Dead Things Come Alive!

Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise and live.” She replied, “Yes, I know he will rise with everyone else on resurrection day.” “Martha,” Jesus said, “You don’t have to wait until then. I am the Resurrection, and I am Life Eternal. Anyone who clings to me in faith, even though he dies, will live forever” (John 11:23-25 TPT).

Three siblings in Bethany were frequent hosts of Jesus and the disciples who traveled with Him. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus became close friends, more like family to Jesus. They believed in Him. They understood that He was the chosen One of God. 

They had been witnesses to miracles and had listened to stories of Jesus as he recounted triumphs and conflicts during His ministry throughout the region. That is why they were quick to send a messenger to find Jesus when Lazarus became so ill. Yet, even after the messenger returned, Jesus waited a few more days to arrive. 

By the time Jesus and the disciples returned to Bethany, Lazarus had been buried in a tomb for four days. Jesus met with the sisters and comforted them with the assurance that Lazarus would live again. While they believed in an eventual resurrection in the last day, they could not imagine that Jesus would raise their brother presently. 

Jesus asked to be taken to the tomb of Lazarus where He grieved along with the family and friends for the loss of one He had great affection for, and Jesus wept along with them. The bystanders witnessed how much Jesus loved Lazarus. 

Jesus was moved with compassion and His great mission, causing Him to order the removal of the stone from the grave. He cried out loudly, “Lazarus, come forth!” Incredibly, the friend who had been dead for four days sprang to life and came out of the grave! 

This notable miracle caused many to believe in Jesus, but caused great concern among the Pharisees and those who sought to discredit Jesus.  They said, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” (John 12:19 NIV). They even began to plot the deaths of both Jesus and Lazarus. The truth could not be denied, dead things come alive when Jesus speaks!


Theme passage:
“For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives” (Romans 6:4 NLT).

Dead Things Come Alive!

Someone came from Jairus’ house and told him, “There’s no need to bother the Master any further. Your daughter has passed away. She’s gone.” When Jesus heard this, he turned to Jairus and said, “Don’t yield to your fear. Have faith in me and she will live again” (Luke 8:49-50 TPT).

Twelve years! What seemed like an eternity to one woman struggling with disease was just a short time for Jairus seeing an infant grow up to become a promising preteen. No doubt she was very special to her father, for he’s the one who came looking for Jesus when she became sick. 

After fretful, fear-filled days of fever and worsening conditions, the girl showed no signs of recovery. In the passing hours, Jairus began to understand he was going to lose his special daughter if something did not change quickly. They had tried everything. No treatment, potion, or poultice had made any difference in her condition, as her breathing became more shallow in the hours leading up to his decision of desperation. 

As the leader of the local synagogue, no doubt Jairus had heard about the itinerate teacher from Nazareth, Jesus, and the reported miracles that He did. He may have even witnessed these events firsthand. Previously, Jairus had questions about Jesus, “Is he from God? Are his words true? Are these miracles real?”

Now, Jairus was willing to try anything that promised help and healing to his precious daughter. He found out where Jesus was last seen, and rushed there to find a massive crowd of curious and desperate people thronging the teacher. Forgetting manners, Jairus pushed through the crowd, elbowing his way to the place where Jesus was speaking. Urgently, he pleaded for Jesus to come to his home. Both Matthew and Mark recorded Jairus confessing faith in Jesus’ ability to heal his daughter, “Come and put your hand on her, and she will live” (Matthew 9:18 NKJ).

Even when messengers came from home to tell Jairus that his daughter had died, Jesus extended hope, “Don’t yield to your fear. Have faith in me and she will live again.” The miracle was on the way to his house!

​Let that same confession be our confidence, “Have faith, and resist fear.” Dead things come alive when Jesus comes to your house!


Theme passage:
“For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives” (Romans 6:4 NLT).

Dead Things Come Alive!

Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.” Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother (Luke 7:14-15 NLT).

The loss of any child is catastrophic, but the tragedy is multiplied when it’s an only son and the loss follows on the heels of losing a spouse. News of the loss brought family members hurrying to the side of the grieving mother. The community rallied an outpouring of support to see that the child was properly prepared for burial within the proper time. 

Paid mourners were not needed because unimaginable grief ripped out the heart of the mother and poured out in a volume of pain. The expression of her intense grief stirred everyone who came near. The crowd proceeded toward the burial grounds and others joined in the chorus of mourning over this tragic death. 

The widows future look bleak. There was no hope for another child at her age even if she were to remarry. The prospects for old age, now being alone, seemed overwhelming. Her tears and grief blinded her to the activity along the path towards the graveyard. A man stepped up toward the procession, and then reached out to stop the pall bearers. “What’s going on,” she thought, “why would anyone interfere in her grief and bring attention to her misery.” 

Jesus stepped forward with kindness and tenderness and said to the child, “Get up.” In great astonishment, she saw her son take a quick gasp of air, and immediately sit up, then began talking, fully alive. Imagine the joy, the shock, and the astonishment over such an incredible miracle. Her son who had been dead for several hours, long enough for them to absorb the shock of loss, and the dismay of future prospects to sink in, but now he’s alive again! 

Jesus sometimes steps in at an inopportune time. At least that’s the way we feel. Sometimes, it seems He’s too late. But when He speaks life, everything changes. Dead things come alive when Jesus speaks!


Theme passage:
“For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives” (Romans 6:4 NLT).

Dead Things Come Alive!

He said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life’” (Ezekiel 37:4-6 NLT).

Surveying the valley before him, Ezekiel saw the remains of a devastating battle of the past. Scattered bones filled the valley where the carrion creatures finished cleaning the carcasses. The bones were bleached and dried through months of desert sun and windswept sand. 

God’s instruction rang empty in ears of skepticism. Why would anyone prophesy to the dead? Who would seek an audience of dry bones in a desolate desert. However, in response to God’s command, the prophet Ezekiel began to proclaim the Word of the Lord to the valley of the dead. As he did, the bones began to reconnect while muscle and sinew began to form, pulling the long separated parts together. Bodies emerged from the scattered debris of death and new life blew across the valley as a fresh wind. Life breathed into still bodies and they responded with resurrection power. The dead began to live again! 

The illustrated vision of Ezekiel’s prophecy contained a prediction of God’s power of restoration to the nation of Israel. As sure as God fulfilled His promise to a wayward nation, He also promises new life to spiritual wastelands and valleys of broken dreams. The power of His Word and His Spirit brings new hope and resurrection of life to those who are dead in their sins. Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10 NKJ). The fresh wind of the Spirit and the fire of Pentecost brings hope in our generation, “You shall live again!”


Theme passage:
“For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives” (Romans 6:4 NLT).