I told my hairstylist that I was going to see the movie Miracles from Heaven, the story of a young girl who after falling thirty feet headfirst into a hollowed-out tree was miraculously healed of her incurable illness. The stylist had heard it was “based on a true story,” but said that “could simply mean the child fell from a tree.”
After joking about the “creative license” filmmakers often take with true events, I shared that if this film’s basic story was true, as I’d heard, then it’s based on the best story of all. “Oh yeah?” she replied, “What story is that?”
I smiled, and then briefly shared the story of the Bible—from creation to human rebellion to God’s promise of redemption and a renewed creation.
When we got to Jesus, I explained that many of His stunning miracles, from healing the sick to raising the dead, were previews of an eventual end to the reign of sickness, sin, and death in our world (Romans 8:21). I then suggested that the miraculous healing this little girl experienced was a sample of the greater healing to come when Jesus returns to reign and renew all things (Revelation 21:4-5).
The story of the Scriptures is the best explanation for the possibility of miracles. It’s what Matthew’s gospel account draws from to explain Jesus’ miraculous healings: “This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, ‘He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases’ ” (Matthew 8:17; compare to Isaiah 53:4).
Matthew’s quote from Isaiah connects the dots. It reminds us that healing on any level is rooted in the “good news” that anticipates a time of complete restoration when “all the ends of the earth will see the victory” of our God who reigns! (Isaiah 52:7-10).
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Joshua 1:1-18
More:
Read Matthew 8:1-17 and note the variety of people Jesus healed—revealing that His healing is for all.
Next:
How are you encouraged today by the reality that one day Jesus will bring ultimate healing to all creation? What restoration has He brought to your life?
Gary Shultz on February 27, 2017 at 6:19 am
Hi Jeff: I often take a rather selfish view of that work, and to some extent I think it’s okay to anticipate a better than new physical state. However, as you include, all creation will change. God’s work will not be limited to people, but to all creation. It would appear that only we who have believed actually will change. God will encapsulate the “New Man” with a very different, enduring body. I believe most everything else will become new, not reconditioned. The touches of sin will not be permitted into God’s new Heaven and earth. As the butterfly we will come to a new existence in body; however, our souls were already given a transformation in Christ. Dropping the old sin nature we, walk into glory being redeemed, paid in full by Jesus. I believe from an examination of scripture we “the saints” of old and present day will be the only beings able, by God’s grace to do that, of that I am very thankful…..What restoration has He brought to your life? Of course the hope of things to come is a great comfort. But as the previous words would indicate we now have a transformed soul in an untransformed world. We posses a heavenly power on earth. So Jeff, we have a lot of work to do, using heavenly wisdom and works on a world that needs healing. Thanks Jeff
Tom Felten on February 27, 2017 at 9:28 am
I saw this flick too, Jeff. And, yes, loved how the story reflects the new creational work God is doing all around us today—something that will culminate in a completely restored creation in the future! Praise Him for what He continues to do in and through Him by the Spirit’s power.
hsnpoor on March 4, 2017 at 5:54 pm
How in the world do you tell the story of the Bible briefly? I can’t imagine…..