The Girl Is Not Dead
Matthew • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 5 viewsJesus words are not just predictive, they are creative. Jesus cannot lie. When he says something that appears to be untrue, the then performs a miracle making that thing which is untrue, true.
Notes
Transcript
There are videos used to help train life guards on what it looks like when someone is drowning.
We often think that a person who is drowning will thrash about in the water and yell, “HELP! HELP! I'm drowning!” In reality, they become almost paralyzed by fear and incapable of calling for help.
The video illustrated how this works. It showed a young girl of about ten sitting on an inner tube float in the deep end of a wave pool, surrounded by children and a few adults. When the girl adjusted herself on the tube, she fell off and slipped to the bottom of the pool where the water was right at the top of her head.
There was no thrashing about and she couldn't yell for help. Instead, subtly, her hands came just above the surface as if she were reaching for something. Thankfully, a lifeguard spotted her and within a few seconds had a flotation device under her. The most remarkable thing was that the people around her were oblivious to the fact that she was drowning!
We pick up our story today
with a father who is
drowning in hopelessness.
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...
Jesus was not popular
among rulers of the synagogue.
Jesus and his disciples
end up getting kicked out
of multiple places of worship.
Suddenly,
the enmity that most
spiritual leaders in Israel
have toward Jesus
had disappeared...
Why?
His daughter is:
“At the point of death.”
Nothing else matters
at this point.
Theological arguments,
claims of messiahship
accusations of blasphemy
competition for authority
all fade to the back.
His precious girl
is dying!
... he fell at his feet and implored Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death...
Pride
Arrogance
Antagonism
All is suddenly gone.
There seems to be
but one hope left
in the world for
the life of his girl
if Jesus can heal her!
His entreaty is
humble
sincere
emphatic.
Please
... Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.”
You can hear
the tears in his voice.
He know there is
no time to spare.
In fact,
the news comes
it’s actually already
too late:
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?”
As a parent,
I dare you to place
yourself in his shoes.
The words he feared most
had been spoke.
… “Your daughter is dead...
It was too late...
Could you imagine
hearing those words.
Your child is dead.
I have nightmares
of hearing those words.
Perhaps the hardest words
any parent could ever hear.
You Child is Dead...
Thankfully,
the story doesn’t end there.
But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.”
The thoughts swirling
in the mind of dad
in those moments.
First,
utter despair
pain
shock.
Then,
confusion
surprise
hope.
What else could
he think,
other than what
Jesus told him:
... “Do not fear, only believe.”
Could Jesus do
the unthinkable???
Was it really possible
to still restore
his little girl?
Again and again
the words echo and
re-echo in his mind.
... “Do not fear, only believe.”
Perhaps you are facing
complex life circumstances.
Maybe you have
big problems
similar to Jairus.
Life issues like
financial crisis
work conflict
unemployment
family argument
marital issues
parenting issues
health issues
care-taking issues.
There is no shortage of problems!
But today I repeat
words of Jesus:
... “Do not fear, only believe.”
Let me be clear.
I’m not here to preach
a prosperity gospel.
You problems will not always
suddenly disappear because
you have faith.
But I assure you,
God will be with you
through the fire
of affliction.
Jesus is beside you
just like Jairus
in the worst of times!
In the city of Hanover is a graveyard which has been closed for a number of years—the Garden Churchyard. Owing to its antiquated monuments and the fact of its being the resting place of a number of celebrated characters, it awakens the liveliest curiosity. A few paces east of the unassuming little church in the graveyard is a monument tottering from its foundation. It is built in the form of steps, and the massive stones are secured by heavy iron clasps. The monument was erected in the year 1782.
Beside the usual family inscriptions, at the base of the monument are engraved these arrogant lines: “The sepulchre, purchased for all eternity, is not permitted to be opened.” Opposed to this determination of man, a beech seed, perhaps carried by the wind, found its way into a crevice of the foundation.
In the course of years this little seed grew to be a strong, luxuriant tree, mocked the proud inscription of the monument, raised the massive stones from their foundation, and rent the strong iron clasp asunder.
This open grave reminds the visitor of the mutability of earthly scenes, and the fallacy of man’s resolution to project plans to last for “all eternity.”
Dictionary of Anecdote, Incident, Illustrative Fact, Selected and Arranged for the Pulpit and the Platform, Walter Baxendale
... Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion...
Oriental custom of
funeralizing the dead.
“Even the poorest man in Israel [for his wife’s funeral] must provide no less than two flutes and one lamenting woman”
(Mishnah Kethuboth 4. 4, Soncino ed. of the Talmud, p. 266).
The process of burial
in these times was
very accelerated.
Today we have,
sophisticated embalming
freezing the bodies
etc.
Now,
People postpone burials
for days
weeks
months.
Then,
funerals must
happened very fast.
By the time dad
had gotten home
funeral already started.
The scene is
somewhat chaotic.
Flutists
Mourners
Family
Neighbors.
Jesus needs to
send them all away.
But he does so,
with the most
striking words:
he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” ...
I need to ask
a serious
and important
question.
Can Jesus lie?
Is this the truth?
How can this
be the truth?
So...
Is Jesus lying?
It certainly is not
literal
physical
empirical
truth
at that moment.
In what way
is it the truth?
PROPHETICALLY.
God does this repeatedly
throughout scripture.
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Eutychus
fell asleep during sermon
was “taken up dead”
They know he is dead.
but Paul says:
... “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.”
He was very much dead!
Paul speaks prophetically.
Jericho
God promised to Joshua
that Jericho would fall:
... “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor.
The promise,
once again,
is stated in
perfect tense.
(a completed action).
Gideon
God calls him not by
what he is but by
what he will be.
And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.”
Gideon was currently
hiding out for fear
threshing grain in
the wine press.
His current state
fear
poverty
anxiety.
God calls him
courageous warrior.
Offspring of Abraham
in the promise to Abram
God speaks the future
into existence:
... I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.
The perfect tense
A completed action.
To God,
it was as good as done.
Paul speaks of this
promise:
as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
Abraham,
was not a father.
Sarah,
was not a mother.
Bother were wayyy
past that age.
Abraham believed
the insane words of God.
And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.
Reproductively speaking...
Abraham was dead.
Sarah was dead.
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But god said,
... gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
By speaking it,
God made it true...
In our key passage
Jesus speaks life
into a dead girl:
he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him.
The funeral had already begun,
everyone knew that
she was dead.
There was not question
whether she was
in a coma
unconscious but alive
etc.
The process of hiring
mourners at the house
had already begun.
These mourners
were hired grievers.
Their job was to show
how sad the community is
to have lost this child.
The hired mourners
ridiculed Him.
Jesus spoke
prophetically
through eyes of faith.
The mourners
saw physically
only temporal.
Lesson:
If you choose to
see with eyes of faith
you will be ridiculed.
Christian in evolution class...
We must be willing
to receive ridicule if
see with eyes of faith.
In order to proceed
Jesus has to
quell the chaos.
But when the crowd had been put outside...
Who was the crowd?
Mark makes it more clear:
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.
Who was the crowd?
everyone that
didn’t normally live there
who had come
to mourn for child.
The crowd is
those who ridicule
those who distract
those to hinder
our spiritual lives.
The crowd is not
only people
it is things...
job that take all our time
too much time on secular hobbies
our emotions
doubts
fear
shame
selfishness.
Like Jesus,
we have to put
the crowed outside.
How?
How can we silence the voices...
Friends and Family that
ridicule spiritual things...
spend less time with them...
People with unspiritual feedback
thank them
discard it.
We must stop
seeking approval
in the wrong places.
Find our
acceptance
affirmation
community
love
God.
church.
healthy relationships.
But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.
How did she rise up?
Jesus took her hand.
The only way up
is in companionship with Jesus.
We often seek
companionship
with the crowd.
I assure you,
there is no
power
hope
future
with the crowd.
Jesus hand is
reaching out today.
Hold it!
Spend time with Jesus
Seek a spiritual resurrection.
And the report of this went through all that district.
How did they report
go to everyone else?
In Mark it says:
And he strictly charged them that no one should know this...
How did everyone find out?
Mom and Dad
told everyone!
Fear to share...
We must overcome
fear to share
our story
with others.
Appeal
Appeal
Don’t Fear
Only Believe.
Believe the Unseen.
Don’t seek the crowd.
Share the story.
(outreach today).
