#24: They Thought They Had Seen Everything Series

#24: They Thought They Had Seen Everything

Series: Acts

Chuck Sligh

July 26, 2020

NOTE: PowerPoint or ProPresenter presentations are available for this sermon by request at chucksligh@hotmail.com. Please mention the title of the sermon and the Bible text to help me find the sermon in my archives

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

INTRODUCTION

Illus. – In 2017, after 50 Super Bowls, many Super Bowl games had gone down in history as great games. There had been a number of notable comebacks up to that time. By then, most fans thought they had seen everything…until Super Bowl LI, that is.

That game had it all! Prior to the game between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons, most people viewed the Patriots as big favorites. But the Falcons came out strong, dominating the game on their way to a 28-3 lead. But Tom Brady had different plans, engineering the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, winning the game 34–28 in overtime, and securing his fifth Super Bowl ring, becoming the first quarterback to achieve the feat.

Fans thought they had seen everything, until Super Bowl LI in 2017.

I think the disciples must have felt this way in our story today. When they first met Jesus, they saw Him do and say things they had never seen before. He healed people; He had authority over and cast out demons; He taught—not like the Pharisees, but as one who had authority. Jesus did this time and time again until you get the feeling that the disciples were getting used to it.

Then in chapter 4, Jesus escalates the demonstration of His power. On the stormy sea, He says three simple words, “Peace. Be still,” and suddenly the wind and the sea and the rain instantly obey Him. Then He casts out not one demon, but a great host of them in one man, perhaps as many as 2,000 of them and sends them into a heard of 2,000 pigs, only for them to plummet to their deaths in the sea. In these incidents, Jesus exhibited a level of authority and power way beyond anything they had ever seen, nor would they ever have imagined them to be in Jesus’ power to do.

Then, just when they thought they had seen everything, Jesus tops even those extraordinary miracles in today’s story.

You’ll recall from last Sunday’s sermon that a ruler of the Galilee synagogue named Jairus came running up to Jesus, prostrating Himself before Him and begging Him to come to heal his 12-year-old daughter who was at the point of death. Jesus went with Jairus to his house without so much as a word. A crowd surrounded Jesus and Jairus as they wound their way through the narrow streets of Galilee, slowing down their progress.

Then Mark tells us of a woman who had had a hemorrhage of blood for twelve years. In faith, she thought that if she could just touch Jesus’ garment, she would be healed. She was able to touch Jesus’ robe and was instantly healed, but this caused Jesus to stop and ask who had touched Him—another delay for distraught Jairus! The woman came forward, and frustratingly “told Him the whole truth” for who knows how long. All the while, time was ticking on Jairus’s daughter!

That’s where we pick up the story now in Mark 5:35.

I. NOTICE FIRST, IN VERSES 35-36, JESUS REINFORCED JAIRUS’S FAITH. –