Marcos 5
Steven Cole · Citado em PreceptAustin
Marcos 5
Cole - Christ commands those whose lives He has transformed to proclaim it. If you’ve experienced His transforming power, then you’ve got to express it. It’s at this point that many of us fail. How do we communicate the changes Christ has made (and is making) in our lives? Most of us lack the personality or gift to go out knocking on the doors of strangers to tell them about Christ. I would never take a job selling stuff door-to-door. And, apart from the erroneous theology, I would never want to be a Jehovah’s Witness! Yet, clearly, the Lord has called us all to be His witnesses. So how can we do it? There are two very normal parts to proclaiming the message that every one of us can do: A. Exhibit a transformed life. People knew this guy as a naked, wild, violent maniac. But when they went out to see him, he was sitting down, clothed, and in his right mind (Lu 8:35). There was obvious change. Maybe you’re thinking, “But I wasn’t a naked, wild, violent maniac before I came to Christ. I was raised in the church. I trusted Him as a child. How can I show people that Christ has made a difference in my life?” There are many ways. Our attitudes should show people that we are Christians. Do you have a cheerful, thankful heart, even in difficult times? Or, do you grumble and complain? Paul says that if we do all things without grumbling or disputing we show ourselves as lights in this crooked and perverse world (Php 2:15). What about your words? Do you encourage and build others up, or do you tear them down? Do you use foul language or is your speech pure? And, what about your behavior? Are you self-centered or are you always thinking about others and how you can serve them? Do you live for the same values and goals the world lives for? Do you blend in with the world or do you stand out as distinct? If you walk in reality with Jesus as your Lord every day, your life will be a witness. B. Return home and describe what great things God has done for you. There are three things to note here: (1) How do you go? You go with obedience and zeal. It takes obedience. This man didn’t want to go home. He wanted to go with Jesus. Maybe he was a bit disappointed at first. But he obeyed. He had exchanged masters. Before, he served a destructive tyrant. Now he served a loving Lord. But sometimes our new Master asks us to do things we may not feel like doing. We must obey, if we want to be His disciple. It takes zeal. Jesus said return to your house, and Legion went throughout the whole city! Mark says that he went to Decapolis, which was a region consisting of 10 towns! He was zealous to tell others about what Jesus had done for him! Sometimes those of us who have been Christians for a long while need to stop and think about how much the Lord did in saving us and to remember how desperately those who are without Christ need Him. Legion was going to witness to normal people. They had never lived naked among the tombs. But they were just as alienated from God as he had been. So he eagerly told them of their need for the Savior. We need the same obedient zeal that Legion had. (2) To whom do you go? Go to your house. In other words, go back to the people who knew you before, to your family and friends, to the relationships that you already have. The New Testament pattern for evangelism is that you go back into your own circle of influence—family, friends, neighbors, job, school, common interest groups, and community contacts, and tell them what great things God has done for you. “Yeah, but they all know me!” That’s the point! That’s why they have to see your transformed life. You go back “clothed and in your right mind”! Live Christ before them and when they ask why you’re so different, tell them! (3) What do you say? Tell them your story and the gospel of God’s grace. Tell your personal testimony: “What great things God has done for you” (Lu 8:39). Tell how you met Christ, and what He has done in your life. All witnessing should have this personal element. Explain the gospel: Who God is, who Jesus is, how we have sinned against God, what Jesus came to do as the sin-bearer. A person needs to know the basic facts of the gospel before he can intelligently respond. Part of the gospel involves telling them who Jesus is. I don’t know whether Legion fully understood the deity of Jesus yet, but Luke wants his readers to make the connection. In verse Lu 8:39, Luke places the words God and Jesus emphatically at the end of the sentence to link them. The great things God had done were one and the same with the great things Jesus had done! Emphasize grace: Every false religion in the world and every fallen sinner by instinct tries to approach God through good works. If you try hard enough and do enough, maybe God will accept you. But Christianity is not a religion of works, it is a relationship of grace. Grace means that God freely gives His salvation to those who deserve His judgment, apart from any human merit. “But, Legion, didn’t you put on some clothes before you went to Jesus?” “No! I ran to Him just as I was, stark naked.” “But Legion, didn’t you clean up and hide your bloody wounds before you went to Jesus?” “No! I looked hideous.” “But Legion, didn’t you try to get rid of your demons before you went to Jesus?” “No! The demons were shrieking through my voice when I ran up to Him. He saved me just as I was, totally by His grace, not at all through anything I did.” That’s grace! Conclusion - John Wesley was once riding his horse, singing a favorite hymn, when a robber accosted him with the words, “Your money or your life.” Wesley obediently emptied his pockets of the few coins he had and then invited the robber to go through his saddlebags, which were filled with books. The disappointed robber was turning away when Wesley (who had much more presence of mind than I had when I was mugged!) called out, “Stop! I have something more to give you.” The robber turned back and Wesley said, “My friend, you may live to regret this sort of life you’re living. If you ever do, remember this, ‘The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses from all sin.’” The robber hurried silently away and the man of God rode along, praying that the word spoken might be fixed in the robber’s conscience. Years later, at the close of a Sunday evening service, a man stepped forward and asked to speak with Mr. Wesley. Wesley was surprised to learn that this was the man who had robbed him years before. He was now a well-to-do businessman, but, better still, he was now a child of God. God had used the words spoken that night in his conversion. Taking Wesley’s hand, he affectionately kissed it and said with deep emotion, “To you, dear sir, I owe it all.” “Nay, nay, my friend,” Wesley replied softly, “not to me, but to the precious blood of Christ which cleanses us from all sin.” Let me close by asking you the two questions again: To what extent are you experiencing the transforming power of Christ? Has He changed your life through His gracious gift of salvation? Is He continuing to change it as you walk with Him? To what extent are you proclaiming the transforming power of Christ? Are you looking for opportunities with those you know to tell them of the great things God has done for you and of the great things He will do for them if they will come to Jesus just as they are? Discussion Questions To whom is it easier to witness: a total stranger or a family member? Why? How can a person from a Christian home prepare a testimony when the changes since salvation haven’t been very dramatic? How can we help a “good” sinner to see his need for Christ? Is there a difference between making a decision to trust Christ and truly getting saved? If so, what’s the difference and how does this affect our witnessing? (Luke 8:26-39 Christ's Transforming Power) Tell Your Story Read: Mark 5:1-20 Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you. —Mark 5:19 An organizational consultant in New York says that his graduate students typically recall only 5 percent of the main ideas in a presentation of graphs and charts, while they generally remember half of the stories told in the same presentation. There is a growing consensus among communication experts about the power of the personal touch in relating an experience. While facts and figures often put listeners to sleep, an illustration from real life can motivate them to action. Author Annette Simmons says, “The missing ingredient in most failed communication is humanity.” Mark 5:1-20 gives the dramatic account of Jesus setting a violent, self-destructive man free from the powerful demons that possessed him. When the restored man begged to stay with Jesus as He traveled, the Lord told him, “?‘Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.’ And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled” (Mk 5:19-20). Take control of my words today, May they tell of Your great love; And may the story of Your grace Turn some heart to You above. —Sees Sharing the gospel is one person telling another good news. Tell It! Read: Mark 5:1–20 The man went away and began to tell . . . how much Jesus had done for him. Mark 5:20 The year was 1975 and something significant had just happened to me. I needed to find my friend Francis, with whom I shared a lot of personal matters, and tell him about it. I found him in his apartment hurriedly preparing to go out, but I slowed him down. The way he stared at me, he must have sensed that I had something important to tell him. “What is it?” he asked. So I told him simply, “Yesterday I surrendered my life to Jesus!” Francis looked at me, sighed heavily, and said, “I’ve felt like doing the same for a long time now.” He asked me to share what happened, and I told him how the previous day someone had explained the gospel to me and how I asked Jesus to come into my life. I still remember the tears in his eyes as he too prayed to receive Jesus’s forgiveness. No longer in a hurry, he and I talked and talked about our new relationship with Christ. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story. Psalm 107:2 After Jesus healed the man with an evil spirit, He told him, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” (Mark 5:19). The man didn’t need to preach a powerful sermon; he simply needed to share his story. No matter what our conversion experience is, we can do what that man did: “[He] went away and began to tell . . . how much Jesus had done for him.” What has Jesus done for you? Tell it! Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story. Psalm 107:2 The Best Argument Read: Mark 5:1-20 Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you. —Mark 5:19 As I talked with a skeptic about the moral standards of the Bible, I could tell that he remained unconvinced. Then I asked him if he knew any cruel, greedy people who had become kind and unselfish when they became believers in Christ. His demeanor changed abruptly when he admitted that he did know such people. I could tell that they were having a greater impact on him than he wanted to acknowledge. Many years ago the head of a rescue mission in London accepted the challenge to debate a well-known skeptic, but with this condition: He would bring with him 100 people who would tell how believing in Jesus had changed their lives. He invited his opponent to counter with witnesses to the benefits of unbelief. On the appointed day the believer came with his 100, but the skeptic never showed up. Even though we should be prepared to give a reasonable answer to a person who asks about the hope we have in Christ (1 Pet. 3:15), our Christlike character and conduct remain the strongest argument for our faith. In Mark 5, Jesus told the formerly demon-possessed man to go home to his friends so they could see what He had done for him (v.19). You may be tempted to debate To change another's view, But nothing speaks more powerfully Than what Christ did in you. —Sper When you know Christ, you'll want others to know Him too. When Jesus Comes In Read: Mark 5:1-20 Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction. —Mark 5:34 In 1932, as the US was undergoing a financial breakdown, missionary Robert Cummings was suffering an emotional breakdown. As he carried on his evangelistic ministry with his wife in India, he became obsessed by blasphemous and sinful thoughts so overwhelming that he felt cast aside by God and eternally lost. Hospital care and therapy were of no help. His wife brought him back to the US where he was placed in a private mental facility. For 2 more years Robert underwent indescribable emotional agony. Then one morning he knelt beside his bed begging for relief. God answered dramatically with the words of a poem by James Procter: My soul is night, my heart is steel—I cannot see, I cannot feel; for light, for life I must appeal in simple faith to Jesus. ((c) Renewal 1937 Hope Publishing Company). Play Jesus I Come Into my bondage, sorrow, and night, Jesus has come, Jesus has come; Bringing His freedom, gladness, and light— Jesus has come to me. By God’s grace we may have been spared from extreme emotional distress. But all of us can join in singing praise to the One who has come to bring peace to our souls. God's dawn of deliverance often comes when the hour of trial is darkest. Warren
Marcos 5
Cole says this poor woman "was perpetually ceremonially unclean." But she was about to be the center of attention of a miracle within another miracle! A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years - "A certain woman" (KJV). She did not only have a hemorrhage but had been suffering for twelve years. Quite a contrast (table) between Jairus and this nameless woman - "Jairus had enjoyed twelve years of delight; this poor woman had endured twelve years of despair." (Phillips) Had a hemorrhage is literally ‘being (present tense) in a flow of blood (the present participle describes a state begun in the past and still in effect in the present)." "It is not to be inferred that the woman had had an unchecked hemorrhage lasting twelve years: what is said is that she suffered from hemorrhage during these twelve years without being cured." (USBH-Mk) THOUGHT - This is a great picture of what sin does for you. It is a terrible disease. It is terminal. It is a tremendous drain. It takes away our life blood. Sin never gives, only takes. It never adds life, only diminishes it. Sin always takes you farther then you want to go; It will keep you longer then you want to stay; It will cost you more than you want to spend. Or as Samson learned at the end of his life, Sin will find you, blind you, bind you, & grind you. [Jdg16:21 So the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes(blind)… he was bound with bronze chains(bind) & forced to grind grain in the prison(grind)] (Brian Bell) Akin - she is probably unmarried and childless, 2 additional curses to her pitiful state. (Sermon)
Marcos 5
Cole - Whatever your problem, however great your sin, you can come to Jesus and know that He will treat you with compassion and kindness. As Isaiah 42:3 prophesied of Jesus, “A bruised reed He will not break, and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish” (see Mt 12:20+). Like a skillful doctor, He may have to wound in order to heal. But He always does it tenderly. He welcomes every sinner who comes to Him to cleanse his dirty wounds. Because Jesus is the sufficient Savior, you can know that He has adequate power to cleanse your sin. Because He is the sympathetic Savior, He will treat you with gentleness and understanding. You can know for sure that if you come to Him in faith, He will instantly forgive all of your sins, because He has promised it. You will be cleansed of all defilement if you lay hold of Jesus by faith. (Jesus’ Cleansing Power) Fell down (4363)(prospipto from pros = to, against + pipto = to fall) means to fall towards or upon something. Mark used this same verb to describe the unclean spirits who would fall down before Him (Mk 3:11+). Later, another woman fell down before Him, Mark recording "after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet." (Mk 7:25+) All NT uses of prospipto - Matt. 7:25; Mk. 3:11; Mk. 5:33; Mk. 7:25; Lk. 5:8; Lk. 8:28; Lk. 8:47; Acts 16:29 David Guzik suggests 6 reasons Jesus had the woman publicly confess... Jesus did it so that she would know she was healed. It is true that Mark tells us she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction, but this woman was like any other person. Soon she would begin to doubt and fear, wondering if she really was healed. She would wonder when the ailment might return. But Jesus told her “Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” Jesus called her out so that she would absolutely know that she was healed. Jesus did it so that others would know she was healed. This woman had an ailment that no one could see and that made her a public outcast. It would sound suspicious to many if she just announced that she was healed. They would think that she made it up just to be considered “clean” again. Jesus called her out so that others would absolutely know that she was healed. Jesus did it so that she would know why she was healed. When Jesus said, “Daughter, your faith has made you well,” it showed the woman that it really wasn’t touching the clothing of Jesus that healed her. Instead, it was her faith in Jesus and what He could do for her. Jesus did it because He didn’t want her to think she stole a blessing, that she could never look Jesus in the eye again. She didn’t steal anything; she received it by faith and Jesus wanted her to know that. Jesus did it so that Jairus could see this woman’s faith and be encouraged regarding his daughter. Jesus “called her out” to encourage someone else in faith. Jesus did it because He wanted to bless her in a special way. He called her “Daughter.” Jesus never called any other person by this name. Jesus wanted her to come forth and hear this special name of tenderness. When Jesus calls us forward, it is because He has something special to give us. The Best of All Places "Sitting at the feet of Jesus" Luke 10:39+ We learn in the Gospels of nine prostrations before the Saviour. 1, Wise men (Matthew 2:11+); 2, Jarius (Mark 5:22+); 3, Women healed (Mark 5:33+); 4, Syrophenician women (Mark 7:25+); 5, Peter, (Luke 5:8+); 6, The Leper (Luke 5:12+); 7, The Gadarene (Luke 8:28+); 8, The Samaritan (Luke 17:16+); 9, Mary (John 11:32). I. Mary Learned the Secret of His Person at Jesus Feet (Luke 10:42) Only at His feet can we be taught by Him. Cumbered and worried with much service we will never have time to be at His feet. If we have not time to sit there we will not have time to learn. II. Mary Learned the Secret of His Purpose at Jesus Feet (John 11:32) Only there could she understand why Lazarus died and why Martha and herself must be plunged into the deepest sorrow. To the grave she led him and there at the very place of deepest sorrow, came the highest joy. III. Mary Learned the Secret of His Passion at Jesus Feet This was revealed when she anointed Him for His burial. The secret was out and everywhere her testimony has been told. See Matthew 26:12-13. As I write this I help to fulfil the Lord's prophecy. Do you sit at Jesus feet? Have you learned these three secrets? - Ian Paisley At His Feet in Trouble "For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of Him, and came and fell at His feet" (Mark 7:25). There are four distinct persons described in the Gospel who came to the Lord in the time of their trouble and sought help at the Master's feet. 1. The first is that of the Syrophenician. This woman had a young daughter who was possessed of an unclean spirit. She threw herself at the Master's feet and besought Him in her daughter's behalf. Because she was a Greek, the Lord said unto her, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs." She answered and said unto him, "Yes, Lord; yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs." This woman was truly at the Lord's feet. She was willing to take her place with the little dogs gathering crumbs from beneath the table. No marvel that she received her request. 2. The next is Jairus. Jairus was a ruler of the synagogue. He had only one daughter about twelve years of age and she lay a dying. This ruler threw himself down at Jesus' feet and pled for his little girl. As he spake there came one from his house saying, "Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master." But Jesus encouraged him and said, "Fear not; believe only, and she shall be made whole" (Luke 8:50). What a beautiful picture! Jesus and Jairus walking together to the chamber where the dead lay. As they came along, those who bewailed and wept for the child laughed Christ to scorn, but the Lord Jesus said, "Maid, arise." And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway. 3. The third is that of the woman with an issue. She came and touched the hem of the garment of Christ. Even as Jairus lay at the Master's feet and as Jairus sought him in behalf of his little daughter, the woman thought within herself, "If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole." She touched and was healed of her plague. Jesus spoke to her and then she came and fell down before Him and told Him all the truth (see Mark 5:33). 4. The last instance is that of Mary, the sister of Martha and of Lazarus. Lazarus had been four days dead before Jesus came in response to the call of the two sisters. When Mary saw Him, she fell down at His feet saying, "Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died" (John 11:32). From the four instances above have we not learned the place to go to in the time of trouble? Whether it be in behalf of one who is sick or in behalf of our own great need or in behalf of one who is dead, the place for the troubled heart is down at Jesus' feet. David
Marcos 5
Cole points out several hindrance to faith were experienced by Jairus - "When Jairus came to Jesus, he believed that Jesus could heal his daughter. But there were several hindrances or hurdles that Jairus had to overcome. (1) I’ve already mentioned the hindrance of public opinion. What would the rabbis and others think of this synagogue ruler bowing before Jesus? There was also (2) the hindrance of his own pride and reputation, which he would have felt the need to protect. He also had to overcome (3) the hindrance of interruptions, as the woman interrupted Jesus on His way to Jairus’ house (Mk 5:25ff). Jairus must have thought, “Why did this woman have to touch Jesus now, of all times? Let her touch Him tomorrow! My daughter is dying! Every second matters!” Then his worst fears were realized as his friends came to tell him that his daughter had already died. (4) That’s another hindrance to faith: Well-meaning, but misguided doomsayers who discourage us from clinging to the only source of hope. What they say may be true—Jairus’ daughter was dead. But they never add the mighty power of Jesus into their calculations. With Him there is hope even when human hope is lost! (From Fear to Faith - Steven Cole) Died (599)(apothnesko from apo = marker of dissociation implying a rupture from a former association, separation, departure, cessation + thnesko = die) literally means to die off (that is, to die and thus be away from this earthly realm). Cp Mark 5:39, Mk 9:26, Mk 12:19, 20, 21, 22, 15:44 APOTHNESKO IN MARK - Mk. 5:35; Mk. 5:39; Mk. 9:26; Mk. 12:19; Mk. 12:20; Mk. 12:21; Mk. 12:22; Mk. 15:44 Trouble (4660)(skullo) in classic writing like Aeschylus skullō meant to flay, skin, to tear, mangle or, lacerate. The 4 NT uses are metaphorical, meaning to harass, trouble, weary, annoy, bother, weary (passive in Lk 7:6+ "trouble yourself"). The cognate skullon means spoil, plunder, booty as if torn or stripped off from an enemy (Lk 11:22+, Lxx = Isa 53:12, Zech 14:1) Matthew 9:36+ Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Mark 5:35 While He was still speaking, they *came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?” Luke 7:6+ Now Jesus started on His way with them; and when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof; Luke 8:49+ While He was still speaking, someone *came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore.” Teacher (1320)(didaskalos from didasko = teach) is one who provides instruction or systematically imparts truth. The teacher teaches in such a way as to shape will of one being taught by content of what is taught. The specific designation "The Teacher" is found in 9v -- Matt. 26:18; Mk. 5:35; Mk. 14:14; Lk. 8:49; Lk. 22:11; Jn. 3:10; Jn. 11:28; Jn. 13:14 and all but Jn 3:10 (Nicodemus) refer to Jesus. DIDASKALOS IN MARK - Mk. 4:38; Mk. 5:35; Mk. 9:17; Mk. 9:38; Mk. 10:17 QUESTION - Was Jesus a rabbi? GOTQUESTIONS.ORG ANSWER - It is clear from the gospels that Jesus had a reputation as a Jewish rabbi (Mark 14:45; John 1:38). Peter (in Mark 9:5) and Mary Magdalene (in John 20:16) both referred to Jesus as “Rabbi.” Moreover, the Jewish ruler Nicodemus thought that this title was appropriate for Jesus: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him” (John 3:2). Elsewhere, we see Jesus referred to as “Teacher” (Mark 5:35). According to John 1:38, Rabbi and Teacher are synonymous titles. A rabbi (literally, “my master”) is a member of the clergy in the religion of Judaism. Rabbis often function as leaders of synagogues where they provide instruction in the Hebrew Scriptures and Jewish traditions. Rabbis preach sermons, interpret the Old Testament, and perform other functions similar to those of Christian pastors. While Jesus was never part of the official temple leadership, He was still considered a rabbi because of His ministry of teaching. Even the Babylonian Talmud describes Jesus as a teacher who had students (Sanhedrin 43a). During the first century AD, the word rabbi was used in a more informal sense than today. In Jesus’ day, the title “Rabbi” merely signified that a person had a reputation as a wise teacher or sage. Gamaliel the Elder, who taught Saul of Tarsus and who is mentioned in Acts 5:34–40, is referred to in the Mishna as a rabbi: “Since Rabban [Rabbi] Gamaliel the Elder died, there has been no more reverence for the law, and purity and piety died out at the same time” (Sotah 15:18). We learn from John’s gospel that John the Baptist was also addressed by this title: “They came to John and said to him, ‘Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him’” (John 3:26). So it seems undeniable that Jesus was considered a wise teacher and thus could be properly categorized as a rabbi, as the term was used in Jesus’ time. It wasn’t until after the destruction of the temple in AD 70 that the title of “Rabbi” took on a more formal meaning for those who were ordained in the rabbinic movement. As time went on, the definition of rabbi continued to evolve. So, yes, Jesus was a rabbi, as defined in the first century, but today He would not hold the same title, as defined in modern-day Judaism. Don Francisco tells the story of Jairus' daughter in his powerful song Gotta Tell Somebody She kept on getting weaker as day dragged into day The doctors gave no hope for her; she seemed to fade away My hours were filled with constant dread; time became a knife That slowly and relentlessly cut the cord of life There was a teacher in the region then some of us had heard That He'd healed the paralytic by the power of just His Word So with hope again rekindled I went at once to see If I could find a man named Jesus from a town in Galilee I began to search the city and soon I saw the crowd They were pressing in to touch Him and they called His Name out loud But with the strength of desperation I pushed them all aside I through myself before Him and from my knees I cried "Lord, come and heal my daughter, even now she's close to death Her fever's uncontrollable, she fights for every breath But God's given You the power; life is Yours to give If you'll just lay Your hands on her I know that she will live" (She will live, she will live) Well, He'd just begun to go with me when a face I saw with fear Came towards me with the news I knew I didn't want to hear And although I tried to steel myself I trembled when he said "Why bother the Teacher anymore, your little girl is dead." Then Jesus touched my shoulder and He told me not to grieve" The trembling stopped when He looked at me and said, "Only believe" Then He sent the crowds away except His closest men And they followed right behind us as we started off again But we were still a long ways down the road when I heard the sounds and cries Of the mourners and musicians as they strove to dramatize My grief they had no business with beneath their loud disguise My wife just sat there silently and stared through empty eyes Then Jesus asked the mourners, "Why is it that you weep? She isn't dead as you suppose, the child is just asleep." It only took a moment for their wails to turn to jeers "Who does this man think he is? Get him out of here!" With authority I've never heard in the lips of any man He spoke and every sound rolled out with the thunder of command And in the sudden silence they all hurried for the door Wondering what the reasons were they'd ever come there for Then He called his three disciples that were with Him on the way He led them and my wife and me to where our daughter lay He took her by the hand; He told her "Child, arise" And the words were barely spoken when she opened up her eyes She rose and walked across the room and stood there at our sides My wife knelt down and held her close and at last she really cried And then Jesus told us both to see that our daughter had some food But as to how her life was saved, not to speak a word... Not to speak a word... I got to tell somebody I got to tell somebody I got to tell somebody I got to tell somebody I got to tell somebody, got to tell somebody, what Jesus did for me I got to tell somebody, got to tell somebody, what Jesus did for me I got to tell somebody, got to tell somebody, what Jesus did for me I got to tell somebody, got to tell somebody, what Jesus did for me THOUGHT - Does this song's ending not make you want to go and tell somebody what Jesus did for you? It should! So go and tell somebody what Jesus did for you! Why Trouble the Master? - Vance Havner Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? Mark 5:35. "The little girl is dead. It is too late now. Why bother the Master and take up His time?" Have you come to a place where the case seems hopeless, where the prospect is "dead"? That loved one for whom you have prayed so long seems in direr straits than ever. The hope long deferred now seems impossible. But Jesus had no funerals. And when the world says the issue is as dead as a corpse, remember that Jesus can break up funerals. We are so prone to give up and attend the interment of our hopes when God would raise the dead. Jesus said to the ruler, "Be not afraid, only believe." And so He says to you. When ordinary logic, when undiscerning friends say, "It is too late," be not afraid to "trouble the Master." Only believe.... All things are possible, Only believe! Never Too Late Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” Mark 5:36 Today's Scripture & Insight:Mark 5:35–43 During the anxious moments that followed my mother-in-law’s heart attack, she was fortunate to receive immediate medical care. Later, her doctor told me that treatment within fifteen minutes of a heart attack results in a survival rate of 33 percent for critical patients. But just 5 percent survive if treated beyond that time frame. On the way to heal Jairus’s desperately ill daughter (someone definitely needing immediate medical care), Jesus did the unthinkable: He paused (Mark 5:30). He stopped to identify who touched Him, and then spoke gently with the woman. You can imagine what Jairus was thinking: There’s no time for this, my daughter is dying! And then, his worst fears came true—Jesus appeared to have delayed too long and his daughter passed away (v. 35). But Jesus turned to Jairus and offered a word of encouragement: “Don’t be afraid; just believe” (v. 36). Then, calmly ignoring the mockery of onlookers, Christ spoke to Jairus' daughter and she came back to life! He revealed that He can never be too late. Time can’t limit what He’s able to do and when He chooses to do it. How have you recently experienced the reality of God’s timing? Why is it vital for you to rest in God’s sovereignty—acknowledging that His plans are the best? Jesus, help me to remember that You’re sovereign even over time itself, and that You’re never too late to accomplish Your perfect plans. Inconvenient Times I desire mercy and not sacrifice. — Matthew 12:7 Today's Scripture: Mark 5:21-43 A suicidal woman stood on a bridge in Seattle for 3 hours ready to jump. The situation created such a colossal traffic jam that some motorists, caught in the delay, began to curse the woman and screamed at her to jump. She did—and she survived the 160-foot fall into a canal. Many residents later sent flowers and cards to her in the hospital, apologizing for what had happened. But some of the angry drivers phoned the local newspaper and blamed the woman for not choosing a less-traveled place to end her life. People with urgent needs seldom intersect our lives at convenient times. Each situation demands immediate attention, often upsetting our own cherished plans. Jesus was mobbed by needy people as He walked this earth, and we can learn from His response to them. When Jairus begged Him to come and heal his daughter, Jesus went with him (Mark 5:22-24). On the way, when a woman interrupted the procession, Jesus stopped and took the time to speak a healing word to her (Mk 5:25-34). Lord, grant me a heart of compassion So burdened for others' needs, That I will show them Your mercy In attitudes, words, and deeds. —Fitzhugh Compassion never goes out of fashion. Interruptions The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations. —Psalm 33:11 Today's Scripture & Insight:Mark 5:21-34 My sister and I were looking forward to our holiday in Taiwan. We had purchased our plane tickets and booked our hotel rooms. But 2 weeks before the trip, my sister learned she had to stay at home in Singapore to handle an emergency. We were disappointed that our plans were interrupted. Jesus’ disciples were accompanying Him on an urgent mission when their trip was interrupted (Mark 5:21-42). The daughter of Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, was dying. Time was of the essence, and Jesus was on His way to their home. Then, suddenly, Jesus stopped and said, “Who touched My clothes?” (v.30). The disciples seemed irritated by this and said, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” (v.31). But Jesus saw it as an opportunity to minister to a suffering woman. Her illness had made her ceremonially unclean and unable to participate in community life for 12 years! (see Lev. 15:25-27). While Jesus was talking to this woman, Jairus’ daughter died. It was too late—or so it seemed. But the delay allowed Jairus to experience an even deeper knowledge of Jesus and His power—even power over death! Disappointment—His appointment No good thing will He withhold; From denials oft we gather Treasures of His love untold. —Young Look for God’s purpose in your next interruption. Mark 5:36 But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid any longer, only believe.”
Marcos 5
Cole - From Fear to Faith) The Call for Faith. - J D Jones "Fear not, only believe!" So simple are the words! So hard and difficult is the lesson they inculcate! "Fear not," He said to Jairus, when all Jairus' worst fears had been confirmed. "Only believe," He said, when there seemed to be no longer any room for faith or hope. And He speaks the same word to us, in our dark and troubled days; in the days when sorrows threaten us, and all our hopes seem thwarted and broken; in the days when our prayers seem to go unanswered, and Heaven seems deaf to our appeal. "Fear not, only believe." For in spite of all apparent silence and neglect, God never forgets. In spite of seeming delay, no prayer goes unanswered. "Fear not, only believe." Stick to your faith in God. Even though He slay you, continue to trust in Him, and your righteousness shall come forth as brightness, and your salvation as a lamp225 that burneth. The discipline of delay is hard to bear. But the delay is not due to the fact that God grudges to bless; it is because He has other and better blessings in store for us than those for which we ask. "Only believe," He said to Jairus, when his last hope seemed shattered. And was not Jairus' faith justified? Was it not worth while to believe? Was not his child, raised and restored, the justification of this appeal? And so, if in our darkest days we still hold to our trust, we too shall one day be gloriously justified. "I waited patiently for the Lord"—it is not easy to wait patiently—"and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God" (Psa. 40:1-3). "Only Believe" - Vance Havner (from "Don't Miss Your Miracle") - Different text but same principle When the father of a demon-possessed boy brought his son to Jesus, he said, "If thou canst do any thing...." Jesus replied, "If thou canst believe" (Mark 9:22, 23). There are no "ifs" about what God can do. The "if" is with us. Anything is possible within the limits of God's Word and God's will, our need and our faith. Believing God is not religious auto-suggestion. It is not the flesh engaged in positive thinking. It is the Christian, the one in whom Christ lives, taking God at His Word. God's Word and will, our need and our faith do impose certain restrictions. We often want what we do not need. God did not remove Paul's thorn in the flesh but He did something better, perfecting His strength in Paul's weakness. Within these limitations there are blessings innumerable if we only believe. Chanting, "I believe," does not guarantee results as though we had a magic password. Exploring God's Word we will discover blessings we did not know were in His will. And we need some intensive investigation of what we really need. There are rich people riding around in limousines who have never found out what they really need. And there are sickly Christians living on crackers and cheese when they have a standing invitation to the feast of the grace of God. What a shake-up in status there is when we find out what is ours now in Christ Jesus! Positive thinking will not do it unless we balance it with some good negative thinking that says "no" to the devil while it says "yes" to God. To put on the Lord Jesus and make no provision for the flesh is a good sample of true positive-negative thinking. "Only believe" depends on whom you believe and why. Fear Not—Only Believe Text: Luke 8:40-56 Mark 5:36 - David Cooper - Preaching Through the Year During his 1933 Inaugural Address, President Franklin Roosevelt sought to calm a troubled America in the throes of depression by saying, "There is nothing to fear but fear itself." Fear is a feeling of dread, alarm, panic and anxiety. Fear ranges from mild anxiety to panic attacks. The Psychiatric Association has categorized a variety of phobias, such as acrophobia, claustrophobia, agoraphobia. Research indicates that we are born with only two fears—the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. All other fears are learned responses. Fear takes on many forms—the fear of success, the fear of failure, the fear of rejection, the fear of disease, the fear of the future, the fear of life after death. Jesus described the last days as times of intense, worldwide fear (Luke 21:26). Fear produces negative effects. Fear paralyzes decision making, immobilizes action, hinders prayer, limits faith, restricts relationships, lowers productivity, jeopardizes health, stifles joy. Because of fear... • Adam and Eve hid from God in the Garden (Genesis 3:8-10). • Israel forfeited Canaan (Numbers 14:20-25). • Ephraim turned back in the day of battle (Psalm 78:9). • Saul's army fled from Goliath (1 Samuel 17:8-10). • Gideon lost 22,000 of 32,000 fighting men (Judges 7:3). • Elijah suffered depression (1 Kings 19:3-5). • Jonah ran from the call of God (Jonah 1:3). • The man with one talent buried it in the ground (Matthew 25:24). • Christ's disciples cried out, "Master, do You not care that we perish?" (see Mark 4:38). • Christ's disciples deserted Him at the cross (see Matthew 26:56). In a world of fear, God speaks: 'Tear not; only believe!" (see Luke 8:50). This was Christ's message to Jairus—"Fear not; only believe!" It's been said that fear is the distance between a man and God. Jairus was... • A devout man—upstanding in the community; ruler of the synagogue. Synagogues developed after the Babylonian Exile were ruled largely by Pharisees, while Sadducees were in the Temple. Perhaps he had heard Jesus speak in his synagogue. • A desperate man. When people get desperate, they get serious about God. He was willing to transcend his religious prejudice even to the point of going to Jesus. • A disillusioned man. He receives the worst news: "Your daughter is dead" He is down, his faith disappointed, his hope gone. Jesus spoke four profound, life-changing words: "Fear not; only believe!" Fear Not... Jesus Is With You. A little girl was awakened by the loud burst of thunder and the flash of lightning. She jumped out of bed and ran across the house to her parents' bedroom. "I want to get in bed with you and Dad," she told her mother. "Now sweetheart," her mother responded, "there's nothing to be afraid of. It's just a storm. Now go back to bed Nothing will harm you. Besides, Jesus is in your room with you. He'll take care of you." The little girl wouldn't move. She said, "Mother, you go in there and sleep with Jesus. I'm sleeping in here with Dad!" THE PRINCIPLES LEARNED FROM THIS ACCOUNT I. Accept the Validity of God's Promises A. At times, we focus more on the circumstances than God's promises. Looking at circumstances can cause fear, like Peter looking at the water when he tried to walk on it. He sank when he took his eyes off Jesus. When we keep our minds focused on God and His promises, we have faith, and that faith gives us perfect peace (see Isaiah 26:3). An astronaut was about to enter the spacecraft A news reporter asked him, "How do you feel about the mission you're about to take?" The astronaut replied, "How would you feel knowing that this spacecraft consisted of 140,000 parts, each supplied by the lowest bidder?" Now that's the kind of anxiety we feel when we look only at the circumstances. B. The promises of God are described in Scripture as... 1. Unfailing (1 Kings 8:56) 2. Assured (Romans 4:21) 3. Grounded in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20) 4. Great and precious (2 Peter 1:4) 5. Everlasting (1 John 2:25). Faith Through the Word. D.L. Moody said that he used to pray for faith. Then he read Romans 10:17: "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (NKJV). Meditating on Scripture will fill our hearts with the promises of God, which become the source and power of faith. II. Commit the Outcome to God Fear anticipates the worst possible outcome. Fear haunts us with the question "What if?" What if you fail? What if your health fails? What if you lose your job? What if the economy goes sour? Fear can be defined as "False Expectations Appearing Real." But faith knows our lives are in the hands of God. You've got to answer the question "What if?" with "I know!" Paul said, "I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able..." (2 Timothy 1:12, NKJV). Remember the promise of God in Deuteronomy 33:27: "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." A. Examples of those who trusted the outcome of their crisis to God: 1. Job in his suffering (Job 13:15) 2. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego facing death (Daniel 3:16-18) 3. Paul in prison (2 Timothy 4:6-8, 18) B. The prayer of Jewish children at night: "Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit" (see Luke 23:46). This was how Christ faced the cross. What or whom do you need to commit into the hands of God? Pray, "Father, into Your hands I commit____________________." You fill in the blank. III. Don't Doubt in the Dark What God Has Shown You in the Light This is Corrie ten Boom's definition of faith. Jairus had to deal with the divine delay (see Psalm 130:5, 6; Habakkuk 2:3). We, too, have to learn to wait on the fulfillment of God's Word. Fear sets in during the delay period between the promise given and the promise fulfilled. Jesus told Jairus that He would heal his daughter, and nothing was going to change that fact. Note other Biblical examples of those who waited on God in faith during periods of delay: A. Abraham waited 10 years for Isaac to be born, then was tested by God at Mount Moriah. B. Joseph waited 12 years in prison before his dream was fulfilled. C. Joshua and Caleb waited 40 years in the desert because of the unbelief of their generation, but they lived to possess the Promised Land. D. David waited for 10 years, being hounded by King Saul in the desert, before he was crowned king. As a fugitive on the run, he wrote: "The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?" (Psalm 27:1). E. The disciples waited 10 days in the Temple courts for the Spirit, who came with power on the Day of Pentecost. Remember the adage: "Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered, and there was no one there. "Only Believe" Mark 5:21-43 - Vance Havner - Reflections of the Gospels THERE is much comfort for us in the healing of the woman with the issue of blood (Matt. 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56) which is so interwoven with the healing of Jairus' daughter that we give here the scripture including both. This poor woman had the double aggravation of being ill and having spent all on doctors in vain, a circumstance familiar to many of us. Doubtless her faith was rather crude and perhaps mixed with some superstition, but it was such faith as she had, and she used it. The Word does not stress the quality of it (except to say that a little will work wonders, Matt. 17:20) but the object of faith, and since Christ was the object here, the blessing followed—as it always does. Our Lord called her back to make it clear that she had been healed through no magical virtue of His but because of her faith. "According to your faith be it unto you," He declared long ago, but still we do not believe it; we try roundabout methods to secure what comes only by believing. This was made clear in this same passage in the case of Jairus. He had summoned Jesus to help his daughter who was at the point of death. While our Lord dealt with the woman, someone came from Jairus' house saying, "Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?" Ah, that is always the attitude of this poor world. "My case is hopeless; why pray?" But our Lord answered, "Be not afraid, only believe." Would that we could hear Him today in the moment when all seems lost, when fondest hopes have perished, when dearest ones lie dead, saying still as still He does, "Be not afraid, only believe." No matter what your circumstance, keep your confidence in Him and He will do what is for the best. There come so many times when, through the voice of others, the evil one says, "What is the use in calling on the Lord? It is a dead prospect; why trouble Him any further?" But there never was a situation in which faith is not the victory. He may not raise our dead as He did then, but He will raise them one day; and there is no occasion to be afraid, for we know that all things work together for good to them who are His. So He went on into this "impossible" situation, and when He declared the maid not dead but only asleep, they laughed Him to scorn. Still the world laughs at Him as He moves among our "impossible" situations, our sorrows and broken hopes. "What good does it to trust in Jesus? What can He do for you?" But every day those who trust Him know that He still works His wonders if we only believe. Daniel Hill - But now notice how Jesus intervenes in the situation: The statement shows that while Jesus heard the report, he did not heed the report. The bad news was given to Jairus but now Jesus gives two commands to Jairus: Do not keep on being afraid. Only believe -Jairus had exercised faith in coming to Jesus and now Jesus is telling him to keep on having faith. The word believe (a verb) is the same as faith (noun). The object of faith is Jesus Christ and now Jesus Christ is telling him not to be afraid, only believe, have faith. Here is where we see the strong faith of Jairus. Under the pressure of death he kept on having faith. Now it is easy to have faith in christ, in his word, to trust God when everything seems to be going your way. But how about when the pressure is on. When all is at loss. Jairus was under the tragic pressure of just hearing that his daughter has died and yet we do not see him asking why, or falling apart, or getting bitter. And this is not because he did not have a great love for his daughter, but he had a greater love for his Lord and he listened to what the Lord said - have faith. (Mark 5) Be not afraid, only believe This exhortation has two sides-the negative and the positive. I. In its negative aspect. (1) it does not apply to the reckless and the ungodly, for there is never a period of their lives in which they ought not to fear. They have to fear-life and death, present, past, and future, earth and heaven, time and eternity. The very breath they breathe may be charged with its mission of judicial punishment; (2) but to those who are striving to live in accordance with the requirements of the Divine will. When the soul has found her foundation to be the Rock of Ages, and her rest in God; when the earnest of the Divine Spirit is received and felt as a quickening power, then there is no need for alarm. II. In its positive aspect. (1) it indicates a means by which we may obtain release from causes which justify fear. Christ is the central object of trust. He is able to save, and He is willing. Here is a strong and lasting foundation; (2) it is just the message needed by those who are turning away from the spirit of the world, who feel it cannot meet their wants when the heart stoops with grief, and when its fondest ties are being broken. It may be, that when they turn to God, great difficulties present themselves. Old habits are strong, the tendencies of the passions are earthward, and religion seems gloomy and unattractive. Besides, a deep sense of guilt and shame oppress the soul. Thus the trial of faith is severe. Still the remedy is simple. Trust wholly in God, and submit yourself to Him. “Only believe” is to acknowledge God’s power and one’s own helplessness. It is a thing of instinct and of reason. (W. D. Horwood.) Only believe I. Concerning this fear. 1. Fearfulness is common in applicants to the Saviour, and it springs from such sources as the following: (1) Ignorance of the power and resources of the Saviour. We may believe that He can heal disease, but doubt that He can raise the dead. (2) From morbid imagination of danger and of mischief. These we exaggerate. (3) Hardness of heart towards Christ’s chief display of love, especially that manifestation of His mercy which He has given by dying for us. (4) Then there is the memory and the consciousness of sin. 2. There can be nothing in the circumstances of an applicant to Jesus Christ to justify fear. Jesus does not reject you for sin, weakness, sadness-nothing is difficult to Him. He will do all at the right time. 3. Fearfulness when cherished is positively displeasing to the Saviour. It is groundless, dishonouring, injurious to ourselves. II. Concerning trust. 1. Trust in Jesus is His due. 2. It is not always easy. 3. Are you all applicants to Jesus Christ? “Be not afraid.” Trust for the knowledge which is essential to life and salvation. (S. Martin.) Believing I. THE PERSONS TO WHOM THE TEXT IS APPLICABLE. The case of Jairus. There was an evil he wanted to remove. A danger he wanted to prevent. A blessing he wanted to procure. 1. The first qualification of souls coming to Jesus is a sense of want, some evil to be removed, etc. 2. This sense of want brings us out of ourselves-out of dependence on mere external means. 3. The expression of our wants in earnest supplication. 4. Jairus came to Christ in faith. II. The nature of the delightful duty and privilege. 1. Fear is a painful feeling, arising from the apprehension of some evil. A man at the feet of Jesus need not indulge in tormenting fear, for there is no evil he is in danger of but he may be saved from-no blessing he needs but he may secure. “Fear not,” etc. 2. What is this believing-what is faith? Sometimes it is called looking, receiving, etc. III. The right you have to all the encouragement in the text. 1. If you have the sense of need, and if you are at the feet of Jesus, then you have an absolute, personal, Scriptural right to appropriate the salvation of God as your own. You are just where a sinner ought to be, etc. 2. You have a right because you comply with the invitation. 3. You are at the central point of all the promises. All “yea and amen” in Him. 4. Will you still indulge in tormenting fear? “Yes,” says one, “You don’t know what reason I have to fear,” etc. Enumerate the various sources of fear, and show that no sinner need fear who is truly penitent and at the feet of Jesus. (W. Dawson.) Only believe Mr. Moody was one night preaching in Philadelphia; near the pulpit sat a young lady, who listened with eager attention, drinking in every word. After he had done talking he went to her. “Are you a Christian?” “No,” she replied, “I wish I was; I’ve been seeking Jesus for three years.” Mr. Moody replied, “There must be some mistake.” “Don’t you believe me?” said the distressed girl. “Well, no doubt you think you have been seeking Jesus; but, believe me, it don’t take three years for a seeking soul to meet a seeking Saviour.” “What am I to do, then?” “You have been trying to do long enough; you must just believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.” “Oh!” said the young lady, “I am so tired of that word: ‘Believe,’ ‘believe,’ ‘believe!’ I don’t know what it means.” “Then we’ll change the word, and say, ‘trust.’” “If I say, ‘I’ll trust Him,’ will He save me?” “I don’t say that, for you may say ten thousand things; but if you do trust Him, He certainly will.” “Well,” said she, “I do trust him; but I don’t feel any better!” “Ah!” said Mr. Moody, “I see; you’ve been looking for feelings for three years, instead of looking to Jesus.” If the translators of the Bible had everywhere inserted “feelings” instead of “faith,” what a run there would be upon the book. But God does not say a word about feelings from Genesis to Revelation. With men “seeing is believing” but with the believer “believing is seeing.” An orphan child was once asked by her little friend, “What do you do without a mother to tell your troubles to?” “Mother told me to go to Jesus; He was mother’s Friend, and He’s my Friend too,” was the simple reply. “But He is a long way off; He won’t stop to mind you.” Her face brightened, as she said: “I don’t know about that, but I know He says He will, and that’s enough for me.” And should not that be enough for you and me? (Anon.) Only believe I. FAITH. It is faith that sends him on this errand; faith in Jesus as a healer, for at first his faith only reached thus far. But Jesus leads him on; and ends with realizing in Him the raiser of the dead. Faith often begins with little and ends in much; it begins with a trickling streamlet, and ends with a full broad river. II. FAITH GIVING WAY. Does not faith often fail thus? We can go to Him for a little thing; not for a great. Instead of feeling that the worse the case the greater the glory to His power and love, we stop short, and cease to expect anything from Him. III. FAITH STRENGTHENED. “Fear not,” etc. IV. FAITH VICTORIOUS. The victory is resurrection. V. UNBELIEF REBUKED. Excluded from the glorious spectacle. (Horatius Bonar, D. D.) True faith may falter on the brink of great blessing. - F B Meyer Thus it was with Jairus. When the messengers came from his house to say that it was useless to trouble Jesus further because his child's life had flickered out, it seemed as though he could not dare to hope that Christ would raise even from the dead, and therefore the Lord graciously bade him still believe. If only he would trust Him, the little channel of communion between them would be kept open, and through its narrow orifice the healing energy would raise even the dead. "Only believe," the Master said, "everything depends upon your not letting go your faith." Let us not look on the face of the child over which the death pallor has cast its ashen hue. Let us not think of the impossibility of summoning creature aid. But look to Him, rest in Him, believe in Him. It would seem as though our Lord's behaviour in the ruler's house was intended to strengthen his faltering confidence. As they entered they were encountered by the doleful music and shrill outcry of the Eastern mourners. These broke in upon the solemnity of death, and were in striking contrast with the majestic presence of the Life-giver, besides greatly interfering with the calm quiet of heart in which faith would most likely be nurtured. The noisy crowd were therefore sent forth with startling curtness. Was it not that our Lord desired to rebuke all hollow and tumultuous scenes, where unreality held riot, especially in the solemn presence of death? And did He not imply that the calm attitude of soul which is divested of the tumult of outward expression is the condition most conducive to faith? Next, He spoke of the child's death as sleep--not that He denied that she was dead, but that He desired it to be understood that death was not more to be dreaded than sleep, and that He could as easily awake her from the one as her mother from the other. He wanted to make as light as possible of death, that Jairus's faith might be encouraged; and the same end was served by the presence of Peter, James, and John, who had so often witnessed His mighty works that they would certainly expect Him to raise her, and their calm, helpful expectancy would do much to quicken the faith of the almost despairing parents. It is so that Christ comes to us. He longs for nothing so much as to quicken our faith. When it gives signs of faltering, have you not often felt His touch upon your hand, and heard His voice saying, Only believe? Have you not realised that He was minimising the difficulties by which you were confronted, as when He compared death to sleep? Has it not been your experience that in some moment of keen agony wise and true friends have been thrown in your way, who have nerved you to endure and believe? Sometimes it has been the voice of a little child remonstrating with your doubt, sometimes a leaf out of a biography, sometimes a letter written from some distant land, but timed to arrive in the darkest hour of your life! Your Lord knows "that all things are possible to him that believeth," and therefore lends His strength to keep your feet upon the track which they find so difficult, and which is so often veiled in the gloom. Let me urge you not to look at difficulty, but at Him; not to look down, but up; not to look upon the dead face of the child, but upon Him who stands radiant with life and glory beside her. What can He not do? For what emergency is He not sufficient? All power is His. "Behold," He says, " I am He that liveth and was dead: behold, I am alive for evermore. Only believe The circumstances in which our Lord uttered these simple but memorable words … Did He say this for the sake of Jairus alone? Nay, surely not! I take these precious words of our Lord, and now especially apply them to one who is seeking forgiveness, but who feels as if he need scarcely hope, as if he could never be a child of God, etc. If you have some such feelings, it is just to you I say, “Be not afraid, only believe!” 1. There are some, many, alas! and the Bible scarcely contains a word which I should not sooner think of addressing to them than, “Be not afraid!” O that I could make them be afraid! Who are they? Persons who are not, and perhaps never were troubled with fear about their souls. God is too merciful to cast them out, or they are not wicked enough to be lest, or they are sure to be converted before they die, or they can make up for past defects by good living for the future. 2. But to thee who like Jairus art troubled in heart and seeking help from Christ, and over whose hopes dark feelings pass, as if it was all in vain, all too late-to thee I say, “Be not afraid!” While a man remains indifferent as to his soul, the great deceiver seeks to persuade him that nothing is so easy as salvation; but the moment conscience becomes awake, and the man begins in earnest to ask, What must I do to be saved? the deceiver changes his voice. Now, nothing is so difficult, so impossible, as salvation. Before, it was too soon; now, it is too late. “Be not afraid, only believe!” (1) Be not afraid that the day of grace is past. Why are you thinking upon your soul? Because God is still calling you, etc. While you have one desire in your heart to say, “Lord Jesus, if Thou wilt have mercy on such as I, here I lay me at Thy feet, O save me!” your day of grace is not, cannot be, past. (2) Be not afraid that your sins are too many. I do not believe you have any idea how many they really are. But you must not think that they are greater than the mercies of God. 3. When He said to Jairus, “Only believe,” what idea did it convey? Simply, trust to Me. You are not walking with Him side by side; you cannot look into His countenance or hear the unearthly power of His words. But He is as close to you as he was to Jairus. When He said “Only believe,” the hopeless father had no alternative but either to feel He is not trusted, or to feel He will save her after all. Had he looked down to the ground, probably he would have felt the first. If he looked full into the face of Jesus, he would feel, He cannot lie: it seems impossible, but I must trust Thee. So with you. (1) Believe that He is able to save thee. Make out as bad a case against yourself as ever you can. In full knowledge of this, fix your helpless soul upon His atonement, upon His intercession. (2) Believe that He is willing to save you. The Lord has sealed His willingness with these words, “Him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out.” (3) Believe that He is ready to save you. “But I am not prepared”: He is. (4) Believe that He will save you. This you must do. The woman came saying, “If I may but touch the hem of His garment, I shall be made whole.” It was this faith that saved her. (William Arthur, M. A.) "BE NOT AFRAID, ONLY BELIEVE." Mark 5:36. - James Smith in Handfuls of Purpose I. Be not afraid— 1. That your sins are too many 2. That His love is too partial. 3. That His mercy is too shallow. 4. That your day of grace is past. 5. That the Word of God will fail. II. Only believe— 1. That He is able to save. 2. That He is willing to save. 3. That He will save. 4. That He does save. 5. That He has saved. Encouraging Words Mark 5:36 "As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe" (Mark 5:36). This was a pathetic case. A ruler of a synagogue came to Jesus about his daughter who was very sick. Some had discouraged the man and told him basically not to waste his time seeking help from the Lord. But he came to Jesus anyway and received a miracle blessing. We especially focus on the encouraging precepts Christ gave the man. Precepts often precede blessing (if you want the Lord to do something for you, He may first ask you to do something for Him). The precepts were twofold. One said to be not afraid, the other said to believe. These were not easy precepts to do but they would bring the blessing to the man. We apply them to Gospel salvation. FIRST—THE PRECEPT ABOUT FEAR "Be not afraid." When many come to Christ for the salvation of their soul, they do so with many fears about being saved. We note four of them here. • The fear of sinfulness. Do not fear that your sins are too many to be forgiven. Having you sins forgiven is not dependent on how many sins you have but on whether or not you ask Christ to forgive them. • The fear of sympathy. Do not be afraid that God's mercy is not great enough to save you. God's mercy and grace is not limited by our sins. It is limited only by our lack of repentance. • The fear of strength. Some are afraid they cannot change their life for the better after they have been saved. It is not you that will do the changing, it is God that will do the changing, just as He does the saving. Simply come to the Lord and ask Him to change you. He will! • The fear of slander. So many are so concerned about what others will think of them if they come to Christ. We need to stop being concerned about what man thinks of our actions and start being concerned about what God thinks. SECOND—THE PRECEPT ABOUT FAITH "Only believe." These are most encouraging words. "Only believe" says we do not have to cross the palm of God with a large sum of money in order to get salvation or do some great deed in order to be saved. Faith is all that is necessary. This opens the door to anyone. Anyone can believe. Many would be excluded if it required money or some great deed. Faith includes everybody. Believe that Christ can save you, believe that Christ will save you when you call upon him. Martin Luther was impressed by this great truth. He thought he had to do something such as penance to be saved when all that was required was faith. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God" (Romans 5:1) arrested Luther's heart and caused the great Protestant Reformation. Salvation is not by our works (Ephesians 2:8) but by the work of Christ on the cross. "Only believe." (John Butler - Sermon Starters) Only Believe! Read: Mark 5:21-43 Do not be afraid; only believe. —Mark 5:36 One day when Jesus was surrounded by a multitude, a distressed ruler of the synagogue named Jairus pushed his way through the crowd and fell at His feet. With great urgency he pleaded with the Lord to come to his house. His little daughter was dying, and he knew that the Lord could heal her. Jesus, who was full of compassion, immediately went with him. But on the way, a woman with a chronic disease “came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment” (Mark 5:27). Recognizing her touch of faith, He stopped to heal her. Just then Jairus received the sad news that his daughter was dead. Jesus, sensing his deep disappointment, said to him, “Do not be afraid; only believe” (Mk 5:36). Sometimes in our own trials of faith, we experience disappointment and despair. It appears useless to continue to believe. We may feel the need to take things into our own hands. We wonder, What’s the use of believing any longer? This is the point at which we are often defeated; yet this is also the time when victory is at the threshold. When nothing on which we can lean remains, When strongholds crumble to dust, When nothing is sure but that God still reigns, Then that’s the time we should trust! —Anon. Faith expects from God what is beyond all expectation. Mark 5:37 And He allowed no one to accompany Him, except Peter and James and John the brother of James.