When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand, and the little girl arose. Matthew 9:25 NABRE
A synagogue official comes to Jesus and kneels before Him and says his daughter has died, but if Jesus will come lay His hand on her she will live. This is either great faith or great desperation. It is likely told as a story of great faith, a man who believes in Jesus’ connection to God so powerfully he knows Jesus can bring his daughter back to life. Giving this possibility I think any father would make the journey to a miracle worker to save their child from death. Jesus however doesn’t think of death in the same manner as everyone else, for Jesus death is like sleep. Jesus goes with the man to his home where there are mourners, those playing flutes and making a commotion which is common at a Jewish funeral, in fact often the mourners are paid professionals hired by the Jewish family expecting someone to die or has died. Jesus arrives and seeing the commotion sends them away saying the girl is not dead but sleeping. Jesus doesn’t see death as having the last word. Death is like sleep in the sense that there will eventually be an awakening from it. When the crowd is gone Jesus takes the girl by hand and she is arisen. Jesus has authority over death, His divine power going out from Him to raise the child from the dead.
We should learn from Jesus’ approach to death, thinking of it as sleep. We always look at death from the perspective of us who live and rarely think about the person who has arisen from their sleep. We miss people when they die, we want them with us to be able to touch and hold them and love them. But their life does continue and we believe in a better place. Death is hard for us who remain, but trusting Jesus we should think of it as sleep.
What does death mean to you? Who do you miss that has died?
We should learn from Jesus' approach to death, thinking of it as sleep. Life continues and we believe in a better place. Death is hard for us who remain, but trusting Jesus we should think of it as sleep. Share on X#bible #godisgreat #jesus #christianity #dailybibleverse @youversion #BeAnEncourager #death #sleep #Matthew #everybodyalways #god #jesuschrist #jesussaves #godisgood #dailydevotion #biblestudy #scripture #bibleverse #verseoftheday #cross #last #gospels #loveeachother #godisgreat #thisVineyard #youversion #everythingalways