Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and His disciples and a large crowd went along with Him. As He approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out. He was the only son of his mother. She was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, His heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” Then He went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
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.” This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.
— Luke 7:11-17 NIV
Jesus is not just a figure of history, but an open door that leads to healing, prosperity, and miracles. He is the gateway to God’s grace and power. Wherever there is sickness, disease, death, or poverty, Jesus will show up. Sometimes, He will show up without an invitation. When He appears, if you trust Him, He will make it all right.
Jesus had just healed a Centurion’s son in Capernaum when He decided to go to the city of Nain. It was a day’s journey, yet Jesus went to the town even though no one requested that He come. His arrival was unexpected, yet reassuring. Wherever there is a need, Jesus will show up. Four special meetings occurred at the city’s gate that day.
Two Crowds Come Face to Face With Jesus
Jesus met that funeral procession just as it headed for the burial ground. He lived on a divine timetable (John 11:9; 13:1), as He obeyed the will of His Father. Our God is an on-time God, and Jesus will show up to help you (Hebrews 4:16).
What a contrast between the crowd trailing Jesus and the crowd that followed the widow and her dead son. Jesus and His disciples rejoiced in the blessing of the Lord. In contrast, the widow and her friends were lamenting the death of her only son. Jesus was heading to the city while the mourners were heading to the cemetery.
We are all part of one of these two crowds, spiritually speaking. If your trust is in Jesus, you are on the path to the city (Hebrews 11:10,13-16). This city is a metaphor for spiritual life and prosperity. If you are dead in sin, you are already in the cemetery. This is a metaphor for spiritual death and separation from God. You are also under the condemnation of God (John 3:36). Still, if you trust Him, Jesus will show up. He will raise you from the dead (Ephesians 2:4-10). This is a metaphor for spiritual rebirth and redemption.
Two Only Sons Meet Each Other
One of the two sons was alive but destined to die, the other was dead but destined to live. The phrase “only begotten Son” means Jesus was unique. His divine nature is awe-inspiring. Jesus is not a son in the same sense that we are. We were born by conception and birth. Since Jesus is the eternal God, He has always existed. The title “Son of God” declares Jesus’ divine nature. It also describes His relationship to the Father. To the Father, He willingly subjected Himself from all eternity.
Two Sufferers Meet
Being a “man of sorrows,” Jesus easily identified with the widow’s pain. She was not only in sorrow. She was now left alone in a society that did not support widows. Jesus felt the pain that sin and death brought into this world, and He did something about it.
Jesus is acquainted with your suffering. His compassion will not allow Him to ignore your pain. When pain and sorrow find you, trust Him. Jesus will show up and do something about your suffering. He is your miracle.
Two Enemies
You realize that death causes pain and grief in this world. It is indeed an enemy. Only Jesus can give us victory (Hebrews 2:14-15). Jesus had only to speak the word, and the boy was restored to life and health. The last enemy of humankind is death. Jesus faced and conquered death (1 Corinthians 15:26). This victory over death demonstrates Jesus’s power and love. It also gives us hope to overcome our spiritual enemies with His help.
When Jesus touched the coffin, the young man sat up and began to talk. Then Jesus brought him to his mother. The Bible does not tell us what he said, but whatever He said, it got the attention of those nearby. This scene offers a preview of Jesus’s return. It shows how He will reunite us with our loved ones. His promise of return fills us with hope and expectation (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
The Bible does not tell us whether this young man died from a disease. It also does not tell us if he died from an accident. We do not know whether he died slowly or suddenly. But we know he died in the prime of his life, and he was the widow’s only son.
I also lost a son in the prime of his life. It is an unbearable pain. This pain will not subside unless the Lord intervenes. If you have lost a family member to death, trust the Lord. Because of His compassion for you, Jesus will show up for you, too, just as He did for me.
The Lord Knows
Jesus knows everything about us, and He knows our pain. He knew both the woman and the corpse in the coffin. First, Jesus knew that the corpse was a young man. He knew that the young man was the widow’s only son. Secondly, He did not wait for the grieving mother to ask Him for help. Sometimes, Jesus will show up before we call Him. He is a very present help in times of trouble. Thirdly, when He saw her, He had compassion for her. Fourthly, He said to her, “Don’t cry.” Fifthly, Jesus, without any flamboyant ceremony, went and touched the coffin. Those bearing the dead man stood still with amazement and expectation. Finally, note the application and the delicacy of the miracle. He reunited the mother with her son.
You don’t have to bear your burden alone. With a miracle, Jesus will show up for you if you’re in need. Jesus is there for you in your time of need. If you trust Him, He will show up for you. He will do a miracle just as He did for the widow of Nain and me.
