Mark 5:22-24

(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.

Mark 5:35-42

(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.  (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. (42) And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And were astonished with a great astonishment.     

Introduction

Jairus was the highest-ranking official of the synagogue at Capernaum. He was not a priest, but it was his responsibility to take care of the administrative details of the synagogue. This included making arrangements for public worship and inviting visitors to teach.  Proud of his ancestry, loving his faith, serving his God, and hating all heresy, he was a Hebrew of Hebrews. He lived in a beautiful home, in the richest part of town, where for twelve wonderful years, his charming little daughter had continually brightened his life. This man “had it going on.” He had prestige, power, position and the right pedigree. No one could rise to this elite position unless he was a Pharisee. Then, out of the blue, something traumatic happened. His cute little daughter became critically ill. This was a “game changer.” The thought of saving her life swept all else aside. Love won the battle against pride. As the head of the synagogue, he was supposed to be antagonistic toward Jesus, the New Teacher, just as the other leaders were.  Jesus was from Nazareth, and they said, “No good thing could come from that ghetto town.” Love won, and Jairus contacted Jesus, the Great Physician. His love for his daughter gave him courage to lay aside pride and convention and to seek help for his little girl.  Jairus was a loving father; Jairus was a courageous father - just like the fathers of Antioch-Lithonia. Let’s look at this story one more time.

Exposition

1. Jairus Did The Greatest Thing A Father Could Do - He Came To Jesus On His Child’s Behalf.

(Jairus Demonstrated Courage In A Crisis.)

(Jairus Worshipped Jesus First.)

(Jairus Made A Request For His Daughter.)

2. Jairus Demonstrated Patience And Persistence.

(Jesus Stopped And Healed The Woman With The Issue Of Blood.)

(Jairus Did Not Lose Hope, Even When More Bad News Came.)

3. Jairus Allowed Jesus To Work A Miracle For His Daughter.

(His Daughter Was Brought From Death To Life.)

Closing Thoughts

As much as we love our children, sometimes our human love is not enough. The courageous fathers call on the Son of the Heavenly Father. When we do this, we will not be disappointed. In fact, we will be astonished. Give God Glory! Give God All The Glory!

Related Scriptures

Matthew 9:18-19; Matthew 9:23-26

Luke 8:41-42; Luke 8:49-56

Theological/Historical Notes

1. A Jewish boy became a man one day after his thirteenth birthday. A Jewish girl became a woman one day after her twelfth birthday. Jairus’ daughter had come to the flower of her womanhood, but to her father she was still his “little girl.” I can certainly identify with that feeling.

2. When Jesus arrived upon the scene, the professional mourners were already there. Mourning customs among the Jews included wailers, flute players, the rending of clothes, and the tearing of hair. Even the poorest person was required to hire at least one mourner and two flautists. Since Jairus was a synagogue ruler, there were probably several of these mourners on the scene when Jesus arrived. When Jesus euphemistically said Jairus’ daughter was asleep, the mourners scornfully laughed in unbelief. Jesus ordered them out of the house. He did not want their unbelief to hinder him. These professional mourners were, in one way, like our modern-day fire departments; they were ready to go at a moment’s notice. In fact, if they got wind of an impending death, they would hang around the home of the ill person like buzzards circling a dying animal. This was “sure” money for them.    

Copyright © 2026 By James C. Ward