"Child, arise!"

Thus Jesus spoke to the daughter of Jairus as she lay dead in her father’s house. And thus the girl did! “He … took her by the hand and called, saying, ‘Child, arise!’ And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately” (Luke 8:54-55).

Jairus, you may recall, beseeched the Lord on behalf of his daughter while the girl (at least as far as Jairus knew) was still alive – on her deathbed, but not yet expired (vv.41-42). But Jesus’ touch and voice did not come to her until after she had died. No matter, though! Death did not mean that she was beyond Jesus' reach! No! Even though she was dead, “He … took her by the hand and called, saying, ‘Child, arise!’ And ... she" did so!

What marvelous power!

And, oh, let me remind you (Ephesians 2:1-6) that the Lord has the power to raise those who are spiritually dead, too; to grant life to those who are “dead in [their] trespasses and sins”. And so, as He raised Jairus’s daughter from physical death, Jesus has the power to raise your child or children (or grandchildren) from spiritual death; from their deadness to God!

Maybe your child is yet very young, but already you see selfishness of various sorts – evidence of his or her deadness to God (the condition in which we are all conceived). Or maybe your boy or girl is older now – possibly even grown – and still dead to God; still unsaved. And perhaps you recognize the fact that, but for the miraculous intervention of God, there is no hope. But Jesus’ raising of Jairus’s daughter reminds us that God does miraculously intervene; that He does intervene with the power to raise the dead! And if Jesus “t[akes your child] by the hand and call[s], saying, ‘Child, arise’” ... your son or daughter will surely do so!

So won’t you, like Jairus (v.42), “implore Him” concerning your child? And won’t you do so without giving up? The Lord is powerful and compassionate to answer prayer and to raise the dead!