Miracle instead of Mourning
The Gospel of Luke
Todd Blansit
July 13, 2025
When Jesus Interrupts the Funeral
Luke 7:11–17
Jesus Sees What Others Don’t (vv. 11–13)
This is the first time in Luke’s Gospel that Jesus is called the Lord by Luke. This is not accidental. Luke is making a theological claim: the One who stands before this grieving woman is not merely a healer, He is the sovereign Lord, Yahweh in the flesh.
This is not pity. This is deep-rooted compassion. The Greek word used here means to be moved from the depths. It’s the kind of compassion that does something.
And here’s the good news: Jesus sees you.
Not just your face, but your situation.
Not just your actions, but your anguish.
He is not a distant Savior. He is near to the brokenhearted. He is moved by your pain. And when He moves, things change.
Jesus Touches What Others Fear (v. 14)
“Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still.”
In ancient Jewish culture, touching a dead body—or even the structure carrying it—would make someone ceremonially unclean.
But Jesus doesn’t hesitate.
Let’s be honest—
Many of us have places in our lives we think Jesus won’t touch.
Things too ugly, too broken, too far gone.
Maybe it’s a relationship. An addiction. A secret shame. A failure.
But Jesus doesn’t step away from what’s dead. *He touches it.*
His holiness isn’t fragile. It’s powerful.
It doesn’t get contaminated—it purifies.
Jesus does not become unclean. He makes the unclean clean.
The holy Son of God is not afraid to touch what you’re ashamed of.
He’s not scared of your mess. He’s not walking away from your funeral. He’s stepping into it, hand outstretched.
Jesus Speaks and Death Bows (vv. 14–15)
“He said, ‘Young man, I say to you, get up!’ The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.”
That’s the authority of Jesus.
He speaks to what everyone else has written off, and it comes alive.
This isn’t just a one-time miracle. It’s a preview.
This moment at Nain foreshadows what Jesus would do at another grave—His own.
Three days after His death, the stone rolled away. The tomb was empty. And Jesus walked out alive, holding the keys to death and hell.
It’s also a promise.
One day, Jesus will speak again. The dead in Christ will rise. Tears will dry. Graves will break open. The funeral will be over—for good.
But even now, He still speaks life.
He speaks to your weary soul.
To your cold marriage.
To your abandoned dreams.
To your shame-filled past.
“I say to you, get up.”
Jesus Gives Back What Was Lost (v. 15)
“Jesus gave him back to his mother.”
This line is short, but it’s everything.
This isn’t just resurrection. *It’s restoration.*
He doesn’t just raise the boy. He gives him back to the mother.
Gives her back her future. Her protection. Her joy.
Jesus is in the business of giving back what death stole.
No, we may not get back everything in this life.
But when Jesus steps in, He restores in ways deeper than we expected.
Joel 2:25 says,
“I will restore to you the years the locusts have eaten.”
The Crowd Responds with Awe (vv. 16–17)
“They were all filled with awe and praised God. ‘A great prophet has appeared among us,’ they said. ‘God has come to help his people.’”
When Jesus raises the boy, the crowd doesn’t just cheer. They worship.
They recognize that this is more than a miracle worker.
This is God breaking in.
This is incarnation theology. It echoes:
Exodus 3:7
“The Lord said, ‘I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.’”
Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise—not just a spokesman of God, but God come down.
The kingdom of God is not an idea or an ethic.
It is a King, standing in the dust of death, reversing the curse.
“God has come to help His people.”
That’s the cry of the gospel.
That’s the message of the cross.
That’s the story of Jesus.
He didn’t wait for us to find our way to Him.
He came to us.
He entered our funeral, touched our coffin, and called us to life.
Let the Funeral End
But Jesus is standing at the gate.
And He’s not here to spectate.
He’s here to speak.
He’s here to raise.
He’s here to restore.
She wasn’t looking for Him, but His presence changed everything!
Show up even when you don’t feel like it—
because you never know when He will change everything.
Because when Jesus shows up, death has to let go.
If this message spoke to you today and you would like to respond, click the link below and let us know. We want to pray for you.
Tap here to let us know that you raised your hand