Introduction

‘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. A large crowd followed and pressed around him.’ Matthew 5:21-24

Mark and Luke’s accounts again give us a little more detail about this event, Mark 5:35-43 / Luke 8:49-56.

Jesus and His disciples went on to the western shore of Galilee, Mark 5:21, and the view would have been amazing, and the pulpit was the boat, which wasn’t far from the city of Capernaum.

As we’ve already looked at, Capernaum was Jesus’ hometown. Matthew 9:1 calls Capernaum His own city. Matthew 4:13 tells us that He had left Nazareth, and was now dwelling at Capernaum, thus fulfilling the prophecy with regard to Zebulun and Naphthalin, Luke 4:16-31.

Christ ennobled Bethlehem by His birth, Nazareth by His education, Jerusalem by His death, and Capernaum by making it His home town.

Jairus was a ruler of the Jewish synagogue in Capernaum, a prominent and respected leader of the people, Matthew 9:19 / Mark 5:22 / Luke 8:41. His willingness to fall upon his knees before the Son of God emphasises the heartbreak which was crushing his soul, Matthew 9:18 / Mark 5:22 / Luke 8:41.

Think about his situation for a moment, here is a man who sits in the synagogue and hears all the plans and plots to kill this same Jesus, but he comes to Jesus because he obviously believes in who Jesus claims to be and can do.

There can be no doubt that many of his peers despised him for humbling himself before the Lord, but what a blessing he is going to receive.

Matthew uses the phrase, ‘my daughter’, Matthew 9:18, and Luke uses the phrase, ‘my only daughter’, Luke 8:42 whilst Mark uses the phrase, ‘my little daughter’, Mark 5:23. This tells us that this was not only his only daughter but his only child.

Notice Mark and Luke says she is ‘dying’, Mark 5:23 / Luke 8:42. Matthew quoted Jairus as saying, ‘she is even now dead.’ Matthew 9:18.

A Useful Timeline

When the father left the child, she was at her latest gasp, and he didn’t know whether to regard her now as dead or alive and, because he didn’t receive any certain knowledge of her death, he was perplexed whether to speak of her as departed or not, expressing himself one moment in one language, and at the next in another.

Jesus agrees to go with him, but it seems a large crowd had got in Jesus’ way.

On the way to Jairus’ home, Jesus heals a woman with bleeding issues, Matthew 9:20-22 / Mark 5:25-34 / Luke 8:43-48.

‘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 5:35-43

Mark and Luke’s accounts again give us a little more detail about this event, Mark 5:35-43 / Luke 8:49-56.

It’s possible that some of Jairus’ fellow rulers of the synagogue had been embarrassed by one of themselves appealing to the humble Prophet of the poor and there seems to be a kind of calloused argument here to the effect that, ‘Look, she’s already dead, and we all know that this Teacher cannot raise the dead, why bother with him any further?’ Mark 5:35 / Luke 8:49.

Whether or not this was exactly what they had in mind, it was certainly the attitude of their class. It’s as though they had said, ‘we are already proceeding with the funeral,’ Matthew 9:23 / Luke 8:52, which from Mark 5:38, it is plain to see that is what they were actually doing!

When Jesus said, ‘don’t be afraid’, Luke 8:50, He means, don’t fear for your daughter’s life, don’t fear the scorn of your peers, don’t fear that our purpose has been upset by this delay in healing the woman. Jairus was instructed to retain his faith.

When Jesus arrived at the house, He allowed only Peter, James and John to follow Him into Jairus’ house, Mark 5:37 / Luke 8:51. This marked a new milestone in Jesus’ ministry as already the abilities of these three had earned them a closer relationship with the Lord.

That relationship, however, wasn’t predicated merely upon ability, but upon the role, each of these would have in the future spread of Christianity.

James would set the grand example by being the first of the apostles to die for the faith, Acts 12:1-2. Peter would preach the first sermon, Acts 2:4-39. John would be the last witness and write the fourth Gospel.

Other instances in which these three were singled out for greater intimacy with Jesus were in the transfiguration, Matthew 17:1-13 / Mark 9:2-12 / Luke 9:28-36, and the Garden of Gethsemane, Matthew 26:36-46 / Mark 14:32-42 / Luke 22:39-46. The probable task assigned to the other apostles was that of controlling and dispersing the multitude, Matthew 9:25.

We are surprised to find so quickly the presence of the ‘hired mourners,’ Mark 5:38 / Luke 8:52, who were raising such a tumult in the house of Jairus, which might be explained by supposing some further delay necessitated by the dispersal of the multitude, during which Jairus had returned home and initiated this phase of the funeral himself, but this is denied by the fact that Jairus evidently remained with Jesus.

This leaves open the possibility that advance preparations had been made to become effective on the daughter’s death, or the additional possibility suggested under Mark 5:35, namely, that Jairus’ peers were proceeding with the customary funeral activities, the latter being the view accepted here, Matthew 9:23-26.

When Jesus says, ‘the child is not dead but asleep’, Matthew 9:24 / Mark 5:39 / Luke 8:52, He certainly didn’t mean these words as a denial that the daughter’s death had actually occurred, but it was His customary language regarding death, John 11:11.

In context, it also meant that He intended to raise her to life again. The attitude of the ‘professional mourners’ and the pipe players, Matthew 9:23 / Jeremiah 9:17 / Jeremiah 16:6 / Ezekiel 24:17 / Amos 5:16, shows conclusively that the girl’s death had indeed occurred and had been proven.

The scorners were put out by Jesus, the spiritual implications of this being profound and perpetual. Their conduct here denies any other status to them except that of hired performers at a funeral.

Scornful laughter is never the behaviour of broken-hearted friends and relatives, Matthew 9:24 / Mark 5:40 / Luke 8:53 / John 11:13 / Acts 20:10. Jesus’ questioning of the noise they were raising also supports the same conclusion.

Mark recorded the actual syllables that Jesus used in this calling of the little girl back to life, Mark 5:41. The words are Aramaic, supposed to have been the language Jesus used and from Peter who was present in that inner room, Mark remembered the very words that Christ used.

The words, ‘little girl’, Mark 5:41 / Luke 8:54, can also be translated as ‘little lamb’ which again shows the tenderness of Jesus’ voice to the young girl.

Jesus actually takes the young girl’s hand and tells her to get up, Matthew 9:25 / Mark 5:41 / Luke 8:54.

Both Mark and Luke record that Jesus didn’t want this miracle to be made known, Mark 5:43 / Luke 8:56. The reason for this was simply because He didn’t want the crowds to get excited, Matthew 4:24 / Matthew 14:1 / Mark 1:28 / Mark 1:45 / Luke 5:15 / Luke 7:17. Nevertheless, news about the event spread throughout that region, Matthew 9:26.

It is a strange coincidence that the age of this child, Mark 5:42, corresponded exactly with the twelve years of suffering endured by the woman, Matthew 9:20 / Mark 5:25 / Luke 8:43, suggesting some connection here that is not apparent to us. All commentators are intrigued by it, but none has a solution.

Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.

‘This miracle of raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead is the first resurrection recorded in the New Testament. There were three such wonders, forming a sequence.

1. Jairus’ daughter had been dead only a very short time.

2. The son of the widow of Nain had been dead longer and was being carried to the tomb.

3. Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days, Luke 7:12 / John 11. Christ considered raising the dead a part of his ministry, Matthew 11:5 / Luke 7:22, and he delegated the power to the apostles, Matthew 10:8. Peter raised Dorcas from the dead, acting under this commission, Acts 9:40.

Notice the theme that runs through the stories in this section of Mark.

Jesus can do what is humanly impossible.

1. The storm.

The disciples were desperate, but Jesus calmed it with a mere word, Mark 4:35-41.

2. The demoniac.

Though many had tried, no one had been able to bind or subdue him. Jesus expelled the demons with a word and the man returned to normal, Mark 5:1-20.

3. The woman.

No physician had been able to heal her though she had spent all her money in the effort. With one touch, she was completely cured, Mark 5:25-34.

4. The daughter of Jairus.

When one dies, all attempts to cure the sickness end, because everyone knows you can’t raise the dead. Jesus did, Mark 5:32-43.

Four times in this part of Mark, Jesus entered situations that were humanly impossible and emerged victoriously.