Well, I invite you to turn in the Scriptures this morning to Mark chapter 5. We're continuing our study in the Gospel of Mark, and today we come to Jesus' healing of a woman and Jairus, his daughter. So this is Mark chapter 5. We will read at verse 21 to the end of the chapter, Matthew, Mark. Again, Jesus has just been on the other side, healed the demoniac, and now he has crossed again. So we're at verse 21. This is the word of the Lord. And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name. And seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, that she may be made well and live. And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had a discharge of blood for 12 years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, if I touch even his garment, I will be made well. And immediately the flow of blood dried up. And she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, who touched my garment? And his disciples said to him, you see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say you touched me? And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed of your disease. While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, your daughter's dead. Why trouble the teacher any further? But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, Do not fear, only believe. And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but sleeping. They laughed at him. but he put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was taking her by the hand he said to her talita kumi which means little girl i say to you arise and immediately the girl got up and began walking for she was 12 years of age and they were immediately overcome with amazement and he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat. May the Lord bless the hearing of his word. Well, as we have been studying the gospel of Mark now for some time, I hope that you feel that we have entered into this great story of the life of Jesus that Mark is telling. Each event is a progression in this great story. Each event is sort of continuing the story. It's one great story but by this point in the book of mark all of us should be feeling pressed somewhat as to what we're doing with jesus what i mean is mark has been seriously confronting all of us through these narratives with just who has come down from heaven to us who has surely there have been a variety of different responses to jesus but these last two responses have really begun to step things up in terms of what jesus is after the disciples you remember really had not understood or appreciated who yet they were following in the midst of the greatest storm they had ever known in the midst of the greatest storm they had ever seen they had to awake him in utter panic as he was at the bottom of the boat in the stern sleeping through the whole thing and then they would watch him get out they would watch him stand on the edge and with a mere word calm the storm showing his power over creation itself that all the seas and the winds bow to his word jesus of course in that context asked them the very probing question do you still have no faith still and mark then records them saying who is this that even the wind and the seas obey him who are we following from that challenge uh regarding their faith juxtaposed with their no faith uh regarding and juxtaposed with this question who is this mark was all challenging us mark was having us think a lot about our connection to jesus just what we believe about him and no sooner than do they get out of the boat as they have asked that question just who is this a crazy demoniac cutting himself covered in blood screaming out which no one could bind in chains breaking the chains comes barreling down the mountain at them answering their question which the demons had been doing the whole time and jesus allowed this demon possessed man to do it you are the son of god right then and there they had answered the question for the disciples what an amazing moment that in the next scene that is answered and you remember what happened And Jesus then cleansed this man from all of his demons. And the demons begged him to allow them to stay in the region. The man begged Jesus to remain with him. The people begged Jesus to leave. Very fascinating. That power shook them to the core. Everyone. They were afraid now. And think about the scene last week where they could be more afraid of a man as we looked at and talked about who was now sane and in his right mind more afraid of a man cleansed than when he was demon-possessed and cutting himself. And that just showed. And we looked at that in some depth. People would rather set aside the pain of being transformed by the grace of God and stay with what they know. The power was too close to home, and the scene ended last week that they begged Jesus to leave, and no longer could anyone be casual onlookers to Jesus. No longer could there be a casual connection with him. They would either respond to him and bolt the other way, or they would come and run and bow and worship him. That's where we left off. That's where we are in Mark's gospel, And Mark is after one thing that we see Jesus really pressing now with. Mark is after one great purpose here of Jesus in this narrative that's in front of us. It is that the followers of Jesus would believe. And you see, there are moments in the Scriptures that are definitive for telling people to get off the fence. There are moments in Scripture when the Scriptures are pressing you to get off the fence with regard to your decision of whether you're going to follow him or not. Whether you're going to profess faith or not. There are moments when it bears down on you and Jesus is bearing down in this particular passage. He wants them to get off the fence and believe him coming to him as the Lord of their life, receiving from him grace and help and forgiveness for that is what he's offering. And Mark now turns to one of these moments. Mark now turns to one of these great moments, a critical moment that is meant to have all of us here ask, have we embraced Jesus with true faith, with the hand of faith? That's the challenge of this particular text this morning. And we're going to now begin by looking at this character, Jairus. It begins here in verse 21 with a man named Jairus who had a daughter who is dying. It's a challenging narrative, I found, because it doesn't seem to make sense initially as to exactly what's going on here. Jesus has this man come to him who begs him to come and heal his daughter. Jesus says, I will go. They begin to go, and the whole thing is suddenly interrupted by a woman with a flow of blood. He heals her, but during that time, Jairus' daughter dies, and then he goes and he raises her up. I've often asked, in every single gospel, this particular one over the years has been somewhat perplexing to me. The Holy Spirit has weaved these two events together in every gospel. Which means this is very important to see their link and he's telling us something very important about identifying these two events together. It's tempting to preach them as two separate events. I wanted to do that. I believe that would have been easier to do. But I believe that's wrong. The whole thing needs to be taken together. These events are weaved together for a purpose. In fact, so that you understand the intention this morning, and you can say, okay, I see exactly where this is going. I want everyone to look at verse 36, where Jesus says to Jairus, and this should be a bell ringing when you hear this, Jairus, don't be afraid, only believe. Now, that's exactly what Jesus confronted the disciples with in the boat, isn't it? They're in the boat, the storm comes, they're absolutely panicked, and they fall apart. And remember what Jesus said, why are you fearing? Do you still have no faith? And the same thing now is said to Jairus. Stop fearing, only believe. And the disciples are standing there, and I'm wondering if they're thinking, well, this all sounds very familiar. Well, this is exactly what Jesus is doing. Here's Mark continuing the story. He has been on the eastern side of the lake in the area in the region of the Gadarenes where he arrived and this demonic man had come running down the mountain, bowing and worshiping him, but the crowds begged Jesus to leave. Get out of here. He left. He gets back in the boat. He goes to the other side of the lake and here on the other side it seems that the multitudes and the crowds are waiting for him so there's a great reception for jesus on the galilean side of the lake contra what had just happened on the other side of the lake on the gentile side they begged him to leave here he comes back and we read they're thronging him in fact from earlier in mark he had to keep that boat ready, remember, lest they should crush him. This was his little pulpit. But this is an important point. Why such popularity on the Galilean side of the lake? It's clear that all these multitudes had followed him, and I'm quoting directly now from Mark chapter 3, from Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and beyond the Jordan. Why? Because, now listen to this and I think it will help for this morning they heard many things he was doing for he healed so many that as many as had afflictions pressed about him to touch him they all said we want to touch him so everyone's bumping up to jesus everyone's crowding him everyone's thronging him that's the word mark uses it's why is that why such popularity not so hard jesus is a hollywood-like figure in galilee you know how we treat hollywood figures right we put posters up in our rooms you shouldn't but we want autographs i mean we seriously want to run around touching them if i just get to shake the hand of some movie star it's going to rub off i guess we want to handle them they're like little gods with their little paparazzis all over the place aren't they this is the kind of popularity jesus had in the region jesus knew much of it was for the show john had told us that from john chapter one that when they saw the signs that he did remember many of them followed him many of them followed because they saw the signs that he was doing but jesus wasn't after that jesus was not interested in that he was not interested in being the showman for the people he didn't want them to just be amazed with him he didn't want people thinking that he had come to give them their best life now and now two events happen that make a strong divide between those who have faith and those who have no faith big moment in other words he is forcing people off the fence with regard to him so he has reached the other side and we read that a ruler of the synagogue a man named jairus ran up and fell down at his feet now in contrast to the last scene when he got off the boat the demon had come running and bowed down at his feet and worship he gets off the boat on the other end of the lake here are the multitudes this man comes running and he falls at his feet a prominent figure a ruler of the synagogue mark says he was which means he was an elder-like figure in the synagogue. We read that he begged Jesus earnestly, saying, My daughter is at the point of death. Come, lay your hands on her so that she may be made well and live. And he went with him. It was a panicked plea. My daughter's sick. My little daughter. We're told, with some detail here, that she was 12 years old. And Jairus chooses, Mark chooses the word that Jairus used, which means at the very brink of death. She's at the very point of death. The word is powerful. Jesus, we're at the end. You got to come now. Come now. It's intense. You got to get there now to lay your hands on my little daughter. If you do that, she'll be healed. If you put your, and notice the emphasis here, you put your hand on her. she'll live you don't read jesus saying anything nothing all you read is that little phrase and he went and he went as i was reflecting on this this week i thought to myself is that faith is that faith i mean at least with the centurion remember the story of the centurion when he had come to jesus and said come heal my servant jesus said i will come and and and he said but you don't need to i'm a man in authority if you just command a word it'll happen just say it it'll happen and jesus said whoa i have not found such great faith all in israel that was a remarkable moment but this man totally distraught over his daughter i've witnessed a lot of suffering in the ministry you know in the midst of suffering when it comes on quickly maybe when you're panicked you can't really focus on anything else can you your sole purpose is now to find a solution to your problem you're going to find a solution to your problem your life is now driven by that your life is going to be driven it's going to all be formed and framed now to find a solution to your problem and of course if the situation grows worse and if the situation continues to grow worse you panic you panic. This is Jairus. She is, and he uses the word for eschatology here, she is at the end. When the disciples had come to this point, what was their question? Well, they're in the boat. They're absolutely panicked, full of fear. Jairus is full of fear. Jesus brings that out in both scenarios. They're full of fear. And when the disciples came to this point, remember? Don't you care? Don't you care that we're perishing? You see people hurting. You see people suffering. You see people wasting away. And I've had that feeling. I've had that for God's people when I've seen it. And I've seen them wasting away in the bed, dying. Why? Why let them go through that? Don't you care? It's that same question that could be asked here. Did Jesus care that this little man's daughter was dying? The answer is, of course he did. He went right away, didn't he? It's really an answer. Of course he cared. Of course he cared. Just put your hand on her, Jesus, she'll be made well. Is it faith? In the next sentence we read, so Jesus went. I don't know how many of you have come to these moments of this panic, of panic, but at some point you will. And you will do just as all we do. You'll beg the Lord to take it away. You'll want the pastor to pray that it gets taken away. What happens when it doesn't? What happens? You'll begin to question. You'll begin to question his love for you. This is where we are. This is the text. Heal my daughter. Put your hand on her and she'll be made well. Come, now, do it. She's at the end. You're all going to be here somewhere. The text emphasizes this was a big moment for the multitudes. They get to see the show now, don't they? They get to ride this on the coattails of this and see this great performer perform something they have not quite seen yet, a 12-year-old? For they all went, it says, and pushed on him as they went. They are touching and pushing on him. So you can imagine this throng of people. Jesus is in the center, and they're moving towards Jairus' daughter as fast as they can go. So here they all go. All of a sudden, the text stops. It's abruptly interrupted, and this woman who has had, we read, The flow of blood for 12 years is in the middle of the crowd. This woman, what she does seems to completely distract Jesus. So as to force him to stop going to Jairus' daughter. So then we have presented to us in the middle of this, this scene of Jesus now helping this woman. So that the sense being that Jesus by stopping and addressing this and dealing with her, he has now lost the opportunity. It's escaped him to help Jairus' daughter because by the time this is done, by the time he's done helping this woman, a report comes back, Jairus, your daughter's dead. Leave him alone. You can't do anything now. Why the interruption? Was this just a bad moment of distraction? And that's where I stop and say, this was a moment for everyone to stop the rush of life, to stop the come now, get it done now, and be confronted with the heart of what Jesus is after. What do I mean? You say, how are these connected? Did you notice something? Jairus' daughter was 12 years old and this woman had a flow of blood for 12 years. Do you think that's coincidental? Mark wants you to link the stories together. Mark wants you to put the stories together, telling you that the interruption of what seemed to be something that had wrecked the opportunity for Jesus to save Jairus' daughter was in fact the opportunity to teach Jairus and the multitudes what concerns him the most about, ready, stay with me, his daughter. Whose daughter? Sometimes we're in such a rush. Sometimes our following Jesus is so circumstantial. Often our connections with Jesus are merely at a distance. I've pressed you on this the last few weeks that you can follow Jesus at a distance and that really you're just here to ride for the show you're just here because in some way you know you should be and we here in front of us in the midst of this is a scene one of these great moments of panic and moments where now this person needs something from Jesus who else can he go to the very disruptions and the very frustrations of life do you ever think are meant to stop you that you should listen to him on his terms you want to overcome it so quickly you want to get it done so quickly but do you stop and listen to him some of you are running so fast right now it's hard to stop and listen today her situation was really bad too she too was dying she had this flow of blood we read we're really not told what it was, but for years she had suffered many things from many doctors. She had spent every dime that she had, every dime that she had trying to get well and the thing only kept growing worse. In fact, every single ceremonial law was broken here that forbade her even from being in the public and around the public. She was an unclean outcast. A nobody, somebody considered ceremonially unclean and somebody who should greatly be quarantined from society in their rules and regulations. Mark gives us her story. She hears about Jesus, and Mark is recounting the story, hearing it from her mouth. But he initially begins to get there. She hears about Jesus and thinks, if I just touch his clothes, I will be made well. So secretly she walks up behind him and as he's walking, she reaches out her hand and she touches the edge of his garment. And verse 29 is absolutely powerful. Verse 29 is wonderful. Immediately the flow of blood dried up and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. To which I pause and am reminded of Martin Luther describing the act of God justifying a sinner as the great exchange. I know of no better place to really capture the picture. Do you? She is absolutely unclean. She's sick. She's dying. The whole thing representing the awful problem of what sin has caused. If I just touch him, I'll be made whole. And Jesus openly says, power left me. And you see the imagery here as there was the exchange. The exchange being that as she reached out and embraced Him, He took on her uncleanness and His power healed her. You think of Paul saying, He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. I raise that to say, this is the moment that Jesus wants you to see. He wanted them all to see. In other words, He doesn't want what just happened to be concealed. Why? So he stops. Greatest interruption ever to what he needed to do, right? From our perspective. He stops. And he turns around and he says, who touched me? Who touched my clothes? This was probably the most frustrating moment for the disciples ever in the ministry of Jesus. It says everyone was touching him. Everyone's touching him. Everyone's been touching. This has been the problem. Everyone's been touching him. He had to get in a boat to preach because everyone was thronging him and pushing him. It even says pushing him. Are you kidding? You see everyone's hands on you and you stop right now and say, who's touching me? They're in a sprint to heal Jairus' daughter who's at the end, the eschatos of death. He's at the end. Are you serious? You see the multitudes pushing on you, and you want to know who touched you. Jesus ignores it. Completely ignores it. And everyone at this point begins to try to talk about the humanity and the divinity of Jesus and how this all works of him not knowing. That's not the point. That is not the point. What he's doing here is making a moment of this. He's making a big moment of this. So he begins to survey. who touched me, who did it. And you stop and you say, well, if everyone's touching him, Jesus just said, only one really touched me. Only one has really embraced me. The imagery is so beautiful. She, being overwhelmed with guilt, comes forward, deadly afraid. You read that Mark says, she told him everything. the whole truth, nothing but the truth. And as she's sitting there telling you can see Jairus and you can see the disciples, come on, it's taking forever. Jesus has purposely halted the multitude. Can you hear her story that day? Can you hear it? In front of everyone standing there, this is what you begin to hear. Jesus, forgive me for touching you, for distracting you. I've been sick for 12 years. Jairus is standing right here. I've been sick for 12 years. I've lost all my health. I've lost all my wealth. I don't have anything left. I'm so sorry. I know I'm unclean. I know I shouldn't be here. I know I shouldn't even be in the community. nor should I have touched you. I know this makes you unclean. I've heard about you. I've been listening to what everyone's saying about your teachings and your word. And I said to myself, all I would need to do then, if it's true about him, and what everyone is saying and what he's been speaking, if that's true, all I would need to do is reach out and touch him. And I'll be made whole. Many have criticized this woman for a sort of magical faith. I agree that it's little faith. She didn't know much. But it was Jesus who said faith is of a mustard seed moves mountains. She had obviously been listening to him or heard the reports about his teachings and his power. In fact, maybe she was one of those who came back after the parable of the sower who he didn't identify and came to listen to what it meant. Whatever the case, with what little she had, she believed with what little she had how much do you have and didn't jesus say to him who has more will be given and after her confession she tells the whole truth her expression of belief what does jesus say are you ready for it it's the only time he ever said it she's been sick 12 years She comes believing. She comes confessing. And what does Jesus say? Daughter, your faith has made you well. Daughter? Go in peace. Be healed of your affliction. No other place do I find Jesus saying daughter. Why is Jesus saying daughter? What did Jairus come running to Jesus saying? My daughter is sick. She's on the brink of death. jairus has been standing there anxious panicked and this major distraction to his little daughter being saved and i thought to myself well what did he just hear then when she hears and recounts her whole story and then jesus speaks as a father does to a daughter in the next scene and what does he say daughter your faith has made you well what had she done she had put out her hand and embraced him jairus comes stretch out your hand and touch my daughter and she'll be well come now here's the moment i believe was captured for jairus and the disciples disciples for sure and the multitudes you guys are crying out in fear and you want my hand to be placed everywhere you want physical deliverance from everything but your daughter's need is much greater your daughter's need is much greater did you see how my daughter just came to me you must first come and put out your hand like my daughter do you understand that you are panicked asking for your hand on my daughter you want me to stretch out my hand i'm more than willing to do that i am more than willing to do that but let me introduce you to my daughter see what she did did you hear her did you listen to her she said if i just touch him i will be healed i want that from you jairus i want that from you my disciples i want that from you today and this is where i come back to the boat scene when jesus said to disciples do you still why are you fearing do you still have no faith and then they said who is this and we've learned in mark's gospel that this his call to faith has everything to do with what you believe about him well if chapter 3 showed us a series of wrong responses to him he's crazy he has a demon what is chapter 4 and 5 shown us it's shown us who he is it's shown us that he is the son of god lord over creation lord over the demonic realm and now that Even the demons obey and fear him. Now, what is everyone being pressed with? Well, what happens? As he's standing there, right at that moment, someone comes back from Jairus' house and says, your daughter is dead. Don't bother him anymore. In other words, there's nothing he can do. Just leave it alone. It all got away. To which, from the multitude standpoint, Had he not been distracted, he would have never made it. But in light of this, Jesus takes what just happened with his daughter and says, Jairus, now you're tested. You've just witnessed my daughter put her hand of faith on me. I want you to do the same. Right now. So in front of the disciples, in front of the multitudes, he says, it's the great moment, don't be afraid, only believe. oh that's so much like the boat why are you afraid why do you still not believe think of the scenario the greatest impossibility of life has just been presented to you the greatest impossibility all hope has been dashed everything's been lost for jairus in the face of death jesus now says death has happened only believe believe what she's dead what can you do at this point in other words put your hand on me, Jairus. But what can you do? I've asked you to put your hand on my daughter. What can you do at this point? It's over. I don't know how you're going to do it. Jesus says, believe. Isn't that what he calls you to today? It's the same scenario. You're all heading for the grave. Did you know that? Your loved one next to you, your daughter next to you all heading for the grave he grabs peter james and john i have no idea why he takes these three he walks up and he sees the commotion everyone's weeping everyone's wailing loudly do you know at that time they would hire mourners and they would come in and they would reek out and just mourning screech out to put on a performance of mourning to get everyone mourning and Jesus walks up to the scene and says what's all this commotion what is all this what she's not the child's not dead she's sleeping and you read they ridiculed and laughed at him what a terrible thing to say can you imagine if I walked in to a little 12 year old's death and said that she's just sleeping I mean you'd run me out but if jesus is the lord of creation if he's the lord of the demonic realm if jesus is lord over death well that affects everything if not even death can stop him from saving what else is there to hold you back from believing? What else do you want? Jesus was not calling Jairus to inspect the facts first. Jesus was not calling him to see if it would be true and then believe. Jesus was saying, put your hand on me right now, Jairus. Did I not say, and Jesus said to Martha, if you believed, you would see the glory of God in the face of death? Jairus believed. Well, Jesus clears out all the naysayers, fulfilling what he said. He who does not have even what he has will be taken away. And now he's about to give those who have even more. The pain of it must have been unbearable. The next thing we read as he walks in, there's the little body. And think about this. There's the little body of a 12-year-old. And he grabs his, he takes his hand and he grabs her hand. And he says, Talitha, Kumi, little girl, I say, arise. And immediately with his hand, Grabbing her hand, she gets up. For she was 12 years of age. That day, Jairus saw Jesus put his hand on his dying daughter and must have realized he gave him and his daughter a much greater gift than anything else. The gift of faith. I love this passage because of where it forces us today. We all are walking some path. Many people are attached to Jesus, everyone here in some way. But Jesus is not after superficial following. Jesus is not after your amazement. Jesus is calling you to believe. To trust Him. To put out your hand. You may not see how all the circumstances in front of you will be solved. You may not see how all this is going to work out. That's okay. You don't need to. But you do need to hear Him. And you do need to stop fearing. And you do need to reach out your hand and believe Him. Don't you care about us, Jesus? reach out your hand says jesus the hand of faith which is as the belgic says the hand is the hand and mouth of the soul by which we receive christ who did that for you who did what for you think about this it's the whole story right here he says reach out your hand today believing tomorrow he will with his resurrected hand grab yours out of the grave he says today reach out your hand believing when you can't see it tomorrow he's going to come with his resurrected hand and pull yours out of the grave because he's going to death he's going to the cross and that's why he tells them don't say anything my resurrection has to happen first then it'll be broadcast well that changes everything doesn't it if he has that kind of power if he's the eternal son of god he didn't want this broadcasted because he has to go and die at the appointed time he had to go to the cross he had to be risen raised up so that there would be a hand to lift you out of the grave as you're all going there and you see there are moments when Jesus pulls us off the fence. Just as he said to Jairus, shown in the woman, he says to us today, you're crying out to me for many things. You're worried about many things. You're fearing many things. Do you know that I care for you? You know that I care for you. You know that I care about your needs and your life and your worries. So I've told you to cast all your cares upon me because I care for you but as you ask for my hand to uphold you in the moments of your despair you need to ask whether your hand has come out to embrace me in true faith i will be a father to you and you will be my sons and daughters says the lord almighty let's pray Lord you have taught us about faith even saying faith as of a mustard seed moves mountains and we realize how shallow we are in our following and we ask for forgiveness that we have run around in fear run around worried about so many things and still we need to come today and trust you forgive us Lord help us give us even faith is of a mustard seed give us faith like this woman who had so been convinced of who you are convinced of your power with the little that she had that if she just embraces you she would be healed may we go our way and by your power and free gift may our faith make us well in Jesus name we pray