“Be Not Afraid, Only Believe!” Mark 5:35-43

Text: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he/she that cometh to God must believe that He is (exists), and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”

Hebrews 11:6.

Good morning, doubting Christian!  If you are like the author of this Marching In Mark Bible Teaching series – you seek to be faithful at all times, but this reality is often not just as perfectly achieved; and therefore, you and I are honest enough to admit the fact that we are far too often dabbling in doubt and not exercising the faith we are adamant we possess.  At times such as this, we need to go to where renewed faith is found – God’s inspired Word.

“So then faith cometh by hearing (or reading), and hearing by the Word of God.”  (Romans 10:17)

When you and I – disgustingly normal and fallible Christians – read such Gospel accounts of the Lord Jesus’ ministry, and the seemingly impossible miracles he openly performed – we cannot help but receive new faith to continue right on in trusting our Saviour/Lord for the solutions to every seemingly impossible situation and circumstances we experience.  Praise God for an open KJV Bible and the help of the Author, God’s Spirit, to renew our faith!

Bad news often comes to Christian believers - as it does to all others – in double doses!  Like the waves crashing over the foredeck of a ship in the midst of a raging storm – one wave has not fully broken and washed over the main deck, when another is mounting up and assaulting the ships bow!  All but the experienced sailors can be caused to doubt the ability of the vessel to right herself, and rise back out of the foaming troughs of the sea.

Jairus was found in such a position when, after receiving new hope of having his beloved daughter healed by Christ, the worst news he could get immediately came from certain people, “Which said, Thy daughter is DEAD: why troublest the Master any further?” (V.35)

Now read/hear what our altogether lovely Lord Jesus said to Jairus, when He heard this tragic news: “As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.”  (V.36)

The Lord Jesus is saying the exact same words to you and to me, if we are ‘His people’ today – “Be not afraid, only believe.”  When bad, sad, horrible times come – let us not be afraid, let us continue to TRUST and BELIEVE in the Living Lord Jesus Christ.

“…Be content with such things (and circumstances) that ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my Helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”  (Hebrews 13:5-6)

“…And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Amen.”  (Matthew 28:20)

J.C. Ryle Comments:

“A GREAT miracle is recorded in these verses. A dead girl is restored to life. Mighty as the “King of terrors” is, there is One mightier than he. The keys of death are in our Lord Jesus Christ’s hands. He will one day “swallow up death in victory.” (Isaiah 25:8)

“Let us learn from these verses, that rank places no man beyond the reach of sorrow. Jairus was a “ruler;” yet sickness and trouble came to his house. Jairus probably had wealth, and all the medical help that wealth can command; yet money could not keep death away from his child. The daughters of rulers are liable to sickness, as well as the daughters of poor men. The daughters of rulers must die.

“It is good for us all to remember this. We are too apt to forget it. We often think and talk as if the posses­sion of riches was the great antidote to sorrow, and as if money could secure us against sickness and death. But it is the very extreme of blindness to think so. We have only to look around us and see a hundred proofs to the contrary. Death comes to halls and palaces, as well as to cottages, —to landlords as well as to tenants, — to rich as well as to poor. It stands on no ceremony. It tarries no man’s leisure or convenience. It will not be kept out by locks and bars. “It is appointed unto men, once to die, but after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9: 27) All are going to one place, the grave.” (J.C. Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels 1816-1900)

It is worth noting that the Lord Jesus did not allow anyone else to follow Him to the house of Jairus, where, of course, He knew He was about to perform a mighty Divine miracle – the raising of the dead daughter of Jairus to life!

A lesson each of us Christians – as well as just ‘doubting Christians’ - can take from this Scripture is this: The Lord God reserves special times of close fellowship for born again believers that are seeking to separate themselves from sin and walking in the light constantly with Him.  Only Peter, James and John were permitted to experience Christ raising the dead to life at this crucial point in Scriptures. (V.37)

“But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin…If we confess our sins (to God alone!), He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:6-9) When the Creator Lord of all life uttered His Word: “Talitha Cumi; which is being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise…”, life returned into this little twelve-year-old girl; for death has no power or presence in the Divine Presence of King Jesus Christ. (V.41) Hallelujah!  What a Saviour!  All glory to His Name!

Thought: “Let us learn, for another thing, how almighty is the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. That message which pierced the ruler’s heart, telling him that his child was dead, did not stop our Lord for a moment. At once he cheered the father’s fainting spirits with these gracious words, “be not afraid, only believe.” (J.C. Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels 1816-1900)