Read the Passage: Luke 7:1-30

Listen to the Redeemed Mind Podcast: Luke 7:1–30

Two Miracles (7:1–16)

After concluding His sermon on the plain, Jesus traveled to Capernaum, which is where He had been teaching earlier (cf. Luke 4:31). Once here, Christ was told through several intermediaries about the servant of an unnamed Roman centurion who was sick and near death. The fact that this centurion used intermediaries, who were “elders of the Jews” (Luke 7:3), shows both his own sense of unworthiness to approach Jesus, and the Jews’ respect for this Gentile soldier. While this cooperation between Jews and a Gentile is unexpected, even more surprising is the centurion’s faith. Moreover, Luke records that the centurion sent friends to intercept Christ as He traveled in order to ask Him merely to speak a word of healing concerning his sick servant. Interestingly, this man is one of three different Roman centurions in the New Testament who gave evidence of faith (cf. Matt. 27:54; Acts 10).

Luke 7:11–16 contains one of at least thirty-seven miracles Jesus performed in the Gospels. This event, the resurrection of the son of the widow from Nain, is one of three times in the Gospels where Christ raises the dead—the other two being the raising of Jairus’ daughter (cf. Luke 8:49–56) and the resurrection of Lazarus (cf. John 11). It is noteworthy that this miracle, which is only recorded by Luke, is one of just a few miracles Jesus performed without being asked. The setting for this miracle is a funeral procession outside of the city of Nain, which is roughly 5 miles southeast of Nazareth. Luke reports that when Jesus saw this procession, “He had compassion” (Luke 7:13) on the grieving widow, and then raised her son. The Gospels record that many of Jesus’ miracles were sparked by His compassion for hurting people (cf. Matt. 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; 20:34; Mark 1:41).

John’s Question (7:17–23)

Concerning Jesus, Luke notes that “this report about Him [i.e., the raising of the son of the widow from Nain] went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region” (Luke 7:17). This news even reached John the Baptist, whom Herod had earlier put in prison (cf. Luke 3:20). It is interesting that when John heard the news about Christ’s ministry, He sent several of his own disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Coming One, or do we look for another” (Luke 7:19)? This question from John the Baptist is striking, for earlier John himself had declared concerning Christ, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). It seems John’s faith may have been wavering at this time, for in the months following Jesus’ baptism, John was put in prison and Christ’s message was rejected by some who heard Him, even by many of the religious leaders.

Luke reports that John’s disciples asked Jesus about His identity, “And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight” (Luke 7:21). Christ performed these acts both because they were characteristic of His overall ministry and so that John’s disciples would have an eyewitness account to bring back to John in prison. Indeed, Christ specifically told John’s disciples to report, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them” (John 7:22). Jesus’ actions and His message for John are clearly an allusion to Isa. 61:1, a passage that Christ had earlier applied to Himself at Luke 4:18. Observe that Jesus curiously omits Isaiah’s reference in this passage to “opening . . . the prison to those who are bound” (Isa. 61:1).

Jesus’ Response (7:24–30)

Although Jesus did not free John the Baptist from prison, in Luke 7:24–30 He did teach about John’s character and ministry. Despite John’s wavering over Christ’s identity, in this passage Jesus teaches that John the Baptist is not “a reed shaken by the wind” (Luke 7:24). Indeed, at Luke 7:26 Christ reveals that John is “a prophet . . . and more than a prophet.” Next, as He cited Mal. 3:1, Jesus explained that John is more than a prophet in that he is the prophesied forerunner of the Messiah. Furthermore, Christ teaches that among those born of women, there is no one who is greater than John the Baptist. Lest His hearers get discouraged by this claim, or John become too proud, Jesus observed that “he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than [John the Baptist]” (Luke 7:28). These teachings moved Christ’s hearers to praise God, except for the religious leaders.

Application Questions:

1. Is it logical to view Jesus as only a wise moral teacher, or perhaps even as just a prophet (cf. John 5:18; 8:24, 58; 9:35–37; 10:30, 33, 36)?
2. What can followers of Jesus do to increase their faith? How can we explain the centurion’s faith in Christ?
3. Do you usually feel compassion for those who are hurting and in need? Why did Jesus perform miracles?
4. Is the confusion of John the Baptist about Jesus’ identity reasonable? What does it take to discourage you?
5. If John the Baptist is the greatest man to be born (cf. Matt. 11:11), why did John claim that he needed to decrease (cf. John 3:30)?