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| Dead Son Restored to His Mother courtesy photobucket.com |
I took notes and gleaned from
Pastor Jerry’s sermon as he read from Luke 7:11-17. This was the account of Jesus leaving
Capernaum and a large crowd following him to the city of Nain.
Pastor reminded us that when
we shop at the grocery store and approach the check out counter there are
tabloids with strange stories inviting you to read their entire account. Most are pure nonsense, and rarely true, yet
people are intrigued by the trashy headlines.
If there was a Marketplace
newspaper in the early century, the title may have read, “Itinerate Rabi raises
young man to life. Many would probably
say, “That is Absurd.”
The Bible story relates that
as Jesus and those following him approached Nain, another crowd was coming in the
opposite direction. The people wailed
loudly as was the custom and were telling the story of the young man’s
death.
The widowed mother was weeping
and following the pall bearers. This was
her only son, and she now had no one to care for her. No doubt her son’s death was also a death
sentence for her as well.
The crowd following Jesus
moved aside to allow the funeral procession to pass, and Jesus had compassion
upon the poor widow.
Unthinkable in that
day, was to touch a dead body, but Jesus reached out and touched the bier. Then he touched the dead man and said, “Young
man I say unto you arise.” Amazing to
the audience, the boy sat up and spoke. Then
Jesus gave the boy back to his mother alive.
A lot of rumors began to
circulate that day about Jesus. Is he a
prophet? Is he the promised Messiah? How
can he do these miracles that are being reported?
Pastor mentioned that there
is a difference between Resuscitate and Resurrect. Jesus had brought back to life a young girl, then
Lazarus, and now this boy. They remained
in their own human body and one day they would die again.
Jesus was Resurrected, and given a new body
and he is alive for ever more. One day
we too shall receive a resurrected body when we arrive at heaven’s gates.
Since His baptism Jesus had
been very busy; He spent 40 days fasting, he turned water into wine, healed a
leper and others, released a demonic man from his chains, yet many were
disturbed by this man Jesus. In his home town, a crowd tried to throw him over
a cliff, but he disappeared from their midst.
We wonder if we should go around speaking to the physically dead and telling them to arise.
No, probably not unless you are definitely led by the Holy Spirit.
However there are many
spiritually dead all around us and they need to hear the message that in Jesus
there is everlasting life available, if they will receive Him.
Let us proclaim the Good News
while it is yet day - - for the night cometh when no man can work.
This post is shared with Charlotte
