Hi Brian!

The word for this week is "raised". We'll be looking at these verses: Matthew 16:21; Matthew 17:22-23; Luke 7:22-23:

Matt 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. KJV

Matt 17:22 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men. 23 And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry. KJV

Luke 7:22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. 23 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. KJV

In all three of these passages, "raised" is the Greek word "egeiro". Strong's Concordance says: to waken, i.e. to rouse. Thayer's Greek Lexicon says: to arouse from sleep, to recall the dead to life. Jesus warned His disciples ahead of time, but they had no way of understanding Him at that time! Matthew 17:22 adds that "they were exceeding sorry"! If they had believed Him, they would have been excitedly and expectantly looking forward to that third day! They had even seen Lararus "raised" back to life from death after days in the tomb, yet  they weren't expecting Jesus to come back! They couldn't understand because they still had the old sin nature. Until Jesus rose from the dead, and they could be born again, they had no way of understanding the Word because, as 1 Corinthians 2:14 tells us, the Word must be spiritually discerned:

14 But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. KJV

The Amplified Bible makes it even more clear:

14 But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated. AMP

We CAN understand that Jesus was raised from the dead back to life, with a reborn spirit, making it possible for US to do the same! There should be no fear of death for believers, only a determination to NOT have this life stolen before we are able to fulfill our calling here. Once we are satisfied that we have run our race to the finish, then we can look forward to being immediately in Heaven with Jesus AND to having these mortal bodies raised and changed to our immortal, resurrection bodies one day! What a day THAT will be! I am fully persuaded that we will NOT see physical death before Jesus appears for the church, but I am NOT afraid to go the natural way IF He should wait for quite  some time! I have heard it said that only when you are not afraid to die, can you truly live! Glory to God for HIS life in us! Here is Hillsong Live with "God Is Able":

Love and Shalom from the Swoveys!