Sermon #21                                                               Series: Mark

 

          Title:           TALITHA CUMI!

          Text:           Mark 5:21-24, 35-43

          Readings:  Office: Ron Wood   Auditorium: Rex Bartley

          Subject:     The Raising of Jairus’ Daughter

Date:          Sunday Evening - May 18, 1997

          Tape #       T-72

 

          Introduction:

 

Mark 5:21-24 - "And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea. (22) And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, (23) And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. (24) And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him."

 

Then, in verses 25-34, Mark describes the healing of the woman with an issue of blood. Imagine what a trial this was to Jairus’ faith. This man was distraught! His daughter was dying. Yet, the Lord Jesus stopped to heal a poor woman before going to heal his dying child.

 

· What compassion he showed!

· What patience he exercised!

· What self-denial he exemplified!

· What faith he practiced!

 

Often, that is exactly what the Lord Jesus does with us. He seldom answers our prayers immediately or in the way we expect. He requires us to trust him to do what is best. Jairus did just that. I do not doubt that all the time the events recorded in verses 25-34 were going on, Jairus was thinking about his dying child. Yet, he said nothing. He just waited patiently before the Lord Jesus, trusting that he who had moved toward his daughter would heal his daughter in his time. Once that lady was healed of her plague, the story picks up in verse 35.

 

Mark 5:35-43  "While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? (36) As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. (37) And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. (38) And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. (39) And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. (40) And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. (41) And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. (42) And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. (43) And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat."

 

          What a great miracle these verses describe! A dead girl is raised from death to life by the power of the word of the Lord Jesus Christ. Death is called, “The King of Terrors.” But here is One who is mightier than the King of Terrors. The Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ is he who has the keys of death and hell in his hands. He who is the Resurrection and the Life vanquished death by his death and resurrection as our Substitute. Soon, he will “swallow up death in victory” (Isa. 25:8); and, just as he raised this young girl from death to life, he will raise all the hosts of God’s elect from death and the grave to everlasting life in resurrection glory.

 

Proposition:      This story of the raising of Jairus’ daughter is here recorded by Divine inspiration for our learning and spiritual instruction.

 

          May God the Holy Spirit, who inspired Mark to record the details of this event, now be our Teacher, as we seek to learn the spiritual lessons taught in the raising of Jairus’ daughter from death to life by the Son of God.

 

I.     The first thing demonstrated most clearly in this passage is THE UTTER VANITY OF ALL ERTHLY, MATERIAL THINGS.

 

          “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity! saith the preacher.” Those are not the words of a frustrated, grumpy old man, but the words of the wisest mere man ever to walk the face of God’s earth. When Solomon considered all the things a man can possess and enjoy in this world of time and space, in this present state of things, he said, all earthly, material things are utterly vain and meaningless.

 

          Jairus was, in all likelihood, a man of tremendous political power and influence, and of considerable wealth. He as “one of the rulers of the synagogue.” Yet, his daughter, Luke tells us that she as his only daughter, lay dying. The apple of his eye, the darling of his heart, was dying; and she was only twelve years old. Go ask Jairus, How important is money? How useful is power, influence, and fame? If the world were yours for the asking, what would you want now? He will tell you, I want only one thing. I want the Son of God. I want him to come under my roof, to visit my family, to have mercy upon my only dear, dying daughter! Nothing else matters!

 

          I wonder if we will ever learn that nothing here is really of any value, significance, or importance. “The things which are seen are temporal!” Everything here is temporal. Therefore, I urge you and my own heart, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Children of God, ever beware of the “cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things!” Let us value nothing in this world more highly now than we will value it when we stand before God.

 

II.  Second, we see in this passage THE CERTAINTY AND UNIVERSALITY OF DEATH.

 

          Jairus’ daughter was only twelve years old. Yet, she died. Each of us must soon die. We will all die at the time appointed, by the means appointed, in the place appointed.

 

A.  For believers, death is a blessed rest.

 

          Our Lord said, concerning Jairus’ daughter, “The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth” (v-39). That is the same thing he said regarding Lazarus. You see, God’s elect never die. Did not the Son of God say, “Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die” (John 11:26)? Those who die in the Lord sleep in the arms of Jesus.

 

1.   Their bodies sleep in the earth.

2.   Their souls have entered into rest.

 

B. For the unbeliever death is the beginning of sorrow and woe everlasting.

 

Illustration: “He’s in hell now! You think he is better off!”

 

III. Third, in verses 23-23, we learn something about THE CHARACTER OF TRUE PRAYER.

 

Mark 5:22-23  "And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, (23) And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live."

 

          I do not pretend to be an authority on prayer; but I know that wherever there is true prayer in the heart of a man or woman before God, it has these five characteristics.

 

A.  Prayer arises from a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jairus “saw him!’

B.  Prayer bows to and worships Christ. Jairus “fell at his feet.”

C. True prayer is persevering and importunate. We read that Jairus “besought him greatly!”

D. True prayer is always importunate and persevering because it arises from a heartfelt, desperate need. “My little daughter lieth at the point of death.”

E.  True prayer arises from a heart of faith in the Son of God. “I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live."

 

IV. Fourth, in verses 35 and 36, we are taught THE REQUIREMENT OF GOD.

 

          The one thing that God requires and demands of us is faith. I am fully aware that faith is the gift of God and the operation of his grace in us. Yet, I also know that faith is what he requires of us. He requires that we “ONLY BELIEVE.”

 

Mark 5:35-36  "While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? (36) As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe."

 

A.  If you would be saved, “ONLY BELIEVE.”

B.  If you would honor God, “ONLY BELIEVE.”

C. If you would see the Lord God work, “ONLY BELIEVE.”

D. If you would see the glory of God, “ONLY BELIEVE.”

 

V.  Fifth, the Holy Spirit inspired Mark to record this event to show us THE OMNIPOTENT POWER OF CHRIST OUR SAVIOR.

 

Mark 5:41-42  "And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. (42) And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment."

 

          In this glorious miracle we are once more shown what Christ can do for dead sinners and how he does it. When God saves a sinner, when he calls a sinner from spiritual death to life and faith in Christ, this is what happens.

 

A.  He secretly sovereignly touches the dead soul by the hand of his omnipotent, irresistible grace.

B.  He calls the chosen sinner by the power of his Spirit through his Word.

C. The dead, being called by omnipotence, arises and comes to Christ.

D. Everybody who sees it is astonished!

 

1.   The living sinner is astonished.

2.   The observant saints are astonished.

3.   The confused religionists are astonished.

 

VI. Look at verse 43. I want you to briefly notice, in the sixth place, an evident display of THE LORD”S PROVISION FOR HIS SAINTS.

 

          He said, to those who stood by, Give her something to eat. The Lord Jesus has provided and continually provides food for the souls of his children in this world, by which he sustains us in life and causes us to grow in his grace.

 

Jeremiah 3:15  "And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding."

 

Ephesians 4:8-16  "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (9) (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? (10) He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) (11) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (12) For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: (14) That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; (15) But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: (16) From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."

 

VII. Lastly, we have in this passage THE PLEDGE OF OUR OWN RESURRECTION.

 

          As our Lord Jesus came to Jairus’ house and raised his daughter from death to life, soon he shall come again to this earth and raise us up to glory.

 

1 Corinthians 15:51-58  "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (54) So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. (55) O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (56) The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. (57) But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (58) Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

 

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18  "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. (15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. (16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words."

 

Application: How will it be for you n resurrection day, when all men must stand before the holy Lord God in judgment?