TheRaiser of the Dead

Luke 7:11–16, 1 Kings 17:17–24, 2 Kings 4:8-37

Introduction

One of the saddest things to see in this life is the grief of a mother who has had to bury her child. It is painful even when she has other children, but it is exponentially harder when the deceased is the only child. I recall a co-worker of mine from several years ago who had a son. He was about 5-6 years old. He came down with what she believed to be a common cold, but it never slowed him down. And just like little boys do, he continued to run and play until the evening. When he finally settled down, he began to run an extremely high fever. Concerned, the mother rushed him to the emergency room where he died from spinal meningitis. He was her only child. What a heartbreaking experience for that young single mother.

Context of the Text

Luke Context

Context

In the previous account Luke demonstrated Jesus’ divine authority and power to heal someone near death. Here Luke revealed the even greater power of Jesus to raise someone from the dead. This is the first of three or perhaps four such raisings in Luke-Acts (Luke 8:40–48; Acts 9:36–43; cf. also Acts 20:7–12). It is evident from Luke 7:22 that this account functions as a Christological explanation of who Jesus is because Jesus answered the question, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (7:20) with, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard.” In the present account Jesus is described as a “great prophet” (7:16) who has power even over life and death. Clearly Luke sought to demonstrate that the power of God was present in Jesus of Nazareth in a unique way; and even if this one account does not in itself contain a complete Christological affirmation that Jesus is the Christ, the Lord, the Son of God, Luke wanted his readers to understand this incident in conjunction with and in support of such a Christology. It was after all the “Lord” (7:13) who was referred to as the “great prophet.”

We find an important parallel to this story in 1 Kgs 17:17–24, where Elijah raised the son of a widow of Zarephath (cf. also 2 Kgs 4:8–37). The close similarity between these two accounts suggests that Luke wrote 7:11–17 with 1 Kgs 17:17–24 in mind.

As we look at this text today, we see Jesus, his disciples, and a great crowd following him into the town of Nain. As they are coming into the town there is another group of people going out of the town. See Luke 7:12

Luke 7:12 NASB 2020

Now as He approached the gate of the city, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her.

Although there was a sizeable crowd there, Luke says that Jesus directs his focus to the grieving mother. See Luke 7:13

Luke 7:13 NASB 2020

When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her and said to her, “Do not go on weeping.”

Can’t you just hear her? “My Baby, My Baby, Lord what I am going to do without my baby?” To compound the sorrow of her heart was the fact that she was a widow. In biblical times, widowhood was often associated with vulnerability and marginalization. Widows were typically seen as some of the most vulnerable members of society due to their lack of male protection and economic support. This vulnerability is highlighted in various Old Testament narratives, such as the stories of Ruth and Naomi, who faced significant hardships after the deaths of their husbands.

However, the Bible also emphasizes God’s provision and care for widows. For instance, Deuteronomy 10:18 states that God “defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow,” and various laws were established to protect and provide for them (e.g., Deuteronomy 24:17-21). In the New Testament, widows were given opportunities for growth and service within early Christian communities, reflecting a shift towards empowerment and inclusion.

Deuteronomy 10:18 NASB 2020

He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the stranger by giving him food and clothing.

Deuteronomy 24:17–21 NASB 2020

“You shall not pervert the justice due a stranger or an orphan, nor seize a widow’s garment as a pledge. But you are to remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and that the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I am commanding you to do this thing. “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you are not to go back to get it; it shall belong to the stranger, the orphan, and to the widow, in order that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat the olives off your olive tree, you are not to search through the branches again; that shall be left for the stranger, the orphan, and for the widow. “When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you are not to go over it again; that shall be left for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow.

That the Lord is serious about this issue is bourn out in 2 familiar OT text as well as this one. This message is intended to explores the compassion and power of Jesus as he raises a widow's son from the dead in

Luke 7, paralleled with Elijah and Elisha's miracles in 1 Kings 17 and 2 Kings 4:8-37.

1. Compassion in Action

Luke 7:11–16

Maybe discuss how Jesus's compassion led Him to restore life to the widow's son, demonstrating His power over death and giving us hope. This point can emphasize the Christocentric theme of resurrection and life, suggesting that, like the widow, believers can find comfort in Jesus's ability to bring beauty from ashes.

2. Provision and Power

You could explore how Elijah's miracle of raising the widow's son prefigures Christ's resurrection power and His compassion towards those who are marginalized. This sermon point can also touch on God's provision in times of want, showing how He uses His servants to bring about miraculous change.

3. Faith and Restoration

1 Kings 17:17–24

Perhaps focus on the faith of the widow and Elijah's bold prayer as a testament to God’s willingness to hear and respond to our cries. Emphasize that, like Elijah, Christians are called to trust in God's power to bring life out of death, which mirrors Jesus's victory over the grave.