"How did his father raise him up from the dead? Does Jesus have power?"

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A North Carolinian asked, “how did his father raise him up from the dead? Does Jesus have power?”

I think I can answer both questions by looking at WHO Jesus is; that is, Jesus is plainly and clearly identified as being God. Consider a few things that are said of God in the Old Testament and what is also said of Jesus in the New Testament:

He is the Creator (Psalm 102:24-27 and Hebrews 1:10-12);
He was seen by Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-4 and John 12:41);
He was preceded by a forerunner (Isaiah 40:3 and Matthew 3:3);
He disciplines His people (Numbers 21:6ff and 1 Corinthians 10:9);
He is Holy (Isaiah 8:13 and 1 Peter 3:15);
He leads the captives (Psalm 68:18 and Ephesians 4:8);
He is the object of faith (Joel 2:32 and Romans 10:9 and 13).

This is my favorite passage:
Look at Revelation 1:8—who is speaking?
Now look at Revelation 22:13—who is speaking, and what does He call Himself?
Finally, turn back to Revelation 1:17—who is speaking?
Now look at the next verse, Revelation 1:18—the same person is speaking, right? How does He identify Himself? When did God ever die?

“But,” you may ask, “if Jesus is God, why does it say in Romans 10:9 that ‘God raised Him from the dead?’” Think of it this way—I am one person; but, I am a husband, a father and a son—three different persons yet one person. There are some things I cannot do as a son, but I can do them only as a father. There are some things I cannot do as a father that I can do only as a husband. There are some things I cannot do as a husband, but I can do them as a son. Following me?

Remember that God is three persons in one. God could only accomplish salvation for man by becoming flesh and blood in the person of Jesus, but Jesus could only be raised from the dead in the power of the Holy Spirit by God—and that’s more power than we can imagine!

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