The Ultimate Healing Mark Series

Pat Boone in his book A Miracle A Day Keeps The Devil Away tells of some very spectacular

examples of the hand of God in history. His friend Tay Garnett, who is a film director, was showing

the stunt driver in a mountain chase scene what he wanted. He drove the car right up to the edge of

the cliff, and then at the last second he cut the wheel to veer away from the disaster of a 700 foot

drop to the rocks below. The only problem was the car didn't veer, and while the crew stared in

frozen horror he plunged over the edge. He was a believer, and all he had time for was to pray,

"God keep me in the circle of your love."

Four hundred feet below there was one tree growing out of the side of the cliff, and that was the

only tree for hundreds of yards in any direction, and Tay's car fell right on to it. The impact

demolished the car and injured Tay's back seriously, but he was alive. It took hours for a rescue

team to get him on a stretcher and back to the top, and then to a hospital where a surgical team

repaired his back. But a few weeks later he was back to work where he was not bashful to share his

faith in a God, who for all practical purposes, brought him back from the dead.

He was a dead man flying off that cliff, but God in his providence spared him. He was not

literally dead, of course, but neither was Jonah literally dead in the belly of the whale. But he was as

good as dead, and his only hope was a resurrection. That is why Jesus used the experience of Jonah

as a sign of His burial and resurrection. As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a

huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Jesus

draws a parallel, but there was a major difference. Jonah was only as good as dead, and Tay Garnett

was only as good as dead, and many have been as good as dead, and yet restored to life. But Jesus

was totally, absolutely, and unequivocally dead. He was not merely rescued from a near death

experience. He was resurrected from a clear death bondage. It is important that we see this event for

which we celebrate Easter as unique and distinct from all the other miracles and wonders of history.

It is in a category by itself.

There were other resurrections of the dead, but none of them was a cure of death. Lazarus was

raised after being clearly dead and decaying, but it was not a cure. It was only a remission of the

disease of death, for he had to die again, as did all the others who were raised. The resurrection of

Jesus was the only resurrection that could be called a cure, for it was a permanent victory over

death, and, therefore, the resurrection of Jesus was the ultimate healing.

If death is the worst thing that can happen to the body, then conquering death is the best thing that

can happen to the body. Everything else Jesus did for the body was only temporary. All the diseases

He healed, and the miraculous recoveries He brought about did not cure any of those diseases

permanently. But when Jesus rose from the dead He performed the miracle of all miracles, the

wonder of all wonders, the ultimate in healing, for He raised from that tomb on that first Easter a

body that would never never die again; a body that would never suffer again; a body that would

never be subject to sin or any of its consequences. In other words, Jesus by the power of the Easter

miracle healed a human body permanently; not just for time, but forever. That is why Easter is the

greatest Christian celebration, for it is the celebration of the only miracle that lasts forever.

Miracles just do not last. The feeding of the multitude kept them satisfied for a few hours, but

they had to supply food again for their next meal. The stilling of the storm only lasted until the next

wind came up, which could have been the very next day, or only hours later. The miraculous catch

of fish did not set up the disciples for life. They had to fish again. On and on you could go through

the miracles and see that they just do not last. You cannot count on the miracles for security. But

when you come to the resurrection of Jesus all is different. Here is a miracle you can count on.