Luke 7:14-15
Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus' simple command, "Young man, I say to you, arise," isn't just about raising the dead; it highlights his divine authority to speak life into existence. His direct address to the deceased, "I say to you," reveals a power that bypasses even death itself, calling forth life by his own decree. This shows that Christ's power isn't derived from ritual or borrowed from another, but is an inherent part of his being.
Jesus, on his way to a city called Nain, encounters a funeral procession where a widowed mother is burying her only son. Moved by deep compassion for her grief, Jesus approaches and touches the open bier, stopping the bearers. He then directly addresses the deceased young man, commanding him to rise, initiating one of His most public miracles.
Jesus saw a grieving mother and responded not with hesitation, but with a bold act that broke ritual barriers. What does this tell us about His heart?
When Jesus encountered the funeral procession in Nain, He didn't just see a dead young man; He saw a grieving widow, stripped of her only son. Luke highlights Jesus' compassion ('he had compassion on her') as the immediate catalyst for His action.
This compassion moved Him to approach and touch the bier—the frame carrying the deceased. This was significant because touching a dead body or its container would make a Jewish person ceremonially unclean according to the Law. Yet, Jesus, who is Himself the source of purity, was not afraid of defilement. His touch wasn't merely physical; it was a conduit of life and power, demonstrating that His divine nature transcended human ritual laws. He prioritized the needs of the suffering over the regulations of uncleanness, showing that the healing and life He brought were more potent than any ritual impurity.
Jesus spoke a single word to the dead, and life responded. What makes His command so powerful?
Jesus’ command, “Young man, I say to you, arise,” is more than just a suggestion; it’s an authoritative declaration imbued with divine power. Unlike the prayers of prophets like Elijah or Elisha, which often involved physical actions and repeated entreaties, Jesus’ word was direct and immediate. He addressed the dead young man as if he were merely sleeping, demonstrating His absolute mastery over death.
This command echoes God’s creative power. When God spoke light into existence, or when Ezekiel prophesied to the dry bones, the word itself carried the power to bring about reality. Jesus, in this moment, was speaking with that same creative authority. His word is life-giving, capable of piercing the silence of death and calling forth existence. It's a preview of His ultimate power to raise all who are spiritually dead to new life through faith in Him.
Understand the original words
soros · Greek Noun
The wooden frame or platform upon which a corpse was carried to the burial site. Touching it in Jewish law would typically render a person ceremonially unclean, showing Jesus' willingness to override ritual boundaries to bring life.
egeirō · Greek Verb
To be raised from the dead or to stand up from a position of lying down. In the New Testament, it is frequently used to describe both physical resurrection and the spiritual awakening of those dead in sin.
This event happened during Jesus' Galilean ministry, a time of increasing fame and public engagement, where His compassion and power over death were dramatically displayed to a diverse crowd, highlighting His divine authority.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus' Ministry in Galilee
Jesus travels throughout the region of Galilee, teaching, healing, and performing miracles. This period sees a growing following and significant public attention.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus travels to Nain
Jesus is en route to the village of Nain, accompanied by a large crowd of disciples and followers. This journey places him on the outskirts of the town.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Funeral procession meets Jesus
As Jesus approaches Nain's gate, he encounters a funeral procession carrying a young man's body out of the city. The deceased is the only son of a grieving widow.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus raises the widow's son
Moved by compassion, Jesus stops the procession, touches the bier, and commands the young man to arise. The youth is immediately revived and restored to his mother.
This passage shows Elijah raising the son of the widow of Zarephath, mirroring Jesus' compassion for a grieving widow and His power over death.
2 Kings 4:35Similar to Elijah's miracle, Elisha raises the son of the Shunammite woman, highlighting a pattern of prophets performing life-giving miracles through God's power.
John 11:43Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead by speaking a command, 'Lazarus, come out,' which echoes the direct authority Jesus uses in Luke 7:14.
Acts 9:40Peter raises Tabitha by praying and then commanding her to 'Rise,' demonstrating another instance where Christ's followers, empowered by Him, command life back into the deceased.
Ezekiel 37:4God commands Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones, showing God's power to bring life to the spiritually dead through His word, a powerful parallel to Jesus' spoken command here.
calvinLuke 7:11-17: "And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people."
- And it happened, when he departed, that he went into a city, which was called Nain, and many of his disciples, and a great multitude, went along with him. 12. And as he was approaching to the gate of the city, there was carried out a dead man, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and a great multitude from the city was with her. 13. A…
jfbLuke 7:11-17: "And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people."
Lu 7:11-17. Widow of Nain's Son Raised to Life. (In Luke only).11. Nain—a small village not elsewhere mentioned in Scripture, and only this once probably visited by our Lord; it lay a little to the south of Mount Tabor, about twelve miles from Capernaum.
Jesus' simple command, "Young man, I say to you, arise," isn't just about raising the dead; it highlights his divine authority to speak life into existence. His direct address to the deceased, "I say to you," reveals a power that bypasses even death itself, calling forth life by his own decree. This shows that Christ's power isn't derived from ritual or borrowed from another, but is an inherent part of his being.
Jesus, on his way to a city called Nain, encounters a funeral procession where a widowed mother is burying her only son. Moved by deep compassion for her grief, Jesus approaches and touches the open bier, stopping the bearers. He then directly addresses the deceased young man, commanding him to rise, initiating one of His most public miracles.
Jesus, on his way to a city called Nain, encounters a funeral procession where a widowed mother is burying her only son. Moved by deep compassion for her grief, Jesus approaches and touches the open bier, stopping the bearers. He then directly addresses the deceased young man, commanding him to rise, initiating one of His most public miracles.
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Early 1st century AD
Public reaction and spread of news
The miracle instills awe and fear in all who witness it. People glorify God and spread news of Jesus' power throughout Judea and surrounding regions.
"Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother." — Jesus' simple command, "Young man, I say to you, arise," isn't just about raising the dead; it highlights his divine authority to speak life into existence. His direct address to the deceased, "I say…
