Faith to Raise the Dead Is Possible
Do you have faith to raise the dead? I asked myself that question recently when my friend’s son died at age 38. Immediately, I thought how unfair it was. John was full of life and one of those people who lit up rooms.
John died and left a young wife and child. His parents and I once attended the same church. We grieved when they lost two, full-term stillborn babies within 18 months of each other. Not long after that, Mary (John’s mother) lost her brother in the 1983 Beirut, Lebanon bombing that took the lives of over 200 Marines.
Mary continued to press on during dark days of grief. I visited her and even though her heart is fractured, I saw hope in her eyes, along with sadness. Afterward, God’s compassion rose up inside me through the Holy Spirit. He’s excited about the prospect of raising up John. But how does someone do that?
Faith to Raise the Dead: A Responsibility of Christians
The Holy Spirit started training me immediately. I heard in my spirit, “Raising the dead is simple.” Well, if you’ve never done it, it seems hard. Months before John’s death, I ordered a book on how to raise the dead (no coincidence) and began to pore over the pages. I knew so little about raising the dead.
First, it’s a command from Jesus in Matthew 10:8.
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
Second, the command Jesus gave to the first 12 disciples is for all Christians. People will dispute Matthew 10:8 by saying it was only for Jesus’ select twelve. However, scripture doesn’t bear that out.
Matthew 28:19-20 (emphasis mine)
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Jesus expects us to raise the dead. But I don’t hear anyone in church preaching about it. Consequently, Christians aren’t knowledgeable unless they study about faith to raise the dead for themselves.
Faith to Raise the Dead: It’s a Command for Every Christian
I always assumed only well-seasoned believers knew how to raise the dead because no one around me does it. To my surprise, raising the dead is a basic principle of Christianity.
Hebrews 6:1-2 (TLB)
Let us stop going over the same old ground again and again, always teaching those first lessons about Christ. Let us go on instead to other things and become mature in our understanding, as strong Christians ought to be. Surely we don’t need to speak further about the foolishness of trying to be saved by being good, or about the necessity of faith in God; you don’t need further instruction about baptism and spiritual gifts and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
If that doesn’t wake you up to biblical truth, nothing will. The simple stuff is knowing you can’t be saved by good works, having faith in God, understanding baptism and believing God about spiritual gifts like laying on of hands for healing and resurrecting the dead. Likewise, Christians know an eternal judgment awaits those who don’t accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
In other words, raising the dead is elementary (easy–uncomplicated–straightforward–rudimentary–simple). I’m astounded God sees it as effortless but compared to creating the universe I now understand His perspective.
Faith to Raise the Dead in Jesus’ Name
For over 50+ years, I haven’t taken Jesus’ command seriously to raise the dead. Maybe I wasn’t ready until now. Jesus gave Christians the authority as believers to raise the dead and He backs our authority with His power. Nothing more, nothing less. Even so, these questions usually surface and hold us back.
- What if the person doesn’t want to come back to earth? Jesus didn’t qualify his statement when He said to raise the dead. He just said to do it. As soon as we rationalize whether a person wants to come back, we talk ourselves out of following Jesus’ command. The key to knowing whether to pray to raise the dead is to follow the Holy Spirit’s lead. Our job is to be obedient by listening to His gentle nudges and praying in faith.
- Why bring someone back who lived a full life? Again, our opinion doesn’t matter. Our job is to go raise the dead knowing God has the power to do so. For instance, when a young child dies, there isn’t anyone who would disagree their life was snuffed out. However, when someone in their 80s dies, we don’t view them the same way. Nothing in scripture indicates that age is a factor to bring someone back to life.
- Does God put a time limit on how long someone has been dead? We rationalize that someone cremated or an organ donor certainly couldn’t be raised. Lazarus was dead for 4 days, decomposition had already begun. God raised up a whole army from skeletons (Ezekiel 37:1-14) and the dead came out of tombs after Jesus’ resurrection (Matthew 27:52-54).
What’s Next?
So, how do you raise the dead?
So far, I haven’t raised the dead but God reminds me it’s possible. I must have a willing heart and believe He can do it (faith). Does that mean I get cozy with morticians or hang out at funerals? I don’t know.
God stirred my spirit lately to study scriptures about raising the dead to cement the truth about resurrection. Again, He reminds me to not complicate the process.
If I let my emotions take over when I see brokenhearted families, then faith can’t work. Sure I may weep as Jesus did at Lazarus’ tomb but that didn’t stop Him from telling Lazarus to come forth.
Even if I pray and someone doesn’t come back to life, that’s not a signal to stop praying and believing. Again, it’s important to pray as God leads. Then too, other people don’t understand a Christian’s desire to please God through obedience. If God lays it on your heart to go raise the dead and you obey, you can expect opposition from others.
For example, in Acts 23 – 36, the reason Paul was arrested and tried is that he believed in the resurrection. He asked King Agrippa this question.
Acts 26:8
Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
Good question! And don’t forget, Jesus said it’s possible.
John 14:12
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
What about you? Has God prompted you lately to raise up someone?
*********************************
Update: Mary died in 2022 at the age of 67 about 3 years after John’s death. I don’t know if she ever found relief. I did visit John’s grave and prayed faithfully expecting him to pop up any minute. That didn’t happen but I obeyed God’s instructions to go and pray and left the results to Him. That means it could still happen!