Luke 8:49-56 (3)
The Gospel of Luke • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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-Please turn to Luke 8 one more time.
Lord-willing, we’re going to finish the chapter this morning.
And in doing that, we’ll be focusing (primarily) on verses 49-56.
-We began looking at this event last week...
…in verses 40-48...
...Where, we read about Jesus healing the Woman...
…who had had that incurable discharge of blood.
And there too, we saw that same theme continuing on...
…of Jesus’ identity...
…As seen in the exercise of his...
…Messianic power and authority!
Today’s text is no different.
Let’s read over it first...
…and entreat the Lord’s help.
We’ll begin reading in verse 49.
49 While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.”
50 But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.”
51 And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child.
52 And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.”
53 And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.
54 But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.”
55 And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat.
56 And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.
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Pray
-In order for us to properly understand today’s verses...
..we need to back up to Verse 40...
…and be reminded of what had taken place prior to this.
Remember how Luke had described Jesus’ reception by the people...
…after he had returned from the “gentile side” of the Lake:
Luke 8:40 (ESV)
40 ...the crowd welcomed him . . . they were all waiting for him.
-Then, remember how Luke had grabbed our attention in Verse 41...
…with the introduction of a man named...
Luke 8:41 (ESV)
41 ...Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue.
Remember:
The main elder at the synagogue
In charge of organizing the services
A man a great local notoriety
-And Luke told us that in spite of all that...
And in spite of the fact that he’s in the middle of a huge crowd...
And falling at Jesus’ feet, he implored him to come to his house,
-And remember, what had caused him to to do that:
Look at Verse 42:
Luke 8:42 (ESV)
42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying...
“only” = monogones (i.e., John 3:16, etc.)
(i.e., “unique” “special” or “one of a kind”)
His twelve year old daughter was all he had...
And she was about to die!
-And, I pointed out to you last week, that...
...already, we see something of the nature of Jairus’ faith.
In that...
He left his dying monogones...
…for even just the chance of getting Jesus to heal her!
He was giving up what time he had left with her to do this.
That’s what real Faith looks like!
It’s evidenced by your actions!
-Now, we saw Jesus’ initial response at the end of Verse 42:
Luke 8:42 (ESV)
42 ...As Jesus went, the people pressed around him.
The word can literally mean...
to “choke”
to “drown”
The point being that the crowds were pressing in so hard...
…that it was suffocating.
-Now, it was on Jesus’ way to Jairus’ house...
…that he encountered...
Luke 8:43 (ESV)
43 ...a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years,...
Remember How desperate she had been:
Luke says:
Luke 8:43 (ESV)
43 ...though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone.
-This lady was:
Unclean
Outcast
Weak
Barren
Broke
Her only hope (remember) was now in Christ!
And she pressed her way through that thronging crowd, and...
Luke 8:44 (ESV)
44 ...came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased.
And Jesus felt it happening (supernaturally)...
And he called her out, in love...
And with trembling, she...
Confessed what she had done...
Professed her faith...
And Jesus responded reassuringly in verse 48:
Luke 8:48 (ESV)
48 . . . he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”
-And, this, is what Luke is referring to...
…when he says (in Verse 49) that...
Luke 8:49 (ESV)
49 While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.”
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There’s a sobering finality to that phrase “is dead” in the original.
We could translate it...
“Your daughter has died, and the effects of her dying are permanent...
…Hence, there’s no need to bother the Rabbi anymore”
“What’s done is done...
…and it can’t be undone!”
Now, Imagine what Jairus’ reactions are going to be upon hearing this.
How would you react?
First:
Fear
Panic
Sense of Doom
That would probably give way to:
Pain
Heartache
Sorrow
And then (if you’re like me) if you think about it long enough...
…you’re going to think that...
“That sick woman...
…and Jesus’ kindness toward her...
…just cost my little girl her life!”
“If only he hadn’t stopped to help her...
…he might have made it in time...”
“But now, all hope is lost”
Now, I can’t assert all of that dogmatically...
Some of it is just a bit of sanctified speculation...
But, we can be certain of the responses of...
Fear
Foreboding
Despair...
…By the way Jesus responds in Verse 50:
Luke tells us:
Luke 8:50 (ESV)
50 But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.”
(And again, “well” = “saved” in the original)
Notice the breathtaking certainty in that!
What a claim!
Jesus said...
Don’t give into the fear and despair
Believe in what seems impossible
And without a doubt...
…your dead daughter will live!
That’s a claim you had better be able to back up...
…or you’ll be the laughed out of town...
…and then possibly even stoned!
But, of course, Jesus has nothing to fear...
…because he is EXACTLY who he claims to be...
…and consequently...
…He can do EXACTLY what he purposes to do.
-Now, notice something in Jesus’ response:
The tenderness of his rebuke:
He doesn’t upbraid Jairus for the immaturity of his faith.
To Jairus (likely one of his sheep)...
…his correction is gentle, like a Shepherd!
-Notice, also that, as Painful as this all had been...
…it was all in God’s design to...
Glorify Jesus
Sanctify Jairus!
This was all in the providence of God:
Jesus could have healed the girl without going to his house.
(He had for the Centurion’s servant!)
But, he permitted himself to be “delayed” . . .
...And, as much as it hurt...
...Jairus would be all the better for it in the end!
(Great life applications in that)
(Trust Christ’s goodness in the pain).
-Now, So you don’t begin to get an imbalanced view of Christ...
…look at Verse 51:
We are immediately reminded of the authority that he possessed...
…even in his Pre-Resurrection humanity:
Luke 8:51 (ESV)
51 And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child.
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He may be abounding in compassion...
…but he’s not a weakling.
He is fully in charge of this situation...
He has it perfectly under control!
(We’ll see that more in a minute)
-Now, why does Jesus do this?
Is it simply to remind everyone that he’s in charge?
(I don’t think so)
Is it to show the primacy of Peter as the first pope?
(I don’t think so)
(If so, what were James and John?)
Again, I’m speculating a bit, but...
…I think it has to do more with the coupling of:
His humility and non-self-promotion...
With...
His desire to provide the proper testimony to posterity.
-Think about it:
He IS about to do something phenomenal...
And he does want it to be recorded for its later place in Scripture...
But, in his perfect humility, doesn’t...
Rent a coliseum
Hire a camera crew
Post to YouTube...
He has no desire to “go viral” . . .
He’s far too humble for that.
So, he takes Three of his future Apostles...
Remember the principle, that:
2 Corinthians 13:1 (ESV)
1 ...Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
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...And the child’s parents (who have a vested interest)...
And goes into the house with them alone!
He did this on two other occasions, too:
The Mount of Transfiguration
The Garden of Gethsemane
Both, are irreplaceable historical events...
…that must be witnessed and recorded for posterity.
But, not even in his Transfiguration, did he...
Seek out his own glory
Seek out the glory that comes from men.
There are such HUGE and IMPORTANT lessons in that.
-But we must move on.
-Now, the other gospel writers tell us this about the situation...
…prior to them even entering the house:
Mark 5:38 (ESV)
38 They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.
Matthew adds:
Matthew 9:23 (ESV)
23 . . . saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion,
Luke simply says:
Luke 8:52 (ESV)
52 And all were weeping and mourning for her...
“mourning” = “beating their breasts!”
What all of this language is most likely describing...
…is the fact that paid, professional mourners were present...
…and already doing their job.
This was actually a common thing in...
…Ancient Near-Eastern society.
They were death professionals...
…there to help you...
lament your dead
grieve appropriately.
And they did so loudly and ostentatiously!
This may sound comical to us...
…but it was the way of life to them.
-And, the reason this is so important to our understanding of this miracle...
…is because it reminds us that these folks...
were around death all of the time!
were very familiar with it.
(Important when we get to Verse 53).
-But, for now, look at how Jesus responds...
...at the end of Verse 52:
Luke 8:52 (ESV)
52 And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.”
-Now, don’t get confused here.
Jesus isn’t denying the reality of her physical death.
What he’s denying is what those messengers...
...had asserted so firmly in Verse 49.
He’s denying the finality of her death.
Remember how the NT often uses to euphemism of “sleep” to describe...
…the temporary death of believers?
It’s a similar thing going on here.
-Now, Luke removes the possibility of this misunderstanding in Verse 53:
Luke 8:53 (ESV)
53 And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.
You see, these morticians knew...
…that this girl was dead!
There was no questioning it.
But, they lacked...
Spiritual eyes to see the greater reality
Spiritual ears to hear what Jesus was really saying...
Yet, they were (unwittingly) testifying to...
…the authenticity of this miracle...
…and consequently to Jesus’ Messianic Identity.
What’s the appropriate way to respond...
…in a situation like this?
-Now, watch how, Jesus...
…who had responded so tenderly and compassionately to Jairus...
…responded to them:
Mark 5:40 (ESV)
40 ...he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was.
-Verse 54 shows us what he did next:
Luke 8:54 (ESV)
54 But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.”
So, without any fuss or incantation...
Without any theatrics or fanfare...
Without any fear of becoming unclean...
...Jesus, goes over to the child...
...And with absolute confidence...
…Takes her by the hand...
…COMMANDS her (warmly) to wake up from her sleep!
-Now, can she hear him?
Is she exercising faith?
He’s not appealing to her faculties.
He’s not trying to persuade her to exercise her own “free will.”
He’s commanding something that is not… to be so!
That’s generative authority.
That’s creative authority.
That’s ultimate authority.
That’s the authority of the Son of God.
And as the Son of God, He commands...
heaven and earth.
life and death
body and soul
Look at the response to his command:
First, Luke tells us:
Luke 8:55 (ESV)
55 And her spirit returned...
“spirit” and “breath” are the same word
But, I think the sense is, as James says:
James 2:26 (ESV)
26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
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-What’s happening here, is...
…the Monogenes (Only Begotten Son) of the One who “can destroy both body and soul”. . .
…is commanding the two to be reunited.
And when he does...
…it happens immediately!
Luke tells us:
Luke 8:55 (ESV)
55 ...her spirit returned, and she got up at once....
Notice how...
Immediate
Complete.
Mark tells us:
Mark 5:42 (ESV)
42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement.
Was undeniably NOT a natural recovery!
Again, contrast this with alleged faith-healers today
-Now, notice what we see at the end of Verse 55:
Luke 8:55 (ESV)
55 ...he directed that something should be given her to eat.
Several important details contained in this action:
Jesus cares for her temporal and physical well-being, too.
(He almost always did this)
It further proves the authenticity of the miracle
(Ghosts can’t eat food)
It, again, accentuates the fullness of her restoration:
(She’s not just alive… she’s healthy and hungry!)
Small details like this are so important.
Verse 56 contains another one:
Luke 8:56 (ESV)
56 And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.
This is why the three future Apostles were there.
They would suffice for the three-witness burden of proof.
But Jesus,
Wouldn’t allow his ministry to be reduced to one of “signs and wonders”
(Those were the means… not the end)
(They were not and ARE NOT the central focus)
Wouldn’t give credence to erroneous ideas about him coming to establish a political kingdom
Wouldn’t give in to the temptation of Self-Promotion
Wouldn’t be exalted apart from the proper time and means:
(The Cross and the Resurrection)
He wouldn’t do anything that would detract...
… from the ultimate purpose for which he had come into the world.
He was the faithful Son...
…in Whom the Father was well-pleased.
He would work to Glorify the Father...
...And the Father would work to Glorify him!
And we see that in Matthew’s conclusion to this event:
Matthew 9:26 (ESV)
26 And the report of this went through all that district.
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-Now, be mindful of this:
This girl’s resurrection...
…was only temporary.
She would go on to face the pangs of death again.
But, her temporary restoration, both...
Prefigures...
Reminds us...
…of the ultimate realization of Christ’s power and authority...
…and of our ultimate hope...
…and of our common salvation.
Paul makes these spiritual parallels in:
Ephesians 2:1–10 (ESV)
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
2 in which you once walked...
3 ...carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ...
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
This is the understanding with which...
…we must come to Christ for salvation.
In weakness...
NOT in strength!
As men and women who see themselves as dead...
…and devoid of all other hope...
NOT as those who are merely sick...
…and retain a measure of our own strength.
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Let’s pray that he would pour out such a disposition of faith...
…upon us this very day...
And that (by his grace) we would be brought...
…from death to spiritual and eternal life!