Don't Be Afraid, Only Believe • Luke 8:40-56

54:55 Teaching begins

Notes

Isn’t that life? You decide you’re going to do something and then obstacles come up, delays, bad surprises. It’s frustrating. It’s kind of scary. You realise you’re not in control.

Jesus says He will do a good thing for a man, and then everything gets in the way and prevents Jesus from doing what the man asked.

But Jesus says to the man, “Don’t be afraid, only believe.” That’s because Jesus doesn’t have limits. He’s in control. Do you believe that? Or are you afraid?

I’m reading in Luke 8 from verse 40.

1. Jesus comes back and the crowds are waiting for Him.

A. Remember that Jesus stopped work for a while and went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. He saved a man from being possessed by demons, but the people didn’t want Him to stay there, they were afraid of Him. Jesus leaves that side.

B. Now He comes back to His side of the Sea, to the same crazy situation He left.

1. Luke describes it in chapter 6:17-19 Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great throng of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon, who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured. And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all.

2. Now huge crowds of people are waiting for Him. They welcome Him. They want Him. They have needs and wants and Jesus is giving it away and they’re open for whatever He’s giving, although they are not receiving Him.

C. In particular this man Jairus has been waiting for Jesus and he manages to make his way to Him and plead that Jesus come and heal his daughter.

1. He’s the ruler of the synagogue. He directs the services, and with the elders supervises people’s spiritual growth. He disciplines when necessary. He’s somebody, but he’s helpless when his daughter’s dying. He will humble himself before Jesus and plead for help.

2. Jesus agrees!

3. Jairus has advantages. He got to Jesus first, Jesus said, “Yes.” We have time, it’s possible. We’re going now. Wow, we have hope! Let’s go!

2. And then everything becomes an obstacle, all the advantages vanish.

A. There are all these other people trying to get to Jesus, trying to touch Him. They’re hoping maybe power is going out from Him and they want whatever He’s got. “I want to go this way.” “But I want to touch You! I want to be in Your way!” It would be natural for Jairus to think, “Hey, I got here first, do you mind?” He’s helpless to do anything about it. It’s crazy.

B. Then this woman with the hemorrhage for twelve years wedges herself close enough to Jesus to touch the fringe of His cloak.

1. She didn’t want to make a big deal about this, but she’s desperate, figures, if touching Him is all it takes, I’ll just do that.

2. And she gets healed! She feels it! Wow!

3. And then she gets caught. Jesus stops and says, “Who touched Me?”

4. Well, everyone denies it, and Peter said, everyone is pushing You. But Jesus says, “One person did touch Me.” And so He has her give her whole story, and why she did what she did. Notice that Luke does not go into detail with her. That means this healing is not so much about her as about what it’s doing to Jairus.

5. Imagine Jairus through all this. Jesus is patiently listening, the woman is going on and on. “Your faith has made you well, daughter, go in peace.” Great, super-duper. We have to get going, we still have time, maybe. Why does this have to happen right now?

6. Well, who healed the woman? Jesus was aware of the power going out of Him, but He didn’t know what was going on. That woman was healed because the Father saw her and He knew her thoughts, if I just touch the hem of His garment I’ll be made well. The Father did it through Jesus. Why is it taking so long? It’s not about the woman, it’s about Jairus. The Father is delaying them on purpose.

C. And then they run out of time. A messenger comes from the house, “Your daughter has died. You don’t have to trouble the Teacher anymore.”

1. The crowds clog his way, another person gets in ahead of him, God slows things down, and now the time to heal is gone.

2. “I was so close. We almost made it. She’s gone. I couldn’t help. I tried.”

3. Time and chance happen to every man. Time wins. Death wins. You lose. The bottom falls out.

3. In opposition to all the obstacles Jesus tells Jairus to believe Him.

A. He hears the messenger and answers Jairus’ thoughts that he hasn’t spoken. “Don’t be afraid any longer; only believe, and she shall be made well.”

B. Only believe? Believe what? Believe that what Jesus says is true, that Jesus is true. Depend on Jesus. Don’t try to figure it out. Jesus says trust Me, and she shall be made well.

C. All hope is gone. Jesus is the only hope left. He says, “Believe Me.”

4. One last obstacle are the mourners and their ridicule.

A. Jesus goes in the house with three disciples and the parents.

B. There are professional mourners wailing and crying.

C. Jesus says, “Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.”

D. They laugh at Him. He’s crazy. They make fun of Him.

E. That’s another obstacle: people who don’t believe Jesus. They are experts. “Hey, kid, I been from one end of the galaxy to the other, I seen a lot of crazy things, but, the girl is sleeping? I don’t buy that. Dead is dead, pal.”

F. Is Jairus crazy for believing Jesus? Are you stupid for believing Him?

5. Jesus finally answers Jairus’ request.

A. He takes the girl’s hand and calls her to get up. She gets up, completely healed.

B. He gives two commands.

1. Give her something to eat. That’s practical.

2. Do not tell anyone about this. Don’t tell people about this miracle of resurrection?

6. Why would Jesus keep it quiet? People are attracted to the healing but they reject the Healer.

A. Jesus fulfills scripture and proves He’s the Messiah by healing many people. They accept the healing but they don’t receive Him as Lord. The physical healing is futile if they die in their sins. Healing is the wrong emphasis.

B. Jesus told the ex-demoniac to go to his house and tell everyone what good things God did for him. He talked about Jesus. Those people had asked Jesus to leave so He sent back this man who pointed to Jesus. The right emphasis is Jesus.

C. Jesus doesn’t need more publicity about healing. Power is going out from Him because God is gracious, but it’s not changing people. And God knew this in advance, He writes about it in Isaiah 6 and Isaiah 53: Lord, who has believed our report?

D. The only thing that changes the heart is the death and resurrection of Jesus.

7. So what?

A. Do you believe that Jesus is Lord over your life?

1. He will rule over all things anyway. The kingdom of God is coming. But you may not benefit if He isn’t your Lord now. Either He is, or He isn’t.

2. You know He is Lord if you say, not my will, but Yours be done. Otherwise you are like the crowds who receive healing, but they do not submit to Jesus as Lord.

3. Have you received Jesus as your Lord?

B. Do you believe that you have limits?

1. You can be in that position that Jairus was in. You have a lot of overwhelming obstacles. You see your limits. You only have so much wisdom, knowledge, strength, goodness. Then you come to an end. You can only do so much, and things happen that are overwhelming, you run out of options, you run out of time, You run out of hope.

2. Proverbs 24:10 If you are slack in the day of distress, your strength is limited. It’s good to realise that you are limited. Confess to God: I am limited, O God.

C. If you know you are limited then believe Jesus, who has no limits. That’s what life is about.

1. He has no beginning and no end. He has no limits, His power and understanding and greatness cannot be measured.

2. He knows how bad things are, and it’s worse than we know. But none of the limitations we face bother Him. Crowds in the way, running out of money, running out of time, death. Put all of them on one side.

3. On the other side, put Jesus, and trust Him.

D. Do you understand, that if you are not afraid, and you believe Jesus, you will have to wait?

1. You are waiting for the ultimate fulfilment of God’s promises. The fulfilment may be in our lifetime, I don’t see why not. But fulfilment is not immediate, and it’s not until Jesus returns to the earth.

2. We have certain things we are called by God to do. In order to do these things we have to keep committing them to God so that He works through us to accomplish His will. We are serving God in our generation.

3. And so we wait, and so do all those who believe God. Abraham is still waiting. Paul is still waiting for the fulfilment. Jesus is still waiting until all His enemies will be made His footstool. The Father in heaven is waiting!

E. Do you believe, if you wait for God, you will not be ashamed?

1. 2 Timothy 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.

2. Psalm 25:3 Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.

3. Psalm 34:4-6 I sought the LORD, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces will never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.

Don’t be afraid any longer; only believe Jesus.

Let’s pray.