This account is only found in the gospel of Luke, but the importance of the widow’s son is one that is familiar to the Jews. In 1 Kings 17, we read of the account of the widow of Zarephath. Elijah was sent to her and when her son died, God brought him back to life through Elijah’s actions. In 2 Kings 4, Elisha returned the Shunammite’s son to life.
The city of Nain continues in existence today and is now a small village south of Mount Tabor. When Jesus approached, there was a funeral processing leaving the city for the hillside to inter the body in a cave. The funeral procession would have been no match for Jesus and his disciples, as well as the crowd that followed him at that time, but he stopped. If you look closely, you find that Luke mentions two large crowds – one in Luke 7:11 which was with Jesus and the second in Luke 7:12b which was with the mother.
Large numbers of people were on hand to see this amazing display of God’s power coming from his son, Jesus Christ. He saw the need of the widow – without her son, she had no hope for a future in her old age. This healing wasn't simply about caring for the young man, because in Luke 7:15, Jesus gave him back to his mother. It was about the command to care for widows and orphans. Death had no power over this woman’s life, it was restored to her by Jesus Christ.
Because of the large crowds that witnessed this extraordinary miracle, news continued to spread throughout the region. God had come to help his people.
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