Eutychus was one of seven individual Biblical characters that were dead, and yet were raised back to life. Each of these seven people were dead, brought back to life, and then later died again. Jesus’ resurrection stands alone. Though He was dead, He overcame the grave, and lives eternally.
God used both Elijah and Elisha to demonstrate His ultimate power over death. When the son of the widow at Zarephath died, Elijah “stretched himself out over the boy three times. He cried out to the Lord and said, ‘Lord my God, please let this boy’s life come into him again!’ So the Lord listened to Elijah, and the boy’s life came into him again, and he lived” (1 Kings 17:21–22). Similarly, when the Shunamite’s son died, God illustrated His power by using Elisha to bring life to the lifeless boy (2 Kings 4).
Three times in the Gospels we read accounts of Jesus raising the dead. Jesus miraculously restored life to the twelve-year-old daughter of Jairus, the religious leader. She was dead and the mourners were gathered, “weeping and wailing loudly” (Mark 5:38). Jesus “entered the place where the child was… took the child by the hand and said to her, ‘Little girl, I say to you, get up.’ Immediately the girl got up and began to walk” (Mark 5:40–42).
On another occasion, as Jesus and His disciples were visiting the little village of Nain, Jesus disrupted the funeral of a lonely widow’s son. Jesus spoke compassionately to the widow, “ ‘Don’t weep.’ Then he came up and touched the open coffin, and the pallbearers stopped. And he said, ‘Young man, I tell you, get up!’ The dead man sat up and began to speak” (Luke 7:13–15).
In a third demonstration of God’s power over death, Jesus restored life to Lazarus, a man entombed for four days. Although the natural processes of decay had already begun, Jesus, “the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25), called out, “Lazarus, come forth!” (John 11:43, NKJV). Obedient to the Creator’s call, Lazarus woke up, sat up, stood up, and rose up from the grave!
Peter and Paul were also used by God to restore life to the lifeless. When a disciple named Tabitha (a.k.a. Dorcas) died, Peter was invited to the memorial. At the urging of the Spirit, Peter “knelt down, prayed, and turning toward the body said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up” (Acts 9:40).
In a seventh illustration of God’s power over our ultimate enemy, Eutychus was revived to live again. The young man was the victim of an accidental and fatal fall from a third story window. Though he was stone-cold-dead, “Paul went down, bent over him, embraced him, and said, ‘Don’t be alarmed, because he’s alive’ ” (Acts 20:10). Life was restored.
Ezekiel prophesied, “You will know that I am the Lord, my people, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live… Then you will know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 37:13–14). In each of these seven cases, Ezekiel’s prophecy was clearly fulfilled. And as a foreshadowing of the final resurrection, the prophecy was fulfilled on the first Easter morning. “The tombs were also opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And they came out of the tombs after his resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many” (Matthew 27:52–53).
Jesus declared, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25–26).
By the power and grace of God, Eutychus was revived to live again. “Do you believe this?”
