What is the symbolism behind whom Jesus raised from the dead?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

In the Coptic Orthodox tradition, the three specific instances where our Lord Jesus Christ raised the dead during His earthly ministry—the daughter of Jairus, the son of the widow of Nain, and Lazarus—are viewed as a progressive revelation of His divinity and a symbolic representation of the different stages of the soul’s death through sin.

The Fathers of the Alexandrian School, such as St. Cyril of Alexandria and St. Athanasius the Apostolic, emphasize that these miracles were precursors to His own Glorious Resurrection, demonstrating that He is the Creator and the Giver of Life.

1. The Daughter of Jairus: Sin in the Thought

The raising of the daughter of Jairus (Matthew 9, Mark 5, Luke 8) represents the soul that has just died to sin within the "house" of the mind.

• Symbolism: She had just died and was still within her father's house. This symbolizes a person who has fallen into sin through thought or intent but has not yet acted upon it or allowed it to become a public habit.
• The Message: Christ enters the privacy of the house, showing that He is the physician of our inner thoughts and can revive the soul even at the very first moment of spiritual death.

2. The Son of the Widow of Nain: Sin in the Act

The raising of the young man at the gates of Nain (Luke 7) represents the soul being carried out to the "grave" of habitual action.

• Symbolism: He was being carried out of the city on a stretcher. He was no longer in the house; the sin (death) had become visible and was on its way to becoming a permanent state.
• The Message: Christ stops the funeral procession, showing His compassion for the "widowed" soul (the soul separated from God) and His power to intercept sin even after it has manifested itself in outward actions.

3. Lazarus of Bethany: Sin as a Habit (Corruption)

The raising of Lazarus (John 11) is the most profound of the three, representing the soul that is deeply buried in the grave of corruption and habit.

• Symbolism: Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days, and "he stinketh." This symbolizes the state of a sinner who is bound by the "graveclothes" of long-term habits and whose soul has begun to decay in the darkness of despair.
• The Message: Christ weeps, showing that His original intent for man was life, not death. He commands, "Lazarus, come forth!" to show that no matter how deep the corruption or how long the person has been "dead" in sin, His voice can shatter the gates of Hades and grant a new beginning. This power is affirmed by the fact that He is the Resurrection and the Life.

General Theological Symbolism

• A Sign of the General Resurrection: These three miracles were performed to strengthen the faith of the disciples, proving that death was not an end but a "sleep." This is why Christ said of the daughter of Jairus, "The maid is not dead, but sleepeth."
• Miaphysite Theology: In these acts, we see the One Incarnate Nature of God the Word. It is the same Christ who weeps as a Man (showing His true humanity) and commands the dead to rise as God (showing His true divinity).
• Trampling Death: Christ is the one who "was crucified on the cross and trampled satan... and after three days He rose from the dead." By raising these three individuals, He signaled that His ultimate victory would be the total destruction of death's power over all humanity.