Luke 7:14-17 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. (NIV)
Jesus is amazingly kind and personally compassionate. His encounter with the funeral procession showed how much God loved a grieving mother, who was already a widow; and taught the disciples that He had the answer to the biggest problem of all, death. By touching the coffin, He stopped the burial; and by commanding the young man to get up, He raised the dead to life!
You can imagine the mother's joy of embracing her son who was now alive and talking. Of course, the paid mourners ceased their wailing, and start to praise God; so did Jesus' followers. Clearly God had been at work. But all that raised the question, "Who was Jesus"? The Old Testament prophets, Elijah and Elisha, had raised the dead: so the crowds at least understood that Jesus' power came from God. And they realised that God had come to help His people, although they still had to learn that His best help was far greater than raising a young man from the dead - Jesus would give eternal life to all who believed in Him.
We all need help. None of us can fight the great enemies of life and win by ourselves; and the greatest enemy is death. That is why Jesus came to earth, so that by His death He might destroy death's power-holder, the devil (Hebrews 2:14). But do you think He is only interested in our welfare in heaven? No! Romans 8:32 says, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" So, the Jesus who died for our eternal salvation is the same Jesus who helps us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16). That being so, we should also rejoice; knowing that He is ready to provide just the right sort of powerful assistance as we cry out to Him.
Jesus is amazingly kind and personally compassionate. His encounter with the funeral procession showed how much God loved a grieving mother, who was already a widow; and taught the disciples that He had the answer to the biggest problem of all, death. By touching the coffin, He stopped the burial; and by commanding the young man to get up, He raised the dead to life!
You can imagine the mother's joy of embracing her son who was now alive and talking. Of course, the paid mourners ceased their wailing, and start to praise God; so did Jesus' followers. Clearly God had been at work. But all that raised the question, "Who was Jesus"? The Old Testament prophets, Elijah and Elisha, had raised the dead: so the crowds at least understood that Jesus' power came from God. And they realised that God had come to help His people, although they still had to learn that His best help was far greater than raising a young man from the dead - Jesus would give eternal life to all who believed in Him.
We all need help. None of us can fight the great enemies of life and win by ourselves; and the greatest enemy is death. That is why Jesus came to earth, so that by His death He might destroy death's power-holder, the devil (Hebrews 2:14). But do you think He is only interested in our welfare in heaven? No! Romans 8:32 says, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" So, the Jesus who died for our eternal salvation is the same Jesus who helps us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16). That being so, we should also rejoice; knowing that He is ready to provide just the right sort of powerful assistance as we cry out to Him.
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