Whilst no one can turn back the time for the dead, for those who are still alive and perhaps grieving, you may want to know more about resurrection. Resurrection from the dead is part of the doctrine of the first principles of Christ. It is an essential foundational truth of Christianity. The teaching of the resurrection is the one essential truth that separates Christianity from all other religions of the world. (Hebrews 6:1-3) Every man will live forever.
Some
will live with God; some will live apart from God, but all will
live forever.
The Bible records ten supernatural resurrections that returned the dead to human life. In addition to Jesus’ own resurrection, and “many bodies of the saints (believers) who had died were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many” (Matthew 27:51-52). The remaining eight resurrections are recorded in 1 Kings 17:17-24; 2 Kings 4:32-37; 13:20-21; Luke 8:49–56; Luke 7:11-17; John 11:1-44; Acts 9:36-42; 20:7-12.
Jesus predicted his own resurrection: Matthew 17:22-23, “The Son of Man is going to be handed over to the power of men, and they will kill him. And on the third day he will be raised to life again.” This greatly distressed the disciples. (PHILLIPS)
Jesus resurrected just as He said. (Matthew 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-20; Luke 24:1-52; John 20:1-21:25)
Jesus Himself raised people from the dead: e.g. Lazarus (John 11:1-44), Jairus' Daughter (Luke 8:49–56) and Widow of Nain's Son (Luke 7:11–17).
Important truth concerning Jesus’ resurrection:
- Paul says that the fact that Jesus was resurrected is the proof that He is the Son of God. Romans 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead…" (KJV)
- And the fact that Jesus was raised from the dead is our guarantee that we have eternal life through Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 6:14 And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. (NKJV)
- Apostle Paul also said that the Holy Spirit was given to us as a deposit to guarantee our eternal life. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, 22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us. (NLT)
34 Jesus answered and said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; 36 nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. 37 But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ 38 For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.”
The apostles also raised people from the dead:
Acts 9:36-42 (NLT) Apostle Peter resurrected Tabitha (Dorcas).
Acts 20:7-12 Apostle Paul resurrected Eutychus.
Old Testament Prophets raised people from the dead:
Widow of Zarephath's Son raised by the prophet Elijah (1 King 17:17-24); Shunammite Woman's Son raised by the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 4:18-37); an Israelite dead man’s body resurrected by touching prophet Elisha’s bones (2 Kings 13:20–21).
Finally, there is hope for us as declared by the Apostle Paul in the following verses:
1 Corinthians 15:51-53 (NLT) 51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.
1 Thessalonians 5:10 (NLT) Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever.
