Luke 7:11-17 - Jesus Speaks Life to a Dead Man

Luke 7 begins with Jesus in the city of Capernaum located on the north side of the Sea of Galilee. It was there He was approached by a group of elders asking him to come with them to heal the servant of Roman centurion. Jesus responded to their request and went with them but on the way there the centurion sent word through his friends that he felt unworthy for Jesus to enter his house but knew if Jesus just spoke the word that his servant would be healed. Jesus spoke the word and then commended the centurion’s great faith to the crowd that was with Him.   Now in Luke 7:11-17, Jesus leaves Capernaum and goes to the city of Nain where He responds to a widow’s great sorrow. Nain was about twenty-five miles from Capernaum, a good day's journey away, yet Jesus went there even though He was not requested to come. Since the Jews buried their dead the same day (Deut. 21:23; Acts 5:5-10), it is likely that Jesus and His disciples arrived at the city gate late in the afternoon of the day the man died. In this passage we find that four special meetings took place at the city gate that day.   First, we notice that two “large crowds” met at the gate of the city. We can only marvel at the providence of God when we see Jesus meet that funeral procession just as it was heading for the burial ground. He lived on a divine timetable as He obeyed the will of His Father (John 11:9; 13:1). The sympathetic Savior always gives help when we need it most (Hebrews 4:16). This was no “accidental” meeting.   What a contrast between the crowd that was following Jesus and the crowd following the widow and her dead son. Jesus and His disciples were rejoicing in the blessing of the Lord, but the widow and her friends were lamenting the death of her only son. Jesus was heading for the city while the mourners were heading for the cemetery.   Next, we find that two “only sons” met. One was alive but destined to die, the other dead but destined to live. The term “only begotten” as applied to Jesus means "unique," "the only one of its kind." Jesus is not a "son" in the same sense that I am, having been brought into existence by conception and birth. Since Jesus is eternal God, He has always existed. The title Son of God declares Christ's divine nature and His relationship to the Father, to whom the Son has willingly subjected Himself from all eternity.   Then, two “sufferers” met. Jesus, "the Man of Sorrows," could easily identify with the widow's heartache. Not only was she in sorrow, but she was now left alone in a society that did not have resources to care for widows. What would happen to her? Jesus felt the pain that sin and death have brought into this world, and He did something about it   Finally, two enemies met. Jesus faced death, "the last enemy" (1 Corinthians 15:26). When you consider the pain and grief that it causes in this world, death is indeed an enemy, and only Jesus Christ can give us victory (see 1 Cor. 15:51-58; Heb. 2:14-15). Jesus had only to speak the word, and the young man was raised to life and health.   The young man gave two evidences of life: he sat up and he spoke. We can only imagine what he said! In the Gospels Jesus raised three dead people back to life. This is the first one. The next was Jairus’s daughter in Luke 8:49-56. And Lazarus in John 11. In each case Jesus spoke to them. When Jesus speaks life to us, we are never the same! The crowd responded by glorifying God!   Spiritually speaking, each of us is in one of these two crowds. If you have trusted Christ, you are going to the city whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:10, 13-16; 12:22). If you are "dead in sin”, you are already in the cemetery and under the condemnation of God (John 3:36; Ephesians 2:1-3). You need to trust Jesus Christ and be raised from the dead (John 5:24; Ephesians 2:4-10).   Today, which crowd are you in?   God bless!