TITLE: “Jesus Give Us New Life ”

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Our text for today is the raising of the widow of Nain’s son, with focus on the words, And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother. Today we learn about how Jesus comes into our lives, heals and raises us up from the dead, even when we least expect it.

Jesus meets the funeral procession coming out of the city. Life meets death, he speaks to the widow, dries her tears, and raises her son from the dead. The Jews of the day were astonished, some feared, and others could hardly believe it. But why should we wonder at this great miracle? Didn’t Isaiah say years before The dead shall rise, and they that are in the tombs shall rise again, and didn’t our Lord Himself say, The hour will come when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live (John 5:25). And the Apostle Paul adds the words: In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall rise again incorruptible (I Corinthians 15:52).

What is this trumpet, that declares war against hell, rolls back the stone from the tomb, and gives to all as they rise from their graves victory amidst light everlasting? What is it? It is the voice that Jesus mentioned above: the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God. This is not the voice of a trumpet made of brass or something else, with a mournful call to War, but rather the Voice that comes from the heart of the Father, from the mouth of the Son, the call to life to those who are in heaven and in hell on earth.

Jesus meets the woman, a widow as she comes out of the city. She has already lost her husband, and she is about to lose her only son. In other words, this is a woman who is alone. A great crowd of people, gawkers who want to look at her grief and pain, follows her. But she is alone. Her sadness almost overwhelms us. In that day and age there was no social security or 401k plans. Her security was in her family. But her husband had died, and now her only son, the only one who could take care of her was also gone.

There are times in this life when we feel alone. I remember hearing once that the television has made it possible for a million people to laugh at the same joke at the same time, and yet still be alone. That is what this life does to us at times. We put on masks and pretend that everything is good, everything is perfect. And yet right underneath the surface is the deep sadness of knowing that you are stuck and helpful, trapped in your own sins and boxed in by the world around you. Like this widow, a tragedy may hit us, and the sorrow just seems to keep coming. Her son was dead, her husband was already dead, she was destitute. She probably spent her last dime on the funeral for her only son. Like the widow from our Old Testament lesson, she was ready to go home, fix a last meal, and die. As we prayed in the Introit, Bow down your ear, O Lord, hear me; for I am poor and needy.

So what does Jesus do for this poor woman? He had compassion on her. Remember that word? It was the word that the Good Samaritan used for the one left for dead on the road. Jesus has compassion on her, He is moved in his heart to help her when no one else could do a thing. All they could do is watch, but Jesus can make things happen. So he says to her, “Do not weep.” Now when we are faced with death, it is very easy to want to try and put on a mask and act as if nothing bad had happened. That’s what we want to do. We want to deny death, we want to make it into something else. We want to say that death is just another path to another life, or reincarnation or something else. But death is not that. Death is the result of sin, as St. Paul said, The wages of sin is death. Death is our payment for a life of sin.

Now Jesus knows this, and loves both her and her dead son, so He says to her “Don’t weep.” Jesus doesn’t say this because he wants her to forget her son. No, He says this because He knows that He can help her. Everyone else can simply watch, but Jesus can help. And He does. So He goes to the coffin and touches it. He touches the open coffin. Now in the Jewish world, that was bordering on blasphemy. A dead body is unclean, and is not to be handled. But Jesus, the giver of Life, is not afraid of death. He knows that He has the power over life and death, and so He touches the open coffin to show the widow and all those around who is really in charge.

As many of you know, we have had several funerals in the last couple months. I am always struck by the fact that in our funeral liturgy, the pastor is to touch the coffin and give the blessing. This must be a reference to this verse from Luke 7. As children of God, we know that Jesus is the one who is the Lord of Life, and so we do not have to fear death like the unbelievers do. We know that death in itself is not good, but we also know that Jesus will always turn death into a victory for us.

So Jesus touches the coffin and speaks to the young man as though he were still alive. For what is dead in our eyes may be very different for God. Jesus then says, Young man, I say to you, arise. Get up! And the one who was dead sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother.

You see, that’s how God works. God is always raising us up from the dead. Jesus is always doing the unexpected, and His timing is always perfect. Not only does He raise her son up from the dead, but he did it when it seemed as though there was no hope, no possibility of a future or anywhere else to turn.

But that’s God’s work, isn’t it? God is always raising us up from the dead and bringing us back to life. Think of what happened to Hannah Messersmith just a few minutes ago. To the eyes of the world, she is a cute cuddly newborn child. She’s no more or less beautiful now than she was before she was baptized. And yet, through water and the Word God converted her from an unbeliever into a child of God. Or, to use the language of St. Paul, she was buried by baptism into death so that just as Jesus rose from the dead, she, too, now walks in newness of life. Perfect timing from a perfect God.

God’s Word of life and forgiveness does that. When Jesus forgives your sin, it is as if you are raised up from the dead once again! Your baptism was your death and resurrection. And it is because of that death and resurrection in water and Word that you can now stand up and speak God’s praises for life and salvation. As the choir sang earlier, You have put on Christ, in Him you have been baptized, You have put on Christ, Alleluia!.

Hannah has heard the voice of the Son of God when He called out to her in baptism. And there will come a day when she will hear His voice again, and He will call her forth from death into life. That voice, that trumpet of God, is the great voice of our loving Savior who never leaves you, who knows just what you need and when you need it. That voice, those words will turn your tears into joy. That voice calls you to a new life, a life lived in Him and for Him, for He knows what you need and He will give it to you. So we can pray with the Psalmist, For great is your mercy toward me, for You have delivered my soul from the depths of Hell.

That voice of God calls out to you with words of mercy and forgiveness. Take eat, take drink. Jesus voice can calm your fears, can set your heart at rest, and can deliver you from whatever onslaughts Satan has thrown upon you. God is the only one who can deliver you, and He does, again and again and again. You are His child. So do not weep, but believe, for Jesus’ sake.

In the name of the Father and of the † Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all human understanding, keep your hearts and minds in true faith, unto life everlasting. Amen.

Todd A. Peperkorn, STM

Messiah Lutheran Church

Kenosha, Wisconsin

Trinity 16 (October 8, 2000)

Luke 7:11-17

On the Occasion of the Baptism of Hannah Grace Messersmith

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Last Revised: October 8, 2000