Luke 7:11-17 When God Visits October 30, 2016pm www.newhopefwbc.com 1285 Ne w Hope R oad Joelton, TN 37080 6 1 5. 7 4 6. 6 4 0 3 READ LUKE 7:11-17 October 31, 1517 (Wednesday morning)-martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg Church. Edict of Worms Commanded to recant I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen. Eric Till s 2003 Luther Sola Fide, by faith alone. Sola Scriptura, by Scripture alone. Solus Christus, through Christ alone. Sola Gratia, by grace alone. Soli Deo Gloria, glory to God alone. I mention that for a couple of reasons: 1. Tomorrow, we celebrate 499 years of that man s great courage and wisdom 2. I want to reaffirm how important Scripture is to us every time we meet. Corey M. Minter Page 1 of 5
11 Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. The day after a timeline of events in the life of Christ is particularly difficult, because of the Greek word usage here. I think probably a better rendering might be after a short time. Nain - 1,766 (Joelton - 8,189); 20 miles from Capernaum- where He was at the beginning of the chapter A large crowd as small as the town is they may easily double the population 12 And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. A dead man was being carried out Death is walking out of town, but Life is walking into town. The mourning process was quick but intense -Because the Jews did not embalm, the dead were often buried the same day -The body was taken outside of the city to be buried. -What Jesus and His crowd have stumbled upon is our idea of the modern day funeral procession The situation was HOPELESS. -A man had died. Someone is left without his care/ finances. Corey M. Minter Page 2 of 5
-The man is identified as the only son of his mother. His mother, who most likely would be passed the days of childbirth, is without her son. Her hopes for a lineage and grandchildren are dashed. - She was a widow. -She had been here before. -She has no prospects of safety. She must work all day in the fields and pick up grain that has been dropped by the harvesters. THERE ARE NO HOPELESS CASES WITH JESUS. 13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, Do not weep. Please understand what is happening here. Jesus is standing on the road with a great crowd of people behind Him. They are all celebrating life with Jesus. There is another sizable crowd who they meet, and they are all mourning death. JESUS STOPS THE FUNERAL PROCESSION. 14 Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, Young man, I say to you, arise. 15 So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother. There is a beautiful picture here of Jesus, Who had granted her the blessing of giving birth to her son, now gives her her son again. Corey M. Minter Page 3 of 5
16 Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, A great prophet has risen up among us ; and, God has visited His people. 17 And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region. Ruth1:6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had visited His people by giving them bread. Naomi Sweet Mara Bitter Ruth 4:11 And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the Lord will give you from this young woman. 13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! 15 And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him. Corey M. Minter Page 4 of 5
16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him. 17 Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi. And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. Corey M. Minter Page 5 of 5