Widow Of Nain's Son Raised

WIDOW OF NAIN’S SON RAISED

Luke 7:11-17

[Some of the material contained in this message is borrowed from Charles Spurgeon’s sermon on this passage]

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. Jackie Cahill took her four-year-old great-grandson to Leavenworth National Cemetery where her husband is buried. While there, they heard the sound of a bugle. "What's that?" asked Jeremy. "‘Taps.’ They play it at a soldier's burial," she explained. A minute later came the honorary rifle salute. With eyes bugging out, Jeremiah asked, "Did they just shoot him?!"

2. JOKE #2

a. An Angel appeared at a university faculty meeting and told the Dean, "In return for your unselfish and exemplary behavior, the Lord will reward you with your choice of infinite wealth, wisdom, or beauty."

b. "Give me infinite wisdom!" declared the Dean, without hesitation. "Done!" Says the angel before disappearing into cloud of smoke.

c. All heads now turn to the Dean, who sits surrounded by a faint halo of light. "Well," says a colleague, "say something brilliant." The Dean stands and, with the poise of Socrates, opines, "I should've taken the money." (Henry Mixon)

B. TEXT

“11 Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12 As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”

14 Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16 They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” 17 This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country” Luke 7:11-17.

C. THESIS

1. We’re going to look at the event of Christ raising the Widow of Nain’s Son, and see the implications it has for us today.

2. title: “Widow of Nain’s Son Raised.”

I. PRE-MIRACLE HAPPENINGS

A. MIRACLES DAILY, WITHOUT DELAY

1. Behold, the ever-flowing power of our Lord Jesus Christ! He had worked a great healing on the centurion’s servant, and now, only a day after, he raises the dead.

2. Did He save you yesterday? His readiness to intervene is the same today. If you seek Him, His love and grace will flow to you today. Never is our Lord compelled to pause until He has recharged His resources. Virtue goes out of Him forever.

B. ANY TIME, ANY PLACE

1. Notice, also, the naturalness of the outflowings of His life-giving power. Jesus was travelling and He works miracles while on the road—“He went into a city called Nain.”

2. He doesn’t seem to have come to Nain [NOT] at anyone’s request to heal. But He was passing through the city for some reason which is not recorded.

C. ALWAYS READY

1. See how the Lord Jesus is always ready to heal! He healed the woman who touched him in the crowd while He was on the road to quite another person’s house.

2. He gives life to the dead when He is en route. No time, no place can find Jesus unwilling or unable.

3. On Mt. Carmel, the Baalites found their deity was on a journey, or sleeping; they discovered they couldn’t count on his help. But whether Jesus journeys or sleeps -- a prayer will find Him ready to conquer death, or still the tempest.

II. THE MEETING AT THE GATE

A. THE REMARKABLE TIMING OF THE MEETING

1. Isn’t it odd the young man died and was being buried just then? How strange that they came at the exact hour of his burial! Jesus & co. had just travelled 25 miles and arrived at Nain in the evening. Evening funerals are very rare; I can’t remember one.

2. How amazing that of the four gates that entered the city that Jesus would be entering the very one from which the funeral procession issued!

3. Almost all ancient cities were built on hills. He made His way up the hill to the little city and reached the gate at the same moment when the funeral procession was coming out.

4. He met the dead man between the funeral and the cemetery. A little later and the man would have been buried. A little earlier in the day and he would have been at home lying in the darkened room and no one might have called the Lord’s attention to him.

B. THE MEETING OF DEATH & LIFE