Matthew chapter 9, we'll begin
in verse 18. And here we have another episode
of Christ in his earthly ministry, going about to heal and even
to raise a young girl, probably about 12 years old, from the
dead, who is known as Jairus' daughter. And it's really helpful,
I'll put in your lesson, to look at Mark's version of this, and
Luke's version, Mark and Mark 5, 21 through 34, and Luke 8,
40 through 48. They give us more information. And I put in here that Mark and
Luke were inspired by the Spirit to add more details to the historical
account. But there is no contradiction.
You know, a lot of people, they'll go to the synoptic gospels, which
is Matthew, Mark, and Luke. and they'll look at differences
in the historical accounts and they'll say, well, see there,
there's a contradiction. But there's no contradiction. What you have
in those situations is men looking at it from different angles.
You know, if you see an event happen from one angle and another
person sees it from another angle, you can describe the same event,
but you'll have different views of it. that don't contradict
each other, all are true, but it's just a different angle.
I've often said it like this, if somebody sees a car wreck,
you might be in front of it, somebody else might be behind
it, somebody else over to the side of it. But you gotta look
at the reason that Matthew does what he does, Mark does what
he does, and Luke does what he does, as they were inspired by
the Holy Spirit. And Matthew doesn't always put
things in chronological progression, because what his emphasis is,
he's seeking to simply relay the life of Christ on earth as
it appears from the Old Testament prophecies. You know, Matthew
always says, and this was done as it was fulfilled, as spoken
by the prophet so-and-so, prophet Isaiah or whoever. And he's wanting
to point to the Jews to show that this man, Jesus of Nazareth,
is the Messiah. Mark has his reason for his gospel,
but they're all the same. But we have some added information
in those two. And so when Matthew groups together
certain miracles and occurrences in the ministry of Christ, realize
his purpose. And it's not a contradiction.
Now the reason I entitled this lesson, The Role of Faith in
Salvation, is because of a phrase that Christ spoke when it comes
to the woman with the issue of blood. What we have here is two
miracles. We have him raising a young girl
from the dead, Jairus's daughter, as I said about 12 years old,
and then as he's going to Jairus's house, A woman, called the woman
with the issue of blood, she had a blood disease for 12 years
that caused her to bleed out, hemorrhage. She had it for 12
years. And she's the one, when Christ
was going to this man's house, and a great crowd surrounded
him, and this woman said to herself, if I could just touch the hem
of his garment, I'd be healed. And when she touched the hem
of his garment, she was healed. When Christ pointed out who she
was to the disciples, he said this, he said, thy faith hath
made thee whole. Thy faith hath made thee whole.
And when you see that, you know, in our day, well, it's been in
every age, people have a wrong view of faith, a lot of people,
not everybody, believers don't. What does that mean? Your faith
has made you whole. And most people look at something
like that and they say, well, if you believe it hard enough,
or if you believe it sincerely enough, or if you believe it
without any doubts, it'll come true. And that's not what that
means. Millions of people believe things
sincerely that are just not true. Think about false religion. Somebody
believes that God is going to bless me if I do what I'm supposed
to do. Well, that's not faith, that's
against faith. So we'll get to that in just
a moment, but let's look at verse 18. of Matthew chapter 9. It says, while he spoke, now
he's been speaking to the Pharisees and to others about issues of
fasting and prayer, things like that. He talked about, you know,
you can't put a new garment into an old cloth. You can't put new
wine into old bottles. We talked about that. And it
says, while he spoke these things unto them, behold, there came
a certain ruler. Now we learn from Mark and Luke
that this was a Jewish ruler, a ruler of the Jews, maybe on
the Sanhedrin court. That was a high position. So
this was a religious man. This was a man of authority.
And we also learn from Mark and Luke, his name was Jairus. And
so, but Matthew just says a certain ruler, and it was understood
that those who were Jews would read that and they would understand,
well, he's talking about a judge on the court of the Sanhedrin,
or Sanhedrin, how you wanna pronounce that. But look at what it says. This certain ruler, now you remember
Nicodemus was a certain ruler too. But look what it says, and
worshipped him. He worshipped him. Now what does
that tell you? That tells you that this man
knew who Jesus of Nazareth really was. Any self-respecting Jew
knew that you don't worship anyone who is not God. It would have
been blasphemy to worship any human being. It would have been,
they'd be accursed to do that. So we know this man knew Jesus
of Nazareth to be the Messiah, God manifest in the flesh. Because
you don't worship anyone but God. In fact, it was under the
law of Moses, it was a stoning offense to worship idols, to
worship human beings. So this man worshiped him. He
knew Christ to be the savior of sinners. the Lord his righteousness,
that's what he knew. And he said to Christ, he said,
he worshiped him saying, my daughter is even now dead. Now, there's
a little difference in Mark and Luke. Mark and Luke both said
that she was nigh unto death. One of them said near death. This phrase here could be translated
from the original near death. But it could be that she had
just now died and a servant came and told him. Apparently they
weren't very far from where he needed to go. But those things
are minor. She was dying and when Christ
got there she was dead. And he raised her from the dead.
So don't get caught up in things like that. People who wanna discredit
the Bible would look at that and say, well, see there, Matthew
says this and Mark says, no, it depends on the viewpoint. So that's what you need to understand.
And so here he is given reverence and honor to God manifest in
the flesh, and his daughter, his little girl, was near death
or had just now died, But understand, she was dead when Christ got
there. And he says, but come and lay thy hand upon her and
she shall live. Now that's faith. That's great
faith. He knew that if the Lord was
willing, he knew the Lord was able. And don't we know that
concerning salvation? God says, I will have mercy upon
whom I will have mercy. I'll be gracious to whom I'll
be gracious. We know if the Lord is willing
to save me, he can do it. He is able, he has the ability.
Now the Bible says that God is willing to save anyone and everyone
who comes to him by faith in Christ. Christ said he'll never
turn anyone away. I've heard people say when they
want to object or argue against the doctrine of election, they'll
say, well, it doesn't matter what I do. If I come to him for
salvation, if I'm not elect, he'll reject me. Oh, no. If you
come to him for salvation his way, that's an evidence you are
one of his elect. You are one of Christ's sheep.
Christ said, my sheep will hear my voice. I know them. He redeemed
them. He died for his sheep. What does
that mean? That means he put away our sins
and they cannot be charged to us. That means we're righteous
in God's sight based upon his righteousness imputed so that
any sinner whom God has given life from the dead who comes
to him, he'll receive Christ said, I will then no wise cast
them out. The problem is what? Man by nature
will not come to him. you will not come to me that
you might have life. Christ said, no man cometh unto
me except the Father which has sent me, draw him, and I'll raise
him up again at the last day. And how's the Father draw us?
In the power of the Spirit through the communication of the gospel,
which is the power of God unto salvation wherein the righteousness
of God is revealed. Paul said, I know your election
of God because The gospel came to you not just in word, not
just in words spoken, but in power. And what is that power? It's the power of God to bring
a sinner, a dead sinner to life and give that dead sinner faith
in Christ and true repentance of dead works. So that's what
we have here. This man knew the Lord God. And it says in verse 19, it says,
And Jesus arose and followed him and so did his disciples.
So here they are on their way to Jairus' house. And he's gonna
heal Jairus' daughter. He's gonna bring her to life.
Well, on the way, now look at verse 20. And behold, a woman
which was diseased with an issue of blood 12 years came behind
him and touched him the hem of his garment. For she said within
herself, if I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. Think about that. Now this is
faith too, great faith. And so she went into the press,
all these people around, and she made her way to him. And
she touched the hem of his garment. Now Mark tells us that she, and
I love this, this is in Mark chapter five, his version of
it. Mark tells us that she had suffered
many things of many physicians and had spent all that she had
and was nothing bettered but rather grew worse. I want you
to turn to Isaiah 55. Book of Isaiah chapter 55. Now there, we have a great description
of man's futile efforts in false religion to be saved. She'd been to many physicians
and spent everything she had, and she was worse off than before.
What a picture of false religion in the matter of spiritual life
and salvation. Isaiah here in Isaiah 55, listen
to verse one. Ho, everyone that thirsteth,
come ye to the waters, he that hath no money, come ye, buy and
eat. How you gonna buy without money?
He says, yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without
price. Something here's free, you see.
Wherefore, why do you spend money, for that which is not bread.
You're spending money for that which cannot feed your hunger,
and your labor for that which satisfies not. You're working
to a futile end. Hearken diligently unto me, eat
ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness."
That means health. Man by nature seeks salvation,
seeks forgiveness, seeks righteousness, seeks blessing in things, tries
to spend his works, his efforts, his decisions on things that
will not work. Just like this woman with the
issue of blood. Many doctors, much money, worse
off. I think about Christ when he
told the Pharisees how they go about trying to make converts
of the Gentiles. And he said, all you do is make
them twofold more the child of hell than you are. When you get
them and proselytize them and make them your disciples, turn
them into Jews, all you do is make them worse off than before,
just like the woman with the issue of blood. Well, what's
our hope? Verse three of Isaiah 55 says,
incline your ear and come unto me, the Lord God of glory, the
God of grace. Here in your soul shall live,
hear the gospel, hear the word of grace. the word of righteousness,
how God can be just and justify the ungodly. And I'll make an
everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
What are the sure mercies of David? That's the certainty and
the surety of all spiritual blessings that God's people have by his
grace in and by the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what it is. You know, When we think about
faith, the faith of God's elect, here's this woman back in Matthew
chapter nine, she said within herself, if I can just touch
the hem of his garment, I'll be whole. There was no magic
in his garment. You know, I think about that
movie, The Robe, have you ever seen that? The Robe? This slave had the robe of Jesus
that they cast lots for, and that robe was going around, and
people wanted that robe. The emperor of Rome wanted that
robe. He killed a person and laid the robe on him, thinking
it'd bring him to life. There's no magic in his robe,
his garment. And you remember when they found
what they called the Shroud of Turin, and all of that, they
thought, well, there's something there. Catholics really got head
up on that. Boy, we can make some money here.
You know, that kind of thing. It was fake. And even if it wasn't,
nothing to it. You know, they say they sell
pieces of the cross in the, quote, holy land, unquote. If it was
the real cross, what would it be? It'd be just a piece of wood. Put it in your fireplace and
get warm. That's all it was. You remember when, I think it
was King Hezekiah, when they found the brazen serpent that
Moses lifted up on the pole? I think it was either him or
Josiah. I can't remember. I think it was Hezekiah. But
he said, grind it into powder. People will worship it. These things that people get
so head up over. There was no magic in his robe.
But she believed that if she just touched the hem of his garment,
but it wasn't the garment she was after, it was the Christ.
He is the one. And great faith led her to believe
that if she could just come into contact with the great physician,
she'd be healed. Just like that ruler said up
here in verse 18. Just lay your hand upon her and
she'll live. Well, you and I both know that
in other places, he didn't have to lay his hand on her, he just
spoke. So that's not the issue. And in verse 22, it says, she
said within her hands, verse 22, but Jesus turned him, this
is Matthew 9, 22, but Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her,
he said, daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath made
thee whole, and the woman was made whole from that hour. I
preached a message on this a while back. I don't remember exactly
when. It may have been a couple of years. What is your faith? What is it? Is your faith wrapped
up in your sincerity? Is your faith wrapped up in your
immovable stand in a particular belief? Is that what faith is? In the Bible, the Lord tells
us that faith has to do with Christ himself in the glory of
his person and in the power of his finished work. Many people today Because of
the false gospel, the popular one that says that God loves
everybody, Christ died for everybody, now you've got to have faith.
The rest is up to you. You've got to make the difference.
Well, they have faith, but not this kind of faith, not the faith
that makes us whole. They have faith in their faith. I remember Brother Mahan used
to bring that. They believe in themselves. But that's not faith. That's
not biblical faith that makes us whole. Our faith is not in
our faith. Faith is a God-given revelation
from God that shows us who Jesus Christ is and what He accomplished,
His ability, His power, His willingness to save us from our sins. And
you cannot separate God-given faith from its foundation, which
is the Word of God, and its object which is Christ. Her faith was
not in her faith. Her faith was in the ability
and the willingness of Christ to make her whole. So what is
your faith? What is my faith? The Bible says
in Romans 1 17 that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation
because therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to
faith. from the revelation of God, the
knowledge of God, to that knowledge received. We don't believe in
ourselves. We believe in Christ. And that's
what this man, Jairus, his faith was in Christ. That's what this
woman with the issue of blood, her faith was in Christ. And
that kind of faith is not natural to people. The natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them.
That faith is a gift, for by grace are you saved through faith,
that not of yourselves, it's the gift of God, not of works,
lest any man should boast. So how do we judge the validity
of our faith? We judge the validity of our
faith by its object. Is my faith in whom I believe,
is it the true Christ of this book? Or is it a counterfeit? Or is it something else or someone
else? Is it myself? If I think I made the difference
between heaven and hell, then it's in me. Is my faith in the glory of his
person, who Christ is? This man worshiped him. What
does that tell you, what he believed? He believed that this is God
manifest in the flesh. The Messiah that was promised
all those years in the Old Testament. Is my faith in Christ's ability
to do what he said he could do? He's the Lord my righteousness.
Is he able to produce such a righteousness whereby God can be just to justify
a sinner like me? I can't produce it. My faith
does not equal it. But he can, and he did. And then
is he willing to save me from my sins? And he said, him that
come to me, I will in no wise cast out. You see, that's what
faith is. What is your faith? Her faith was not in her ability
to believe it, Her faith was in His ability to cure her. And that's a great picture of
salvation. We spend our lives in false religion
going to many preachers, many doctors, and we come out worse
than what we were before, confused, in idolatry. But when the Lord
God gives us faith under the preaching of the gospel, that
faith makes us whole because that faith is in Christ. the
great physician, the foundation and object of the ruler's faith,
the word of God in Christ, and this woman. Well, look at verse
23. When Jesus came into the ruler's
house and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, they
were already singing the funeral sad songs, the funeral dirges. He said to them, give place.
That'd be equivalent to us saying, get lost. Get out of here. For the maid
is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.
Well, they knew she was dead. He did too. But when the people
were put forth, he went in and took her by the hand and the
maid arose. Now we're told in Mark and Luke
that he took the mother and the father into the room And Peter,
I think Peter, James, and John, there were five people other
than him. And it said, when he took her by the hand, the maid
arose. Not only was he able, but he
was willing. And that's what a picture of
salvation, just like Lazarus. Lazarus, come forth. Over in
the book of, let's see, I think it's Mark, Mark said that he
made this statement, and he said to her, and he spoke these words,
I think it's Aramaic, Talitha cumi. Look at it in Mark chapter
five, verse 41. And what does that mean? It means,
I say unto you, arise. That's all he had to do. And
we know that all he had to do was think it. But he spoke. Because I think he's showing
here that the foundation of faith is the Word of God, the power. So I'll close out the lesson.
In her restoration into physical life, we see a great picture
of sinners quickened, given life by the power of Christ, by the
Holy Spirit in the new birth. And in this operation of the
spirit, God gives true faith in Christ for all salvation and
brings his people to repentance of dead works and idolatry. That's
the role of faith in salvation. Faith itself, believing itself
doesn't save us. But in that salvation where with
Christ heals us and saves us, he gives us faith to believe
and to rest in him. Okay.