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“AND SOON AFTERWARD…”

Luke 7:11-17



Today’s Gospel reading is introduced by the words, “Soon afterward…” Like any introduction in a book, it’s something that shouldn’t simply be ignored or skipped over, because it was written there for a purpose; it helps us understand the author’s intent of the story that is about to follow. And this introduction is no exception. Under the inspiration of the Author known as the Holy Spirit, these opening words have been written to help us understand the intent of this story as well. And so it’s necessary for us to go back a bit in order to answer the question, “soon after what?” What happened just prior to today’s Gospel reading.

Well, in the verses that precede this text, we hear the story Jesus’ healing of the Centurion’s slave. Perhaps you remember the account—how, when Jesus offered to come to the Centurion’s house, the military commander said, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof… But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." (Luke 7:6-8). And, of course, Jesus granted the request of the Centurion and his servant was healed at that very hour.

So, “soon after” this miracle of healing, Jesus met the funeral procession in the city of Nain.

But, we really need to go even further back than that—back to Luke chapter four, where we hear how Jesus first began His public ministry. In His hometown of Nazareth, He walks into the synagogue and is handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah to read. And He stands up, opens the scroll and, “found the place where it was written, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:17-19). And after reading that portion of the Old Testament, Jesus sits back down and says, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing," (Luke 4:21).

Now, those words from Isaiah were a prophecy concerning the coming Messiah. The prophecy said that, one day, God would send His own Son into the world Who would accomplish all of those things written about Him. So, when Jesus said, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing," that was the same as saying, “I am the fulfillment of this passage.” “I am the Christ.” And, needless to say, His claim caused quite a commotion.

Well, there was a very easy way to tell whether or not Jesus was to be praised as the Son or God or else stoned as a madman and a charlatan; and that would be if He could and would, “proclaim good news to the poor… proclaim liberty to the captives, give sight back to the blind, liberate the oppressed and, proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

And guess what happens in the chapters that immediately follow? Exactly! He does it all. Later on in Luke chapter four, Jesus delivers a man who is demon possessed. That is followed by His healing of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law from her sickness. News of His miracles spread, and soon the whole community was bringing to Jesus people with all sorts of maladies and diseases. A leper is cleansed. Then, a lame man is healed. And, in the midst of it all, Jesus makes the following pronouncement—“Your sins are forgiven you.”

Now, that statement raised an eyebrow or two as well. For everyone knew that the only One Who had the power and authority to pardon people of their sins was God Himself. And as if to answer that skepticism as well, “Soon afterward [Jesus] 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 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”

If any questions concerning Jesus’ identity and His authority remained, they were certainly answered in this most awesome of all heavenly miracles—that of raising the dead back to life. If Jesus of Nazareth could do that, then most certainly He had the divine power and authority to forgive the sins of the spiritually dead as well.

As Christians, we are all looking forward to the day of the resurrection of all flesh. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that there are even many non-Christians who live in that anticipation. Often you will here non-church-going people talk about seeing their dear departed grandmother, grandfather, husband, wife, or child again.

And they’re absolutely correct—they will see them again. But we can only pray that it will be under the circumstances that they hope to enjoy. For the Bible tells us that on the day of Christ’s return, all people—no matter what they believed, no matter under what circumstances they died, no matter what the condition of their mortal remains might be—all people will be raised up.

But here’s the sobering reality. The Scripture says, “And multitudes of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt,” (Daniel 12:2). Meaning, not everyone will enjoy the kind of blessed reunion that was experienced by the widow of Nain and her son. Not every resurrection will be a happy and joyous one because some will be raised up only to face the verdict of everlasting torment in hell.

How do we avoid that? How do we assist others in avoiding that kind of horrible fate? Well, we go back prior to the resurrection. We go back to how the miracle of the resurrection could be introduced to this world in the first place—back to a world that was so corrupt, so lost in its sin, that it was as incapable of doing anything to change it’s condition as the dead young man in that coffin was incapable of coming back to life again under his own power.

We must, therefore, return to Jesus! The Bible says, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep,” (1 Cor. 15:20). Jesus says, “Because I live, you also will live.” The resurrection is a fact because Jesus Himself conquered the grave.

But to gain the full appreciation of that message, we have to go back even further—back to Jesus’ death. Back to the truth that Jesus died on the cross for us; back to the ugly reality that it was our sin that put Him there.

Sin is what brought about death in the first place. Some people think that death is simply a natural part of life—as if it has always been there. But it wasn’t that way at the very beginning. God created all of us to live, not to die. And the miracle that Jesus performed in the city of Nain proved that the sorrow of death was not what God had intended for us. His gift is life! And His most spectacular gift is to return the miracle of life even after death has had its short-termed victory.

But, no, not everyone will be raised to live again in glory for all eternity. Those who are so hard-hearted as to think nothing of God’s compassion toward the world and of the sacrifice of His Son Jesus in our behalf—those who imagine themselves as being acceptable to God on their own terms, they will perish.

But, “whosoever believes in Him—in the gift of God’s Son Who lived the righteous life in our behalf and died the all-sufficient death on our account—those who believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” And all those who are baptized into Christ’s precious death, “shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 6:5).

The resurrection of all flesh is a certainty; but only the resurrection of those who have been brought to faith in the grace of God have the certainty of the resurrection to eternal glory.

Dearly beloved, we cannot discount that which comes before. The only Author of Life—and of ‘Life after death’—has written the introduction for us to be able enjoy that gift. He tells us that it must begin through a life lived with faith in Him; that, “you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

In Holy Baptism, the Savior’s voice came, “I say to you arise.” Right now, down here in the haze of confusion, sorrow, and selfishness, Christ continues to invite us, “I say to you arise—set your sights heavenward.” And once more He will speak to us on final day and say, “[Arise], you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,” (Matthew 25:34).

For the time being, we walk by faith, not by sight. And, yes, we are sure to encounter the reality of death along the way. “But soon, very soon afterward….”



1 Kings 17:17–24

17After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill. And his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. 18And she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!” 19And he said to her, “Give me your son.” And he took him from her arms and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed. 20And he cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?” 21Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again.” 22And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. 23And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.” 24And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”



Galatians 1:11–24

11For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 18Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. 19But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. 20(In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) 21Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24And they glorified God because of me.



Luke 7:11–17

11Soon afterward [Jesus] went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12As 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. 13And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” 17And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.