Luke 7 (NLT)
11 Soon afterward Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him.
12 A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her.
13 When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said.
14 Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.”
15 Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.
16a Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God.
A cry is an expressive response to distress or discomfort. For this woman, her distress was not only that she is going be left alone but that her only son who would have grown to protect and provide for her has just gone. He was the reason she has been able to carry on after the death of her husband; He was her pride, her joy, her hope; in fact, her everything. The prayers of most parents are for their children to live to bury them not otherwise and this woman probably prayed this prayer but it seems that her prayer was unanswered and the bearers are now ready to carry her dead son to the sepulchre.
The pain of separation consumes the widow from within; Thoughts of how she’d be treated by the other women in town rings
Jesus arrived at this town called Nain which in the Greek is translated “Beauty, Pleasant” and in the Hebrew “Abode, Habitation” but at that time something unpleasant had just happened and a solemn removal was also taking place. Did you catch it? The boy had died in a pleasant place and is being carried away from where his habitation was supposed to be.
I told you a few weeks ago that a gate serves as a demarcation between two areas; a gate will either lock you in or shut you out and I keep wondering what would have happened had the bearers gone a far distance beyond the gate but thank God, Jesus came right on time!. He was right there at the gate, he wasn’t late. Friend, no matter what your circumstance is I want you to know that Jesus is at the gate, he won’t arrive late. Even if it seems He’s late and your stuff’s gone beyond the gate even down to the grave, Jesus will get there, resuscitate it and raise it. Shout Amen if you believe it. He did it for Lazarus, He can and will do it for you!
The scripture tells us that a large crowd was with this woman but will you agree with me that Jesus came just for her. It doesn’t matter how many folks are flocking with you, I want to let you know that Jesus can still spot you in the midst of a crowd and as a matter of fact, He has. As we read further on, verse 13 records that Jesus’ heart overflowed with compassion. Aren’t you pleased to know you have a compassionate God? He is not a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, He knows all our affairs, He cares and He is always near to wipe away any tears. Amen.
Afterwards, Jesus walked over to the coffin, touched it, and the bearers stopped. Did you see that? Friend, I don’t need to know who’s about to make away with your stuff but I want you to know that they will Stop! They cannot continue to cause you aggravation or pain, they must cease. Your sickness will stop, those creditors will cease to harass you, that trouble will discontinue in Jesus Name!
In Luke 8, there is an account of a woman who had a persisting problem, an issue of blood, until she made contact with Jesus. The scripture says “Immediately her issue of blood stanched” it stopped! I command every “Issue” in your life to Stop, Right Now!
So, Jesus raised the boy. He who was dead sat up. God has a way of causing dead things not only to live but to have being, Acts 17:28. God will revive every dead thing in your life, they will sit up, they will become active and they will talk: they will have an expression, make a sound, call for the attention of many and bring glory to His name. If I were you, I’d take a quick break just to Praise God for that…. Hallelujah!
After the boy talked, Jesus gave him back to his mother; this signifies complete restoration. God will hand back to you what originally has been or is rightfully yours. Never mind who snatched it off you or what they did along the way, the good news is that it’s coming back to you. Praise the Lord!
Related Journal:
Cry out!