How many people did Jesus raise from the dead?

The Gospels describe three specific people Jesus raised from the dead: the daughter of Jairus, the son of the widow of Nain, and Lazarus. Jesus also spoke of the dead being raised as part of his ministry (Matthew 11:5), and his own resurrection stands apart from them all.

The Gospels record three specific people whom Jesus brought back to life during his ministry. One was the twelve-year-old daughter of Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue. Jesus took her hand and said, "Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise," and "straightway the damsel arose, and walked" (Mark 5:41-42; also told in Matthew 9 and Luke 8). Another was the only son of a widow in the town of Nain. Moved with compassion, Jesus touched the funeral bier and said, "Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak" (Luke 7:14-15). The third, and most dramatic, was Lazarus of Bethany, who had been in the tomb four days when Jesus "cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes" (John 11:43-44). There are hints of more. When John the Baptist's disciples asked whether Jesus was the Messiah, he pointed to his works, including that "the dead are raised up" (Matthew 11:5), and at his death "many bodies of the saints which slept arose" and appeared in Jerusalem after his resurrection (Matthew 27:52-53). The Bible records other raisings too: through Elijah (1 Kings 17:22), through Elisha (2 Kings 4:35), when a dead man touched Elisha's bones (2 Kings 13:21), through Peter (Tabitha, Acts 9:40), and through Paul (Eutychus, Acts 20:9-12). All of these people later died again. Jesus' own resurrection was different, for "Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him" (Romans 6:9).

Key Passages

Jairus's daughter: Talitha cumi

Mark 5:41-42

⁴¹ And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. ⁴² And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.

The widow of Nain’s son

Luke 7:12-15

¹² Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. ¹³ And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. ¹⁴ And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. ¹⁵ And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.

Lazarus, come forth

John 11:43-44

⁴³ And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. ⁴⁴ And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.