Untitled Sermon (2)
cast out fear
Faith Casts Out Fear
Key Verses: Mark 5:21–43
I. Jesus Taught This Important Truth While Raising Jairus’ Daughter From the Dead
A. The miracle was recorded by all three synoptic evangelists (Matt. 9:18, 19, 23, 26; Mark 5:22–24, 35–43; Luke 8:41, 42, 49–56).
B. Jairus, a man of prominence as one of the rulers of the Synagogue, approached Jesus begging Him to save his daughter’s life. His fear of losing her was all the more poignant because she was his only daughter (Luke 8:42).
II. Jesus’ Response Was One of Compassion
A. He started off immediately to go to Jairus’ house.
B. However, another sick woman on the way delayed Him from attending to the girl at once. Jesus also had love for others who needed Him.
C. As in the case of Lazarus, the postponement allowed Jesus to perform an even greater miracle.
III. Jairus’ Daughter Was Truly Dead
A. While Jesus was still speaking to the woman he had just healed, a messenger came from the ruler’s house and said to Jairus, “Thy daughter is dead; why troublest thou the Master any further?” (Mark 5:35).
B. When Jesus overheard the messenger, He turned to the shocked and sorrowful father saying, “Be not afraid, only believe” (Mark 5:36).
C. Jesus took with Him Peter, James and John, the disciples of His inner circle, to experience this raising from death.
D. When they arrived at the home of Jairus, they found human sympathizers and professional wailers. Jesus said to them, “Why make ye this ado [thorubeísthe, are you making noise] and weep? The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.” He called death sleep (just as with Lazarus, John 11:11) because He knew He would bring the girl back to life. For Jesus, death is merely sleep out of which He can awaken us, either here on earth or in the hereafter (1 Thess. 4:16).
IV. The Crowd of Mourners Did Not Demonstrate Faith
A. “And they laughed him to scorn” (Mark 5:40). The verb kategélōn, used only in this instance, means “were laughing Him down to the point of ridiculing Him.” Those who believed Jesus to be only a teacher would naturally deride Him when He spoke of death as sleep. (Observe that what is translated “Master” in Mark 5:35 is actually Teacher, didáskalon). However, if we believe that Jesus is more than a teacher, that He is God incarnate (John 1:1, 14), then we need not dread death. Instead, we can have hope, in both this world and the one to come (Rom. 8:18; Phil. 1:21).
B. Jesus did not give those ridiculing Him the privilege of witnessing the miracle of resurrection, either of this girl’s or His own. Their lack of faith prevented them from experiencing His power over death. Instead, He put them all out of the room and kept only the girl’s parents and His disciples as witnesses. Thus are all unbelievers eventually excluded from His presence.
C. Jesus raised three persons plus Himself. Anyone with such a record deserves to be accepted as God on earth; those who do not believe are without excuse.
V. This Miracle Demonstrated Christ’s Divinity, as Well as His Humanity
A. Only God can give life. By raising this girl and Himself (Luke 24:34) from death, Jesus proved conclusively that He is one of the three personalities in the Godhead.
B. The girl arose “straightway” (Mark 5:42).
C. They were all amazed with great ecstasy (exéstēsan ekstásei megálē). But Jesus gave instructions that this miracle not be publicized because He did not want the Jews to acclaim Him as their political liberator, nor the Romans as their potential political enemy. He had His own timetable for revealing His identity.
D. Jesus then showed His humanity when He ordered that some food be given her to eat. After His own resurrection He also ate (Luke 24:41–43). Jesus is the One who not only gives us spiritual life (Eph. 2:1), but also cares for our physical needs as well.
Jesus, the Enigma Of His Town
Key Verses: Mark 6:1–6
I. Jesus Was Rejected on Both Visits to Nazareth
A. On the first occasion (Luke 4:16–30), He went to Nazareth unaccompanied by His disciples and performed no miracles there. When they attempted to throw Him down the hill after His sermon in the synagogue, He immediately departed from the neighborhood.
B. On His second visit to Nazareth (Mark 6:1–6), His disciples followed Him, and He did heal a few sick people, and he taught in the surrounding villages. However, His townsmen were still filled with unbelief (Mark 6:2, 3).
C. During the year between His first and second visits, His fame had spread and His power had become known.
D. In fact, just before His second visit to Nazareth, His mother and brothers had traveled the 19 miles or so to Capernaum to dissuade Him from performing miracles among the people (Matt. 12:46–50; Mark 3:21, 31–35; Luke 8:19–21). They called Him “beside Himself” (Mark 3:21), and tried to make Him return to Nazareth with them. He simply ignored them.
E. Jesus explained the people’s subsequent rejection on His second visit in this way: “A prophet is not without honor, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house” (Mark 6:4). Because He had grown up among them, they would not accept the fact that He was supernatural (Mark 6:3).
II. Why Did Jesus Exercise Restraint During His Second Visit to Nazareth?
A. Jesus did not force His miracles upon those who would not accept Him, in His hometown or elsewhere. That is why He wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41–44). Christ exercised His power selectively, one of the conditions being the desire of the people.
B. The fact that He restrained His power at Nazareth did not mean that He lacked capability.
1. Mark 6:5 says, “And He could there do no mighty work, save that he laid His hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.” The phrase “could … do no” (ouk ēdúnato) ought to be viewed in the same manner as a father saying to his child, “I cannot give you money” while he has money in his pocket. His “cannot” demonstrates exercise of wisdom in the dispensing of his money rather than a lack of it. Likewise, Jesus purposely refrained from performing miracles in Nazareth.
2. Matthew 13:58 states not that “He could there do no mighty work,” but that “He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” It was not because of His lack of power that He performed so few miracles there, but because He knew it would be a futile exercise.
III. By Rejecting Jesus, They Incriminated Themselves
A. They obviously were aware of His wisdom and great powers, which had been reported between His first and second visits. Even if He had performed mighty works in Nazareth also, they