Lk. 7:11 Now it happened, the day after that, that He went to a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd.
Lk. 7:12 And when He had come 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 crows from the city was with her.
Going to the village of Nain, which is just south of Nazareth, where He grew up, Yeshua meets a funeral procession. A woman, who was a widow, had lost her only son. That means that she had also lost the only person that was supposed to take care of her and sustain her in her old age.
The people are carrying the dead body out of the city. M:Baba Bathra 2:9 says the body had to be buried at least 50 cubits from the city. “Carcasses, sepulchers, and tanneries were to be removed 50 cubits from the city.”
Source: M:Baba Bathra 2:9
Lk. 7:13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”
Lk. 7:14 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.”
Lk. 7:15 And he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.
Lk. 7:16 Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen up among us;” and “God has visited His people.”
Although this is a great miracle in itself, this miracle has a special significance to the people of this area. Just over the hill from Nain was located the Old Testament town of Zerepath. A great prophet, Elijah, performed a similar miracle there in restoring another widow’s son to life (I Kings 17:17-24). By performing this particular miracle in this particular location, Yeshua was identifying Himself with the Old Testament prophets. The people recognized two things about this happening. By proclaiming Him a great prophet, they recognized the great historical significance of what they saw occur. Also when they proclaimed, “God has visited His people,” they were saying, “Messiah has come.”
Source: I Kings 17:17-24; M:Avoth 2:4
A prophet is not merely someone who speaks in prophecy. In the Bible he is also a miracle worker. What did the term “prophet” mean to the people in the time of Yeshua? Moses is one of the greatest examples of an O.T. prophet. God worked His mighty miracles by signs and wonders to redeem His people by Moses the prophet. This is the model for healing, deliverance, and salvation. As a matter of fact, God told Moses prophetically that He would raise up a “prophet like him” (meaning the Messiah) in Deut. 18:15,18.
Source: Deut. 18:15, 18
Lk. 7:17 And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.
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