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. 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. When the Lord saw her, He compassionately said to her, “Do not weep.” 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.” So he, who was dead, sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.

Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen among us”; and, “God has visited His people.” And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.

Luke 7: 11-17

More Than A Prophet

Jesus had left Capernaum earlier in the day and walked 20 miles to the little village of Nain. His disciples, and many others, had followed Him after witnessing the healing of the Centurion’s servant.

Jesus never actually met the Centurion. The powerful ranking officer of the Roman army felt so unworthy that he sent messengers to Jesus, expressing his great faith, unlike the chosen of Israel, in Jesus’ power to heal by simply saying the word. Jesus didn’t need to come to the Centurion’s house to perform the miracle. Jesus marveled at his faith and said,

“Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Matthew 8: 10-12

Such a contrast between the faith and destiny of an “unchosen” (A Gentile) and the “chosen!” (Abraham’s descendants). The unchosen’s faith saved him for eternity. The Chosen’s faith and religiosity, absent of faith in Christ, would lead to outer darkness, weeping, and gnashing of teeth.

The people, too, marveled at the words of Jesus that went contrary to the arrogant religious leaders’ self-serving theology. It left many wondering about the mission of Jesus.

An only son brought back to life.

As the crowd walked toward Nain, the thoughts of Jesus’ miracle of healing the Centurnion’s servant still lingered in each person’s mind. Was He the promised Messiah described by all the prophets of Israel? Hope was in the heart of many who saw Jesus perform miracles, and doubt in the minds of others who saw it as trickery.

On Nain’s outskirts, Jesus and followers came upon a slow-moving and mournful funeral procession. Following the open casket was the bereaved mother whose only son lay lifeless on the raised carrier of his body. This young man was her only son and the only support left in the widow’s life. Her weeping was painful and pitiful. In the heart of Jesus awoke sympathy and sadness for the widow.

Because of her downcast posture and eyes full of tears, she didn’t see Jesus at first, but He came close to her and said,

“Weep not.”

“When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her.” (Luke 7:13) As she moved on blindly, weping, noting not His presence, He came close beside her, and gently said, “Weep not.” Jesus was about to change her grief to joy, het He could not forbear the expression of tender sympathy.”

Desire of Ages, p. 318

In the moment of her deepest despair, not knowing of Jesus’ presence, her pain was to turn into pure joy! Likewise, even when we cannot sense the presence of God, He feels our grief and anguish! Let us look up, in faith, from our troubles into the eyes of Jesus!

“He came and touched the open coffin.” The crowd stopped and grew silent in anticipation of Jesus’ next words. They were not to be disappointed.

“Young man, I say to you, arise.”

That voice pierces the ears of the dead. The young man opens his eyes.

But much more…

“So he, who was dead, sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.“

“Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.” 

But Jesus is more than a prophet! He has the keys to the grave and death (Revelation 1:18). He can unlock those bound by death and let them go!

“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Matthew 28:18

Real Death

The young man was returned to life on this earth but would die again someday, awaiting another resurrection. One that would last forever. There is no indication of how long the widow’s son had been dead. The mourning and preparations likely took a few days.

The Bible records others who were raised back to life. Lazarus had been dead for four days. Long enough to give off the stench of rotting flesh.

“Lord, by this time, there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

John 11: 39

Another raised from the dead was Jarius’ daughter. While Jesus was on his way to help the young girl, she died.

He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” Jesus went with him.

While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”

Mark 5: 23-24, 35

Unlike Lazarius (dead four days) and the widow’s son (dead approximately the same time as Lazarius), the little girl died that day.

Some commentators forget that Jesus raised more than three people. Many in the graves came forth when Jesus died and was resurrected. Their time in death must have been even longer than Lazarus, the widow’s son, and Jarius’ daughter. It could have been weeks, perhaps even years.

Why is the length of time of death significant? For a few reasons:

1.) Their coming back to life was not a few moments or even minutes on an operating table or elsewhere. It was to the point of decay! This is why I cannot put much confidence in the modern stories of those who “died” and came back to life. They are unbiblical delusional accounts. and often motivated by fame and fortune in book sales.

2.) Of all those that Jesus resurrected, they are no stories of them seeing heaven. No books of the Bible are written by them describing paradise’s beauties. So where were they? Simply put, they were dead and in their graves awaiting the resurrection. Jesus described their condition as like sleep (unconscious of time or space).

Of Lazarus, He said,

“Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”….Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.

Luke 11:10, 14

To the mourners of Jarius’ daughter, Jesus said,

The child is not dead but sleeping.”

Mark 5: 39

3.) The best comfort a Christian can get at losing a loved one is not that the deceased are looking down on a sinful hateful world or are anxious about whether a loved one will join them. This cannot be heaven to them. But instead, their death is like a quick moment of sleep in the arms and mind of Jesus, who “has the keys to the grave and death.” He alone can bring back loved ones from dust to life. That dead person will feel like their death was just a moment, while it may have been hundreds, even thousands of years!

Even in the oldest book of the Bible, Job put his comfort in the fact of the resurrection by the Redeemer in the last day even though the skin would be destroyed in death.

For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;

And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me! Job 19: 25-27

The last-day-resurrection-of-the-saved was known in Jesus’ time. Martha knew it when she said to Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus:

“I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

John 11:24

My friends find comfort in Paul’s statement to the Thessalonians. These believers were worried about those who died and did not live to see the return of Christ. He ends the encouraging description with “Comfort one another with these words.” This is where I find comfort for my mother and father, who passed away. They were “in Christ.” They sleep for a moment; then they see Jesus coming in the clouds!

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep (There’s that word again!) lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. …For the Lord, Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1

Thessalonians 4: 13 14-18

The widow of Nain, Lazarus, Jarius’ daughter, and the many saints resurrected with Jesus after His death on the cross all testify of the power of the resurrection. This power separates Him from any other person claiming to be God. He has the keys to the grave and death!

Brother or sister, are you “in Christ”? If you are, you too will see Jesus when He gives you and all those asleep in Christ immortality at the second coming (See 1 Corinthians 15: 51-55)