A Lamp Unto My Feet Bible Study Website
LUKE 8:40-56
Lesson #26
FAITH AND DEATH
- Memory Verse: 1Cor 15:21
- Jesus returned to the Jewish side of the Sea of Galilee.
- In our lesson today we see Jesus heal two people. These two healings are intertwined in the text as one situation interrupts the other. We will deal with them separately.
- Read Luk 8:40-56 (Mat 9:18-26 Mar 5:21-43)
- The healing of Jairus’ daughter (41-42, 49-56)
- Jairus was an important Jewish leader. He was in charge of a local synagogue and probably a Pharisee.
- Jairus had an only child, a daughter that was close to death.
- Jairus approached Jesus, took hold of him and strongly pleaded with him to come to his house to see his daughter.
- His faith was such that he believed Jesus had to be present physically to heal the daughter. (50)
- This is in contrast to the healing of the servant that the Centurion had faith to believe Jesus’ spoken word was sufficient to heal the servant.
- While Jesus was on the way to Jairus’ house, He was interrupted by the other healing.
- By the time Jesus arrived at Jairus’ house, the daughter had died.
- Did Jesus know this girl would die before He arrived?
- Yes, as the Son of God, the second member of the Holy Trinity, He would have known He would be raising this girl from the dead.
- While the other healing interrupts Jesus progress to Jairus’ house, we do not know if the girl would have died before Jesus arrived there even without this interruption.
- Jesus seems to indicate in verse 50 that whether the girl was dead or still living was an unimportant detail.
- “But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.” (50)
- The healing of Jairus’ daughter (41-42, 49-56)
Jesus says not to fear death.
Jesus tells Jairus to have faith that even though the girl is dead, He will bring her back to life.
The Greek for “whole” means healed and saved.
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- The scene of the healing:
- Jesus removed everyone from the room except for a few chosen people.
- It was common practice to hire professional mourners that may not have even known the girl. Jesus removed them to establish an atmosphere of peace and faith. (53)
- The parents were present because Jairus had faith to invite Jesus to his house.
- He chose three of His disciples: Peter, James, and John. Why these three? These three men were the disciples that were the closest to Jesus.
- Jesus removed everyone from the room except for a few chosen people.
- The scene of the healing:
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Jesus was training them for the ministry.
These three were the leaders among the disciples.
Peter was the leader of the disciples after the crucifixion and resurrection.
Peter used this same method in Act 9:40 to raise Dorcas from the dead.
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- “…but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.” (52)
- What did Jesus mean when he said she was not dead but sleeping?
- “…but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.” (52)
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The girl was obviously dead and everyone there knew it.
Therefore, Jesus is using this situation as a teaching about faith and death. (50, 52)
The Bible speaks about two different kinds of death.
What are the two kinds of death?
=1= physical death = the decay of the mortal body.
=2= spiritual death (what the Bible calls the second death) = the eternal separation of man from God in the lake of fire. (Rev 2:11 Rev 20:6, 14 Rev 21:8)
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- The comparison between sleep and death:
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| Physical Sleep | Physical Death |
| Sleep is a temporary physical condition from which the person will soon awaken to continue his life. | Physical death is a temporary physical condition from which the person will awaken to continue his life. God created man to live forever. |
| Sleep does not cause a person to fear because he understands the process and the end result. | Physical death causes a person to fear because he does not understand the process, nor does he know the end result. That fear is the “sting” of death brought on by sin. |
| Because sleep is not to be feared…. | …the believer in Jesus Christ should not fear physical death because he knows the end result. |
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- Read 1Cor 15:54-57 The sting of death
- Faith in Jesus Christ removes the sting of physical death and spiritual death.
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This passage tells us that the “sting of death” is sin.
In other words, because all people are sinners, when a person faces death, he does not know in what place he will awaken. Will he wake up in heaven or will he wake up in hell? Will his life have enough positive works to offset his negative works?
This is the way the majority of people think because deep inside they know they are sinners about to face God’s judgment.
This fearful thinking of one’s unknown destiny is the sting of death brought on by the sin in all humans.
For the unbeliever, spiritual death is the result of not receiving Christ into your heart as your personal savior.
The unbeliever is still plagued with a lifetime of sin without any remedy. He is unable to redeem himself with enough good works to buy his forgiveness. Good works can never redeem a person.
Spiritual death is much to be feared for it is an eternal condemnation in the lake of fire.
For the believer in Jesus Christ, there is no fear when the believer understands what Jesus is telling us about death in the Gospels. Why?
The believer knows where he is going. He is going to be with the Lord for eternity.
The believer knows his sin problem was taken care of by Jesus when he received Jesus Christ into his heart.
The believer knows his sins are forgiven and paid for by Jesus Christ on the cross, so that nothing separates him from God.
The believer now has the righteousness of Christ over him.
The believer, through Jesus Christ has the victory over sin and eternal death.
Therefore, physical death for the believer is like going to sleep.
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- The means of raising Jairus’ daughter:
- Notice that Jesus’ spoke directly to the girl even though she was dead.
- What does this tell us about death?
- The means of raising Jairus’ daughter:
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The Word of Jesus Christ has spiritual power over life and death.
Even after physical death a person continues to live. He is just in a different dimension or place.
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- Jesus told the parents to tell no one about this miracle. Why?
- In Jewish territory Jesus was in danger of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
- It was not that He was afraid of their political power but that the crowds were increasing around Jesus and God’s timing for the crucifixion was not yet.
- Jesus told the parents to tell no one about this miracle. Why?
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- The healing of the woman with an issue of blood (43-48)
- It is possible this woman was a Gentile though the Bible does not confirm this.
- A Jewish woman would have been abiding by the Law of Moses regarding this condition.
- A Jewish woman would not be in a crowd of men.
- This woman had spent all her money seeking a healing from this condition.
- She comes to Jesus in faith.
- Background:
- The Law of Moses regarding an issue of blood: (Lev 15:19-22)
- Background:
- It is possible this woman was a Gentile though the Bible does not confirm this.
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A person with a condition like this was considered unclean according to the Mosaic Law.
In other words, she could not go into the temple to worship God, and she should not be out in public unless she shouted to everyone around her that she was unclean.
In her desperate condition, she secretly braves the crowd to humbly touch the hem of Jesus’ garment.
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- The importance of the hem of the garment:
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It is significant that she touched the hem of his garment.
There are three possibilities here:
=1= If Jesus was wearing a prayer shawl (called a Talit), the corners of the shawl had twisted tassels that hung down near the ground. These tassels represented Jehovah the triune God. The tassels were holy and no one touched another person’s prayer shawl.
=2= Jesus is our Great High Priest. The priest’s robe had tiny gold pomegranates alternating with gold bells around the hem. The pomegranates represented healing.
=3= If Jesus was wearing an ordinary tunic, the hem of the tunic was very important.
The tunic had no pockets.
A rabbi or a man’s identity and authority was his seal that he carried sewed into the hem of his garment. If he needed to sign a contract, he lifted the hem of his garment and pressed the seal into hot wax to make an imprint of that seal on a document.
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- In faith she touches the hem of his garment.
- This is an act of humility and faith for she feels she is not worthy to face him directly. (Remember that she is supposed to be an outcast of society not worthy to mingle in a crowd of people.)
- She thinks that by faith just a touch will heal her, and He will not notice her in the crowd.
- “And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.” (46)
- Even in the crowd pressing him from all sides, Jesus knew this woman had touched him.
- He asks “who touched me?” (45) It was not because He did not know, but so that she would be pressured to reveal herself.
- In faith she touches the hem of his garment.
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Notice that she had already received her healing. (44) She could have drifted away in the crowd.
However, to touch someone meant that she was making Him unclean. For that she reveals herself with great fear and trembling.
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- What did Jesus mean when He said that virtue had gone out of Him?
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By faith she had made a claim on his identity and position by touching the hem of his garment.
Heb 11:6 tells us that faith pleases God. God honors faith.
Jesus’ identity and position of authority as the second member of the Holy Trinity had the power to grant her healing.
Jesus felt a tiny element of that power and authority leave him to bring healing to her.
Even though she was an unclean, outcast of society her touch did not contaminate Him, but she did not know that.
“And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.” (48)
Jesus did not condemn her for not following the Law of Moses.
Jesus gave her comfort and peace.
Usually a person with a blood condition like this would have to go to a priest to be declared “clean”. Jesus, as High Priest, declared her clean.
- Summary:
- Because these two healings are tied together in a special way besides occurring at the same time, we need to look for something else that ties them together.
- One important link is the number 12:
- Jairus’ daughter was 12 years old.
- The woman with an issue of blood had that condition for 12 years.
- In other words when Jairus’ daughter was born, this woman became sick.
- The number 12 in the Bible represents God’s people:
- In the Old Testament, God’s people were those from the 12 tribes of Israel.
- In the New Testament, God’s people are the 12 disciples that make up the foundation of the church.
- In these two healings, Jairus’ daughter was a Jew, but it is likely the woman with an issue of blood was a Gentile.
- The ultimate identity of the people of God will be both Jews and Gentiles brought together through Jesus Christ. (Eph 2:14)
- Another important link is the prayer shawl:
- In the healing of Jairus’ daughter, Jesus speaks to this dead girl with these words:
- “…Maid, arise….” (54)
- The word for maid is talitha translated as maid or little girl.
- In the healing of the woman with an issue of blood, she touched the hem of His garment.
- If that garment was a prayer shawl called the talit, you can see the relationship between these two healings.
- Jesus Christ established His claim as our Great High Priest with these two healings.
- In the healing of Jairus’ daughter, Jesus speaks to this dead girl with these words:
Homework
Luke 9:1-22
- Application of Luk 8:40-56
- How does this lesson give you peace in the face of physical death?
- Can you say with assurance that you have peace in the face of spiritual death?
- If your answer is no, you need to talk to a pastor or to your teacher.
- Preparation for Luk 9:1-22
- Read Luk 9:1-22
- Of what significance is it that the disciples could take nothing with them?
- Of what significance are the 12 baskets?
- Read Luk 9:1-22
- Memory Verse: Gal 2:20
