Living Proof

Luke 7:11–17 ESV

Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

Big Idea: Jesus’ compassion and the power of His Words bring life

Two processions:

A procession of life

A procession of death

Two commands:

Do not weep

Arise

Two responses:

Fear

glory

Recap last week: Centurion’s servant. Jesus’ disciples had already learned of the power of his words. As if to reinforce that lesson, Luke puts this story next.

So this story begins immediately after that one.

Luke 7:11–12 ESV

Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her.

Two processions:

A procession of life

A procession of death

Jesus’ followers were following the Prince of Life. Many were true believers, some may have been seekers, others may have just enjoyed being part of something out of the ordinary.

The other procession is very sad. A widow would need someone to care for her. The considerable crowd with her is an indication of the empathy of her community.

Jon Courson’s Application Commentary Freedom from Death’s Fear

In Nain we see two groups of people: one going into the city rejoicing, the other leaving the city weeping. The group going into the city was rejoicing because they were traveling with Jesus. The group leaving the city was weeping, knowing nothing about Jesus.

I suggest every single one of us is in one of these two crowds right now. Either we are traveling with Jesus to the city, or we are traveling without Him to the cemetery. If we’re traveling with Him, to what city are we headed? To the same one for which Abraham looked: the city which is solid and real, satisfying and eternal, the city that has foundations, whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:10). Abraham knew such a city would not be found in Mesopotamia, Babylon, New York, or Oregon. He knew the city for which he longed would only be found in eternity. And thus he could head toward it rejoicing.

Luke 7:13–14 ESV

And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”

Two commands:

Do not weep

Arise

Do not weep: We are not given the tone of this, but it is a compassionate foretelling of what he is about to do

Bier: casket or platform to carry a corpse. That Jesus touched it showed once again his concerns for people are greater than his concerns to please the legalists.

Touching the bier was a gentle way of communicating for them to stop.

He speaks, and His command must be obeyed, even by a dead man.

Hebrews 11:3 ESV

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

Romans 4:17 ESV

as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

John 5:21 ESV

For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.

Abraham believed God could do this: Heb11.17

Hebrews 11:17 ESV

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son,

1 Corinthians 1:28 ESV

God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,

Luke 7:15 ESV

And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.

Luke 7:16 ESV

Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!”

Luke 7:17 ESV

And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

Kent Hughes:

Luke, Vol. 1—That You May Know the Truth Our Awesome Jesus (vv. 16–17)

Jesus was much more than a great prophet. But ascribing such a title to him was the best the townspeople could do without further revelation. It was a spontaneous chorus of realization that messianic times had fallen on them. Their chorus that “God has come to help his people” is similar to what Zechariah had sung in the birth narratives: “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people” (1:68).8

So Jesus had come in Elijah-like power, except for one huge difference: Elijah had to stretch himself over the boy three times while crying to God for help (cf. 1 Kings 17:20–22). But Jesus had only to speak the word.

Leon Morris:

Luke: An Introduction and Commentary K. The Widow of Nain’s Son (7:11–17)

16–17. Those who saw this reacted as in the presence of God. Fear, which must be understood as awe, took hold of them. They glorified God, interestingly not Jesus. They recognized the hand of God in what had happened and gave praise where it was due. But they did salute Jesus, calling him a great prophet. This is an inadequate view of Jesus, but it probably represented the highest title the townsmen could give anyone. It

Two processions:

A procession of life

A procession of death

Two commands:

Do not weep

Arise

Two responses:

Fear

glory