So They Glorified God

Read the Text

Sherriff Waters

You may have seen this earlier this week here in Jacksonville—T.K. Waters, the sheriff himself, ended up chasing down and arresting a theft suspect at a Home Depot.

Now think about that for a second.

There were plenty of people there. Employees. Customers. People watching it unfold. But when it was over, nobody was interviewing the bystanders. Nobody was saying, ‘Let’s hear from the guy in aisle 7—what did you contribute?’

Why?

Because everyone knows the difference between being present and having authority.

Only one person in that moment had the authority to step in, pursue, and actually change the outcome. And when he did, all the attention went to him—not because he wanted attention, but because the authority and action were undeniable.

That’s the kind of scene Luke 7 gives us.

There’s a crowd. A funeral procession. A woman who’s lost everything. And a whole group of people who are present—but powerless to do anything about it.

And then Jesus steps in.

He’s not one more face in the crowd. He’s not offering commentary. He moves toward the situation, and with a word, He changes it completely.

And when it’s over, the crowd doesn’t talk about themselves. They don’t talk about who showed up or what they did.

They say, ‘God has visited His people.’

Because when real authority shows up and acts, it becomes obvious who deserves the credit.

And that’s where we have to be careful.

Because we live like we’re the ones chasing things down, fixing people, making things happen.

But Luke 7 reminds us—you’re not the authority in the story.

You’re the witness to it.”

Haven’t We Heard This Story Before?

Before we break down this passage, does this story remind you of something, or somethings that happened in the Old Testament? For example

1 Kings 17:17-24 and 2 Kings 4:32-37

These two passages recount the stories of Elijah and Elisha, each reviving a young man. In 1st Kings, is the story of Elisha reviving a widow woman’s son from Zarephath. The 2nd Kings passage is a similar story but this event happened just a few miles from Nain in the area called Shunem. In both accounts, the prophets spent multiple attempts at reviving and pleading with God to revive the sons of these widows. They placed their own bodies over the bodies of these young men and continued praying until finally the young men were brought back to life. In Elijah’s story (1 Kings) Elijah presents the son to his mother. This partly explains the people’s response in verse 16. “A great prophet has risen up among us” and, “God has visited His people.” Luke assumes we’re going to make the connections because we know the stories.

Similar stories, but Jesus isn’t just another prophet. Come with me.

Jesus Enters the Scene (v. 11)

Luke 7:11

Luke 7:11 NKJV

Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd.

Jesus and his entourage traveled from Capernaum (7:1) to Nain.

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This is about a 2 day journey on foot, approximately 25 miles. We’re told that a large crowd plus some of his disciples are with him.

A Hopeless Situation (v. 12)

Luke 7:12 NKJV

And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her.

Jesus and his crowd arrive at the gates of Nain and are met with a funeral procession. Did you see in the text how Jesus and his group are going in as death is going out. Life is entering - death is exiting: and here they meet at the gate of Nain.

The text also tells us that this dead man is the only son of his mother, and, oh yeah… by the way, she’s a widow too. The scene is certain in that her future is uncertain. There is no one to provide for her.

Burials happen quickly in those days. The body probably wrapped as was the custom, carried on an open coffin called a bier (vs. 14) to the place of his final resting place, probably a tomb of some sort. The point here is that death had already spoken its verdict. This man was very much dead.

And did you see in the text how verse 12 ends? A large crowd is with the grieving widow; but they’re exiting. Interesting because there is a large crowd with Jesus (v.11); and they’re entering. They met - at the gate - in full public view. I can almost hear the old western whistle that lets the audience know there’s a showdown on the horizon. On one side is the one who defeats the power of death; the other - death.

Compassion Moves First (v. 13)

Luke 7:13 NKJV

When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”

“The Lord” is a fascinating way to begin this sentence. This is the first time that Luke himself, as narrator calls Jesus, “Lord.” Before this chapter, Luke will tell us what other people call Jesus; Master, Teacher, etc. But here, it’s Luke telling us, not what others call him, he’s telling us who Jesus is; he is Lord! This title shows up exactly where the authority becomes undeniable. Jesus isn’t responding to a request. No one asks him to intervene. The woman says not a word. This entire miracle is by his initiative.

The Lord saw her. That’s what sets him on his course. He saw her. There’s a large crowd. There’s a funeral procession. But he sees her. Not the crowd, not the procession, and not the body. He saw her. He had compassion.

The Greek word used here for compassion means “inner organs.” It’s the seat of the emotions. Jesus sees and is moved to his core and he therefore acts. Luke uses this word in the parable of the Good Samaritan and the Parable of the Two Lost Sons (Prodigal Son).

His words to her “Do not weep,” at face value, if we didn’t know who he is would seem callous. If we were to say those words, that would be ridiculous. Don’t weep? Are you kidding? I mean what a thing to say. She’s not just weeping the demise of her son, she’s probably weeping the demise of herself. What is she going to do? Will someone in the crowd care for her the rest of her life? She is face to face with uncertainty and you tell her not to weep? But that’s the difference between Jesus and you and me. He has the complete authority to back up his words.

But his compassion leads him to speak to her first. Before he ever addresses “death,” he addresses her. Before he speaks life, he speaks comfort and peace. Because after all, “he saw her.”

Authority Confronts Death (v. 14)

Luke 7:14 NKJV

Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”

Jesus walks up to the bier, the open coffin, and he does the most unthinkable thing a religious Jewish person, much less a rabbi, would probably do; he touches the coffin, risking ritual impurity. The men carrying the dead body stop.

Then Jesus speaks. “Get up” or “arise.” In the Greek it’s imperative verb. It’s a command. But it’s also passive which implies that the action is being done by someone, not by the young man. So, be raised? By whom, exactly? We would immediately say, well Jesus of course. But notice, not just by Jesus - by his word.

And this whole scene, verses 13 and 14, conjure images of Genesis 1 and Genesis 2-3. In Genesis 1 we see God, Elohim, creating with the spoken word. Whatever he says becomes reality. But he seems to be creating from a distance. In Genesis 2-3 God’s title changes from Elohim, God Almighty, to Lord God; it’s his personal name, YHWH. He’s the personal God who creates with his hands and is speaking with his people and is walking in their midst. Here Jesus embodies both titles. To the woman, he presents himself as Lord. Luke tells us so in verse 13. This is the personal God who sees us and has compassion on us. Then he confronts death and speaks and his words, yet again become, not symbolic like our speech, but reality. It’s why he can say to the woman, “Don’t weep.” It’s why he can touch the place of death, the open coffin, because by his word alone he’s changing the entire trajectory of these people’s lives.

Jesus doesn’t speak over him. He doesn’t speak about him. he doesn’t even address the power of “death” itself. Instead He’s personal. He speaks to the young man. He speaks to him as a person and not a problem to be solved because he is both God Almighty and he is Lord. He can confront death by just speaking to the person.

Life Restored By His Word (v. 15)

Luke 7:15 NKJV

So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.

Unlike Elijah and Elisha, there is no delay between Jesus’ words and the young man’s resurrection. He who was dead sat up. Yeah, that would be a freaky. It’s just unheard of. These are stories we read about, not actual events that we witness or much less happen to us. But Luke wants us to know that this act of sitting up isn’t just nerve endings acting on the dead man’s muscles. The man begins to speak. What he has to say is irrelevant. If it weren’t then Luke would have made a point to tell us. So the focus isn’t on the young man, it’s on Jesus’ authority over death.

But just like Elijah and Elishah, Jesus presents the son to his mother. He restores their relationship. This young man is alive, not just because he sat up, not just because he spoke, but he is alive through personal interaction and relationship.

God Gets the Glory (v. 16)

Luke 7:16 NKJV

Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.”

Notice there are three responses

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

Three responses:

1. Fear seized them all

2. They glorified God

3. They interpreted what they saw

 A. “Fear seized them all.”  

Not terror, panic, or dread. This is recognition and it’s awe in the presence of divine action. This is the same category as the Old Testament encounters where God shows up and people realize that “this is not normal. God is here.”

Therefore, fear is the recognition of God’s nearness and power

B. “They glorified God” - they get the direction right

Look at what they don’t say. “What a man!” “What a miracle worker!” Instead the say, “God did this.” They don’t interpret the moment into human admiration.

C. Their interpretation (two statements)

“A great prophet has arisen among us”

They’re not wrong. This fits Elijah/Elisha stories. Raising a widow’s son is a prophetic signature. They’re recognizing that this is God acting through a prophet

2. “God has visited His people”

Also not wrong. That’s Old Testament language. God stepping in to act decisively especially in moments of helplessness, like the Exodus. So they’re saying God has shown up and intervened

But here’s the tension from what they say, “a great prophet…” and “God has visited…”

Again notice what they don’t say, such as, “this is the Lord standing in front of us”

Luke already told us in v.13 that “the Lord saw her.” So we have the narrator telling us that this is “the Lord.” The crowd on the other hand is at the level of “prophet” and the event itself is “God has visited.” Do you see the gap?

What Luke is doing…

Luke lets the crowd interpret correctly at one level but fall short of full recognition. They see God’s action but they don’t yet fully see who Jesus is. They’re not wrong, but it’s not complete.

Everyone agrees something divine just happened. The only question left is whether God has visited His people or whether He’s standing right in front of them.

And Luke lets that tension sit without resolving it.

Application: Bring Him what you’ve already buried

The crowd had already accepted the outcome. No one asks Jesus to help. No one expects anything. They’re on their way to bury the man.

Application: There are things in your life you’ve already decided are over, done, beyond hope: relationships, People, Situations, Even your own growth.

You’ve moved from praying to managing. You’ve moved from hoping to accepting and this text pushes back on that.

Just because you’ve accepted it as final doesn’t mean Jesus has.

But what if you’ve been praying and have continually brought the same concerns to God not just over the course of days and weeks, but over years.

In Luke 7, the widow isn’t bringing anything to Jesus. She’s not praying or asking. Jesus moves without her initiative. Some of you hear the words “bring it to Jesus,” and your honest response is, “I already have-over and over-and nothing has changed.” This text actually makes space for that.

This passage is not a promise about timing and so we need to be careful here. The text does not say that Jesus always acts immediately, or every situation will be reversed. This passage shows what Jesus can do but it doesn’t tell you when He will do it.

What the text does give you, even for the person still waiting: Jesus sees. “the Lord saw her.” It wasn’t eventually, after she asked. He sees.

Jesus is moved; “he had compassion” and that hasn’t changed. Even if the situation hasn’t moved or the outcome hasn’t come, His posture hasn’t shifted.

Jesus acts—but on His initiative

That’s the hard part. He is not controlled, not predictable and its not on our timeline. But also he is not absent

Some of you have been bringing the same thing to the Lord for a long time—and nothing has changed. And if we’re honest, this kind of passage can feel frustrating, because you’re thinking, “That’s not my story.”

But notice—this woman didn’t ask. She wasn’t believing for a miracle. Jesus stepped into her situation without her initiating it. Jesus even tells us in Luke 4 that there were many who had leprosy in Israel during the time of Elisha, but it was a Gentile, Naaman the Syrian, that was healed. So this text isn’t saying, ‘If you bring it the right way, Jesus will fix it right away.’ It’s showing you something deeper. Its showing us what He is like.

Even if you’re still waiting, this hasn’t changed. He sees. He is moved and He is not indifferent to what feels final to you.

Your job is not to force an outcome. Your job is to refuse to let the situation convince you that He doesn’t care or that He’s not present.

Some of you are still waiting—and this story doesn’t answer your timeline. But it does answer His heart.”

This text doesn’t promise He’ll fix it when you want—but it refuses to let you believe He doesn’t see or doesn’t care.

Just because you’ve accepted it as final doesn’t mean Jesus has.

And even if you’re still waiting, don’t let the delay convince you He’s not involved—because in this story, He steps in without being asked.

So the bottom line is that you don’t have to try harder or even try to believe that it will happen soon (whatever “it” is). His compassion is real even when the outcome hasn’t changed yet.