MARK 5:24

We are continuing in Mark chapter five where Jesus is going with Jairus to help Jairus’ daughter, who is at the point of death. Something happens on the way that slows their progress. But everything happens for a reason. God is still in control. The affairs of the world are on His time-table. The Bible says in Mark 5:24-29, “And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged Him. And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched His garment. For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of the plague.”

The reason that this woman came to Jesus was because of a medical problem that she had. Those who have medical problems today should do the same thing that this woman did. Go ahead and find out what the physicians can do for you, but make sure that you also come to Jesus. Sometimes by the grace of God, the physicians can help. Sometimes, as in this woman’s case, they cannot. But the Lord Jesus Christ can always help. This woman was desperate enough and smart enough to come to Jesus for help.

This woman touched the garment of Jesus and then she was healed. Was there some power in being able to physically touch Jesus, or was there some other explanation for why the woman was healed? Jesus Himself gives the answer. Mark 5:30-34 says, “And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.”

Jesus said to the woman, “Thy faith hath made thee whole.” According to Jesus, it was not because she touched His garment that she was healed, but because of her faith in Jesus. When we have faith in Jesus, we put our hope and trust in Him. Faith is entirely spiritual in nature. It has nothing to do with what we touch or where we go. This woman had faith in Jesus and she also touched Him. But she was healed only because of her faith. She correctly thought that she needed to trust in Jesus, but she incorrectly thought that she needed to touch Him also. The Lord honored her faith. We do not have to be perfect for Jesus to honor our faith. That is why the Lord honors the faith of people in different denominations. There are errors in most of the denominations. Actually, everyone is wrong in some things. No human has perfect understanding of all things. Everyone has more to learn. But in spite of our lack of understanding in some areas, as long as we put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, our faith in Him will be honored.

The Bible says in Mark 5:35-36, “While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.” Jesus healed the woman taken with the issue of blood because of her faith, and now Jesus is going to go one step further: He is going to raise someone from the dead, and again it will be because someone put faith in Him and in His power. With faith all things are possible, but not just any faith: faith that is centered on Jesus.

Jesus healed the worst of cases. The woman taken with the issue of blood had been treated by many physicians over a period of years, and she only got worse. Of course, there is no greater problem to overcome than the problem of death. How much different were the things that Jesus did in His healings compared to the phony healers on television today. Jesus healed people who had the worst possible problems. The phony healers of today do not heal. Often these false teachers will take someone who is temporarily in a wheel chair, get them on an emotional high, and then get them to walk around the stage for a little while. That is not healing.

Jesus took on the worst cases. Jesus took people who had visibly disfigured limbs and restored them whole again. Jesus took people whom it was obvious to everyone had an incurable disease such as a leper, and healed them in front of everyone’s eyes. Jesus took people who had documented life-long disabilities such as people born blind and healed them in front of everyone. And in the case of Jairus’ daughter, Jesus also showed that he had power over death, the last great enemy of mankind. Of course, the teachings of Jesus are primarily about what will happen after death. The promises of Jesus are primarily about the next life. The work of Jesus was all about giving us life after death.

Most human beings tend to view death as the end: not Jesus. Once the little girl died, people came to Jairus from his home and said, “Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?” The best thing about the teachings of Jesus is that His promises extend beyond the grave. And it takes just one thing to be able to tap into this promise of life after death: faith in Jesus. That’s why Christians should not sorrow like those who have no hope after the grave. Our greatest hopes will be fulfilled once we leave this life and experience the eternal life that Jesus promised to His believers.

Concerning the raising of the little girl from the dead, the Bible says in Mark 5:37-43, “And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.”

The people were doing what almost all people have done when someone close to them dies. “They wept and wailed greatly.” Viewed from a human standpoint, the death of a loved one may very well be the worst sorrow that a human being can experience, especially the death of a child. But for those who believe in the teachings of Jesus and in the power of Jesus, all of life is transformed. Even the meaning of death is transformed. In this passage Jesus spoke of death as sleep. The people laughed Him to scorn when Jesus said that the girl was not dead, but only asleep. Of course, from a human point of view there is a big difference between death and sleep. But from God’s point of view, there is very little difference. After all, that which goes to sleep will get back up and continue on as soon as the sleep is over. Death is also a lying down and a closing of the eyes, but there will be an awakening. There will be a resurrection of the dead, thank God. Because of Jesus, death is not final. Death has lost its sting. Of course, there will be some sorrow because of the separation and the loss of contact for a while with the loved-one; but believers in Jesus are constantly reminded that death is not the end. Death is simply the doorway by which we enter into His glorious kingdom. One reminder of this is in First Thessalonians 4:13 that says, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”

The first part of Mark chapter 6 tells us about what happened when Jesus returned to the village of Nazareth, the village where He had lived so many years with Mary and Joseph and worked as a carpenter. Mark 6:1-6 says, “And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him. And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.”

There are a couple of clues as to the kind of life that Jesus lived before he left Nazareth and started His public ministry. The first clue is found in the fact that the people of Nazareth were surprised at both the teachings of Jesus and the miracles that he was now doing. In other words He was not well-known as a teacher or a performer of miracles during the years that He was growing up in Nazareth. When Jesus was twelve years old He spoke with the doctors of the law in Jerusalem. This must have been the exception and not the rule. It also says very clearly that Jesus had both brothers and sisters. In other words Mary had other children after Jesus was born. Mary was a virgin when Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, but she did not remain a virgin all of her life. Remember that fact because you will hear something very different from some organized religions.

It is important to note that it says in Mark 6:5, “And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.” Jesus is the Almighty Son of God, and yet the Bible says that in Nazareth He “could there do no mighty work.” How could this be? The reason is because of the principle of faith. The people in Nazareth did not have enough faith in Jesus. “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” “This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.” If you have faith in Christ, then you have something that is very valuable, and you have something that gives you access to all the power of the universe. Nurture your faith, build it up, strengthen it, and protect it. You are going to need help from Christ in this world, and you reach Him through faith.

The people in the village of Nazareth did not have the faith that they should have had. One would think that of all the villages in Israel, that a great number of believers would have come from that village, but it did not happen. One reason that it did not happen is because of a certain principle that is always at work in the way that people regard those that are called of God. Jesus said, “A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.” Not everyone is a prophet. The gift of prophecy refers to having a relationship with God whereby you go to God for a message, and He gives you the message that He wants you to give to the people. Not just anyone can do that. It takes a gift and a calling to be able to do it. Whom does God call to be a prophet? He calls whomever He chooses. God’s choice is not man’s choice. Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.

According to Jesus, God will call someone to be a preacher or a teacher, and then human beings who know that person will look at him and say, “I have seen that person year after year go in and out of their house, go to the store, go to work. I have no confidence in him. I cannot believe they are called of God to be a prophet.” But God calls ordinary people to be His servants, and for each one that He calls He gives a gift. God calls people that humans would never choose. It is a wonderful thing to be a servant to the Lord. You might be an outcast as far as people are concerned, but you will always be accepted by the Lord for serving Him with the gifts that He has given.

___________________________________________________