These thoughts were given to me by my dad's cousin, and I never really forgot them, and now I want to pass them on.

The first one is found in Luke 8:49-56. This of course, is the account of the raising from the dead of Jairus` daughter.

This girl is not long dead. She is still warm.
If you lift her arms, they will move and bend.
And she is lying there STILL.

The second instance is found in Luke 7: 11-15 concerning the widow of Nain's son. This man has been dead a little longer than Jairus' daughter. They are heading towards the burial place. And although they had to bury people quickly in Israel, you can be sure that this man was not only STILL, but he was now STIFF. You can't move his leg or bend his arm.

The third account is found in John 11: 1-44, and is the raising from the dead of Lazarus.

Lazarus had been dead four days, and was in the tomb. In regards to our little study, he was "worse" than the other two cases. Not only was Lazarus STILL, not only was he STIFF, but he was now STINKING - as verse 39 (John 11) bears out for us:

"Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. "

So here we have these three cases, STILL , STIFF & STINKING, and what can we learn from it all ?

There are two ways of looking at it - one is for the Christian, and the other is for the unsaved.

1. The Christian - Here we have three different "degrees" of impossibility. Maybe your situation makes you feel like you are in Lazarus' position - all hope is dead and buried ! Maybe you look at these other resurrections which the Saviour performed, and you think -

"well, Jairus' daughter had just died, and the widows son wasn`t buried, but my situation is much worse than these - I feel like Lazarus` case - dead and buried ! "

I want to tell you today - and you know it too ! - that NOTHING is impossible to the One Who cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus come forth", and then "Loose him and let him go" ! (see v 43, 44)

No situation is impossible to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords !
Oh, may we all believe it today with all our hearts !

2. The Unsaved - For the unsaved there is a message here. One had been dead a short time, another a bit longer, and another had been buried.

Maybe someone is reading these lines, and you are young.
You are "dead in sins" - for that`s what the Bible says ! (Ephesians 2:1), and although you are young, and only been "dead in sins" for a short period, (like Jairus' daughter had been dead for a short period ) - still the fact remains - you are "dead in sins" !

Maybe, like the widow's son from Nain, you have been dead a little longer, as it were. Maybe you are middle-aged, and have lived without the Saviour for a longer period of time than the person who is young.

Or maybe, like Lazarus - you have been living in your sins so long, its like you are buried in them ! You see no hope of ever being free from your sin, and living a righteous life for God. Well, we have a message of hope for you - the same One Who called Lazarus from the grave, and told them to loose him and let him go - can do the same for you !

He can bring you up from the depths of sin - from the very burial ground of sin - so close to the gates of hell - and He can bring you forth, and loose you and let you go ! He can break the bonds of sin and death and hell and set you free !

Just come to the Saviour now. Repent of your sin - call on the Lord Jesus Christ to save you, and accept Him, receive Him, as your Lord and Saviour.

And if you are young, and only starting off in life - remember, you are still dead in sins - you need to come to Christ early in life, and :

"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: " (Isaiah 55:6)___________________________________________________________________

Finally, can I recommend to you two sermons which our minister, Rev Elliott, preached on Easter Sunday.

and

THE ANGUISH OF GETHSEMANE