year 2 day 119

Year 2 Day 119

Pray (AC-ts)

Read Mark 5:21-24

Message Alan Burke

Statistics are wonderful things, you need to collect, organise, analysis, interpret and present the data that you have gathered. They are often used as the final word whether something is true or not but it’s not that simple. Anyhow the reason I start with this is because I have a statistic, it’s not something people like talking about, it’s not something you likely want me to tell you but you are going to die. 1 in 1 of the population of this earth will die. There is a 100% certainty that its coming to all of us. Next time you’re at a birthday party try after everyone has sang Happy Birthday getting everyone attention and saying ‘we’re all going to die’, and the likelihood is it will be the last time you’re invited to anything. As we come to this passage in Mark’s gospel we are faced with a long term illness and a terminal diagnosis, a woman who had been suffering for twelve years and a twelve year old girl lying dying and here we see Jesus power over spiritual death and physical death. 

Here we are told that Jesus returns from the other side of the lake. Once more he’s greeted with the large crowd, there’s nothing surprising here, it’s a scene that has been repeated time and time again in Mark’s gospel, crowds coming out to Jesus. What is surprising though is the one who comes among the crowd. Falling at the feet of Jesus was one of the synagogue rulers. Jairus, would have been from a well to do, respected family, he would have had the oversight of all that took place in the Synagogue, and because of his position, his wealth and status, if you had a problem, you would have went to Jairus. 

What makes this so surprising is that well think back to the last time that we are told of Jesus being in the synagogue, if you want to turn to it, it’s chapter 3:6. Jesus there heals the man with a withered hand and the pharisees went out and begin to plot… that they might kill Jesus (3:6). Now this man, the ruler of the synagogue is coming to Jesus. Jairus knew who Jesus was, even if he wasn’t the synagogue that he ruled over where Jesus healed the man with the withered hand, he would have known of Jesus. He was a member of the Jewish estsablismet and on a whole they were hostile towards Jesus, and yet this man came to Jesus. 

As he did, he fell at the feet of Jesus, he pleaded earnestly with him for his little daughter is dying. This man had wealth and status, who was possibly hostile towards Jesus had no where else to turn. In the midst of this intensely emotional scene, with crowds of people gathering around Jesus, pushing in to get close to him, to touch him, there Jairus is before Jesus, on his knees pleading for the life of his daughter. He is pleading that Jesus would come, put his hands on her, believing that if Jesus did this, she would be healed and live, he turned to the only place that there was for him to be helped. 

Likewise for us, we may not see ourselves as dying but since the moment we were born we’ve been slowly decaying and in this life and in death salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). If you have trusted in the Saviour then no matter what lies ahead in this life or the next you have hope, and at death, you will be made perfect in holiness (Heb 12:23), immediately pass into glory (2 Cor. 5:1,6,8, Phil. 1:23, Luke 23:43) awaiting the resurrection. (Job 19:26–27). 

Pray (ac-TS)

Sing

WSC 
Q11 What are God’ s works of providence?
God’ s works of providence are, his most holy, (Ps. 145:17) wise, (Ps. 104:24, Isa. 28:29) and powerful preserving, (Heb. 1:3) and governing all his creatures, and all their actions. (Ps. 103:19, Matt. 10:29–31)
​