In our Wednesday Evening Bible Study on the Miracles of Jesus we have come to the second of two miracles recorded in Luke 7. The first miracle is Jesus healing the centurion’s servant (Luke 7:1-10). This parallels the account of Elisha healing Naaman of leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-14). In both cases the person healed was a Gentile military official of an enemy army. In both cases the healing was done without direct contact. Elisha was not present when Naaman was healed and Jesus was not physically present when the centurion’s servant was healed.
Luke 7:11-17 records the story of Jesus in the village of Nain. There, Jesus raises to life the only son of a widow. Luke again ties Jesus to Old Testament prophets, specifically Elijah, with the healing of the son of the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:8-24), and Elisha, who raised the Shunammite woman’s son (2 Kings 4:18-37).
Luke 7:12 (NIV) As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. In Luke 7:12 the dead man is mentioned first, but the verse reveals that the story is about the mother. Like the previous story (Luke 7:1-10), Jesus heals someone dear to the main character. Although the servant and the son receive healing, the stories are about the centurion and the woman.
This Wednesday we will begin our study of Jesus’ raising the widow’s son recorded in Luke 7:11-17. Below are some things to look into concerning this miracle as you find the time. Praying it will help you to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).
Study Questions for Luke 7:11-17
- Compare/contrast the two great crowds that met at the city gate. What was the purpose and demeanor of each crowd?
- What were the ramifications in that time for a widow to lose her only son?
- What was Jesus’s reaction to the grieving widow? How do we see God the father in this reaction?
- Jesus spoke and the man sat up and began to speak. What does this tell you about Jesus’s power and authority over death?
- What were the people’s reactions to this miracle and their conclusions about Jesus? What types of conclusions do people come to about Jesus in our current time and culture?
- There is a popular phrase “Seeing is believing”. How does this section of scripture contradict this statement? Why did some still not believe that Jesus was the Messiah?
- What did the centurion and the widow have in common from these two sections of scripture? How were they different?
Application Questions:
- How has God been compassionate towards you?
- Imagine the widow’s joy when Jesus reunited her to her living son, what hope, and joy can I claim in Jesus now and in the future?