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In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live." Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.
When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, He said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside, He went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread through all that region.
Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Do the dead really come back to life?
If you asked the average person this, they would probably look at you like you’re crazy. They would possibly say, “Of course, the dead don’t come back top life. That only happens in those crazy reincarnation of zombie movies. It’s a matter of fiction, not fact.”
Ask a Christian this question however, and ten times out of ten, they had better respond, “Yes”…the dead are brought back to life. In fact, it happens every single day.” If they don’t believe that then I would wonder if they really are Christian or of Christ.
For it’s obvious as we look at the life and ministry of Jesus that He had the power to resurrect and bring the dead back to life. Such an example is found in today’s passage.
For we read where a “ruler came and knelt before” Jesus…a gesture of respect and acknowledgement of Jesus’ overarching authority above all the world’s rulers…the King of kings and Lord of lords.
As the ruler bows before Jesus, he tells Him that his daughter had just died and then asks that Jesus “come and put your hand on her, and she will live." Do you think this man believed that the dead could be brought back to life? His words and actions showed that he did…and that he knew Jesus could make it happen. That was the extreme depth of the ruler’s faith.
And so as we have seen in our past study of Jesus in Matthew, Christ rewards the man’s faith and goes with him as did his disciples.
Scripture tells us that “when Jesus entered the ruler's house”, he witnessed “flute players” and a “noisy crowd”. The mourning, you see, had already begun, and this crowd did not possess the faith of the ruler. We know this because as Jesus told them to “Go away” because “The girl (was) not dead but asleep”, the people responded by laughing at Him. They thought Jesus was crazy.
They soon would see first hand for themselves the power he possessed…the power to do all things…even restore a dead person to life.
So the crowd was put outside and Jesus went to the ruler’s daughter. We read that as He “took the girl by the hand…she got up”. Once dead, she was again alive and the news of the miracle “spread through all that region”.
Friends, the good news of the gospel we were commanded to share with others is rooted in the truth that Jesus resurrects and transforms…now and forever. Those who were dead and without home because they worshipped and conformed to the world spring alive every day when they choose to take the hand of Jesus and cross over from death to eternal life (John 3:16). They become a new creation leaving their past that was leading them toward death behind in exchange for the imperishable life only found in Jesus.
And what makes this even more awesome is that those who are alive in Christ get to help Him in the process through participating and fulfilling His Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).
Is there any other undertaking any more important or anymore important than that?
Question: How well are you doing in helping Jesus bring the dead in this world to life?
It’s a question we need to be prepared to answer and respond to each and every day. There’s simply too much at stake to do otherwise.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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