Acts 20:7-12 – On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” 11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. 12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.
“On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.” We can relate to the fact that when we are with loved ones and may not see them for a long time, or maybe not again in this life, we will try to fit in all the time together and all the conversation in before the separation. Paul had much to teach these believers and so he intended to speak to them as much as he could. So he spoke into the night, for hours.
“There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.” There were several reason for many lamps, the obvious is to keep the room bright. Some say that when the early brothers and sisters met that the purposely keep their rooms lit to see the falseness of early rumors against them. One rumor was that with all the talk of love from Christians, the pagans many times thought the Christians were promiscuous and even incestuous (Titus 1:15). Another rumor that came from evil and ignorant minds was that the Christians were cannibals. They thought that because during their communion they would express they were eating the body of Christ and drinking His blood. They didn’t understand the symbolic nature, or perhaps, they just wanted to malign.
Notice that Luke includes himself as being present at the meeting by stating “we were meeting.”
“Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead.” Eutychus, whose name meant “fortunate” was at this marathon meeting. He is called a young man which could mean he was a teenager, but that term could also have referred to a “younger” man of twenty to forty years of age. Eutychus was fighting the sleep that was coming over him, but like a fit combatant will have a strategy of outlasting his less fit opponent, sleep was wearing him down. At this time his name may have seemed empty, but we need only read on.
Besides the long sermon, there were likely more factors contributing to his weariness. Sunday, which they met on, was the first day of the week and likely a work day. So Eutychus likely was tired from a day of working. Also the many candles, a warm room and a lot of people warming the room likely made the room a little oxygen deprived and also quite “cozy.” Eutychus may have opted to be by the window to catch some fresh air. To his credit, he was working at fighting off sleep. But even Luke described Paul as talking “on and on!”
Soon Eutychus succumbed tapped out to sleep and was sleeping soundly. I guess he didn’t snore causing anyone to nudge him. The window where he was on the third story. It is thought that his fall from the window to the ground was at least a twenty foot fall, and perhaps more. When he hit the ground he was dead. Family and friends, Dr. Luke, as we previously observed, was there. He examined the young man and declared him dead. Folks, in that time, people, whether a doctor or not, had seen many dead people. They not only viewed him, but touched him as they picked him up. If they said he was dead, he was dead. Besides, since the Holy Scripture says he was dead, then he was dead.
“Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!”” A man of God praying and the dead being raised is not unique to Paul. We know that Peter prayed and Tabitha was raised from the dead (Acts 9:36-42). In the Old Testament the prophet Elijah prayed and a woman’s son was raised from the dead (1 Kings 17:17-24), and the prophet Elisha prayed for the child of a Shunammite woman and that child was raised from the dead (2 Kings 4:18-37). God has timing and a reason for doing great miracles like these. It is verify that the disciple of Jesus, or the Old Testament prophet, is a true representative of God who speaks true words from God. The disciple and prophet then point the amazed to look at God and be amazed at him, the rightful recipient of their amazement praise.
“Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. Paul seems to have taken this all in stride. And why not. It had to be a prayer of faith and so the return to life of Eutychus was not something that alarmed or surprised Paul. In fact, Paul expected God to do it. We must truly live in faith and believe that for God nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37).
So Paul preached for hours and hours, he went on and on, then he prayed and the dead one was raised up, and then he figured it was time to eat and went upstairs to eat. Preaching and raising the dead can also raise up quite an appetite.
Family, when we pray, let us remember who we pray to and the unlimited power He has (Matthew 6:8-10). In cognizance of these two things we ask in faith and know beyond all doubt that God will hear and He will answer (James 1:6). He always does. Praise God! His goodness to us and love for us never cease to amaze! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”