The Powerful Jesus, II
Notes
Transcript
Intro
In the Gospel of Mark, we are seen the authority and power of Jesus on display time and time again. First, Jesus calmed the storm revealing His authority over nature. Second, Jesus casted out the legion of demons from a man. In tonight’s passage, we will see that Jesus once again is demonstrating His divine authority. Jesus has authority over sickness and death.
Sickness is the one of the worst realities of life. I am sure many of you in this room have been sick at some point in your life. Likewise, with recent events, we have seen much sickness and death with the spread of COVID-19. Sickness and death are very unfortunate and terrible. However, we as Christians understand from God’s Word that Jesus has all power and authority over sickness and death.
21 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. 22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23 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.” 24 And he went with him.
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 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. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
35 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?” 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37 And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38 They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40 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. 41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Pray.
Jesus has just finished ministering to the man that had the demons cast out of him. If you remember, Jesus was asked to leave that country. So, Jesus commissioned the former demon-possessed man to tell his friends and family all that Jesus had done for him. Jesus had that divine appointment to save the formerly demon-possessed man. Now, Jesus got back into His boat and travels back across the sea. Jesus has two more divine appointments that He has to make. So, He gets back in the boat and ventures across the sea. This leads us to our first point:
Jesus hears and helps those who call upon Him.
Jesus hears and helps those who call upon Him.
Look back with me at verses 21-24
21 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. 22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23 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.” 24 And he went with him.
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.
Jesus has just crossed back over the sea and as soon as He does so, the crowd is there to meet Him. Many people had seen and hear all that Jesus had done. So, as He has made His way back, the crowds are there to greet Him eager for Him to perform more signs and miracles or to teach. However, Jesus come back across the sea and is greeted by a man named, Jairus. This is quite significant if you recognize where Jairus is from. He is the ruler of the synagogue.
This is important because if you reflect back upon the Gospel of Mark Jesus had some staunch opponents. He primary opponents were the Pharisees. Now, Jairus is not mentioned as a Pharisee. However, because he is a ruler of the synagogue, Jairus would have been close to the Pharisees; likewise, he would have known of their hatred for Jesus as the Pharisees considered Jesus a heretic.
Jairus approaches Jesus and he does so out of desperation. Notice, why Jairus approaches Jesus. Jairus’s daughter had become deathly ill. His daughter was on her deathbed. Just as any parent would do, Jairus was in desperate need and was seeking any way possible for his daughter to be healed. He wanted his daughter to live. As he had probably heard reports or even witness Jesus healing, teaching, or casting out demons, Jairus saw Jesus and fought through the crowd to get to Him.
Jairus, being a ruler of the synagogue, would have been well-known, well-respected, and more than likely very wealthy. However, in desperation, notice how he approaches Jesus. Jairus went to Jesus and fell at His feet imploring Jesus to heal his daughter. Jairus did not care about his respect or fame or wealth at this point. Jairus cared about his daughter and her being healed.
Likewise, Jairus had faith that Jesus would heal her. Look back at verse 23
23 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.”
Jairus calls her his little daughter even though she was twelve. In Jewish culture, this little girl would have been considered a woman at the age of twelve; however, Jairus still saw her as his little girl because she was his daughter. out of love for his daughter he approached Jesus in faith. Jairus had faith that if Jesus would just reach out His hand and touch her that she would be healed and live. That is how much faith Jairus was putting in Jesus.
As Jairus put this faith in Jesus, notice Jesus’s response in verse 24
24 And he went with him.
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.
Jesus heard Jairus, and His response was to go with Jairus in order to heal his daughter. As Jairus reached out to Jesus in faith, Jesus graciously decided to go with Jairus. Remember this Jairus probably knew of the hatred of Jesus; however, Jesus decided to go with Jairus to his house.
This reveals to us that Jesus is accessible. If we place our faith in Christ, we are able to cry out to Him. Whenever we cry out to Jesus, He hears us. Here, we see a desperate man crying out to the holy Savior of the world and Jesus hears his cry. However, it is important to note that Jairus confronted Jesus in faith. Jairus was desperate and came to kneel before Jesus pleading for his daughter’s life.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
We can cry out to God in prayer and understand that He hears our prayers if we are His children. What that means is if we have placed our faith in Jesus Christ, God hears our prayers whenever we cry out to Him because He is our Father and we are His children. We can cry out to God at anytime and know that He hears us.
I remember being in middle school, and I was always scared to death to travel especially by myself. My best friend, Sam, and I went to mission camp one summer in South Carolina. At this mission camp, they would split your youth group into different groups. Well, it was me and Sam in a particular group and we would go to a site that was off of the camp’s property to do mission work. And I remember being scared the entire time. However, I remember praying while I was on the bus to the sight. In that, I was comforted because God heard my prayers. That brings comfort to the believer. Any time you pray, God hears your prayer.
Jesus changes the spiritual condition of those who hear of Him and respond with faith in Him.
Jesus changes the spiritual condition of those who hear of Him and respond with faith in Him.
25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’ ” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 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. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
As Jesus is on His way to Jairus’s house, the great crowd continues to flock to Him. They will not let Him travel in peace because they are so engaged and do not want to miss anything that He does. However, in this crowd, there is Jairus who is seeking to get Jesus to his house in order that his daughter will be healed. Jesus is being slowed up by the crowd that is flocking to Him. Then, something else happens.
In this crowd is a woman that has suffered from a blood condition for 12 years. This woman with the blood condition would have been considered an outcast because she was considered ceremonially unclean. She could not associate with anyone because that would make them unclean. It is even believed that if she had a family they probably would have even abandoned her. For twelve whole years, she had been an outcast.
The Scripture even points out that she had suffered much by going to several different doctors without success and had used up all of her resources. She was an outcast, sick, weak, and poor. She had tried everything.
MacArthur points out that she had probably tried remedies for this condition that would have been found in the Talmud which was Jewish book regarding the ceremonial law. MacArthur writes, “ These remedies included superstitious prescription like placing the ashes of an ostrich egg in a cloth sack, or carrying around a barleycorn kernel procured from female donkey dung.”
Talk about trying everything. This lady had probably tried everything with no success. So, she now steps out on faith seeking healing. She is among the crowd and in desperate need of healing. Jairus came to Jesus desperate. This woman comes to Jesus desperate. She believes that if she could just touch Jesus’s robe that she will be healed.
So, she presses through the crowd and gets to Jesus. She touches His garment and immediately she is made well. She was healed from the illness just by touching the robe of Jesus.
Jesus then recognizes that power had left His body. This was yet another divine appointment. Jesus came not only to heal Jairus’s daughter but to heal this woman. He asks who touched Him. Jairus was probably frustrated at this point as the journey to his house is halted. However, Jesus stops to meet this suffering woman. As she knew that she had been healed, she approaches Jesus with trembling and fear. She fell down before Jesus and told the truth is what Scripture says. This woman who was an outcast for twelve whole years is now overwhelmed because she has been healed by Jesus the Son of God. She has been made whole physically.
But look back at verse 34
34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
Notice what Jesus calls her. Jesus calls her daughter. Because of this woman’s faith, she had been healed physically. However, she had much greater healing spiritually. This former outcast had become a member of God’s family because of her faith in Jesus Christ. She was desperate which led her to the One who could make her whole.
Jesus was willing to be interrupted. Jesus on His way to heal Jairus’s daughter was okay to be interrupted because He knew that this woman belonged to Him. That is why He called her daughter. She was One of His because of her faith in Him.
Understand this, God does look upon humanity from a human perspective. God looks upon humanity from His very own divine perspective. He does not care about power and popularity in the earthly sense. In fact
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Paul is the writer and he points out that not many of the Christians who were saved were wise or powerful. God chose to save those who were considered weak, low, and despised. This woman was definitely considered weak, low, and despised. Yet, Jesus chose to save her and call her His daughter.
Guys! It does not matter where you stand on the social scale. What matters is where you stand in relation to God. Are you His child? Or, are you living for the world?
I was not a very popular guy in high school. In fact, I was not popular at all. I had about three really good friends in high school. I was pretty nerdy and lame quite honestly. But, I submitted to follow Christ and allow Him to work through me.
Each and everyone in this room has the opportunity to live submitted to Christ and be used for His glory. Likewise, maybe you feel like the outcast. Maybe you feel low, weak, or despise. Understand that you are exactly who God wants to use for the building of His kingdom. Will you be used for His glory?
R. Kent Hughes reveals this to us as well, “Here we see two desperate representations of society: one rich, the other poor; one accepted, the other outcast; one familial, the other alone—both beyond natural help. For twelve years the girl and the woman had led such different lives, but now adversity had bound their souls unaware together, and they were both to be recipients of God’s life-giving power.”
When we respond in faith to Christ, we become His child regardless of our social standing the world. Our spiritual standing before God changes from sinner to saint because of our relationship with His Son Jesus Christ.
Share the Gospel
Jesus calls us not to fear but to trust and believe in Him.
Jesus calls us not to fear but to trust and believe in Him.
35 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?” 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37 And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38 They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40 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. 41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
As Jesus has just healed the woman with the blood disorder. Now, messengers have come to Jairus with devastating news. Jairus is informed of his daughter’s death. These messengers even tell Jairus not to bother Jesus anymore. They had no faith in Jesus and deemed that Jesus could do nothing now that the girl had passed. However, Jesus reassures Jairus. Jesus tells Jairus, “Do not fear only believe.”
Jesus reassures Jairus to continue believing in Him. Then, they come to the house of Jairus and the professional mourners have showed up. In first century Israel, professional mourners were hired in order to mourn with the grieving family. And Jesus shows up and asks why there is such a commotion. From this, the crowd laughs at Jesus revealing their thought that He could do nothing because of the girl’s death. However, Jesus tells them all to leave, and He carries His inner circle of disciples up to the room with the family and speaks to the little girl telling her to get up. She gets and walks. She has been healed and now everyone is overcome with amazement that Jesus has done this. Jesus then charges them as He often would to not tell anyone about this happening because it was not time for Him to crucified and resurrected.
Just image what this girl saw when she woke up. She is greeted by Jesus and the disciples. This points us to the future resurrection that we will one day have. For those of us who have placed their faith in Jesus’s finished work on the cross, we will one day be resurrected and wake up at home in heaven where we will see Jesus face to face and the church. There we will worship God for all of eternity!
Just like these two helpless people, Jesus looked on their desperate estate and in His power healed one and resurrected the other.
Jesus looked on our sinful, helpless estate. We could not honor God and were bound to sin. The Jesus came down from heaven to die on the cross all for us to be saved. His blood was poured out for our sin. Then, He gave up His spirit proclaiming it is finished that the work to pay the price for sin was completed. After the crucifixion, Jesus rose from the grave on the third day with victory in hand. Will you repent of your sin and believe in Him today?