Friday, February 8, 2013

THE GOSPEL: Life More Than Flesh!

So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him. And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house,  for he had an only daughter about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as He went, the multitudes thronged Him. (Luke 8:40-42; Matthew 9:18-19; Mark 5:21-24) 

This is one of the few times we read of a Jewish religious leader coming to Jesus for any reason other than to accuse Him with false accusations. (see THE GOSPEL: Born Again! How?) Not only does Jairus come to Him, but he fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged Him to come to his house.  Sometimes the only way some people will finally call on Jesus is when something traumatic is happening in their life, and they are unable to find help from anyone else.  Thus says the Lord who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you: (Isaiah 44:2) I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-2) God made heaven and earth; therefore He is more than able and willing to help us with our problems, if we would just put our hope, faith and trust in Him. (see Hope, Faith, Trust)

We will study in the next lesson that Jesus and Jairus were delayed getting to Jairus' house, because a woman in the multitude, who had been suffering with an issue of blood, touched Jesus. While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, “Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher.” But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.”  (Luke 8:49-50; Mark 5:35-36) Jesus had performed the miracle of raising people from the dead prior to this, which is probably why Jairus came to Him, because he had heard and possibly witnessed these prior miracles. (see THE GOSPEL: From Death to Life, Through Faith)

When He came into the house, He permitted no one to go in except Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the girl. Now all wept and mourned for her [and the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing*]; but He said, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.”  And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead. (Luke 8:51-53; Matthew 9:23-24*; Mark 5:37-39) It's something when we think we know what we know, "but God"!  An old saying is so true: God puts a "," where we put a "." Nothing is over until God says it is over.  Just like God said to the Prophet Ezekiel about the dry bones of the dead, “Son of man, can these bones live?” (Ezekiel 37:3) Then He gave the answer to His own question, "Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live,... Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’” (Ezekiel 37:13-14)

But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, “Little girl, arise.” Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat.  And her parents were astonished, but He charged them to tell no one what had happened. (Luke 8:54-56; Matthew 9:25; Mark 5:40-43) The only eye witnesses to Jesus raising Jairus daughter from the dead were Jesus, Jairus and his wife, and three of the disciples.  Yet, ...the report of this went out into all that land. (Matthew 9:26) The mourners who were in the house when they arrived knew the girl was dead, so when they eventually see her alive again, of course they were going to tell it. 

But the lesson to take away from this is ...the body without the spirit is dead,... (James 2:26) Like God told Ezekiel, I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live,... Job says it like this, The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life. (Job 33:4) Having life is more than just having a physical body, because eventhough Jesus raised people from the dead, eventually they would die again.  The life Jesus wants all of us to have is eternal life, and that life comes through believing and studying the Word of God. It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63)

We all may know someone, or we ourselves may have or currently be experiencing a health and life issue, and our greatest desire may be for physical healing.  Whether God allows that or not is according to His Will.  But what He does desire for every single person is that we believe in His Son, Christ Jesus, and receive the gift of His Holy Spirit, for ...if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life! (John 3:16)

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