Monday, December 1 The dead are raised up.​—Luke 20:37.

[Áine]

Monday, December 1

The dead are raised up.—Luke 20:37.

 

Does Jehovah have the power to resurrect the dead? Absolutely! He is “the Almighty.” (Rev. 1:8) So he is powerful enough to defeat any enemy, even death. (1 Cor. 15:26) Another reason why we know that God is capable of resurrecting the dead is that he has a limitless memory. He calls each star by its name. (Isa. 40:26) Also, he remembers those who have died. (Job 14:13;Luke 20:38) He can easily remember the smallest details about those he will resurrect, including their genetic code, their experiences in life, and their memories. Clearly, we can believe in Jehovah’s promise of a future resurrection because we know that he has both the desire and the power to fulfill it. Consider another reason for believing in God’s promise of a resurrection: Jehovah has already done it. In Bible times, he empowered a handful of faithful men, including Jesus, to raise the dead. w23.04 9-10 ¶7-9

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Notice how the text does more than assure us that Jehovah can remember. It shows that he chooses to remember. That is no small distinction. A limitless mind could store endless details, but a loving Father selects the ones that matter because we matter.

 

When Job spoke of being “hidden in the Grave” until Jehovah’s anger passed, he tied his hope to Jehovah’s longing. That longing depends on memory that is not mechanical but purposeful. Jehovah knows the pattern of our thoughts, the tilt of our smile, the story behind our scars. He holds those things because he intends to restore the person, not just the shape.

 

So when we read that “the dead are raised up,” we are looking at more than power. We are looking at affection. Jehovah remembers because he wants to see us again. Not roughly assembled, but carefully restored — with every detail his love refuses to let go.

 

That is the kind of God we trust.~~~