Preaching on Jairus's Daughter: Jesus Always Helps Us
Today, we are going to dive into a beautiful and powerful passage from the Gospel of Matthew and Mark, where we witness the compassion, power, and unwavering faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ. This passage, found in Matthew 9:18-26 and Mark 5:21-43, tells the story of two desperate individuals who found hope in Jesus.
We see a day in the life of Jesus when a synagogue official named Jairus approached him with a desperate plea. His daughter was very sick… and tragically died. But in the midst of his sorrow, Jesus performed a miracle and brought her back to life.
Jesus was not indifferent. He didn't turn away. When Jairus needed him most, Jesus acted. And He is still the same today. No one else in that time could bring that girl back to life. No one else today can bring true life to our souls. Only the Son of God could do that.
Let's look at this passage and discover the wonderful truth that Jesus Always Helps Us.
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I. Jesus Answers When Called
Our story begins with a desperate man who knew exactly where to go.
A. Jesus was preaching—his primary mission on earth—but Jairus interrupted him with an urgent plea (Matthew 9:18): "While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came and knelt before him, saying, 'My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.'"
• Jairus, a man of authority and position, knelt before Jesus, a public act of humility and desperation. He was a man with nothing left to lose.
• What impressive faith! He didn't say, "if you can," like the father of the demon-possessed boy in Mark 9:22. Jairus firmly believed. He had heard about Jesus' power, and his words were a testament to his confident faith.
B. Jesus got up and went with Jairus (Matthew 9:19). That's how our Lord is! He was not too busy to be interrupted. He was not indifferent to this father's pain.
• He is compassionate, willing, and always attentive to our needs (Hebrews 4:15-16).
• He doesn't get upset when we seek Him. On the contrary, He invites us to do so (Luke 11:5-13). The one who said, "Ask, and it will be given to you," welcomed this man's plea.
II. Jesus Is Available for Everyone
As Jesus walked toward Jairus's house, another desperate person, a woman, reached out to Him.
A. A woman with a flow of blood for 12 years touched him (Matthew 9:20-22). The woman was ceremonially unclean and socially ostracized. She had spent all she had on doctors and was still getting worse. For 12 years, she lived with this suffering. When she heard Jesus was passing by, she came behind Him, thinking, "If I only touch his garment, I will be made well."
• She, too, needed a miracle.
B. Jesus could have walked on, but He stopped. He didn't ignore her. He felt the power go out from Him and He turned to her. He did not say, "I'm busy; I have an important appointment with a synagogue leader." He healed her and affirmed her faith, saying, "Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well."
• No one is excluded from His love. Some may believe that God has forgotten them, but God doesn't forget any of His children!
• Our God is omniscient and omnipresent. Jesus can hear millions of prayers at once and attend to them all! Isn't that wonderful? Let us trust in Him more every day!
III. Jesus Comforts When Hope Is Gone
As Jesus continued on to Jairus's house, the worst news arrived.
A. Jesus doesn't just answer; He comforts when all seems lost. In the midst of their journey, messengers came from Jairus's house with devastating news (Mark 5:35): "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?"
• The funeral musicians were already at Jairus's house, weeping and wailing loudly. The people had given up hope.
• But Jesus's response was immediate and filled with grace (Mark 5:36): "Do not be afraid, only believe."
• When He arrived at the house and said the girl was not dead, but only sleeping, the people laughed at Him! (Matthew 9:24). But Jesus was there, and that changes everything!
Application: It doesn't matter what others say, or how much they laugh at your faith. Even when all seems lost and hope has vanished, Jesus can intervene. Cast your anxiety on Him, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).
IV. Jesus Works Even When Everything Seems Impossible
Finally, Jesus enters the house where despair had taken over.
A. For men, it was the end. For Jesus, it was an opportunity to glorify God. He put everyone out, except for Peter, James, John, and the girl's parents. Then He went in, took the girl by the hand, and raised her up (Matthew 9:25).
• In Mark's Gospel, we read the powerful words He spoke: "Talitha koum! (Little girl, I say to you, get up!)."
• How easy it is in the Gospels to describe it! Because that's how easy it is for God to do the impossible. What seems like an absolute end for us is just the beginning of a miracle for Him.
• The faith of Jairus, strengthened by Jesus's command—"Do not be afraid, only believe"—was rewarded with the life of his daughter.
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Conclusion
Jesus does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
He remains willing to help us, as He did with Jairus, the sick woman, and countless others. He is never too busy to listen, never too far to reach, and never too late to act.
Whether you are in a moment of desperate need, silently suffering for years, or in a situation where all hope seems lost, remember the God who heard Jairus's plea and healed the woman with the flow of blood. Turn to Him, call on Him, and believe in His power.
May we all be encouraged to come to Jesus with a faith that says, "I believe you can," knowing that He is always there to help us.
