Disease and Death Defied: Mark 5:21-43

Introduce

Desperation

Disease

Death

Who can deliver us from these things?

Retell

At the beginning, we hear of a desperate dad and dying daughter: 5:21-24

The setting of our story is given. Jesus and His disciples make it back to the other side of the sea. A great crowd gathered and pressed around Him, while He was still by the sea. One of the leaders of the local synagogue, named Jairus, came, saw, and fell to the feet of our Lord. He then passionately begs Jesus saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” Is there anything more desperate than a dad with a dying daughter? Our compassionate Lord, after hearing the dad’s desperate begging, goes with Him. The crowd followed and continued to press in around Him.

Next, we hear of a diseased daughter and delivered daughter: 5:25-34

The focal point of Mark’s story suddenly shifts from the desperate dad and his dying daughter to another daughter with a disease. She, like the dad, is desperate. She had been bleeding for twelve years. She had spent all she had on many doctors, but nothing helped her. In fact, after all her treatment and money, she became worse. She had heard about Jesus, the man with power over demons and disease, so she came behind him in the crowed. She touched His garment. Her reason can be seen in her thoughts, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” The verb translate “made well” is the verb for salvation or deliverance. It is the same verb used by Jairus above in reference to his dying daughter. The diseased daughter and desperate dad see Jesus as the source of salvation. Immediately after touching Jesus’ garment, the diseased daughter’s flow of blood dried up. She felt in her body that she was “healed of” her disease. The diseased daughter is now a delivered daughter.

Jesus perceived the power that went out from Him to heal this woman. He turned around to the crowd. He said, “Who touched me?” His disciples are puzzled by this question. They pointed out that there was a great crowd pressing in around Him. It could have been anyone. Why would He ask such a question?Jesus continued looking for the one who touched Him. The woman knowing what happened to her, came in fear and trembling. She fell down before Him. She told Him the whole truth. Was she presumptuous for touching the Lord? Would He rebuke her? Would He give her disease back? The Lord’s reply is astounding, comforting, and displays that He is a gentle, lowly, and compassionate savior. Hear His words to the woman, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” The object of her faith, Jesus, delivered, healed, and granted her peace.

Lastly, we hear of a dead daughter and delivered daughter: 5:35-43

Now the story shifts back to where it began. Jairus and his dying daughter. While our Lord still was speaking, some came and said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” It is imaginable that the Jairus’ desperation quickly became depression. How did our Lord respond to such awful news? Jesus overheard the bad news and replied, “Do not fear, only believe.” When the woman believed in Jesus, she was healed. Could Jesus who delivered people from deformity, disease, disaster, and demons deliver someone from death? Jesus only allowed his inner circle to go with Him: Peter, James, and John. They came to Jairus’s house.

Even outside the home people were causing a commotion, weeping and wailing loudly. Anyone who has wailed knows how devastating the feelings are that cause it. Anyone who has witnessed wailing knows the feeling of you heart sinking into your stomach and your mouth locking as you grasp for words to say. Jesus entered and asked, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping?” This question seems to be odd for the Lord to ask, doesn’t it? He goes on, “The child is not dead but sleeping.” We know from other Gospels that she was in fact dead, so what could Jesus mean by this statement. Let us continue our retelling. The mourners laughed at Him. Neither they, nor death would have the last laugh though.

Jesus put them all out but His inner three and the parents of the child. They went into the room where the girl laid dead. Jesus took the little girl by the hand and said, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” He told demons to come out and they did. He told storms to silence and they did. Could he tell the dead to rise and they like a sleeping person awake? Yes, he could and can. Mark records that the little girl go up and began walking. She was almost a teenager, being 12. All present were overcome with amazement. Jesus, then, told them to tell know one what had happened and instructed them to feed the girl. Jesus’ time of revelation had not come. We know more than those present at this event. He rose others from the dead like this girl, but we have good reason to believe they and her all returned to the grave. Jesus would give His life as a ransom, but He would rise to never die again. Moreover, He grants such resurrection life to all who believe in Him.

Transition

From this text we are faced with the fact that those who are desperate, diseased, and dying find deliverance in Jesus, who defies desperation, disease, and death. The big idea of the text and our message is Jesus delivers.

Apply

First, Jesus delivers, so have a faith that waits patiently

The woman’s deliverance from her plight took twelve years. The man had to wait for Jesus, while He healed the woman. Many of you have troubles in your life, some of them you have struggled with for some time. Some of you might be feeling pretty desperate. Jesus delivers. He understands your plight. He feels your pain. He intercedes on your behalf. He delivers from sin, death, and the devil. He will deliver you, so have faith that waits patiently.

Second, Jesus delivers, so have a faith that reaches expectantly

The diseased daughter had heard about Jesus. She had heard what He had done for others with plights like her. She amid her shame and fear still came to Jesus. She reached out to Him, believing that He could deliver her. Her belief wasn’t in vain. The desperate dad came to Jesus when his daughter was dying. He like the woman came because He believed in Jesus. He can save you from desperation, disease, and death. Have you come to Him with faith?

Third, Jesus delivers, so have faith that hopes unceasingly

I can hardly imagine the Father’s feelings upon hearing that his daughter died. Jesus encouraged him. He told him not to fear but believe. Death has a sense of finality to it. With illness we often still have a little hope. Once death has happened we stop hoping for recover, yet with Christ even death has an expiration date. Therefore, even the most awful of circumstances are not hopeless for the one who has set their faith on Christ.

Fourth, Jesus delivers, so have faith that imitates unashamedly

Salvation comes by faith in Christ not imitation of Christ. That said, once we have taken hold of Christ by faith we are by grace called and empowered to live in imitation of Christ, obeying Him. There is something that hit me hard in the head and heart as I studied this text. It is the way in which He engages the desperate and afraid people of this passage. He shows compassion. He is gentle and lowly to the hurting. We should also show compassion to those who are hurting, afraid, and desperate. We do this by pointing them to the one who can deliver them. We do this by pointing them to Christ.

Conclude

Desperation

Disease

Death

Who can deliver us from these things?

Jesus delivers, so have faith that

waits patiently

reaches expectantly

hope unceasingly

imitates unashamedly

We saw these truths in the desperate dad and dying daughter, diseased daughter and delivered daughter, and dead daughter and delivered daughter.

Believer hold fast to Christ by faith

Vista Baptist Church, hold fast to Christ by faith

Unbeliever, you are a sinner in need of salvation. Death will come and after that judgement. You are unable to save yourself. I present to you today the only way for salvation. His name is Jesus. He lived perfectly, died sacrificially, rose victoriously, ascended gloriously, and will return triumphantly. Trust in Him. He will save you.

Jesus delivers, so have faith in Him.