The Power & Compassion Of Jesus Christ Series

THE POWER & COMPASSION OF JESUS CHRIST

Mark 5:21-43

I was so proud of my little boy this Christmas. We went to our family gathering at my parents’ house and there was a pile of presents surrounding the tree. My children know by now that the good gifts are at Maw Maw & Paw Paw and Nana & Poppies house. Andrew was very excited about the gifts that he would receive. But before asking to unwrap his own gifts, he began to distribute presents that he had personally selected and wrapped for each of his cousins. He had put much thought into each gift and his face lit up as each one was opened.

Paul encouraged the people of Ephesus to “remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' (Acts 20:35) As Christians, we have received the greatest gift of all time; we have salvation through Jesus Christ. Not only are we blessed to receive this gift, we have the privilege and responsibility of sharing this gift. We should share Jesus with the world around us and especially those within our own household.

Mark tells us about a man who went to Jesus on behalf of his daughter. She was sick and at the point of death and he felt that if he could get her into the presence of Jesus that He could heal her. Spoiler alert: Jesus did exactly what this man hoped that He would.

I am sure that each of you has gone to the Lord on behalf of someone that you love. They were sick, possibly at the point of death and you knew that without God’s intervention they would die. Several of us could testify of times when God heard those prayers and healed our loved ones physically. While this is a great privilege that we possess, it is far more important for us to go the God on behalf of our loved ones concerning their spiritual condition. For if they do not receive a touch from the Master’s hand, they will die in their sins, and as a result they will face eternal condemnation.

Raising this little girl from the dead is a wonderful illustration of the mighty power of Jesus. He delivered this girl from physical death, and He has the power to deliver your loved ones from spiritual death. I would like to examine this passage and preach on “The Power & Compassion Of Jesus Christ.

It is important to note the compassion that Jesus showed this man. Jesus’ power would have meant nothing to Jairus’ if He had not been willing to go to where his daughter was and to heal her. There is no question that God has the power to save mankind. But the beauty of the Gospel is in the fact that God was willing to become man and to come where we are and to deliver us from sin and death! There is another important reality that is seen in the story of Jairus and his daughter. Jesus was able and he was willing, but Jairus received this miracle because he had faith in the Lord. That is true for us as well! God is able and willing to save us, but we are required to put our faith in Him! (Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God) I pray that you have come to the realization that Jesus is your only hope of salvation. If you haven’t, I pray that this is the day that you will!

- Look with me to verse 22 as we examine:

I. THE REALIZATION OF JESUS’ MIRACLE WORKING POWER

v22 And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet

Jairus was “a ruler of the synagogue”, this means that he presided over the elders of a local synagogue. These laymen were responsible for organizing the services and teaching the people in the synagogue. Synagogue services were very similar to our modern day church services. The people would gather for fellowship, prayer and the reading of scripture. Most of these “rulers of the synagogue” were Pharisees. And we know that Jesus was rejected by the overwhelming majority of the Jewish people. (John 1:11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.)

By this point in his ministry, Jesus had experienced much opposition from the religious leaders. The message that Jesus had shared and the things that he had done inside and outside of the synagogues infuriated the Scribes and Pharisees. This shows us that coming to Jesus was probably not an easy thing for Jairus. Turning to Jesus for help probably cost him some friends, but he was desperate. It is apparent that Jairus saw something that many others refused to see. This is evidenced by the fact that he humbly bowed at the feet of Jesus. Like most people in the region, he had heard of the amazing miracles that Jesus had performed. He was in a desperate situation, he was helpless and hopeless and willing to try anything if it meant that his daughter would be healed. Jairus realized that if Jesus could heal those multitudes of sick people, He could heal his sick daughter. His realization led him to seek Jesus and make a special request.