[RE]FOCUS Day 19
Week 3: Restoring
Day 5: Raising the Dead
By Pastor Chad Wright
READ:
Scripture: Luke 7:14–16 Jesus 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. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited His people!”
Have you ever been in a car accident? Chances are you have. Have you ever been in a train collision? Thankfully, most passengers do not have to worry about it. Due to improved communication and tracking methods, riding the rails is actually safer than riding in an automobile. Still, there is a risk to ride a train. Train collisions still occur. Train collisions bring bad news. Even if no one dies, there are usually serious injuries and hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage.
There was one train collision in history that only had good news. It occurred near the town of Nain in Judea in the First Century. I know, you are thinking that there were no locomotives back then. Correct. However, there were trains; trains of people. Large gatherings moving together in a unified direction. One train was coming out of the town. It was a funeral procession following the body of a man. He had been the only son of his parents. His father had died and now his mother was the only one left. She accompanied his body.
The other train was following Jesus. It included his disciples and a great crowd. It overwhelmed the previous train. What happened when these two trains collided was miraculous! Jesus had compassion on the woman. He raised her son from the dead! The Author of Life displayed His authority over death. The response of the crowd was appropriate: “God has visited His people!” He later would face death Himself for us. The death we deserve, He bore on the cross, so that we might receive eternal life. He burst forth from the tomb victorious for us as evidence that He defeated death for us. One day, He will return to take a great train of believers, the living and resurrected to join Him in heaven. Let us remain faithful until that day!
PRAY:
Risen Lord, thank You for displaying Your power over death by your miracles of raising the dead and by Your own resurrection. Keep me and all who believe in You safe through Your grace and truth until the Last Day when You come to take us to be with You forever. Amen.
LIVE:
How does this event give a clue about what God does at baptisms?