Mark 5:21-41
Desperate Faith
Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other
side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea.22 And behold,
one of the rulers of the synagogue
came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 23 and begged
Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death.
Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will
live."24 So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him. = Pressed up against
him -
CRUSHED
A) Jarius
was a ruler of the synagogue - There was
a synagogue in every city where there was 10 Jewish men.
B) The ruler of a synagogue was the elder in charge of the public services
and the care of the facilities.
1) He saw to it that people
were appointed to pray, read the Scriptures, and give the sermon & He presided over
the elders of the synagogue
C) So being the RULER - that
would mean that JARIUS was a man of Power / position
1)
yet he was also a man of GREAT NEED
D) Interesting to me that - time & time again we see in
scripture / men who have everything
that this world deems as important
1) Yet still being in GREAT NEED - until they come to Christ
!
2) Rich young Ruler – What
else do I lack
E) Same is true today - a man / woman can have
everything that this world has to
offer - but until they have Jesus still have need / emptiness
void
JARIUS’
NEED - His 12 year old daughter / HIS ONLY DAUGHTER / was sick and about ready
to die !!!!
A) The age of twelve years old,
was considered the first year of a
Jewish girls womanhood according to Jewish custom.
B) The day after his 13th
birthday a Jewish boy was recognized as a man,
C) But it was the day after her 12th birthday a Jewish girl was recognized as a
woman.
1) So Jairus’s daughter had just come into the flower
of womanhood, but
to her father she was still his little girl.
C) Always will be – Amy 14 /
Aaron – 16
C) For
12 years she had filled his heart w/ Joy / & his home w/ laughter /
1)
for 12 yrs she had brought sunshine to his heart
D) He had watched her grow & learn to walk
/ talk / sing / her life was like sweet music to his ears
E)
But now those feet
were still & becoming cold / her lips were silent & his heart
was crushed .
1) For that REASON he came to
Jesus .
NOTICE
3 THINGS ABOUT HOW HE CAME !!!!
A) 1st He came in Humility! He Bowed down
AA) For Jairus to do this was
Huge – He was a ruler in the group that hated Jesus –
1) put that aside – Humbled himself
- occupational suicide
B) Bowing – you are better
than me – More honored than I
1 Peter 5:5-7
"God
resists the proud,
But gives grace
to the humble."
6 Therefore
humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due
time,7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
James 4:10
Humble
yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
C) Jairus is about to be
lifted up – Came in / Humility
2nd
He came in DESPERATION -
V.22 he fell down at Jesus' feet and begged Him to come to his house,
A) He was a desperate man w/ no where else to
go !
C) Guys this is an attitude that we all need to come to in our relationship
w/ the Lord.
1)
Coming to that place -( I
can’t make it w/ out Him)
D) Not just as it relates to salvation- that is a
definite for the scriptures declare there is no other name thru which
a man can be saved
D) But even after we come to Christ / we need to come to that place of
desperation - in realizing - IT IS ONLY IN JESUS / NEEDS MET.
1) Only thru Jesus that I can
walk / Stand / Serve /
E) Place of being POOR IN SPIRIT - realizing our utter dependency upon Him
for everything !!!!
1) Like Paul - HIS GRACE IS
SUFFICIENT - rid ourselves of all self sufficiency !
Hudson
Taylor once noted that "God uses men who are weak and feeble enough to
lean on him."
1st
Humility – 2nd Desperation:
#3 He CAME IN CONFIDENCE v.23- Come
and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live."
A) Jarius had a confidence that
if Jesus would come - his daughter would be made well. SO JESUS WENT .
B)
Now at this point in the story they are on their way - when they encounter what at first seems to be an untimely interruption
C)
But we will see it was actually a very timely interruption !
Mark 5:25-28
25
Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years,26 and had suffered
many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no
better, but rather grew worse.
Here
we are introduced to this woman who had a serious problem who fights thru the
crowd to touch Jesus.
Notice
3 things about her Condition - / conviction / confession /
1st CONDITION : flow
of blood for twelve years
A) She was suffering from what
doctors would call a vaginal hemorrhage, a continual flow of blood
which gave her great distress and pain,
B) According to the Jewish traditions it also rendered her ceremonially
unclean so that she was ostracized from society.
1) She had to keep her distance
from everyone, could not mingle with people.
2) ( She
was almost like a leper.)
C) People were forbidden to touch
her while she was in this condition.
1) Because of her condition she
was cut off from Church life /
2) She was forbidden to attend services in the
temple or in the synagogue.
D) And
Luke tells us that she spent all of her - livelihood on doctors but to no avail
for they were not able to cure her.
1) She exhausted every effort &
option / possibly going from one
specialist to the next –
2) but it was no use
Now
in looking at this woman - I can’t help but see the CHARACTERISTICS & THE EFFECTS OF SIN!!!!
A)Her problem was constant – wouldn’t go
away- Sin is that way
1)
the problem of sin is constant - it will not go away - / NO CURE / Pain & Distress
B) She was banned from Worship – Sin
separates us from God ! – Can’t worship
1)
Guilt –
C) She exhausted all
her resources to get better –
1) People
do that today – as well – Seeking anything to take away the pain – rid of the
guilt
D) And the RESULT -like this lady they end up poor & needy - wiped out
–
1)
some financially - others - as it relates to purpose & meaning for life
2)
Their condition leaves them / HELPLESS
& HOPELESS
E) Those are the Characteristics & effects of sin - in every persons
life who doesn’t know JESUS CHRIST !!!
1) No Cure / Constant Reminders
pain distress / emptiness/ guilt / …
AND THAT WAS
THIS WOMANS CONDITION - NOW LETS CONSIDER HER CONVICTION - 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the
crowd and touched His garment.28 For she said, "If only I may touch His
clothes, I shall be made well."
A) She had this
conviction - THIS FAITH -
B) She
says to herself If
I can Just ….. I know I will be made well
All I need to do is to touch Him !
1)
So W/ her hand she touched the robe of Jesus but w/ her faith she touched the
heart of Jesus
C) There is a wonderful
picture here,
/ this woman, with a touch of faith,
draws power from Jesus, whereas all the
rest of the crowd,
1) pressing
around him on every side, touching him many times in the
course of the journey, were not receiving anything from him.
D) Application - the one who says If I can just touch the Lord - will be touched by the
Lord . {
Tonight Just come by faith
1)
How do we touch Him ? ONE WAY IS IN WORSHIP/ that is what touches His HEART
!!!!!
E) Which speaks of not our
ability to sing / but the attitude of our hearts when we come into this place .
1) Also Communion
touching the Lord as we identify with his body and blood.
Some
of you showed up here tonite w/ an attitude that you were determined to meet w/
the Lord & here from the Lord ( and you will)
A) But others of you showed up
here tonite / some out of duty / some out of obligation / some out of habit /
others Purely Social
B) And there is no sense of urgency - NO sense of - Jesus
I want to meet w/ you today - touch you w/ my bros.& sisters , & have
you touch me.
1) RESULT YOU PROBABLY won’t get
touched today.
C)
But those who desire to meet w/ Him - who’s hearts are longing to touch / Him
& be touched by Him –
1)
Will be blessed - HE IS THE REWARDER OF THOSE ……….
SO
WE SEE HER CONVICTION- NEXT WE WANT TO LOOK AT HER CONFESSION.
Mark
5:29-34
29 Immediately
the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was
healed of the affliction.30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that
power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched
My clothes?"
31 But His
disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say,
'Who touched Me?'"
32 And He looked around to see her who
had done this thing.33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing 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."
When she touches
Him / Jesus felt healing Power leave His body - so He stops - WHO TOUCHED ME ?
A) Disciples look at Him like
He is crazy What do you mean who touched you - everyone
is touching you -
B) Why did Jesus Stop – 2
Reasons
1)
See although the disciples were focused on the Multitudes – the many – the
Crowd –
C) Jesus was focused on the
ONE PERSON!
D) That is a Good thing for those who desire
to minister to take heed to -
1) Jesus is interested in the need of ONE
PERSON.
E) We can be so focused on the multitudes that
we miss the individual needs
1) So that was the first
reason -
2nd
reason He stopped was because CONFESSION WAS NECESSARY
Jesus
had her tell what happened to her because - it was important for her
restoration w/ the people.
A) She told the whole Story
!
B)
He wanted them to hear what had happened to her & He wanted them to know
that she was now made Whole.
C) So Jesus stopped to assure her of her
healing & His love /
1)
This is the only time recorded in the Scriptures that he ever used this term "daughter."
E)
But she wasn’t the only reason why Jesus
stopped – 1) He was thinking of another individual while He ministered to
her.
Question
WHAT DO YOU THINK - JARIUS WAS DOING WHEN THIS EXCHANGE WAS GOING ON ?
A) I can see him at first wondering -what are we doing ?
- why are we stopping - my
daughter is dying & you are worried about people touching
B) Standing there arms folded / feet taping / looking at his watch / hand
thru his hair -
1)
UNTIL HE HEARD A PART OF HER STORY.
C) Woman told how she had suffered for 12 yrs she suffered - 12 YEARS
THAT IS HOW OLD MY DAUGHTER IS
I
don’t know for sure if he caught that
but I think I think Jesus also stopped
for JARIUS -
A) Because He
knew that He would soon be doubting !! He wanted him to hear this story .
A) So important to share our
stories / Paul declared that we comfort
one another w/ the comfort we have received
B) Catch the split
second drama going on here v. 34-34 Jesus said to her, "Daughter, be of good
cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace."
35 While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue's house,
saying to him, "Your daughter is
dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further
C) Imagine JARIUS AT THIS MOMENT
- ALL HOPE HAS DIED /
1) Maybe he was thinking IT WAS TOO LATE - WHY DID WE
HAVE TO STOP. Stupid woman
D) But Jesus interrupts those mental gymnastics by looking JARIUS IN THE
EYES & SAYING v.37 , "Do
not be afraid; only believe,
WHAT PROMISING
WORDS - "Do
not be afraid; only believe ,Luke adds and she will be
made well."
A) JARIUS had nothing to depend
upon nothing to lean upon but the word of Jesus & His past dealing w/ this
woman.
B) Same
is true for us - times of great trial & Tribulation - we MUST DEPEND upon
the words of Jesus & the faithfulness of Jesus
1) In our lives & in the
Lives of others
C) You tonight – All you have to do is lean on
the promise of God – His word –
1)
His past faithfulness in others lives
D) Our Lords words to JARIUS tell us that our fear is to
be met by faith.
1)
Faith is the answer to fear -- believing that God knows what he is doing.
E) This is always the answer to fear. "Only believe”
believe in the work I have done & will continue to do.
Listen
Satan likes to come like these messengers & say - IT IS TOO LATE - THERE IS NO HOPE -
A) Things will never change
/ that loved one will never get saved / that area you are stepping out in -
will never work
B)
Jesus stretches out His hands & gently says to us like He did to JARIUS / don’t be afraid - Just believe !
So
they continue on to the house & As they come to the house the mourners have
already begun their wailing cry.
A) See It was customary in those
days to hire mourners to bemoan the
death of an individual.
There was a
terrible frenzy about it.
B) They would actually rip
their garments apart, tear out their hair, and cry out with loud shrieks and
howls.
C) But JESUS says - she isn’t dead - she is just sleeping - ( HIS
PERECPTION OF DEATH –
D)
Death is not when the Spirit leaves the body
1) - death is deeper than that !
E) Death = separation - from God - some dead while they live.
1) Hell is to DIE IN THAT STATE
separated for ETERNITY
When
Jesus says this they LAUGH & MOCK / SO HE PUTS THE MOCKERS OUT
A) Jesus puts out all the
people except the father and mother, and Peter and James and John, and together
they go in to the quiet and still corpse.
B) This father and mother are
brokenhearted, but Jesus walks to the side of the little girl & , taking
her by the hand, says in Aramaic, Talitha cumi, i.e.,
"Little lamb, arise."
C) He raised her up & she
walked around the room, to the amazement of all who were there.
1)
There was rejoicing !!!!
Bible says – All we like
sheep have gone astray
Looks at the multitude sheep
w/out a shepherd
A) Jesus saying to you
tonight – Little lamb arise
B) TRUST ME - JESUS WOULD SAY –
Close
sit here tonight you might be a lot more like this woman than you think Not a
Christian
Incurable
disease cut off from God
Dead
in Sin –
Jesus
word to you tonight is only believer Made well –
Reach
out to his nailed scarred hand
Communion
– Set Free – Reach out and embrace the Victory
Walk
in that Victory