Nothing Too Big and No One Too Small

Matthew 9:18–26 ESV

18 While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. 20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, 21 for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. 23 And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24 he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. 25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went through all that district.

Let’s pray

Intro

Christmas is coming,

and with it comes comes the joy of receiving and exchanging gifts…

and if your family is like my family, you might create a Christmas list that you give to your parents so they might have an idea of what you want for Christmas…

But, when considering what we are asking for, it is important that we are realistic with our requests…

I mean if you were to ask for something like a new car, and you are 12… chances are, your parents aren’t going to buy you a new car.

And even if you’re 18, chances are that you still aren’t going to get a brand new car…

The point is this, there are some things that are far too big and expensive for our parents to buy for us… regardless of how much they love us!

But on the other hand, it would be even more audacious to make any Christmas gift request to someone of great importance…

Take Bill Gates for example -

If you don’t know who he is, he is the cofounder of Microsoft and one of the riches people in the world… Think Tony Stark except he never became Iron Man

Now, for Bill Gates to buy someone a new car, it would be no big deal for him financially… but let’s be real… Bill Gates would never buy you or me a new car, let alone get us anything for Christmas, because he doesn’t even know us let alone care for us.

What’s the point of this?

Well, while these things might be true here for any person on earth…

that there are some things that are too big for a man to do, no matter how much he wants to do it

Or that there are some things that are too small and insignificant for someone’s important to give attention to

Such limitations are not known to God…

and in tonights text we see this to be true:

That there is no problem that is to big for Jesus’ authority…

and there is no person that is to small for Jesus’ love…

Let me show you these things in the text that we have before us tonight:

Matthew 9:18–19 ESV

18 While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples.

A few things to point out

1 Who is this man

2 And why does he come to Jesus

First man who comes to Jesus is called a ruler…

Mark’s and Luke’s gospels tell us more about this man:

his name is Jairus

He is a ruler of the synagogue - which mean that he is man with a reputable status and is likely very wealthy - put a pin in this idea as it’ll be important in the second point of the sermon

But the second detail I want us to notice is why this ruler comes to Jesus.

Jairus come to Jesus because he is desperate, and helpless and in great need for Jesus’ help. Because the worst possible thing has happened… tragedy has come upon his home as his twelve year old daughter has died

Now up to this point in Matthew,

Jesus has demonstrated his authority over disease… demons… and even nature…

but what of death

Death is far more powerful than any of these

For diseases, demons, and storms can leave those who are afflicted…

We know from our common experience that diseases and storms are not necessarily permanent

But once a person dies, the dead stay dead…

In fact, what makes the disease and the storm a danger is that it threatens to take one’s life…

and so we are intended to see that this is the greatest problem that Jesus has yet to face this far in Matthew’s gospel…

But notice what Jesus does:

Matthew 9:19 ESV

19 And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples.

Here Jesus demonstrates that he is willing and able to do the impossible…

1. There is no problem that is too big for Jesus.

And this shouldn’t surprise us, as we have seen Jesus clearly demonstrating that he has the very authority of God, because Jesus is God…

WIth this in mind, we should consider what control and authority God have over life.

Even those with the most basic knowledge of God know that he is the author, and sustainer of life

In Genesis 2 we see God put life into the lifeless dust in order to create the first man Adam

Genesis 2:7 ESV

7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

And not only does God create life where there is no life, but God even demonstrated through a vision to Ezekiel that he would bring the dead back to life

Ezekiel 37:1–10 ESV

1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2 And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

Now there is much that can be said of what this vision is meant to represent, but at the very least we are to see that God is able to bring the dead back to life!

And this is the hope that we have as Christians, that we will be resurrected in the last day with Jesus.

One might ask, is there anything that is too hard for the Lord?

To wich we can say with confident assurance that there is nothing that our God cannot do…

This is the very question that God brings up to Abraham and Sarah when they doubted God’s ability to give them a child.

Genesis 18:14 ESV

14 Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.”

Just as God was able to put life into the lifeless womb of Sarah, so too can God can return life to the lifeless body of the dead…

This is what Jesus is doing here in tonight’s text

Recognize, know, and believe this:

1. There is no problem that is too big for Jesus.

So dear saints whom God loves... what great problem do you have? Have you found yourself to be helpless like this ruler… Though he had money, status, and great influence, he found his limit and has gone to Jesus for help.

Do not approach Jesus as you would a mere man who has limits...

Sure your parent may not be able to do everything they wish to do to care for you…

But such limits are not known by Jesus or your heavenly Father… So go to him with your greatest needs and requests knowing that God loves you and cares for you!

While some us do have such faith and know that God is able to do anything there might be some who are filled with doubt that God is willing to do such a thing for a person like me… A worthless sinner

And if you are tempted to think that he could never love you or care for you, be it because of your low estate as a sinner, or your low estate among others… keep reading what Matthew has to show us in tonight’s text:

Matthew 9:20–22 ESV

20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, 21 for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.

Again, let us note what is happening:

An important man of prominence has come to Jesus with a great need.

But on the way to help him a woman of such low status in society has come to Jesus with a need of her own...

Note even the different ways they come to Jesus

The ruler came to Jesus humbly bowing to him… but she comes to Jesus not even wishing to speak to Jesus but instead simply wants to touch the fringe… that is, the edge… of his garment

Two things to recognize about this:

First, she does not dare to even talk to Jesus, for her particular condition makes her an outcast in society.

You can read more about it in Lev 15:19-33… but a woman with a discharge of blood would have been unclean and would not be allowed to be among any group in society without them becoming unclean as well… and this woman has suffered from her condition for 12 years… This explains why she wishes to not even be noticed by Jesus…

And furthermore, she believes that even the smallest particle of clothing on Jesus contains enough power to maker her well…

and though the woman wished to remain hidden from Jesus, for she felt so small and unworthy to even come near to him… she knew she needed Jesus’ power to be made well.

And upon having touched Jesus’ garment Listen to Jesus’ response to her!

Matthew 9:22 ESV

22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.

2. There is no person who is too small for Jesus.

Though Jesus was in the middle of caring for this important man who had an important need… Jesus was not too busy to turn and care for this woman who most people would have considered to be unimportant…

recognize this: it is not the proud, the important, or the reputable people to whom Jesus calls…

It is those who are small, humble, and repentant that Jesus draw near to…

Luke 1:52 ESV

52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate;

If you are of a lowly state like this woman, feeling unworthy to draw near to Jesus… Know this: God welcomes the lowly who come to him…

And so:

Hebrews 4:16 ESV

16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

For Christ himself said:

Matthew 5:3 ESV

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

2. There is no person who is too small for Jesus.

Ponder this for a moment…

We have a God who is in the heavens who does whatever he pleases

And what is it that he pleases?

And it is his good pleasure to give his little flock the kingdom

This is a marvel that deserves our full attention

For there is no problem escapes his sovereign authority,

And there is no person who cannot receive his love and care.

This is the mystery that we are should consider every time we pray to our Father in heaven…

He is our Father… which means we can access him in the same way a child can access any earthy father… for God our Father cares for us and he sent his son so that we might be adopted into his family.

And furthermore, our Father is in heaven… and all creation falls under his authority. He is unlike a earthy father in this: Our heavenly Father knows no limits, and he always gives his children that which is good for them.

Let’s finish tonight’s text:

Matthew 9:23–24 ESV

23 And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24 he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him.

The flute players, and crowds making a commotion is a practice that is missed to modern readers. What is being described is an ancient Jewish funeral ceremony… This is how people mourned the death of a loved one. But Jesus says something that is quite strange:

Matthew 9:24 ESV

24 he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him.

They people know the girl isn’t sleeping…

there are obvious difference between a person that is sleeping and a person is dead…

Consider the condition of the girl who they are mourning…

Her parents shake her to try to wake her up, but she does not respond… She isn’t breathing… her body has become cold as her blood stopped flowing through her veins… And so they begin their mourning process… so then, why is Jesus saying that the girl is sleeping?

The answer is quite simple:

because for Jesus to raise the dead, takes no more effort than for us to wake up a child that is sleeping.

This morning, at 6:00 my alarm went off:

and even though I didn’t want to wake up, because I was still tired… I woke up.

If you have been over to Sarah’s and my house, you would have met our dog Charlie,

He is a 70 pound golden retriever, and I love him, but he can be obnoxious…

There are many nights when he will come into our room at something like 2AM and he will put his paws up on our bed and begin whining because he things he is a lap down and he loves to sleep in our bed with us even though there is no room for him except when he sleeps on us…

Now at 2AM I don’t want to be waken up… but what happens when a 70 pound dog is whining with his paws up on our bed… I wake up.

We know this of sleep works… Sleep can be interrupted… and the same goes for death Jesus is there.

Death is no more defies Jesus authority when he speaks, than sleep is able to defy an alarm clock or dog that might wake you up from your slumber.

Death does not defy Jesus’ authority… but there are some in this story who are seen defying Jesus’ command.

Look at the crowd’s response to Jesus command

Jesus tells them to go away, but instead of obeying Jesus they laugh at him.

But listen to what happens to those who defy the will and authority of Jesus:

Matthew 9:25–26 ESV

25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went through all that district.

We have seen that Sickness, storm, and satan’s demons have all fallen under Jesus’ ultimate authority… but what of death and the crowd? Well we see this

3. There is no opposition that will ever stop Jesus.

Be it the mocking voices of crowds who will reject Jesus, or even death that might try to destroy Jesus.

There is no opposition that will ever stop Jesus Christ.

In fact, it is important that we remember, it was God’s will that Jesus would be mocked and rejected, and killed.

Isaiah 53:3–5 ESV

3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

What we have in the last three verses of tonight’s text is a parallel passage to Jesus’ own passion.

we see crowds mocking Jesus

And we see a resurrection from the dead

and we see Jesus’ subsequent glory spreading throughout the region

But in an even greater way at Calvary where Jesus died

Jesus was mocked, given a crown of thorns, and hung on a cross to die…

And to an even greater astonishment than the girl raising from the dead, Jesus rose again on the third day of his own death…

And his own resurrection didn’t just spread throughout a single district in Israel. Rather the good news of Jesus death and resurrection has spread throughout all the world even to us today some 2,000 years later.

And it is by the death of Jesus Christ that we can be confident that God cares for us…

no matter how low our estate is…

be it because of the greatness of our sin that falls short of God’s perfect glory

or even our smallness in light of God’s great name

Believe this.... God cares for you. And his love and care is most clearly demonstrated in the cross.

But don’t stop there…

Believe that he has the power to help your greatest need....

And we see his power most clearly demonstrated in Jesus Christ’s resurrection.

And so have faith students… have faith and confidence in Jesus’ love for those who are small, and his authority over even your biggest problem; that of sin and the grave.

Philippians 1:6 ESV

6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.