Young Man, Get Up!

Luke 7:11-17

Key Verse 7:14

This passage teaches us how we can help the young people of this generation rise and work powerfully for the work God has in mind for them.

1. Verses 11and 12 describe two processions converging from two opposite directions - one led by Jesus and the other by a coffin. What does the name "Jesus" mean? What does the coffin remind us of? In what respect are the two processions different?

** Jesus means the one who saves his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21 

** A coffin is symbolic of the fruit of man sinning. Romans 3:23. Genesis 3:1-19; Romans 6:23a; Heb 9:27 

** The former is characterized by Jesus who is the source of life, whereas the latter by a coffin which is symbolic of death and thereafter eternal condemnation. This reminds us of what Paul says in 1Co 15:22.  From a biblical standpoint the two processions are identical with the two processions described in 1Co 15:22. 

2. Put yourself in the shoes of the woman described in verse 12, and consider the way the Lord related himself to her.  What do the following expressions tell us about the Lord?

1) …the Lord 'saw' her; 2) his heart went out to her; and 3) he said, "Don't cry." 

** Jesus sees each person’s misery. Remember that God is never indifferent to the problems we have in life. So we must bring our problems to Him asking for his help.

** The expression “his heart” went out to her, suggests that Jesus is God in flesh, so having put on the same flesh as ours, Jesus felt exactly the same pains/sorrows as the woman did. The Bible says that Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever. The same Jesus works as the high priest for us who is sympathetic with the conditions we are in. Because he is working with us, praying on our behalf, we are encouraged to approach the throne of God’s grace with confidence, as Hebrews 4:15 and 16 exhort us to do. 

** “Don’t cry” indicates that in the Lord we have all the reasons to no longer become wimpy but rather rejoice in all circumstances. And he gives us the joy of life, not just as a matter of make-belief, but as a reality for in Him, we are empowered to overcome all that makes us despair and cry. 

3. Think about what Jesus did in verse 14a. What do the following statements tell us about Jesus and the life that follows him? 1) …he went up and 'touched' the coffin; and 2) those carrying it stood still. 

** Jesus is positive in fighting against the power of sin and death. So Jesus “went up” towards the coffin approaching. 

** The word “touched” also tells us that Jesus is God of love who is in “contact” with the one whom he loves. And he “touches” upon the sorest, most painful part of our life, including the coffin. 

** Where Jesus’ life touches, the procession of death must stand still, so that the power of his life reverses the procession, changing the procession heading towards eternal death to eternal life. 

4. Consider what Jesus said to the dead man inside the coffin. What do the following words of Jesus mean to you? 1) Young man; 2) I say to you; and 3) get up! 

** The word “young” reminds me of the truth that in Jesus there is no such a thing as getting “old”, for if anyone is in Jesus he is already a new creation. So “young man” indicates that in Jesus I have all the vigor of life that makes me stay young, and grow powerful, going from glory to glory. Isaiah 40:31

** I say to you: it reminds me of two things - 1) the power of Jesus’ word; 2) the need for me to hear Jesus’ word, and internalize personally by faith in His word. 

** “Get up!” - this means I need to get out of my coffin, and  rise up according to God’s word. My “coffin” represents all that have been made dead. The command “get up” then is the first step I need to take, towards “walking”, and then even “soaring”. It points to the life that moves upward, doing God’s work, even suffering to the point of death, becoming like Jesus, and thereby attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

5. Verses 15-17 describe what Jesus did for the dead man and his mother, and the way people responded to the miracle. What message(s) does this miracle convey to the young people of this generation? To the parents? To the people of our day in general?

** Young people of this generation need to listen to Jesus’ voice to overcome their unfruitful condition. Then they can fulfill the potential given to them by God. Modern day’s technological advancement caused a lot of young people to be like zombies.

  ADVANCE \d 5

[A zombie is a dead person that is brought back to life through a curse (voodoo, necromancy) or a mutation and has recovered some vital functions like movement.  They are near-mindless, possessing little reasoning power, though many can perform "remembered behaviors" from their mortal existence. Zombies are omnipresent in the folklore of Haïti, where they are created by voodoo, an African type of black magic/witchcraft. More recently, zombie films have exposed new theories according to which man-made viruses or genetic experiments are held responsible for the creation of zombies. Such films put a strong emphasis on flesh and blood, rotting bodies and their attendant maggots, as well as the still-warm gore resulting from savage, often cannibalistic attacks upon the living. Some zombies have the appearance of the living but their lack of free will and souls give them the appearance of mechanical robots. Others display visible signs of desiccation, decay and emaciation on their faces and bodies. They have a blank, expressionless faces that become more animated when they get hungry and engage in a feeding frenzy. They are incapable of speech, but often tend to make moaning and guttural sounds. They are normally encountered wearing whatever clothing they wore in their human life, prior to reanimation.]

** It has been said, “Like parents, like children” or “Like father, like son” or “Like mother like daughter” etc. and so forth. So it is the parents who must first repent and believe in Jesus, that their children would learn what it is to live by faith in the Lord. We cannot blame children alone for their problems, for it is parents who are called to take care of them, at least in their early young adulthood.

 

** The people of this world are all responsible for the growing population, for in order for a young man to grow strong, the whole town, city, nation, and yes the whole world must come together, to create an environment in which the youths of the generation would grow strong. 

The end