Jesus is Miraculous

He Has Power Over Death

As Jesus approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out —the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. … When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother (Luke 7:12-15).

It was a gripping scene. With tears rolling down her cheeks, the widow found just enough strength to walk behind the casket. Her husband had already died. Now she would also have to bury her only son. Friends from the small town gathered around to give her comfort. They were on their way to the graveyard—a place where no one likes to take loved ones. But then this funeral procession came to a halt.

Jesus saw the widow. His heart went out to her. He stepped up to the coffin. With one command, he raised the dead son to life. His heart began to beat again. He sat up. He spoke. He went back to his ecstatic mother. No doubt Jesus had turned the most heart-wrenching scene into a joyous celebration by raising this young man from the dead!

Maybe you have been in a funeral procession like that before, or maybe that time is coming soon. Maybe the funeral procession will be yours. Death is a sad reality for all people. It shows us the severe consequence of sin in our lives. Our God says, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). We have all sinned by disobeying our God. Therefore, we will all die. That’s why we’ve had to bury loved ones. That’s why sometimes we are afraid of dying.

But Jesus gives us comfort through his miraculous power. In Luke 7 we hear how he raised this widow’s son from the dead. But he didn’t only raise the widow’s son from the dead; he also rose from the dead. He took all of our sins and all of their guilt and punishment to the cross. He died on that cross to pay the price that God the Father demanded for those sins. But Jesus didn’t stay dead. He rose on Easter morning. He conquered our enemy of death. He has all power over death.

We’ll still attend funerals. But Jesus gives us the promise of life after death. This is his promise to you, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25,26). You can’t find a greater hope. You can’t grasp a greater comfort. Jesus defeated death so that we can live with him in heaven forever where there is no more death. His power over death is surely miraculous!

Is there someone you know who is grieving over death or afraid of death? Share this message of a miraculous death-destroying Savior with them. It has given you comfort. It will comfort them too.