Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20090325.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Luke: Jesus, The Son Of Man For All Mankind
Part XXIII: Christ's Identity As God's Savior By Surpassing Elisha's Ministry
(Luke 7:11-17; 2 Kings 4:8-37)
  1. Introduction
    1. If Jesus Christ is indeed God's Savior of the world, then we should expect His ministry to surpass the ministries of the greatest of the great Old Testament prophets of Israel.
    2. Luke 7:11-17 in view of the Old Testament context reveals Jesus' earthly ministry surpassed in its power and greatness the supreme ministry efforts of the greatest of the Old Testament prophets (as follows):
  2. Christ's Identity As God's Savior By Surpassing Elisha's Ministry, Luke 7:11-17; 2 Kings 4:8-37.
    1. Luke 7:11 reveals Jesus' raising of the widow's son in Luke 7:11-15 occurred near the city gate of Nain.
    2. Checking The Macmillan Bible Atlas, 1968, map 230, we discover Nain was located on the northwestern slope of Mount Tabor 2 miles from Shunem that had been situated at the southern base of that mountain!
    3. Well, at Shunem was where Old Testament prophet, Elisha, had raised the deceased son of the woman of Shunem by twice prostrating his body over her dead boy's body, 2 Kings 4:8-37!
    4. Now, Elisha was also spiritual heir apparent of Elijah, for he had received a double portion, the firstborn's share, of Elijah's ministry by God's Spirit, 2 Kings 2:9-14; Ibid., Ryrie, ftn. to 2 Kings 2:9.
    5. Elijah in turn had also raised a boy from the dead, the son of the widow of Zarephath, and that by three times stretching himself upon her dead son's body and praying for his resurrection, 1 Kings 17:8-9, 17-24.
    6. As for Elijah, he was so great a prophet that God predicted through the prophet, Malachi to send John the Baptizer in the ministry role of Old Testament Elijah to produce repentance from Israel before the coming of Messiah lest God smite the earth with a curse, Malachi 4:5-6 with Matthew 17:11-12. Elijah was also so great that it was he who appeared with the great Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration, Luke 9:30.
    7. Thus, we must compare the miracles of Elisha's raising the Shunamite woman's son and of Elijah's raising of the son of the widow of Zarephath with Jesus' raising of the widow's son at Nain to see how Jesus' power and greatness of ministry compares with that of Elisha and Elijah (as follows):
      1. In contrast to the resurrections of the children by Elisha and Elijah who did their miracles in private, Jesus raised the boy in the presence of many people, Luke 7:11; 2 Kings 4:33; 1 Kings 17:19, 23.
      2. In contrast to the resurrections of the boys by Elisha and Elijah who did their miracles soon after the children had died while their bodies were still at home, Jesus raised a boy who had been dead long enough for his body to be carried on a bier to the grave, Lk . 7:12, 14; 2 Kings 4:32; 1 Kings 17:17-19.
      3. In contrast to the resurrections of the boys by Elisha and Elijah, Jesus did not need to prostrate Himself repeatedly on the boy's body and pray to see God raise him, but merely to touch the bier upon which the body lay and tell the dead boy to rise, L uke 7:14-15 versus 2 Kings 4:34-35 and 1 Kings 17:21-22.
      4. In contrast to the resurrections by Elisha and Elijah, when Jesus raised the boy, he did not repeatedly sneeze or only revive, but he energetically sat up and spoke, Luke 7:15; 2 Kings 4:35; 1 Kings 17:22.
    8. The crowd that saw Jesus raise the boy was stunned at the miracle, and glorified God, saying that a great prophet (like Elijah or Elisha) had risen up among them, that God had thus visited His people, Luke 7:16!
    9. This report of Jesus spread not only through Galilee in northern Israel, but in Judaea, and its surrounding region, a reference to the whole realm of Israel, for the Jews were aware of the implications of this miracle in its association with the raising of the lads by Elisha at Shunem and by Elijah at Zarephath, Luke 7:17!
Lesson: Jesus' raising of the widow's son at Nain greatly surpassed in power and glory the raising of lads by Old Testament Elisha in nearby Shunem and by Elijah up at Zarephath. Jesus is thus greater than the greatest prophets of the Old Testament, being God's true Savior of the world.

Application: (1) May we believe that our Savior, Jesus Christ, expressed a vastly superior expression of God's power in raising the dead widow's son at Nain than did the great Old Testament prophets Elijah and Elisha in their respective ministries of resurrection, so Jesus is God's Savior of the world! (2) May we rely on our risen Lord's infinite power as God Incarnate to minister in our behalf as the Head of His Church, to fill all of us in every way of our needs, cf. Ephesians 1:18-23 with Hebrews 4:16.