Here’s the secret: The gospel of grace has made you, non-Jewish believers, into coheirs of His promise through your union with Him. And you have now become members of His body – one with the Anointed One! Ephesians 3:6 TPT
With the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the secret is out. God intended, from eternity past, to redeem and resurrect ALL peoples through His only Son, Jesus Christ. “ALL peoples” in the vernacular of the Bible is “Jews and Gentiles.” Yet, throughout the whole Old Testament there are hints of the secret. And this week I have found a fascinating one.
The first instance of anyone being raised from the dead, in all of scripture, is the only son of a widowed woman (1 Kings 17). Because there were no jobs for women in ancient society, this son had been her only salvation. Elijah, the prophet, prayed, and God resurrected her only son! Obviously, this is a picture of God resurrecting His only Son for our salvation. But it is also a hint that God intends to save ALL peoples, not just the Jews. The hint lies in the fact that this widow, whose only son was raised from the dead, is a Gentile, not a Jew.
The next instance of resurrection from the dead is also an only son (2 Kings 4). This time the son belongs to a Jewish woman. God had given her this son as a demonstration of His grace and provision since her husband was old and she had no other children. Alas, the son died, leaving her no hope. This time it is Elisha, the prophet, who prayed for the resurrection of the dead. Again, this is a picture of Jesus, God’s only Son, being raised for our hope and salvation.
These two instances of “only sons” being raised from the dead are a strong hint at the secret (or mystery) of God. The resurrection of the “only Son” is the hope for both Gentiles and Jews. God desires that ALL peoples come to salvation!
I am reminded that Jesus’ first dead-raising was also the “only son” of a poor widow (Luke 7:11). God seems keen that we should get this message; He has repeated it three times! We are bankrupt and hopeless without God’s Only Son. Jesus is our salvation! Thank You, Father, for saving us through Your “Only Son!” Amen and amen!!