READ: Luke 7:11-17: … And the dead man sat up and began to speak … and they glorified God …
After the miracle of the healing of the centurion’s servant, Jesus again walks with His disciples and a large group of people to another city, many hours away from Capernaum. Just as He enters this city, a funeral procession is coming through the gate. From what follows, we may conclude that this is certainly no ‘coincidence,’ if coincidences exists at all.
Is it not the Lord God who governs all things? The deceased is the only son of his mother, who is a widow. She is now left completely alone. Quite a number of people are accompanying the procession.
Jesus sees the woman walking there in tears behind her son’s coffin and has deep compassion for her. When Jesus then says of His own accord, ‘Do not weep,’ she would not have understood this immediately. What and who could still ease her intense grief? Her child is dead; that is final. Everyone can see that. Nor will she be the only one who is weeping.
But Jesus does not wait; He immediately takes action. He walks up to the coffin and touches it with His hands while the bearers stand still. Then comes His command: ‘Young man, I say to you, arise!’ Immediately a great miracle takes place, even greater than the healing of the centurion’s servant: the dead man becomes alive, sits up, and even begins to speak!
Such a miracle had not occurred in the New Testament since the ministries of Elijah (1 Ki. 17:17-24) and Elisha (2 Ki. 4:32-35). In those two cases, God Himself was the acting Person. Jesus again demonstrates His divine power, with which He now conquers death. Jesus gives the son back to his mother, using words similar to those of Elijah and Elisha. Yet there are differences: Jesus does this without the many gestures and fervent prayers that Elijah and Elisha used. Calmly and with dignity, Jesus speaks His words.
The effect on the many people is profound: they are overwhelmed by this divine miracle. They glorify God in this mighty and loving act and acknowledge Jesus as ‘a’ great Prophet. However, they do not t yet acknowledge Him as the great Prophet, the ‘Prince of life’ (Deut. 18:15; Acts 3:15).
Why must we read about these miracles?
Sing: Ps. 68:8