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Text: Luke 8:40-42, 49-56
This is about life meeting death. When a high-ranking religious official falls on his face before the LORD because his very young daughter is dead, his voice is drowned out by an unbelieving crowd. But the LORD hears him. And helps him. Let’s read the story and consider Jesus Christ’s power of life over death.
An approach to God that gets results (vss 41-42)
- Many people come to the LORD Jesus Christ because of their kids.
- There’s a crowd around Jesus here, but only two people are mentioned as getting personal attention from the LORD Jesus Christ. And it’s times like these that I wonder how the LORD Jesus Christ selected the people he would help.
- He’s a ruler in the synagogue. But lots of religious leaders in Jesus’s day were scolded or ignored by Jesus. Most of them were not treated the way Jairus was treated by Jesus Christ. God is not a respecter of persons, so Jairus’ position doesn’t allow him special attention from God. But his faith does.
- Consider that Jesus has cured diseases, calmed a storm, cast out devils from a homeless man and now he’s going to help a wealthy leader in the synagogue. Jesus has power over these natural things, but getting access to this strength is only by a humble and honest faith in the power of God.
- While there were parents of children who were afraid to identify with Jesus Christ because of the threat of synagogue leaders, Jairus’ concern for his social standing pales in comparison to his love for his daughter and his faith in Jesus Christ.
- This is a humble and honest faith that seeks the praise of God, not the praise of men. And this is what gets God’s attention.
- Some of you this morning are praying prayers into the air. You’re too proud to abandon your own ideas and actually seek help from the LORD. Consequently, no help is coming.
- Do I have to tell you how many times God gives grace to the humble?
- Do I have to tell you how God makes his home with the poor in spirit?
- Am I saying come down to the altar and fall on your face before God to get his attention? Maybe, but no. I’m saying drop all the attention-seeking from others and get God’s attention so you can get God’s help!
Temptation to despair (vss 49-50)
- Jairus’ only daughter is a twelve-year-old child who is dying. She hasn’t eaten in days and has been lying in bed with no hope of recovery. Jesus begins to follow Jairus but gets caught up in the crowd. His clothes are grabbed by a woman with a disease causing her to bleed out continually. Jesus addresses the woman at which time Jairus’ situation becomes even more dire. A messenger tries to privately pull Jairus aside and tell him his daughter is dead. There’s nothing he can do now. There’s no reason to continue to trouble Jesus.
- You want your faith tried? We don’t. But here’s how it’s going to be tried. When your voice stops being heard by people. Whether it’s the noise of the crowd that makes your voice insignificant or the towering situation that makes your voice insignificant. At some point it’ll be you and the LORD. And truly then, that’ll be faith. Because then your only audience is God.
- Jesus said when you pray go in your closet and do it secretly. That ensures your only audience is the Father. Jesus said when you fast, do it secretly. That ensures your only audience is the Father. When you give a large sum of money, do it secretly to ensure the only one you’re doing this for is the LORD. Why? Because that is what faith is. When you can truly say like Paul, God is my witness.
- The LORD reassures Jairus.
- Jairus hears the terrible news now that his daughter is dead. He stops for a moment to sit down and consider whether bringing Jesus all the way home with him will be worth it.
- Jesus responds, Don’t worry. I’m going to take care of this. Jesus isn’t saying, If you stop believing I may not be able to take care of this. Jesus is saying, Don’t worry. I’m going to take care of this.
- Maybe that’s where you are today. You feel like giving up because you’re not being heard. Stop making your kids, fellow Christians, your friends, your wife, your husband, your girlfriend, your boyfriend, and your enemies the audience. Start making the LORD your audience!
- Be kind because God is watching. Love because God is watching. Control your temper because God is watching.
Only the faithful get to see life overcoming death (vss 51-55)
- Jesus arrives at Jairus’ house and there are professional mourners there. The funeral home director and ministers are there. There are people singing funeral dirges and lamentations. Jesus says to them, This isn’t a time for all that. She’s not dead. Just asleep. The people wonder who this is speaking so ignorantly. They laugh, not HAHA comical, but they laugh almost in disbelief. Someone points out to Jesus that the girl is dead and he doesn’t need to give this poor family false hope.
- The problem is she’s dead and she’s asleep. Depending on who you are. If you’re the world with no power of God, then she’s dead. If you’re Jesus Christ with the power of God, she’s asleep. Everyone in Christ is just asleep.
- The LORD Jesus puts everyone out except Mom, Dad, Peter, James, and John. Why? Because these are the only ones who believe he has power over death. While the crowd was scoffing at Jesus, these five people were listening to him and hoping. They get to see the power of life over death!
- The spirit is far superior to the flesh. This is the message throughout the Bible.
- Spirit is willing flesh is weak.
- Spirit of man will sustain him when his flesh is weak.
- Now, God is a spirit. In fact, he’s the Father of spirits.
- Worship God in spirit and in truth.
- Jesus Christ is a man whom Paul called a quickening spirit.
- The only ones who saw were the faithful. LISTEN carefully! Faith doesn’t raise the dead. Jesus Christ raises the dead. By faith, you have access to the Jesus who raises the dead. He said, I am the resurrection and the life!
- Life over death
- Overcome evil with good
A personal God (vs 56)
- The LORD just told a man to go tell what great things were done to him. Now, he tells this family to keep silent about what’s happened. I believe it was because he didn’t want to be arrested before his time.
- Yet he shows compassion even at the risk of putting his ministry and himself in jeopardy.
- The LORD is a personal God who favors the faithful, and hears the specific prayers of his people.
