Chilean Miners: A Picture of Resurrection

In my message this weekend, I mentioned the Chilean miners trapped underground as a picture of how we wait for resurrection. At the time I was giving my message, the miners had been reached by the “Plan B” shaft but were still nearly 2,300 feet underground. Even though the miners had not been rescued yet, there was great hope both in the mine and on the surface.

Now, the first miners have been rescued and that hope has turned into full rejoicing. The joy of the rescue makes me think of the glory and joy of our future with full restoration in the new heaven and new earth.

You can watch a video clip of the initial rescue shaft breakthrough here:

You can watch an emotionally gripping video clip of the rescue of the first miners here:

Here is an excerpt from my sermon with the illustration about this that I used on Sunday:

On August 5 of this year in the Atacam desert of Chile in South America, a collapse in a copper and gold mine left 33 miners trapped nearly 2,300 feet underground.

A secondary collapse 2 days later halted the existing attempts to rescue the miners. Their survival was questionable and so, through exploratory boreholes, listening probes were sent to discover whether the miners were alive.

17 days after the initial accident, a note was found taped to one of the listening probes that said: “All 33 of us are well inside the shelter.” Trapped in the darkness and the cool stone like a sarcophagus more than half a mile below ground, the miners waited like dead men searching for new life.

Extra water and supplies were sent down to the miners, as well as communications devices so that people on the surface would be able to stay in touch with them. And they waited for a miracle.

Within ten days, three rescue attempts were underway with the aim of drilling shafts through which the miners could be evacuated.

Earlier today, 66 days after the initial accident, the “Plan B” rescue attempt succeeded in drilling through the solid stone to a workshop 2047 feet underground that all of the miners can reach.

Hope surged through the miners and those waiting at the surface – spouses & children of the miners, co-workers, rescue teams, the Chilean Navy, and more. Bells rang out, flags waved, air horns blared, and people were giving hugs all around.

The hope of a return to life – a restoration of what was lost – seems just around the corner. The rescue has touched them already…even though they wait for its final reality to break in upon them.

And so, as scientists make sure the shaft is stable, the miners continue to wait to be pulled in a rescue shaft one by one over the next ten days.

Though trapped death-like underground, they are holding on because of the hope of renewed life that is just ahead.

We all are like these miners in Chile…waiting under a cloud of death while hope surges into our lives from above from one source for our rescue. We are holding on to the hope that Jesus’ resurrection gives us. And we are looking forward in hope for the final and total restoration.

We are eagerly expecting a final day when we will be with God face to face…like people trapped under stone to be brought into the light of day once more.