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Luke 7:11-17 Text


11 Soon afterwards 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. 




Luke 7:11-17 Questions


Please note.
By reading the meditation associated with this text you will find many answers to the questions. However, the most important thing to do is to remain on the text, meditate on it until you can formulate your own answers. When interacting with the text we are interacting with the ultimate author of the text, the Holy Spirit.

If you wish to discuss these questions and interact with others then please join our online Bible group. If you wish to discuss these on a one-to-one basis then please contact us.




Verse 11

  1. From which Gospel is the text taken?

  2. What did Luke write in addition to this Gospel?

  3. What is the text about? Reply with one short sentence?

  4. What came immediately before this episode?

  5. What immediately follows this episode?

  6. What tells you that this episode is rooted in reality?

  7. Where does this episode take place?

  8. Do the widow and her son have a name? Do you think this has any importance?

  9. What do you think we are meant to focus on in reading this passage?

  10. What does the name of the village or town mean, Nain? Why?

  11. Is it important to note this?

  12. Where is Jesus coming from and where is he walking to?

  13. Is Jesus alone? What two categories of people are following him?



    14. Verse 12


  14. What do Jesus and his disciples meet as they are walking?

  15. Are they moving in the same direction?

  16. What are these people doing?

  17. What is their destination? Where are they going?

  18. Where are Jesus and his followers going?

  19. Does the encounter take place inside or outside the town?

  20. What do you think the people coming out of the town of Nain are in need of?

  21. Is there any hint of hope in these people? Why?

  22. Why do you think the widow’s state is desperate?

  23. What do you think her state of mind is?

  24. Do you think the people from Nain are focusing on death or on life?

  25. What is uniting these people at this moment? Are they in the grip of life or death?

  26. Do they represent humanity in any way?

  27. What characterises the group from Nain? What do you think characterises those with Jesus?

  28. How many categories of people are there in this episode? Two or three? What are they?

  29. What distinguishes them?

  30. Who do you think these categories represent today?

  31. What does each group focus on?

  32. Which group are you in?



    33. Verse 13



  33. What was Jesus' immediate reaction when he saw this scene?

  34. Who was he focusing on?

  35. When faced with suffering and death how do many tend to react? How do we react?

  36. Do you think many blame God?

  37. Jesus is seen in contrast to another man. Who is he contrasted with? See 1 Corinthians 15:21, 22.

  38. How does God relate to the suffering of man?

  39. Sometimes we see an image of the shepherd, representing Jesus going after the lost sheep? How does he bring the sheep back?

  40. With the incarnation what does the all-powerful, invincible, victorious God become?

  41. What does the God on the cross become an icon or image of?

  42. How does our God relate to us?

  43. What is Jesus’ state of mind when he sees the widow?

  44. How does Jesus relate to our suffering? Is he indifferent?

  45. What do some do when in the face of suffering? What do they ask for?

  46. Do you think the widow would have been consoled by an explanation of why her only son had to die? Why not?

  47. What was the first visible reaction of Jesus facing this scene?

  48. Who is Jesus according to John 1:1?

  49. What is the logos or Word?

  50. Who was it that brought the creation into existence?

  51. What does the divine Word contain within itself as it is uttered?

  52. What is the effect of the Word when spoken? Read Isaiah 55:11.

  53. What does Jesus say here?

  54. Do you think this was the first time she heard these words when her son died?

  55. Was it possible for her not to weep? Is there any reason why she should not weep?

  56. Can you think of any other episode when Jesus asks the impossible of people? After answering check Mark 3:5 and John 11:43.

  57. When does the impossible become possible?



    58. Verse 14



  58. After speaking to the widow who does Jesus speak to?

  59. What does he say?

  60. What do you think the reaction of others would have been?

  61. In this verse, before speaking, what does Jesus do?

  62. The focus is on two figures? Who are they? What are they both in need of?

  63. Did the dead man die of old age or was his death premature?

  64. Does this miracle remind you of a similar situation?

  65. Is there anything we should arise from?



    66. Verse 15



  66. Does the dead man obey Jesus' command?

  67. What does this signify? See death sting, master over storms and death.

  68. What does Jesus then do?

  69. Jesus handed him over to his mother. Do you think this was all he handed over to those who witnessed this miracle?

  70. Is the result of the words spoken spectacular?

  71. Jesus speaks to the widow, he touches the bier, he speaks to the dead man, the dead man sits up, Jesus hands him over to his mother. Is there anything spectacular in the scene, words, actions? Is it not the simplest of actions? No choreography, no brilliant lights, no magic wand, just the Word of power from he who has power over death.




    72. Verse 16




  72. What was the reaction of the crowd on witnessing this miracle?

  73. What did the crowd see in Jesus? What did Luke see in Jesus?

  74. What do you think ‘fear’ means here? Do the words ‘they glorified God’ help us to understand the meaning?

  75. What is the fear of God? Read 1 John 4:17, 18. Note the words ‘as he is so also are we in this world’.

  76. We either have the love of Christ or the fear of God in the negative sense. Do you think this is true?




    77. Verse 17



  77. News of this spread throughout Judea. Have we had a vital encounter with the Lord? Do we have the power of the Word within? Do we speak the Word of power? Do you think the widow’s son or the widow kept quiet about what happened? Do we keep quiet about it?

  78. Do you think the procession of death changed course afterwards?

  79. Was everyone now walking in the same direction? Towards what?

  80. Is our mission only to get people out of the procession of death? Or is it also to get people out of the crowd and become true disciples?

  81. Do you think Jesus and these groups were there, near Nain, at that particular moment, by chance?




    82. Further implications of the passage for discussion and reflection


  82. We have the victory of life over death. Does this remind us of a fundamental choice that we all must make?

  83. These two processions represent two different ways. What are these ways or directions in life?

  84. This choice is also present in Genesis in the tree of life and the tree that leads to death. There are two paths, one that leads to salvation, the other to perdition (Matthew 7:13, 14)

  85. In which direction are we moving? Or are we standing still?

  86. To which group are we being drawn towards?

  87. Do we open ourselves up to the healing power of the word and touch of Jesus? What can he heal us from that is death within? Unforgiveness? Bitterness? Anxieties? From whatever blocks the plan of wellbeing that God has for us.

  88. Are suffering and death good or evil?

  89. Are we in the grip of apathy, discouragement, sadness, despair, feelings of inadequacy, sin, is anything weighing us down? Can we hear within the voice calling out to us ‘arise’?

  90. This raising of the young man from the dead is an anticipation of what?

  91. Do you think Ephesians 2:6 is perhaps relevant here?

  92. Is Christ still operating in the world? How? Through whom? Read John 14:10, Ephesians 2:10.

  93. Is the principle of John 14:10 still working in us?

  94. Does the episode have any importance for our Christian living?


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Meditation on Luke 7:11-17 Part 1




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