INTRODUCTION:

1. In Luke 8:24, our Lord rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. In that great miracle, our Lord’s power over the forces of nature was exhibited.
2. Then our Lord arrived in the country of the Gadarenes, where He had healed the man that was tormented by devils (8:26-39).
3. In that great miracle, our Lord’s power over devils was exhibited. Tonight we will see His power over disease and death.
4. There are two miracles in this portion of Scripture -- there is the healing of the woman with the issue (or “flow” or "discharge") of blood (hemorrhage), and there is the raising of Jairus’ daughter from the dead. Both miracles are so interwoven as almost to constitute one story.
5. Luke 8:41 and 42 says, "And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet..."
6. Mark 5:23 says, Jairus "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.”
7. Then in Luke 8:43, we are introduced to the “woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any.”
8. Then after this woman with the issue of blood was healed, we are told that Jairus’ daughter had already died (8:49).
9. Though these two miracles are closely interwoven, they are distinct and will be dealt with separately.

 

I. THE DAUGHTER OF JAIRUS RAISED FROM THE DEAD (8:40-42, 49-56).

1. Jairus fell down at Jesus’ feet (8:41). His only daughter (8:42), perhaps his only child, lay dying. She was only about twelve years old (8:42).
2. In this time of utter helplessness Jairus came to Jesus, for he had faith in our Lord’s ability to heal her.
3. In the providence of God, sorrow, sickness, and even death are often used to bring needy men and women into contact with Jesus.
4. Oftentimes when things are going well people do not feel their need for God. I have seen many people saved on account of trials and troubles because God often uses great trials to bring sinners and lukewarm Christians to repentance.
5. Regardless of the marvels of modern medicine, modern man is just as helpless as Jairus’ daughter (8:41, 42), and just as helpless as the woman with the issue of blood (8:43).
6. Jairus showed the proper respect for Jesus -- “he fell at his feet” (8:41).
7. I imagine Jairus’ patience was being sorely tested. His young daughter lay dying but Jesus was being hindered by the great crowd of people that “thronged Him” (8:42).
8. God has promised to answer our prayers, but sometimes we find it hard to wait. “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD” (Psalm 27:14).
9. Furthermore, our Lord and Jairus were interrupted by the woman with the issue of blood (8:43, 44).
10. How sad Jairus must have felt when a man came from his house with the bad news: “Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master” (8:49).
11. It appeared to be too late. But our Lord has a way of turning bad news into good news (8:50).
12. These words are for us today -- “Fear not: believe only" (8:50).
13. What comforting words! Only the Son of God can talk like that.
14. Jesus dismissed the crowd and allowed only three of His disciples, along with the girl’s parents, into her room (8:51).
15. People were weeping but Jesus told them not to weep because the young girl was only sleeping (8:52).
16. “And they laughed Him to scorn” (8:53). Despite the fact that Jesus had just healed a woman who was sick for twelve years; and despite the fact that Jesus just delivered a man that was demon-possessed; and despite the fact that Jesus just rebuked the wind and calmed the angry waves (all these miracles are recorded in the eighth chapter of Luke) -- despite all this and much, much more -- they did not believe.
17. Hebrews 3:12 refers to “an evil heart of unbelief.” (And that warning is for believers, not unbelievers.)
18. “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”
19. In Mark 16:14, we read that the risen Lord appeared to the eleven apostles as they ate their meal, and “upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.”
20. Most people do not consider unbelief a sin. In fact, in modern America it has become a badge of honor for many people!
21. Most people do not consider unbelief a sin, but actually, unbelief is the worst sin of all.
22. Our Lord said when the Holy Spirit would come, “he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me” (John 16:8, 9).
23. Unbelief is the worst sin of all. John 3:18 says, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
24. John 3:36 says, "He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."
25. “They laughed him to scorn” (8:53), but they stopped laughing when “she arose straightway” (8:55).
26. Mark 5:42 says, "And straightway the damsel arose, and walked."
27. Once she arose this young girl needed food (8:55).
28. Our Lord charged them not to discuss this miracle with others (8:56). Perhaps premature notoriety would interfere with His work. Our Lord was on a divine schedule known only to Him and God the Father.
29. There is a great spiritual lesson here. Our Lord simply said, "Maid, arise" (8:54), "and her spirit came again, and she arose straightway."
30. The great spiritual lesson: Sinners are spiritually dead in trespasses and sins. But when they hear the voice of Jesus they are quickened into newness of life.
31. John 5:24 says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

 

II. THE WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD (8:43-48).

1. This poor woman had suffered for twelve long years (8:43). In addition to the physical suffering her sickness involved ceremonial uncleanness, which was also very hard to bear (Lev. 15:19ff).
2. She spent every cent she had on physicians but none of them could help her (8:43). She "had spent all her living" (8:43).
3. Mark 5:26 says, "And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse."
4. It should be remembered that Luke himself was a physician. The apostle Paul refers to Luke as "the beloved physician" in Colossians 4:14. Luke understood that there is only so much doctors can do.
5. After getting nowhere with "many physicians," now she approached the Great Physician (Luke 8:44).
6. People often try every thing imaginable to find rest for their souls but nothing seems to work. Finally they go to Jesus when they realize He is the only one who can help them.
7. No one ever came to Jesus and was turned away. Our Lord said, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37).
8. And no one ever came to Jesus for healing and was turned away.
9. It should be noted that the emphasis on Scripture is spiritual healing, not physical healing (cf. Luke 5:20-24).
10. The Bible says, “and with His stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:5). This refers to spiritual healing, i.e., forgiveness of sins and salvation. First Peter 2:24 says, "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."
11. Paul said, "Trophimus have I left at Miletus sick" (II Timothy 4:20).
12. In Philippians 2, Paul says Epaphroditus was "sick nigh unto death" (Phil. 2:27).
13. Paul himself prayed and asked the Lord three times, that his thorn in the flesh might depart, but God told him, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness."
14. So Paul declared, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong" (II Cor. 12:8-10).
15. There is coming a day when we will be delivered from all the effects of sin, sickness, suffering and death. What a day, glorious day that will be!
16. First John 3:2 says, we know that, when Christ returns, "we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as he is."
17. In the meantime, we must contend with sickness and death. But not for long! Revelation 21:4 says, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
18. This woman possessed a genuine and earnest faith. For a poor, emaciated woman, after twelve years of suffering, to press her way through a large throng of people shows that she was determined (8:44).
19. Her faith was so strong that she believed simply touching the hem of our Lord’s garment was all she needed to do (8:44). And as soon as she did she experienced His healing power (8:44).
20. Our Lord was conscious of the outgoing of His virtue and He asked, “Who touched me?... Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me” (8:45).
21. The woman had not planned on talking to Jesus but now she came forth, trembling, and (like Jairus) fell down before Him (8:47).
22. Our Lord told her that it was her faith, not her touch, that had healed her (8:48).
23. She received our Lord’s blessing and is the only woman on record addressed as “Daughter” by Jesus (8:48).

 

CONCLUSION:

1. We have recently studied four consecutive miracles in the Gospel of Luke.
2. These miracles all bear witness to the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. In Luke 8:24, our Lord rebuked the wind and calmed the raging sea. His disciples were afraid and exclaimed, “What manner of man is this! for He commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey Him” (8:25).
4. This great miracle demonstrated our Lord’s power over nature.
5. In Luke 8:23-39, our Lord delivered the Gadarene demoniac. This miracle demonstrated His power over Satan and his demons.
6. Then in Luke 8:44, our Lord healed the woman with the issue of blood. This miracle demonstrated His power over disease.
7. Then in Luke 8:54 and 55, our Lord raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead. This miracle demonstrated His power over death.
8. Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."