Do we Believe in the Resurrection? Miracles from the Past, Part 6

A barren Shunammite woman received the promise of a son. Once the promised child arrived, she rejoiced, for she loved him dearly. Then one day, however, disaster hit. Her son was in the fields with his dad when he suddenly cried out: "My head, my head!" (See 2 Kings 4:19). A servant brought the child to his mother, and sadly, he died (See verse 20).

The Shunammite woman did not panic. Instead she went for Elisha, the prophet. He returned with her to her home, and then a miracle occurred:

"Elisha entered the house and found the boy stretched out on the bed dead. He went into the room and locked the door-just the two of them in the room-and prayed to GOD. He then got into bed with the boy and covered him with his body, mouth on mouth, eyes on eyes, hands on hands. As he was stretched out over him like that, the boy's body became warm. Elisha got up and paced back and forth in the room. Then he went back and stretched himself upon the boy again. The boy started sneezing-seven times he sneezed!-and opened his eyes. He called Gehazi and said, 'Get the Shunammite woman in here!' He called her and she came in. Elisha said, 'Embrace your son!'" (2 Kings 4:32-36 MSG)

From distress, the woman experienced joy. Her son was resurrected.

This story is from the Old Testament, but our Father has no limits. He is a healer!

Quadratus of Athens who died in 129AD, had a reference from Eusebius, found in Hist. Eccl. IV.3.

"After Trajan had reigned for nineteen and a half years Aelius Adrian became his successor in the empire. To him Quadratus addressed a discourse containing an apology for our religion, because certain wicked men had attempted to trouble the Christians. The work is still in the hands of a great many of the brethren, as also in our own, and furnishes clear proofs of the man's understanding and of his apostolic orthodox. He himself reveals the early date at which he lived in the following words: 'But the works of our Saviour were always present, for they were genuine:-those that were healed, and those that were raised from the dead, who were seen not only when they were healed and when they were raised, but were also always present; and not merely while the Saviour was on earth, but also after his death, they were alive for quite a while, so that some of them lived even to our day.'

"Aristides also, a believer earnestly devoted to our religion, left, like Quadratus, an apology for the faith, addressed to Adrian. His work, too, has been preserved even to the present day by a great many persons."

Jerome also referred to Quadratus in his Illustrious Men 19.

"Quadratus, disciple of the apostles, after Publius bishop of Athens had been crowned with martyrdom on account of his faith in Christ, was substituted in his place, and by his faith and industry gathered the church scattered by reason of its great fear. And when Hadrian passed the winter at Athens to witness the Eleusinian mysteries and was initiated into almost all the sacred mysteries of Greece, those who hated the Christians took opportunity without instructions from the Emperor to harass the believers. At this time he presented to Hadrian a work composed in behalf of our religion, indispensable, full of sound argument and faith and worthy of the apostolic teaching. In which, illustrating the antiquity of his period, he says that he has seen many who, oppressed by various ills, were healed by the Lord in Judea as well as some who had been raised from the dead."

Isn't this, after all, the mandate of Jesus? "Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously." (Matthew 10:8 MSG) Do we believe?

Rob Chaffart

Do we Believe in the Resurrection? Miracles from the Past, Part 6

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