Throughout our study of the gospel of Mark, we have seen Jesus’ authority in various ways. For example, we have seen His power over the religious leaders. Back in chapter 1 when Jesus taught in the synagogue in Capernaum it says that everyone was amazed because Jesus was teaching as one who had authority and not like the scribes.
We have seen Jesus’ authority over sickness in various passages we’ve studied so far in this gospel. When Jesus commanded healing, healing happened immediately.
In chapter 4 we encountered Jesus’ authority over creation as He commanded a storm to cease and the sea to be calm and happened immediately! And that led the disciples to ask the question in reverential fear and awe, “who is this that even the winds and the sea obey?”
In chapter 5 we saw Jesus’ power over the evil spirits. When Jesus entered the region of the Gerasenes and He encountered a man possessed who was possessed with many evil spirits, Jesus commanded them out of the man and the demons obeyed in fear!
Authority over the religious leaders. Authority over creation. Authority over the spirit realm. And all of this pointed to the reality that Jesus is, indeed, the very Son of God.
Throughout this gospel, Mark has been pointing us all to that conclusion. Jesus is better. Jesus is greater. He is better than simply being a good teacher, a good prophet, a good leader….He is truly the eternal Son of God who put on flesh to come and live among people. And that is conclusion that we should and that we must come to. Who is this that creation obeys Him? Who is this that demons obey and fear Him?
And one of the reasons this matters so much as we will see today is because when things seem hopeless, there is always hope in Jesus, the Son of God. The disciples’ had been hopeless on that boat thinking they were going to perish. And Jesus radically and miraculously saved them. The demon possessed man had been living in the tombs, screaming in torment, cutting his flesh with stones. He was hopeless and powerless. And yet Jesus set him free and saved him.
And today we will find yet another marker that points to the truth of who Jesus is and the hope that we can have in Him.
In Mark 5:21-43 we find two different people who had very real problems that they couldn’t fix. And these two people were from completely different walks of life. One was named and the other unnamed. One was prominent and the other was unknown. One was most likely comfortable financially and the other had exhausted all of her resources trying to the get the help that she so desperately needed but no one could help her. Both were needy and both desperate. What a reminder this is. No one is sheltered from trial and difficulty.
The poor man living in poverty on the streets of Mumbia, India obviously has trials and difficulty. And so does Elon Musk, despite his immense wealth. They have different kind of trials, no doubt. But trials are still a reality for all. No one is excluded from trials in this life. The question is what will we do and where will we go when difficulties happen in life?
These verses are going to show us that the best thing that we can do in life and in trials is to go to Jesus. Both of the people we find in these verses go to Jesus in their time of need. Totally different people with different circumstances in life; but with the same, urgent need for Jesus.
Let’s look at these verses together.
Verses 21-23:
First of all, we are introduced to the respected, prominent person in this narrative. A man named Jairus, who was a synagogue official. He would have been the official that oversaw the elders of the synagogue in that area. He would have had oversight related to the facilities, coordinating the program and scripture readings in the synagogue. So, this was an important role in Jewish religious society at the time.
And we are told that his daughter was sick to the point of death. And notice what He did.
First, it says in verse 22 that he saw Jesus. He recognized Jesus. We don’t know what all he knew about Jesus. But evidently, he knew enough to know that Jesus had the reputation of being a miracle worker. And he was at the point where he was willing to risk a lot to go to Jesus. He would try anything to get his daughter the help she needed.
And in his desperation, he went to Jesus. And then it says that he fell at Jesus’ feet 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 [h]get well and live.”
Here was a man who held a position of high esteem as a synagogue official. And because of that he was held in high esteem in society. And, yet, he fell before Jesus in desperation.
1.Desperation should drive us to Jesus.
How often have people been in a desperate circumstance in life that has led them to run to the Lord? Someone perhaps, who was closed off to the Lord in their comfort and ease. But when difficulty came, when a circumstance arose that they can’t control, they began to soften to the Lord. And desperation through trial is often the very catalyst that God uses to drive people unto Himself. Spurgeon: "When you go through a trial, the sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which you lay your head."
And when we lay our heads on the pillow of the sovereignty and providence of God, it is there that we will find that He is good and He is faithful and He is present and that He is enough and the He is also purposeful in what He allows.
Now, this next point is closely related to the first.
2.Desperation should lead us to humility
Here was a man who was greatly respected and probably fairly well off financially. But his position and his resources couldn’t accomplish what he needed accomplished. His little girl was gravely sick. And in his desperation, this respected religious leader humbly fell before Jesus in his time of need.
Here was a man who knew theology. He was a religious official. He would have had a good working knowledge of the OT scriptures more than most. But notice that he didn’t come before Jesus with a theological argument. He didn’t even come before Jesus talking about his religious credentials in order to try to get Jesus to do what He wanted. He simply came to Jesus with a desperate request. He came humbly pleading for his little girl’s life. He had come to the point of knowing that there was nothing he could do but maybe Jesus could.
Again, how often do we see this in life? Something happens out of left field. Maybe something major that takes our breath away….something that forever changes our life. And those times of neediness and struggle that can sometimes be the very catalyst that leads us to humility and it can be the catalyst that causes us to call out on Jesus is desperation.
Now, what does Jesus do when a person calls out to Him in neediness and humility?
3.Jesus always welcomes desperate people who come to Him
Verse 24: There should be great comfort in this verse. Because let’s be honest, this isn’t how we always operate. Sometimes, if not normally, we will try to avoid needy people. But that isn’t what Jesus did here.
Thank God that our Lord is not resistant to desperate people. He welcomes needy people. And guess what? We are all needy. What did Jesus say in John 15. I am the vine and you are the branches. Apart from Me you can do nothing. That is the epitome of needy and desperate. Apart from our Lord we can’t breathe our next breath.
And here, we are told that after Jairus made his request, Jesus didn’t turn him away. He didn’t tell him to go away. Instead, Jesus went with him to see his sick daughter.
Here is what all of this means. When trials become a facilitator that drive us to come before Jesus in humble desperation, then that trial is worth it, as difficult as it may be! Because when Jesus works in the midst of our desperate cries, we learn about Him in ways that we otherwise cannot. We see that in this man’s life. And we are about to see that in the next person’s life as well.
Verses 25-26: Here we are introduced to a woman whose life was in a bad place in several ways. First, she had a major physical illness. She had a hemorrhage that had been a persistent part of her life for 12 years. We don’t know exactly what kind of hemorrhage this was. Literally it means a flowing of blood.
Whatever it was, this lady had suffered for a long, long time! 12 years of pain. 12 years of hope that quickly would quickly fade into hopelessness. 12 years of exhausting all that she had to try to get relief.
Her medical condition was so serious that she had been to many physicians’ seeking relief but nothing had helped. Here was her current reality.
·She would have been physically exhausted and in pain losing blood regularly.
·She was financially exhausted as we read here. She had spent all that she had and no one had been able to help her. She was desperate.
·But another thing to consider is because of her particular illness, regularly bleeding, she would have been considered ceremonially unclean for religious purposes according to the OT law. This meant that she would not have been allowed to participate in public, official worship with others. And it meant that people would have avoided her in order to not be defiled by her. Similar to the leprous man that Jesus healed in chapter 1. It is harsh, but that was her reality. The very fact that she was in this crowd following Jesus probably left people uncomfortable and wanting to move away from her.
Verses 27-28: One of the things that I love about this is that her faith wasn’t overly refined and cultured. It was simple and it was raw and it was real. If I can just touch His garment I will become well. It was desperate faith. But it was also risky faith. Remember what I just said. This woman would have been considered ceremonially unclean for religious purposes. And yet, here she was touching Jesus’ garment. And here is what happened.
Verse 29: There is that word again. A word that Mark loved to use in this gospel. Euthus, immediately! Immediately she was healed of her sickness. For 12 long years she had gone to doctor after doctor who had been unable to help her. They didn’t have the knowledge or ability to help her. But a simple touch of Jesus and she was immediately made whole!
Verses 30-32: First, let me point out something that we might not think about. Jairus, the synagogue official was still with Jesus. Remember, they were making their way to his home where his sick daughter was. And as Jesus stopped to help this woman, what do you think Jairus was thinking at this point? His little girl was dying. Time was of the essence! There was no time to waste. They had to get there before it was too late! And Jesus is stopping to help (not an esteemed person in society, not a wealthy, influential person)….He was stopping to help a lowly woman who was considered unclean…..
And on top of that, this was a woman had had this need for 12 years. Why couldn’t Jesus maybe come back to help her later? His daughter was dying! Jairus probably going crazy on the inside.
Herein is a great lesson.
4.Jesus doesn’t operate on our timetable
Jesus simply isn’t hurried by circumstances like we are, no matter how urgent or difficult they might seem to us.His timetable and His understanding of time and of the future is vastly superior to ours.
What is our memory verse for the month? Isaiah 46:10 says that God declares the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done.
Despite the very real need of the synagogue official and his little girl, Jesus turned His attention to this woman with the hemorrhage. And this is kind of funny, to be honest. But Jesus asks, who touched My garments? And the disciples’ look at one another and answer, everyone is crowding around You and You ask, who touched You?
Verses 33-34: Fearing that Jesus would be angry because a lowly, unclean woman like her had touched Him, she fell at His feet and confessed what she had done. Oh, but here is the beauty of Jeus. Instead of being met with anger, she was met with compassion. Instead of being met with frustration, she was met with mercy.
He called her “daughter.” Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed of your affliction. While others overlooked this woman, Jesus saw her! And He didn’t only see her, He ministered to her in compassion and mercy. He met her need and made her whole, changing her life completely. Just as He had done for the demon possessed man earlier in this chapter.
Now, the narrative shifts back to the synagogue official and his daughter.
Verse 35: The woman had just heard words that would have been like soothing balm to her soul, “daughter, go in peace and be healed of your affliction.” But as Jesus was speaking those words, Jairus heard very different words. Words that would have devastated him. He heard the words, “your daughter has died!” Don’t bother Jesus anymore. It’s over. Hope is gone.
Consider the contrast. The outcast that Jesus calls daughter while at the same time Jairus hearing the words, your daughter has died.
Verse 36: But Jesus! I’m thankful for those words. But Jesus, overhearing them said, “don’t be afraid any longer. Only believe.” Notice, that Jesus didn’t give him an explanation. He didn’t tell him why this had happened. He simply said, trust Me. Only believe. And then He kept going with him to his house where his daughter’s body was.
Verse 37: Side note. We often find these three disciples with Jesus in the most significant or intimate times of ministry with Jesus. Such as here or at the transfiguration of Jesus and other places. So, Jesus took those three along to Jairus’ house and here is what happened.
Verses 38-40: One thing to know is that during that time in Jewish history it was customary for professional mourners to be present during a time like this. They were paid to do so. It was actually required to hire professional mourners. Even the most impoverished person was required to hire at least one mourner and two flute players for grieving purposes. And given Jairus’ status, there would have probably been several there that day.
So, this would have been a chaotic scene that Jesus walked into. The child was clearly deceased, the mourners were there, and yet Jesus said, stop mourning, the child is just asleep. And those in the room began to laugh at and mock Jesus. But Jesus took in the mom and dad and the three disciples with Him into the little girl’s room where her lifeless body lay.
Verse 41: Talitha kum. Mark’s gospel is the only one that records how Jesus said this in Aramaic. Talitha kum means little lamb, arise.
Verse 42: Immediately she got up. And immediately everyone was amazed.
Verse 43: Sometimes Jesus told people to go and tell, such as the man He delivered from the demons earlier in this chapter. And other times, such as here, He wanted what He had done to be kept quiet. But He simply said, give the girl some food.
5.Jesus has authority over death itself!
Now, the reality is that Jesus doesn’t always do what He did here. Sometimes His plan is different than this. But make no mistake, He has complete authority over death itself. He did this for Lazarus too, in John 11, when Lazarus had been dead and in the tomb for several days.
And here, the ones weeping knew that the child was dead. Jesus knew that the child was dead. But what the mourners didn’t know was that death doesn’t have the final say; Jesus does!
No drama. No stage. No huge platform was necessary. A simple, tender command. And the little girl sat up alive and also healed of the sickness that had caused her death.
Consider this. Jesus did what Jairus had asked. But He did it in a completely different way than anyone expected. And He did it in a better, more faith-building way!
And I love from the final verse that Jesus then said, give the little girl some food. There is a great contrast in that. Jesus is powerful enough to overturn death and He is also compassionate enough to feed a child.
The fact that Jesus has authority over death and yet He died on the cross for our sins shows us that He willingly laid down His life. No one took it from Him. Just like we saw earlier in our time of communion, Jesus gave His body to be broken. He allowed His flesh to bleed. He gave His life so that His people might have life. He is authoritative over death! We know that from this passage. And we know that from the reality that the death of Jesus gave way to the resurrection of Jesus three days later!
Authority over creation. Authority over sickness. Authority over the spirit realm. And now this. Power over death.
And that leaves us with this most important question. A question that Mark is driving at in his gospel. Who is this that even death obeys! He must be, He has to be, He is the very Son of God!
1.Do you know Jesus as the Son of God sent to save? Have you confessed your sin, called out for Jesus to forgive you and save you? Have you surrendered to Jesus?
2.Jesus has all power and He is good. Are there any areas that you are not trusting Him in? If so, repent of that. And understand that no matter what is happening in your life, you can trust Him.
3.Worship the Lord for who He is and for what He has done. Powerful, yet tender. Authoritative over death itself and yet Jesus laid down His life so that we could have life and bring Him glory. Praise Him for that.