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In Christ, Mark
In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
While He was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before Him
and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put Your hand on her,
and she will live." Jesus got up and went with him, and so did His
disciples.
When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, He said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at Him. After the crowd had been put outside, He went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread through all that region.
Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26
When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, He said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at Him. After the crowd had been put outside, He went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread through all that region.
Matthew 9:18-19, 23-26
When Jesus had again crossed over by boat
to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around Him while He was
by the lake. Then one of the synagogue leaders named Jairus came, and when he
saw Jesus, he fell at His feet. He pleaded earnestly with Him, “My little
daughter is dying. Please come and put Your hands on her so that she will be
healed and live.” So Jesus went with him.
While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the
house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why
bother the teacher anymore?”
Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be
afraid; just believe.”
He did not let anyone follow Him except Peter, James and
John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue leader,
Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and
said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but
asleep.” But they laughed at Him.
After He put them all out, He took the child’s father and
mother and the disciples who were with Him, and went in where the child was. He
took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little
girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk
around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He
gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her
something to eat.
Mark 5:21-24, 35-43
Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed Him,
for they were all expecting Him. Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader,
came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with Him to come to his house because
his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.
While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the
house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t
bother the teacher anymore.”
Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid;
just believe, and she will be healed.”
When He arrived at the house of Jairus, He did not let
anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and
mother. Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop
wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”
They laughed at Him, knowing that she was dead. But He
took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” Her spirit returned, and at
once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Her
parents were astonished, but He ordered them not to tell anyone what had
happened.
Luke 8:40-42, 49-56
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Do the dead really come back to life?
If you asked the average non-believer this, they would probably look at you like you’re crazy. They would possibly say, “Of course, the dead don’t come back to life. That only happens in zombie movies or television shows like ‘The Walking Dead’. It’s a matter of fiction, not fact.”
Now, ask a Christian that same question and they should say with complete confidence, “Yes, the dead are brought back to life. In fact, it happens every single day.” Of course, they would be able to reply with such bold assurance because they know this verse that serves as the foundation for the gospel message of salvation:
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Do the dead really come back to life?
If you asked the average non-believer this, they would probably look at you like you’re crazy. They would possibly say, “Of course, the dead don’t come back to life. That only happens in zombie movies or television shows like ‘The Walking Dead’. It’s a matter of fiction, not fact.”
Now, ask a Christian that same question and they should say with complete confidence, “Yes, the dead are brought back to life. In fact, it happens every single day.” Of course, they would be able to reply with such bold assurance because they know this verse that serves as the foundation for the gospel message of salvation:
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that
whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Those who have placed their belief, faith, and trust in
Jesus will not perish. They have victory over the judgment of sin and death
because Jesus has already won that victory for them. Because of His
substitutionary sacrifice, Christians will live forever.
Further, one only needs to read the scriptures,
specifically studying the life and ministry of Jesus, to see that He possessed
the power to resurrect and bring the dead back to life. Such an example is
found in today’s passages from three of the four gospels and since all three
accounts are pretty similar, we’ll use Mark’s account and look at his words
again here:
When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake,
a large crowd gathered around Him while He was by the lake. Then one of the
synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at His
feet. He pleaded earnestly with Him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come
and put Your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” So Jesus went
with him.
While Jesus was
still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue
leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”
Overhearing what
they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
He did not let
anyone follow Him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they
came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people
crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion
and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at Him.
After He put them
all out, He took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with
Him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha
koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the
girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they
were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about
this, and told them to give her something to eat. Mark 5:21-24, 35-43
We know Jesus always seemed to draw a crowd wherever He went and this particular occasion was no different as He was “by the lake”. There, He was approached by a synagogue leader by the name of Jairus who fell at Jesus’ feet before pleading for Him to come and put His hands on his “little daughter” who was dying. Jairus believed that Jesus could save his twelve year old’s life and heal her with a mere touch as He had so many others.
Well, Jesus agrees to reward Jairus for His faith but
before He can depart, news comes to the synagogue leader that his daughter was
already dead and thus there was no need to bother Jesus. Imagine how the man’s
heart had to break at that very moment, possibly regretting he wasn’t able to
access Jesus earlier. We get a sense that he and the people who had come from
his home believed that death was the end and now that the young girl had died,
there was no hope that she could ever live again. I wonder what must have gone
through Jairus’ mind when Jesus said to him:
“Don’t be afraid;
just believe.”
And with that, Jesus went with Jairus to his home,
leaving the crowd behind with the exception of three disciples who would come
to be known as consisting of Jesus’ inner circle, three of the first disciples
He called: James, his brother John, and Peter.
As they arrived at Jairus’ house, they witnessed a great
commotion as people were in deep mourning. The scriptures tell us many were “crying
and wailing loudly” as Jesus addressed them saying:
“Why all this
commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.”
Well, the people stopped their wailing and crying, long
enough to laugh at Jesus, obviously feeling His statement was preposterous and
crazy. It was like they were silently saying to Jesus, “What part of dead are
you not understanding? How could the girl be asleep when she isn’t even
breathing?”
We get the feeling Jesus wasn’t amused at their laughter.
In fact, He knew He would have the last laugh and so He put them all out of the
home, leaving only Himself, Jairus and his wife, and the disciples present.
What happened next was nothing short of one of the
greatest miracles Jesus had performed yet.
For we read where “He took her by the hand” and said, “Talitha
koum!” which we’re told translates to “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”
And with that, Jairus’ young daughter immediately “stood
up and began to walk around” (she was twelve years old). Everyone present were “completely
astonished” but Jesus gave them “strict orders not to let anyone know about”
what had happened and asked the girl’s parents “to give her something to eat”. Once
dead, Jairus’ daughter was again alive and the scriptures tell us that news of
the miracle “spread through all that region”.
Friends, the good news of the gospel we’re commanded to share with others is rooted in the truth that Jesus resurrects and transforms. He did in New Testament times and He has done ever since. Those who are destined to death because they have not believed in Jesus spring to a new and everlasting life every day when they choose to accept Him as Savior. They become new creation in and through Him, leaving their sinful past behind and exchanging it for an imperishable future, the gift of salvation from God that is only found through His Son. And what makes this even more awesome is that those who are alive forever in Christ get to help Jesus in this process of bringing the perishing to hope through participating and fulfilling His Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).
Ask yourself this:
Friends, the good news of the gospel we’re commanded to share with others is rooted in the truth that Jesus resurrects and transforms. He did in New Testament times and He has done ever since. Those who are destined to death because they have not believed in Jesus spring to a new and everlasting life every day when they choose to accept Him as Savior. They become new creation in and through Him, leaving their sinful past behind and exchanging it for an imperishable future, the gift of salvation from God that is only found through His Son. And what makes this even more awesome is that those who are alive forever in Christ get to help Jesus in this process of bringing the perishing to hope through participating and fulfilling His Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).
Ask yourself this:
Is there any other undertaking any more important or any more
important than that, than helping those destined for terminal death to find a
forever life?
This question begs one more to close today’s devotion:
How well are you doing in helping Jesus bring the dead in
this world to life in Him?
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
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