members was Eutychus, who sat in a window and, unfortunately, fell asleep. Eutychus slipped out of the window and fell three stories to his death (verse 9). Paul went down and “threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him” (verse 10). Eutychus came back to life, went upstairs, and ate a meal with the others. When the meeting finally broke up at daylight, “the people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted” (verse 12).
10. Jesus himself (Mark 16:1–8). Of course, any list of resurrections in the Bible must include the resurrection of Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection are the focal point of Scripture and the most important event in the history of the world. The resurrection of Jesus is different from the Bible’s other resurrections in a very notable way: Jesus’ resurrection is the first “permanent” resurrection; all the other resurrections in the Bible were “temporary” in that those raised to life died again. Lazarus died twice; Jesus rose, nevermore to die. In this way, He is “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). Jesus’ resurrection justifies us (Romans 4:25) and ensures our eternal life: “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19).
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