The three synoptic Gospels record Jairus coming to the Lord Jesus and his daughter being raised from the dead. Sandwiched between the request of Jairus and the resuscitation of his daughter is the recovery of a woman who had an issue of blood. There is certainly a dispensational picture given to us. Both the woman and the young girl are linked with the number twelve. That would immediately bring to mind the nation of Israel. The woman had an issue of blood for twelve years, and the young girl was twelve years of age. When it comes to the woman, she was marked by her defilement (Lev 15:25-27); the young girl was marked by her deadness. These appropriately describe the nation of Israel presently, and yet a day is coming when the nation will taste of the fountain that has been “opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness” (Zec 13:1).1 “For sin” deals with the deadness and “for uncleanness” with the defilement. Because of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, Israel will be cleansed and given new life.
But let us consider the miracle of Jairus’ daughter being raised, not now from a dispensational view but from a practical one. For the first time in Mark’s Gospel, Peter, James and John were separated from the twelve and taken by the Lord Jesus to Jairus’ home. It is interesting that just before the Lord instructs the three to follow Him, He commands Jairus to “be not afraid, only believe” (Mar 5:36). This gives us an insight into the lesson on faith that is taught in this passage.
Faith and Its Petition
Notice how Jairus came to the Lord Jesus. First, we see the man and his urgency – “when he saw him” (Mar 5:22). He had likely been looking for the Lord Jesus because of the sickly condition of his daughter, and he never stopped his search until he found the Saviour. We then see his humility, for “he fell at his feet” (v22). The physical posture that he took displayed the inner attitude of his heart. He wasn’t lifted up in pride, but rather had a contrite, broken spirit. Lastly, we see the man and his calamity. Having pleaded with Him earnestly, he expressed the burden of his heart: “Come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live” (v23). Although Jairus’ daughter’s condition was severe, his faith in the Lord Jesus was evident. He knew that the One who had helped others could help his daughter. Let us never forget that no matter how great our burdens are, we can lay them before the Lord, “for he careth for you” (1Pe 5:7).
Faith and Its Patience
While Jairus accompanied the Lord Jesus through the streets of the town, notice the number of interruptions they encountered along the way. First, there were the crowds that pushed against the Saviour as He walked. Then there was the woman who touched Him, and the Lord Jesus stopped to speak to her. Then, perhaps the greatest interruption was the sad news that came from Jairus’ home as they walked. Hindrances in life are used by the Lord to test the sincerity of our faith in Him.
Faith and Its Promise
The inevitable had happened, and the news of Jairus’ daughter had come from those who came from the home: “Thy daughter is dead” (v35). However, the reassuring words of promise came quickly from the lips of the Lord Jesus: “Be not afraid, only believe” (v36). They were words that would have bolstered Jairus’ faith in the One he was with, and the disciples undoubtedly saw that. What the Lord Jesus began when He “went with him” (v24) He would complete, despite the apparent difficulty.
With faith in the Lord Jesus and His word, Jairus continued with Him to his home, accompanied by the three disciples. Upon their arrival, there was a tumult caused by professional mourners who had gathered. The Lord addressed the company by saying, “Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth” (v39). Now when the Saviour said that the girl was “not dead, but sleepeth,” He was not saying that she wasn’t dead, but rather that her present state of being dead was only temporary; she would be awakened.2 In fact, in the NT, the word “sleep” is frequently used of believers who have died to indicate the prospect of resurrection. When these mourners heard this from the Lord Jesus, they mocked and “laughed him to scorn” (v40). Such unbelief cannot appreciate the authoritative power that was to be displayed by the perfect Servant, so they were put out of the home.
Faith and Its Prospect
With the mockers removed, the Lord Jesus continued to the room where the young girl was lying. Tenderly, He took her by the hand in the presence of her parents and the three disciples and said, “Talitha cumi,” an Aramaic expression “which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise” (v41). How marvelous it must have been for these individuals to have witnessed the power of Jehovah’s Servant raise this girl from the dead. There is no authoritative power like His. But along with that, these three disciples had the privilege of witnessing Jairus’ faith in the person of Christ.
Faith and Its Pattern
In the previous chapter, after the Lord Jesus calmed the storm, He said to His disciples, “How is it that ye have no faith?” (4:40). How often are we like those men, with our faith lacking and needing improvement? One way our faith in God is improved is through the knowledge of the Scriptures and an appreciation of His promises to us. The Saviour did this constantly with the disciples on a day-to-day basis. Another way is by experiencing His power in our lives. That happened to the disciples when the Saviour calmed the storm in their presence. However, the Lord often refines our faith by allowing us to witness the faith of others. Jairus left a pattern for these disciples, a good pattern to pursue, not only for them but for us as well.
While faith and its lessons were essential for all three men, it is perhaps in the experience of James that we see the benefit that this lesson brought the most. James was the first apostle to be martyred (Act 12:2), and in his death, his unwavering faith in the risen Christ, who raised others and is Himself “the firstfruits of them that slept” (1Co 15:20), was displayed. As we think of such individuals, the writer to the Hebrews reminds us to “imitate their faith” (Heb 13:7 JND). May the Lord help us to be marked by steadfast faith in the One in whom we have believed.
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the KJV unless otherwise noted.
2 The fact that she was raised from the dead is clearly stated in Luke 8:55.
