Anchor My Faith

Daughter Raised from the Dead

Scripture: Matthew 9:23-24, 26; Mark 5:38-43; Luke 8:49-53, 55

We ended the previous lesson with the woman with the flow of blood being healed by touching Jesus, and while Jesus was commenting to the crowds about here faith a message is received concerning the daughter of Jairus: ^{Lk 8:49} “While [Jesus] was still speaking, someone from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher anymore.”’

“While Jesus was still speaking, someone from the ruler’s house came and said,” provides a transition back to the story of Jairus. The message delivered indicates that the sickness had claimed the life of Jairus’s daughter and so there was no reason to trouble Jesus anymore. They believed Jesus could have healed her, but they didn’t have the faith to believe he could raise her from the dead.

Jesus may have given them hope by his response. ^{Lk 8:50} “But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.”’ Jesus responds to the messenger with two exhortations, followed by a promise. Jesus tells the messenger not to fear but to believe instead. Faith removes fear and produces results.

^{Lk 8:51} “And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. ^{Mt 9:23} And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, ^{Mk 5:38} people weeping and wailing loudly.”

The crowds would have followed Jesus to the house of Jairus, so he selects who will be allowed to enter with him. Those who can enter are, “Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child.”

^{Mk 5:39} “And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? ^{Lk 8:52} “Do not weep. ^{Mt 9:24} Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” ^{Lk 8:53} And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. ^{Mk 5:40} 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.”

It was clear to everyone that the girl was dead and as a result there was weeping and wailing over the loss. As Jesus enters the house he gives two commands: “Do not weep.” “Go away.” He then states that she is not dead, but asleep. They know that is not true and they laughed at him. Jesus then puts them all out of the house and takes those he chose and went in where the child was.  

Jesus, then ^{Mk 5:41} “Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” ^{Lk 8:55} And her spirit returned, and she got up at once ^{Mk 5:42} and began walking, and they were immediately overcome with amazement.”

Touching the dead girl would result in Jesus being ceremonially unclean, but once again Jesus overcomes uncleanness by giving life to the dead girl. Those who saw her wake up from the dead “were immediately overcome with amazement.” That amazement does not necessarily indicate faith in Jesus. Some may have believed, but others probably remained puzzled over what they were seeing.

^{Mk 5:43} “[Jesus] strictly charged them that no one should know this and told them to give her something to eat. ^{Mt 9:26} The report of this went through all that district.” When Jesus entered the house, he told the weeping and wailing people that the girl was not dead but sleeping. After awakening the girl, from death, Jesus wanted everyone to believe that she was only sleeping. Even today we often speak of death as going to sleep. Jesus is trying to downplay this event because he didn’t want the additional negative impact of the greater popularity he would gain by raising her from the dead. As in other cases, those who benefited from Jesus, disobeyed and spread a report throughout the district.

Prayer

Father, as we watch Jesus perform miracle after miracle we see a growing difficulty Jesus is having in maintaining a proper timeline of events on his way to the cross. You have given Jesus an assignment to carry out, which requires everything to be done before his death occurs on the cross.