Jesus Is Wonderful

Introduction

Good morning please turn in your Bibles to Luke 7:11-17 that is Luke 7:11-17. I want

I was speaking to my father-in-law recently and began to speak of the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is about 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide, and over 1 mile (6,000 feet / 1,800 m) deep. Pictures can’t do it justice and words can’t describe it. My father in law told me, It is so big and so amazing it almost doesn’t look real. The grandness of the Grand Canyon is so overwhelming that seeing it for yourself almost makes it more unbelievable. When you stand and stare at it, it warps your mind. It just doesn’t seem like something so big and beautiful belongs is this world. Its magnificence and magnitude almost make you doubt your own eyes. Can something so grand actually exists?

It is almost easier to hear stats about the Grand Canyon and believe those than actually behold it with your own eyes. I believe in many ways the same thing will be true about our Lord Jesus Christ. When the day comes and we actually behold him with our eyes, when our faith will be made sight, I think his grandeur will warp our minds. It will be terrifying and disorienting in a sense because something so grand doesn’t seem like it should be beheld by human eyes. And this is what happens in our text today as Jesus pulls back the curtain on his greatness. Jesus raises a man from the dead and Fear seizes the people. In resurrecting this man, Jesus’ greatness slips through for a moment and the people fear and glorify God.

This is our goal this morning. We want to read this text and through it behold Jesus. I want to try to declare the glory of Christ and help you see Him just a little more clearly. However, the true is, my words won’t be able to do Him justice. In the same that I can’t describe the Grand Canyon and capture the awe that comes from seeing it for yourself. I will not be able to describe Jesus and help you see Him in His fullness. Just like a personal encounter with the Grand Canyon cannot be replaced by a witness account, so to is a personal encounter with Jesus. I can tell you to go see the Grand Canyon, but you have to make the trip. I can tell you about the wonders of Jesus, but you have to seek him yourself if you want really see His grandness. But be warned, He is so great and so beautiful you will ask, does he belong is this world? Should He be beheld by human eyes… And I can say is, He chose to come, He chooses to be beheld, and He bids you come to him today. Let’s read Luke 7:11-17 and behold the wonder of Christ.

Jesus is Compassionate v. 11-13

Luke 7:11–13 “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.””

Jesus leaves the town of Capernaum and heads to the small town of Nain. When he travels, his disciples and a great crowd goes with him. I want to remind you again that the disciples was a larger group than just the 12. The 12 were selected from among the disciples, but Jesus people following him who were his disciples and others who are described as a crowd. There are those that follow Jesus who associate with Jesus, his disciples, and those who are following him and perhaps curious, but they are not disciples. So, Jesus is going to perform this miracle in front of these three groups of people. His disciples, the crowds following him, and the people of the city of Nain who attended this funeral.

As he draws near the gate of the town he sees a funeral procession approaching him. Now a town’s gate is a place where important business would often be handled among the towns elders. The sale of property would be witnessed here, official decisions made, town specific laws ratified, this is the place where important things happen. Also, a Jewish funeral was something that all Jews would be expected to attend. The considerable crowd isn’t necessarily a sign of the deceased having a lot of friends, but rather a cultural expectation in a small town. So, the occasion and the place of this miracle brings about a rather important and considerable crowd.

The dead man is being carried on a plank or a bier, so his body is exposed. He is described as being the only son of a widow. And this widow is weeping, which understandable. Burying a child might be the most painful thing that I can imagine, even if that child is an adult. Let alone, to have to deal with that emotional heartache without your spouse. She has only has the one son, and it seems like he is an only child. So, there are no sisters to help their mother bear this burden either. This is an emotionally difficult situation. It is also an difficult situation economically. In this time, women would not often trained in any sort of trade. Their husbands and their adult sons would typically provide for them financially. So, this woman would not be subjected to manual labor for little wages now that he husband and son were gone.

Jesus, looks at this situation. He looks at this widow and he has compassion on her. He speaks to her, and tells “Do not weep.” Now at first glance this seems outrageous. I mean who would do this. Who would walk into a funeral and tell the mother, don’t cry. But this is because Jesus is not just some traveling rabbi. He is not a religious teacher, He is the Lord. Luke has told us that Jesus is the Son of God himself and that his words carry authority. Jesus, moved by this woman’s pain has compassion and decides to act. Thus, he tells her, “do not weep.”

Jesus is not telling this woman that sad things won’t happen anymore. He not even claiming that he son will never die again after He raises him from the dead. Now, hopefully this young man outlived his mother, but we know that he is not still alive today. This is a partial resurrection in that it a temporary resurrection this man’s physical body. He is raised, but he will die again. Yet, Jesus’ words do not weep still carry weight for us.

In Isaiah 30:19–22 we read, “For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “Be gone!””

This text in Isaiah comes after Jewish people decide to flee to Egypt for safety as the Babylonians invade. God tells them to not flee to Egypt, but rather to return to Him. He will save them. He then gives them this promise through the prophet Isaiah. A promise that one day God’s people with dwell in Zion, Jerusalem, and shall weep no more. But he also explains that the Lord is the one who gives the bread of adversity and the water of affliction. Yet, you Teacher will not hide himself anymore. You eyes will see and your ears will hear, “This is the way, walk in it” And this will lead to the discarding of idols.

You may be suffering this morning, and a miracle might not happen. You might not get that new job, your womb might still be empty, you are still unmarried, your baby might not just start sleeping through the night, your body might not rapidly heal, your loved might be forced away for a time, your income still be low, the money still tight, your child still sick and suffering. But I want you to know that Jesus sees you and your pain and as the Lord looks on you he has compassion. He speaks to you and says, “weep no more.” A day is coming when resurrection will happen. We will live forever in the new Jerusalem and we will weep no more.

This is the kind of Savior that you have in Christ. A Savior who is compassionate and kind. He sees you, and he loves you. He is doing something about your situation and he done something about THE situation that sin has put us in. Moved by compassion we know that , John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

T/S- This is the promise Jesus makes to the sufferer and he make that promise because he rules of death.

Jesus’ Word Has Power Over Death v. 14-15

Luke 7:14–15 “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.”

Jesus sees the widow, has compassion on her, and he acts. He reaches out and touches bier or the plank that dead man was lying on. Touching this plank would have made him unclean, except with Jesus he is undoing death, and therefore he undoes the uncleaness of the plank and the body. He speaks to this man and tells him to arise. And in that moment something amazing happens. The dead man, obeys Jesus. He rises from the dead and he sat up. The dead man talks, we don’t what he said, but we know he spoke. And Jesus then present this man, he gives him to his mother.

Jesus’ words have the power to undo death itself. He is the Lord! in John 6 Jesus gives a series of difficult teachings and many start to leave him. Even some of his disciples. He then looks to the twelve and says will you leave me as well? John 6:68–69 “Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”” He has the words of eternal life, words that can raise a dead man to life! He is in total control of life and death…

The question for us, is do his words control you? His words are like the firm foundation that a man would use to build his house upon. If your life is built upon his word that you house will stand no matter what storm of life comes your way. His words have the power to heal a servant from a far and now we see that his words are able to raise the dead to life. John 1 tells us his word created the world. Hebrews 1 tells us that his word upholds the universe. Do you believe his word, do you obey his word? You know that his word has power, even over death.

Now simply declaring that Jesus word has power is the easy part. The hard part is living as if his word has power. It is choosing to rely on the power of his word when we are tempted to doubt or disobey his word. I have to admit this is the difficulty for me. When I feel powerless against my sin, will I go to the word of Christ to help me defeat sin.

My kids love to sing as they color and play. And they often sing songs that Brittany has playing through out TV at the house. They have been listening to a kids album called The Ology and the other day Vera just started singing the song One Step at a Time. It is a child’s song, but it captures my struggles with sin. See if you to can relate to its lyrics of the first verse.

It seems like it was just yesterday We had to say we were sorry (I feel like all the time, if feels like I am constantly repenting, sin is always around) And even though we don’t want to sin We fall again every day It feels like we’re pushing a rock that won’t move We want to obey, but it’s so hard to do (Ever feel that way?) (You do the things you hate to do, and don’t do the things you love) (But listen to the hope) Yes sin is hard to fight, but we can fight it! Why? But if Jesus is Lord, we can be sure Sin’s not in charge anymore

That’s the Gospel promise from this text today for you and me. Sin and death are crouching at the door and their desire is to rule over you. And listen, on your own it will conquer you. It is hard to not sin. It it like pushing a rock that won’t move, I want to obey it is so hard to do… But the good news. If Jesus is Lord then we can be sure, Sin’s not in charge anymore. Our text tells us, Luke 7:13 “And when the Lord saw her… He is Lord and so sin is not in charge. He rules over death with his Word. He rules over you and in Him you can obey!

Jesus speaks to a dead man and he obeys. It might seem a little strange but I want you to speak to your temptations this weak. When you feel tempted when you are envious, greedy, selfish, lustful, angry, rude… etc. speak to your temptation and your flesh and remind it. You are not in charge anymore. Jesus has conquered. He rules over sin and death.

T/S- and as you do this you will experience the glory of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is Glorious v. 16-17

Luke 7:16–17 “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.”

The man raises and fear seizes them all. I can relate to this. I mean it would be really disorienting and startling to see a man rise from the dead. It would cause be to be afraid. But it also causes them to glorify God. They are in awe and reverance to this mighty miracle. They are astounded. I think witnessing a miracle like this might be so amazing that it would be easier to read about rather than see. It would be like the Grand Canyon. It just seems too good, too other worldly, too unheard of to actually believe that it was happening in your town, to our friend, or your neighbor. And yet, it happened. There was no denying it and so they glorify God and say. “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!”

This passage shares a lot of similarities with an Old Testament prophet named Elijah. Elijah also raised a widow’s son from the dead and in facts after the resurrection in 1 Kings 17:23 we read “And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.”” In the greek translation of the Old Testament it uses the same exact words that Luke uses here to say “and gave him to his mother.”

Luke is showing us how the story of Elijah was pointing the the greater prophet you would come. The prophet that was promised to Moses and Israel in Deuteronomy 18:18 “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.” Jesus is the great prophet that was greater than all OT prophets. And yet, he was more than a prophet. He is the Lord himself. He is God made flesh who has visited his people. This term visited is used by Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist when he prophesies about John the Baptist’ ministry. He proclaims that God will visit his people and bring them salvation. As Jesus delivers this man from death the people recognize that something amazing is happening. Through Jesus God will bring salvation to His people. And after this the least supernatural part of the text happens. A report is spread throughout the whole of Judea and the surrounding country about him.

I say this is non-supernatural because this is what we do as humans all of the time. We spread news with very little effort. We are made to spread news. This is why social media has taken off. It is just people spreading news about what captivates them in any given moment. We post the things we want to spread throughout our spheres of influence.

If Jesus has captured your heart, then you will spread his name throughout your sphere’s of influence. People at work won’t just know that you’re a Christian. They will know that you believe that Jesus saves. It isn’t about making a report about your stance or opinion on any particular issue. The call is to make Christ known for who he is. He is the compassionate one, who rules over death, and he’s glorious beyond compare. In Him, God has visited his people. In Him, we see and behold the glory of God.

Conclusion

We are heading into a very busy summer. But I pray that you would see that we are busy doing really good things. We are busy because we’re captivated. We host interns, we will gather with other church’s to worship on June 6th, we host a sports camp June 15-18, celebrate with a block party June 18, and host an outreach July 25th not to just grow our church. But because fear, awe has seized us. We want to glorify him and declare his name to all who will hear. We want to show compassion, declare his power, and praise him in his glory. I hope you will join us this summer as you are able. I pray that you will see Jesus for who he is. That you will trust in your trials, claim his power over your temptations, and glory in his glory. Let’s pray.