Bible Study - Everything (5) - JESUS Heals - Mark 5:22-24, 35-43 - December 31, 2017

Bible Study – Everything (5) – JESUS Heals – December 31, 2017

This is lesson five (5) in our series entitled “JESUS Changes Everything.”

Our focus scripture is Mark 5:22-24, 35-43.

JESUS brings healing to our lives.

Healing is an interesting faith subject to explore. JESUS taught HIS disciples if they only had the faith of a mustard seed, as recorded in Matthew 17:20-21:

20 "Because of your little faith," He told them. "For I assure you: If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. [

21 However, this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.]"

Most of us say that we have this kind of faith. But faith in what or Whom? Is it our faith? Or is it our faith in JESUS? Is it our relationship with GOD through our faith in JESUS? GOD is not to be tested. Here is where discernment is essential. Yes, JESUS can heal but healing takes on several forms. Healing a person from the ravages of sin is the greatest healing and it is eternal. We must keep in mind what JESUS told us as recorded in John 5:18-19:

18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he (JESUS) was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.

JESUS continued in verse 30:

30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

Having the right relationship with GOD through faith in JESUS is vital.

JESUS was revealing HIS human side. HE was completely obedient to HIS Father’s commands. As Christians, GOD continues to reveal to us HIS commands and what HE desires for us to do through the indwelling Holy Spirit. When GOD works through us, it is easy to try to claim some of the credit. That is exactly what Satan wants us to think. But GOD is the source and the power. We act according to HIS directions and see HIS power manifested.

My journey in trying to understand healing has been an interesting walk of faith. In the early days, I believed with every fiber of my body that JESUS could heal and still do. So why didn’t HE heal the sick person when either I or a group of elders anointed the sick person with oil as written in James 5:14:

14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.

There is physical sickness, mental sickness and Spiritual sickness.  The person with the sickness needs to be willing for those who can pray for him or her to come into his or her presence, anoint and pray. Pray first and then anoint the sick person with oil. Oil in general is a reference to the Holy Spirit. Oil in the early days was a form of medicine. It is not the oil but the power of the Holy Spirit that heals. It is GOD’S power.

We see those on television or know of those who claim they have the gift of healing. We are drawn to them and not to JESUS. We must keep in mind that GOD does the healing e.g. physical, emotional, spiritual, relational, acceptance, etc.

My wife and I visited with Ms. Bertha Smith many years ago and she told us that her sister had the gift of healing. Many would come to her and ask her to pray for their healing. She would ask them to wait a minute because she had to go check. That meant she would go to another room and pray. She would emerge from that room and give one of two answers:

1.    Yes, the LORD gave me permission to pray for your healing. She would and that person would be healed.

2.    No, the LORD did not give me permission to pray for your healing but HE did give me permission to pray for you as you go through this issue during this time in your life. She would pray for that person accordingly.

Yes, JESUS heals. One of the gifts of the Spirit is healing as recorded in 1 Corinthians 12:9:

9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,

Notice, “gifts of healing” is plural. All healing comes from GOD because HE is the source of all knowledge, wisdom and power. There is divine healing that is manifested by HIM directly which can be through the gift of healing; healing that comes from the knowledge and skills of doctors, surgeons, physiologists, counselors, medicines, etc. that GOD manifests through these and others; healing of the mind to accept the condition we face; healing of relationships and the next one is one took me a long time to acknowledge, death.

Let’s read Mark 5:21-24:

A Girl Restored and a Woman Healed

21 When Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him while He was by the sea.

As you may recall from our previous lessons, JESUS and HIS disciples faced a fierce storm when they were crossing the Sea of Galilee. JESUS spoke and the wind and waves ceased. HIS disciples were amazed. When they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes, JESUS encountered an unclean spirit. JESUS spoke and the unclean spirit came out of the man and revealed his name. JESUS got into the boat and traveled back to Jewish territory and HE encountered one of the leaders in the local synagogue, Jairus.

22 One of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at His feet

23 and kept begging Him, "My little daughter is at death's door. Come and lay Your hands on her so she can get well and live."

Jairus acknowledged the ability of JESUS to heal his young daughter. Jairus begged JESUS to go with him to touch his daughter. Jairus faith went as far as JESUS’ ability to heal his living but sick daughter but what about JESUS’ ability to raise his daughter from the dead?

24 So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd was following and pressing against Him.

JESUS went with Jairus but along their journey, there was an interruption. 

Jairus had to get JESUS to his daughter before she died.

Let’s read Mark 5:25-34:

25 A woman suffering from bleeding for 12 years

26 had endured much under many doctors. She had spent everything she had and was not helped at all. On the contrary, she became worse.

27 Having heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His robe.

28 For she said, "If I can just touch His robes, I'll be made well!"

29 Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was cured of her affliction.

30 At once Jesus realized in Himself that power had gone out from Him. He turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My robes?"

31 His disciples said to Him, "You see the crowd pressing against You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?' "

32 So He was looking around to see who had done this.

33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came with fear and trembling, fell down before Him, and told Him the whole truth.

34 "Daughter," He said to her, "your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be free from your affliction."

JESUS wanted this lady and the crowd to know that her faith in JESUS and GOD resulted in her cure. It was not her touching the clothing of JESUS that healed her but her heart touching the heart of GOD through faith.

It is interesting that this lady had this problem for 12 years and JESUS healed her because of her faith in HIM. Jairus’ daughter was 12 years old and JESUS healed her and resurrected her because of the faith of her parents. The crowd did not have faith.

Let’s read Mark 5:35-40:

35 While He was still speaking, people came from the synagogue leader's house and said, "Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher anymore?"

The crowd mentality is to limit the power of JESUS. The limit of our faith is the beginning of JESUS revealing truth to those who seek truth.

36 But when Jesus overheard what was said, He told the synagogue leader, "Don't be afraid. Only believe."

Why did JESUS instruct Jairus “Don’t be afraid? Only believe?” We studied in Mark 9:16-32 that JESUS’ disciples who were waiting for JESUS and HIS inner circle to come off the mountain could not cast the demon out of the young boy because of their lack of faith and they had not committed it to prayer and fasting.

37 He did not let anyone accompany Him except Peter, James, and John, James' brother.

38 They came to the leader's house, and He saw a commotion-people weeping and wailing loudly.

The people had accepted the death of Jairus’ daughter and saw no value in JESUS continuing. JESUS did not stop with their unbelief but again it was a teachable moment. JESUS is the resurrection and the life. HE is the only way to GOD, HIS Father.  

39 He went in and said to them, "Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep."

It is easy after the fact to declare something but before the fact? Only JESUS, the Only Son of GOD could declare victory over death before the fact followed by the victory.

40 They started laughing at Him, but He put them all outside. He took the child's father, mother, and those who were with Him, and entered the place where the child was.

Why did those gathered at Jairus’ house laugh? Why did JESUS “put them all outside? The crowd knew death was the final state. They did not know JESUS but they were about to find out Who HE was. JESUS took the young girl’s parents with HIM, as well as, HIS inner circle because they had faith in HIM. 

Plus, this was a teachable moment.  JESUS knew that the lack of faith of the crowd was an obstacle to GOD’S power being manifested.

If that is true, why doesn’t GOD heal when we have the utmost faith in HIM through our faith in JESUS? HIS ways are not our ways and HIS thoughts are higher than our thoughts. When HE says “no” that is when we have to trust in HIS decision. JESUS spoke to this, as recorded in Matthew 7:9-11:

9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

FATHER knows best and as HIS children, we must trust HIM.

Let’s read Mark 5:41-43:

41 Then He took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" ).

JESUS took the “little girl” by the hand. If a Rabbi touched a dead body, he was declared unclean. JESUS used the words a parent would use to wake up a sleeping child – e.g. okay sleepy head it is time to get up and start your day.

42 Immediately the girl got up and began to walk. (She was 12 years old.) At this they were utterly astounded.

The girl responded immediately. She got up and began to walk. She was healed of whatever caused her to be at death’s door. She was 12 years old, which indicates that she was on the verge of being considered an adult by the customs of that time. Those in the room were astounded. Those in the room would be her parents and JESUS’ inner circle of disciples. This was a teachable moment for JESUS’ inner circle, as well as, the little girl’s parents and others.

43 Then He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this and said that she should be given something to eat.

Why do you think that JESUS instructed them “that no one should know about this?” Was that a momentary request because JESUS wanted to move to another location because HIS Father did not want HIM to remain in this location? HIS mission was to give HIS life to pay, in full, for the sin of mankind. What HE had done and those in that area had witnessed was the purpose of HIS coming. HIS purpose was to restore life to the eternally dead, through faith in JESUS and HIS passion. The physical resurrection of this young girl did not mean that she would not die physically at a later time. But she was a physical witness to those who lived in that area to the manifestation of GOD’S power through JESUS, the promised Messiah.

Why do you think JESUS instructed them to give something to the young girl something to eat? First, we do not know how long she had been sick and the human body needs nourishment; second and more than the physical, I believe that JESUS wanted those who witnessed the miracle to know that she was not a spirit. JESUS had resurrected her from the physically dead to the physically alive. This, again, was a teachable moment.

JESUS is the resurrection and the life both physically and Spiritually. What does JESUS reveal to us in John 14:6 - 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Do you know the eternal healing of JESUS’ power in your life? When you ask JESUS to forgive you for your sins and ask HIM to come into your life believing that HE gave HIS sinless life just for you, HE does. When, by faith, you accept JESUS as your Savior, you will experience the miracle of rebirth in your spirit and you become a Son or Daughter of GOD, with all the rights and privileges of being the child of GOD. At that instant you receive eternal life and are indwelled by the Holy Spirit. 

Salvation is the beginning of building the right relationship with GOD through your walk with JESUS. Experience HIM and the joy and being GOD’S child. 

Physical healing is temporary but salvation is healing for eternity. How can you know that? The Holy Spirit is GOD’S guarantee and down payment to you individually and personally that HE will see you safely to Heaven the instant you exit your earth suit. You can count on it because GOD made the promise and GOD keeps HIS covenants.

We must keep in mind that those JESUS healed physically or raised from the dead later died. We all desire to live but the Bible reveals in 1 Corinthians 2:9 

– But as it is written, What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived – God has prepared these things for those who love Him. The very best is yet to come. I hope to see you in Heaven, it is up to you. Begin 2018 knowing that you are eternally secure and that is only through faith in JESUS.

Blessings!!!