Is Your Faith in the King?

INTRO:

Resurrection Services — Awesome week & weekend —> Every Sunday (another resurrection today!)

Recap

the Disciples & the Storm

Jesus healing the Gerasene Demoniac.

FAITH — What is it?

ILLUSTRATION

Richard Robinson was one of the leading atheist philosophers during the latter part of the twentieth century. He died in 1996, and he knows better now, but in 1964 he published a book called An Atheist's Values, in which he stated: "Christian faith is not merely believing that there is a God. It is believing that there is a God no matter what the evidence may be." "Have faith" in the Christian sense means, "make yourself believe that there is a God without regard to the evidence." In other words, Christian faith has a habit of flouting reason in forming and maintaining faith in God.

Dallas Willard responds to this view of faith:

This reminds me of the definition of faith by Archie Bunker, a character on the 1970s TV show All in the Family: "[Faith is] what you wouldn't believe for all the world if it wasn't in the Bible." Our culture provides terrible teachings like these about the nature of faith, and they get absorbed into our churches. Then they haunt young people (and all of us, really) when they go into other contexts. So we should understand that [the Christian faith] deals with real-life contexts for real-life people and challenges them to be helpful to others who are in doubt and to deal with that doubt honestly, because there is an answer.

Everyone is placing their faith in something…

Atheism — FAITH that there is no God & this life is all we have — Nature and what we can see…

Scientism — FAITH in Science and the scientific method are the best or ONLY way to render Truth about the world & reality…

Moral Relativism — FAITH in how everything relates to me & my, “my truth” — how it relates to you, “your truth…

As Followers of Jesus, FAITH = “The reliance upon and trust in God.”

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

But NOT out of nowhere — based on The person & work of Jesus Christ — as revealed in the Scriptures.

The Resurrection proves that — A Statement | A Sign | A Seal

Therefore the question is NOT - “Do you have FAITH?”

TENSION:

Where are you placing your faith? — Where am I placing my FAITH?

TRUTH:

Context is… KING. Jesus is the Conquering King…

Context is King of interpretation — understand

Another Markean Sandwich — 1st & 3rd are connected or the same - 2nd helps us understand

No way around it — Read the Whole thing —

summarize the first 2/3rds

then land in verses 35-43 — culmination and summarization of this section.

Mark 5:21–43 ESV

And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

PRAY

Jairus — Ruler of the Synagogue — what is that?

His daughter’s circumstances were dire — “at death’s door”

Jairus HAS FAITH —> He believes that if Jesus comes to his daughter - He can save her!

BUT there is an interruption…

Mark 5:24–25 “And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years,”

She has exhausted her money seeking healing

She has faith — Mark 5:28 “For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.””

Jesus asks, “Who touched me?”

The disciples — Rebuke Jesus — basically ‘EVERYONE is touching you’

But his intention is draw this woman out…

Mark 5:33–34 “But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.””

Notice Jesus’ response (COMPASSION):

“DAUGHTER” (Only time in the NT) — endearment & love…

Your FAITH has made you “WELL” — “go in peace” — “and be healed of your disease”

Summarizes & Concludes for us —> Draw out some themes & lessons.

Mark 5:35–43 (ESV)

While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

FAITH is the Main theme of these passages - Mark 4:35-5:43 (3 stories - 3rd has 2 stories in it)

Will the disciples fear lead to faith?

The healed man has faith in the power of Jesus.

Jairus has faith to come to Jesus in public.

The woman has Faith to come to Jesus in secret.

Jairus’ faith leads to the restoration of his daughter.

3 Things we Learn about Faith (in Jesus) from 21-43

1) Faith Looks Foolish

2) Faith Depends on it’s Object

3) Faith Leads to Restoration

Faith Looks Foolish

The Messengers tell Jairus to leave Jesus alone. (vs. 35)

His daughter is already dead — there is nothing more to be done.

Jesus overhears & ignores — “Do not fear, only believe.”

The Mourners laugh at Jesus. (vs. 39-40) — “The child is not dead but sleeping”

Mourners in the 1st Century —>

Almost like showing up to a funeral and asking, “Why is everyone crying?”

The dead are sleeping is the way the early church would come to understand death — 1 Thessalonians 4:14 “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”

This is how Jesus WANTS Jairus to see death — AND how we should see death — TEMPORARY — The Resurrection proves it!

Faith looks foolish, but death is Temporary because of the OBJECT of Faith…

Faith Depends on It’s Object

There is an interesting Contrast in Faith within these 2 Stories.

The Woman’s Faith

Perhaps Superstitious —>

Comes in Secret - plans to slip away

Only after she has exhausted her other options.

Yet her Faith is Rewarded.

Jairus’ Faith

Comes in Public — perhaps at the detriment of his position.

Believes Jesus can heal her — by laying on of hands.

Daughter dies — What?

Apparently responds to Jesus’ “Do not fear, only believe.” - ‘continue believing’

Jesus Rewards his Faith in a way that is different than what he expected.

(Pause)

Why do BOTH receive what they seek? — It seems Jairus has the greater faith!

Because the point is NOT to the amount or type of faith — but WHO they have faith in — Jesus Christ!

An Ice Skater was about to skate out on to ice that was 1/4” thick — with great confidence “the ice will hold me!”

A second Skater was about to skate out on to ice that was 4” thick — with great trepidation “will the ice hold me!?”

The 1st falls through the ice, while the 2nd is fine — The OBJECT of their faith is what matters.

Their faith in Jesus, no matter how strong or correct, led to their restoration…

Faith Leads to Restoration

Remember the MIDDLE part of a Mark Sandwich HELPS us understand the rest…

The woman seems to come seeking “healing” for her ailment

The word used in vs. 23 (that Jairus’ daughter) “be made well”; vs. 28 (The woman’s desire when she touches) “be made well”; & vs. 34 where Jesus says, “Daughter, your faith has made you well”

Greek word — sozo = Save; deliver; keep — It is most often translated “Saved” (89 of 106) in the NT — only 5 times “made well”.

“Made well” is not a BAD or WRONG translation — but implies something MORE that we miss in English.

Can be Understood: “Daughter, your faith has saved you.”

What we image in Baptism —> Outward symbol of an inward change

Comes to Jesus seeking “healing for her ailment” — because of her faith in his ability to heal her — Jesus makes her whole.

“Go in peace” (Shalom)

Jairus comes to Jesus because of his faith that Jesus can save his daughter.

Her Restoration is delayed — doesn’t happen the way he expected it to…

Jesus tells him to “keep believing”

Jesus makes Jairus’ daughter whole again — brought back to life

“They were overcome with amazement.” — word for amazement can include terror.

We should connect this to the previous stories.

Jesus & the disciples — Jesus calms the storm — they are “filled with great FEAR.”

The healed Demoniac — goes into the Decapolis to tell what Jesus has done for him — “Everyone marveled”

After Jesus resurrects this little girl — they are “overcome with amazement”

So what should we take away from these stories?

CONCLUSION

1) The Compassion of Jesus —>

Though He REBUKES the disciples for their lack of faith — His response is not “everything will be fine” — he meets them in their need — Calms the storm.

Jesus comes to Gentile area & and unclean man ruled by unclean spirits — Meets the man in his need — the man is made WHOLE — clothed and in his right mind.

Jesus responds to Jairus request to come to heal his daughter — Jairus comes publically, humbly, desperately.

Jesus responds compassionately to the woman who touched his garment — She comes secretly, humbly, desperately — Jesus draws her to confess publically so that she can fully receive the healing she seeks.

2) The Power of Jesus —>

Power over Creation — Calms the storm…

Power over the Spiritual Realm — Healing of the Demoniac…

Power over the Natural Realm — Healing of the sick woman | Raising the little girl from the dead.

3) FAITH

Jesus is both the MODEL and the OBJECT of our FAITH.

He is the MODEL because…

He was 100% human | He was always faithful to his Father | He remains faithful as he sits at the right hand of the Father.

Because he is the OBJECT…

Faith leads to wholeness (shalom) — salvation

And NOT because of the amount or quality.

What matters is WHO we place our faith in…

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations (1493 Setting the Sails)

When Hudson Taylor, the famous missionary, first went to China, it was in a sailing vessel. Very close to the shore of cannibal islands the ship was stalled because of the calm, and it was slowly drifting shoreward unable to go about and the inhabitants were eagerly anticipating a feast.

The captain came to Mr. Taylor and asked him to pray for the help of God. “I will,” said Taylor, “provided you set your sails to catch the breeze.” The captain declined to make himself a laughing stock by unfurling in a dead calm. Taylor said, “I will not undertake to pray for the vessel unless you will prepare the sails.” And it was done.

While engaged in prayer, there was a knock at the door of his room. “Who is there?” Taylor asked. The captain’s voice responded, “Are you still praying for wind?” “Yes.” “Well,” said the captain, “you’d better stop praying, for we have more wind than we can manage.”

RESPONSE:

The Amount & Quality of our FAITH is not what matters most — But the ONE we place our FAITH in — Jesus Christ.

We may not see him at work by providing wind for the sails after a few minutes of prayer.

It may be after years of seeking restoration…

It may come after a delay and look completely different than what we expected.

But when we encounter the POWER & COMPASSION of Jesus — It should lead to AMAZEMENT | MARVELING | AWE (fear) — Leads to FAITH in him.

Have you placed your faith in Jesus Christ?

Where are you placing your faith — all others are not the Conquering King & Suffering Servant — They will FAIL …

Faith in Jesus —>

Faith looks foolish

Faith depends on the object

Faith leads to restoration

PRAY