Jesus had only just finished healing the centurion’s servant in Luke 7:1-10 when He came upon the funeral procession of a widow’s only son. Jesus didn’t merely feel sorry for the grieving widow; He demonstrated His compassion by publicly raising her son from the dead. In this passage, we witness the truth that only Jesus has the authority to restore the dead back to life.
The timing in which Jesus entered the woman’s life is interesting as it appears that He came on the scene just a little too late. Perhaps the woman’s son had been sick or had received a mortal wound from an accident. Either way, his time for hanging on to life had passed, and people were now carrying the son’s dead body through the streets on the way to the grave. Despite this tragedy, Jesus told the woman not to weep.
This wasn’t because He lacked emotion; Scripture tells us Jesus is the man of sorrows acquainted with our grief, suffering, and sickness (Isaiah 53:3). No, Jesus understood the depths of the woman’s despair, and He embodied the greatest hope in her time of need. The widow no longer needed to cry because Jesus would soon resurrect her son—a precursor to His promise to one day wipe away all tears and bring an end to suffering and death.
This week, lead the kids in your class to see that Jesus offers the gift of eternal, resurrected life to anyone who believes Him. Just as the widow’s son was physically dead but raised to life, Christ will raise all who call on Him to immediate new spiritual life and resurrected physical life at His return.
Listen to the Weekly Leader Training for Preschool & Kids
Every week, members of The Gospel Project for Kids team offer guidance to help you as you prepare to teach every session to preschoolers and kids.
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