Luke 7: 11-17 NIV
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 bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers 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.
This miracle is found only in the book of Luke. The KJV says in the first verse, “And it came to pass the day after”. So this was the very next day after Jesus had healed the centurion’s servant (in Luke 7:1-10). Nain was 30 miles southwest of Capernaum at 700 feet above sea level while Capernaum was on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, 600 feet below sea level. So Jesus traveled 30 miles on rocky terrain—an arduous, uphill climb of 1300 feet—to reach Nain in time to intercept the burial of the widow’s son.
This information helps us understand that this miracle was very important to Jesus because he made it before the young man was buried. This passage is a description of the resurrection of the dead.
Interpretation:
Through one man, death came through sin to all men and death reigned.
Romans 5:12 – Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.
As an answer to the trespass, God offers the free gift of grace that provides justification for all. This brings life to all men. (Rom 5:12-19) The widow is the picture of the justified church. Her seed is the target of the evil one who attempts to destroy it due to sin (Rev 12). But the ministry of reconciliation is given to all men who believe in Jesus to become united with Christ not counting their sins but justifying them through Christ’s righteousness (2 Cor 5:18-21). This is the ministry of reconciliation.
2 Cor 5:18-21 – 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
One died for all. Therefore all died. Jesus died so that we would no longer live for ourselves but for Him who died for us and raised us to life again (2 Cor 5:14-15). We are thus a new creation because this is all from God who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, not counting men’s sins against them (vs. 17-19). We have thus been made into the righteousness of God (vs. 21).
We are also provided the conditional assurance of being raised from the dead.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
This is the reason Jesus says to the widow, “Don’t cry.”
1 Cor 6:14 – 14 By His power God raised the Lord from the dead, and He will raise us also.
Jesus says to the man: “Young man, I say to you, get up!”
1 Corinthians 15:26 – The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Romans 8:38-39 – For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother (vs. 15) When he is raised from the dead, he praises God and lives for God. “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; and it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.” – 1 Corinthians 15:42-44
We who have been made alive (through the ministry of reconciliation) are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. (2 Cor 4:11) Through our faith in God, the Father will raise us with Jesus and present everyone in His presence. (2 Cor 4: 13-14) All this is for our benefit (vs. 15).
What is the condition for being raised again?
The young man was alive before he died because He believed in Jesus. He was raised to life again because he died living for Jesus. He is thus raised in glory as he died in Christ. We see the same pattern in the raising of Lazarus and the raising of Jairus’ daughter. Jairus is the centurion in Luke 7:1-10 whom Jesus commends for his great faith.
The people were 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.
The Old Testament prophets Elijah and Elisha too raised the dead. This is the reason for the reference to a great prophet. Indeed God has come to help his people.
Conclusion:
John 11:25-26
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
The new creation is when God raises us from the death imposed by the fall. They were once dead but made alive by believing in Jesus. They will live even though they were dead in sin by believing in Jesus. This is the new birth. But only those who died living in Him will never die. This means that if we die while not living for Him, we will die (not be raised in glory). This news is a weighty one because it calls for our baptism into His death.
When we are thus buried with Him through our baptism into death, we too will be raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, that we too may walk in the newness of life. Being united with Him in death is the only assurance that we will be united with Him in His resurrection (Rom 6:3-5 BSB). We might ask, “Hasn’t He already been resurrected?” “Yes He has.” But God will bring with Jesus only those who have fallen asleep in Him. “For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:14 NIV
3Or aren’t you aware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life. 5For if we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection.… – Rom 6:3-5 BSB
The resurrection is in glory but it must be preceded by death that is indicated by our baptism. The new birth must be lived in the power of the Holy Spirit (baptism unto death) that makes us walk in the newness of life until we die again (or Jesus returns) and therefore we are resurrected in glory. Amen.
Additional Scriptures
Ecclesiastes 12:7 – And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 – So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:51 – Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.
Job 14:14 – If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come.
Ezekiel 18:32 – For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”
Psalm 116:15 – Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
John 16:22
“Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
Psalm 48:14
For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.
Psalm 34:18
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 147:3
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
John 14:1
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.
Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Romans 14:8
If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
Revelation 21:4
‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Matthew 5:4
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
1 Thessalonians 4:17-18
After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.