Can we call those who are dead in Christ back to life this side of heaven? Recently Bernice and I went to hospital to be with a church member whose husband had died suddenly. We were in a room with the body of our friend. His widow was there together with two other relatives who were trying to call the newly deceased back from the dead. They were calling on Jesus to raise our friend on the basis of a conviction that Jesus had died to give us life and that we could now call those who were dead in Christ to rise. We weren’t quite sure what to do. Our friend had left behind a wife and two young children. It would make sense if he could be called back. Indeed we wondered why the Lord had allowed him to die in the first place. But our friend didn’t come back. He was buried a few days later. Were the folks wrong to try to call him back? Were we lacking in faith in not joining them?
We do not question the fact that God can raise people from the dead this side of heaven. Jesus raised Lazarus, who had been dead for four days (John 11:1-44). And Jesus did commission the original 12 disciples to: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.”(Matthew 10:8a NET) Has the modern church become so seduced by scientific rationalism that we avoid obeying what seems to be one of the things that God has called His church to do? Indeed we sometimes hear of incredible healings, and even folks raised from the dead, from the frontline of missionary work. What is there to stop God from doing the same in our cities?
When we read the whole of Scripture however, we do not have clear support for a doctrine of “raising the dead on demand.” When members of the church in Thessalonica passed away, and Christ had not yet returned, Paul writes this to comfort them:
Now we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also we believe that God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep as Christians. For we tell you this by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be suddenly caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NET)
Here, Paul is not telling the Thessalonian Christians to raise their dead. Indeed he is not even telling them not to grieve. He acknowledges their right and need to grieve. But he wants them to grieve with hope. And their hope is that they will meet their beloved dead again when Christ returns. This seems to be consistent with the bible’s teaching that it is in the new heaven and the new earth that death will be finally removed. It is there that God “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more – or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist.” (Revelation 21:4 NET)
Even if we could call our loved ones back from the dead how many times should we do this? Are we to treat the 70 or 80 years of Psalm 90:10 as a contract binding on God? And I suppose when we get our dead back they should be in perfect health. Imagine coming back from the dead to find that you are still afflicted by some serious illness. Indeed, I will even argue that if Christians can call their dead back at will, how can we empathise with a fallen humanity? How can we “weep with those who weep” which is such a large part of any authentic ministry?
I suggest then that the norm is that believers too are part of a fallen creation that groans for the decisive renewal that comes when Jesus returns to renew all things (Romans 8:18-25). When we die our spirit returns to Jesus but our resurrection has to await the last day. I also believe that the Lord is not bound by His norm and that when it serves His purposes to do so, He can raise people from the dead now. When He chooses to do that I believe He will make it utterly clear to all involved and He will do it. There will be no need for long plaintive pleadings. God is neither deaf nor uncaring.
I miss my friend who passed away. He always encouraged me to wear bow ties. I will wear a bow tie in his honour next time I preach in my home church. I miss my friend. Many miss him much more. His wife and two girls have just begun the long journey of rebuilding their lives without him. We grieve but we grieve with hope. Jesus died and rose again. We will all be reunited when Jesus returns. Meanwhile we bid our friend goodbye and ask the Lord for strength to carry on.