ἀνίστημι: God calls us RISE UP

anistémi: To raise, to rise, to stand up

This week’s Greek word, ἀνίστημι("anistemi"), shows up all over Luke’s gospel and Acts. It’s often used as a call for people who have been healed or who are encountering Jesus. It is a call to “rise up”—not just physically, but in faith and with purpose.
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I came across this word study this past weekend, in preparing for my book launch week, gripped by anxiety and stress. The word stuck out to me because I was reading Luke 22:46 where Jesus has been sweating blood and told the disciples to "stand up"(ἀνίστημι) and pray.

So often I think of "rising up" for Jesus as a lot more dramatic than just prayer. But Jesus has a much higher view of prayer than me. Praying is action, probably the most important action... that rocked my world.

While doing this word study, I noticed that Luke uses this word more than anyone else- by a lot. In the 112 times this word is used in our Bibles, about 70 times it is used by Luke in his gospel or Acts(also traditionally attributed to Luke; the "part 2" to his gospel).

This is telling because of Luke's focus. His gospel is often called the gospel to the "little people" because he did a wonderful job of highlighting how God came for the lowly and overlooked. It's like Luke writes his gospel in a way that invites us(the lowly and undeserving) into Christ's love.

No matter who we are, how lowly and overlooked we may be, Christ came for US. Beckons us to Himself. Pursues, died, atoned, all for us.

Then, in Acts, we see he is Paul's travel companion. He shares story after story of these lowly guys rising up, in their new lives in Christ. Then, story after story of the Gospel rising up in the most unlikely of places through the most unlikely of circumstances, even through persecution!

​Just as those healed were called to stand up and walk in their new changed lives, so are we too. Most the time, the best way to rise up, starts with prayer.

​Scriptures where we find "anistémi":

Luke 5:24 — “Rise, take up your bed, and go home.”

Luke 7:14 — “Young man, I say to you, rise!”​

Acts 3:6 — “In the name of Jesus Christ… rise up and walk!”

Acts 8:26 — “Rise and go toward the south…”

Acts 11:7 — “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.”

Acts 22:10 — “Rise, go into Damascus…”

Acts 26:16 — “But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to appoint you…”