Trinity 24 November 14, 2021
Matthew 9:18-26
Waking Up with Jesus
v.24 [Jesus] said, "Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at Him.
Alleluia! Christ the Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Dear friends in Christ, I normally begin a sermon with such words during the season of Easter—or at a Christian funeral. However, as our text for today is one in which Jesus raises a young girl from the dead, this greeting is very appropriate. For death is a constant in this fallen world. Death is the great enemy that causes so much heartache, pain, and sorrow. If we are honest with ourselves, we all fear death. We fear it because it is so final—so seemingly absolute. To have a loved one die or near death is one of the most difficult experiences a person can ever endure.
Such was the case for the father in our text who approached Jesus in a frantic state. St. Mark tells us this man's name was Jairus—a ruler of the local synagogue. He approaches Jesus with fear and trembling—prostrating himself before Jesus in utmost humility, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live." Jairus is no doubt terrified—heart stricken—his little girl has died. But he has heard the stories concerning Jesus. He knows Jesus is no ordinary preacher/rabbi—God is surely with Him—if Jesus would lay His hand on the little girl, surely she could live again!
Just think about that, beloved! Most of us have seen death, firsthand. We have witnessed our loved ones grow cold to the touch. We have seen the light depart from their eyes. We have gathered together in this church to lay many of our dear brothers and sisters in Christ to rest. Though the world would coldly declare there is no coming back from death—though the world would say, "You haven't got a prayer for your loved one ever to live again!" Yet we come before our Lord, as Jairus did, in deepest humility—trusting in Jesus to lay His hand on our loved ones that they may one day live.
Jesus quickly rose, Matthew records, and followed Jairus, along with His disciples. In the great crowd that comes along to see this great sight is a desperate woman. She has been suffering from a discharge of blood (something that would make her ritually unclean in Jewish religious life) for twelve years (the same amount of time as Jairus' daughter had been alive). Having suffered with this ailment for so long, having tried all the remedies possible to cure herself but having nothing work, she may have been told that she didn't have a prayer of ever being healed. And yet, in faith, she approaches Jesus and touches the fringe of His garment—the outer tassel of Jesus' prayer shawl. She prayed, "If I only touch His garment, I will be made well." Jesus turns and sees her, encourages her with the words, "Take heart/courage, daughter; your faith has made you well."
Despite her hardship—despite her long ordeal—she knew that Jesus had the power to heal—and she trusted in His grace and mercy for her. As an "unclean" woman she never should have approached Jesus (a holy man—a rabbi), let alone touch Him! Yet she knew that Jesus is the Great Physician—Jesus is the source from whom all blessings flow. She didn't trust in her act of faith—nor her prayer—but rather in the object of her faith—in Jesus. And it is Jesus who made her well. We, too, may approach our Lord Jesus in prayer with anything that bothers us—anything that scares or frightens us—anything at all—and He will hear our prayer and respond as He knows best. Take heart—take courage—dear Christian friends—for our God is the Living God—He who works to save His people and make them well, ultimately through His own suffering, dying, and rising again. With a God such as this, we ALWAYS have a prayer ready on our lips and in our hearts. For He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Finally, Jesus arrives at Jairus' house. Already there is a great crowd of professional mourners at work—making an uproarious noise. There is the sound of instruments playing sad tones, accompanied by the great wails of the bereaved. You know that sound, beloved. That sound is the sound your own heart makes when your loved one dies—when those you love grow sick and death approaches. It is the sound of unbelievable agony and loss. For death hurts. Death is the separation of that which God originally joined together for eternity—body and soul—but which now has been rent asunder. For the wages of sin is death. And since we are all sinners—we all shall die.
Jesus quickly goes to work. He casts the crowd of professional mourners outside, saying, "Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at Him. They mocked and ridiculed Him. They had not just fallen off the turnip truck. When someone is dead—they remain dead—there is no coming back from that dark pit. To claim otherwise is ridiculous—crazy—insane—what a loon! Just so are we mocked for our faith in Jesus Christ who rose from the dead. Just so are all Christians held in disdain by the unbelieving world for our certainty that we, too, shall one day rise again from the dead. "You foolish Christians! How could you believe such a load of hogwash?! Dead is dead! There is no coming back! Why, for that to happen, it would have to be a miracle! An act of God!"
To which we Christians slowly smile and say, "You don't say! A miracle—an act of God. Truly, this is who Jesus is—God in the flesh—and this is what Jesus does—miracles—those things that go against the natural order of this Fallen World, but which are in perfect keeping with the life of the world to come in the new heavens and the new earth—a place where there will be no more death—but only life—and life to the full!
After casting the noisy crowd outside, Jesus goes in and simply takes the girl by the hand, and she arose. Take note, beloved. Jesus awakens the dead as easily as one might be awakened from natural sleep. Indeed, it is no accident that death is commonly referred to as sleep in the New Testament. For each time Jesus raised someone from the dead in the N.T. Scriptures (and we have three separate instances of this happening: Jairus' daughter, the widow's son at Nain, and Mary and Martha's brother, Lazarus), Jesus simply called to them or gently touched them—and they were instantly raised to life!
How can this be, dear friends? For this Jesus is no ordinary man—nor is He even a fantastic doctor, supremely skilled at His trade. Rather, Jesus is the very God-man. He is God in the flesh—the living Lord of Life—indeed, the Creator and Sustainer of all life. Just as He is risen from the dead after three days in the tomb and the darkness of death—so, too, shall all who live and believe in Him.
On the Last Day, when Christ returns in Judgement of the living and the dead, Christ will raise all people: His disciples unto life everlasting—and the unbelievers to everlasting death in hell. Jesus will come and raise you, and your loved ones—as easily as if you had just fallen asleep. With a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel will the Lord Jesus Himself descend from heaven. And the dead in Christ will rise first. That is the promise—the hope—the joy—for you and me and all who believe. Just as Jesus has risen from the dead, so too shall all who live and believe in Him. We have the Word of God on it—attested to by many faithful witnesses of His resurrection.
So, beloved, fear not. Fear not the ridicule of the world—fear not death itself. For our God has conquered death by His own death and resurrection. Our God is not some false, empty, worthless, lifeless god who cannot see or speak or hear. Our God hears our prayers. Our God sees our plight. Our God speaks His living and creating Word into our hearts—bringing us into a sure faith in Christ as our Lord and Savior. You have a prayer—and more than a prayer—you have the living God. And on the Last Day, you and all your loved ones who have died in the faith, will surely wake up with Jesus. For Alleluia! Christ the Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Matthew 9:18-26
Waking Up with Jesus
v.24 [Jesus] said, "Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at Him.
Alleluia! Christ the Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Dear friends in Christ, I normally begin a sermon with such words during the season of Easter—or at a Christian funeral. However, as our text for today is one in which Jesus raises a young girl from the dead, this greeting is very appropriate. For death is a constant in this fallen world. Death is the great enemy that causes so much heartache, pain, and sorrow. If we are honest with ourselves, we all fear death. We fear it because it is so final—so seemingly absolute. To have a loved one die or near death is one of the most difficult experiences a person can ever endure.
Such was the case for the father in our text who approached Jesus in a frantic state. St. Mark tells us this man's name was Jairus—a ruler of the local synagogue. He approaches Jesus with fear and trembling—prostrating himself before Jesus in utmost humility, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live." Jairus is no doubt terrified—heart stricken—his little girl has died. But he has heard the stories concerning Jesus. He knows Jesus is no ordinary preacher/rabbi—God is surely with Him—if Jesus would lay His hand on the little girl, surely she could live again!
Just think about that, beloved! Most of us have seen death, firsthand. We have witnessed our loved ones grow cold to the touch. We have seen the light depart from their eyes. We have gathered together in this church to lay many of our dear brothers and sisters in Christ to rest. Though the world would coldly declare there is no coming back from death—though the world would say, "You haven't got a prayer for your loved one ever to live again!" Yet we come before our Lord, as Jairus did, in deepest humility—trusting in Jesus to lay His hand on our loved ones that they may one day live.
Jesus quickly rose, Matthew records, and followed Jairus, along with His disciples. In the great crowd that comes along to see this great sight is a desperate woman. She has been suffering from a discharge of blood (something that would make her ritually unclean in Jewish religious life) for twelve years (the same amount of time as Jairus' daughter had been alive). Having suffered with this ailment for so long, having tried all the remedies possible to cure herself but having nothing work, she may have been told that she didn't have a prayer of ever being healed. And yet, in faith, she approaches Jesus and touches the fringe of His garment—the outer tassel of Jesus' prayer shawl. She prayed, "If I only touch His garment, I will be made well." Jesus turns and sees her, encourages her with the words, "Take heart/courage, daughter; your faith has made you well."
Despite her hardship—despite her long ordeal—she knew that Jesus had the power to heal—and she trusted in His grace and mercy for her. As an "unclean" woman she never should have approached Jesus (a holy man—a rabbi), let alone touch Him! Yet she knew that Jesus is the Great Physician—Jesus is the source from whom all blessings flow. She didn't trust in her act of faith—nor her prayer—but rather in the object of her faith—in Jesus. And it is Jesus who made her well. We, too, may approach our Lord Jesus in prayer with anything that bothers us—anything that scares or frightens us—anything at all—and He will hear our prayer and respond as He knows best. Take heart—take courage—dear Christian friends—for our God is the Living God—He who works to save His people and make them well, ultimately through His own suffering, dying, and rising again. With a God such as this, we ALWAYS have a prayer ready on our lips and in our hearts. For He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Finally, Jesus arrives at Jairus' house. Already there is a great crowd of professional mourners at work—making an uproarious noise. There is the sound of instruments playing sad tones, accompanied by the great wails of the bereaved. You know that sound, beloved. That sound is the sound your own heart makes when your loved one dies—when those you love grow sick and death approaches. It is the sound of unbelievable agony and loss. For death hurts. Death is the separation of that which God originally joined together for eternity—body and soul—but which now has been rent asunder. For the wages of sin is death. And since we are all sinners—we all shall die.
Jesus quickly goes to work. He casts the crowd of professional mourners outside, saying, "Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at Him. They mocked and ridiculed Him. They had not just fallen off the turnip truck. When someone is dead—they remain dead—there is no coming back from that dark pit. To claim otherwise is ridiculous—crazy—insane—what a loon! Just so are we mocked for our faith in Jesus Christ who rose from the dead. Just so are all Christians held in disdain by the unbelieving world for our certainty that we, too, shall one day rise again from the dead. "You foolish Christians! How could you believe such a load of hogwash?! Dead is dead! There is no coming back! Why, for that to happen, it would have to be a miracle! An act of God!"
To which we Christians slowly smile and say, "You don't say! A miracle—an act of God. Truly, this is who Jesus is—God in the flesh—and this is what Jesus does—miracles—those things that go against the natural order of this Fallen World, but which are in perfect keeping with the life of the world to come in the new heavens and the new earth—a place where there will be no more death—but only life—and life to the full!
After casting the noisy crowd outside, Jesus goes in and simply takes the girl by the hand, and she arose. Take note, beloved. Jesus awakens the dead as easily as one might be awakened from natural sleep. Indeed, it is no accident that death is commonly referred to as sleep in the New Testament. For each time Jesus raised someone from the dead in the N.T. Scriptures (and we have three separate instances of this happening: Jairus' daughter, the widow's son at Nain, and Mary and Martha's brother, Lazarus), Jesus simply called to them or gently touched them—and they were instantly raised to life!
How can this be, dear friends? For this Jesus is no ordinary man—nor is He even a fantastic doctor, supremely skilled at His trade. Rather, Jesus is the very God-man. He is God in the flesh—the living Lord of Life—indeed, the Creator and Sustainer of all life. Just as He is risen from the dead after three days in the tomb and the darkness of death—so, too, shall all who live and believe in Him.
On the Last Day, when Christ returns in Judgement of the living and the dead, Christ will raise all people: His disciples unto life everlasting—and the unbelievers to everlasting death in hell. Jesus will come and raise you, and your loved ones—as easily as if you had just fallen asleep. With a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel will the Lord Jesus Himself descend from heaven. And the dead in Christ will rise first. That is the promise—the hope—the joy—for you and me and all who believe. Just as Jesus has risen from the dead, so too shall all who live and believe in Him. We have the Word of God on it—attested to by many faithful witnesses of His resurrection.
So, beloved, fear not. Fear not the ridicule of the world—fear not death itself. For our God has conquered death by His own death and resurrection. Our God is not some false, empty, worthless, lifeless god who cannot see or speak or hear. Our God hears our prayers. Our God sees our plight. Our God speaks His living and creating Word into our hearts—bringing us into a sure faith in Christ as our Lord and Savior. You have a prayer—and more than a prayer—you have the living God. And on the Last Day, you and all your loved ones who have died in the faith, will surely wake up with Jesus. For Alleluia! Christ the Lord is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.