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As the Bible says in John 11, Jesus
raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. In fact, Lazarus had been dead
for four days, and had been placed in a tomb:
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a
cave with a stone laid across the entrance.
“Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a
bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the
glory of God?”
So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you
that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the
benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a
cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
(John 11:38-44, NIV)
Recently, reports of a "modern day Lazarus" appeared
when David Shublak, an Army Major, miraculously recovered after being struck by
a car. His wife faithfully prayed for his recovery, even when all hope
appeared to be gone. The account of this modern day miracle is reproduced
here from the
CBN.com website:
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Wife's Prayers
Bring Dead Husband Back to Life
By Debbie White
The 700 Club
CBN.com – "It was heart-wrenching the night we were
officially told David was clinically brain-dead," says Linda Shublak about her
husband Army Major David Shublak. Linda and David had been married only six
weeks. She adored her new life as a bride. One morning David left their home for
his usual morning run in the Arizona desert.
While Linda wrote him a love note, sirens shrieked at in the distance. She
paused and prayed for the accident victim, not knowing she was praying for
David. A car going 55 miles per hour struck David while he jogged down a highway
on the small military post. Thrown 65 feet from the impact, he landed on his
head on the concrete.
At the hospital, David underwent immediate treatment for severely broken legs
and a broken arm. He had facial and skull fractures. Twenty minutes into the
surgery, his brain started to swell five times its normal size. The head
neurosurgeon told Linda that David was not expected to live.
Funeral arrangements for David's burial in Arlington National Cemetery had
already begun. Military friends ordered new uniforms to escort the body. Some
suggested Linda donate several of David's organs. Even the Shublaks' pastor had
prepared for the worst, after seeing the readings from David's brain pressure
monitor. The numbers showed no brain function compatible to human existence.
"There was so much pressure," says Linda, "and so much doubt and unbelief that I
said, 'Lord, give me some assurance of what I am to do.'"
Amazingly, John 11:25 was highlighted in Linda's Bible. "I am the resurrection
and the life. He who believes in me, even though he die, yet shall he live."
[This verse is also from the story of Lazarus.]
"And that was God telling me that even though they were saying David was
brain-dead, he was going to live," says Linda.
Linda continued to read the Bible and pray. She played praise music, placed the
Bible on David's chest, and pinned Scriptures all over the hospital room. But
while her faith grew in anticipation of the miracle, others around her worried
she had lost touch with reality.
"It disturbed a lot of people," she says.
Yet, Linda ignored opinions and kept praying for David, even though he was still
on life support.
Surprisingly, by the sixth day, David began responding to light. When Linda,
whispering in his ear, encouraged him to show doctors even more life was in him,
he started moving his legs, astounding everyone.
"It was like an awesome reverence that came over the whole room," says Linda,
"just a glimpse of glory."
Slowly, David's memory returned. After two months of intensive rehabilitation,
he returned home. The neurosurgeons agreed David's recovery qualified as a
miracle.
"I feel absolutely great," says David. "My goal is to do a marathon."
Recently, David returned to active military service.
___________________________________________
This story testifies to
the amazing power of prayer, and truly represents a modern-day miracle, as
stated by the neurosurgeons treating David Shublak. However, does this
qualify as a "modern-day Lazarus", as suggested by some press releases?
There are definite similarities and
differences between the experience of Lazarus and David Shublak. While
Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days prior to resurrection, David
Shublak was dead for all intents and purposes, being clinically brain dead.
Modern day science and medicine cannot explain how Lazarus was resurrected, and
how David Shublak was healed.
In both cases, exceptional faith
was exhibited by others. Martha had great faith that Jesus would resurrect
Lazarus, and Linda Shublak, through prayer, had great faith that her husband
would live again. The question remains, why did Jesus resurrect Lazarus,
and why did God heal David Shublak?
Jesus gives the answer to this
question in the story of Lazarus: It is for OUR benefit!
Jesus performs these miracles so that others would believe in Him. From
the passage above: "I said this for the benefit of the people standing here,
that they may believe that you sent me." While Lazarus and Martha, and
David and Linda Shublak obviously all benefited from these miracles, we also
benefit by having our faith in Jesus increase. A non-believer may be
brought to Christ for the first time through these testimonies.
So in the future, if we encounter
difficult, or even life-threatening situations, we can remember the stories of Lazarus
and David Shublak to help bring us back to Jesus, and rely on His strength.
In these situations, remember this simple but powerful verse from Mark 5:36
where Jesus himself says:
“Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
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