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Series 6:
Lesson 91: |
MIRACLES
THE WIDOW'S SON RESURRECTED |
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Passage to Study: Luke 7:11-17.
Read with the class: Luke 7:11-17.
Memorization Text:
Children - John 5:25 "The dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and
...... shall live".
Youth ---- John 5:25.
OBJECTIVES: To teach that:
1. Death entered the world because of sin, and all are affected by it.
2. Death brings about loss of contact between the living and the dead, but the
voice of the Lord Jesus can change all that.
3. There are problems in life that only the Lord Jesus can solve.
4. Those who have life through Christ show evidence of it in their behaviour.
5. The purpose of God’s work in us is that He might receive glory through our
changed lives.
SCENE No. 1. VISUAL AIDS: A home with figures of a happy couple and their
newborn son or small child. Then, on the same background, change the
figures for one of a weeping woman, with her child present. Also a bare table
and an empty seat, once occupied by the father.
DEVELOPMENT:
- The birth of a child brings great joy to parents.
- This joy is lost when a parent is taken away by death, leaving the surviving
parent alone.
Cmt. The empty chair shows someone is missing. The bare table is a result
of the loss of the breadwinner.
- In this story life became very difficult for a widow alone with her small son.
- As the son grows up, he helps the mother economically and she comes to depend
on him to maintain a respectable standard of living.
- In the city of Nain, a city to the south of Nazareth, a widow lived through
each of these experiences and was overwhelmed with grief when suddenly her only
son died.
- The mother’s heart was so broken that no one could console her. Who could
have an answer or solution for her problems?
Sug. Ask the students what economic or medical help is available today as
compared to the time of the Lord Jesus. In some countries, little
assistance is obtainable.
Sug. Mention the special place that widows had in the instructions that God gave
to the Israelites of old and to the church of today.
Exm. Exodus 22:22; Deuteronomy 14:29; Jeremiah 22:3; Acts 6:1; 9:39; 1 Timothy
5:3; James 1:27.
SCENE No. 2. VISUAL AIDS: Outside the city of Nain, figures of a group carrying
a stretcher with a body of a dead person. They are on their way to the
cemetery, while a group going in the opposite direction draws near.
DEVELOPMENT:
- It was the custom of the Jews to bury on the same day that death took place.
- The body was wrapped in bandages or sheets and carried on a slab to the place
of burial.
- The group carrying the body of this young man to his grave met Jesus and His
disciples, as they entered the city.
- None of those accompanying the widow had any resource or help to offer her.
- By accompanying her to the burial, they offered what consolation they could,
but they were unable to ease her pain.
- After the death of her husband the widow had depended on her son, but now she
is left with no one.
Apl. A person can serve others during his\her lifetime but death puts an end to
all service.
Apl. This encounter with Jesus would change the widow’s life.
Ctr. The Saviour lives forever. He will never die. When we depend
upon Him, He is our refuge for all Eternity.
Sug. To enable students to understand the idea of being desolate or without
help, ask them on what or on whom they depend for happiness in this life.
Some might say parents, friends, family, a job, etc. Have the students picture
what it would be like to have all that taken away. Ask them to imagine how
the woman would feel.
SCENE No. 3. VISUAL AIDS: Outside the city of Nain, figures of a group and Jesus
saying to the widow “WEEP NOT" (written). Then place the figure of
the young man sitting up on the stretcher with the burial bandages removed, and
the figure of the grateful widow.
DEVELOPMENT:
- Jesus was the only one who could say with authority, "Weep not", for
He alone could bring consolation to the heart of the mother.
- Jesus could say those words for He had power over death and its consequences.
- According to the law, anyone that touched a dead body “shall be unclean
seven days” (Numbers 19:11).
- Only Jesus could touch a coffin without being contaminated for at His word,
the dead lived. Jesus spoke and the dead man heard.
Apl. The day is coming when the dead will respond to the voice of the Son of God
(John 5:25). His word has power.
- Upon receiving life, the young man sat up and began to speak, proof that he
was indeed alive.
Apl. The person who possesses the life of Christ will speak of Him, and give
evidence of belonging to the family of God.
- When the Lord returned the young man to his mother, she would surely be
grateful to the Lord Jesus.
Apl. The Lord deserves to have us respond with grateful hearts.
Cns. Physical death brings about separation of the soul and spirit from
the body. It is not the end of existence, for the Lord restored life to
the body of the young man. See Note at the end.
- In addition to returning joy to the widow, the Lord also provided for her
material needs.
- The people were afraid and gave glory to God, recognizing that giving life is
God’s work.
Cmt. The word “fear” means apprehension or wonder that caused those who saw
the miracle to reflect on the power of the Lord Jesus.
Cns. To glorify God means to speak well of His virtues. This is the
purpose for which we are here in this world.
- This is the first of three cases found in the Gospels where Jesus, “the
resurrection and the life”, raised a dead person to life.
- Many were following the dead when they met Jesus. They were left with
evidence that in Him there is power over death.
Sug. To apply this to the student, the teacher can explain that just as
the dead man responded to the voice of the Lord, so those “dead in trespasses
and sins” hear His voice through the gospel and, when they respond in faith,
they receive life.
Apl. Like those in the funeral procession following a dead person, many today
follow the dead things of life, with no hope of any significant change for the
future.
Exm. Some dead “things” which capture people’s attention are “leaders“
in the fields of entertainment, politics, music, as well as plans of enrichment
through religious observances, philosophical theories, and get rich schemes.
- Lives are changed when there is spiritual life present.
Cmt. While it is true that Christ was personally present when the young man was
raised from the dead, today He is risen and in Heaven where He imparts life to
those who believe in Him.
Sug. Emphasize the topic of the resurrection of the dead at the coming of
Christ. He has power that will never end.
NOTE:
According to the Word of God, death means “separation”, not “ceasing to
exist”.
Physical death is separation of soul and spirit (the intangible part of the
human being), from the body (the tangible part). As a result, the physical
part decomposes, a consequence of sin. In the resurrection, the believer
receives a new body suited for Heaven.
Spiritual death is a state of separation between humans and God, their Creator.
It is the consequence of sin. A person carries on his activities in this
world for he possesses physical life, but if he has not been born again, he is
spiritually separated from God.
God in His love has made it possible for people to be reconciled to Him through
the Lord Jesus. When one believes in Christ as Saviour, the Holy Spirit
produces a “regeneration”. The sinner who believes the Gospel receives
spiritual life and his separation from God is changed into a new condition of
being reconciled to Him. This allows the sinner now saved, to enjoy
communion with God. |
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