Harmony of the Gospels
-AD 28-
East Shore of Galilee
(30) Jairus’ Daughter Raised and a Woman with a Hemorrhage Healed
Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 5:21-43, Luke 8:40-56
Matthew-
18 While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.
When we look at Luke’s account, we will find that the first time this man came to Jesus it was to ask him to heal her. But while the father waited, a servant came and told him that his daughter had died. This man had a lot of faith; he believed that Jesus could heal his daughter, but now that she is dead he believed that He could bring her back to life. Note also that he worshipped Jesus, so this man was a believer.
19 And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.
Jesus and His disciples began to follow Jairus, but they were hindered because a large crowd gathered around them.
20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
You can see here the contrast of light and darkness. The little girl is twelve years old and the light is passing out of her life. The woman has suffered from an issue of blood for twelve years, but now she is passing from darkness into light.
Note that Jesus did not touch the woman as he did with many other miracles, but she touched Him. However, it was not the method that brought her healing, it was her faith.
21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
We can see by this woman’s confession and Jesus’ words that she had faith
23 And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,
24 He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.
The girl was already dead and the mourners were expressing their grief. He told them, “The maid is not dead, but sleepeth.” Everyone believed she was dead, so they laughed at Jesus. But Jesus keeps moving toward the child.
25 But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.
This is the first incident of raising the dead that we have in the gospels. Luke will add many more details to the story, such as that He spoke to the child. His method for raising the dead was always the same. He spoke directly to the person.
26 And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.
-Mark-
21 And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.
22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,
23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.
24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.
25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
The man was, “one of the rulers of the synagogue,” so it was more than unusual for him to seek Jesus’ help, much less express a great faith in Him. Such an open display would make him very unpopular with the other religious leaders, and could even cost him his position. The crowd wanted to see another miracle, so they went along with Jesus. It must have been a large crowd, because it says there were, “much people.”
The woman with the issue of blood, “spent all that she had,” on physicians, so we see that the problem that we have with medical care being so expensive is not a new one. She assigned great power to Him, sense she said that she would be healed, “If I may touch but his clothes.”
29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
The disciples thought it was a very peculiar question, since the whole crowd was pressing in on Him. But only one touched Him in faith, for healing.
I believe that the situation may be the same today. There are a lot of people going around saying Jesus did this and Jesus did that, and they think that they certainly know Him. But they touched Him like the crowd touched Him. They did not touch Him in faith like this woman did.
32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
She had been in this condition for twelve years, but now she was healed. It was a happy occasion, but the father, who had come to take Jesus to his dieing daughter, saw the conversation between Jesus and the woman, and I’m sure he thought, Oh, why doesn’t He hurry? Doesn’t He know my little daughter is so sick at home that she’ll die unless He keeps moving? Our Lord purposely did not move. And while He deals with this woman, one comes with a message and whispers to the father.
35 While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?
36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.
37 And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.
38 And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.
39 And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.
40 And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.
So Jesus goes to Jairus’ home, and the first thing He does is to put out those who do not believe. When they are outside, the record tells us:
41 And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.
“Talitha cumi” was an Aramaic expression which the little Girl would understand, because it was her native tongue. It could be stated, “Little lamb, wake up.” That’s what He said to her and it was a sweet, lovely thing to say. Our Lord raised this little girl. He raised a man in the vigor of young manhood (the widow’s son at Nain), and He raised a mature man, maybe even a senior citizen, Lazarus. He raised them all the same way; He spoke to them.
I think this little girl represents the little ones, before they reach the age of accountability. I know that there are a lot of people who have lost little ones. And to each of them He speaks these words, “Little lamb, wake up!” Then those little forms that have been laid away will be raised from the grave, and the spirit joined to the glorified body, and parents will once again have those little ones. That is a wonderful, beautiful thing. It is a demonstration of His power.
42 And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.
43 And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.
What a wonderful and practical thing. If a twelve year old boy or girl was to wake up, and they were well, they would want something to eat. So He told them to feed the little one.
This miracle shows that He is God’s servant with power. He is a man of action and He has come, not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give His life for many.
-Luke-
40 And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him.
The crowd hadn’t gone anywhere; they were still there, waiting for Him. Isn’t it strange? Two groups get the same message; one accepts it; and the other rejects it, because they prefer their “pigs” to Christ. And that’s the way it is with men. There are two men, and they both hear the Gospel. One believes and the other doesn’t. The same message, but different results. What’s the difference? It is the heart: one man is willing to believe and turn from his sin; the other cares too much for the things of this world, or Satan gets him to believe a lie.
41 And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:
42 For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him.
43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,
44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.
Jairus had come to get Jesus to heal his daughter. He did not have a lot of faith, but he was in a desperate situation. He believed that Jesus would have to touch her. As Jesus began to deal with Jairus, a woman reached out from the crowd and touched Him. She too, was desperate, because she had a disease for twelve years, and she had spent all she had, but Dr. Luke says that no one could heal her.
45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.
47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.
48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
Jesus did not touch the woman; she touched Him. She reached out from the crown, touched Him, and was instantly healed. The disciples noted that the crowd was all around Jesus and that many people touched Him, but only the one woman was healed. But she had touched him believing that He was the Son of God and that He had the power to heal.
49 While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.
50 But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.
51 And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.
We know that when they arrived at the house, the paid mourners had already gone to work. They stopped long enough to laugh at Him and Jairus; because they did not believe in Jesus.
52 And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.
53 And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
The Lord took Peter, James John, and the girl’s father and mother into where the girl lay. We know that He spoke to the girl in a very sweet fashion; He said “Little lamb, wake up.” The child arose. He brought her back to a world of suffering for her parent’s sake, not for hers.
54 And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.
55 And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.
56 And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.
Jesus demonstrated one more time that He is God. He told them not to tell anyone that He had raised her from the dead. They would have to have another explanation. At this point, He was not ready for the publicity that something like this would bring. He needed the freedom to do His work.