Topical Bible: Natural Life: Miraculously Restored by Christ

Bible > Topical > Natural Life

◄ Natural Life: Miraculously Restored by Christ ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

In the New Testament, the miraculous restoration of natural life by Jesus Christ serves as a profound testament to His divine authority and compassion. These miracles not only demonstrate Christ's power over life and death but also affirm His identity as the Son of God and the promised Messiah. The restoration of life is a recurring theme in the Gospels, where Jesus performs several notable miracles that bring the dead back to life, showcasing His mastery over the natural order.

1. The Raising of Jairus' Daughter (Mark 5:21-43; Matthew 9:18-26; Luke 8:40-56)

One of the most poignant accounts of Jesus restoring life is the raising of Jairus' daughter. Jairus, a synagogue leader, approaches Jesus with a desperate plea to heal his dying daughter. As Jesus makes His way to Jairus' house, news arrives that the girl has died. Undeterred, Jesus tells Jairus, "Do not be afraid; just believe" (Mark 5:36). Upon arriving at the house, Jesus takes the girl by the hand and commands, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" (Mark 5:41). Immediately, the girl rises and begins to walk, astonishing all who witness the miracle. This event underscores Jesus' authority over death and His ability to restore life with a mere word.

2. The Raising of the Widow's Son at Nain (Luke 7:11-17)

In the village of Nain, Jesus encounters a funeral procession for the only son of a widow. Moved by compassion, Jesus approaches the bier and touches it, halting the procession. He then speaks to the dead man, saying, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" (Luke 7:14). The young man sits up and begins to speak, and Jesus presents him to his mother. This miracle not only restores life but also alleviates the widow's suffering, highlighting Jesus' deep empathy and His power to transform despair into hope.

3. The Raising of Lazarus (John 11:1-44)

Perhaps the most dramatic instance of Jesus restoring life is the raising of Lazarus. Lazarus, a beloved friend of Jesus, falls ill and dies. When Jesus arrives in Bethany, Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days. Despite the apparent finality of death, Jesus declares, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies" (John 11:25). At the tomb, Jesus calls out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" (John 11:43). Lazarus emerges, still wrapped in burial cloths, alive once more. This miracle not only demonstrates Jesus' power over death but also foreshadows His own resurrection, offering a glimpse of the eternal life promised to believers.

4. Theological Significance

The restoration of natural life by Christ carries profound theological implications. These miracles affirm Jesus' divine nature and His authority over life and death, reinforcing the belief in His power to grant eternal life. They also serve as a foretaste of the resurrection to come, offering hope and assurance to believers that death is not the end. Through these acts, Jesus reveals the compassionate heart of God, who desires to bring life and restoration to a fallen world.

In each of these accounts, the restoration of life is not merely a display of power but a revelation of Jesus' mission to bring life in its fullness. As the Gospels attest, these miracles invite faith and trust in Jesus as the source of life, both now and in the age to come.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 9:18,25
While he spoke these things to them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay your hand on her, and she shall live.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Luke 7:15,22
And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 11:43
And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Meditations of the Misery of a Man not Reconciled to God in Christ ...
... soul, which still remains in her natural corruption ... Detestable was his life, damnable
is his death ... a man who, being born blind, and miraculously restored to his ...
/.../bayly/the practice of piety/meditations of the misery of.htm

Of the Mortification of Our Natural Inclination to Liberty or ...
... and a mortification of that natural aversion that ... be lawful and not destructive to
the subject's life. ... never miscarried, but been miraculously delivered from ...
/.../chapter xiv of the mortification.htm

Traditionalism, Its Origin, Character, and Literature - the ...
... [485] In answer to the somewhat natural objection, why ... that element of spiritual
and inner life which Christ ... Chija, found that it was miraculously removed from ...
/.../chapter viii traditionalism its origin.htm

Appearance at Sea of Galilee.
... From these miraculously provided fish they break their long ... have to pass from the
natural feeling that ... broadcast the words of everlasting life, not examining ...
/.../the expositors bible the gospel of st john vol ii/xxiv appearance at sea of.htm

The Church of Jerusalem and the Labors of Peter.
... the Jewish observances as the new life admitted and ... 283] are remarkable for their
natural simplicity and ... the same fate; but he was miraculously liberated, and ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 25 the church of.htm

The Healing of the Man Born Blind.
... though it is not, interference, since the natural causes which ... to persons in the
rank of life, and so ... it was only by God's Hand miraculously stretched forth ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter ix the healing of.htm

The Gospel of Luke
... with them to a desert place, where He miraculously feeds the ... The last part of Luke's
life is involved in obscurity. ... crown; others, that he died a natural death ...
/.../drummond/introduction to the new testament/the gospel of luke.htm

The Miracles
... for that does not exceed the natural power of ... when He reveals to her all her hidden
life. ... Macc.3. The temple, ready for pillage, miraculously succoured."II ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pascal/pensees/section xiii the miracles.htm

The Fourth Continental Journey.
... He mourned over the want of spiritual life among the ... rest, which cast a shade of
natural sorrow over ... months his speech was almost miraculously restored, and he ...
/.../chapter xv the fourth continental.htm

Idealistic Philosophy
... would have said, by documents miraculously confirmed ... now a man, now God, revelation
now natural, now supernatural ... the State, of business and social life, are to ...
/.../chapter ii idealistic philosophy.htm