WHEN LIFE LOOKS HOPELESS

When Life Looks Hopeless

Luke 7:11-17

Sermon by Rev. Richard Jones

December 05, 2012

 

Luke 7: 11-17
11  Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12  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. 13  And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”14  Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”
15  And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.
16  Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!”
17  And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

 

TWO CROWDS MET
11  Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12  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.

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

Isaiah 53:4-6
4  Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
5  But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

TWO ONLY SONS MET
14  Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”
15  And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.

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

1 Corinthians 15:20-26
20  But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21  For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.
22  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23  But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24  Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.
25  For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
26  The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

1 Corinthians 15:50-56
50  I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51  Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52  in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53  For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54  When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55  “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

Revelation 21:4
4  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Hebrews 4:14-16
14  Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  16  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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