Frozen Snakes

“Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him, and let him go’.” [John 11:43,44]

We all know that when humans and other mammals freeze, it results in frostbite or death, but God has given some species of snakes and frogs, which live in very cold climates, the ability to survive being frozen! This capacity is not fully understood but is achieved by two possible mechanisms. One is called “freezing tolerance” where the body is able to survive freezing and the destructive ice formation in tissue cells followed by thawing. This is very rare. The other more common condition is “freeze avoidance” or “supercooling.” In this process, the body contains substances such as glycerol which acts like a natural antifreeze and prevents ice formation in tissue cells.

For instance, below frozen lakes and ponds, painted turtles can stay submerged and motionless for as long as three months, but they never actually freeze. It’s still a mystery how they can survive in this state of suspended animation for so long with zero blood oxygen! Humans, by contrast, begin to suffer irreversible nerve damage if oxygen to the brain is cut off for more than four minutes. Freezing will kill many cold-blooded species. But there are some amphibians and reptiles that hibernate at or near the soil surface where temperatures can drop substantially below the freezing point of their body fluids. These creatures have the amazing ability to endure the freezing of water in extracellular body compartments. In fact, among some frogs, as much as 65% of their total body water may be converted to ice. In this state, they can survive days or weeks of sub-zero conditions. When the spring thaw comes, the spark of life activates their muscles and they appear to return to life as if resurrected.

Since God can design cells that survive freezing, it’s easier to believe He can order the molecules of a dead body to be reconstituted. Millions find it difficult to believe in the resurrection. But if you know the power of God in your own life, if you have experienced His re-creative power in your heart, you will be convinced that He truly is the giver of life.