At the end of Acts 9, we have two stories of people being raised to life. One was literally dead and raised back to life; the other was bedridden and had his practical, daily life stripped away from him.

Peter says to the man bedridden for eight years, “Jesus Christ heals you.” Peter knows what God is doing and announces it. He doesn’t speak the healing himself. He doesn’t wield power and authority. It is Jesus doing the healing. Period.

Peter tells the man to get up and make his bed, which certainly reminds me of Jesus saying to people to pick up their bed. They are given a faith action. They can’t do it unless they are healed first. God has to act first, but they have to believe they can. He couldn’t just lie there saying, “But I can’t.” He had to try and act, and he could. God made him able to obey.

We don’t know why he was bedridden. It didn’t matter. Healing isn’t dependent on the cause of the problem.

The woman who dies, we are told, had been full of good works. She loved and cared for others. Her getting sick and dying wasn’t a punishment for sin.

The disciples send for Peter. I do note here that none of them raised her from the dead, and none were able to bring healing to her when she was sick leading up to her death.

Peter, however, is looking like Jesus and puts out of the room those weeping, though unlike Jesus, Peter is alone in the room. Peter doesn’t command life. He doesn’t act like he has any power or authority. He kneels down and prays. When he knows the Lord has accomplished the work, he doesn’t command the healing. He tells Tabitha to get up. She gets up.

He gives her his hand, just as Jesus did with the young girl Peter watched Jesus raise from the dead. Peter is acting like Jesus, but he’s not acting. He’s become and is becoming like Jesus.