BIBLE LESSON

“In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor.”

— Acts 9:36 The Bible records miraculous healings and raisings of the dead, but they seem to be rare events, which is one reason we call them miracles. Elijah raised a widow’s son from the dead, and she concluded: “You are a man of God and the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth” (1 Kings 17:24). After her son died, a Shunammite mother showed great faith in God as she travelled to ask Elisha for help, because she said over and over when asked, “All is well,” before Elisha raised her son from the dead (2 Kings 4:18-37). Jesus raised the only son of a widow from the dead (see Luke 7:11-17). After Lazarus died, Jesus called him forth alive from the tomb (John 11:45). Though Jesus healed many with various diseases and demonstrated the power to raise the dead, we never see people bringing their deceased loved ones to Jesus to raise from the dead. After Jesus’ resurrection, many people believed in Jesus when He healed the sick and raised the dead through His apostles. Jesus raised Tabitha from the dead through Peter. Through Paul, Jesus raised a man who died after he fell. Note two truths from these miracles. They demonstrate true religion: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world;” which Elijah, Elisha, Jesus, Peter, Paul, and even Tabitha demonstrated (see James 1:27). They help many people believe God’s Word and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord (see Acts 9:42).