With the Lord helping me this
morning, I would preach from the account that we have in Mark's
Gospel of the raising of Jairus' daughter. And we read the account
in chapter 5 from verse 22 to the end of the chapter. Now if
you'd like a specific text, then I think I would suggest the words
of the Lord Jesus Christ in verse 41 Talitha cumae Talitha cumae
which is being interpreted Zamzal I say unto thee arise as I say
I shall preach as the Lord enables from the whole passage and I
shall also refer to the other accounts which we have in Matthew
9 and in Luke 8. Now, as with the stilling of
the tempest and the deliverance of the men possessed with demons,
this miracle of the raising of Jairus' daughter is recorded
in the three synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Now, they are called synoptic
because the word synoptic comes from the Greek syn, or that's
S-Y-N, meaning same, and optic, meaning seeing. We get our word
optician, of course, from that word. Matthew, Mark and Luke
are synoptic, for they see and record, quite often, the same
things. As we said on a previous occasion,
when speaking of the skinning of the tempest and the deliverance
of the demoniacs, there are slight variations in the synoptic gospels,
but there are no contradictions. We see this in the accounts of
this miracle of the raising of Jairus' daughter. And I would
emphasize, again, that the fact that there are variations adds
to the credibility of these witnesses. In a court of law, where three
witnesses say the same thing, and there are variations in their
accounts, the matter is the more firmly established, because it
is evident that they have not got together beforehand to decide
what to say. There has been no collusion.
the witnesses are speaking independently of each other. And so it is with
these three evangelists. It is clear that they are speaking
independently of each other. There's been no collusion beforehand,
but the same spirit of truth has inspired each. Their witness
and testimony is credible. They are recording events which
actually happened. Now we see Three things here
in the inspired narrative. First, a dire need. And then secondly, a delay. And thirdly, a daughter raised. These should be our three headings
this morning as we consider this account of the raising of Jairus's
daughter. First, then we see a dire need. A dire need. and behold there cometh one of
the rulers of the synagogue Jairus by name and when he saw him he
fell at his feet 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
here is a man with a dire need who is this man? well we are
told that his name is Jairus and that he was one of the rulers
of the synagogue and behold there cometh one of the rulers of the
synagogue Jairus by name here is a man who clearly has some
authority he is a ruler of the synagogue and yet he believes
in Jesus later on in John's gospel we
read of those Pharisees who scornfully and scathingly asked, have any
of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? Well, here is
a ruler who believed on him. But how the ungodly would have
everyone think that no one in authority or with qualifications
believe what we believe? Have any of the scientists of
our day believed in a six-day creation? well yes there are
some actually are there any geologists who believe in the great worldwide
flood of Noah's day? yes there are actually are there
any church leaders who believe the doctrines you believe? well
yes there are some pastors and teachers even in our day who
hold to the doctrines of free and sovereign grace and particular
redemption Are there any Christians who are so precise and strict
and straight as you? Yes, there are a few in the narrow
way which leadeth unto life. Have any of the rulers or of
the Pharisees believed on him? Yes, here is one. And behold,
there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name.
And when he saw him, he fell at his feet. here is a man with
a dire need, what a need he had and besought him greatly saying
my little daughter lies at the point of death I pray thee come
and lay thy hands on her that she may be healed and she shall
live and we note this that although this man held a high position
a ruler of the synagogue although this man was in a position of
some authority yet trouble comes to his house great men are not
immune from trouble and sorrow and sadness death comes to the
houses of the great and the mighty as well as to those of men of
lower state in the revelation we read and I saw the dead small
and great stand before God all must die and stand before
God. Death is a great leveller. Mrs. Thatcher may have been a great
leader but she is like the rest of us now. King David said, Behold
thou hast made my days as an handbrake and mine age is as
nothing before thee. Verily every man at his best
state is altogether vanity. Sidon power, position, wealth,
riches cannot deliver a man from that solemn hour of death and
the judgment which follows neither can these things keep trouble
or sorrow or sadness from a man's house and we see here too that the
Lord may bring these things to a man or to his house in order
to bring that man to look to and to believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Do we not see it here in the
case of Jairus? It was this trouble that came
to his house that caused him to cast himself at the feet of
Jesus. Surely his testimony would be
like that was something like that of David's in Psalm 30 verse
6 and in my prosperity I said I shall never be moved Lord by
thy favour thou has made my mountain to stand strong thou didst hide
thy face and I was troubled I cried to thee O Lord and unto the Lord
I made supplication sometimes the Lord sends trouble
to bring us to our knees to cure us of our prayerlessness and
carelessness and we have that grand promise of the Word of
God and call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee
and thou shalt glorify me now see the trouble that came
to this man's house my little daughter life at the point of
death these words little daughter are
one word in the Greek and it's a term which expresses fond affection
my little daughter what love, what affection, what care, what
concern is expressed in these words Luke says behold there came a
man named Jairus and he was a ruler of the synagogue and he fell
down at Jesus' feet and he sought him that he would come into his
house for he had one only daughter about 12 years of age and she
lay a dying she's his only daughter how precious she is to him my
little daughter but she is about to die Matthew condenses the history
and he says that she is already dead my daughter is even now
dead but come and lay thy hand upon her and she shall live little
children should know that they are not
too young to die that little girl we are told was about 12
years of age and she died children young people you are not too
young to die but neither are you too young to be saved well this man then is in dire
need his daughter is about to die perhaps she's already dead
and he implores the Lord of life to come and lay his hands on
her that she might be healed and that she might live I pray
thee come and lay thy hands on her that she may be healed and
she shall live he believes that the Lord can do this he has faith
but his faith is not great for he thinks that this cannot be
done except the Lord is physically present and except the Lord actually
touches her His faith is not like that of the centurion, who
was a gentile, you remember, whose servant was sick. Remember
how the Lord commended his faith, there in Matthew's Gospel, in
chapter 8, in verse 5. And when Jesus was entered into
Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him and
saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home, sick of the falls, he
grievously tormented. and Jesus saith unto him I will
come and heal him the centurion answered and said Lord I am not
worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof but speak the word
only and my servant shall be healed for I am a man under authority
having soldiers under me and I say to this man go and he goeth
and to another come and he cometh and to my servant do this and
he doeth it when Jesus heard it he marveled and said to them
that followed verily I say unto you I have not found so great
faith no not in Israel Jairus' faith was not great faith
like that of the centurion but nevertheless the Lord condescends
to go with him a bruised reed shall he not break and a smoking
flax shall he not quench he will condescend to those of little
faith and even little faith shall gain
the victory and Jesus went with him the master will turn none
away who come to him in true faith out of a felt sense of
their need though their faith might be ever so small all that
the father giveth me shall come to me he said and him that cometh
to me I will in no wise cast out." Jairus was not cast out though
his faith was small and Jesus went with him then we see in
the second place a delay and this delay is occasioned by another
notable miracle which the Lord performed while he was on the
way to Jairus' house it is that of the healing of the woman with
the issue of blood We have the account here in Mark chapter
5 from verse 24 to verse 34. Now it's interesting that we're
told that this certain woman had an issue of blood 12 years.
About the same time that Jairus' daughter was born, this woman's
disease began. Do we not discern here the hand
of providence? The fictious power of chance
and fortune I defy. My life's minutest circumstance
is subject to his eye. But we're not going to look at
this miracle in detail now. We shall consider it only insofar
as it appertains to Jairus. We shall look at it as it were
from his point of view. Now Jairus is clearly desirous,
even desperate, that the Lord should come to his house straight
away. Jairus besought him greatly,
we read this is urgent saying my little daughter lieth at the
point of death this is an emergency and we read of a great crowd
following the Lord Jesus no doubt to see what he would do and much
people followed him and thronged him they not only followed him
but they also thronged him that is they pressed against him on
all sides and then suddenly the Lord stops and he turns around
we read in verse 30 and Jesus immediately knowing in himself
that virtue had gone out of him turns him about in the press
he stops in his tracks and turns around we can only imagine what
must have been going through Jairus' mind at this point my
little daughter life at the point of death why is he stopping?
why is he now looking in the opposite direction to my house? why is he looking the other way?
surely this was the trial of Jairus' faith even little faith
must be tried and Jairus is to learn patience he must learn
it through the trial of his faith and so must we and so must all who come to the
Lord Jesus Christ my brethren count it all joy when you fall
into diverse temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your
faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect
work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."
There is a purpose in the delay. Jairus' faith will be strengthened
and Jesus' fame will be spread abroad. The Lord's timing is
perfect. Jairus must trust in him and
look to him and wait patiently for him now the Lord asks a question
a seemingly bizarre question in the circumstances who touched
my clothes? then we read of how this poor
woman came and fell down before him and told him all the truth
we know that she's poor because Luke tells us that she had spent
all her living upon physicians neither could be healed of any
or the Lord will not turn away those of little faith and neither
will he turn away those of little means the poor of this world
and so Paul writes to Timothy of God our Saviour who will have
all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth
and all men of course means all ranks of men rich and poor subjects
and that is clear from the context there in 1 Timothy chapter 2
and Jairus witnesses the healing of this poor woman and Jesus
when he came out chapter 5 verse 34 as he said unto her daughter
thy faith hath made thee whole go in peace and be whole of thy
plague Jairus witnessed that so although there is a trial
of Jairus' faith there is nevertheless an encouragement for him in the
trial let us rejoice when we see the Lord answering the prayers
of others even though hours for a season seem to go unanswered. Let us take it as an encouragement
that he will perhaps hear us. Let the seeking soul not be discouraged
when he sees others granted gospel liberty. Seek him still. Those that truly seek the Lord
will not seek him in vain. Hear what the Lord himself says
in Isaiah 45 verse 19, I have not spoken in secret in a dark
place of the earth I said not unto the seed of Jacob seek ye
me in vain I the Lord speak righteousness I declare things that are right the psalmist could testify and
he sang it just now in the metrical version I waited patiently for
the Lord and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry." Well, but then there is a deeper
trial of Jairus' faith. 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? at first sight the delay seemed
to spell disaster there is now nothing that could
be done the girl is dead and remember at this point the
Lord had healed many people but he had not yet raised any from
the dead and it is clear that those who brought news of the
death of the child did not expect, they did not believe that Christ
could bring this child back to life to heal is one thing but
to restore to life one who has died is quite another why troublest
thou the Master any further? there is nothing that can be
done now what a blow this must have been to Jairus but see how
the Lord prevents the rising of unbelief in this man's heart
as soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken he saith unto
the ruler of the synagogue be not afraid only believe and so the Lord says to all his
elect in all their troubles and trials and sorrows and sadness
be not afraid only believe and it is through his word which
he speaks into their hearts that their unbelief is subdued and
their faith encouraged be not afraid only believe well let
us come now to the third point which is a daughter raised verse
37 and he suffered no man to follow him save Peter and James
and John the brother of James these three seem to have been
the inner circle as it were of the disciples they were chosen
to be witnesses of Christ's transfiguration in the mountain and they were
chosen to be witnesses of his agony in the garden and they
were chosen to be witnesses of Christ's first miracle of raising
the dead and he cometh to the house of
the ruler of the synagogue and seeth the tumult and them that
wept and wailed greatly and when he was come in he saith unto
them why make ye this ado and weep the damsel is not dead but
sleepeth the damsel is not dead but sleepeth
these words are surely spoken to give comfort to the grieving
parents the damsel is not dead but sleepeth the scriptures often
speak of death as a sleep for the believer For example, in
1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 14, For if we believe that Jesus
died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus
will God bring with him. 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.
for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout and
with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God and
the dead in Christ shall rise first it was written of Stephen in
the book of Acts you remember when he was martyred and he kneeled
down and cried with a loud voice Lord lay not this sin to their
charge and when he had said this he fell asleep Of course there is more than
comfort here in these words. There is intimated here a promise. There is surely implied in these
words that there is to be an awakening. The damsel is not
dead but sleepeth. The Lord uses similar language later on in
his ministry when he spoke of his friend Lazarus who had died
our friend Lazarus sleepeth but I go that I may awake him out
of sleep well as it was on that occasion
so it wasn't this those that were with him did not understand
him and so we read here and they laughed him to scorn Luke says,
and they laughed him to scorn knowing that she was dead oh
how often the doctrine of Christ is laughed to scorn by those
who do not understand it and by those who know nothing of
its power 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
the scorners are all put out The privilege of witnessing this
miracle is reserved only for those who believe. The secret
of the Lord is with them that fear Him and He will show them
His covenant. The Lord Jesus Christ shows these
privileged few the secret of who He is, that He is Jehovah
incarnate and He shows them His covenant which is a covenant
of life and peace. and he took the damsel by the
hand and said unto her Talitha cumae which is being interpreted
damsel I say unto thee arise now Mark is the only one of the
evangelists who gives gives us the actual words which Christ
spoke in his own language Talitha cumae and here I think is a remarkable
thing the only and eternally begotten Son of God who is God of God light of light
true God, a true God begotten not made of one substance with
the Father through whom all things were made He spoke a real human
language and He spoke with a real human tongue it appears from
this text that the Lord spoke Aramaic but although these words were
the words of a real human language although they were spoken by
a real human tongue there was a divine power attending the
utterance of these words and straightway the damsel arose in the person of Christ we see
two natures the human and the divine if Christ were a mere
man even a sinless man the child would not have been raised I'm
sure of that now it's true that both Elijah and Elisha raised
the dead but that was done immediately by the power of God in answer
to their prayers This was not the case here. This was done
immediately by the virtue of Christ's deity. Damsel, I say
unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose
and walked, for she was of the age of twelve years. And they
were astonished with a great astonishment. And he charged
them straightly that no man should know it, and commanded that something
should be given her to eat. She is to be given something
to eat. by this it appears that she is really and truly alive
and that she is not only alive again but that she is in good
health the Lord Jesus you remember showed himself alive after his
passion by many infallible proofs remember how he ate before his
disciples we read in Luke 24 verse 41 and
while they yet believed not for joy and wondered he said unto
them have ye here any meat? and they gave him a piece of
a broiled fish and of an honeycomb and he took it and did eat before
them so it is proved beyond all doubt
that this is a living child for she will eat Living souls will
eat as well as breathe. They breathe out prayers to God
and they feed upon His Word and they feed upon the Christ who
is revealed in the Word. Jesus said, verily, verily I
say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink
His blood, ye have no life in you. whosoever eateth my flesh
and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up
at the last day for my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is
drink indeed and the ministers of the gospel are commanded that
something should be given her to eat that is something should
be given to the living child to eat something should be given
to the hungry soul to eat that is the purpose of the ministry
of the Word of God Now, we've said before that miracles are
often called signs in the New Testament. Well, if this is a
sign, what does it signify? What does the sign point to? Well, I would suggest briefly
two things. First, there is signified here
the power of God in raising sinners who are dead in trespasses and
sins to new life. nothing but the almighty and
efficacious power of God can quicken dead souls into newness
of life as Paul writes to the Ephesians Ephesians 2 he says and you have
he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins in verse
4 of that chapter, "...but God, who is rich in mercy for His
great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in
sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace ye are
saved." It is through the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ that
sinners are brought to new life in Him. Jesus said, Verily, verily,
I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him
that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily,
I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall
hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall
live. Do you hear his voice? The damsel was not able to raise
herself. Neither can a sinner give himself
life. The unregenerate cannot give themselves a new birth.
No offer of life is made to this child for her to either accept
or reject. It would have been futile. She
had no will to accept an offer because she's dead. Christ does not plead with the
girl to awake He commands her! Damsel I say unto thee Arise! Matthew Henry says such is the
gospel call to those that are by nature dead in trespasses
and sins and can no more rise from that death by their own
power than this child could it is by the Word of Christ that
spiritual life is given. We see it in the Old Testament,
to give one example, Ezekiel 16 verse 6, And when I passed
by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto
thee, When thou wast in thy blood, Live! Yea, I said unto thee,
When thou wast in thy blood, Live! We see it in the New Testament, again in Ephesians, Wherefore he saith, Awake thou
that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give
thee light. Salvation is at the command of
God. Paul says, For God, who commanded
the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to
give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. And the implication there is
that as there was a command given in the beginning for the light
to shine, let there be light. So in the beginning of the new
creation, God commands the light of the gospel to shine in the
sinner's heart. Jesus said, and I know that his
commandment is life everlasting. Surely that is what is signified
here. And he took the damsel by the hand and said unto her,
Talitha cumae, which is being interpreted, damsel, I say unto
thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose
and walked. And the second thing that is
signified here, surely, is the future resurrection of the dead.
Here is set forth a token, as it were, of that which Christ
will one day do at the end of time marvel not at this for the hour
is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear
his voice and shall come forth They that have done good unto
the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto
the resurrection of damnation. Our articles state, we believe
in the resurrection of the body. both of the just and the unjust. But the just, the elect, shall
be raised up in glory and honor, and be openly acknowledged and
fully acquitted in the judgment day, before angels, devils, and
sinners, and made fully and eternally blessed, both in body and soul. and that the wicked shall be
raised up to be condemned, body and soul, to the unspeakable
torments of hell forever and ever." Now these are very solemn
things. When our bodies are laid in the
grave that is not the end of the matter. There are those who
think that they can do with their bodies as they please Well, the
scripture says that we must all appear before the judgment seat
of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in his
body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
There are those who think that they can dispose of their bodies
as they please. There are those who are calling
for the right to die. Assisted suicide, or assisted
dying as they like to call it now. which means that they want
it to be made legal for someone else to murder them or for someone
else to help them to accomplish their own self-murder by permission,
of course they think that they can finish with their bodies
get rid of their bodies and that once they're cremated that will
be the end of the latter they will see their bodies no more but our bodies are to be raised
again you know the scripture in Daniel and many of them that sleep in
the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and
some to shame and everlasting contempt it will not be the end of the
matter for the Christian who is begotten
again onto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead the prospect is glorious for our conversation is in heaven
for whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ
who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like
unto His glorious body according to the working whereby He is
able even to subdue all things unto Himself." Well in conclusion let us just
note this that the damsel arose and walked those who are quickened
to new life in Christ will walk in Christ as it is written in
the prophet Zechariah and I will strengthen them in the Lord and
they shall walk up and down in his name saith the Lord and this
is set forth in the ordinance of baptism of course therefore
we are buried with him by baptism unto death that like as Christ
was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even
so we also should walk in newness of life again Paul says writing to the
Galatians if we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit
if you were to go to Madame Tussauds in London you would see many
famous people At least they look like real
people. They stand like real people.
They have hair that looks real. They have real clothes. Their skin looks real. They're
wearing jewellery, real jewellery and so on. They look like real
people. I remember once when I was visiting
them I bumped into one of the guards there and I turned around
and said sorry and realised that it was a wax work they look so
real but of course they're not real
they're made of wax they do not walk and they cannot
walk because they're not alive well so it is in many a church
and chapel I fear there are those who look like Christians and
would appear to be Christians but they do not walk as Christians
if we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness
we lie and do not the truth but if we walk in the light as He
is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood
of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin In the Book of Acts we read,
Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria,
and were edified, and walking in the fear of the Lord, and
in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied. God grant that
it might be so with us. The Lord bless His Word to each
of our souls this day. And He took the damsel by the
hand, and said unto her, Taleth Akumai, which is being interpreted,
Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose
and walked. Amen.