The Power of Staying in His Presence (Father's Day 2018)

Introduction

All the People in the Bible: An A–Z Guide to the Saints, Scoundrels, and Other Characters in Scripture Jairus

Jairus was a synagogue ruler (Mark 5:22) in an unidentified town on or near the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had just crossed the Sea of Galilee after healing the Gerasene demoniac on the west side of the sea (Mark 5:21). The town was not Capernaum, Jesus’ home, because we are told at the end of the story that he then went there.

In Jesus’ time synagogues did not have salaried, trained rabbis as they do today. The “ruler” of a synagogue was generally a man who by virtue of his learning and wisdom had simply risen to the top and was accepted by acclaim as a leader of the congregation.

Jairus’s twelve-year-old daughter was dying, and when Jairus saw the crowd he realized that Jesus was there and came to him to ask for help.

The Lexham Cultural Ontology Glossary Synagogue

A congregation of Jewish people who meet together for worship and study of their faith.

Jairus was a synagogue ruler () in an unidentified town on or near the Sea of Galilee. What is a synagogue? In our text a synagogue is a congregation of persons confessing alliance with and trust in the God of Israel who either reject or are ignorant of Jesus as the Messiah.

All the People in the Bible: An A–Z Guide to the Saints, Scoundrels, and Other Characters in Scripture Jairus

Jairus was a synagogue ruler () in an unidentified town on or near the Sea of Galilee. What is a synagogue? In our text a synagogue is a congregation of persons confessing alliance with and trust in the God of Israel who either reject or are ignorant of Jesus as the Messiah.

Jesus had just crossed the Sea of Galilee after healing the Gerasene demoniac on the west side of the sea (). The town was not Capernaum, Jesus’ home, because we are told at the end of the story that he then went there.

In Jesus’ time synagogues did not have salaried, trained rabbis as they do today. The “ruler” of a synagogue was generally a man who by virtue of his learning and wisdom had simply risen to the top and was accepted by acclaim as a leader of the congregation.

Jairus was a man with authority, status in the community, he was respected by many, but he was also a father. Jairus’s twelve-year-old daughter was dying, and when Jairus saw the crowd he realized that Jesus was there and came to him to ask for help. As I surveyed the text what I saw here was...

Witthoff, D. (Ed.). (2014). The Lexham Cultural Ontology Glossary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

I. The Father’s Intercession

Jairus made sure he got Jesus attention. He made his way through the crowd and fell at Jesus feet. You can imagine that with someone at your feet it would be hard to continue forward without noticing them. Jairus had an urgent need and here he is at the feet of Jesus. Why did he go to Jesus? He obviously must have believed that Jesus could heal his daughter. He must have realized his position in the synagogue her, neither could his status in the community nor could his religious friends heal her. I believe Jairus went to Jesus because of one or both the following reasons...

He had seen what Jesus could do.

He had heard what Jesus could do.

Luke perhaps gives us insight on what could have sparked Jairus motivation to seek out the Master...

Luke 4:31–36 NASB95

And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and He was teaching them on the Sabbath; and they were amazed at His teaching, for His message was with authority. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, “Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, he came out of him without doing him any harm. And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, “What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out.”

Whatever the case may be for his need to seek Jesus help, here we have a father in a crisis situation who understood that the situation was too great for him, so he called on the One who was greater than the situation.

Three things immediately stand out about Jairus...

He humbled himself. says...You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

He took a humble position. (kneeling at Jesus feet)

He made a humble request. (he did not tell Jesus what he was going to do. He earnestly requested his help and for him to come to his house)

Jairus action was a major thing! Remember I told you that a synagogue was a congregation of persons confessing alliance with and trust in the God of Israel who either reject or are ignorant of Jesus as the Messiah. Jairus had enormous responsibility as a leader. As a leader he was involved in supervising worship services, running the daily school, keeping the congregation faithful to the law, distributing alms and so much more. Jairus kneeling before Jesus was an unusual scene but his position as a loving father overshadowed his position as a leader of the synagogue. He wasn’t concerned about what people may say about him. He was desperate because his only daughter was dying and needed help. Jairus didn’t leave it up to his wife or someone from the synagogue to go to Jesus, he went for himself! Based on the context here, it seems that Jairus was not of the persuasion that ht be able to help, but that Jesus could defi

As fathers, in crisis situations and at all times, we must intercede for our families! We must be willing to humble ourselves, take a humble position and make a humble request for God to help us! We cannot lead our families in our own strength and power, we need the presence of Almighty God. Notice, that when Jairus interceded on behalf of his daughter, that Jesus began to move in the direction of his house. I’m sure that the atmosphere at his house had to be heavy, the young girl is lying there dying and nobody can do anything for her, but what they didn’t know was that help was on the way!!! They couldn’t see the help, but it was coming. Sometimes in life, it may seem as though the atmosphere is a little heavy. In your home, things may feel a little heavy, in your spirit you might feel a little heavy, but when you involve God in your situation, even though you can’t see it, help is on the way, you’ve just got to hold on!!! Jairus and Jesus are on their way to his house when suddenly there was...

II. The Frustrating Interruption

Just when it seemed that things were on their way to turning around for Jairus, here comes an interruption in the schedule. It makes me think of when you’re watching your favorite football team play in an important game, and they’re in the middle of a game winning drive down the field and all of a sudden you hear, “we interrupt this broadcast for this special announcement.” Then you scream out no!!!! I’m sure Jairus already had in his mind how long it would take to get to the house, what route to take, and the house probably wasn’t that far, but the woman with the issue of blood, which is a story I’m sure you’ve all heard a number of times, was an unexpected, frustrating interruption to Jairus’ schedule. Of course, she wasn’t an interruption to Jesus, because He took time to single her out of the crowd and he lovingly called her daughter which is the only time in the New Testament that Jesus called a woman daughter. This was a special moment between Jesus and the woman. She searched for 12 years for help but nobody could heal her condition. Her last resort was to touch the hem of Jesus garment, which is interesting because the hem of a garment is essentially where a garment is finished. In other words, you would be hard pressed to find a garment that is considered finished without a hem. She reached out and touched a finished work, and got the healing she needed. While all this was playing out in front of Jairus , I’m sure several things went through his mind such as...

This is taking too long

My daughter is dying, did Jesus forget about me?

We’re not going to get there when I thought we would now

Why is Jesus concerned about who touched Him, we need to get to the house!

You see, Jesus did not forget about Jairus daughter, but God’s timing is not our timing. We too, may think that things are taking too long to manifest for us, but God is totally aware of our situation and wants us to trust His timing and not our own.

While Jesus was still talking and taking his time with the situation, someone from Jairus house came to give him...

III. The Fateful Information

The situation just went from bad to worse for Jairus. He went to Jesus for help because his daughter was sick and was dying, but now the news that she had died was certainly the last thing he wanted to hear. The person who brought the news obviously assumed that the situation was now outside the reach of Jesus to help. This is the moment in the story where the whole outcome could have changed. Jairus was at a crossroads. He believed Jesus could help him when his daughter was still alive, but now it probably didn’t make sense to trouble Jesus to go with him to see his dead daughter.

The person who came from Jairus’ house assessed the situation using flawed criteria. That person could not bring the daughter back from the dead, therefore, they felt that Jesus couldn’t either. That’s exactly what many do today. They assess the difficulties of life based on their own ability to change the outcome, and they allow fear and unbelief to settle in. When things are going well, they are all over the scripture in that says

Ephesians 3:20 NASB95

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,

But as soon as they are in a position where they need God to do more than they can ask or think, they fade under the pressure of the moment. Jairus did three things when he received this bad news that we should take note of as men of God and as father’s...

Jairus remained silent - It’s always easier to hear someone when you’re not talking at the same time they are. Someone once said that we have two ears and one mouth. Perhaps that means we should do a lot more listening than talking. When in a crisis moment, it is never wise to let emotions get the best of you and let your mouth run wild. says...He who guards his mouth and his tongue, Guards his soul from troubles. He didn’t turn to Jesus and say see, if you would have left that lady alone, we could have made it to the house and my daughter would not have died! This situation reminds me of when Jesus was informed about the status of Lazarus. He was told that he was ill but he delayed a few days and by the time he got to town, Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days. Now the same tragic news comes to Jairus. His daughter is dead. He remained silent, but also...

Jairus remained still - The news Jairus received may have caused many to immediately take off running to the house, but that’s not what the narrative records here. He stayed in place; he stayed in the presence of Jesus! He didn’t run away! Many times when bad news comes we try to figure out why it happened, we start blaming ourselves, blaming others, and although we may not run away in the literal sense, we let our imaginations run away with us and we become an emotional wreck! However, we need to stay in the presence of Jesus and be still.

Psalm 46:10 NKJV

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

Jairus didn’t run from synagogue to synagogue looking for answers, he didn’t run from family member to family member looking for comfort, he didn’t run from city to city trying to find peace of mind, NO he stayed in the presence of Jesus. I believe men of God in the face of great adversity, need to be silent and be still in the presence of the Lord so they can receive from the Lord the answers they need to lead their families, to witness breakthroughs in their homes, to see wayward children return, to know God better and be a calming influence on their families so that they can also be strong in the Lord because of the example you have set.

Jairus remained strong - When he initially approached Jesus, he fell at His feet and pleaded with Him to come to his house, but once Jesus agreed to go, Jairus got up and walked with Jesus. The text doesn’t say Jesus carried Jairus or helped him walk. I believe he was strengthened by the fact that he was walking with Jesus. Jairus didn’t have an emotional breakdown when he received the news of his daughter’s death. The person that came from his house to deliver the news didn’t have to pick him up off the ground. You see in the presence of Jesus we can find strength that you cannot find anywhere else. We all have heard the scripture in Philippians 4:13 and we have probably quoted it a few times that says...I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Far too often though, our actions say I can do some things through Christ who strengthens me sometimes.

Jairus could have said, Jesus, thank you for your willingness to go with me, but it’s too late now. She’s already dead. Jairus could have left Jesus and went on his way, because it was too late now. He could have been upset and angry with Jesus because his daughter was dead and it was too late to do anything about it. But rather than act based on the word of another, here is this father, choosing to stay in the presence of Jesus, and in that presence he got a word to calm his fears because of...

IV. The Freeing Intervention

If Jairus had walked away rather than being silent, still and gaining strength in the Master’s presence, when he received the news of his daughters death, he would never have received a word to set him free from anxiety and have his faith go to another level. The interesting thing I noticed here is that there is nothing recorded that indicated Jesus actually said anything to Jairus up until now. Here we are with a daughter who is dead, news that confirms the fact, a woman healed of a 12 year illness, and all hope of Jairus seeing his 12 year old daughter get better so she wouldn’t die, gone. Here we are, with the assessment having been made that it’s too late now, but how many of you know with Jesus, it’s never too late! It is at this time, our text records Jesus speaking to Jairus.

Jairus was in the right place at the right time to receive the right word from the right person and he had the right response.

Too many times we can’t hear God because we are out of place. As a result we get the wrong word, from the wrong people, and we have the wrong response. Staying in the presence of God will prevent this!

Jesus gave Jairus two commands and one promise. He said...

Don’t be afraid. tells us...Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Jesus said...

Just Believe. Jairus had no evidence that Jesus was able to raise his daughter from the dead. He was a witness to the healing of the woman with the issue of blood for 12 years, but what he didn’t know was that Jesus had power even greater than that which was able to bring his 12 year old daughter back from death! Then He promised him...

She WILL BE healed. says...Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Jairus had to believe God for something he had never seen, and he had to believe for it simply on the strength of His word!.

Let me enlighten you a little further regarding why it was so remarkable that Jairus went to Jesus in the first place. (from answersingenesis.org)That Jairus should appeal to Christ on this occasion is very remarkable considering that Jewish leaders were often the people most averse to Jesus. It is also striking that he should fall down and worship Jesus, if not as God, since as yet he might be ignorant of Christ’s deity, yet he behaved with profound respect toward Him, as to a great teacher, known healer, and prophet.(end) He didn’t go to another synagogue leader or hold a meeting with his congregation about his sick daughter. He went to what he believed to be the source of change for the situation! Jesus was God in the flesh! Men of God, If we are honest, we may have been guilty on more than just a couple of occasions of trying to be the source ourselves. Whatever our family needed, we were trying to provide, whatever situation happened, we were trying to fix, whatever crisis came to our doorstep, we were trying to work our way through, and we struggled to do these things, because we forgot that we were not the source that could satisfy the need, solve the situation or provide strength in the midst of the crisis! As men of God, we can never be too macho, masculine or manly to fall on our knees and worship the God of all creation and humble ourselves and acknowledge that He is our source! If Jairus, a man who probably was unaware of the deity of Christ could understand that He was the source of what he needed, how much more should blood bought, blood washed, water baptized, Holy Spirit filled believers recognize God for who He is!!!

Jesus gave Jairus a word, and because of that word, and because he stayed in the presence of Jesus, this father had (and we can have it too)...

A newfound peace. He knew his daughter was dead, but when Jesus is in the midst, it’s never too late!

A newfound faith. He believed Jesus could heal his daughter, but now his faith had to go to another level. His faith had to trump the fact his daughter was no longer with them. The natural conclusion was that she was now beyond the help of Jesus. However, the same kind of faith that had brought about the healing of the bleeding woman would bring the dead girl back to life. (Evans, C. A. (2017). Messianic Expectations. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (p. 1623). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.)

Evans, C. A. (2017). Messianic Expectations. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (p. 1623). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

them.

A newfound hope. To hope is to look forward with desire and reasonable confidence. He had an expectation that caused him to stay focused and moving forward to see the manifestation take place! says...Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the Lord.

All you who hope in the Lord.

Jesus words to Jairus could be misunderstood by some to be mean, rude or inconsiderate, given the fact he just got news of his daughter’s death, surely news like that caused him to be full of grief because of this great loss, but when Jesus said what he said to Jairus, it was as if He was really saying SHAKE IT OFF JAIRUS! EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT! Jesus didn’t give Jairus time to have a pity party. Jairus family didn’t need him to have a pity party. His wife didn’t need him to have a pity party. They needed him to be strong! There were already enough mourners at his house, he didn’t need to be one of them too! he had to see things through a different lens, and he could now that he had newfound peace, faith and hope. Men of God, our families need us to be strong, praying men who stay strong because we stay in the presence of Jesus! Surely we will experience loss. Surely we will encounter grief. Surely we will have feeling of despair, but you have to shake it off! You may have lost that job, but you’ve got to shake it off (there will be another job)! You may have lost a child to the wickedness of the world, but you’ve got to shake it off(stay in God’s presence and watch them come back)! Friends may have walked away from you but you’ve got to shake it off (friendships can be restored or replaced)! Are you going through a personal midlife crisis and you feel like you have no joy? Shake it off! Are you not quite in the career you thought you’d be in and you have some regrets? Shake it off!!! Do you have a problem with worrying all the time? Shake it off!

Jairus found peace, faith and hope in the presence of Jesus. Finally, Jairus and Jesus arrived at his house, and more than likely the crowd was still with them. This is when we shall see...

HE HAD INCREASED FOCUS (HE WAS MORE DETERMINED THAN EVER TO GET HOME)

he had increased expectations

Jairus received hope in the presence of Jesus. Jairus received encouragement in the presence of Jesus. Jairus had conviction, commitment, and contentment

V. The Final Outcome of the Invitation

Jairus invited Jesus to his house because he had an urgent need. When Jesus stopped on His way to Jairus’ house to speak to the woman in the crowd, He allowed time to pass. Jesus was not worried about Jairus’ daughter dying. He knew all along that He would heal her, even if that meant raising her from the dead. In a beautiful act of mercy, Jesus stops to care for the woman in the crowd who had reached out to Him in faith. Jairus undoubtedly felt the urgency of his situation, and he probably chafed at what he saw as a delay. His daughter was lying at death’s door, and Jesus was taking His time. Jairus learned that God’s timing and purpose are not like ours. That’s a lesson we all need to learn! Sometimes He requires patience from us, sometimes He waits longer than we think is rational, and sometimes He allows temporary loss in order to show us the eternal abundance of His blessing.

When they arrived at the house, I saw four things here...

The Mission - Based on the context of the story, Jesus wasted no time getting right to the business at hand. he was on a mission. He only let a few people in the room with him. These were the ones who believed in what He was about to do. I believe Jairus wife was strengthened by him since she had not been with him to see what he did.

The Mourners - Jairus was an important person in town. It was customary for there to be weeping and wailing (there were probably even professional mourners in addition to family and friends)and in fact if there was no weeping and wailing it was considered to be a great disgrace and disrespectful.

The Mockers - The mourners turned to mockers when Jesus basically told them all to shut up the noise because the girl was not dead but asleep. He knew she was actually dead, but to the One who has power over death, He could waken her as easily as He could someone who was sleeping! The mockers, by the way, also confirmed why none of them was in the room with Jesus! In life, you will have your share of people who will mourn with you, and laugh with you, but as soon as you start talking about stuff that goes against reason and rationality that requires faith, they will mock you. Do like Jesus and keep them out of the room!

The Miracle - This was as quick and powerful as what Jairus witnessed with the woman with the issue of blood. They didn’t form a prayer circle and tarry all night speaking in tongues. Jesus simply grabbed her by the hand, which probably surprised the synagogue leader Jairus because this was something believed to make a person unclean since she was dead, and He said, “My child, get up!” Immediately her spirit returned to her body, which is confirmation that she was actually dead, she stood up, and Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Then He told them not to tell anyone about what happened.

Closing

JAIRUS FAMILY GOT WHAT THEY WANTED BECAUSE HE WAS A FATHER THAT DID NOT LEAVE JESUS PRESENCE. PATIENCE IS KEY!

JAIRUS FAMILY GOT WHAT THEY WANTED BECAUSE HE WAS A FATHER THAT DID NOT LEAVE JESUS PRESENCE. PATIENCE IS KEY!

Luke 18:1 NASB95

Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart,

MEN OUGHT ALWAYS PRAY

Here are seven things I want to share with you from the late great Dr. Ed Cole to help you as you go through life...

Realize that crisis is normal.

Admit that God is your source.

Don’t panic.

Admit God’s sovereignty.

Don’t limit God.

Humble yourself to obey God

Trust God to vindicate you.

I believe God (Jesus) allowed Jairus to lose his daughter so he could understand who God really was. Think about it, Jairus witnessed Jesus have power over the living and the dead! He saw the living woman healed, and his dead daughter raised to life! He basically saw it all! As a result of being in His presence his faith in Jesus had to be strengthened because of what he saw. When you are in the presence of Jesus, and you see Him move on your behalf, your faith is increased and you grow stronger in the Lord. In the midst of crisis and unbeknownst to Jairus, a marvelous testimony was being built! You may be in the midst of a test, crisis, loss, persecution, despair or any other situation, but you have to shake it off, and know that in the presence of God, you will find the peace you need, the strength you need, the faith you need to see the outcome you want, that will produce an incredible testimony for you and your family, but you must stay in the presence of God.

Luke 17:1 NASB95

He said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come!

When father’s intercede...

jairus daughter was raised to new life, but perhaps Jairus waas too