JESUS AND THE DESPERATE FATHER Mark 5:22-43
BACKGROUND: The person appointed to the post of a synagogue leader was usually someone who was generally respected in the city. All other synagogue leaders mentioned in the Gospels except for Jairus were hostile toward Jesus. Jairus only had one child at a time when everybody wanted a lot of children, especially sons (Luke 8:42).
1.
• Try to imagine what the parents may have felt when they started expecting the long-awaited child.
• What had everyday life possibly been like in the three-membered family for the past 12 years?
2.
• How might the relationship between spouses change when their child falls ill? Think about different possibilities.
• What may have happened to Jairus’s faith after his child became ill?
3.
• Why did Jairus resort to Jesus’ help even though Jesus was not regarded highly in Jairus’ social circle?
• What does his way of asking Jesus for help reveal about the synagogue leader (verses 22-23)?
4.
• Try to imagine what happened in the father’s heart in verse 35.
• Have you ever felt like there is no point of bothering Jesus anymore, and if so, what was the situation?
5.
• Why did Jesus tell Jairus not to be afraid even though the worst possible outcome had occurred (verse 36)?
• What do you fear the most in the world? (You may answer this quietly in your heart.)
• How would you react if Jesus told you not to be afraid when your worst fear had just come true?
6.
• What should Jairus have believed in even after his daughter’s death?
• What would Jairus have done if he hadn’t believed in Jesus at all?
7.
• Jairus’ wife had to witness her child’s death while her husband was gone. What may have been the state of her heart when Jesus and her husband entered the house of mourning?
• Funeral atmosphere already prevailed in Jairus’ home. What did Jesus want to say to the funeral guests in verse 39?
8. Carefully read the description of how Jesus brought the little girl back to life (verses 41-43). Which parts of this description stand out to you?
• Why did Jesus strictly forbid them to share this miracle with others even though it would have been good PR for him?
10.
• How did the life of this small family change after this incident?
• What do you think went through the family members’ minds when they later heard rumors about Jesus’ own death and resurrection?
GLAD TIDINGS: Today, Jesus says to you, too: “Don’t be afraid, just believe.” He means to say: "Give this matter to me. I can take care of it.” Jesus himself was only afraid of one thing, namely separation from his Father. He was so afraid that he was sweating droplets of blood in Gethsemane. In this way, Jesus showed that separation from God, that is, hell, is the only thing that people should be afraid of. The Lord can and will turn everything else into a blessing. Do you believe that?
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