CHAPTER 7

1 Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.
2 And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.
3 And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.
4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:
5 For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.
6 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:
7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.
8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
10 And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.

Great faith exhibited!

The "centurion" was a Roman commander of about 100 men. He was a man of authority (vs 8). He knew that something could be commanded to be done.

This particular centurion was obviously well thought of by the leaders of the Jewish community in Capernaum. He had built them a "synagogue," a place of worship. He had enough friendship with the leaders that they would go to Jesus for him.

When Jesus was near the house, some more friends of the centurion met him.
Take note they called Jesus "LORD."
Obviously, they had been instructed by the centurion to do so!
They explained (vs 8) that the centurion felt unworthy for Jesus to enter his house.
He believed Jesus had the authority to heal the servant.
He did not have to experience Jesus' personal physical presence for his faith to be real!

Jesus said He had not experienced this strength of faith in all of Israel!
They had seen the physical presence of God and many did not believe!

When the second group of friends returned to the centurion's home, they found the servant HEALED!

When we "walk by faith, not by sight" (2Corinthians 5:7), Jesus works THROUGH our faith!

11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people.
12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
14 And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
16 And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.
17 And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about.

The next day after having healed the centurion's servant in Capernaum, Jesus went to Nain. The disciples were with Jesus, and a large crowd followed Him.

As He was entering the city, there was a funeral procession coming out.
The young man who had died was the only son of his mother, and would be her only support since she was a widow.

Jesus, with "compassion," walked over to her and calmly said, "Weep not."
Then he went and touched the "bier", or the hand-carried gurney, upon which the dead boy lay.

Then Jesus said, "Young man, I say unto thee, ARISE!"
And the dead man SAT UP AN BEGAN TO TALK!!
As comedian Mark Lowery says, "When the dead sit up, the funeral is OVER!!"

There are two points in your existence when Jesus says, "ARISE!"

The first is when He speaks to your heart to arise out of the deadness of your "trespasses and sins." (See Ephesians 2:1).
That's the day in which you are made a "new creature," "IN Christ." (See 2Corinthians 5:17)

The second is when He speaks to your soul to arise out of the deadness of your body (See 1Corinthians 15:51-52).

The raising of the dead young man is only a preview of the resurrection to come!

Jesus has the power to raise the dead!
He had that power then, and He still has that power today!

The Greek word translated "rumor" (in verse 17) is logos.
It is translated "Word" in John 1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." So we might read verse 17 as: "And this word of Him went forth throughout all Judaea,...."

It is not rumor when it is fact!!

Some people say they don't believe in a rapture.
The word itself is perhaps never used in the Bible.
However, there are two Greek words used that are very similar:
egeiro (eg-i'-ro), translated "shall be raised" in 1Corinthians 15:52; and
aniemi (an-ee'-ay-mee), translated "shall rise" in 1Thessalonians 4:16.

Therefore, just like the dead young man in the story above, people do not have a CHOICE!
It IS going to happen!
Whether one believes in premillennialism (before the 1,000 year reign of Christ) or postmillennialism (after the 1,000 year reign of Christ), the "dead" WILL BE raised!
Hebrews 9:27 says, "... it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment..."

One day, Christ is going to CALL, and ALL the dead shall rise to meet Him at the throne of judgment!
And Jesus said, "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." (Matt 24:44)

Here this "word" (logos) from the LORD!
It is not "rumor", it is fact.
The dead shall be raised (egeiro, or aniemi) and face God for judgment!

Jesus has the power to raise the dead!
He had that power then, and He still has that power today!

18 And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things.
19 And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
20 When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
21 And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.
22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.
23 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

The "John" of verse 18 obviously refers to John the Baptist.

John knew that the Bible (Old Testament) spoke of two actions of Messiah.
The action of propitiation (See Isaiah 53:6-10.
And the act of conquering and judging (See doulos doulos (doo'-los) (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.) .

John simply wanted to know if Jesus were One or BOTH.
Jesus' answer teaches that He is BOTH!

The things Jesus referred to in verses 21-22 (above) are things only GOD can do!
There is ONE and ONLY One MESSIAH! He is JESUS! And He is GOD!

He IS the great "I AM" (See John 8:58).
He IS the Creator (See John 1:1-3, and Hebrews 1:1-3).
It is by HIM that all creation is SUSTAINED (See Colossians 1:17).
And He is the "Savior, Christ the LORD." (See Luke 2:11).

Jesus is the ONE Who makes propitiation for our sins.
And He is the ONE Who will conquer the world and judge all men!

24 And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
25 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts.
26 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.
27 This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
29 And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.

The "messengers" from John left to tell him what Jesus had said.
Then, Jesus began to teach a truth to the people standing around. Many of them had gone out into the wilderness to hear John the Baptist preach. And some of them had been baptized by John.

The REASON they went out to see John and hear him was because he was a "prophet."
He was not a "good two-shoes" all dressed up in a suit.
He was a man of God, who lived off the land.

In fact, Jesus said John was THE prophet of whom God had spoken in Isaiah 40:3.

John, then, was a GREAT prophet; because he was THE messenger sent to the world just prior to Messiah.
And John was preparing the way by preaching repentance.
Repentance literally means "turn around." What John was preaching was turn around from yourself and your own way, and go toward God Who is THE way!

Jesus went on to say there was no "greater prophet than John the Baptist."
But here is the TRUTH Jesus was teaching to those people, and to us today: "..he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he" (greater than John the Baptist).

The term "kingdom of God" was not used in the Old Testament. It is a term used by Jesus in the beginning of His ministry. Perhaps the earliest use of a term similar is John the Baptist's use of "kingdom of heaven" in Matthew 3:1.

Then Jesus began to use the term Matthew 4:23, Mark 1:15, and even in Luke 9:2 when He sent the disciples out "two by two." Jesus also used this term many other times.

The term "kingdom of God" is a reference to Daniel 2:44 which was a prophetic statement about GOD coming and setting up a kingdom which could NEVER be destroyed!!

Jesus came to fulfill that prophecy!

And using the term "kingdom of God" was one way of pointing people's attention to the fact that JESUS is the MESSIAH Who came to establish that kingdom!

Now, John the Baptist was a messenger of that kingdom, like all the prophets who had come before him. But in JESUS, the "kingdom of God" is ESTABLISHED!! John saw Jesus come TO establish this kingdom. However, he didn't get to see the consummation of that kingdom in Jesus' death, burial and resurrection.

John the Baptist believed that Jesus would be that Messiah.
But even the "least" of those who have entered the kingdom after Christ's death, burial and resurrection believe because Jesus established the kingdom!

Those who had believed John the Baptist heard this truth that Jesus spoke, and "justified God" - or - showed regard for Him as just and righteous.

30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
31 And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
32 They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.
33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil.
34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
35 But wisdom is justified of all her children.

But the ones who had NOT believed John the Baptist rejected "the counsel of God."
Of them, and perhaps to them, Jesus proposed a question.

"Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation?"
Or, what example could Jesus use that would be similar to people's acceptance or rejection of Him as Messiah?

Jesus chose to use children who were wanting to play.
They couldn't get other children to join them in games.
They "piped", or played music, but none wanted to dance.
So, they "mourned", but not wanted to weep.
In other words, NOTHING worked. Nothing SATISFIED them.

These men, who refused Jesus, were like those children. Nothing SATISFIED them!
They didn't believe John who came into the picture fasting, praying and being a total abstainer.
They said of John the Baptist he was possessed.
And they wouldn't believe Jesus Who came eating and drinking.
They called Jesus a "winebibber" and and a man Who was loose with his friendships.

Nothing SATISFIED them!

Now, look at that last statement (vs 35).
God IS Wisdom! (See Proverbs 8:1-12) God is personified as Wisdom in those verses.

And "Wisdom" (GOD) is "justified", or shown regard by those who are His children!

In other words, one might say, "Those who show regard for God are His children."
And the opposite might be said also, "Those who do not show regard for God are not His children."

36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

Before we look at some of the intriguing parts of this story, let's get the real jist of it.
Notice verse 50. Jesus is making a point here. The woman's FAITH caused her to SHOW and DEMONSTRATE great honor toward the Lord.

And, THAT my friends, is what faith in Jesus DOES!
Faith is actually initiated by the action of God's Holy Spirit IN us! (See Philippians 2:13)

Now, let's look at the story. It has some intriguing details.

First, the man who invited Jesus to dine with him was a "Pharisee." He belonged to the strictest and most legalistic sect of Judaism. And just because he called Jesus "Master" (Vs 40) didn't mean he believed Jesus was God in flesh (see verse 39).

Second, the woman who came in uninvited was "a sinner." The Greek text from which that is translated is hamartolos, meaning sinful, or sinner. This woman must have had a reputation of sorts; because the Pharisee thought Jesus "would have known who and what manner of woman this is.."

But third, the woman offered a great act of honor and regard toward Jesus.
And the Pharisee had not offered ANY act of honor or regard toward Jesus.
Remember Jesus' statement in the previous discussion: "Wisdom is justified of her children!"

At this, Jesus offered an observation to Simon, the Pharisee.
WHO had the most to be thankful for? Simon answered the one who had the most to be forgiven.
YES! And we ALL have MUCH to be forgiven!!!
NONE has "little!"

He who believes he has little to be forgiven, even though he refers to Jesus as "Master," is NOT forgiven. That's because he doesn't believe he had NEED, and has never ASKED!!
The woman came SHOWING her belief that Jesus WOULD forgive! She came honoring Him!
She KNEW what she was! But she also knew Jesus would forgive!
The problem with Simon was he didn't know who he was -- a hamartolos, a SINNER!
(See Romans 3:23) and (See Isaiah 53:6)

EVERY SINGLE HUMAN BEING is a gross hamartolos, or sinner before God!
We ALL have MUCH to be forgiven!

Let us not call Jesus "Master," or "Lord" just to be socially acceptable!
Let us determine to not only CALL Him Master, but to OWN Him as Lord of who we are!

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.