Sermon Tone Analysis

Title: A Faith That Saves: Part 2

Parallel Passages: Matthew 9:18-26; Luke 8:40-56

Thesis: Saving faith continues to hope when hope should not exist.

Intro: We are ending this “story sandwich

Recap last week - “sothee” or “sozo”

Chuck Swindoll:

If Jesus had been motivated by politics or a desire to advance His social position, He would have put off the bleeding woman, at least temporarily, and hurried to the synagogue ruler’s home.

But He made time for the outcast; her worth to Jesus was neither less nor more than that of Jairus’s little girl.

Jairus would not have known that Jesus didn’t have to choose between that woman and his daughter.

Because Jesus isn’t restricted by time, space, or any other circumstance.

He’s God.

And God will always accomplish His purposes according to His timetable, not ours.

And Jairus had to get to a point - as we saw last week - a point where he was humble, desperate, and brave enough to go to Jesus.

Jesus doesn’t rebuke Jairus for not coming sooner, Jairus had to get to the place where he was willing to let go of all his pride and run to the only One who could save his daughter.

Today, in part two of this sermon, we will see Saving Faith is a consistent thing, that it endures criticism, and amazes all who see it’s results.

Saving Faith is Consistent

While he was still speaking to the woman with the issue of blood, this group of people now arrive on the scene.

They’ve come from Jairus’ house, not his workplace, not the synagogue, but if you notice, Jairus’ name isn’t given.

Why Mark does this isn’t clear.

It could be he wanted to keep Jairus out of the story as much as he could.

It could be, he’s hinting that Jairus, having been humbled before Jesus, is being humbled further by the circumstances.

We don’t know, we aren’t told.

But this group comes from his home and informs him that his daughter has died.

She’s not in a coma, she’s not taking a nap, she’s dead.

Why should they waste any more of Jesus’s time?

Why annoy him any further?

(That’s actually what the Greek word means for bother “skull-eis” σκύλλεις)

What’s interesting is the attitude in which this crowd approaches.

In Mark, they come forward and say “Why trouble the teacher”, but in Luke they lose their bedside manner.

Talk about people with no personality, no heart!

“So, Jairus, good news/bad news.

Good news is we don’t need Jesus anymore, bad news is your kid is dead.”

That’s basically what they’ve done in Luke.

At least in Mark it’s a little more soft, “Hey, Jairus, why don’t you come on home and be with your family, Jesus doesn’t need to go along...”

You might be thinking, “Well, what’s the big difference?”

Believe me, if it were your kid, your son or daughter, it would matter.

Remember, Jairus came to Jesus back in verse 23, saying

Mark 5:23 (CSB)

“My little daughter is dying.

Come and lay your hands on her so that she can get well and live.”

He referred to her as his “little daughter”, the Greek is thugatrion (θυγάτριόν), and it’s a tender expression.

“My little girl is dying”…

When Jesus healed the woman with the issue of blood, he referred to her as “Daughter”, or “thugateer”, and the difference in the tense means something.

It’s a simple term of endearment to a younger woman.

Jesus, calling her this, let’s Jairus know, “We’re on our way to heal your daughter, but this is one of mine.”

At the same time, she’s not his “little girl”, she’s a grown woman.

Jairus’ daughter was his little girl, and he’s waiting as patiently as he can, and this crowd comes up, they tell him she’s dead - and they use the same word Jesus just used - thugateer.

Jairus’ heart must have been going nuts, because she’s not just his daughter, she’s his little girl.

She’s his only daughter, if you recall Luke’s account.

(Luke 8:42)

Jairus’ face must have fell.

He had to have hurt in that moment.

but...

Notice Jesus doesn’t rebuke the messengers.

Instead, he speaks to Jairus.

This man has exhibited incredible, humble faith.

Yet Jesus reminds him, don’t give up.

Don’t be afraid.

Just believe.

Jairus was no doubt familiar with other times God used wording similar to this.

And here, God is with Jairus.

Jairus knows the kind of power He has to heal, remember Jairus knew the power of the touch of Jesus’ hands.

“Come and lay your hands on her so that she can get well”, he’d asked Jesus.

Jesus reminds him of the faith he had.

In fact, when Jesus says “Only believe”, it’s in the present tense.

In other words, Jesus literally says to Jairus, “Don’t give up, KEEP BELIEVING.”

Stay consistent.

Don’t lose hope.

Don’t lose faith.

Keep believing.

Jesus is encouraging Jairus, giving him hope when hope seems lost, the girl is dead, what’s the point?

The point is, Jesus reminds us, is to not fear, only believe.

Luke, who shows us the curtness of the group that arrived on the scene, adds a few more words that offer hope.

Luke 8:50 (CSB)

When Jesus heard it, he answered him, “Don’t be afraid.

Only believe, and she will be saved.”

And so they go on, toward Jairus’ house.

Now, this is the first time Mark gives these three disciples any special status and we’re almost 1/3 of the way into his Gospel account.

Scripture never tells us why Jesus chose these three, why they’re part of his “inner group” of friends even among the 12.

Possibly, Jesus doesn’t want word to spread when He ultimately heals this girl, so He takes the smaller group with him to confirm the healing, to make sure it gets told later.

We see later in verse 43, and we’ll get to it, that He doesn’t want everyone to know about the healing.

But these 3 men will go further, deeper with Jesus in His ministry than the rest of the 12, they will be responsible for much of what happens going forward after Christ’s ascension.

So He chose these 3 men with purpose and wisdom, and they’re now heading to Jairus’ house while the rest of the crowd is told to stay back.

And before we move on, we have to look closer at what Jesus’ message here has been so far.

Don’t give in to fear, keep believing.

Our faith must be consistent.

It doesn’t change with good news or bad news.

It remains in Christ, who never changes.

If He remains consistent, our faith in Him must also remain consistent.

Some of you may have watched the Super Bowl, some of you may have skipped it, but I liked what Cooper Kupp, the WR of the Rams said after winning the MVP of the game award.

He said God gave him a vision of winning after they’d experienced loss, and said he believed God gave him a vision of winning the game and even winning MVP of the game, which happened, but he said when he believed God told him this, he could only tell his wife.

Now you may believe that, you may not, but this is what he said that struck me, “It was written already.

I got to play from victory, not for victory.

I was able to play not because of anything that happened on the field, but because of my worth in God, my Father.”

Again, you may not care about the NFL, but that man used a platform to talk for a moment about a consistent faith, a belief he had in a promise he believed God gave him.

It reminded me of Joshua 14 - when Caleb goes to Joshua after having experienced all bad things in the wilderness, Caleb is able to go to Joshua and say,

40 years later, Caleb’s faith was consistent.

Jairus needed a reminder, but there’s nothing that indicates he lost faith in Jesus, despite the circumstances.

That’s Saving Faith.

Even when hope seems lost.