Luke 7:14 Commentary and Bible Study

Christ advances to the bier or coffin, an open frame on which the dead son lay, and touches it, signalling an interruption. Those carrying the coffin stopped immediately, knowing that that touch indicated that they should not continue the proceedings, but why? Nobody ever interrupted a funeral? What would be the point? What could they do? His disciples could sense that something extraordinary was about to happen. Again the child’s mother was entitled to draw the most hopeful conclusions from this action – when did Christ ever begin something and not conclude it?Next, he addresses the dead son himself: ‘Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.’ We need to imagine how this appeared to the people gathered there. They would have been filled with amazement and wonder why he's dead. He's speaking to the dead. What's this about? Who would do such a thing? Someone who is not in touch with reality? Does he not know the limits of his power? Yes, he knows; it is others who do not know. He commands the dead and expects them to obey. Was this a far-fetched move? No, he who sent death in the first place is Lord of death; it must obey him like any other part of his creation. Notice in whose name he commands the dead to rise: ‘Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.’ This is not like Peter: ‘In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk’ (Acts 3:6), but it is ‘I say unto thee’; he himself possesses the authority to command the dead to rise. Therefore they must obey.His body is still, there are no signs of life whatever. Of course he cannot speak, he cannot communicate, he's dead. He cannot be aware of the presence of Christ. He cannot raise his arm and motion to Christ as though to say, come and help me. He is not conscious of anything. He is a lifeless corpse. What are we supposed to learn from this? Well, he's going to be raised from the dead. Christ has come on that long trek from Capernaum only to raise this man from the dead. Remarkable. The Lord of glory who knows exactly what he is doing and what he is going to do, has taken an initiative. He's come to this place to raise someone from the dead. Now the miracles of Christ, the healings, and the three raisings from the dead all share the same purpose. They are of course all intended to demonstrate that he is God, that at a word he can heal, make new limbs, restore life to the dead, sight to the blind. He is God from God; they authenticate him. But secondly, they show his mighty compassion. When compassion is mentioned here, he comes all this way out of compassion for that widow and for her son. He is the Lord of love, the Lord of compassion. He is the righteous Lord, and he will judge the earth in the last day; he will punish sin, but he is also a forgiving Lord, one who pities us, who has deep compassion for us, more than we are capable of in human life. Finally, the miracles all share this purpose: they illustrate how the Lord works spiritually. As he raised this man from physical death, so he raises us when we come to him from spiritual death. Think of the parallels. This son was a corpse, no sign of life, no feelings, no thoughts. So it is with us. We are spiritually dead, if we have never come to God, never sought salvation from him. We don't understand about God; we don't have any spiritual feelings; we don't have any love for him; we don't feel any need for him. We don't want him; we will not search for him; we will not turn to him. Viewed spiritually, our souls are like corpses. Really they are dormant, inert, inactive souls. Yes, they are, they can be brought to life, but they are dormant and still. So many thousands of people are physically alive, but spiritually dead. They have physical life, but only on this earth, with desires for things they can have and possess and touch and own, but spiritually dead, insensitive, unknowing. Now this man could not reach out to Christ, was not even conscious of his presence, but Christ could speak into him. So it is with spiritual death. We don't know we are spiritually lost. We don't think about it. We don't realize we are sinners in the sight of God. We should do, but because of our pride, we don't. We think we are all right, fine personalities. If there is a God, well, somehow we'll make it with him. But Christ took the initiative, and he can speak to us, and he can raise us. These accounts have this double significance: they tell us about our needs spiritually, and they demonstrate Christ's power to help us.