30: From Death to Life (Luke 8:40-56)

One Sunday morning, Satan appeared before a small town congregation. Everyone started screaming and running for the front church door, trampling each other in a frantic effort to get away.

Soon, everyone was gone, except for an elderly gentleman who sat calmly. Satan walked up to the man and said, "Don't you know who I am?"

The man replied, "Yep, sure do."

Satan asked, "Aren't you going to run?"

"Nope, sure ain't," said the man.

Perturbed, Satan asked, "Why aren't you afraid of me?"

The man calmly replied, "Been married to your sister for over 48 years.”

I’ll bet that’s not what he thought when he married her. Sad that so many men & women take marriage for granted instead of treating each other with respect.

Whiles men & women will forever have different roles to play as designed by the Creator, some women during Jesus’ day - as women today - were treated like second class citizens. In contrast, the intertwined accounts we see today will show us the care and compassion Jesus has for women and their families.

And most important of all, remind us how Jesus - the Creator of all - can transform lives…bringing people from despair to hope, From Death to Life.

So if you’re at a place where life is falling apart…

if you are struggling with lack of purpose or pain from your past…

Or maybe you just need to be reminded of God’s heart for people...

Then we have some GOOD NEWS for you!

PRAY

Luke 8:40–42a (NIV)

40 Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him.

41 Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42 because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying…

According to Matthew 9:1, Jesus then returns to Capernaum - his home base, the place where people brought many sick people to be healed by Jesus.

It was in that synagogue that Jesus had cast out a demon (4:31–44)

It was in Capernaum that he told the paralyzed man his sins were forgiven…then told him to stand up and walk…and he did! (5:12–26)

It was there that Jesus healed the servant of a centurion w/o ever seeing him (7:1–10).

Who knows how these miracles impacted this synagogue ruler, one of the elders who managed the services at the synagogue, but when HIS child was sick, he was willing to approach Jesus humbly - to fall at his feet and plead with Jesus to come to his house and heal his daughter.

At 12 years old, she was close to marrying age. Like Mary, the mother of Jesus, this young lady could have been engaged at this point. But instead of preparing to for marriage but instead, she is on her deathbed. Jesus responds with compassion and begins the journey to see her but…

Luke 8:42b-43 (NIV)

42…As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her.

Everybody in this crowd has a story, but the focus goes to one woman, a woman had a serious problem. She had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, this is a Greek phrase literally translated ‘flow of blood’…a phrase used for a loss of blood due to menstrual bleeding [LN]. For 12 years this poor lady was not comfortable nor welcome in public. According to the Law of Moses, much like a leper, she was considered ‘unclean’ and could NOT enter the synagogue nor temple. She was not allowed to touch anyone nor be touched by anyone - or THEY would be considered unclean.

Leviticus 15:25 (NIV)

25 “ ‘When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days at a time other than her monthly period or has a discharge that continues beyond her period, she will be unclean as long as she has the discharge, just as in the days of her period.

She had invested a lot of time and money to find relief. Mark gives more insight.

Mark 5:26 (NIV)

26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.

But things were about to change.

Luke 8:44 (NIV)

44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

She didn’t call out to Jesus. She didn’t ASK Him to heal her. She worked her way through the dense crowd…following His footprints…to simply touch His cloak, believing that simply touching His clothes would make her well.

And even though no one else could help after 12 years of suffering…reaching out to Jesus made her CLEAN! She was healed! At this point…ONLY 2 PEOPLE knew about the healing that had taken place…this woman and 1 other…

And suddenly Jesus stops the parade with this HUGE crowd pressing around and asks a question that seems strange to Peter.

Luke 8:45–46 (NIV)

45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

This reminds me of God’s question to Adam after he sinned, “Adam, where are you?” Was that NOT a question of geography…but a question of responsibility. God could SEE where Adam was, but He wanted Adam to SEE where Adam was.

I am convinced that Jesus KNEW who touched Him, but He wanted HER to take responsibility so that this tender interaction would take place.

Luke 8:47 (NIV) 47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed.

How touching was THAT moment! In a face-to-face conversation the woman explains…

“Jesus…I have been bleeding for 12 years. No one could heal me. I felt like my life was over. But I have heard about you. Others have told me I was unclean…but I believed…that YOU could make me CLEAN! So this morning I followed the crowd and I pushed through…to get to YOU…and now I KNOW that my life has been restored!”

And here’s a moment we must pause.

Maybe you feel like YOUR life is over. Maybe you wonder how someone as ‘unclean’ as you can approach the Holy One. How will He respond to you?

Just like He responded to this woman…

Luke 8:48 (NIV) 48 Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

2 important insights from this verse:

I love this, Jesus calls her daughter, a tender & affectionate term in His day. Further, as you’ll remember from last week, Jesus created WHAT? All things: Colossians 1:15-17. This truly IS His daughter!

This is NOT faith in faith. It wasn’t a HUGE mystical process she went through. She simply believed that JESUS had the power to heal her. She had faith that what no one else could do…JESUS could do. She had FAITH IN HIM.

This is just 1 of many examples demonstrating that…

BIG TRUTH: Trusting Jesus transforms peopleBIG TRUTH: Trusting Jesus transforms peopleBIG TRUTH: Trusting Jesus transforms peopleBIG TRUTH: Trusting Jesus transforms people

BIG TRUTH: Trusting Jesus transforms people

BIG TRUTH: Trusting Jesus transforms people

Trusting Jesus restored more than her body - it restored her relationships. After 12 years, she could experience the privilege of touch again. She could go back to the synagogue and enter the Temple courts.

Trusting Jesus STILL transforms people. He can still heal the body, as we pray for others, but He is most interested in healing the soul & restoring relationships.

What an Incredible Story…but what about the 12 year old we started with?

Luke 8:49 (NIV)

49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”

Have you ever been there when someone got the news?

A couple of years ago I had to tell a good friend that her father had died…it was painful.

Have you ever been there when a father got news about his daughter? I can’t imagine. Jairus had asked Jesus to come…but now it was too late…until Jesus said THESE words.

50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

But HOW do you HEAL someone who is DEAD?

Luke 8:51–55 (NIV)

51 When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.” 53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat.

Can you imagine the laughter…the JOY!!! Instead of preparing a funeral…they are preparing a meal! Luke doesn’t mention some of the specifics but…I wonder how long they hugged her! I wonder what Peter, James, & John were thinking! That’s TWICE we’ve seen Him…raise the dead!

Do you THINK the words of Jesus after that event would be weighty? Would he tell them to tell others like He told the man he cast the demons out of? Not quite…

56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

We don’t know WHY Jesus commanded their silence, but this is NOT the first time Jesus commanded someone to keep silent after a miracle.

2 Reasons Jesus ordered them to keep silent about the resurrection:

1. Jesus likely didn’t want anything to keep Him from moving freely from town to town. But I think there’s another reason I’ll mention in a moment.

So, when the 12-year-old walked out of the house those who had laughed at Jesus might have come to the conclusion that He was right…she was in a sleep-like state - what we might call a coma. And Jesus continued to move freely.

But her parents & His 3 apostles knew the real story knew this: that…

BIG TRUTH: Trusting Jesus transforms peopleBIG TRUTH: Trusting Jesus transforms peopleBIG TRUTH: Trusting Jesus transforms peopleBIG TRUTH: Trusting Jesus transforms people

BIG TRUTH: Trusting Jesus transforms people

BIG TRUTH: Trusting Jesus transforms people

From Death to Life.

Which leads us to the 2nd Reason I believe Jesus demanded their silence.

2. Jesus didn’t want anything to interfere with His ultimate plan to bring people From Death to Life, by going to the cross to pay for OUR sin. The Jewish people thought the Messiah would never die. If they were all convinced Jesus was the Messiah they would have attempted to give Him the CROWN instead of the CROSS…and He would have none of that.

You see, there came a day that the woman with the blood disease…DIED.

There came a day when the 12-year-old…probably much older…DIED…again.

And the day is coming for you and me too, when your BODY will fail.

Before that moment there is ONE QUESTION you need to answer:

Have YOU passed From Death to Life?

You can approach Jesus warts and all - ‘unclean’. And our God in Skin, the one who calms the storm, casts out the demon, heals diseases, & raises the dead…will do His greatest miracle…He will bring you From Death to Life.

BIG TRUTH: Trusting Jesus transforms peopleBIG TRUTH: Trusting Jesus transforms peopleBIG TRUTH: Trusting Jesus transforms peopleBIG TRUTH: Trusting Jesus transforms people

BIG TRUTH: Trusting Jesus transforms people

BIG TRUTH: Trusting Jesus transforms people

FEET2FAITH

Trust Jesus

Tell Others

First, would you TRUST Jesus today - in simple faith - PRAY “Lord I’m asking you to do what no one else can do.”

If you want to talk more about that - would you look up at me?

Second, Would you tell others about our King!?! Jesus no longer asks people to keep His work a secret. Ask God to give you a divine appointment, to share your FAITH STORY with 1 person a day this week.

Austin Bass - leaving for boot camp this week.

Hug Jackson & Ellie’s neck on your way out.