author: Ryan Hayden Take your Bibles with me and turn to Luke 7. Luke 7. We are going to be reading verses 11-17 today.
Do you remember your first encounter with death?
I'll never forget mine. I was in the second grade. The lady who had been my first grade teacher was an old retired missionary named Mrs. Richter. She lived in Washington, DC and drove out to the suburbs every day to teach. She is the one who taught me to read. She didn't drive alone, she brought several kids from her neighborhood with her each day and paid for their tuition. One of those kids was my favorite buddy at recess.
Well, one day as she was driving to the school, her car was hit by a tractor trailer killing both her and one of the kids in the car. As a boy, I remember sitting in her funeral grappling with the fact that both this teacher who meant so much to me and a friend who was my age were now gone.
Death stinks. I wish I could say that was the only time I had to deal with that kind of thing.
In seventh grade there was a man who I befriended in my church. He was probably 30. Loved the Lord. Had a beautiful wife and 2 small children. He died of brain cancer.
Then the next year my grandmother died of cancer. A few years before we came here, we learned that a kid I used to babysit was murdered as a teenager.
And my experience with death is mild - very mild compared to some of you. Some of you have lost husbands and children. Some of you have had to deal with the pain which is probably above every pain - the pain of burying a child.
I don't agree much with the old psychologist Carl Yung, but he did say this and I think it is very smart - he said "the death of a child is like a period in the middle of a sentence." Some of you have had to deal with that and I am so sorry.
I think we can find some comfort in this story today. Let's read Luke 7:11-17
[!bible] Luke 7:11-17 - KJV 11. And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. 12. Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. 13. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 14. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 15. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. 16. And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. 17. And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.
Just a short passage today, a short story - but I think there are some important lessons here.
Jesus goes from Capurnahum to this little town called Nain. That's about a 25 mile journey on foot, with a crowd. So you have to think that it was probably late afternoon when they got there.
As they are approaching this little town, the Jesus crowd runs right into another crowd. Jesus' procession runs into a funeral procession on the outside of the city.
The way this would have worked is you would have had your pallbears carrying a bier - or an open casket. Basically just a bed with the deceased on it. Then behind that you would have had the deceased family. Then behind them you would have a mixed crowd of friends and professional mourners.
Yes, you heard that right, they would hire people to cry at funerals. (I have a couple of young daughters who would be qualified.)
So big crowd, lots of noise. But Jesus immediately saw what was behind the crowd.
The man on the bier was a young man. Somewhere between 15 and 40 years old. Behind him in the family section there was one woman - obviously his mom - and she was alone.
So this means that 1) this woman was a widow and 2) this woman had lost her only son.
Now this meant a few things:
First, it meant that this woman was in an absolutely helpless state. Remember, this is Bible times, they didn't have social security. A widow was expected to be cared for by her children, by her sons. So this woman was going to be totally destitute.
But just as awful - it meant this woman was all alone. Tomorrow, the funeral crowds wouldn't be there. Tomorrow she would wake up and her husband wouldn't be there, her son wouldn't be there - and she would be all alone in this world and she would have to face the fact that every day of the rest of her life was going to look like that.
This is a truly awful situation.
But notice how Jesus responded. Look at verse 13 again:
[!bible] Luke 7:13 - KJV 13. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
First, Jesus had compassion on her. According to Kent Hughes, this word "compassion" here is the strongest possible word that could be used. It's describing a physical reaction. We could say that when Jesus saw this woman and understood her condition - He was shaken.
This reminds me of the shortest verse in the Bible. John 11:35 simply says "Jesus wept." Why did Jesus weep? Because he saw his friends Mary and Martha grieving over death.
Jesus is moved with compassion for this woman.
Then Jesus did something you and I should never do. He said "weep not." In modern english He said "Don't cry."
Let me tell you, there are a lot of dumb things you can say in a funeral line - "Quit your blabbering" and "Dry it up" are about the worst.
Why would Jesus say that? He could only say that because of what He was about to do.
He walks up and touches the funeral bier. This was a big no-no in jewish society. It meant that Jesus was unclean. But Jesus did it.
Then Jesus said to the dead young man "Young man, I say unto thee, arise!" "Get up. Wake up."
Now listen, this young man was dead. But that doesn't mean he wasn't. He was still somewhere and could hear the command of Jesus.
So he immediately got up and started talking, and they brought him to his mom.
Think about what that mom must have been feeling. Can you imagine how those tears of anguish and sorrow turned into tears of joy?
And the end result of this was that there was that everyone there was struck with a great fear and they glorified God and said "A prophet is come."
Now, what do we make of this little story? What is the "teaching stuff" of this story? I want to point out three takeaways from this little story and then I'll be done.
The first thing I want to point out to you as we think about this story is...
1. Jesus loves widows
Really. Jesus looked at this woman and considered her state and he was moved with compassion towards her.
Have you ever thought of how many stories in the Bible involve widows? How much the Bible has to say about widows?
Way back in Exodus 22:22 it says:
[!bible] Exodus 22:22 - KJV 22. Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.
Deuteronomy 10:18 says:
[!bible] Deuteronomy 10:18 - KJV 18. He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.
In Psalm 146:9 it says:
[!bible] Psalms 146:9 - KJV 9. The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
So many of the prophets, including Isaiah and Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah and Malachi talked about how God wanted Israel to take better care of their widows.
Then you get to the New Testament and one of Jesus' biggest complaints against the Pharisees was that they "devour widows houses." He told the story of the "widow's mite."
The first conflict in the early church was related to care for widows. Paul instructed Timothy to care for widows.
And you have verses like this:
[!bible] James 1:27 - KJV 27. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Jesus loves widows. Jesus cares for widows. If you are lonely in this world, if you have lost people - then know this - Jesus has compassion on you. Jesus cares for you and God promises that He will look out for you.
Notice when we read this story that Jesus didn't heal this boy because someone showed faith. Jesus never asked anyone to do anything in this story. What moved Jesus in this story was just pure compassion for this widow.
And so if you are going through loss, know this - people may not get it. I may not get it. But Christ gets it and He has compassion on people.
So point 1 - Jesus loves widows. That's the first takeaway from this little story.
The second thing that stands out to me in this story is...
2. Jesus hates death
Do you know, there are three times in the life of Jesus when He encountered death:
- The story of Jairus daughter
- The story of Lazarus
- and this story
And do you know what happened in each of those stories: Jesus raised the dead.
I read one commentator that Jesus seemed to treat death as an unnatural thing. He treated death as an enemy to be defeated.
Because death is an unnatural thing. Death is a consequence of sin. God's plan is for us to live forever with Him.
Why did Jesus come? He came to give us "everlasting" what? Everlasting life.
And that brings me to the third takeway from this little story. Not only does Jesus love wisdom and hate death - but...
3. Jesus has power over death
In the old testament there are a few stories where a prophet raised someone from the dead. Both Elijah and Elisha have stories like this and do you know what?
They are very different from this story.
Elijah had to lie down on the boy and pray three different times before God raised him from the dead.
Elisha had someone lay his staff on the dead boy. Nothing happened. Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times before he was raised.
But notice what Jesus did - not just here, but in the story of Jairus daughter and in the story of Lazarus - Jesus just spoke. He said "Get up" or "Lazarus come forth" and the dead obeyed and came back to life.
No lying. No stretching. Jesus just commanded death and death obeyed. He has power over death.
And ultimately, that power was shown when Jesus Himself died on the cross. He was buried in a tomb - and then three days later - He rose again.
He displayed His power over death.
And because He has shown His power over death, because death has been defeated, we too will be raised from the dead.
Look with me in closing at 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians 15 and I want to read verses 51-57:
[!bible] 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 - KJV 51. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56. The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Notice - this isn't for everybody. This is for the redeemed. This is for the saved. When we trust Christ, when we place ourselves in Him, we are given "everlasting life" we are given victory over death and we will be raised again.
Conclusion
So, let me conclude with a few points of application.
First, if you are grieving a loss. Know that Jesus cares.
'Oh yes, he cares, I know He cares, his heart is touched with my grief.' Jesus cares. If Jesus is moved with compassion about this widow woman - He has compassion on you too.
Second, know that outside of Christ, we are all under death. Death is this unnatural thing that has come upon us because of sin, and outside of Christ we will face a second death - when we face God and bear His judgement.
But third, know this, Christ has defeated death. Christ went on the cross as a sinless person and He died. He died for you and died for me. He bore our sins upon Himself but He did not stay dead. He rose again, He rose triumphantly - and He promises to give all those who put their faith in Him everlasting life.
There is this beautiful song I learned a few years ago that says:
It is not death to fling
Aside this earthly dust
And rise with strong and noble wing
To live among the just
It is not death to hear
The key unlock the door
That sets us free from mortal years
To praise You evermore.
O Jesus, conquering the grave
Your precious blood has power to save
Those who trust in You
Will in Your mercy find
That it is not death to die
What will it be when you die? Will you be welcomed into everlasting life in heaven because you have trusted Christ or will you face the second death of God's judgment?
Jesus conquered death for those who trust in Him.
By raising this widows son, Jesus showed His attitudes towards death: that death is unnatural and the bereaved deserve compassion - but He also showed His ultimate power over death.
Let's stand for prayer.
