#1369 Luke 7 Part 2 A Nain Bier

 

11 Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12 As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” 17 And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

 Luke 7: 11-17 ESV

Luke 7: 11-17

Nain - This is a town about six miles southeast of Nazareth; it's name means "beautiful".

Nain - see Wikipedia. "Nain was a day’s journey from Capernaum and lay between Endor and Shunem, where Elisha, as the old story runs, raised another mother’s son (2 Kings 4:18–37). To this day, ten minutes’ walk from Nain on the road to Endor there is a cemetery of rock tombs in which the dead are laid." (Barclay Luke 7) Nain was on the northern slope of the Hill of Moreh which in turn was on the eastern end of the Jezreel Valley. It was about 6 miles SE of Nazareth. On its south side Hill of Moreh was the town of Shunem where Elisha raised the son of the Shunammite woman (2Ki 4:18-37). - Precept Austin

And His disciples and a great crowd went with Him - Jesus has distinguished between His twelve Apostles, who were disciples (learners), the other disciples who followed Jesus to learn, and the crowd, those there for the fish, bread and other miracles. Now keep in mind, Judas was part of the twelve, so none of these designations allow us to know whether someone was born again or not, even in the crowd of those who were there solely for the entertainment, yet one of them might be called, chosen to eternal life. We have to look at the fruit produced by that tree along with it's confession, but for now there are a lot of people following Jesus for various reasons.

A man who had died was being carried out - So the crowd that is following Jesus comes upon another group that is going to a funeral. 

The only son of his mother, and she was a widow - It was the son's place to take in the mother, and this brings compassion to the story, that it was viewed in such a way. Her husband is dead and the male that was next in line to care for her, her only son is now dead too. She is what they would call destitute, and I hear people speak often of how wicked God is in that this happens to people, that they lose a loved one, and it is undoubtedly the worse sort of funeral when a parent has to bury a child, it seems backwards. But sin has entered the world, and Jesus highlights this here, and God has given men instruction, that they are to work and keep, widows falling under their keep. Jesus is our example of what humanity should be.

…26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless. 27Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1: 26-27

When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her - Now for Him compassion always leads to something, with the rich young ruler it was a matter of giving him the truth, exposing his heart. With this widow He tells her, "do not weep", and I don't recommend that for anyone else in a similar situation because you won't be able to do what He does next.

…15“We have sinned,” the Israelites said to the LORD. “Deal with us as You see fit; but please deliver us today!” 16So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and He could no longer bear the misery of Israel. Judges 10: 15-16

Touched the bier - Bier is another word for coffin, and coming in contact with the dead would be considered a breech, making one unclean, but God can't be made unclean, and we will see why.

TECHNICAL NOTE - IVP Background Commentary - Interrupting a funeral was a blatant breach of Jewish law and custom; touching the bier exposed Jesus to a day’s uncleanness (Nu 19:21–22); touching the corpse exposed him to a week’s uncleanness (cf. Nu 5:2–3; 19:11–20). But in Jesus’ case, the influence goes in the other direction. People customarily dropped whatever they were doing and joined in a funeral procession when it passed by. For a widow’s only son to die before she did was considered extremely tragic; it also left her dependent on public charity for support unless she had other relatives of means. - Precept Austin

Young man, I say to you, arise - He turned the funeral into a resurrection, not even death has power over Him. Now I'm sure the Pharisees were looking for some sort of technicality to get Him on here. "You came in contact with the dead', and He could answer, 'you mean this guy? He doesn't look that dead to Me." 

J C Ryle on arise - We learn, lastly, from these verses, the almighty power of our Lord Jesus Christ. We can ask no proof of this more striking than the miracle which we are now considering. He gives back life to a dead man with a few words. He speaks to a cold corpse, and at once it becomes a living person. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the heart, the lungs, the brain, the senses, again resume their work and discharge their duty. “Young man,” He cried, “I say unto thee arise.” That voice was a voice mighty in operation. At once “he that was dead sat up and began to speak.”

Let us see in this mighty miracle a pledge of that solemn event, the general resurrection. That same Jesus who here raised one dead person, shall raise all mankind at the last day. “The hour cometh in the which all that are in the grave shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation.” (John 5:28, 29.) When the trumpet sounds and Christ commands, there can be no refusal or escape. All must appear before His bar in their bodies. All shall be judged according to their works.

Let us see, furthermore, in this mighty miracle, a lively emblem of Christ’s power to quicken the dead in sins. In Him is life. He quickeneth whom He will. (John 5:21.) He can raise to a new life souls that now seem dead in worldliness and sin. He can say to hearts that now appear corrupt and lifeless, “Arise to repentance, and live in the service of God.” Let us never despair of any soul. Let us pray for our children, and faint not. Our young men and our young women may long seem travelling on the way to ruin. But let us pray on. Who can tell but He that met the funeral at the gates of Nain may yet meet our unconverted children, and say with almighty power, “Young man, arise.” With Christ nothing is impossible.

Let us leave the passage with a solemn recollection of those things which are yet to happen at the last day. We read that “there came a fear on all,” at Nain when the young man was raised. What then shall be the feelings of mankind when all the dead are raised at once? The unconverted man may well fear that day. He is not prepared to meet God. But the true Christian has nothing to fear. He may lay him down and sleep peacefully in his grave. In Christ He is complete and safe, and when he rises again he shall see God’s face in peace. (Luke 7) - JC Ryle

Fear seized them all - It is a bit out of the ordinary, difficult for a skeptic to explain away. Jesus's miracles were done in a time of very little technology and much was out in the open. When you can't dismiss something then you try to understand why it is happening, but power like this, and the variety of things Jesus is able to perform along with what He teaches, leads them to believe they are being visited by a prophet. They would be familiar with Elijah and Moses from their reading, and this Man is connected to many of the same type of miracles, but the quantity and authority is astounding. When prophets came they usually brought a message from God that was not well received by the people, and though it was not their own message apart from God, yet the people turned on the messenger. 

17 After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18 And she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!” 19 And he said to her, “Give me your son.” And he took him from her arms and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed. 20 And he cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?” 21 Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child's life come into him again.” 22 And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.” 24 And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.” 1 Kings 17: 17-24

And this report about Him spread - That a prophet has come and that God has visited His people. Jesus is the perfection of the offices of Prophet, Priest and King, and He is God, but sadly this proclamation will change to "crucify Him, crucify Him.