We avoid talking about death but faith is vitally about life and death. They are inseparable.
A. Raising the Dead
1. In Jesus’ day, death was not so distant.
2. The natural order of things was for the woman to give birth to a son who would take care of her in her old age. Mothers should not have to bury their sons.
B. Jesus’ Compassion
1. “When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her… (7:13). Compassion is to feel and care for someone’s pain in a deeply visceral way.
2. Jesus restores the natural order of things for this mother and her son.
C. Out of Order
1. Jesus does not stop at compassion; he uses the power he has from God to call the woman’s son back to life.
2. We may have compassion, but in our world, we may not have the power that Jesus has. Things are sometimes out of order.
3. We can restore the natural order of things by what we can do to bring about life.
C. God’s Natural Order of Things
1. The Good News is that God is ultimately not interested in death. God is only interested in bringing life to God’s people.
2. In Christ’s death and resurrection, he restores the natural order of things for the whole world.