And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.- Mark 5:21-24 ESV

Warrior

What a great picture of these last days. Mark 5 has these 3 great Miracles.  Jesus frees the man who is demonized by a LEGION of Unclean Spirits.  Then Jesus is approached by one of the rulers of the synagogue Jairus.  What is interesting in Chapters 1 and 3 Jesus healed in the synagogue and was chastised by the synagogue leaders. Hear the Word of the Lord: Then Jesus and His companions went to Capernaum, and right away Jesus entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach. The people were astonished at His teaching because He taught as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. Suddenly a man with an unclean spirit cried out in the synagogue: “What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” But Jesus rebuked the spirit. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!” At this, the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and came out with a loud shriek. All the people were amazed and began to ask one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him!” 28And the news about Jesus spread quickly through the whole region of Galilee. (Mark 1:21-28) Once again Jesus entered the synagogue, and a man with a withered hand was there. 2In order to accuse Jesus, they were watching to see if He would heal on the Sabbath. Then Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, “Stand up among us.” And He asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” But they were silent. Jesus looked around at them with anger and sorrow at their hardness of heart. Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and it was restored. At this, the Pharisees went out and began plotting with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. (Mark 3:1-6) Now the one who criticized Jesus, was in need of Jesus. 

Leader, there was one group of people that Jesus seemed to be BOTHERED with, and by- while incarnate, and one group of people who always knew who Jesus was, and never doubted. Jesus was offended by no one, BUT the RELIGIOUS LEADERS. The one group who always knew who Jesus was? DEMONS! Jairus is part of the OFFENSIVE ones toward JESUS, and now HE NEEDS SOMETHING that only JESUS could do- Heal his daughter. The Love of Jairus toward His daughter compelled him to come out in public and BEG the MASTER to have MERCY and just TOUCH HIS DAUGHTER, so He could HEAL HIS DAUGHTER. Jesus agrees to go and heal Jairus’ daughter. Can you see the picture? There are throngs of people rushing Jesus, pushing against him and his entourage, wanting to touch Jesus. Why? Because of Chapter 3. Hear the Word of the Lord: Jesus asked His disciples to have a boat ready for Him so that the crowd would not crush Him. For He had healed so many that all who had diseases were pressing forward to touch Him. And when the unclean spirits saw Him, they fell down before Him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!” But He warned them sternly not to make Him known. (Mark 3:9-12) Word was out,” … just touch Jesus and you are healed, just touch Jesus and the Demons flee”. Jairus had a mission, get Jesus to his house ASAP, his daughter’s life was hanging in the balance. So Jairus is in front of Jesus and his entourage, yelling at people to CLEAR THE WAY, “MAKE WAY”, as he is working to get JESUS to HIS HOUSE, to his daughter- to save her life. In the Middle of this hurried activity, JESUS STOPS! “WHO TOUCHED ME?” Lord, who didn’t touch you, there are thousands thronged around you, what do you mean who touched you? But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your disease.” (Mark 5:33-34)

Conduit, thousands of people were crowded around Jesus. Thousands of people touched Jesus’ robe, and body while in a mob around Jesus, kind of like church on Sunday- But only one MOVED JESUS, stopped JESUS! Many people were touching Jesus, but THE WOMAN touched him with intent. Many thronged him, had CONTACT WITH HIM, but one REACHED out in desperation, no other OPTION, she BELIEVED! The 1st of the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount? “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. (Matthew 5:3) The MSG paraphrase says this, “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule”. In Hebrew, “poor” means both the materially poor and the faithful among God’s people. The poor in spirit are those who have the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and are totally dependent on God. Only one had FAITH that said, “If I could just touch His garment, my 12 years of isolation, loneliness, disappointment, let-down, hopelessness and helpless…If I could just touch Him all will be better!” Have you ever gotten to that desperate place? No matter what God is doing, He is waiting for us to get to that place, and He will STOP WHAT HE IS DOING, and reach out with an extended heart and touch us and heal us! When Jesus stopped for a moment from helping the powerful Leader of the Synagogue and save his daughter, Jairus got Word that His daughter died, Jesus was too late! It is written, “While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” (Mark 5:35-36) All hope was lost for Jairus, Jesus was late, and His daughter died. Our God is a DRAMA KING, more drama, more glory. This story is similar to the story of the delay with Lazarus. Jesus’ response when it was inferred that Jesus was late and COULD HAVE saved him if he would have been earlier? “So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.” (John 11:14-15) Jesus is never late; he is always on time. He is working all things together for the good of those who LOVE HIM and are called, ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE. Jairus’ daughter was RESURRECTED and brought back to life. IN this one moment, Jesus got rid of 12 years of loneliness and despair, hopelessness, and helplessness in the poor woman with the blood issue. At the same time, Satan attempted to remove 12 years of HOPE and JOY from Jairus’ family and his daughter. BUT GOD! There it is again, BUT GOD- had greater plans. He brought those 12 years of HOPE and JOY back to LIFE! God is waiting for you to NEED HIM, to BELIEVE IN HIM, to WALK AWAY from all others FOR HIM! Jairus was most likely kicked out of the Synagogue for following after Jesus. His life as he knew it was over. He was now a follower of Jesus Christ, AND he had his daughter! He has his Savior and He has his Faith! What about you? What do you want so badly, that you are willing to humbly accept, and follow the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings? The Time is NOW, DECIDE!