Compare Elisha's miracle in 2 Kings 2:21 with Jesus' miracles in the Gospels. Setting the Scene 2 Kings 2:21: “Then he went out to the spring of water, threw salt into it, and said, ‘This is what the LORD says: I have healed this water. No longer will it cause death or unfruitfulness.’” A poisoned spring at Jericho is instantly purified. From that moment, life replaces death, fruitfulness replaces barrenness. Quick Glance at Some of Jesus’ Miracles Involving Transformation and Cleansing • John 2:7-9 – Water becomes wine at Cana. • Matthew 8:3 – A leper is cleansed with a word and a touch. • Mark 4:39 – A raging sea is calmed by command. • John 4:13-14 – The Samaritan woman hears of “living water.” • John 7:37-38 – Jesus invites the thirsty to come to Him for rivers of living water. Parallels Worth Noticing • Same Author of power – Elisha: “This is what the LORD says.” – Jesus: “I say to you…” (e.g., Mark 1:41; 2:11). Authority flows directly from God in both cases; yet in the Gospels Jesus speaks on His own divine authority (John 5:19-21). • Instant, observable change – Jericho’s water is healed “from that day” (2 Kings 2:22). – At Cana “the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine” (John 2:9). – Leper “was cleansed at once” (Matthew 8:3). • Reversal of curse to blessing – The spring had brought “death or unfruitfulness”; after Elisha’s act it produces life. – Jesus reverses the effects of sin and the Fall—disease, demonic oppression, even death (Luke 7:14-15). • Use of simple, ordinary means – Salt in a bowl. – Water jars at Cana; a touch, a word, even mud on blind eyes (John 9:6-7). The power rests not in the objects but in God’s command. • Signposts to the Kingdom – Elisha’s miracle signals that the prophetic mantle truly rests on him, continuing God’s covenant faithfulness. – Jesus’ miracles serve as “signs” (John 20:30-31), revealing that the Kingdom has drawn near (Matthew 12:28). Key Contrasts • Servant-prophet vs. Son-Redeemer – Elisha acts as the LORD’s messenger. – Jesus acts as the LORD Himself in human flesh (John 1:14; 10:30). • Temporary local blessing vs. universal, eternal blessing – One spring in Jericho is healed. – Jesus offers living water that becomes “a fountain of water springing up to eternal life” (John 4:14). • Symbolic pointer vs. ultimate fulfillment – Salt thrown in water symbolizes purity and covenant (Leviticus 2:13). – Jesus’ blood inaugurates the new covenant (Luke 22:20), accomplishing the reality to which earlier symbols pointed. Why This Matters for Us Today • God is still in the business of taking what is deadly and making it life-giving. • The same Lord who healed Jericho’s spring now offers a fountain within every believer (John 7:38-39). • Miracles in both Testaments testify to Scripture’s reliability and God’s unchanging character (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8). Takeaway Snapshot Elisha’s act in 2 Kings 2 reassures us that God can purify the most contaminated source. Jesus’ works take that truth further: He not only cleanses the water; He becomes the wellspring of eternal life, offering complete and lasting restoration to all who believe. |
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