They are known as the Gospels. The Good News. The first four books of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, each give an account of Jesus' life and ministry, of His leaving the glories of His home in Heaven and coming to be Emmanuel....God With Us.
Once Jesus has captured your heart, as He certainly will once you understand that He is who He claims to be, you will never tire of reading of His sweetness and power. Think of it. When you're in love with someone, you want to know every detail about that person you possibly can. You want to immerse yourself in every moment with them. After reading these four Gospels, and letting the reality of Jesus' soul-healing journey of sacrifice sink into your heart, you'll be in love, but in a much different way than you ever have before.
Other loves may have failed or disappointed you. But that's because we, the created, love imperfectly. The Creator loves you and me perfectly, in an Everlasting Marriage that will never disappoint.
In the Gospels, some of the most poignant and inspiring events of Jesus' ministry are surprising in their brevity. One of those is in Luke 7:11-17, and can be read easily in less than a minute. Some years ago, I remember reading some suggestions on how best to study the events in Jesus' ministry. Basically, the advice was to use my imagination and put myself into the scene, with its sights and sounds. This account of Jesus raising a dead young man to life is a perfect example of what we can gain by immersing ourselves in a Biblical scene, rather than settling for a 60-second reading. First, let's read the scriptural account, then imagine what it might have been like to be there:
Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out---the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry."
Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.
They were all filled with awe and praised God. 'A great prophet has appeared among us,' they said. 'God has come to help his people.' This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.
I slip into this large crowd that's following Jesus and stay alert, for I have heard that he has performed some amazing miracles. It seems that everywhere Jesus goes, something wonderful happens, but who could help wondering what could possibly happen in an insignificant town like Nain. I decide to just follow and get as close to Him as I can.
Suddenly, everyone ahead of me stops at the gate to the town, and I strain to see what the interruption is. It is a funeral procession, and the man next to me who recognizes the woman walking next to the coffin explains that this woman's only son has died, and having lost her husband some time ago, is now completely alone. Even from a distance, I can see Jesus having words with her, as he first places his hands gently on her face. Soon after, he gently touches the coffin. Then, because of the collective hush that comes over the crowd, I can hear Jesus shouting, "GET UP !" I force my way closer, to get a better look. Yes ! The dead man is sitting up ! And his mother, thinking she had lost him forever, has buried her head in his chest. And now the cheering sounds roll up and over the hillsides. I feel as if I had not really lived until this day. I must learn more about this Jesus. Sooner or later, I will get close enough to him to understand who he really is. If he can do this, he can do anything !
And so, using the power of my imagination, while carefully staying within the facts of the scriptures, I experience the wonder of this miracle in a much greater way. Then, I look for spiritual applications that might help this story bear fruit in my own life.
First of all, I love the fact that Jesus does not see this funeral procession as an interruption to His own plans. Rather, He recognizes that His arrival at the city gate at the exact time that this woman is leaving the city to bury her son, is in God's perfect timing. It is no coincidence.
The Bible records two other resurrections from the dead that Jesus performed, both I think intended to build faith across the Ages. In Matthew 9:25, He raised Jairus' daughter after she had died. And in John 11:43-44, John describes Jesus' raising of The Master's friend, Lazarus, after he had been dead for four days. They are both beautiful and inspiring accounts of Jesus' mastery over death. But I particularly love the insight Luke gives us into Jesus' compassion for this widow's loss and grief. In verse 15, Luke says, "And Jesus gave him back to his mother." He undoes a tragedy. He rights a wrong. Despite the fact that our free will choices to sin have subjected us to the penalty of death, Jesus demonstrates here, in a voice spoken to the widow, her son and directly to us, that He has the power over death and will use it someday to bring all events to their Godly conclusion.
Luke was a doctor, so his life's work was in healing the sick and giving them back well to their loved ones. But since giving dead patients back to their families was well beyond his reach, he must have been deeply moved to record Jesus' resurrection of this young man.
First of all, I love the fact that Jesus does not see this funeral procession as an interruption to His own plans. Rather, He recognizes that His arrival at the city gate at the exact time that this woman is leaving the city to bury her son, is in God's perfect timing. It is no coincidence.
The Bible records two other resurrections from the dead that Jesus performed, both I think intended to build faith across the Ages. In Matthew 9:25, He raised Jairus' daughter after she had died. And in John 11:43-44, John describes Jesus' raising of The Master's friend, Lazarus, after he had been dead for four days. They are both beautiful and inspiring accounts of Jesus' mastery over death. But I particularly love the insight Luke gives us into Jesus' compassion for this widow's loss and grief. In verse 15, Luke says, "And Jesus gave him back to his mother." He undoes a tragedy. He rights a wrong. Despite the fact that our free will choices to sin have subjected us to the penalty of death, Jesus demonstrates here, in a voice spoken to the widow, her son and directly to us, that He has the power over death and will use it someday to bring all events to their Godly conclusion.
Luke was a doctor, so his life's work was in healing the sick and giving them back well to their loved ones. But since giving dead patients back to their families was well beyond his reach, he must have been deeply moved to record Jesus' resurrection of this young man.
Who of us wouldn't have loved to hear these words at the funeral of a loved one ? And Jesus gave my Dad back to our family. And Jesus gave the young mother back to her children. And Jesus gave the stillborn infant back to his young parents.
Here.....right here....is the essence of our faith. If we believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and obediently and repentantly accept His shed blood as payment for our sins, then we have already heard those words.....Jesus gave him back.....Jesus gave her back.
Jesus gave us all back to our Heavenly Father.
Jesus gave us all back to our Heavenly Father.
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