Last Sunday we had 3 men who are going through the Teen Challenge program come to our church and share how Jesus and the faith based program for those committed to changing their lives after living in drug and alcohol addiction. A common theme in their stories was extreme loss and darkness in their lives before looking for new life. This is why I decided to reflect on the story of Tabitha's resurrection, a story based in community and faith in Jesus.
This morning we’ve had the privilege of
hearing stories of life transformation in these men who have shared their
stories of finding healing that is rooted in the power of Jesus. It’s easy to
focus on the stories and on how the young men made their way through darkness
and are now walking with hope and have really found new life. These men found
healing, not because they were special, not because God has huge plans for them,
but because Jesus entered their lives and the Holy Spirit is working in them. The
power of their stories is how they point to Jesus who brings new life.
Tabitha is not healed because she’s a good
person loved
by lots of people. Plenty of good people die every day who do good and help others.
Our temptation is to look at the person who’s healed and given life instead of
who brings life and healing. The apostles are becoming known for their power,
for having the same power to heal and do miracles that Jesus had. Now there’s a
huge difference between healing someone and bringing them back from the dead,
but the people care so deeply for Tabitha, that when she dies, they figure
they’ve got nothing to lose by calling Peter and praying that just maybe, he
can do something. They urge Peter, “Please come at once!”
and Peter does.
Peter arrives and he’s taken upstairs and
shown the robes and clothing that Tabitha had made. It’s like they’re trying to
convince him that Tabitha’s worthy of a special miracle. Even her name, which
means gazelle and refers to loveliness, seems to suggest that she’s special
enough for such a miracle. Yet, as children of God, we’re all precious to him,
all princesses and princes in his kingdom and worthy of healing and new life.
Peter sends everyone out of the room and
gets down on his knees and prays in humility. He knows that he doesn’t have the
power to heal or raise Tabitha from the dead in his own power, this can only
come from Jesus who defeated death on the cross where he washed away our sin
and claims victory over Satan and death, bringing new life to all those who
believe in him. When Peter goes to his knees and prays for life for Tabitha, we
hear echoes back to the Old Testament and Elisha raising a widow’s son from
death into life in 2 Kings 4 through prayer. Elisha, like Peter, knows that the
power of life comes from God, not from himself. Peter turns to the dead woman
and says, “Tabitha, get up” and she does! It
echoes back to Jesus’ raising the daughter of Jairus from the dead with the
simple words, “My child, get up.” There’s no
need for elaborate rituals or secret words or formulas, life comes from Jesus
who is the Word of life.
Tabitha’s story comes as part of several
new life
stories that come all in a row: Saul’s conversion, Aeneas’ healing, Tabitha’s
rising from the dead, and then Cornelius’ conversion. These all point us to
different aspects of what new life in Jesus looks like and point us to what the
kingdom of heaven’s all about. Tabitha’s new life is a glimpse of the resurrection
life found in Jesus and what’s waiting for us after our death; resurrection
life with Jesus. Tabitha’s resurrection was temporary; she died again as did
Lazarus and others raised from the dead in Scripture, but we’re already
experiencing resurrection life in Jesus that death cannot take away from us
because death is now simply a doorway into eternal life in the kingdom of heaven.
This is why we live with hope and in the new life found in Jesus.
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