In Continuation
The 1981-1991 W126 S-class was the first Mercedes-Benz with electrically powered seats, but it wasn’t the first one with power seats. That accolade goes to the 1963 600 “Grosser Mercedes,” the near-limo (or full limo) luxury locomotive that used hydraulic assist on all four seats, the sunroof, trunk, windows, doors (yes, doors), and cowl vents, with pressures up to 300 psi. Mercifully, hydraulic power on the W126 was limited to things like the steering rack, and its seats moved around using plain old electricity via neat little chair-shaped switches on the seats.
Seat movement links the W126 with the almighty 600, though they have more similarities than that. The 6.3-liter V8 installed in the 600 was the company’s first in their 77-year history, while all you got in the W126 were V8s. The 600 remained in M-B catalogs for years and was special-ordered by sheiks, tycoons, and dignitaries of all stripes, but the W126 quickly replaced it. Its reliable engine was figuratively bulletproof, or, with a few inches of body armor, literally.
The best car companies build on the best part of their histories. Mercedes-Benz’s 136-year history is littered with this practice. And so is the Bible. When the most faithful, impactful, and powerful characteristics of an Old Testament person foreshadow the characteristics of Jesus, that person is called a “type” of Christ. One famous type is Elisha:
“Elisha died and was buried. Now Moabite raiders used to enter the country every spring. Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.” (2 Kings 13:20-21).
Throughout the events of 1 and 2 Kings, and especially through the work of the prophets Elijah and Elisha, God performs miracles, speaks truth, and realigns hearts. Elijah was perhaps more focused on warning God’s people to quit goofing around with sin and destructive behavior – Jesus would do plenty of warning as well – while Elisha’s messaging focused more on grace and new life. In this passage, the spirit of God was still moving and present in Elisha’s physical body even though Elisha’s role in this resurrection was definitely passive. It’s a lot like the account of the woman who reached out through a crowd of people just to touch Jesus’ cloak, and was healed instantly (Matthew 9:20-22).
The man who came to life would have had a great story to tell. His story would have been shared and cherished throughout the 800 years between this event and Jesus’ birth. Jesus would have listened to it retold again and again during the 1st century equivalent of Sunday school, and perhaps smiled and thought, “Wait til they see what comes next.”
These stories weave through the Bible and make it less of a book and more of a tapestry. The threads continue into the lives of every Christ-follower, even today, through miracles, truth, power, and heart realignment. God isn’t done performing miracles or using people to make a powerful difference in the world. Today, someone could be hearing about the story of Elisha’s bones for the first time and feeling amazed at God’s power, while God watches lovingly and smiles. You can almost hear him say: “Wait til they see what comes next.”
For decades, plenty of car folks considered the W126 Mercedes-Benz the perfect pre-owned car. Thanks to high production numbers and quick depreciation, examples were plentiful in the budget section of classified ads. A few thousand dollars could buy plenty of interior space, decent power (from 155 horsepower in the 380SE to 238 horsepower in the 560SE), tangible presence, and legendary reliability – provided you don’t use the HVAC system. The fuel-injected, single-cam M117 V8 proved to be a hit, and it certainly wasn’t the last V8 in a Mercedes. It became a valuable trait that continues to this day.
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