In Luke 7:11-16, we find an overlooked miracle performed by Jesus. Due to His miraculous ability, He is becoming popular throughout Judea and Galilee. As Jesus and His group travel into Nain, they run into a funeral procession. A young man has died and is being taken to be buried. Jesus touched the coffin and raised him from the dead!

The people who saw this were stunned (Luke 7:16). They responded with fear, glorifying God, calling Jesus a prophet, and saying, “God has visited His people.” This statement is interesting. We find similar language throughout the Bible (Exodus 3:16; Ruth 1:6; Luke 19:44).

What did the people of Nain see when God in the flesh visited them?

They saw compassion (Luke 7:12-13).

  • The woman Jesus encounters is in a terrible situation. She is a widow who is now going to bury her only son. During this time, there were no social security or insurance benefits for widows. Her son would have been her primary source of financial support.
  • Her current situation was so dire that a large crowd accompanied her. She needed a big group to comfort her during this time.
  • Jesus felt compassion towards her plight. He sincerely cared about her problem and was driven to help her.
  • The Lord also cares about our problems today (Psalm 8:3-5; 1 Peter 5:6-7).

They saw power (Luke 7:14-15).

  • After telling the widow not to weep, Jesus touched the coffin and raised the young man!
  • The young man sat up and was able to speak. He was then given back to his mother.
  • The power Jesus has over the grave should give us great confidence in His ability to resurrect and save our souls (Revelation 1:18; John 20:30-31).

They saw something that needed to be shared (Luke 7:16-17).

  • The people of Nain were so amazed by the power of Jesus that they immediately began spreading the word about Him.
  • This is something that we should also be doing (Mark 16:15). If we are impressed and amazed by the power of Jesus, we should be telling as many people as we can about the salvation found in Him!

Conclusion:

The power of Jesus changed the people of Nain. Have you allowed Him to change you?