Jesus Raises the Son of a Widow

Luke 7:11-17

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. 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. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he tht was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. 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. And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.

Nain is a city in Galilee and Jesus went into this city and many of His disciples and men followed Him. Wherever Jesus went, His disciples and many men followed Him. Some sought the miracles in their lives and others simply followed Him to hear Him teach and to witness miracles. None that followed were ever let down and they were never disappointed but always were uplifted and encouraged by His power. We who follow Him today will also never be let down and He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Where else can we run to, but to Him who is our refuge and strength for He is our only helper in times of trouble?

When Jesus came near the city gate, He noticed a dead man being carried out and this man was the only son of his mother and she was a widow. She who was a widow must have faced so many troubles in the world already and right now she is suffering the loss of her only son. The heart of this mother must have been really sore and grieving bitterly. So many people from the city were with her. These many people have well done in mourning with this woman in sorrow.

When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said unto her, “Weep not”. Our Lord is a God of compassion. When we, His children are filled with sorrow, He is full of compassion unto us and His words to us who are mourning are: “Weep not!” These two words that proceeded out of the Master’s mouth were worthy enough to console a grieving soul. He passed by the city gate and His heart ran out to the woman who needed Him the most. He reaches out to the needy, the suffering and the troubled in a very special way and He wants us to do the same.

He came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. He was moved with compassion for this widow and He was not going to let her down and His words were accompanied with mighty acts. He touched the bier and they that carried the coffin stood still. I can only think that the men who carried the bier stood still as they sensed the power of God flowing through the coffin to the corpse inside. He commanded the dead young man to arise. Along with His special touch, He spoke the words of life into this dead man. He that was dead arose and began to speak. The dead man not only did arise at Jesus’ command but also started speaking. The life of the living Lord ran into every part of his body in an instant. Jesus then delivered the young man to his mother. This mother who was grieving moments before, now held her son with full of life and energy. He has power over our life, power over the wind and the sea and power over everything in this universe. He is the God of all creation! When we are filled with awe at the work of His hands, how much more should we wonder when we see Him face to face?

A fear that was godly came upon all that witnessed this miracle and they inevitably glorified God. They thought that a great prophet is risen when in reality He was here to save the entire mankind and provide the everlasting way. They further went on to say that God has visited his people and in fact God has sent His only begotten son so we through Him can have eternal life. They spoke these words because they wondered at His work and were rejoicing not just for the grieving woman but also for themselves because they were glad to be a part of this special visitation. And this rumor of Jesus went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout the entire region round about. The news about Jesus spread like a wildfire throughout the region. When we who have experienced the miraculous hand of God in our life, live out the glorious life of Jesus in us, who will not speak of the power in us? This will make people wonder where we got this special life. Let us live out the victorious life of Jesus here on earth. As I say this, I know the many trials and attacks that befell me; He will help us wade through the trials of life in an amazing way if we simply trust Him. Are you ready to completely trust in Him? The Word of God clearly speaks that Jesus was a walking wonder when He lived here on earth and we with the power of Jesus in us shall be walking wonders to those around us. May the living Lord fill our life with miracles such as these and may we be mighty witnesses of Him and His power!

Tomorrow: Samaritan Woman at the Well – Part I