Is it fair or accurate to say that per Jesus’ promise in John 14:12 "…and greater works than these shall he do" that any believer in Jesus should be able to raise the dead as Jesus did to Lazarus, the son of the widow of Nain, and Jairus' daughter? John 14:10-12 10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. 12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. In addition to Jesus Himself being raised from the dead, the Bible records nine other instances of people rising from the dead.

1. Is it fair or accurate to say that per Jesus’ promise
in John 14:12 "…and greater works than these shall
he do" that any believer in Jesus should be able to
raise the dead as Jesus did to Lazarus, the son of
the widow of Nain, and Jairus' daughter?
!
John 14:10-12
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the
words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that
dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
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2. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me
for the very works' sake.
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do
shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto
my Father.
!
In addition to Jesus Himself being raised from the dead, the Bible
records nine other instances of people rising from the dead.
(1 Kings 17:22; 2 Kings 4:33-36; 13:21; Matthew 27:52; Luke 7:11-17;
8:40-56; John 11:43-44; Acts 9:40-41; 20:9-12).
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3. Bringing someone back from the dead is not beyond God’s power
today. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews
13:8).
In John 14:12, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, anyone, who has faith in me
will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater works than these,
because I am going to the Father.”
Since God is still capable of raising the dead, and since Jesus promised
that God would perform great miracles through Jesus’ followers – yes,
raising the dead is still possible today.
!
A much more involved question is whether raising the dead actually
occurs today. There are some in the Word-Faith movement who claim
to have raised the dead, but credible evidence has never been
produced.
The many blatantly unbiblical teachings within the Word-Faith
movement raise serious doubts regarding the legitimacy of any of
their miracles. Some practitioners of voodoo and witchcraft also claim
to have raised people from the dead.
While satanic miracles are possible, it seems unlikely that Satan
possesses the power to raise the dead.
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4. 2 Thessalonians 2:7-9
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will
let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with
the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and
signs and lying wonders,
If a person who was officially pronounced dead was raised back to
life, it would be an amazing miracle.
Surely if a person was raised from the dead in the name of Christ, it
would convince everyone to receive Jesus as Savior. Right? Wrong.
Jesus addressed this very issue in Luke 16:27-31,
“27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to
my father's house:
28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come
into this place of torment.
29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear
them.
30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the
dead, they will repent.
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither
will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”
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5. !
Why does raising the dead probably not occur today? Amazing
miracles are not what lead people to genuine faith.
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6. If a person is rejecting the Word of God, no miracle will convince the
person to repent and receive Jesus Christ as Savior. All a miracle
would do is cause people to clamor for more miracles.
!
John 6:26
26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me,
not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were
filled.
Matthew 12:39
39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation
seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the
prophet Jonas:
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