Jesus Heals a Woman and Raises a Girls

Anyone ever have times in their life when they were in desperate need of help and dont have anyone to help you?

Car wreck

When we are whole, we feel whole. But when we are in a terrible situation, we feel our need. And Jesus comes to those who are needy.

Point 1: Trust in Jesus’ power to remove the suffering of those in desperate need.

Mark 5:21–23 ESV

And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 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.”

Q: What do we know right off the bat?

Ruler of the Synagogue - Someone who was in charge of operations and order in the synagogue.

His name is Jairus. Mark provides his name, which is strange because that is not often done in the gospels

Fell at Jesus Feet

Acknowledged Jesus power,

Most likely he already went to the Pharisees and others to see if they can make his daughter well since he had to have close relationships with them.

He believed that if Jesus only lay his hands on her that she would be healed

Mark 5:24–28 ESV

And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.”

Jesus, Jairus, the apostles and a bunch of people are walking now.

While they are walking a woman sneaks up behind Jesus and touches his robe.

Q: What do we know about her at this point?

She is unnamed

Had disease where she had discharge of blood

Went on for 12 years

Went to many doctors.

Spent all the money she had

Did not get better

Got worse

She believed that touching Jesus robe would heal her.

Uncleanness

Levitical law states that show woman is unclean and anyone who comes into contact with her would also be unclean and should be separated.

People who were uncleaned were essentially shunned, imagine that for 12 years,

She risked angering everyone in the crowd that she might have touched and made unclean including Jesus himself for disobeying the OT law.

We will see that is not going to happen because Jesus’ purity was more powerful than her impurity.

The word that Mark uses to describer her is tormented, whipped, scourged. It describes pain and shame.

We see two people in desperate situations here.

Q:What are some ways people try to deal with desperate situations?

A: put on a brave face;

try to ignore the issue

finding comfort in other things, try to dull the pain

pretend it doesn’t exist;

run away from the problem

get angry and vengeful

Here we see the biblical way to deal with all situations, not just the desperate ones.

Point 2:Trust in Jesus’ power to remove the shame of impurity

Mark 5:29–32 ESV

And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ” And he looked around to see who had done it.

Q: What happened?

Jesus noticed that something supernatural happened and was looking for the person who caused it.

The disciples didnt understand what He was saying.

Everyone around him was trying to get his attention but the person what recieved Jesus attention was the person who exercised faith. The woman not only got his attention but Jesus was searching out for her.

DONT miss this point.

The woman is seeking desperately to touch Jesus to receive SOMETHING, Jesus in turn seeks desperately to find SOMEONE

Mark 5:33–34 ESV

But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

Q: How did she respond

After years of guilt and shame she still came back trembling after she was healed, almost as if asking for forgiveness for being made well

Why did she do this?

She had faith in the right thing. Previously her faith was in physicians, individual effort, money, etc.

Faith itself does not save because you can have faith in the incorrect thing, what matters is what you put your faith in.

This time her faith paid off

The sign of true faith She heard, she came, she acted.

12 years of shame, humiliation and sickness was cleansed in a moment by a genuine faithful interaction with Jesus

Notice Jesus response in verse 34, after she gets better he says “be healed of your disease” was she not already healed or could he have possibly been talking about something else. What if responded

You have already healed me Rabbi, what are you referring to?

She believed that Jesus can heal her physically, but did she know that she had the disease of sin that Jesus could heal.

Q: What are some effects of shame in a person’s life?

depression and despair

isolation from others

whether physically or socially

a sense of separation from God for the believer

Maybe this lady felt all of those emotions and more from being like this for so long.

Point 3: Trust in Jesus’ power to remove the curse of death

Remember that the story started off with Jairus asking for healing for his daughter, so let get back to the text.

Mark 5:35–36 ESV

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?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.”

If I was Jairus, I would be confused and irritated. Why is Jesus paying attention to this no named woman. She has dealt with this for 12 years she can hold on for a bit longer, my daughter is dying.

Then he hears the bad news.

Jesus tells him to not react but to continue believing.

Mark 5:37–42 ESV

And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 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. Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement.

In first century Judaism mourners were required at funerals. People actually formed a sort of union and were actually paid to be professional mourners at funerals. Flute players, weeping women etc.

We see that some of these people were not actually sad because of the girls condition by the way they laugh at Jesus statement.

Those people laughing are seen in the same light as unbelievers today and similarly to how Jesus put them outside so they could not witness the girl being brought back to life, God oftentimes does not perform miracles in their sight because of their unbelief.

The Gospel according to Mark Faith that Defies Defeat (5:21–43)

The reference to sleeping may indicate to Jairus the way Jesus wants him to see the girl, and hence the way God would have us regard those who die in faith.

What can we learn here? Contrast the two events

Esteemed Ruler of the Synagogue - Namesless unclean woman

Wealthy - She had nothing left

12 Year old child - !2 Years of suffering

Both were equal in Jesus eyes

Both are at the end of their rope and Jesus healed them all. It just took an act of faith

We can come to Christ and give him the things that we cannot live with, out hurts, pains, struggles and he gives us in return something that we cannot live without. An eternal salvation from sin and death and with him forever.

And thats my call to you - Live boldly for God, trust him with your life. Be faithful and follow him and he will not only help you in times of desperate needs in this life but he fufills the biggest need for a savior from your sin.