[Elisha] prayed to the LORD. Then he went up and lay on the child, putting his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands. And as he stretched himself upon him, the flesh of the child became warm. Then he got up again and walked once back and forth… and went up and stretched himself upon him. The child… opened his eyes. – 2 Kings 4:33-35
There is a marvelous picture here of how Christ gives new life to us. Elisha “lay on the child” and “stretched himself upon him” (4:34).
In the Old Testament law, touching a dead body would make you unclean. By stretching himself out over the boy, Elisha was making himself unclean.
When Jesus stretched Himself out for us on the cross, He was made unclean for us. “For our sake [God] made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).
Then notice that Elisha lay on the child, “putting his mouth on his mouth” (2 Kings 4:34). Elisha breathed new life into the boy. And that is a wonderful picture of what Christ does for us. He breathes new life into us by His Holy Spirit, and by God’s grace, the eternal life that is in Him becomes ours.
There is no greater miracle than the miracle of the resurrection. There are three stories of resurrection in the Old Testament, all of them from the time of Elijah and Elisha.
These stories all point to the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the glorious triumph over death that is ours in Him. It is as if God couldn’t wait to give the good news that death will not be the end. God’s servants have a glorious future. They will enjoy a glorious resurrection.
How does the hope of a glorious future comfort your heart?
