The Great Gospel Importance of Christ's Resurrection
10/14 Reading Portions: 1 Kings 17; Colossians 4; Ezekiel 47; Psalm 103
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10/14 Reading Portions: 1 Kings 17; Colossians 4; Ezekiel 47; Psalm 103
1 Kings 17:24
And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth.”
NOW
The miracle of God through Elijah, of unending flour and oil during the draught (1 Ki 17:13-16), did not satisfy the Zarephath widow as far as true faith in the LORD was concerned, nor was there trust in the servant of which He sent. Miracles at the hands of God’s servants in the Old Testament were employed only to foreshadow the Messiah to come; and the miracles the Messiah performed, only testified of the validity of His ministry. Sadly, those miracles were only distractions for the fickle of faith. Jesus broke barley bread and bait fish to miraculously feed the multitudes; yet the next day, they only sought Him to get more miracle fish and wonder bread (John 6:26). Surely the Zarephath widow was nourished by the miraculous supply from God’s grace, but it didn’t grace her with the faith from heaven to trust in God’s presence and truly believe His servant; not until her only son was raised from the dead. His first word provoked obedience but not faith. Over the past four decades, I’ve witnessed much of the same with regard to miracles. Professing believers hopped from church to church chasing them… or else dismissing all of God’s graces summarily, while feeding on His abounding provision. Like a shooting star or fireworks display, validating and corroborating miracles are temporary, transient, and will not satisfy for long. The death and resurrection of the woman’s son, however, foreshadowed the death and resurrection of God’s one and only, anointed Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection is the ultimate and lasting miracle. It is eternal, transforming, and infinitely satisfying. Christ’s death and resurrection create heavenly faith in the soul; and the only time this gospel truth fails to satisfy is when the corruptions of our remaining flesh cause us to stray from the exaltation of Christ alone. Yet God’s sanctifying Word (John 17:17), and the great Remembrancer, the Holy Spirit (John 14:26), will bear witness of Christ (John 15:26) and glorify Him (John 16:14) so we may abide in Christ to bear much fruit (John 15:4-5) to glorify Him in all we do (1 Cor 10:31). Hallelujah! What a Savior!