ELIJAH: FROM DEATH TO LIFE

Jesus raised Lazarus back to life after he’d been dead for four days and his body had begun to decay. When Jesus called out saying, “Lazarus, come forth!” (John 11:43), Lazarus came forth! Once dead, Jesus called him back to life!

On another occasion, Jesus entered a tiny bedroom to find a twelve-year-old girl lying lifeless on the bed. Dead! Jesus took her by the hand and spoke gently. “Little girl, I say to you, get up” (Mark 5:41). She did.

And at another time, when Jesus walked into the little village of Nain, He disrupted a funeral possession. A widow walked beside the open casket of her only son … her only family … her only hope. When Jesus touched the boy’s cold and lifeless body, that boy sat up! “Hi mom, why are you crying?”

Each of these stories is foreshadowed by an event that occurred hundreds of years before.

While the devastation of Elijah’s draught grew worse, and while the bottomless flour bin continued to provide, the Widow’s son grew sick and died. Elijah, God’s faithful prophet, “cried out to the Lord and said, ‘Lord my God, please let this boy’s life come into him again!’ So the Lord listened to Elijah, and the boy’s life came into him again, and he lived”(1 Kings 17:21–22).

A friend of mine died last week. His body, tortured and tormented by the effects of a massive stroke, gave way to death. But… my friend still lives! Jesus promised, “The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25–26).

“Do you believe?” (John 11:26).

“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).