- Jesus Is Not Dead
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This is the week we really drill down and focus on the resurrection. Nowadays we call people that come back from the dead “zombies,” the living dead. But the resurrections in the Bible were so much better than zombies. Those resurrected didn’t crave human flesh or walk with a limp. They lived completely normal lives and were completely healed.
Resurrection is something that happened at least nine times in the Bible. Three occur in the Old Testament. Elijah resurrected the son of Zarephath’s widow. Elisha resurrected the son of the Shunammite woman. A dead man comes back to life when he touches Elisha’s bones.
In the New Testament, at least three individuals were raised from the dead by Jesus. Jesus resurrects the widow’s son at Nain. Jesus raises Jairus’ daughter from the dead. Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. The Bible tells us that many saints were resurrected at Jesus’ crucifixion. Matthew 27:52-53 says, “The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.” Both Peter and Paul raised a person from the dead. Peter raises a female disciple named Tabitha from the dead. Paul raises Eutychus from the dead.
But unlike any other person that came back to life, Christ raised Himself from the dead! Christ raised Himself through His own power. He broke the chains of sin and death, bringing our salvation with Him! Because Jesus raised Himself from the dead you can trust Him to tackle death for you as well!
Sinclair B. Ferguson says, “We are adopted into God’s family through the resurrection of Christ from the dead in which he paid all our obligations to sin, the law, and the devil, in whose family we once lived. Our old status lies in his tomb. A new status is ours through his resurrection.”
In Christ,
Pastor Phil