Mark 5 Verses 21-23, 35-43 Never Without Hope
The Remarkable Journey Continues • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 1 viewTo understand that Jesus gives us hope even when death is involved.
Notes
Transcript
Mark 5 Verses 21-23 and 35-43 Never Without Hope May 11, 2025 Lesson 6 The Remarkable Journey Continues Class Presentation Notes AAAAA
Background Scriptures:
· Philippians 1:21–24 (NASB95)
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
22 But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.
23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;
24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.
· 2 Samuel 22:7 (NASB95)
7 “In my distress I called upon the Lord,
Yes, I cried to my God;
And from His temple He heard my voice,
And my cry for help came into His ears.
· 1 Thessalonians 4:13 (NASB95)
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
· Habakkuk 2:3 (NASB95)
3 “For the vision is yet for the appointed time;
It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
For it will certainly come, it will not delay.
· Jeremiah 33:3 (NASB95)
3 ‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’
Main Idea:
· Where there is Jesus, there is hope.
Study Aim:
· To understand that Jesus gives us hope even when death is involved.
Create Interest:
· Adults struggle to know how to respond to people who are experiencing physical crises. Many adults are uncomfortable with making visits to hospitals and funeral homes because they do not know what to say and do in those situations. Those who have a secular worldview also fear their own death.
· In the biblical worldview, believers have a model of how to help people when they see how Jesus helped people when He was training his disciples.
o They learned from Him how to be sensitive, to encourage faith, and to show compassion.[1] We could benefit from the training.
Lesson in Historical Context:
· Jesus returns to the west side of the Sea of Galilee and is confronted with Jairus, whose daughter is at the point of death. The account of Jairus shows Jesus’ power not only over death, but also over complications, which abound in the narrative: The crowd throngs Jesus (5:24), the woman with the issue of blood interrupts (5:25), and Jairus’ daughter dies before the party can make it back to his house (5:35). These complications undoubtedly cause Jairus to despair.[2]
· This passage is the second instance in which Mark sandwiches together two incidents into one composite story (see earlier 3:20–35). Mark seems to do this because in each case he wants the two parts of the composite account to be understood in connection with each other. That these two incidents may have happened in connection with each other as described in Mark is not necessarily challenged. But, since it is evident that Mark does not tell us everything Jesus did, it is always important to inquire why he recorded what he did in the way he did.
· Some of the connections between these two incidents are obvious. For one thing, both incidents involve Jesus ministering to women: one, a grown woman, the other, a young girl/just turned adult in Jewish eyes. Also, both are in desperate, helpless states. The one is apparently incurably ill, and the other is first terminally ill and then dead. Another device that links the two incidents is number twelve. The woman has a twelve-year ailment (v. 25) and the girl is twelve years old (v. 42).
· The point of linking these two stories includes the “double-barreled” impact they have in showing the compassionate power of Jesus. Perhaps especially in ancient settings, where women were regarded as less important than men, Jesus’ interest in the welfare of these two needy women must be seen as very significant. Like the (probably gentile) demoniac in the previous passage, the women in this account represent social groups regarded as second-class by many in ancient times.[3] The lessons in compassion are worthy of our attention.
Bible Study:
Mark 5:21–23 (NASB95)
21 When Jesus had crossed over again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him; and so He stayed by the seashore.
22 One of the synagogue officials named Jairus *came up, and on seeing Him, *fell at His feet
23 and *implored Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live.”
· We really should take this passage with the next one, since in Mark’s mind they are all part of the same story. But both are so full of interest that it’s worth holding them apart for the moment, provided we remember how closely they belong together.
· What Mark has done is to place one tale inside the other, in what is sometimes called a Markan sandwich. (We’ll see him do this again in, for example, 11:12–25.) The flavor of the outer story adds zest to the inner one; the taste of the inner one is meant in turn to permeate the outer one.
· Both stories are about fear and faith, and the power of Jesus to take people from one to the other. Both, singly and together, are worth spending time ‘inside’, in the sense of meditating on them, imagining you are in the crowd watching it all happen, then—if you dare!—identifying with the various characters at the center of the drama.
o That’s a wonderful way to turn scripture into prayer—and today, as in Jesus’ day, to turn fear into faith.[4]
· One crowd sighed with relief as they saw Jesus leave, but another crowd was waiting to welcome Him when He returned home to Capernaum.
· In that latter crowd stood two people who were especially anxious to see Him—Jairus, a man with a dying daughter; and an anonymous woman suffering from an incurable disease.
o It was Jairus who approached Jesus first, but it was the woman who was first helped; so, we shall begin with her.
Mark 5:24–34 (NASB95)
24 And He went off with him; and a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him.
25 A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years,
26 and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse—
27 after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak.
28 For she thought, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.”
29 Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
30 Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceedingfrom Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My garments?”
31 And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”
32 And He looked around to see the woman who had done this.
33 But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.
34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”
· The contrast between these two needy people is striking and reveals the wideness of Christ’s love and mercy.
o Jairus was an important synagogue officer, and the woman was an anonymous “nobody”; yet Jesus welcomed and helped both of them.
o All the interest is focused upon Jairus and his urgent appeal to Jesus. He may have had contact with Jesus previously, since as synagogue-ruler he was a lay official responsible for supervision of the building and arranging the service. His request that Jesus should come and lay hands in healing upon his daughter reflects a common practice of the day.
§ What was unusual was his confidence that if Jesus would come, his daughter’s life would be saved. Jesus went with him, followed by the crowd.[5]
o Jairus was about to lose a daughter who had given him twelve years of happiness (Mark 5:42), and the woman was about to lose an affliction that had brought her twelve years of sorrow.
o Being a synagogue officer, Jairus was no doubt wealthy; but his wealth could not save his dying daughter. The woman was already bankrupt! She had given the doctors all her money, and yet none of them could cure her.
§ Both Jairus and the poor woman found the answers to their needs at the feet of Jesus (Mark 5:22 and 33).
o The woman had a hemorrhage that was apparently incurable and was slowly destroying her and, according to the Law, she was ceremonially unclean, which greatly restricted both her religious and her social life (Lev. 15:19ff). What a burden she carried!
§ However, she laid aside all arguments and excuses and came by faith to Jesus.
· There is a good lesson here for all of us. Not everybody has the same degree of faith, but Jesus responds to faith no matter how feeble it might be.
o When we believe, He shares His power with us, and something happens in our lives. Discuss and apply to your life.
Let’s look at questions we might have in this story.
· There were many others in that crowd who were close to Jesus and even pressing against Him, but they experienced no miracles. Why?
o Because they did not have faith.
§ It is one thing to crowd Him and quite something else to trust Him.
· Why did He not simply permit her to remain anonymous and go her way?
o For one thing, He did it for her own sake.
§ He wanted to be something more than a healer to be to her
He wanted to be her Savior and Friend
§ He wanted her to know that “ to be made whole” meant much more than receiving mere physical healing.
Jesus had given her spiritual healing as well!
o A second thought would be for the sake of Jairus. His daughter was close to death, and he needed all the encouragement he could get. The crowd was impeding their progress, but now this woman had to interfere and stop Jesus! When one of Jairus’ friends arrived and announced that the girl had died, no doubt Jairus felt that the end had come.
§ The Lord’s words to the woman about faith and peace must have encouraged Jairus as much as they encouraged her.
o Perhaps a third reason was that Jesus dealt with her publicly that she might have the opportunity to share her testimony and glorify the Lord.“Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy … He sent His word, and healed them …
§ Oh, that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” (Ps. 107:2, 20–21) No doubt some people in that crowd heard her words and trusted in the Savior; and when she arrived home, she already knew what it meant to witness for Christ.[6]
Mark 5:35–43 (NASB95)
35 While He was still speaking, they *came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?”
36 But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, *said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.”
37 And He allowed no one to accompany Him, except Peter and James and John the brother of James.
38 They *came to the house of the synagogue official; and He *saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing.
39 And entering in, He *said to them, “Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is asleep.”
40 They began laughing at Him. But putting them all out, He *took along the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and *entered the roomwhere the child was.
41 Taking the child by the hand, He *said to her, “Talitha kum!”(which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).
42 Immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded.
43 And He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this, and He said that something should be given her to eat.
· One can imagine the intense anxiety of Jairus during the interruption described in vv. 25–34. If he had such fears, they were confirmed when some callous soul appeared while Jesus spoke (35) to the woman and reported that his daughter was dead. Their question, Why trouble the Teacher any more? That implied that they thought Jairus was annoying Him. They had no expectation of a resurrection.
· Overhearing the word that was spoken (36), but ignoring the implication, Jesus quickly saith unto Jairus, “Do not be afraid; continue to believe.”
o How often Jesus rebuked fear and encouraged faith!
· At that point Jesus turned back the curious throng and allowed no one to accompany Him, (37), except the inner circle of Peter, and James, and John, his brother. The privilege of these three to witness this and other remarkable events (the Transfiguration, 9:2; the agony of Gethsemane, 14:33) was balanced by later responsibility.
o Peter was the chief spokesman at Pentecost;
o James early faced martyrdom;
o John exercised immeasurable influence as the apostle of love.[7]
This lesson and passages are stories of contrasts.
· There is the contrast between the despair of the mourners and the hope of Jesus. “Don’t bother the Teacher,” they said. “There’s nothing anyone can do now.” “Don’t be afraid,” said Jesus, “only believe.”
o In the one place it is the voice of despair that speaks; in the other the voice of hope.
· There is the contrast between the unrestrained distress of the mourners and the calm serenity of Jesus. They were wailing and weeping and tearing their hair and rending their garments in a outpouring of distress; he was calm and quiet and serene and in control.
· Why this difference?
o It was due to Jesus’ perfect confidence and trust in God. The worst human disaster can be met with courage and gallantry when we meet it with God.
§ They laughed him to scorn because they thought his hope was groundless and his calm mistaken.
§ The great fact of the Christian life is that what looks completely impossible with men is possible with God.
§ What on merely human grounds is far too good to be true, becomes blessedly true when God is there.
§ They laughed him to scorn, but their laughter must have turned to amazed wonder when they realized what God can do.
There is nothing beyond facing, and there is nothing beyond conquest—not even death—when it is faced and conquered in the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. [8] Discuss……
Spiritual Transformations
· Jesus’ actions show us that the death of a believer is not the end.
o He shows us that He has dominion over death. He comforted the bereaved parents by restoring their daughter to them.
o Jairus shows us the way to believe and hope in the face of the death of a loved one.
o Jesus restored to life only a few people during the days of His earthly ministry, but His resurrection testifies to His gift of His eternal presence with both the living and the dead in Christ. The professional mourners show us how not to seek to help bereaved people.
· Jairus came to Jesus asking that He come and save his dying daughter; Jesus went with him. On the way, messengers came to announce that the girl was dead and that Jesus need not come. Jesus, however, urged Jairus to continue to have faith. When they arrived at Jairus’s house, Jesus cast out the professional mourners. Then He went in to the girl and called her back from death’s clutches.
· In this lesson we are focusing on how to minister to others when their loved one is sick, dying, or dead.
o Prayer is the first step in every case!
o Second, faith and love can be expressed by acts of compassion. We can give the gift of our presenceand do what we can to help.
§ When we are the ones hurting, we can accept the loving ministry of others.
o When others are hurting, we can act to help and comfort them in every way possible: visiting; bringing food; house-sitting during funerals: expressing words of comfort: and sending cards, letters, flowers or memorial gifts.
Reflect and Discuss
1. Do you know anyone who came to Jesus in desperation, convinced He was the only One who could help? Have you ever felt that way?
2. Are you willing to be interrupted? If you are busy helping one person, will you still take the time to help someone who is hurting? How do you prioritize?
3. Have you known anyone whose initial interest in Jesus was misguided? What deliberate steps can you and your church take to lead such a person to saving, biblical faith?
4. What does the woman’s healing tell us about the role of physicians and the role of faith?
5. Jesus felt it when He took on the woman’s uncleanness and bestowed grace on her. How does knowing this affect your attitude toward the many times you have experienced forgiveness and grace? Forgiveness is free; is it cheap?
6. Jesus commended the imperfect faith of the woman. How can we be more encouraging of spiritual babes in our churches without condoning bad theology?
7. Have you ever been frustrated with God’s timing? Have you ever felt He waited until it was too late—but then He came through? Explain.
Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in Mark, ed. Daniel L. Akin, David Platt, and Tony Merida, Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2014), 115–116. (no citation #)
Thoughts in Closing
· Like Jairus, you might be riding high. Your business might be booming. Your marriage might be blessed. Your family might be growing. Your body might be healthy. But you don’t know what the next moment holds. Before the clock strikes midnight tonight, you might find yourself totally, unexpectedly in the middle of a major tragedy.
o You and I do not know what the next moment holds. You who are Jairuses right now, realize this: Like this man, the next moment might bring tragedy into your world.
· Conversely, if, like the woman, you have either been going through an endless stream of setbacks or one persistent problem, you don’t know what the next hour holds.
o The next moment might bring you a miracle of astounding proportion.
· Pondering this keeps me from complacency when I feel like I’m in Jairus’ sandals, and from despairing when it seems like I’m standing in the woman’s shoes.
o Both of their stories remind me that the Lord is my Shield and my Protector.
o If He allows difficulty, setback, or tragedy to come into my life, He will also be my Glory and the Lifter of my head (Psalm 3:3)[9]
Thoughts on Death as you go your way.
· The fear of death is a universal human reality (Heb. 2:15). Popular metaphors for death, from the grim reaper to the great unknown, reflect the apprehension that grips human hearts. The Bible, too, recognizes that people are afraid to die. Thus, Job 18:14 refers to death as “the king of terrors,” and Psalm 55:4 similarly speaks of “the terrors of death.” Throughout the millennia, people have tried to escape death but without success. Even advancements in modern medical science, as incredible as they are, can only prolong the inevitable.
· The universal reality of death raises a critical question: In all human history, has anyone conquered death and, in so doing, made it possible for others to triumph over it?
o The Bible answers that question with a resounding yes. There is a deliverer. He is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God (cf. Acts 4:12). As Jesus Himself said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die” (John 11:25–26). Elsewhere, Jesus reiterated that truth: “Everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40); “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (10:10); “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (14:6); “Because I live, you will live also” (14:19).
· The veracity of those claims was proven by Jesus when He personally defeated death by rising from the grave (cf. Acts 2:24–32; Rom. 1:4; 2 Tim. 1:10; Heb. 2:14; Rev. 1:18). The historicity of Christ’s resurrection is detailed by each of the four Gospels (Matt. 28:1–8; Mark 16:1–8; Luke 24:1–8; John 20:1–10), a fact corroborated by eyewitnesses, including more than five hundred at one time (1 Cor. 15:6). The gospel proclaims the truth that, in His resurrection, the Lord Jesus conquered death not only for Himself but also for all who would believe in Him.
· As a preview to His own resurrection, Jesus raised a number of people from dead during His earthly ministry, including the son of a widow from Nain (Luke 7:11–15), a man from Bethany named Lazarus (John 11:1–44), and the young woman mentioned in this passage (Mark 5:21–43). In so doing, He demonstrated His divine nature and power over death (cf. John 5:28–29). When the disciples of John the Baptist asked Him, “Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?” (Luke 7:20) Jesus answered by pointing to His power over disease and death: “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, [and] the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Luke 7:22).
· The events recorded in this passage form two final vignettes in a series of stories that reveal the power of Jesus.[10]
o Shalom, Shalom
[1]Robert J. Dean, Family Bible Study, Spring 2002, Herschel Hobbs Commentary (LifeWay Christian Resources, 2002), 97,105.
[2]Douglas Mangum, ed., Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament, Lexham Context Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020), Mk 5:21–24.
[3]Larry W. Hurtado, Mark, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2011), 86.
[4]Tom Wright, Mark for Everyone(London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004), 58–59.
[5]William L. Lane, The Gospel of Mark, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1974), 190.
[6]Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 126–127.
[7]A. Elwood Sanner, “The Gospel according to Mark,” in Matthew, Mark, Luke, Beacon Bible Commentary (Beacon Hill Press, 1964), Mk 5:35–43.
[8]William Barclay, ed., The Gospel of Mark, The Daily Study Bible Series (Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster John Knox Press, 1976), 136–137.
[9]Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 244.
[10]John MacArthur, Mark 1–8, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2015), 252–254.
