Read for This Week’s Study: Jude 9, Luke 9:28–36, 1 Kings
17:8–24, Luke 7:11–17, Mark 5:35–43, John 11:1–44.
Memory Text: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.
The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who
lives and believes in me will never die forever. Do you believe this?’ ”
(John 11:25, 26, LEB).
The Old Testament references to the resurrection that we have
looked at so far were largely based on personal expectations
(Job 19:25–27, Heb. 11:17–19, Ps. 49:15, Ps. 71:20) and on
future promises (Dan. 12:1, 2, 13). However, we also have the inspired
records of cases in which people actually were raised from the dead.
The first resurrection was of Moses (Jude 9, Luke 9:28–36). During
Israel’s monarchy, the son of the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:8–24)
and the Shunammite’s son (2 Kings 4:18–37) also were resurrected.
Christ, when here in the flesh, resurrected the son of the widow of Nain
(Luke 7:11–17), Jairus’s daughter (Luke 8:40–56), and then Lazarus
(John 11). Except for Moses, all these people were raised as mortals
who eventually would die again. These cases also confirm the biblical
teaching of the unconsciousness of the dead (Job 3:11–13; Ps. 115:17;
Ps. 146:4; Eccles. 9:5, 10). In none of these accounts, nor in any other
biblical resurrection narratives, is there any mention of a supposed
afterlife experience.
This week we will reflect more closely on the resurrections that
occurred before Christ’s own death and resurrection.
