Mark 5:21-43, “Christmas: Jesus Raises Jairus’ Daughter From The Dead /
A Woman Is Healed By Touching Jesus’ Robe”
By
1.
INTRO:
2.
In our last study, we looked at verses 1-20 of chapter 5 of Mark, and
Jesus’ casting the demons out of the demoniac among the tombs who was possessed
by a legion of demons.
3.
In our study today, we are going to study verses 21-43 of chapter 5 of
Mark.
3.1.
We are going to
consider two stories from our study in the book of Mark from the perspective of
today being the Sunday before Christmas, 2009.
We will talk about Jesus raising of Jairus’ daughter from the dead.
Then, we will discuss Jesus’ healing of the woman with a hemorrhage of blood
who came up behind Him and touched the hem of His robe believing that she would
be healed.
3.2.
Both of these
stories have a common theme. Jesus
performed miraculous healings after being interrupted. These were miracles that were performed by
Jesus “along the way,” as He was on the way to do other things. Actually, looking at the gospel stories we
see that Jesus’ ministry was primarily performed as a result of interruptions,
as he simply ran into people with various needs. Jesus never turned away those with genuine
need who came to Him and requested His help.
3.3.
A lot of the
Christian movies that have been produced over the years tell stories of people
doing wonderful and charitable things for others. For instance, in the 1946 movie, “It’s A
Wonderful Life,” George Bailey, a banker, had spent his life helping out
the people of
3.1.
In the gospel of
Mark, we see that Jesus is doing good everywhere He goes and that most of His
ministry is just “accidental ministry” performed as He is on the
way. We see in this second story we will
look at that virtue (“goodness”) flowed out of Jesus and a woman was healed
simply by touching the hem of His garment by faith.
3.2.
Leo Tolstoy once
said, “'Everyone
thinks of changing humanity but nobody thinks of changing themselves.” We will talk
about the importance of being like Jesus and always being open to ministry that
is on the way.
3.3.
In these two
stories we will look at, we see that both of these people, Jairus the synagogue
official with the daughter at the point of death, and the woman with the
hemorrhage of many years, came to Jesus when there was no other place that they
could turn. Many people seem to come to
the Lord after their life hits rock bottom and there really is no way for them
to look but up to Him, yet Jesus never turns away anyone who turns to Him when
it is their only option. He gladly and
loving accepts every repentant sinner to turns to Him. Seeing these things that Jesus does for
people when they turn to Him is a wonderful Christmas story is it not? The love, grace, and mercy of God seen
through Christ are the most wonderful and beautiful things that a person shall
ever discover in life.
3.4.
In the gospels,
it has been pointed out that each time that Jesus raised the dead that there
was a progression involved:
3.4.1. Jairus’ daughter is raised from the dead just as she
has died.
3.4.2. The widow of Nain’s son is in the funeral procession
and being carried to his grave when Jesus raises him.
3.4.3. Nicodemus has been dead a few days when Jesus raises
him from the dead.
3.4.4. Jesus Himself is raised from the dead on the third day
after being beaten, crucified, and had a sword pierce His side.
4.
VS 5:21-24 - “21 When Jesus had crossed over again
in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him; and so He
stayed by the seashore. 22 One of the synagogue
officials named Jairus came up, and on seeing Him, fell at His feet 23 and implored Him earnestly, saying, “My little
daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on
her, so that she will get well and live.” 24 And He went off with him; and a large crowd was
following Him and pressing in on Him.” – A synagogue official in
Capernaum whose daughter was sick to the point of death comes up to Jesus and
fell at His feet imploring Him to come and lay hands on His daughter so that
she might get well and live, and Jesus goes off with the man
4.1.
The people of the
Gaderenes on the southeast side of the
4.2.
Jesus considered
4.3.
This man ‘Jairus’
is described here as ‘one of the synagogue officials’. He knew that by requesting Jesus to come to
his house and heal his daughter that he would become a marked man and perhaps
lose all that he had, plus the respect of the other Jewish leaders who had
already rejected the idea that Jesus was their Messiah. It is certain therefore that coming to Jesus
was this man’s last resource. If there
had been any other way for Jairus’ daughter to be made well, he would have used
it. Jesus does not spurn Jairus because
he has come to Him as a last resource however, Jesus goes with him to heal his
daughter.
4.4.
Jairus was most
likely part of that delegation who previously in Luke chapter 7 came and
interceded to Jesus on behalf of a Gentile Centurion in Capernaum who had
helped build the synagogue there, and whose slave needed healing.
4.5.
The language used
by Jairus, as recorded by Mark, Matthew, and Luke, tells us that when Jairus
came to Jesus his daughter was right at the point of death.
4.6.
Great pain, fear,
or need, has a way of driving people to the Lord. Luke 8:42 tells us that this little girl was
Jairus’ “only daughter.” Jairus
counted the cost of what seeking out Jesus on behalf of his daughter would cost
him, and because he so loved his only daughter he was willing to come to Jesus
on behalf of his daughter.
4.7.
Mark tells us
that Jairus ‘fell at His feet’ and implored
Jesus to come with him and heal his daughter.
4.8.
Like most people,
Jairus’ faith in Jesus wasn’t great for he thought that Jesus could heal his
daughter but only if He came and personally ‘lay his hands’ on her and
pray.
5.
VS 5:25-43 - “25 A woman who had had a hemorrhage
for twelve years, 26 and had endured much at
the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped
at all, but rather had grown worse— 27 after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd
behind Him and touched His cloak. 28 For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I
will get well.” 29 Immediately the flow of
her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her
affliction. 30 Immediately Jesus,
perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth,
turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My
garments?” 31 And His disciples said to
Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” 32 And He looked around to see the woman who had done
this. 33 But the woman fearing and
trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came 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 affliction.” 35 While He was still speaking, they came from the house
of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the
Teacher anymore?” 36 But Jesus, overhearing
what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, “Do
not be afraid any longer, only believe.” 37 And He allowed no one to accompany Him, except
Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38 They came to the house of the synagogue official;
and He saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing. 39 And entering in, He said to them, “Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but
is asleep.” 40 They began laughing
at Him. But putting them all out, He took along the child’s father and mother
and His own companions, and entered the room where the child was. 41 Taking the child by the hand, He said to her, “Talitha kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl got up and began to
walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely
astounded. 43 And He gave them strict
orders that no one should know about this, and He said that something should
be given her to eat.” – As Jesus is heading off with Jairus to heal his
daughter, a woman who had had a hemorrhage for many years and suffered much at
the hands of those who had tried to help her, came up behind Him and touched
the hem of His robe believing that He would heal her, and she was immediately
healed of her disease
5.1.
In this story, we see that a woman who evidently is a Gentile but in
great need, is healed by Jesus.
5.2.
This woman has suffered greatly and had this hemmorage condition for
twelve years (Luke 8:43), and Marks says, ‘had spent all that she had and
was not helped at all’. She knows that if Jesus does
not heal her that she has no hope for her condition. She also has been greatly humbled by her
condition of always bleeding. This
condition has also kept her away from all religious celebration and community
activities. By the Jews she has always
been shunned because not only is she ceremonially unclean, she has been
considered to be an unclean woman who is a Gentile, a double-whammy.
5.3.
I have read several commentaries that criticize this woman’s faith as
they portray her as being superstitious because she thought the hem of Jesus’
robe held certain powers, or whatever.
But, I don’t think we should be judgmental of her as if we know the
thoughts and intensions of her heart.
Her faith in thinking that if she merely touches the hem of Jesus’
garment by faith that her daughter will be healed is to me no more flawed than
those who thought that if Jesus were merely to come to their loved one’s side
that He would be able to heal them.
Jesus does not criticize this woman’s faith either.
5.4.
Many people pressed around Jesus on this day, many may have needed
healing. But, it was the touch of faith
that healed this woman. Jesus responds
to a person’s faith.
5.5.
Many people in the gospels asked Jesus to do healing, but Jesus
challenges them and requires them to believe that He was going to heal
them. Prayer to God can be offered in
unbelief. We Christians need to
learn that when we pray, we are not merely to ask Jesus to do things. We are to believe that He will give us what
we ask, of course if our request is according to His perfect will. This is what happened with this woman who was
healed of the hemorrhage, her faith has caused her to be healed.
5.6.
The Greek word “dunamis”
(from which our English word “dynamite” comes) is translated ‘power’
here when it refers to what flowed out of Jesus. One of the fallacies concerning languages and
translations is to assume that because a word means something in one or many
circumstances, that it always means that.
The context tells us what every word means. The King James translates this word as “virtue”
in this circumstance, and I like this translation because it seems to fit
Jesus’ activity here. “Virtue”
(or goodness) was always flowing out of Jesus wherever He went, and “virtue”
flowed out of Him here and healed this woman who had a hemorrhage of
blood.
5.6.1. Does “virtue” always flow out of your life
wherever you go? I was discussing this
with a pastor friend and in honesty he told me, “I think for me it is not
virtue or puss.” Then, he went on to
say that what he needed was the “gosPILL” to be healed of this.
5.7.
There is more mystery concerning the Trinity and the personage of Jesus
Christ when it says that Jesus was immediately ‘perceiving in Himself that the
power proceeding from Him had gone forth’. Could it be that apart from Jesus initial
awareness, God the Father honored the faith that this woman placed in Jesus
when she touched Him in faith, and the Father caused power to flow out of Jesus
and healed the woman? It appears to be
so.
5.8.
When Jesus asks who it was that had touched His garments, His disciples
immediately tell Him that He doesn’t really know what He is saying because
people all around Him have been touching Him.
But, it was the touch of faith that made the difference and caused power
to flow out of Jesus and heal her. The
woman though is now afraid because she knew she had been stealthy about getting
healed, but now was sure to be caught: ‘But the woman fearing and
trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and
told Him the whole truth’.
5.9.
Jesus does not chide this woman at all for her stealth or scheming,
instead He lauds her for her faith, saying, ‘“Daughter, your faith
has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”’
5.10.
The delays of Jesus. Jesus often
delayed answering people’s prayers, and yet though it often seemed as if He was
too late coming on the scene, He was never late. His delays allowed His miracles to be even
greater and bolster even more the people’s faith. He even waited two days before He came after
being summed that Lazarus was very sick, and He raised him from the dead as
well. Jairus was probably very anxious
when this woman came up and touched Jesus and interrupted Him as He was on the
way to heal Jairus’ daughter. Then, as
Jesus was telling the woman that it was her faith that had caused her to be
healed, some people came and told Jairus not to trouble the teacher any longer
because his daughter had already died.
We can only imagine Jairus’ frustration and anxiety at this point. However, Jesus overheard the discussion, and
He tells Jairus, ‘Do not be afraid any longer, only believe’. The Lord is always on time!
5.11.
This is the first time that only Jesus’ inner circle of Peter, James
and John were asked to accompany Him to see His works. They accompany Jesus and Jairus and see Jesus
raise the little girl from the dead.
5.12.
Matt. 9:23 tells us that “flute players” where there and playing
when Jesus and the three disciples got to Jairus’ house. This evidently implies that professional
mourners had been hired and came to mourn the death of Jairus’ daughter.
5.13.
To Jesus the death of His people is considered to be merely sleep from
which He will one day wake them, therefore He tells these mourners at Jairus’
house that the girl has merely fallen asleep.
The people there then began to mock and laugh at Jesus for this
statement.
5.14.
God will not perform His miraculous works in the midst of unbelief,
therefore Jesus put these ones who had laughed at and mocked Him out of the
house before He raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead: ‘But putting them all out, He took along the
child’s father and mother and His own companions, and entered the room where
the child was’.
5.15.
Notice the tender touch of Jesus here in the words that He uses when He
speaks to her and heals her: ‘“Talitha kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”)’.
5.16.
Yet again, we see that Jesus’ healing was immediate and complete: ‘Immediately the girl got up and began to
walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely
astounded’.
5.16.1. The scripture tells us that one
day all of the dead shall be raised, just as Jesus raised this little
girl: 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18, “15 For this we say to you by the
word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the
Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with
a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God,
and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall
always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one
another with these words.”
5.17.
Jesus again did not want His miraculous works publicized too widely
therefore Mark includes this: ‘And He gave them strict
orders that no one should know about this’.
5.18.
Jesus was concerned about this young girl’s health now that she has
been raised up from the dead, and thus Mark includes this: ‘and He said that something should be given
her to eat’. There is nothing wrong with a little
practical advice from time to time.
6.
CONCLUSIONS:
6.1.
God’s love, mercy, and grace extended to each of us is quite a
Christmas story. We too are ones who
often seek Him only when there is no other way out. Yet, when we come to Him in repentance He
doesn’t despise our faith but blesses us!
6.2.
This coming Christmas week, let the Lord use you on the way wherever
you go. Don’t get so focused on what you
are doing that you are not open to God using you in someone’s life you run into
“on the way.”
6.3.
Remember when you pray that you are not just to ask God, but also that
you are to believe that He will answer your prayer according to His perfect
will, just like the woman with the hemorrhage who was healed when she touched
Jesus’ robe in faith.
6.4.
Have a merry Christmas everyone!