"Do Not Be Afraid; Only Believe"

Welcome back to our study of the Gospel of Mark, and as I say every Sunday, “Mark is a book about discipleship”. So, as we study this book a key theme is obviously going to be, discipleship. Now what do I mean when I talk about discipleship? Discipleship is the training process where we become like our teacher. In other words, the more we study the Bible and apply it to our lives, the more our lives look like Christ’s life.

This process is often referred to as sanctification—the ongoing work of God in us that produces practical righteousness in our everyday lives. In other words, as we learn more about the Lord Jesus Christ the more our behavior changes. As we study the scriptures, God is transforming us on the inside, and that transformation eventually begins to show on the outside. To keep it simple: discipleship involves the process of sanctification. And it’s important to understand that this is a gradual process—one that unfolds over a lifetime. Let me give you an analogy that I think will help this stick in your minds. Here is something I heard years ago in a sermon, that I’ve never forgotten.

Spiritual Growth Can’t be Seen But It Can be Measured

Where what exactly does that mean? Think about it this way. Let’s say you are growing your summer tomatoes, and you walk out and see little green tomatoes all over the plant. Well, you can’t pull up a chair and watch your tomatoes grow. Why? Because the growth is too slow to see with our human eyes. In fact, you could pull up your lawn chair and sit there for two days straight, and you wouldn’t be able to tell any difference. But you know what you can do? You can go out and measure a small tomato, and then come back in a week or so and measure it again. Guess what your going to find when you measure the second time. Growth. And this is a beautiful analogy of spiritual growth. As believers, every time we pick up our Bibles and study there is a little bit of growth happening. Every time we behold the imagine of the Lord Jesus Christ on the pages of scripture, the Holy Spirit is transforming us.

So, here is where I’m going with this:

Spiritual growth is like the growth of a tomato.

It’s gradual. Too gradual to expect dramatic change after one day in the Word. You can’t read your Bible once and say, “Wow, I’m a completely different person.” But you know what? Spiritual growth can be measured.

We might not notice the change day by day, but over time—over months, over years—we should be able to look back and say, “I’ve changed. I’m not the same. I’m growing.”

That’s the quiet miracle of discipleship. Not instant transformation, but faithful formation. Not a single bloom, but a garden cultivated over seasons.

I was speaking with someone recently at our At One program. A few years ago, his life was unraveling—he’d been kicked out of his home, his marriage was on the brink of divorce, and his son refused to speak to him. That was nearly three years ago.

Today, he’s happily married. His relationship with his son has been restored. And as we talked, he said, “Man, I just can’t believe how my life has changed from 2.5 years ago. It’s unreal.”

Church, that’s discipleship. It’s not always visible in the moment, but when we look back, we can measure the growth.

Here is my point. When we talk about discipleship we are talking about the growth process. We are talking about maintaining our spiritual health as we follow the Lord Jesus Christ and learn from Him. It’s a lifelong journey—a process of becoming more like Him in character, conviction, and conduct.

And I want to make this abundantly clear: discipleship is a process. It spans our entire lives, and it requires intentional effort, obedience, and surrender on our part.

But guess what? Eternal life is not a process. It is a gift—freely given the moment we believe in Jesus Christ. There is no work required. No steps to complete. No spiritual resume to build. It is received by grace, through the vehicle of faith. And once you have it, it can never be lost.

Discipleship is about growth; Eternal life is about receiving grace. One involves ongoing transformation. The other is a one-time transaction.

Now, I keep coming back to this—because this is a bedrock principle we need to build on.:

The Gospel of Mark is about the discipleship process. It’s where we go to learn what it means to follow Jesus. It’s where we see the cost, the struggle, the surrender. Mark shows us the path of the disciple—the one who walks with Jesus, learns from Him, and grows through obedience.

But Mark is not the book we turn to when we want to understand how someone receives eternal life.

If we want to know how a person is saved—how they receive the free gift of eternal life—we turn to the Gospel of John.

John was written so that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, we may have life in His name (John 20:31). John is the Gospel of belief. Mark is the Gospel of following.

One shows us how to receive life. The other shows us how to live it.

Being a faithful disciple is our logical response to receiving the gift of eternal life.

Alright, now that we’ve laid that foundation, let’s pick up where we left off.

We’re in a section of Mark’s Gospel that records four distinct miracles, each one reveals the power and authority of the King. These aren’t just impressive acts—they’re proofs. They demonstrate that Jesus is the Messiah, the One ushering in an eternal kingdom.

Each miracle showcases His dominion:

Over nature

Over Satan and his demons

Over sickness

And even over itself death

Today, we come to the most powerful moment in this sequence: Jesus raises someone from the dead. This is the grand finale in this section of Mark. It shows us that this King, the Lord Jesus Christ, not only heals and delivers, but He holds the keys to life and death.

If you weren’t here our last lesson, let me set the stage. Last week, we were introduced to a synagogue ruler named Jairus. Desperate and heartbroken, Jairus comes to Jesus, falls at His feet, and pleads for the life of his daughter. His little girl is on the brink of death, and Jairus knows—Jesus is her only hope. Well, Jesus agrees to go to Jairus’ house to see the little girl, but there is a massive crowd pressing around Jesus that is making the journey difficult.

In the midst of this chaos, a woman—who had suffering for years with an issue of bleeding—sneaks up behind Jesus, and reaches out in faith touching the hem of Jesus’ garment. And in that moment, she is healed. This ultimately leads to a conversation between Jesus and the woman. Let’s pick up her in Mark 5:32.

Mark 5:32–33 NKJV

32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.

You see, this woman is afraid. Verse 33 says, “But the woman, fearing and trembling... came and fell down before Him.” Her fear is understandable. According to the Law of Moses, her issue of blood made her ceremonially unclean. And not only that—anyone she touched would also become unclean.

By reaching out and touching Jesus, she may have believed she had defiled Him. She was likely expecting a rebuke, perhaps even public shame for what she had done.

But that’s not what happens.

She doesn’t receive condemnation—she receives compassion. She doesn’t receive a rebuke—she receives restoration.

Listen to Jesus’ words in verse 34:

Mark 5:34 NKJV

34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

Now, there are a few details I want you to take note of—because the healing of this woman and the raising of Jairus’ daughter are connected.

This woman is afraid. Jairus is afraid.

Jesus calls this woman “daughter.” And He’s on His way to resurrect another daughter.

This woman had been suffering for twelve years. Jairus’ daughter was twelve years old.

Make sure you remember these details—because we’re going to come back to them later. And I want us to understand that these details just aren’t coincidences. These are intentional details given by the Holy Spirit that reveal deep truths. And before this lesson is over I want to explore what these details mean, but for now let’s start with the first one, the fear. These two miracles teach us that:

On the Pathway of Discipleship Faith Must Overcome Fear

Last week we saw this ailing woman’s faith overcome her fear. This week we are going to see the same thing in Jairus. Right after Jesus heals the woman with the issue of blood and tells her to go in peace, Jairus gets the worst news of his life. Listen to verse 35.

Mark 5:35 NKJV

35 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”

I can’t imagine. This is every parent’s worst nightmare, to hear that their child has died. Now, notice something. Here is one of those details I mentioned earlier. Pay attention to the word daughter. The messengers come from Jairus’ house and announce, “Your daughter is dead.” But just one verse earlier, Jesus had spoken that same word—“daughter”—to the woman with the issue of blood. After she is healed, Jesus says, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

And here’s what’s remarkable: this is the only time in the entire New Testament that Jesus calls a woman “daughter.” And it’s no accident that it happens right before Jairus’ daughter is raised from the dead. You see, the healing of one daughter foreshadows the resurrection of another.

And when we take these two miracles together, they teach us something profound:

Jesus has the power of overcome every effect of sin.

Sin has brought affliction. Sin has brought uncleanness. Sin has brought death. But praise be to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ because He has power to undo all of it. Sin has scattered brokenness in every direction—disease, division, despair, and death But through Jesus, we see the unraveling of every curse. He doesn’t just confront affliction, uncleanness, and death… He overturns them. And all of it points toward a kingdom where the effects of sin will be no more.

To put it plainly: All the daughters in Jesus’ kingdom will be healed. All will live. All will be made whole.

That’s the truth this passage is teaching us. And that’s the hope we cling to.

Picking back up with verse 35, we see the messagers come deliver the news to Jairus.

Mark 5:35 NKJV

35 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”

Now notice what they messengers say at the end of the verse, “Why trouble the Teacher any further?” This tells us something important. This tells us that people believed Jesus was a great healer, but they didn’t think He could solve this problem. At this point, the general consensus is that it is too late. Nothing can be done. That’s what they are saying. “Sorry Jairus, you didn’t make it in time, she’s dead”. Now I have no idea what Jairus is thinking, but I probably would have been thinking about that woman. I would have been thinking if we hadn’t stopped to help that other woman. My daughter would have had a chance. But don’t you see. This was all apart of Jesus’ plan. Jairus believed in the Lord. Jairus was following the Lord, but now Jairus needs to believe something even greater about the Lord. Now, he needs to understand that Jesus has the power over death.

Please don’t miss this because this it a beautiful picture of discipleship. Discipleship is a pathway where we encounter all kinds of the trials and tribulations along the way. But if we continue to faithfully follow the Lord, He will reveal to us more and more of himself. You see, Jairus believed He could heal his daughter, but now Jairus is getting ready to learn that Jesus has the power of death. In other words, Jairus’ faith is being tested so that he can believe even greater things about the Lord. Church, this is discipleship. It is a pathway of continually growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. But we have to remain faithful, he have to keep following, and we have to keep learning. Let’s move on to the next verse.

Mark 5:36 NKJV

36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”

To me, this entire account speaks of the journey of discipleship. Jairus begins with faith—he believes Jesus can heal his daughter, which is why he comes to Him in the first place. Then, while walking with Jesus, Jairus witnesses another miracle: the healing of the woman with the issue of blood. And Jesus makes it clear—she was healed because of her faith.

Now Jairus faces the ultimate crisis. His daughter was died. And in Lord says, “Do not be afraid; only believe”. It is if the Lord is saying to him. “Jairus I know how this looks, but believe in me. You came to me for a reason Jairus, and you just saw the woman I called “daughter” healed from a terrible affliction that was killing her. Don’t be overwhelmed by these circumstances Jairus. Believe in me”.

Legacy, this is what the Lord wants from all of us. First and foremost we must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life, but that is the beginning of the discipleship journey. After that, we need to be learning from Him, and following Him so that we trust Him through the darkest seasons of our life. We must learn to trust Him— In the midst of pain, In seasons of suffering, In times when hope seems lost.

It’s in those moments that His words must echo in our hearts:

“Do Not Be Afraid; Only Believe”

These miraculous accounts aren’t just stories—they’re preparation. They’re written to equip us for everything this broken world throws our way.

These miracles remind us:

Where there is affliction, Jesus brings healing.

Where there is brokenness, Jesus offers embrace.

Where there is death, Jesus will bring resurrection.

But let’s be clear: we may suffer all the way to the end of this life. So many heroes of the faith were ridiculed, tortured, and even martyred. Their suffering was real—but it was also temporary, because Jesus Christ has the final say.

He is the One who has overcome the grave. He is the One who holds the keys to life and death. He is the King who is bringing in an eternal kingdom.

The apostle Paul called his suffering “light momentary affliction”—not because it wasn’t painful, but because it was light in comparison to the heavy weight of glory that was coming for the faithful servants of the King in eternity.

So we must remember this:

Turn from this world. It’s promises are fleeting and its pleasures are hollow Endure the shame. For Christ bore ours, and a disciple is not above his Master Embrace the suffering. It is the path His walk and it is this path that refines us. And hold fast to the hope that Jesus is coming— to reward His faithful servants and establish His eternal reign.

Ok, let’s get back to our text. Jesus has told Jairus not to be afraid, only believe. And picking up at verse 37 it says,

Mark 5:37–38 NKJV

37 And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. 38 Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.

In this verse we see two groups of people. We see these three disciples who made up the Lord’s inner circle, and Jesus is teaching them throughout this whole experience. A major emphasis of Mark’s Gospel is Jesus teaching His disciples, and they have much to learn. They had new things to learn about the Lord Jesus Christ, even though they were already saved. In case you’ve missed me saying this for the past three months, discipleship involves learning and believing new things about Christ. Jesus wasn’t only teaching Jairus in this moment; He was also teaching His inner circle of disciples. The Lord was always teaching these men, and guess what? The Lord continues to do so today through His word in the Bible. (Yates, LID pg. 199) Again, studying the Bible is the key element of discipleship. Let me say this even more forcefully. You can’t be a disciple of the Lord without studying the word of God. This is how we learn from our Teacher.

So, the first group we see are the disciples, the ones opening to learning from the Lord. And on the other hand verse 38 says Jesus, “saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.” A tumult can be defined as a state of commotion, noise, and confusion. This word elsewhere is used in reference to mobs. So, this was most likely a large group of people wailing and weeping loudly.

Before we step into this scene, it helps to picture what mourning looked like in Jesus’ day.

In first-century Israel, it was customary for families to hire professional mourners when a loved one passed away. Even the poorest families would find a way to have at least a couple mourners. For wealthier or more prestigious families, the mourning process was far more elaborate. Crowds would gather, including hired musicians, loud wailers, and lamenters who cried out in grief. Some mourners would tear their garments or pull out their hair as a dramatic expression of sorrow. These rituals weren’t just dramatic displays—they were how people showed their sorrow, honored the person who died, and even reflected the family’s place in the community.

So when Jesus’ arrives at the house this is a noisy scene full of hired professionals.

Mark 5:39–40 NKJV

39 When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.” 40 And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.

Listen to what this Lord tells these professional mourners. He says, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping”. Now, I don’t think Jesus is denying the girl had died. He wasn’t suggesting she was in a coma or that the mourners had misread the situation. No, Jesus was making a deeper point: Her condition was temporary. Like sleep, it was something He could—and would—reverse. His point was that all of this mourning was pointless because He was getting ready to wake this girl up.

But look at the reaction of the mourners. Verse 40 says they ridiculed Him. The verb here suggests they were laughing at Him with contempt. Remember, these were professional mourners. Death was their business. It was how they made their living. So when Jesus says, “The child is not dead, but sleeping,” they scoff. To them, it was absurd. In our culture it would be like telling a funeral director he’s mistaken, that the person in the casket is just taking a nap. And yet, Jesus wasn’t speaking from ignorance—He was speaking from authority. He wasn’t confused about her condition—He was about to change it.

And I want us to understand that there is a lesson in these verses for us. Look what Jesus does with the mourners. It says, when He had put them all outside”. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this kind of separation. Back in Mark 3, when Jesus’ own family thought He had lost His mind, they stood outside while Jesus sat inside teaching His disciples.

There’s a pattern here:

Jesus draws close to those who believe and are willing to listen.

Mark 5:39–40 NKJV

39 When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.” 40 And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.

But the unbelieving crowd? They are put outside. Separated. Distant. And we see this principle demonstrated in this moment. Verse 40 says, The mourners who ridiculed Him are put out. But look at what happens next: “He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.”

Church, that’s where we want to be. We want to be “those who were with Him.” We want to be the insiders—those who get the privilege of knowing Jesus intimately. Not just knowing about Him, but walking with Him. Not just hearing stories of His power, but experiencing His grace in our everyday lives. Jesus’ closest circle of disciples are getting ready to witness not just a miracle, but a resurrection miracle!

So Jesus takes the parents and His disciples into the room where the child was laying, and verse 41 says,

Mark 5:41–43 NKJV

41 Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. 43 But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

The first thing this verse tells us is that Jesus took the child by the hand. The original language indicates that Jesus tenderly touches the girl. There’s compassion in this moment, and it puts Jesus’ heart on full display. Her loved this girl. Then the Lord speaks: “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” Mark includes the original Aramaic—“Talitha, cumi”—and then translates it for his readers. He wants us to hear exactly what Jesus said in that moment. It’s personal. Intimate. Almost like we’re standing in the room, listening in. He simply speaks to her—like a parent waking a child from sleep. His words are gentle, but they carry resurrection power. Then immediately the girl arouse and walked”. Amazing, and the reaction of those who saw this, leaves no doubt that this girl has died. The end of verse 42 says, “And they were overcome with great amazement”. This could be translated they were “out of their minds” with astonishment. This wasn’t a girl who was sick. This was a girl that had died.

There’s one more detail I want to point out—something I mentioned earlier. Remember how the woman had been bleeding for twelve years, and this little girl was twelve years old?

That’s not a coincidence. The number twelve is significant. There are twelve tribes in Israel, and both the woman with the issue of blood and Jairus’ daughter represent more than just individuals—they symbolize the nation of Israel.

How so? Israel was sick. She was defiled. She was spiritually unclean—just like the woman. And like Jairus’ daughter Israel wasn’t just sick—she was spiritually dead. She needed resurrection.

Jesus came to do both. He came to His own people to bring healing and life. He came to restore what was broken, to raise what had died. But tragically, they rejected Him. These two miracles aren’t just acts of compassion—they’re prophetic signs. They show us what Jesus came to do for Israel… and what He still does for all who will receive Him.

But I believe there’s another foreshadowing in this miracle—one that points to the future resurrection of believers. You see, a day is coming when the trumpet will sound, and Christ will descend from heaven with a shout, and every person who has died in Christ will be resurrected. Right now, the souls of departed believers are conscious and present with the Lord, but their bodies are sleeping in the earth. Yet on that day, Christ will speak, and those sleeping bodies will rise from the grave and be transformed—never to die again. And this miracle? It proves that Jesus has the power to do it.

As we wrap up this morning, here are the takeaways from these two miracles. Jesus Christ has the power to overcome all of the affliction, defilement, and death that sin has brought into this world. He is God in the flesh who is bringing in an eternal kingdom. And the Bible says He is coming suddenly. In His absence, He has left His servants with work to do. And as we serve Him, we will face fear—just like the woman with the issue of blood, and just like Jairus. Both were overwhelmed by their circumstances. Both were terrified. But their faith overcame their fear. Let their examples speak to us. Let us remember what the Lord said to Jairus.

“Do Not Be Afraid; Only Believe”

You know, when we read about Jairus and the woman, it’s clear—they’re living examples of what discipleship looks like. Neither of them had it all figured out. But through fear, setbacks, and even opposition, their faith grew.

And that’s the surprising part: it was the hard stuff—the suffering, the waiting, and the desperation that actually helped deepen their faith. “Let their stories motivate us to remember that the Lord desires everyone who believes in Him to become His disciple.” He wants us to follow in His footsteps and learn from Him. He wants us to believe in Him and remain faithful even in the face of death itself. “And every believer who stays the course, who endures the fear, the shame, the suffering and even death itself—will be richly rewarded in eternity.” Let us be those faithful disciples who hear well done good and faithful servant now enter into the joy of your Lord.

Let’s pray. .