How does Luke 7:15 connect to Old Testament miracles of resurrection? The Scene in Nain “Then He went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. ‘Young man,’ He said, ‘I tell you, get up!’ And the dead man sat up and began to speak! Then Jesus gave him back to his mother.” (Luke 7:14-15) Old Testament Precedents • 1 Kings 17:17-24 — Elijah raises the widow of Zarephath’s only son. • 2 Kings 4:18-37 — Elisha raises the Shunammite woman’s only son. • 2 Kings 13:20-21 — A man is raised to life when his body touches Elisha’s bones. Key Parallels • Bereaved widow in grief – Zarephath widow (1 Kings 17) – Shunammite mother (2 Kings 4) – Widow at Nain (Luke 7) • Only son restored – “Your son lives” (1 Kings 17:23) – “Take your son” (2 Kings 4:36) – “Jesus gave him back to his mother” (Luke 7:15) • Prophetic authority over death – Elijah prays and stretches himself on the child three times (1 Kings 17:21) – Elisha prays, lies on the child, mouth-to-mouth (2 Kings 4:33-34) – Jesus simply speaks: “I tell you, get up!” (Luke 7:14) • Immediate, visible life signs – Breath returns (1 Kings 17:22) – Child sneezes seven times and opens his eyes (2 Kings 4:35) – Young man sits up and speaks (Luke 7:15) Prophetic Patterns Fulfilled • Jesus mirrors and surpasses Elijah and Elisha, confirming Him as “a prophet like Moses” (Deuteronomy 18:15) and greater than the greatest prophets. • Isaiah 35:5-6 foretells Messianic miracles; resurrection power anchors that promise. • Luke’s crowd responds, “A great prophet has arisen among us” (Luke 7:16), linking directly back to the Elijah-Elisha narratives. What This Reveals About Jesus • Absolute authority over death—He commands life without ritual or intermediary. • Compassion for the vulnerable—His first concern is for a grieving widow’s future (cf. Psalm 68:5). • Preview of His own resurrection and the general resurrection promised in Daniel 12:2 and affirmed in 1 Corinthians 15:20-22. Application for Today • The same Lord who conquered death in Nain guarantees eternal life to all who trust Him (John 11:25-26). • Scripture’s unity—Old and New Testament accounts converge to display one consistent, sovereign God acting in history. • Faith is strengthened when we see Jesus not as an isolated miracle-worker but as the climax of a divine pattern that began centuries earlier. |
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