power of life

Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.

Luke 7:14-15

Only God brings life to what is dead. And Jesus, in raising this young man showed His command over death and life. He simply commanded a corpse, and life entered into him again. The young man sat up, spoke up, and was raised up. The needs of the widow were met with a son God returned to her from the dead. And the power of God was known in Jesus Who commands life to the dead.

Jesus showed this kind of power repeatedly in His public ministry. He proved to all those following Him that there was something more to Him than mere claims and teaching. There was power to do what only God can do. And this brought both fear and wonder to all who witnessed it.

Jesus raises the dead still. And in salvation, each Christian is a dead person raised to a new life. In Christian baptism each believer pictures this death and resurrection. We believe this. We know this. We are raised to life in Christ. And one day these bodies do die. But in Jesus they will be raised again to new life. In that hope, I celebrate my new life in Jesus every day, knowing in Christ, death never has the final say!