Only Jesus Alone, Part 3 – Luke 7:14-17

We live in a time where people depend on themselves, especially when it comes to their experiences. How someone feels is a greater reality than truth. Even in the church, there are those who believe their ‘spiritual’ experience rather than what the word of God says. This is wrong and we must have a right object of faith, which can only be Jesus Christ. Therefore, our experiences must be based on the truth of God’s word. Especially in difficult times, what we need most is Jesus Christ. So far we have learned Jesus’ providence, Jesus is Lord, Jesus is compassionate, and Jesus is omniscient.

Jesus is omnipotent
Human nature is to bully and take advantage of the weak. However Jesus shows mercy and kindness (Matthew 12:20). After telling the widow “Do not weep”, Jesus begins to work. He demonstrates His almighty power. He has power over death and death cannot resist Jesus at all. Death is the last enemy which claims victory over every person(Hebrews 9:27). No one can escape death. Many have tried but all have failed. Yet Jesus stops this funeral procession and puts his hand on the coffin. The boy’s death is already irreversible, it’s seemingly too late, all that’s left is to bury him. However the funeral procession halts. Death stops at Jesus. He is God and sovereignly holds life and death in His hand (Job 1:21, John 11:25). 

Jesus says to the young man ‘Arise’. What a blessed command! God raises the dead! (Psalm 16:10, John 5:25) The dead Lazarus also heard the voice of Jesus and came out of the tomb. He truly is omnipotent! How can this be? Because God is pure actuality. God never has a beginning nor an end but He is God and He has always been. God is existence and He is life and so all life comes from Him (Rev 1:8). Without Jesus, all are dead and in Jesus we are saved and alive. Jesus has no causality, but is the cause of all things as the Creator (John 1:1, 3). He is everlasting to everlasting.

Arise
In that unexpected moment when the funeral procession is halted, Jesus gives the command ‘Arise!’. The tense is for the man to arise immediately. It wasn’t a command for later. It is like when God said ‘Let there be light’ at creation (Genesis 1:3, Hebrews 11:3). Christians experience a similar moment in our baptism. Jesus says ‘Arise’ as we come out of the water (Colossians 2:12). The dead sinner awakens as a redeemed child of God.

Salvation is a gift from GodJesus is the only one who gives the gift of salvation. “Jesus gave him back to his mother”. Not only does he do the miracle work of raising the dead but Jesus finishes the work by giving the son back to his mother. He presents the gift himself. In our difficult times, we meet Jesus in His word. We don’t meet anyone else, we meet Jesus, the only one who can help us and comfort us. 
Jesus is the only wayIf Scripture is correct about man’s fallen condition then the only possible solution is Jesus Christ. If Jesus is not the only way, then the Bible is wrong and man does not need saving. The Bible explains man’s sinfulness and fallen condition together with God’s salvation in the perfect God-man Jesus Christ (John 5:39). These two truths cannot be separated in the Bible. The Bible is true about both or neither. 

Jesus is the Messiah
Death is everywhere. Over 100,000 people die everyday. The good news is, God has sent his Son as our salvation. Jesus is the Messiah. In Luke 7:16, it says “Fear gripped them all”. Imagine being there and witnessing this miracle. A guy who was obviously dead was raised to life by the man in front of you. You would be both amazed and scared. In verse 16, they gave the only response based on the only conclusions they could come to. That Jesus is a prophet or God visiting His people. However, Jesus is not just a prophet but the Prophet (Acts 3:22). What He says God says. The people wrongly thought Jesus might be someone like Moses or Elijah. They also thought it might be God visiting them (Matthew 1:21-23). But they failed to make the final connection which is: Jesus is the Messiah. Because if Jesus is the Messiah, if He is God, then He must be worshiped (Philippians 2:10-11). 

Conclusion
Do you worship Jesus? To worship Jesus means He is above all in all circumstances. You submit yourself to Him and His word in everything. We must fear God in our worship (Isaiah 6:5). If there is no reverence, then there is no humility, no faith and no worship. ‘The fear of God is the soul of godliness’ – John Murray. If we have a holy fear of Jesus, then we truly know who He is and worship Him. What is the result of knowing Jesus and worshiping Him? “And this report about Him spread throughout Judea and in all the surrounding region.” (Luke 7:17)