Mark 5 tells the story of Jairus, the desperate synagogue ruler who asked Jesus to heal his daughter. The twelve-year-old girl was dangerously near death, and Jairus pleaded with Christ to come to his house and lay his hands on her.
Jesus agreed to go with him, but first he stopped along the way to minister to a woman with a blood disease. (This was the woman who was healed when she touched the hem of his garment.) While Jesus tarried, a messenger came with tragic news: Jairus’s daughter had already died. He told the synagogue ruler, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” (Mark 5:35, NKJV). Jairus’s heart was gripped with grief. He thought, “If only we had gotten there in time. Now it’s too late. My daughter is gone.” But Jesus assured him, “Do not be afraid; only believe” (Mark 5:36).
As they approached Jairus’s home, they heard sounds of wailing and mourning. It was Jairus’s family and neighbors, grieving over the girl. Picture the contrast in this scene: Here was God in the flesh, creator of the universe, able to perform any work imaginable, and yet they were weeping in His presence. Their actions revealed their belief that God could only help as long as there was still earthly hope.
How many Christians today no longer call upon the Lord because they think their situation is hopeless? Multitudes trust God only to the point where something in their life dies. This isn’t limited to the death of a person; it could be the death of a marriage, a relationship, a dream, hope for an unsaved loved one—anything in your life you think is impossible to fix, change, or restore.
Jesus rebuked such unbelief. He said to the weeping crowd at Jairus’s home, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping” (Mark 5:39). He was saying, “This situation is not what you see or think. You think all hope is gone, but I say there will be restoration.” He then went to the little girl’s room and, speaking a mere word, He brought the child to life. “Immediately the girl arose and walked” (Mark 5:42).
Nothing is too “dead” or far gone for him to restore to it life. He is saying, “Put your trust in me to fix your problem. It is never too late for me to work.”