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This evening our passage turns our hearts and minds to Jesus and how he responds to a time of profound sadness in the face of death. We will see his compassion as well as his power over death. My title is ‘Christ’s Compassion in the face of grief’ and I have four very simple points;

1. Face to face with death

Jesus has just healed a centurion’s servant from a terminal illness, and continues to gather a large crowd who follow him around. The story unfolds in the town of Nain, a place filled with sorrow and despair. A widow, already burdened by the loss of her husband, is now faced with the unimaginable - the death of her only son. Nain is engulfed in grief. The loss is brutal and is felt deeply. They arrive at the gate to the town as the funeral is coming out – on their way to bury the son outside. Luke 7.11-12:

Soon afterwards he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her.

As we will see, because Jesus has power over even death, we can have hope in the face of death. But that does not mean that death is a good thing. It is not – and grief is the right response, a right and holy sadness. Death is an unwelcomed guest; it had no place in creation, rather, it stormed onto the scene as the thief of life upon the entrance of sin into this world. When you lose a loved one, the deep grief that follows continues for a long time. It’s hard to imagine life will ever be right or normal again, and grief is a completely normal and healthy response to death. Grief cannot be a quick, brave tearless thing. It takes time and space, and it’s a very personal process – no two people will grieve in exactly the same way. Here's a poem written by a 15 year old who’s experienced loss:

I feel empty inside,As though something was gone.Hollowness, nothingnessFills the spot where you wereIt’s like you were lostAnd I had no way to find youAlthough it seems you’re lost to meI know you’re home.

It may be obvious to say it, but death itself is not to be celebrated. All around us people find it is easier to avoid the awfulness. Grief brings us face to face with death. In amidst the pain and suffering inevitably questions are raised or they’re deep cries which emerge within us (and we don’t need to pretend otherwise); How can a loving God allow such pain and suffering? And that often haungtin question; ‘why?’ There’s no easy or trite answers to those questions, and God is not unsettled by us asking them in the middle of grief. And the first hints of an answer are found as we look at Jesus and His death and ressurection. Tonight we’ll share together The Lord's Supper - that was a meal shared in the midst of sorrow and death. The disciples broke bread and drank wine with Jesus, knowing that His crucifixion was imminent. Jesus himself knows what it is to suffer and know grief. And together we’re going to remember His death, and we can be sure that whatever the challenge of our circumstances because of what he did for us on the cross we can trust and know that he is a God who loves us that he is a God who is near to us. That’s what we proclaim together as we break the bread and drink the wine together.

We also remember that wonderful hope for the death and resurrection that He brings is certain. And toigether we look forward to that day when he will come again. This passage brings us face-to-face with death. Secondly and most wonderfully, this passage brings us to see:

2. Jesus’ compassion

Amidst this sea of sorrow, Jesus steps forward with a heart full of compassion. He doesn't remain indifferent to the widow's plight; instead, He is deeply moved by her grief. Luke draws our attention to the compassionate nature of our Saviour; He is not a distant God but a compassionate, loving friend who enters into our pain and suffering. His heart is moved by our tears, and he acts to bring us comfort. Luke 7.13:

And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”

Moved with compassion he did not wait to be asked for help – not from the woman or from her friends. He saw the weeping mother, and knew what she was going through. Not a word was said about her faith. It was a free a lavish overflow of God’s mercy and love, even before faith. And when we face times of pain, loss, and despair the same Jesus (who is alive and reigning) meets us with the same compassion. Jesus is the One who draws near when we are in the depths of grief. He is the embodiment of compassion and the source of our hope. He is the loving comforter. Lamentations 3.22-23:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;his mercies never come to an end;they are new every morning;great is your faithfulness.

He says to her do not weep. That’s not something we should say to someone at a funeral. He knew what he was about to do for this woman – and that within minutes her son would be given back to her. Seeing his compassion we are invited to bring our tears to him: the one who heals the broken-hearted. And to keep bringing them to him: the loss of grief. Are you grieving a loss? Jesus is full of compassion. Turn to him. And he has acted to bring us comfort and hope in the face of death. One day we will weep no more, and all tears will be wiped from our eyes.

3. Jesus has power over death

Jesus draws near and simply at his words, the young man who was dead comes back to life, sits up, and begins to speak. The procession of mourning is transformed into a celebration of life. Luke 7.14-15:

Then he came up and touched the bier [that is the body wrapped ready for burial], 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.

Luke wants us to know who Jesus is. This event shows us that Jesus has power over even death. It’s not just a parable teaching a spiritual point that he can breathe life into our lifeless situations, and bring hope into situations where there seems to be none – as true as that may be. The young man was dead and Jesus brought him back to life. With a few words. Do not miss the point. Jesus is the only one who can bring life out of death. He is the resurrection and the life (John 11.25) and the victor over death. This is a wonderful story, but it is not easy for us to hear because so many of us have been in the position of the widow. We have lost people we dearly love, and they were not brought back to life. But Jesus continues to heal our pain and our sorrow. And what Jesus (the Lord Jesus) did here for the widowed mother and son he will one day do in a perfect and final way for all those who belong in his Kingdom. He will raise the dead and they will be reunited with our loved ones who are also in his kingdom.

4. Jesus is our saviour

Luke 7.16-17:

Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

Those watching this miracle were blown away and the news turns viral. But they don’t completely get the significance of what they have just witnessed. They think he’s a great prophet. That’s because raising the dead son to life gave them flashbacks to 500 years earlier where the prophet Elijah had gone to another small town just as Jesus went to Nain. You can read all about it in 2 Kings 4; striking paralells to this passage. Elijah also met a widow at the gate of the town – and her only son had also just died. He too was raised from the dead and the account reads that he too gave him back to his mother. And so Jesus’s miracle was a near duplicate of Elijah’s.

But Jesus was more than a great prophet. Elijah had to stretch himself over the child three times and he cried out to God for help. Jesus however only spoke the word. He is more than a prophet. But that’s the best they could come up with.and it filled them with excitement because they had been waiting for God to visited his people. They have been waiting for the Messiah – the one God promised would come to save his people. Luke wants us to know who Jesus is. He wants us to understand what faith in Jesus looks like and what salvation looks like. In the section just before this, the Centurian’s servant was healed not because of his good works, or worth. It was rather by abandoning the idea that he deserved to be saved, and instead relying totally on Jesus. And he healed him without even meeting him. And it is the same with the widow of Nain; she is desolate, weak, a widow. Jesus gave the gift of life as a gift of grace. It doesn’t depend on what we can do, but on what God can do for us. He is the one who brings the dead to life. It’s a picture of what he does spiritually as well as physically. We contribute nothing. The miracle was not because of anything the widow did, or said or because of her incredible faith. And the man did not do anything to raise himself. In death he heard his saviour call him, and so for us. We did not seek God – but he came to seek and save us. To bring us from darkness into the glorious light of new life in him. He is the one who brings the dead to life. We were all dead to him before he called us to ‘arise’. In him is life. So there is no one beyond the reach of Jesus. No one who he cannot miraculously raise from the dead. Let’s pray…