The Lord of Compassion and Power
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Jesus shows the compassion and power of God by raising a widow's son from the dead.
Text: Luke 7:11-17
Date: 07/17/2022, the Combined service.
Series: "Luke: Thy Kingdom Come" Part 68
Description:
Shortly after healing the centurion's servant, Jesus takes a trip to the tiny hamlet of Nain, located in the Jezreel valley near the border of Samaria. The Providence of God was evident as soon as Jesus arrived at the gates of the town because a funeral procession was coming out of the city. The compassion of God for human suffering was manifest as Jesus showed unsolicited love and compassion for the desperately grieving mother of the young man who had just died. He then showed His power over death and sin by touching the bier and calling the man back from the dead with just the power of His Word. In our previous look at this passage, we realized that none of this happened by accident, but that God's Providence and His decretive will created this Divine Appointment. After working our way through the text we will look at the passage figuratively as a beautiful illustration of the Gospel and God's Redemptive Plan as it is worked out in human history. Ultimately we will celebrate God's glorious and gracious salvation as it is accomplished through the life and ministry of Jesus the Christ-- our Lord of Compassion and Power!
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I. Introduction
II. Exposition of the text, Luke 7:11-17.
A. Context, vs. 11-12.
1. Re-visiting the setting, vs. 11.
2. Re-visualizing the encounter, vs. 12.
B. Jesus gives Life to a widow's son.
1. The Lord of compassion, vs. 13.
a. The Divine Lord.
b. The compassion of Christ.
i. Unsolicited compassion.
ii. A totally unique compassion.
• A perfect human compassion.
• A perfect divine compassion, John 14:7,9, Heb. 1:3.
iii. A compassion to dry a mother's tears, Matt. 11:28.
c. Providence that allows suffering.
2. The Lord of power, vs. 14.
a. Power over the circumstance and crowd.
b. Power over sin and defilement.
i. The power of language.
ii. The power of purity, Num. 19:11, Titus 1:15, Psa. 16:10.
c. Power over death, Isa. 25:8, 1Cor. 15:54-56.
d. The Power of Life, John 5:21,24,26, 14:6, 11:25,26.
3. The gift of life, vs. 15.
a. A dead man speaks.
b. The gift of compassion.
4. The response of the crowd, vs. 16.
a. The response of fear.
b. Glorifying God, John 8:54, 17:4.
c. Mis-understanding Jesus, Luke 19:41-2,44, John 8:58.
5. Jesus' fame continues to grow, vs. 17.
III. Application
A. God's Providence and Power in Redemptive History.
B. Explaining the imagery, Rom. 5:8; Eph. 2:4,5; Gal. 4:3-5; John 10:10, 3:16; Matt. 5:14.
C. God's Providence in the Gospel, Eph. 2:1,8; Rom. 5:5; 2Cor. 5:17; John 6:44, 17:6.
IV. Conclusion
