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Luke 7: 11-17
11 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. 12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. 13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. 15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. 16 And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. 17 And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.

Key Takeaways from this Scripture

• Jesus Cares About Our Pain: Jesus' compassion for the widow is a reminder that He cares deeply about the suffering we experience in life. When He told the widow, "Weep not," it was not just a command but an expression of His empathy and desire to heal her broken heart. Jesus sees our struggles, and He is moved by them. His love is not distant or detached; it is personal and transformative. We can take comfort in knowing that He is present in our pain and grief.
• Jesus Has Power Over Life and Death: The miracle of raising the widow’s son highlights Jesus’ authority over the ultimate enemy: death. His command to the dead young man, "Arise," was a display of divine power that could not be resisted. This moment points to the greater truth that Jesus holds the keys to life and death, offering eternal life to all who believe in Him. His resurrection power is not limited to this one instance but is available to us today, offering hope beyond the grave.
• Miracles Reveal Jesus' Divine Identity: This miracle did more than just revive a young man—it revealed Jesus' true identity to the people. The crowd’s reaction, declaring Jesus as a great prophet and recognizing God’s presence among them, shows how miracles point to deeper spiritual truths. Jesus wasn't merely a prophet; He was the Messiah, the Son of God. His miracles were a sign of the kingdom of God breaking into the world, bringing healing, restoration, and salvation.
• Jesus Restores What Is Lost: The raising of the widow's son demonstrates that Jesus not only brings life but also restores what seems beyond hope. The widow had lost her son, her hope, and her future security, but Jesus gave it all back to her with one powerful word. This act of restoration reminds us that nothing is too far gone for Jesus to redeem. Whether it’s physical loss, emotional hurt, or spiritual death, He is the restorer of all things.
• God’s Miracles Lead to Worship and Praise: After witnessing this miracle, the people were filled with fear and awe, and they glorified God. Miracles should lead us to worship, recognizing the hand of God at work in our lives. The crowd in Nain spread the news of what Jesus had done, sharing the wonder of God’s intervention with others. When we experience God’s miraculous work—whether big or small—it should drive us to praise Him and proclaim His goodness to others.

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To learn more about the Value 4 Value model and how we apply it to this show, head over to our website and read up on it at https://bible-bytes.com/v4v.

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This podcast may use AI generated content and voices. For more information,   check out our disclosure page on our website,   bible dash bytes.com/disclosures.   Welcome to Bible Bytes, your virtual Sunday school. Inspiring faith 1 bite at a time.   Each episode breaks down the timeless wisdom of the Bible into digestible   insights,   perfect for those unable to attend services in person.   Whether you're seeking spiritual growth or encouragement,   Bible Bites offers fresh, engaging perspectives that fit into your busy schedule.   Here is your host, Randy Black.  



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In the small town   of 9, Jesus encounters a funeral procession.   This is the only son of a widow that had died, leaving her destitute   and without hope.   Moved with compassion,   Jesus performs a miracle,   raising the young man from the dead and restoring him to his mother.   This profound event that is recorded in Luke chapter 7 verses 11 through 17   reveals Jesus' power over life and death.   But even more, it displays his deep care and compassion   for those in distress.   This episode is going to explore the significance of this miracle and what it tells us about the heart of Christ.   As we do each week, we'll open up now with a prayer.  

Dear heavenly father, we come before you in awe of your power and your compassion.   As we reflect on the story of Jesus   raising the widow's son,   open up our hearts to understand   your care for us.   Even in our moments of greatest need.   Help us   to see that you are with us in our sorrow   and that your love brings hope and life.   Guide our thoughts as we learn from your word today.   In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.  

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Luke chapter 7 verses 11 through 17.   And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called 9, and many of his disciples went with him and much people.   Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city,   behold,   there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a   widow. And much people of the city was with her.   And when the lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said unto her, weep not.   And he came and touched the bier, and they that bear him stood still.   And he said, young man, I say unto thee, arise.   And he that was dead sat up and began to speak.  

And he delivered him to his mother.   And there came a fear on all, and they glorified God saying, that a great prophet is risen up among us, and that God hath visited his people.   And this rumor of him went forth throughout all Judea and throughout all the region round about.  

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The story begins   with Jesus arriving at the town of 9 just as a funeral procession is leaving.   This was no ordinary funeral.   The deceased was the only son of a widow.   In the cultural context of ancient Israel,   this widow's loss was not only emotional,   but also economic and social.   With no husband   and now no son,   she faced a future of poverty   and isolation.   Jesus' arrival was perfectly timed   showcasing   divine providence.   In verse 13,   we see one of the most powerful expressions   of Jesus's humanity.   When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her.   Jesus did not perform this miracle out of a desire for recognition,   or a display of power,   but out of a deep   empathy   for a grieving mother.  

His first words to her, weep not,   speak directly   to her sorrow.   This compassion   drives the miracle that follows,   showing us that Jesus is not indifferent   to our pain.   When Jesus touched the bear, that's the platform carrying the body,   He broke with Jewish customs, which deemed contact with the dead as unclean.   Yet Jesus's authority transcended these laws because he was not defiled by death.   Rather,   he brought life.   His command, young man, I say into thee, arise, is a testament to his divine authority.   Death   could not resist his voice.   And the young man was immediately restored   to life.  

The response of the crowd is telling,   they they were filled with awe and glorified God,   proclaiming   that a great prophet had risen among them, and that God had visited his people.   This miracle pointed   to Jesus' identity as more than just a prophet,   but as the Messiah,   the son of god who brings both physical   and spiritual life.   The miracle is not just about the resurrection of a young man, but it's about the revelation of Jesus   as the one who has power over death itself.   It foreshadows   his own resurrection   and the eternal life he offers to all who believe in him.   It is a story of hope for all who grieve,   showing that Jesus has the final word over life   and death.  

Some key takeaways from our scripture today.   Jesus cares about our pain.   Jesus' compassion for the widow is a reminder that he cares deeply about the suffering   we experience in life.   When he told the widow, weep not, it was not just a command,   but it was an expression of his empathy and desire to heal her broken heart.   Jesus sees our struggles,   and he's moved by them.   His love is not distant or detached.   It is personal and transformative.   He can take comfort in knowing that he is present in our pain   and our grief.   Jesus has power over life and death.  

The miracle of raising the widow's son highlights Jesus' authority over the ultimate enemy,   death.   His command to the dead young man, arise,   was a display of divine power that could not be resisted.   This moment   points to the greater truth that Jesus holds the keys to life and death,   offering eternal life to all who believe in him.   His resurrection power is not limited   to this one instance,   but is available to us today,   offering hope beyond the grave.   Miracles revealed Jesus' divine identity.   This miracle did more than just revive a young man, it revealed Jesus' true identity to the people.   The crowd's reaction,   declaring Jesus as a great prophet and recognizing God's presence among them shows how miracles point to deeper spiritual truths.  

Jesus wasn't merely a prophet,   he was the Messiah,   the son of God.   His miracles were a sign of the kingdom of God breaking into the world, bringing healing,   restoration,   and salvation.   Jesus restores what is lost.   The raising of the widow's son demonstrates that Jesus not only brings life, but also restores   what seems beyond hope.   The widow had lost her son, her hope, and her future security.   But Jesus gave it all back to her with one powerful word.   This act of restoration   reminds us that nothing is too far gone for Jesus to redeem.   Whether it's physical loss,   emotional hurt,   or spiritual death,   he is the restorer   of all things.  

God's miracles   lead to worship and praise.   After witnessing this miracle, the people were filled with fear   and awe, and they glorified   god.   Miracles should lead us to worship,   recognizing the hand of god at work in our lives.   The crowd in 9 spread the news of what Jesus had done,   sharing the wonder of god's intervention with others.   When we experience god's miraculous work, whether it be big or small,   it should drive us to praise him and proclaim his goodness   to others.   As we reflect on this passage, we are reminded of Jesus' compassion.   It's easy to feel alone in our pain as if no one understands the depth of our grief.  

But this story reminds us that Jesus not only sees our suffering,   but is moved by it.   He cares about the details of our lives,   from the great sorrows   to the small concerns.   His heart is tender   toward the brokenhearted,   and he offers comfort   in ways   that only he can.   Furthermore, Jesus' power over death gives us hope beyond the grave.   The resurrection of the widow's son is a powerful reminder that death is not the end.   In our lives, we may face situations that feel hopeless,   whether it be the death of a loved one, a broken relationship,   or a deep personal struggle.  

Yet,   Jesus' authority over death assures us that he can bring new life to the dead areas   of our lives.   His resurrection power is at work in us, offering hope   and restoration.   The story also challenges us to trust in God's timing and purpose.   The widow did not expect this miracle,   nor could she have known Jesus would intervene.   Often, we do not see how god is working behind the scenes in our lives.   But like the widow,   we can trust that he knows our needs   and will act according to his perfect plan.   Finally,   we must ask ourselves   how we respond to God's work in our lives.  

Do we, like like the crowd here in 9,   glorify God and spread his word of goodness?   God's miracles, both big and small, are meant to draw us into deeper faith and worship.   As we recognize his hand in our lives,   let us be quick to share the story of his grace and power with others around us.   As we do each week, let's close out our lesson on this scripture with a prayer.   Dear lord,   we thank you for the compassion you show us in our times of sorrow and of loss.   We praise you for your power over death and for the hope of resurrection that we have in you.   As we reflect on your word,   help us to trust you more deeply,   knowing that you care for us and are at work in our lives.  

May we glorify   you in all that we do and share your love and power with those around us. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.  

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Not only are we operating with podcasting 2.0 on our back end, we also operate under the value for value model. And the idea is we hope that each week with our research and planning and recording   and sharing of the scripture and the word of god that we are providing value to you and that you would then in turn provide value back to us. And that could be one of 3 different forms, the form of time, talent, or treasure.   Time is simply listening or sharing the show with others. Talent would be to make us an offer to provide cover art images for our episodes   or to come up with scripture ideas or lesson ideas to use in the show.  

And finally, treasure would be in the form of monetary donations. We do have to pay for media hosting for the show, and for web hosting. So   if you feel the the need to provide value back to help us and assist in that area, we would greatly appreciate it. If you wanna learn more about the value for value model and how we apply it to this show, head over to our website and read up on it. You can find that page at bible dash bytes.com/v4v.   That's the letter v, the number 4,   and the letter v. If you have a prayer request, we hope that you would reach out to the show via one of the contact forms found on our website   so that we can take that request and share it with the audience, and we can all work together to lift that up to the lord to try to find an answer to those prayers.  

We have no new prayer request to add this week,   but   I know that there are folks out there who are in need and have a desire to to have God's will touch their lives, the lives of those around them. So we're gonna remember those in our prayer today as we close out this episode   with one more prayer.   Heavenly father,   we thank you again for the chance to come together and to hear and learn your word.   We lift up the requests that are unspoken among our audience   that you can   find a way to touch them and fulfill that need in the way that you deem to be best.   You hold the answers to our prayers,   and we trust you and your wisdom in meeting those requests   with whatever answer you provide to us.  

It's in your name that we work each week to strive and share with you with the world in hopes that they might accept your son, Jesus,   as their savior,   and then spend eternity in heaven with you and all of the saved.   In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.   Join us on our next episode when we look at the time that Jesus   calms a storm on the sea.   You can find that in your bible by heading over to Matthew chapter 8 verses 23 through 27,   Mark chapter 4 verses 35 through 41,   and Luke chapter 8 verses 22 through 25.  

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Thank you for joining us for Bible Bites, your virtual Sunday school.   Please head over to our website   atbibledashbytes.com   to learn how to follow, support, or share the show with others. Be sure to listen in next week for more of Bible Bites, inspiring faith one bite at a  

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