Luke 7:11-17 - Darkness Interrupted

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If you have your Bibles with you, open them to the Gospel of Luke as we continue our study.

Once again, we'll be reading in Luke 7, beginning at verse 11 and reading down through verse 17.

If you don't have a Bible, you'll see the words on the screen so you can follow along as I read.

So here now, the Gospels, we see it, we hear it from Luke 7, beginning at verse 11.

Soon afterward, he went to a town called Nain.

And his disciples and a great crowd went with him.

And he drew near to the gate of the town.

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.

When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her.

And he said to her, do not weep.

Then he came up and touched the bier.

And the bearers 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.

And fear seized them all.

And they glorified God, saying, a great prophet has arisen among us.

And God has visited his people.

And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

As we just sang to cling to the crucified, let's pray together as I lead us that indeed as we go through the study of his word,

that is where he'll take us to the crucified.

Let's pray.

Father, would you grant us the gift of your spirit?

Would you help us to know you?

Would you open up your word to us?

We come in here to this place with so many things that potentially could distract us, could take our attention, could draw us away.

But Father, would you pierce through all that?

Would you shine the light of truth into our hearts?

But not just truth.

Would you shine the light of your glory?

All that you are.

And draw us into a deeper, fuller knowledge of you.

Would you reveal to us the crucified?

The one who died.

The one who died.

The one who lived for us.

But yet the one who was raised.

Would you draw us to him?

And we pray in the name of the living word, our Lord Jesus.

Amen.

Amen.

You know, if you remember back a couple months ago, as we were going through Luke, we were in chapter 4.

And Jesus, as his ministry commenced, he preached his first sermon at a synagogue in Nazareth.

And he quoted, he read words from Isaiah the prophet, Isaiah 61.

And as Luke gives it to us in chapter 4, verses 18 and 19, Jesus said this.

He said,

Of course, right after reading these words, he takes his hearers back farther into the Old Testament,

and tells them two stories.

Stories of which almost got him killed prematurely.

Of course, we know that was not going to happen, but still.

One of those stories was about a Syrian general named Naaman.

And Naaman had leprosy.

And Naaman went to, heard of this great healing power that was with Elisha.

And so he went to Israel to see Elisha that he might be cured.

And we see a parallel of that story in the story that we looked at last week with the Roman centurion and his servant.

This week, we see another parallel because the other story that Jesus referred to was a widow in Sidon.

A non-Jew who had an only son who died.

And she called on help from Elijah, the great prophet.

And Elijah, through a miraculous intervention of the Spirit of God, was able to raise this widow's son from the dead.

And here, now we see another parallel.

And so what is Jesus doing in all this?

Jesus is drawing direct parallels to this time where God came and visited his people.

In those particular stories with the widow of Sidon and Naaman the Syrian demonstrated this.

But now Luke is doing the same thing.

Except he's doing it in an even bigger way.

Because now it's not just a great prophet that has come to Israel.

But God himself.

The key, the main theme of all that Jesus was coming to do, we see in that sermon, in those words that he spoke way back in Nazareth.

In chapter 4.

And the theme is this.

Is that I, the Redeemer, have come to bring release.

Release from the captives.

Release from those who are oppressed.

And in these two accounts that we see of the centurion and this widow from Nain.

We see the ministry of release that Jesus proclaimed is now demonstrated in a very tangible form.

And so we not only hear about release that's coming, we see it.

And so this is what I want to turn our attention to, particularly in this story of the widow.

How we see redemption unfold in these very tangible situations.

The first thing I want us to see here is how in redemption despair is turned to hope.

What we've got here is a story of a widow.

And this is a very, this is a far more desperate situation that you might initially realize.

For a widow, a widow in that culture was in many ways the most desperate of people.

A woman was dependent upon her husband to not only provide for her and to care for her and all of her material needs.

She really found much of her place in society through him.

And then if something happened to him, then her son, her offspring would then take care of her for the rest of her days.

This woman is on her way to a funeral.

And unfortunately, it's a path she's already been on once before.

She had a husband and one son.

Her husband, we don't know how long ago, died.

But it wasn't that terribly long ago because this man who was on this funeral bar was a young man.

The words that are used here is that he was more likely a teenager who died very prematurely.

And so now she is at the head of this large procession coming out of this village.

A most desperate, helpless, alone widow.

And you imagine, I mean, the grief that she bears over losing a son.

And I know some of you here have experienced that.

But that grief was just multiplied because she is now looking at hopelessness.

She has no one.

No one to care for her.

No one to provide for her.

She is a most desperate woman.

And so to this widow, Jesus brings the ministry of release.

He meets her.

And it's interesting.

This whole setting, it's like there's a collision of two worlds.

You see this great crowd of people coming out of the city, out of the gate of the village,

right when another crowd is just about to come.

And so they meet with Jesus right in the middle.

And Jesus does three things.

The first thing he does, if you look at the text, he says he felt compassion.

And I love that, but this is a strong word.

In other words, Jesus felt this woman's pain and desperation and hopelessness down in his gut.

He embraced her pain.

He knew her pain.

This is what we would call empathy.

But yet even more than that.

He had compassion on her.

He was willing to enter into that pain to the point that he knew what she felt.

He didn't hurt just for her.

He hurt with her.

When Jesus comes to us, he doesn't just know about our struggle.

He knows our struggle.

He knows it personally.

He knows it intimately.

He enters into it.

And he doesn't just throw little help grenades from the outside.

But he dives into it himself and helps us there.

You know, how can he enter into this kind of pain?

How can he do that even with us?

Well, with this woman in particular, he knows.

He knows.

And he will know very, very soon.

Because of his close relationship with his father, who will lose his only son.

But in this life, Jesus comes in full humanity.

He comes into our world.

He doesn't help us from afar.

He comes into life to help us.

He knows what it means for us to hurt.

I love the words from Hebrews 4, verse 15 through 16, where the writer there says,

Hebrews 4:15–16

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,

but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy

and find grace to help in time of need.

You know, some years ago when we lived overseas, that was a really hard time for me.

It was a time where I struggled with depression because life was just hard.

I got some severe tension headaches every time I heard the gate bell ring and somebody speaking Hungarian.

Because I didn't know if they were come collecting money or they were going to turn off my water or what.

But you add all this stuff, it was really hard.

And so I looked to find some help, somebody to talk to, somebody that I can engage with.

To guide me and just help steer me through this really hard time.

But I wanted somebody who had lived as a missionary,

who had struggled as a missionary,

who had followed Christ faithfully as a missionary.

I wanted someone, I had to have somebody who understood,

who knew what I was going through because they had been where I was.

But that's what we get with Jesus.

He has been tempted in every way.

He has faced every struggle.

He knows.

He knows.

Intimately and personally.

Just like he did with this woman.

But the second thing he does with her

is he tells her to stop crying.

And you might think this a little strange.

I mean, if I was at a funeral and I walked up to the,

to a widow who had just lost her husband

and said, ah, stop crying,

I'd probably get slapped.

And I should.

So what, what's Jesus doing here?

Well, there's, the big difference here with him

is that he knew what was coming.

He knew what was about to happen.

And because he knows the end of the story,

he can say, hey, hey, don't cry.

Just wait and see what's coming.

She was about to experience something

that was beyond her wildest imaginations

because her dead son she was going to walk home with

in just a few minutes.

You know, we see throughout the scriptures

what Jesus tells us.

He commands us over and over and over again

to rejoice.

To celebrate.

To be filled with joy.

Rejoice.

Again, I'll say rejoice.

Though your life may be full of trouble right now.

Rejoice.

And we think, what?

But those commands to rejoice point us to something.

And he tells us to rejoice

because he knows the end of the story.

He's not just caught up in the moment.

He knows where it's all going.

And in a sense, what he's saying to us is,

guys, just wait.

Just wait a minute.

What's coming is beyond your wildest imagination.

Just hang on.

Rejoice.

Oh, it's going to be good.

He knows the rest of the story.

This is one of the things I love about being a Christian.

You know, oftentimes we're,

you go buy a book

and the last thing you were tempted to

jump to the end and read that final chapter

because I want to know who did it.

I don't know how it was done.

And then you maybe go back and read the rest.

But we know that takes a lot of the fun

and the mystery out of the story.

Well, Jesus does that for us intentionally.

He says, read the end.

It's good.

And then go back

and look at the rest.

And so even though we struggle,

even though we're in the midst of pain and hardship

at the moment,

Jesus said, hang on.

Story's not over.

It ends up really good.

You know, but then finally,

Jesus says to the son,

I love this.

He says, not to the woman, but to the son.

He says, I say to you, arise.

And as soon as he does it,

or before he does it,

he does something else.

If you'll notice this little detail here

is that he reaches out and touches the buyer.

That is, it's kind of like a stretcher

or a platform that is carrying this dead body.

And Jesus reaches out and touches it.

You're not supposed to do that.

Because anything that touches that,

anything that's associated with death

can ceremonially pollute

and make unclean whoever touches it.

Jesus intentionally,

he could have told the guys carrying it,

just say, hold up a second.

He doesn't do that.

He touches it.

Why is this?

It's because he is about to enter into

this very death

of this young man.

And he's, it also says that Jesus gives him back to his mother.

And he does so

because

this son's death.

Jesus just made his own.

He touched it

because he was taking that death upon himself.

He was going to die.

But he also was going to be raised.

As we see the young man sitting up.

But this is what Jesus has come to do.

He has come to enter into the darkness,

enter into our hopelessness,

enter into our struggle.

And he embraces it

and takes it upon himself.

He doesn't just tell us about it.

He makes it his own.

And he breaks the hold.

And he gives us release.

So what are we struggling with?

Something going on in your life

that's kind of given you a sense of hopelessness,

a sense of struggle,

and says, you don't know what you're going to do.

You don't know where you're going to go.

You don't know how you're going to get out of this.

You need somebody to set you free.

Jesus enters into that.

And he says, come to me.

I made it my own.

So that you can now be set free.

Jesus not only replaces

hopelessness or despair

with hope.

He also replaces death

with life.

And this is the second thing we have to know.

This is a head-on collision

between this crowd and this woman.

And this woman following this path

that's become all too familiar,

heading to the graveyard,

heading to the grave

where the son was going to be laid.

And the only thing that was standing in her way

was Jesus.

And Jesus stopped everything.

That young man was going to be laid

next to his father,

except today,

Jesus interrupted that journey.

You know, Hebrews 12,

or Hebrews 2,

excuse me,

verse 14 and 15 says this.

Since therefore the children share

in flesh and blood,

he himself likewise partook of the same things,

that through death

he might destroy the one

who has the power of death,

that is the devil,

and deliver all those

who through fear of death

were subject to lifelong slavery.

You know, this is the part of the sermon

that not too many preachers

really like to preach,

to preach about death.

But there's something pretty critical

for us to understand.

Because unfortunately,

if you haven't heard

or gotten the memo,

all of us are going to face death.

It is part of the curse

that we have inherited from Adam

because of his disobedience.

He was promised death

in all of those who follow him.

And because he didn't do

what he was supposed to,

every one of us have a common,

a common end.

And we can't avoid it.

We are cursed with death.

But yet it's the fear of death

that enslaves us.

I mean, we will do anything.

What?

You don't talk about it.

You don't want to think about it.

We're doing everything we can

to avoid it.

You know, our medicine cabinets

are full of drugs

which are designed to put it off.

We go to the health club

to try to stop the aging process.

We do everything we can to avoid it.

But in so much of life

death lives under the control

or the shadow

of death.

Death is the end.

We know that

when that time comes,

all second chances are over.

we're going to stand and face

our maker.

I honestly think that's the part

that scares us the most.

But it's all going to be done

and we're going to give account

for how we've lived.

And that thought

for some of us

sends chills

through our bones.

Because we know

we deserve it.

But that's the road

we're headed to

and the final verdict.

And boy, aren't you encouraged.

So we avoid talking about it.

We don't want to think about it.

We make jokes about it

to kind of just ease our tension

and the fear.

And so

and that's where we're headed

when this life is over.

Unless

we meet Jesus on the way.

And if we meet Jesus on the way

he could disrupt everything.

Even our journey

to the grave.

You know,

and again,

that's

it goes back to Jesus

even touching,

entering into

this man's death.

Very intentionally.

He touched it because

in that short time

he

would be

the dead son.

You know,

I hate death.

Sort of.

You know,

a couple years ago

I was diagnosed

with cancer.

Fortunately,

in my case,

it was the kind

that was very easily cured.

word.

And,

you know,

you go have surgery

and it's over

and it's done.

It's not always the case.

But there's something

about that C word

that when we hear it,

especially in relationship

to us,

that is like a kick

in the gut.

But I remember

thinking about it.

I was standing

in my bathroom doorway

one day,

it was just right after,

and I thought about it

and all of a sudden

this thought went

through my mind

and it says,

um,

this might be it.

This just might be

my ticket home.

And strangely,

I started feeling

not terrified,

but giddy.

Because I knew

what that meant

was

I could very soon

be in the arms

of my true love.

I mean,

I would hate it

because of the pain

that my family

would experience,

especially my dear bride.

But

there was something

inside that said,

yes!

Finally!

All the struggle here

is going to be over.

I'm going to be home

with

the one

that I loved.

Because

Jesus met me

on the way

to the grave.

When I was dead,

Jesus spoke

and brought life.

Because there is life

on the other side.

A life

so rich

and deep

it is beyond

imagination.

the one

whom I loved

and placed

my hope,

the one

who died

in my place,

who tasted

death for me,

the one

who was raised

to new life

for me,

I would see

with outstretched arms

welcoming me

home.

and that

only comes

about

when we

meet Jesus.

Facing

our hope

in a hope

that supersedes

all fear

and that kind

of hope

can set us

free

from this

fear

of death

that enslaves

us.

Because

the only

begotten

son

took the

place

of that

widow's

son

and became

the son

who died

instead.

And suffered

death

to its

fullest degree.

and now

offers us

life

to its

fullest

degree.

So,

have you

met him?

You know,

in a way,

I really want

to speak

to some

of you

younger ones.

You know,

and this is

not at all

to scare

you,

but it is

to bring

some sobriety

because when

we're young,

we think

we're

indestructible,

we think

we're

invulnerable.

And we

don't think

about this

at all.

But unfortunately,

it's a reality.

I've been

to funerals

of young

ones

who were

taken way

before their

time.

I've been

to funerals

from older

folks

who die

of disease

or

those who

have even

taken their

own lives.

and funerals

are good

because they

remind us

of this

end

and they

call us

to be

sober.

One of the

scriptures

that

we see

in

Psalm

Psalms 90:12

90

verse 12,

Moses writes

in this

Psalm,

teach us

to number

our days

so that we

can have

a heart

of wisdom.

wisdom

is knowing

that we're

vulnerable.

Wisdom

is knowing

that we

are not

immortal.

Wisdom

is knowing

that our

days are

numbered

and how

are we

going to

face

that

reality?

Well,

see,

it's a good

thing

if we've

met Jesus

because he

takes that

place.

One more

thing.

We see

dread

becomes

faith.

In the

last couple

of verses,

the people

that respond

to this

miracle,

when Jesus

raises this

young man

from the

dead,

he raised

him up

and the

response

of the

people

is almost

verbatim

what the

people said

or the

woman,

the widow

from Sidon

said when

Elijah raised

her son.

He says

a great

prophet has

come to

his people.

God has

visited his

people.

And so

this is

really the

message.

it brings

us to

that

identity

of

Jesus.

And as

we're facing

life and

we're facing

all that is

about it,

who is

this

Jesus?

And this

is what we

have to

come to

terms with.

The people

thought a

great prophet

had risen.

Well,

Jesus is

more than

a great

prophet.

prophet.

He has

to be

because a

great prophet

is not

going to be

the answer

for our

eternity.

If you

think that

Jesus is

just a

great prophet,

a great

moral person,

a great

teacher,

that's fine.

You'll learn

some things,

but that's

not going

to help

because we

need release

from much

bigger things.

We need

release from

not only the

struggles of

this life,

but what is

to come.

And Jesus

can help

us because

he's not

just a

great prophet,

but God

has visited

his people.

God

himself

has come.

God

himself

has

entered

into

the darkness,

the curse

of this

world

and this

life,

and he

has embraced

it as

his own.

And now

has put it

to death

through

his death.

And he's

bringing light

into the

darkness.

Christ.

Have you

embraced

this

Christ?

Is this

who Jesus

is?

Well,

it is

who he

is.

And he

now invites

you

to come.

To come

to him,

to give you

release from

your fears,

to give you

release from

your struggle

and hopelessness

and impotence

to deal

with the

struggles

of life.

Come.

God

has

visited

his people.

Come

to the

one

who is

crucified.

Come

to the

one who

was raised.

Come

to the

one

who

ascended.

Come

to the

one

who

now

reigns

even

over

death

itself.

come

to the

redeemer

as we

pray

together.

Father,

would you

give us

eyes

to see

the

crucified?

Would you

give us

eyes to

see

that you

have

visited?

And would

you shine

the light

into our

darkness

and drive

it away

that we

might know

the light

of life?

Would you

shine the

light of

your glory

into our

darkness so

that even

in the

struggles of

this life,

we might

rejoice because

we have

real hope?

And if

there are

those here

who do

not know

you,

would you

pull back

the darkness,

push back

the darkness,

shine the

light of

your glory,

and invite

them home

to the

place they

were made

for.

Do this

in Jesus'

name.

Amen.

Amen.

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