Single lesson
Jesus Raises the Widow's Son at Nain
Luke 7:11–17
In this lesson, children will follow the events at Nain and notice how Jesus responded to a grieving mother, spoke to the dead young man, and how the crowd responded by glorifying God.
Before you teach
Luke 7:11–17 says that Jesus went to Nain with many disciples and a great multitude. At the city gate, he met a funeral procession for a widow’s only son, with many people from the city with her. The passage then shows Jesus’ compassion, his command, and the crowd’s response.
Students will be able to retell Luke 7:11–17 in order and name the crowd’s recorded response after Jesus gave the young man back to his mother.
Welcome: Two crowds meet at the city gate
5 minBriefly introduce the lesson: Jesus is travelling to Nain with many disciples and a great multitude. At the city gate, another large group appears, gathered around a widow whose only son has died. Explain that the class will listen for who is present, what Jesus does, and how people respond.
Luke 7:11, Luke 7:12
Read and explain: Jesus sees the widow and acts
8 minRead the passage aloud. Point out the important order: Jesus saw the widow, had compassion on her, told her, ‘Don’t cry’, came near, touched the coffin, and spoke directly to the young man: ‘Young man, I tell you, arise!’ Explain compassion as caring deeply about someone’s suffering.
Luke 7:13, Luke 7:14
Discuss: What changed, and how did people react?
6 minTalk through the outcome. The young man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Then the whole crowd was filled with fear and glorified God. Help children notice that the passage records both what Jesus did and what the people said about God visiting his people.
Luke 7:15, Luke 7:16
Make and respond: Story sequence cards
8 minChildren make simple sequence cards showing the main moments: Jesus going to Nain, the funeral procession, Jesus speaking to the widow, Jesus speaking to the young man, and the crowd glorifying God. As they place the cards in order, ask them to say one sentence about each picture from the passage.
Luke 7:11, Luke 7:12, Luke 7:13, Luke 7:14, Luke 7:16
Closing: The report spreads
3 minFinish by reviewing the full sequence together. Ask children to tell the story in order without adding extra details. Conclude that the report about Jesus spread through Judea and the surrounding region, showing that what happened at Nain became widely known.
Luke 7:17
Questions to explore
Who were the two large groups that met near the gate of Nain?
Look for the people travelling with Jesus and the people gathered with the widow in the funeral procession.
Luke 7:11, Luke 7:12
What did Jesus do before he spoke to the young man?
Trace the actions in order: he saw the widow, had compassion on her, spoke to her, came near, and touched the coffin.
Luke 7:13, Luke 7:14
What did the crowd say after the young man sat up and began to speak?
Use the exact phrases in the passage that show their fear and that they glorified God.
Luke 7:15, Luke 7:16
Make, think or respond
Nain Story Sequence Cards
What you’ll need
- plain paper or card
- pencils or textas
- scissors
- Bible
Try it together
- Draw five simple pictures from the passage: Jesus travelling to Nain, the widow and crowd, Jesus speaking to the widow, Jesus speaking to the young man, and the crowd glorifying God.
- Cut out the pictures to make cards.
- Mix up the cards and work in pairs or small groups to place them in the correct order.
- Read Luke 7:11–17 again and check each card against the passage.
- Invite children to retell the story using the cards in order.
This activity helps children sequence the account carefully and notice the key actions and responses recorded in Luke 7:11–17.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, provide the five scenes already named on the board and let them draw one detail for each before sequencing them together.
- For older or more confident children, ask them to add a short caption to each card using words from the passage, such as ‘Don’t cry’, ‘Arise’, or ‘They glorified God’.
An optional closing prayer
‘Lord Jesus, thank you for showing compassion in this passage. Please help us notice what you did and respond by honouring God. Amen.’
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Luke 7
11 Soon afterwards, he went to a city called Nain. Many of his disciples, along with a great multitude, went with him.
12 Now when he came near to the gate of the city, behold, one who was dead was carried out, the only born son of his mother, and she was a widow. Many people of the city were with her.
13 When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Don’t cry.”
14 He came near and touched the coffin, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!”
15 He who was dead sat up and began to speak. Then he gave him to his mother.
16 Fear took hold of all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has visited his people!”
17 This report went out concerning him in the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.
Source passages
Something to make together
These activities connect with the passage. Choose one that suits your group and the time you have.
