Luke 7.11-50

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

v.11 says, “soon afterward” - soon after what?

Soon after Jesus’ encounter with the centurion that we studied last week.

Why did Jesus go to Nain?

I don’t know.

The Spirit may have told him he should go there...

but I do know that...

Jesus had the greatest, really the perfect, understanding of the sovereignty of God.

He lived every moment completely in the Spirit - (that means in absolute obedience and submission to the Father.)

Jesus knew that everywhere he went, He was supposed to be there, and God had something for him to do.

Notice, please, that He did not just sit still and wait for God to show him what his calendar was for the next year.

He proceeded in the Spirit, and in an unshakeable faith in the sovereignty and purpose of his Father.

(keep going - no transition necessary)

Luke 7:12 ESV

12 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.

This poor widow had already lost her husband - and now her only son has died.

!What terrible grief and suffering this woman was enduring!

Her past was filled with loss, but her future was terribly bleak as well.

There was no one left to provide for this woman.

They did not have life insurance or social security...

She would literally have no way to provide for herself...

It is no wonder there was a considerable crowd from the town with her...

they knew the extent of the loss she had endured and what it would mean for her.

I want us to really see...

Jesus has compassion on the grieving.

Luke 7:13 ESV

13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”

If you or I said this to her, we would be the most insensitive of jerks.

She had every reason to weep!

Jesus, though, could say this to her because he could comfort her in a way that you and I never could.

Luke 7:14–15 ESV

14 Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.

Why did Jesus do miracles?

One true, and theologically sound, answer is that Jesus did miracles to prove who He was and the validity of His message

but...

that is not what this particular passage says.

Who asked Jesus to heal this guy?

nobody

Who had faith that Jesus was responding to?

nobody

Why did He do it?

Because he had compassion on her.

To be candid with you, I am more comfortable preaching the Jesus we see in Daniel, than the Jesus we see here.

Now, please understand, it is the same Jesus!

What I mean is that I understand his glory and greatness and power more than I understand why he has compassion on someone like me

But...

We need to understand both, because each facet of Jesus makes the other more glorious.

If you have compassion on me that is great and noble of you, but you are just a sinner saved by grace like me.

But...

For Jesus - the one who created the universe, to have compassion on me - that is absolutely mind-blowing!

Although the text says that Jesus was motivated by compassion...

The miracle also had the effect of letting people know who he was and validating His message.

Luke 7:16–17 ESV

16 Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” 17 And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

Jesus has compassion on the doubting.

Luke 7:18–35 ESV

18 The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, 19 calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 20 And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’ ” 21 In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. 22 And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. 23 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” 24 When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. 26 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is he of whom it is written, “ ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ 28 I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” 29 (When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John, 30 but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.) 31 “To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, “ ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’ 33 For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35 Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.”

To sum up John’s question and Jesus’ answer...

John said, “Are you the Messiah?”...

and Jesus said,

“Yes, see for yourself that I am the fulfillment of the OT prophecies.”

Is he angry with John for his moment of doubt?

No.

He is compassionate.

What do you do when you have doubts?

Do what John did - take them to Jesus.

And...

Look to Scripture to bolster your faith!

Instead of feeling ashamed and staying away - dive into prayer and the Word and the church when you have doubts.

Do you know what causes doubts?

Getting away from prayer, the Word, and the church - so don’t do it...

but...

if you have doubts crop up occasionally, Jesus will show you compassion, not rejection.

Listen to what Thabiti Anyabwile says about this...

Exalting Jesus in Luke Friend of the “Nones” 7

The way to happiness is not to give in to your doubt. The way to happiness is to answer your doubts with the evidence we have in Christ. Never treat your doubts with certainty. Always doubt your doubts. Never let your doubts have the last word. If they are truly doubts, then seek answers on which to stand. Find evidence. Follow the evidence to the truth and then build certainty with the truth. That’s the life that Jesus blesses.

Doubt makes us short-sighted. Faith gives us the long view. The Lord gives John evidence to answer his doubt, and he gives John a promise of joy to strengthen his faith. Jesus is a Messiah who answers our doubt.

Let’s go back and look at this strange verse ...

Luke 7:28 ESV

28 I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

None greater born of women - does that mean...

He was more righteous than Job and Daniel?

Does it mean that he had more of a heart for God than King David?

I don’t really think so.

I think it had more to do with his calling and position to Jesus.

Other OT prophets spoke on God’s behalf and pointed to Jesus...

but...

John literally pointed to Jesus and said, “that’s him!”

He had the privilege of baptizing Jesus.

So, the next question is...

What does it mean that the least in the kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist?

John lived and died before the death and resurrection of Jesus.

On this side of the resurrection, we have a more complete understanding of Jesus work than even John the Baptist had.

And Christians, now, in the New Covenant, have the Spirit of Christ indwelling us.

Romans 8:9 ESV

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

See. Everyone who is a believer, even the least in the kingdom, has the indwelling Spirit of Christ.

We have seen Jesus’ compassion on the grieving, the doubting, and now we will see...

Jesus has compassion on the sinner.

Luke 7:36–50 ESV

36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” 41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

How much do you love Jesus?

It is directly proportional to how much you realize you have been forgiven of.

The longer I serve the Lord, the more I realize how much I have been forgiven.

I hope that is true for you as well.

(Pontiac, MI)

Do you understand how forgiving and compassionate Jesus is?

I don’t, but I am realizing more and more.

(Do you ever feel like eventually God is going to get sick of your failures and distance himself from you?)

(Holds his nose and deals with you?)

(Doctor treating tribal people in 3rd world.)

(Not - I love to sin; God loves to forgive, so awesome!)

Christian hates sin.

(Me and spider)

John Bunyan wrote the wonderful book, The Pilgrim’s Promise.

I very highly recommend it to you.

He also authored 57 other books.

One was called, Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ

To help us understand the compassion and love of Jesus, listen to what he wrote about...

John 6:37 ESV

37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

But I am a great sinner, say you.