What is the difference between the Jesus of the Bible and you, me, and the prophets of old? Is there a difference? The histories of the widow of Zarephath and the Shunammite woman are very beneficial for teaching us about the person and work of Jesus Christ.

When Elisha came into the house there was the child, lying dead on his bed. He went in therefore, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD. And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes on his eyes, and his hands on his hands; and he stretched himself out on the child, and the flesh of the child became warm. He returned and walked back and forth in the house and again went up and stretched himself out on him; then the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. And he called Gehazi and said, “Call this Shunammite woman.” So he called her. And when she came in to him, he said, “Pick up your son.”
II Kings 4:32-36 NKJV

Hardly a living person would disagree with the statement “Jesus was a great man!” Many would, however, disagree with the statement “Jesus is the God Man.” When the Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons knock on your door they typically promote Jesus verbally and through their own literature and want their audience to think of their practice as “Christian.” But as you talk with them about their Jesus, it takes little time to recognize that the Jesus they promote is simply an idol and not the Jesus of Scripture who lives and reigns even now and will soon come from Heaven to judge the living and the dead. The Jesus they promote and the Jesus many admire today was a mere man like you and I and the great prophets of old.*

What is the difference between the Jesus of the Bible and you, me, and the prophets of old? Is there a difference? The histories of the widow of Zarephath and the Shunammite woman are very beneficial for teaching us about the person and work of Jesus Christ. These woman were friends of two of the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, Elijah and Elisha. They both witnessed their sons die. Both saw their sons raised from the dead. Let us consider briefly the means the Lord used to demonstrate His power over life and death in these two women’s sons.

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