From the city of Capernaum, Jesus walked south to the small village of Nain. It was about 20-25 miles. Jesus would not have been very far from his own hometown of Nazareth; it was about 6 miles northwest of Nain.
Not only were Jesus’ disciples with Him but also a “large crowd” came out from Nain. All the better to see and testify to the miracle Jesus is about to perform.
THE WIDOW – 7:12:
As you enter into the modern village of Nain, there are still remnants of an ancient cemetery there. Perhaps Jesus was in the area of that cemetery when He meets this group coming out. The group was carrying a dead body, perhaps laying on top of a large piece of wood, wrapped in burial clothes.
Luke informs us that he learned (cf. 1:1-4) this young man was the only son of this woman and she was a widow. It certainly was not easy in that day to be a widow and childless. She would be at the mercy of her family and neighbors but they probably were not very wealthy themselves, living in a small village in the hills.
THE COMPASSION – 7:13:
Before Luke tells us what Jesus did, He tells us what Jesus felt. First, observe that Luke refers to Jesus as “the Lord.” The Master. The one in control of all things. But despite His authority and power, Jesus notices every single person. Please observe the significance of the expression: “the Lord saw her.” In that big crowd, in every large crowd, Jesus sees each of us as individuals. He sees us and knows us and, as with this widow, He knows what we need.
Jesus is also a man of compassion. When Jesus saw this widow walking along the path following her dead son to be buried, He “felt compassion for her.” The Greek word here literally means “to be moved in the intestines.” That’s where the ancient peoples believed your emotions were. That’s why the KJV often translates this word “bowels.” Jesus was moved with emotions on the inside (cf. Matthew 12:18-21).
Jesus tells this widow: “Do not weep.” Jesus knows what He is about to do. His disciples might not. As far as Luke is concerned, this is the first resurrection Jesus has performed so He has not done that yet. “Do not weep.” That’s the same message Jesus gives us today in the face of death (1 Thess. 4:13, 18; Rev. 14:13).
Jesus is a man of compassion. Do not weep. You or I might tell a loved one that at a funeral. It would not be wise, but we might say, “Don’t cry.” If they were to respond, “Why not?” We would have no good answer. But Jesus has an answer as to “why not.” For the child of God, death is only a sleep. We will rise again.
THE RESURRECTION – 7:14-15:
Jesus touches the coffin, which probably would have made Him unclean according to the Law of Moses except the “dead body” immediately comes to life! The “pall-bearers” stop and Jesus speaks to the young man, “Young man, I say to you arise!” Later, Peter calls Jesus the “Prince of life” in Acts 3:15.
So Jesus presented the resurrected young man back to his mother.
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THE REACTION OF THE CROWD – 7:16-17:
Fear grips everyone standing around. Remember, Jesus has not performed a resurrection yet! So, the people began “glorifying God” and they recognized that Jesus was a “great prophet.” No one had raised the dead since Elijah and Elisha about 800 years before! Wow! What an event! This is the first time the common people recognize Jesus as a prophet.
“God has visited His people,” they said. Jesus is God visiting His people. That message went out all over Judea and in all the surrounding district. Eventually the news reached the fortress of Herod, called Machaerus, where John the baptizer was imprisoned (7:18ff). Look at 7:22, the message Jesus told the messengers from John to take back to him: “the dead are raised up.” John, have hope. John, don’t compromise the truth. John, you are about to be beheaded. But in Jesus, “the dead are raised up.”
WHAT WE LEARN FROM THIS EVENT:
1. Jesus is a man of compassion. Let us remember that and let us share and show that same compassion toward others.
2. In the face of death, Christians have no cause for weeping and grieving. Why?
3. Because Jesus holds in His hands the keys of death and hades. Jesus rose from the dead to prove to us that He has that power. He can and will raise us from the dead.
4. Jesus did not perform miracles in small corners with small crowds. They were performed publicly so they could be critiqued or verified.
5. In the light of all of Jesus’ miracles, we too, need to fear. This man has all authority in heaven and on earth.
6. We, too, need to recognize that in Jesus, we see God’s visitation among mankind. What a wonderful gift.
We move from death to life through the power of Jesus to raise the dead.
–Paul Holland
