A Miracle for My Samuel





Every week on Wednesdays I take one of my children on a date. This week, my 5-year-old daughter Lauren and I decided to go see the movie “The King of Kings” in theaters.


As we watched the show, I couldn’t stop thinking about my Samuel.  The movie depicted the life and ministry of Jesus. He made a blind man see, a lame man walk, helped the deaf to hear and even raised a man from the dead.  I saw these miracles and couldn’t help but wonder where the miracle was for MY son?


As the show went on, it showed Jesus praying in Gethsemane, being tortured, and inevitably being killed on the cross. It showed His mother Mary watching as he died.  As I saw this mother watching her son die, I wept as I thought about my perfect son, and the slow decline we’ve had to helplessly stand by and watch.


Many years ago, my wife and I had the opportunity of going to Jerusalem and visiting all the places Jesus walked. We saw where he was born, where he was raised, where he taught, and where he performed miracles. We walked the path he walked to Golgotha, and saw the place he was crucified.  


By far, the most impactful place we visited was the garden tomb; the place many believe to be where Jesus was buried after he died.  While we were there, our tour guide gave us many examples of reasons why they THINK this is the place Jesus was buried.  As I sat in that sacred garden, I pondered whether this truly was the place that Jesus was buried. Then I entered the tomb and saw the spot where Jesus’s body should have been resting.


It was that moment when I realized, it didn’t matter whether or not this was the spot Jesus was buried.  2000 years ago, some disciples came to a similar tomb to see the spot Jesus was buried.  While I was at the entrance of the tomb, I thought about the words spoken to these disciples when they stood at the entrance: “why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen…”


Jesus went forth performing many miracles for people, but seeing the empty spot where Jesus’s body should have been lying reminds me that he HAS performed a miracle for MY son, and I know that this miracle is the greatest of them all.  Because of this miracle, no matter what happens, I know there will come a day when I will get to hold my perfect son, and he will never have any more seizures.


When Lauren and I finished the movie, I asked her, “what was your favorite part?” She replied, “When Jesus came back to life!”


That’s my favorite part too.


Happy Easter.

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