God raises the dead

I'm reading the Bible in one year and the New Testament reading for Jul 7 is Acts 25:23-26:23.

"Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?" - Acts 26:8 (NIV)

Why indeed. If God created the world ex nihilo (out of nothing), how much more will He be able to create something out of something!

"By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death." - Hebrews 11:17-19 (NIV)

Instead of considering it incredible that God raises the dead, we should consider it not only incredible, but impossible that God would not raise Jesus from the dead!

God would be an unjust God if He did not raise Jesus from the dead, because Jesus did not deserve to die (for our sins). Therein lies our justification in Christ - not through the cross, but through the resurrection!

"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." - Acts 2:22-24 (NIV)

"And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you." - Romans 8:11 (NIV)

"By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also." - 1 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV)

Link: Rely on God (26 Aug 10)