During the Easter period we have seen that the events of Easter did not end at the cross. Jesus rose from the dead on the third day and returned to Heaven, from whence He came.

In three meditations this week, we will consider three miracles from the New Testament, when Jesus raised the dead.

The widow of Nain’s son
Luke chapter 7 verses 11-17

Firstly, we visit an attractive city called NAIN, which means ‘a pasture or a pleasant place’. It was an idyllic spot to live. However, as we approach the city, we meet a widow for whom this is no longer true. She is part of a funeral procession and she is deeply distressed, evidenced by the tears rolling down her face. On closer enquiry, we discover that she is not only a widow but today she is burying her only son, who has died as a young man.

Nevertheless, as we linger at the scene, a truly remarkable thing occurs. Although Jesus is surrounded by a large crowd, He picks this widow out of the mourners and has compassion (suffers with) on her. He then does something that no self-respecting Jew would have done for fear of contamination. He touches (grasps on firmly to) the open coffin, thereby identifying Himself with death. He then speaks words of life: ‘Young man, I say to you, arise’. Amazingly, the young man sits up and begins to speak.

New life, in Christ, gives us a new speech that enables us to praise God for His salvation! We are reminded that it was outside the gate of another city, Jerusalem, that Jesus died on the cross, so that ‘He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone’, Hebrews chapter 2 verse 9.

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