Young man, I say to you, arise.
—Luke 7:14
It is unknown how many Jesus raised from the dead. We have a record of only three: a widow’s only son, a synagogue leader’s only daughter, and a pair of sisters’ only brother.
Jesus didn’t raise them to compensate the dead; he raised them to comfort the living: the weeping widow (Lk 7:12–15); the devastated dad (Lk 8:40, 49–56); the sorrowful sisters (Jn 11:17–44).
Curiously, none of the resurrected three said a word about what was on the other side. Was that for our benefit? Was it because God knew that once people envisioned what it was like there, the last place they would want to stay would be here?
“The righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace” (Is 57:1–2).
There’s more to come.
And it’s all good.