The Church of Eleven22 - Lent Devo Episode 16: Widow’s Son

Episode Date: March 19, 2020

Luke 7:11-18

What is it? Jesus, some of the miracles. Jesus has all the words. The Church of 1122 is a movement for all people to discover and deepen a relationship with Jesus Christ. Welcome to our Lent podcast. Hey, my name is Ryan Horner, and I'm one of the ministers here at the Church of 1122. This Lent season, we were working through some of the miracles Jesus shared with us across the gospel accounts. We were looking at how each of these miracles points us to the greatest of all miracles.

which is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The miracle of Jesus we're focused on today is found in Luke, chapter 7, will be in verses 11 through 17. Soon afterward, he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold a man who had died was being carried out,

the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, do not weep. Then he came up and touched the beer, and the bearer stood still. And he said, young man, I say to you, arise. And the dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all.

And they glorified God saying, a great prophet has risen among us. And God has visited his people. And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea in all the surrounding country. In this passage, we see Jesus, his disciples, and a great crowd arrive at a town, and they come upon a funeral procession taking place at the city gate. A large crowd from the town is also gathered for the funeral procession for a widow whose only son has just died, and is being taken out in a beer, which is similar to an open coffin. This woman is at her wits end.

You see, in the first century, men were the means and symbol of both provision and inheritance. And this widow has lost her husband, and now she's lost her only son. She has lost the two most important people in her life, and in her context, she is nothing else to live for.

And it says when Jesus saw her, he had splugitsomai. He had compassion. And you may have heard, Pastor Joe, we talk about this before, but this word compassion literally means to be moved as two ones bowels because the bowels were thought to be the seat of love and pity. So Jesus sees this widow, he sees her inner despair, and he stirred to compassion. So Jesus then approaches the open coffin that the widow's son is being carried in and tells her not to weep and commands the sun

to rise. She must have been so confused by this turn of events and I'm certain she didn't expect the outcome. Jesus says arise and the young man, the widow's only son, sat up and began to speak. And everyone watching is filled with awe as they glorify God for the power that they witnessed through Jesus Christ. Here in Luke chapter 7 is the first time Jesus displays his authority over death by raising someone from the dead. This widow was hopeless before encountering Jesus, but it was through his commanding life from death that she's given hope, provision, and inheritance

through the life of her only son. This miraculous resurrection account should direct our attention to the greater resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. You see, Jesus, God's only son, went to the cross and died to forever pay the penalty of sin. but he would not remain dead. Instead, he rose three days later, conquering sin and death,

and in his resurrection, he secured for us eternally what he secured for the widow temporarily. For the widow, Jesus gave her a hope for a future through her son's new life. And in the same way, when Jesus rose from the dead, he secured for us an eternal future hope through our new life in him.

For the widow, Jesus created a temperament, temporary means of provision through her restored son, and in the same way we are secured a provision of joy and satisfaction in the presence of God for all of eternity. To the widow, Jesus restored for her an inheritance through her son, and in the same way we have an eternal inheritance given to us as sons and daughters of the Most High King. praise God for the hope provision and inheritance secured at the resurrection of Jesus Christ for all who would believe in their heart and confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord let's pray Jesus Lord I thank you for your scripture we are so blessed at our very

fingertips we have the truth of your word and Lord I pray that your word would transform our hearts every single day. Thank you for your beauty. Thank you for the beauty of your love displayed on the cross. God, I'm so often overwhelmed at your grace. I pray that the reminder of your resurrection would stir the deepest affections of our hearts for you. It is only in you that we have abundant life.

And so I ask Lord for the power to live as one church sold out for the glory of God. We love you and we praise you. you and is in your precious and holy name we pray amen thanks for listening our prayer is that this podcast will help you deepen your relationship with jesus for more resources go to c o e22.com forward slash lent