Sermon #53 Luke
Series
Title: “Maid, Arise!”
Text: Luke 8:41-56
Subject: The Raising of Jairus’ Daughter
Date: Sunday Evening --
Tape # W-42b
Introduction:
[Luke 8:41-42]
"And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of
the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would
come into his house: [42] For he had one only
daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But
as he went the people thronged him."
Then, in verses 43-48, Luke 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 43-48 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 49.
[Luke 8:49-56]
"While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the
synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the
Master. [50] But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying,
Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole. [51] And when he
came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and
John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. [52] And all wept,
and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. [53]
And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. [54] And
he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.
[55] And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded
to give her meat. [56] And her parents were astonished: but he charged them
that they should tell no man what was done."
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 Luke 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, “She is not dead, but
sleepeth” (v-52). 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 hall never die” (John
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 41-42, we learn
something about THE CHARACTER OF TRUE
PRAYER.
[Luke 8:41-42]
"And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of
the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would
come into his house: [42] For he had one only
daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But
as he went the people thronged him."
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 hat Jairus “besought
him!” Mark says, “Besought him greatly.”
D. True prayer is always
importunate and persevering because it arises from a heartfelt, desperate
need.—“She lay dying!” Mark’s account reads,“My little daughter lieth at the point of death.”
E. True prayer arises from a
heart of faith in the Son of God. – Jairus “besought him that he wold come
into his house.” --Mark tells us the man cried, “I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed;
and she shall live."
IV. Fourth, in verse 50, we are taught
THE REQUIREMENT OF GOD.
The one thing that God
requires and demands of us s 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 “Believe only!”
[Luke 8:50]
"But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not:
believe only, and she shall be made whole."
A. If you would be saved, “BELIEVE ONLY.”
B. If you would honor God, “BELIEVE ONLY.”
C. If you would see the Lord
God work, “BELIEVE ONLY.”
D. If you would see the glory of
God, “BELIEVE ONLY.”
V. Fifth, the Holy Spirit
inspired Luke to record this event to show us THE OMNIPOTENT POWER OF CHRIST OUR SAVIOR.
[Luke 8:51-56]
"And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save
Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.
[52] And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not
dead, but sleepeth. [53] And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she
was dead. [54] And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and
called, saying, Maid, arise. [55] And her spirit came again, and she
arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat. [56] And her
parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what
was done."
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 55. I want you
to briefly notice, in the sixth place, an evident display of THE LORD”S PROVISION FOR HIS SAINTS.
[Luke
8:55] "And her spirit came again,
and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat."
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
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?