It’s a Miracle!

July 20, 2025

When preparing a sermon for Sunday, I generally read and break down the selected text, then begin researching the various thoughts and ideas presented in it until I come across THE thought or idea I feel led to develop. At Old New Hope, we are working our way through the life of God’s prophet, Elijah. This week’s text is 1 Kings 17:17-24, where Elijah raises the widow's son from the dead. One of the rabbit holes I went down while preparing this week’s sermon was the subject of raising someone from the dead. This just in, raising someone from the dead is a big deal. It doesn’t occur very often in the Bible. For those with inquiring minds like mine, I’ll cut to the chase. It only happens 10 times. The event occurs 3 times in the Old Testament and 7 times in the New Testament. If you have an urge to do so, you can use Google, Bing, or whatever your favorite internet search engine is to find out the specifics of each resurrection. As I thought about how often I have heard the phrase “I wish I could see a miracle,” or “boy, if I could see someone raised from the dead, it would sure make my faith stronger,” I began to wonder about the reaction of those who witnessed the resurrection events, especially in the New Testament. Interestingly enough, while there were those who believed as a result of seeing the miracle, there were also many witnesses who did not believe. In fact, it was the raising of Lazarus from the dead in John chapter 11 that was the final nail in the coffin (no pun intended), leading the Jewish leaders to crucify Jesus. While God did (and does) use miracles as a tool to carry out His purposes, it isn’t the miracle that transforms lives; it is the message behind the miracles. That message is that we have a God who is all-powerful. Our God is also a God who rescues us from our greatest enemies, the dual enemies of sin and death. If you are a Christ follower, you have already seen a miracle. The miracle of being chosen and saved by God. While we were dead in our trespasses and sins, God made us alive through the saving, atoning work of Jesus on the cross. When you get to the end of your life on this side of eternity, you will find that the miracle of being born again is the only miracle you need.

Be blessed and go be a blessing . . . Bro. Andy