LUKE Part 32

Luke 7:11-17

The Compassion of Christ

Presented by

Pastor Carl Chica

June 28, 2015

Introduction

A public sorrow. The town of Nain was about

twenty-five miles from Capernaum, a days

journey. So it was probably in the late afternoon

that Jesus and his band of disciples encountered

an unexpected public display of sorrow at the

city gate. A funeral bier (an open coffin),

preceded by the pathetic figure of a woman,

stood directly in Jesus path. The coffin was

surrounded by professional mourners who were

leading a large, wailing crowd with flutes,

cymbals, and frenzied cries.1 The cries were

especially deafening because of the loud

mourning associated with the death of an only

child.2

A private sorrow. The wretched figure of the

woman, without the company of a husband or,

as far as we can tell, children, communicated in

an instant to Jesus and his followers the depth of

the tragedy. The tear-drenched woman was a

widow, and the pale young corpse was her only

son. The large crowd posed an ironic contrast to

her actual state. She was alone in this world

without a provider or protector. Tomorrow she

would wake by herself, brokenhearted, without

the sustaining footfall and sounds of her beloved

son.

There is something poignant in the tragic

womans silhouette because, given what is

about to take place and the declarations to be

made, she is a fit figure for the hurting soul to

whom Christ ministers.3

THE ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS

Jesus Encounters Death

This issue of human death is why Christ came to this

earth.

This issue of human death is a much bigger issue than

physically dying.

Jesus Expresses Compassion

Jesus heart went out to the mother in unmitigated

compassion.

Jesus has a heart that is big enough for our sorrows.

Jesus Has Powerful Words

His words are powerful because He is God.

He is the only One that has the power over death.

OUR PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS

We encounter the Deity and compassion of Christ by way of the Gospel.

We encounter a from death to life experience.

We now have the potential to express the compassion of Christ.

We now possess the powerful message of Christ.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Who do you know that needs to experience the compassion of Christ?

What will you do about it?

1Leon Morris, Luke (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1974), p. 153 2I. H. Marshall, The Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1978), p. 285 3R. Kent Hughes, Luke, Volume One (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1998), p. 262