Jesus Ruins a Funeral. Luke 7:11-17
INTRO.: One day early in the second year of Jesus’ public ministry, two large crowds met outside the gate of a walled city in Galilee. There was quite a contrast between these crowds.
One crowd had come from the lakeshore town of Capernaum. It was a noisy, joyous crowd led by Jesus, a man known as a mighty prophet and miracle worker. They were celebrating a great miracle of healing they had witnessed. They were anxious to see what this teacher would do next.
The other crowd was led by a widow and a wicker coffin. In the coffin was the widow’s only son. This was a large crowd of well-wishers and professional mourners. They came through the gate out of the little walled town of Nain. This also was a noisy crowd. They were wailing, praying and weeping loudly as was the custom of the day.
When these two crowds met, a wonderful miracle was witnessed by all. We receive wonderful insight into:
I. The human dilemma. The consequences of sin.
A. Why all this weeping? A widow’s son is dead.
1. He is his mother’s only son.
2. She has lost a husband previously. Her life is full of grief.
3. He gave her love and provided her livelihood.
4. He was her pride and joy. Now she must lay his lifeless body in the earth.
B. Do we not all die?
1. Job 14:1 "Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.
2. Ps 90:10 The length of our days is seventy years — or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
3. No matter how long we live, death comes too soon. For a mother to outlive her child is doubly tragic.
C. All the mourning and crying in this world is the result of sin:
1. Before sin entered the human picture, there was no death, no disease, no crying.
2. When God created the universe He saw it was all “very good.”
3. Not every sorrow is because of personal sin, but we live in a world scarred and marred by sin and it touches all of us.
4. Every funeral we attend should make us hate sin.
II. The compassion of the Savior:
A. “Don’t cry.” a strange remark.
1. Doesn’t everyone cry at funerals?
2. At the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus cried. John 11:35. He shared our human feelings. How many times did He cry?
3. It’s a human response to tears. We don’t know what to say, so we say “don’t cry.”
4. From Jesus, these were words of compassion and reassurance. The need to cry would soon pass.
B. Notice, “His heart went out to her.”
1. A very strong expression. He was moved with deep compassion.
2. His heart overflowed with pity.
3. His heart is so touched, He actually went up and touched the coffin. No small violation to Jews standing by.
C. Remember, the Savior is human and He understands our suffering.
1. No one asked or expected anything from Him. If asked why He raised the boy, He might have said, “Just because I felt like it.”
2. Jesus still lives and still feels our grief.
3. When you stand beside the coffin of a loved one, know Jesus is beside you and He weeps with you.
4. The time is coming when He will wipe away all tears.
III. The capacity of the Savior to help:
A. He speaks with authority, "Young man, I say to you, get up!"
1. Only the One who created life could presume to make such a demand and expect compliance.
2. He commands even the dead.
3. Elijah raised the dead (I Kings 17:20f.) Elisha raised the dead. (II Kings 4:34, 35.) Peter did also. (Acts 9:40.) They all prayed to God.
4. Jesus didn’t pray to God. He is God!
B. Christ also has power to give life to those dead in sin.
1. We have experienced this resurrection. Eph. 2:4, 5
2. This is a greater miracle than the one in our text. The young man of Nain died physically again.
3. We should pray without giving up for loved ones who are dead in sin.
4. Witness to others with confidence.
C. Another resurrection is coming:
1. John 5:28 "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out — those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.
2. Our bodies will be raised & renewed.
3. ILLUS.: “The King Is Coming”
4. This man’s resurrection is a forecast of the time when all will be raised.
CONC.: the reaction of the crowd, now one crowd, was predictable. Vv. 17, 18.
How will you react when the Lord comes back and the dead are raised? ILLUS.: “Sarah.”
Christ will return. Let’s be ready.
The King is coming
Happy faces line the hallways,
those whose lives have been redeemed.
Broken homes that He has mended,
those from prison He has freed.
Little children and the aged,
hand in hand stand all aglow.
Who were crippled, broken, ruined,
clad in garments white as snow.
The King is coming.
Sarah.
An elderly lady, a resident in the county nursing home, attended my weekly Bible class. I asked how they thought they would react if present when Jesus raised this widow’s son.
Sarah answered, “I would be scared and run away.”
She was a devout person, so I probed a little, “What if it were your son?” (I knew she had a son who had died.)
She replied, “If he is dead, he should stay dead.”
I countered with, “Someday the Lord will raise everyone, what then?”
“I can wait!”
