The story of Jesus is the greatest story ever told. And the way He treated people 2000 years ago, is the way He wants to treat you.
Let’s listen to what happened to Him after the people of Gadara asked Him to please excuse Himself.
Mark 5:22 And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet
Mark 5:23 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.”
Mark 5:24 So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.
Mark 5:25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years,
Mark 5:26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.
Mark 5:27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.
Mark 5:28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
Mark 5:29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.
Mark 5:30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”
Mark 5:31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”
Mark 5:32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.
Mark 5:33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.
Mark 5:34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”
Mark 5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”
Mark 5:37 And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.
Mark 5:38 Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.
Mark 5:39 When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.”
Mark 5:40 And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.
Mark 5:41 Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”
Mark 5:42 Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement.
Mark 5:43 But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.
This is the story in brief. Lets do some exegesis, analysing the verses:
Mark 5:21 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.
The healing of the invalid woman and the raising of the daughter of Jairus occurred soon after the healing of the two demoniacs. The crossing of the lake here referred to was from the vicinity of Gergesa, on the eastern shore. to Capernaum, a distance of 9 kilometres in a north-westerly direction.
Mark 5:21 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.
As usual they crowds followed Jesus where every He went during this period of His ministry
They began to gather on the shore as soon as the people recognized Jesus approaching in one of the boats.
For a time He remained near where He had landed, teaching and healing, as His custom was when the people gathered about Him.
Then, together with some of His disciples, Jesus went to the home of Levi Matthew to attend the feast there given in His honour
Mark 2:15 Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.
It was here that Jairus found Jesus.
Woman Healed
Matthew 9:18 While He spoke these things to them (at the house of Levi), behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.”
The ruler of a synagogue was the one in charge of public worship.
The name Jairus is derived from the Hebrew Ya’ir, the OT Jair.
Numbers 32:41 Also Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its small towns, and called them Havoth Jair.
So Jairus comes from quite a famous family.
Fell at his feet. Where do we find the very first practice of honouring someone in high authority the Bible?
Esther 3:2 And all the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow or pay homage.
When did Jesus receive this honour for the first time?
Matthew 2:11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Did it happen to Jesus during His labours at Galilee?
Matthew 8:2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Was Jairus aware of the animosity of the scribes and Pharisees toward Jesus?
Mark 5:22 And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet.
If he might thereby save his only daughter, this proud rabbi was willing to humble himself even before Jesus, despised and hated by most men of his class.
Mark 5:23 He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.”
A few hours ago, people also pleaded with Jesus. Can you still remember what was their earnest desire?
Mark 5:17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
Imagine the humiliating pain in the heart of Jesus. But now He rejoiced when a father of his dying daughter pled with Him to come and heal his little daughter.
My daughter is an adult today, but in a way she is still my little daughter. I care so much for her.
Do you have the same tenderness toward your “little” daughter?
Of the three Gospels recording this incident only Mark gives the precise age of the girl which was 12 years. Maybe you have experienced the same response when you call your son of daughter my “my little child”.
“Daddy I am not little any more. I am big now.”
The ruins of Capernaum echo the heart breaking of a father at the feet of Jesus:
Mark 5:23 “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.”
Can you hear his sobbing coming from his father’s heart?
The personal touch of Jesus seems to have been a mark of His personal interest in each sufferer.
There was no doubt in the father’s mind that Jesus had the power to restore his little daughter to health. Unquestionably there were scores, or even hundreds, of persons in and about Capernaum whose lives bore testimony to Jesus’ power.
Can you think of two outstanding personalities?
The son of the nobleman (John 4:46–54) and the servant of the centurion (Luke 7:1–10).
Mark 5:24 So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him.
The word pressed Gr. sunthilibō, means “to press on all sides.” In his parallel account, Luke uses a more graphic word, sunpnigō, “to throttle,” or “to choke.” On the way to the home of Jairus, Jesus was surrounded by a crowd so thick that His progress was, literally, “choked.” He could hardly move.
NEXT TIME
We are going to get acquainted with a very sick lady. She spent all her money on doters without any relief. She became more depressed as 12 years of suffering devastated her.