Mark 4:35-5:43

Theme: Jesus has power and compassion like nobody else, once again proving he is the Son of God.

Aim: Stand in awe of his power, putting your faith in him.

Study

What have we seen so far?

• Jesus is God’s Son and promised Messiah
• Came with power and authority over all things
• He has been travelling around Galilee, peaching the gospel
• Teaches via parables so that those who refuse him will not understand
• Has been preparing the disciples to be sent out

For each of the main four encounters, describe the situation and compare peoples’ reactions to Jesus’, discussing what this tells us about them.

Calming of the Storm

• Disciples are terrified, even experienced fishermen fear for their lives in this storm.
• Jesus is asleep, calm and not afraid
• The disciples’ fear of the storm (and drowning in it) trumps their trust in Jesus, something he pulls them up on in v40.
• They have no other hope than to wake and ask Jesus for help
• Jesus changes the great storm into a great calm with a few words - he has full control over nature
• Rightly, the disciples ask “who is this” - only God possesses this kind of power
• They believe Jesus is the Messiah and know he has power and control like God alone, but are yet to put all the pieces together and are still taken by surprise when Jesus’ power is displayed.

Man with a Legion of Demons

• This incident occurs in the country of the Gerasenes - outside of Jewish Israel
• The man is unclean to the core - living in the tombs (as though already dead), with many unclean spirits possessing him.
• The man is un-subduable, nobody could bind him, not even with chains.
• He also cut himself with stones - the demons’ goal is to kill and destroy, we see this with the pigs later as well.
• Upon seeing Jesus, even a long way off, he runs and falls before him

• the demons recognise who Jesus is and they know and are terrified of his power. (Side note, they seem to not know much of God’s mercy, begging to not be tormented, although perhaps they are recognising divine justice here.)

• Jesus is calm and composed, and simply commands the demons what to do - he is the one giving them permission to enter the pigs, showing that he still maintains full authority over even many demons.
• The man is fully restored, clothed and in his right mind
• The locals flee the scene, and upon returning and seeing this, are afraid and demand Jesus leave - they don’t want or accept Jesus, deciding that a legion of demons is preferable company to him.
• The man however wants to come with Jesus, but is told instead to tell of all Jesus has done for him in the Decapolis region.
• The man, unlike the locals, sees Jesus as someone to follow and worship.
• He alone is begging Jesus for the right thing.

Woman with Internal Bleeding

• Woman has had this condition for 12 years, and nobody could treat her - she has all but given up hope
• This makes her unclean, and we know than uncleanliness spreads (think back to the leper in 1:40-45), but Jesus’ cleanness is more powerful and spreads in the opposite direction.
• She is healed immediately upon touching just Jesus’ clothes
• Jesus knows when “power had gone out from him” - he can tell not just when someone touches him (everyone is touching him in the crowd) but when someone reaches out to him in faith.
• Jesus tells us that it is her faith which made her well
• She is afraid, yet comes and fall before Jesus - her fear is overcome by faith and trust
• Jesus calls her daughter, welcoming her - faith brings identity as well as healing

Jairus’ Daughter

• She is at the point of death - as we see minutes away
• A ruler of the synagogue comes and falls at Jesus’ feet - a very humbling action, showing us he is desperate for any help, and remembering that many religious figures want to kill Jesus, Jairus may be risking excommunication here.
• The little hope Jairus had left is soon dashed because while Jesus slowly meanders through the crowds, news reaches that his daughter has died - she is definitely dead, mourners are already at the house.
• Jesus claims that she is not dead but just asleep - this makes no sense and is very insensitive, unless he sees the situation differently?
• They laugh and mock him - of course she is dead, it does not even enter their mind that Jesus could raise her.
• Jesus kicks the unbelieving crowd out, letting only her mum and dad stay, then tells the girl to get up - and she does!
• Jesus reaches a new high score in miracles, he can even raise people from the dead!
• They are overcome with amazement - but Jesus tells them to not tell anyone
• He makes sure the girl is not forgotten in all the commotion and insists that she gets something to eat.
• Side note: 12 years is repeated - the woman had a flow of blood for as long as Jairus’ daughters’ blood was flowing too

In summary, what kinds of responses and common themes do we see?

• Fear - not reverence but people are terrified of Jesus
• Disciples are confused by Jesus’ question v31
• Hope in desperation
• Amazement
• Faith in Jesus
• Theme of Jesus’ power is continued, and taken to new heights
• Theme of restoration comes out through many people being healed
• In most, Jesus’ words are what administers the healing

What do these additional accounts of miracles tell us about Jesus?

• Gives us more of a sense of Jesus’ ministry and expands upon the sections where Mark tells us Jesus healed many.
• Emphasises the need for Jesus - the need for a saviour
• Jesus is unique, nobody can do the things he does or says the things he says.
• The situations are extreme, there is no other hope, yet Jesus comes with power and compassion.
• Where do you see similar levels of hopelessness today?
• Many people lonely and without a saviour

Why do so many people respond with the wrong kind of fear?

• Power without compassion is scary - those who don’t know Jesus will understandably be terrified, showing the importance of a right relationship with him.
• People who don’t know Jesus and don’t want to follow him won’t understand - think about the parables last time.

Do you ever see a similar attitude in your own heart? What can help you overcome this?

• Thinking we’re not good enough for God
• Trying with our own strength first - “I’ll not bother God with this”
• Remember that Jesus is compassionate and powerful, he is able and willing to help us.
• Jairus comes in humility - so should we

What kind of things draw your faith away from Jesus? When can fear replace faith?

• When we go through suffering and hard times - we know God cares but he doesn’t seem to. Jesus is both the model and the object of our faith, he trusted completely and rested in his Father to the point he could sleep in a deadly storm, we are to model that trust.
• When God does unexpected things, especially things we don’t want - we rationalise this to ourselves like “This thing would make me happy or be good for me, so why is God keeping it from me?”
• When we see no solution to our problems - do we truly believe God can do what we can’t, and knows what we don’t know?
• When it seems too late to make things better, the damage is already done - God can breathe hope into the most dire situations, he saved us while we were enslaved to sin and hated him!
• When we think God’s said “no”, and we have no other hope - the woman was bleeding for 12 years before she could touch Jesus, he might not always answer immediately.

What does true faith look like, and how can we model it?

• Firm trust and belief - Jesus himself commands Jairus: “do not fear, only believe”
• Worship and reverence for Jesus
• Coming to Jesus and being with him - time praying and reading the Bible is extremely important, as well as time with his people.
• Receiving Jesus’ teaching
• Model his compassion and kindness
• Rest with peace and security, both while coming to him and trusting in him.
• Be patient, and trust Jesus’ times - he may do something even greater than you thought (think to the raising of Jairus’ daughter).
• Jesus fights for us with unstoppable force, yet treats us with tender love.