The deceased boy was the only son of his mother who was also a widow. This poor woman had lost her husband and now her only son. When Jesus saw her in mourning, he went over to her and said, “Don’t cry.” Then Jesus touched the coffin of the dead boy, and all the pallbearers stood still. Jesus said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The boy sat up, began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother (Luke 7:11-15).
This is an incredible account of one of Jesus’ many miracles. Can you imagine this happening at a funeral you attended? You go to the funeral home, and there is an open casket in the viewing room. You say your goodbyes to your loved one and share your condolences with his family. You sit through a beautiful, emotional Memorial Service celebrating the young man’s life. Then, you caravan in the funeral procession to the cemetery where this young man, the only son of his mother, will be buried at way too young of an age. And as the pallbearers are carrying the casket to the gravesite, Jesus shows up. He has compassion for the grieving widow and says, “Do not cry.” Then, he brings the boy from death back to life. Jesus raises him from the dead. The casket opens, the boy climbs out, walks over to his mother and hugs her. Can you imagine being there and witnessing this incredible miracle? I, for one, would be freaking out. But after I got over the shock of what just happened, I would praise God and tell everyone I possibly could.
Do you believe in the miraculous? Do you believe that God still performs miracles? I do. Just as Jesus raised that boy from the dead 2000 years ago, God can do the unimaginable today. Jesus can bring the dead back to life. Jesus can take someone or something that is dead and bring it back to life. If your marriage is dead, Jesus can bring it back to life. If your finances are dead, Jesus can resurrect them. If you are terminally ill, Jesus can heal you. He can do the impossible.
Jesus can bring the dead back to life. Jesus says, “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. Do you believe this (John 11:25-26)?” Let me ask you a question. Do you believe this? Do you believe through faith in Jesus Christ, you will rise from the grave and spend eternity in Heaven with God? This the message of the Bible and the good news of Jesus Christ.
I love the new song by Bethel Music, “Ain’t No Grave”. It is a remake of the old Johnny Cash song. The chorus says, “There ain’t no grave, Gonna hold my body down. There ain’t no grave, Gonna hold my body down. When I hear that trumpet sound, I’m gonna rise up outta the ground. There ain’t no grave, Gonna hold my body down.” WOW! This gives me chills. Then the bridge of the song says, “If you walked out of the grave, I am walking too.” The song is about the resurrection of Jesus. If Jesus rose from the grave, we too through faith in him will walk out of the grave. Through faith in Jesus, there “ain’t no grave gonna hold my body down.”
I love the message of this song. It is incredibly powerful. We will be singing, “Ain’t No Grave” this Easter at Graystone Church as we celebrate the life, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If you do not have a home church, we would absolutely love for you and your family to join us for Easter at Graystone. On April 11-12, we will have 8 Easter services across 3 campuses. For directions and service times, please go to our website: www.graystonechurch.com. I hope you can make it or join us online.
Jonathan Howes has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from Jacksonville State University and a Master in Divinity Degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the lead pastor for Graystone Church. Locations include the Ozora Campus: 1551 Ozora Road Loganville, GA 30052, the Walton Campus: 723 N Broad St Monroe, GA 30655 and the Oconee Campus: 1275 Lenru Road Bogart, GA 30622.
Phone: (770) 466-3159
Email: info@graystonechurch.com
Website: GraystoneChurch.com
Blog: http://toliveischrist.cc
Twitter: @JohnnyHowes
