Jesus Wanted All Believers to Spread the Word
- Elaine R Kelly
- May 11, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 18
"Word spread on the wind, just like the seeds of a dandelion" -quote from Forgotten Followers from Broken to Bold
Why is this statement in this historical fiction set in the Gospels? Did Jesus want the word to spread on the wind? Is the fiction consistent with the biblical narrative? Check it out:
He stepped forward and touched the stretcher on which the dead man was being carried. Those carrying him stood still. Jesus said, “Young man, I say to you, get up.” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Awestruck, everyone praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding region. Luke 7:14-17 CEB
Yes, Jesus wanted all believers to spread the word: it did not matter if they were male or female. Jesus commissioned them to go out and speak.
When Jesus raised the son of the widow of Nain to life, we learn 4 things:
1. Why did Jesus raise to life the deceased son of the widow of Nain? Not because she asked, not because she declared her faith, not because she repented. She was simply crying at her son's burial procession. The widow without her only son would likely be penniless and dependent on charity. Jesus noticed the widow, recognized her pain, and cared about her.
Jesus is Compassion.
2. Jesus touched the stretcher on which the body lay, which would make him ritually impure/dead according to Mosaic law, but instead, Jesus made the young man alive. The story occurs immediately after a centurion showed faith that Jesus could heal with a word, just as he directed those under his authority with a word. Jesus restored the boy with a word.
Jesus is the Word of God.
3. Awe and fear swept over those who had come to mourn the dead boy. They recognized Jesus was from God, similar to Elijah, who raised the son of the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17), or Elisha, who raised the son of the woman of Shunem (2 Kings 4). The Son and the Father are One (John 14:10); God took on human likeness in Jesus (Philippians 2:6-7). Jesus is God in human form, and he took the place of both men and women when he laid down his life to make a way for us all to approach God.
Jesus is God in the flesh.
4. Overcoming their fear, the people shouted with gratitude because God is with us. Jesus did not tell them to keep this miracle a secret as he had on other occasions. He wanted all believers, regardless of gender, to share the good news throughout the country. This miracle is immediately followed by Jesus telling John the Baptist's messengers to report that "... the dead are raised..." This miracle shows John that Jesus is truly "the one who is to come". Jesus wanted the women and men to spread the word.
Jesus is the promised Messiah.
The widow of Nain (in Luke 7) is one of 35 women in the Gospels. All of these women are included in #ForgottenFollowers from Broken to Bold. Click for more about the 35 women in the Gospels.
Elaine Ricker Kelly Author is empowering women with historical fiction about women in the Bible and early church, and Christian articles about women in leadership, church history and doctrine. Her books include:
Forgotten Followers from Broken to Bold, Book 1, A Novel (2022)
The Sword: A Fun Way to Engage in Healthy Debate on What the Bible Says About a Woman's Role (2023)
Because She Was Called from Broken to Bold, Book 2, A Novel of the Early Church (2024)
Walk with Mara on Her Healing Journey: 21 Steps to Emotional Resilience (2024)
Finding Her Voice from Broken to Bold, Book 3, Acts of Early Female Apostles: A Novel (2025)
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