We're in a series on the foundational doctrines of Christ from Hebrews 6:1-2, the basics the author says we need in place to go on to maturity. This Sunday the topic was the resurrection of the dead, and the message opened Luke 8 to show that the resurrection is something we believe and also something we're invited to experience.
Why the Resurrection Is Non-Negotiable
People have always mocked the resurrection. When Paul preached in Athens in Acts 17, some mocked him and others wanted to hear more. Even inside the church in Corinth, some were saying there was no resurrection of the dead. Paul's answer in 1 Corinthians 15 is blunt: if Christ has not been raised, our preaching and our faith are in vain, and we are still in our sins. To follow Jesus, you have to believe He rose from the dead.
The message also offered some sympathy for the critics, by way of a confession about The Office. There was a season of mocking siblings for watching every episode, calling the show dumb and worthless, until one bored night alone with the TV. One episode, a lot of hard laughing, and a phone call later, the critic had joined the Office club, cheered when Jim and Pam got married, and declared Dwight the best character on TV. The lesson stuck: "It is easy to criticize something until you experience it yourself." Anyone who has been born again has already experienced resurrection power. Romans 6:4 calls it walking in newness of life.
Two Twelves in Luke 8
In Luke 8:40-48, Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, falls at Jesus' feet. He's a man with prestige and authority, and he risks it all because his only daughter, about twelve years old, is dying. On the way, a woman who has bled for twelve years and spent everything she had on physicians touches the fringe of Jesus' garment and is healed immediately.
Two twelves, and in God's Word that's no coincidence. One crisis came suddenly to a girl just beginning her life. The other had worn down a woman for as long as that girl had been alive. Your life can come crashing down in a moment, or you can suffer for years, and either way the answer is the same: "Jesus has resurrection power. Jesus is always the answer."
Think about how this felt for Jairus. His whole world is lying on a bed somewhere, and Jesus stops walking. Any parent would want to grab Jesus by the arm and hurry Him along. Jesus pauses anyway, for a woman the law said couldn't touch Him. "Jesus doesn't care how important you think you are. He cares for everyone."
Don't Stop at Verse 49
Then verse 49 arrives with the news: "Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the teacher anymore." This is where many people walk away from Jesus, after a death, financial ruin, a divorce, or a deep hurt. God didn't do what they asked, so they decide the story is over.
The story keeps going. In verse 50 Jesus says, "Do not fear, only believe, and she will be made well." The mourners laughed at Him, and some people will laugh at you for believing God still has something good for you. Jesus took the girl by the hand and said, "Child, arise," and she got up at once.
That brings us to the line at the heart of the message: "Just because you've lost something in your life does not mean that it can't be resurrected."
The Seed in the Ground
Why did Jesus let the girl die instead of healing her with a word? Sometimes something has to die in our lives before we witness God's power. If you didn't understand seeds, burying one would look like losing it, but what comes up is far greater than the seed. Paul uses that same picture in 1 Corinthians 15. "Our hope is not that these bodies will never die. Our hope is that death cannot keep them." The grave isn't the final address.
So what in your life needs a resurrection? It might be a son or daughter you haven't spoken to in years, a marriage that needs new breath, a business you poured yourself into, or a ministry season that seems to be ending. The answer is the same one Jairus and the woman found. Turn to Jesus.
"True maturity isn't just knowing about the resurrection, it is experiencing the resurrection." Come experience it with us this Sunday at The River Church in Post Falls. You can also watch the full message here.