The New Testament records Jesus raising three people from the dead before He Himself rose from the dead. The three people Jesus raised from the dead were the widow’s son of Nain (Luke 7:11-17), Jairus’ daughter (8:40-56), and Lazarus (John 11:1-44).
Raising the Dead
Jesus did not arise from the grave until after His crucifixion (Matthew 28:5-6; Luke 24:6-7). Prior to His own resurrection, He raised three individuals from the dead.
When Jesus raised these three people, they were not resurrected into their glorified bodies. However, when Jesus rose from the dead, He was resurrected into His glorified body.
The same body Jesus died in was the same body He was raised in; however, it was His resurrected, glorified body. The three people Jesus raised from the dead were not raised with their glorified bodies. In the future, all believers will be raised in their glorified bodies.
Romans 6:5 tells us, “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.” All people who have placed faith in Christ will be resurrected at the time of the Rapture into their glorified bodies (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
Believers who have already died are presently in their heavenly bodies; however, when the Rapture of the Church occurs, they will be raised and transformed into their glorified bodies. Believers who are still alive at the time of the Rapture will not have a heavenly body as they will only be transformed into their glorified bodies.
Heavenly bodies and glorified bodies each have their own splendor (1 Corinthians 15:35-58). Jesus’ resurrection was His glorified body, not a heavenly body. As of right now, Jesus has the only resurrected, glorified body.
Even when believers obtain their resurrected bodies, it will not be as amazing as Jesus’ glorified body because He is God. Therefore, the three people Jesus raised from the dead were raised back to physical life.
The widow’s son of Nain, Jairus’ daughter, and Lazarus were all raised back to physical life — not raised into resurrected bodies. Jesus raised each of these three individuals for a very important purpose.
The Lord raised the widow’s son of Nain, Jairus’ daughter, and Lazarus to demonstrate His divinity. If Jesus was a mere man, He would not have been able to raise the dead.
As it is, Jesus did not only raise one or two people from the dead but three. The Lord raised these three individuals before His own resurrection because it proved His divinity to the people.
1. The Widow’s Son of Nain
The first resurrection Jesus performed was when He raised the widow’s son of Nain from the dead (Luke 7:11-17). Jesus was approaching the town of Nain when a funeral ceremony was being conducted as the coffin was being carried through the vicinity.
The mother of the deceased young boy was mourning the loss of her son. Jesus tells the mourning mother to not cry, touches the coffin, and tells the young boy to get up (Luke 7:13-14). As soon as the words leave Jesus’ mouth, the young boy gets up and begins to speak (Luke 7:15).
This was the first resurrection Jesus performed during His earthly ministry. People could not have helped but notice Jesus’ amazing act of raising a person from the dead. The crowd would have been astonished and clung to each of Jesus’ words in wonder.
After the boy got up and spoke, the people said, “A great prophet has appeared among us… God has come to help his people” (Luke 7:16). The people knew Jesus’ divinity was proven by His act of raising the widow’s son from the dead.
They recognized His divinity when they made the statement, “God has come to help his people” (Luke 7:16). God had come to help His people because Jesus was God in the flesh—the Second Member of the Holy Trinity (John 1:1).
2. Jairus’ Daughter
The second person Jesus rose from the dead was a 12-year-old girl (Luke 8:40-42). The young girl’s father was named Jairus, who was a synagogue leader (Luke 8:41). Jairus sought out Jesus in the crowd because he believed Jesus could heal his ill daughter as she was dying.
It is plausible Jairus would have heard about or even witnessed Jesus’ healings or the resurrection of the widow’s son of Nain. As Jesus was on His way to follow Jairus, the crowds were so large, Jesus was almost crushed (Luke 8:42b).
There was a woman within the crowd, who touched Jesus’ cloak because she believed that if she just touched the edge of Jesus’ cloak, she would be healed of her bleeding (Luke 8:43-44). This woman would have experienced irregular bleeding for a long time and suffered greatly as no doctor could heal her.
She believed with all her heart that the Lord could heal her. After the woman had just touched the edge of Jesus’ cloak, she was instantly healed of her bleeding (Luke 8:44). Jesus knew someone had touched Him and He asked who it was that touched Him (Luke 8:45-47).
The healed woman immediately fell before Jesus trembling and admitted it was her who had touched Him (Luke 8:47). The Lord looked at her fondly and told her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace” (Luke 8:48).
While all of this was occurring, Jairus’ dying daughter passed away (Luke 8:49). The person who reported the death of Jairus’ daughter told Jairus not to bother Jesus anymore because the girl had already died.
Jesus heard what the man reported to Jairus, and the Lord told Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed” (Luke 8:50).
Jesus took the Inner Three with Him (Peter, John, and James) and went to Jairus’ house (Luke 8:51). In addition to Peter, John, and James, Jesus only allowed Jairus and his wife to be in the room when Jesus healed the young girl (Luke 8:51).
The people were crying outside; however, Jesus told the people outside to stop crying because the girl was not dead, but asleep, yet the crowds laughed at Him (Luke 8:52-53).
When Jesus entered the room, He took her by her hand and said, “My child, get up!” (Luke 8:54). At those words, the little girl arose from the dead (Luke 8:55). Jairus and his wife were amazed; however, Jesus told them not to tell anyone what He did (Luke 8:56).
3. Lazarus
The final person Jesus rose from the dead was His friend, Lazarus. Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha. By the time Jesus had arrived at Lazarus’ tomb, Lazarus had already been dead for four days (John 11:17). Martha had already sent for Jesus days before Lazarus died in order for Him to come and heal her brother (John 11:20-22).
Even though Lazarus had already died, Martha had faith that Jesus could have healed her brother. Jesus comforts Martha by saying “Your brother will rise again” (John 11:23). Martha was well equipped in her knowledge of the scriptures as she replies, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (John 11:24).
Jesus tells her that He is the resurrection and the life — all who would trust in Him would be saved and never die (John 11:25-26). Martha believes Jesus and acknowledges His Lordship (John 11:27). Jesus goes with Martha to where they have buried Lazarus and a great crowd was gathered around Lazarus’ tomb.
Jesus weeps when He sees all the people mourning the loss of Lazarus (John 11:35). Jesus commands for the stone to be rolled away from Lazarus' tomb, but Martha objects because she said there would be a strong odor due to the duration of time that had elapsed since Lazarus had passed away (John 11:38-39).
Jesus tells the people they would not see the glory of God unless they believe (John 11:40). The people roll back the stone and Jesus proclaims, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me” (John 11:41-42).
After Jesus says this, He tells Lazarus to come out and Lazarus walks out, resurrected from the dead (John 11:43-44). Lazarus walks out with his grave clothes on, Jesus commands for the grave clothes to be removed, and to let Lazarus go (John 11:44).
The people were astonished and amazed. Thus, Jesus raised Lazarus, the widow’s son of Nain, and Jairus’ daughter before Himself in order to demonstrate His divinity to the people and to declare that He truly was the Messiah. These three individuals were resurrected into revitalized, physical bodies — not glorified bodies like His own.
For further reading:
Why Does it Matter That Jesus Rose from the Dead?
What Is the Significance of 'Jesus Wept' in the Face of Death?
Why Did Jesus Want His Miracles to Stay Secret?
What Is More Important, the Death of Christ or His Resurrection?
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