05/18/2019
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Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath's Son
The prophet
Elijah had been lodging at the house of a widow in Zarephath, a pagan city.
Unexpectedly, the woman's son grew sick and finally stopped breathing. She
accused Elijah of bringing God's wrath on her for her sin.
Carrying the boy
to the upper room where he was staying, Elijah laid him on the bed and
stretched himself out on the body three times. He cried out to God for the
boy's life to return. God heard Elijah's prayers. The
child's life did come back, and Elijah carried him downstairs. The woman
declared the prophet a man of God and his words to be the truth.
After this the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. His
sickness was so bad that there was no breath left in him. So the woman said to
Elijah, “What do I have to do with you, O man of God? You have come to me to
have my sin be remembered, and to kill my son!” He said to her, “Give me your
son.” Then he took him from her arms and carried him up to the room on the
second floor where he stayed. And he laid him on his own bed. He called to the
Lord and said, “O Lord my God, have You brought trouble to the woman I am
staying with, by making her son die?” Then he lay upon the child three times
and called to the Lord, saying, “O Lord my God, I pray to You. Let this child’s
life return to him.” The Lord heard the voice of Elijah. And the life of the
child returned to him and he became strong again.Elijah took
the child and brought him down from the second floor into the house and gave
him to his mother. He said, “See, your son is alive.” Then the woman said to
Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God. Now I know that the word of the
Lord in your mouth is truth.” 1 King 17:17-24
Shunammite
Woman's Son
Elisha, the
prophet after Elijah, stayed in the upper room of a couple in Shunem. He prayed
for the woman to bear a son, and God answered. Several years later, the boy
complained of a pain in his head then died.
The woman
raced to Mount Carmel to Elisha, who sent his servant ahead, but the boy did
not respond. Finally, Elisha went to see the dead boy. He cried out to the Lord
and laid himself on the dead body, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to
hands. The boy's body grew warm, and then he sneezed seven times and opened his
eyes. When Elisha presented the boy back to his mother, she fell and bowed to
the ground.
2 Kings 4:18-37 - When the child was grown, he went out
one day to his father who was with those gathering grain. He said to his
father, “O, my head, my head!” The father said to his servant, “Carry him to
his mother.” When he was brought to his mother, he sat on her knees until noon.
Then he died.She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of
God. She shut the door behind him, and went out. Then she called to her husband
and said, “Send me one of the servants and one of the donkeys that I may run to
the man of God and return.” Her husband said, “Why will you go to him today? It
is not the time of the new moon or the Day of Rest.” She said, “It will be all
right.” Then she put a seat on a donkey and said to her servant, “Drive on. Do
not slow down for me unless I tell you.” So she went and came to the man of God
at Mount Carmel. When the man of God saw her far away, he said to Gehazi his
servant, “See, there is the Shunammite. Run now to meet her. Say to her, ‘Is it
well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?’” And
she answered, “It is well.” When she came to the mountain to the man of God,
she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came near to push her away, but the man of
God said, “Let her alone. For her soul is troubled within her. The Lord has
hidden it from me. He has not told me.” Then she said, “Did I ask you for a
son? Did I not say, ‘Do not lie to me’?” Elisha said to Gehazi, “Get ready to travel. Take my
walking stick and go. If you meet any man, do not greet him. If anyone greets
you, do not answer him. Then lay my stick on the boy’s face.” The mother of the
boy said, “As the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.”
So Elisha got up and followed her. Gehazi went on before them and laid the
stick on the boy’s face. But there was no sound or anything to show that the
boy was alive. So Gehazi returned to meet Elisha, and told him, “The boy is not
awake.” When Elisha came into the house, he saw the boy lying dead on his bed.
So he went in and shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the Lord.
He went up and lay on the child. He put his mouth on his mouth and his eyes on
his eyes and his hands on his hands. He spread himself out on him, and the
child’s flesh became warm.Then Elisha got up again. He walked
from one end of the house to the other. Then he went up and spread himself on
the child again. The boy sneezed seven times, and opened his eyes. Elisha
called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite.” So he called her. When she came
to him, he said, “Take up your son.” She came and fell at his feet and put her
face to the ground. Then she took up her son and went out.
Israelite Man
Elisha died, and they buried him. Now groups of Moabite soldiers would come and fight in the land in the spring of the year. As a man was being buried, some Moabite soldiers were seen, so the man was thrown into Elisha’s grave. When the man touched the bones of Elisha, he came alive and stood up on his feet.
2 Kings 13:20–21 - Elisha died, and they buried him. Now marauding bands of Moabites would invade the land in the spring of the year. And it happened that as a man was being buried [on an open bier], they saw a marauding band [coming]; and they threw the man into Elisha’s grave. But when the [body of the] man [was being let down and] touched the bones of Elisha he revived and stood up on his feet.
This
miracle was a foreshadowing of how Christ's death and resurrection turned the
grave into the passageway to new life.
Widow of Nain's Son
At the town
gate of the village of Nain, Jesus and his disciples encountered a funeral
procession. The only son of a widow was to be buried. When Jesus saw her, his
heart went out to her. He touched the bier that held the body. The bearers
stopped. When Jesus told the young man to get up, the son sat up and began
talking.
Jesus gave
him back to his mother. All the people were astounded. Praising God, they said,
"A great prophet has appeared among us. God has come to help his
people."
The next day Jesus went to a city called Nain. His followers and many other people went with Him. When they came near the city gate, a dead man was being carried out. He was the only son of a woman whose husband had died. Many people of the city were with her. When the Lord saw her, He had loving-pity for her and said, “Do not cry.”He went and put His hand on the box in which the dead man was carried. The men who were carrying it, stopped. Jesus said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The man who was dead sat up and began to talk. Then Jesus gave him to his mother. Everyone was afraid and they gave thanks to God. They said, “A great Man Who speaks for God has come among us! God has cared for His people!” The news about Jesus went through all the country of Judea and over all the land. Luke 7:11–17
Jairus' Daughter
When Jesus
was in Capernaum, Jairus, a leader in the synagogue, begged him to heal his
12-year-old daughter because she was dying. On the way, a messenger said not to
bother because the girl had died.
But Jesus
said to Jairus, "Don’t be afraid; only believe, and your daughter will be
healed."
Jesus
arrived at the house to find mourners wailing outside. When he said she was not
dead but sleeping, they laughed at him. Jesus went in, took her by the hand and
said, "My child, get up." Her spirit returned and she rose up to life
again. Jesus ordered her parents to give her something to eat but not to tell
anyone what had happened.
While Jesus was yet talking, a man came from the house of the leader of
the place of worship. This man said to Jairus, “Your daughter is dead. Do not
make the Teacher use anymore of His time.” Jesus heard it and said to Jairus, “Do not be afraid, only
believe. She will be made well.”Jesus went into the house.
He let only Peter and James and John and the father and mother of the girl go
in with Him.Everyone was crying and full of sorrow because of
her. Jesus said,
“Do not cry. She is not dead, but is sleeping.” Then they laughed at Jesus because they
knew she was dead. Jesus sent them all out. He took the girl by the hand and said,
“Child, get
up!” Her
spirit came back and she got up at once. Jesus told them to bring her food. Her
parents were surprised and wondered about it. Then Jesus told them they should
tell no one what had happened. Luke 8:49–56
Lazarus
Jesus Hears about Lazarus
Three of Jesus' closest friends were Martha, Mary, and their brother Lazarus of Bethany. Oddly, when Jesus was told Lazarus was sick, Jesus stayed two more days where he was. When he left, Jesus said plainly Lazarus had died.
By the time
they arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been in the tomb four days. Martha met
them outside the village, where Jesus told her, "Your brother will rise
again. I am the resurrection and the life." They approached the tomb,
where Jesus wept. Although Lazarus had been dead many days, Jesus ordered the
stone rolled away, saying, "Did I not tell you that if you
believe, you will see the glory of God?"
Raising his
eyes to heaven, he prayed aloud to his Father. Then he commanded Lazarus to
come out. The man, who had been dead walked out, wrapped in burial cloths.
A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in
the town of Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This was the Mary who
put perfume on the Lord and dried His feet with her hair. It was her brother
Lazarus who was sick. The sisters sent word to Jesus, saying, “Lord, your
friend is sick!” When Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death. It
has happened so that it will bring honor to God. And the Son of God will be
honored by it also.”
Jesus Tells of the Death of Lazarus
Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. But when He heard that
Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days. Then He said to His
followers, “Let
us go into the country of Judea again.” The followers said to Him, “Teacher, the
Jews tried to throw stones at You to kill You not long ago. Are You going there
again?” Jesus said, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If a man walks during the day,
he will not fall. He sees the light of this world. If a man walks during the
night, he will fall. The light is not in him.”After Jesus had said this,
He spoke again and said, “Our friend Lazarus is sleeping. I will go and wake him up.” The followers said to Him,
“If he is sleeping, he will get well.” But Jesus meant Lazarus was dead. They
thought He meant Lazarus was resting in sleep.Then Jesus said
to them, “Lazarus
is dead. Because of you I am glad I was not there so that you may believe.
Come, let us go to him.” Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to the other
followers, “Let us go also so we may die with Jesus.”
Jesus
Tells That the Grave Will Not Hold the Dead
When Jesus got there, He heard that Lazarus had been in the grave four
days. Bethany was about one-half hour walk from Jerusalem. Many Jews had come
to Martha and Mary to give words of comfort about their brother.Martha
heard that Jesus was coming and went to meet Him. Mary stayed in the house.Martha
said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. I
know even now God will give You whatever You ask.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise
again.”
Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again when the dead are raised
from the grave on the last day.”
Jesus said to her, “I am the One Who
raises the dead and gives them life. Anyone who puts his trust in Me will live
again, even if he dies. Anyone who lives and has put his trust in Me will never
die. Do you believe this?” She answered, “Yes, Lord, I
believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God. You are the One Who was to
come into the world.”
Lazarus Is Raised from the Dead
After Martha said this, she went and called her sister Mary. She said
without anyone else hearing, “The Teacher is here and has sent for you.” When
Mary heard this, she got up and went to Him. Jesus had not yet come into their
town. He was still where Martha had met Him. The Jews had been in the house comforting Mary. They
saw her get up and hurry out. They followed her and said, “She is going to the
grave to cry there.” Mary went to the place where Jesus was. When she saw Him,
she got down at His feet. She said to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my
brother would not have died.” Jesus saw her crying. The Jews who came with her
were crying also. His heart was very sad and He was troubled. He
said, “Where did you lay Lazarus?” They said, “Lord, come and see.” Then Jesus cried. The Jews said,
“See how much He loved Lazarus.” Some of them said, “This Man opened the eyes
of the blind man. Could He not have kept this man from dying?”Jesus
went to the grave with a sad heart. The grave was a hole in the side of a hill.
A stone covered the door. Jesus said, “Take the stone
away.” The dead man’s sister, Martha, said to Him,
“Lord, by now his body has a bad smell. He has been dead four days.” Jesus said
to her, “Did I not say that if you would believe, you
would see the shining-greatness of God?” They
took the stone away. Jesus looked up and said, “Father,
I thank You for hearing Me. I know You always hear Me. But I have said this for
the people standing here, so they may believe You have sent Me.” When He had said this, He called with a loud voice,
“Lazarus, come out!” The man who
had been dead came out. His hands and feet were tied in grave clothes. A white
cloth was tied around his face. Jesus said to the people, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go!”
Jesus
Christ is Raised from the Grave
Several men conspired to murder Jesus Christ {Pharisee’s, Sadducees, and the Sanhedrin}. After a mock trial, he was scourged and taken to Golgotha hill outside Jerusalem, where Roman soldiers nailed him to a cross. But it was all part of God's plan of salvation for humanity. Note: It was the "holy men" who put Jesus on trial and it was those same "holy men" who rallied the crowds to ask for a crook and murderer to be released instead of the One who could save their souls.
After Jesus
died Friday, his lifeless body was put in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea,
where a seal was attached. Soldiers guarded the place. Sunday morning, the
stone was found rolled away. The tomb was empty. Angels said Jesus rose from
the dead. He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, then to his apostles, then to
many others around the city.
Matthew 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-20; Luke 24:1-49; John 20:1-21:25
Saints in Jerusalem
Jesus Christ died on the cross. An earthquake struck, breaking open many graves and tombs in Jerusalem. After Jesus' resurrection from the dead, godly people who had died earlier were raised to life and appeared to many in the city.
Matthew is
vague in his gospel about how many rose and what happened to them afterward.
Bible scholars think this was another sign of the great resurrection to come.
Then Jesus gave another loud cry and gave up His spirit and died.
The Powerful Works at the Time of His Death
At once the curtain in the house of God was torn in two from top to
bottom. The earth shook and the rocks fell apart. Graves were opened. Bodies of
many of God’s people who were dead were raised. After Jesus was raised from the
grave, these arose from their graves and went into Jerusalem, the Holy City.
These were seen by many people.The captain of the soldiers and
those with him who were watching Jesus, saw all the things that were happening.
They saw the earth shake and they were very much afraid. They said, “For sure,
this Man was the Son of God.” Matthew 27:50-54
Dorcas
{Tabitha} Is Raised from the Dead
Everyone in
the city of Joppa loved Tabitha. She was always doing good, helping the poor,
and making garments for others. One day Tabitha (named Dorcas in Greek) grew
sick and died.
Women
washed her body then placed it in an upstairs room. They sent for the apostle
Peter, who was in nearby Lydda. Clearing everyone from the room, Peter fell to
his knees and prayed. He said to her, "Tabitha, get up." She sat up
and Peter gave her to her friends alive. News spread like wildfire. Many people
believed in Jesus because of it.
A woman who was a follower
lived in the city of Joppa. Her name was Tabitha, or Dorcas. She did many good
things and many acts of kindness. One day she became sick and died. After they
had washed her body, they laid her in a room on the second floor. The city of
Lydda was near Joppa. The followers heard that Peter was at Lydda and sent two
men to ask him to come at once. Peter went back with them. When he came, they
took him to the room. All the women whose husbands had died were standing
around crying. They were showing the clothes Dorcas had made while she was with
them.Peter made them all leave the room. Then he got down on
his knees and prayed. He turned to her body and said, “Tabitha, get up!” She
opened her eyes and looked at Peter and sat up. He took her by
the hand and lifted her up. Then he called in the faithful followers and the
women whose husbands had died. He gave her to them, a living person. News
of this went through all Joppa. Many people put their trust in the Lord. Acts
9:36-42
Eutychus Falls
from a Building While Paul Preaches
It was a
packed third story room in Troas. The hour was late, many oil lamps made the
quarters warm, and the apostle Paul spoke on and on.
Sitting on
a windowsill, the young man Eutychus dozed off, falling out of the window to
his death. Paul rushed outside and threw himself on the lifeless body.
Immediately Eutychus came back to life. Paul went back upstairs, broke bread,
and ate. The people, relieved, took Eutychus home alive.
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