“Arise” (Luke 7:12-15)

And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow.  And a large crowd from the city was with her.  When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, Do not weep. Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.

Jesus has power unimaginable to give life to sinners and change your condition. He is not a helpless savior who needs you, but He says to the dead in sins, “arise”, and we stand. He says to the powerless, “Arise. You have power”, and to the wicked, “Arise, I receive you again”. This gracious God who saves the helpless by mighty power is our God in Jesus Christ. Only believe.

First, the Son has power. This man was dead, not sleeping or sick, but physically and spiritually out of it. He had no ability to respond to the call of any human. Only God could give his dead ears life to hear and his dead heart life to pump again.

It is the same with me and you. We're BORN in sins, loving evil, and blind to all righteousness, but God speaks in a way whereby we arise, stand up, and do His will. Paul said to a man, impotent in his legs who'd never walked, “with a loud voice, Stand up straight on our feet! And he leaped and walked (Acts 14:10).” Our hatred is subdued and life shines forth. Our blindness is conquered by grace. An outside of us God overrules the impotence within.

Secondly, the Lord Jesus has compassion. The woman's son was dead, the funeral is moving along with tears, and “when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, Do not weep” (Luke 7:13). This God owes us nothing, but in pity unspeakable and mercy beyond words, He comes to us, and says, “Do not weep”!

Isn't death our fault? Isn't this woman a sinner? Have we not spurned God? Who is He, but so great a God as to forgive sin and delight in mercy? Micah said, “Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?” (Micah 7:18). He delights in compassion, and He has it for many.

There is the “willing” compassion that will help any who call on Him, and there is the “saving” compassion that helps all the Father gave Him, for He said, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:37). If you are helped, He came to you sovereignly in love, for He says, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion” (Rom 9:16). If you need help, He stands willing with open arms. He WILL do for you, even as He did for this man.

Thirdly, Christ's gift is life, so that “he who was dead sat up and began to speak” (Luke 7:15).

God doesn't save in word only. He doesn't say, “arise” in theory, but people actually get up.

We loved sin, and now we love Christ and hate evil. We feared surrender to Christ, and now we plead for more consecration.

The change that God gives is real, and this is hope. What I am not, I can be. What I cannot do, through Him, I can do.

You and I are not hopeless, so long as Hope Itself has compassion, power, and life to give.

Lastly, hope in God. You see death all around you, men dead in sins, but don't despair. The God who raised you has power to raise the dead, and that means that people you pray for - people you live to save - have hope because God just might come to their funeral procession, as they're on their way to hell, and raise them up again, having compassion on you and seeing your cares. Remember, Christ had compassion on the living, so He helped the dead.