Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down, prayed, and turning toward the body said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. Acts 9:40 HCSB
Jesus raised three people from the dead while here on earth. Someone coming back to life is an unusual occurrence. There have been stories of people coming back to life after a brief time of death on the operating table or in a bed in a hospital. Dorcas had been dead for several hours. They had washed her body and laid her in the upper room. Some of the disciples walked three hours to Lydda to get Peter and then walked back to Joppa. There was no mistake that Dorcas was dead. Jesus waited several days before going to Lazarus. Lazarus was already in the tomb when Jesus brought him back to life. It seems that God wants everyone to understand that it is through His power that the person has been raised to life.
Peter had observed all three people Jesus had raised from the dead. In this case, Peter followed the same procedure as Jesus did with Jairus’ daughter (See Mark 5:41). He even used the same phrase, “Get up” after speaking her name. No believer can raise a person from the dead by his own power. Life comes from God and God alone. God chose to raise Dorcas from the dead so people might believe in His power and the power of His Son, Jesus Christ, who not only brought people back to life, but Himself came back to life and lives today. All of the people Jesus and Peter raised from the dead eventually died again. Jesus did not die again. He lives eternally in heaven.
Challenge: As a believer, you have power over death. The Bible states that for a person to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (See 2 Corinthians 5:8). All believers are assured that they will live forever in heaven where there is no more pain, suffering, sickness, or death. Praise God for giving you power over death and giving you eternal life in heaven.