In Luke 7 a widow mourns as her only son is carried out in a public funeral procession. Jesus meets her grief with compassion, touches the bier, and commands the young man to rise.

The sermon explains that death comes through sin, yet Christ willingly takes on humanity's guilt, dies, and rises to break death’s power. His holiness overcomes the impurity of death, and He shares His righteousness with us.

For those who trust Christ, death no longer has the final word. The message offers comfort in loss, assurance of forgiveness through baptism and Communion, and the hope of resurrection and eternal life.

This sermon explores readings from 1 Kings and Luke 4 to explain why signs and wonders were given in Scripture, how Israel's rejection led God to show His works to Gentiles, and how Jesus fulfills Isaiah's promises by bringing salvation, sight, and the sacraments to the church.

It challenges modern believers to treasure the Word and sacraments, recognize Christ as the true Israel, and live out their vocation in the new creation while awaiting the final revelation of God's wondrous salvation.

Using Ezekiel's vivid image of eating a scroll, this sermon challenges believers to recognize that institutional decline often reflects spiritual failure. It urges a return to the full gospel—the active and passive obedience of Christ—through Word and Sacrament, so congregations become visible beacons of the eternal, invisible church.