The Basket Case

Jeremiah rights and limitations. 323. His compassions Artie knew his compassion's are new every morning.

He doesn't overlook your sorrow he enters into his heart went out to her, just like his heart goes out to you.

He feels for her just like he feels for you is compassion is new every morning. Glad that you joined us, our Bible teacher, Stephen dating continues through a series from the gospel of call demonstration of resurrection power, where Luke chapter 7 today. Earlier in the book of Luke you encounter Jesus performing miracles over nature, sickness, disease, and demons, but what about death in a stunning display of his divine authority. Jesus demonstrates his power over death and in the process gives us a preview of our eternal life to come here Stephen with the message called the basketcase what Jesus is going to demonstrate for us in living color is going to reveal his power over death.

In fact, he'll do it five times during his ministry work will be given a couple of times in the gospel by week so I invite your attention there again is going to demonstrate this power, sort of as a down payment so to speak on his promise that he could do this globally worldwide that he is indeed the resurrection and the life that he's the commander over the cemetery.

One of these demonstrations is about to take place. I will watch it happen with you today. Chapter 7 if you're new to our exposition through this gospel.

Now we just watch the word of the Lord bring healing to the centurions servant and now were going to watch, listen to the word of the Lord bring life back to someone who's died were now in verse 11. Now afterward, he went to a town called Maine and his disciples of the great crowd went with him and as he drew near to the gate of the town old man with died was be carried out now stop for a moment let's set the scene here named by the way exists to this day.

It's a tiny Arab village today around 200 people. There is no archaeological evidence anywhere to suggest was ever any larger that just a small town so when you read the idea of nearing the gates of the town you might imagine, a fortified city with walls and gates this for this village was a walled its entrance was was that typical Eastern village entrance press nothing more than a declarative lubricating wave may be an arts of stone to indicate you've arrived name wasn't known for anything.

In fact, this is the only time it will be mentioned in the Bible. This is possibly the only time Jesus visited here. Josephus the first century Jewish historian mentions in passing the town of name was was on the way in between Galilee and Jerusalem. In other words, it would be a pitstop in your in your travels you know one of those exits off the interstate unit with a gas station connected to a Kentucky fried chicken on one side of the Dunkin' Donuts on the other everything you would ever need on your trip wherever name was just as little town in between, reminded me of the little town in Iowa that is now dear to Marsha and me. It's a little town where our youngest daughter lives with her husband and our two grandchildren that was always the two grandchildren.

The town is 352 acres population 397. The name is Middletown creatively named because it's in the middle between Burlington and then just in the middle. One stoplight on Main Street that we visited there. The first time Jerry told us that she ordered pizza.

I told Rocco get it is a Papa John's Domino's words and she said not to block over at the gas station. I wondered if it came with a bottle of Pepto-Bismol you know exactly very good gas station little ministore connected at the town name it. It's got a few dozen farmers and some shepherds.

If you stop by the village of name, it's probably because you needed to on your way somewhere else and I say all of that because Jesus has to have a reason for pulling off the highway to stop in this village that were told that it just so happens to arrive at the entrance with the crowd following him just as the crowd of people are leaving town in this funeral procession thrown away. Take the deceased to nearby caves built in the limestone hills that are still there is burial chambers. They didn't bury that underground. They wrapped the bodies and shrouds put them in caves on ledges and roles stones pile of stones over the news, to protect them from wild animal to these two crowds arrive at the same day and at the same time and and I need to emphasize that this is no coincidence this arrival.

This is no chance encounter Jesus does is on accident. Everything he does is on purpose, even even allowing the death of this young man. There are purposes that are not known fully to us now, but will be known. One day, look at this scene again first part of verse 12 just the first party drew near to the gate of the town behold a man would die what was being. I love that work to hold that the law we would say well what you know. Jesus arrives at this very moment, and then again this is all set up this funeral happens to be the reason Jesus has just arrived. He this is why he said at some point were not told what he says those disciples. You say we we we slip over to that little village name. There is nothing Jesus knew differently. Take a closer look. Verse 12 one more time. As he drew near the gate of the town. Behold, a man who died was being carried out whose he the only son of his mother who was she. She was a widow that this was her second funeral. This is the second time she's walked through that gate. We pick Luke writes in a considerable crowd from the town was with her with the pastor over the years I have been in some long funeral procession driving to some cemetery. It's always very meaningful and moving to me to see people in the other lane, slow down pullover out in rural areas.

I've seen men stop and take off their hats do not other vehicles and stand in respect I've seen people put their hands together as we driven by sick father prayer by the way, don't don't just speed on what you do see a procession pullover.

Pray for this unknown family on their behalf in the days of the Lord, by the way you would just stop a pullover you'd actually turn around joint procession effective the first century was considered an act of virtue is to join a funeral procession. So what we told here the whole village is in this procession they would have known this woman anyway.

They knew this would mean utter devastation terrible difficulty for her in the days ahead, a widow in these days without a protector without a provider was a life of great sorrow and risk. Tomorrow she's going to wake up alone, brokenhearted, typically because of the climate, deceased would be buried the same day they died no later than the next.

So this is just happened. Soon as the body would be washed and anointed with whatever spices the bereaved could afford. He would be wrapped in a simple shroud to be common for the poor, separate napkin covering his face he would be placed in a coffin like like we think of it today, but on a beer, a stretcher of sorts. Some fashion supported by polls or a platform on on a rickety set of poles carried on the shoulders of pullover. These early days of wicker baskets were often created and stored in the barn they would be used for carrying body graves is custom carried over into our own early American days especially on the planes were wood was scarce. I've seen photographs of these large wicker baskets wicker basket woven hold the body until it could be buried back from this early practice and expression develop that we use to this day when we refer to someone being a basket case means they are without hope. Helpless is seeing here is a basket case.

The young man is a basket case because he is without life.

His mother is a basket case because she's without hope.

She walks along here weeping literally sobbing, render it, I wanted to get this picture in your mind you have this large crowd in this funeral procession and you have this large crowd of people who were following Jesus and they meet by divine purpose at the gate at the same time. What crowd is being led by the invisible Prince of death. The other crowd is being led by the invisible Prince of life. This is a collision of eternal significance. If Jesus promises something, but he can't do it here were all basket case where all without hope world like Paul said, if we believe in Christ in this life only, we are of all people, most of the this is eternally significant. This meeting if you can't do anything about life is just one long funeral procession of meaninglessness headed to despair. So this moment the entrance into the village of name you have this eternally momentous event.

Verse 13 when the Lord saw her he had compassion on her and said to her do not we love where is Jesus look first at the basket at the pallbearers at this large crowd.

No, he sees her, he sees her, and Luke writes, he had compassion on her. By the way, that's the that's the strongest expression in the Greek language for compassion or sympathy. Jesus understood this moment in her life he he completely and he comprehensively understood her.

He was moved to the very core of his being.

You get translated he shot her when he looked one commentator translates it this way when the Lord saw her his apartment out to her. Jesus felt deeply for her and Jesus tells her here do not.

We literally she's in the process of the tensing indicates a piece telling her to stop sobbing stopped weeping than the Christians can misinterpret this text to mean you shouldn't cry funeral not shows a lack of faith Jesus is saying to her euros. Don't cry. That means you're not trusting God or an adult we see him again one day or stop crying you know is in heaven.

I've heard that stuff said by the way, in funeral homes as I've stood over by the wall.

Listen, nothing could be further from the truth that Jesus can cry outside of Lazarus is to so can you.

But here's what's happening. Jesus is effectively telling her stop crying because of what I'm about to do. Stop crying because you don't want to miss, was going to happen.

Dry those tears you can see what I'm about to do what he does.

First part of verse 14. Don't go too fast here. We get 15 minutes left. He came out and touched beer and the pallbearers stood still only the second Jesus the rabbi, Jesus, the teacher, Jesus, the religious leader Jesus the Messiah has just become unclean numbers Chapter 11. He is just types something related to dead corpse. What in the world was he doing reaching out like that.

What what why is he touching that everybody freezes to read it. Pallbearers touches at least this time. The crowd is breathless with no riser eyes. Jesus is just touch the environment of death and he is now ceremonially unclean, but not if there's nobody in there that's dead see I think before he reaches out and then as he touches that basket even as he reaches for the life regenerates life is resurrected life surges back into the body of this young man and you have miracle upon miracle.

The fourth miracle occurred. You've got blood D coagulating you got brain fully functioning you got lungs operating you got heart beating. You got a man that is fully and totally alive. Jesus says young man I say to you arrives as if he's already able to hear and then sat Luke uses Dr. Luke uses a medical term here for a patient sitting up in bed is been cured. Just imagine he's up there. This basket carried on the shoulders of the pallbearers, so everyone can see him and suddenly he sits up. That will stop the funeral procession right away.

Thank Luke tells us here that he begins to speak.

That's significant why that confirms that this wasn't some strange twitch of the body or or some impulsive relaxing muscles or you know some strange sitting motion, knowing he begins talking, looked and tells what he said I wish Luca told us what he said but I don't know you were told, is a young man probably said I'm hungry. Can you imagine what date in the first thing he says is hi mom, I can imagine is to meet down out of here. One of my doing a basket is another tender moment here that would be easy to miss verse 15 in the dead men man sat up and began to speak in Jesus gave him to his mother. In other words, Jesus is in the process of helping him out of the basket.

Jesus no doubt is explaining to have just a few sentences of what happened.

He is helping unwrap this man out of his shroud. I imagine the pallbearers in the crowd to shop. Jesus is the only one doing and then Jesus brings him over and gives him to his mother reunited against the scene by telling us that the fame of Jesus just spreads like wildfire throughout this region or state they miss the greater point here they think is just a great prophet did this event will calls to their memories.

Elijah, the great prophet who had done something similar. He had also raised the widows son and in their assuming they're concluding that Jesus is another Elijah great is a wonderful thing. We is more than that. In fact if any of these people went home and looked it up in their study Bibles, they would be able to contrast what Jesus did, they'll be able to read that Elijah asked God why did you take this boy's life. These little frustrated with God and then Elijah prays three times before life is restored. Jesus isn't asking any questions deal even praying he says arrives and the boy comes back to life. See the scene becomes a prophecy of that day when Jesus will come in the clouds and issue a command were not given the command but I believe that it's the same for arrives. Because what happens is the dead in Christ. Paul writes to the Thessalonians. On that day of rapture, the dead in Christ rise first. Their bodies are reconstituted resurrected rejoin with their spirit that is been with the Lord since the moment of their death. There's been no inactivity for as Paul said to be absent from the body that is in death is to be present with the Lord. Significance 58 hours. Jesus said on the cross before he died father, into thy hands I commit my spirit.

There is an immediate reunion.

Luke chapter 23 verse 46. Can Jesus command dead bodies to come back to life. Yes, this is this is the first installment. This is exhibit I he is capable of so much more effective when life maybe your life right now could be described as a basket you feel hopeless you. You feel helpless beyond limited. Remember this scene is also a parable of Christ's power through life. The arrangement of every circumstance in life even when you cross over the threshold of that little date. Even your tears his power reaches then even beyond this life. Comprehensive may make me make three quick statements that I see here this encounter is well. First, Jesus considers no person or place to be unimportant. Not even a widow in a little village in the middle of nowhere. One author writes on the scene.

Christ illuminates the crevices of yet another small town taking pity on yet another anonymous soul and defeating – even in a little place like the village name the person no planes is unimportant. Don't ever let the devil whisper in your ear you too insignificant for Christ to care about you that's a lie. Secondly, Jesus considers no case or circumstance to be impossible even those which we would term basket cases, no hope, no possible way out.

Jesus provides an illustration here.

Why because he rescues a widow, not before she suffered, he chose to rescue her after she suffered. Thirdly, Jesus considers no suffering or sorrow to be insignificant. He's touched with the feelings of our infirmities. Hebrews 415. His nickname, so to speak, happens to be the man of what sorrows is a 53 verse three Jeremiah rights and limitations. 323 his compassions are knew his compassions are new every morning. He doesn't overlook your sorrow he enters into it.

Think of it this way.

It was true for this mother in the village of Maine in its true for for you. His heart went out to her, just like his heart goes out to you. He feels for her just like he feels for you.

This compassion is new every morning for one day because of his power. He is going to personally say that you welcome out of that long funeral procession into the security joy of this essay victory celebration joy of this your new home. This reunion this resurrected body. He has prepared for those who believe just the basket case and it comes from Steven Davies series entitled demonstrations of resurrection power.

This was the second message in this nine part series and will be bringing you the rest of it in the days ahead. Between now and our next broadcast. We enjoy interacting with you. Our ministry is on social media and that's a great way to stay informed and to interact with us. Sure, like our Facebook page so that you will get updates. You can also follow us on Twitter, and Instagram. You can write to us at wisdom International PO Box 37297, Raleigh, NC 27627. I'll give you that address one more time. It's wisdom. International PO Box 37297, Raleigh, NC 27627. Thanks again for joining us today were so glad you were with us and I hope you'll be with us for our next Bible lesson here on wisdom