The Sermon Notes of Harold Buls


The Sermon Notes of Harold Buls

On the Gospel Lessons of the Ingrian Lutheran Church of Russia

Text from Luke 7:11-17

Trinity XVI

1. This account is peculiar to Luke. But two other instances of Jesus' raising the dead, also by His Word, are recorded, Jairus' daughter, Lk. 8:54 and Jn. 11:43, Lazarus. In all three cases Jesus called them by name. They heard His voice.

2. Read Jn. 5:25-29. There Jesus' speaks of two resurrections. In vss. 25- 27 He speaks of His raising the spiritually dead by His Word. This is conversion. He also speaks of raising all the dead on Judgement Day. In all cases it is the Word of Jesus which raises the dead.

3. Elijah (I Kings 17:23) and Elisha (II Kings 4:36) in the OT raised the dead but not by their own Word power. Peter (Acts 9:41) And Paul (Acts 20:10- 12) also raised the dead but not by their own Word or power.

4. In Lk. 7:1-10 we read about a slave at the point of death but the main point is the humble faith of his master. In our text we read about a dead man but nothing is said about faith. Jesus took the initiative.

5. In vs. 16 the people said: "God has visited His people." This word "visit" has a particular meaning for Jesus. Zacharias said (Lk. 1:68) "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people." He is speaking about Jesus. At Acts 15:14 we read: "Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name." Jesus visited mankind. He came to make His home among them, to save them, to raise them from the dead.

6. The village of Nain was in Galilee but cannot now be identified. It is mentioned only here in our text in the Bible. But though the town has disappeared it will always be known as the place where Jesus raised a widow's son to life. He was probably her only child but, for certain, her only son. She had also lost her husband. She was helpless.

7. Notice that there were two crowds, the crowd with Jesus and the crowd with the widow. The Lord of life heads the one crowd, death heads the other crowd.

8. Jesus said to the widow, "Do not weep." This prohibition contained a promise. He was about to prove why she should not weep.

9. The dead man heard Jesus' voice. He sat up. He began to talk. Jesus' Word made this possible.

10. The fall into sin took this man from his mother. Jesus gave him back to his mother.

11. The people also said: "A great prophet has arisen among us." They were probably thinking about men like Elijah and Elisha. But they did not call Him THE Prophet (Deut. 18:15). They did not call Jesus the Messiah. Faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). Miracles don't produce faith in Christ. But they do prove that Jesus is true God. In vs. 22 Jesus tells the disciples of the Baptist: "The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor hear the Gospel." This is in answer to the question: "Are you the One to come or should we expect another?"

12. What do the recorded miracles do for us today? They strengthen our faith when it becomes weak. They remind us that God has visited man. They remind us that our Lord is a man of compassion. They tell us that Jesus cares about and seeks those who are helpless, lonesome and unknown among people. The world is a valley of sorrows. It is huge morgue and cemetery. Jesus came to give spiritual, everlasting life to all. He has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. II Tim. 1:10.

13. We are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us. Rom. 8:37.


The Sermon Outline of Harold Buls

On the Gospel Lessons of the Ingrian Lutheran Church of Russia

Text from Luke 7:11-17

Trinity XVI

Theme: THE SON OF GOD VISITS SINFUL MANKIND

INTRODUCTION

Our text and its meaning con be applied to all of mankind. All people since Adam and Eve are like the people of Nain. They grope in spiritual darkness but cannot help themselves. The Son of God comes to them, proves Who He is and what He can do. The Lord of Life comes to the world which is a morgue, the land of the dead.

I. THE SITUATION OF SINFUL MANKIND.

II. THE SON OF GOD VISITS THESE HELPLESS PEOPLE.

III. THE REACTION OF THE PEOPLE

Fear and awe took hold of these people. They said: "A great prophet has arisen in our midst. God has visited His people." They did not yet call Him the Messiah. But the miracle, which helped the widow, proved that Jesus was God's Son. Miracles do not convert people. But they prove that Jesus is the Messiah. Now they had opportunity to hear His Word.

CONCLUSION

We have God's Word. From this Word we learn that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. He seeks us out as He sought this widow and her dead son at Nain. He is saying to us: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me shall never die."


This text was converted to ascii format for Project Wittenberg by Cindy A. Beesley and is in the public domain. You may freely distribute, copy or print this text. Please direct any comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther Library at Concordia Theological Seminary.

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