In brief
The widow of Nain's son is a young man whose name the Bible does not give. The only son of a widowed mother, he was being carried out for burial when Jesus reached the gate of the small Galilean town of Nain. Moved with compassion for the mother, Jesus touched the coffin and told him to rise. The dead man sat up, began to speak and was given back to his mother. Only the Gospel of Luke tells this miracle, which shows that God has visited his people.
What does the name The Widow of Nain's Son mean?
The Bible does not give this young man's name: it describes him only as the only son of his mother, and she was a widow (Luke 7:12). The name of his town, Nain, is generally linked to a Hebrew word meaning pleasant or lovely, though this is not certain.
The story of The Widow of Nain's Son
Two processions at the town gate
Luke 7:11-12The day after healing the centurion's servant, Jesus goes to Nain with his disciples and a large crowd. Near the gate he meets a funeral procession: a young man, the only son of a widow, is being carried out to be buried. Many people from the town walk with the mother, who has lost both her child and her support.
Do not weep
Luke 7:13Nobody asks Jesus for anything. He is the one who sees the widow and is moved with compassion for her. His first words are not for the dead man but for the mother: do not weep. The miracle begins with the Lord's gaze and his tenderness toward the one who is suffering.
Young man, arise
Luke 7:14-15Jesus steps forward and touches the coffin, and the bearers stop. He tells the young man to get up. At once the dead man sits up and begins to speak. Jesus does not keep him as a disciple at his side: he gives him back to his mother, restoring the family broken by grief.
God has visited his people
Luke 7:16-17Fear seizes the crowd, and they glorify God, saying that a great prophet has risen among them and that God has visited his people. The news spreads through all Judea and the surrounding region. Soon afterward, Jesus points John the Baptist to this kind of sign: the dead are raised (Luke 7:22).
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What The Widow of Nain's Son teaches us
- Jesus sees the pain of those who can no longer even pray, and he is the first to draw near to them.
- The Lord's compassion is not a passive feeling: it moves him to act and to touch what others avoid.
- The word of Jesus has authority over death, which foreshadows his own resurrection and that of those who believe in him.
- God cares for the most fragile, like this widow who lost her only son, and he restores what grief has broken.
Key verses
When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he told her not to weep. Before the miracle comes the heart of Jesus turned toward a grieving mother.
Jesus touches the coffin and speaks to the dead man as to a living one. The young man sits up and speaks: life returns at the Lord's word alone.
God has visited his people. The crowd understands that this miracle is no mere wonder: in Jesus, God himself comes to the rescue of his own.
Sermons about The Widow of Nain's Son
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find the story of the widow of Nain's son in the Bible?
The account appears only in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 7, verses 11 to 17. It comes right after the healing of the centurion's servant in Capernaum (Luke 7:1-10) and before the question John the Baptist sends to Jesus.
Why did Jesus raise the widow of Nain's son?
The text mentions no request and no faith expressed by the mother. Luke stresses that Jesus was moved with compassion for her. The miracle reveals God's heart for a widow who was losing her only son, and shows that Jesus is the one through whom God has visited his people.
How many people did Jesus raise from the dead in the Gospels?
The Gospels record three resurrections performed by Jesus before his own: the widow of Nain's son (Luke 7), Jairus's daughter (Mark 5, Luke 8) and Lazarus of Bethany (John 11). These signs point to his own victory over death on Easter morning.