From death to life

“When the Lord saw [the widow], His heart went out to her and He said, ‘Don’t cry.’
“Then He went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, ‘Young man, I say to you, get up!’” Luke 7:13-14
It’s interesting to note a few things about each time Jesus raised people from the dead. There are three people whom He raised: this widow’s son, Jairus’ daughter, and Lazarus. (There was also Himself and the saints who came out of the tombs (Matt. 27:52), but He did not speak to them directly.) There are many others He could have raised, but only these are recorded for us.
There is a reason these three people were raised. Jesus didn’t raise them for their own sake – indeed, we know that believers who die are far better off where they are, than to be raised to life on this earth again and die again later. But particularly in the case of this man, Jesus raised him for his mother’s sake. She was a widow, and he was her only son. In that society, it would have meant a life of destitution for her, since there was no social welfare system and women were considered of little value. By raising her son from the dead, Jesus gave life and hope to her situation.
The case is also true for Lazarus. He lived with his two sisters, Martha and Mary and was presumably the breadwinner in the family. The daughter of Jairus, the synagogue leader, was raised to alleviate the family’s suffering.
These were all foretastes of the power of the kingdom of God. Jesus demonstrated that He had the power over death – and not only physical death, but spiritual death also. That power is available to us today. This is why Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24).